AnyOneCanRead®

       
For Parents With Pre-K (“pre-Kindergarten”) Children

Help Your Child To Become “Kindergarten-Ready!!!”

MODULE FOUR

4) STORY TIME!  SET 02

        
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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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales 
     

Mike’s Bedtime
    
Mike had his jet plane in his left hand. “Zip! Zing!” he yelled. “Take that, T. Rex!”

Just then, his dad came in and said, “Mike, it’s bedtime.”

“But, Dad,” Mike said, “I’m seven! Can’t I sit up a bit?”

Mike’s dad said, “Not if the sun is down and the street lamp is on. Then, it’s bedtime.”

Mike said, “But, if the street lamp is off, it’s not bedtime yet!” Mike ran to check on the lamp and the sun. He yanked back the drapes. The sun had set. It was pitch black. The street lamp was glinting in the blackness. It was bedtime.

“Ug!” Mike said. He slumped and let his chin drop on his chest.

“Bedtime!” said his dad.

Mike limped to his bed and plopped down on it. He made a face that said, “I wish it was not bedtime!”

Mike’s dad smiled. “What if I tell you a bedtime tale?” he asked. “Would that help?” Mike did not think it would help much. He shrugged. “When I was a kid,” his dad said, “your Gramp would tell me bedtime tales. I liked them. I’ll bet I can still tell a lot of them.”

“OK,” said Mike, “I would like one bedtime tale.” Mike’s dad sat down on the bed and patted Mike on the back of the neck. “This is a bedtime tale your Gramp liked to tell me,” he said.

The Milk
    
Mike’s dad was getting set to tell a bedtime tale. He said, “The name of this bedtime tale is The Milk.” Once upon a time, a lass named Jane set off from home to sell a bucket of milk. As she went, she was thinking of the cash she would get from selling the milk.

“I have big plans. I will sell this milk,” she said, “and I will use the cash to get a hen. I hope my hen will make lots of eggs. Then I will sell those eggs and use the cash to get a cute piglet. I will take care of the piglet and let him munch on pig slop till he gets nice and plump.”

“Then I will sell the pig and get a nice dress that I can dance in, and . . .” But just as she was thinking of the dress, she tripped on a stone, and the bucket fell with a crash. The milk splashed on the path. Jane made a face and fumed at the spilt milk.

Moral: Take one step at a time.

“Is that the end?” asked Mike.

“That’s it,” said his dad.

“What a shame!” said Mike. “She had such big plans!”

Mike’s dad nodded. “You can make plans, but planning by itself will not make things happen.”

Mike sat thinking a bit. Then he said, “Dad, that bedtime tale was not bad. But it was sad. Next time would you tell a fun tale?”

“Yes,” said his dad. “Next time.”

    
   
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales – Part Two    
   

The Jumping Frog
   
“Dad,” Mike said, “you said we could have a fun bedtime tale this time. Have you got one that’s fun?”

“Yes,” said his dad. “I’ve got one I think you will like. It’s a tale my dad used to like to tell. It takes place in the West, a long time back in the past. The name of the tale is The Jumping Frog.” Once there was a man named Big Jim who had a frog. Big Jim held the frog up and made a speech.

“This here is the best jumping frog in the land!” he said. “This frog has speed. It can jump three feet at once. You think your frog can jump? I’ll bet he can’t jump like my frog! In fact, I got ten bucks says there’s not a frog in the land can jump as fast as this frog. This frog hops like the wind. This frog . . .”

Well, Big Jim would have kept on bragging, but, just then, a man in a black vest got up and spoke. “My name is Pete. I’m not from here,” said the man. “And I do not have a frog. But if I did, I would take the bet and race your frog.”

“Well, shucks,” said Big Jim. “That’s not a problem. Here, take my frog. I’ll run down to the stream and catch you a frog, so we each have a frog to compete in the race.” Big Jim handed his frog to Pete. Then he ran off to the stream.

Mike’s dad was not finished telling the tale, but Mike had drifted off to sleep. He gave Mike a kiss and hoped he would have sweet dreams.

The Frog Race
    
“Dad,” Mike said when he woke up, “what happened with the jumping frog? I missed the end of the tale. I was sleeping.”

“I did not tell it to the end,” said his dad. “When you drifted off to sleep, I stopped.”

“Oh, tell the ending!” said Mike.

Mike’s dad picked up the tale where he had left off. Big Jim handed his frog to Pete and ran off to the stream. Pete held Big Jim’s frog in his hand. Pete looked at the frog. Then Pete reached into his pocket and got a pile of limes. Yum — Big Jim’s frog drooled.

The frog ate the whole pile of limes from Pete’s hand! Then Pete set the frog down. While Pete was feeding the frog limes, Big Jim was down at the stream. He tossed off his boots and went frog hunting. At last he nabbed a nice green frog. He ran back and handed the frog to Pete.

“There’s your frog!” said Jim. “Just set him down there next to my frog. Then we will let them compete to see which one of them is the fastest!” Pete set his frog down.

“All set?” said Jim.

“All set,” said the man.

Then Jim yelled, “Jump, frogs, jump!”

Pete gave the two frogs a tap to get them jumping. His frog hopped off nice and quick. But Jim’s frog just sat there. Once he hitched up his legs like he was fixing to jump. But it was no use. With all those limes in him, he was planted there just as solid as a rock. His tummy was full!

Pete’s frog hopped and hopped till it got to the finish line. “Fine race!” said Pete. He took Jim’s ten bucks and slipped the cash in his pocket. Then Pete tipped his hat and set off.

Well, Big Jim was stunned. “What happened to my frog?” he said. “I hope he’s not sick.” He bent down and picked up the frog and rubbed his tummy. “Goodness!” said Jim. “He must have had a big lunch! I think Pete tricked me! He fed my frog too much to eat!” Jim said.

Big Jim let out a whoop. His face got red. Jim ran to catch Pete. But it was no use. Pete had run off. Pete had tricked Big Jim!

    
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales – Part Three 

The Hare and the Hedgehog
    
Mike and his dad sat on the bed. “Did you like the tale of The Jumping Frog?” Mike’s dad asked.

“Yes,” said Mike. “I liked how Pete tricked Jim by feeding his frog the limes!”

“Then I think you will like this next tale, as well. It involves a trick, too. The name of this one is The Hare and the Hedgehog.”

“What’s a hare?”

“It’s like a rabbit.”

“OK. Tell it!”

Once there was a hare who was proud of his speed. He liked to brag. “I’m so fast!” he said. “I am the fastest! No one is as fast as me!” Well, the hedgehog got sick of all this bragging. He set himself to thinking how he could trick the hare and get him to stop bragging all the time. The hedgehog made a plan. He went to the hare and said, “Let’s race!”

The hare smiled. “You and I?” he said. “Is this a joke? What would be the point? Those legs of yours are like stumps. It must take you from sunrise until sundown to hike a mile!”

“Will you join me in a race?” said the hedgehog.

“I will join you!” said the hare.

“Good,” said the hedgehog. “We will race south from this fence up to the house on the hill. But I can’t race till I have my lunch. I’ll be back at one.” Then the hedgehog went home and spoke to his wife. “Wife,” he said, “at one I will run a race with the hare.”

“What?” said his wife. She frowned and asked, “Are you out of your wits? He’s so fast! You can’t hope to win a race with him.”

“Trust me,” said the hedgehog. “I have a plan.”

“What’s his plan?” asked Mike.

“I will tell you next time,” said his dad.

“Well, rats!” said Mike. “It was just getting good! I wish you could just tell me now.”

“Next time,” said his dad.

How the Hedgehog Tricked the Hare
    
“Where was it I left off?” asked Mike’s dad.

“The hedgehog was telling his wife the plan to trick the hare,” said Mike.

“Got it!” said his dad. The hedgehog made a map of his plan. He pointed to the map and outlined his plan to trick the hare. “The hare and I will race from down by the fence up to the house on the hill,” the hedgehog said to his wife. “I need you to stand next to the house. Stand in a spot where the hare can’t see you. And be on the lookout, my dear!”

The hedgehog’s wife nodded and said, “Your map is clear. I will be there.”

