Level: V

DRA: 50
Social Studies
Strategy:
Infer/Predict
Word Count: 1,711

6.5.21 Build Vocabulary

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

1033048
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
 by Ken Van Gorder
Illustrated by Bob Dacy and Debra Bandelin

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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electronic format.
 The Adventure Begins
Books are like time machines. They can take
readers back in time or far into the future. One of the
most famous books of all time takes place in 1625. Its
title is The Three Musketeers.
In this novel, a young swordsman named
D’Artagnan (DAHR tan yuhn) has just arrived
in Paris. He wants to be a soldier who protects the
king and queen. These
special soldiers are known
as musketeers. They carry
guns called muskets.
D’Artagnan has had
a hard journey. Thieves
attacked him and stole his
money. Even worse, they
stole an important letter.
It was the letter he had
planned to present to the
The young swordsman
leader of the musketeers.
D’Artagnan hopes to
In books, just as in become a musketeer.
real life, events can often
take an abrupt turn.
D’Artagnan gets a lucky break. His father is friends
with the leader of the musketeers.

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 D’Artagnan must duel each of the three musketeers!

The leader of the musketeers offers to send

D’Artagnan to the Royal Academy. There, he can learn
the skills he needs to become a musketeer. It seems that
D’Atagnan’s dream is about to come true. But then his
luck takes another turn — this time for the worse!
D’Artagnan encounters three different men. He
manages to insult each of them. Each man challenges
D’Artagnan to a duel. He must fight three duels in the
same day! Even worse for D’Artagnan, these men are
not ordinary swordsmen. They are Porthos, Athos, and
Aramis, the fiercest of all the musketeers.

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 Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers was written by Alexandre

Dumas (doo MAH). His novel is considered a
masterpiece in French literature. Dumas wrote other
novels, too. The Count of Monte Cristo also became
popular. Dumas had many children. One of them, a
son, became a famous writer, too.

4
 Dumas wanted to create a thrilling story about soldiers
of the past.

Other soldiers call them “the inseparables.” This

is because they always stick together. They are much
better known as “The Three Musketeers.”
In his novel The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas
introduced the world to one of the most famous trios
ever. Porthos, Athos, and Aramis are action heroes.
They have style, skill, and a sense of humor.

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 Readers liked the novel as soon as it was published.
For more than 150 years, this trio has thrilled readers
all over the world. The story of the three musketeers
has been retold in books, plays, and movies.
Alexandre Dumas published The Three Musketeers
in 1844. Even at that time, the days of sword fighting
were in the past. But Dumas thought that sword
fighting was exciting. He wanted his readers to
experience this thrill. So he decided to write a story
about three French swordsmen.

A Story Based on Real Life

Next, Dumas had to choose
a setting for his novel. He chose
Paris, France. The story took
place during the reign of King
Louis XIII. At first, Louis’s
government was not very stable.
His own mother tried to steal the
throne from him. A top official,
Cardinal Richelieu (REE shuh
loo), helped her. Eventually,
Richelieu joined forces with the
king. Louis XIII became one of Louis XIII ruled
Europe’s most important rulers. France from 1610
to 1643.

6
 At the time, royalty often had arranged marriages.
Kings and queens did not often marry for love.
Instead, they married for other reasons. A royal
marriage might try to unite two nations. If the
bride and groom loved each other, it was a bonus!

France became very powerful. As a result,

some people schemed to control the throne. Some
even attempted murder. The king needed constant
protection. That’s where the musketeers come in!

A Novel of Adventure
The author used these real-life power struggles as
inspiration for The Three Musketeers. In the book, the
musketeers are assigned to protect the royal family.
Of course, the three musketeers find themselves in the
middle of the power struggle. Their loyalty to the king
and queen is tested.
Part of the novel tells about a plot against the queen.
She has fallen in love with the Duke of Buckingham.
She gives the duke a diamond necklace. The diamonds
were originally a gift from her husband, the king.

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 In battle, the musketeers show their bravery and skill.

In the book, the cardinal learns that the queen

has given the king’s gift away. He tries to use this
information to embarrass her. He convinces the king
to ask the queen to wear the necklace. Of course,
the cardinal knows that the queen has already given
it away. He hopes the king will be angry with her.
D’Artagnan and the three musketeers come to the
queen’s rescue. They get the necklace back and save
the queen’s honor.
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 Soon, the musketeers must swing into action
again. As a spiteful act, the cardinal’s men kidnap
Constance. She is one of the queen’s servants. She also
happens to be the woman with whom D’Artagnan
has fallen in love. The musketeers ride to rescue
Constance. They pursue the villains on horseback.
The musketeers show off their courage, loyalty, and
wit. Their heroic acts seem more like light-hearted
adventures than deadly battles.

