Completing a story is an important writing item in the English question papers of Classes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, SSC and HSC in Bangladesh. An incomplete beginning is given in the question paper, and candidates must complete it in their own words with a fitting and meaningful conclusion. The item tests imagination, vocabulary, grammatical correctness, and the ability to arrange events in a logical sequence.

Among the moral tales frequently set as completing stories, the Dividing the Bread completing story is one of the most popular in examinations. The amusing story of two quarrelling cats and a cunning monkey has been asked in school, JSC and SSC examinations for many years. It is funny, easy to remember, and it teaches a serious lesson: when two quarrel, the third enjoys, and quarrelling always brings loss.

In this post, you will find the given beginning of the Dividing the Bread story exactly as it appears in question papers, a full completed version for SSC and HSC candidates, a 120-word exam version, a hints and outlines version, the popular "two rats" variant, a complete Bangla translation (বঙ্গানুবাদ), a short version for Class 6 and Class 7 students, the moral of the story with an explanation, difficult word meanings in Bangla and English, practical exam-writing tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about this story.

Given Beginning of the Dividing the Bread Completing Story

Read the incomplete beginning carefully. In the exam, this is the part given in the question paper, and you must continue from where it ends:

Once there lived two cats in a house. They were good friends. One day they found a piece of bread. They began to quarrel over their shares. Each cat claimed the larger share for itself. They could not agree, so they went to a monkey to divide the bread fairly...

Dividing the Bread Completing Story — Full Version with Moral

Once there lived two cats in a house. They were good friends. One day they found a piece of bread. They began to quarrel over their shares. Each cat claimed the larger share for itself. They could not agree, so they went to a monkey to divide the bread fairly.

The monkey was a cunning fellow. He listened to their complaint with a serious face and said, "Do not fight, my friends. I will divide the bread into two equal parts." The cats were pleased and handed him the bread. The monkey broke it into two pieces, but one piece was clearly bigger than the other.

"Oh no," said the monkey, "this piece is too big. I must make them equal." So he took a big bite from the larger piece. But now the other piece looked bigger. "Still not equal," he said with a sly smile, and took a bite from that piece too.

The cats watched anxiously as their bread grew smaller and smaller. Each time the monkey took a bite to "equalise" the pieces, he ate a little more himself. "Stop! Stop!" cried the cats. "Give us whatever is left." But the cunning monkey only laughed and said, "You two must learn to share peacefully. As for the bread — consider it my fee for dividing it fairly." And with that, he popped the last tiny crumb into his mouth and walked away, licking his lips.

The two cats looked at each other in shame. They had lost the whole piece of bread because of their foolish quarrel, and they learned that greed and fighting never bring any gain.

Moral: When two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Dividing the Bread Completing Story in 120 Words

Some questions ask you to complete the story in about 120 words. Here is a model answer:

Two cats found a piece of bread and quarrelled over their shares. Unable to agree, they asked a monkey to divide it fairly. The cunning monkey broke the bread into two unequal pieces. "This one is too big," he said, and took a bite from the larger piece. But then the other piece looked bigger, so he bit that one too. Bite by bite, the bread grew smaller while the cats watched helplessly. "Stop!" they cried, but the monkey only smiled and kept eating in the name of fair division. At last only a crumb remained, and he popped it into his mouth as his fee. The two cats got nothing and felt ashamed of their foolish quarrel.

Moral: When two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Dividing the Bread Story from Outlines (Hints)

Sometimes the question gives outlines instead of a beginning. Read the hints and develop each hint into one or two sentences of your own:

Outlines: Two cats — good friends — find a piece of bread — quarrel over shares — each wants the larger part — cannot agree — go to a monkey for fair division — monkey breaks the bread unequally — bites the bigger piece to equalise — other piece becomes bigger — bites again — bread grows smaller and smaller — cats protest — monkey eats the last crumb as his fee — cats lose everything — moral.

Completed story from the outlines:

Once two cats lived together as good friends. One day they found a piece of bread, but a quarrel broke out over their shares because each wanted the larger part. As they could not agree, they went to a monkey to divide the bread fairly. The cunning monkey broke the bread into two unequal pieces. To make them equal, he took a bite from the bigger piece, but then the other piece looked bigger. He bit that one too, and the bread grew smaller and smaller with every bite. The cats protested loudly, but the monkey kept eating in the name of fair division. At last he popped the final crumb into his mouth, calling it his fee. The two cats lost the whole bread because of their foolish quarrel.

Moral: When two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Two Rats and the Monkey — A Popular Variant

In some question papers and books, this same story appears with two rats instead of two cats. The plot and the moral are exactly the same, so if you learn one version well, you can answer both. Here is the rats variant in brief:

Once two rats found a loaf of bread. They could not agree on how to divide it, as each wanted the larger share. After quarrelling for some time, they decided to take the bread to a monkey who kept a pair of scales. The cunning monkey tore the bread into two pieces and weighed them, but one piece was heavier. He bit off a part of the heavier piece, which made the other piece heavier. He continued biting and weighing until only a tiny piece remained. The rats begged him to return it, but the monkey claimed it as his charge for the hard work of dividing. The rats went home hungry and wiser.