The hedgehog went on, “When the hare gets close, you must pop out and shout, ‘There you are! What took you so long?’ But when you do this, make your voice deep and stern like my voice. The hare can’t tell one hedgehog from the next. If you sound like me, he will think you are me. And he will think that he has lost the race!”

“What a clever plan!” said his wife. “It’s perfect!” She puckered up and kissed him on one of his cheeks, where he had no spikes. The hedgehog handed his wife the map.

After his meal, the hedgehog went to the fence. His wife went up to the house on the hill. The hedgehog and the hare lined up. “All set?” said the hare.

“All set,” said the hedgehog.

“Run!” said the hare. The hare bounded off. He was a fast and powerful runner. In a flash, he ran down the hill, past the well, and up to the house.

When he got to the top of the hill, there was a hedgehog standing next to the house. It was the hedgehog’s wife, but she spoke in a deep, stern voice like a male hedgehog. “There you are!” she said. “What took you so long?”

The hare was stunned. “It can’t be!” he said. “How did you get here so fast? I will race you back to the fence!”

And so the hare ran back past the well and up the hill until he got back to the fence. And what did he see when he got there? A hedgehog! This time it was the male hedgehog. The hedgehog said, “There you are! What took you so long?”

“No, no, no!” screamed the hare. The hare lost his temper. “It can’t be. It can’t be. I am faster. I will race you back to the house! You can’t beat me!”

So the hare ran back up the hill, past the well, and up to the house. And what did he see when he got there? A hedgehog! This time it was the hedgehog’s wife. In a deep, stern voice, she said, “There you are! What took you so long?”

The hare ran to the fence and back ten times. But it was the same all ten times. At last, he was so tired out that he fell on the ground next to the male hedgehog. He could not stop huffing and puffing. He frowned and said, with a gasp, “I feel weak. You are faster and better than me!” The hedgehog just smiled.

    
    
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales – Part Four

The Pancake, Part One
   
“Did you enjoy the tale of the hedgehog and the hare?” asked Mike’s dad.

“Yes, I liked it,” said Mike. “The hedgehog came up with a good trick.”

“The tale I’d like to tell you next has a trick in it, too.”

“Cool!” said Mike. “Is there a hedgehog in it?”

“Nope,” said his dad. “But there is a pancake in it!”

“A pancake?”

“Yep.”

“Neat! Tell it!”

“But the sun has not set yet! The street lamp is not on yet!”

“Please! I would like to hear it! Will you tell the pancake tale!”

Once upon a time there was a mom who had six kids. One morning, the mom was grilling a pancake for the kids. The kids looked at the pancake. They got out their forks and started licking their lips. The pancake looked back at the kids. He was scared. He feared the kids would eat him. When the mom was not looking, the pancake jumped out of the pan and ran off. The pancake ran out of the house.

“Stop, pancake!” shouted the mom from the porch.

“Stop, pancake!” shouted the six kids.

All seven of them chased the pancake as he ran out of the yard. But the pancake was too fast. He outran them all. The pancake ran north on a foot path. He zoomed past a barn and two farmers who were plowing the ground.

“Why are you running, pancake?” the farmers asked.

The pancake shouted, “I’ve outrun a mom and six kids, and I can outrun you, too! I’m too fast and too smart for you.”

“You think so?” said the farmers. They started running. But the pancake was too fast. He outran the farmers.

Just then Mike’s sister Ann came in. She was just three. She had on her gown for bed. “Dad,” she said, “will you tell it to me, too?”

“Yes, I will,” said her dad. “You can sit up here with Mike and hear the rest of the tale.”

The Pancake, Part Two
   
“Let’s see,” said Mike’s dad. “Where did I stop?”

“The pancake was running,” said Mike. “He had just outrun the two farmers.”

“OK,” said Mike’s dad. “Let’s start there.”

The pancake ran on until, by and by, he ran past a pig. “Why are you running, pancake?” the pig asked.

The pancake shouted, “I’ve outrun a mom, six kids, and two farmers, and I can outrun you, too! I am too fast and too smart for you.”

“You think so?” said the pig. Then it snorted and started running. The pig chased the pancake. But the pancake was too fast.

The pancake ran on until, by and by, he ran past a hen. “Why are you running, pancake?” the hen asked.

The pancake shouted, “I’ve outrun a mom, six kids, two farmers, and a pig, and I can outrun you, too! I am too fast and too smart for you.”

“You think so?” said the hen. Then she set off, clucking as she ran. The hen chased the pancake. But the pancake was too fast.

The pancake went on until, by and by, he ran past a fox. “Why are you running, pancake?” the fox asked.

The pancake said, “I’ve outrun a mom, six kids, two farmers, a pig, and a hen, and I can outrun you, too! I am too fast and too smart for you!”

The fox did not get up. He just sat there and said, “What was that you said? I could not quite make it out.”

The pancake stopped running and yelled, “I’ve outrun a mom, six kids, two farmers, a pig, and a hen, and I can outrun you, too! I am too fast and too smart for you!”

The fox squinted and said, “What was that you said? I still could not quite hear you. Why do you stand so far off? Stand nearer to me so I can hear you.”

The pancake ran up near to the fox. Then he shouted at the top of his lungs: “I’VE OUTRUN A MOM, SIX KIDS, TWO FARMERS, A PIG, AND A HEN, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU, TOO! I AM TOO FAST AND TOO SMART FOR YOU!”

“You think so?” said the fox. “I think you made a mistake and got a bit too close.” Then he scooped the pancake into his mouth and ate it for dinner. And that was the end of the pancake. And that is the end of the tale.

     
       
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales – Part Five

The Panther
    
Mike and Ann ran in. “Dad,” said Mike, “Please tell us a bedtime tale!”

“Yes,” said Ann, clapping her hands. “Tell us a pancake tale.”

“I would if I could,” said their dad. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?” asked Mike.

“As far as I can tell, there is just one pancake tale.”

“Oh, no!” said Mike. “Now I’m in a sad mood.”

“Let’s sit down on Mike’s bed,” said their dad. “I’ll see if I can think of a good bedtime tale that you will enjoy. Would you kids like a tale that has a panther in it?”

“What’s a panfer?” Ann asked. Since she was just three, sometimes when she said “th” it came out sounding like “f.”

“It’s panther,” said Mike with a smile.

“Panfer!” said Ann.

“Ug!” said Mike.

“Mike,” said their dad. “Don’t be mean. Be nice to your sister. She’s just three. When you were her age, you made mistakes, too.”

“I did?”

Their dad nodded. Then he spoke to Ann. “A panther is a huge black cat that has sharp teeth.”

“Tell it!” said Ann. “Tell the panfer tale!”

“OK,” said their dad. “The name of this tale is The Panther.” Once there was a panther who could no longer hunt. His legs were just too tired. His joints were just too stiff. So he went in his cave and sat down near the mouth of the cave. The panther still had to get food to eat. But how could he get food without hunting? At last he came up with a plan.

Soon, an owl came up to the mouth of the cave. “How are you feeling, Panther?” the owl asked.

“Not so well,” said the panther. “I am sick and can’t leave my cave. Will you visit me in my cave? When someone is sick, it is so nice to have a pal visit.” The owl went in for a visit. He stepped inside. But he did not step out.

Next a hare came hopping by. “How are you feeling, Panther?” the hare asked.

“Not so well,” said the panther. “I am sick. Will you visit me in my cave? When someone is sick, it is so nice to have a pal visit.” The hare went inside the cave for a visit. He hopped inside. But he did not hop out.

Next a fox ran up. “How are you feeling, Panther?” the fox asked.

“Not so well,” said the panther. “I am sick. Will you visit me in my cave? When someone is sick, it is so nice to have a pal visit.”

“Thanks,” said the fox, “but no thanks!”

“Why not?” asked the panther.

“You can’t fool me,” said the fox. “I see lots of footprints going into your cave, but there are no footprints going out of it.”

Moral: Be careful who you trust.

“What a clever fox,” said Mike.

“I don’t understand,” shouted Ann. “What happened?”

“It seems that Mike is as smart as the fox,” said the dad. “Perhaps he can tell you the reason the fox said ‘No thanks!’ to the panther.”

