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Aunsiels

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InfantBooks

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RimeTime.txt

The Grand Old Duke of York Went to feed his men He gave them bread & pork And marched them past Big Ben Can I speak to John He ca n’t talk right now We’ve just put his head In the back of a cow Jack & Jill ate their fill & drank a glass of water Jack the clown Larked around & Jill played with their daughter Too many cooks Spoil the soup Too many chickens Are kept in the coop The cat makes hay While the sun shines The mice in dismay Are sent down the mines One two three four five Bees fly into a hive Six seven eight nine ten They come out I don’t know when Hickery dickery dock Don’t go out in the sun The mouse applied sun block Factor fifty one Hickery dockery dick This rhyme is on the screen And with just one click Round the world is seen Can I talk to John? Hang on the line With his vest & pants In the open air drying Georgie Porgie pudding & pie Took a trip & wondered why All the liners were delayed Didn’t wait another day Hitched a lift on a mantra ray The cat’s away The cheese is free The mice will sing Do Re Me Hickery dickery duck Alarmed began to quack The hen began to cluck The farmer got the sack Little Jack Horner Got into the ring Came out of the corner And started to swing Took a punch to the jaw It finished the bout He fell to the floor They carried him out The Washing Machine Took the towels Washed them clean Cooked the fowls The Washing Machine Spun them dry And in between Scored a try Hey diddle diddle Who’s the pig in the middle? Who went into a swoon? Who is a fan Of a boys band? And who danced By the light of the moon? Can I speak to John? He’s all tied up With lots of rope From a viaduct. The cat’s away Took a trip round the lake The mice holiday By baking a cake Hickery dickery dock What will you wear with that? The mouse put on a sock A pair of shoes and a hat The Grand Old Duke of York Decided to retire Arranged his knife & fork Got into sleep attire

Seasons-Vs2-FKB-early-readers.txt

Summer, Fall ... Winter, spring. There are four seasons The year will bring. Winter Is cold. In some places it snows. We love lighting a fre. And warming our toes. After winter is spring. Spring means all things new. Lots of pretty fowers. New born animals too. Summer follows spring. In summer it's hot. We swim and play all day. It's holidays! - School it is not. After summer is autumn. Some call it fall. Since the leaves fall down, we can jump in them all. Winter, spring... Summer, fall; Which is your favourite, Season of all?

Tina_Says_life_skills_EE-FKB.txt

Wow Leon! You trained Caton to sit so quickly! That must feel very GRATIFYING. Good boy Caton! Tina, what does that mean? Oh, "GRATIFYING"? When something is gratifying it means you feel happy or satisfied that you accomplished something! But I got dressed and brushed my teeth this morning and that didn’t make me feel happy. Well, gratification happens when you’ve been working really hard on something. Like Training Building a or cleaning your Caton, tree house, whole bedroom! And then when you see what you have accomplished . . . g e t i t ! G R AT I F I C AT h ! I ION! O Because I har d! ’ve been working really e el i t! I think I f That’s great Leon! That feeling is an important part of your life! It will help you keep working hard to finish the things you start! Tina, I can’t wait to feel gratification again! I think I’ll train Caton to roll over next! o n lo o ks like Le o n, Ca t Wel l p re tty l i n g he’s fee ht now ! D r i g GR ATIFIE He D ! does look GRATIFIE a! Hahah

Barnaby-Frog-The-Song-of-the-Moon-.txt

The Moon was shining through the mist over the Paddock End ponds. All was very quiet and the water in the ponds was very still. Barnaby frog hopped onto a log that was laying in the water at the side of the pond. He saw the moon and knew it was a very special night. Barnaby began to sing "The Song of the Moon" that his mother had taught him. "Rivit rivit... Rivit rivit... Rivit rivit rivit." Suddenly a large Grandpa frog leapt out of the pond and sat on the log beside Barnaby. "I see the Moon." said Grandpa frog. They both started to sing to the Moon. Grandpa frog sang in a deep voice. "Croak croak.. Croak." Barnaby sang in a higher tone. "Rivit rivit... Rivit rivit. The two sang a duet to the Moon. Croak rivit rivit... Croak rivit rivit... As Barnaby and Grandpa were singing Teio, one of Barnaby's brothers hopped onto the log. "Can I join in ?" asked Teio. With Teio there would be three, so they could now sing as a "trio". Teio could not form his "R's" properly so went "Wivit" instead of rivit. But they all sang happily to the moon, which is what mattered. Croak rivit wivit... Croak rivit wivit... Croak croak, rivit rivit, wivit wivit..... Grandpa, Barnaby and Teio stopped singing. Something was not sounding right some of the notes were "missing". Now it was very odd that they should say that! As soon as they said "Something is missing" .......... With a splash and a whoosh little Miss Sing landed on the end of the log. Miss Sing could sing all the very high notes that could reach the Moon. The four frogs, now a quartet, began to to sing "The Song of the Moon". Croak rivit wivit Ceee.... Croak rivit wivit Ceee.... Croak rivit wivit Ceee.... It sounded wonderful. Barnaby wanted to know how many frogs it took to make such a wonderful sound. So he started counting. Grandpa one, Teio two, Miss Sing three. "That is odd." said Barnaby. "Last time there was three it sounded dreadful." You forgot to count somebody." said Miss Sing. "You forgot Barnaby, you forgot to count yourself." "Oh dear." said Barnaby. "So I did! There are really four of us, we are a quartet." Everybody laughed at Barnaby's mistake. Then suddenly .......... There landed on the log, in the middle of the group: That great enemy of all frogs, the Great White Ork. All the frogs were terrified. With a sudden splish, splash, and a splosh, all the frogs jumped of the log and disappeared beneath the water of the pond. "Oh that’s a shame." said the Ork. "I only wanted to join in with the singing. It sounded so nice." End

we-love-our-home-pratham-FKB.txt

We Love Our Home Who loves splashing? The Irrawaddy Dolphin loves splashing in Chilika Lake. Who loves dust baths? The Malabar Pied Hornbill loves a dust bath in the forest in Dandeli. Who loves sitting in wet mud? The Indian Rhinoceros loves sitting in wet mud on the river banks of Kaziranga. Who loves making wide dung piles? The Nilgai loves making wide dung piles at the foothills of the Himalayas. Who loves resting in burrows? The Thick-tailed Pangolin loves resting in burrows in the dry lands of Gir Forest. Who loves jumping across treetops? The Yellow-throated Marten loves jumping across treetops in Namdapha. Who loves playing hide-and-seek in short grasslands? The Bengal Fox loves playing hide-and-seek in the short grasslands at Jaisalmer. Who loves building nests with their partners? The Spot-billed Pelican loves building nests with their partners at Atapaka. Who loves staying comfortable and snug at home? We all do! Where can we find these animals and birds in India? 1 4 1. Nilgais: Himachal Pradesh, near the Himalayan mountains 2 3 2. Bengal Fox: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 3. Indian Rhinoceros: Kaziranga National Park, Assam 4. Yellow-Throated Marten: Namdapha National 8 Park, Arunachal Pradesh 5 6 5. Irrawady Dolphin: Chilika Lake, Orissa 6. Spot-Billed Pelican: Atapaka, Andhra Pradesh 7 7. Malabar Pied Hornbill: Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka 8. Pangolin: Gir Forest, Gujarat

022-I-FOUND-A-FROG-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

Even though I have grandchildren of my own, it seems like it was only yesterday when I returned home from school to find a frog in my bedroom. My mother just chuckled when I yelled out, "I found a frog on my bed." Now, she knew that I would eventually find one but she let me discover a wonder of Nature that many people miss. I am glad she did. You see, a little earlier that spring, when I was 6 years old; I saw some little, black fish in a pond. Since I didn’t have any pets I went home and asked my mother if I could have one. After we talked about my catching some of the fish I saw, and the responsibility of having a pet, she agreed. She gave me a bowl, told me to go catch a few, and said that while I was out she would prepare their new home. Off I went. There were so many that they were easy to catch. I filled the bowl and ran home. When I got home, my mother had an old fish bowl filled with water sitting on the corner of my desk. She asked to see the fish, looked, and with a big smile said, "Tadpoles. – Wow! You are in for a surprise." I asked what she meant and she just said that I would have to wait and see, but to watch my fish carefully. After a few weeks, I noticed some were changing. "Mom," I yelled with excitement. "Come here, my fish are growing legs." She came into my room, looked, smiled, and told me to keep watching. After several more weeks, there were more changes. "Mom," I yelled with excitement. "Come here, my fish are growing front legs and their tail is going away." She came into my room, looked, smiled, and told me to keep watching. A week or so later when I got up, I was amazed. There were more changes. My fish didn’t have tails, their legs were bigger, and they didn’t look like the little black fish I had caught earlier in the Spring. "Mom," I yelled with excitement. "Come here, my fish are really different." She came into my room, looked, smiled, and told me that a surprise was very close. That day, when I returned home from school, is when I yelled out, "I found a frog on my bed." "Surprise," yelled mom. "You watched a miracle right before your eyes. A fish changed into a frog. Now you had better catch and take him and the other almost frogs back to the pond. I don’t need 50 more surprises tomorrow morning." Off I went.

Fish-Out-Of-Water-R-.txt

red fish weird fish blue fish new fish fish in a boat fish can float green fish clean fish fish on a train fish in a plane yellow fish cello fish very mellow fish fish in a tree fish having tea fish for you and me THE END We hope you enjoyed all the fish!

the-pumpkin-chase.txt

Miss Sunflower is crying. "A thief just stole my pumpkin pie! Now what will I have for dinner?" she sobs. "Don’t cry Miss Sunflower. We will find your pumpkin pie," said Officer Zig. "We will catch that crook!" said Officer Zag. "Look! There he goes!" said Officer Zig. "Catch that crook!" said Officer Zag. "I’m too fast and you’re too slow. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" cried the crook. up i l l.. . th e h They chased hi m …but the crook was too quick. "I’m too fast and you’re too slow. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" "I’m too fast and you’re too slow. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" They chased him down the riverbank but the crook rolled away. They chased him under the bridge "I’m too fast and but the crook swam away. you’re too slow. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" They chased him over the fires... …but the crook jumped too high. "I’m too fast and you’re too slow. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" They chased him around the tree "I’m too fast and you’re too slow. but they could not catch the crook. You will never catch the pumpkin pie thief!" Officer Zig and Officer Zag did not give up. They ran and ran and ran until… SPLAT! They chased him right into a wall! "Hurray! We caught the crook!" said the cops. Officer Zig and Officer Zag returned the pumpkin pie to Miss Sunflower. "Thank you very much," said Miss Sunflower. Dinner time!

the-great-cake-contest_en_20181213.txt

Lebohang Masango Nompumelelo Mdluli Amanda vd Walt Lucky loves cake. He is so happy that the Great Cake Contest is in town. "What cake can I bake?" he thinks. "I know. I can make a pancake!" shouts Lucky. He walks to Pontsho’s house to share his idea, but she already beat him to it. "Or, what if I made a carrot cake?" he wonders. He goes to tell Nini his plan, but she had the same idea. "What about baking a black forest cake?" He rushes to tell Kima what he’s come up with, but he’s too late. On the way to Nthabi’s house, he thinks: "Let me just make a Christmas cake!" But Nthabi already made that happen. "What other cake can I bake?" he asks himself. "How about a chocolate mousse cake?" He arrives at Linda’s house but oh no! He was too slow. Lucky gets an idea. "I will make a roly-poly cake." He gets to Zola’s house but she’s way ahead of him. Lucky feels sad when he gets home because he is out of ideas. He asks his family to help him think about what great cake he can bake. Mama, Papa and his big sister Musa all put their heads together to help him enter the Great Cake Contest. The cake is so big, so wide, so tall ... ... that it begins to wobble, wobble, wobble and fall! Oh no! Everyone at the Where are the contestants? Great Cake Contest is covered in cake. Where is Where are the Lucky? judges? The judges munch and chomp their way out and everyone agrees: Lucky is the winner of the Great Cake Contest! What cake would you bake?

Mauryas_Magical_Monsoon_Morning-Kanika_G-FKB.txt

Maurya's Magical Monsoon Morning One Saturday morning, Maurya woke up when the sun shone in to his eyes through the curtains. He was excited, because he loved playing tennis with his papa on sunny mornings. But, when he opened the curtains, he was surprised to see that it was raining heavily, and the sun was shining brightly through dark gray clouds. How was that possible? He wanted to know. He ran out of the house in his pajamas. He lived on the 21st floor of a high rise building, but he was too excited to wait for the lift. So, he ran down lots and lots of stairs. Finally, he was out in the open soaking in the rain, on the lawn, in front of the building. As he looked around, he saw the most terrific rainbow. It was bigger and brighter than any rainbow he had ever seen, even in a story book. Dense clouds covered the entire sky except the sun. The rainbow looked beautiful against the gray background. Maurya ran around the lawn whooping with joy. Suddenly, he noticed something strange. There was a tree laden with bright red pomegranates right in the middle of the lawn. Maurya was sure that neither the pomegranates nor the tree had been there the previous day or ever before. Where did they come from? What was going on? Bursting with curiosity, Maurya plucked a pomegranate. It felt quite real. He had a sudden urge to taste it. But he could not open it with his bare hands. So he found a sharp rock and banged the pomegranate with it, till it broke open and the pretty red seeds spilled out. Maurya picked up a handful of the seeds and put it in his mouth. They tasted delicious, but as he chomped on the seeds, he felt very strange. His insides began to squirm and wiggle. Maurya got scared and tried to spit out the seeds, but he found that he couldn’t, and then he noticed that his mouth was turning into a beak, A BIG YELLOW BEAK. Now Maurya was really frightened. What was happening to him? Were the seeds poisonous? He looked at his hands and noticed they were becoming feathery and then he saw that claws were sticking out of his bedroom slippers. Before he could do anything about it, he had completely transformed into a giant black cuckoo bird and his pajamas lay ripped to shreds on the ground. Maurya screamed in panic, but all he could hear was a raspy "Koo Koo". Terrified, Maurya started flapping his arms and running around, but of course, his arms were no longer arms. They were wings! So he found himself soaring in to the air. I can fly, he thought, astonished. In fact, he was so surprised, that he stopped flapping and fell back down, plop. I can fly, I can fly Maurya thought, elated. I had always wanted to fly, and now I can. So forgetting all his worries, Maurya spread his giant wings and took to the sky. He reached up to the 46th floor where his friend Gamala lived. He went and perched on her window and looked through it. Gamala was fast asleep. Lazy girl, Maurya thought and shouted out her name. But all that came out was a loud screechy "Koo Koo". Gamala was startled out of her slumber and stared at the giant black bird at her window. Frightened, she started throwing her toys at it. Maurya just about managed to dodge a glass bottle of red poster color. Scared that Gamala might maim him, he flew away higher in to the sky and decided to explore the city from high above. The rain had ebbed and the rainbow had faded. But from up there, Mumbai looked like it was made of Legos. Tiny toy cars zipped up and down long gray strips. Maurya reached a part of the highway where the metro construction had just begun. Suddenly 4 lanes had to merge in to one and created a colossal traffic jam. Maurya remembered his school bus had been getting stuck at this very place for 10 minutes every day . But now he could just fly over the mess. Delighted he began to sing and filled the air with melodious koos. Maurya merrily flew over buildings and billboards. Suddenly he heard the most frightening sound. A huge scary object was heading for him at great speed. My goodness! It’s a plane, Maurya realized and veered away just in time. That was a close shave, Maurya thought trembling, and decided to steer clear of the airport and watch out for planes. The rain had completely stopped. Maurya decided to fly west. He wanted to see the open sea from high above. So he crossed Juhu beach and flew over the waves. But once all he could see was water, he was scared. He had never realized how huge the sea really was. Maurya looked for the sun so he could fly away from it, back east. He was relieved once he could see the shoreline again. All this flying had tired him out, and he really needed to rest, but he couldn’t stop until he had crossed the sea. When he reached Juhu beach, he felt thirsty and longed for some coconut water. But his beak wasn’t good for pecking through the hard outer shell of the coconut. Maurya decided to go home. As he flew back, he realized he was tired of being a bird, but what could he do about it? Perhaps his Mama would know. But would she recognize him? Maurya began to cry thinking he would be a bird forever. Just then he noticed his building and landed on the lawn in front of it. He had hoped that eating a few more pomegranate seeds would turn him back to normal. But the pomegranate seeds, had disappeared and so had the tree and the fruits. They had vanished like they never existed. Maurya walked around crying. He went to the kids play area which was his favorite part of the society grounds. Perched on the slide, he noticed something. The lawn was bone dry and so was the playground, except for a tiny puddle, even though it had rained heavily only a little while ago. The puddle too was drying fast. Maurya remembered that the strange day had begun with the sun shinning brightly through the heavy rain. He remembered the unnaturally bright rainbow. Perhaps the rain was magical, he thought. It gave him an idea. He swooped down and drank in the last few sips of the puddle just as it dried away. He smiled with relief as he saw himself being transformed back in to a little boy. The feathers were gone and he was clothed in his pajamas again. He touched his face and felt soft lips instead of a beak. When he reached back home, Mama had breakfast ready on the table. Waffles were his favorite weekend breakfast. ‘Maurya you naughty boy. Where have you been?" Mama shouted. "You know you are not supposed to go out until after breakfast.". "But Mama, it was raining and there was a beautiful rainbow ..." Maurya began. "Oh, enough with the lies Maurya! Can't you see the sun is shinning and there is not a drop of water anywhere or a single cloud in the sky?" Mama sounded angry, so Maurya quietly ate his waffles. After breakfast, Gamala came for their play date. "Aunty I saw a giant cuckoo bird today, as big as a dog, and scared it away with my toys." She recounted, proudly. "You kids and your silly stories. Maurya says it was raining and you say you saw a cuckoo the size of a dog." "But it was raining when the giant cuckoo came to my window, aunty." Gamala insisted. "Maurya you should have seen it. It was huge. Bigger than you even, I think." Maurya grinned and decided to keep his magical adventure story to himself. Perhaps he would soon have another one soon. In the mean time, today was the perfect sunny day for some tennis with Papa and Gamala.

password-please_FKB.txt

Password, please? Manju was fascinated by locks and keys. The soft metallic sound of a key turning in a lock made her happy. The key bunch Mummy kept tied to her saree was Manju’s favourite toy. She loved to explore the mysterious depths of keyholes. Manju passed the village locksmith Ranjith’s shop on her way to school every day. She loved to listen to the rasping of the tools as he made new keys. One day, Mummy needed to get a new key for her almirah. Manju went with her to Ranjith’s shop. Ranjith picked up a flat piece of metal. "What is this?" Manju asked. "This is a blank key," replied Ranjith. Then he held up Mummy’s key and said, "See these pointy bits that look like mountains? And these curvy bits that look like valleys? Your almirah lock also has mountains and valleys inside it. The key’s mountains and valleys fit that pattern. So when you turn the key, the lock opens! I am copying the mountains and valleys from the old key to the new one. So the new key will also open the almirah." Back home, Manju couldn’t stop talking about the locksmith. She told Munira Aunty, who lived next door. She even told her cat, who stopped licking his face for half a minute and looked bored. When her cousin Riju came to visit that evening, she told her too. Riju was studying to be an engineer. "Do you know, Riju didi," Manju said, "if you want to make a new key for a lock, you have to copy the pattern of mountains and valleys from the old key to a blank key?" "Really?" said Riju. "Then it’s a very good thing that Mummy keeps the keys safe. Otherwise anyone could copy the key and steal our things!" "That’s true!" "This is the sort of thing that I am studying," said Riju. "What, making keys?" asked Manju. "Something similar," replied Riju. "We lock up things we want to keep safe, like the sarees in our almirah, right?" Manju nodded. "But what if the thing you want to keep safe is information?" "Like what, Riju didi?" asked Manju. "Like how much money you have in your bank account. Or your best friend’s secret. Or the notebook of recipes passed down from our grandmother to your mother." "Oh yes, we need to keep those safe," agreed Manju. "If we have to protect this information, we have to put it in a safe place and lock it! There are many safe places. Like my computer, where I keep my college notes," said Riju. She opened her laptop. "To see my work, you have to type the password here!" "What’s a password?" Manju wanted to know. "A password is like a key. The almirah’s lock opens only when the pattern on the key fits the pattern in the lock, like a jigsaw puzzle. My computer will only open if the password I type matches the password I have set. If you tell anyone the password, they can open it too! So you have to be very careful whom you give your password to." "Hmmm… When I get a computer, what should I set as my password?" Manju wondered aloud. "Some people’s passwords are really easy to guess – their date of birth, their pet’s name, or the name of their street. A good password is difficult to guess. The longer it is, the harder it is to guess. It is better if it has letters and numbers. But a password should also be easy to remember." Just then, Mummy called Riju, who ran off to greet her aunt. TING! went Riju’s mobile. What might that be? A new game? Riju had the best games! Manju often spent her evenings pestering her cousin to let her play. Today, she would play them by herself. Manju pressed a button on her cousin’s phone. The screen lit up. A keypad with numbers appeared. It needed a password! She pressed 1234. "Incorrect password" appeared on the screen. Then she tried 0000, but the phone did not unlock. She also tried Riju’s birthday, 10-10-97. "Hoi!" That was Riju. "I’ve locked my phone with a password," she said. "And I don’t give it to nosey little girls." Manju stuck her tongue out. "Now do you see why passwords are so important, Manju?" Riju said. "They’re like keys to the things we want to keep private." "Yes, didi," said Manju. "I only wanted to play some games!" "And you only had to ask!" Riju said, typing in her password. "Let me show you a new game – Guess the Password!" Play with Manju This game gives you clues to passwords. See if you can crack them. Phone passwords 1. Manju is nine years younger than her cousin. If Manju chooses her birth year as her password, what would it be? 2. If Riju’s password is her date of birth backwards, it would be... 3. Remember the first password Manju tried on Riju’s phone? What’s that in reverse order? Answers: 1. 2006 2. 790101 3. 4321 Did you solve the clues? Remember, if you did, others can too. So here are some simple dos and don’ts: 1. Don’t keep passwords that are too short (123, xyz, abcd are weak passwords). 2. Remember your password so that you do not have to write it down. If you write it down, someone might be able to find it. 3. Use both upper and lower cases (ComPUteR). 4. Don’t use words that are easy to guess (The name of your school, dog or town). Passwords are used to ‘unlock’ or open mobile phones, computers, safety vaults in banks, our accounts on websites, and many other things. Fingerprints and retina scans are also used as passwords. These are called bio-metric passwords. A password could also be a set pattern you trace on the screen. Like this:

Baby-Animals.txt

Baby Animals Here is a baby cat. A baby cat is called a kitten. Here is a baby dog. A baby dog is called a puppy. Here is a baby duck. A baby duck is called a duckling. Here is a baby chicken. A baby chicken is called a chick. Here is a baby sheep. A baby sheep is called a lamb. Here is a baby goat. A baby goat is called a kid. Here is a baby tiger. A baby tiger is called a cub. Here is a baby bear. A baby bear is called a cub too !

Practce_Test-Maths-5th_Grade-RSA_2013.txt

MARKS ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2013 GRADE 5 MATHEMATICS TEST MARKS: 60 TIME: 1½ hours PROVINCE_______________________________________________________________ REGION _________________________________________________________________ DISTRICT________________________________________________________________ SCHOOL NAME __________________________________________________________ EMIS NUMBER (9 digits) CLASS (e.g. 5A) __________________________________________________________ SURNAME _______________________________________________________________ NAME___________________________________________________________________ GENDER (✓) BOY GIRL DATE OF BIRTH C C Y Y M M D D This test consists of 12 pages, excluding the cover page. Instructions to the learner 1. Read all the instructions carefully. 2. Question 1 consists of 8 multiple-choice questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer. 3. Answer questions 2 to 21 in the spaces or frames provided. 4. All working must be done on the question paper and not on rough paper. 5. The test counts 60 marks. 6. The test duration is 1½ hours. 7. The teacher will lead you through the practice exercise before you start the test. 8. You may not use a calculator. Practice exercise Circle the letter of the correct answer. 8x6= A 48 B 84 C 72 D 60 You have answered correctly if you have circled A above. NOTE:  You will answer more questions like the one you have just completed.  Do your best to answer each question even if you are not sure of the answer.  Write down the answer that you think is the best and move to the next question.  When you have answered all the questions on a page, move to the next page.  Look only at your own work. The test starts on the next page. Grade 5 Mathematics Test 1 1. Circle the letter of the correct answer. 1.1 4 500 ; 4 625 ; 4 750 ; 4 875 ; ________ ; 5 125. The missing number in the above number sequence is: A 4 975 B 5 000 C 5 050 D 5 025 (1) 1.2 Which number consists of the following: 6H + 4Th + 2T + 9Tth + 5U? A 49 625 B 94 265 C 94 562 D 94 625 (1) 1.3 The above shape is called a/an … A hexagon. B pentagon. C heptagon. D octagon. (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 2 1.4 The third multiple of 12 is: A 24 B 36 C 48 D 12 (1) 1.5 The above object has … A only flat faces. B only curved faces. C curved and flat faces. D no faces. (1) 1.6 The distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town is 1 405 … A millimetres. B kilometres. C centimetres. D metres. (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 3 1.7 sugar The mass of the sugar shown on the above scale is: A 850 g B 85 g C 850 kg D 805 g (1) 1.8 Which one of the following 2-D shapes shows the front view of the above 3-D object? A B C D (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 4 2. Complete: 2.1 33 754 rounded off to the nearest 5 ≈ _______________ (1) 2.2 99 999 rounded off to the nearest 1 000 ≈ _______________ (1) 3. Write down the value of the underlined digit in the number 273 456. _____________________________________________ (1) 4. Replace the * by > , < or = to make the following statement true: 3 1 * ____________ (1) 8 2 5. Which factor of 18 is missing in the list 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 18? ____________ (1) 6. Balls are arranged in groups as indicated in the table below. Fill in the missing numbers on the table. Group 1 2 3 9 Number of (2) 3 5 7 51 balls 7. True or False? 7.1 51 + 22 = 22 + 51 ___________________________ (1) 7.2 24 ÷ 5 = 5 ÷ 24 ___________________________ (1) 7.3 3(5 +6) = (3 x 5) + (3 x 6) ___________________________ (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 5 8. Calculate the answers for questions 8.1–8.6. 8.1 11 523 + 21 275 + 7 356 8.2 69 157 - 17 239 Grade 5 Mathematics Test 6 8.3 976 x 54 (3) 8.4 737 ÷ 9 (3) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 7 1 2 8.5 67 + 27 3 1 8.6 3 -1 5 5 9. What will the next number in the number pattern be? 1 ; 3 ; 2 ; 4 ; 3 ; 5 ; ____. (1) 10. Draw the first 2 diagrams in the following diagram pattern: Grade 5 Mathematics Test 8 11. Mr Mabuzi earned R4 200 for working 60 hours. How much did he earn per hour? 12. Write an open number sentence for the following sum: The sum of four numbers is 20 500. Three of the numbers are 2 341, 578 and 10 690. What is the fourth number? _______________________________________________________________ (2) 13. Mr Abrahams bought tickets for the Justin Bieber concert for the 4 members of his family at R320 each. How much did the 4 tickets cost altogether? Grade 5 Mathematics Test 9 14. Complete the table: Object Name of Number Name the shape(s) of object of faces the faces Square-based pyramid (3) 15. Draw the reflection of the quadrilateral on the dotted line. (1) 16. 19:10 Write the time on the above digital clock face in analogue time. ____________________________________________ (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 10 17. Use the list of the times taken by 4 athletes in a race to answer the question that follows. Name of athlete Time taken Kayla 41:15 sec Zaheda 40:45 sec Faeeza 38:10 sec Lindi 39:40 sec What is the time difference between the runner who came first and the runner who came fourth? 18. Complete: 3 460 mℓ = _____ ℓ ______ mℓ. (2) 19. Look at the following weather chart below and answer the questions that follow. WEATHER CHART MONDAY TUESDAY Durban 170C–90C 220C–260C Cape Town 11 0C–150C 15 0C–17 0C 19.1 What was the maximum temperature in Durban on Monday? ___________________ (1) 19.2 What was the minimum temperature in Cape Town on Tuesday? ___________________ (1) Grade 5 Mathematics Test 11 20. Study the following pictograph below and then answer the questions that follow. NUMBER OF GLASSES OF JUICE SOLD Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Key: Each represents 10 glasses of juice 20.1 On which day were the most glasses of juice sold? __________________________________ (1) 20.2 Draw tally marks to show how many glasses of juice were sold on Thursday. __________________________________ (2) 20.3 How many glasses of juice were sold on Friday? __________________________________ (1) 20.4 If each glass of juice costs R2,00, how much was paid for the juice on Monday? __________________________________ (2) 21. How many rectangles in total are in this diagram? The number of rectangles = ___________ TOTAL: 60 Grade 5 Mathematics Test 12

6887-city-of-stories.txt

City of Stories There was once a little girl who lived in one of the BIGGEST and BUSIEST cities in the world. She really loved stories. But everyone she knew was too busy to tell her stories. Her mother said, "I have to finish my work." Her father said, "I am reading the newspaper." Her brother said, "Can’t you see I am playing cricket?" Her neighbour said, "I have to go to the market to buy things." Her teacher said, "First, let us do sums." Everyone was very busy. Everyone was always behind time. Many people were always tired and irritated and certainly had no time at all for stories. One day Didi came to the little girl’s school. Didi was not a teacher, and she was not a student. She was older than the children and she was younger than the teachers. She had warm eyes and a soft smile. She was a friend of the children, and she was a friend of the teachers. The little girl wondered if Didi knew any stories. She went up to Didi shyly. "Do you have a few minutes? Can you tell me a story?" Didi looked at the little girl very seriously. "Of course," she said. "I can tell you a story. What kind of story would you like?" The little girl’s eyes grew big with anticipation. "Can you tell me a story about a lion?" Didi sat down in the verandah of the school, and started telling the little girl a story about a small lion who was lost in the jungle. The little girl sat still and listened intently. Didi’s story was so vivid that she could feel the wind through the branches of the huge trees in the jungle, the soft swaying sounds of the tall grass, and the velvety fur of the small cub. The little girl’s friends who were playing nearby came to find out what Didi was saying. Soon, they were absorbed in the tale too. Before long, the little girl’s entire class was around them, listening and imagining, and demanding more stories. The little girl, her friends and the teachers soon found out that Didi knew lots and lots of stories. She could tell stories about monkeys and birds, about ferocious dogs and mean cats, about fish in blue rivers and deep oceans, about high mountains and green valleys, about children in big cities and children in small villages, about adventures and mysteries, about handsome kings and lovely queens, about what to do when you were scared, and what to do when you were sad, about finding lost treasures, and about knowing wonderful secrets, and much much more. Everyday the little girl and her friends sat with Didi. Children from other classes came. The teachers of the school came. Children from neighbouring schools came. Children who were not in school came. Children who had left school came. Children who were too young to go to school came. Some sat and listened. Some stood and listened. The youngest children lay down on their stomachs, cupping their faces in their hands, and listened. As they listened, they learned how to tell stories to each other. They learned how to build stories, how to spin stories, how to weave stories, how to embroider stories, how to cook stories and how to fly stories like kites in a big blue sky. They all learned how to tell them so that the listeners could not blink or move and would remain mesmerized till the story ended. Slowly, through Didi, the little girl, and the children, stories began to spread through the city. People began to tell stories and people began to listen to stories. Mothers stopped work; fathers put away newspapers and teachers put aside the arithmetic textbooks; neighbours did not go shopping. They began to tell stories. The big brothers stopped playing cricket, and the little sisters stopped skipping rope. They began to listen to stories. The bhajiwala stopped selling bhaji. The doodhwala stopped delivering milk. The paanwala put aside all the paan and supari. They all started listening to each other’s stories. The bus driver left his bus and came to listen. The conductor forgot his bag of tickets and money in the bus – he was in such a hurry to tell the passengers his stories. Trains did not run in the city, because the drivers were too busy with stories. Newspapers were not printed. Buildings could not be built, the flyovers could not be completed. No restaurants served pau-bhaji, no bhelwala made bhel-puri. No fisherman went out to fish. No one was willing to do anything but tell stories and listen to stories. The postmen did not deliver letters because they were busy with stories. The policeman sat in the middle of the busy intersection telling stories to all the drivers around him. All the televisions in the city were switched off because people were listening to stories. The entire city came to a complete halt. The Mayor of the city was worried. "What is to be done now?" he said to his Council of Ministers as he paced up and down the big room, in the Mayor’s mansion by the sea. "No one is working, and nothing is happening in the city." The Council of Ministers worked feverishly making plans and strategies. But nothing worked, no one listened. Finally, Didi and the little girl were summoned to the Mayor’s mansion by the sea. The Council of Ministers had been told that these two had flooded the city with an ocean of stories. The little girl looked very little in the large room with high ceilings and tall pillars. She held on to Didi’s hand tightly. Didi too looked small, surrounded by the fat and tall men and women of the Council of Ministers. No one smiled. Everyone looked at them with frowns and scowls. "These stories have brought our big city to a halt. What do we do about this?" asked the Mayor in his loud booming voice. There was complete silence in the room. All you could hear were the distant murmurs of a story that the Mayor’s gardener was telling the Mayor’s bodyguards. The little girl gripped Didi’s hand even more tightly. Didi looked straight at the Mayor. Her voice was not loud, but it was very clear. "Let there be one story every morning and one story every evening," she said. "That way everyone everywhere will have stories, but they can also go back to doing what they have to do." "Excellent idea!" roared the Mayor. The Council of Ministers clapped. The fat and tall men and women began to smile. The little girl loosened her tight hold on Didi’s fingers. The whole city heaved a sigh of relief. From that day on, in the big city, one story is told in the morning, and another one before going to sleep at night. From that day on, the little girl and Didi’s big, busy city is called the City of Stories.

Frogs-Non-Fiction.txt

Frogs Frogs are small animals that can live on land and in water. 1 Frogs lay lots of eggs in the water that hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles look like little fish. After a few weeks, the tadpole starts to grow arms and legs. The back legs grow bigger and the tail gets smaller until the frog is fully grown. 3 Frogs use their long sticky tongues to catch food. Frogs like to eat insects, but some frogs eat other frogs! 4 Frogs call to each other by croaking. Each kind of frog has a different croaking sound. 5 Frogs are good jumpers because of their strong back legs. 6 Frogs come in lots of different colors. Some frogs use their colors to hide. Can you find a frog in this picture? 7 The next time you go outside, see what kinds of frogs you can find! 8

The-Great-Panjandrum-Picture-Book.txt

The Panjandrum picture book COME LASSES AND LADS Come Lasses and Lads, get leave of your Dads, And away to the May-pole hey For every he Has got him a she, with a minstrel standing by. For Willy has gotten his Jill, And Johnny has got his J one, To licror it ]\crcr if nocr it liorr it Jigg it up and down. *- c_ Watt; "Agreed," 1 "Strike up,' says says Kate, "And I prithee, Fiddler, play;" " Content," says Hodge, and so says Madge, For this is a Holiday Then every man did put his hat off to his lass, And every girl did curchy, curchy, curchy on the grass. "Begin," says Hall; "Ay, ay," says Mall, "We'll lead up Packington's pound:" " No, no," says Noll, and so says Doll, "We'll first have Sellengfer's round. Then every man began to foot it round about, And every girl did jet it, Jet it, jet it in and out. ' You're out," says Dick ; " Not I," says Nick. " The Fiddler played it false ; " 'Tis true," says Hugh, and so says Sue, And so says nimble Alice. The Fiddler then began to play the tune again, And every girl did trip it, Trip it, trip it to the men. Then after an hour, they went to a bower, And played for ale and cakes, And kisses too — until they were due the lasses held the stakes. The girls did then begin to quarrel with the men, And bid them take their kisses back, and give them their own again, And bid them take their kisses back and give them their own again. Now there they did stay the whole of the day, And tired the Fiddler quite, With singing and playing, without any paying, From morning until night. They told the Fiddler then, they'd pay him for his play, And each a 2-pence, 2-pence, 2-pence, gave him and went away Good-night," says Harry ; " Good-night," says Mary; " Good-night," says Dolly to John ; "Good-night," says Sue, to her sweetheart Hugh, " Good night, says everyone. Some walked and some did run, Some loitered on the way, /\nd bound themselves, by kisses twelve, To meet the next Holiday. And bound themselves, by kisses twelve. To meet the next Holiday. 22 RIDE A COCK-HORSE TO BANBURY CROSS Ride a Cock- Horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine Lady Get on a white Horse, Mtmm w=S n\»\l With rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she o oes. A Farmer went trotting UPON HIS GREY MARE. A Farmkr went trotting- upon his grey Mare ; Bumpety, bumpety, bump ! With his Daughter behind him, so rosy and fair ; Lumpety, lumpety, lump U A Raven cried M Croak ! " and they all tumbled down ; Bumpety, bumpety, bump The Mare broke her knees and the Farmer his crown ; Lumpety lumpety, lump The mischievous Raven flew laughing away Rumpety, bumpety, bump ! And vowed he would serve them the same the next day Lumpety, lumpety, lump AN ELEGY ON THE GLORY OF HER SEX MRS. MARY BLAIZE BY DR. OLIVER GOLDSMITH Good people all, with one accord. Lament for Madam Blaize, Who never wanted a good word — From those who spoke her praise. The needy seldom pass'd her door? And always found her kind ; She freely lent to all the poor— Who left s a pledge behind. She strove the neighbourhood to please With manners? wondrous winning ; And never followed wicked ways Unless when she was sinning. At church, in silks and satins new, With hoop of monstrous size, She never slumber'd in her pew — But when she shut her eyes, Her love was sought, I do aver ? By twenty beaux and more 5 The King himself has follow'd her- now, her wealth and finery fled 5 Her hangers-on cut short-all The Doctors found, when she was dead- Her last disorder mortal. Let us lament, in sorrow sore, For Kent Street well may say, That had she lived a twelvemonth more. She had not died to-day. THE GREAT PANJANDRUM HIMSELF So she went into the garden to cut a cabbage-leaf rsy* to make an apple-pie and at the same time a great she-bear, coming down the street, pops its head into the shop. What ! no soap ? So he died, and she very imprudently married the Barber : and there were present the Picmnnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the great Panjandrum himself,' with the little round button at top; Oils and they all fell to playing the game of catch-as-catch-can, till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots.

