AnyOneCanRead®
For Parents With Pre-K (“pre-Kindergarten”) Children
Help Your Child To Become “Kindergarten-Ready!!!”
MODULE FOUR
4) STORY TIME! SET 01
Parents, let your children click on the green speaker button at the beginning of every few paragraphs to listen to fantastic stories that will entertain them AND build their “spoken vocabulary!” They are NOT expected to be able to read these stories yet!
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Beatrix Potter Stories
Jay Frog: Part One
It was once upon a time . There was a frog , Mr. Jay Frog . That was his name . He lived in a small house that was very damp ! It sat by a pond . It had lots of flowers .
The house was really wet . You could slip and fall , because the floor was a mess . But Jay liked his feet wet . It was fine with him . After all , it was HIS house . No one could scold him . And he did not ever catch cold.
He liked to look out the door . He loved rain . He liked hearing the rain drops on the pond . Splash , splash ! Splish , splosh , splash ! 
Jay said , “I’ll get some worms . Then I’ll fish , and I’ll catch minnows. That will be my lunch , a big dish of them . I want to catch lots of them . Then I can have my friends come over . His friends were Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones . Oh , yeah , Mr. Smith just eats greens . So , no fish for him !”
Jay put on his go – fish – clothes . Then he got his fish – pole and a big bowl . Then he hopped ! Hop , skip , jump ! Jump , skip , hop ! He went on to his boat .
The boat was round , and it was green . It looked like leaves . It was tied to a plant that was in the pond .
Jay took a reed pole . With it , he pushed the boat out . It was hard to do this , since the boat weighed a lot. Now the water was deep . He could row , now . “Good ,” said Jay . “I know just where to go .” He rowed. He rowed hard . He had a good place to fish . He knew that there would be minnows there . He rowed to this place that he liked .
Jay Frog: Part Two
Jay got to his good place . He stuck his pole in the mud . He then tied the boat to it . Then he sat . “Aah !” he said . “Time to fish ! Bite , fish ! Bite , fish ! Come bite ! I want to catch you !”
He crossed his legs . Then he got his red float . He grabbed the rod . It was a tough stalk of grass . The fish line was made of horse hair . It was fine , long , white horse hair . He tied a worm to the end .
Rain fell down his back . He sat for an hour . He stared at the float . No bites ! None at all . Not yet . He was bored . So , he said , “Time for lunch.”
He moved the boat . Now , more plants were near him . He got out his lunch . He had a bug sandwich . Bread , gnats , ants , flies . “Yum !” he yelled . “I’ll sit and eat for a while . The rain might stop .”
Then , a big pond bug came by . It touched Jay’s toe . Jay looked down . “Hmm . What’s that ? Oh ! Just a pond bug . It BUGS me !” He laughed at his joke . He moved his legs . The bug could not touch him .
He heard something move . It was in the plants . There was a noise . Then there was a big splash . Jay said , “What if it’s a rat ? Not good for me. I should move !” You see , rats like to eat frogs !
So , Jay shoved the boat out . He felt safe again . He dropped his bait into the pond . “BITE !” The float bobbed . Yank , yank ! Up , down , up, down ! It moved a lot .
Jay Frog: Part Three
Jay yelled , “A minnow ! I have him by the nose .” He jerked his rod. He pulled the thing in to the boat .
But no ! It was not what he thought! Not a smooth , fat fish . Something else . It was a fish with spines ! Its name was Jack Sharp . “Yuck ,” said Jay . “Not good food !”
Jack was in the boat . He bounced ’round and ’round . He pricked . He snapped . He was out of breath , but he jumped out . Now he was in the pond .
Lots of fish in the pond saw this . They laughed ! They laughed at Jay . He sat in his boat . He was sad , and he was mad . His arms were sore . He asked , “Where are some fish to catch ? Darn it !”
But then it got worse ! He peered into the pond . WHOA ! A trout ! A HUGE trout ! It jumped out of the pond . SPLASH , SNAP ! It seized Jay! “Ow ! Ow ! Ow !”
It dove down , DEEP , pulling Jay with it ! But Jay had on a coat . The coat did not taste good to the trout . So , he spit Jay out . That was good luck ! But there was some bad luck . It ate Jay’s shoes ! So far , not a good day for Jay !
So , Jay bounced up to the top of the pond . He was like a cork . Up and down , ’round and ’round . Jay swam back to the bank . He got to the edge of the pond .
Jay Frog: Part Four
He was tired and scared . He gave up . “No fish for me !” he whined . “Bad luck !” he moaned . He hopped home . He was slow . His coat was all ripped up .
But guess what ? He might have been dead ! So , he said , “I’m glad that was a trout , and NOT a pike – fish ! I would have been a pike’s lunch !”
He had lost his things . No more bowl . No more fish – pole . And he said , “I may not fish ever again ! I was too scared ! And it was too much work !”
So , Jay was glad he had friends . They came to eat with him that night. But , of course , there was no fish to serve .
Mr. Jones had on a black and gold shirt . Mr. Smith brought his own bag of greens .
Jay had a nice dish for Mr. Jones . It was a bug roast with a sweet sauce ! Frogs love this kind of dish . But I think it sounds bad !!!
Jones , Smith , and Jay had fun . They liked their food . They told jokes. They told tall tales . They watched a ball game on TV . So , Jay had a good time at the end of his day !
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
Fables
King Log and King Crane
Once, the frogs said, “We wish we had a king! We need a king! We must have a king!” The frogs spoke to the gods. They said, “We ask you, the gods, to send us a king!”
“The frogs are fools,” said the gods. “As a joke, let us send them a big log to be their king.”
The gods got a big log and let it drop. The log fell in the pond and made a big splash. The frogs were scared of the log. They said, “King Log is strong! We must hide from him in the grass!”
As time went by, the frogs came to see that King Log was tame. He did not bite. He did not run. He just sat there. “King Log is not a strong king!” said one frog. “I wish we had a strong king!”
“I do, too! We must have a strong king!”
The frogs spoke to the gods. They said, “We ask you, the gods, to send us a strong king, and send him soon!”
This time, the gods sent a crane to be king of Frog Land. King Crane was not like King Log. He did not just sit there. He ran fast on his long legs, and he ate lots of the frogs.
The frogs were sad. “King Crane is a bad king,” they said. “We miss King Log! He was a fine king. We made a bad trade!” The frogs spoke to the gods. They said, “We ask you, the gods, to send us back King Log!”
The gods were mad. “Fools!” they said. “You said you must have a strong king. We sent you one. He is yours to keep!”
The Two Dogs
Once two dogs met. One of them was a tame dog who made his home with men. One was a dog who ran free. The dog who ran free stared at the tame dog and said, “Why is it that you are so plump, and I am so thin?”
“Well,” said the tame dog, “I am plump because the men feed me. I do not have to run all the time to get my food. My job is to keep the home safe when the men are in their beds. When they wake up, they feed me scraps of food from their plates.”
“Your life must be a fine life,” said the thin dog. “I wish my life were like yours.”
The plump dog said, “If you will help me keep the home safe, I bet the men will feed you, too.”
