[其它] 500本经典绘本的英文原文-无英文原文请别回复,,多谢!!!

Badger’s Parting Gifts 獾的礼物


Badger was dependable, reliable, and always ready to lend a helping paw. He was also very old, and he knew almost everything. Badger was so old that he knew he must soon die.
Badger wasn’t afraid of death. Dying meant only that he would leave his body behind and , as his body didn’t work as well as it had in days gone by, Badger wasn’t too concerned about that. His only worry was how his friends would feel when he was gone. Hoping to prepare them, Badger had told them that someday soon he would be going down the Long Tunnel, and he hoped they wouldn’t be too sad when it happened.
One day, as Badger was watching Mole and Grog race down the hillside, he felt especially old and tired. He wished more than anything that he could run with them, but he knew his old legs wouldn’t let him. He watched Mole and Frog for a long time, enjoying the sight of his friends having a good time.
It was late when he arrived home. He wished the moon good night and closed the curtains on the cold world outside. He made his way slowly down to the warm fire that was waiting for him deep underground.
He had his supper and then sat down at his desk to write a letter. When he had finished, he settled down in his rocking chair near the fire. He gently rocked himself to and fro and soon was fast asleep having a strange yet wonderful dream like none he’d ever had before.
Much to Badger’s surprise, he was running. Ahead of him was a very long tunnel. His legs felt strong and sure as he ran towards it. He no longer needed his walking stick, so he left it lying on the floor of the tunnel. Badger moved swiftly, running faster and faster through the long passageway, until his paws no longer touched the earth. He felt himself turning head over paws, falling and tumbling, but nothing hurt. He felt free. It was as if he had fallen out of his body.
The following day badger’s friends gathered anxiously outside Badger’s door. They were worried because he hadn’t come out to say good morning as he always did.Fox broke the sad news that Badger was dead and read Badger’s note to them. It said simply, go down the long Tunnel. Bye bye, badger.All the animal had loved Badger, and everyone was very sad. Mole especially felt lost, alone and desperately unhappy.
In bed that night Mole could think only of Badger. Tears rolled down his velvety nose, soaking the blankets he clung to for comfort. Outside, it began to snow. Winter had begun, and soon a thick layer of snow hid the animals’ homes, where they would stay snug and warm during the cold months.
The snow covered the countryside, but it didn’t conceal the sadness that Badger’s friends felt. Badger had always been there when anyone needed him. The animals all wondered what they would do now that he was gone. Badger had told them not to be unhappy, but it was hard not to be. As spring drew near, the animals often visited each other and talked about the days when badger was alive.
Mole was good at using scissors, and he told about the time Badger had taught him how to cut out a chain of moles from a piece of folded paper. Paper moles had littered the ground that day. Mole remembered the joy he’d felt when he had finally succeeded in making a complete chain of moles with all the paws joined.

Frog was an excellent skater. He recalled how Badger had helped him take his first slippery steps on the ice. Badger had gently guided him across the ice until he had gained enough confidence to glide out on his own.
Fox remembered how, when he was a young cub, he could never knot his tie properly until Badger showed him how. Starting with the wide end of the tie, it’s right over left, once around to the back up, then down through the crossover and , holding the back of the tie, push the knot up to the neck. Fox could now tie every knot ever invented and some he’d made up himself. And of course his own necktie was always perfectly knotted.
Badger had given Mrs Rabbit his special recipe for gingerbread and had shown her how to bake gingerbread rabbits. Mrs Rabbit was well known throughout the countryside for her excellent cooking. As she talked about her first cooking lesson with Badger, so long ago, she could almost smell the wonderful fragrance of gingerbread fresh from the oven. Each of the animals had a special memory of Badger- something he had taught them that they could now do extremely well. He had given them each a parting gift to treasure always. Using these gifts they would be able to help each other.
At the last of the snow melted, so did the animals’ sadness. Whenever Badger’s name was mentioned, someone remembered another story that made them all smile.One warm spring day as Mole was walking on the hillside where he’d last seen Badger, he wanted to thank his friend for his parting gift. Thank you, Badger, he said softly, believing that Badger would hear him. And … somehow… Badger did.

Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/6/30

CAN’T YOU SLEEP，LITTLE BEAR？睡不着吗，小熊


CAN’T YOU SLEEP，LITTLE BEAR？

           by Martin Waddell    illustrated by Barbara Firth



Page 1-2:

  Once there were two bears.

  Big Bear and Little Bear.

  Big Bear is the big bear,and Little Bear is the little bear.

  They palyed all day in the bright sunlight.When night came,an the sun went down,Big bear took Little Bear home to the Bear Cave.



Page 3-4:

  Big Bear put Little Bear to bed in the dark part of the cave.“Go to sleep,Little Bear,”he said.

And Little Bear trid.

  Big Bear settled in the Bear Chair and read his Bear Book by the light of the fire.

But Little Bear couldn’t get to sleep.



Page 5-6:

  “Can’t you sleep,Little Bear?”asked Big Bear,putting down his Bear Book(which was just getting to the interesting part)and padding over to the bed.

  “I’m scared,”said Little Bear.

  “Why are you scared,Little Bear?”asked Big Bear.

  “I don’t like the dark,”said Little Bear.

  “What dark?”said Big Bear.

  “The dark all around us,”said Little Bear.



Page 7-8:

  Big Bear looked,and he saw that the dark part of the cave was very dark,so he went to the Lantern Cupboard and took out the tiniest lantern that was there.

  Big Bear lit the tiniest lantern and put it next to Little Bear’s bed.

  “There’s a tiny light to keep you from being scared,Little Bear,”said Big Bear.

  “Thank you,Big Bear,”said Little Bear,cuddling up in the glow.

  “Now go to sleep,Little Bear,”said Big Bear,and he padded back to the Bear Chair and settled down to read the Bear Book by the light of the fire.



Page9-10:

  Little Bear trid to go to sleep,but he couldn’t.

  “Can’t you sleep,Little Bear?”yawned Big Bear,putting down his Bear Book(with just four pages to go to the interesting part)and padding over to the bed.

  “I’m scared,”said Little Bear.

  “Why are you scared,Little Bear?”asked Big Bear.

  “I don’t like the dark,”said Little Bear.

  “What dark?”asked Big Bear.

  “The dark all around us,”said Little Bear.

  “But I brought you a lantern!”said Big Bear.

  “Only a teeny-weeny one,”said Little Bear. “And there’s lots of dark!”

  Big Bear looked,and he saw that Little Bear was quite right.There was still lots of dark.So Big Bear went to the Lantern Cupboard and took out a bigger lantern.

  Big Bear lit the lantern and put it beside the other one.
Page11:

  “Now go to sleep,Little Bear,”said Big Bear,and he padded back to the Bear Chair and settled down to read the Bear Book by the light of the fire.

  Little Bear tried and tried to go to sleep,but he couldn’t.



Page 12:

  “Can’t you sleep,Little Bear?”grunted Big Bear,putting down his Bear Book(with just three pages to go)and padding over to the bed.

  “I’m scared,”said Little Bear.

  “Why are you scared,Little Bear?”asked Big Bear.

  “I don’t like the dark,”said Little Bear.

  “What dark?”asked Big Bear.

  “The dark all around us,”said Little Bear.

  “But I brought you two lanterns!”said Big Bear.“A tiny one and a bigger one!”

  “Not much bigger,”said Little Bear.“And there’s still lots of dark.”
Page 13-14:

  Big Bear thought about it,and then he went to the Lantern Cupboard and took out the Biggest Lantern of Them All,with two handles and a piece of chain.He hooked up the lantern above Little Bear’s bed.

  “I’ve brought you the Biggest Lantern of Them All!”he told Little Bear.“That’s to keep you from being scared!”

  “Thank you,Big Bear,”said Little Bear,curling up in the glow and watching the schadows dance.

  “Now go to sleep,Little Bear,”said Big bear,and he padded back to the Bear Chair and settled down to read the Bear Book by the light of the fire.
Page 15:

  Little Bear tried and tried and tried to go to sleep,but he couldn’t.



Page 16:

  “Can’t you sleep,Little Bear?”groaned Big Bear,putting down his Bear Book(with just two pages to go)and padding over to the bed.



Page 17-18:

  “I’m scared,”said Little Bear.

  “Why are you scared,Little Bear?”asked Big Bear.

  “I don’t like the dark,”said Little Bear.

  “What dark?”asked Big Bear.

  “The dark all around us,”said Little Bear.

  “But I brought you the Biggest Lantern of Them All,and there isn’t any dark left,”said Big Bear.

  “Yes,there is!”said Little Bear. “There is.Out there!”And he pointed out of the Bear Cave at the night.



Page 19-20:

  Big Bear saw that Little Bear was right.Big Bear was very puzzled.All the lanterns in the world couldn’t light up the dark outside.

  Big Bear thought about it for a long time,and then he said, “Come on,Little Bear.”

  “Where are we going?”asked Little Bear.

  “Out!”said Big Bear.

  “Out into the darkness?”said Little Bear.

  “Yes!”said Big Bear.

  “But I’m scared of the dark!”said Little Bear.

  “No need to be!”said Big Bear,and he took Little Bear by the paw and led him out of the cave into the night and it was…
Page 21-22

  DARK!

  “Ooooh!I’m scared,”said Little Bear,cuddling up to Big Bear.

  Big Bear lifted Little Bear and cuddled him and said,“Look at the dark,Little Bear.”And Little Bear looked.
Page 23-24:

  “I’ve brought you the moon,Little Bear,”said Big Bear.“The bright yellow moon and all the twinkly stars.”
Page 25-26:

But Little Bear didn’t say anything,for he had gone to sleep,warm and safe in Big Bear’s arms.

Big Bear carried Little Bear back into the Bear Cave,fast asleep,and he settled down with Little Bear on one arm and the Bear Book on the other,cozy in the Bear Chair by the fire.



Page 27-28

  And Big Bear read the Bear Book right to…



Page 29:

  THE END

THE TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC


THE TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC
If you go down in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise

If you go down in the woods today
You'd better do in disguise
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
Every Teddy Bear who's been good
Is sure of a treat today
There's lots of marvelous things to eat
And wonderful games to play
Beneath the trees where nobody sees
They'll hide and seek as long as they please
'Cause that's they way the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

If you go down in the woods today
You'd better not go alone
It\s lovely down in the woods today
But safer to stay at home
For every Bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
Picnic time for Teddy Bears
The little Teddy Becars are having a lovely time today
Watch them, catch them unawares
And see them picnic on their holiday
See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout
They never have any care
Because they're tired little Teddy Bears.

斯凯瑞故事集 The BUNNY BOOK


THE DADDY BUNNY tossed his baby in the air.
"What will our baby be when he grows up?" asked the
daddy bunny.
"he will be a policeman with gold buttons on his suit."
said the mother bunny. "He will help little lost children
find their mothers and daddies."
"Maybe he will be a circus clown," said the daddy
bunny. "He will wear a funny suit and do funny tricks to
make the children laugh."
"Why can't our baby be a cowboy?" asked the bunny
brother. "If he grows up to be a cowboy he can ride horses
at the rodeo."
But the baby bunny did not want to be a policeman or
a circus clown or a cowboy when he grew up.
He sat in his basket and smiled at his bunny family. He
knew what he would be.