“The fox is smart,” Mike said. “He tricked the pancake and could tell that the panther was tricking him. You can’t trick a trickster like the fox!”

    
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 
         
(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)

Bedtime Tales – Part Six

Cat and Mouse Keep House
    
“Dad,” said Mike, “can you tell us a bedtime tale that has a trick in it?”

“A trickster tale?” asked the dad.

“Yes!” shouted the kids with one voice.

“OK,” said the dad. “The name of this tale is Cat and Mouse Keep House.”

Once, a cat and a mouse set up house. “We must get some food for the winter,” said the mouse.

“Yes,” said the cat. “We must indeed.” So, the two of them went out and got a jar of jam.

“Where can we hide this jar of jam to keep it safe?” asked the cat.

“Let’s hide it in the house next door,” said the cat. “No one is in that house.”

“Yes,” said the mouse. “The old house next door is just the place!” So, the cat and the mouse hid the jar of jam in a dark corner of the house next door. They said that they would let it sit there until winter came.

A week passed. The cat felt a pang of hunger. He started thinking of the jar of jam. What if he went and had just a bit of jam for a snack? There would still be a lot left. The cat made a plan to trick the mouse.

“Mouse,” said the cat, “I must run off for a bit. Will you keep the house while I am out?” The cat ran to the house next door and got out the jar. He started licking the jam. He licked and licked. When he stopped there was just a bit of jam left. Then he ran back home.

A week passed. This time it was the mouse who felt a pang of hunger. “The cat is napping,” he said to himself. “I think I will visit the house and get myself a snack. I will just have a bit of the jam. What’s the harm in that? There will still be a lot left.”

The mouse ran to the house next door. When he got there, what did he see? A jar with no jam! The cat had tricked him. The mouse was mad. He ran back and woke up the cat. “You tricked me!” said the mouse.

“Did I?” said the cat.

“You ate the jam we said we would save for winter! You had it for a snack!” the mouse yelled.

“Yes!” said the cat. “I could have you for a snack!” But the mouse was too mad to stop.

“You tricked me!” he shouted. “Now we have no jam! Now we … ” But he did not have time to finish his sentence. The cat pounced on the mouse and made an end of him.

Moral: Be careful who you trust.

“What do you think is the point of the tale?” asked the dad. “Is there a point?”

Mike said, “I think that the point is that mice should not keep house with cats.”

“I like that!” said the dad. “My dad used to tell me that tale when I was a kid. He said the point of it was: Be careful who you trust.”

Then the dad got up and tugged on the drapes. “Look there!” he said. “It’s dark outside. The street lamp is on. The tale is finished. It’s time for bed.”

   
        
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Stories You’ve Never Heard Before

The First Snow

James had not seen snow before. Well, he HAD seen it in pictures. But he’d never felt the ice cold flakes in his own hands.

He’d never thrown a snowball. He’d never tried to catch a snow flake on his tongue. He’d never built a snowman. He’d never put a snowball into the freezer. So, he couldn’t bring it back out, some time in the middle of the summer.

He’d never snuck up behind his Dad, snow in hand. It would be fun to drop chunks of snow down his Dad’s shirt collar. Then he would screech, “Surprise!”

There was so much “snow fun” that he had missed in his ten years of life, so far. But James and his family had lived too deep in the South for it to snow. It just didn’t get cold enough. But this would change in the new school year.

His Mom had just landed a great new job. She would help to find more cures for cancer. So, they had moved way North for the new job. It would snow a LOT there. He could count on that, every winter!

James would learn about new things to do, where the weather is much colder. Things like ice fishing and cross-country skiing. Things like snow-boarding, ice skating, and hockey. This would all be great fun for James.

Ten weeks had gone by in the school year. Finally, a big snow was coming. It was a Thursday afternoon. The first large flakes filled the sky. It was about four o’clock. James was getting his homework done for the day.

He couldn’t believe his eyes! He thought he was seeing giant magic popcorn puffs. They were going to cover everything in a thick, white quilt. James guessed that millions of snow flakes were coming down!

James went to bed around nine-thirty. There were already a good six inches of snow on the ground. He woke up early the next day. Light, icy flakes were still coming down.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Or what he was NOT seeing! Now there was only white. He couldn’t see a road, a bush, a branch, or a car. There was only one clear thing in view. That was the tree trunks in the woods.

His Mom came into his bedroom. She said, “James, there’s now over a foot of snow on the ground! Up north, they’re good at clearing snow from the roads. But this storm was even too much for them. The school buses aren’t safe to ride in weather like this. So guess what? School is closed for today! You’ll get a long weekend!”

It was James’s first snow day! And it was a magical day. He played with snowmen, snow forts, and snowballs. He sledded down steep hills. He fell in the snow and made snow angels with his arms and legs. He also got to watch his cat, Sparky, try to keep from getting buried in the tall snow drifts.

It was late in the day on Friday. James was placing a carrot on his third snowman’s face. This one now had a long, thin nose. His Dad drove up the driveway. He was coming home from work a bit early.

His Dad got out of his car. James yelled to him, “Living up north is so much fun! I’m so happy that you and Mom brought us here!” James turned around. But then he felt a snowball hit the back of his coat. He and his Dad started laughing. Then they had fun throwing snowballs at each other, until it was time for dinner!

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Poems And Rhymes: Holiday Poems
 

Some Things That Easter Brings
 
Easter duck and Easter chick,
Easter eggs with chocolate thick.
Easter hats for one and all,
Easter Bunny makes a call!
Happy Easter always brings,
Such a lot of pleasant things.

 
Poem by Elsie Parrish
    
 

Thanksgiving Day
 
Over the river and through the wood,
To grandfather’s house we go.
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow.
   
Over the river and through the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.
   
Over the river and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring,
“Ting-a-ling-ding,”
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
   
Over the river and through the wood,
Trot fast, my dapple-gray.
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting-hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
   
Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate.
We seem to go,
Extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!
    
Over the river and through the wood,
Now grandmother’s cap I spy.
Hurrah for the fun,
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

 
Poem by Lydia Maria Child
   
 

The Night Before Christmas
 
‘Twas the night before Christmas,
When all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
   
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
   
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
   
And mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the luster of midday to objects below.
    
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.
    
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.
   
“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now Dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
    
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each tiny hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound!

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up in a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

  
Poem by Clement C. Moore
    
 

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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 Cat Bandit – Part One
         

The Hot Dog
   
Mom had a hot dog. She left the hot dog on a shelf in the den. The hot dog sent up a smell. The smell drifted and drifted. The cat bandit sat on the deck, wishing he had a snack. Then the hot dog smell hit him. Such a smell! Sniff, sniff, sniff! The cat bandit ran in the den. He spotted the hot dog up on the shelf.

He got up on a bench. Then he sprang up on the TV set. Then, with a big jump, he sprang up and landed on the shelf. Then — munch, munch, munch — the cat bandit had himself a picnic lunch.

The Chicken Nugget
    
Hank set his dish in the sink. He left a big chicken nugget on the dish. The nugget was still hot. The smell of chicken drifted up from the sink. It drifted into the den. The cat bandit was napping in the den. But he was sniffing as he slept. Sniff, sniff, sniff! The cat bandit sprang up. He ran in and spotted the nugget in the sink.

He sat a bit, thinking up a plan. Then he went to the closet and got a bunch of boxes. He set up a box. Then he set a big box next to that box. Then he set the biggest box next to the sink. The cat bandit set off running. He ran up the boxes, hopping from box to box. Then — munch, munch, munch — that was the end of the chicken nugget.

The Snack Mix
    
Beth left a basket of snack mix on a shelf. The cat bandit spotted the snack mix. He felt he had to get it. But how? He sat thinking. Then he got up and ran off to the deck. The cat bandit got the grilling tongs Dad kept next to the gas grill. He set the tongs up on the rug. Then he went and got a bunch of rocks. He set the rocks on the rug.

He got a rock and set it down on the top tong. He set his leg on the top tong to press it down. Then he let the tong spring up. Swish! The rock went zipping off. Bing! The rock hit the shelf.