“I will do it!” said the thin dog. But just as the thin dog said this, the moon shone on the neck of the plump dog. The thin dog said, “What is that on your neck?”
“I am on a rope when the sun is up,” said the plump dog.
“Rope?” said the thin dog. “Do they keep you on a rope?”
“Yes,” said the plump dog. “When the moon is up, the men let me run free. But when the sun shines, they keep me on a rope. I can not run and be free when the sun is up, but it is not so bad.”
“No, no!” said the thin dog, as he ran off. “I will not have a rope on my neck. You can be plump. I will be free!”
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Beatrix Potter Stories
Two Bad Mice: Part One
It was once upon a time. There was a huge doll’s house. It was red brick. It had a white door. There were thick drapes. And a tile roof.
Two dolls lived there. Liz and Jane. Liz owned it. Kind of. Their food was free. Liz did not ask for her meals. And Jane was the cook. But she did not cook! The food was part of the doll’s house.
There were two red crabs. A ham. A fish. Lots of sweets. Pears. Plums. These were all on plates. They were glued to the plates. They could not come off.
One day, Liz and Jane were out on a drive. They were not in the doll’s house room. It was still. There was not a sound. Well, a small sound. Near the fire-place. It was in a hole. A mouse-hole in the wall.
Tom Thumb stuck his head out. Not Tom Thumb from the well-known tale. This was Tom Thumb, a mouse! Same name. But not a boy. He was a small mouse!
He popped his head back in. Then back out. And in a bit, his wife stuck her head out. She was named Pam. They stopped. They looked. This way. That way. To the left. To the right. They saw no one. “Let’s go!” said Pam.
She left their mouse-hole. She got on the rug. It was next to the coal box. Tom came out, too. They walked on the rug. They went to the doll’s house.
Tom pushed the front door. It was not locked. In they went! They went up the stairs. They came to a big room. That’s where the food was. They saw it all. They squeaked with joy! “Squeak! Squeak!” That’s how a mouse talks.
So much food! YUM! There were tin spoons. And steel knives and forks. And two doll’s chairs. Quite nice!
Two Bad Mice: Part Two
Tom saw the ham first. It was bright pink. “Let’s start with that!” He got a knife. He tried to carve it. No luck! The knife broke! It hurt him. He licked his paw. “The ham’s not boiled. It’s too tough. Pam! You try it.”
Pam stood in a chair. She grabbed a knife. She tried. “Hard as a rock!” But then, BANG! There was a jerk. The ham broke off the plate! It fell to the floor. It rolled ’round and ’round.
“So much for ham,” whined Tom. “Let’s try the fish.” Pam tried each tin spoon. But no luck. The fish was glued to the plate.
The poor mice. They thought the food was real. But it was fake. Part of the doll’s house. It looked real. But it was not. Just good paint jobs!
Tom got mad, now. He grabbed the ham. He found a big spoon. He hit the ham! BANG! BAM! SMISH! SMASH! BOOM!
The ham broke in to lots of small chunks. It was made of chalk. It made a big mess.
Both mice went nuts! There was no end to their rage. They broke up the sweets. The crabs. The pear. The plum.
They were still fooled. They still thought the fish was real food. But it would not come off of the plate. There was a fire. But it was not real. Just like the food. It was a good paint job.
They tried to burn the fish off of the plate. But it would not burn, of course. Tom looked for soot. But there was no soot. There was no real fire there.
Then Pam found some cans. There were words on them. Rice. Flour. Salt. Herbs. Bay leaves. Chives. Sage. Oats. Cloves. Dill weed. Corn starch. Tea. Dried beans. Soup mix.
She took the tops off. There was not a thing in each can! She yelled! “Blast it! Where’s the food?”
Two Bad Mice: Part Three
Now the mice were out of their minds. Each one’s face was red. Sweat came down their heads. Their eyes popped out. Their paws were bunched like fists. They screamed. They yelled. They cursed. It was not a nice scene!
They said, “Let’s mess this place up!” They tried to break each thing that they could! Like Jane’s clothes. They threw them on the floor. They ripped them. They tore them.
Then they stole things. Things they could use in their mouse-hole. Forks. Spoons. Knives. Some of the clothes. They took a chair. A small bed. Some small odds and ends.
They tried to take a book case. Too big. It would not fit. They tried a bird cage. Same thing. Too big. It would not fit. They left those two things on the rug, by the coal box.
Then they heard a noise. It was Liz and Jane. They were back. Tom and Pam rushed to their mouse-hole.
Liz talked to Jane. Jane talked to Liz. They came to their doll’s house. They went in the front door. Then up the stairs. And, oh my! What a mess they saw. A HUGE mess. They stopped and stared. They did not make a sound. Jane leaned on the wall. Liz sat down.
They found the bird cage. They brought it back in. Then they got the book case. That was brought in, too. There were still some pots and pans.
Now, a REAL girl owned the doll’s house. She saw the mess, too. She cried and cried. “Mom, I need a new doll, dressed like a cop!”
Mom said to her, “I don’t think so. That won’t scare them off. It was mice who did this. I’ll set a mouse trap!”
So, that ends our tale of the two bad mice.
Well, not quite. There’s a wee bit more. You’ll like this!
The mice were not as bad as you think. Tom paid for each thing they broke! You see, he found coins. They were in the wall. They were worth a lot. He gave them to Liz and Jane. He brought them to the doll’s house on New Year’s Eve! That was nice of him!
And guess what? Pam helps them, too. Each day, she sneaks in. She has a broom. She sweeps the floors. She puts the dust in a dust pan. She dumps it in the fire-place.
There is not a doll’s house in the world that is as clean as this one! It’s nice to know that these mice have some good in their hearts!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
Fables
The Hares and the Frogs
Three hares stood in the grass. “I am sad,” one of them said. “I wish we were brave.”
“So do I,” said the next one. “But we are not brave. A splash in the brook scares us. The wind in the grass scares us. We are scared all the time.”
“Yes,” said the last one. “It is sad to be a hare.” Just then, there was a splash in the brook. The splash scared the hares. They ran off to hide. As they ran, they scared a bunch of frogs.
“Look,” said one of the hares. “The frogs are scared of us!”
“Yes, they are!” said the next hare. “They are scared of us! Well, I’m glad I am not a frog!”
“Yes!” said the last hare. “In the end, it is good to be a hare!”
The Two Mules
Once, a man went on a trip with two mules. He set five packs on one mule, and five packs on the next one. The black mule was strong. The mule with spots was not as strong, and by noon, he was tired. The mule with the spots felt the packs press on his back, and he could not keep up with the black mule.
The mule with the spots spoke to the black mule. “I hate to ask,” he said, “but would you help me with my packs?”
The black mule did not stop to help the mule with spots. “I have my five packs, and you have your five,” he said.
The mule with spots went on as long as he could. At last, he fell and could not get up. The man set all ten of the packs on the black mule. “What a fool I was!” the black mule said. “I did not help the mule with spots when I should have. If I had, I would not have to lift all of his packs, as well as mine.”
The Dog and the Mule
Once, there was a man who had a dog and a mule. The man gave the dog scraps of food from his plate. He let the dog lick his spoon. The dog would sit on the man’s lap and lick him. The man would rub the dog and kiss him. The mule would look in and see the dog on the man’s lap. He felt sad. He felt left out.
