Setting
At Maria's house
When does the story take place?
Maria
Who is the main character?
When her mother left the kitchen to answer the telephone, Maria couldn't help herself.
When or Why did Maria try on her mother's diamond ring?
"Eat them," she said. "If you bite something hard, tell me."
Why did Maria want her cousins to eat the tamales?
The ring was on her mother's finger, bright as ever.
Where did Maria find the ring?
Around Christmas Time
When does the story take place or What time of year does the story take place?
Dolores, Theresa, and Danny
Who are Maria's cousins?
Maria, her mother and father made twenty-four tamales.
What did they make for their Christmas party?
Their stomachs were stretched till they hurt, but the cousins kept eating until only one tamale remained on the plate.
Why did they have to keep eating the tamales even though they were full?
Maria held her full stomach as everyone filed into the kitchen, joking and laughing. They were going to make more tamales.
What did the family do at the end of the story?
In the kitchen
Where did they make the tamales?
"Well it looks like we all have to cook up another batch of tamales," she said
Who is Aunt Rosa?
"The ring!" she screamed.
What did Maria realize about the ring?
"I think I swallowed something hard," he said.
What did Danny think he swallowed?
They were cutting out pictures of toys they were hoping were wrapped and sitting underneath the Christmas tree.
Where is Maria's bedroom?
They let off a groan the size of twenty-four tamales from the other side of the room.
Who are Dolores, Teresa and Danny?
Maria could feel tears pressing to get our as she walked into the living room where the grown-ups sat talking.
Why was Maria about to cry? Or - What was Maria going to tell her mother?
Maria went to tell her mom the truth about the ring.
Where is the living room?