AnyOneCanRead®

      
Module C – Lessons 41 to 50

Lesson 41 – Inf./Deriv. Builder

   
NEW WORDS: airman, airmen, anteater, anteaters, badman, badmen, beastly, bedrooms, beeline, betters, bigheaded, birdhouse, birdhouses, birdies, birdwatcher, birdwatchers, blackout, blackouts, blowfish, blowout, bluebird, bluebirds, bluer, bluest, boathouse, boathouses, boatmen, boxers, brightest, buzzer, byes, canes, carpets, catchers, catching, children’s, climber, cloths, clouded, crumb, darker, daylight, doorways, eater, eaters, eighth, eyeing, fatter, fishy, friendships, getters, girl’s, goodbye, goodbyes, goodie, greatest, highlight, highly, hillside, longhair, markdowns, outfox, parked, picky, redbird, redbirds, shortest, shorthair, shortstops, sitter, treeing, turnaround, walkouts, workaround, worldly
    
    

My dad is an airman.

Anne turned ten.

Anteaters have long noses.

Bob’s a big eater!

Park by that turnaround.

Your dog keeps treeing my cat!

Tom is going to do this workaround.

Watch out for the badman.

Joe wants to be a baker.

She is one beastly sitter.

Go to your bedroom.

She made a beeline for the door.

Are they beings from other worlds?

That’s the biggest house here.

He thinks he’s great, but he’s just bigheaded.

Look at the red birdie!

That’s a big birdhouse!

My mom is a birdwatcher.

That’s Anne’s cat.

The airmen fly fast!

Did they catch the badmen?

I think an anteater looks funny.

Those bakers make lots of cakes!

Their bedrooms are small.

That worldly man loves his “things!”

Don’t look in the king’s eyes, he’s one of your betters.

The birdies are singing.

There are no birds at our birdhouses.

Birdwatchers are good at sitting still.

I see lots of blackbirds.

Lights go out when you have a blackout.

I think that’s a blowfish!

Our car had a blowout today.

There’s a bluebird in that tree.

My dad likes to play the blues.

Your shirt is bluer than his.

Their boathouse was flooded.

That boatman got too much sun today.

Boxers work out all day.

Tom is brighter than Joe.

John buys shoes once a year.

Turn off that buzzer!

We have to say our good-byes, now.

Let’s look for markdowns on shirts.

Do you have four cans of fish?

Which of these canes is the shortest?

Are some of your carpets white?

Who are the best catchers and shortstops now?

Now I’m catching on!

Put the children’s shoes in the van.

She climbs a tree as fast as a cat.

Buy a box of those red cloths.

Is that a blackbird?

We had lots of blackouts this year.

Our car had a blowout on our trip.

See the bluebirds in the snow?

You have the bluest eyes!

All the boatmen are wet.

Which one of those boathouses is yours?

Our car is parked where that brightest light is.

I jumped when the buzzers went off.

Min is a good tree climber.

It just clouded up.

He’s just the coolest guy!

I hope she comes to see us on Sunday.

I think I could’ve done that.

I ate each crumb of my cake!

My room is darker than yours.

When will daylight come?

I think my cat is dying.

All their doorways were flooded.

They are picky eaters.

It’s the eighth day in a row of rain!

Look at how he’s eyeing that cake!

Those houses are all walkouts.

Jill’s faster than Pat.

Mark’s fatter than Tom.

I’m feeding the dog.

There are lots of redbirds at the feeder.

I found my pen on the stairs.

I hope she finds her cat fast.

The fishermen caught a lot today.

It looks fishy to me.

Get in that fifth train car.

I knew a cat named “Fish!”

A dead frog floated up to the boat.

The redbird flew high up.

What’s that, flying way up there?

Don’t go away now!

That’s the fourth stickup here in ten years!

You can’t outfox me!

He freely told us he’d done something bad.

They have one of the best friendships I know of.

Those frogs are mighty big!

Tom and Bob are what I call “go-getters.”

All the girls think John is good-looking.

That girl’s cat is so sweet!

She’s such a goodie-goodie!

Say goodbye, now.

They said their goodbyes and went home.

We had the greatest trip!

He didn’t have ten hairs on his head.

Jill’s cat is a shorthair, and Pat’s is a longhair.

My hands are wet.

It’s harder to do that than I thought.

She still hasn’t called us.

You should get a haircut!

Jill, I love your new hairdo!

It’s highly likely that he’ll come on Sunday.

This tree is higher than that one.

What was the highlight of your trip?

There weren’t a lot of cars on the highway today.

What’s that way up on the hillside?

They are working hard in that anthill!

   
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
 
Kay And Martez 
   

Lesson 42 – Part One

   
NEW WORDS: Kay’s, Martez, Martez’s, brags, coleslaw, cubes, hopscotch, invite, melt, playground, playtime, serves, shopper, stuffs, visits
     
     

Martez, Martez, Martez
     
Kay’s dad checks Kay’s plate. “Kay,” he says, “have some of your coleslaw! Food is not free!”

Kay smiles. “Food is not free” is something her dad says a lot. He is a man who likes to save as much cash as he can. He hates paying for food that ends up in the trash. Kay cuts her pork chop and lifts a bite of it into the air.

“Martez likes pork chops,” Kay says. “But he hates coleslaw.” Kay pops the bite of pork chop in her mouth. Then she says, “Martez likes to play hopscotch and draw pictures with crayons.” After a bit, she adds, “Martez can run the fastest on the playground.”

“Martez, Martez, Martez!” says Kay’s dad. “Who is this Martez?”

“He’s my pal.”

“Is Martez in your class?” asks Kay’s mom. Kay nods. “Is he nice?”

“He is the best!”

“So should we invite Martez to visit us for dinner?”

“Yes!” says Kay with a shout. “Can we invite him tomorrow?”

Dinner with Kay
    
The next day, Martez visits Kay’s house for dinner. Kay’s mom serves corn on the cob. Martez tells Kay’s mom, “I like this corn a lot! You are a good cook!”

“Thank you!” says Kay’s mom.

“I got the corn on sale!” Kay’s dad brags. Kay’s dad smiles. He is proud to think that he got good corn for such a good price.

Martez says, “This corn is so sweet. You are a good shopper.”

After dinner, Kay and Martez run outside. They splash in the pool and play tag. While doing the dishes, Kay’s mom says, “What good manners that Martez has!”

“Yes,” says Kay’s dad. “And he ate all of the food on his plate!”

When playtime is finished, Martez runs inside to thank Kay’s mom and dad for dinner. Then he asks, “Can Kay have dinner at our house tomorrow?” Kay’s mom and dad say she can. They like Martez.

The Red Dish
    
The next day, Kay has dinner with Martez and his mom and dad. Martez’s mom and dad are from Mexico. They have a Mexican dish with peppers, corn, and rice all mixed up. There are two dishes of it sitting side by side. One dish is red. One is green.

“Are the two dishes the same?” Kay asks.

“Nope,” says Martez with a smile. “The stuff in the red dish has lots of hot peppers. The stuff in the green dish has just green peppers, which are not as hot.”

Martez points at his dad and says, “My dad likes hot peppers.” His dad smiles and nods. Martez asks Kay, “Do you like hot peppers?” Kay shrugs. She has never had hot peppers.

Kay has some food from the green dish. She likes it a lot. She says, “Could I have some from the red dish?”

“You can, but it’s hot, hot, hot!” says Martez. “We have a saying in our house: He is a brave man who has food from dad’s red dish!”

“Brave or perhaps foolish!” says his mom.

Kay is brave — or perhaps foolish. She takes a bite of the peppers from the red dish. Martez looks at her. His mom and dad look, too. “Do you like it?” asks Martez.

Kay’s face starts to get red. She yells, “Hot!” Her face gets redder and redder. Martez sees that Kay is in pain. He brings her ice cubes. Kay stuffs some in her mouth and lets them melt. The ice cubes help cool down her mouth.

“Ug!” Kay says, sitting back from her plate. “Those peppers in the red dish are too hot for me! I need to stick to the green dish.”

“Still,” Martez says, “today you joined the club.”

“What club?”

“The I-ate-from-dad’s-red-dish-and-am-still-living-to-tell-the-tale club!” says Martez. Martez and his mom and dad all smile. They like Kay.

    
       
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
 
Kay And Martez 
   

Lesson 43 – Part Two

    
NEW WORDS: Aztec, Carlos, Hidalgo, airport, describes, exclaims, explains, gracias, greetings, invites, jabs, pinned, rainforests, shrine, stretches, stripes, theirs, tribute, wetlands, whispers
     
    

In the Mail
    
In the summer, Martez takes a trip to Mexico with his Mom and Dad. He sends Kay a card with a picture of a place in Mexico on it. The card says, “Kay, I am on a trip with my mom and dad. It is fun, but I miss you. I can’t wait to get back so we can play.” Then there are some words that Kay can’t make out.

“Mom!” Kay says, “Martez wrote me this card, but I think the last part of it is written in Mexican.”

Kay’s mom looks at the card. She smiles. “That’s not Mexican,” she says. “It’s Spanish. Lots of Mexicans write in Spanish.”

“Why do they write in Spanish?” Kay asks.

“Well, you see, way back in the past, men from Spain came to Mexico. Because the men from Spain spoke and wrote Spanish, the Mexicans began to talk and write in Spanish, too. And that is why, to this day, lots of Mexicans still talk and write in Spanish.”

“But what do the words say?”

“Let me see,” says Kay’s mom. “I took a Spanish class. Martez says, ‘You are my best pal. See you soon!’”

Kay hugs the card and shouts, “Martez is the best!”

The Holiday
    
When Martez gets back from his trip, he invites Kay to visit him at home. When Kay steps in, she sees lots of singing and dancing. There is a flag with green, white, and red stripes pinned up in the living room.

“What’s up?” Kay asks.

Martez explains, “Today is September 16th. It is a big holiday for Mexicans.”

“On this day,” Martez explains, “we pay tribute to a man who helped set Mexico free from the Spanish. You see, for a long time, the Spanish were in charge in Mexico. All of the land in Mexico was theirs. They could tell Mexicans what to do. They made the Mexicans do all of the hard jobs. Then one man got tired of it and set out to make things better.”

Martez points at a picture and says, “This is the man who started it all. His name was Hidalgo. He made a speech. He said the Mexicans should be free from the Spanish.”

“Did they do it?” asks Kay.

“Yes. It took a long time, but in the end, they did.”

“Is it sort of like when the U.S. broke free from the British?” Kay asks.

“Yes, yes!” Martez says. “It is just like that!”

Kay points at the flag. It has three stripes: one green, one white, and one red. “Is that the Mexican flag?” she asks.

“Yes,” says Martez . “That is our flag.” Then Martez stretches out his hand and says, “Would you dance a Mexican dance with me?”

Better Than the Best
      
Kay has started to spend a lot of time with Martez. She has started to use some Spanish words, too. When her dad spoons rice onto her plate one day, Kay says gracias. Then she explains that gracias is Spanish for thank you.

Kay’s mom says, “Kay, would you like to have a chance to use those Spanish words of yours in Mexico?”

“Are you kidding?” Kay exclaims. “That would be the best!”

“Well, your dad and I have planned a trip to Mexico.”

Kay shouts, “Yippee!”

Kay’s mom has a big smile on her face. She says, “How would you like to bring Martez with you on the trip?”

Kay’s jaw drops. “If Martez is on the trip, that would be better than the best!” she says.

Her mom adds, “Martez just needs to ask his mom and dad.”

Kay jumps up and shouts, “I can’t wait to tell Martez!”

The Long Cab Ride
    
Kay and Martez just got to Mexico with Kay’s mom and dad. They are at the airport. They are looking for a cab that will take them to the place where they are staying. Kay’s dad waves his hand and gets a cab.

A man jumps out of a cab and shouts, “Greetings! I’m Carlos. Where can I drive you on this fine day?”

“To the inn,” says Kay’s dad. Carlos steps on the gas. The cab picks up speed.

“I will take you to the inn,” Carlos says, “and on the way I will take you to see some nice sites here in Mexico. There are lots of nice sites on the way, or just out of the way a bit.”

“Thanks,” says Kay’s dad, “but we are tired from the trip. So you can just take us to where we are staying.”

“Here in Mexico,” Carlos says, “we have all sorts of land. There are hills and plains. There are deserts, rainforests, and wetlands. I will take you to see some wetlands on the way! They are not far out of the way.”

“Wetlands?” says Kay’s dad. “Where’s the inn?” He starts to say something else, but Kay’s mom jabs him in the back.

“Hush!” she whispers. “Let him share.”

Carlos waves his hands and describes things as he drives. “Should you use those hands to drive the cab?” Kay’s dad asks. But Carlos keeps talking.

“On the left, you can see a soccer game. Soccer is a big sport in Mexico. That is an Aztec shrine,” Carlos says. “Here is a good place for shopping. That is my mom’s house.”

At last, the cab zips up to the inn. Carlos tells Kay’s dad the price of the cab ride. Kay’s dad is upset. It was a long ride, and he must pay a lot. He hates to pay so much. But what can he do?

     
   
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
 
Kay And Martez
   

Lesson 44 – Part Three

   
NEW WORDS: Aztecs, Cortez, Gomez, boasts, bookshop, clashed, empire, marching, raises, respect, shrines, stacked, vast, votes, waits
   
       

The Vote
   
The next morning, Kay’s dad is still upset that the cab ride cost so much. But Kay’s mom is not. “You may think I’m nuts,” she says, “but I liked that cab ride yesterday. I liked having someone in the car who could tell us what’s what.”

Kay says, “I liked that, too.”

Kay’s dad looks at Martez and says, “Did you like it, too?”

Martez shrugs and says, “Well … I sort of … did … like it.”

Kay’s mom says, “I think we should hire someone who has a car and can tell us what there is to see down here in Mexico. The man at the desk gave me a name. He says this man — Mister Gomez is his name — has a car. If we hire him, he will drive us to see all of the best sites.”

“But that will cost a lot!” says Kay’s dad. “Why should we pay when we can see all the same sites by ourselves? Look, I got this book on Mexico in a used bookshop. It will tell us all of the same stuff that the man would tell us! And it has lots of pictures!”

“It’s not the same!” says Kay’s mom. “And that book of yours is out of date. Let’s have a vote. Who votes we hire Mister Gomez?” Kay’s mom raises her hand at once. Kay’s hand shoots up fast, too. Martez waits a bit. Then he raises his hand, as well.

“That’s three votes for Mister Gomez, and one vote for your book,” boasts Kay’s mom. Kay’s dad groans.

Mister Gomez
    
Mister Gomez is at the inn the next morning. He takes them outside and points to a stone with his cane. “This stone has stood here for a long, long time,” Mister Gomez says. “It has stood here much longer than me. This stone is from the time of the Aztec Empire.”

“The what?” Kay asks.

“The Aztec Empire,” says Mister Gomez. “Back in the past, Aztec men cut stones like this one and stacked them up to make shrines to their gods.”

“The Aztecs had lots of gods,” Mister Gomez says. “They had a sun god, a moon god, and a rain god. Then, one day, the Spanish came. They were led by a man named Cortez. His goal was to be in charge of Mexico.”

“Cortez led his men on a long march. He and his men kept marching until they got to the spot where we are standing. Here they clashed with the Aztec troops. The Aztec troops were brave, but in the end, the Spanish came out on top. Cortez and his men were in charge of Mexico.”

“Cortez and the Spanish did not respect the Aztecs. The Spanish knocked down the Aztec shrines and used the stones to make roads and streets and forts.”

Mister Gomez waves his cane and says, “Lots of the stones in this square were cut back in Aztec times. They were used to make Aztec shrines. Then they were used by Cortez and the Spanish. And we still use them today.”

Martez says, “That is so cool that we are standing on the same stones!” The smile on Kay’s face tells that she thinks so, too.

Kay’s mom jabs Kay’s dad in the side and says, “Looks like we are fine without that book of yours!”

A House in the Clouds
     
The next day, Mister Gomez takes Martez, Kay, and Kay’s mom and dad on a trip. In the car, Mister Gomez says, “You will like this next place. The stones there have stood for much, much longer than the last stones.”

When they get to the site, they see three vast piles of stone, all of which rise to a point and seem to scrape the clouds. One of them is so big that Kay and Martez have to tilt their necks all the way back to see the top of it.

“Goodness!” says Kay’s mom.

“Cool!” says Martez.

“Was this a shrine?” Kay’s mom asks.

“Yes,” says Mister Gomez. “This was a shrine to a snake god. That one there was a shrine to the sun god. And that one was a shrine to the moon god.”

“Were they Aztec shrines?” Martez asks.

“Sort of,” Mister Gomez says. “The Aztecs came after. The shrines were set up way back in the past. But the Aztecs came here and added to the shrines. This was an important place for them. They came here to offer gifts to their gods.”

“Can we get to the top of one of them?” asks Kay.

“Yes, you can,” says Mister Gomez, “if your mom and dad say it’s fine. But you must grab on to the rope.”

Kay and Martez make their way to the top. It takes them a long time to get there. From the top, they can see for miles and miles.

Martez yells, “Kay and I have a house in the clouds!”

Kay says, “Look! Mom and Dad look like bugs from up here!” Kay waves her hands at her mom and dad. They wave back.

   
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
 
Kay And Martez
   

Lesson 45 – Part Four 

   
NEW WORDS: arts, belted, booth, crafts, dicker, farewell, fins, harness, knickknacks, limit, loop, passport, passports, patterns, pays, shares, sheepish, spending, starfish, stitched, ticket, tickets, tossing, unzips
    
    

The Market
    
The next day, Kay and her mom take a trip to a street market. Mister Gomez joins them. At the market, all sorts of things are on sale. Some men are selling food. Some are selling arts and crafts. There are paintings and knickknacks and cloth stitched in fun patterns.

One man is selling masks. Kay’s mom spots a mask that she likes. It is a red mask with glitter. She looks at the price tag and groans. “I can’t pay that much,” she tells Kay. “We need to stick to our spending limit.”

“See if you can get it for less,” says Mister Gomez. “I’ll bet he will dicker with you on the price.”

Kay’s mom asks the man, “Will you take ten for this?”

“No!” the man says. “I painted it by hand! Fifteen!”

“That is too much for me,” Kay’s mom says. “I will pay you twelve.”

The man says, “Fifteen! No less.” Kay’s mom sets down the mask and starts to look at the next booth. “No, no!” the man yells. “Stay! I will sell it to you for twelve!”

He hands her the mask. She grins and pays the man.

“Way to go, Mom!” says Kay, “I am impressed.”

“So am I!” says Mister Gomez with a smile.

A Rainforest Ride
     
The next day, they say farewell to Mister Gomez. Kay’s dad rents a car to take them to see the rainforest. In the rainforest, it is hot and wet. A thick layer of trees blocks out part of the sun. Kay’s mom drives. Kay’s dad shares facts from his book. As they drive, Kay spots a zip line that children can ride.

“Mom, Dad!” she yells. “Can we stop and ride the zip line? It looks like so much fun!” Kay’s mom parks the car. The zip line runs from a tree house down to the ground.

“Is it safe?” Kay’s mom asks the man in charge.

“Yes,” says the man. “It’s safe. The children ride in a harness. And there is a net down there to catch them, just in case.” Kay’s mom thinks it looks safe. She pays the man and gets two tickets, one for Kay and one for Martez.

Martez gets belted into the harness. Then he rides the zip line. He shouts as he slides down the line. Kay yells down, “Is it fun, Martez?”

Martez yells back, “It’s the best!”

Kay gets belted in. She has a fun ride, too.

   
     
The Dive
    
Kay’s dad drives to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. For two days, the children soak up the sun and swim in the pool. On day three, they dive in the Gulf of Mexico. They rent masks, fins, and tanks of air. Then a man brings them out to the dive site in a boat. The dive site is a reef where a Spanish ship sank.

They jump in and swim down. With their fins on, they can swim fast. With their masks on, they can see a long way down. They see fish and crabs. Martez spots a starfish.

Martez and Kay look for the Spanish ship. They swim down until they see it. They see fish swimming in and out of it. Then they swim back up.

At the Airport
    
The trip has ended. It is time to get back to the U.S. Kay’s dad drives to the airport. Kay’s mom stays with Kay and Martez while he drops off the car. Kay and Martez play with an airplane and toss it in the air. It makes a big loop and glides down.

Kay’s dad had fun on the trip, but he spent a lot of cash. He takes what is left of his Mexican cash and has it turned back into U.S. cash. At the ticket counter, Kay’s dad takes charge. He barks out orders. “This way, Kay! Stay close to me, Martez! Children, get out your passports!”

The children get their passports out. Kay’s mom gets hers out. But Kay’s dad’s is nowhere to be found. He unzips his bag to look for it. Soon he is digging in the bag, tossing things this way and that. At last, he sees his passport.

“Here it is!” he says, with a sheepish look. Martez, Kay, and her mom all smile. Kay’s dad sometimes has a hard time keeping track of things.

“Dad,” Kay says, “maybe you should sit back and let Mom take charge for a while.”

    
    
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Lesson 46 – Poems And Rhymes
   

NEW WORDS: Caesar’s, Charlie, Friday’s, Grimes, Jacob, Mandy, Monday’s, Moses, Noah, Phil, Philip, Saturday’s, Simon, Thursday’s, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, ark, bakin, barley, blithe, breakin, bridegroom, buckwheat, crickets, crumble, declare, disgrace, erroneously, feelers, fidgety, fourteen, fret, giving, grace, grave, guest, hippety, katydids, kneads, ladybird, leaking, meander, ne’er, nightingale, pieman, politely, quaking, restless, rocking, sabbath, silvery, sneaking, someday, spouse, supposes, thickets, thou, tilts, tinker’s, toeses, tweet, yawn
   
   

My Boat
    
I sail my boat on a tiny sea, blow, wind, blow,

And someday I shall a sailor be, blow, wind, blow.

Simple Simon
    
Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair.

Says Simple Simon to the pieman, “Let me taste your ware.”

Says the pieman to Simple Simon, “Show me first your penny.”

Says Simple Simon to the pieman, “Indeed, I have not any.”

But I Wonder …
   
The crickets in the thickets, and the katydids in trees,

And ants on plants, and butterflies, and ladybugs and bees,

Don’t smell with little noses, but with FEELERS, if you please.

They get along quite nicely, but I wonder how they SNEEZE.

Poem By Aileen Fisher
   

The Boatmen
   
The boatman, he’s a lucky man!
No one can do, as the boatman can.
The boatmen dance, and the boatmen sing,
The boatman is up to everything!
Hi! Ho! Away we go!
Floating down the river, on the “Oh-Hi-Oh.”
(That is, the Ohio River!)

Over The Hill
   
Over the hill to feed my sheep, over the hill to my man Charlie,

Over the hill to feed my sheep, on buckwheat cakes and barley.

The Story of Fidgety Philip
    
“Let me see if Philip can, be a little gentle-man.

Let me see if he is able, to sit still for once at table.”

Thus Papa bade young Phil behave, and Mama looked so very grave.

But fidgety Phil, he won’t sit still.

He wriggles, and giggles, and then, I declare,

Swings backwards and forwards, and tilts up his chair,

Just like any old rocking-horse.

“Philip! I am getting cross!”

See the naughty, restless child, growing still more rude and wild,

Till his chair falls over quite.

Philip screams with all his might, catches at the cloth, but then,

That makes matters worse again.

Down upon the ground they fall, glasses, plates, knives, forks, and all.

How his Mama did fret and frown, when she saw them tumbling down!

And his Papa made such a face! Philip is in sad disgrace.

Where is Philip, where is he? Fairly covered up you see!

Cloth and all are lying on him, he has pulled down all upon him.

What a terrible to-do! Dishes, glasses, snapped in two!

Here a knife, and there a fork! Philip, this is cruel work.

Table all so bare, and ah!

Poor old Papa, and poor sweet Mama, look quite cross, and wonder how,

They shall have their dinner now.

    
Poem By Heinrich Koffmann
    
    

Hippety Hop
    
Hippety hop to the barber shop, to get a stick of candy.

One for you, and one for me, and one for Sister Mandy.

Old Grimes
    
Old Grimes is dead, that good old man.
We ne’er shall see him more.
He used to wear, a long brown coat,
All buttoned down before.

The Moon’s The North Wind’s Cookie

The Moon’s the North Wind’s cookie; he bites it, day by day,

Until there’s but a rim of scraps, that crumble all away.

The South Wind is a baker; he kneads clouds in his den,

And bakes a crisp new moon, that greedy North Wind eats again!

   
Poem By Vachel Lindsay
    
     

Moses Supposes
     
Moses supposes his toes are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously.

For nobody’s toeses are posies of roses, as Moses supposes his toeses to be.

March Winds
   
March winds and April showers,
Bring forth May flowers.

Pretty Lady
    
When I see a lady, a very pretty lady,

I turn my head and look at her, JUST LIKE THAT.

I smile at her politely, and pass her by a-singing,

I pass her by a-singing, and I LIFT MY HAT!

A Chimney
    
Black within and red without,
Four corners, round about.

The Wedding Of Jenny Wren
    
At the wedding of Miss Jenny Wren, the bridegroom was so wee.

“Go ask the wedding guests to come to the wedding feast,” said he.

Oh, come to the wedding, birdies all, and each a present bring!

“I’ll come,” said the cock. “I’ll come, come, come! And before the feast, I’ll sing!”

“I’ll come! I’ll come!” said the big black crow, “and bring the pair some meat!”

“I’ll come, too,” said the nightingale, “I’ll sing ‘Tweet-tweet! Tweet-tweet!'”

“I’ll bring wood,” the woodpecker said, “For Jenny and her little spouse!”

“And I’ll come, too,” the swallow said, “I’ll twitter on top of the house!”

At the wedding of Miss Jenny Wren, the bridegroom was so wee,

But one and all the birdies came, that wedding for to see.

Ladybird
    
Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!
Your house is on fire, your children all gone.
All but one, and her name is Ann.
And she crept under, the pudding pan.

Old Noah
   
Old Noah did build himself an ark,
He built one out of hickory bark,
There’s one wide river to cross.
    
The animals went in two by two,
The elephant and the kangaroo,
There’s one wide river to cross.

The animals went in three by three,
The big baboon and the chimpanzee,
There’s one wide river to cross.

The animals went in four by four,
The hippopotamus blocked the door,
There’s one wide river to cross.

Night Comes
    
Night comes, leaking out of the sky.

Stars come peeking, moon comes sneaking, silvery-sly.

Who is shaking, shivery-quaking?

Who is afraid of the night? Not I.

    
Poem By Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
   
     

Jacob
    
Wake up, Jacob! Day’s a-breakin‘!
Peas in the pot, and hoe-cakes a-bakin‘!

Old Mother Goose
     
Old Mother Goose, when she wanted to meander,

Would ride through the air, on a very fine gander.

A Week Of Birthdays
    
Monday’s child is fair of face.
Tuesday’s child is full of grace.
Wednesday’s child is full of woe.
Thursday’s child has far to go.
Friday’s child is loving and giving.
Saturday’s child works hard for its living.
But the child that’s born on the Sabbath Day,
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Wide Awake
    
I have to jump up, out of bed,

And stretch my hands, and rub my head, and curl my toes,

And yawn and shake myself all wide-awake!

   
Poem By Myra Cohn Livingston
    
    

Two Birds
     
There were two birds, sat on a stone,

One flew away, and then there was one.

The other bird flew after, and then there was none,

And so the stone was left all alone.

The Man Who Had Naught
    
(Note: the word “naught” means “nothing.”)

There was a man, and he had naught, and robbers came to rob him.

He crept up to the chimney pot, and then they thought they had him.

But he got down on the other side, and then they could not find him.

He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days, and never looked behind him.

Scratching Kitty
   
Who’s on the roof? Pit-a-pat, Pit-a-pat, only the yellow kitty-cat.

Pray, what is she doing now? MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!

Tell me, how does kitty scratch? SCRITCH! SCRATCH! SCRITCH! SCRATCH!

December
   
All the months go past, each is like a guest. December is the last, December is the best.

Each has lovely things. Each one is a friend. But December brings Christmas at the end.

   
Poem By Rose Fyleman
    
   

White Hen
   
A white hen sitting, on white eggs three,
Next, three speckled chickens, as plump as plump can be.

   
Poem By Christina Rossetti
   
   

Caesar’s Song
    
Bow-wow-wow! Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker’s dog. Bow-wow-wow!

If I Were Bigger Than Anyone
   
If I were bigger than anyone, if I were taller than trees,

I could step over hills and towns, and go anywhere I please.

If I got bored with being huge, the next day I’d be small.

But the size I really am, I might not choose at all.

   
Poem By Ruth Harnden
    
       
*********
    
    

Lesson 47 – Beatrix Potter

The Tale Of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle – Part One

   
NEW WORDS: Henny, Lucie’s, Sally, Twinkie, anxiously, braided, clothespins, currant, currants, damask, dearie, folded, handkerchiefs, handkin, handkins, heap, ironed, losing, pebble, prickles, scarlet, snaffle, sniffle, snuffle, stout, striped, tiled
     
       

It was once upon a time. There was a little girl called Lucie. She lived at a farm called “Little-Town.” She was a good girl. But she was always losing her pocket-handkerchiefs!

One day, little Lucie came into the farm-yard crying. Oh, she did cry so! “I’ve lost my pocket-handkin! Three handkins and a blouse! Have YOU seen them, Tabby Kitten?”

The Kitten kept washing her white paws. So, Lucie asked a speckled hen. “Sally Henny-Penny! Have YOU found three pocket-handkins?” But the speckled hen ran into a barn. She clucked, “I go barefoot. Barefoot! Barefoot!”

And then Lucie asked Cock Robin. She saw him sitting on a twig. Cock Robin looked sideways at Lucie. He stared with his bright black eye. Then he flew over a fence and away.

Lucie climbed on the fence. She looked up at the hill behind Little-Town. It was a tall hill. It went way up. Up into the clouds. It was like it had no top! She looked high up the hillside. She thought she saw some white things. They were spread out on the grass.

Lucie scrambled up the hill. She went as fast as her short legs would take her. She ran along a steep path-way. She went up and up. Soon, the town was way down below. She could have thrown a pebble down a chimney!

Soon, she came to a spring. It was bubbling out from the hillside. Someone had stood a tin can up on a stone. The can would catch the water. But the water was already running over. The can was no bigger than an egg-cup!

Lucie looked at the sand on the path. It was wet. There were foot-marks. They were from a VERY small person. Lucie ran on. The path ended. She faced a big rock. The grass was short and green.

There were clothes-lines. They were cut from stems of ferns. The lines were braided. She saw a heap of tiny clothespins. But there were no pocket-handkerchiefs!

Now, there WAS something else. It was a door! It opened straight into the hill. Inside it, someone was singing. She could hear the words.

“Lily-white and clean, oh!
With little frills between, oh!
Smooth and hot-red rusty spot.
Never here be seen, oh!”

Lucie knocked once. Then twice. This stopped the song. A little frightened voice called out. “Who’s that?” Lucie opened the door. What do you think there was inside the hill? A nice clean kitchen with a tiled floor. And there were pretty wooden beams. It was just like any other farm kitchen! Except the ceiling was low. Lucie’s head nearly touched it. And the pots and pans were small. So was everything else there.

