..............................................ANDROCLUS AND THE LION.........................................
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man and so unkind to him that Androclus ran away. He hid himself in the woods for many days, but there was no food to be found, and he grew weak and sick. One day he crept into a cave and lay down and soon he was fast asleep. After a while, a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the cave and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very much afraid because he felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw that the lion was not angry, but that he limped as though his foot hurt him. Then Androclus grew so bold that he took hold of the lion's lame paw to see what was wrong. The lion stood quite still and rubbed his head against the man's shoulder. He seemed to say,— "I know that you will help me." Androclus lifted the paw from the ground and saw that it was a long, sharp thorn that was hurting the lion a lot. He took the end of the thorn in his fingers, then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came. The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog and licked the hands and feet of his new friend. Androclus was not at all afraid after this, and, when night came, he and the lion lay down and slept side by side. For a long time, the lion brought food to Androclus every day, and the two became such good friends that Androclus was very happy in his new life. One day some soldiers who were passing through the wood found Androclus in the cave. They knew who he was and so took him back to Rome. It was the law at that time that every slave who ran away from his master should be made to fight a hungry lion. So a fierce lion was shut up for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight. When the day came, thousands of people crowded to see the sport, just like people nowadays go to see a circus or a game of baseball.
The door opened, and poor Androclus was brought in. He was very afraid because he could already hear the roars of the lion. He looked up and saw that there was no pity in the thousands of faces around him. Then the hungry lion rushed in. With a single bound he reached the poor slave. Androclus gave a great cry, not of fear, but of gladness. It was his old friend, the lion of the cave. The people, who had expected to see the man killed by the lion, were filled with wonder. They saw Androclus put his arms around the lion's neck; they saw the lion lie down at his feet and lick them lovingly; they saw the great beast rub his head against the slave's face as though he wanted to be petted. They could not understand what it all meant. After a while they asked Androclus to tell them about it. So he stood up before them and, with his arm around the lion's neck, told how he and the beast had lived together in the cave. "I am a man," he said, "but no man has ever befriended me. This poor lion alone has been kind to me, and we love each other as brothers." The people were good enough that they would not be cruel to the poor slave now. "Live and be free!" they cried. "Live and be free!" Others cried, "Let the lion go free too! Give both of them their liberty!" And so Androclus was set free, and the lion was given to him for his own. They lived together in Rome for many years.
1. Why did Androclus help the lion in the cave?
2. What law says that Androclus must fight a lion?
3. Why do you think the crowd wants Androclus and the lion to be free?
4. What do you think this story is trying to teach you?
THE WOLF.
A boy named John was once taking care of some sheep not far from a forest. Nearby was a village, and he was told to call for help if there was any danger. One day, in order to have some fun, he cried out with all his might, "The wolf is coming! The wolf is coming!" The men came running with clubs and axes to save the boy from the wolf. As they saw nothing, they went home again and left John laughing in his sleeve. Because he had had so much fun, John cried out again the next day, "The wolf! The wolf!" The men came again, but not as many as the first time. Again they saw no trace of the wolf, so they shook their heads and went back. On the third day, the wolf came in earnest. John cried in dismay, "Help! Help! The wolf! The wolf!" But not a single man came to help him. The wolf broke into the flock and killed a great many sheep. Among them was a beautiful lamb that belonged to John. Then he felt very sorry that he had deceived his friends and neighbors, and he grieved over the loss of his pet lamb. The truth itself is not believed, from one who often has deceived.
Answer these Questions Now!!!
1. Why does the boy shout, “The wolf is coming?”
2. Why will no one help the boy when the wolf comes?
3. What do you think the boy learned by the end of the story?
4. What do the people’s actions tell you about how they feel about wolves?
SUSIE AND ROVER.
"Mamma," said Susie Dean one summer's morning, "may I go to the woods and pick berries?" "Yes," replied Mrs. Dean, "but you must take Rover with you." Susie brought her little basket, and her mother packed a nice lunch for her. She tied down the cover and fastened a tin cup to it. The little girl called Rover—a great Newfoundland dog—and gave him a tin pail to carry. "If I bring it home full, mamma," she said, "won't you make some berry cakes for tea?" Away she tripped, singing as she went down the lane and across the pasture. When she got to the woods, she put her lunch basket down beside a tree and began to pick berries.
Rover ran about, chasing a squirrel or a rabbit now and then, but never straying far from Susie. The tin pail was not a very small one. By the time it was two thirds full, Susie began to feel hungry and thought she would eat her lunch. Rover came and took his place at her side as soon as she began to eat. Did she give him some of the lunch? No, she was in a selfish mood and did no such thing. "There, Rover, run away! There's a good dog," she said, but Rover stayed near her, watching her steadily with his clear brown eyes. The meat he wanted so much was soon eaten up, and all he got of the nice lunch was a small crust of gingerbread that Susie threw away.
After lunch, Susie played for a while by the brook. She threw sticks into the water, and Rover swam in and brought them back. Then she began to pick berries again. She did not enjoy the afternoon as she did the morning. The sunshine was as bright, the berries were as sweet and plentiful, and she was neither tired nor hungry. But good, faithful Rover was hungry, and she had not given him even one piece of meat. She tried to forget how selfish she had been, but she could not do so, and quite early she started for home.
When she was nearly out of the woods, a rustling in the underbrush attracted her attention. "I wonder if that is a bird or a squirrel," she said to herself. "If I can catch it, how glad I will be!" She tried to make her way quietly through the underbrush, but she was terrified when she saw a large snake coiled up before her prepared for a spring! She was frightened so much that she could not move, but brave Rover saw the snake, and, springing forward, seized it by the neck and killed it. When the faithful dog came and rubbed his head against her hand, Susie put her arms around his neck, and burst into tears. "O Rover," she cried, "you dear, good dog! How sorry I am that I was so selfish!" Rover understood the tone of her voice, if he did not understand her words, and capered about in great glee, barking all the time. You may be sure that he had a plentiful supper that evening.
Susie never forgot the lesson of that day. She soon learned to be on her guard against a selfish spirit and became a happier and more lovable little girl.
Answer the following:-
1. What does Rover do to show that he is “faithful?”
2. What does it mean that Rover capered at the end?
3. Why do you think Susie has trouble enjoying the afternoon after she eats lunch?
4. What do you think would
HUMMING BIRDS
The most beautiful humming birds are found in the West Indies and South America. The crest of the tiny head of one of these shines like a sparkling crown of colored light. The shades of color that adorn its breast are equally brilliant. As the bird flits from one object to another, it looks more like a bright flash of sunlight than it does like a living being. But, you ask, why are they called humming birds? It is because they make a soft, humming noise by the rapid motion of their wings—a motion so rapid, that as they fly, you can hardly see that they have wings. One day when walking in the woods, I found the nest of one of the smallest humming birds. It was about half the size of a very small hen's egg, and it was attached to a twig no thicker than a steel knitting needle. It seemed to have been made of cotton fibers and was covered with the softest bits of leaf and bark. It had two eggs in it, and each was about as large as a small sugarplum. When you approach the spot where one of these birds has built its nest, it is necessary to be careful. The mother bird will dart at you and try to peck your eyes. Its sharp beak may hurt your eyes most severely, and even destroy your sight. The poor little thing knows no other way of defending its young, and instinct teaches it that you might carry off its nest if you find it.
Answer the following:-
1. Why does the author say the hummingbird looks like a “bright flash of sunlight?”
2. Why do you think it is hard to find a hummingbird’s nest?
3. What might happen if you try to take the nest of a hummingbird?
4. How do you think the author feels about hummingbirds?
I WILL THINK OF IT.
"I will think of it." It is easy to say this, but do you know what great things have come from thinking? We cannot see our thoughts, or hear, or taste, or feel them, and yet what mighty power they have! Sir Isaac Newton was seated in his garden on a summer's evening when he saw an apple fall from a tree. He began to think, and, in trying to find out why the apple fell, discovered how the earth, sun, moon, and stars are kept in their places. A boy named James Watt sat quietly by the fireside watching the lid of the tea kettle as it moved up and down. He began to think; he wanted to find out why the steam in the kettle moved the heavy lid. From that time, he went on thinking and thinking, and when he became a man, he improved the steam engine so much that it could do the work of many horses with the greatest ease. When you see a steamboat, a steam mill or a locomotive, remember that it would never have been built if it had not been for the hard thinking of someone. A man named Galileo was once standing in the cathedral of Pisa when he saw a chandelier swaying to and fro. This set him thinking, and it led to the invention of the pendulum. James Ferguson was a poor Scotch shepherd boy. Once, seeing the inside of a watch, he was filled with wonder. "I should make a watch," he thought. But how was he to get the materials to make the wheels and the mainspring? He soon found out how to get them. He made the mainspring out of a piece of whalebone. He then made a wooden clock which kept good time. He began, also, to copy pictures with a pen and portraits with oil colors. In a few years, while still a small boy, he earned enough money to support his father. When he became a man, he went to London to live. Some of the wisest men in England, and the king himself, used to attend his lectures. His motto was, "I will think of it," and he made his thoughts useful to himself and the world. When you have a difficult lesson to learn, don't feel discouraged, and ask someone to help you before helping yourselves. Think; and by thinking you will learn how to think to some purpose.
1. Which best describes James Ferguson?
a. Rich
b. Gives up easily
c. Clumsy d. Curious
2. What is the passage trying to teach you?
a. Thoughts are not important since we can see or touch them.
b. It is important to try a challenge on your own.
c. Ask for help right away when things get hard.
d. Great people have great teachers.
3. Which idea from the passage is an opinion?
a. Isaac Newton discovered how the earth, sun, moon, and stars are kept in their places.
b. It is easy to say, “I will think of this.”
c. The king attended the lectures of James Ferguson.
d. James Watt improved the steam engine.
4. How do you think the author feels about the people he describes?
a. Bored
b. Sad
c. Confused
d. Impressed
************************GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET*******************************
When George Washington was quite a little boy, his father gave him a hatchet. It was bright and new, and George took great delight in going around and chopping things with it. He ran into the garden, and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to him, "Come and cut me down!" George had often seen his father's men chop down the great trees in the forest, and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this tree fall with a crash to the ground. So he set to work with his little hatchet, and, as the tree was a very small one, it did not take long to come down. Soon after that, his father came home. "Who has been cutting my fine young cherry tree?" he cried. "It was the only tree of its kind in this country, and it cost me a great deal of money." He was very angry when he came into the house. "If I only knew who cut down that cherry tree," he cried, "I would—yes, I would"— "Father!" cried little George. "I will tell you the truth about it. I chopped the tree down with my hatchet." His father forgot his anger. "George," he said, and he took the little fellow in his arms, "George, I am glad that you told me about it. I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than hear you tell one lie."
Questions: 1.
What kind of hatchet did George’s dad give him?
a. Red
b. New
c. Rusty
d. Pretend
2. Why didn’t it take long for George to cut down the tree?
a. George had a friend help him
b. The tree was already dead
c. George had a huge axe
d. The tree was very small
3. You can tell from the story that
a. George is honest
b. George’s father is very poor
c. George loves to be inside
d. George’s mother is a great baker
4. How might George’s father have gotten the cherry tree?
a. He found it in the woods
b. George gave it to him for his birthday
c. It grew from a magic seed
d. It was purchased from a friend from another county
********************RAY AND HIS KITE.*******************
Ray was thought to be an odd boy. You will think so too when you have read this story. Ray liked to play with the boys at school well enough; but he liked to be alone under the shade of some tree reading a fairy tale or dreaming daydreams better. But there was one activity that he liked as well as his companions; that was flying a kite. One day when he was flying his kite, he said to himself, "I wonder if anybody ever tried to fly a kite at night. It seems to me it would be nice. But then, if it were very dark, the kite could not be seen. What if I should fasten a light to it, though? That would make it show. I'll try it this very night." As soon as it was dark, without saying a word to anybody, he took his kite and lantern and went to a large, open lot about a quarter of a mile from his home. "Well," thought he, "this is strange. How lonely and still it seems without any other boys around! But I am going to fly my kite anyway." So he tied the lantern, which was made of tin punched full of small holes, to the tail of his kite. Then he pitched the kite, and, after several attempts, succeeded in making it rise. Up it went, higher and higher, as Ray let out the string. When the string was all unwound, he tied it to a fence, and then he stood and gazed at his kite as it floated high up in the air. While Ray was enjoying his sport, some people who were out on the street in the village saw a strange light in the sky. They gathered in groups to watch it. Now it was still for a few seconds; then it seemed to be jumping up and down; then it made long sweeps back and forth through the air. "What can it be?" asked one person. "How strange." said another. "It cannot be a comet because comets have tails," said a third. "Perhaps it's a big firefly," said another. At last some of the men decided to find out what this strange light was—whether it was a hobgoblin dancing in the air, or something dropped from the sky. So off they started to get as close to it as they could.
While this was taking place, Ray, who had gotten tired of standing, was seated in a fence corner behind a tree. He could see the men as they approached, but they did not see him. When they were directly under the light, and saw what it was, they looked at each other and said while laughing, "This is some boy's trick, and it has fooled us nicely. Let us keep the secret and have our share of the joke." Then they laughed again and went back to the village; and some of the people there had not yet found out what that strange light was. When the men had gone, Ray thought it was time for him to go, so he wound up his string, picked up his kite and lantern, and went home. His mother had been wondering what had become of him. When she heard what he had been doing, she hardly knew whether to laugh or scold, but I think she laughed and told him that it was time for him to go to bed.
Questions
1. How is Ray able to fly his kite at night?
2. What do some of the people think Ray’s kite is when they see it?
3. Why do you think the men watching the kite didn’t go and tell the rest of the villagers about it?
4. How might people’s feelings about Ray change by the end of the story?
THE MERCHANT'S CARAVAN
Once there was a merchant who had fine silks and rugs to sell. He wished to send his goods to a country on the other side of the sandy desert. The merchant owned a large caravan of camels, and he employed many men. Camels were the only animals strong enough to travel over the desert with the heavy loads. For many days, Abdul the merchant and his men had been preparing for the journey. The canvas tents and the poles were placed upon one camel. Great leather bottles of water were loaded upon another camel. Firewood and bags of rice and barley meal were placed upon still another. It required many camels to carry the merchant's goods. At last the caravan was ready for the journey. The sun shone steadily, making the sand so hot that no one could walk upon it in the daytime. But at night both men and camels could travel easily.
So Abdul the merchant said to the men, "Be ready to start after sunset tonight. Give the camels plenty of water to drink, and feed them well because we will have a long, hard journey." Abdul and his men traveled all that night. One man was the pilot. He rode ahead because he knew the stars, and he could guide the caravan by them. At daybreak they stopped. They spread the canvas tents and fed the camels. They built fires, cooked the rice, and made cakes of the barley meal.
During the day, the men rested in the shade of the tents. After the evening meal, the caravan started again on its way. They had traveled like this for three long, silent nights. Early on the third morning, the camels raised their heads, stretched their nostrils, and hastened eagerly forward. The pilot cried, "The camels smell water and grass. An oasis is near!"
Before long they could see palm trees with their spreading leaves waving in the soft breeze. Joyfully they rested during the day. The camels drank freely from the cool spring. The men filled the great leather bottles with fresh water. In the evening, refreshed and happy, the men continued the journey. So they traveled night after night, resting during the heat of the day. At last, one morning the pilot said, "We shall soon reach the end of our journey." The men were very glad to hear this because they were weary, and the camels needed rest. After supper that night Abdul said, "Throw away the firewood and most of the water. It will lighten the burden on the camels. By tomorrow we shall reach the city." When the caravan started that evening, the pilot led the way as usual, but after a while, weary with many nights of watching, he fell asleep. All night long the caravan traveled.
At daybreak the pilot awoke and looked at the last star fading in the morning light. "Halt!" he called. "The camels must have turned while I slept. We are at the place from which we started yesterday." There was no water to drink. There was no firewood to cook the food. The men spread the tents and lay down under them saying, "The wood and the water are gone. We are lost!" But Abdul said to himself, "This is no time to rest. I must find water. If I give way to despair, all will be lost." Then Abdul started away from the tent watching the ground closely. He walked and walked. At last he saw a tuft of grass. "There must be water somewhere under the sand, or this grass would not be here," thought the merchant. He ran back to the tent shouting and calling, "Bring an ax and a spade. Come quickly!"