Moral: When two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Bangla Translation of the Dividing the Bread Story (বঙ্গানুবাদ)

গল্পটি ভালোভাবে বুঝতে নিচে সম্পূর্ণ বাংলা অনুবাদ দেওয়া হলো:

রুটি ভাগাভাগি

এক বাড়িতে দুটি বিড়াল থাকত। তারা ভালো বন্ধু ছিল। একদিন তারা এক টুকরো রুটি পেল। নিজেদের ভাগ নিয়ে তারা ঝগড়া শুরু করল। প্রতিটি বিড়াল নিজের জন্য বড় ভাগটি দাবি করল। তারা একমত হতে পারল না, তাই ন্যায্যভাবে রুটি ভাগ করে দেওয়ার জন্য তারা একটি বানরের কাছে গেল।

বানরটি ছিল ধূর্ত প্রকৃতির। সে গম্ভীর মুখে তাদের অভিযোগ শুনল এবং বলল, "ঝগড়া কোরো না, বন্ধুরা। আমি রুটিটা দুটি সমান ভাগে ভাগ করে দেব।" বিড়াল দুটি খুশি হয়ে তাকে রুটিটা দিল। বানরটি রুটিটা দুই টুকরো করল, কিন্তু এক টুকরো স্পষ্টতই অন্যটির চেয়ে বড় হলো।

"আরে না," বানরটি বলল, "এই টুকরোটা বেশি বড়। সমান করতেই হবে।" এই বলে সে বড় টুকরোটা থেকে বড় এক কামড় বসাল। কিন্তু এবার অন্য টুকরোটা বড় দেখাল। "এখনো সমান হয়নি," সে ধূর্ত হাসি দিয়ে বলল, এবং সেই টুকরোটাতেও কামড় বসাল।

বিড়াল দুটি উদ্বেগের সাথে দেখল তাদের রুটি ক্রমে ছোট হয়ে যাচ্ছে। "সমান" করার নামে বানরটি প্রতিবার কামড় দিয়ে নিজেই একটু করে বেশি খেয়ে নিচ্ছিল। "থামো! থামো!" বিড়াল দুটি চিৎকার করল। "যা বাকি আছে আমাদের দিয়ে দাও।" কিন্তু ধূর্ত বানরটি শুধু হেসে বলল, "তোমাদের শান্তিতে ভাগ করে খাওয়া শিখতে হবে। আর রুটির ব্যাপারে — ন্যায্য ভাগের মজুরি হিসেবে এটা আমার।" এই বলে শেষ ক্ষুদ্র টুকরোটা মুখে পুরে সে ঠোঁট চাটতে চাটতে চলে গেল।

বিড়াল দুটি লজ্জায় একে অপরের দিকে তাকাল। বোকার মতো ঝগড়ার কারণে তারা পুরো রুটিটা হারাল, এবং শিখল যে লোভ আর ঝগড়া কখনো লাভ বয়ে আনে না।

নীতিকথা: দুজনে ঝগড়া করলে তৃতীয়জন মজা লোটে।

Moral of the Dividing the Bread Completing Story

The moral of the Dividing the Bread story is: when two quarrel, the third enjoys.

This moral warns us that quarrelling over shares only benefits outsiders who take advantage of the dispute. The two cats lost their entire piece of bread because they could not agree and handed the decision to a cunning monkey, who ate it all in the name of fair division. In student life too, fighting with friends over small things brings loss to everyone, while sharing peacefully keeps everyone happy. Unity and compromise are always better than quarrels.

Difficult Words and Meanings from the Dividing the Bread Completing Story

Short Version of the Dividing the Bread Completing Story for Class 6 and Class 7

Two cats found a piece of bread and quarrelled over their shares. They asked a monkey to divide it fairly. The monkey broke the bread into two unequal pieces and took a bite from the larger one to "make them equal." But then the other piece looked bigger, so he bit that one too. Bite by bite, he ate the whole bread while the cats watched helplessly. In the end, the cunning monkey ate everything and walked away, and the two cats got nothing.

Moral: When two quarrel, the third enjoys.

How to Write a Completing Story in the Exam — Tips for SSC and HSC Students

1. Read the given beginning carefully and note the key conflict — two cats quarrelling over a piece of bread — before planning your continuation.

2. Decide the ending first: the Dividing the Bread story must end with the monkey eating the whole bread and the moral about quarrelling.

3. Keep the past tense consistent from the first sentence to the last; never mix present and past tense in narration.

4. Write in simple, correct sentences. Humour in the story comes from the events, so clear language works best.

5. Maintain the word limit given in the question, usually 150 to 250 words for school exams and a little more for SSC and HSC. If the question says "within 120 words", keep your story short and leave out extra details.