There was a nice hot fireplace smell. Lucie saw a very short, stout person. She was standing at the table. She had an iron in her hand. She stared anxiously at Lucie. Her bright gown was tucked up. She wore a large apron. It fit over her striped petticoat. Her little black nose twitched. It went, “sniffle, snaffle, snuffle.” And her eyes went “twinkie, twinkle.” Underneath her cap, where Lucie had yellow curls herself, that little person had PRICKLES!

“Who are you?” asked Lucie. “Have you seen my pocket-handkins?”

The little person bowed to Lucie. “Oh yes, if you please, my dear. My name is Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Oh, yes. If you please, dearie. I’m excellent at doing all kinds of laundry!” Next, she took something out of the clothes basket. She spread it on the ironing-blanket.

“What’s that thing?” asked Lucie. “Is that my pocket-handkin?”

“Oh no, if you please, ma’am. That’s a little scarlet waist-coat. It belongs to Cock Robin!” She ironed it. Then she folded it. She put it on one side. Then she took something else off a clothes-horse.

“Is that my blouse?” asked Lucie.

“Oh no, if you please. That’s a damask table-cloth. It belongs to Jenny Wren. Look how it’s stained with currant wine! Both red AND black currants. It’s very hard to wash!” said Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

    
     
*********
   
    

Lesson 48 – Beatrix Potter

The Tale Of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle – Part Two

   
NEW WORDS: Dicky, Gatesgarth, Shelby, acquainted, belonged, bundles, dipping, fastened, fetched, fluffed, frilled, fronts, hairpins, handkerchief, hanky, jackets, lambs, moleskin, shawl, shrunken, suds, terribly, titmouse, trotted, velvety, washer, washes, wrinkly
    
    

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s nose twitched. It went “sniffle, snaffle, snuffle.” Her eyes went “twinkie, twinkle.” She fetched another hot iron from the fire.

“There’s one of my pocket-handkins!” cried Lucie. “And there’s my blouse!” Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle ironed it. Then she fluffed it. Then she shook out the frills. “Oh, that IS lovely!” said Lucie. “And what are those long yellow things? They have fingers like gloves.”

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle answered her. “Oh, that’s a pair of stockings. They belong to Sally Henny-Penny. Look how she’s worn the heels out. Too much scratching in the yard! She’ll very soon go barefoot!”

“Why, there’s another handkerchief. But it isn’t mine. It’s red.”

“Oh no, if you please. That one belongs to old Mrs. Rabbit. It DID so smell of onions! I’ve had to wash it by itself. I can’t get out that smell.”

“There’s another one of mine,” said Lucie. “What are those funny little white things?”

“That’s a pair of mittens. They belong to Tabby Kitten. I only have to iron them. She washes them herself.”

“There’s my last pocket-hanky!” cried Lucie. “And what are you dipping into the basin of starch?”

“They’re little dicky shirt-fronts. They belong to Tom Titmouse. He is most terribly particular! Now I’ve finished my ironing. I’m going to air some clothes.”

“What are these dear soft fluffy things?” said Lucie.

“Oh, those are woolly coats. They belong to the little lambs at Shelby.”

“Will their jackets get lost?” asked Lucie.”

“No ma’am. Look at the sheep-mark on the shoulder. We know where each one is to go. Here’s one marked for Gatesgarth. These three come from Little-Town. They’re ALWAYS marked at washing time!” said Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

Then she hung up all sorts and sizes of clothes. There were small brown coats for mice. There was a velvety black moleskin waist-coat. There was a red tail-coat. But it had no tail. It belonged to Squirrel Nutkin.

There was a very much shrunken blue jacket. That was Peter Rabbit’s. There was a petticoat. It was NOT marked. It had gone lost during the washing. She finished hanging things up. At last, the basket was empty!

Then Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle made tea. There was a cup for herself and a cup for Lucie. They sat before the fire on a bench. They looked back and forth at each other. 

Lucie stared at Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s hand, as she held the tea-cup. Her hand was very, very brown. And it was very, very wrinkly from the soap-suds. And her gown and her cap looked funny. There were lots of hairpins sticking wrong-end-out. So, Lucie didn’t sit too near her. She didn’t want to get pricked by the pins!

They finally finished tea. They tied up the clothes in bundles. Lucie’s pocket-handkerchiefs were folded up inside her clean apron. They fastened it all with a silver safety-pin.

Now they made up the fire, to be lit later on. Then they came out and locked the door. They hid the key under the door-sill. Then away down the hill trotted Lucie and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. They had to go slowly, with their large bundles of clothes!

All the way down the path, little animals came out to meet them. First, they met Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny! She gave them their nice clean clothes. All the animals and birds were grateful for dear Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s hard work.

They soon reached the bottom of the hill. They stopped next to a fence. There was nothing left except Lucie’s one little bundle. Lucie scrambled away with the bundle in her hand. She turned to say, “Good-night.” And she wanted to thank the washer-woman.

But what a VERY odd thing! Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle had not waited. She didn’t wait to be thanked. She didn’t wait to be paid! She was running, running, running up the hill. And where was her white frilled cap? Where was her shawl? Where were her gown and her petticoat?

And HOW small she had grown. And HOW brown. And she was covered with PRICKLES! Why! Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle was nothing but a HEDGEHOG!

(Now some people say that little Lucie had been dreaming all this. But then how could she have found three clean pocket-handkins and an apron? How could she have a bundle pinned with a silver safety-pin? And besides, I have seen that door into the back of the hill called Cat Bells. And besides, I am very well acquainted with dear Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, myself!)

    
        
*********
    
     

Lesson 49 – Poems And Rhymes

   
NEW WORDS: Betty, Leeds, Romanian, Washington’s, Wendy, arrant, awhile, beetle, berry, blooming, buttercup, cheerily, chirping, chomping, clitter, confess, consent, dawning, fairies, fieldmouse, frail, froggie, gillyflower, giver, headdress, huntsmen, joyous, ladybug, loaves, lullaby, mosses, nibbling, niece, notion, nursie, oak’s, ought, pious, pistol, pleasure, pom, proper, rat’s, scarcely, snored, stacks, sugarcane, tiddely, tinkers, traveler, truth, tumbles, turnips, wonderfully, youth
    
     

What Are Heavy?
   
What are heavy? Sea-sand and sorrow.
What are brief? Today and tomorrow.
What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth.
What are deep? The ocean and truth.

