Language Through Literature: Captivating Tales by Teacher Superstore

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Acknowledgements i. Clip art images have been obtained from Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used under the terms of the End User License Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/permission.

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o c . che e r o t r s super Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6024 www.readyed.com.au info@readyed.com.au

ISBN: 978 1 86397 406 6 Page 2

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Reproduction and Communication by others

Contents Teachers’ Notes

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6 7 8 9

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Activity 1 Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Activity 2 Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Activity 3 Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Activity 4

10 11 12 13 14

The Jar of Olives Activity 2 The Jar of Olives Activity 3

17 18

The Buddha Confronts Old Age The Buddha Confronts Old Age Activity 1 The Buddha Confronts Old Age Activity 2 The Buddha Confronts Old Age Activity 3 The Buddha Confronts Old Age Activity 4

19 20 21 22 23

29-30 31 32 33 34

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Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor Activity 1 Sinbad the Sailor Activity 2 Sinbad the Sailor Activity 3

Urashima the Fisherman Urashima the Fisherman Activity 1 Urashima the Fisherman Activity 2 Urashima the Fisherman Activity 3 Urashima the Fisherman Activity 4

Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man 35-36 Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man Activity 1 37 Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man Activity 2 38 Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man Activity 3 39

The City of Gold 40-41 © ReadyEdP u b l i c a t i o n s The City of Gold Activity 1 42 The City of Gold Activity 2 43 The Jar of Olives 15 • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s e s o n l y • The City of Gold Activity 3 44 The Jar of Olives Activity 1 16

The Land of Shadows The Land of Shadows Activity 1 The Land of Shadows Activity 2

50-51 52 53

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Gautama Buddha and the Swan 24-25 Gautama Buddha and the Swan Activity 1 26 Gautama Buddha and the Swan Activity 2 27 Gautama Buddha and the Swan Activity 3 28

45-46 47 48

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The Jewelled Sandal The Jewelled Sandal Activity 1 The Jewelled Sandal Activity 2

Answers

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Teachers’ Notes This language book, ‘Captivating Tales', together with the accompanying worksheets, has been designed to assist teachers with the current focus on utilising Student Outcome Statements in their teaching of language concepts. The aim is to develop Speaking, Listening, Viewing and Reading with ‘purpose, understanding and critical awareness’ and Writing ‘for a range of purposes using appropriate forms and conventions’.

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• Developing Speaking and Listening skills through role-play. • Reading for pleasure.

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The stories themselves will be a source of great enjoyment to the children and could, through a thematic approach, be used to cover other areas of the school curriculum A few suggestions are:

• Children’s viewpoints on moral values related to social behaviour.

•

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Outcome Statements

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• Research based on ‘What children would like to find out’.

Outcome statements have been included on the bottom of each activity page, so that teachers can link the activities with required outcomes as set down in relevant syllabus documents and curriculum frameworks.

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Definitions of Grammatical Terms The words in the English language are classified as parts of speech and are named according to the work they do. There are eight parts of speech: Nouns – words which are the names of persons, animals, places or things. The four kinds of nouns are: common, proper, collective, abstract.

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Verbs - ‘doing’ words or words which show action. Pronouns – words which take the place of nouns.

Adverbs – words that modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

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Adjectives – words that describe nouns or pronouns.

Prepositions – the first word of a phrase, showing the relation between one thing and another. Conjunctions – ‘joining words’. Interjections, also called exclamations – words that express strong feelings. • A sentence that states a fact is called a statement. A statement begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.

• A sentence can be divided into two parts called the subject and predicate. -The subject is the person or thing being talked about. -The predicate states what is being said about the person or thing. -The verb is always found in the predicate.

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• A sentence that expresses strong feelings is called an exclamatory sentence. It begins with a capital and ends with an exclamation mark. • Sentences can be simple or complex.

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• Sentences can be made interesting by adding phrases and/or clauses.

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• Phrases and clauses can be adjectival or adverbial. • A phrase is a small group of words which begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. • A clause is a group of words which begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun.

• Punctuation marks include: Full stops Capital letters Question marks Exclamation marks Commas Apostrophes Quotation marks Colons Semicolons Hyphens Dashes

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• A sentence that asks a question is called a question sentence. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a question mark.

• Homophones are words that sound alike, but are spelt differently and have different meanings, e.g. made/maid. • Homonyms are words that sound alike and have the same spelling, but have different meanings, e.g. hold (to grasp and keep); hold (part in ship or plane for cargo).

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(Arabia)

• Captivating Tales •

Sinbad the Sailor

narrow valley. The ground was full of stones. I picked one up and to my great surprise, I was holding a magnificent diamond. Then I heard a terrible hissing. I turned around. Enormous snakes were crawling out of huge caves. The smallest snake could have easily swallowed an elephant. I ran quickly into a tiny cave in which I was safe. All night I could hear the terrible hissing. “Now I remembered the stories I heard from other sailors. I was in the Valley of Diamonds. These dreadful snakes only came out at night as during the day, the rocs waited to swoop down and make a meal of them. This made it safe for me to come out during the day. I noticed the huge chunks of fresh meat lying around. These were thrown down so the diamonds would stick to them. The clever merchants would wait for eagles to pick up the pieces of meat and carry them to their nests. They would then frighten the birds away and take the priceless jewels. “This gave me an idea. I collected some of the largest diamonds and placed them in my bag. Then I tied a large piece of meat to my back and waited. I wasn’t surprised when an eagle swooped and lifted me along with the meat. I found myself in a nest and heard the terrible noise of the merchants as they tried to frighten the birds away. Soon after, I came face to face with a very angry merchant who accused me of stealing his diamonds. I told him all that had happened to me and offered to share all my diamonds with him. He selected just one which he said was enough for him to live well for the rest of his life. “I was taken to their ship and we set sail for home. I was very happy to be back in Baghdad with this great treasure. I have shared my wealth with the poor and now I live a very pleasant life as you can see.”

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Sinbad the Sailor lived in the city of Baghdad in a luxurious house which smelt of flowers and rose water. It was always pleasant and cool inside. The floors and walls were covered with magnificent rugs. Every evening he invited his friends to feast with him and he told them stories of his many adventures. On one such evening, he opened a bag. Out rolled large sparkling diamonds. His friends were absolutely amazed and begged him to tell them how he managed to get such beautiful diamonds. He began his story. “It all happened on my second voyage. You may know that I am not only a sailor but a merchant as well. Our ship sailed to many islands and we were able to buy and sell many good things. “One morning, we arrived at a small island. It was full of flowers and delicious ripe fruit but it was uninhabited. I explored the island, ate a picnic lunch and dozed off. When I awoke, I discovered I had been left behind. The captain had sailed away without me. Nobody could hear my cries. “On looking around, I noticed a strange and huge white object in the middle of the island. I made my way towards it. It had no opening, but was smooth to the touch. I tried to climb it but it was too slippery. Suddenly the sky grew dark. A gigantic bird now hovered over the object and gradually settled on it. I realised this bird was a roc and the strange object was its egg. The roc was my one hope to get off the island. I removed my turban and tied myself to the roc’s leg when it was asleep. In the morning, I awoke to find myself in the air. A short time later, I landed on the ground with a thud. “I found myself in a deep, dark,

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• captivating tales •

Sinbad the Sailor



Activity 1 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer True or False. a. Sinbad lived in a grand house. ______________________ b. His bag was full of glittering diamonds. ______________________

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c. His house was hot and unpleasant. ______________________ d. This adventure happened on his first voyage. ______________________

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e. The small island had houses and people. ______________________

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f. The ship sailed away while Sinbad slept. ______________________ g. The snakes came out during the day. ______________________ h. Eagles swooped down to feast on them. ______________________ i. The white object was an eagle’s egg. ______________________ j. Sinbad was a sailor and merchant. ______________________

. ..................................... . ..................................... valley

d. . ..................................... . ..................................... fruit

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. ..................................... . ..................................... egg

Part 3 Change from singular to plural

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© R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s . ..................................... . ..................................... house •f orr e i ew pur osesonl y• . ..................................... v . ..................................... p diamonds

Part 2 Find two adjectives that describe the given nouns:

island ............................. life ................................... . te o hiss ...................................... object ............................ sky ................................... c . c e r in the story that go with these verbs. Part 4 Find the nounsh er o t s super

city . .....................................

e.g. ship a. sailed...........................................................

e. hovered......................................................

b. swallowed. ................................................

f. ate ............................................................

c. covered.......................................................

g. crawled.......................................................

d. uninhabited . ........................................

h. collected ................................................

Outcome: Children recognize the conventions of written text: interpret text.

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• captivating tales •

Sinbad the Sailor



Activity 2 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer in complete sentences. a.

What did Sinbad’s house smell of?

...........................................................................................................................................................................

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........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

What did his friends beg him to do?

........................................................................................................................................................................... c.

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What piece of clothing was very useful?

...........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................... e.

Why did he feel safe in a tiny cave?

...........................................................................................................................................................................

 closed

________________  small

____________

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 unpleasant

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Part 2 Write an antonym from the story for those listed in Sinbad’s Serpent.

 towards . _______________ te ____________ o  warm c .  rich che  left ____________ e r o ____________ t ______________ r s s  few uper  shallow  slowly

_______________

_______________  empty  biggest _______________ _______________  awake _______________ Page 8

____________  sad ____________

Outcome: Children demonstrate understanding of written text.

 light ____________

• captivating tales •

Sinbad the Sailor



Activity 3 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1

Edit the following sentences using capitals where necessary and the given punctuation marks - . ? ! “ ” :

a. did a huge bird drop sinbad the sailor into the valley of diamonds

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b. what beautiful diamonds shouted one of sinbads friends

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Part 2 In the Feelings chart, try to identify the feelings listed

with the cause. The first has been done for you. You may find more than one cause for the same feeling.

Feelings

Cause/causes

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2. amazed 3. hungry

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4. frightened

6. surprised 7. curious

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e.g. The house smelt of flowers and rose water

1. refreshed

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8. angry 9. relieved 10. safe Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of language conventions.

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• Captivating Tales •

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

but there wasn’t any food for him to eat. His mother began to polish the lamp in order to sell it. Suddenly another genie appeared. His mother fainted with fear. Aladdin commanded the genie to bring food which he produced immediately. They ate till they could eat no more. The next day, Aladdin saw a beautiful princess and wished to marry her. He sent his mother with some of the jewelled fruit as a present for the Sultan. The greedy ruler gave his consent, providing Aladdin built a magnificent palace on a hilltop. He commanded the genie of the lamp to grant his wish and soon he and the princess were married. The wicked magician came to hear of Aladdin’s good fortune. Disguised as a pedlar, he offered to exchange old lamps for new, hoping he would get back the magic lamp. To his good luck, Aladdin was away on business for the Sultan and the princess thinking she was doing her husband a favour, exchanged the old lamp for a new one. The magician was overjoyed. He ordered the genie of the lamp to transport the palace and everyone in it to faraway Africa. Aladdin returned. He was shocked at the disappearance of the princess and his palace. The genie of the ring couldn’t help him as he wasn’t as powerful as the genie of the lamp. He could only take him to the place where the princess was. Together, they drugged the magician and Aladdin took back the lamp. The powerful genie of the lamp was now able to take them and the palace back to the hilltop. The wicked magician was never seen again but Aladdin and the princess lived happily ever after.

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Once upon a time, in a faraway land, lived a boy name Aladdin. He was very lazy and preferred to play with his friends rather than work. His poor mother didn’t know what to do with him. One day, a stranger who had been watching him at play, spoke to him. He pretended to be his uncle and persuaded Aladdin to take him to his home. His mother welcomed the stranger believing him to be her dead husband’s brother. The next day, he took Aladdin to the countryside, promising he would return a very rich boy. This pleased his mother very much. The magician, for that’s who he was, built a fire, said some magic words and a hole appeared in the earth. He placed a ring on Aladdin’s finger and sent him down the opening to fetch a dirty old lamp that was in a garden. Aladdin came across many treasure chests and beautiful fruit which were really rubies, emeralds and diamonds. He was told not to touch anything but he took some of the fruit. The magician asked him for the lamp but Aladdin refused to give it to him until he was taken out of the hole. The wicked magician gave a loud shriek and his magic words closed up the hole. Aladdin became frightened and began to cry. By accident, he rubbed the ring and a huge genie suddenly appeared before him. He was more surprised than afraid and he heard the genie say, “Master, what is your command?” He asked to be taken home immediately. In a flash he found himself at home with the old lamp. Aladdin was hungry

(Arabia)

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• captivating tales •

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp  Activity 1  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Place the words in alphabetical order. a.

wicked genie rubies palace jewels magician

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Part 2 Find synonyms in the story to match these:

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...........................................................................................................................................................................

mates . ..................................... ordered ................................... splendid .................................. bad ........................................... wizard ...................................... delighted ................................

Part 3 Find antonyms in the story to match these:

new .......................................... far .............................................. play ...........................................

rub

.......................................

drug

.......................................

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clap

.......................................

hop

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lazy

.......................................

dirty

.......................................

greedy

.......................................

new

.......................................

stop

Part 5 hungry

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opened ................................... soft . .......................................... weak .........................................

o c . e Add ‘er’ andc ‘est’ to make new words. (Remember the rule.) her r o st uper ....................................... s .......................................

Outcome: Children recognize and interpret features of written text.

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• captivating tales •

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp  Activity 2  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer the following questions: a.

What kind of a boy was Aladdin?

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........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

Why did Aladdin take the stranger home?

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........................................................................................................................................................................... d.

Which genie was more powerful?

........................................................................................................................................................................... e.

What did Aladdin have to do to marry the princess?

...........................................................................................................................................................................

What disguise did the magician use?

What did he plan to do? Who helped Aladdin to defeat the magician?

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. tthese sentences correctly: Part 2 Rewritee o c . a. aladdin picked upc rubies diamonds and emeralds e her r o t ........................................................................................................................................................................... s super ........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

the sultans daugher was a beautiful girl

Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of written text.

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• captivating tales •

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp  Activity 3  Read the story to help you answer these. Capitals are also used for adjectives derived from proper nouns: e.g. Arabia Arabian Part 1 Complete the table.

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Proper noun Australia

Russia China

Japan

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Africa

Adjective

After reading the two stories, Sinbad the Sailor and Aladdin, have a class discussion on what is different and what is alike in both stories. Then complete Part 2 below.

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contrast Venn diagram below.

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Alike Outcome: Children compare linguistic features of text.

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• captivating tales •

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp  Activity 4  Read the story to help you answer these.

Part 1 Imagine you found a magic lamp in a dark cavern.

Write an interesting story about your wonderful find. Make up an outline first. Use the diagram below:

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(Introduction) Head

(Main part or development) Body

(Conclusion) Tail

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ........................................................................................................................................................................... Part 2

Make up a conversation between Aladdin and the wicked magician based on the theme “Stranger Danger”.

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Outcome: Children use linguistic structures and features when writing text.

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• Captivating Tales •

The Jar of Olives Long long ago in the Persian city of Baghdad, lived a merchant named Ali Corgia. He wished to travel and see the world so he left a jar containing a thousand pieces of gold in a friend’s warehouse.

One day, the rich merchant’s wife wished to have fresh olives with her meat. He remembered the jar of olives left by his friend in his warehouse. His honest wife told him not to touch the jar but he quietly went to his warehouse to get some olives. He discovered the olives had become rotten but when he tried to empty the jar, out rolled pieces of gold. He was surprised and very excited. He decided to keep the gold for himself.

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He covered the gold with olives and sealed the jar. His friend, a rich merchant, promised to keep the jar safe. He thought the jar was full of olives.

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as an ordinary citizen, to see how his people lived. That very night, he visited the city with his chief minister. He saw and heard some street boys acting out the case of Ali Corgia in the square by the marketplace. He was so impressed with the intelligence shown by the boy who took the part of the judge, that he invited him to try the case in the great hall.

At first, the boy was shy and frightened but the Caliph encouraged him. He proved that the rich merchant had actually stolen the gold. The thief was the only one who could have replaced the mouldy sevenyear old olives with fresh ones.

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Ali Corgia returned after seven long years. He went to the warehouse only to find his jar full of olives but the gold was gone. His merchant friend denied taking the gold. Ali Corgia and the merchant appeared before a judge. The judge preferred to believe the rich merchant as he did not think Ali Corgia, who was dressed like a poor man, could own one thousand pieces of gold.

The judge was told off by the Caliph and he nearly lost his job. The boy judge was given many presents including one hundred pieces of gold. Ali Corgia was a very happy man.

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Ali Corgia now decided to put his case before the Caliph who was a kind and just ruler. The Caliph usually walked the streets at night disguised

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• captivating tales •

The Jar of Olives



Activity 1 

Read the story to help you answer these. 1.

Where did Ali Corgia Live?

........................................................................................................................................................................... 2.

Where did he leave his jar?

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........................................................................................................................................................................... 3.

Why did he leave his jar there?

What did the jar contain?

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Why did the merchant open the jar?

........................................................................................................................................................................... 6.

When did Ali Corgia return?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 7. Why didn’t the judge believe his story? •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ........................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Who discovered the truth?

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How do you think Ali Corgia felt when he found no gold?

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. te o 10. How would you feel if your friend stole your money? c . c e her r ........................................................................................................................................................................... o t s super ........................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................................

11. What mistake do you think the rich merchant made? ........................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of written text.

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• captivating tales •

The Jar of Olives



Activity 2 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Make plurals by adding s, es, ves, ies: rich ........................................... wife . ......................................... olive ..........................................

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city . .......................................... life ............................................. wish .......................................... thief . ........................................ day ............................................

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Part 2 Find homophones in the story to match these:

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won .......................................... knot .......................................... sum ........................................... four . ......................................... grate . ....................................... herd .......................................... bean . ....................................... witch ........................................ cent . ......................................... knight . ....................................

Part 3 Fill in the past tense of these verbs:

Past © ReadPast yEdPuPresent bl i cat i ons think leave •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Present

see

deny

order

travel

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. tmerchant ...................................... wife ..................................... o ................................ e ruler c . che ....................................... olives . ...................................... hall ..................................... boys e r o r st super Part 4 In the story find adjectives describing the following nouns:

Outcome: Children recognize conventions in the use of grammar.

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• captivating tales •

The Jar of Olives



Activity 3



Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Match the beginnings and endings: a.

Ali Corgia, a merchant

was a kind and just ruler.

b. The jar of olives c.

was told off by the Caliph.

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The rich merchant’s wife

lived in the Persian city of Baghdad.

d. The caliph of Baghdad

solved the difficult case.

The boy judge

contained one thousand pieces of gold.

The first judge

wanted fresh olives with her meat.

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Look at how apostrophes can be used. Sam’s dog is big. (’s shows possession) Sam’s late today. (’s shows a contraction for is)

Part 2 Use a  to show what ’s stands for: possession or contraction.

1. Ali Corgia’s gold is stolen. 2. The gold’s in the jar. 3. The jar’s in the warehouse. 4. The merchant’s wife wants olives. 5. She’s an honest woman. 6. She refuses to touch a friend’s jar. 7. Aladdin’s mother is poor. 8. He’s a lazy boy. 9. The stranger’s not his uncle. 10. The magician’s beard is black. 11. The magician’s ring saves Aladdin. 12. The cave’s dark and horrid. 13. The Sultan’s a greedy man. 14. Aladdin marries the Sultan’s daughter.

‘s shows possession

‘s shows a contraction

             

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Part 3

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o c . che e r o t r s and a sentence r u pe Write a sentence usings ’s to show possession

using ’s as a contraction for is on the lines below. ........................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Part 4 Imagine you are the Caliph, Ali Corgia or a spectator.

Write a letter to the boy judge showing your appreciation and gratitude for his successful solving of the case.

Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of language conventions.

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(India)

• Captivating Tales •

The Buddha Confronts Old Age and Death

a sight, a bent figure with a face wrinkled and lined by old age. As he watched, he was further surprised to see the slow-moving man keel over and lie motionless. The prince’s servant ran over to the man who lay absolutely still and listened to his heart. He had stopped breathing. Innocently, the young prince asked, “Is he playing a game?”

The King, his father, determined that Siddhartha should rule his kingdom after him, decided to protect him from the outside world. He commanded a magnificent palace to be built, surrounded by three huge walls and three deep moats. The palace was filled with luxury and beauty. Sparkling water cascaded from many fountains into refreshing pools where strong, healthy young men and women swam and played among the varicoloured fish. Well-trained riders mounted on splendid horses, galloped around in the wide open spaces. People danced to the soft music which floated from stringed instruments and drums played by talented musicians. Siddartha himself was never alone but constantly played games and listened to music, surrounded by friends. He did not see or hear anything unpleasant.

“No!” replied the faithful servant. “He was a very old man and he is now dead.”

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Not having heard the word ‘old’ before, the prince questioned, “What is old and has he always been old?”

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Many legends have been told about the life of the young Indian Prince, Siddhartha Buddha. One interesting legend tells of the prophecy made at his birth in 563 BC. It was foretold that if Siddhartha, while growing up, gained any knowledge of sickness, old age and death, he would not become an eminent ruler but an eminent saint.

“No!” was the reply. “Once he was a young man like ourselves, but he grew old and died.” Siddartha continued to question his servant and wished to know if there were many old men around and whether he would become old and die.

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The prince returned to the palace a changed person. Never having seen old age and death, he became very thoughtful and quiet. He realized he had to leave the protection of the palace and understand more by facing the realities of the outside world.

m . u

w ww

At the age of twenty, the prince left the palace for the very first time. His father wished that he should participate in a games tournament in one of the towns. Before the royal entourage arrived, the town was thoroughly cleaned, filled with sweet-smelling flowers and all the sick and aged were ordered to keep off the streets. But despite the careful planning, Siddartha and his servant suddenly came across a man, bent over with age. He had never before seen such

would also grow old and die.

o c . che e r o t r s super

At the age of 29, he left his wife and son and the luxury and wealth of his kingdom and went in search of truth and wisdom. And so the prophecy mentioned in the legend came to pass for when Siddartha learnt about sickness, old age and death, he became a great saint and not a great ruler. Historians state that he led a very saintly life and became known as Buddha, the ‘Enlightened One’.

Page 19

• captivating tales •

The Buddha Confronts Old Age and Death



Activity 1 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer the following questions: a.

Who was Siddhartha Buddha?

........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What did his father wish him to become?

........................................................................................................................................................................... c.

What would make him an eminent saint?

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

........................................................................................................................................................................... e.

Why did he leave the palace at the age of 20?

........................................................................................................................................................................... f.

What did he confront at this age?

........................................................................................................................................................................... a.

The palace was filled with .................................. and.................................. .

The prince was protected against anything .................................. .

He left the .................................. to participate in a .................................. tournament.

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Part 2 Fill in the blanks.

On his journey, he came across .................................. ..................................

. te years later, he decided to go in search of .................................. f. .................................. o c . and .................................. . ch e r e o t r Match the following synonyms (One has been done Part 3 s for you): super

and .................................. .

foretold

poured

surrounded

magnificent

eminent

attendants

talented

contest

cascaded

encounter

splendid

turn over

entourage

predicted

tournament

encircled

confront

famous

keel over

skilled

Outcome: Children interpret information from written text.

Page 20

• captivating tales •

The Buddha Confronts Old Age and Death



Activity 2 

Read the story to help you answer these. Sentences are made more interesting by adding adjectives and adverbs. Part 1 Rewrite the two sentences below with the descriptive words mentioned in the story. Underline the words you added.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Water cascaded from fountains into pools.

Teac he r

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Riders mounted on horses, galloped in the spaces.

ew i ev Pr

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Part 2 Write the base words for the following, e.g. galloped – gallop

stopped

healthy

having

constantly

historian

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gained

. te

m . u

o c . csmall words as you can in each of the words listed below. Part 3 Find as many e her r o st super legends...................................................................................................................................................... unpleasant

built

tournament.............................................................................................................................................. determined............................................................................................................................................... knowledge................................................................................................................................................ foretold...................................................................................................................................................... Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of language conventions.

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• captivating tales •

The Buddha Confronts Old Age and Death



Activity 3 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Read the story carefully and complete the Recount Plan set out below. When?

Where?

What? How?

Why?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Who?

Part 2 On a sheet of paper, use the information from the Recount Plan above to write the story in your own words.

Part 3

Do you think this is good or bad?

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with comments made for and against:

Advantages of over protection

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Disadvantages of over protection

o c . che e r o t r s super

Outcome: Children explore ways to interpret text.

Page 22

m . u

Part 4 After the class discussion, fill in the chart below

• captivating tales •

The Buddha Confronts Old Age and Death



Activity 4 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Use your dictionary to find the meanings of the words from the story written below. Choose any two and make interesting sentences of your own.

Word

Meaning

prophecy

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

...............................................................................................................................

eminent

cascaded

...............................................................................................................................

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

luxury entourage

...............................................................................................................................

keel

...............................................................................................................................

tournament

...............................................................................................................................

participate

...............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................... © R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s enlightened ............................................................................................................................... •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Sentences saint

• .....................................................................................................................................................................

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w ww

• .....................................................................................................................................................................

Adjectives are describing words. They always go with nouns to give more detail.

. te

Part 2 Read the story and choose one adjective that describes each noun listed.

o c . che ruler e r o t r s su per palace

Then in the third column place the nouns in alphabetical order. Adjective Noun Alphabetical Order legend

walls moats water horses music Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of linguistic features.

Page 23

(India)

• Captivating Tales •

Gautama Buddha and the Swan Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was looked upon as a saint with a blameless character and without enemies but unfortunately, he did have one; his own evil cousin, Devadatta. He did his best to hurt the Buddha’s feelings at every opportunity that came his way.

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Devadatta’s chance came again, one bright morning, when he went out hunting. That same morning, Siddhartha and a young pupil, named Ananda, sat under a wide-spreading banyan tree beside the river, enjoying their reading and surrounded by the beauties of nature. Overhead, they noticed a group of swans flying low over the water, heading towards the opposite shore. Their long slender necks and white flapping wings made a spectacular sight as they flew gracefully in perfect formation.

Teac he r

The two, Master and pupil, continued to watch the swans as they soared high over the branches of the trees. Suddenly, they noticed that one of the swans appeared to be in difficulties as it hovered uncertainly for a while, then one of its wings tipped downwards, bringing the bird down as well. Down, down, till it fell with a loud splash into the river. The swan tried to pull itself out of the water, one wing hanging limply and being dragged along. Siddhartha Buddha knew what had occurred. His cousin Devadatta who enjoyed hunting swans, had evidently shot an arrow which pierced the swan’s wing, wounding it seriously.

Turning to Ananda, then Buddha said, © ReadyEdP u b l i c a t i o s “We better get to the swan before Devadatta, ass right atn this moment, he •f orr evi ew pur p o s e o l y • will be searching for it.” Quickly, they

“Why do you question, Master?” replied Ananda who had heard the gentle thought. “To have that joy is sufficient.”

rowed to the other bank and found the wounded swan lying helpless on the shore. An arrow had indeed pierced its left wing. He instructed Ananda to hold the swan while he endeavoured to pull out the barbed weapon. The poor swan struggled in pain but soon the arrow was out. Holding the swan in his arms, the Buddha told Ananda to row back to the other side as rapidly as he could.

m . u

w ww

“Why do these graceful birds bring so much joy to my heart?” he thought aloud.

. te of joy o “I agree that this feeling c . should be enough and should fill c e r me with gratitude,” said theh Buddha e o t r s the shade of the banyan Back under r humbly. “To me it is like a prayer.” s upe tree, the Buddha washed the swan’s

Page 24

• Captivating Tales •

Gautama Buddha and the Swan wound and tearing a piece of material from his own garment, he bandaged the wing as well as he could. The swan now lay outstretched under the tree, completely worn out from its harrowing experience.

Hearing Siddhartha’s words, Devadatta’s anger increased and raising his voice, he replied, “Do you not realize that hunters have a right to whatever they shoot and kill? I intend to see the elders about this matter.”

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

“I’ve come for my swan!” he shouted as he made his way towards them. “I shot it so it belongs to me. Give it to me now!”

“Do you realize, Devadatta, that swans and all other birds have the right to fly freely in the sky without being shot at by cruel hunters?” returned Siddhartha in his usual quiet tone. Devadatta, bristling with rage but knowing his cousin would remain firm in his decision, stormed away.

ew i ev Pr

Siddhartha Buddha wasn’t surprised to see Devadatta watching them from the other bank of the river. It wasn’t long before they heard the splashing of his oars as he rowed across the river to claim what he felt was rightfully his.

Teac he r

me with your bow and arrow and then claim my dead body as your property.”

Theb Buddha cared forn the swan till the © ReadyEdPu l i ca t i o s wing was completely healed. Having regained itss strength after few weeks, •f orr evi ew pur p ose on l ya•

. te

Ananda and his Master watched it soar upwards, over the treetops and into the wide blue yonder. Their hearts were filled with happiness to have saved a creature which could have been so easily destroyed by one thoughtless human being.

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w ww

Knowing how cruel and selfish his cousin was, Siddhartha enquired calmly, “Is the sky it flew in yours and is the river it fell in yours as well? Do you know, Devadatta, the birds and animals belong to those who love and care for them. I agree that the arrow is yours and it lies on the other bank. I protected the swan so it belongs to me till such time it gets completely well and is free to fly away. If you like you can shoot

o c . che e r o t r s super

Page 25

• captivating tales •

Gautama Buddha and the Swan  Activity 1  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer the following questions. a.

Who was Guatama’s one and only enemy?

........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What did this enemy like to do at every opportunity?

........................................................................................................................................................................... c.

Teac he r

Where were Guatama and his pupil seated?

ew i ev Pr

........................................................................................................................................................................... e.

Why did one swan fall into the water?

........................................................................................................................................................................... f.

Who claimed the wounded swan and why?

Part 2

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Part 3 Using Apostrophes

Devadatta’s chance came again. (’s shows possession) Devadatta’s coming this way. (’s shows a contraction for is)

. te

o c is . che e r He hurt Buddha’s feelings. r   o t s s r u e p The swan’s wing is broken.  

The swan’s lying helpless on the shore.



The cruel hunter’s arrow caused the wound.



The river’s rising rapidly.



Devadatta’s anger increased.



In the sentences below, tick whether ’s stands for possession or is: a.

possession

Outcome: Children interpret text: explore features of language.

Page 26

• captivating tales •

Gautama Buddha and the Swan  Activity 2  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Find antonyms in the story opposite in meaning to the following. disagree.................................................................. proudly............................................................... dull............................................................................ upwards.............................................................

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

narrow..................................................................... soft-hearted...................................................... short......................................................................... good....................................................................

Part 2 Find the adjectives and adverbs that describe the following nouns and verbs:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

olive.......................................................................... sadness...............................................................

Adjectives

Nouns

Verbs

.......................................

character

flying

.......................................

shore

soared

.......................................

