Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Mule Days
Mule Day
Reading Comprehension for April 3
If someone said you were as stubborn as a mule, would that be a compliment or an insult? Mules are often looked down upon, but should they be? While some people think they are not as beautiful as horses, mules have been important throughout history.
First of all, do you know what a mule is? A mule is a cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey (jack). If you were to cross a male horse (stallion) with a female donkey (jenny) you would get a hinny. They look the same, but a hinny is often smaller, like its mother.
The size of both parents affects how large the mule becomes, just as their colors affect how they look. Most people think of mules as being brown, but they can also be almost any color that a horse is, including spotted. In spite of those similarities, it's usually easy to tell when an animal is a mule. Just look at the ears. If it looks like a horse with bigger ears, it's probably a mule.