The motto of the Three Musketeers is

“All for one, and one for all!”

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 All for One,
and One for All
Dumas put a lot of
thought into the three
musketeers. He made his
characters seem realistic and
believable. Like most friends,
they share some traits. In
many ways, though, they
are very different. Porthos,
Athos, and Aramis all share
a love of swordplay. They
also share a duty to protect
the king and queen. In the
Athos is the oldest
and most serious of novel, the musketeers’ motto
the musketeers. is “All for one, and one for
all.” This meant that all the
musketeers would fight to protect one of their own
members. It also meant that they would fight as one
force to protect all the people of France.

Meet the Three Musketeers

Athos is the oldest of the three musketeers.
Serious and steadfast, he serves as a kind of oracle
to his younger companions. He is wise, but he has a
negative view of life.
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 Athos is also quiet when it
comes to his personal life. He
hides a painful secret about a
lost love. Athos would never
have blurted his feelings.
Like the other musketeers,
Athos isn’t afraid to put his
life in jeopardy. When the
reader first meets him, he
has been gravely wounded
by the cardinal’s guards. Yet
when D’Artagnan offends
him, Athos doesn’t hesitate
to challenge him to a duel.
Soon after the duel begins, Porthos wears fine
clothes and loves
the cardinal’s guards once again to boast.
appear. Athos is weak from his
wounds, but he does not surrender. He prepares to
fight them to the death. It’s no surprise his friends
look up to him.
Porthos is almost the exact opposite of Athos. He
has a very loud personality. Porthos talks constantly in
a booming voice. He brags about his skill in swordplay.
When there’s no one else around, Porthos still doesn’t
stop talking. He feels quite comfortable bragging
to himself!

11

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 Porthos also reveals
his brash personality in the
clothes he wears. Other
musketeers scrounged
to put together a decent
wardrobe. But Porthos
buys the finest clothes.
He likes to let people know
how much his outfits cost.
The idea that boasting
is rude is beyond his
comprehension. He struts
around as if everyone is
watching him. People
usually are! Aramis hopes to
become a Catholic
Aramis, like Athos and priest some day.
Porthos, is also very brave in
battle. He is loyal to those he serves. In fact, Aramis
is the ideal musketeer. His handsome features catch
people’s attention. His looks might cause others to
misjudge him, though. He looks younger — and
less dangerous — than he really is. But those who
underestimate him do so at their own risk!

12

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 Aramis fears no one in combat. But his dreams of
the future have nothing to do with fighting. Aramis
intends to leave military life. He wants to become
a Catholic priest. Like Athos, Aramis hides details
about his personal life. He also has fallen in love with
a married woman. He must do his best to keep this all
a secret.

The Secret of Their Success

The personalities of the musketeers make their
adventures even more enjoyable. Their differences
also make them an even stronger team. One person’s
weakness is another one’s strength. The musketeers
laugh and enjoy each other’s company in times of
peace. But each one would fight to the death to defend
his friends in battle.
Today, you can still read about the three
musketeers. You can also “watch” them in action!
About 100 years ago, people were able to experience
the exhilaration of the musketeers in a new way.
That’s when the famous trio first appeared on the
movie screen. Films of The Three Musketeers began
to appear in the early 1900s. Many other movies
followed. Audiences seem to love the combination of
action and romance.

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 Heroes Then and Now
The Three Musketeers is a great story for readers
of all ages. They get a front row seat to incredible
action. Readers get to see the musketeers accomplish
heroic acts — and make human mistakes. Through it
all, the themes of courage, loyalty, and friendship filter
through the novel.
The phrase “the three musketeers” is commonly
heard today. It is a nickname sometimes given to three
friends. They might have differences among them.
But these differences might just make them an even
stronger team. The loyalty and friendship they share
is unbreakable — just like that of Athos, Porthos,
and Aramis!
To many people, it is an honor to be compared
with this famous trio. After more than 150 years,
people all over the world still consider the three
musketeers real heroes!

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 Responding
TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder
Blurted is a verb that describes how someone
talks. Copy the diagram below. Fill it in with
verbs that describe how people talk.

whispered ?

blurted

? ?

Write About It
Text to Self Write a short dialogue between a
king and a musketeer. Describe how each person
is talking. Use at least two words from the Word
Builder in your dialogue.

15

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 TARGET VOCABULARY

abrupt jeopardy
blurted oracle
comprehension scrounged
eventually spiteful
exhilaration stable

TARGET STRATEGY Infer/Predict Use text clues

to figure out what the author means or what might
happen in the future.

A musketeer, when able, makes sure the

king’s life is very _____________.

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Level: V
DRA: 50
Social Studies
Strategy:
Infer/Predict
Word Count: 1,711

6.5.21 Build Vocabulary

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

1033048
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN