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Module D – Weeks 18 to 34
    
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WEEK EIGHTEEN    
   
WEEK EIGHTEEN READING PASSAGES
      

Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.) 
   
The War Of 1812
   

Lesson 34 – Part One

   
NEW WORDS: Madison, Napoleon, Tennessee, controlled, earful, impressment, involved, joining, merchants, monarchy, naval, opposed, serving, sided, sunken, traders, voters 
     
     

Chapter One: Trouble with the British
      
In 1812, James Madison had a hard choice to make. Many Americans were angry with the British. Some of them were saying that the United States should declare war on Great Britain. But others disagreed. They said the United States should not go to war. Madison was president of the United States. He had to decide what to do. Should he ask the U.S. Congress to declare war? Or should he try to keep the peace?

At the time, Great Britain was already at war with France. The two countries had been fighting for years. Most of the countries in Europe were involved in the war. Some sided with the British. Others sided with the French. The French were led by a man named Napoleon. He was a brave leader. He had beaten the British in a number of battles. Still, the British kept fighting.

The United States tried to stay out of this big war. At first, most Americans did not care to get involved. American traders wished to trade with both Great Britain and France. But this led to problems. When United States ships traded with the British, the French got upset. They did not want Americans trading with their enemies. When United States ships traded with the French, the British got upset for the same reason.

Sometimes British ships would stop American ships to keep them from trading with the French. Sometimes French ships would stop American ships to keep them from trading with the British. The Americans had problems with both the French and the British. As time went on, the problems with the British increased.

The British had a strong army, and an even stronger navy. But serving in the British Navy was a hard job. Some people quit. Others ran away. This was a problem for the British. They needed all the men they could get. How else could they defeat the French? The British spent a lot of time looking for men who had run off. From time to time, they would stop American ships. British officers would come on deck to look for British men. They would grab men and force them to serve in the British Navy. This was called “impressment.” The British said that they took only British men who had run away. But they were not always careful. Sometimes they grabbed Americans. Stories about men taken by the British were printed in the papers. How do you think Americans felt when they read them? They felt angry. Some of them felt that the United States needed to fight back. They said the United States needed to declare war on Great Britain.

Impressment was one problem. But there were others. Many in the United States were also upset with the British for trading with Native Americans. In 1812, most Americans were farmers. At first, most farmers had homes near the East Coast. But then the country began to grow. People went west. They settled in places far from the coast. They set up farms. They planted crops. There was just one problem: there were already people living there! The settlers were moving onto land where Native Americans hunted and made their homes. Native Americans did not like this. There were many fights between settlers and Native Americans.

The British controlled Canada. They sent traders south from Canada to trade with Native Americans. These traders sold all sorts of things to Native Americans. The British said they had a right to trade with Native Americans. But lots of people in the United States did not see it that way. They said the British were helping Native Americans attack American settlers. They felt that they needed to fight back.

You can see there were many reasons for Americans to be angry with the British. But there were also good reasons for not declaring war. A war causes death, wrecks towns, and costs a lot of money. Plus, Americans felt that the British would not be easy to defeat. President Madison and the men in Congress would have to think long and hard about declaring war.

Chapter Two: The War Hawks
      
At first, President Madison tried to keep America out of the war. He tried to make a deal with the British. He asked them to stop taking American sailors. He asked them to stop trading with Native Americans. But he did not ask Congress to declare war. This made some people happy. There were many people in the United States who did not care to go to war. Most merchants and traders felt this way. They traded with Great Britain, as well as other countries. A war would mean less trade between countries. It would mean sunken ships and lost goods. A war would cost them money. For this reason, as well as some others, most merchants opposed the war.

But others felt that a war was needed. The states out west – like Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee – were closer to Native American land. The settlers in these states were scared of Native Americans. They were also angry with the British. These people were called “War Hawks.” They made loud, angry speeches. They complained about impressment. They complained that the British were selling guns to Native Americans. They felt that the United States needed to declare war.

When some War Hawks found out that the British were selling guns to Native Americans, it made them angry. These War Hawks gave President Madison an earful. They got up in Congress and made angry speeches. They said that the United States should stand up to Great Britain. They said that Madison should ask Congress to declare war.

Chapter Three: The War Starts
     
Presidents have to make hard choices. James Madison had to decide whether to side with the War Hawks, or with the merchants who hoped for peace. In the end, he sided with the War Hawks. Madison asked Congress to declare war. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The Americans were in for a hard fight. The British had a huge army. They also had the world’s biggest navy. But the British were already at war with France. They could only send some of their troops to fight the United States. That was a good thing for the Americans. It meant that the United States would have a better chance of winning.

Even so, not a lot of people at the time could imagine that the United States could win. Today, the United States is a strong nation. It has been around for many years. It has a strong army and navy. But that was not the case in 1812. In 1812, the United States was not very old as a country. It had broken away from Great Britain only about 30 years before. The United States had a different kind of government, too. At the time, most of the nations of Europe were monarchies. That means they were ruled by kings or queens. A king or queen would rule until he or she died. Then, in most cases, the oldest son would take over. The United States was not a monarchy. It did not have a king or queen. Instead, it had a president. The president was chosen by voters. He did not get to serve until he died. He served for four years. Then the voters got a chance to pick their president. If they voted for a different president, the old one had to step down. In 1812, most people in the world felt that the American government had a very strange way of doing things. They were not sure that the system would last, and that the United States would be able to survive.

In 1812, the United States did not have a strong army. In fact, the U.S. Army was tiny. It had about 4,000 soldiers. The navy was tiny, too. George Washington, the first president, had set it up. He didn’t think the United States needed a big navy, but just a small number of ships to protect merchants from pirates. President Madison found a way to make the army bigger. He got farmers to join. Many Americans were farmers. They used guns to hunt and to defend their homes. Madison called on these farmers. He asked them to grab their guns and join the army. Farmers were paid money and given land for joining.

The United States soldiers were not well trained. Still, Madison was sure they could win if they attacked the British in Canada. He sent the army north to Canada. The attack on Canada did not go well. The army lost a string of battles. The United States lost forts along the border. The army was simply not ready for war.

No one expected much from the tiny U.S. Navy. But things went better on the seas than they did on land. The United States battled bravely. They beat the British in a number of naval battles.

   
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.) 
   
The War Of 1812
   

Lesson 35 – Part Two 

   
NEW WORDS: Baltimore, Dolley, Madison’s, Madisons, McHenry, Pickersgill, President’s, anthem, blasting, blazed, bursting, capitol, construct, explode, ironsides, mortars, nieces, puzzling, ransacked, referred, rockets, smashing, streaking, stitching, stripe, supreme, surge, toasted 
     
         

Chapter Four: A Famous Ship
    
The ship on the right is the USS Constitution. It was one of the ships that battled in the War of 1812. The letters “USS” stand for “United States Ship.” The USS Constitution was named for a very important document, the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution lays out the laws of the land. It states what people serving in each branch of the U.S. government can do. It says what the president, the Congress, and the Supreme Court can do — and also what they cannot do. James Madison had helped write the Constitution. He had also played a key role in getting states to accept it. The people of the United States were proud of the Constitution. So, they named one of their fighting ships the USS Constitution.

During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution had a string of battles on the high seas. In one battle, the USS Constitution attacked a British ship. It was a hard fight. The sailors on both sides fired cannons. The guns blazed and smoked. The two ships drifted closer. Once, they even bumped into each other. Cannonballs from the USS Constitution smashed into the side of the British ship. They made big holes in it. They ripped off a sail. They knocked down the ship’s masts. The British ship fired back. But its cannonballs did less damage to the U.S. ship. In fact, some of them bounced off the thick walls of the American ship! When the American sailors saw this, they cheered. “Hooray!” one of them shouted. “Her sides are made of iron!” In fact, however, the sides of the ship were not made of iron, but of very thick planks of wood. The wooden sides of the USS Constitution were much thicker than most ships.

The USS Constitution won the battle. The British ship was so smashed up that it could not be fixed. The British had to sink it. When people were told about the battle, they became excited. They yelled and shouted. They waved flags and had parties. They treated the sailors on the USS Constitution as heroes. They also gave the ship a nickname. They called it “Old Ironsides,” because its wooden sides seemed as strong as iron. Old Ironsides kept on fighting. It battled more than twenty times and never lost a battle!

Chapter Five: The Attack on Washington, D.C.
     
In August of 1814, President Madison was upset. Two years had passed. The war was still going on. The U.S. Army had won some battles, and it had lost some battles. The British had landed an army near Washington, D.C. British soldiers were marching. Madison hoped the U.S. Army would be able to stop them. At the time, Washington, D.C., was a young town. Some buildings had just been finished, such as the Capitol. Others were not finished yet. Still, it was an important place. It was where the U.S. Congress met to make laws. It was where the Supreme Court met. It was the home to President Madison and his wife, Dolley.

The President’s House was a special house that had been constructed for the president. (Today it is called the White House.) It was only about ten years old at the time. It was home to President Madison and his wife, Dolley. President Madison was aware that there was going to be a big battle outside the city. He planned to go support the troops. He ordered some soldiers to protect Mrs. Madison and the President’s House. Then he jumped on his horse and rode off. The battle outside the city did not go well. The U.S. Army was beaten. People quickly found out about the defeat. The army had lost! The British were coming! People in the city panicked. They grabbed their things and ran away. The roads were jammed with people and carts.

President Madison could not get back to the President’s House. His wife, Dolley, was left there with servants and soldiers. The soldiers ran away. Mrs. Madison could not stay in the President’s House. The British would be there soon. She had to flee. Mrs. Madison hoped to take as much with her as she could. But which things should she take? There were many fine things in the President’s House. She loved a lamp that hung in one room. But there was no way she could take that. It was too heavy. She had a big closet of fancy dresses. She loved them, too. But there were more important things for her to carry away.

In the end, Mrs. Madison left most of her own things behind. Instead, she carried away things that were important to the American people. She grabbed papers and letters. She stuffed as many of them as she could into a trunk. Mrs. Madison was ready to leave. Then she remembered one last thing. It was a painting of George Washington. There was no time to gently take it from its frame. She ordered the slaves and servants to cut out the painting. “It is done!” said Dolley Madison. Then she ran out the door to safety.

Chapter Six: The Burning of Washington, D.C.
     
The British Army marched into Washington, D.C. The British soldiers were angry because the U.S. Army had burned York, the capital city of Canada. They planned to get back at the Americans by burning the U.S. Capitol Building. The British soldiers went to the Capitol Building. This was where the U.S. Congress met. They set it on fire. Then they marched down the hill to the President’s House. The British arrived just after Dolley Madison left. They broke down the doors and charged inside.

The President’s House was empty. In the dining room, the table had been set for dinner. The British general sat down with some of his men. They ate dinner. They drank some wine, too. As a joke, they toasted President Madison. They lifted up their wine glasses and thanked him for the wine. After dinner, the British soldiers started smashing things. They smashed the dishes. They smashed the table. They smashed the chairs. The soldiers ran up and down in the President’s House looking for things to steal.

They took the spoons and forks. They took the buckles from Mrs. Madison’s shoes. They even took the love letters her husband had sent her! The house was ransacked. Then the British general ordered his men to set the house on fire. The soldiers lit their torches. Then they went from room to room. They lit the drapes on fire. They burned the beds. They burned the desks and chairs. They even burned Mrs. Madison’s dresses.

Then the British marched away. They did not care to take over the city. They just planned to burn it. Burning the city would be a heavy blow. The British hoped the Americans might feel like there was no longer hope and stop fighting. Later that day, a storm rolled in. The rain stopped most of the fires. But it was too late. Many of the buildings were already lost. Later in the week, the Madisons came home. The President’s House was still standing. But it was a mess. The walls were black with soot. The windows were broken. All of their things had been stolen or burned. They felt they would never call the President’s House home again.

Chapter Seven: The Attack on Baltimore
    
Washington, D.C. took ten years to construct. It took less than one day to destroy it. Next, the British planned to attack Baltimore. Baltimore was a big city north of Washington, D.C. At the time, it was the third largest city in the United States. It was also a key port.

Baltimore was protected from naval attack by a large fort. It was called Fort McHenry. The British focused on Fort McHenry. They hoped that if they could take the fort, they could take the city. They planned to attack the fort by land and also by sea. The people of the city were aware that an attack was coming. They got ready. They piled up supplies. They set up walls. They even sank ships in the harbor to keep the British ships from getting too close to the city. All of the people in the city pitched in. Even the children helped.

A year earlier, the soldiers in Fort McHenry felt like they needed a flag they could fly over the fort. They asked a local woman named Mary Pickersgill to make a flag. “Make it big,” they told her. “Make it so big that the British will be able to see it from miles away!” The U.S. flag is covered with stars and stripes. Today, the U.S. flag has fifty stars and thirteen stripes. Each star stands for one of the fifty states of the United States. Each stripe stands for one of the thirteen original colonies. Sometimes America’s flag is referred to as “the stars and stripes.”

The flag that Mary Pickersgill made for Fort McHenry was different. It had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. The Fort McHenry flag was different in another way, too. It was huge! Each star was two feet across. Each stripe was two feet tall and forty-two feet long. Mrs. Pickersgill could not do all the stitching herself. The flag was too big. She needed help. She got her daughter to help her. But she still needed more help. She had her servants help with the stitching. Still she needed more help. She sent for two of her nieces. That did the trick. She and her five helpers stitched day and night until the flag was finished. When it was done, the flag was as large as a house. It was hung on a giant pole over the fort. You could see it from miles away.

The British arrived later in the week. They sent troops to attack the city. But this time, the U.S. soldiers were ready. They stopped the British Army. The British commander was killed during the attack. The British went back to their ships. They decided to attack Fort McHenry with their navy instead.

Chapter Eight: Francis Scott Key and the National Anthem
     
On September 13, 1814, British ships opened fire on Fort McHenry. They fired rockets and mortars. The soldiers in the fort would have fired back, but there was not much point. The guns in the fort were old. They could not hit the British ships. The British ships kept firing for a long time. They fired all day. They fired on into the night.

An American named Francis Scott Key watched the British attack. He was on a boat in the harbor. Key was not a soldier. He did not fight in the battle. But he was able to see it. He could see the British ships blasting away. He could see Fort McHenry. He could also see the huge flag that Mrs. Pickersgill had made. Key kept his eye on the American flag. As long as the flag was still flying at the fort, America was still in the battle. It meant that the troops in Fort McHenry had not given up. If the flag went down, that would mean that America was no longer fighting. That would mean that the troops in the fort had given up. Key watched all day. He was still watching when the sun set. He was proud that the flag was still flying.

At night, it was harder for Key to see. But there were flashes of light. Sometimes a rocket would go streaking through the darkness. Sometimes a bomb would explode and light up the sky. The flashes of light allowed Key to see the flag. The firing went on until just before dawn. Then it stopped. The sun had not come up yet. It was still dark. There were no rockets blasting. There were no bombs bursting in the air. Key could not see much. The silence was puzzling. What did it mean? Was the battle over? Had the soldiers in the fort given up? Key could not tell. Key waited nervously. At last the sun rose. Key looked at the fort. And what did he see? The soldiers had raised the huge flag that Mrs. Pickersgill had made. It was not the U.S. soldiers who had given up. It was the British sailors! They had stopped firing on the fort. Key felt a surge of joy. He felt pride, too. The brave men in the fort had not given up!

Chapter Eight to be continued …

      
   
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WEEK EIGHTEEN PHONICS READ-ALONGS
     
FROM AOCR PHONICS ACTIVITY #2, “SCOPE AND SEQUENCE”
     

ACTIVITY 69) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND, LETTER-Y BY ITSELF AS 2ND-SYLLABLE, 1ST-SYLLABLE A ROOT WORD, BUT LAST LETTER OF ROOT WORD DOUBLED AS A SILENT LETTER:
      

My Uncle Eddy loves to go trout fishing.

I’m a bit iffy on whether I can make it to your party.

The nasty character in this TV show is a real baddy!

I’m more comfortable when I wear baggy pants.

Mom went batty when the cat brought a live chipmunk into the house.

My friend Benny got a new aluminum baseball bat.

A cute biddy hatched from the hen’s egg.

The Canadian said, “I have to run to the biffy after drinking so much coffee this morning.”

Uncle Bobby is tall enough to slam dunk a basketball.

I wonder if cranberries could grow in this boggy marsh.

My best buddy lives down the street from me.

It was tragic that the singer Buddy Holly died way too young in a plane crash.

During our vacation, I got to ride on a horse and buggy.

Look, there’s a frisky little bunny in our back yard.

Let’s hail a cabby to drive us back to our hotel.

My caddy gave me good advice on the golf course today.

Jesus gave a canny reply to the Pharisees, who were trying to trap him into saying something that would get him in trouble.

All of the girls in that little clique are catty.

You’ll find cubby storage at the back of the classroom.

This is quite a spicy curry that I ordered.

My mommy and daddy took me out for ice cream.

Those two are dippy in love with each other.

How much is that doggy in the window?

My Aunt Dotty drives a red sports car.

Those girls are quite faddy about keeping up with the latest fashion craze.

That cute pig is quite a fatty.

While snorkeling, we saw many finny shapes darting around the coral reef.

We hiked for two hours through scenic firry hills.

It’s almost too foggy to even think about driving right now.

Dad, can you tell us a funny joke?

This story is about a nutty squirrel and his wacky furry friends.

All of the ladies in our book group were quite gabby today.

Gabby Hayes was the actor who played the comic sidekick with Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers.

Who wants to eat this last gummy bear?

This sack is made from gunny material.

Did you know that the “formal” name for a guppy is a “topminnow?”

Oddly, this veggie burger has a hammy taste to it.

Grandad talks about how when he was twenty in the late 1960s, he was a hippy.

Mom’s new hobby is to fly a drone with a camera on it.

This beer has a hoppy flavor, as opposed to tasting malty.

Mrs. Greene’s hubby is a drummer in a blues band.

Don’t scrape yourself on these jaggy rocks’ edges.

Oh, I want one of those jammy doughnuts!

My sister Jenny is learning to make her own dresses.

They built that jetty to help protect the harbor.

Uncle Jimmy is trying to grow a handlebar mustache.

That little kiddy is having so much fun on the jungle gym.

Our kitty learned quickly how to use the litter box.

The teacher sent the student to the principal for being lippy with her.

Let’s meet in the hotel lobby at 6:00 PM.

My mommy sings me a lullaby each night before I go to sleep.

Make sure that you take off those muddy shoes before you step foot in the house.

I’ll be sweating a lot on a hot, muggy day like this.

I saw a scary horror movie called “The Curse of the Mummy.”

I noticed that my friend Tom’s mom is kind of naggy with him all the time.

Wear a jacket, because it’s nippy outside today.

I want a nutty flavored coffee creamer like hazelnut.

On our trip to Asia, I saw rice paddy after rice paddy.

That is one thick hamburger patty!

Our Aunt Patty moonlights as an Uber driver.

It’s hard to find anything that costs just a penny.

Our boss is in a peppy mood today because our sales are way up.

Kids, this thing you’re arguing about is just ridiculously petty.

My piggy bank is almost full of coins.

I think that a bright coral poppy is the prettiest of flowers.

Mom, I REALLY need to go to the potty!

My cousin is good with words, and he’s always quite punny.

We got a new golden retriever puppy!

After we move into our new house, we’re going to get rid of the ratty tool shed out back.

My favorite card game is gin rummy.

   
    
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WEEK NINETEEN    
     

WEEK NINETEEN READING PASSAGES

Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.) 
   
The War Of 1812
    

Lesson 36 – Part Three 

   
NEW WORDS: Andrew, Jackson, Jackson’s, Orleans, dawn’s, emails, events, glare, gleaming, highways, inspired, knotty, losses, o’er, orphan, patriotic, proof, proudly, ramparts, rocket’s, salute, saluting, spangled, sporting, starved, streaming, twilight’s
     
      

Chapter Eight, continued 

Key felt inspired. He hoped to share with others what he had seen. He needed to tell what it was like to wait and wait — and then see the flag still flying in the morning. Key reached into his pocket. He found an old letter. On the back, he wrote a poem. Here is the first part of his poem:

O say can you see by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Key did not know then that, one day, his poem would become our national anthem.

Chapter Nine: Andrew Jackson
      
After the Battle of Baltimore, both sides began to get tired of the war. They called a meeting. Men from both sides sat down to try to form a peace treaty. But in the meantime, the war went on. The British sent troops to attack the city of New Orleans, on the Gulf of Mexico.

You can see why New Orleans is an important place if you look at the map on the next page. The city is located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, right where the river drains into the Gulf of Mexico. From New Orleans, you can travel north along the Mississippi River. You can also turn off onto other rivers that feed into the Mississippi, like the Ohio River. These rivers are like highways that lead right into the middle of North America. In 1814, New Orleans was already an important, big port. Lots of ships landed there. Farmers could ship their goods down the river and sell them in New Orleans. Traders could unload goods in New Orleans and ship them up the river. New Orleans was an important city, not only for the people who had homes there, but also for the farmers up the river in places like Ohio and Kentucky. If the British took New Orleans, they could control trade along the Mississippi. Farmers in Ohio and Kentucky would be cut off. The Americans could not let this happen. They sent an army to defend the city. The army was led by a man named Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Jackson was from Tennessee. He had joined the U.S. Army during the American Revolution. At the time, he was just a boy. He was too young to fight. He carried notes from place to place. During the Revolution, Jackson and his brother were taken prisoner by the British. It was a difficult time for them. They were treated badly. They almost starved to death. Jackson’s brother got sick and died. While he was a prisoner, Jackson had a run-in with a British officer. The man ordered Jackson to clean his boots. Jackson was proud and stubborn. He refused. The man shouted at Jackson. Still Jackson refused. The man struck Jackson with his weapon. Jackson was left with a scar on his face. As a result of this, Andrew Jackson had no love for the British. He was happy to fight them again, as an army general, when the War of 1812 broke out.

Jackson had not been trained as a soldier. But he was bold and strong. His mother had died when he was young. He had gotten by on his own as an orphan. He had made his own way in life. During the first part of the War of 1812, Jackson battled against Native Americans in the west. Many Native Americans had sided with the British. Jackson’s men called him “Old Hickory,” because he was as strong as a knotty old piece of hickory wood. In 1814, “Old Hickory” was given an important job. He was told to raise an army to protect New Orleans. Jackson rushed to the city. He picked up new troops along the way. Many of the men who joined him were farmers. But there were also free African-Americans, Native Americans, and even pirates. When Jackson arrived, he ordered his ragtag army to set up walls and get ready for an attack. Then they waited.

Chapter Ten: The End of the War
     
On January 8, 1815, the British attacked New Orleans. They planned on winning without much trouble. But they did not know how brave Andrew Jackson and his men were — or how good they were with their weapons. The British soldiers had on bright red coats. A wave of them charged. Jackson’s men crouched behind their walls. They took careful aim. Then they fired. Their bullets hit the first wave of British soldiers. The British kept coming. Jackson and his men kept firing. The wall helped to keep them safe. When it was all over, the U.S. flag was still flying. The British gave up their attack.

The British took heavy losses. Two thousand of their men were killed or hurt. The U.S. Army lost no more than one hundred men. New Orleans was safe! Americans cheered for Andrew Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans. After time passed, a letter arrived. It said that the war was already over. On December 24, 1814, the United States and Great Britain had signed a treaty to end the war. This was two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans! But Jackson and his men did not know that. In those days, news traveled slowly. There were no radios or television sets. There were no phones. There were no computers to send emails. A letter could only travel as fast as the man who carried it. It took a couple of weeks for news of the treaty to get from Europe to the United States. That is why Jackson and his men did not find out about the treaty until after the battle. America’s greatest victory in the War of 1812 came after the war was already over!

The War of 1812 lasted three years. It’s hard to say who won. Both sides won battles. The British burned Washington, D.C. But the Americans won the Battle of New Orleans. “Old Ironsides” won a number of battles on the sea. But other U.S. ships were sunk. All in all, there was no clear winner. It might seem as if the war was for nothing. But some things had changed. The Americans had battled together as a nation, and they had done it well. They had taken on the mighty British and had held their own. The world saw that they were strong. The end of the war marked the start of a new age in U.S. history. It was an age of national pride. The War of 1812 showed that the United States of America was here to stay.

Chapter Eleven: Our National Anthem
      
A national anthem is a special patriotic song. Many countries have a national anthem. People sing a national anthem to show that they are proud of their country. In the United States, our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The words to this song were written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. The song describes what Key saw during the attack on Fort McHenry. After the attack, he saw the U.S. flag, or in his words, the “star-spangled banner.”

We sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before baseball games and other sporting events. We sing it on holidays like the Fourth of July. We sing it on special days when we gather together. Sometimes we sing it at school. We sing it to show that we care about our country. In the United States, we always stand when we sing or hear the national anthem. If you are playing or talking and you hear this song, you should stop what you are doing and turn to face a flag. You may wish to place your right hand over your heart. You should stand still and look at the flag until the song is over. You should never talk or giggle or fool around during the national anthem.

During the national anthem, you will see men taking off their hats. You may also see soldiers saluting the flag. They salute by bringing their right hand up to their head or the tip of their hat. Also, the flag should never touch the ground. These are all ways of showing respect for the U.S. flag and pride in our country.

You know that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key. But did you know that it was not always our national anthem? In fact, it took more than one hundred years for it to become our national anthem. When it was first written, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was not a song. It was a poem. A little later, people took the words and set them to music. They sang the words to a tune that was popular at the time. Do you ever change the words to songs you know? That’s what people did with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They took an old tune and gave it different words. Soon, lots of people were singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was a big hit!

“The Star-Spangled Banner” became a popular national song. People all over the nation liked to sing it. But they also liked to sing lots of other songs, and we still sing some of them today. Do you know “Yankee Doodle?” What about “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee?” Have you ever sung “America, the Beautiful?” These are all patriotic songs that we sing to show how we feel about our country. If you went to a big state dinner at the White House one hundred years ago, the band might have played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Or it might have played “Yankee Doodle,” or “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” At that time, the United States did not have a national anthem. It had a set of national songs. Then, in 1931, Congress made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung to show that we love our country. It is one of the things that unite us as a people. So, when you sing it, sing it with pride!

     
       
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.) 
   
The War Of 1812
    

Lesson 37 – Part Four

   
NEW WORDS: Payne, Pickersgill’s, Quaker, Quakers, Todd, anchors, battle’s, chiefs, commanders, conceals, conquer, defended, delightful, desolation, dimly, diplomat, diplomats, discloses, disorganized, drape, encouragement, enters, entertaining, entertains, exchanges, fitfully, foe’s, footstep’s, formal, freemen, glossary, halls, havoc, heav’n, hireling, hosted, hostess, impressively, indoor, key’s, lov’d, meets, mentions, missile, mists, morning’s, motto, outgoing, pollution, preserv’d, rampart, ranking, refuge, relating, reposes, ripple, rippling, simpler, streak, trader, upbringing, vauntingly, vict’ry, war’s, wash’d  
     
        

Chapter Twelve: Making Sense of the National Anthem
     
Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” almost two hundred years ago. There are some old words in the poem. Some parts can be hard to understand. Let’s look at the words and try to make sense of them. On the next page is the first verse of the song, the part that we sing before a sporting event. Can you read it two or three times? “O’er” is a short form of the word “over.”


O say can you see by the dawn’s early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

To make sense of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” it helps to think of what Francis Scott Key was doing the night he wrote it. Key was watching the attack on Fort McHenry. In the poem he describes the attack as a “perilous fight.” That means it was a dangerous battle. During the battle, Key kept his eye on Fort McHenry. In the poem, he mentions the ramparts, or walls, of the fort. But what Key talks about the most is the U.S. flag that he could see flying over the fort. Key says the flag is “spangled,” or dotted, with stars. He also talks about its “broad stripes.” When the wind blows, Key says that these stripes blow back and forth. They look like they are “streaming” or rippling in the air. Have you ever seen a flag look that way?

In the poem, Key describes three different times when he looked for the flag. First, he tells us that he looked for the flag at “the twilight’s last gleaming,” or just as the sun set. Since it was not dark yet, Key could see. He saw that the flag was still flying over the fort. That was good. It means that the troops had not given up. Key tells us that he also looked for the flag at night. You might think he would not be able to see much at night. But Key explains that the “rocket’s red glare” and the “bombs bursting in air” lit up the night sky. These flashes of light helped him see. They gave him “proof” that the flag was still flying. Key looked for the flag again just before dawn. This time he could not see it. Remember, the attack on the fort had stopped just before dawn. There were no more “bombs bursting in air.” There was no more “rocket’s red glare.” It was dark. Was the flag still flying? Had the troops in the fort given up? Or had the British? In the time before the sun rose, Key did not know. At that time, he had a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers.

Look back at the words Key wrote. Do you see the question marks? There are three of them. An important thing to understand about our national anthem is that it starts with a set of questions. In the first lines, Key asks a question: “O say can you see by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?” Wow! That’s a long sentence. Suppose we broke it up into shorter sentences and used simpler words. Then it might sound like this: “The sun is coming up. Tell me, my friend, can you see the flag? Remember? We saw it last night at sunset. Now the night has passed. Is it still there?”

In the last lines of the song, Key asks another question. He says, “O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave. O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” The “star-spangled banner” is the American flag. “The land of the free and the home of the brave” is what Key calls his country. It’s another name for the United States. So Key is really asking the same thing he asked before. He is asking, “Is our flag still waving?”

Key asks these questions, but it might seem like he never answers them. In fact, he does. If you ever get a chance to read the rest of the poem, you will see that Key answers his own questions a little later. There is a part later in the poem where he says, “Yes! The flag is still flying! Hooray!” But that is in a part of the poem that we don’t sing very much. Most of the time we only sing the part with the questions. We don’t sing the part with the answers. So, the next time you sing or hear the national anthem, think of Francis Scott Key. Think of him watching the bombs bursting over Fort McHenry. Think of him checking on the flag and wondering if it’s still flying. If you keep your eyes on the flag during the song, you will be doing just what Francis Scott Key was doing that night long ago.

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep

Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,

‘Tis the star-spangled banner — O long may it wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion

A home and a Country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand

Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!

Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land

Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto — “In God is our trust,”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Chapter Thirteen: Dolley Madison
     
Dolley Payne Madison was the wife of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison. The president’s wife is called the First Lady. Dolley Madison was one of the most famous First Ladies in history. Dolley Madison was born Dolley Payne in 1768. She had four brothers and three sisters. When she was a little girl, she and her family had a very simple life. They belonged to the Quaker church. Quakers believed in living simply. They went to plain meeting halls instead of fancy churches. They ate plain food. Dolley had a strict upbringing. She was not allowed to sit with the boys in church or in school. She was not allowed to dance or play cards.

When she was young, Dolley Payne loved books. She liked going to school. She had lots of friends. She loved the color yellow. She hoped to get a nice yellow dress, but her parents said no. They were Quakers, and they did not believe in fancy dresses. When Dolley Payne was an adult, she married a man named Mr. Todd. They had a little boy. They were married only for a little while. Then Mr. Todd got yellow fever and died. Mrs. Todd was a widow. People told James Madison about Dolley. They said that she was smart and charming. He was eager to meet her. Madison was not president at the time. But he was already an important person. In some ways, James and Dolley were very different. He was quiet and serious. Dolley was outgoing and cheerful. But, after meeting several times, they found that they liked each other very much. Soon James Madison asked Dolley Todd to marry him, and she accepted.

The Madisons were happy together. Dolley was a great help to her husband. When he was president, he had to host fancy state dinners for visitors. Dolley helped him. She was a charming hostess. She welcomed all sorts of visitors to the President’s House. There were diplomats and visitors from distant lands. There were Native American chiefs. Dolley Madison always served her ice cream. At that time, ice cream was something new. Lots of people had never tasted it before. When the British marched into Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812, Dolley Madison was very brave. She stayed in the President’s House as long as she could. Before she left, she grabbed many important papers. She even helped to save a painting of George Washington.

     
         
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Glossary for The War of 1812

Anthem — an important song.
Army — a group of soldiers trained to fight on land.

Branch — one of three major parts of the government.
British — people who are from Great Britain.

Capitol — the building in Washington, D.C., where Congress meets.
Charge — to rush into (charged).
Charming — pleasing or delightful.
Commander — a high-ranking officer in the military.

Declare war — to officially say that one country will start a war with another country (declaring war).
Defeat — loss, such as in a battle or contest.
Diplomat — a person who represents his or her country (diplomats).
Distant — far away.
Document — an official or important paper.
Drape — curtain (drapes).

Flee — to run away from danger.
Fort — a large building constructed to survive enemy attacks (forts).

Gallantly — impressively.
General — a high-ranking officer in the military.

Hail — to greet or see (hailed).
Harbor — an area of calm, deep water near land, where ships can safely put down their anchors.
Heavy blow — a difficult loss to deal with.
Hickory — a tree with very hard wood.
Hostess — a woman who entertains guests at an event.

Imagine — to think or believe something.
Impressment — the state of being forced to serve in the British Navy (impressed).
Inspired — wanted to do something.

Knotty — having many dark marks on wood where branches once grew.

Mast — the tall pole on a ship to which the sails are attached (masts).
Meeting hall — an indoor space where many people can gather (meeting halls).
Merchant — a person who sells things (merchants).
Monarchy — a government ruled by a king or queen (monarchies).
Mortar — a type of cannon (mortars).
Mouth — the place where a river enters the ocean.

National — relating to a nation or country.
Navy — a group of soldiers trained to fight battles at sea on board ships.
Niece — the daughter of your brother or sister (nieces).

Open fire — to shoot a weapon in order to start a fight or battle (opened fire).
Oppose — to be against something (opposed).
Orphan — a child whose parents are no longer alive.

Panic — to suddenly become very scared (panicked).
Patriotic — having or showing support and love for your country.
Peace — a state of no war or fighting.
Perilous — dangerous.
Pile up — to collect (piled up).
Pitch in — to help with (pitched in).
Plank — a long, thick board (planks).
Port — a place on the water near land, where ships load and unload cargo.
Proof — something showing that something else is true or correct.

Quaker — a person who belonged to the Quaker faith, also known as the “Religious Society of Friends.” During colonial times, Quakers did not wear fancy, colorful clothing. They also did not think it proper to dance or attend parties.

Ragtag — disorganized and made up of many different types.
Rampart — the wall of a fort (ramparts).
Ransacked — searched in order to steal and cause damage.
Rocket — a type of missile (rockets).

Salute — to show respect (saluting).
Soot — the black powder left behind when something burns.
State dinner — a special dinner hosted by the president of the United States for important people (state dinners).
Stitching — sewing (stitched).
Streak — to move quickly (streaking).
String — a series.
Support the troops — to provide encouragement, and sometimes food and supplies, to soldiers.
Supreme Court — the highest court of law in the United States.

Toast — to raise a glass and drink in honor of someone or something (toasted).
Torch — a piece of wood that burns at one end (torches).
Trader — someone who exchanges something to get something in return (traders, traded, trading, trade).
Treaty — a formal agreement between countries.
Trunk — a large box or crate used to carry things.

Upbringing — the way a child is raised.
U.S. Congress — the people elected to make laws for the United States.

Widow — a woman whose husband has passed away.


Subtitles to images:

Christopher Columbus. The United States, Great Britain, and France. Great Britain. United States. France. The Revolutionary War. The Pilgrims. The Founding Fathers. The American Government. The Declaration of Independence. The Constitution. George Washington. John Adams. Thomas Jefferson. James Madison. Where Parliament meets. The British Government. King George III. Colonial farmers. Early Colonial Life. The 13 original colonies. American port. Westward expansion. Modern navy ship. The War of 1812. USS Constitution. American soldiers. Cannon from the 1800s. The President’s House and Capitol in the 1800s. Washington, D.C. The White House and Capitol today. James Madison was the fourth president of the United States. The French were led by a man named Napoleon. The British and the French were at war. British commanders (on the right) look on as men from American ships (left) are “impressed” — forced to serve in the British Navy. King George III. Napoleon. People continued the westward expansion. President Madison and the men in Congress would have to think long and hard about declaring war. Merchants in Boston (shown here) and other eastern cities wanted to avoid a war. War Hawks, like Henry Clay, made angry speeches in Congress. In 1812, the United States was much smaller than it is today. There were far fewer states. Many people who lived in the western states were War Hawks, who wanted to go to war with the British. The British were already fighting France, so they could only send some of their soldiers to fight the Americans. James Madison was an elected president at a time when most countries were ruled by kings and queens. Soldiers in the U.S. Army. American men in the navy during the War of 1812. The USS Constitution. A painting of the Constitutional Convention, where the U.S. Constitution was signed. The USS Constitution is still floating today. You can visit “Old Ironsides” in Boston Harbor. The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., as it looked in 1810. The President’s House was the home of the U.S. president. Dolley Madison. Dolley Madison helped to save a painting of George Washington. This painting shows the Capitol Building after it was set on fire by the British. The British burned the President’s House. This image shows how the President’s House looked after it was burned. Baltimore was a big city and a key port north of Washington, D.C. Fort McHenry as it looks today. The U.S. flag today. A year earlier, the soldiers at Fort McHenry asked Mary Pickersgill to make a flag to fly over the fort. A flag like Mary Pickersgill’s flag flying at Fort McHenry. This image shows the British firing on Fort McHenry from far away. Francis Scott Key. When the sun rose on Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key saw that the American flag was still flying. The U.S. flag was still flying at Fort McHenry after the attack on Baltimore. New Orleans. New Orleans is located at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson on horseback. Andrew Jackson (with the sword) and his soldiers defended New Orleans from attack by the British. The Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson went on to become the seventh president of the United States. His face appears on the twenty-dollar bill. An old poster about “The Star-Spangled Banner.” One way to show respect for the flag is to place your right hand on your heart. This soldier is saluting the American flag. This image shows deaf students singing — and signing — “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was taken in Ohio around 1920. Until 1931, the United States did not have a national anthem. It had lots of patriotic songs. The first verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” When the U.S. flag blows in the wind, its stripes appear to stream and ripple like waves. Key looked for the flag three times — “at the twilight’s last gleaming,” at night, and then “by the dawn’s early light.” The rest of Francis Scott Key’s poem. A Quaker meeting. James Madison. Dolley Madison. Dolley Madison entertaining visitors at the President’s House.

      
     
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WEEK NINETEEN PHONICS READ-ALONGS

     
FROM AOCR PHONICS ACTIVITY #2, “SCOPE AND SEQUENCE”
     

ACTIVITY 69) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND, LETTER-Y BY ITSELF AS 2ND-SYLLABLE, 1ST-SYLLABLE A ROOT WORD, BUT LAST LETTER OF ROOT WORD DOUBLED AS A SILENT LETTER … continued:

I’ve had a runny nose for days, and I’m tired of it.

This rutty dirt road will knock the tires out of alignment, I expect.

Since I’ve lost lots of weight, all my clothes are now saggy on me.

Please Sis, don’t drag me to some sappy romance movie.

That football jock has come a long way; as a little kid, he was kind of a sissy.

This soft, soddy ground would be good to ride horses on.

Gramps always calls me “sonny boy.”

It’s totally soppy outside, as it’s rained hard for three straight days.

The weather forecast says that it’s going to me mostly sunny today.

That orange tabby over there is our cat.

I like to sleep with my teddy bear.

Teddy Roosevelt was a popular U.S. president.

This percussion instrument has a somewhat tinny sound.

The toddler pulled herself up on her tippy-toes.

Tommy lives a block away from where we live.

I was a tubby little kid, but I had a huge growth spurt when I was twelve.

The two comedians engaged in a witty tete-a-tete.

I wish that our next door neighbor’s yappy dog would shut up!

The band played a zippy punk rock song.

ACTIVITY 70) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND AT THE END OF A WORD — ALL OTHER TYPES:

Sorry, I don’t have any one-dollar bills in my wallet.

Drive carefully, because the roads are icy.

My skin really breaks out if I touch poison ivy.

She ably won her tennis match over her opponent.

My body felt achy when I got the flu bug.

A nickname for an “alcoholic” is an “alky.”

They named their new baby girl Annabelle.

A bevy of birds flew over us, heading south.

My grandpa used to call an evil spirit in a horror movie a “bogy.”

If we give our dog a bone, he will bury it in the back yard.

This afternoon, Mom was as busy as a beaver.

My boss is a cagy negotiator.

In this recipe, the bread, when done, has a caky consistency.

The South American cavy is from the rodent family.

The largest city that I’ve ever been to is Dallas, Texas.

Don’t forget to invite Cory to your birthday party.

Mom’s sitting by a cozy fire and reading a mystery novel.

Uncle Davy is allergic to bee stings.

It was dopy of him to lock himself out of his house.

My favorite character in Disney’s “Finding Nemo” is Dory.

I’m still dozy, and I wish I didn’t have to get up to go to school.

After practicing for about a week, I now find riding a bike to be easy.

Monica is edgy, waiting to find out what grade she got on the test.

I envy her long natural blond hair.

I want to warn you that this roast venison might have a gamy taste.

The round goby can displace native fish from prime habitat and spawning areas.

That horror movie was too gory for my tastes.

It is very hazy downtown today.

Holy cow, look at the size of that crocodile sun-bathing on that log!

Holy-moly, did you see that lightning flash!?

Don’t just sit idly by; come help us get this work done.

We’ve got great seats at the track to watch the Indy 500.

How can something as itsy–bitsy as a chigger make you itch so much?

Joey got a dollar from the tooth fairy.

A very young kangaroo is called a “joey.”

Dad’s in an oddly joky mood tonight.

I want to wear a lacy gown to the prom.

That lady handed the store clerk a hundred dollar bill.

Stop being lazy, and clean up your room!

That country wants to levy a tax on steel imports.

That’s a gorgeous lily in your flower arrangement.

Much of the soil in our area is quite limy.

There are too many gnats buzzing around my head.

These confusing garden paths were intended to be mazy.

Miry unpaved streets in the old wild west were a mess after a rain storm.

Brad was all mopy after he lost his tennis match.

I sent your navy blue blazer to the dry cleaners.

Mrs. Richards down the street is really nosy.

My sister is my only remaining living relative.

Our Christmas tree has a wonderful piny fragrance.

Poor Selena has a grating, pipy voice.

Catch up with the other kids, you poky little puppy!

Marissa, do you want to go on the pony ride at the fair?

A posy is not any particular flower, but refers to a bouquet of flowers.

I hope that this puny little kitten grows up to be big and healthy.

“Roly–poly bugs” (also called pillbugs) aren’t insects; they’re crustaceans!

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WEEK TWENTY    
     

WEEK TWENTY READING PASSAGES

Lesson 38 – 4-Letter Vocab-Builder

   
NEW WORDS: Alaska, Angelou, Bator, Dipper’s, Erikson, Gobi, Greece, Leif, Magi, Marc, Mongol, Mongolia’s, Neve, Noel, Nome, Orcs, Pele, SARS, Tori, Tory, Ulan, Ursa, Yogi, Yule, alloy, blackened, brooch, cartoons, caves, city’s, coach’s, commons, corals, cowboys, dealer, dewlaps, ferments, firm’s, fizzle, gemstone, gout, gutter, hordes, humps, latrines, lids, lied, lien, lieu, lima, limn, limo, limy, linn, lint, lira, lisp, mach, macs, mags, maim, mako, malt, mans, mansion’s, marl, mart, maul, maxi, medicinal, newt, nibs, nobs, nogg, nogs, noir, noni, nook, nosh, nova, nubs, nude, nuke, nutritious, occurs, onus, onyx, ooze, oozy, opah, opts, opus, oral, orbs, orca, ores, org, oryx, orzo, otic, ouds, parmesan, pasta, pees, pelt, pent, peon, perfumes, perk, perm, perp, pert, peso, pest, pews, pfft, phew, sacs, salon, sane, saps, sari, sass, scam, scow, scry, scud, scut, scuttled, sear, secs, sect, seep, sheared, skeletons, suitcase, taters, tellers, tofu, toga, togs, toil, toke, toll, tome, toon, tope, tort, tout, tows, transports, tuber, ughs, ukes, umps, updo, urbs, urds, urge, uric, urns, user, vacs, vail, vamp, vane, vats, veal, veep, veer, vein, vend, vent, veto, vial, vibe, vied, vies, xyst, yack, yaks, yawl, yuan, yuca, yurt, zany, zaps, zeal, zebu, zest, zinc, ziti
      
     

Watch how he vies for power.

The new girl is named Neve.

Spider egg sacs can have 1,000 eggs!

See how that bunny zigs and zags.

I’m tall, so I can peer over the fence.

My cat’s named Toby.

There were loud “ughs” when she cut open the frog.

Soak these lids in the sink.

That jet can go mach-2.

You bear the onus to prove your case.

They ski in Vail, Colorado.

A newt scuttled up the gutter.

A sane person wouldn’t do that!

He’s a zany comic.

I love Yogi Bear cartoons.

My dog pees in our den.

There’s tofu in this Asian dish.

That guitar player owns some ukes and ouds.

Dad, I lied.

Get me two Big Macs.

Onyx is a pretty gemstone.

He’s too vain to wear glasses.

These tools have diamond nibs.

The hot sun saps my energy.

Right here, he zaps the alien with his ray gun.

Fix the yoke to the ox.

Square pegs don’t fit in round holes.

Ancient Romans wore a toga.

Ulan Bator is Mongolia’s capital.

Leif Erikson saw the New World before Columbus.

I love the “Gift of the Magi” story.

The dinner special is blackened opah.

The band will vamp to the tune of Yankee Doodle.

It’s nigh time you got to bed!

There have been no SARS virus cases since 2004.

He campaigns for office with zeal.

I hate runny egg yolk.

Pele was the best soccer player.

I’ve packed my togs in my suitcase.

Baseball umps have gone on strike.

There’s a lien against my house till I pay him back.

Mom, what’s a maxi-dress?

Watch this honey ooze into the tea.

The weather vane is pointed east.

Those nobs were born into wealth.

Hindu women often wear a sari.

Zebu cattle have humps and large dewlaps.

He likes books about cowboys and Indians of yore.

Hail will pelt your car.

After much toil, the latrines were dug.

It’s hard to undo a mistake.

In lieu of a test, you can write a report.

Toss this box of old mags from the attic.

That’s a nice opal brooch!

Vary your diet more.

I love the tune “The First Noel.”

Don’t you sass me!

You can’t divide by zero.

That cat will yowl till we feed him.

He has lots of pent-up energy.

He gave a toke to the card game dealer.

Peace be unto you!

She has a nice lilt to her voice.

That dog would maul and maim my cat.

I hope she opts to go on a date with me.

The beer here ferments in steel vats.

Use this nogg to shave those handles.

Our two saws aren’t sharp anymore.

This recipe calls for lemon zest.

The Chinese Yuan is worth close to 14 cents.

I’m a peon in the firm’s org structure.

There’s a toll to cross this bridge.

Mom, your hair looks good as an updo.

Eat each lima bean on your plate!

“Mako” is short for “mackerel shark.”

This book was her grand opus.

This veal parmesan is great.

The nogs I fix contain beaten eggs.

Gran was a victim of a phone scam.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

The yuca tuber is a nutritious starch.

An office with a view is a job perk here.

Scooby saw a mummy in the tomb.

They moved from the urbs to a rural farm.

A tree limb fell on the roof.

Most beer is made with malt and hops.

Where’s the oral care section in the store?

The Veep says he won’t run for President.

That was a creepy film noir!

That rusty scow transports coal.

Mom’s mac and cheese has ziti pasta.

Gran makes a great Yule log cake.

Mom got a perm at the salon.

She wrote a tome on Ancient Greece.

Urds look like black beans.

Is that limo 20 feet long?!

He mans the tower as the night watch.

This artist makes odd-colored orbs.

Veer from that guy on the bike!

Our ship stopped in Nome, Alaska.

Fortune tellers claim they can scry your future.

A yurt can be put up in two hours.

They caught the perp who robbed the bank.

A toon tree has red leaves.

I urge you to not do that!

Limn to me the story in this picture book.

I’m bad at reading maps.

“Orca” sounds nicer than “killer whale.”

We found a vein of gold!

The noni (or nona) fruit is thought to have medicinal value.

Scud across the field and get the soccer ball.

Will he yack all night long?

She’s pert, and has a good sense of humor.

At a party, he’ll tope till he can’t see straight.

Gout occurs due to too much uric acid in the blood.

I can limp off of the field on my own.

Marc was not at school.

The “Orcs” in Lord of the Rings are creepy.

Let’s vend lemonade at the end of the driveway.

I have a favorite nook at the library.

The short tail of a bunny is a “scut.”

There are two yaks at our zoo.

What can I buy with one peso?

Tori will start 10th grade.

Get three coffee urns for this crowd.

Living corals build limy skeletons.

I use a marl-based fertilizer.

They found iron ores in these caves.

Aunt Vera is a nurse.

I’ll nosh on chips during the game.

Seal this envelope.

Mom’s cooking yams.

My brother’s a pest.

The tort lawyer won a big settlement.

Ursa Major has the Big Dipper’s seven stars.

Let’s swim in that linn at the base of the waterfall.

The Pet Mart has some good sales.

There’s an oryx at our city’s zoo.

The President will veto this bill.

Many massive stars will go super-nova.

My first step is to sear the meat.

My cat plays with yarn.

Church pews fill on Easter.

She’s a Tory in the House of Commons.

The dryer vent is stopped-up with lint.

Mash these taters with butter.

I’ll cook orzo, not rice.

Don’t spill this vial of acid!!

Coach’s practice routine wore us all to nubs.

I’ll be there in a couple of secs.

They like to sail on their yawl.

Firecrackers go “pfft,” then fizzle out.

Give me a tour of the complex.

Here are some lira that I got in Italy.

We go to Mass at church on Sundays.

That hearing expert knows all things otic.

That party had a good vibe to it.

I bet a sheared sheep feels nude.

There’s more than one sect in their religion.

They have a xyst on their mansion’s grounds.

Phew, it’s hot out there!

He’ll tout that he has a Ph.D.

She’s a user of fine perfumes.

He speaks with a strong lisp.

Maya Angelou was a great poet.

The alien spit out an oozy liquid.

She vied for his attention.

Nuke this in the microwave.

Let the water seep into the soil slowly.

Mongol hordes crossed the Gobi desert.

My uncle tows broken-down cars.

Lots of water vacs were sold due to the flood.

      
        
*********
    
     

Lesson 39 – Poems And Rhymes

   
NEW WORDS: Cossack, Hindustan, Isabel, angleworm, anon, anvil, aspire, blindest, bliss, blundered, bole, boles, breadth, brigade, bulged, candlelight, cavernous, cherubs, childhood’s, clasp, concocter, convenient, coughs, coveted, cured, decree, deeps, delay, depth, disputed, diverged, doctor’s, eternal, exceeding, giant’s, griefs, grieved, grope, gunners, halves, haunted, hence, immortal, impart, inclined, inexplicably, merrily, migration, noble, pathless, pearly, perils, plashless, plover, preserve, punched, purely, quoth, rancor, ravenous, reliant, reverence, saber, sabers, sabring, saints, satchel, scope, seize, seizing, sidewise, sinews, sloth, spake, sparkle, squirming, steered, steersman, stormed, stoutly, straightened, sundered, swinging, symmetry, terrors, thievish, thine, troop, troublesome, tusk, tyger, undaunted, undergrowth, unrolled, volleyed, whence, zwieback
       
     

The Adventures Of Isabel
    
Isabel met an enormous bear.
Isabel, Isabel, didn’t care.
The bear was hungry.
The bear was ravenous.
The bear’s big mouth,
Was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, “Isabel, glad to meet you.
How do, Isabel? Now I’ll eat you!”
Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry.
Isabel didn’t scream or scurry.
She washed her hands.
And she straightened her hair up.
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.

Once in a night as black as pitch,
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
The witch’s face was cross and wrinkled.
The witch’s gums with teeth were sprinkled.
“Ho, ho, Isabel!” the old witch crowed.
“I’ll turn you into an ugly toad!”
Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry.
Isabel didn’t scream or scurry.
She showed no rage.
And she showed no rancor.
But she turned the witch,
Into milk and drank her.

Isabel met a hideous giant.
Isabel continued self-reliant.
The giant was hairy. The giant was horrid.
He had one eye in the middle of his forehead.
“Good morning, Isabel,” the giant said.
“I’ll grind your bones to make my bread.”
Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry.
Isabel didn’t scream or scurry.
She nibbled the zwieback that she always fed off.
And when it was gone,
She cut the giant’s head off.

Isabel met a troublesome doctor.
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor’s talk was of coughs and chills.
And the doctor’s satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
“Swallow this, it will make you well.”
Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry.
Isabel didn’t scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter.
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.

Poem By Ogden Nash
     
      

A Bird Came Down The Walk
    
A Bird came down the Walk.
He did not know I saw.
He bit an Angleworm in halves,
And ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a Dew,
From a convenient Grass.
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall,
To let a Beetle pass.

He glanced with rapid eyes,
That hurried all abroad.
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought.
He stirred his Velvet Head,
Like one in danger, Cautious.
    
I offered him a Crumb.
And he unrolled his feathers.
And rowed him softer home,
Than Oars divide the Ocean.
Too silver for a seam,
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,
Leap, plashless as they swim.

     
Poem By Emily Dickinson
        
      

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood.
And looked down one as far as I could.
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair.
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear.
Though as for that the passing there,
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay,
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh,
Somewhere ages and ages hence.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference.

   
Poem By Robert Frost 
         
       

The Tyger
    
Tyger, Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies,
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger, Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

     
Poem By William Blake    
    
               

How Do I Love Thee?
      
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
   
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
   
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
   
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s
   
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
   
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.
   
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use
   
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
   
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose,
   
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
   
Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose,
   
I shall but love thee better after death.

    
Poem By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
     
     

The Migration of the Grey Squirrels
          
(Note: a “bole” is “the stem or trunk of a tree.” A “dale” is a “broad valley.” “Anon” means “at once, immediately,” or “in a short time, soon.”)

When in my youth I traveled,
Throughout each north country.
Many a strange thing did I hear,
And many a strange thing to see.

But nothing was there, pleased me more,
Than when, in autumn brown.
I came, in the depths of the pathless woods,
To the grey squirrels’ town.

There were hundreds that in the hollow boles,
Of the old, old trees did dwell.
And laid up store, hard by their door,
Of the sweet mast as it fell.

But soon the hungry wild swine came,
And with thievish snouts dug up.
Their buried treasure, and left them not,
So much as an acorn cup.

Then did they chatter in angry mood,
And one and all decree.
Into the forests of rich stone-pine,
Over hill and dale to flee.

Over hill and dale, over hill and dale,
For many a league they went.
Like a troop of undaunted travelers,
Governed by one consent.

But the hawk and the eagle, and peering owl,
Did dreadfully pursue.
And the further the grey squirrels went,
The more their perils grew.

When lo! to cut off their pilgrimage,
A broad stream lay in view.
But then did each wondrous creature show,
His cunning and bravery.

With a piece of the pine-bark in his mouth,
Unto the stream came he.
And boldly his little bark he launched,
Without the least delay.

His busy tail was his upright sail,
And he merrily steered away.
Never was there a lovelier sight,
Than that grey squirrels’ fleet.

And with anxious eyes I watched to see,
What fortune it would meet.
Soon they had reached the rough mild-stream,
And ever and anon.

I grieved to behold some bark quite wrecked,
And its little steersman gone.
But the main fleet stoutly held across,
I saw them leap to shore.
They entered the woods with a cry of joy,
For their perilous march was o’er.

   
Poem By William Howitt  
     
     

The Blind Men And The Elephant
     
It was six men of Hindustan,
To learning much inclined.
Who went to see the elephant,
(Though all of them were blind).
That each by observation,
Might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the elephant,
And happening to fall,
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl,
“Bless me, it seems the elephant,
Is very like a wall.”

The second, feeling of his tusk,
Cried, “Ho! What have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear,
This wonder of an elephant,
Is very like a spear.”

The third approached the animal,
And happening to take,
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Then boldly up and spake.
“I see,” quoth he, “the elephant
Is very like a snake.”

The fourth stretched out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee,
“What most this mighty beast is like,
Is mighty plain,” quoth he.
“‘Tis clear enough the elephant,
Is very like a tree.”

The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said, “Even the blindest man,
Can tell what this resembles most.
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant,
Is very like a fan.”

The sixth no sooner had begun,
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail,
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” cried he, “the elephant,
Is very like a rope.”

And so, these men of Hindustan,
Disputed loud and long,
Each of his own opinion,
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

    
Poem By John Godfrey Saxe
    
    

Rover From Dover
     
There once was a plover from Dover.
Whose name, inexplicably, was Rover.
His life had been haunted.
So, more luck, oh, he wanted.
So, he coveted a four-leaf clover!

A Child’s Evening Prayer
     
Before on my bed my limbs I lay.
God grant me grace, my prayers to say.
Oh God! preserve my mother dear,
In strength and health for many a year.
    
And, Oh! preserve my father too.
And may I pay him reverence due.
And may I, my best thoughts employ.
To be my parents’ hope and joy.
    
And Oh! preserve my brothers both,
From evil doings and from sloth.
And may we always love each other,
Our friends, our father, and our mother.
    
And still, Oh Lord, to me impart,
An innocent and grateful heart.
That after my great sleep I may,
Awake to thy eternal day! Amen.

    
Poem By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
   
      

Where Did You Come From, Baby Dear?
       
Where did you come from, baby dear?
Out of the everywhere, into here.
Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.
    
What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes, left in.
Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.
    
What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.
What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
I saw something better than anyone knows.
     
Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.
Where did you get this pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.
    
Where did you get those arms and hands?
Love made itself into hooks and bands.
Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherubs‘ wings.
     
How did they all just come to be you?
God thought about me, and so I grew.
But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought about you. And so I am here.

    
Poem By George Mac Donald
    
     

Charge Of The Light Brigade
      
Half a league, half a league.
Half a league onward.
All in the valley of Death,
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said.
Into the valley of Death,
Rode the six hundred. 
   
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew,
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply.
Theirs not to reason why.
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death,
Rode the six hundred.
    
Cannon to right of them.
Cannon to left of them.
Cannon in front of them,
Volleyed and thundered.
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death.
Into the mouth of Hell,
Rode the six hundred.

Flashed all their sabers bare.
Flashed as they turned in air.
Sabring the gunners there.
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke,
Right through the line they broke.
Cossack and Russian,
Reeled from the saber-stroke,
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.
   
Cannon to right of them.
Cannon to left of them.
Cannon behind them,
Volleyed and thundered.
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell.
They that had fought so well,
Came through the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell.
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
Oh, the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

    
Poem By Alfred Lord Tennyson
     
     
*********

     
     
WEEK TWENTY PHONICS READ-ALONGS

     
FROM AOCR PHONICS ACTIVITY #2, “SCOPE AND SEQUENCE”
     

ACTIVITY 70) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND AT THE END OF A WORD — ALL OTHER TYPES … continued:

He has a leathery long face and black ropy hair.

That child has a beautiful rosy complexion.

I just got a new Sony mirrorless camera.

When the high tide came in it destroyed my sandcastle.

I’ll have a tiny piece of cake, please.

I’m going to name my pet hedgehog “Toby.”

Tony Bennett is one of Grandma’s favorite jazz singers.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in England was a member of the Tory political party.

My golden retriever is typy of a dog of his breed.

Man, that is one ugly bruise that you’ve got!

Dear, here’s a clean undy for you to put on after your shower.

Clark, let’s go upsy–daisy and get you into your highchair.

This viny region of France makes great wines.

That brunette has really wavy hair.

There’s a wily fox that keeps on getting into our henhouse!

Get out the tablecloth that has a red winy color to it.

For such a wiry frame, that boy is incredibly strong.

I love the zany antics of the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

I loved taking photos of abbey ruins on our trip in England.

It would not be safe to walk into that dark alley.

We were amply taken care of by the staff on the cruise ship.

I’m angry at the cat for scratching the sofa.

The children were bored and antsy.

Our rough-and-tumble bulldog is aptly named “Butch.”

Let’s stop at Arby’s for lunch.

Our daughter is quite artsy, and she may grow up to be a painter.

Their car was badly damaged in an accident.

The fermenting whisky in the stainless steel tank was all barmy at the top.

The Christmas presents made all the kids smile bigly.

There was an awful bilgy smell on the lowest deck of the ship.