   
Poem By Christina Rossetti
   
   

A Cup Of Tea
    
I’m going to Lady Washington’s, to get a cup of tea,

And five loaves of gingerbread, so don’t you follow me!

The Fieldmouse
    
Where the acorn tumbles down, where the ash tree sheds its berry,

With your fur so soft and brown, with your eye so round and merry,

Scarcely moving in long grass, fieldmouse, I can see you pass.

Little thing, in what dark den, lie you all the winter sleeping?

Till warm weather comes again, then once more I see you peeping.

Round about the tall tree roots, nibbling at their fallen fruits.

Fieldmouse, fieldmouse, do not go, where the farmer stacks his treasure,

Find the nut that falls below, eat the acorn at your pleasure.

But you must not steal the grain, he has stacked with so much pain.

Make your hole where mosses spring, underneath the tall oak’s shadow.

Pretty, quiet harmless thing, play about the sunny meadow.

Keep away from corn and house, none will harm you, little mouse.

   
Poem By Cecil Frances Alexander
    
    

The Dawning Day
   
Hear how the birds on every blooming spray,
With joyous music wake the dawning day.

   
Poem By Alexander Pope
    
     

Froggie Goes a-Courting
    
Froggie, a-courting he did ride,
Sword and pistol by his side.
He rode up to Miss Mouse’s door,
Where he had never been before.

He took Miss Mouse upon his knee,
Says, “Miss Mouse will you marry me?”
“Without my Uncle Rat’s consent,
I would not marry the President!”

Then Uncle Rat went down to town,
To buy his niece a wedding gown.
Oh, where will the wedding supper be?
A way down yonder in the hollow tree.

Oh, what will the wedding supper be?
Three green beans and a black-eyed pea!
The first came in was a little moth;
He spread out the tablecloth;

The next came in was a bumble-bee,
With his fiddle on his knee.
The next came in was a nimble flea,
To dance a jig with the bumble-bee.

Diddle, Fiddle
     
Diddle, diddle, on a bass fiddle, Tommy Cat plays all day.

Says Kitty-Bess, “I must confess, how wonderfully well you play!”

The More It Snows

The more it SNOWS-tiddely–pom,
The more it GOES-tiddely-pom,
The more it GOES-tiddely-pom,
On snowing.

And nobody KNOWS-tiddely-pom,
How cold my TOES-tiddely-pom,
How cold my TOES-tiddely-pom,
Are growing.

   
Poem By A. A. Milne
    
     

The Old Woman Of Leeds
    
There was an old woman of Leeds, who spent all her time in good deeds.

She worked for the poor, till her fingers were sore, this pious old woman of Leeds.

Fairies

Don’t go looking for fairies, they’ll fly away if you do.

You never can see the fairies, till they come looking for you.

   
Poem By Eleanor Farjeon
   
    

The Boy In The Barn
   
A little boy went into a barn, and lay down on some hay.

An owl came out, and flew about, and the little boy ran away.

Peter And Wendy
    
My ducks are so funny, I think, they peck at the bugs in the ground,

And always wherever they go, they follow each other around.

They like to play Follow the Leader, just watch them awhile and you’ll find,

There’s one of them always in front, the other one always behind.

   
Poem By Wymond Garthwaite
   
    

My Shadow
    
I have a little shadow, that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him, is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me, from the heels up to the head,

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him, is the way he likes to grow,

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow.

For he sometimes shoots up taller, like an India-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little, that there’s none of him at all.

He hasn’t got a notion, of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me, in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward, you can see,

I’d think “shame” to stick to nursie, as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew, on every buttercup.

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me, and was fast asleep in bed.

   
Poem By Robert Louis Stevenson
   
   

Sing, Sing!
     
Sing, sing! What shall I sing? The Cat’s run away with the Pudding Bag String.

Do, do! What shall I do? The Cat has bitten it quite in two.

Sleep, My Little One
     
Sleep, sleep, my little one!
The night is all wind and rain.
The meal has been wet by the raindrops,
And bent is the sugarcane.

Oh, Giver, who gives to the people,
In safety my little son keep!
My little son with the headdress,
Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!

Hurt No Living Thing
   
Hurt no living thing,
Ladybug, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.

     
Poem By Christina Rossetti
       
   

Betty Blue
    
Little Betty Blue, lost her holiday shoe.
What shall Little Betty do?
Give her another, to match the other,
And then she’ll walk upon two.

The Star
     
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveler in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

    
Poem By Jane Taylor
    
    

The Huntsmen
    
Three jolly gentlemen,
In coats of red,
Rode their horses,
Up to bed.

Three jolly gentlemen,
Snored till morn,
Their horses chomping on,
The golden corn.

Three jolly gentlemen,
At break of day,
Came clitter-clatter down the stairs,
And galloped away.

   
Poem By Walter De La Mare
   
    

If Wishes Were Horses
    
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

If turnips were watches, I would wear one by my side.

And if “ifs” and “ands,” were pots and pans,

There’d be no work for tinkers!

A Romanian Lullaby
   
Sleep, my baby, sleep an hour, you’re my little gillyflower!

Mother rocks you. Mother’s near! She will wash you baby dear.

Wash you clean in water clear, keep the sunshine from you here!

Sleep, my baby, sleep an hour, grow up like the gillyflower!

    
     
*********
   
   
Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view. This lesson is a “READ-ALOUD” Core Knowledge (R) passage that has been rewritten to be at a lower-grade independent reading level complexity than the original, largely by shortening and simplifying sentence structures while maintaining the richness of the text content.)
    
Stories 
    

Lesson 50 – Part One

  
NEW WORDS: Loxy, Lurkey, agreement, apprehensive, becoming, believing, bumbling, chunk, creaked, currish, decent, disagree, disturbed, ducky, feathered, flapping, foxy, freaking, frenzy, groused, gruff, grumpier, grumpiest, hollered, hungrier, hungriest, indulged, inquired, intelligent, jounced, loosey, louder, noggin, pranced, ridiculous, roared, scurvy, shaken, shrieked, sobbed, tale’s, tizzy, trapping, trembling, tripping, troll
    
    

Chicken Little
    
It was a fine day, and Chicken Little went out to the woods. She walked along, an acorn fell, and it hit her on her head. She was a silly chicken, and she often made crazy mistakes. Guess what she thought? She thought that the acorn was a part of the sky!

This had surprised her quite a bit, and she worked herself into a tizzy. “Oh, dear me!” she cried. “The sky is falling, and I must tell the king!” She was headed to see the king when she ran into Henny Penny.