But it did not hit the basket with the snack mix. The bandit set a rock on the tongs and shot it. Swish, bing! Swish, bing! Swish, bing! The bandit shot six rocks. But the rocks did not hit the basket of snack mix.

At last — swish, smack! The seventh rock hit the basket. The basket fell down. It landed on the rug. The rug was dotted with snack mix. Then — chomp, chomp, chomp — that was the end of the snack mix.

The Ham
    
Mom left a pink ham sitting in a big black pan. The cat bandit was resting on a quilt when he got a whiff of the ham. What was that smell? It was ham! Where was the ham? The cat bandit set off, sniffing as he went. He went on sniffing until he spotted the ham. But the ham was up on top.

How was he to get it down? That was the problem. The cat bandit ran to the closet and got a belt. Then he ran to the shed and got a strong magnet. He stuck the magnet on the end of the belt. The magnet stuck to the belt. Then the cat bandit swung the belt. Clang! The magnet on the end of the belt hit the pan. It stuck to the pan.

In a flash, the cat bandit was tugging on the belt. Tug, tug, tug! Yank, yank, yank! At last, the pan slid off. It fell down and landed with a clang. Then — munch, munch, munch — that was the end of the ham.

    
     
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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 Cat Bandit – Part Two 
    

The Fish
   
Once Mom hung a fish up on a string. The cat bandit was scratching himself when he got a whiff of the fish. Quick as a flash, he ran into the kitchen. The bandit spotted the fish hanging on the string. He sat down to think up a plan to get the fish. The cat bandit ran and got Mom’s glasses. He set the glasses on a bench that was in the sun.

The sun shone on the two lenses of the glasses. The lenses glinted in the sun. The bandit slid the glasses a bit to the left. He slid the glasses until one of the lenses sent hot sun flashing onto the string. Then he sat.

The sun from the glasses shone on the string. The string got hot. The wax on the string melted. Then, rip! The fish fell. Then — munch, munch, munch — that was the end of the fish.

The Milk
    
Once Beth left a glass of milk on the deck. The cat bandit spotted it. It was up where he could not get it. The bandit was sad. But then he spotted a string that ran from the shed to the deck. Mom had hung wet socks, wet pants, and a wet jacket on the string. The bandit grinned.

The cat bandit went and got Dad’s belt. Then he got up on top of the shed. He swung the belt on top of the string. Then he held on to the belt and jumped off the shed. Whiz! The bandit went zipping off on the string. Pop, pop, pop! He knocked the socks off the string. Pop, pop, pop! He knocked the pants off the string. Thwack! He knocked the jacket off the string.

At last the bandit went zipping past the milk. As he went past, he kicked the cup with his leg. The cup fell on the deck with a crash. The bandit landed on the deck. Then — lap, lap, lap — that was the end of the milk.

The Chips
    
Once Mom left a big bag of chips on the top shelf in the kitchen. “The cat will not get them up there,” she said. But it was not long until the cat bandit was up to his tricks. He got a log, a plank, and a big rock. He set the rock on the bench. He set the log on the rug next to the bench. He set the plank on top of the log. Then the bandit sat on one end of the plank.

He slid the rock off the bench. The rock fell and landed on one end of the plank. Smack! The end of the plank where the rock fell went down fast. But the end of the plank the cat bandit was sitting on popped up, and the cat bandit popped up with it.

Whiz! The cat bandit went zipping up. The cat bandit did a flip and landed on top of the shelf. Slash! The bandit cut a big gash in the bag. Then — crunch, crunch, crunch — that was the end of the chips.

The Catfish
    
Dad went fishing and got a big catfish. He left the catfish in a bucket. Then he locked the bucket in the shed. “There!” he said as he clicked the lock shut. “This lock will stop the cat!”

The tempting smell of fish drifted in the wind. The cat bandit sensed that there was a fish in the shed. He went to visit. The shed was locked up. But that did not stop him! He went and got a belt. He hitched the end of the belt to the lock and tugged on it. But the lock held and the shed just sat there.

The cat bandit went and got a dog. The cat and the dog tugged on the belt. But still the shed just sat there. The cat bandit went and got a pig. The cat, the dog, and the pig tugged on the belt. That did it. The shed tilted to the left. Wham! The shed fell with a crash. Then — munch, munch, munch — that was the end of the catfish.

*********
    
    

From Grimm’s Fairy Tales

The Queen Bee: Part One

Two King’s Sons once left their nice home. They went to search out a life of big adventures. They were wild and irresponsible. They spent most of their time at play, and at parties. They did not come home again.

There was a third brother. He was the youngest son. His name was Saul. One day, he left home, too. His goal was to make his way in the world. But first, he planned to look for his older brothers.

In a few days, he found them. But they laughed at him. Saul thought that he could do well in the world. But his brothers did not think so. They called Saul a “Simpleton.”

You see, they did not think that Saul was very smart. They thought that THEY were both very clever, themselves. And even THEY were having a hard time making a good living. So how could Saul do well in the world? He wasn’t as smart as they were. (Or so they thought!)

At last, they tired of making fun of Saul. They let him join them, at this point. They hiked together through the country. At first, they came to an anthill. The two older brothers wanted to destroy it. They were very cruel. They wanted to make the little ants scared of them. They hoped to see the ants have to carry their eggs away. They wanted the ants to fear for their lives.

But Saul cried out to them. “Leave these small ants in peace. They have done you no wrong. I will not let you hurt them!” The brothers growled. But they DID stop.

The three brothers moved on. They went further. Now they came to a nice blue lake. There were lots of ducks swimming there. The two older brothers wanted to catch some of them. They planned to roast them!

But Saul would not let them do it. He said, “Leave these harmless ducks in peace. They’ve not harmed you. I will not let you kill them.”

The next day, they came to a bee’s nest. There was much honey there! It spilled out of the tree trunk below the huge hive. The two older brothers planned to build a fire under the tree. This would make the bees leave. Then they could take all of the honey for themselves.

But once again, Saul stopped them. He yelled, “Leave the tiny buzzing bees in peace. None of them has hurt you. I will not let you burn them.”

At last, the brothers came to a castle. Things were strange there. They saw lots of horses standing in the stables. But they had been turned to stone! And, not a single human being was in sight. This was quite a mystery to the brothers.

They went in the castle. They walked through all of the hallways. They came to a door where there were three locks. In the middle of the door, there was a little glass pane. So, they could see into the room.

There they saw a small Gray Man. He was seated at a table. They called him two times. But he did not hear them. Then they called him a third time. This time, he got up slowly. He opened the locks. He let them into the room. He did not say a thing. But he led them to a big table. There was lots of fine food to eat! They finished their feast. Then he took each of them to a nice bedroom. They slept well that night.

It was now the next morning. The small Gray Man came to the oldest brother. He called to him. He brought him to a stone table. The Gray Man had a very serious look on his face. He explained the tough times that the people of the castle were in. Three tasks were written on the table. Three challenges needed to be overcome. Then, the castle would be saved from an awful fate.

    
        
*********
    
     

From Grimm’s Fairy Tales

The Queen Bee: Part Two

The first test was this. They were to go to the forest. They were to look beneath the thick, deep moss. There, they would find the Princess’s pearls. BUT, the pearls were all scattered and hidden. There were a thousand of them! And every last one must be picked up! They had to end the search by sunset. But it would be bad if just one single pearl was still NOT found. The person who was looking for them would be turned to stone!

The oldest brother went out to find the pearls. He searched for them all day. But, it was time for the sun to set. He had found only a hundred of them! What they had seen on the table came true. He was changed into stone right there. Just as the sun fell below the horizon.

Now it was the next day. The second brother would try the three challenges. It did not go well for him, either. He did not find more than two hundred pearls. So, he, too, was turned to stone at the end of the day.

At last, the time came for Saul to seek out the pearls. They would all be hidden in the deep moss. And he, too, found that it was quite hard to find the pearls! Now the sun was at about noon. Saul was not finding enough pearls. The day was going by too fast. He was frustrated at how long it was taking him. He sat on a large stone. He started to cry. He did not want to die. He did not want to turn into stone.