“The man feeds me,” said the mule, “but I do not get food from his plate. I’m left out because I am a mule. I should act like a dog. If I do that, the man will like me just as much as he likes the dog.” So the mule left his pen and went in the man’s home. He set his feet on the man’s lap and gave the man a big, wet lick.
The man was scared. He gave a shout and let his plate drop. It broke with a crash. The man fell down, too. When the man got up, he was mad at the mule. He made the mule run back out to his pen.
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Beatrix Potter Stories
The Tale of Peter Rabbit – Part One:
It was once upon a time. There were four young rabbits. They were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. They lived with their mom in a warm den. It was beneath the root of a large fir tree. The sun was high in the sky. It was time to plan their day.
“Now, my dears,” said their mom. “You may go to the fields. Or down the road. But don’t go to Mr. Gregg’s farm. Your dad got in a mess there. He was put in a pie by Mrs. Gregg. Now run and play. And be good. Be smart. And take care! I’ve got to go out. I need to buy some things for us.”
Then she took a bag and a hat. She went through the woods to the store. She bought a loaf of brown bread. And five hot cross buns.
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail went down the road. They were all good bunnies. They were to pick up berries to bring back home.
But Peter was naughty. He ran straight to Mr. Gregg’s farm. He squeezed through the gate! He ate some greens. Then some French beans. And then he ate some peas.
But then, he was feeling sick. He went to look for some parsley. He went to the end of a group of plants. Oh! No! There was Mr. Gregg! Right in front of him!
Mr. Gregg was on his hands and knees. He was planting lots of young cabbages. He saw Peter. He jumped up! He ran after him! He waved a rake. He called out, “Stop, thief!”
Peter was scared to death. He rushed all ’round the garden. And bad news for him! He did not know the way back to the gate.
He lost his left shoe in all of the thick, green plants. Then he lost his right shoe. That was left in the squash rows. He had now lost both his shoes. So, he ran on four legs.
So, now he could be quite fast. Maybe he could now get far from Mr. Gregg. But he did not have much luck. He ran right in to a huge net. He was stuck tight in it. He was caught by the buttons on his coat. It was a blue coat. It had brass buttons. They were quite new.
Poor young Peter thought that he was done for. Now he cried big tears. Boo! Hoo! Sob! Sob! But his sobs were heard by some crows. They cared for him. They flew to him with great speed. “Caw! Caw! Caw!”
Crows are smart! They asked him to try quite hard to get loose. “Push! Pull! Push! Pull!” they screamed. “Don’t give up! Don’t stop! You can do it!”
Then Mr. Gregg caught up with them. He was right there, now. He had a cloth bag. He meant to pop it on top of Peter. That would catch him!
But Peter fought and squirmed. He got out, at last! And just in time! Gregg just missed him! But he was sad. He had to leave his nice new coat there. His mom would be quite mad!
The Tale of Peter Rabbit – Part Two:
He rushed into the tool shed. He jumped in to a large can. The can was used to water plants. It might have been a good thing to hide in. But it had lots of water in it. It was wet in there!
Mr. Gregg came near to the bunny, fast. He was quite sure that Peter was some where in the tool shed. Could Peter hide in a pot? He turned them all this way and that. With great care, he looked in each one.
Peter was now both wet and cold. And soon, poor Peter sneezed. He could not hold it off. His nose itched. “Achoo!” He now gave up the best place he had to hide in!
It seemed like no time at all had passed. Mr. Gregg chased him once more. This time, it was worse! Gregg tried to put his big foot down on top of Peter!
It was a close call! But Peter was too quick for him. A bit of luck helped him this time. He jumped out of a door. He knocked down three plants that were in pots when he ran out.
Peter then sat down to rest. “Whew!” He was quite out of breath. And you could see him shake with fear. He had been in a bad way, for sure. Mrs. Gregg might put him in a pie, too! He had to make sure that he did not get caught! He thought and thought. He put his brain to work.
He knew that he did not have a good plan. He did not know which way to go next. And, he was quite damp, since he had been in the wet can. His fur was all wet. He had a bad chill. So, he took his time. Then, he walked here and there. He went, “lip–lop, lip-lop, lip-lop.”
He did not go fast. He looked all ’round. He tried to find a good way to get out. His plan was to go fast. And then to run home. He wished to be safe and sound. No more Mr. Gregg to scare him!
He found a door in a wall. But it was locked. There was no room for a fat young rabbit to squeeze through it.
He saw an old mouse. She ran in and out of the stone door step. She had lots of peas and beans. She was to take them back to the woods. Her kids had to eat, of course!
Peter asked her the way to the gate. But she had a large pea in her mouth. She could not say a thing to him. And she could not point him to the gate. She could just shake her head at him. Poor Peter cried once more. Huge tears fell from his eyes.
What would he do? Why had he done this? His mom had told him to not go there! Would he see his home once more? Or was this his last day on Earth?! He thought some more. He calmed down. Then he tried to find his way straight through the farm.
But it was not clear what the best way out was. He went ’round and ’round. He was not close to the gate yet. Soon, he came to a pond. That’s where Mr. Gregg filled his water cans.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit – Part Three:
A white cat was there. The cat stared at some gold fish. She had a look of greed in her eyes! “Good fish to eat,” she thought. She sat quite, quite still. But now and then, the tip of her tail twitched. It was like the tail was alive on its own!
Peter thought it best to leave, fast. He did not want to speak to her. He did not trust her. You see, he had heard about cats from his cousin. That’s young Ben the Bunny. He knew, now, that cats were not good friends to bunnies!
He walked back a bit. He was near the tool shed once more. But then, there was a noise quite close to him. The noise came right out of the blue. What could make such a noise?
Well, it was a hoe that went through the dirt. It went, “Scritch! Scratch! Scratch! Scritch!” Peter ran to hide in a thick bush. He stayed there a bit. Gregg did not see him. It seemed safe.
So, he came out from the bush. He climbed up on top of a wheelbarrow. He peeped past it. The first thing he saw was Mr. Gregg. Gregg held the hoe. He worked to get the weeds out from the ground.
Mr. Gregg’s back faced Peter. So, Gregg did not see him. And a bit past Gregg was the gate! Oh, the gate! Oh, to be out of that farm! And past that gate!
Peter got down. He did not make a sound. He took a deep breath. Then, ZOOM! He ran as fast as he could go. He went by a straight trail. It was a smart way to go!
Mr. Gregg saw him at last. But Peter had a good head start. So, he did not care. He slipped past the gate. And he was safe. At last! He was now in the woods. He was out past the farm.
Mr. Gregg hung up Peter’s coat. And his shoes! They would look like a scare-crow. The black birds would be scared of it. So, they would not eat Gregg’s plants.
Peter did not stop to rest. He did not look back. Not once! He just ran and ran and ran! In a bit, he was back at the big fir tree. He was home. He was safe and sound. “Whew! What a day!”
He was quite tired! He went in the den. He flopped down on the nice, soft sand on the floor. He shut his eyes.