斯凯瑞故事集 GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE BEAR


It is time for Little Bear to go to bed.
Mother Bear closes the storybook.
She gives Little Bear a good-night kiss.
Then over to his big furry father runs the little bear.
Wheee!
Father Bear swings his little one high up
to his shoulders for a ride to bed.
"Duck our head," calls Mother Bear, just in time.
And into the snug little bedroom they go.
Squeak!
The tiny bed sighs as Father Bear sits down.
"Now, into bed with you," he says.
He waits for Little Bear to climb down.
But Little Bear doesn't move.
He sits up on his father's shoulders and grins.
Father Bear waits. He yawns a rumbly yawn.
Is Father Bear falling asleep?
No. Suddenly he opens his eyes again.
"Why, I must have been dreaming,"
says Father Bear, pretending to wake up.
But what's this?
There is no furry head on the pillow.
Where can Little Bear be?
Father Bear looks under the pillow.
Nobody there.
He doesn't seem to feel
something tickling his ear.
Aha.
There's a lump down under the blanket.
Father Bear pats the lump.
But it doesn't squeak or wiggle.
Can it be Little Bear?
Why, it's the toy teddy and the blue bunny
waiting for Little Bear to come to bed!
"Mother, that naughty bear is hiding,"
says Father Bear to Mother Bear, with a wink.
"Maybe he's hiding under the kitchen stove,"
says Mother Bear, who loves a joke.
Bang! Bang!
Father Bear rattles the pots and pans
on top of the stove.
"Little Bear, I'm coming to get you!" he roars.
Father Bear reaches under the stove.
He feels something soft and furry.
Is it Little Bear?
No.
It's only Father Bear's old winter mitten.
Way up high Little Bear claps his paw
to his mouth. But not in time.
"I heard that Little Bear laugh," says Father.
"Now where can he be hiding?"
"Is he standing outside the front door?
I'll turn the knob softly----
and fling the door wide!"
No. There are no bears out there.
Just a family of fat little rabbits
nibbling lettuce in the garden.
"Shoo!" snorts Father Bear.
"Something is hiding in the woodbox,"
whispers Mother Bear.
"Creep over there on tip toe,
and you may catch a little bear."
Eeek!
There's just a wee mouse hiding there.
There's nobody up high, on the china shelf.
"Ouch!"
Little Bear bumps his head.
"Who said Ouch?" asksFather Bear.
"Mothere, did you say Ouch?"
"Not I," smiles Mother Bear.
Oh she is a tease.
"Now where is that naughty bear hiding?
He wouldn't run away.
Not a little bear who is always hungry
for chocolate cake."
And that big Daddy Bear cuts himself a huge piece
of chocolate cake right under the little bear's nose.
Little Bear suddenly feels hungry.
But just then Father Bear stops smack
in front of the mirror.
"Why, there he is," roars the big bear.
"But you couldn't find me," squeaks Little Bear,
reaching for chocolate cake.
Wheee!
Off Dadd's shoulders and down to the sofa.
Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.
"Wasn't that a good hiding place, Mommy?
No one could find me up there."
"But I've found you now," says Father Bear.
Little Bear wiggles and giggles under his Daddy's
strong arm...all the way into bed.
"Did I really fool you, Daddy?"
asks Little Bear.
Father Bear just laughs and winks.
Do you think Father Bear knew all the time?

The Three Billy Goats Gruff 三只山羊嘎啦嘎啦


Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff."
On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll , with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.
So first of all came the youngest Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"Trip, trap, trip, trap! " went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll .
"Oh, it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy goat. "Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Well, be off with you," said the troll.
A little while after came the second Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the bridge.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"Oh, it's the second Billy Goat Gruff , and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, who hadn't such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! Don't take me. Wait a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."
"Very well! Be off with you," said the troll.
But just then up came the big Billy Goat Gruff .
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap! went the bridge, for the billy goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"It's I! The big Billy Goat Gruff ," said the billy goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own.
"Now I 'm coming to gobble you up," roared the troll.
Well, come along! I've got two spears,
And I'll poke your eyeballs out at your ears;
I've got besides two curling-stones,
And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones.

That was what the big billy goat said. And then he flew at the troll, and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the cascade, and after that he went up to the hillside. There the billy goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again. And if the fat hasn't fallen off them, why, they're still fat; and so,
Snip, snap, snout.
This tale's told out.

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! 鸽子找到了一个热狗


Oooooh! A hot dog!
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!
Aaaaaaahhh...
May I help you?  scooty scoot scoot!
Is that a "hot dog"?
Not a hot dog; my hot dog.
Aaaaaaahhh...
I have a question.
I've never had a hot dog before....
What do they taste like?
Well, they are a taste sensation.
Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!
If you've never experienced the splendor of a hot dog, you should really...
Wait a second!
This hot dog is mine. I found it!
Of course! Enjoy!
Go ahead.
Aaaaaaahh--
Would you say that it tastes like chicken?
Can you believer this guy!?!
What...?
It just tastes like a hot dog, okay!?
Okay! Okay!
So, it doesn't taste like chicken, then?
Oh, for Pete's sake!
Hey, I'm a curious bird.
THAT'S IT!
It's MY hot dog, right!?
MINE! MINE! MINE!
This is UNBELIEVABLE!
"Finders, keepers," is what I say!
"I'm a curious bird!"
"What do they taste like?"
"Blah, blah, blah!"
Yeah, RIGHT!
I can't take it anymore!
What am I supposed to do?
I think I've got an idea.
You know, you're pretty smart for a duckling.
Hmmm...needs mustard.

ABC I Like Me!


Feeling good about me is as easy as ABC!
I am Awesome,
Brave, and
Cheerful.
I have big Dreams,
and I like to Explore.
I am a good Friend.
I love to Giggle
and be Happy.
I have a great Imagination.
I can Jump and Juggle.
I am Kind.
I am a good Leader.
Sometimes, I make Mistakes.
And sometimes, I'm Noisy!
I love to play Outside.
I try to be Polite.
I like Quiet times so I can Read.
I am good at Sharing.
I am Talented!
Look at me-I'm Unique!
I try to eat all my Vegetables.
I like to make Wishes.
XXX ooo!
Yawn... I need a good night's sleep, so tomorrow...
I can Zoom on!

Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!


"Wake up, dear," said Henry's mom."It's the first day of kindergarten."
"Oh boy! Let's go!" said Henry. He had been getting ready for this day all year.
"Not so fast," said his mom. "First you need to wash up and get dressed."
So Henry brushed his teeth the way his dentist had shown him and washed behind his ears.
Then he buttoned his shirt and snapped his jeans and almost tied his shoes.
"Okay, I'm all ready for kindergarten!" said Henry.
"Not so fast," said his mom. "First you need a good breadfast."
So Henry ate three pancakes and a bowl of fruit and drank a big glass of milk.
"Now I'm ready to go!" said Henry.
"Not so fast," said his mom. "You still need to pack up your supplies."
So henry packed pencils, scissors, crayons, paper, glue, an apple, and ...
a photo of his mom and dad (in case he got lonely).
"Now I'm ready!" said Henry.
"What do you think we'll do first?" asked Henry.
"Do you think we'll paint?"
"Sure you will," said his mom. "Just like at home."
"Good!" said Henry. "What else will we do?"
"You'll probably learn your ABCs," said his mom.
"Hey, I already know the letters in my name!" said Henry. "What will we do after that?"
"You'll sing songs, and play games, and you might ractice counting," said his mom.
"One, two, three flowers," said Henry. "I can count to ten, because we practiced counting with buttons. What comes next?"
"You'll make fun things in arts and crafts, and you'll read stories."
"But I can't read!" said Henry.
"That's okay," said his mom. "You'll start by listening. Reading comes later."
"Here we are," said Henry's mom.
"It's so big," said henry. "What if I get lost?"
"Remember, we found your room and your cubby at Kindergarten Roundup," said his mom.
"But you can always ask a teacher for help."
When Henry got to his room and saw lots of new faces, he said,
"I want to go home!"
"Why don't you come in and look around?" said his teacher, Ms. Bradley.
So Henry looked around. He saw the art corner.
He saw letters and numbers that he knew.
He saw a bookcase full of books and he met a new friend to play with.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Henry's mom.
"I think I might stay for a while, Mom," said Henry.
"becase kindergarten is going to be fun!"

Look out Kindergarten

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, what do you see?

I see a red fox slipping by me.



Red Fox, Red Fox, what do you see?

I see a flying squirrel gliding by me.



Flying Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, what do you see?

I see a mountain goat climbing near me.



Mountain Goat, Mountain Goat, what do you see?

I see a blue heron flying by me.



Blue Heron, Blue Heron, what do you see?

I see a prairie dog digging by me.



Prairie Dog, Prairie Dog, what do you see?

I see a striped skunk strutting by me.



Striped Skunk, Striped Skunk, what do you see?

I see a mule deer running by me.



Mule Deer, Mule Deer, what do you see?

I see a rattlesnake sliding by me.



Rattlesnake, Rattlesnake, what do you see?

I see a screech owl hooting at me.



Screech Owl, Screech Owl, what do you see?

I see a mama bear looking at me.



Mama Bear, Mama Bear, what do you see?

I see…

a red fox, a flying squirrel, a mountain goat, a blue heron, a prairie dog, a striped skunk, a mule deer, a rattlesnake, a screech owl…

my baby bear looking at me－that’s what I see!

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, what do you see?

I see a bald eagle soaring by me.



Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle, what do you see?

I see a water buffalo charging by me.



Water Buffalo, Water Buffalo, what do you see?

I see a spider monkey swinging by me.



Spider Monkey, Spider Monkey, what do you see?

I see a green sea turtle swimming by me.



Green Sea Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, what do you see?

I see a macaroni penguin strutting by me.



Macaroni Penguin, Macaroni Penguin, what do you see?

I see a sea lion splashing by me.



Sea Lion, Sea Lion, what do you see?

I see a red wolf sneaking by me.



Red Wolf, Red Wolf, what do you see?

I see a whooping crane flying by me.



Whooping Crane, Whooping Crane, what do you see?

I see a black panther strolling by me.



Black Panther, Black Panther, what do you see?

I see a dreaming child watching over me.



Dreaming Child, Dreaming Child, what do you see?

I see…

a panda bear, a bald eagle, a water buffalo, a spider monkey, a green sea turtle, a macaroni penguin, a sea lion, a red wolf, a whooping crane, and a black panther…

all wild and free that's what I see.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear?


Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear? I hear a lion roaring in my ear.



Lion, Lion, what do you hear? I hear a hippopotamus snorting in my ear.



Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, what do you hear? I hear a flamingo fluting in my ear.



Flamingo, Flamingo, what do you hear? I hear a zebra braying in my ear.



Zebra, Zebra, what do you hear? I hear a boa constrictor hissing in my ear.



Boa Constrictor, Boa Constrictor, what do you hear? I hear an elephant trumpeting in my ear.



Elephant, Elephant, what do you hear? I hear a leopard snarling in my ear.



Leopard, Leopard, what do you hear? I hear a peacock yelping in my ear.



Peacock, Peacock, what do you hear? I hear a walrus bellowing in my ear.



Walrus, Walrus, what do you hear? I hear a zookeeper whistling in my ear.



Zookeeper, Zookeeper, what do you hear?

I hear children…growling like a bear, roaring like a lion, snorting like a hippopotamus, fluting like a flamingo, braying like a zebra, hissing like a boa constrictor, trumpeting like an elephant, snarling like a leopard, yelping like a peacock, bellowing like a walrus…

That’s what I hear.