“Henny Penny! The sky is falling!” cried Chicken Little.

“How do you know?” inquired Henny Penny.

“A piece of it hit my poor head.” She remembered the feeling. She rubbed her poor little noggin.

“Then let’s go! We should tell the king!” said Henny Penny. She was now quite worried, too. So, Henny Penny and Chicken Little ran along. They ran into Goosey Loosey.

“Goosey Loosey! The sky is falling!” sobbed Henny Penny.

“How do you know?” asked Goosey Loosey.

“I felt it on my head,” said Chicken Little.

Goosey Loosey looked at Henny Penny. She nodded in agreement. “Let’s tell the king!” yelled Goosey Loosey. So, the three of them hurried along. They ran into Ducky Lucky.

“Ducky Lucky! The sky is falling!” groused Goosey Loosey.

“How do you know?” asked Ducky Lucky.

“A piece of it hit me here,” said Chicken Little. She pointed to her head. Henny Penny and Goosey Loosey nodded their heads. They were wide-eyed, and they were all freaking out!

Ducky Lucky looked at her three friends. The fear was spreading, and now SHE became worried. That’s because the others were so apprehensive. “To the king’s!” barked Ducky Lucky.

So Ducky, Goosey, Henny, and Chicken ran along fast. And there was Turkey Lurkey. Turkey was surely the biggest of the birds. “Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling!” cried Ducky Lucky.

“How do you know?” asked Turkey Lurkey.

“My head, my poor head! A chunk of sky fell on my head!” shrieked Chicken Little. Henny, Goosey, and Ducky stood behind Chicken Little. They were all flapping their wings with worry. It was a frenzy!

“The king must know!” shouted Turkey Lurkey. Who was he to disagree with four scared friends? So, the five feathered friends ran along, when they ran into Foxy Loxy.

“Foxy Loxy! The sky is falling!” cried Turkey Lurkey.

“Oh really, is that so?” asked the sly, evil Foxy Loxy. Now, that sneak knew way better, but he pretended to actually believe the five trembling birds. “Hmm, let’s see, what is the intelligent thing to do if the sky is falling? AHA, I know, you’d better keep safe in my den, where you’ll be completely safe, and then I’ll go tell the king for you, myself.”

The bumbling birds fell for his trick, so Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, and Turkey Lurkey followed Foxy Loxy right into his den. There was dust in the den. Lots of it. It made Chicken Little sneeze. ACHOO!!!

The force of the sneeze was extremely strong, and it made Chicken Little come back to her senses. “Wait!” cried Chicken Little, “birds are supposed to stay away from foxes, aren’t they!?”

That amazed the birds, and Henny Penny, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, and Turkey Lurkey looked at each other. “Of course, you’re right!” they cried.

One of them yelled, “Run for your lives!!”

And so, the five feathered friends scrambled out of the den. They were spitting and tripping. But they got away. And they never went back there again. From that day on, they thought very carefully before believing that the sky could actually be falling!

   
   
+++++
    
    

The Three Billy Goats Gruff
   
Once upon a time, there were three billy goats. They were brothers. They were all named “Gruff.” The three Billy Goats Gruff longed to go up a hillside covered with thick, green grass. They wanted to eat that grass. They knew it would be just delicious.

To get to the hillside, they had to cross a brook. Over the brook was a bridge. And under the bridge lived a troll. They were walking across it. “Trip-trap, trip-trap, trip-trap!” went the bridge.

“WHO’S THAT TRIP-TRAPPING OVER MY BRIDGE?” roared the troll. He had been taking a nap. So, he was feeling quite grumpy from being shaken awake by the trip-trapping of the bridge.

The tiny goat answered him in a wee, small voice. “It is only I, Little Billy Goat Gruff. And I’m going to the hillside to eat the delicious grass.”

“Oh-ho!” yelled the troll, who was feeling both grumpy and hungry. “I am coming to gobble you up.”

“Oh! Please don’t eat me,” said the Little Billy Goat Gruff. “I’m too little. Yes, I am. Wait a bit until my brother comes. He’s much bigger.”

“Well then, be off with you!” said the troll, in a currish voice. He was usually much more polite when his tummy was full, and when he had indulged in a decent nap. He settled back down under the bridge. He was quite determined to fall back asleep.

Soon, the Middle Billy Goat Gruff came to cross the bridge. “Trip-trap, trip-trap, trip-trap!” went the bridge.

“WHO’S THAT TRIP-TRAPPING OVER MY BRIDGE?” bellowed the troll. He jumped up from his bed. And now, the troll was becoming VERY grumpy. How was he to get any sleep with all of this noise moving over his bridge?

The goat answered him, in a not-so-small voice. “It is only I, Middle Billy Goat Gruff. I’m going to the hillside to eat the delicious grass.”

“Oh-ho!” exclaimed the troll. He was feeling even grumpier and hungrier. “I am coming to gobble you up.”

“Oh, no! Don’t eat me. Wait till my brother comes along. He’s much bigger.”

“Very well. Be off with you!” said the troll. He could not believe that he had been disturbed twice in one day. He jumped back down to his home under the bridge. He would try, once more, to take a nice nap. But just then, up came the great BIG Billy Goat Gruff.

“TRIP-TRAP! TRIP-TRAP! TRIP-TRAP!” went the bridge. It was louder than when the first two goats had walked across. The Big Billy Goat Gruff was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.

“WHO’S THAT TRIP-TRAPPING OVER MY BRIDGE?” hollered the troll. This was really getting quite ridiculous!

An answer came, booming in a very loud voice. “IT IS I, BIG BILLY GOAT GRUFF.”

“Oh-ho!” barked the troll, who was thinking now that he was feeling the grumpiest and hungriest he had ever felt. “I am coming to gobble you up!”

“Well, then, come and try it!” responded Big Billy Goat Gruff.

The troll climbed up on the bridge. But he was not prepared for what happened next. The Big Billy Goat Gruff rushed at the troll, without saying a word. He danced and pranced and jounced all over. The bridge shook so much that the pathetic troll rolled off the bridge into the water.

Then the Big Billy Goat Gruff went to the hillside, where he joined his brothers. They had quite a laugh about that scurvy troll in the water. Then they all three ate so much delicious grass that they were scarcely able to walk home again.

Snip, snap, snout. This tale’s told out.

    
       
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Click on this link to move forward to Module C, Lessons 51 – 60
   

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