What is the topic of this passage? What is the author's purpose for writing this passage?
Madagascar is an island lying about 1,000 miles south of
Socotra. The people are Saracens who worship Mahomet.
They have four sheikhs--that is to say, four elders-who
exercise authority over the whole island. ... It is said to
measure about 4,000 miles in circumference. The people
live by trade and industry.
-"The Middle East,"
Marco Polo

He had only gone a few steps when he heard some one calling him from behind. on turning back he was much surprised to see that the monster dragon had entirely disappeared and in its place was a strange-looking man, who was bowing most ceremoniously to the ground. his red hair streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in the shape of a dragon's head, and his sea-green dress was patterned with shells. hidesato knew at once that this was no ordinary mortal and he wondered much at the strange occurrence. —"my lord bag of rice," yei theodora ozak which element of a folktale is included in this excerpt? a) characters with exaggerated abilities b) a lesson about human behavior c) details changed by different storytellers d) characters who play tricks