Zen Short 禅的故事


Michael! There is a bear outside! Said Karl.A what? Called Michael. A bear.
He’s really big. And he’s in the backyard. What’s he doing? Michael asked.
He’s sitting. He has an umbrella, said Karl. An umbrella?
By the time the boy got outside, their sister, Addy, was already talking with him.
I am sorry for arriving unannounced, said the bear. The wind carried my umbrella all the way from my backyard to your backyard. I thought I would retrieve it before it became a nuisance. He spoke with a slight panda accent.
The next day, Addy went to have tea with Stillwater.
Hello ? Addy said as she stepped inside. Come in! Come in! a faraway voice called.
Then she heard the voice say, oh, yes … come out!
Come out! Stillwater was in the backyard.
He was in a tent.This is a birthday present from my uncle Ry, Stillwater said.
He always gives presents on his birthday, to celebrate the day he was born. I like it so much, that I’m not staying in my house right now.Stillwater invited Addy to sit with him.
You brought me some cake! Said Stillwater . That was very nice of you. Is it your birthday? He asked. No , said Addy. It’s not mine, either, said Stillwater. But let me give you a gift for my uncle ‘s birthday . I will tell you a story.
Uncle Ry and the Moon
My uncle Ry lived alone in a small house up in the hills. He didn’t own many things. He lived a simple life.One evening, he discovered he had a visitor. A robber had broken into the house and was rummaging through my uncle’s few belongings.The robber didn’t notice uncle Ry, and when my uncle said , hello, the robber was so startled he almost fell down.
My uncle smiled at the robber and shook his hand. Welcome! How nice of you to visit! The robber opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Because Ry never lets anyone leave empty handed, he looked around the tiny hut for a gift for the robber. But there was nothing to give. The robber began to back toward the door. He wanted to leave. At last , uncle Ry knew what to do. He took off his only robe, which was old and tattered. Here, he said. Please take this.
The robber thought my uncle was crazy. He took the robe, dashed out the door, and escaped into the night.
My uncle sat and looked at the moon, its silvery light spilling over the mountains, making all things quickly beautiful. “poor man,” Lamented my uncle. All I had to give him was my tattered robes. If only I could have given him this wonderful moon.
Your uncle sounds nice, said Addy. I don’t think I could have given away my only robe.I know how that is, said Stillwater. But there’s always the moon.
That was a good story, said Addy. Thank you, said Stillwater. And this is good cake. Thank , said addy, I mad it myself.
The next day, Michael went to see Stillwater.Here I am! Stillwater called from the tree.
Can I come up? Asked Michael.If you are careful, said Stillwater.
What if we could fly? Said Michael.We could cast shadows on clouds, said Stillwater.
But what if we fell? Said Michael. If we fell, we might break something, said Stillwater. That would be bad, said Michael, maybe , said Stillwater. Maybe, said Michael.
The famer’s Luck
There was once an old famer who had worked his crops for many years.One day , his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. Such bad luck, they said sympathetically.Maybe, the farmer replied.The next morning the horse returned , bringing with it two other wild horses.Such good luck! The neighbors exclaimed.Maybe , replied the farmer.The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg.Again, the neighbors came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
Such bad luck, they said.Maybe, answered the farmer.
The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. Such good luck! Cried the neighbors. Maybe ,said the farmer.
The day after that, military officals came to the village to draft young mean into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. Such good luck! Cried the neighbors. Maybe ,said the farmer.
I get it, said Michael. Maybe good luck and bad luck are all mixed up. You never know what will happen next.
Yes , Stillwater agreed , you never know.
The day after that, Karl went to visit Stillwater.Michael said I couldn’t bring over our stuff to go swimming. I’m mad at Michael. He’s always telling me what to do. So I brought everything!
Hmmm. Said Stillwater. It’s a little pool. I don’t know if all those things will fit.Let’s see! Karl said.Let’s see! Said Stillwater.
Stillwater looked at the pool. The things can go swimming, but we can’t , he said. I brought too much stuff, said Karl, that’s Okay, said Stillwater. I’ll help you carry it home later.
Why does Michael always have to tell me what to do? Karl said.
If he were here, I would climb up really high…
And I would jump on him like this… and I’d do a big smash , like this!
Later , Karl and Stillwater had tea.Karl, said Stillwater. You spent the whole day being angry with Michael. Did you notice how much fun we had?Karl watched the steam rise from his cup.
I’m sorry I brought all this stuff, Karl said. You don’t need to be sorry, said Stillwater. Right now, you need to carry , hold on tight, and I will tell you a story.
A Heavy Load
Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn’t step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there, looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the package they held for her, so they couldn’t help her across the puddle.
The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn’t thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed.
As they continued on their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you picked her up on your back and carried her! Then she didn’t even thank you!
I set the woman down hours ago, the older monk replied.
Why are you still carrying her?
Do you think you have carried it long enough? Asked Stillwater.
Yes, said Karl. Good , said Stillwater.
And this how Addy, Michael, Karl- and Stillwater- became friends.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/6/30

Angelo 鸽子的天使


As Angelo cleared away the tangle of sticks and feathers left along the ledges of the old church by generation of thoughtless pigeons, he peered into every nook and cranny looking for cracks. They would all have to be repaired before he could apply a new coat of stucco.
　　
　　At first he mistook her for just another abandoned nest.
　　“What’s this?” He moved in for a closer look. She was small, barely breathing.
　　“What are you doing here?” He tried coaxing her with the end of his broom.
　　“Come on. You can’t stay there. I’ve got work to do.”
　　But she did stay there, so he worked around her.
　　
　　At the end of the day, he scooped the helpless creature up in his hat and set off for home, hoping to find someplace to leave her along the way. He was still carrying her when he reached his own front door.
　　
　　“Okay. Just one night,” he grumbled. “But you sleep on the terrace.”
　　When he noticed a large cat cleaning its paws on a nearby roof, he brought her back into the apartment.
　　“Mamma mia! I restore walls, not pigeons.”
　　He continued complaining as he made her bed.
　　
　　In spite of the demands of his work, not to mention his professional dislike for pigeons, Angelo soon found himself devoting all his time to her recovery.
　　When she was strong enough, he started taking her to work.
　　
　　On sunny weekends he drover her out into the countryside to recuperate among the ancient ruins and majestic pines.
　　
　　In the evenings, he introduced her to his favorite music.
　　With this kind of attention, it wasn’t long before she was completely recovered. One morning after breakfast, as he left for the church, she disappeared over the rooftops.
　　
　　Angelo loved his work. With wet plaster and a few simple tools, he had spent his whole life making crumbling walls smooth again and bringing even the most weathered pieces of sculpture back to life.
　　
　　She was just beginning her career in the performing arts – as actress in one of the more popular piazzas.
　　
　　From time to time, she would stop by and watch Angelo work. After a few months she realized that he was slowing down. It was taking him longer to mix the stucco and he seemed to be resting more often.
　　
　　One afternoon, she paid him a visit. The old man looked tired and worried and at first he didn’t recognize her.
　　Then she cooed.
　　“Hey. Is that you, Bird? I suppose you want your ledge back, eh?”
　　She cooed again,
　　“Well, I’ll tell you. I don’t know whether this wall is getting bigger or I’m getting smaller but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever see it finished.”
　　Shaking his head, he picked up a small brush and went back to cleaning between the toes of an evangelist. She stayed with him for the rest of the afternoon to coo encouragement. So he worked around her.
　　
　　She showed up again the following day and every day after that to help. As the temperature rose, she fanned him with her wings. When he looked particularly weary, she carried his handkerchief to a nearby fountain and soaked it the cool water. From time to time, Angelo would interrupt his work to explain some of the finer points of his craft.
　　
　　At lunchtime, she and a few friends provided entertainment. The longer Angelo sat and rested, the better he would work in the afternoons.
　　Also, the more crumbs he dropped.
　　Even with her help, however, there still didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Before long, they were working right through lunch.
　　
　　Fortunately, they had their weekends to rest. One Saturday, while heading out to the countryside, Angelo made an announcement.
　　“My friend, it is time you had a name and I have been giving the matter considerable thought. Since I found you on a Wednesday, I have decided to call you ‘Wednesday.’
　　“’M-e-r-c-o-l-el-d-I,’” he said slowly and proudly.
　　His suggestion was greeted with absolute silence,
　　“Okay. How about Sylvia?”
　　That evening as Sylvia happily pecked her pasta, Angelo spoke at great length of his life, his career and his hope that this church would be his crowning achievement.
　　
　　Week after week, month after month after month, the pair toiled side by side. The heat of summer gradually gave way to the cool winds of autumn and ultimately to the chill of winter. Some day were just too cold for mixing stucco.
　　
　　After more than two years of grueling work, the end was at last in sight. But so too was another winter and Angelo was now moving very slowly. In order to finish before the cold weather returned, they gave up their much-loved visits to the countryside.
　　
　　It was a warm November afternoon when Angelo finally applied the last coat of stucco to the cherubs in the high pediment. With a single confident stroke of the trowel, his work at last was complete.
　　
　　To Sylvia’s surprise, however, he now seemed more worried than ever. At dinner that evening, she did everything she could do to cheer him up. But, the harder she tried, the more he just stared into his linguini.
　　Finally, after a long silence, he spoke.
　　“Plasterers don’t live forever, you know. This place has become your home. Where will you go when I’m gone? How will I know you’re safe?”
　　
　　He continued staring at his linguini until suddenly:
　　“Of course! That’s it!”
　　He grabbed his hat and coat and a flashlight.
　　“Wait here, Sylvia.”
　　The sun was just beginning to rise when Angelo eventually returned. He was exhausted and looked older than ever. But as they fell into their favorite chair, she saw that for the first time in months he was happy. That afternoon, workers began removing the scaffolding from the front of the church.
　　
　　When Angelo didn’t show up to see his work revealed, the men knew something was wrong.
　　
　　They found him lying on his bed surrounded by a tangle of sticks and feathers.
　　
　　The day Angelo was carried into the church, every detail of the old building looked like new. Only one of them truly was.
　　
　　Far above the street and between the cherubs sat a perfect single-family nest. To make sure that it could never be swept away, Angelo had shaped every stick and every feather of Sylvia’s new home out of stucco. From it she could easily see beyond the rooftops and domes of the city to the distant countryside with its ancient tombs and majestic pines.
　　
　　Many years later, when the church once again required some attention, a pair of young plasterers came upon Angelo’s beautiful nest. It was still in perfect condition. In the nest were a few feathers and what appeared to be the remains of an old hat.
　　Neither plasterer touched a thing.

elmer 艾玛


There  was once a herd of elephants. Elephants young, elephants old, elephants tall or fat or thin. Elephants like this, that or other, all different but all happy and all the same colour. All that is



Except Elmer.



   Elmer was different.



   Elmer was patchwork.



   Elmer was yellow



         And orange



         And red



         And pink



         And purple



         And blue



         And green



         And black



         And white.



Elmer was not elephant colour.



It was Elmer who kept the elephants happy. Sometimes he joked with the other elephants, sometimes they joked with him.But if there was even a little smile, it was usually Elmer who started it.



One night Elmer couldn’t sleep for thinking and the think that he was thinking was that he was tired of being different. “Whoever heard of a patchwork elephant?” he thought. “No wonder they laugh at me.” In the morning before the others were really awake, Elmer slipped quietly away, unnoticed.



As he walked throught the jungle Elmer met other animals.



They always said: “Good morning, Elmer.” Each time Elmer smiled and said: “Good morning.”



After a long walk Elmer found what he was looking for a large bush. A large bush covered with berries, a large bush covered with elephant-coloured berries. Elmer caught hold of the bush and shook it and shook it so that the berries fell on the ground.



Once the ground was covered in berries Elmer lay down and rolled over and over this way and that way and back again. Then he picked up bunches of berries and rubbed himself all over covering himself with berry juice until there wasn’t a sign of any yellow, or blue, or green, or black, or white. When he had finished Elmer looked like any other elephant.



After that Elmer set off back to the herd. On the way he passed the other animals again.



This time each one said to him: “Good morning, elephant.” And each time Elmer smiled and said: “Good morning ,”pleased that he wasn’t recognised.



When Elmer rejoined the other elephants they were all standing quietly. None



Of  them noticed Elmer as he worked his way to the middle of the herd.



After a  while Elmer felt that something was wrong. But what? He looked around :same old jungle,same old bright sky, same old rain clound that came over from time to time and lastly same old elephants. Elmer looked at them.



The elephants were standing absolutely still. Elmer had never seen them so serious,  the more he wanted to laugh. Finally he could bear it no longer. He lifted his  trunk and at the top of his voice shouted.



The elephants jumped and fell all ways in surprise. “Oh my gosh and golly!” they said. “It must be Elmer .” Then the other elephant laughed  too as they had never laughed before.



As they laughed the rain cloud burst and when the rain fell on Elmer his patchwork started to show again. The elephants still laughed as Elmer was washed back to normal. “Oh Elmer,” gasped an old elephant. “You’ve played some good jokes but this has been the biggest laugh of all. It didn’t take you long to show your true colours.”



“We must celebrate this day every year,” said another. “This will be Elmer’s day. All elephants must decorate themselves and Elmer will decorate himself elephant colour.”


That is Exactly what the elephants do. On one day a year they decorate themselves and parade. On that day if you happen to see an elephant ordinary elephant colour you will know it must be Elmer.