His mom was at the stove. She did not see his clothes on him. “Hmm!” she said. She got a big frown on her face. It was the second coat and pair of shoes that Peter had lost. And in just two weeks time!
I am sad to say this. Peter just did not feel well at all that night. Of course, that makes sense. He had been scared all day! And he had run a LOT!
His mom put him to bed. She made some sweet tea to calm him. She gave him a dose of it. It would help him sleep well. “Just a wee bit to drink at bed time,” she said. She gave Peter a warm smile. Of course, she did not know what he had done that day!! And it was NOT good.
The other bunnies had a good day, though. So, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had a great feast. They got to eat bread and milk and berries! Yum!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
Fables
The Bag of Coins
Once, two men went on a trip. One of them found a bag of coins on the ground, at the foot of a tree. “Look what I found!” he said. “It is a bag of coins!”
“Good!” said the next man. “We can count the coins and see what we have!”
“No,” said the man with the bag. “The coins in this bag are not OUR coins. They are MY coins. I found them. They are all mine!”
Just then, there was a loud shout. There were a bunch of men, and they were mad. “Look!” they shouted. “There is a man with the bag. He stole our coins!”
“Get him!” said the rest.
The man with the coins was scared. “Those men are mad,” he said. “If they see US with the coins, we will be in a bad spot.”
“No, no,” said the man next to him. “If they see YOU, you will be in a bad spot. Those are not OUR coins. Those are YOUR coins. You found them. They are all yours.”
The Dog and the Ox
Once, a dog took a nap on a pile of straw in a box. But the straw in the box was not a bed. When the ox came home, he saw the straw in his food box. But he could not get to the straw, because the dog was on top of it. “Dog,” said the ox, “could you sleep up in the loft? I would like to munch on the straw in my food box.”
The dog woke up, but he would not get off the straw. He was mad that the ox woke him up.
At last, a man came in and saw the dog on the straw. “Bad dog!” said the man. “You did not need that straw, but you would not let the ox have it! Shame on you! Get up!”
The Fox and the Grapes
A fox saw a bunch of ripe grapes that hung from the branch of a tree. The fox said, “Those grapes look good. I will get them and make them my lunch.” The fox stood up on his back legs, but he could not grab the grapes. The fox made a hop, but he could not grab the grapes. The fox ran and made a big jump, but he still could not get the grapes.
At last, the fox sat down on the ground. “What a fool I am!” said the fox. “I can tell that those grapes are sour. They would not have made a good lunch.”
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Beatrix Potter Stories
The Flop-Flip Kids: Part One
You know what? Don’t eat too much lettuce. You might need to go to sleep! Well! Not me. I’m not a rabbit! But it made the Flop-Flip bunnies want to sleep. For sure!
Ben Bunny had grown up. He had married Fran. They had lots of good cheer. But they did not save up. They spent it all. They did not think about the next day. They just “lived for right now!”
They had lots of kids. I don’t know their names. They were called the “Flop-Flip” kids.
They did not have enough food to eat. Ben would get greens from Peter Rabbit. But Peter could not give Ben greens, some times. He could run out of greens, too.
What would Ben do, then? He would go near Mr. Gregg’s farm. He went to the far side of the field. There was a trash dump. It was in a ditch.
There were lots of things in the trash. Jam. Bags. Chopped grass. Food scraps. An old boot or two. Roots. And lots of greens. But the greens had grown too big. There were even blooms on them! Gregg and his wife would not eat those. So they were there for Ben and his kids.
Well, the Flop-Flip kids would fill up on these greens. They ate like pigs. Then they would lay down in the mown grass. And they’d go to sleep! Ben would put a bag on his head. This kept off the flies. And he would sleep, too.
The sun was warm. There was a small breeze. The air smelled good. What a great place to take a nap! You could hear some one’s grass being mown. Blue bugs flew by the wall.
A small mouse picked at the trash, too. She was a wood-mouse. She had a long tail. Her name was Tay True-Mouse. She got on the bag on Ben’s head! It woke him up.
She cried out. “Oh, no, sir! I did not mean to do that. I did not see you. Please don’t be mad at me. I know that you know Peter Rabbit. He is a good friend of mine, too.”
Ben was quite nice to Tay. He did not get mad at her. They talked a while. They got to know each other a bit.
Then they heard foot steps! Uh, oh! Mr. Gregg. He did not see them. Whew! And they were smart. Ben hid under his bag. Tay hid in a jam pot.
The Flop-Flip Kids: Part Two
BUT, now Gregg threw a bag of chopped grass on the pile. He had mowed his lawn. He had to get rid of the cut grass.
Well, the grass was now on top of the Flop-Flip kids! They were covered by it! But it did not wake them. The greens they ate had put them in a DEEP sleep. They had dreams. One dream was their mom tucking them in to bed. In a hay pile!
Now, Mr. Gregg looked down at his pile. He saw brown tips of ears. They stuck out of the chopped grass. What were they? He stared at them for some time.
Then a fly got on one of the kids. The kid moved!! Now Gregg knew what they were! BUNNIES! Oh, NO!
He climbed down. “One! Two! Three! Four! Five! SIX wee rabbits!” he yelled. Then he picked them up. He dropped them in to a sack!
The Flop-Flip kids still dreamt. They thought they were in their hay pile. They moved a bit. But they did not wake up.
Mr. Gregg tied up the sack. He left it on the wall. He went to put away his grass cutter.
Fran left her house. She came to the field. She came to the ditch. She saw the sack. Where were all the kids?
Tay came out of the jam pot. Ben took the bag off his head. They told the sad tale. Fran cried big tears. “What shall we do? Our poor kids!” They tried to pull the string on the sack. They could not. It stayed tied up.
But Mrs. Tay True-Mouse was smart. Mice are good with their teeth! She gnawed a hole in the sack! They pulled the Flop-Flips out! They had to pinch them to wake them!
Ben and Fran stuffed the sack. With big things. Rocks. Squash. Those kinds of things. The sack would still weigh a lot. Mr. Gregg would pick it up. He would think the Flop-Flips were still in it! They would fool him!
Then they all hid by a bush. They were good and safe. They wanted to see Mr. Gregg pick up the sack. He came back. And he DID pick up the sack! It DID weigh a lot. He dragged it a bit. He did not know it was now a trick!
The Flop-Flip Kids: Part Three
The Bunnies stayed near him. They watched him. He went in to his house. Then they crept to the window. They could hear him from there.
Gregg threw the sack on the stone floor. That would have hurt, if the Flop-Flips had been in it! They could hear him drag his chair up to it.
He laughed. “One. Two. Three. Four. Five. SIX wee bunnies!” He thought they would make a fine stew. Or a good pie.
Mrs. Gregg came in. “What have you caught?”
“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. SIX wee FAT bunnies!”
Mrs. Gregg said, “Don’t be dumb. What do you mean? You dumb old man!”
He said, “In the sack. Right here! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. SIX wee rabbits!”
Now the Flop-Flips had climbed up. They could look in. This was kind of fun! To see how they had fooled old Mr. Gregg!
Mrs. Gregg took hold of the sack. She felt it. She said she could feel six, all right. But they must be OLD rabbits. They all felt hard. They were not all the same shape.