Adverbs

necks tipped ....................................... © Read yEdPub l i cat i o ns ....................................... sight flew ....................................... •f orr ev i ew pur po seson l y• ....................................... weapon said ....................................... .......................................

hunter

lay

.......................................

m . u

.......................................

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Part 3 Discuss the two conflicting statements below as a class.

Circle if you agree or disagree with the statements and give a reason.

Statement 1 - Hunters have the right to whatever they shoot and kill. . te o c . I agree/disagree........................................................................................................................................... che e r o t Reason............................................................................................................................................................. r s super Statement 2 – Swans and all the other birds have the right to fly freely in the sky without being shot at by cruel hunters. I agree/disagree........................................................................................................................................... Reason............................................................................................................................................................. Outcome: Children use text to show understanding of antonyms and synonyms.

Page 27

• captivating tales •

Gautama Buddha and the Swan  Activity 3  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Complete a character profile for Buddha or Devadatta.

Tick the box that best suits the character you have chosen. Support your choice with information from the story.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

Your Choice: Very Kind

No information

Quite Mean

Very Mean

Very Cheerful Quite Cheerful No information

ew i ev Pr

Quite Kind

Supporting Statement____________________________________________________

Teac he r

Devadatta

Quite Sad

Very Sad

Supporting Statement____________________________________________________ Very Caring

Quite Caring No information

Quite Cruel

Very Cruel

Supporting Statement____________________________________________________

m . u

No information Very Cowardly

w ww

Very Brave Quite Brave Quite Cowardly

Supporting Statement____________________________________________________

. te

Part 2 Research 'Swans'. Use the Explosion Chart below to help you

o c . che size e special features r o t r description s super

make up focus questions to help you with your research.

breeding habits young

swans

habitat

food

Refer to encyclopedias or the internet to help you get information. Outcome: Children interpret text through character profiles.

Page 28

(Japan)

• Captivating Tales •

Urashima the Fisherman On one of the islands of Japan lived a poor fisherman named Urashima. At dusk, he would walk down to the seashore, untie his small boat and head out to sea to catch whatever fish he could get, big or small. He fished all night and sold his catch the next day. His livelihood depended on this as he had a wife and young children to care for.

Urashima found himself in a magnificent palace covered with gold and precious stones. Gold and silver lay in heaps everywhere. He had never seen such riches before and gazed in awe. The Dragon Sea God welcomed him and told him to stay for as long as he wished. He was served with the most delicious food and listened to the sweetest music ever. He spent three nights at the palace after which he said to the Sea God, even though he felt he could spend the rest of his life there, “Thank you very much for all your kindness but now I must return home for my wife and children will be waiting for me.”

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

One morning, as he was on his way home after a night of fishing, he came across a group of children on the shore, tormenting a poor tortoise. They kept prodding it with sticks and their laughter showed they were having a great deal of fun at the defenceless tortoise’s expense. This annoyed Urashima, and wishing to put an end to the unnecessary cruelty, he told the children to stop hurting the tortoise. They refused to listen and laughed at him as well. In desperation, Urashima, taking some coins out of his pocket, said, “Here, take this money and buy yourselves something at the shop!” He was glad when the children willingly accepted his offer and taking the money, ran off. Giving the tortoise a gentle push in the direction of the sea, he said, “Off you go now and don’t get caught again!”

Teac he r

she said softly. “Now that you are here, you must come and meet the Dragon God of the Sea. Then she took him by the arm and together they sank to the bottom.

. te

Carrying the box, Urashima hurried the short distance to his home. He arrived at his once humble dwelling only to find it was a heap of ruins. His beloved wife and children were nowhere to be seen neither could he hear any voices. He called out their names but all was silent!

o c . che e r o t r s super

“Urashima! Urashima! ‘ the sweet voice called. He sat up suddenly and saw a beautiful maiden rise from the water. She told him she was the Daughter of the Deep Sea. “I have come to thank you for your kindness to the tortoise which is one of our creatures,”

m . u

w ww

That evening, Urashima went down to the sea as usual. This time, instead of concentrating on fishing, he lay back in the boat enjoying the bright moonlight. His head floated on the surface with his hair spread out and washed by the waves. The boat brought him to an eerie spot where he heard a voice calling his name.

she gave him a rainbow-coloured box made of mother-of-pearl. She warned him never to open the box, no matter what happened. Bidding him farewell, she vanished into the deep blue sea again.

Filled with dismay, he thought aloud, “Whatever could have happened to my wife and children? I have only been away for three days!” He now hurried down to the village so he could enquire of people he knew. It wasn’t long before he received another surprise. Page 29

• Captivating Tales •

Urashima the Fisherman He could not recognize anyone as they were all strange to him, though the streets and houses were still familiar. The passers-by looked at him in a queer manner and some of them said with a nod, “Good day to you, stranger!” They were just as strange to him as he was to them and he wondered why.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

As dusk was approaching, he stopped several people and asked, “Kind friend, do you know of a fisherman named Urashima, who lived close by?” Each time, they shook their heads and replied, “No, we’ve never heard of a fisherman by that name!”

Filled with despair and broken-hearted, he returned to the seashore. Thinking the box contained the key to this terrible mystery, he opened it. No sooner had he done so, when a thin white smoke arose and floated towards the sky. Suddenly, Urashima felt very weary and his knees felt weak as he sank down onto the sand. His hair had turned a snowy white, his skin had wrinkled, his body shrivelled and he could hardly see. In a matter of seconds he was dead! His very old old body was discovered by the villagers the next morning but they were unaware that this was the fisherman Urashima who had supposedly drowned three hundred years ago. It is to be wondered what they would have done had they been told that Urashima lost his immortality when he opened the box given to him by the Daughter of the Deep Sea.

ew i ev Pr

Urashima then made his way to a group of children at play. He looked at them closely to see if he could recognize any of his own children but they were all strange to him too. In utter despair, he wrung his hands and cried, “Where are my wife and children? What has become of them!”

Teac he r

Urashima trembled with fear as he thanked the old man and left. He decided to visit the graveyard and see for himself. He came across the graves of his sons and their sons and the dates showed that the old man was right; they were about three hundred years old. He wondered how this could have occurred as he had spent just three nights at the palace.

along. He stopped him and enquired, “Old man, you have lived a very long time, have you heard of a fisherman named Urashima?”

w ww

“Oh yes!” came the feeble reply, “My grandfather remembered him vaguely as he was only a boy then. He told us that the fisherman Urashima drowned a very long long time ago. I think it is now nearly three hundred years ago.”