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory 好奇猴乔治去巧克力工厂


Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One day George went for a drive with his friend, the man with the yellow hat.
Look, George, the man said. There’s a store in that chocolate factory up ahead. Let’s stop for a treat.
George loved chocolates. Inside the store, boxes of chocolates were stacked everywhere, but the man with the yellow hat found his favorites right away. George , he said, wait here while I buy these , and please stay out of trouble.
George looked around the store. He saw chocolate-covered cherries and fudge-flavored lollipops. A chocolate bunt caught his eye.
Then something else caught his eye. What were all those people looking at? George was curious.
He climbed up to get a better look. Through the window he saw lots of trays filled with little brown dots. What were all those little brown dots? George was curious. He found a door that led to the other side of the window.
The little brown dots were chocolates, of course! A tour guide was showing a group of people how to tell what was inside the chocolates by looking at the swirls on top.
The little swirl means fudge, this one says that caramel is inside, and this wiggle is for marshmallow. This is the squiggle for a truffle, this one is for nougat, this sideways swirl is for orange fluff, and this one is for George’s favorite- banana cream.
George followed the tour group until they came to a balcony overlooking a room where the chocolates were made. Down below, busy workers picked the candy off the machines and put them in boxes.
These were the machines that made the chocolates with the swirls on top! The chocolates came out of the machines on long belts. But how did they get their swirls? George was curious.
He climbed down from the balcony… and up onto a machine.
George peeked inside. He was trying to see what was making the swirls when all of a sudden…
The chocolates began coming out faster and faster! They sped by him so quickly they seemed to be running on legs of their own.
Quick! Bring more boxes! Yelled a man with a tall white hat. What happened ? asked another man. Nobody answered. Nobody knew what had happened and everyone was so busy that no once noticed George.
The workers began to fall behind and the candy began to fall off the end of the belt. Save the chocolates! Yelled the man with the tall white hat.
Meanwhile, George saw one of his favorites whiz by. He tried to catch the banana-cream chocolate, but it was too fast! He chased it to the end of the belt.
At the end of the belt a pile of chocolates was growing taller and taller. George had never seen so many chocolates! As he searched for the banana cream, he put the others in empty boxes. George was a fast worker. Someone noticed and yelled , bring that monkey more boxes! He’s helping us catch up!
Not all the chocolates made it into boxes, but no more chocolates fell on the floor.
Just when George and the workers were all caught up, the tour guide ran in with the man with the yellow hat. Get that monkey out of here! She yelled . He’s ruining our chocolates!
But this little monkey saved the chocolates, explained the workers.
Then the man with the tall white hat said to George, you may have caused us some trouble, but you were a speedy little monkey. You deserve a big box of candy for all your help. George was glad he was not in trouble, but he did not take the chocolates.
Back in the parking lot, the workers waved good-bye as George and his friend got into their little blue car. George, are you sure you don’t want any chocolates before we leave? Asked the man with the yellow hat.
George was sure.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/6/30

The Best Excuse

There were many things Jesse Williams could do well.

He could play six on the guitar. Je could change his little sister's diaper while she was standing. He could throw a great curve ball. And he was a really fast skateboarder...

But getting to school on time was not one of those things.

His teacher, Mrs. Milquetoast, had warmed him many times about being late, so on Monday morning he skipped breakfast, hopped on his skateboard and got an early start to school.

He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he strolled into class fifteen minutes early.

He was gliding along on the sidewalk when all of a sudden, his skateboard hit a rock, and Jesse lost his balance and fell.

The next thing he knew he was opening his eyes, feeling groggy and confused. He even had a bump on his head.

When he wasn't wearing his watch.

Oh, no, he thought, as he climbed up the stairs of his school. Of all the days for this to happen!

Jesse snuck into class when Mrs. Milquetoast was at the blackboard with her back turned. He grinned at his classmates and slid into his seat. Maybe he wouldn't get into trouble after all, he thought.

'Jesse Williams,' bellowed Mrs. Milquetoast, her back still turned. 'Can you please come to the front of the class.'

Jesse sheepishly dragged himself to the front to await his punishment.

'Maybe you would like to tell everyone why you are so late.'

Jesse closed his eyes and rubbed the bump on his head. It was very quiet for a moment, then he heard the classroom window rattling. He looked outside and saw leaves swirling in the wind.

'I've got the best excuse,' he said, with a smile.

'I can't wait to hear this,' said Mrs. Milquetoast.

'Well,' began Jesse carefully,' the most incredible thing happened to me this morning on my way to school. A giant gust of wind lifted me and my skateboard up and we traveled to the most amazing places.'

'I see,' said Mrs. Milquetoast, although she did not see at all. 'Perhaps you'd like to tell the class about your trip.'

'Sure, I can tell you some stuff if you want,' said Jesse. 'Where should I start?'

'Why don't you start at the beginging?'

'The first place I went was to Ehypt to see the pyramids. Man, those camels sure do stin.' His friends laughed at this. Mrs. Milquetoast did not.

'And what can you tell us about the pyramids?'

'Well, did you know that it took 100,000 men nearly twenty years to build some of the larger pyramids?' Jesse wasn't sure how he knew that. Only that he did.

'But I didn't stay in Egypt for long. The wind then took me to South America.'

'South America?' said Mrs. Milquetoast, raising her eyebrows.

'Yeah, said Jesse. 'Here, I'll show you.' Jesse took the pointer from the teacher's desk and strolled over to the world map that hung on the wall. He pointed to a spot on the map.

'That's where you landed?' Asked Mrs. Milwuetoast.

'Not exactly,' said Jesse.

'Not exactly?'

'No, I actually landed on the Amazon River. I think I was somewhere in Brazil. I never knew that my slateboars could float. It was really hot and I wanted to go swimming but that's when I saw the crocs.'

'Crocs?'

'Crocodiles. I paddled as fast as I could to get out of that river. Then I got lost in the jungle.'

'Jungle???'

'Tropical rainforest, actually.'

'I hungout with a family of chimpanzees. They were really friendly. They taught me how to swing from tree to tree. I didn't know that snakes could climb trees, too. That got me down in a hurry.'

'The chimps told me about this great waterfall. Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world...'

'Bigger than Niagara Falls?' asked Debbie. Her parents had gone there for their honeymoon.

'Way bigger,' replied Jesse. 'I knew I was late for school but didn't know when I would be in South America again. So I got on my skateboard to check it out.'

'Let me get this straight,' said Mrs. Milquetoast. 'You went to see a waterfall?'

'Well, that was the plan, but my skateboard had other ideas. The next thing I knew, I saw this huge ocean below me. It was the Atlantic Ocean. One of the world's five major ocean.' Jesse had no idea where he was getting all this information.

'Anyway, I sorta figured that it was getting really late but I forgot my watch at home. I knew just where I could find out what time it was.'

'Where was that?'

'Big Ben, of course.'

Even Mrs. Milquetoast was speechless for a minute. The classroom was silent, until she said, with a clearing of her throat, 'You are referring, no doubt to the clock in London, England?'

'Yep, the biggest clock tower in the world...and I almost panicked when I saw the time. Then I remembered what you taught us in class; England is five hours ahead of us.'

Mrs. Milquetoast smiled,but only for a moment.'Aren't you glad you were here for that class?'

'I suree am! Especially since my stomach was growling at me and I was afraid that I missed lunch...Thank goodness it was only a quater to twelve, our time.'

'And what were your plans for the mid-afternoon meal?' Mrs. Milquetoast inqured.

'Well, I checked in my lunch bag and my mom had made the usual: p.b.&j. Don't get me wrong, I love a good peanut butter and jam sandwich, but I really had a craving for Chinese food...and what better place to go than...' Jesse walked over to the globe and pointed.

'So you're telling us that you went to China to have lunch?' Mrs. Milquetoast seemed a bit doubtful. In fact even Jesse's classmates looked bewildered.

'Yeah... I picnicked right on the Wall.'

'You picnicked on a Wall?' his friend Benji asked.

'Sure. The Great Wall of China. Did you know that the Great Wall of China is the only structue on earth that is visible from outer space?'

'Wow.' The class was impressed.

'It was a good thing I found some people who were willing to trade their lunch for my sandwich. They just don't get a lot of p.b.& j.'

Mrs. Milquetoast started to shake her head. ' Jesse, your imagination has been working quite hard... Didn't you feel at all tired, in need of a rest, after all your travels?'

'Funny you should mention that, Mrs. M. In fact, I was wondering how and when I'd ever get back home. I reallized that my own grandparents had traveled real far to get to North America. They came all the way from Russia to New York City, and they mustn've been pretty tired, too.'

'Did they travel on skateboard?' The teacher asked with a slight snicker.

'No, they came on a big ship along with thousands of other s and it took them weeks and weeks to get to Ellis Island.'

'Tell you something, though. I was pretty dam happy to be able to speak English again. I even brought a special lady a bouquet of flowers.'

'Your girlfriend,' teased Amanda.

'Nope, the Statue of Liberty.'

'I knew I was getting close to home but before I knew it, I was swept away...'

The students in the classroom were sitting perfectly still. Never had the room been so quiet, not even during the finals of the spelling bee, when Missy Johnson had to spell 'subterranean' which she did although she lost on the next word which was 'ephemeral.'

'All of a sudden, I found myself looking at these beautiful mountains. To be honest, I wasn't even sure where I was... Until I saw these men standing beside horses, wearing funky pants and cool hats.'

Mrs. Milquetoast raised her eyebrows. 'And those men were...'

'Mounties, of course!' Jesse happily explained. 'The Royal canadian Mounted Police. One officer, named Mac, took me on a tour, and even took me skiling. I'd never skied before, and it was a bit like skateboarding. Did you know that the ski lift at Whistler, British Columbia takes you a mile up in the air? After being at such a high altitude I felt i needed to get down- and I mean way, way down under.

'Can anyone guess where I went next?' Jesse was clearly starting to enjoy being at the front of the class.

'The sewer?' asked Robbie.

'No.'

'The subway?' asked Lauren.

'Nope.'

'Down to the Grand Canyon?' guessed Rachel.

'Give up?' I guess I'll have to tell you... I went to the Great Barrier Reef in a land down under. Australia is not only a country, it's a contient as well! I went scuba diving and hitched a ride on the back of a giant turtle, and let me tell you turtle riding is not like skateboarding at all!'

'Is your trip nearly over?' asked Mrs. Milquetoast, as she glanced at the clock. 'We do have other subjects to cover, you know.'

'I just had one more stop. It occurred to me that I had visited North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. Every continent but one...it's the one I always forget in the geography quize. Antarctica. Believe me. I'll never forget it again. Boy was it ever cold! And it wasn't even winter. I had to keep warm by huddling together with this big group of penguins. They migrate every year so that they can lay eggs.'

'Anyway, these three penguins. I called them Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, they wouldn't leave me along. I ended up giving them a ride back home on my skateboard. They're around here somewhere.'

'Penguins? You brought penguins back with you? Mrs. Milquetoast was about to lose it.

'Yeah, they sort of hitched a ride.'

'Jesse, step out into the hallway, so we can have a little chat in private.' This was not a request, it was a command.

Jesse knew he was going to get in trouble. He hadn't really done anything wrong. Oh, sure, he was late, but it wasn't really his fault. And hadn't he learned so much new stuff about the world?

'Jesse,' began Mrs. Milquetoast carefully, ' we have all been entertained by your wonderfully imaginative story...'

'But it wasn't a ...'

'Now Jesse. Don't argue with me. It was a very clever story. I may even speak to Mrs. Brown, the English teacher, about helping you become a better writer. You have such an imagination.'

'But,' sand Jesse.

'However. We can't have you coming in late for school and disrupting the whole class. I want you to go home and think about what you've done. Think about how it is always better to tell the truth.'

