These questions are based on the lives of some of the hard nuts in this book. Choose your answers, and find out if you’ve got what it takes to be a true hard nut! Work out your score here.
1. You are imprisoned in a gladiatorial school, being trained to fight to the death. Do you…
a) Start planning a slave rebellion that will bring Rome to its knees.
b) Hatch an escape plan – after the escape you’ll run away to safety.
c) Train as hard as you can so that you can live as long as possible – you might be granted your freedom one day.
d) Hide and hope no one will notice.
2. You’re a French farmer’s daughter living in a village in a part of France under English control. Do you…
a) Do nothing – you’re just a farmer’s daughter after all.
b) Grumble a lot about the evil English.
c) Talk to the villagers and try to start a rebellion.
d) Demand an audience with the king, convince him to put you at the head of an army, and lead it to victory against the English.
3. Out riding your horse one day on the Mongolian Steppes, you spot a village in the distance. Do you…
a) Pop over for a chat and a nice cup of tea.
b) Chuckle evilly and plan an attack with your conquering hordes.
c) Gallop away in fear of hostile locals.
d) Post guards to keep an eye on the villagers in case they threaten your lands.
4. You’re an Egyptian leader with a history of powerful Roman boyfriends. But now it looks as though some other Romans have defeated you in battle. Do you…
a) Have a meeting with the victorious Roman leader – maybe you should get to know one another better?
b) Load as much of your enormous wealth as possible onto a barge and sail off into the sunset.
c) Accept defeat – but be very grumpy about it.
d) Kill yourself with a venomous asp.
5. You are a Victorian woman of means whose parents have recently died. Do you…
a) Put your feet up and enjoy an easy life.
b) Spend a lot of your time working for charities.
c) Become a nurse.
d) Explore uncharted regions of Africa, climb mountains, meet cannibalistic tribes and survive an attack by a crocodile.
6. You are commanding a ship during a naval battle. One of your arms is hit by a musket and badly damaged. Do you . . .
a) Ask for it to be amputated as soon as possible. Get back to commanding your officers within thirty minutes of the operation.
b) Faint.
c) Put someone else in charge and take to your bed to recover.
d) Climb the rigging to escape the surgeon.
7. Which is your gladiatorial weapon of choice?
a) The trident, dagger and net of the Retiarius. It looks well hard.
b) The Sagittarius’s bow and arrow. You have a deadly aim.
c) A sword and shield. Can the shield be really, really big?
d) Choice of weapons is irrelevant – you would win armed only with your bare hands!
8. The Romans have invaded and their army is rapidly approaching. Do you…
a) Do nothing. You’ve heard the Romans aren’t that bad, and let you keep your own religion and stuff.
b) Amass an army of fierce tribesmen. You’re going down fighting.
c) Arrange a meeting with their leader.
d) Move further north. You fancy a change anyway.
9. In a Viking battle…
a) You arm yourself with an enormous battle axe and leap in.
b) You make strategic battle plans from a safe distance.
c) You dress in a bearskin and work yourself into a frenzy biting your sword and howling, believing you have superhuman powers and the protection of Odin.
d) You take one look at the berserkers (warriors) and run away.
10. You’re a Norman conqueror who needs to defeat the rebels in the North of England. You decide to . . .
a) Send a small force with a list of strongly worded demands.
b) Hope they come round in the end.
c) Meet the rebels in fierce battle.
d) Kill everyone in the North, destroy all the crops and set fire to everything.
NOW ADD UP YOUR SCORES:
70-100
Congratulations. You’re hard as nails. Consider world domination as a career. You are a true hard nut.
50-69
You can be tough, but you’re not quite tough enough. Still, most people would be glad to have you on their team. Good effort.
25-49
You’re way too soft for risk-taking or stirring up trouble. Must try harder.
0-24
Let’s face it, you’re a total wimp. Why not pick some flowers or stroke a bunny rabbit or something?
Score as follows for your answers:
1. a) 10; b) 3; c) 7; d) 0
2. a) 0; b) 3; c) 7; d) 10
3. a) 3; b) 10; c) 0; d) 7
4. a) 7; b) 0; c) 3; d) 10
5. a) 0; b) 3; c) 7; d) 10
6. a) 10; b) 3; c) 7; d) 0
7. a) 3; b) 7; c) 0; d) 10
8. a) 3; b) 10; c) 7; d) 0
9. a) 7; b) 3; c) 10; d) 0
10. a) 3; b) 0; c) 7; d) 10