jackjillolddameg00londiala_bw.txt

JACK AND JILL AND OLD DAME GILL. JACK and JILL, Went xip the hill, To fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down, Andbroke his crown, And Jill came tumbling* after. Then np JACK got, And home did trot, As faflas he could caper; DAME GILL didthejoh, To plafler his not. With Vinegar andforownpaper. Then JILL came in, And_fb.e did grin, To fee JACK'S papex plafler, Hermothei? pixtlier, A fools cap on, POT laughing' atJack'sdifafteT. This made JILL pou.t, And fb e ran out , And JACK did qiiickly follow, TlievTode dog' Ball, Jill got a fall, Hovr Jack didlaxig*!! andh-ollow The DA ME came out, To know all about, Jill faid Jack made her tumble, Says Jack 111 tell, Yoiihow fbe fell, Then j ndg-e if flie needgTumbleJ DAME GILL did grin, As flie went in, And Jill was plagucTby Jack^O! Will Goat came by Andmade Jack cry, Andknock'dMia onMsl>ack,Oi NowJILL didlaxtg-li, And JACK did cry, Blithis tears didfo on abate, Then Jill did fay, That they fhoiildplay, Atfea-faw a crofs the gate. They fea-faw'dliig*li, They fe a- faw 'd low, At length tkey ID ofh. did tumble, Wetothare down, We Tp oth muft own , Let neither ofns Then the next thing*, They made a fwing-, But JILL etup abig cry, For the fwing gave way, In the midft of the play, An d threw her into the Pig'fty e . Th.e SOW come t>y, Says Jact 111 try, If I cant ride this prancer, He gave aJTunp, On olcLfcfw^s rump, Butflieledhimadroll dance Sir. S OWran an dfqual'd, While JAG X Jietawl'd, And JILL joixi'dixitlie choir, Dog Ball beirLg" near, 1 Bit fo^rby tlie ear, And threw Jack in tlie mire. Tlio' JACK was not hurt, H was over dirt, all I wihyoTLliadbiitf*eeTi him, AiLdhow JILL did jump, Withliimto tlie pirmp, Andpump 'd onliim to cleanhim. Hearing tke xont, DAME GILL came out, With ahorfe-whip from the door, Site laid.it on J act, Andpoor Jill's ID act, TJntill they 1) oth. did r o ax, BALL held fows ear, Andboth in rear, Ran againft old DAME andhither, That flie did mn, Over fow and. Ball, Jack and Jill did twiter . And now all three, Went in to fee, To pnt the place to right all Which done they flip, Then drink a cup , Andwithyonag-oodnighta. DAMEGILL hasbeeiLto ALOIS To iDny them all Soots, You may see Ixow tliey axe p BT tHefiniles in. their looks . oii are ThisTDOokfuJl of^PicturesfhallbejoTii: reward J Alilfi .yPSFcvemtnt, MoorfieJtfs.Zfrrtfi 17. 18 c

my-dream-in-the-drawer_english_Bookdash-FKB-stories.txt

I kept it hidden, safe and sound, In my drawer of socks. I once had a dream, so small and light, I kept it in a box. This tiny dream, I had, you see, Was mostly about me … Space Selfie ! … who I’d be, and where I’d go, And what I’d one day see. At first, it was a little dream, And so I took it out for air, Until one day it grew, To show my dream to you. And then my dream, it got so big, I had to let it out ... I took it to the playground, And watched it bounce about. Then all the kids, they saw my dream, And said, "We want one too!" I said to them, "Ok, no probs." And told them what to do. Wow!!! Awesome! What?? "Well, first you think of what you want. Believe it with your heart. To get a dream as big as mine, This is the place to start." "And once it’s big enough," I said. "You’ve got to let it free To fly up high across the world, For all the world to see." And at that point, my big old dream, Which once was in a drawer … Shook and climbed, Took to the sky … And soared ... and soared … ... and soared.

Tanias-School-Picnic.txt

Tania's School Picnic The children in Tania's class at school were chattering excitedly. The soft spoken and mild tempered Miss Gupta had to bang her desk rather violently to get their attention. She said, "I am glad you are all so excited about the picnic at Kanheri caves. However, the picnic is next week and you can discuss it after class. Right now we need to get back to work." Work was quite interesting and soon everyone was engrossed in it. The class was supposed to design a cover for a book. The book had been read to them in the previous story time session. The children discussed various ideas with Miss Gupta and came up with 3 that really captured the essence of the story. Miss Gupta then divided the class in to 3 groups of 5 each and had them work together to make the covers. After class Tania, Sonali and Tanisha discussed the picnic. The previous year, they were taken to the lovely park where Tania had learned to ride a bike. That was a lot of fun, but caves just sounded so much more exciting! Tania was getting impatient. The week dragged by really slowly as it always does when you are waiting. Finally the day of the picnic arrived. All 15 children had gathered together in the school courtyard. Miss Gupta carefully checked off their names on a list as they got in to the school bus. By 9:00 a.m. everyone was in the bus. Miss John the art teacher and Miss Gupta were accompanying the children. The bus ride was 45 minutes long because of traffic but the kids had a great time singing 'The wheels of the bus', ' Do Re Me' and many other cheerful songs. Finally the bus arrived at Kanheri caves. The teachers guided the children through the caves. Miss Gupta talked about its wonderful history. "These caves were used by Buddhists for living, studying and meditating almost 2000 years ago. This was an important Buddhist settlement at that time." said Miss Gupta. Miss John commented on the sculptures of Buddha and the beautiful paintings in some caves. All that walking made everyone hungry and they decided to have an early lunch. The children gathered in the main cave near the entrance. The kids all shared their lunches and had quite a feast. There were chicken, vegetable, egg and jam sandwiches, idlis, uttapams, aloo parathas, fried rice and noodles. For dessert there were cookies, cakes, pastries and gulab jamuns. After lunch the teachers told the children that they could explore the caves on their own and play some games. "Stick to the 3 caves near the main entrance. Otherwise, there are some hundred odd caves here and you will get lost" said Miss John. Tania and Tanisha exchanged delighted glances. Ever since they got there the girls thought the caves were an ideal place to play hide and seek. They announced their intention and 6 of the others joined them. Tania went to hide in a little nook she spotted. She was in a great hurry and she tripped over a stone. To steady herself she used the support of the wall. To her great surprise the wall seemed to shake a little. How was that possible? She hit against the same spot again. Yes it definitely did shake just a little bit. Then she banged the wall a little further away and it did not shake at all. It was rock solid. By this time Tanisha arrived. It was her turn to search for everyone. She looked at Tania in surprise and asked "Why aren't you hiding? I could see you as soon as I opened my eyes." Tania told Tanisha what she had found out about the wall. Tanisha tested it too and was amazed. The two girls closely examined the wall. Finally they saw a faint rectangular outline that separated the shaky part from the rest of the wall. They ran their fingers carefully over this part and found two handles of sorts. The handles were well camouflaged jutting out bits of the rock. They each grabbed one and pulled on it. It was hard work but together, sweating and panting, they managed to take off the rectangular piece, revealing a passage. They turned around and noticed the rest of the kids they were playing with were watching them. Tired of hiding and not being found they had come to see what was going on. What they saw made their jaws drop. One of them, Rajiv, went and called the others. Everyone now wanted to explore this exciting secret passage. However the passage was tiny so they had to crawl in one at a time. Tania was the first to enter and she emerged in to a fairly spacious room. There were some copper plates with inscriptions on the walls and some carvings and cave paintings. There was also a stone hearth with some utensils on it. There was no other obvious entry or exit from the room. After every one was in and looked around Tania asked, "Miss Gupta, do you suppose this is a new discovery?" Miss Gupta hesitated, so Miss John said, "Tania this place has been thoroughly explored by professionals so I doubt it. But it is possible they missed this. I will contact the proper authorities and let them know that you found it. If it is indeed a new discovery you will surely get credit for it. But I think irrespective of that outcome this picnic has been much more exciting than we had anticipated thanks to Tania. Everyone, three cheers to Tania" Everyone shouted "Hip hip hooray!" Epilogue If the readers really want to know, the discovery was not a new one. The door to the secret passage had been left closed so the contents would be stay good condition. They were not particularly valuable and best left in their "home". None of this however made Tania's cave adventure any less exciting. Afterword The facts about Kanheri caves are true to the best of my knowledge and mainly derived from except of course the secret passage and secret room that Tania discovers. That is entirely fictitious.

the-magic-mango-CC-picture-book.txt

The Magic Mango One day, Tara and her little brother Arun found an old box in their grandmother’s attic. It was a beautiful wooden box, covered in thick dust and cobwebs, which opened with a tiny crack to reveal its mysteries before their curious eyes. "It’s full of old photographs and letters!" exclaimed Arun, passing his fingers over the small pile of yellowed paper in front of him. Tara bent over to pick up a photograph. "That looks like our dadi when she was very young. She must have been four, five years old." "Look, there’s an old newspaper!" Arun read out the date on the page, a little unsure of himself. "26 September 1890?!" That seems like a very long time ago." "It is," Tara chipped in, "it is a very long time ago! Even our dadi’s dadi was not born then!" She opened the newspaper carefully and spotted a red circle on one of the pages: "Whoever read this newspaper before must have found this interesting! I wonder why." "What does it say?" Arun asked. LATEST TELEGRAMS. -----◊----- [REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.] -----◊----- THE CASE OF THE MAGIC MANGO. LONDON, September 25. The Times publishes a paragraph stating that a little girl from London is searching for a magic mango seed. Offers of help may be communicated by telegraph to the following address... "A magic mango seed? I wonder what that means," said Arun. He had seen and eaten lots of mangoes in his lifetime, but never a magic one. Not until now, at least. "I don’t know," replied Tara. "I guess we’d better ask dadi." Downstairs, dadi had fallen into a peaceful slumber in her rocking chair. "Dadi, dadi," burst out the two, "what is a magic mango?" "A magic mango?! Where did you hear of such a thing?" "We found an old newspaper in the attic. It says that a very long time ago a little girl from London was looking for a magic mango seed." "Ah, that!" Dadi’s face lit up. "That, my dears, is an old story, which I heard many years ago from my great-grandfather. He knew that little girl." "He knew her? How come?" "Well, he helped her find a magic mango seed!" "One day, when great- grandfather was around five or six years old, he heard his parents discuss a most extraordinary piece of news they had just read in the newspaper." "The newspaper we found!" interrupted Arun. "Yes, that one. A little girl who lived in this big city called London had sent a letter to the newspaper asking for help to find a magic mango seed! The news agencies picked up her message and telegraphed it to all corners of the world. It was even published in the Times of India in Bombay." "Great-grandfather wasn’t quite sure where London was or why people in London didn’t grow their own mangoes. Nor was he quite sure how one could send messages by electric telegraph. But that evening he decided he would help that little girl to find a magic mango seed." "The problem," dadi went on, "was that he had no idea where to find such a thing. There were plenty of mango trees around, all magical in their own right…" "So he decided to send the little girl a seed from his own garden. A seed from a beautiful mango tree, whose canopy used to protect the children from the scorching heat of summer. And its fruit… ah, its fruit was truly magical!" "The next day, great-grandfather walked to the Telegraph Office, one mango seed in hand." "‘I want to telegraph this seed to London,’ he told the telegraph clerk boldly, holding out his hand." "The man laughed loudly. ‘You cannot send a seed by electric telegraph! You have to send it by post. Of course, it will take much longer to reach London!’" "‘But why not?’ great-grandfather protested. He had heard his parents talking about just such a thing: a lady in Europe had gone to the post office to telegraph clothes and food to her son who was fighting a war somewhere far away." "‘Because that is not how the telegraph works!’ responded the clerk. Then he added quickly, as if reading his mind: ‘No food, no clothes, no mango seeds!’" "Great-grandfather was disappointed. He had walked all the way to the telegraph office, magic mango seed in hand, only to find out that not even the electric telegraph could send it quickly from India to London. Why then did everyone think this was the greatest technology of its time, if it couldn’t even send a mango seed to London?" "The clerk tried to cheer him up. ‘You can’t send a seed by telegraph, but you can do other things. You can send messages. Or music. Or play chess. The words you choose to send will be converted into electric signals, and these will travel through the telegraph wires across many lands and seas until they reach London.'" "Here, I’ll write your message on this piece of paper, and send it on its way with the help of this instrument. The message must be short and clear, otherwise it will be expensive." "I guess… I guess you are right. I will send the seed by post and send a message by telegraph to say that I have sent the seed by post." "‘That sounds about right,’ said the clerk, visibly relieved. Then, sitting down at his desk, he began to tap rhythmically the knob of his instrument: ‘Magic mango seed to arrive by post from India. Please confirm receipt.’" "The message is on its way now. From Bombay it will cross the Arabian Sea to Aden, at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, through a submarine cable. It will then travel through Egypt, Malta and Gibraltar, and when it reaches Britain, my colleague in London will see lots of dots and dashes printed on a paper slip…" "Dots and dashes? But how will people understand my message then?" "'Hehe,' said the clerk, 'don’t you worry about that! Our telegraphists are trained to decipher even the most mysterious of messages. They know exactly how many dots and dashes are used to represent each letter of the alphabet. They can even understand the message when they hear the clicks of this instrument!'" "‘But what if the message gets lost on the way?’ great-grandfather insisted. This seemed like an awfully long way for his message to travel—surely, something would go wrong." "Well, no technology is perfect. Sometimes messages do get lost on the way. There might be an accident, if a passing ship cuts the underwater cable with its anchor. Or the cable might snap under the weight of the barnacles and corals which have grown on it. Land cables are sometimes destroyed by storms and wild animals. But our engineers try to repair them as fast as possible so that people can keep on sending their messages from one corner of the world to the other." "Just like the internet today," interrupted Arun. "Sometimes it disconnects, and nobody knows why." "Yes," Tara quipped, "but back then in the nineteenth century not everyone had a telegraph in their home." "And not everyone has a computer nowadays either. Although some people have become very attached to their mobile phones," dadi added with a mischievous smile. "What happened next?" Arun asked, eager to change the topic. "Did the seed reach London?" "Yes, it did, and so did the telegram. The little girl planted the seed in her garden and waited for it to grow. She waited and waited, and waited still, but it did not grow into a tree. At least not as fast as a magic tree should have—just as she had seen it grow at a show in London. A famous magician, recently returned from his tour of India, had performed the magic mango trick for them." "The magic mango trick?" "Well, yes, that famous trick performed by street magicians since olden times. They make a mango tree grow from a seed in no time at all. I saw it myself a couple of times." "That explains it then!" said Arun cheerfully. "Yes," nodded Tara thoughtfully. "It takes years to grow a tree. Even a magic mango tree." DID YOU KNOW? In India, the electric telegraph was open to the public in 1855, while Britain and the United States were connected by a transatlantic cable in 1866. The new technology was used by the British colonial administration, merchants and the general public for various types of communications. Newspapers and news agencies like Reuters also used the telegraph regularly to transmit news from India and other parts of the world. Messages were sent with the help of pulses of electric current of two different lengths—dots and dashes. Different combinations of dots and dashes represented different letters and numbers. Telegraph operators were trained to recognize the sound or "clicks" of their instruments as they received these dots and dashes and could thus "read" messages by ear. Later, instruments also printed the dots and dashes on a long piece of paper known as ticker tape. To pass the time, telegraph operators sometimes chatted or even played chess with their colleagues thousands of miles away through the electric wires. DID YOU KNOW? In the nineteenth century, the mango trick was one of the most famous tricks performed by Indian street magicians and was often described in European accounts of travel to India. The magician planted a seed in the ground, watered it and covered it with a basket, repeating this performance a few times until the seed grew into a small tree which even had fruit on it. The mango tree also featured in riddles, like this one, which was published in a children's magazine in Britain: "What’s the haughty tree giving command? Answer: Mango (Man, go!)"

008-THE-CASE-OF-THE-MISSING-SMILE.txt

"Now this looks like a very interesting case," Detective Peterson said aloud, as she reviewed the huge stack of reports on her desk. "I think I will handle this one myself." After several minutes of searching through the official Tooth Fairy records, she found what she was looking for. A folder with the name ‘Sophia Sue Simmons’. "Hmm," Detective Peterson mumbled as she studied the file. As Detective Peterson read the report, she noted that Sophia Sue always smiled. From the time she got out of bed to the time she went back to bed, she smiled. In fact, Sophia Sue never seemed to stop smiling. Then, two days ago, Sophia Sue stopped smiling. "Why?" Detective Peterson wondered. "I must find out why and get Sophia Sue’s smile back," she said to herself. She searched through the file but couldn’t find anything that could have caused Sophia Sue to stop smiling all of a sudden. Was she happy at home? The Smile-O-Meter indicated "yes." Was she happy at school? The Smile-O-Meter indicated "yes." Was she happy with her friends? The Smile-O-Meter indicated "yes." Everything that Detective Peterson found indicated that Sophia Sue was happy and that she should be smiling. The Detective checked with the dentist and everything was fine. The Detective checked with Tooth Fairy Central. All of Sophia Sue’s baby teeth had fallen out, been collected as scheduled, and replaced with new, extremely pretty, permanent teeth. Detective Peterson checked everything but she couldn’t find anything that could cause Sophia Sue to stop smiling. There was only one choice left. Detective Peterson had to visit Sophia Sue and see what she could do. That night Detective Peterson flew down and visited Sophia Sue. Making sure that she didn’t wake Sophia Sue, she sprinkled magical Tooth Fairy sand into the air. "Sophia Sue." Detective Peterson whispered. "What happened to your beautiful smile? You look so sad." "I lost all my baby teeth," she whispered. "Now the Tooth Fairy doesn’t have any reason to visit me." "Oh! I understand," Detective Peterson whispered between smiling lips. "The Tooth Fairy will always be in your heart so you can wipe that silly frown off your pretty face." As Detective Peterson flew away from Sophia Sue’s bedside, she saw the smile return - bigger and brighter than ever before.

SticksAdventure-FKB-kids-stories-R.txt

Spencer A Brothers Whim Storybook Workshop Production First Edition To all of us who might forget that life’s greatest moments happen along the way. Stick's adventure was here, it had come now at last. She put on her boots and hurried up fast. The comforts of home were lovely and nice, but giving up those was a fair enough price. She had places to go and people to greet, marvels to see and adventures to meet. Stick had her dreams planned. She would be a big star. Her singing would dazzle from near and from far. STICK Coming soon She would live in a villa right there on the lake, and grow beautiful flowers in a garden she’d make. She’d buy elegant hats from all over the world, adorned in bright feathers, and ribbons, and curls. She’d vacation afar on a beautiful beach, and soak in the sound of the waves on her feets. Those were her dreams. She was now on her way. She crossed canyons and forests by night and by day. Stick moved right along till a sound caught her ear. A sniffle and sob from the fence over there. "Hello there, dear friend. Now, why are you sad? Perhaps I can help you again to feel glad." "One of my sheep is gone from my fold, and to me my dear sheep are more precious than gold." "Do not fret there, dear friend, now lift up your crook. I’ll sing us a song and together we’ll look." Stick’s voice rang out loud, so sweet and so clear. Soon Betsy was found, there was nothing to fear. A moment of silence passed between friends, Sally took off her hat, which she knitted by hand, without the right words to express where they’d been. and placed it on Stick, where it sparkled more grand. With a wave and a hug, Stick left for her goals. She crossed valleys of amber, and mountains of gold. She skipped through and past the rivers and creeks loving the sounds of the streams on her feets. At last she arrived for her singing debut. Her audience loved her and all she could do. She bought her nice villa right there on the lake, and grew beautiful flowers in the garden she made. She bought elegant hats from all over the world, adorned in bright feathers, and ribbons, and curls. She vacationed afar to a tropical beach, and soaked in the sounds of the waves on her feets. But all of the while she missed her dear friend, and the adventures of chasing her goals to the end. She missed crossing the canyons, and rivers, and vales. She missed feeling the thrill of the wind in her sails. And of all of her hats, her old knit one was best. She wore it more often than all of the rest. Just then an epiphany struck! She need not stay here as if she were stuck! Stick’s adventure was here, it had come now at last She threw on her boots and hurried up fast. The comforts of home were lovely and nice, but giving up those was a fair enough price. She had places to go, and people to greet, marvels to see, and adventures to meet. So off on her journey she went!

Monkeystuff-FKB-low-res2.txt

There was a cow, she had one bell. She always wore it, but then one day, well... A little monkey, Brown and cheeky, Stole that bell, ´Cos he was sneaky! There was a dog, He had two bones. Sometimes one buries What one owns. So, he dug a hole In the ground And buried his bones, That digging hound... But that same little monkey Came back around. There was a bird. Three eggs she laid. Nearby that nest She always stayed. That rascal monkey Snuck up one day, Snatched those eggs And ran away. There was a pony With four horseshoes. They were items that She could not lose. Nevertheless, One summer evening, The monkey stole them And danced while leaving! There was a baker. He baked five buns, Those light and tasty, Crispy ones. The monkey appeared And took the lot, Then ran off juggling them... They were hot! There was an ant, Six slippers she wore. They kept her feet cosy On the cold dirt floor. The monkey took them And didn’t think. He didn’t expect That they would stink! There was a princess. She wore seven pearls To make her look better Than the other girls. That monkey thief Was lurking and... Some naughtiness Was being planned. A crocodile, He loved to smile. He had eight teeth, But one night while... ...He was in bed, The monkey crept, His fingers stealing As the reptile slept. Nine apples grew Upon a tree, But someone came A-swinging through, And grabbed those apples... Can you guess who? Ten hairs were in The lion’s mane. He combed them often, 10 - He was vain! That pesky monkey Was looking on. One single snip... And those hairs were gone! There was a monkey. He had lots of stuff. But he never seemed To have enough. He had: 1 cowbell, 2 bones, 3 eggs, 5 buns, 4 horseshoes, 6 slippers, 8 teeth, 7 pearls, 9 apples and 10 hairs. Everyone had lost Something of theirs. But the monkey felt A bit bad inside. Because of him, A cow had cried. In the end, the things were returned. Mum said, "No stealing!" And the lesson was learned.

cube-cat-cone-cat.txt

Cube Cat, Cone Cat Cat on a TRIANGLE roof Cat in a RECTANGLE window Ice CUBE on a shi-ver-ing cat Meoww... brrr... brrr Cat with a RHOMBUS Kite Cat on a SQUARE board Meoww... scratch... scratch A tree trunk CYLINDER for a H-A- P-P-Y cat Cat on a CIRCLE mat Cat in an OVAL mirror Meoww... slurp... slurp An ice cream CONE for a S-U-N-N-Y cat Cat near a HEXAGON honeycomb Cat on a CRESCENT moon A samosa PYRAMID for a hun-gry cat Meoww... crunch... munch 1. TRIANGLE 2. SQUARE 3. RECTANGLE 4. OVAL 5. CIRCLE 1. CUBE 2. CYLINDER 3. CONE 4. PYRAMID 5. SPHERE Can you look around and find any more SHAPES and CATS?

nomvundla-and-the-chilli-eating-contest_english_20170320-3-18.txt

Nomvundla the hare and Soko the monkey are buddies. "Hurry, Soko! We don’t want to be late for the Chilli-Eating Contest," says Nomvundla. "Nomvundla, if you win, who will you take to the Hamba-Hamba Funfair?" asks Soko. "Hmm, I wonder who Nomvundla’s best friend is?" "That’s easy," says Nomvundla. "I’ll take my best friend!" Who do you think Nomvundla’s best friend is? Nomvundla and Soko are the last to arrive. "Soko, you go first," says Nomvundla. Chilli-Eating CONTEST RULES 1. Don’t say how hot it feels 2. Finish all your chillies "Nomvundla, I’m scared," says Soko. "I’m not!" says Nomvundla. How many chillies would you be able to eat? e ! Eee Maiw ! i i i i i . l lll Eish! H h HOT! Ei s h ! It’s Nomvundla’s turn. She has a plan. Nomvundla starts to sing: "You say it’s HOT. Can you help I say it’s NOT!" Nomvundla sing The judges are surprised her song? and ask her what she is saying. She carries on singing her song until her chillies are finished. Hooray! Nomvundla is the winner! "YOU are my best friend, Soko!" WHEEEEEEEE !

At-The-Zoo.txt

At The Zoo. I like to look at the zebras. I like to look at the bear. I like to look at the tiger. I like to look at the monkeys. I like to look at the crocodile. I like to look at the hippo. I like to look at the lion. I like to look at the elephants.

004-ABE-THE-SERVICE-DOG-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

"Hi, I am Abe and I am a Service Dog. When I was a puppy, my owner told me I would be a Service Dog for a person who could not see. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew it was something special. When I got a little older, I was sent away to school. My sister was sent to another school to learn how to help people with Autism. To be their friend and help them get around. One of my other brothers was sent to a special school so he could learn how to warn people that they were going to get sick before they did. My other brothers and sisters became good friends with people in good families. Not every dog can become a Service Dog. School was hard. I had to learn many things just like you. I had to learn to stop and look before crossing the street. And learn what a red, yellow, and green directional light meant and what I should do. I was taught how to guide a person to go left, right, to step up and down, to stop, to move forward a little, to back up, and much more. I had to learn where I was and how to get back, even in strange areas. I had to learn how to behave in a restaurant and never, ever, beg for food. That was hard. I had to learn that I could be a plain old playful dog as long as my halter was off. But once it was on… I was working. I became the eyes of my master and their safety and how they got around was up to me. After a long time in school, I graduated and my trainer introduced me to BJ. The person who would become my master. We were both excited. We trained together for several weeks and became very good friends. She was really nice and we always spent fun-time together once she took my halter off. One day the trainer said we were ready and I was off to a new home with my master and friend. We shared many years together and had many wonderful experiences. We went shopping, visited friends, ate in fine restaurants, and traveled across the country. I took care of BJ. I knew when she didn’t feel right and could tell if she was happy or unhappy, sad, grumpy, or whatever. I would always try to make things better for her. BJ took care of me. She knew when I didn’t feel right and could tell if I were happy or unhappy, sad, grumpy, or whatever. She would always try to make things better for me. A long time has passed and now I can’t help my friend any more. BJ is off to school again and training with a new Service Dog. I will meet him tomorrow and help him understand his new master. Then I become like my other brothers and sisters. I become a good friend for people in a good family. You really couldn’t ask for more.

Elly-and-Aargh-.txt

Elly and Aargh! Four young dinosaurs were having a race. It wasn’t a running race. They were ankylosaurs, which meant that they were covered with huge plates of bony armour. The armour was so heavy that they could only waddle. All the same, they could waddle quite fast. And Elly was determined to beat her three brothers. She reached the river just ahead of them. "I won!" she shouted. She wagged her tail in triumph. "Ow! Ow! OW!" cried her three brothers behind her. Elly looked around and saw them lying in a heap. "What happened to you?" she asked. "Your tail happened to us," groaned Lenny. "You wagged it again," moaned Kenny. "It knocked us over!" croaked Benny. "My tail knocked you over?" Elly was sure her tail hadn’t done anything of the sort. She wagged it again to check. "NO! Don’t wag your tail!" shrieked her brothers. "Why not?" demanded Elly. "What’s wrong with my tail?" "It’s a lovely tail," said Kenny. "It’s just not the same as our tails," said Benny. "It’s got a great big club on the end of it!" said Lenny. Elly looked at her brothers’ tails. They were slender and pointed at the end, like her mother’s and her father’s tails. She twisted her head round to look at her own tail. But she couldn’t twist far enough to see it properly. "It looks fine to me," she said. "It is fine," said Lenny. "It’s a very special tail." "It’s unique," groaned Kenny. "Just don’t wag it!" pleaded Benny. This wasn’t easy for Elly. When she was happy, she wagged her tail. And since she was a very happy dinosaur, she wagged her tail a lot. But whenever she happily wagged her tail, anything in its path went flying. Her tail bowled her brothers over. It felled small trees. It demolished the nest of rocks that her parents had built so carefully. Yet Elly usually didn’t notice. "I don’t see the problem. Now let’s play tag!" she said. "Let’s not," said Kenny. "Whenever you’re being chased, you wag your tail." "We could play kick-the-coconut!" suggested Elly. "No, we couldn’t," said Benny. "You wag your tail each time you kick. I’m still covered in bruises from the last game." "Then what can we play?" she asked. The brothers thought hard about it. "I know!" said Lenny. "Hide and seek!" So they taught Elly how to play hide and seek. It was a great success. Elly was very good at hiding. And while she was hiding, she kept perfectly still and did not wag her tail. They played hide and seek all morning. Apart from one small accident when Elly wagged her tail and Kenny ended up in a ditch, nobody got any bruises. It was Elly’s turn to hide. She found a good place amongst the trees and kept very still. She waited. And waited. But nobody came to find her. After a while, Elly poked her head out to see where her brothers were. "Maybe they’ve gone for lunch," she thought. She couldn’t see them anywhere. But she could see a strange dinosaur sniffing around. Elly lumbered out of her hiding place and trotted over to greet the stranger. She had never met a dinosaur like it. It wasn’t an ankylosaurus. It was taller and thinner, with long, strong legs and big, curved claws. "Hallo!" said Elly. The strange dinosaur turned round and grinned a wide, toothy grin. "Well, hallo there!" it said. "Have you come for lunch?" asked Elly. "Oh, I hope so," said the stranger, giving her a still wider grin. It had a great many teeth. "Do you know my brothers?" she asked. "They’re around somewhere. We’ve just been playing hide and seek." The stranger licked its lips. "How delicious – I mean, how delightful! Let’s look for them together. Do you know where they’ll be hiding?" "Oh yes!" said Elly proudly. "I know all the best hiding places." "Excellent!" said the stranger. Elly was so happy to meet this new friend that she nearly wagged her tail. She stopped herself just in time. "What’s your name?" she asked. The dinosaur looked puzzled. "I don’t think I have a name." "Well, what do other dinosaurs call you? I’m Elly." The dinosaur scratched its head with its claw. "I suppose I’m called Aargh!" it said. "At least, that’s what everybody says when they see me." "All right, Aargh!" said Elly. "Let’s go and hunt for my brothers, and then we can have lunch!" "What a wonderful idea," said Aargh. "I bet I know where Lenny’s hiding. Come this way!" Elly trotted off towards the thorn bushes. She was so happy to be playing with her new friend that she nearly wagged her tail. Again, she stopped herself just in time. When they reached the thorn bushes, she could see a nose sticking out. "Found you, Lenny!" she shouted. Lenny sat up and stared at the strange dinosaur. "Aargh!" he cried. "Oh, do you know him, then?" said Elly. "That’s good." She was so pleased that this time she couldn’t help it. She wagged her tail. There was a whack and a THUD. "Aargh’s come for lunch," she said. "Aargh? Where are you?" Aargh crawled out of the thorn bushes. He had hundreds of long, spiky thorns sticking out of his skin. "Are you playing hide and seek in there?" said Elly. "It’s a bit prickly, unless you have thick skin like ours! Are you all right?" "Fine," muttered Aargh, trying to pull thorns out of his nose with his long claws. "Let’s go and look for Kenny next," said Elly. "I bet I know where he’s hiding!" She lumbered off towards the swamp. Aargh followed her, although, for some reason, Lenny didn’t. When she reached the swamp, Elly could see an ear poking out of the reeds. "Found you, Kenny!" she shouted. Kenny sat up and stared at the strange dinosaur. "Aargh!" he screamed. "That’s right," said Elly. "Aargh’s come for lunch." And she wagged her tail again. She just couldn’t help it. There was a whoosh and a PLOP. Suddenly Aargh was in the swamp. "That’s not a very good hiding place, Aargh!" called Elly. "It’s rather muddy!" "You don’t say," gasped Aargh as he crawled out of the swamp. As well as hundreds of thorns, he was now covered in sticky black mud. "It’s nearly lunch time," Elly told him. "Oh, good," sighed Aargh. "We just need to find Benny. I know exactly where he’ll be hiding! Come this way!" She set off again. Aargh followed her, although for some reason, Kenny didn’t. Elly waddled happily to the edge of the forest, where there were dozens of huge ant hills. Sure enough, when she got there, she could see a tail poking out from behind the biggest ant hill of them all. "Found you, Benny!" she shouted. Benny sat up and stared at the strange dinosaur. "AARGH!" he yelled. "Yes, isn’t it nice of him to play hide and seek with us?" said Elly. She was so delighted that she couldn’t help it. She wagged her tail. There was a whop and a SPLAT. Elly looked at Aargh, who was now inside the ant hill. "That’s quite a good hiding place," she said, "but I can still see your back legs." Aargh wriggled and squirmed, and at last managed to pull his top half out of the giant ant hill. As well as mud and thorns, he was now covered in angry ants. They scurried all over him, nipping him with sharp jaws. "Ow!" said Aargh. He ran to and fro, trying to shake them off. "Are we playing tag?" asked Elly. She began to waddle after him eagerly. As she did, she wagged her tail. THUNK went her tail against a coconut palm. A shower of coconuts fell on top of Aargh. He tried to kick them away. "Oh, goody!" said Elly. "You’re playing kick-the-coconut! I love playing kick-the-coconut!" She began to kick the coconuts at him. As she kicked, she happily wagged her tail. BIFF went the coconuts. WALLOP went her tail. WHEEE went Aargh, bouncing head over heels. "That was clever!" said Elly. "Can you do it again?" And she wagged her tail some more in admiration. "Aargh!" cried Aargh. Wildly waving his claws, he galloped away. "Are we running races now?" called Elly. She tried to race after him, but Aargh ran too fast. She couldn’t keep up. Soon Aargh had completely disappeared. Elly was now quite tired and hungry. So she gave up the chase and trotted back to look for her three brothers. "It’s lunch time!" she called. Her brothers crept out from behind the trees. "Has that dreadful deinonychus gone?" asked Kenny. "You mean Aargh?" said Elly. "He is dreadful at hiding, isn’t he? But he’s quite good at running." "We saw you wallop him with your tail," said Benny. "I wish I had a tail like that!" "Me too," said Lenny. "You really showed that dreadful deinonychus a thing or two!" "I showed him lots of games," agreed Elly. "It was fun." She pulled up a mouthful of plants and began to eat. "I think I’ll go and find him after lunch," she said happily. "I bet I know where he’ll be hiding. I can’t wait to play with Aargh again!" The End

disagreement-among-occupations-ASB-FKB.txt

Disagreement Among Occupations In a village there was a disagreement among people of different occupations. Everyone thought their work was the most important! The teacher said that he had the most important occupation. "Without teachers you could not go to school and learn." The builder said that he had the most important occupation. "Without builders you would not have schools to learn in or houses to sleep in." The carpenter said that he had the most important occupation. "Without carpenters you would have no furniture for your houses and schools." The doctor claimed that he had the most important occupation. "Without doctors and nurses you could get sick and die." The farmer said that she had the most important occupation. "Without farmers you would not have food to eat." The student argued that students had the most important work. "Without students, there would be no teachers, builders, doctors, farmers, or carpenters." Eventually everyone agreed that all the occupations are important. We need teachers, builders, doctors, farmers, and carpenters. But everyone has to be a student first!

the-magic-powder-a-folktale-from-myanmar.txt

The Magic Powder - A Folktale from Myanmar Once upon a time, in a little village on the banks of the Irrawaddy river, there lived a young woman called Thuza. She was very happily married to handsome young Theingi. But there was one problem that nagged Thuza – her husband believed he was an alchemist and would spend all his time dreaming about ways to turn dirt into gold. All day, and for days on end, Theingi spent his time in experiments, searching for a breakthrough. Soon, all their money was over, and young Thuza had to struggle to buy food for the two of them. She became very worried. "You should find a job soon," she pleaded with her husband. "We cannot continue like this!" But Theingi wouldn’t listen. "I’m on the verge of a breakthrough! Why do I have to work when we will be rich beyond our wildest dreams? We will soon be able to turn all the dirt we find into gold!" Disheartened, Thuza approached her father, wise old Thet, for a solution. Thet was surprised when he heard that his son-in-law was an alchemist. He thought for a while and asked to see Theingi. Thuza returned home happily that day, for she knew her wise father would have a solution. The next day, Theingi arrived at his father-in-law’s house, fully prepared for a scolding. He was taken by surprise when Thet took him aside and whispered, "When I was young like you, I was an alchemist too!" The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussing Theingi’s work. Finally, the old man stood up and said, "Why Theingi, you’ve done everything exactly like I did when I was your age! You are definitely on the verge of a breakthrough! Congratulations! But you seem to be lacking one very important ingredient in your experiments. You will need this when you finally turn dirt to gold. Only recently did I discover this. But I am too old for this task. It requires enormous effort…" "Then let me do it for you, Father!" cried Theingi. He was really excited. All his efforts would pay off at last. "Tell me what the ingredient is!" "Good, you are excited!" said Thet. He leaned closer and whispered, "Son, the secret ingredient is a silver powder that is found only on banana leaves. You will have to plant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells on them. Then, as the plants grow, the powder on the leaves will gain magical powers." "How much of this powder will we need, Father?" asked Theingi excitedly. "A kilo," replied Thet. "A kilo!" cried Theingi. "That would require hundreds of banana plants!" "I’m afraid so, Son," said the old man. "That is why I can’t complete the task myself…" "Don’t lose heart, Father!" said Theingi. "I shall!" Later that evening, the old man taught his son-in-law the magic spells and loaned him the money to start the work. The very next day, Theingi bought a small field near his home and cleared it. Just as he had been instructed, he dug the ground himself and planted the saplings after carefully chanting the magic spells. Every day he went to the field and examined the saplings. He kept the weeds and pests away diligently. When the plants grew and bore fruit, he carefully collected the silver powder from the leaves and kept it safely in a box. There was hardly any powder on each leaf, so Theingi had to buy more land and grow more bananas. But he was determined to do what was needed. It took him several years, but at the end of it all, he had managed to collect enough of the magic powder. He rushed to his father-in-law, excited as never before. He would soon be able to make gold from mere dirt! "Father, finally… here is the kilo of magic powder!" he cried. The old man was filled with joy. "Wonderful!’’ he said. "Wonderful! You’ve done well, Theingi. I’m proud of you. Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold. But first, let’s get Thuza. We need her help." Theingi was a little puzzled, but without losing any time, he ran to his wife and was soon back with her. "Thuza," asked the old man, "what did you do with the bananas when your husband was collecting the powder?" "Why, I sold them, Father," replied Thuza. "That’s how we earned a living." "Then you must have been able to save some money too. Theingi grew more than enough bananas…" the old man continued. "Yes, I did," replied Thuza. "Can we see it?" asked Thet. "Of course, I have kept it safely at home," beamed Thuza. The three of them went to Theingi’s house where Thuza produced several bags from the loft where she had kept them safely. Thet opened one of the bags, peered inside, and smiled. He then emptied one of the bags on the table. Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge, shiny heap. Then he went to the field and came back with a handful of dirt, which he placed next to the heap of gold. "You see, Theingi," he said, turning to his son-in-law, "you have changed dirt into gold!" Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magic powder from the leaves. But he continued to grow bananas. His "alchemist" father-in-law had taught him the best way to turn dirt into gold, after all. He didn’t need the magic powder any more. BANANAGIC! After Theingi’s magic powder from bananas, how about surprising your friends with some magical bananas?! Tell them about a new variety that you have just discovered – one that grows in slices! MAKE YOUR OWN MAGICAL BANANAS YOU’LL NEED: A few ripe bananas A toothpick or sewing needle HOW TO MAKE IT: 1. Push the toothpick into the banana somewhere along the seam. 2. Without taking it out, carefully rotate the toothpick left and right inside the banana. You should cut all the way through the fruit, but not through the peel, mind you. Also, try and keep the toothpick hole as small as possible – the smaller, the lesser it will be visible. 3. Remove the toothpick and repeat the above step at another spot on the banana, say after an inch. Keep making internal one-inch slices until you have at least five or six. Do these two steps with all the bananas you have. That’s it – your magic bananas are ready to eat. Offer the "new variety" to your friends while telling them a big story about how you discovered them in the field nearby. When your friends peel the banana, imagine the look on their faces when they find that it is already sliced? While inside the skin! Isn’t that some yummy banana magic? 13

little-goat_FKB_Bookdash-4-17.txt

The sky was blue above. But she did not look up. Little Goat went to find the sweetest grass. The river gurgled below. But Little Goat did not listen to its song. But Little Goat didn’t answer. A bird called to her, saying, "How do you do?" Story spread 4 She just walked along looking for the sweetest grass. As she walked along, Little Goat moved further and further away from Mother Goat. Little Goat found the sweetest grass. She ate and ate. She had walked far from Mother Goat. Mother Goat wondered where Little Goat had gone. She looked in the mealie patch, but Little Goat was not there. Mother Goat ran to the river. But Little Goat was not there. "Where are you, Little Goat," bleated Mother Goat. A bird called to Mother Goat. "Little Goat is asleep in the sweet grass across the bridge." Mother Goat crossed the bridge, to the sweet grass. There she found Little Goat fast asleep. "Wake up, Little Goat," said Mother Goat gently. "You were lost!" "I wasn’t lost… I have been here all the time!" said Little Goat.