I saw that old bitty down the street spray our cat with a hose when she was in her yard.

My British friend said to me, “Well blimy, I asked Monica out on a date, and she said ‘yes’!”

The golf pro got a bogey on only one hole in today’s round.

That new girl in town is a bonny lass, eh what?

Our next door neighbor has a nice bosky back yard.

I’m going to marinate the turkey in this briny concoction.

Have you ever seen the movie “Bugsy Malone?”

I wonder what could be in that bulgy envelope.

That lumberjack looks like a burly mountain man.

A busby is a military full-dress hat worn by British Guardsmen.

I got lots of candy this Halloween.

My dad reconditioned an iconic Chevy and shows it in antique car shows.

This shirt is too small for me, and it has a choky collar.

We voted for Cissy to be the president of our sorority.

My uncle was a major in the army, but he’s retired and is now a civvy.

Don’t make me get up; I’m all comfy sitting here by the fire.

Our kitty goes crazy when we give her a catnip mouse.

That criminal’s crony ratted on him to get a reduced sentence.

Drive carefully, because this is a dangerously curvy mountain road.

My favorite cartoon character is Daffy Duck.

I take these vitamins on a daily basis.

A daisy or two would look nice in this floral arrangement.

Don’t dilly–dally, or you’ll miss the school bus.

That’s a dandy idea; let’s do it!

My parents get to go to the Kentucky Derby this year.

This room is too dimly lit for me to be able to read.

The interior of this house is dingy, and it needs a major makeover.

My Gran is a bit ditsy, and she’s always forgetting where she’s put things.

I made up a little ditty, and I’ll sing it to you now.

How about we divvy up these remaining cookies half and half?

Be careful to never open a dodgy looking email attachment; you might get a computer virus!

The cowboy said to the young boy, “Now get along now, little dogey.”

He’s got a fever and a cough, and he’s looking a bit donsy.

*********

*********

WEEK TWENTY-ONE    
     

WEEK TWENTY-ONE READING PASSAGES

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.) 
   
More Stories And Fables  
    

Lesson 40 – Part One

   
NEW WORDS: Madrid, Medio, Peggy, Pollito, abandoned, abides, accrued, acquiesced, additionally, aghast, agreeable, aided, antennae, arises, aspired, atypically, au, avaricious, awakened, backbreaking, balancing, banqueting, begrudge, blunder, bona, bordered, brood, bygone, campers, caregiver, catnapping, cavalier, centered, chary, choked, choking, chowderhead, chucked, circumspect, companionless, composure, congenial, consequential, considerably, contraire, contrived, cookhouse, courtyard, cupola, customary, daydreaming, desirous, devilish, disastrous, discarding, discrepant, dishonesty, distributed, downsides, dubbed, dumbstruck, dutiful, engaged, engrossed, entertained, envious, erelong, escort, exasperated, explicitly, famishing, farm’s, feasting, features, feign, fide, fizzling, foothills, fritter, garner, gleaned, goose’s, gratification, hackneyed, haggle, harebrained, harm’s, hefty, hesitation, hideaway, honestly, hoodwinking, hungered, immobile, impenetrable, imprisoned, indulgent, industrious, infuriated, intentions, intertwined, intractable, investigating, jettisoned, joys, languid, lashing, lectured, likelihood, loiterer, manor, markedly, maturity, menacingly, milkmaid, misspend, momentarily, moneyed, monotonous, mulish, munchkin, murderous, nettled, obligation, oddity, offspring, outlying, outstripped, overcooked, palpitating, paralyzed, peeved, pester, petitioned, pinnacle, pitiable, pleasantly, plucked, plumpest, podgy, poo, prank, pratfall, preference, presupposed, proceeds, proclaimed, proclamation, promptly, proximate, ranted, reality, rebukes, recapitulate, reconsider, recumbent, regained, relinquish, relishing, repartee, retraced, rivulet, roadway, rotating, ruck, runnel, shameful, sightly, singularly, slumbered, smoldering, solitary, splattered, sporadically, sprayed, stickled, streamlet, strutted, stubbornly, supposition, surly, tarried, tended, thereupon, timorously, toiled, tomfoolery, transactions, trusting, tuckered, unalike, unbearable, uncaring, uncivil, undertook, untangled, unyielding, upheld, valued, vantage, verge, villa, waltzed, wayfarers, wearied, whimpered, willful, woolgathering, wreaked, youthful
     
     

The Boy Who Cried Wolf
    
This story arises from bygone days. The likelihood is that it is 1,000s of years old. There was a youthful shepherd boy. He tended a considerably large ruck of sheep each day. He had quite an obligation. He was to keep the sheep out of harm’s way. He would escort them to the outlying foothills. That was at the base of the town’s proximate mountain range. Where they grazed, they bordered a dark, almost impenetrable forest.

This was a solitary job for the lad. Watching the sheep all day was monotonous. And being companionless stole from him the joys of human repartee. No one was near. Sporadically, he could see three farmers. They’d be working in the fields. But that was still fairly distant from him. They were in the valley below.

One day, the boy was engrossed in woolgathering. He entertained himself with devilish thoughts. He contrived a plan. That would help him to get some company. It would be fun, too. He ran down toward the valley. He cried out. “Wolf! Wolf!”

The men outstripped the wind to get to him. But they found that there was no wolf after all. Two farmers retraced their steps. They went back to their fields. One of them remained. He lectured the boy for some time. He ranted on about the downsides of dishonesty. He told the boy that his trick was shameful.

Well, despite the lashing, the boy enjoyed the company. A few days passed. He maintained a cavalier attitude about the farmer’s rebukes. So, he shrugged his shoulders. Then, he said to himself, “Why not?” And he undertook to try the same prank again! The men ran to help him. They’d been tricked again! They were infuriated!

A few more days passed. This time, a REAL wolf came. It snuck out from the forest. It began to steal the sheep. The boy was aghast. His heart was palpitating. He was momentarily paralyzed. He was dumbstruck with fear. Finally, he regained his composure. He sprinted toward the valley. He cried out more loudly than ever. “Wolf! Wolf! I’m not tricking you this time. Honestly! Please! Help!”

But the men didn’t believe him. They’d been fooled twice before. They thought of a famous saying. “Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me!” They presupposed that the boy was hoodwinking them again. So, no one aided the boy. And the result was disastrous. The wolf wreaked major havoc on the flock’s population.

Moral: What if you often don’t tell the truth? Well, people just won’t believe ANYTHING you say! Even when you ARE telling the truth.

The Maid and the Milk Pail
    
Peggy was a milkmaid. She was going to market. There, she aspired to sell their farm’s fresh, sweet milk. She carried it in a pail. She had learned to carry it by balancing it on her head.

She went along. She began daydreaming. What would she do with the money she’d garner? “I’ll buy the plumpest chickens from Farmer Brown,” she said. “And they’ll lay eggs each morning. Those eggs will hatch. Then, I’ll have more chickens.”

“Then, I’ll engage in more transactions. I’ll sell some of the chickens and eggs. That will get me enough money to buy the blue dress I’ve wanted. And I’ll haggle for some blue ribbon, to match. Oh, I’ll look so sightly! And the fair comes soon. All the boys will want to dance with me. And the girls will be envious.”

“But I don’t care. I’ll toss my head at them, like this!” She tossed back her head. But, oh my! What a pratfall that was! The pail was promptly jettisoned off of her head. The milk splattered over the roadway. So, Peggy had to return home empty-handed. And, she had to timorously recapitulate to her mom what had happened.

“Ah! You’re a chowderhead, child,” said her mom. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

Moral: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Or don’t count on having everything turn out explicitly as you plan. You may be surprised and upset.

The Goose and the Golden Eggs
    
Once, a farmer was investigating his goose’s nest. He found an egg there. It was all yellow. And it was shiny. He upheld the egg. Atypically, it was heavy. It weighed as much as a rock! He was on the verge of discarding it. He had a supposition. He thought that someone was engaged in some tomfoolery with him. He thought it was a harebrained prank.

But he had second thoughts. So, he took it home. Thereupon, he gleaned something quite to his gratification. It was made of bona–fide gold! He sold it for a consequential sum of money.

Each morn, the goose laid a gold egg. The farmer would sell each egg. Erelong, he became moneyed from the accrued proceeds. But he grew greedy. He wanted more.

“Why should I have to wait to get just one egg a day?” he thought. “I’ll cut open the goose. I’ll take all the eggs out of her at once.”

Well! Guess what? The goose was circumspect. She was chary of trusting humans. So, her antennae were always up. She learned of the farmer’s murderous intentions. That night, she flew the coop. She abandoned her master. She fled to a nearby manor farm. The farmer would not lay eyes on her again!

So, what took place the next morn? The farmer came to the barn. What did he find in the goose’s nest? Nothing, of course!

Moral: He who wants more, often loses all. When you’re desirous of something, be patient. You’d best not be avaricious. You might relinquish all that you have!

The Dog in the Manger
     
There was once a self-centered dog. He napped on hot days. He slumbered in the cool barn. He had a preference. He liked to sleep in the manger. That was a long wooden box. It’s where hay was distributed for the farm animals to eat.

Let’s turn to a certain hot day. The oxen had toiled long and hard. They’d spent hours pulling the plow. They came back to the barn. They hungered for their dinner. But they couldn’t get to their food! That’s because the dog was recumbent in the manger. He was relishing his daily catnapping. He was on top of the hay.

One of the tuckered-out oxen spoke. “Excuse me. Please move. That way, we can eat our hay.” The uncaring dog was exasperated. He was peeved for being awakened. First, he growled menacingly. Then he barked at the ox.

“Please,” said the wearied, famishing ox. “I’ve had a backbreaking day. I’m starved.” The dog tarried. He stayed stubbornly immobile. Now the ox was nettled. He said, “Look. You’re a surly loiterer! You don’t even EAT hay. You just enjoy it for its comfort. And you won’t let us get to it.” The self-indulgent dog barked. He snarled. He snapped, in response. He stickled with the ox. Then he refused to budge.

At last, they acquiesced to their reality. They left, tired and hungry.

Now, the farmer came in. He had seen how the dog was acting. He got a hose. He turned the water on at full force. He sprayed the dog. He was unyielding. Shortly, the dog whimpered away. The oxen could now return for their meal.

Moral: Do not begrudge others what you cannot enjoy yourself. You should be nice and share. Especially when someone else needs something more than you do.

The Little Half-Chick (Medio Pollito)
    
Once there was a mother hen. She had a large brood. There were lots of chicks. They were all fine, pleasantly podgy little birds. But the youngest was an oddity. He was unalike his siblings.

He looked as if he had been cut right in half. His siblings had two wings, two legs, and two eyes. In other words, they had customary features for chicks. But the youngest had just one of each. One wing, one leg, and one eye! Additionally, he had just half a head. And he had just half a beak.

His mom looked at him. She shook her head sadly. “Pitiable offspring!” she said. “He’s just a half-chick.”

His mom gave him a name. She dubbed him, “Medio Pollito.” That’s Spanish for “half-chick.” She feared for him. Could he ever take care of himself? She made a decision. She’d keep him at home. Then she could be his caregiver.

But Medio had a discrepant vantage point. He was singularly mulish. He was an independent little munchkin. His siblings were dutiful. They did just what they were told to do. But au contraire with Medio! He was intractable.

His mom would call for him. She’d say, “Come to the chicken house.” He’d go to a favorite hideaway in the cornfield. Sometimes he’d feign that he could not hear her. Maybe she’d think it was because he had just one ear.

He got older. He got even more willful. He would not listen to his mom. And he was often uncivil with his siblings. This was despite the fact that they were always markedly congenial towards him.

One day Medio strutted up to his mom. He made a proclamation. “Life has become hackneyed in this languid barnyard. I’m going to Madrid. I have bold intentions. For instance, I plan to dine with the king.”

“Madrid!?” exclaimed his mom. “Good heavens! That is a long journey. It’s long even for a grown-up. You haven’t reached a stage of maturity where you can go to Madrid. Not just yet! Wait a bit. We’ll get you there when you’re a bit older. We’ll go to the city together. I promise!”

But Medio had made up his mind. He would not reconsider. He ignored his mom and his siblings. They all pleaded with him to stay. But he just proclaimed, “I’ll go to Madrid. I’ll dine with the king. And here’s what I’ll do when I get there. I’ll make my fortune. I’ll live in a fine villa. Perhaps I’ll even invite the rest of you. You can pay me a short visit sometime.” With that, he turned. He hopped off on his one leg.

His mom ran after him. She petitioned him, “Be sure to be kind to each person you meet!” But Medio did not listen. He was in a hurry. As usual, he thought only of himself.

Medio hopped on. He came to a rivulet of water. It was almost choked with weeds. “Oh, Medio,” the runnel called out. “Please help me. Pull some of these weeds. Then I can flow freely!”

“Help you?” exclaimed the half-chick. He tossed his head. He shook the few feathers in his tail. “I don’t have time to waste to do that sort of thing. Help yourself. And don’t pester industrious wayfarers like me. I’m off to Madrid. I’ll be dining with the king.” So, he hopped on.

A bit later, Medio came to an abandoned fire. Some campers had left it smoldering in the woods. “Oh, Medio,” the fire said. “Please toss some sticks on me. Then, I won’t burn out!”

“Poo!” said Medio. “I can’t fritter away my valued time to do that sort of thing. I’m off to Madrid. I’ll be banqueting with the king.” He hopped on.

The next morning, he was nearing Madrid. Medio came to a large chestnut tree. The wind had gotten intertwined in it. “Oh, Medio,” said the wind. “Won’t you climb up here? Help me get myself untangled.”

Medio responded with an ugly tone. “It’s your own blunder. You shouldn’t have gone so high up there,” said Medio. “Besides, I can’t misspend my time to do that sort of thing. I’m off to Madrid. I’ll be feasting with the king.” He hopped on.

Medio entered the city. He saw the beautiful royal palace. He was so excited to meet the king. Without hesitation, he hopped right into the courtyard. The king’s cook spotted him. He yelled, “You’ll make an agreeable addition to the king’s dinner.”

The cook plucked up Medio in his hand. He took him back to the cookhouse. He tossed him into a pot of water! Then he set the pot on the stove.

Medio was getting very wet. “Oh! Water!” he cried. “Don’t soak me like this!” But the water replied, “You would not help me when I was a little streamlet choking with weeds. So, why should I help you now?”

Then the fire on the stove began to heat the water. Medio felt very hot. “Oh! Fire!” he cried. “Don’t cook me like this!” But the fire replied, “You would not help me when I was fizzling out. So, why should I help you now?”

The fire got hotter. The heat was unbearable. Medio grew more desperate to escape. Just then, the cook waltzed in. He raised the lid of the pot. He looked to see if the soup was ready.

“What’s this?” cried the cook. “I’ve overcooked the chicken. He is all blackened. He’s burnt to a crisp. I can’t serve this to the king!” The cook grabbed Medio. He chucked him out the window. With a hefty gust, the wind caught him. It carried him so fast that he could hardly breathe.

“Oh! Wind!” Medio cried. “Don’t push me around like this. Please! Set me down!” But the wind replied, “You would not help me when I was imprisoned in the tree. So, why should I help you now?”