. te

“So he’s dead then!” exclaimed Urashima in complete surprise. “Very dead indeed!” returned the old man. “His sons and their sons and their sons are all dead too!”

Page 30

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

• captivating tales •

Urashima the Fisherman  Activity 1  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer the following questions. a.

Where did Urashima live?

........................................................................................................................................................................... b.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What was his occupation?

........................................................................................................................................................................... c.

How do you know he was kind?

Teac he r

........................................................................................................................................................................... Whose voice did he hear?

ew i ev Pr

........................................................................................................................................................................... e.

Where did he spend three days and nights?

........................................................................................................................................................................... f.

What time period did the three days really cover?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Part 2 Complete the compound words found in the story. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• sea................................... moon.......................... passers....................... no................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................

w ww

Part 3 Circle the correct word in each sentence.

Use ‘was’ for one and 'were' for more than one.

a. b. c. d. e.

m . u

grave.............................. him.............................. grand.......................... what...........................

. t e o The palace was/were covered with precious stones. c . ch e The village people was/were strange to him. r e o t r s su His humble dwelling was/were in ruins. per The children was/were tormenting the tortoise.

The maiden was/were the Daughter of the Deep Sea.

Part 4 Mark these pairs of words with an ‘S’ if Synonyms and ‘A’ if Antonyms: bright

dull

( )

familiar

strange

( )

feeble

weak

( )

beautiful

gorgeous

( )

torment

harass

( )

vanished

disappeared ( )

Outcome: Children use a variety of strategies to explore language conventions.

Page 31

• captivating tales •

Urashima the Fisherman  Activity 2  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Read the two sets of sentences. Find the sentence in the second

set that tells what happens next. Write the number on the line:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

a. The fisherman left home at dusk.

b. The children stopped tormenting the tortoise.

1. Here he met the Dragon God of the Sea.

_____

2. He fished all night.

_____

4. He heard a sweet voice calling him.

Teac he r

d. The maiden took him to the bottom of the sea.

ew i ev Pr

c. Urashima lay back in the boat. _____

3. He asked to return to his family.

_____

5. They took the money and ran off to the shop.

e. Urashima stayed in the palace for three days. _____

Urashima’s request was granted.



b. Where’s my family.



d. They had fun at the turtle’s expense.



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Here’s some money.

. te So he’s dead!

He heard the maiden’s sweet voice.

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Part 2

’s shows possession and a contraction for is © Re adyEdPubl i cat i ons Tick what ’s stands for. •f orr evi ew pur poses nl y• possession is o

o c . che e r o t r Commas are used in sentences for many reasons. Onee reason is to separate a list of names (nouns) s s r u p except before and: Example: Gold, silver, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones lay in heaps.

Part 3 Place the commas correctly in the two sentences below: a.

The children pushed prodded teased and punched the poor turtle.

Urashima became white-haired wrinkled weak shrivelled and extremely old.

Outcome: Children recognize an use cues to construct meaning in text.

Page 32

• captivating tales •

Urashima the Fisherman  Activity 3  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 List the main events in order. The first has been done for you. Main Events: 1. Urashima, a poor Japanese fisherman, began at dusk and fished all night.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

2......................................................................................................................................................................... 3.........................................................................................................................................................................

Teac he r

4.........................................................................................................................................................................

ew i ev Pr

5......................................................................................................................................................................... 6......................................................................................................................................................................... 7......................................................................................................................................................................... 8......................................................................................................................................................................... 9......................................................................................................................................................................... 10.......................................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................

m . u

Write a sentence using ’s as a contraction for is.

w ww

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Part 3 Write your own fantasy. Use the first two

. te•

points and make up the rest of the outline.

o c . • c The voice he hears transports him to a planet. e her r o t ........................................................................................................................................................................... s super Urashima saves a creature from outer space.

........................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Outcome: Children reconstruct information to show understanding of story sequence.

Page 33

• captivating tales •

Urashima the Fisherman  Activity 4  Read the story to help you complete these cloze sentences. Fill in the blanks with words found in the story: 1. Urashima was a poor ................................ who lived in ................................ .

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

2. He earned his ................................ by catching fish which he ................................ .

4. For his kindness, Urashima was taken to a ................................ palace by the Daughter of the ................................ ................................ .

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

3. He saved a ................................ from being hurt by offering the children some ................................ .

5. The palace was covered with ................................ and ............................... stones which also lay around in great ................................ . 6. He thought he spent ................................ nights in the palace at the ................................ of the sea.

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8. On his return, he found his house in ................................ and no sign of his ................................ and ................................ .

. te

9. No one in the village ................................ him and he was treated like a ................................ .

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............................... coloured box which he was never to ................................ .

o c . 10. One very old ................................ Urashima, chegave him the sad news thatr e oyears ago and the fisherman, ...............................r ................................ hundred t s s r u e p his sons and their ................................ were also ................................ . 11. He found the truth of this in the ................................ . 12. When he opened the box in ................................ he lost his .............................., became very old and ................................ . Outcome: Children use cloze to demonstrate understanding of text.

Page 34

(Japan)

• Captivating Tales •

Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man the selfish old man formed a plan. Early the next morning, he knocked on neighbour’s door and very politely asked for the loan of their dog, Shiro.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

One pleasant evening, the old couple were busy working in their small garden. Shiro, the clever dog, tried to be helpful by doing some digging of his own. He began to scratch and scratch the hard earth with his paws and soon a rather deep hole appeared.

“Whatever is Shiro doing now?” questioned the old woman, rather worried.

“Greetings! May we borrow your dog for the day, please?” was his request. “Of course, you may,” smiled the good old man. He called Shiro, instructed him to do what the old man asked and handed him over to the neighbour.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Long, long ago on one of the islands of Japan lived a very old man and his wife. Though they were very poor and did not own much, they were kind, happy and cheerful. They were always willing to share the little they had with anyone who asked. They shared their meagre meals with their faithful dog, Shiro. The dog loved them very much and in return, tried to be kind, good and obedient.

The selfish old man took Shiro to his home and offered him some delicious food but when the dog refused to eat, he and his old wife clapped their hands with joy and said, “All the more for us!” and polished off every scrap of food.