6. Use dialogue to make the story lively — the monkey's clever excuses and the cats' protests can be shown in direct speech.

7. Keep the characters unchanged. Do not add new animals or change the bread into something else; examiners want the classic plot. (But note: some books use two rats instead of two cats — both are acceptable.)

8. End with the moral in a separate line: when two quarrel, the third enjoys.

9. Show the gradual loss of the bread step by step — each bite the monkey takes should shrink the pieces visibly for the reader.

10. If outlines are given instead of a beginning, turn every hint into one or two sentences in the same order as the hints.

Dividing the Bread Story in Board and School Exams

Dividing the Bread is one of the most repeated completing stories in Bangladesh. It has been set in SSC examinations, school annual examinations, and test papers under different education boards for many years. Examiners love this story because it is funny, the moral is easy to remember, and it tests whether students can develop a full story from a short beginning. Sometimes it appears as "Two Rats and the Monkey" instead of "Two Cats and the Monkey" — the story and the moral remain the same, so prepare both names together.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Dividing the Bread Completing Story

Q1. What is the Dividing the Bread completing story for class 6?

For Class 6, the Dividing the Bread completing story is written in short, simple sentences within about 120 to 150 words. Two cats quarrel over a piece of bread and ask a monkey to divide it. The monkey keeps biting the bigger piece to make them equal until nothing is left. Junior students should keep the language easy and end with the moral that when two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Q2. How do I write the Dividing the Bread completing story for class 7?

For Class 7, start from the given lines about the two cats finding the bread. Describe their quarrel, their visit to the monkey, and the monkey breaking the bread unequally. Narrate how he bites each larger piece in turn until the whole bread is gone. Keep the story between 150 and 200 words, use past tense throughout, and close with the moral.

Q3. What is the Dividing the Bread completing story for class 8?

The Class 8 version of the Dividing the Bread completing story follows the same plot — the cats' quarrel, the monkey's cunning division, and the gradual disappearance of the bread — but with richer vocabulary and livelier dialogue. Write about 200 words, show the monkey's sly excuses in direct speech, describe the cats' helpless watching, and end with the moral in a separate line.

Q4. What is the moral of the Dividing the Bread story?

The moral of the Dividing the Bread story is "When two quarrel, the third enjoys." The two cats lost their whole piece of bread because they fought over shares and trusted a cunning monkey to divide it fairly. The story teaches that quarrelling brings loss and that disputes only benefit outsiders.

Q5. Can you give a short Dividing the Bread completing story?

Yes. Here is a short version: Two cats quarrelled over a piece of bread and asked a monkey to divide it. The monkey kept nibbling the bigger half to make the pieces equal until the entire bread was gone. He ate it all and walked away, leaving the cats with nothing. Moral: when two quarrel, the third enjoys.

Q6. How should I write the Dividing the Bread completing story in the SSC exam?

In the SSC exam, write the Dividing the Bread completing story in about 200 to 250 words with correct grammar and lively narration. Start from the given beginning, describe the quarrel and the monkey's sly behaviour with dialogue, and show the bread shrinking bite by bite. Examiners look for proper tense, linking words, humour in the telling, and a clearly stated moral, so revise for spelling mistakes before submitting.

Q7. Why did the cats lose the whole piece of bread?

The cats lost the whole piece of bread because they quarrelled over their shares instead of dividing it peacefully themselves. By handing the bread to the cunning monkey, they gave him the chance to eat it bit by bit in the name of fair division. Their greed and fighting, not the monkey's trick alone, caused their loss.

Q8. What lesson do we learn from the Dividing the Bread story?

We learn that quarrelling brings loss and that compromise is wiser than fighting. The two cats could have shared the bread peacefully, but their greed made them fight, and an outsider enjoyed the benefit. The lesson for students is to settle disputes with friends calmly and fairly instead of quarrelling.

Q9. Is there a Bangla translation of the Dividing the Bread completing story?

Yes. The complete Bangla translation (বঙ্গানুবাদ) of the Dividing the Bread story is given in the "Bangla Translation" section above. Reading the Bangla version first helps you understand the story fully, and then you can write the English version more confidently in the exam.

Q10. How do I complete the Dividing the Bread story from outlines or hints?

When outlines are given, develop each hint into one or two sentences in the same order as the hints, keeping the past tense and ending with the moral. A worked example with outlines and a completed story is given in the "Story from Outlines" section above.

Q11. Is the "Two Rats and the Monkey" story the same as "Dividing the Bread"?

Yes. In some books the same story uses two rats instead of two cats, and sometimes a loaf of bread instead of a piece of bread. The plot — the quarrel, the cunning monkey, the disappearing bread — and the moral are identical. If you learn one version, you can easily write the other.

Q12. How many words should a completing story be in the exam?

Follow the word limit given in your question paper. School exams usually ask for 150 to 200 words, SSC and HSC for 200 to 250 words, and some questions specifically say "within 120 words". This post gives you a 120-word version, a 150-word outlines version, and a full 200-word version so you are ready for any limit.