The wind then lifted Medio up. Way up into the sky he went! The wind took him to the pinnacle of a building. It left him stuck atop the cupola. And that is where you’ll find Medio Pollito, to this very day.

Go to Madrid. Look for the tallest church. You’ll spy a black weather vane. It’s in the shape of half a chicken. It’s rotating in the wind. That’s Medio Pollito! That’s the chick who would not help others. Now he abides there and helps EVERYONE. He does so by showing them which way the wind is blowing. And, he’s stuck there forever!

     
       
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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.) 
   
More Stories And Fables 
    

Lesson 41 – Part Two

     
NEW WORDS: Anansi, Anansi’s, Armageddon, Aso, Mmoboro, Nyame, Onini, Osebo, accounts, advised, affixed, ameliorate, angrily, appreciative, assuredly, bestow, bleating, blubbered, brawl, calamity, campfires, carps, cavils, clambered, clamor, clueless, comprehended, conferred, constituted, cooperated, cords, corral, criticizes, dangled, deteriorate, disturbing, elocution, ensnared, entreaty, erudite, evaluated, examined, exerted, exorbitant, expel, fisticuff, flabbergasted, functional, gourd, grouses, hankering, hereby, hollowed, hornet’s, hurtled, inadequate, indigent, intricately, invariably, juncture, knocks, kvetches, laced, listless, loggerheads, ludicrous, lunging, lunkhead, magnificent, mercilessly, mewl, monsoon, mooing, muttering, narratives, necessarily, nitpicks, noontime, overflow, overlaid, oy, parched, pausing, pensively, perturbed, phlegmatic, proven, prowl, python, questioning, rabbi, rabbi’s, revisited, roomy, sanguine, scorched, slithered, snared, sneakily, snippy, solemnly, speechless, squall, storyteller, stowed, strategize, strolling, superlative, surveying, thankfulness, torrid, tranquil, tussle, unendingly, unequivocally, unsalvageable, unsuitable, vey, vigilant, vivacious, wit’s, yawled
    
    

The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
     
A wolf was on the prowl. He roamed around a flock of sheep. This went on night after night. He wanted to eat one of them. But the shepherd and his dogs were vigilant. They invariably chased him away.

But one day, the wolf found something. It was the skin of a sheep. It had been thrown aside. He thought of a way to use it. He pulled the skin over top of him. None of his fur showed under the white fleece. Then he returned to the flock. He strolled among them. The disguise was most effective!

The shepherd was clueless. He thought that the wolf was a sheep. He allowed the wolf to graze. He even let him sleep in the warm barn with the sheep.

This went on for many days and nights. The wolf ate and slept better than he ever had. But one day, his plan turned sour on him! The shepherd had made a decision. He’d head to market. He’d sell one of his flock.

He examined his flock. He chose the biggest, fattest sheep. He brought him to town. Can you guess which sheep it was? It was the wolf! His trick had cost him his life!

Moral: Things aren’t necessarily as they seem. You should not pretend to be what you are not. You might end up losing in the end.

The Fox and the Grapes
    
It was a torrid summer noontime. A fox was strolling along. His throat was parched. He noticed a bunch of juicy grapes. They were just turning ripe. But they hung on a vine high above. “Mmm! That’s just the thing I need. That would ameliorate my thirst,” he said.

He trotted back a few steps. Then, he hurtled forward. He jumped as high as he could. But he just missed the grapes. He turned around. He exerted himself and tried again. “One! Two! Three! GO!” he yelled. He went lunging at the grapes. He gave it all that he had.

But again, he missed. Again and again, he tried to pluck the grapes from the vine. But at last, he gave up. He walked away. He stuck his nose in the air. He said, “I didn’t want those old grapes anyway. I’m sure they are sour.”

Moral: You shouldn’t speak badly about something that you once had a hankering for, just because you can’t have it.

The Crowded, Noisy House
     
Once there was an indigent Jewish man. He went to speak with his rabbi. “Rabbi,” the man said. “You must help me. My life is unbearable.”

“I live with my wife, our five children, and my mother-in-law. There is only one room for the eight of us. The children, they cry and fight. My wife, she screams a lot. My mother-in-law, she kvetches about everything. It is crowded, noisy, and horrible, I tell you. Honestly, Rabbi. I don’t think it could be any worse!”

The rabbi rubbed his chin. He evaluated the man’s situation. “My son,” he said. “Please promise to do as I tell you. I know your life will get better. Will you solemnly swear to do this?”

“Yes! Yes!” said the man. “I promise.”

“Tell me,” said the rabbi. “Do you own any animals?”

“Yes,” said the man. “I have a goat.” Then the rabbi cut him off.

“Good!” said the rabbi. “Go home. Take the goat into your house. Let it eat and sleep with you. Do this for a few days.”

The man was flabbergasted. Take the goat into the house? The rabbi’s advice sounded like a ludicrous idea. But everyone knew the rabbi was a wise man. So, the poor man agreed to do what he said. He went home. He led the goat into his house.

Two days passed. The man revisited the rabbi. “Oy vey!” he said. “I did as you advised me to. I brought my goat into the house. But things are worse than before.”

“The children, they squall and brawl. My wife, she nitpicks to no end. My mother-in-law, she grouses mercilessly about everything. The goat, she butts us with her head. She knocks the dishes off the shelves. Help me, Rabbi. It’s so bad that I don’t think things could deteriorate any further! I’m at my wit’s end!”

The rabbi sat pensively for a brief juncture. Then he asked the man a question. “Do you have any other animals?”

“Yes,” said the man. “I have a cow.” Then the rabbi cut him off.

“Good!” said the rabbi. “Go home.” Take the cow into your house. Let it eat and sleep with you. Do this for a few days.”

Again, the man cooperated with the rabbi’s entreaty. He went home. He led the cow into his house. Two days passed. The man went back to see the rabbi.

“Oy vey!” he yawled. “I did as you said. I brought the cow into the house. Things are even worse than before. The children, they mewl and tussle. My wife, she carps 24/7. My mother-in-law, she cavils about everything. The goat, she butts us with her head. She knocks the dishes off the shelves. The cow, she eats our clothing. The house is like a barn! We can’t sleep. There’s all this bleating and mooing! Help me, Rabbi. I fear that our calamity is unsalvageable!”

The rabbi was speechless for a long time. Then he asked a question. “Do you have any other animals?”

“Well,” said the man, pausing. “I have a goose.”

“Superlative!” said the rabbi. “Go home. Take the goose into your house. Let it eat and sleep with you.”

Two days passed. The man went back to the rabbi.

“Oy vey!” he blubbered. “Things are worse than ever! The children, they clamor and fisticuff. My wife is unendingly snippy. My mother-in-law, she criticizes us about everything. The goat, she butts us with her head. She knocks the dishes off the shelves. The cow, she eats our clothing. The goose, he honks and poops on the floor. I tell you something, Rabbi. It is unsuitable for a man to eat and sleep with animals. I think that our household is approaching Armageddon!”

“My son,” the rabbi responded with tranquil elocution. “You’re unequivocally right. Go home. Expel the animals from your house. You will find the answer.”

A few days passed. The man saw the rabbi at the market. He ran to him.

“Rabbi!” he cried. His face was beaming. “You have made life sanguine for me. I overflow with thankfulness for your advice. Now, all the animals are outside. Now, the house is so quiet, so roomy, and so clean! How magnificent things are!”

All Stories Are Anansi’s
    
Long ago, there were no stories on Earth. They all belonged to the sky god. His name was Nyame. He kept the narratives in a box. He stowed the box beneath his throne.

Thus, people had no accounts to share amongst themselves. So, the people of Earth just sat around their campfires. One day, Anansi the Spider was surveying the people from his web. He could see that the people were phlegmatic and listless. He decided he’d bring them something. It would make them more vivacious. It would help them pass the time.

Anansi stretched his eight legs. Then he wove a well-contrived, highly functional web. It reached all the way to the sky. He clambered up the web. He finally arrived at the throne of the sky god. Remember, Nyame was the keeper of all stories.

“Nyame,” he said. “You are the erudite one. You are the great god of the sky. Will you let me have the great box? I mean the one where you keep the stories. I’d like to take the stories to Earth. I’d like to give them to the people there.”

“I’ll bestow to you the box of stories,” said Nyame. He had quite a booming voice. “But the price is exorbitant. Many have tried. And all have failed at what I shall ask of you. You must bring me three things. First, bring me Onini. He’s the great python. He can swallow a goat. Second, bring me Osebo. He’s the mighty leopard. His teeth are as sharp as spears. Third, bring me Mmoboro. He’s the giant hornet. His sting burns like a needle of fire.”

“I will pay the price,” said Anansi.

Anansi swung back down to Earth on his web. He conferred with his wife, Aso. Together, they constituted a plan. They’d first capture Onini. He was the great python who could swallow a goat.

It was the next morning. Anansi sneakily walked into the forest. He was waving a big branch. He was talking to himself. “She’s wrong!” he said. He was pretending to be very perturbed. “I know she is. He’s much longer than this branch.”

Anansi approached the watering hole. A large snake rose up. It was Onini, the great python who can swallow a goat. “What are you muttering about?” asked Onini. “You’re disturbing my nap.”

“I’m at loggerheads with my wife,” said Anansi. “She says that you’re shorter than this branch. But I say you are longer. She won’t listen to me. I don’t see how I can prove that I’m right.”

That’s easy,” said Onini. “Lay your branch on the ground. I’ll lie next to it. Then you shall see that I am longer.” The great snake slithered over. He lay next to Anansi’s branch.

“It looks like you may be longer,” said Anansi. But his voice had a questioning tone to it. “But I can’t tell for sure. It’s because you’re not quite straightened out. Could I straighten you out a bit?”

“Assuredly,” said Onini.

“Let me fasten your tail at this end,” said the spider. “That way, I can really straighten you out. And also here a little lower. And here by your head.” The python comprehended too late what Anansi was up to. The spider had spun a web. He’d used it to tie Onini to the branch!

“Now you’re snared!” said Anansi. With that, Anansi carried Onini the python to Nyame.

“That is one thing,” said Nyame in a loud, deep voice. “Two things remain.” Anansi went back to Earth. He began to strategize his next plan. He had to corral Osebo. He was the mighty leopard who had teeth as sharp as spears.

He dug a deep hole. It was on the path that Osebo used the most. He walked on it to get to the watering hole. The spider laid branches across the hole. He overlaid them with sticks, leaves, and dirt. Anansi was satisfied that the hole was well-hidden. He then scurried home. He went to sleep.

Osebo came out to hunt during the night. He fell right into Anansi’s trap. Anansi found him down in the hole the next morning.

“Osebo,” said Anansi. “What are you doing down in that hole?”

“You lunkhead!” said Osebo. “Can’t you see? I’ve fallen into a trap! You must help me get out.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” said the spider. He found a large willow tree. He bent the top of the tree over the pit. He spun two silky cords. He used them to fasten the tree. Then he spun another silky cord. He affixed it to the top of the tree. This third cord dangled down into the pit.

“Tie the cord to your tail,” said Anansi. “Then I’ll lift you up.” Osebo tied the web to his tail.

Anansi cut the cords that were holding the tree down. The tree sprang back to its original position. It was carrying Osebo with it. Osebo dangled from the tree. He was all tangled up in Anansi’s web-work.

“Now you’re ensnared!” said Anansi. He tightly tied the ends of the web. He dragged Osebo the leopard to Nyame.

Now the sky god was impressed. “That is two things,” said Nyame. “Only one thing remains.”

Anansi went back to Earth. Now he had to catch Mmoboro. That was the giant hornet whose sting scorched like a needle of fire. He cut a gourd from a vine. He hollowed out the inside. Then he filled the gourd with water. He went to the nest where Mmoboro the hornet made his home.

Anansi poured some of the water in the gourd over his own head. He looked as though he’d been drenched in a monsoon! Then he dumped the rest of the water on the hornet’s nest. Mmoboro the hornet came out. He was buzzing angrily. He saw Anansi standing nearby. The spider held a leaf over his head.

“Oh, my!” said Anansi. “The rainy season seems to have come early this year. It looks like you have no shelter from the rain. Why don’t you take shelter in my gourd? Just stay there until the rain goes away.”

“Thank you,” said Mmoboro the hornet. He then flew into the gourd.

“You’re welcome!” said Anansi. The spider closed up the opening in the gourd with his leaf. He fastened the leaf with his finest, most intricately laced web yet. “Now you’re caught!” Anansi proudly carried Mmoboro to Nyame.

“That is the last thing,” proclaimed Nyame. “You have succeeded, Anansi. So many before you have proven inadequate to the task. You have paid the price.” 

Then Nyame called out to the people of Earth. His voice was like thunder. “Listen to me! Anansi has paid the price. He has earned the stories of the sky god. I do hereby give the stories to him. From this day forward, all of the stories belong to Anansi. Here’s what you must do when you tell one of these stories. You must acknowledge that it is Anansi’s tale.”

Anansi took the box of stories back to Earth. He shared them with the people. They were appreciative to have the stories. They told them over and over to their children. They were told to their children’s children. They then told them to their own children, and so on. Even to this day, these stories are known as “spider stories.”

What happens at the end of many spider stories? The storyteller often says this. “This is my story, which I have related. If it be sweet, or if it be not sweet, take it elsewhere and let it come back to me.”

    
     
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WEEK TWENTY-ONE PHONICS READ-ALONGS

     
FROM AOCR PHONICS ACTIVITY #2, “SCOPE AND SEQUENCE”
     

ACTIVITY 70) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND AT THE END OF A WORD — ALL OTHER TYPES … continued:

Very dryly, she said, “You’re not going to fool me.

The King rewarded his favorite Knight with a Duchy in Devonshire.

She’s such a fuddy–duddy that she can’t stand any pet hair on her clothing.

That dummy cat of ours just fell into the toilet while trying to drink water out of it.

The cereal box is empty; do we have a back-up that I can open?

We need a new rug for the entry into the foyer.

That dress is too fancy to wear to a pool party.

My fanny hurts from sitting in the car for so long.

I wish that you could have met my Aunt Fanny; she was such a hoot!

The vet said, “The lesions on your horse’s body and limbs look like farcy, an equine disease.”

The child tried to act feyly after she’d put on her Halloween ghost costume.

My Uncle Knox just turned fifty years old.

The Sergeant showed the new recruits how to fitly make a bed.

Yum, this pastry is so wonderfully flaky.

Although the fire was no longer flamy, there was still some heat coming from the fireplace.

It’s terrible to call an elderly person an “old fogey.”

It was folly to think that this unpopular local politician could get elected to the U.S. Senate.

The new bride gaily walked the reception room to talk to all of the guests.

We were giddy with laughter during the comedian’s monologue.

My Aunt Ginny just got a big promotion at work.

This morning we sang a hymn in church titled “Glory To God.”

My family raised me to try to live as godly a life as possible.

By golly, I think that I FINALLY understand this!

Even though this juice isn’t made from grapes, it has a grapy flavor.

This sausage gravy is delicious.

Dad comes home grimy everyday because he’s an auto mechanic.

A mama guppy gives “live birth” rather than by laying eggs.

Let’s gussy up the ballroom with lights, mirrors, and balloons.

The coach called a gutsy play on 4th-down, and it worked!

A gypsy traveling troupe entered the medieval village.

When my brother came into the room, we all yelled, “happy birthday!”

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan moved from England to California.

