Study Questions
1. At what time does Tea Cake come into the store?

2. What does Tea Cake buy at the store?

3. Does Janie like checkers?

4. Why does Janie complain about their game?

5. How does Tea Cake intend to get home?

6. Why didn’t Tea Cake tell Janie his name until she asks for it?

7. How does Janie joke about his nickname?

8. What is “knuckle puddin’”?

9. What name does Janie call Tea Cake, and how does he like this name?

10. What does Janie do after Tea Cake walks away?

Answers
1. Tea Cake comes into the store at five-thirty.

2. Tea Cake buys a pack of cigarettes.

3. Janie doesn’t know if she likes checkers or not because she has never played before.

4. Tea Cake had jumped Janie’s king, and Janie complains that she wasn’t paying attention.

5. He will hop a train if there are any trains still running, or he will simply walk the seven miles to his home.

6. Tea Cake says he didn’t expect to use his name in the store today.

7. She wonders if Tea Cake is as sweet as his nickname.

8. “Knuckle puddin’” is a beating with the fist. Tea Cake asks Janie if he could buy some as a joke.

9. Janie calls him “Mr. Tea Cake,” and he tells her that she can be polite and call him “Mr. Woods,” or be friendly and call him “Tea Cake.” He would prefer her to be friendly.

10. Janie sits on her porch and watches the moon rise.