FKB-kids-stories-how-about-you-pdf.txt

Who are you? Is that goo? Eeuw! I want some too. We are two. How old are you? Six hundred and thirty two? I choose two shoes. I like blue. Which do Do you too? you choose? Horseshoes!? I make toys with boys. We eurgghhh... make Whaaa! aargh! lots of noise. I take a nap on Gogo’s back. I don’t nap! I stay upright all through the night. The ball goes THWOCK! Buddy, you ROCK! That’s what we do. How about you?

welcome-to-the-forest-Pratham-FKB.txt

Welcome to the Forest Tulsa wishes she could visit a forest. Her teacher reads stories about tigers to the class. She loves to hear about forests and animals. One day, her wish comes true! Khare Chacha, a senior forest official, invites Tulsa and her friends to visit a forest called Kanha Tiger Reserve. Tulsa and her friends can’t stop grinning. They will go to the forest for a whole day and a whole night! It takes four hours by bus from the school to the forest. As soon as Tulsa getsdown from the bus, a strong hand shakes her hand and then ruffles her hair. "Welcome to Kanha!" It is Khare Chacha. Tulsa and her friends Rani, Mithu, and Dipti stay close to one another. "Sniff the air. It smells of trees and leaves!" says Mithu. "The air is clean like it has been washed with soap!" adds Rani. It's almost sunset now. Khare Chacha and other forest officials tell them aboutthe forest they will visit tomorrow. They play the sounds of animals and birds for the girls to hear and recognise. PIAON! PIAON! "It’s a peacock!" OOW! OOW! "I know! It’s a barking deer." KEEE! KEE! "That is the sound of crickets!" Next day, Tulsa wakes up at five in the morning. Brrr! It’s cold! Everyone bundles up in warm clothes. One by one, they get into the bus. "All around us there is tall grass covered in a thick blanket of fog," Ranveer Uncle, the forest guide, tells them. Tulsa can feel the cold and pure air in her mouth. It tastes like mint leaves. "Shhh!" Ranveer Uncle whispers. "There are two jackals right next to our bus." Everyone listens carefully. They hear the rustling sound of the tall grass. Dried leaves crush under their feet, as the jackals run lightly into the dense forest. Ranveer Uncle whispers again. "A big deer called sambar is standing on the left side of the road. The deer is brown and has big stem-like horns called antlers on its head." Everyone focuses to their left. HAUNNNNK! HAUNNNK! The sambar runs off. "Sounds like a very big horn!" says Tulsa. All the girls laugh. Soon, the air becomes even cooler. "We are near a river now," Ranveer Uncle says.Tulsa can hear the gurgling of the water. So many birds are calling from the trees. FHWEEE! FHWEEE! "That one is whistling!" says Rashmi. "Yes Rashmi, that is the call of a thrush," says Ranveer Uncle. KEEECH! KEECH! "And that screeching you hear is the call of the jungle babbler." Soft leaves fall from above. Baby monkeys are showering them with leaves! Tulsa picks up a leaf that falls on her. It smells fresh and pure, just like the forest. The bus starts moving uphill. "Hold this creeper. See how it feels like a strong rope? T he leaves are like cotton!" Everyone takes turns to hold the creeper. "This is the mahul," says Ranveer Uncle. "The leaves are used to make small bowls." PIAONN! PIAONN! "Peacock to your right!" Ranveer Uncle is excited. "Is he dancing?" asks Tulsa. "Yes!" Uncle says. "His feathers are shining in the winter sun and are sparking like gemstones." "Beautiful," says Tulsa. By now everyone is very hungry. They stop at the forest camp for breakfast. There, KhareChacha announces a surprise. "Some of our camp elephants are here. They won’t mind if you touchthem gently." Everyone starts squealing in delight. Soon Tulsa is led to the elephant, Tara. The guide places her hand on Tara’s prickly stomach. Whoomp! Tulsa hears the sound of Tara’s feet moving. Tulsa can feel the powerful muscles under her hand. Trumpeting softly, Tara places her trunk in Tulsa’s hand, looking for food. Tulsa can’t stop smiling, as she feels the wet trunk. It's time to go back. On the way, they pass a gaur. "The gaur is chewing grass. The body is black but the bottoms of the legs are white. It looks like the gaur is wearing socks," says Ranveer Uncle. Everyone laughs. Suddenly, the air is split by a call, deep and loud. AUHN! The call comes again. "The tiger is very far," explains Ranveer Uncle. "But he has probably seen you and wants you to know that." Sighing with happiness, Tulsa and her friends head out of the park. There are so many ways to experience the forest ! They can't wait to come back to Kanha Tiger Reserve.

busy-ant-story-book-worksheet-picture-stories-reading-comprehension-exercises_119912.txt

Name: __________________ Class: ____________ Date: ____________ 1. I’m the fourth in _____. 2. Left, ______, left _____. 3. I’m going to get a set of ______ to go _______. 4. Ours is a language of _______. 5. Follow me this way for a _____. 6. _______, do not go there! 7. I may look small, but I am very 8. Hundreds of us live happily in a _______. _________.

5982-how-do-you-feel.txt

How do you feel? Happy? Giggly? Lonely? Angry? Irritated? Sad? Worried? Greedy? Curious? How are you feeling today? Note for teachers and parents Children can sometimes have a hard time expressing how they feel. You can use this book to help them identify different emotions, talk about situations where they felt a particular way and to also name other emotions or feelings that are not included in this book. You can also encourage children to talk about how they deal with emotions like anger and hurt (When do you get angry? What do you do when you feel sad? Who do you talk to when you are upset?) Created by Shyam anand (5 years old) , with the help of Menaka. Shyam supplied the different emotions and chose the pictures he thought best suited them!

043-THE-HOMELESS-MONKEY-v2.txt

Once upon a time, there lived a monkey who had no home of his own. They called him ‘Springs’, for he always walked with a bounce in his steps. He had sold everything he owned, and with that money, he had started traveling the world. He wanted to see the world’s smallest and biggest wonders. He traveled from village to village, town to town, and offered his services- to do work in exchange for food and shelter. He was a happy monkey and he loved helping people. One day, he passed through the village of Zver, where twenty animals lived. He saw an old beaver. so he walked towards him and said "Hello, Mr. beaver. If I was to do some garden work for you today, would you be so kind as to give me something to eat." The old beaver agreed and asked Springs to do some gardening and fix up a few things around the house. It was a long and tiring day for Springs but enjoyed his day. When springs returned to the house in the evening, the whole village had gathered there. There was a lot of food put out on the large wooden table and everybody was celebrating as though a hero had come to their small village. They all had a great time that night; it was like a big party. There was dancing and lots food and Springs really enjoyed his evening. The following morning when Springs was ready to leave, the old beaver approached Springs with tears in his eyes and said, "Thank you for joining us for dinner. Please come back whenever you have time. I have two boys around your age who I have not seen in 10 years. Spending time with you reminded me of my boys." Springs did not know what to say so he just hugged the Beaver, just like he would his father, and set off on his way with a promise to return one day. Springs had been walking for some time and was tired. He saw two highway robbers who pushed him down and took his bag away. When the robbers looked in his bag they only found a rope, some tools, and some bread. They threw his bag on the ground and ran away. Springs picked up his backpack and continued on his journey. He started to think about all the good and bad in the world. The road was long and winding and finally led him to a dark forest. The only way he could continue his journey was to walk through the forest. Springs walked for more than an hour and then he realised he was lost. He decided to climb up a tree to relax and eat some of the bread the villagers had given him. Suddenly Springs heard some voices shouting for help. He climbed down from the tree and ran in the direction the voices were coming from. Springs reached the place the voices were coming from. Springs reached the place the voices were coming from. He saw that the two robbers who had pushed him earlier that day were trapped inside a deep hole in the ground. They were both trapped and couldn’t get out, and were yelling for help. Springs quickly reached into his backpack and grabbed the rope that was inside. He tied one end of the rope to a tree and threw the other end inside the hole. The robbers both quickly climbed up the rope to safety. The robbers were amazed that Springs had saved them. One robber asked "Why did you help us? We pushed you and tried to rob you earlier!". Springs replied "There are good people and bad people in this world. The good people do good things and bad people do bad things. I have decided to be one of the good people." The two robbers were amazed by Springs’ reply. Springs told the robbers, "I have traveled far and wide, seen happiness as well as sorrow. I have met all kinds of people; good, bad, old, and young. I have experienced all sorts of bad things, but I have always tried to do only good things." As Springs was leaving, he gave the two robbers some bread with a smile and said, "I hope what I have said today will help you realize that there is always a way to live without causing harm to others."

Under-the-Sea_Learn-Sight-Words-FKB-Free.txt

I see a big shark! Can you see? Come and look with me. I see a stingray! He's grey and flat. Can you see? Come and look with me. I see a starfish, she's pointed like a star! Can you see? I see a clown fish, he is funny! Come and look with me. I see a jelly fish, he goes wiggle wobble, like jelly. Can you see? Say wiggle wobble with me! I see an angel fish, she is shaped like an angel. Can you see? Come and look with me. I see a dolphin, swimming and smiling. Can you see? Come and look with me. By the sea, What do you see? Come and look with me! I see a seal, lying on the beach. Can you see? Come and look with me. In the sea, what do you see- Can you read with me? Shark Stingray Starfish Clown fish In the sea, what do you see- Can you read with me? Jellyfish Angel fish Dolphin Seal SIGHT WORDS IN THIS BOOK: come look she see with she's an by he and a he's the I goes in what do me you on is like can read SEA CREATURE NOUNS IN THIS BOOK: shark stingray star fish clown fish jelly fish angel fish dolphin seal OTHER WORDS smiling under lying big swimming flat wiggle grey wobble shaped funny pointed EXERCISES FROM THIS BOOK: Hint: You can find the words on the previous (or next) page. A shark is _ _ _ . A stingray is _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ . A star fish is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A clown fish is _ _ _ _ _ . A jelly fish goes _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ . An angel fish is shaped like an _ _ _ _ _ . A dolphin is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A seal is _ _ _ _ _ on the _ _ _ _ _ . EXERCISES FROM THIS BOOK: Hint: You can find the words on the previous page. I can see a _ _ _ _ _ , he is big. I can see a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , he goes wiggle wobble. I can see a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , he is pointed. I can see a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , he is flat and grey. I see a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , he is funny. I see an _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , she is shaped like an angel. I can see a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , he is swimming and smiling. I can see a _ _ _ _ , he is lying on the beach.

why-is-nita-upside-down_FKB_Pratham.txt

Why is Nita Upside Down? Nita's hanging upside down, her long hair tickling at the ground. The trees, the grass, the everything is all the wrong way round. Her feet, they poke into the sky. Little Navi is walking by. He says, 'I've seen you here before. You're upside down again! What for?' Her feet swim lightly in the air. She tries to hide behind her hair. 'It's h-h-h-hard to t-t-talk', she says to him. 'I'm not the same. I don't fit in.' Navi takes her by the hand. He wants to help her understand. They climb to Navi's look-out spot. From up here they can see a lot. They perch and have a quiet stare at children playing here and there. Those kids are not the same at all. Abe's round. Chi's freckled. Lala's extra tall. BamBam's wild and must run free, while Lulu reads quietly. Look at Freya's crazy hair. And Tim wears glasses everywhere. And me, I am just skin and bone. And you are you. You're not alone. Each human's sort of strange, you see. That makes you just the same, like me. This world is really one big game. To play, we can’t all be the same. Nita feels the right way round, thanks to the new friend she’s found. Upside down was never fun. Now she plays with everyone.

047-THE_LUNKER-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

On Monday, I went fishing with my dad. He caught a big one, I was sad. On Tuesday, we fished a different spot. He caught another and I did not. On Wednesday, we fished a different lake. The fish were there for him to take. Thursday came and we hit the river. He caught five, I got a sliver. On Friday I told him, I needed a rest. He said, "Let’s go, and give it your best." Saturday came and he caught more. I tried so hard, my arms were sore. Sunday morning we were there very fast. I baited my hook and made a cast. A tug on my line, my reel was screaming. I caught a fish, my eyes were gleaming. When I got it to the boat. We were amazed to see. The biggest fish in the lake was caught by me!