The enemy onslaught pushed us into making a hasty retreat.

That box is too heavy for me to pick up by myself.

The countryside we were in had dark rich hedgy flats and copse-checkered slopes.

King Henry the eighth of England had six different wives.

This deli makes the best hoagy that you can buy!

Here it comes; that politician is going to tell another hokey story about his difficult childhood.

I’ve got a nice arrangement of holly to put on the Christmas dinner table.

My friend Holly just opened her own yoga studio.

My favorite thing to put on toast is orange blossom honey.

He has kind of horsy teeth.

It was a hotly contested Senate race, and things got really ugly.

Hurry up, or we’ll miss the bus!

Santa Claus is such a jolly fellow!

My sister Kelly is editor of her high school yearbook.

Don’t shake hands laxly; have a firm grip.

The lowly peasant worked his way up to become one of the Queen’s generals.

It’s obvious that those two are madly in love with each other.

I feel sorry for that limping, mangy dog.

That muscular lumberjack is quite a manly fellow.

The wealthy socialite yelled to her friend, “Oh Prudence, your dress is just marvy!”

Grandma screamed, “Mercy me!” when a mouse ran around the kitchen floor.

Molly and I are going out on a date Saturday night.

All Scrooge thought about was “money, money, and more money.”

I’m going to mosey along to the beach after I finish lunch.

I love the “Fancy Nancy” books because I learn lots of great new words.

I work for the Duke and Duchess as the nanny for their children.

Ouch, that’s a nasty cut on your foot!

You’ve got to be nervy to try to reach the North or the South Pole!

Did you see the newly born calf in our barn?

Charlotte, it was such a nifty idea to join this sorority.

Mom moaned, “I’ve been such a ninny, and I’ve locked the keys in our car.”

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WEEK TWENTY-TWO    
        

WEEK TWENTY-TWO READING PASSAGES

Lesson 42 – Prefixes 01 “UN-“

   
The prefix “UN-” means “not.” Examples: “unfriendly” means “not friendly”; “unsure” means “not sure.” Etc …     
   

NEW WORDS: Fi, Smiths, arthritic, burping, caboose, cameo, collards, consignment, crime’s, crockpot, docent, dress’s, eyesore, fabric’s, favors, flunkies, frayed, gaffe, garden’s, goals, hamster’s, hemline, incident, issues, kiwis, meat’s, mind’s, mob, morals, mulch, novel’s, number’s, objectives, patients, pear’s, plan’s, puled, railed, regime, resemblance, restock, road’s, scandal, sci, seatbelt, sewage, sheriff, shrink, sky’s, software, sowed, swing’s, tarpaulin, thought’s, trailer, treehouse, unAmerican, unacquainted, unaffected, unafraid, unanswered, unanticipated, unarmed, unashamed, unassigned, unattached, unattractive, unavailable, unaware, unbalanced, unbeaten, unbecoming, unbind, unbitten, unblocked, unbolted, unborn, unbought, unbounded, unbox, unbroken, unbruised, unbrushed, unbuckle, unbuckles, unbuilt, unbundle, unburned, unburnt, unbuttered, unbutton, unbuttoned, unbuttons, uncaged, uncalled, uncanny, unceasing, uncertain, uncertainly, uncertified, unchain, unchanged, uncharged, unchecked, unchewed, unchosen, unchristened, uncleaned, unclear, uncloak, unclothed, unclouded, uncoated, uncocked, uncollected, uncolored, uncombed, uncomplicated, unconfined, unconfirmed, unconnected, unconstitutional, uncontrolled, unconventional, unconvinced, uncooked, uncooperative, uncork, uncounted, uncouple, uncover, uncovering, uncovers, uncracked, uncritical, uncrowded, uncultivated, undecided, undeclared, undecorated, undefeated, undefined, undemocratic, undeserved, undesignated, undesired, undetected, undeveloped, undiscovered, undistorted, undivided, undoes, undrape, undraped, undressed, undressing, unearth, uneducated, unending, unenthusiastic, unethical, uneven, unevenly, unexplained, unexplored, unfaded, unfaithful, unfamiliar, unfasten, unfastened, unfed, unfocused, unfought, unfounded, unfree, unfrozen, ungerminated, ungifted, ungrateful, unground, unguided, unhand, unhappier, unhappily, unhappiness, unhatched, unhealed, unheard, unhitch, unhitched, unholy, unhook, unhooked, unhooks, unhurried, unidentified, unimpaired, unimportant, unimpressed, unimpressive, unimproved, uninformed, uninhabited, uninjured, uninspired, uninstall, unintelligent, unintended, uninterested, uninvolved, unironed, unjammed, unknowing, unlabeled, unlatch, unlevel, unlikely, unlimited, unlisted, unloaded, unloading, unloads, unlock, unlocked, unlocks, unloosens, unloved, unlucky, unmade, unmannerly, unmarried, unmask, unmasks, unmeasured, unmended, unmentioned, unmet, unmoved, unmown, unmute, unnatural, unnaturally, unnecessary, unneeded, unnoticed, unopened, unopposed, unoriginal, unpack, unpacking, unpaid, unpaved, unpeeled, unpinned, unpleased, unplowed, unplug, unpolished, unpopular, unpriced, unprocessed, unpublished, unpunished, unraked, unrated, unreached, unready, unreal, unrealized, unreasonable, unrecognized, unregistered, unreinforced, unrelated, unremarkable, unreported, unrepresented, unresolved, unrestricted, unrewarded, unrinsed, unripe, unroll, unromantic, unsafe, unsaid, unscramble, unscrambled, unscrew, unseal, unseat, unsecured, unseemly, unseen, unselfish, unsent, unsettled, unshaken, unshaved, unsold, unsolved, unsophisticated, unsound, unspoiled, unspoken, unstable, unstained, unstated, unsteadily, unstitched, unstrung, unsung, unsupported, unsure, unswayed, unsweetened, untalented, untamed, untapped, unteach, unteaching, unthread, unthrone, untidy, untitled, untold, untorn, untouched, untoward, untraced, untreated, untrimmed, untruth, untucked, unturned, untwist, untwists, unusually, unveil, unveils, unvexed, unwanted, unwarned, unwary, unwasted, unweeded, unwelcome, unwell, unwise, unworldly, unworn, unwrap, unwrapped, unwritten, unzipped, yard’s 
       
      

You’ll have unlimited 24/7 access to the site.

He flew into an unmeasured rage.

We’ve never had a more uncaring boss.

Dad untwists jars that I can’t open.

He unhooked the tractor from the trailer.

Unbind the dog from his leash.

Can you unfasten the back of my dress?

These towels are unused.

His flunkies threw undeserved praise at him.

He’s unlucky in love.

Her visit was unanticipated.

This food product is unprocessed.

My phone number’s unlisted.

That dress is unsuitable for this event.

That sci–fi movie was unreal!

Unlock the door.

His behavior in front of the Queen was unseemly.

This fabric’s uncoated.

Untamed beasts roam this jungle.

It’s unsafe to swim here.

We’re both “Smiths,” but we’re unrelated.

Their hamster’s uncaged.

The unplowed fields begged for rain.

What an unattractive beard!

That unbalanced jerk should see a shrink.

Your shirt’s untucked.

The cat’s unbrushed fur has mats.

Since you’re unassigned, join the team that you want to be on.

She’s got untapped gifts!

I’m uninterested in that game.

I untangled the Xmas lights.

The judge said, “That’s an unimportant fact.”

Unearth the coffin.

She roamed the museum, unguided by a docent.

I was unfocused during the test.

Though he was uneducated, he rose to the top.

I’m unsuccessful at golf.

We were unready for their team’s trick plays.

It’s an unwritten rule that we don’t do that here!

Unhand me, you brute!

He’s uncertified to practice law.

She unbuttoned her coat.

That clod is ungifted at sports.

It’s an unremarkable book.

Their Xmas tree’s undecorated.

Our plan’s still undefined.

I’m undecided on who I’ll vote for.

That case is still uncracked.

Gran’s been unwell for 2 weeks.

Sis is being uncooperative!

What uninspired acting!

Hand me that uncolored egg.

She came back from the beach unburned.

This film is unrated.

I love these unspoiled woods.

She was unaffected by the virus.

She unfolded the clothes.

This drug has undesired side effects.

Uncork this wine bottle.

What we all knew went unsaid.

Unbutton your shirt.

Much is undiscovered in our deep oceans.

Undrape the window.

Throw out those unmended socks.

Where are my unfaded jeans?

I’m unpleased with your work!

Doc will unthread these stitches.

The door’s unlocked.

She held her cup of tea unsteadily.

That crime’s unsolved.

All food goes unwasted in our house.

You ungrateful brat!

The magician undraped the box.

Dad’s unpacking the car.

Get unground, whole-bean coffee.

That couple is unmarried.

She’ll run to unseat the Senator.

Unhurried, he cleaned the room.

Till now, that thought’s been unexplored.

Unroll your sleeping bag.

Stay healthy for your unborn child.

I’m uncertain what you mean.

He seems unshaken by the wreck.

The sky’s unclouded!

Their parrot is unconfined in their sun room.

He swallows his food unchewed!

He climbed from the wreckage uninjured.

The cop let him go, uncharged.

What they tried to do had unintended results.

Their garden’s unweeded.

Even with new facts, my mind’s unchanged.

This sewage is untreated.

It’s uncomplicated to set this up.

That crook seems unbounded by morals.

Unteach my golf swing’s bad habits!

They unhitched their wagons.

You can’t undo a dumb sent email!

He talked for an hour, uninterrupted.

Let’s fix these unresolved issues.

That act was unethical.

He snuck into the party unrecognized.

Is it unnatural for dogs to like cats?

Any more clean-up is unnecessary.

People in that country are unfree.

He felt unloved by his dad.

Her hard work went unrewarded.

Ives wrote music called “The Unanswered Question.”

The road’s uneven here.

Perfect grilling dad, the meat’s unburnt!

Her hair was frayed and untrimmed.

Unscrew the light bulb.

Why’s the trash still uncollected?

I’ve got unrestricted access to the lab.

His teeth looked unnaturally white.

Unchain the prisoner.

Which key unlocks the front door?

This land is as yet uncultivated.

In this scene, he unmasks Spider-Man.

Unseal the tomb!

His biggest hopes went unrealized.

This pear’s unripe.

Unscramble their secret code.

Our voices are unrepresented!

They had an unspoken agreement.

I’m unacquainted with her books.

Their country is undemocratic.

I was uninformed about the facts.

His untruth swayed the crowd.

I must unpack my suitcase.

Watch how she unbuckles this seat belt.

This jar is unopened.

The cop was off duty, thus unarmed.

My novel’s still untitled.

Why are these items still unpriced?

That’s an unfounded rumor!

The troops were unreinforced.

She gave me the most unwanted chore.

They were forced to work, unpaid.

The trip was easy, unimpaired by storms.

He’s the most unpopular kid at school.

These mountains are uninhabited.

He’s unaware that he has bad breath.

After 90 days, your work is unimproved.

I’ll now unveil the plan.

He unloads the mulch using that truck.

I grew tired of her unending sob story.

I undressed and put on my PJs.

That phone call went untraced.

We must uncover who robbed the bank.

Your bad tennis serve needs unteaching.

That’s the undistorted truth!

He’s an unsung hero!

What an uncanny resemblance!

We’ve unscrambled their code!

That was an unneeded comment.

The crimes were unconnected.

Uncloak the space ship.

I’m unsure what you mean.

The unbroken silence was tense.

We have 10 more unpeeled kiwis.

They were unwarned about the coming attack.

I’m unconvinced that he can change.

His death is unconfirmed.

Why’s this gun lying around unsecured?!

Don’t cut down any undesignated trees.

She seemed untroubled by her gaffe.

He’s untalented at singing.

I hope she unveils our new boss to us today.

You seem unusually quiet tonight.

Their team’s still undefeated.

I was unmoved by his speech.

What an unintelligent comment!

She just turned five, but is still unchristened.

Watch how he unhooks the two rail cars.

Unmute your phone.

Burping on a date is unromantic!

What an untidy house!

They’re unloading the moving van.

Unhitch the wagons!

These are unevenly divided.

I was unimpressed with his magic trick.

I took some unsound advice.

Are the pets still unfed?

That good-looking guy is unattached.

These collards are unwashed.

I’d like unsweetened tea.

He was in an untoward car accident.

Uninstall this software.

He was an unknowing victim of a phone scam.

I’ve unjammed the printer.

The preacher railed against the unfaithful.

The diner was uncrowded.

I’m unfamiliar with that author.

The child was unseen and unheard, hidden in the closet.

The mom was unvexed by her baby’s crying.

Leave my toast unbuttered.

Mom’s undressing to take a bath.

They unhatched the cargo door.

This silver is unpolished.

I can’t unhook this necklace.

Dad unfastened his seatbelt.

Our car was undamaged by the hail storm.

Politics go unmentioned at our dinner table.

Is the steak unfrozen yet?

They unwrapped their gifts.

That’s an undeveloped nation.

They calmed down; thus, a battle went unfought.

I’ve unloaded the van.

I’ve stayed untouched by the flu bug.

That’s an unoriginal story.

I’m unsophisticated about fancy wines.

The accident went unreported.

Class, I need your undivided attention.

Unlatch the gate.

I’ve unturned the bedsheets.

Her college major is still undeclared.

My risky email is still unsent.

He’s unharmed from his minor car wreck.

It’s unlikely I can make your party.

Their unmown yard’s an eyesore.

Their team went unbeaten this season.

He puled about his unhappiness.

The dishes are uncleaned.

I was uninvolved with that incident.

Give the unsold food to the food pantry.

I saw a horror movie about unholy spirits.

This road’s unpaved.

That was unselfish to offer me some of your candy.

They’ve unveiled the President’s portrait.

Their regime is unstable.

I’m unafraid of that barking dog.

The sheriff uncocked his gun.

Unmask the superhero!

I was treated unfairly.

Unbox these used books.

I have too many unreached goals.

Unwrap this present.

She’s unwary that she’s being followed.

Restock these unbought items.

Unbuckle your seat belt.

He flew into an uncontrolled rage.

I’ve unrolled the tarpaulin.

Her thoughts went unstated.

My scab is unhealed.

We’re uncovering details of the crime.

Look at my pitiful uncombed hair!

If you’re unregistered for the trade show, go to that table.

My dress’s hemline has become unstitched.

I’ll put this unworn dress on consignment.

The bed’s unmade.

She slipped into the back of the class unnoticed.

She unpinned her cameo from her blouse.

His hands are arthritic, and he unbuttons things with difficulty.

I’m unenthusiastic about this book.

He’s charged with unconstitutional acts.

It’s unAmerican to not like hot dogs.

I was unprepared for the pop quiz.

She’s running for office unopposed.

Unbundle this pack of clean laundry.

I can’t untwist the top of this jar.

Shaggy walked into the haunted house uncertainly.

His speech was unimpressive.

They were attacked by an unworldly creature.

The lock is now unbolted.

Their tiff remains unsettled.

What’s in these unlabeled boxes?

I got back from the cave unbitten by bats.

He was mostly unclothed, waiting for the doc to come in.

He came to work unshaved.

My dad knows an untold number of jokes.

He makes unconventional chess moves.

Her behavior is unbecoming of a lady.