But something good happened while he sat there! Don’t forget that Saul had saved the ants! So, the King of the Ants came to help him. He came with five thousand ants! They would all help to gather up the pearls. It did not take that long. The teeny, hardworking creatures had gotten the thousand pearls! And they laid them all in a neat pile at Saul’s feet.

But don’t forget about the writing on the table. There were still two more huge tasks left. The next task was to go to the deep lake. Saul had to fetch out the key to the King’s Daughter’s bedroom. It would be hard to find! But he would get more help. Saul came to the lake. And there were the ducks that he had saved! They swam up to him. Then they dove down beneath the surface. One of them quickly brought the key out of the water. He placed it gently into Saul’s hand.

Now, the third task would be the hardest. The king’s three daughters were all asleep. They could not talk to Saul. The last task was this. He had to find out which of the three was the youngest! Then he had to point to her. How would he do this? It was the first time he had seen them! And things got worse. They looked very much like each other.  One could tell them apart only by knowing this. What had each one of them eaten for dessert, before they had gone to sleep?

The oldest had enjoyed a bit of sugar. The middle sister had sipped down a taste of syrup. The youngest of the three had swallowed a spoon full of honey. But how could ANYONE know which sweet each sister had enjoyed?!

Saul feared that this task was way too hard for him. He was scared that he would soon turn into stone. But don’t forget about the bees! Saul had protected them from the fire. So, the Queen of the Bees came to help. She tasted the lips of all three sisters. At last, she stayed seated on the mouth of the sister who had the honey. And this is how the King’s third son, Saul, knew who the right Princess was!

Saul had now completed the three tasks. Due to his success, the terrible magic spell was broken! All were released from their deep sleep. And those who had been turned to stone came to life again.

Saul married the youngest and sweetest Princess. And after her father’s death, he became the new King. And his two brothers were able to marry the two other sisters. But they found out that neither one was very easy to get along with!

What might we learn from the story of the Queen’s Bee? Cruelty to others will backfire on you. Instead, one should respect and be nice to others. Then one day they will return the favor to you!

    
     
*********
    
   

Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

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

Two Famous Fables

The Dog And His Reflection
    
It was centuries ago. There was a grandiose Doberman pinscher. His name was Charlemagne. He was parading through the cobblestone streets. He was in fine fettle this exceptional day. It was glorious weather. It was perfect for a jaunt about the shire.

He’d just had a satisfying visitation with the butcher. He’d been rewarded with a succulent bone. The dog held his head high. He held his tail stiff. He looked neither askance nor roundabout. He strode with his kingly snoot projecting straightforward. There were lots of town-dogs. They looked up to Charlemagne. They sycophantically traipsed behind him. They yipped and tittered, fawningly. They pled with their superior. “Please! Please! Permit us to smell your bone.” But the big dog went on. He maintained his haughty posture and swaggered onwards. He would not acknowledge the town-dogs’ existence. He perceived that he was better than they were. And he had no empathy for their state of hunger.

Charlemagne left the town’s boundaries. He’d gotten a mile out of town. He took a momentary rest. He could have stopped to satiate himself on the bone. But others would come to annoy him. He’d then feel obligated to share. He did not want to do that. The bone was just for him. He wished to be left alone. He contemplated a plan of action. He talked to himself. “I’ll bury my bone. I’ll take it to an isolated location. No dog can find it there. Then the right day will come. I’ll dig it up. I’ll eat it then.” He resumed his steadfast course.

He adhered to his brisk pace for some time. He came to a stream. The water was fresh and translucent. The deep blue sky gave it an azure tint. The water was fast-running. And there, he saw a bridge. It offered an easy opportunity to get to the other side. He talked to himself again. “I’ll traverse the bridge. I’ll get to the other side. I’ll scrounge around. I’ll find a covert resting place for the bone. I’ll hide the bone. I’ll dig a deep hole. I’ll bury it there.” So, he got onto the bridge. He had the bone in his teeth. He clutched his mouth tightly. The bone would not fall out.

He took a few steps. Then he looked down. What in the world? He thought he saw a dog! He was not sure. It was walking. But how strange! It walked on the top of the water! He looked and looked. Yes! It WAS a big dog. And he had a bone in HIS mouth! Charlemagne stopped. The dog below stopped, too. The big dog then walked a bit. The water-dog did, too. Could the water-dog want HIS bone? The big dog put on a fierce look. He turned his head. He faced the water-dog.

The water-dog turned. They stared straight at each other! And the water-dog looked vicious. He looked as mean as the big dog! The big dog thought to himself. “This won’t do. I want HIS bone!” So, he opened his mouth wide. He planned to take the water dog’s bone. But guess what? There was no dog in the water. The big dog was seeing his own reflection. He was not smart. He should not have opened his mouth. The bone fell out! It went “splash” in the stream. And the water current was swift. It took the bone away forever!

Here’s the moral of this percipient tale. “It’s not wise to be greedy. You may lose everything!”

The Tortoise And The Hare
     
There once was a boastful Hare. All he did was brag. He did it endlessly. He was like a tureen full of braggadocio soup. And he just ladled it onto all of his acquaintances. He bragged. He crowed. He prated. He tooted his own horn. He sang his own praises. He blew his own trumpet. He blustered. He roistered.

What did he gasconade about the most? The gasbag would brag about how fast he was. This went on and on. The blatherskite told the other animals that he was fast. And he insulted them all. He vapored on about how SLOW they were! “You’re slowpokes! You’re sluggards! You’re dawdlers!”

But poor Tortoise! Hare was the meanest to him! He said things like this. “Tortoise! What a dull crawler you are! I feel sorry for you. You creep along like that. You stay close to the ground. You’re a creepy, crawly, groveling skulker! How long does it take you to cross the field? It must take you all day! Your fastest speed is a snail’s pace!”

Tortoise did not think Hare was funny. Not at all! “You may be fast,” he said. “But I’ll bet you something. I could beat you in a race.”

Hare guffawed. He uttered an ugly horselaugh. “Ha! Ha! Yuk! Yuk! You’re boffo! What a riotous witticism. That’s hilarious! You’re jocose today, Turtle-Man. You’re taunting me. You’re surely jesting. A race between you and me? It would not even be close!”

The tortoise replied to him. “Well, then. Let’s try. Let’s race to the foot of that big hill.”

Hare took Tortoise up on it. He said, “Sure thing! You’re on!”

All the animals congregated. They had to watch the race. They hated Hare. And they knew that only a miracle would give Tortoise a victory. But they had to offer Tortoise support. They’d cheer him on! He was a very likable fellow!

“Ready!” said Molerat.

“Set!” said Mockingbird.

“Go!” said Lynx.

Hare darted off. He rocketed far ahead. He was almost out of sight. Tortoise set off, too. He was slow. But he was steady. Hare got halfway there. He stopped. He looked back. Tortoise was WAY far back. Hare assumed that he could never catch up. “This is not much of a race,” snickered Hare.

Hare was overly cocksure at this point. He talked to himself. “I’ll indubitably slaughter Tortoise in this race!” So, he took a break. He scarfed down some carrots. He nibbled on some lettuce. He palavered with some birds.

Way back, Tortoise kept on. Slowly, but steadily, he plodded forward. And he showed no emotion at all. He just kept at it.

Hare looked back again. He was still way ahead. So, he laid down in a pumpkin patch. He closed his eyes. He pretended to go to sleep. He did not MEAN to go to sleep. He just wished to show Tortoise up. He wanted to rub it in. Not only could he win. He could take a nap and STILL win! But it was a sultry day. The sun and the breeze were soporific. Hare’s head drooped. In minutes, he’d sabotaged himself. He had, indeed, nodded off. He was fast asleep, now. He even began to snore.

While Hare napped, Tortoise galumphed along. Slow, but sure. Fifteen minutes went by. He crawled past Hare. Another fifteen minutes went by. Tortoise was now just a few feet from the finish! That’s when Hare woke up. He immediately became cognizant of what had transpired.

He panicked! He jumped up. He ran as fast as he could. And that WAS quite fast! But it was too late! The Hare got there in a flash. But Tortoise had snookered him. His nose had crossed the finish line. Tortoise showed Hare up! Tortoise won! He made a complete fool out of pompous Hare. Hare was now a laughing stock!