They then tied a rope around the dog’s © R e a d y E d P u b l i cat i ointo ns “Don’t worry,” replied the old man. neck and dragged him the garden. “He’s only kicking up the sand in play They ordered him to dig, saying in pleasant and having fun. ” Shiro continued to dig •f orr evi ew pur p owhich ses oring nl y“Good, • kind voices did not true, which bothered the old woman and

w ww

“I don’t think Shiro is playing,” said the old woman. “He seems to have found something.”

. te

The old man rushed to the hole and with his own shovel, began to help the dog. Suddenly, his shovel struck something hard and sure enough, it turned out to be a big box full of jewels, gold and silver.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Joyfully, the two old people carried the box of treasure into their tiny house. Little did they know that they were being watched by their neighbours from a peephole in the bamboo curtain. They were also very old but not poor. Neither were they kind but selfish and envious. They now became jealous of their neighbours’ good luck and wishing to get some of that luck for themselves,

Shiro began to dig and soon a gaping hole appeared but no gold, silver or jewels. The selfish old man beat him with a thick stick and demanded that he continue. Shiro scratched and scratched and soon he dug up a pile of rubbish that had such a terrible stink, that the two of them had to move away quickly, holding their noses and trying not to breathe.

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more so when the dog began barking excitedly and digging deeper.

dog, dig up some treasure for us, too!”

“This is a wicked, mean dog and deserves to die,” screamed the selfish old man and in his anger, he beat poor Shiro so hard that the wounded animal died. Together, they buried Shiro under a pine tree. When the good old man and his wife heard that their faithful dog was dead, they placed flowers on his grave and burned sweet incense so his spirit would rest in peace. After some time, they decided to chop down the tree Page 35

• Captivating Tales •

Hana-Saka-Jiji, The Good Old Man and make the trunk into a large bowl. “We will grind our rice in the bowl,” he told his good wife, “and every time we do that, we will remember our Shiro.”

He entered the palace and scattered the ashes on the trees and soon the peach trees, the cherry trees and the plum trees began to put forth the most glorious blossoms. The Prince was so pleased that he called the whole household to come and see the fruit trees in bloom. He felt that Spring had appeared in the midst of winter. He handsomely rewarded Hanasaka- jiji who returned home happily.

“Look what has happened to our rice?” she called joyfully. “The rice has changed into pieces of gold.” They were now richer than ever but still ready to share what they had. The selfish old man was soon at their door again to borrow the bowl but as when the old woman pounded rice in it, the rice became discoloured and unfit to eat. “There is no gold,” she screamed. “The rice stinks and we cannot eat it.”

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The bowl was made and ready for the first rice to be ground. The old woman began to pound the rice and was surprised to see that the rice had turned into pieces of gold.

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makes fruit trees to blossom and bloom,” he told the gatekeeper.

As soon as the selfish old man heard of his neighbour’s good luck, he collected ashes in a large basket and made his way to the town. He proclaimed to the townspeople that he was Hana-saka-jiji and had come to make all the fruit trees bloom. When the Prince heard about this, he and his household visited the town to watch the event. The selfish old man scattered the ashes around but nothing happened and the trees remained leafless and bare. Some of the ashes blew right into the eyes of the Prince who became so furious that he ordered the old man to be caught and beaten. The selfish old man returned home, feeling very unhappy and very sorry for himself.

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The next day, the good old man came for his bowl but was told it had accidentally fallen into the fire and was burnt. Sadly, he asked if he could collect some of the ashes. While returning home, a cold wind blew some of the ashes onto the cherry trees which were no longer in bloom because it was the middle of winter. No sooner had the ashes touched the bare trees, when they began to bloom and blossom.

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The good old man and his wife were very rich now but were still kind and shared everything with those in need. Their kind, helpful manner had brought them good fortune and a great deal of happiness. It is to be hoped that the selfish old man and his selfish old wife eventually changed their ways.

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The news of this wonderful event reached the ears of the Prince. He invited the old man to the palace. As soon as he arrived, he introduced himself. “I am Hana-sakajiji, the man who

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In his rage, the selfish old man burnt the bowl, swearing that the magic bowl had lied to them in the same way as the dog.

• captivating tales •

Hana Saka-Jiji. The Good Old Man



Activity 1 

Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Answer the following questions.

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a. Where did the good old man and his wife live? ........................................................................................................................................................................... b. Why did their dog love them? ........................................................................................................................................................................... c. What did he dig up for them? ........................................................................................................................................................................... d. How did the neighbours find out? ........................................................................................................................................................................... e. What did Shiro dig up for the neighbours? ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Part 2 Find three adjectives to describe:

a. Hana-Saka-Jiji

b. Shiro the dog

c. the neighbours

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons ..................................................... . .................................................... ...................................................... •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ..................................................... . .................................................... ......................................................

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Part 3 Locate words from the story that mean

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the same. Write them on the lines.

loyal.......................................................................... family circle.......................................................

. te flower....................................................................... tasty..................................................................... o c . Part 4 Rearrange the ch following words in dictionary order: e r e o t r s a. bowl b. happy c. meagre d. wounded e. though s uper dutiful...................................................................... scanty.................................................................

borrow

helpful

mean

worried

they

box

happiness

meals

woman

their

a. ..............................b. ............................. c. ............................. d. ............................. e. .............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. . ........................... ............................. ............................. ............................. ............................. . ........................... ............................. Outcome: Children demonstrate understanding of text and its linguistic structure.

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• captivating tales •

Hana-Saka-Jiji. The Good Old Man  Activity 2  Read the story to help you answer these. Part 1 Write the correct word in the sentences below. a. Hana-Saka-Jiji had to (learn/teach) his dog to obey.

_____________________

b. Shiro ran (off/of) to dig in the garden.

_____________________

c. He (done/did) a good job.

_____________________

d. His neighbour asked if he could (borrow/lend) the dog.

_____________________

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e. The neighbours (was/were) jealous of their good fortune. _____________________

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Use your own words in the format below.

Where?

Title: Hana-Saka-Jiji The Good Old Man

Setting

When?

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Part 2 Write a recount of the story, Hana-Saka-Jiji The Good Old Man.

Picture

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. .........................................................................................................

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Characters?

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Events What happened?

. .........................................................................................................

............................................................................................................