She said, “Oh. My. Not fit to eat. Not at all! The meat would be too tough. But the skins would be fine to line my old coat.”
“Line your old coat?!” yelled Mr. Gregg. “I shall sell them. And buy some seeds!”
Mrs. Gregg spat, “Seeds?! I shall skin them. And cut off their heads. Their soft fur can line my old coat!” Then she pulled the string on the sack. She put her hand in.
Now her face turned red as a beet. She was mad! She felt squash. She felt rocks. No soft fur in that sack! She yelled, “This was a trick! You did this to trick me! To play a joke on me. To get a laugh. To make me out to be a fool!”
Mr. Gregg was mad, too. He picked up a squash from the sack. He threw it out the door. The bunnies thought it best to run home, now. They did not want the Greggs to come out and see them laughing!
So, Mr. Gregg did not get his seeds. Mrs. Gregg did not get her skins. Both of them got no rabbit pie, or stew.
The bunnies were able to thank Tay. She had been such a help to them! They saved up fur that they had shed. They gave it to her for Christmas. The rabbit wool went a long way for her. She sewed a coat. A hood. A muff. And a pair of warm gloves!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
Fables
The Fox and the Hen
A hen sat in a tree. A red fox ran up to the tree. “Did they tell you?” said the fox.
“Tell me what?” said the hen.
“They have made a law,” said the fox. The law says that we must all be pals. Dogs are not to chase cats. They must be pals. Cats are not to chase rats. They must be pals. Dog and cat, fox and hen, snake and rat must all be pals! So jump down here and let me hug you!”
“Well, that sounds swell!” said the hen. “But, all the same, I will sit up here a bit.”
Then the hen said, “What’s that I see?”
“Where?” said the fox. “What is it?”
“It looks like a pack of dogs,” said the hen.
“Dogs!” said the fox. “Then I must get out of here!”
“Stop!” said the hen. “The law says that dog and fox must be pals. So you are safe!” But the fox did not stop. He ran off. The hen just smiled.
The Fox and the Crane
The fox saw the crane and said, “Crane, will you have lunch with me?”
The crane said, “I will.” The crane came and sat down with the fox in his den.
The fox was up to a trick. He gave the crane some food, but he gave it to him in a flat stone dish. The crane could not get the food because of the shape of his bill. The fox smiled at his trick. He ate up all of his food.
The next week, the crane saw the fox and said, “Fox, will you have lunch with me?”
The fox said, “That would be good. I will.”
This time, the crane was up to a trick. He gave the fox milk, but he gave it to him in a glass with a long, thin neck. The fox could not get the milk because of the shape of his nose.
The Tree and the Reeds
A proud tree stood next to a grove of reeds. When a gust of wind came, the reeds bent in the wind. But the proud tree did not bend at all. It stood up to the wind. “It is too bad that you can’t stand up to the wind as I can!” said the tree to the reeds.
“We bend so that we will not crack,” said the reeds.
“There is no wind that can crack me!” said the tree in its pride.
“We shall see!” said the reeds.
The next week, a big wind came. The tree was brave. It stood up a long time. But the gusts of wind were too strong. At last, there was a loud crack. The tree fell with a crash. The reeds bent in the strong wind, but they did not crack. They still stand by the brook. You can see them wave in the wind next to the roots of the tree.
The Moon
The moon said, “I wish I had a dress. Mom, will you make me a dress?”
The moon’s mom said, “I will not make you a dress, my sweet.”
“Why not?” said the moon.
“Because you wax and you wane,” said the moon’s mom. “One week you are big and round. The next week you are thin. One week you are all there. The next week there is just a bit of you. No one can make a dress that will fit you in all of your shapes!”
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Beatrix Potter Stories
Squirrel Nutkin – Part One
This is a tale. It’s about a tail. It’s a squirrel’s tail. It’s small and red.
The squirrel has a name. He’s “Nutkin.” He has a brother. His name is “Twink.” They have lots of cousins.
They live in the woods. They’re by a lake. There is an island in it. It’s in the middle of the lake. What grows on the island? Trees do. And nut bushes. There’s a dead tree. It’s an oak. It’s hollow. An owl has a house in it. He’s called “Old Brown.”
It was fall. The leaves had turned. They were bright. They were yellow, orange, and red. The nuts were ripe. Nutkin and Twink came to the lake. More squirrels came with them. They walked a while. They stopped by the lake.
They got lots of twigs. They made rafts with them. They paddled in the lake. They used oars. They made their tails sails. They went to Owl Island. They had sacks. There, they planned to get lots of nuts.
They went to see Old Brown. They had a gift for him. They gave him three fat mice. They put them at his door-step. Twink made a low bow. So did the other squirrels.
Twink said, “Hi, Old Mr. Brown. Will you let us pick up nuts? There are lots of them on your island.”
Nutkin was rude. He showed bad manners. He bobbed up and down. He looked like a red cherry. He sang loudly.
“Riddle me. Riddle me.
Rot-tot-tote!
A wee, wee man.
In a red, red coat!
A cane in his hand.
And a stone in his throat.
Tell me this riddle.
I’ll give you a groat.” (A groat is a coin.)
This is an old riddle. It’s as old as the hills. Mr. Brown ignored Nutkin. He shut his eyes tight. He went to sleep.
The squirrels filled their sacks. They got LOTS of nuts. They sailed home. It was near dark.
It was the next day. They went back to Owl Island. They brought today’s gift. It was a fine, fat mole. They laid it on a stone. That was at Old Brown’s door.
Twink spoke. “Mr. Brown. May we get more nuts?”
Nutkin was rude again. He danced up and down. He picked up a leaf. He tickled Mr. Brown with it! He sang out loud.
“Old Mr. Bee!
Riddle-me-ree!
Hitt Pitt inside the wall.
Hitt Pitt outside the wall.
Don’t you touch Hitt Pitt.
Hitt Pitt will bite you!”
Mr. Brown frowned. He grabbed the mole. He took it into his house. He shut the door in Nutkin’s face.
Soon, they saw blue SMOKE. Old Brown had a fire. The top of his tree was his chimney.
Nutkin peeped through the key-hole. Then he sang.
“A house full.
A hole full!
And you can not get a bowl-full!”
The squirrels searched for nuts. They looked all over the island. They filled their sacks.
But Nutkin picked up oak-apples. They grow on oak trees. They are NOT acorns! They were yellow and red.
Then he sat on a tree stump. He played marbles. He watched Brown’s door.
The squirrels had worked hard. They went back home. It had been a long day!
It was the third day. The squirrels got up early. They went fishing. They caught six fat minnows. This would be today’s gift for Old Brown.
They paddled on the lake. They landed by a big tree. It was a crooked elm.
Twink had one minnow. He gave the rest to five squirrels. Nutkin had no gift. He had no manners. He ran in front. He sang out loudly.
“The man in the deep woods talked to me. ‘How many berries grow in the sea?’ I said to him as I thought good. ‘As many red star-fish as grow in the wood.'”
Mr. Brown did not like riddles. He did not care to know the answers. He let the squirrels get more nuts. They went home with a lot.