Here’s the maxim of this commonsensical tale. “Slow and steady wins the race.”

    
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

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

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

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

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

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

“He’s my pal.”

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

“He is the best!”

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

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

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

“Thank you!” says Kay’s mom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Brave or perhaps foolish!” says his mom.

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

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

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

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

“What club?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But what do the words say?”

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

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

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

“What’s up?” Kay asks.

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

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

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

“Did they do it?” asks Kay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kay shouts, “Yippee!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     
   
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

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

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

Kay says, “I liked that, too.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The what?” Kay asks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Goodness!” says Kay’s mom.

“Cool!” says Martez.

“Was this a shrine?” Kay’s mom asks.

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

“Were they Aztec shrines?” Martez asks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

   
     
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Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martez yells back, “It’s the best!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    
    
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Beatrix Potter Stories

The Tale Of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle – Part One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Is that my blouse?” asked Lucie.

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

    
     
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Beatrix Potter Stories

The Tale Of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle – Part Two

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    
        
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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 Green Fern Zoo – Part One

Meet Vern
   
My name is Vern, and I have the best job! My job is to take you kids in to see the Green Fern Zoo. We will see things with wings, and things with scales, things that bite, and things that sting, things that creep, and things that swim. I have lots of fun facts and tales to share with you. So let’s see the zoo and have some fun!

Things That Swim
   
I hope you kids like things that swim, because this is the room where we keep all the fish. The fish here are trout. A trout is a fish that swims in cool lakes and creeks. You can see that they have lots of spots and marks. The spots and marks help the trout hide. They make the trout look a lot like the sand on the bed of a creek.

Here’s a big fish that makes all of the wee fish run and hide. This is a reef shark. It has that name because it likes to make its home close to a reef, where there are lots of fish.

You can see that the reef shark has fins and a set of gills on its side. You can not see them from here, but this shark has lots of sharp teeth in its mouth. Would a reef shark bite you? Well, you are not the lunch that this shark would like best. A reef shark likes to feed on squid, crabs, and shrimp. But it would be smart not to get the reef shark mad at you, all the same!

Chimps
    
Next, let’s see the chimps. We have ten chimps here at the Green Fern Zoo. You can see them all out there if you look hard. The one you see here is Bess. She has a snack in her mouth. Bess and the rest of the chimps like to munch on plants, nuts, and seeds.

Do you see that chimp with the stick? That’s Bart. Bart likes to have ants for lunch. To get the ants, he takes a stick and sticks it in an ant hill. Then he lifts it up and licks off the ants. Yum, yum!

The chimp with the rope in his hand is Max. He’s just a babe. He was born in March. Bess is his mom. Max is a lot of fun. He likes to swing on the rope and splash in the pool.

The two chimps up on the rocks are Carl and Norm. Carl is the one on the left. Carl and Norm are pals. But they were not pals last week. Last week we gave them a branch from a fig tree for lunch. Norm took the branch and ran off with it. He ate all of the figs. Carl was mad at Norm all week. But that was last week. This week, the two of them are pals.

Mandrills
   
Here you can see two mandrills. Mandrills are a lot like chimps. Do you like the red nose? The mandrill with the red nose is a male. The mandrill on the left is grooming the male with the red nose. She is looking for ticks and bugs. Mandrills like grooming, because it makes them look good and feel good, too.

Look! One of the mandrills is yawning! You can see that he has long, sharp teeth. Those sharp teeth help him chop up his food. Mandrills like a lot of foods. We feed our mandrills ants, grass, nuts, bark, plant shoots, and roots.

Mandrills have sacks inside their cheeks. They can stuff food in the sacks and keep it there until they need a snack. Then they pop the food out and munch on it!

Things with Wings
    
Next, let’s see some things with wings. This is a puffin. He makes his home up north, not too far from the North Pole. Look at those cute feet! But they are not just cute. The puffin’s feet help him swim. Note, as well, his big bill. The puffin can use his bill to get fish.

Puffins are born from eggs. The puffin mom and dad sit on their egg. The mom sits. Then the dad sits. In the end, the chick pops out of the shell. The mom and dad take care of the chick until it can care for itself. Look! That puffin has fish in her bill! She will feed those fish to her chick.

In this next room, we have a finch. Unlike the puffin, the finch makes a home in woodlands. He can use his bill to snap up grass seeds for food. I’m sad to tell you that the finch is getting to be quite rare. We are proud to have five of them here at the Green Fern Zoo.

Big Cats
   
Do you like cats? If you do, look there in the grass. Do you see the cat? That is not the sort of cat that you keep in your home and feed cat food. That is a bobcat. Bobcats are good hunters. They hunt rabbits, rats, and sometimes deer and sheep. That bobcat’s name is Robert, or Bob for short. Get it?

If you look up on that rock, you will see a cat that’s bigger than a bobcat. It’s a panther. Panthers can have spots. They can be tan, too. Here at the Green Fern Zoo, we have two black panthers. The name of this one is Jet.

That’s Jet’s sister, Flash, up on the tree branch. Flash has strong legs that help her run fast. She has sharp teeth and sharp claws that help her hunt rabbits and deer. She can use her claws to scamper up a tree if she needs to. You can see that she is not all black like Jet. She has some spots.

   
     
*********
   
    

Core Knowledge (R) Independent Reading 

(Review guidelines for publishing Core Knowledge (R) materials at the bottom of this page-view.)
    
The Green Fern Zoo – Part Two

Groundhogs
    
Here you can see a groundhog. Groundhogs have sharp claws that help them dig holes in the ground. They spend a lot of time down in those dark holes.

Groundhogs like to feed on grass and plants. But when they run out of their holes to get food, they have to be on the lookout. Some critters, like bobcats and snakes, like to dine on groundhogs. This groundhog here is sitting up to see if there is a snake or a bobcat close by.

This groundhog is named Pepper. We feed her grass, tree bark, and insects, but the food that she likes best is corn. We found that out yesterday morning, when she got out from her pen. We found her in the petting zoo. She ate a lot of the corn that was there for the ducks and hens.

The Reptile Room
   
Who likes snakes? Hands up if you like them! Some kids like snakes best of all, and some kids can’t stand them. If you do not like snakes, you can skip this next room because it is the reptile room.

This is a garter snake. Garter snakes feed on slugs, insects, and frogs. For those critters, the garter snake is a killer. But for us, it is harmless. A garter snake could bite you, but its bite would not make you sick.

This is a rattler. He is a desert dweller that hunts for rats and rabbits. He has a pattern on his scales that helps him blend in and hide in the desert sands. When the rattler is hidden, it is hard for rats and rabbits to see him.

A rattler is not harmless like a garter snake. If you ever see this snake hissing and coiling up, you better stand back and let it be. The rattler has sharp fangs, and a bite from a rattler could kill you. But we are safe here in the reptile room. There is a sheet of glass keeping us safe from the snakes.

Termites
    
What do you kids like to have for lunch? Hot dogs? Chicken nuggets? What if I gave you a lump of wood, or a big tree stump, for lunch? Would you like that? Well, if you were a termite, you would like it. Termites are insects that like to munch on wood.

See this big spike sticking up from the ground? It looks sort of like a rock, but it is a termite mound. If you could look inside, you would see lots of termites.

If you would like to see what termites look like, take a peek in this box. As you can see, termites look a lot like ants. They have six legs like ants. A termite mound has a queen who makes eggs, just like in an anthill. Here you can see that the termite queen is much bigger than the rest of the termites.

Would a termite munch on your home? It would if your home is made of wood. The termites from a big mound could have your living room for lunch and your bedroom for dinner!

River Otters
    
Do you like to run and jump? Do you like to chase your pals? Do you like to splash in the pool in the summer? Do you like to slide down hills in the winter?

Well, if you like to do those things, you would make a good otter! You can see three of our river otters up on the rocks: Alex, Allen, and Agnes. That’s Alex up on top of Allen. The last one is Agnes.

Otters have short, strong legs with webbed paws and sharp claws. The webbing helps the otters swim fast and get their food. River otters hunt for fish, frogs, and crabs. When it is time for bed, the river otters scamper to their den. They have nests on land that are lined with grass, moss, and bark.