Unhappily, they got a divorce.

That comment was uncalled for!

That’s an unreasonable request.

My objectives are still unmet.

An unwelcome guest showed up.

Uncouple the caboose from this line of rail cars.

His odd actions remain unexplained.

The author left us one unpublished work.

They planted a bug in his room, undetected.

The seeds we sowed are still ungerminated.

What an unmannerly brat!

This table is unlevel.

I’m sick of her unceasing whining.

I’m unclear about what you mean.

I meant to be uncritical of him.

The angry mob roamed the streets unchecked.

That is unsupported by research.

These party favors were unchosen.

Toss me that untorn rag.

His crime won’t go unpunished.

I’m unbruised from the car crash.

Those dishes are unrinsed.

I hope she uncovers the truth about this event.

He became unstrung during the raging storm.

It’s unwise to do that!

These pennies are uncounted.

I’ve never felt unhappier.

I hope he undoes his mistake.

The boss is unavailable until 1:00.

Your pants are unzipped.

I’m unashamed about what I said.

We must unthrone the King!

This meat is uncooked.

This judge is unstained by scandal.

I have three unironed shirts left.

The doc examined patients, unprotected by a mask.

The victim is still unidentified.

We have the 2-by-4s, but the treehouse is still unbuilt.

Their unraked lawn looks awful.

Unplug the crockpot.

The road’s now unblocked.

I bet he unloosens his belt after that meal.

I was unswayed by her argument.

      
       
*********
   
   
Beatrix Potter

The Roly-Poly Pudding
   

Lesson 43 – Part One

    
NEW WORDS: Foxx, Giles, Hutt, Jabba, Jove, Kleenex, Riggs, Tish’s, abide, abundant, adored, aftermath, aging, alcove, amend, analogy, antique, apropos, bathrooms, batty, beamed, beasties, blazer, cabinets, cadge, careened, catamount, cess, chambers, choky, churl, clamber, clangor, concerns, corpulent, crackle, craft, cubbyhole, dawdle, decrepit, dingy, displaced, distraught, empathetic, emphatic, ensconce, exchanged, existed, expansive, fetid, finetooth, foothold, footing, forthwith, fragrance, frazzle, gargantuan, glean, gravitated, grimalkin, grisly, grossly, gruffly, hacked, harrumphed, hateful, hillock, hogwash, hokem, humbug, imperative, impish, imprison, impudent, infestation, inspected, intrusion, investigated, jailhouse, jarring, jitters, jugs, ledge, liable, locking, marshmallow, meandered, menace, menagerie, mewed, mews, mildew, misery, misfortune, mold, moseyed, mysteries, nauseous, oblong, obscure, obsessed, obstinate, overlooked, oversight, peaked, peewee, pernicious, plethora, plummet, plundered, prod, prowled, psyche, puckish, quizzed, ratfink, readying, recommenced, redolent, reeked, reprove, resembled, retched, rodents, ruined, ruinous, rummaged, salutations, scoured, shingles, sideslip, singe, situated, skedaddled, smuggled, snooped, sparrows, spied, staircases, stammered, stench, sternly, tangibly, tarnation, taunted, tawny, timey, tottered, townsfolk, tracked, traversed, treatment, truant, twitch, uncontrollably, uneasy, unhealthily, unruly, utensil, veered, venue, vile, virtually, volcano, wayward, where’ve, whomp, wisp, wrested, wringing, yeast
    
        

It was once upon a time. There was an aging cat. The townsfolk called her a grimalkin. She was Mrs. Tish Twitch. She was a high-strung parent. Her kittens frequently veered astray. They were unruly. They were obstinate. They engaged in too much horseplay. They got into scads of trouble! What would they do next? She never knew. So unpredictable! They were fine one minute. They were disobedient the next! She could not trust her offspring. What could she do? 

It was Tish’s day to bake. She’d craft bread, cookies, and cake. She’d lock up her kittens! Then she would not fret. They’d be confined to the cupboard. Wasn’t this mean of her? Perhaps even cruel? Maybe! But the kids did this to themselves! They got what they deserved. They should amend their behavior. Then there’d be no need for this rough treatment.

She tracked their whereabouts. She caught Moppet. Then Mittens. But she could not espy Tom. He was truant. He’d gone AWOL. Where was he? Tish went up and down. She snooped all over. She searched the house with a finetooth comb. She mewed for Tom. “Where are you? Where could you be? Come out! Come out, wherever you are!”

She inspected all the rooms. She rummaged through the closets. She checked under the staircase. She searched the basement. She combed the attic. She prowled around the tool shed. But no Tom! She could not identify his location. She was distraught. She was distressed.

It was a decayed house. It was in need of abundant repairs. There were lots of dank halls. There was lots of mold and mildew. There were plentiful places to hide. The walls were four feet thick. There were noises in the walls. Were there secret chambers inside them? Maybe sequestered staircases? There were wee doors in the woodwork. Cheese and bacon disappeared at night! Were there ghosts? Were there grisly spirits? Were they being spied upon?

Tish got more upset. Her mews morphed into wails. But did Moppet and Mittens care? Nope! Not a bit. They left their mom to her pursuit. Then THEY became impish!

Tish had overlooked locking the cupboard door. That was unlike her. It was a hapless oversight. The kids could prod it open. They unfastened it. They exited their jailhouse. They knew it was mom’s day to bake. They smelled yeast. It was redolent to their nostrils. They adored its fragrance. It made their mouths water. They saw dough rising. It was in a pan. The utensil was in front of the fire.

The dough was all puffy. It was like an enlarged marshmallow. They patted it. They had soft, fluffy paws. Mittens asked this. “Shall we make muffins?” But just then, they had a scare. There was a door-knock. Moppet hurtled into the flour sack! Mittens skedaddled to the dairy. She concealed herself in a jar. It was on a stone shelf. It was next to the milk jugs.

Who’d knocked? It was Mrs. Riggs. She’d moseyed on over to cadge some eggs. Tish gravitated down the stairs. She was in a tizzy about Tom. “Salutations, Cousin. Come in,” she mewed. “Sit down. It’s a mess here.” She sobbed big tears. “I can’t find Tom. What if the rats got him?” She wiped her eyes with a Kleenex. She was tangibly flustered.

Riggs was empathetic. But she was also emphatic. “Tish! He’s a wayward lad. He was puckish when I last saw him. Do you remember? I had come to tea. He ruined my best hat. Such an impudent child. But we’ll deal with that later. So, Tish. Where’ve you looked for him?”   

Tish sighed. “I’ve traversed each alcove in the house! And at each place, there existed a stark reminder for me. There are just too many rats here. Look at me. I have kids who get in trouble. And I have rats. Rats, rats, and more rats! My house is virtually a menagerie of rats. Those rodents drive me batty! They tug at my psyche. They’re loathsome! They’re unsavory beasties. I can’t keep up! There’s no way! I’m a hot mess!”

Riggs said, “I don’t get jitters from rats. I’ll help you. We’ll stumble upon Tom. Then we’ll reprove him!” Then she glanced across the room. “Oh, my! What’s all that soot? There’s a heap at the fireplace. It’s like the aftermath of a volcano. It’s a hillock of ashes.”

“That’s an apropos analogy. Yes, indeed! The chimney desperately needs an arrant sweep.” Tish then looked in the kitchen. “Oh, dear! Riggs! Just look! More news to add to my misery. Moppet and Mittens are gone! They’ve escaped the cupboard! The jailbirds have fled their coop.”

Riggs and Tish hunkered down. They got to work. They scoured the house afresh. They revisited every room. They foraged under beds. They scanned the cabinets. They ransacked the clothes chests. They looked in bedrooms. They peaked in bathrooms. They investigated the library. They roamed through the dining room. They’d left no stone unturned! But no luck! Just misfortune. The kittens were gone! They were invisible.

They heard a whomp. It was jarring. Then something careened down the stairs. Poor Tish had tears in her eyes. She was obsessed with her rat infestation. “My, oh, my! We have a plethora of rats. I caught six young ones three days past. They were in a hole. It was in the back kitchen. We feasted on them for dinner.”

“Once, I saw the old father rat. He was colossal! I lunged at him. He hissed. The hateful churl taunted me. He had sharp, tawny teeth. They had ample decay. It was disgusting. What a vile creature! And, oh, his noxious breath! He smelled like a sewer. He had the odor of a cess pool. I gagged uncontrollably. I almost fainted. I thought I’d die. But, whew! Then he whisked down the hole. I regained my composure. Humbug! Rats! They frazzle my nerves.”

Riggs and Tish kept at it. They heard something. A “roly-poly” noise. It was under the attic floor. But they could not see a thing.

They returned to the kitchen. “AHA! By Jove! Here’s one of ’em!” cried Riggs. She wrested Moppet from the flour sack. She looked like a snow catamount. They shook the flour off of her. It made the room dusty. Tish hacked. She coughed up a hairball.

They situated Moppet on the floor. Tish and Riggs looked sternly at her. She was fearful. “Oh! Mom! There’s been an old woman rat here,” stammered Moppet. “She stole some dough!”

The two adult cats ran. They studied the dough pan. There were signs of intrusion. They saw scratching finger marks. And a lump of dough was gone! “Which way? Where did she go? We’ll smoke her out.”

Moppet did not know. She’d been too scared to peep out of the sack. Riggs and Tish took her with them. Now she’d be safe. She’d be in sight. They recommenced with their search.

First, to the dairy. They found Mittens, forthwith! She’d hidden in an empty jar. They tipped it over. She fell out. She tottered to her feet. “Oh! Mom!” puled Mittens. I spied an old man rat here. He’s gargantuan! He’s dreadful! He’s hideous. He’s grossly rotund. He’s unhealthily corpulent. He resembled Jabba the Hutt.”

Riggs quizzed her. “Who in tarnation is that?”

Mittens rolled her eyes. “You know! From Star Wars.”

Riggs harrumphed. She gruffly replied, “Oh! Your science fiction hogwash. It’s all hokem, if you asked me. Can’t abide the stuff. Anyway, what did the ratfink do?”

She said, “He plundered some butter. A mighty chunk of it! Then he smuggled away the rolling pin. He reeked of a most fetid stench! He smelled like manure. It made me nauseous. I almost retched.”

Riggs and Tish exchanged looks. “Hmm! Rolling pin. Butter! My poor Tom!” yelled mama Twitch. A pernicious sense of doom came over her. She was wringing her paws. She was shaking her head. She was pulling her hair. She was biting her claws. She was beside herself.

“HMM! A rolling pin, eh?” said Riggs. “I smell a rat. No pun intended. What did we just hear? It was a roly-poly noise! It was in the attic. It’s when we looked in that chest.”

They made haste. They bolted out of the room. They rushed upstairs. They heard the roly-poly clangor! It was as clear as a bell! They knew exactly where it came from. It was under the attic floor. “This is a big deal, Tish,” said Riggs. “It’s a huge red alert. There’s a menace in this house. No question about it. Send for Giles Foxx! NOW! We can’t tarry! We can’t dawdle! He must bring a saw. That’s imperative.”

Now, we transfer ourselves to a new scene in our story. Here is Tom’s tale. We need to glean his perspective. It will explain some mysteries that we’ve mentioned up to now. What had Tom been up to?

I’m uneasy about telling you this. But poor Tom! He had displayed a perilous lack of wisdom. It’s unwise to ascend the insides of a chimney. It’s worse if it’s in a decrepit house! And their house was just such a beat-up antique. One must be cautious in such a chimney. You can’t find your way. And menacing rats are liable to be there!

But you know Tom. He did not want to be shut up. Not in a cupboard! He saw his mom readying to bake. He knew what she’d do. She’d lock him up! She’d imprison him. So, he looked for a new venue. He would ensconce himself there.

Such a cubbyhole should be convenient. But it should be an obscure location. You know. Hard to find. He thought of an exemplary hideaway. “Why not the chimney?” The fire had just been lit. It was not hot yet. There was just a white choky smoke. It was just a wisp. It was from the green sticks. Tom got on the fireplace’s metal guard. That’s called a “fender.”

He looked up. It was an old-fashioned fireplace. The chimney was expansive. A man could stand up in it. And one could walk in it. There was lots of room. Even more room for a peewee Tom Cat. He vaulted into the fireplace. He balanced on the iron bar. That’s where the kettle hangs. Tom took a second leap off the bar. He had strong hind legs. He descended upon a ledge. It was high up in the chimney. He displaced some soot. It floated down like dingy snowflakes. It meandered onto the fender.

Tom coughed. The smoke choked him. He heard the sticks. They’d begun to crackle and burn. He considered what he’d do next. He’d clamber to the top. He’d get on the slate roof shingles. He’d find a good foothold. He’d watch for birds. He’d catch sparrows.

But he had some concerns. He talked to himself. “I can’t go back. What if I lose my footing? What if I sideslip? I might plummet into the fire. I’d singe my gorgeous tail. It would be ruinous to my cyan blazer.”

That old-timey chimney was cavernous. It was from the old days. That’s when folks burnt logs of wood on the hearth. The chimney stack stood up above the roof. It was like a dwarf-sized stone tower. The oblong shingles kept out the rain. The daylight shone down from the top. The light beamed under the slanting shingles.

     
   
*********

    
WEEK TWENTY-TWO PHONICS READ-ALONGS

     
FROM AOCR PHONICS ACTIVITY #2, “SCOPE AND SEQUENCE”
     

ACTIVITY 70) LETTER-Y MAKES THE LONG-E SOUND AT THE END OF A WORD — ALL OTHER TYPES … continued:

We’re invited to quite a nobby party this weekend.

Nobly, the King led his soldiers into battle.

I’m not nutsy, and there’s no way I’m diving into the water from this high cliff!

Oddly, I agree with the other political party on this issue.

I’m going to add this pansy to the flower arrangement.

A neighbor of mine calls his dad “Pappy.”

This pasty mix is going to turn into slime for the kids to play with.

Those criminals were skilled at finding a patsy to swindle.

My friend Patsy has applied to three colleges.

Those pesky bugs are driving me crazy, flying up my nostrils and biting me.

I love the Gershwin opera “Porgy and Bess.”

That restaurant is too pricy for my wallet.

There’s a big announcement at work today, but I’m not privy to what it’s all about.

Beverly made me a proxy to vote in her behalf at the Homeowner Association meeting.

That pudgy (also “podgy“) kid can run faster than you’d think he could.

My favorite animal at the zoo is the pygmy (also “pigmy“) hippo.

The cheerleaders led us in a spirited pep rally today.

That old sailor has quite a ruddy complexion.

Rugby is certainly not a sport for sissies!

Sadly, I can’t make it to your wedding.

Charlie Brown’s younger sister is named “Sally.”

The Colonel yelled to his scouts, “Sally forth and find out the enemy’s whereabouts.

Our new boss is really savvy with her social skills.

With scaly skin like that, this must be a reptile of some sort.

Let’s find a shady spot to set up our picnic.

I’m a little dizzy with this flu bug, so I’m shaky on my feet.

How did you get your shoes to be so shiny?

Shyly, the little girl came to the front of the class to present her show-and-tell.

I counted sixty people attending church this morning.

How old are these leftovers; they’ve gotten slimy!

Slyly, the boy snuck into the kitchen and snacked on a cookie.

This barbecue has a wonderfully smoky flavor.