Squirrel Nutkin – Part Two
It was the fourth day. This day’s gift was six fat flies. People like plums. Like in plum pudding. Old Brown likes flies. Just like people like plums! Each fly was wrapped in a leaf. Each leaf had a pine needle pin. The flies could not fall out!
Nutkin was as rude as ever! He sang with a loud voice.
“Old Mr. Bee!
Riddle-me-ree!
Flour of England.
Fruit of Spain.
They met together in lots of rain.
They were put in a bag.
They were tied with a string.
Can you tell me this riddle?
Then I’ll give you a ring!”
This made no sense. Nutkin did not have a ring. He could not give one to Brown!
All the squirrels worked around nut bushes. But not Nutkin. He got thorns from a briar bush. He stuck them with pine needle pins. The squirrels called it a day. They got on their rafts. They sailed home.
Now it was the fifth day. What was this day’s gift? It was wild honey! It was sweet. It was sticky. They put it on Brown’s stone. Then they licked their paws. They snuck the honey from a bumble–bee’s nest. That was at the tip-top of a hill. And no one was stung!
Nutkin did what he always did. He was all play and no work. He skipped up and down. He sang this.
“Hum-a-bum! Buzz! Buzz! Hum-a-bum. Buzz! Buzz! As I went to County Biggs. I met a bunch of pretty pigs. Some were white-backed. Some were pink-backed! They were the very best pigs that ever came from County Biggs.”
Old Mr. Brown was mad. He turned up his eyes at Nutkin. He thought Nutkin was disgusting! But Owl ate the honey!
The squirrels filled more sacks. The sacks over-flowed!
But what about lazy Nutkin? He sat on a big, flat rock. He set up a bowling game! A crab-apple was the ball. The pins were pine cones. He was no help to the other squirrels. But they brought home lots of nuts!
It was the sixth day. It was Friday. This would be their last trip. They would soon have plenty of nuts for the winter. They just had to fill up one more day of sacks.
The gift today was a huge egg. A bird had just laid the egg. They had it in a pretty basket. Old Brown was pleased!
Nutkin acted the same. He ran in front laughing. Then he shouted.
“Humpty Dumpty lies in his bed. He’s got a white scarf around his head. Forty doctors and one fat hen. Couldn’t put Humpty together again!”
Now, old Mr. Brown loved eggs. He opened one eye. Then he shut it. But he did not speak.
Nutkin got even more rude!
“Old Mr. Bee! Old Mr. Bee! Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more. On the King’s kitchen door. All the King’s horses. And all the King’s men. Couldn’t drive Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more off the King’s kitchen door!”
Nutkin danced up and down. He was like a sunbeam. But still, Old Brown did not say a word.
Nutkin began again.
“Arthur of the Knights had raised his hand. He and his troops came roaring up the land! The King of Scots, with all his might. Could not win any fights with Arthur of the Knights!”
Nutkin made a whirring noise. This sound was like the wind. Then he took a running jump. He landed on the head of Old Brown!
Nutkin and Brown had a scuffle! There was scratching. There was biting. Then, all at once, it stopped. You could hear a loud “squeak!”
This fight was scary. The other squirrels scurried away. They hid in the bushes.
They came back slowly. They peeped around a tree. There was Old Brown. He sat on his door-step. He was calm. His eyes were closed. It was like there had not been a fight.
But where was Nutkin? They could not believe it. NUTKIN WAS IN THE OWL’S WAIST-COAT POCKET!
Was this the end of the story? Not quite!
Old Brown brought Nutkin into his house. He held Nutkin up by the tail. He was going to skin Nutkin! But Nutkin tried hard to get away. He pulled very hard. His tail broke in two! Then he dashed up the stair-case. He freed himself through the attic window.
You can still find Nutkin in the woods. What if you meet him? He will be up in a tree. What if you ask him a riddle? He will throw sticks at you! He will stamp his feet. He will scold you! He is as rude as ever! He will shout this at you!
“CUCK! CUCK! CURR! CUCK!”
It is clear that poor old Nutkin has gone NUTS!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.
Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
The Lion and the Mouse
It was quite a pleasant day. A wee mouse was running around. He was in the woods. Uh-oh! He was on top of a giant paw. He did not mean to be there. It was a lion’s paw! The lion had been sleeping. The lion woke up, and he was as mad as a hornet! He picked up the mouse. He had great big, furry paws.
The lion meant to eat the mouse. But the wee mouse cried out. “Please set me free. One day I will be nice back to you.” The lion laughed. But he DID let the mouse go.
It was later in the day. The mouse heard loud roars. What could it be? He followed the sounds. He found the lion trapped! The big cat was in a net made of ropes. The mouse was scared. But he had to keep his promise.
He used his sharp little teeth. He made a hole in the net. The great lion was set free by the tiny mouse.
The story tells us this. Little friends in size can still be great friends!
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
It was a warm spring day. The City Mouse went to his cousin’s. They were not like each other. The cousin was a Country Mouse, so he did not know anything about the city. The Country Mouse had a small home. He ate plain food. He liked just corn and peas. The City Mouse was not impressed. No, Sir!
He talked to his cousin. “Come with me to the big city.” The Country Mouse said, “yes.” So, they set off on their trip. They got to the city. The Country Mouse saw his cousin’s grand mansion. He cried, “Oh, my!”
The City Mouse had a proud look on his face. “We’ll have a feast!” he said. They began to eat. They ate great food like ham and cake. Then, they heard a noise. Uh-oh! A cat with sharp claws showed up. The mice got away just in time. They left through a small hole in the wall.
The Country Mouse changed his mind. He knew that the city was not for him, so, he made his way back to his own small home. There, he was safe and happy.
The story tells us this. There’s no place like home!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.
Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
It was a clear, brisk morning. Papa Bear was in the mood to cook. He made some oatmeal. It was steaming-hot. He made enough for the whole family. He poured his into a big bowl. He poured Mama’s into a middle-sized bowl. He poured Baby’s into a small bowl.
It was still too hot to eat, and the Bears wanted it to cool off. So, the Three Bears went for a walk in the woods.
Not so far from them was a little girl. She was named Goldilocks. She had also gone for a walk in the woods. But, she got lost. She came to the Bears’ cozy house.
She stepped inside their home. She was really hungry. There, she found the three bowls of oatmeal. She tasted the oatmeal in the big bowl. It was too hot! Then she tried the middle-sized bowl. It was too cold! Then she tried the small bowl. It was just right. So, she ate it all up.
Goldilocks began to feel tired. She looked around. She saw three chairs. She tried to sit in the big chair. It was too hard. Ouch!
She tried the middle-sized chair. It was too soft. Plop! She sat in the small chair. It was just right. But, the chair broke! She fell to the floor! Crash!
Now she could not sit. But maybe she could lie down. She went upstairs. She found three beds. First, she tried the big bed. It was way too smooth. She tried the middle-sized bed. It was way too lumpy. She tried the small bed. It was just right. Now she went right to sleep.
It was now just after Goldilocks had gone to sleep. The Bears came back home. Who had eaten their oatmeal? Who had been sitting in their chairs? Baby Bear cried out. “Someone has broken my chair to pieces!”