The men jumped up and ran with the merchant to the place where the grass was growing. They began to dig in the sand, and soon they struck a rock. Abdul jumped down into the hole and put his ear close to the rock. "Water! Water!" he cried. "I hear water running under this great rock. We must not despair!" Then, raising his ax above his head, he struck a heavy blow. Again and again he struck the rock. At last the rock broke and a stream of water, clear as crystal, filled the hole almost before the merchant could jump out of it. A shout of joy burst from the lips of the men. They drank the water eagerly, and afterwards led the camels to the spring. Then they set up a pole and fastened a flag to it so that other traders might find the well. In the evening, the men again started on their journey, and they reached the city the very next day.
Questions: 1. Why did the caravan travel at night?
2. Why did they throw away the firewood and water?
3. How did the tuft of grass let Abdul know there was water nearby?
4. What can Abdul’s actions teach us?
**************************THE FOX AND THE LITTLE RED HEN********************************
Once upon a time there was a little red hen. She lived in a little white house, and she had a little green garden. Every day she worked in the house and garden. Near her home lived a family of foxes. One day Mamma Fox said to Papa Fox, “I want a fat hen to eat.” There was nothing in the pantry for the baby foxes, so Papa Fox started out to find something for them all. He ran down the road until he came to the woods. “Surely I will find something here,” he said, but he found nothing to eat in the woods. As he came near the little green garden he said, “Oh, I smell fresh cake. Oh, I smell a little red hen.” Sure enough, there was the Little Red Hen eating her cake. Papa Fox snuck up quiety behind her and grabbed her and put her into the bag on his back; then he ran quickly off down the hill toward his home. The Little Red Hen was so frightened that she could only whisper, “Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.” Just then she had to sneeze, and when she put her claw into her pocket for her handkerchief, she felt her little scissors. Quick as a flash she took them out and cut a little hole in the bag. Peeping out she saw a great hill just ahead, all covered with stones. As Papa Fox stopped to rest on his way up the hill, with his back turned toward her, she cut a big hole in the bag, jumped out and quickly put a big stone in the bag in her place. As Papa Fox kept on up the hill, he thought the bag was pretty heavy, but he said, “Never mind, she is a fat little red hen.” Mamma Fox met him at the front door with all the baby foxes. “The water is boiling,” said she. “What have you in your bag?” asked the Baby Foxes. “A fat, little, red hen,” said Papa Fox.
As he held the bag over the pot, he said to Mamma Fox, “When I drop her in, you clap on the lid.” So he opened the bag. Splash! went the boiling water. It spilled all over Papa Fox and Mamma Fox and the Baby Foxes. Never again did they try to catch the Little Red Hen.
Questions: 1. What was the little red hen’s house like?
2. Why didn’t the fox know the hen escaped?
3. What do the hen’s actions tell us about her as a character?
4. Why do you think the foxes left the Little Red Hen alone in the future?
THE FISHHAWK.
The fishhawk, or osprey, is not as large as the eagle, but he has a hooked bill and sharp claws like the eagle. His is a dark brown in color with black and white spots, and he is from twenty to twenty-two inches long. His breast is mostly white. His tail and wings are long. The fishhawk is often found sitting upon a tree over a pond, lake, or river. He is also found by the seaside. He watches the fish as they swim in the water beneath him, and then he darts down suddenly and catches one of them. When he catches a fish in his sharp, rough claws, he carries it off to eat, and, as he flies away with it for his dinner, an eagle sometimes meets him. The eagle flies at him fiercely with his sharp bill and claws and compels the hawk to drop the fish. Then the eagle catches the fish as it falls and carries it off. The poor fish hawk, with a loud cry, timidly flies away. He must go again to the water and catch another fish for his dinner. So you see that the eagle is a robber. He robs fishhawks, whose only mode of getting a living is by catching fish.
Answer these Questions:-
1. Where do fishhawks live?
2. Why does the fishhawk let the eagle take its fish?
3. How are fishhawks and eagles alike?
4. Why do you think fishhawks live where they do?