Question

‘Should the sergeant have handed over the paw to someone?’ Work in groups of five. Two members should support the argument and the other two should speak against it. The fifth member is the chairperson. The chairperson should report the observations and comments by the group to the class at the end of fifteen minutes.

Answer 1

Members supporting the sergeant’s decision:

1. The sergeant had already tried to destroy the paw by throwing it into the fire, but Mr. White rescued it and insisted on keeping it.
2. Since the sergeant had used all three wishes, he may have felt the paw was no longer his responsibility. He also warned the Whites repeatedly about its dangers.

Members opposing the sergeant’s decision:

1. The sergeant knew the paw could bring misery and had caused the first owner to wish for death. He should have kept it or destroyed it rather than letting another family take the risk.
2. His warning did not prevent Mr. White from making a wish. Knowing how curious the family was, the sergeant could have taken stronger steps to stop them.

Chairperson’s report: The group considered both sides. The sergeant did warn the Whites and tried to burn the paw, so he did not hand it over carelessly. However, because he understood its terrible power, he could have acted more firmly to keep it away from them. The group concluded that his warning was not enough to make handing over the paw a responsible decision.