The Bears went upstairs. Who had been sleeping in their beds? Baby Bear said, “Someone has been sleeping in my bed. And here she is!” Goldilocks woke up. She saw the Bears. She was scared to death! She ran out of their house. She ran as fast as she could! The Three Bears never saw or heard from her again!
The Gingerbread Man
It was a fine day to cook. A little old woman was in her kitchen. “What shall I bake? Cookies, maybe? Oh, a tasty gingerbread man! That would hit the spot.” She made the cookie dough. She put it on a cookie sheet. She baked it in the oven. But what a surprise was waiting for her. She opened the oven. The Gingerbread Man jumped out!
He ran out of the house. The woman called for her husband. Both of them went after the cookie. They ran as fast as they could. But they could not catch it.
A cow was grazing down the road. It was in a large field. It sniffed the air. It caught the smell of ginger. The cow wanted to eat the cookie. But the cow could not catch it, either.
The cookie went near a cat. It was a warm, sunny day. The cat was sleeping. Then the cat smelled the ginger. It woke up. It said, “What a tasty treat.” But the cat was too slow. The cookie outran the cat!
Soon, the cookie met a smart fox. The fox played pretend. “I am not hungry,” he said. “So, I don’t want to catch you.” Well, that was a lie! The cookie wanted to cross a lake. The fox was clever. He said, “I will help you. That would make me happy. I can swim. Just get on my back. We will cross the lake.”
What a sneaky fox! The lake got deep. The fox sank a bit. He said, “Now you should ride on my head.” He sank a bit more. This made the cookie nervous! “Now you should ride on my nose.”
The cookie moved. So, the fox threw the Gingerbread Man into the air. He opened his mouth. The cookie fell right in. The fox chewed the cookie up. He ate every last bite! “Chomp! Smack!” What a clever fox! He licked his lips. “Yum! That was a tasty snack!”
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.
Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
The Shoemaker and the Elves
Once, there was a shoemaker. He and his wife were poor. He was worried. He complained to his wife. “We have only enough leather left to make one pair of shoes.”
The shoemaker left the leather on his work bench. They ate a sparse dinner that night. Then he went to bed. He made a decision. He would make his last pair of shoes in the morning.
It was the next day. The shoemaker woke up. He was shocked! There was a nice pair of shoes. They were on his work bench. He was quite puzzled. Who could have made such fine shoes?
It was later that day. A customer came into the shoe shop. He quite admired the new shoes. They fit his feet perfectly. He was very happy. He even paid double the money for them!
The shoemaker ran to his wife. “We now have some money. We can buy a good dinner. AND, we can buy more leather. That will be good for two more pairs of shoes.” He was very happy.
That night, he cut the new leather. It was just right for two pairs of shoes. He left it on his work bench. The next morning, what he saw was amazing! There were two pairs of new, fancy shoes.
This magic happened again. He bought more leather. This would be good for four pairs this time. The next day, four pairs of shoes had been made! They sold all four! They made even more money.
The shoemaker talked to his wife. “I must find out! Who is making these shoes?” So, they decided to stay up all night. They would watch the work bench. Who knows what they might see?
It was late that night. Two tiny elves tip-toed into the work shop. They had on tattered clothes. They began to sew the leather. They made them into beautiful shoes.
The wife felt sorry for the poor elves. “They must be freezing! They have such ragged clothes. Let’s help them, like they’ve helped us!” So, she sewed new clothes for them. And he made new shoes for them. They left these gifts on the work bench. They knew the elves would find them.
The elves came back. They saw the handsome clothes and shoes. They were so happy! They danced out of the work shop. And they were never seen again.
From that day forward, the shoemaker and his wife lived a happy life. And they always had plenty to eat.
The Little Red Hen
There once was a little red hen. She lived with her friends on a farm. She was not a lazy hen. She worked harder than all of the other animals. She wanted to plant some grains of wheat. She asked for help. But her friends said, “no.” Maybe they weren’t such great friends! So, she planted the grains herself.
Summer came. The gold wheat was ready. The hen asked for help. No one would help her. She did all the work. She harvested the grain by herself.
Now, she had to grind the wheat. That would turn it into flour. Did her friends help out? Nope! They would not do any hard work. So, the Little Red Hen ground the flour herself.
She used the flour, now. She made bread dough with it. It’s hard work to knead dough! Again, she got no help. She kneaded the dough by herself. It made her very tired! The Little Red Hen’s friends had been awful! They had not helped her with anything! So, she baked the bread by herself.
The bread baked perfectly. And fresh-baked bread smells so good! The air took the nice smell to her friends. NOW they showed up. They wanted to eat some of the bread!
The hen scolded them. “You’ll eat my bread. But you didn’t help me make it! Sorry! You are out of luck.” The Little Red Hen ate it all by herself. After all, she had done all the work!
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
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Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
Thumbelina
It was once upon a time. There was a very sad woman. She wished she had a child. One day, she planted a magical seed. That night, the seed grew. It became a flowering plant. “What a pretty flower,” said the woman. She kissed the petals. Right then, the flower opened. In the flower sat a girl!
The girl was tiny. She was no bigger than a thumb. Her name was Thumbelina. At night, she slept in a polished walnut shell.
One night, a mother toad came. She stole Thumbelina away. The mother toad wanted her to marry her son. They placed Thumbelina on a water lily leaf. It was in the river. She could not swim. It was like being in a cage. Then they planned the wedding. Thumbelina was very sad. She cried huge tears.
A fish heard the sobs. It chewed on the stem of the lily pad. The leaf broke free. Thumbelina floated down the river.
Summer ended. Winter came. Thumbelina was cold. A field mouse took pity on her. “My dear. You must come home with me.” Thumbelina spent all winter with the mouse. Her burrow was warm and snug. They were now good friends.
In a burrow near them lived Mr. Mole. He liked to visit in the evening. Thumbelina had a pretty singing voice.
One night, Thumbelina found a swallow. The bird was cold and hurt. She cared for the swallow. She brought him food each day.
Mr. Mole was now in love with Thumbelina. He wanted to marry her. But she did not want to marry him. Once again, she was very sad.
One day, the swallow had healed. She came to Thumbelina. She said, “I can help you escape. Fly on my back. We will get away.” So, they flew south. They went to warmer lands. It was a new land filled with flowers. Thumbelina met a king. He was small, too!
Thumbelina became the queen. She and the king lived happily ever after.
How Turtle Cracked His Shell
It was a crisp autumn day. Turtle was talking with two birds. They said, “Winter is coming. Soon it’s going to be very cold here. We’re getting ready to fly south. It will be warm there.”
“Can I come with you?” asked Turtle. At first, the birds said, “No!” Turtle pleaded with them. “There must be some way I can go with you!” Finally, the birds agreed.
“Use your mouth. Bite tightly on this stick. Hold on!” said the birds. Turtle did just that. Then the birds grabbed the ends of the stick. Soon, they were all high in the sky. Turtle was biting the stick hard! Turtle had never been so high off the ground. He could look down. He saw how small everything looked.
He wondered how far they had come. And he wanted to know how far they had to go. But he could not ask the birds. If he talked to them, his mouth would lose its grip! He would fall to the Earth!