Cranes and Spoonbills
    
Here you can see two sandhill cranes. A sandhill crane has long legs, a dark, pointed bill, and a red spot next to its bill. Sandhill cranes are found in wetlands. They like to hunt for frogs, snakes, and insects.

Those are sandhill cranes, too. In fact, that’s a mom and a dad with their chicks. When sandhill cranes mate, they tilt their bills up and make hooting sounds. Then the mom and dad make a nest. The mom sits on the eggs for 4 weeks until the chicks are born.

That’s a spoonbill. He has that name because his bill is shaped like a spoon. The spoonbill wades in pools to get his food. He swings his bill back and forth. If he feels an insect swimming inside his bill, he snaps it shut.

When spoonbills mate, they make a nest. When the chicks are born, they can’t see. The mom and dad have to care for them until they can see.

The Ostrich
    
This is an ostrich. He is a big one. He tips the scales at close to two hundred pounds. An ostrich has wings that it can flap, but it can’t get off the ground. Still, an ostrich can run fast on land. It can run as fast as a car!

If it gets mad, an ostrich can kick you. My pal Fred, here at the zoo, got kicked by an ostrich. The ostrich broke Fred’s leg in three spots! Ouch!

Deer
   
Look there! Do you see the two deer in the woods? The one who is looking at us is named Hope. Hope was not born in this zoo. I found her by my home one morning after a storm. A tree fell on her and broke her leg. She could not stand up.

I drove her here and the vet fixed up her leg. We named her Hope and found a spot for her in the zoo. Today her leg is fine, and she is as strong as ever.

The Petting Zoo
    
Well, kids, the last thing that you all get to see is the petting zoo. You can’t pet the ostrich, the otters, or the spoonbills. And it would not be wise to pet the panther or the bobcat! But in this part of the zoo, you can pet all of the critters.

This rabbit’s name is Hoss. He likes it when you rub his neck. Here are two chickens. They like it when you toss them seed corn. You can pet the chickens, too. But sometimes they get scared. It’s best if you do not run up to them, because running scares them.

There’s Pam, our pet pig. You can pet her, too. Pam likes to be petted.

Well, kids, that’s it for me. I hope you had a good time at the zoo today. I had fun pointing out some of the critters that I like best. I hope some of you can visit with your moms and dads. There is so much to see here at the Green Fern Zoo. You could visit us five times and still see lots of cool things!

    
   
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Stories You’ve Never Heard Before

Snake On The Loose

Chapter One – The Escape 
    
Elle scampered down the hallway. It sounded like a stampede. She was out of breath. She found Sean. He was in front of their upstairs loft TV. She cried out. “Sean! Help!”

He glanced up. “What, Sis?”

She barked, “It’s Pete. I can’t find him!”

Sean scowled. “What do you mean? Your pet snake got out of his cage? No way.”

Elle looked guilty. “Well. I was playing with him. He slid out of my hands. Then he fled the room.”

Sean said, “You’re not to let him out of his cage in the house! You know that! Go catch him! He’s YOUR beast.”

Elle whined. “But I can’t find him. I’ve tried. I’ve tried HARD! I don’t know where else to look.”

Sean huffed, “Good grief. I’ll help. But I won’t touch his slimy, scaly hide.”

Elle laughed. “Thanks. But don’t be a scaredy cat. Pete’s safe to humans.”

Sean said, “Look. I can’t help it. Snakes are revolting. That’s all there is to it!”

Elle sighed. “Sean. Pete’s just a black snake. He couldn’t injure a flea.”  

Sean pushed back. “I know. But they’re noisome. We’d best find him fast. You don’t want Mom to get home first. You’d be in massive difficulty.”

Elle said, “Right! Let’s start searching. STAT!”

Sean entered the hall. He bellowed, “There he is!”

Pete was still. He was coiled up. He was smack in the middle of the long hall. He stuck his forked tongue out. Back and forth it went. He had a naughty look on his face. It was like, “I dare you!”

Sean said, “What a creep! I know his thoughts.”

Elle said, “Tell me. What’s he thinking?”

Sean replied, “He’s a rogue. He wants to say this. ‘Bet you can’t catch me, kids’!”

Chapter Two – The Plan
    
Sean nudged himself forward. But Pete darted away. He moved nimbly. Elle cried, “He’s heading to the guest room. Come on!”

Sean stayed still. “Elle! Stop a sec. We need a plan.”

Elle cocked her head. “A plan?”

Sean said, “Yeah. No one can come to our aid. It’s just you and me. It’s a test for our trusty brains. We have to master how to catch a snake. And we have to do it all on our own.”

Elle sputtered. “You mean, ‘think this through first’?”  

Sean nodded. “Of course. Perfect. Not, ‘ready, fire, aim.’ But, ‘ready, aim, fire.’ You can’t just launch into something. It’s like you said. You must think it through, first.” 

Elle smiled. “That’s good logic. All right. You’re the big brave elder brother. Show me the way. Be my mentor. TEACH ME! What should we do?”

Sean rolled his eyes. “Okay, my acolyte. We proceed slowly but surely. Let’s do a room-by-room search.”

Elle saluted. “Right! And we do this when we go to each room: we shut all the doors. If he’s there, he can’t get out. Cornered!” 

Sean grinned. “Now you’re thinking. Superb job!”

Elle went on. “And we do this when we’re done with a room: we shut the doors when we exit.”

Sean said, “Exactly. That way, the sneak can’t get back in. We’ll have covered our backs. The goal is rudimentary. We block off all escape routes. Then he’s ours. We’ll own him!”

Just then, Elle yelled out. “Look! He’s gone into Mom and Dad’s bedroom.”

Sean moaned. “That’s NOT promising news. That’s the LAST room we want him in. Quick, then. You know what to do. Sprint on in. I’m right on your heels.”

The kids skittered to their parents’ bedroom. Elle slammed the door once they were in. 

Sean barked, “Bathroom first! I wager he’ll try for the toilet.” 

Elle said, “Sean! Pete couldn’t climb up into the toilet.” 

Sean howled with laughter. “Duh! Just a joke.” They crowded into the bathroom. They shut the door behind them. 

Elle said, “Maybe Pete’s in the tub, taking a bath.” Now they both started to chortle. The chase had actually become kind of fun.

Sean called out, “Here, snakey, snakey!”
  
Elle giggled. “We have more smarts than you do. We’re gonna get you!”

Chapter Three – Fifty Bucks
   
Sean said, “Okay, Elle. We’ve perused every crack and corner. We’ve been quite thorough. No Pete, yet. He’s not in the bathroom.”

Elle said, “Let’s slither on to the bedroom, then.”

“Very witty,” replied Sean. “So funny I forgot to laugh.”

The two kids entered the bedroom. Elle closed the bathroom door. Then she asked, “Where would a snake conceal itself?”

Sean said, “That’s an astute inquiry. I bet he’s behind, or under, something.” 

Elle rejoined, “Like a sweater box under the bed. That’s where the best monsters withdraw to. They’re under the kid’s bed. All the time.” 

Sean fired back, “Or behind the curtains. Somewhere in the long shadows.”

It was only a week till Halloween. Elle was in the trick-or-treat spirit. She became a bit goofy. She put on her scariest voice. “ROOBY–ROO!” Sean flinched. “They were shrouded by the elongated shadows of the pyramid. The snake hunters could barely see. They didn’t know that the mummy was just behind them. It started to raise its bandaged arms. It crouched down to bound towards them.”

Sean got goosepimply. He pouted, “That makes me uptight, Elle! So, now YOU look under the bed. Not me! But first, let’s take a gander at any area that’s open.” Sean circled the room. He looked under the desk. He peeked beneath each chair. No sign of Pete. “Elle? Can you check under the dresser?”

Elle laid down on the floor. A couple of seconds passed. She said, “Nothing. But wait. There’s something under here.” She stretched her arm back to the wall. “Whoa!”

Sean asked, “What is it?”

Elle stared at her newfound treasure. She piped up. “Cool. It’s a fifty-dollar bill. Hot dog! Finders keepers, losers weepers. I’m rich! I’m wealthy!”