Mrs. Milquetoast returned to the room and looked out the winsow just in time to see Jesse walking home. She could have sworn that she saw three penguins trailing behind him

Bad for Them, Good for Me


This is my house. I live here with my Mom and Dad. They teach me a lot of things. Lately, I've been learning about opposites. The opposite of hot is...cold. The opposite of short is...tall. The opposite of boy is..girl.The opposite of dreamer is ..pragmatist. That sort of thing. It's easy. This is a story about my favourite opposites, good and bad. I started because of the rain. It rained for three days. Dad said that if it didn't stop, I'd have to build an ark. He thought it was funny because my name is Noah. The roof started leaking. It started raining in the house. Dad didn't think that was very funny.It leaked so much that the basement flooded. I put my bathing suit on and went swimming. I had a lot of fun but my mom and dad still weren't laughing. It was bad for them, but good for me. This is my pet frog, Tolstoy. He is my best friend. He is a talking frog. I am the only one who understands him. He is teaching me Russian. After dinner I'd like to play cards with my parents. Tolstoy likes to give me singles so I can win. That is bad for mom and dad, but good for me. This is my teacher. His name is Mr.Albert. He is very old but very smart. He teaches me arithmatic and spelling. He asks me,"Noah, what is E? " He is silly. Everyone knows that E is a letter after D and before F. Mom and dad say that I'm lucky to have Mr. Alert as a teacher, but he makes me sleepy. Sometimes I wish I could make him disappear. That would be bad for him but good for me. Mom picked me up after school because I have a dentist appointment. I wasn't looking forward to it. I was pretty sure that I had a cavity. Mom told me not to be scared of Dr. olivier. I said I wasn't scared of the doctor I was scared of her drill. On the way to the dentist's office we got a flat tire. Mom said it was divine intervention but I think it was probably just a nail. We had to towed to the service station and I missed my appointment. Mom had to buy a brand new tire. It was bad for her but good for me. This winter, mom and dad decided to go on vacation. They wanted to relaxed and suntan on the beach. They were going to Aruba. I didn't know where it was, but I sure liked the name. I wanted to go to Aruba too. Mom and dad said that I couldn't miss my school so I would have to stay with my grandparents. I love my grandma and grandpa but didn't want to be away from my parents for so long. The day they were supposed to leave, there was a big snow storm so they couldn't go after all. That was bad for them, but good for me. Yesterday we went to the pet store and bought a parrot. We didn't know what to call him. Dad wanted to call him Dizzy.Mom wanted to call him Mozart. I wanted to call him Elvis. We decided to put the jukebox on and see what kind of music the parrot would like. We tried all different types of music. He didn't sing when we played jazz. He didn't sing when we played classical. He only sing when we played rock and roll. Elvis lives. That was bad for them, but good for Elvis and me. Today was mom's turn to make dinner. She called dad from office to say that she would be late. "Dinner is ready. All you have to do is to heat it up."she said. Dad said that we were having liver and broccoli. I made a face. It was not my favovrite meal. Dad burned dinner. I think he did it on purpose. He doesn't like liver and broccoli either. We went out for rootbeer and pizza instead. It was so good. There was no leftovers. That was bad for Mom, but good for dad and me. As you can see, it's dark now. Time for bad. Well, maybe we have time for a few more opposites. The opposite of dark is..light. The opposites of happy is..sad. The opposite of going to bed..is waking up. And as we all know the opposite of democracy is..oligarchy. Tomorrow is Saturday. No work for mom and dad. No school for me. We are all going to the park. I guess you could say, that's good for them, and good for me.

Abra Cadabra and the Tooth Witch.(story and illustrations by Nurit Karlin)

The Tooth Witch was bored. She worked every night. Her job was to collect the baby teeth that children lose as they grow older.She would put them in her bag. The Tooth witch loved her work, and she did it very well. But after six hundred years of it, she was getting bored. "Every night the same old thing",she mumbled . ”It’s no fun anymore,“ she grumbled. She yawned. "This bag is too heavy".One night she dropped it. Losing the bag of teeth was a serious matter. The witches called a special meeting. They decided the Tooth Witch needed a helper. "Abra Cadabra! You help her!" "Me?" The Tooth Witch was disgusted."Look at you," she snorted. "You are not a real witch. You don't even have a broom!" Abra Cadabra wanted to know everything about her new job. "Why do we work at night?" She asked. "Because witches see better in the dark," hissed the Tooth Witch. Another night Abra Cadabra asked, "Don't we give the children anything in return for the teeth we take?" "Give them? Ha! " The Tooth Witch Growled."We just take." Abra Cadabra thought that was wrong. She started filling her pockets with presents. Every time she collected a tooth, she left a surprise in its place.One night they stopped to rest. "The bag is almost full." said Abra Cadabra,"What will we do with all these tooth? " The Tooth Witch chortled. "We throw them in flower beds and they grow into rocks" She started to laugh. She laughed...and laughed...and... Ooops! Breaking a broom was even more serious than losing a bag of teeth. The witches decided the Tooth Witch needed a vacation. They sent Abra Cadabra to bring back the bag of teeth that was left on the moon. On her way, Abra Cadabra thought about the teeth and the rocks,"There must be something better to do with all these lovely teeth", then she smiled, "Of course!" Dipping into the bag, she scattered the teeth across the sky. When she was done, the night lit up with stars. Her dress was sparkling white. She had growned a pair of wings. The broom had turned into a wand. She plucked a star and put it on the wand. She became a fairy. The Tooth Fairy. And there was nothing the witches could do with it.

Boy Soup


Giant woke up with a big hurting head."I am sore I am sick I feel awful," he said.

He coughed moving mountains. He backed causing quakes.He said, with a whimper,''My everything aches.'' Groaning,he shovelled his blankets aside,and reached for his Giants' Home Medical Guide.With sofa-sized fingers,he leafed through the book,and in between sneezes so loud that he shook,he found all his symptoms page seventy-oneueasiness,wheeziness,coughing begun.Completely depleted,and tending to droop. The only prescription? A bowl of Boy Soup.

"Can't be,"said the giant."Would be a disgrace."But a big greedy grin spread all over his face."Of course-if I'm ill-that's a decent excuse.And think of the broth a good boy could produce.A sweet boy,a neat boy,a boy so delicious a giant might find himself licking the dishes~!……One buttery boy,or better a group! A half-dozen lads would make wonderful soup!"

Catching the boys was as easy as pie: he stretched down his thick giant arm through the sky……and rested his hand at the top of a tree…… where children were playing.They just didn't see the branch they were grabbing could grab them.

TOO LATE!~!~ That's how the giant got five boys and Kate.

"Why should I feel guilty" the giant began,when six angry children protested his plan."It's here in this authorized medical books!"Kate asked,"Before supper,could I have a look?"

She read every word in the faded ink and said,"May I have just a minute to think?"

"but"

"No!"

snapped the giant."Boys,into the pot!I've chills and a fever,I'm cold and I'm hot."And then with a thunderous splat blew his nose as the boys shook with fear from their heads to their toes.

Kate racked her brain at a furious rate to save all her friends from this hideous fate.

The giant was ready.Oh,how could they flee?

Their ten rubber running shoes that was the key!

Just as the giant came closer to scoop the lads for his horrid medicinal soup,Kate gave a signal,the tiniest look. The boys understood.

They leapt to the book and started a dance, half a shuffle, half-run,and jogged back

and forth on page seventy-one. Up the page down the page sidestep, repeat til most of each word was erased by their feet.

"Now I can't check it !"the giant complained. But Kate said,"I've read it ,I'll gladly explain.The book said quite clearly of this I am sure Boy Soup is soup made by boys,that's the cure.""But…… " sniffed the giant,"I thought boys went in it ……I think I'm confused……can you give me a minute? "

"Oh,no," Kate proclaimed, "you're too sick,don't you know.We have to work fast.Come on,fellows, let's go!"

The boys cooked the carrots ,the boys boiled the peas, then seasoned the soup with a handful of fleas.

They put in some mud and some thick yellow glue and a generous dollop of dandruff shampoo.

Kate poured in pepper and red hot sauce rotten bananas and candy floss sour green pickles and beans in the can all simmered together as part of the plan.

And oh,the aroma! Like skunk in a pot.Kate smiled her sweetest and served it up hot.

In between snuffles, the giant took sips from a spoon trembling close to his great hairy lips.He scowled in suspicion but took one more taste, with a huge doughy tongue much the colour of paste

Then tipped the whole potful of soup down his throat… sat back … and sighed til he started to bloat !and the pepper,the mud and the pickles combined.

The giant let out a most terrible whine and SPIT out the soup with so mighty a blast that it blew all the children down homeward at last.

kate and the fellows were dented, but sound, when they landed back home on familiar ground……They needed new sneakers,and something to do to get over the horrible shock they'd been through.

The giant was not who they wanted to feed, but they had liked the cooking,with Kate in the lead.They opened"Boys'Restaurant"

-as a group-

-and sever almost everyhing but Boy Soup.

One day at the diner, delivery came of an extra-large envelope bearing Kate's name.The giant had written:

I did get you letter.Thank you for asking,I am feeling better.

That Medical Book is from long, long longago .They boiled little boys then even though you're right that it's wrongl.I guess that I knew it .But feeling so sick made me tempted to do it .

I'm glad that you tricked me I would have felt bad when later I realized I'd eaten a

lad.I told all the giants: No boy soup for me!

Sorry again,

yours sincerely,

Big G.

Caillou and Gilbert

Adapted from the television series:

Joceline Sanschogrin illustrations:

CINAR Animation

One day, Caillou was clouring. He drew a big purple cat with green whiskers.

"I don't feel like drawing anymore. I want to play with a friend now." Caillou said. He left his crayons and went off to find his sister Rosie.

There was no sound coming from Rosie's room. The blinds were down and Rosie was fast asleep. Caillou tiptoed in. He knew very well that he wasn't supposed to disturb his sister when she was taking a nap. " Rosie! Rosie!" whispered Caillou.

"Shh! Caillou, be quiet!" Startled, Caillou turned around. Daddy was calling him from the doorway. Daddy looked annoyed. " Caillou, I've told you before not to wake Rosie." " I was lonely. I wanted to play with someone," Caillou explained. " I'm sorry, but I can't play with you right now. Mommy and I are wallpapering the dining room." "But Daddy, I'm tired of playing all by myself." " Wait until Rosie wakes up," replied Daddy.

Then Caillou spolted the cat, stretched out on the sofa. Gilbert didn't have any friends to play with either. " I'm going to play with Gilbert," Caillou declared happily. He picked up the cat and put him in the back of his truck. "Vroom! Vroom!" cried Caillou, pushing the truck. He drove Gilbert all around the living room. "Vroom! Vroom! Beep! Beep! Caillou was having a lot of fun.

The truck and the cat started going faster and faster. Whiskers back, Gilbert wondered what was going on. It was the first time in his life he had ever ridden in a truck. Suddenly, the truck bumped into the table. Bang! Gilbert flew through the air and landed in a heap. Frightened, he ran and hid.

The cat didn't seem to like the truck game. But that didn't matter, because Caillou had a better idea. He went over to his bookshelf and picked out a book about mice. He knew Gilbert would enjoy it. Caillou loved to tell stories. "This is a story about a litter mouse called Mousy...," Caillou began in his best reading voice. He showed the mouse to the cat.

Gilbert scratched behind his ear. He didn't seem to be listening. "Gilbert! Look at the cute little mouse" Caillou insisted. Gilbert licked his paw. He wasn't the least bit interested in Caillou's book. Caillou was losing his patience. He pushed the picture of the mouse right under Gilbert's nose. "Gilbert! Look at this!" The cat jumped off the sofa and ran away. Caillou wondered what kind of stories cats did like.

" I know what we can play!" Caillou exclaimed suddenly. He just had another idea. He went into his room and brought out some doll clothes. Caillou put a bonnet and nightgown on the cat. He burst out laughing when he saw Gilbert out laughing when he saw Gilbert all dressed up like that. He put one of Daddy's old hats on his own head. The game was all set. Caillou picked up the cat and put him gently in the stroller.

"Don't move, Gilbert. Daddy will take care of you," he said. And he pushed Gilbert down the hall. But the cat didn't like being taken for a ride or being dressed up. He crouched and then bolted out of the stroller. " Gilbert!" Caillou complained, disappointed. The cat turned up near Mommy and Daddy. "Ohh!" They were very surprised to see Gilbert in a nightgown. "Gilbert and I were playing dress-up. I'm the daddy." Caillou explained. "Caillou, dress-up isn't a game for animals! said Mommy. "Not for animals?" repeated Caillou.

"Do you like to play baby games, Caillou? Mommy asked. Caillou shook his head. "That's because you're not a baby," said Mommy. Caillou looked at her, wide-eyed, as he thought about what she had said. "Gilbert is a cat, not a person," Mommy went on. "He likes cat games." When Mommy went back to what she was doing, Caillou was still thinking. "I've got it!" he said at last." I know what Gilbert will like." Caillou undressed the cat. Then he dangled the bonnet ties in front of him. The cat's paw darted out to catch the strings. " You like cat games, don't you, Gilbert?" Caillou said happily.

"Wait for me, Gilbert. I'll be right back." Caillou went looking for a piece of paper. He crumpled it up into a little ball and threw it to Gilbert. The cat pounced on the ball and balted it with his paw. Caillou caught it and tossed it back to the cat. " Hurroy, Gilbert! You're a champion!" Daddy and Mommy came in to see what was going on in the living room. Caillou was copying Gilbert. He was crawling on all fours beside him. "We're cats. We're playing together," laughed Caillou.