Turtle tried to get the birds’ attention. He rolled his eyes at them. But they did not notice. He waved his legs, too. Turtle was now frustrated. He lost his patience. And he did just what he should NOT do. He opened his mouth to speak!
Of course, now he had let go of the stick. He began to fall! “Aah!” he yelled. He fell down from the sky. He hit the ground hard.
Turtle’s body ached. He was dizzy. So, he did not notice that his shell had cracked all over. He crawled into a pond. He swam down to the bottom. There he dug a hole in the mud. He slept there all winter long.
Spring came. It was warm now. Flowers bloomed. Turtle woke up. He was very proud of the cracks on his shell. Now, every turtle’s shell looks like it has cracks all over it.
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
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Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
Why Flies Buzz
It was a bright, sunny day. A man and his wife went into the jungle. They were going to gather food. They reached a coconut tree. The man took out his knife. Then he climbed up the tree. He planned to cut down some delicious coconuts.
The man reached for a coconut. But then, a black fly flitted around his face. He tried to swat the fly. But he dropped his knife by mistake. “Watch out, Wife!” he cried. The wife jumped out of the way. But as she jumped, she kicked a crocodile. It had been sleeping by that tree.
The crocodile was mad. Its tail went, “swack! swack! swack!” Near there was a jungle bird. It was looking for bugs to eat. The crocodile’s tail came down. It scared the bird. The bird squawked, “scree! scree! scree!”
The bird soared up into the air. It went to a branch in a tree. It landed right next to a monkey. The monkey was peeling a juicy mango.
The monkey was startled by the bird. So, it dropped its mango. The fruit fell on the head of a hippo. It went, “splat! splat! splat!” The hippo went into a panic. It thought it was being attacked by hunters. It tried to escape, going, “stomp! stomp! stomp!”
The hippo was not careful. He trampled on a bushfowl’s nest. The nest was full of eggs. “You broke all of my eggs!” wailed the bushfowl. She cried, “sob! sob! sob!” And there she stayed, by her nest. She stayed there for many days and nights.
All of the animals needed the bushfowl. She would wake the sun each day. But now, she did not wake up the sun. No one heard her daily call, “kark! kark! kark!” She was too sad now. So, the sky stayed dark for many days. The jungle animals were worried. They went to talk to the wise lion. The lion brought all of the animals together. He wanted to find out what had happened.
Everyone blamed each other. The last to speak was the man. He said, “Wise Lion, I dropped my knife. It was an accident. A black fly was annoying me.”
“Oh!” said the lion. “Then it is the black fly’s fault!” But the black fly answered back. “Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!” “Have you nothing else to say?” asked the lion. The fly ignored the lion. It went on saying, “Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
The lion was angry with the fly. He decided to punish him. “Black Fly!” he bellowed. “You refuse to answer me. Then I shall take away your power to talk.” The fly tried to speak. Now, all he could say was, “Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!” Things are the same today. Flies all around the world can only say, “Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
The bushfowl was happy now. The fly that had caused all the trouble had been punished. So, she agreed to once again call the sun to begin the day.
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.
Classic Tales (“Session 1”)
The Three Little Pigs
It was once upon a time. There were three little pigs. They lived with their mother. One day, Mama Pig talked to them. “You are all grown now. It’s time for you to go out into the world. You should now live on your own.” The pigs said good-bye. They went on their way.
The First Little Pig wanted to build a house. He made it out of straw. Before long, he was done. It was not very hard work. He now had time to relax in the shade.
The Second Little Pig built a house, too. He made his out of sticks. He worked a little harder. But he still had time to relax in the shade.
The Third Little Pig built his house out of bricks. It would be a much stronger house. He worked very, very hard. It took him a long time to finish it. He did not have time to rest in the shade. But he knew that his house was stronger than his brothers‘ houses.
It was soon after. A big, bad wolf came along. He saw the First Little Pig napping in the shade. The wolf thought evil things. “That little pig would make a tasty bite to eat.”
The little pig saw the wolf coming. He ran inside his straw house. He slammed and locked the door. The wolf called out to him. “Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.”
The Big Bad Wolf got mad. “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff. And I’ll blow your straw house down.” And that is just what he did! The straw blew everywhere. The First Little Pig was in danger now. He ran away fast. He wished that he had built a stronger house.
The Big Bad Wolf kept walking. He was mad that he did not get his snack. He soon came to the Second Little Pig’s home. He talked to himself. “This weak house is made of just sticks.” The Big Bad Wolf knocked on the door. Like before, he asked to come in.
The Second Little Pig yelled back at him. “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.”
The wolf threatened him. “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff. And I’ll blow down your house of sticks.” This house blew apart, too. The Second pig wished that he had built a stronger house.
The two little pigs ran fast. They headed to their brother’s brick house. Right behind them was the wolf! Once again, the wolf asked to come inside. The Third little Pig was confident. He knew that his house was strong. “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin,” he yelled.
The wolf could not blow down the brick house. The wolf was red in the face. He had missed two snacks, now. He was hungry. He was really angry. So, the wolf did not give up.
He climbed up onto the roof. He jumped down the chimney. But the Third Little Pig was ready for the wolf. The wolf fell right into a pot of water. The pig had put it there to get boiling hot on the fire. That water was so hot that the wolf jumped out and ran away. “OUCH!” he screamed!
The Three Little Pigs lived happily ever after. They never saw the wolf again.
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Stories You’ve Never Heard Before
Max The Mess
It was like a bomb. It was a loud “wham!” We all jumped out of our seats. What a noise! It was not fun! My mom, Meg, yelled. Her face turned red. She stamped her foot. She put her hands on her head.
“Max, why did you slam your mug on the table? That makes me so mad! Must you be such a mess? Look! Food is all over. It’s on your place-mat. It got on the map that Matt needs to read. And I see crumbs all over the place. And there are chunks of ham, mint jam, and lamb. And mac-and-cheese. And your half-eaten yam! Gross! Now I just want to gag! Grr!” There was spit on Mom’s lips.
Mom checked out the room. “And look! It’s on every one’s clothes! Pam, Tom, Kim? You have to go up and change. Right now. And Matt? There’s food on the rim of your glasses! Clean that up.”
“And oh, no! Look at Tom-Cat. Poor cat! A piece of yam flew into his milk bowl. So goop is now on each one of his four limbs. And, now the floor is a mix of mess. It looks like a mud puddle full of goop. I bet Tom-Cat could swim in it! Good grief! Now I’ve got to go get the mop. I have to walk up the stairs to get it. Then come back down. Then clean all of this up. Guys, I’m not your maid!”
“Max, you give me no rest! I’m so fed up with you. I’ve never met a boy who can make such a mess! Why do you do it? Do you just hate me? Do you think I’m a witch?”
Max spoke up. “Yum, mom. Great food! I was pretending to be a pirate at an old-time inn. Time to pour me one more glass of milk, bartender! Max then growled, “Ahoy, mateys! Time to go find the treasure!”
He walked out. He stepped in the goop. And he left foot-prints. Mom was fit to be tied! But that’s Max for you!
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Click on this link to move forward to STORY TIME SET 02
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