Sean pushed back. “No way! That’s not YOUR money.”

Elle whined, “Not fair. I found it.”

Sean said, “Elle. Look at yourself in the mirror. Don’t you care about being honest? You didn’t earn it. You didn’t work for it. You didn’t get it as a gift. Ya’ know what they do in my friend Tom’s family? They might find money, like in a parking lot. They give it to charity. They know it’s not theirs. So they put it to proper use. Deal with it, Sis. That’s Mom’s and Dad’s money. And you know it!”

Elle hissed at Sean. “I bet they don’t know that it’s lost. They won’t miss it.”

Sean held his ground. “Elle. That’s obviously crazy. It’s theirs. It’s not yours, PERIOD. Now let’s get back to the problem at-hand. Let’s snag a snake!”

Elle gave in. “Oh, all right. Here. Give it to them.” She handed Sean the fifty bucks.

Sean said, “I’ll hold on to it. But we’ll both give it to them. And I mean at the same time. That way, you can’t accuse me of keeping it for myself.”

Elle said, “Okay. But now I’m crestfallen. Let’s get back to the hunt. That way, I can take my mind off of the money. It was almost mine. I was like Gollum, in Lord Of The Rings. ‘MY PRECIOUS! MY PRECIOUS!’ So close! Yet so far!” Sean gave Elle a stern look. Elle refocused on the hunt. “Now, you’re such a coward about the shadows, Mr. Namby–Pamby! So, I’LL check beneath the bed.”

“Just do it, Smeagol!” quipped Sean. They were both big Lord Of The Rings fans.

Elle knelt down. She lifted the bedspread. “I’ll pull out one box at a time. He’s not behind this one. Not behind that one. Oh! There you are, Pete! You furtive sneak!”

Sean asked, “You see him?”

Elle was about to confirm her sighting. But then, without warning, Pete turned away from her. He scooted out the opposite side of the bed. He went between Sean’s legs. Sean screamed, “Ha! You’re boxed in, you creepy-crawly reptile.” 

Sean mulled over their scheme. They SHOULD be fine. The closed bedroom door would wall Pete in. But as Sean turned around, Elle heard him yip. “Yikes! Elle! I heard you slam the door when we came in here. But the door didn’t latch. There’s a crack in it. Pete just got back out to the hall. All he needed was a one-inch opening.”

Elle responded, “Well, at least he’s stuck upstairs. And now we have two rooms closed off.”

Sean wasn’t so assured. He demanded, “Explain, ‘he’s stuck upstairs’.”

Elle answered him. “Well, surely, snakes can’t go down, stair-by-stair, can they? CAN THEY, SEAN? Uh-Oh!”

Chapter Four – Snake Food?
   
Elle screeched! “Move fast, Sean. After him!” She was getting up from the floor. She crawled over her parents’ bed. She leapt onto the floor running. She poked her head around the bedroom door. She immediately witnessed more bad luck. 

Pete was nearing the top of the stairs. Sean dove towards him. “Ouch!” he yelled. He hit the wood floor hard. He slid a few inches. His hand reached for Pete. But he just couldn’t grasp him.

Elle leapfrogged over Sean. She went after Pete, now. But it was too late. The two siblings stared at each other. They were in deep trouble. Pete the snake COULD go down the stairs, after all.

They surveyed the stage before them, both furious. They were mired in a state of disbelief. Pete wriggled down to the first floor. How he did it wasn’t pretty. But he DID make it down. They heard, “Clump, clump, clump.” Pete landed at the bottom. He whisked himself around the corner. They couldn’t see him anymore.

Elle breathed in deeply. She then exhaled. “Well, you BOTH looked goofy there. But I’ll give you some credit. ‘Sir Sean, the steadfast and true!’ It was doughty how you lunged after him. That was a valiant attempt. But you weren’t graceful at all. You looked like a newborn deer, trying to walk.”

Then, Elle looked downstairs. There was their empty front hall. She yelled down the stairs. “And Pete?! You looked like a giant ‘Gummy-Snake’. You were bouncing around, all over the place. You sounded like Santa’s reindeer, prancing on the roof.”

Both kids were silent. They calmed down. Sean offered this comment. “Hey? You know what? It’s a shame that Pete’s not a mouse.”

Elle asked, “Why would you think that?” 

Sean said, “Well, we’d put cheese out. Mice love cheese. Put some out, and they’re easy to catch in a trap. What foods might Pete like?” 

Elle became sarcastic. “Let’s see. A lettuce and onion salad?” She paused. “With some celery and bacon bits? And a glass of orange juice?” She thought some more. “And maybe some blueberry pie? Yeah! With vanilla ice cream.”

Sean groaned, “So humorous of you.” 

Elle lashed back. “Well, that was dumb. You can’t entrap a snake with food. C’mon, Sean. Get serious! What’s the new plan?” 

Sean said, “Of course. Right. We’ve got to catch Pete, pronto. We’ll have to …” And then they heard a pulsating chime. It was Sean’s cell phone!

Elle freaked. She became unhinged! She screamed, “Who is it? Is it Mom? Is it Dad?”

Sean was sweating. He looked at the phone’s display. He recognized the caller. “Oh, great. Just what we were afraid of. Mom.” Elle gasped. She threw her hands to her head. Sean answered the phone. He tried to level his voice. He tried to be nonchalant. Slowly, he drawled, “Oh, hi Mom. What’s up?”

Her answer couldn’t have been worse! “Hi, Sean. I left work early. I’m about two minutes from the house. I was lazy this morning. The trash bins are still blocking my spot in the garage. Can you move them? Then I won’t have to get out of the car.”

Sean winced. “Oh, sure Mom. No problem. See you in a bit!”

Then Elle saw Pete. He skirted into the kitchen. A light bulb went off in her head. She cried, “EUREKA! Sean! Take care of the trash bins. I’ve got Pete.” Sean couldn’t utter a response. Elle darted past him too quickly. She stumbled into the kitchen. She slammed the door behind her.

Their Mom was in the house a few minutes later. Sean was shocked by Elle’s calm demeanor. She was utterly composed! She was calm, cool, and collected. She looked as guilt-free as the previously–flustered kids at the very end of The Cat In The Hat. It was as if there’d been no stress in the household, at all. Sean tried to talk to her. Elle nodded her head, “NO!” She held her fingers to her lips. Her lips puckered. She meant, “SHH!”

Their Mom went up to change clothes. Elle whispered, “Follow me!” They both went out to the back yard. They needed privacy for their conversation.

Sean queried, “What’s the deal? How can you be so placid? Where’s Pete?”

Elle provided the rundown of what had transpired. “A thought came to me. I realized this. If I could close the hall door to the kitchen, Pete was trapped. So, I shut it. This time, I made sure it latched! Now, I knew I couldn’t catch him. He’s like The Flash. Way too quick for me. I envisioned this: Mom would come in. I’d still be on the chase. NOT GOOD! So, it was sacrifice time. I had to let Pete go.”

Sean asked, “What do you mean?!”

Elle explained. “The back door. It was a no-brainer. I opened the back door! I grabbed a broom. I banged it on the floor. Pete freaked. I herded him toward the door. I corralled him. He saw his exit. Out he went. Pete’s gone. He’s never to be seen again.”

Sean said, “Well, you’re holding up well. I’m amazed there’s no weepy drama here. You don’t look like you’ll even cry. Surely, you’ll miss him. But I won’t!”

Elle smiled. “Look! I’ll find a new black snake. They’re a dime a dozen! Pete’s easily replaced. And I’ll have fond memories.”

Sean responded with surprise. He said, “Wow! You’re a brave trooper! And what you did was brilliant. You’d never have a snake in the house again, if Mom had seen you chasing Pete INside! So, you’ll get a new black snake. No harm! No foul! Great plan. What will you name it?”

Elle became pensive. She pondered things for a moment. Then her eyes brightened. She furrowed her forehead and eyebrows. She looked like Mr. Spock, on Star Trek. “Hmm! Fascinating! How about, ‘Elvis‘?”

Sean grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “Now that’s a rockin‘ good name! Fantastic choice, my courageous snake-handling sister!”

*********
       
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