Crazy for Canada


Lester B.Beaver reporting from all across the nation with pictures of the places that I went on my vacation.

I started in the West on the top of mountain peaks I thought that I'd try skiing but my tail was sore for weeks.

So to the Prairies I went next can you see me hiding? The flatlands full of wheat fields were great for horseback riding.

Next I travelled to the North to the land of the midnight sun to do some fishing on the ice it was great when I caught one.

A snorting bull all the rodeo was courteous indeed he found a special seat for me at the world famous Stampede.

Off to the metropolis to check out other sights to climb the tallest tower and to reach the highest heights.

Then onward to the carnival Salut mon bon ami!C'est fantastique au Canada with lots to do and see.

Like Mounties in their uniforms don't I look like one?

Or cheering at a hockey game where we are number one!

While fishing in the Maritimes it became so clear to me from the Pacific to Atlantic there's no place I'd rather be.

"Canada, oh Canada' A thought from Lester B.I will stand on guard forever for "The true north strong and free."

Crab Moon

The summer Daniel turned seven, his family rented a cottage at the beach. They arrived on the weekend of the full moon.

" The full moon in June brings the high tide of the horseshoe crabs" said his mother.

" I saw them laying their eggs on this beach when I was your age."

"Does it still happen?" Daniel asked.

"Every summer," his mother answered. " Horseshoe crabs have been coming ashore for hundreds of millions of years. They're older than the dinosaurs."

"Can I see them?" Daniel asked.

"You'll have to get up in the middle of the night. I'll come and wake you." she promised.

That night , the fat , round face of the full moon wavered on the surface of the water. The path felt cool under Daniel's feet. As the beam of the flashlight swept the beach, he drew a sharp breath.

Every where they looked, horseshoe crabs crowded and pushed, like restless cobblestones. Under the sandy shuffle of the surf, he could hear the clack of the crabs' shielded backs bumping and scraping together.

Near Daniel's feet, a large crab dug in the sand.

" That's a female." his mother said. " the smaller crab on her back is a male . She laid her eggs in that hole and now she's pulling him aross so he can fertilize them." They watched as the female crab swung herself around. Still carrying her mate. She made her way back to the water.

Little by little, the tide receded. The crabs returned to the sea. Daniel's feet sank into the sand as he and his mother climbed back up to bed.

In the morning, Daniel raced back to the beach. The tide was low, now. The crabs were gone. Curly black seaweed was strewn on the sand, like streamers left over from a party.

Then Daniel saw one last, lonely crab marooned upside down. She looked dead and dry. He found a piece of driftwood and gently nudged her. One leg moved. The other crabs had scratched their tracks in the sand where they had swung themselves around and gone home.

How could this crab follow unless someone turned her over?

Daniel reached out one nervous finger. The tail felt stiff, but not sharp. He carefully lifted the crab.

As her body left the ground, her claws started to snap. Daniel put her down fast.

Then he took a deep breath and reached for her again. this time, he quickly turned the crab over, and gently set her down.

Daniel grinned.

Barnacles and slipper shells covered the crab's back, like jewels on a crown. She set off down the beach, pausing, and pulling her shell through the sand, quiet as a queen.

Slowly and grandly, the crab pulled herself forward. Stepping and pausing, Daniel's feet felt their way into the bay. He followed until she disappeared. Then he gave the water one last, long look and whispered to his horseshoe crab,"See you next summer."

Crazy for California

This is Sandi Pheet reporting

From the sunny Golden State

I want to show you all the places

That make California great

Joining me is my co-star

You'll meet him in minute

If you're looking for adventure

He's always landing in it



We're just Crazy For California

As this book will help you see

And when you're finished reading

You'll choose your favourite place to be--



Sunny Brons out here in movie land

"Hooray for Hollywood"

The glitz and all the glamour

The shars call it their 'hood'

If you like to be an actor

Want to see you name in lights

Come out for an audition

We might see you Oscar night

When we reporter on the rush hour

We do it from the sky

You can't get stuck in traffic

When you've got wings to fly

But the locals are not bothered

They don't cry ang they don't moan

It's easy to be laid back

Making deals on the car phone

Look at me! I'm out here sufin'

Riding the waves in Malidu

I'm gonna stay and catck the "Big One"

If it's the last thing that I do

Okay ... It's just a movie

You've cought me on the set

I'm lucky It's all make believe

Or I'd be really wet

The zoo in San Diego

Has got animals galore

Elephants,snacks,and parrots

Can you help me name some more

But I'll tell you ine big secret

Before you turn the page

If you wang to feed a gorilla

Keep your hand from his cage



Be prepared for some excitement

When you go to Venice Beach

You can meet some funky people

And the ocean's within arm's reach



White you're out there you might as well

Try you luck with basketball

Sooot same hoops against the pros

Look out,they're Really Tall !!!

But not as tall the Redwoods

That grow right thonght the clouds

The forest is amazing

For all its sights ang sounds

Make sure you keep you eyes open

Cause you won't believe the view

There is a tree that is so big

You can drive you cae right thought

When you get to Napa Valley

You'll see grapes that grow on vines

You probably won't be old enough

If you want to try some wine

But don't worry if you just a kid

There is a story must be told

You see,wine is just grape juice

That has grown a little old

Peace man,I'm feeling mellow

Flower power's here to say

there is no place I'd rather groove

Than this great city on the Bay

The bridge,the cable cars,and the Chinatown

I'm in love with every part of

San Francisco,don't make me say it

OK,It's where I left my heart

It's here they make those fancy chips

But not he type you eat

These are chips computers use

For games that are really neat

THought it's the last place on our journey

Your fun doesn't have to end

You can cheak out our new website

(www.tumblebooks.com)

And surt it with a friend

Because now we think it's your turn

Relax,it's not a test

We just want to know which place

You like better than the rest

Jack and The Bean Stalk


This is a story about a plant, but not just any old plant – a bean stalk, a magic bean stalk! It is also the story of a boy named Jack, his mother and their cow, Annabel. One day, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, Jack got out of bed, and went out to the field to milk Annabel, but to his surprise, there was no milk to be had, not even a drop. Annabel had run out. When Jack’s mother heard the news, she sighed. “Jack, I’m sorry, but if Annabel can’t give us milk, we have to sell her, I want you to take he to the market-see if you can get at least five gold pieces for her.” So Jack stated out with a heavy heart and Annabel in tow. They had been walking and talking and walking and talking for quite a while (it was a long way to town and Jack was delicately explaining the situation to Annabel)-when all of sudden Jack spotted a strange man with a long white beard and a funny hat peeking out from behind a willow tree. “Hey you there”the old man shouted. “Me?” said Jack, rather starled. “Yeah, that’s some beautiful bovine you got there. Where you going?” “I’m taking her to the market sir, to sell her for five gold pieces.” “That’s all! Five gold pieces! Well, anyone in their right mind would see she’s worth more than that, why I’d give away all my magic beans for such a comely cow.” Jack’s eyes widened “Magic beans?” “Yeasiree! The king himself begged me for these beans, but I wouldn’t give them to him.” The stranger reached into his bag and pulled out a jar of beans. They were all different colors, some shiny, some sparkling. Jack thought they were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. And in no time at all, Jack traded Annabel for the magic beans. He ran all the way home; He couldn’t wait to tell his mother about his incredible luck. “Mother, mother!”Jack shouted, out of breath from his run, “Look, look, look what I have magic beans.” Well, Jack’s mother wasn’t as excited about the magic beans. In fact she was upset-very upset. She yelled for a little while “What were you thinking Jack, Magic beans, nonsense.” “What do I have? I have a fool for a son.” And she grabbed the jar of beans and threw it out the kitchen window. Jack slink out to the garden to ponder his lousy luck –when he heard something something that sounded like a whisper, He listened hard and yes indeed ,he heard a voice ,a little tiny voice ,”Bury me ,bury me” Jack looked around ,He was alone. Was he imagining things? “Hey kid, I’m talking to you” There it was again-It was coming from the jar of beans! They were talking! “What are you, deaf? Bury me”. Jack unscrewed the lid, and poured the talking beans into the ground, No sooner had he covered the last bean with dirt, when the ground started to rumble and shake and out shot the BEAN STALK. It grew and grew and grew and grew and grew. A beanstalk taller than house, taller than the trees, so tall it touched the clouds-a beanstalk that would make the King jealous, a bean stalk that made his mother shout “Jack son MY”. Jack wasted no time. He mounted the hefty trunk and started climbing. He climbed higher and higher, above the trees, above the house, through the clouds to the top of the sky-which incidentally, ended at a pair of giant female feet inside a giant pair of shoes belonging to a kindly giantess (female giant for those unfamiliar with giant jargon). “Would you like to come to my castle young man? You look tired and hungry. I’ll happily let you rest there, but you must leave before my husband gets home,” She warned. “He’s not very friendly and unfortunately he likes to eat little boys”.Well,Jack was a bit nervous, but soon he was sitting comfortably in a giant chair, by a giant fireplace, finishing the last bites of a delicious lasagna with his giant knife and fork. He was just about to be on his way when there was a giant sound like thunder and the table began to shake, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, It was the giant’s footsteps. “Quick, Hide.My husband is home, Hurry, before he sees you,” Jack dove behind the butter dish, just as the door swung open and in walked the Giant. He was a huge creature. Hairy and smelly and he had a massive spiky club in his fist. The Giant sniffed the air and bellowed,” Fee Fi Fo Fun I smell the blood of an Englishman.” Jack could feel his heart pounding. His wife assured him “There’s no Englishman here at all, dear.It must just be your allergier.”The grouchy giant searched and searched the area but after finding nothing, he finally gave up, slurped down his supper and went to bed. Of course Jack didn’t sleep at all that night for fear that the giant would wake up and make him a midnight snack. The next morning, the Giant took a large key from a hook and unlocked a huge door. He disappeared inside and then reappeared carrying three bulging bags. Jack peeked around the butter dish and marveled at what he saw .Gold coins! Hundreds of them. The giant counted the coins ,one by one ,then carefully put the bags back in the closet ,locked the door, retuned the key to its hook, then boom boom boomed his way out the front door. Jack saw his chance .He took the key, pushed a chair up against the door (the key hole was very high off the ground you see), unlocked the door and grabbed one of the bags. He raced out of the house and down the beanstalk all the way back down to his garden with the bag of gold. His mother, of course, was overjoyed, not only because of the gold, but because Jack was safe and sound, she apologized for yelling at him, and she made him a double chocolate fudge cake to celebrate. But that is not the end of this story. Jack couldn’t stop thinking about the giant and the castle at the to of the bean stalk. “Mother” Jack announced one day “I’m going back up there tomorrow.” “Jack, no it’s too dangerous. If the Giant catches you he’ll eat you alive.” She pleaded and begged and cried but Jack was very stubborn boy and the next morning he climbed the beanstalk once more. When he reached the top there was the lady giant just as before, only this time she looked a little nervous, “I’m sure you’ll want to come in again, But you can’t stay for long and you have to promise me you won’t take anymore gold, My husband was very angry.” Jack promised and when they were back at the castle she gave him a hot bowl of soup. Just as he was finishing the last drop, there was the BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.This time, Jack knew what to do –he hid behind the sugar bowl. The Giant burst into the room “Fee Fi Fo Fun I smell the blood of an Englishman. Where is the little thief?” “Now dear, that’s not a human you smell, that’s my delicious pig snout soup. Why don’t you see if your chicken will lay you an egg,dear”.And from a small cage lady giant pulled out a beautiful white hen, The chicken squawked a few times and right there on the table it laid a golden egg. Jack knew what he had to do. When the giant and his wife went to bed, he grabbed the magical hen and raced back down the bean stalk to show his mother their new prize. Jack’s mother was very happy to have her son back again. But, after a time, Jack got that familiar itch to climb the beanstalk and one day, without telling his mother anything ,he ventured back up into the sky, When he got to the castle he found him self a new hiding spot. He didn’t have to wait too long, when BOOM, BOOM, BOOM and in walked the mighty giant-with his wife behind him. “Fee Fi Fo Fun I smell the blood of an Englishman.” “You are surely imagining things this time.” the lady giant said “I haven’t seen that little brat for ages-and even if I did, I’d serve him to you for supper myself.” Jack was glad he hadn’t run into the lady this time. After supper the giant reached into a large sack and pulled out a beautiful, golden harp. “Sing to me,” he commanded the harp. “Sing me something that will put me to sleep.” And to Jack’s astonishment the harp began singing the most beautiful song he had ever heard, when the giant was snoring deeplu, Jack tiptoed over to the harp and grabbed it. Suddenly the harp shouted “Master, Mater, help, help” The Giant woke up and seeing Jack he grabbed his club. Jack ran as fast as his little human legs could take him still holding the screaming harp. The giant was close behingd.Jack reached the bean stalk and he scrambled down to his garden below. When he got to the bottom, he looked up and saw the enraged giant climbing down the bean stalk after him.Now,fortunately for Jack, the giant was a lousy climber and far too big for the substantial plant, The bean stalk began to creak and sway and suddenly it snapped in two under the weight of the huge man. With a mighty roar the giant fell from the sky and landed with a thud in Jack’s garden below dead. Now after all those adventures, Jack was very happy to cut down the bean stalk and go back to nice quiet life with his mother ,their bag of gold, their hen that laid them golden eggs and the magical harp that sang them to sleep each night

