Setting & Characters
Where does the story take place?
At Maria's house
Describe tamales
Tamales are a type of food made with masa and some type of filling. They are wrapped in corn husks and steamed.
What were Maria and her mother doing at the start of the story?
Making tamales
Why did Maria want her cousins to eat the tamales?
To find the ring.
Where did Maria find the ring?
The ring was on her mother's finger, bright as ever.
When does the story take place or What time of year does the story take place?
At Christmas time
Describe a Christmas tree
A Christmas tree is a Christmas decoration that is a green pine tree. It is a triangle shape and has ornaments on it.
When or Why did Maria try on her mother's diamond ring?
When her mother left the kitchen to answer the telephone, Maria couldn't help herself.
Why did they have to keep eating the tamales even though they were full?
Because they hadn't found the ring yet.
What did the family do at the end of the story?
Maria held her full stomach as everyone filed into the kitchen, joking and laughing. They were going to make more tamales.
Where did they make the tamales?
In the kitchen
Describe a ring
A small piece of jewelry that is round and worn on the finger. It is often sparkly.
After Maria's cousins arrived, what was the first thing they did?
They went up to her room to play.
What did Danny think he swallowed?
He swallowed something hard so he thought he swallowed the ring.
How did Maria feel at the end of the story?
Happy and relieved.
Who is the main character?
Maria
Describe how Maria felt when she realized the ring was missing.
Shocked, worried, concerned.
When Maria was in her room clipping pictures out of the newspaper, what did she realize?
The ring was missing.
Did Danny swallow the ring?
No
It is a tradition in Maria's family to make tamales for Christmas. Tell about one of your family's traditions.
Any answer will do.
Who are some of the other characters?
Her cousins (Dolores, Teresa, and Danny) and her mom.
Describe how Maria and the cousins felt after they ate all 24 tamales.
Full and kind of sick.
Where did Maria think the ring went?
Inside the tamales.
Do you like tamales?
Yes or no or kind of.
When it says that "Maria got ready to confess," what does that mean?
She is going to tell what she thought was the truth--that she lost the ring and it ended up in the tamales.