Curious George and the Puppies


Curious George and the Puppies
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One day George went for a walk with his friend, the man with the yellow hat.
When they sat down to rest, they notices a tiny kitten peeking out from under a bush. The kitten looked frightened. Perhaps she is lost , said the man with the yellow hat. Together, he and George searched the park for the little kitten’s owner. But the kitten was all alone.
This kitten is too young to be on her own, the man said. We should take her to the animal shelter, where they can care for her and find her a home.
So George and the kitten and the man with the yellow hat drove to the animal shelter.
The director of the shelter was glad to see them. It was good of you to bring the kitten here, she said. We will be happy to take care of her.
George gave the kitten to the director, then he and the man with the yellow hat walked inside.
Come in ,the director said, but watch where you step. We have a large litter of puppies and one has gotten out of his cage. We’re still looking for him, so please be careful. She closed the door quickly behind them.
George had never been to an animal shelter before. Animals of all kinds were being cared for her. George saw bunnies, cats , turtles , and guinea pigs. He even saw a snake. But he didn’t see any puppies.
George, I need to sign some papers, said the man with the yellow hat. Please stay here and on’t be too curious.
Just as the man with the yellow hat left the room, George heard barking. Maybe it was the puppies! But where was it coming from? George was curious. He followed the barking noises…
And found a room full of dogs! There were yellow dogs, spotted dogs, sleek dogs, and fluffy dogs. There were quiet dogs and yappy dogs and even a dog without a tail. But where were the puppies?
Then George saw a little wagging tail. Then another. And another!
Once George saw the puppies, he could not take his eyes off them. He had to pet one. Here was a puppy! The puppy liked George. George wanted to hold the puppy . Slowly , he opened the door…
But before George could even reach the puppy , the mother dog pushed the door open and was off like a shot! George tried to close the door after her, but the puppies were too fast! There was nothing George could do.
Puppies were everywhere! Puppies hid under the desk. Puppies barked at bunnies. One puppy played with a telephone cord and another climbed on top of a cage to watch the others get into mischief. Soon all the dogs were barking, the cats were meowing, and the bunnies rustled into the corner of their cage.
Oh no! cried the director as she and the man with the yellow hat rushed into the room. Now all the puppies are out!
The man with the yellow hat helped the director gather up the puppies and put them safely back in their cage. Soon all the animals settled down and were quite.
Except for one. Who was still barking ? It was the mother dog! What was she barking at ? There was nothing here but a door.
There must be something on the other side, thought Georeg. He opened the door.
It was the missing puppy! Everyone was happy to finally find the puppy. The director scooped him up and said, george , you certainly caused a ruckus! But if you hadn’t let the puppies out, we might still be searching for this little one.
Then she gave the puppies and their mother a snake. These puppies are now big enough to go live with families who will take care of them, she said. Do you want to take one home with you, George?
George did.
Typed by Melanie Zeng on July 5th,2011

Curious George and the Puppies


Curious George and the Puppies
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One day George went for a walk with his friend, the man with the yellow hat.
When they sat down to rest, they notices a tiny kitten peeking out from under a bush. The kitten looked frightened. Perhaps she is lost , said the man with the yellow hat. Together, he and George searched the park for the little kitten’s owner. But the kitten was all alone.
This kitten is too young to be on her own, the man said. We should take her to the animal shelter, where they can care for her and find her a home.
So George and the kitten and the man with the yellow hat drove to the animal shelter.
The director of the shelter was glad to see them. It was good of you to bring the kitten here, she said. We will be happy to take care of her.
George gave the kitten to the director, then he and the man with the yellow hat walked inside.
Come in ,the director said, but watch where you step. We have a large litter of puppies and one has gotten out of his cage. We’re still looking for him, so please be careful. She closed the door quickly behind them.
George had never been to an animal shelter before. Animals of all kinds were being cared for her. George saw bunnies, cats , turtles , and guinea pigs. He even saw a snake. But he didn’t see any puppies.
George, I need to sign some papers, said the man with the yellow hat. Please stay here and on’t be too curious.
Just as the man with the yellow hat left the room, George heard barking. Maybe it was the puppies! But where was it coming from? George was curious. He followed the barking noises…
And found a room full of dogs! There were yellow dogs, spotted dogs, sleek dogs, and fluffy dogs. There were quiet dogs and yappy dogs and even a dog without a tail. But where were the puppies?
Then George saw a little wagging tail. Then another. And another!
Once George saw the puppies, he could not take his eyes off them. He had to pet one. Here was a puppy! The puppy liked George. George wanted to hold the puppy . Slowly , he opened the door…
But before George could even reach the puppy , the mother dog pushed the door open and was off like a shot! George tried to close the door after her, but the puppies were too fast! There was nothing George could do.
Puppies were everywhere! Puppies hid under the desk. Puppies barked at bunnies. One puppy played with a telephone cord and another climbed on top of a cage to watch the others get into mischief. Soon all the dogs were barking, the cats were meowing, and the bunnies rustled into the corner of their cage.
Oh no! cried the director as she and the man with the yellow hat rushed into the room. Now all the puppies are out!
The man with the yellow hat helped the director gather up the puppies and put them safely back in their cage. Soon all the animals settled down and were quite.
Except for one. Who was still barking ? It was the mother dog! What was she barking at ? There was nothing here but a door.
There must be something on the other side, thought Georeg. He opened the door.
It was the missing puppy! Everyone was happy to finally find the puppy. The director scooped him up and said, george , you certainly caused a ruckus! But if you hadn’t let the puppies out, we might still be searching for this little one.
Then she gave the puppies and their mother a snake. These puppies are now big enough to go live with families who will take care of them, she said. Do you want to take one home with you, George?
George did.
Typed by Melanie Zeng on July 5th,2011

Curious George Makes Pancakes好奇的乔治做煎饼
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One morning the man with the yellow hat woke George early. Time to get up, George, he said. The pancake breakfast is today.
George loved the pancake breakfast. It was a fundraiser held every year to make money for special programs at the children’s hospital.
Besides eating pancakes, there were all kinds of games to play. Even the mayor came to play and eat, but first he gave a welcome speech.
Thank you all for coming, the mayor said. We appreciate your generous support. He tanked al the volunteers who were helping that day and finally he said, please enjoy yourselves.. and the pancakes!
When the mayor finished, the man with the yellow hat said, George , I am going to buy our tickets . please wait here and don’t be too curious. George waited like a good little monkeys, but- mmm! Something smelled good! Could it be the pancakes? George was curious.
He followed the delicious smell and found a whole griddle full of pancakes! George watched as a man poured little batter circles and flipped them up in the air. It looked like fund to make pancakes!
George wanted to help. On a table near the griddle was a basket full of blueberries. These pancakes need blueberries, George thought. And he sprinkled some on top.
Meanwhile, the man at the griddle was so busy he didn’t notice the little monkey helping him. But the line grew and grew…
George’s pancakes were a hit! Soon everyone wanted them and the man could not keep up. Please wait, he said to someone holding a empty plate. I nee d to find an assistant to help me. And just like that , he was gone.
George looked at the people waiting in line and then at the empty griddle. Why he could make pancakes. He could be the assistant!
George poured the batter into nice round circles. Next he added blueberries. He waited just a minute to let the pancakes cook. Then he flipped them over. And last, he added syrup.
The line for pancakes was enormous. But with four hands, George made quite a chef- and no one’s plate was empty for long.
I’ve been coming to this breakfast for years, a man said. But I’ve never seen pancakes made like this before! I’ve never eaten this many pancakes before, said a girl. I didn’t even like pancakes before! Said another girl. And they all lined up for more.
When the man returned with his new assistant, he was shocked to see a monkey making pancakes. This is no place for a monkey! He yelled , and he began to chase George.
George hadn’t meant to cause trouble. He’d only wanted to help. Now he only wanted to get away. Quickly, George found a place to hid, and the man an his assistant ran right by. But where did George go?
When is was safe to come out, George jumped down, He was covered in syrup like a pancake- and he was sticking to everything! George was curious:  could these napkins help him get clean?
No! the napkins only made it worse. What George needed was some water to wash with … why, here was the perfect thing. George climbed up.
This would do the trick for a sticky monkey! George sat on the bench and splashed himself with water. But all of a sudden…
Splash! George was IN the water. What a surprise! George climbed up again and splashed back down. He’s never been in a dunk tank before, and he’d never had so much fun getting clean! Soon everyone was having fun, and the line at the dunk tank grew even longer than the line for pancakes. Later, the mayor cam by. I’ve heard all about your delicious pancakes, he said. You’ve made our fundraiser a big success and I have a special favor to ask you…
At the end of the day, George got to present the money from the fundraiser  to the president of the hospital. Thanks to you , George, this has been our best year ever! She said. Will you come back and make pancakes again next year? George nodded and everyone cheered.


typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/6

Trouble AT school- 贝贝熊


when a problen at school is kept secret too long, It can grow til a cub thinks that everything's wrong!Though Brother and Sister Bear were usually very healthy, they occasionally caught cold So when Brother came home from school one day sneezing and wheezing, Mama Bear knew just what to do.She took his temperature, tucked him into bed,
and went right to the phone and called Dr. Grizzly. '''sneezing and wheezing and a temperature of a hundred and one?'' said Dr. Grizzly. ''Keep him in bed, give him plenty of liquids, and keep him home from school until his temperature is back to normal."  
Mama followed the doctor's orders, and little by little Brother's temperature began to go down.
"I feel a little better," he said. ''May I get out of bed?"
''I'm afraid not," said Mama. ''The doctor wants you to stay in bed.
''But there's no reason why your stay shouldn't be as pleasant as possible. .. Papa !" she called，''Would you bring up the portable TV?'' When he tired of TV he got out his comic book, and when he tired of those,Moma brought him his dinosaur collection. There was no doubt about it—except for his sniffles, Brother Bear was having a pretty good time. The portable had remote control, and pretty soon Brother was having a fine time switching from one cartoon show to another. So when Sister Bear brought home a folder of schoolwork for him, he hardly looked at it-he was much too busy having fun.
But while he was at home having fun, his fellow students at school were hard at work.
ln the classroom, where Teacher Bob was teaching a new math lesson. They had learned to a add,subbtract, and multiply. Now they were learning to divide.   
On the soccer field, where Coach Bruin was getting the team ready for the big game against Beartown…
  ''Cousin Freddy! '' he called. ''Take Brother's place at forward. He's out sick. ''
“Yes. sir! '' said Freddy. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.
It wasn't until Brother was all better and ready to go back to school that he remembered the folder of work. ''Oh we11,'' he thought, "I'll study it on the bus."
But that's where he heard about Freddy and the soccer team. He was so upset he forgot all about studying.
When Coach Bruin had extra practice during early gym, Brother became even more upset. It wasn't easy watching Freddy take his place on the team.
Then, when Brother got back to class, Teacher Bob said, ''1 certainly hope you studied that work folder, because we're going to have a quiz."
''A quiz?" said Brother. ''On what?" ''On division, of course," said Teacher Bob as he handed out the quiz papers.
Brother might have managed even then. He was good with numbers and might have worked things out if only he'd been able to concentrate. But all he could think about was Cousin Freddy out there kicking field goals while he sat on the bench.
The quiz was a disaster. Not only did Brother get every problem wrong, but Teacher Bob wrote on the paper: ''Very poor! Must be signed by parent."
Brother didn't know which was worse: the soccer mess or the quiz disaster. What would he say to Mama and Papa when they asked him how things had gone at school? He was so busy feeling sorry for himself on the bus ride home that he didn't notice that Sister was coming down with a bad case of the sneezes and wheezes.   
"Oh dear!'' said Mama when she saw Sister. "You've caught Brother's cold. Into be with you!"               
She and Papa were so busy attending to Sister that they forgot to ask Brother how things went at school... and he didn't tell them!  
And the next morning, when the school bus came, Brother didn't get on the bus! He hid in the tall grass until the bus was out of sight. The squirrels and bluebirds were puzzled¡ª Brother was usually happy and cheerful. But not this morning. This morning he looked unhappy-and angry,too.'' Phooey!" Brother shouted, kicking a stone. But kicking the stone reminds him of soccer and that just made him angrier.The bluebirds took off and the squirrels scattered.
Phooey [`fu:l] on soccer!”he shouted, stomping off through the woods. Stomp! Stomp[stɔmp]! Grasshoppers hopped. hopped. Toads stood stock-still and pretended they were bumps on a log.
''Phooey on school! '' Brother shouted, stomping out of the woods. Pansies hid their faces. Ladybugs flew away home.
''And,'' he said, reaching into his schoolbag, ''phooey on division! ”
He had come to the top of a big hill. He took out the quiz, folded it into a paper airplane, and sailed it high into the air. The hill overlooked a swampy,  overgrown bog. As Brother watched the quiz circle and swoop he noticed something out of the corner of his eye — a familiar house at the edge of the bog. Grizzly Gramps was working on a ship model when he heard the knock. Gran was making cookies.They weren't expecting visitors and they certainly weren't expecting Brother-especially during school hours.
It didn't take long for the whole story to come out. Gramps and Gran listened quietly as Brother told them about catching cold. the folder of work, the soccer mess, the quiz disaster, the missed bus, and the paper airplane.
''Come with me, young fellers,” said Gramps. ''1 want to show you something.''
Gramps took Brother by the hand and led him deep into the bog.
''There!'' he said. ''That's what 1 want to show your.”
It was a very old wagon sunk almost out of sight in a muddy pond.
''How did it get there?” asked Brother.
''It wasn't easy.'' said Gramps. “1 went to a lot of trouble getting that old wagon into this swamp.”Then,with a twinkle in his eye, he said, ''Just the way you did getting in over your head at school!
''It happened a long time ago when I took a wrong turn-just the way you did when you didn't study that schoolwork that Teacher Bob sent home.
Well, instead of admitting my mistake and backing up , I Just pushed ahead until I was in so deep there was no getting out.”
''And you lost the wagon,” said Brother.
''Yep.'' said Gramps. ''But I learned a valuable lesson. lf you and yourself on the wrong road, don't just keep on going until you're in over your head-back up and start over on the right road.
''How am I going to do that?” asked Brother.
''Oh l think we can manage-but first, look over there,” Gramps said, pointing. There it was: the paper airplane-caught in a berry bush.“What do you think they’ll say?” asked Brother later as they bouced along in Gramps's pickup.
''We'll find out soon enough.'' said Gramps, pulling to a stop in front of the big tree house. ''And let's not forget Gran's bag of cookies. They're her finest.''
Mama and Papa weren't exactly pleased when they heard about the big mess Brother had gotten him- self into.But thev didn't holler and pound the table, either-not Papa. He looked like he might be going to when he saw the paper
he had to sign-Gramps had treed to flatten it out but it was still wrinkled.
''What happened to this?” he asked.
''Oh.'' said Gramps. ''it just sort of got folded a bit.” That's when he brought out Gran’s cookies. There were ten of them. ''Let's see, now,” he said, ''there are five of us counting Sister. So how many cookies do we each get?
''Two, of course,” said Brother, dividing them up.
''Don't look now, young feller.” said Gramps with a wink, ''but you just divided ten by five! ''
“Is that all there is to dividing?'' said Brother.
''That's all.'' said Gramps.

''Come along.'' said Mama in a no-nonsense voice.

''Where are we gong?” asked Brother.
''To school,'' Mama said as they got in the car.
''But it's so late,” protested Brother.
''It's never too late to correct a mistak,” Mama said, and off they went.
Brother got to class just in time for a retest. The class hadn't done very well on the division quiz. So Teacher Bob was giving them a second chance.
Brother really concentrated and did much better.
And that afternoon he got a second chance at soccer, too. It was the day of the big game against Beartown and things weren't going very well.

''Brother,'' said Coach Bruin, “I want you to go in for Freddy. I don't think he's quite ready for first team.”
''Glad to help, Coach,” Brother said as he ran out onto the field.''You know what they say-it's never to late ro correct a mistake.”

Trouble AT school- 贝贝熊


when a problen at school is kept secret too long, It can grow til a cub thinks that everything's wrong!Though Brother and Sister Bear were usually very healthy, they occasionally caught cold So when Brother came home from school one day sneezing and wheezing, Mama Bear knew just what to do.She took his temperature, tucked him into bed,
and went right to the phone and called Dr. Grizzly. '''sneezing and wheezing and a temperature of a hundred and one?'' said Dr. Grizzly. ''Keep him in bed, give him plenty of liquids, and keep him home from school until his temperature is back to normal."  
Mama followed the doctor's orders, and little by little Brother's temperature began to go down.
"I feel a little better," he said. ''May I get out of bed?"
''I'm afraid not," said Mama. ''The doctor wants you to stay in bed.
''But there's no reason why your stay shouldn't be as pleasant as possible. .. Papa !" she called，''Would you bring up the portable TV?'' When he tired of TV he got out his comic book, and when he tired of those,Moma brought him his dinosaur collection. There was no doubt about it—except for his sniffles, Brother Bear was having a pretty good time. The portable had remote control, and pretty soon Brother was having a fine time switching from one cartoon show to another. So when Sister Bear brought home a folder of schoolwork for him, he hardly looked at it-he was much too busy having fun.
But while he was at home having fun, his fellow students at school were hard at work.
ln the classroom, where Teacher Bob was teaching a new math lesson. They had learned to a add,subbtract, and multiply. Now they were learning to divide.   
On the soccer field, where Coach Bruin was getting the team ready for the big game against Beartown…
  ''Cousin Freddy! '' he called. ''Take Brother's place at forward. He's out sick. ''
“Yes. sir! '' said Freddy. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.
It wasn't until Brother was all better and ready to go back to school that he remembered the folder of work. ''Oh we11,'' he thought, "I'll study it on the bus."
But that's where he heard about Freddy and the soccer team. He was so upset he forgot all about studying.
When Coach Bruin had extra practice during early gym, Brother became even more upset. It wasn't easy watching Freddy take his place on the team.
Then, when Brother got back to class, Teacher Bob said, ''1 certainly hope you studied that work folder, because we're going to have a quiz."
''A quiz?" said Brother. ''On what?" ''On division, of course," said Teacher Bob as he handed out the quiz papers.
Brother might have managed even then. He was good with numbers and might have worked things out if only he'd been able to concentrate. But all he could think about was Cousin Freddy out there kicking field goals while he sat on the bench.
The quiz was a disaster. Not only did Brother get every problem wrong, but Teacher Bob wrote on the paper: ''Very poor! Must be signed by parent."
Brother didn't know which was worse: the soccer mess or the quiz disaster. What would he say to Mama and Papa when they asked him how things had gone at school? He was so busy feeling sorry for himself on the bus ride home that he didn't notice that Sister was coming down with a bad case of the sneezes and wheezes.   
"Oh dear!'' said Mama when she saw Sister. "You've caught Brother's cold. Into be with you!"               
She and Papa were so busy attending to Sister that they forgot to ask Brother how things went at school... and he didn't tell them!  
And the next morning, when the school bus came, Brother didn't get on the bus! He hid in the tall grass until the bus was out of sight. The squirrels and bluebirds were puzzled¡ª Brother was usually happy and cheerful. But not this morning. This morning he looked unhappy-and angry,too.'' Phooey!" Brother shouted, kicking a stone. But kicking the stone reminds him of soccer and that just made him angrier.The bluebirds took off and the squirrels scattered.
Phooey [`fu:l] on soccer!”he shouted, stomping off through the woods. Stomp! Stomp[stɔmp]! Grasshoppers hopped. hopped. Toads stood stock-still and pretended they were bumps on a log.
''Phooey on school! '' Brother shouted, stomping out of the woods. Pansies hid their faces. Ladybugs flew away home.
''And,'' he said, reaching into his schoolbag, ''phooey on division! ”
He had come to the top of a big hill. He took out the quiz, folded it into a paper airplane, and sailed it high into the air. The hill overlooked a swampy,  overgrown bog. As Brother watched the quiz circle and swoop he noticed something out of the corner of his eye — a familiar house at the edge of the bog. Grizzly Gramps was working on a ship model when he heard the knock. Gran was making cookies.They weren't expecting visitors and they certainly weren't expecting Brother-especially during school hours.
It didn't take long for the whole story to come out. Gramps and Gran listened quietly as Brother told them about catching cold. the folder of work, the soccer mess, the quiz disaster, the missed bus, and the paper airplane.
''Come with me, young fellers,” said Gramps. ''1 want to show you something.''
Gramps took Brother by the hand and led him deep into the bog.
''There!'' he said. ''That's what 1 want to show your.”
It was a very old wagon sunk almost out of sight in a muddy pond.
''How did it get there?” asked Brother.
''It wasn't easy.'' said Gramps. “1 went to a lot of trouble getting that old wagon into this swamp.”Then,with a twinkle in his eye, he said, ''Just the way you did getting in over your head at school!
''It happened a long time ago when I took a wrong turn-just the way you did when you didn't study that schoolwork that Teacher Bob sent home.
Well, instead of admitting my mistake and backing up , I Just pushed ahead until I was in so deep there was no getting out.”
''And you lost the wagon,” said Brother.
''Yep.'' said Gramps. ''But I learned a valuable lesson. lf you and yourself on the wrong road, don't just keep on going until you're in over your head-back up and start over on the right road.
''How am I going to do that?” asked Brother.
''Oh l think we can manage-but first, look over there,” Gramps said, pointing. There it was: the paper airplane-caught in a berry bush.“What do you think they’ll say?” asked Brother later as they bouced along in Gramps's pickup.
''We'll find out soon enough.'' said Gramps, pulling to a stop in front of the big tree house. ''And let's not forget Gran's bag of cookies. They're her finest.''
Mama and Papa weren't exactly pleased when they heard about the big mess Brother had gotten him- self into.But thev didn't holler and pound the table, either-not Papa. He looked like he might be going to when he saw the paper
he had to sign-Gramps had treed to flatten it out but it was still wrinkled.
''What happened to this?” he asked.
''Oh.'' said Gramps. ''it just sort of got folded a bit.” That's when he brought out Gran’s cookies. There were ten of them. ''Let's see, now,” he said, ''there are five of us counting Sister. So how many cookies do we each get?
''Two, of course,” said Brother, dividing them up.
''Don't look now, young feller.” said Gramps with a wink, ''but you just divided ten by five! ''
“Is that all there is to dividing?'' said Brother.
''That's all.'' said Gramps.

''Come along.'' said Mama in a no-nonsense voice.

''Where are we gong?” asked Brother.
''To school,'' Mama said as they got in the car.
''But it's so late,” protested Brother.
''It's never too late to correct a mistak,” Mama said, and off they went.
Brother got to class just in time for a retest. The class hadn't done very well on the division quiz. So Teacher Bob was giving them a second chance.
Brother really concentrated and did much better.
And that afternoon he got a second chance at soccer, too. It was the day of the big game against Beartown and things weren't going very well.

''Brother,'' said Coach Bruin, “I want you to go in for Freddy. I don't think he's quite ready for first team.”
''Glad to help, Coach,” Brother said as he ran out onto the field.''You know what they say-it's never to late ro correct a mistake.”