The-Little-Narcissist.txt

The Little Narcissist Mama got a new tablet. It had front and rear facing cameras. Mama could use it for video chats, as well as to make home videos. Mama was using it to chat with Tania's aunt Poonam. Poonam stayed in Baltimore in America and Tania stayed in Bombay. So they did not often get to see each other. Mama thought video chats would be an excellent way for them to keep in touch. This way Poonam could see Tania growing up and interact with her. Tania liked seeing and talking to her aunt but she was even more intrigued by the little video of herself that appeared on the screen. Mama saw her interest and asked her "Tania, would you like me to make a video of you?" "Yes mama!", said Tania excited. Mama said "Tania, why don't you recite one of your nursery rhymes and do all the actions for it. I'll record it on this. Then you can see the video." Tania recited 'Humpty-Dumpty' and 'Little Jack Horner' making the appropriate hand gestures. Mama then played the video and Tania and mama watched it together. Mama thought it was really cute and Tania was fascinated. She begged mama to take some more videos. Mama saw her fascination with the new toy and obliged. They made 4 videos of Tania that night. The next afternoon Tania asked, "Mama, will you make a video of me eating lunch? I want to see it." "Tania, that is silly. Why do you want a video of yourself eating lunch?" "Please mama, I want it. Please, please!" "Oh, all right but this is getting really silly Tania. This is the last video I am making of you." "Thanks mama" said Tania sweetly, ignoring the part about it being the last video. Tania asked to see the video and watched mama intently. She learned how to operate the tablet to play the video. After lunch mama had some work to do on her laptop. Tania usually spent Saturday afternoon doing some drawing or colouring. So mama set her up with her art supplies on a big plastic mat on the living room floor and went to work in the bedroom. An hour later when mama came to see how Tania's art was progressing, she was surprised to see Tania absorbed in doing something on the tablet. At closer inspection she saw that Tania was watching videos of herself. Her art supplies lay on the mat untouched. She asked "Tania, what have you been doing?" "Hmm.." said Tania hardly hearing her. "Tania!", said mama loudly snapping her fingers to attract Tania's attention. Tania paused the video and said, "Yes mama. What happened?" "Tania, you haven't done any of your art work. Have you been watching videos this whole hour?" "Yes mama." "But sweetie, you are supposed to practice your art on Saturday afternoons." "I wanted to see the videos mama. I'll do my art later." Mama was feeling annoyed. She was reminded of Narcissus from Greek mythology. She wondered what she should do so Tania would not get addicted to watching videos of herself. She said "Tania, I have an idea. Why don't you draw a nice picture now? If it comes out really nice, I'll take a photograph of it and make it the wall paper on the tablet." "You will make my drawing the wall paper on your tablet?" "Yes, if you do a good job."" Tania was thrilled with the idea and worked hard on her art for the rest of the afternoon. Temporarily she forgot all about videos. She did a marvellous job of colouring a beautiful landscape, and mama made it the wall paper on the tablet as promised. Tania glowed with pride. Over the next few days every time Tania remembered the tablet and asked mama to make a video of her, mama distracted her and asked her to do some interesting activity and promised to take a picture of the results. Once they made objects from whole wheat dough and decorated them with permanent markers. Another time they made a sock doll. They made lanterns, kites, jams and many more interesting things. Each time mama took a picture. Soon Tania forgot all about making videos of herself. She was trying to come up with interesting projects to do. At the end of a month mama printed out all the pictures she had taken of Tania's creative endeavours and suggested they make a scrap book. Tania felt proud to see all that she had achieved in a month. She realised it was much more satisfying to see what she had created rather than watch videos of herself. She rarely asked mama to make videos of her any more. But she could not resist watching the video of herself when she chatted with aunt Poonam. Oh well, neither could aunt Poonam. Tania was adorable after all.

Why-birds-sing-at-dawn_3-17.txt

A long time ago, in the forest of Happy-Land, birds and trees could talk to each other. There was a bird family with three children: Blue, Pink and Yellow. They all lived on a big wise tree called Mamango. Mama Birdie’s voice was beautiful! She would wake up early to sing her song. But drought set in on the land. Rivers dried up and leaves fell off. Mamango thought long and hard. "Maybe we should get the magic worm that brings rain. But who can go?" "I will go. I am not afraid," Mama Birdie said. Everyone missed Mama Birdie, and her song. Would she ever find her way back home? "What if we sing Mama’s song?" "But I don’t know how to sing!" Yellow asked. cried Pink. "Mama said if we sing her song, she will find her way back." "Have you tried singing?" Mamango asked. "I have tried singing," said Yellow. "I can teach you." Early the next morning, Yellow sang Mama’s song: "It’s a beautiful morning! We wake up and shine!" And rain started falling. Eventually, all the birds joined Yellow in song. Mama Birdie found her way back to Happy-Land. And from then on, birds sang at dawn.

Ammas-Birthday-.txt

It’s Amma’s birthday, tomorrow Nikini was a little girl. She lived with her mother and father, in a house near the woods. She was very friendly with the animals in the woods. One evening, Nikini’s father came home with a big gift box. "What’s that, Thatha?" Nikini asked her father. "It’s your mother’s birthday tomorrow," her father said. "Oh!" Nikini was very upset. "How could I forget my Amma’s birthday? She would never forget mine. So I should give her a wonderful gift," Nikini thought. "But what shall I give her?" She went into her bedroom and thought. She loved her mother so much that she couldn’t think of anything good enough for a gift for her. She thought and thought until nightfall, but she couldn’t think of anything. Then a firefly, seeing Nikini by the window, flew to her. "Nikini, what are you doing in the dark?" the firefly asked. "Firefly, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She makes me very happy on my birthdays. So I want to make her happy on her birthday. I want to give her the ‘greatest’ gift of all. But I can’t think of anything as great as my Amma," said Nikini, sadly. "I think you should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. Something like the sky, or the ocean," said the firefly. Nikini thought for a moment. "Dear firefly, the biggest thing in the world is my Amma’s love. So, I would like to find a gift as big as her love. But how can I find it?" said Nikini. "You are a very good daughter who tries to give the biggest gift to her mother. So, I will help you. Let’s go out and find it," the firefly said. Nikini went out in the dark with the firefly. The firefly showed her the way. They went to the woods. They searched and searched, but they couldn’t find anything as big as her mother’s love. On the way, a mynah bird who was about to go to sleep, saw Nikini. "Nikini, where are you going in the dark?" the mynah bird asked. "Mynah bird, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She cooks and cleans and works hard with no rest. Her love is the biggest thing in the world for me. So, I should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as big as my Amma’s love," Nikini said sadly. "No, I think you should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift, something like beautiful flowers, beautiful pearls," the bluebird said. Nikini thought for a moment. "Dear mynah bird, the most beautiful thing in the world is my Amma. So, I would like to find a flower or a pearl as beautiful as my Amma. But where can I find it?" asked Nikini. "You are a very good daughter. So I will help you," said the mynah bird and away they went. They went on and on but couldn’t find anything as beautiful as her mother. They went on until Nikini stumbled upon a rabbit who was fast asleep. "Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?" asked the rabbit, rubbing his eyes. "Rabbit, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She feeds me, cuddles me and holds me close until I fall asleep. She is the most beautiful thing in the world. So I should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as beautiful as my Amma," said Nikini sadly. "No, I think you should give her the ‘most precious’ gift in the world, something as precious as the moon and the stars," said the rabbit. Nikini thought for a moment. "Dear rabbit, the most precious thing in the world is my Amma. Even if I hang the moon on a necklace, even if I make stars into earrings, they are not as precious as she is. I want to find something as precious as my Amma. But how can I find it?" asked Nikini sadly. "You are a very good daughter. I will help you find it." The rabbit went along with the firefly, the mynah bird and Nikini. They went on and on, but they couldn’t find anything as precious as her mother. On their way, she got entangled in a huge cobweb. Then the spider, who was having a sweet dream in the middle of the night, got up. "Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?" the spider asked. "Spider, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. When I am sick she cries and looks after me without sleep until I get well. She is the most precious thing in the world for me. So I should give her the ‘most precious’ gift. But I can’t find anything as precious as my Amma," Nikini said sadly. "No, I think you should give her the gift that would make her ‘the happiest’," said the spider. "Oh, what would make her happiest?" Nikini thought and thought. "Something like a delicious cake, a lovely birthday card, a nice pair of shoes, a colorful dress…?" Nikini thought for a while. "Oh, a beautiful sari!! I think she would like a beautiful sari most. I want to give her the most beautiful sari in the world. I want to find the most beautiful sari for her. And I want to give it to her as she wakes up in the morning and say, "Happy birthday!" But how can I find it? There’s only a little time left, until morning," Nikini said, impatiently. "Nikini, you are a great daughter who thinks so much about her mother. Some children don’t even care about their mother’s birthday. They remember about their own birthdays and gifts only. So I will weave a very beautiful sari for you," said the spider and she started weaving a beautiful sari. Nikini was very tired after walking all over the woods and not sleeping the whole night. But she was so happy that she didn’t feel sleepy at all. She helped the spider weave the most beautiful sari for her mother. The firefly flew far away and brought back beautiful flowers to decorate it. The rabbit ran around the woods and brought beautiful colors from flowers, to paint the sari with. The mynah bird shook the branches of trees and they shed dewdrops on it. Finally, they had made the most beautiful sari in the world. The flowers looked lovely on it, the colors were the prettiest shades, and the dewdrops glittered like gems and pearls. "This is very beautiful…the most beautiful sari I have ever seen. Amma would surely love this," Nikini yelled with excitement. They were all happy. "Let’s go…let’s give this to Amma and wish her a happy birthday," said Nikini. She hurried towards home with her friends. As they got halfway, a strong wind blew across the woods and it started to rain heavily. They tried their best to protect the sari from the rain and the wind. But they failed. The sari was torn into pieces. "Oh, noooooooo!" Nikini screamed. She was so sad that she cried and cried, while getting soaked in the rain. The dawn arrived, and the sun rose. She heard a voice calling out. "Nikini…Nikini!" someone was shouting. It was Nikini’s mother, who was searching for her missing daughter. Just then, she saw Nikini crying under a tree. She came running to Nikini. "Oh, my darling, where have you been? Why are you crying?" she asked. "Amma, I went searching for a birthday gift for you. I searched for the greatest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the biggest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most beautiful gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most precious gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. So finally, my friends made me a gift which you would like most. It was a very beautiful sari. But it got caught by the wind and was torn into pieces. I’m so sad that I couldn’t give it to you and make you happy," Nikini said, still sobbing. "My darling, do you know what is the most beautiful, most precious and the greatest thing to me? That is my little daughter. What I like most is her love. The love I felt from you today is the greatest, biggest, most precious and the most beautiful gift I’ve ever had in my life," said her mother and she hugged her. Nikini was very happy and so were her friends. All of them went home with her, to celebrate the birthday.

Tania-Loses-a-Tooth.txt

Tania Loses A Tooth Tania had just woken up. She was in the bathroom, groggily brushing her teeth. Suddenly something frightened her. Her front tooth was shaking. Was it real? Or was it a bad dream? She pinched herself. Ouch! She was definitely awake. That pinch really hurt. Then why was the tooth shaking? Tania quickly rinsed her mouth and ran out of the bathroom screaming in fright. Mama was making breakfast in the kitchen; scrambled eggs with black olives and tomatoes. Papa was toasting brown bread. Mama and papa were both startled to hear Tania shouting "Mama, papa, my tooth is shaking. Help! I think it is going to come out. What do I do?" "Oh that!" said papa a little annoyed, picking up a toast he had dropped. Mama said "Don't worry Tania. It is perfectly normal. The teeth you have now are baby teeth. They usually start falling out at age 5 or 6 years." "Oh! said Tania still looking scared. "What happens then? Does it hurt when it falls out?" "Not really." said mama casually. "The tooth will shake for sometime and then when it becomes very loose it will fall out. Don't worry about it honey. It is all quite normal. We can talk more about teeth this afternoon when you are back from school." Mama's calm attitude comforted Tania and she left for school. In the school bus Tania was absent-mindedly pushing at the lose tooth with her tongue . Tanisha asked "Tania, why are you making weird faces?" Tania then realised what she was doing and told Tanisha about her lose tooth. Tanisha said "Oh yeah! Trisha lost one of her back teeth last year. I guess I'll lose one soon too. Does it hurt?" "No. Look I can waggle it with my tongue and it doesn't hurt at all." Tania was the first in her class to have a lose tooth. She enjoyed waggling it and showing it to her friends. It looked so scary but it did not hurt at all. What fun! In the afternoon mama was ready with pictures to explain to Tania what was going on with her teeth. She said "Your first tooth came out when you were 9 months old. By the time you were 3 years old you had all your baby teeth." "It took more than 2 years to grow all my teeth! That is a long time." "Yes honey. The first tooth to grow is usually one of these 4 front teeth. They are called the central incisors. The first tooth you had was this front one on the bottom. Seems like it is going to be the first to fall off too." Mama smiled and continued. "These 4 teeth right next to the front 4 are called lateral incisors. Lateral means to the side. All the incisors are used to bite. They are the teeth you use to bite in to an apple for example." The pointed teeth on the sides of your mouth, right next to the incisors are the canines. Tania felt her canines with her fingers and said, "Aren't those the huge teeth that Kazoo has?" "Yes, that is correct! Kazoo does have huge canines. Most carnivorous animals like cats, tigers and lions have large canines. Large canines are useful to tear flesh and meat." "The last two teeth behind your canines are your molars. They are for chewing and grinding your food." Tania was making a very weird face so mama asked "Tania what are you doing? You look weird" "Oh! I am just using my tongue to count my teeth, mama. Every type of tooth you mentioned is there, and the correct number of them too. Yet when I count them all, there are only 20. I thought humans have 32 teeth. I am confused." "Wow Tania! You are well informed. Yes adult humans do have 32 teeth. After your molars fall off they will be replaced by teeth called premolars. Then 3 more molars will grow behind the premolars. You will get those molars later when you grow up and your mouth is large enough to accommodate them. The last molar right at the back of the mouth is called a wisdom tooth, because you are supposed to be wise by the time you have it. The 4 wisdom teeth appear much later, usually after the age of 17. Many people get only a few of the wisdom teeth. So most adults have between 28 and 32 teeth. The next day was Saturday and Tania was visiting her grandparents in the evening. Tania showed grandma and grandpa her shaking tooth. Grandpa said, "Tania, we can tie one end of a thread to that lose tooth and the other end to the door knob. Then we can slam the door shut and your tooth will come off. Then it wont bother you any more." Tania looked at the door in horror and pleaded, "Grandpa, please don't do that. The tooth doesn't bother me. Mama said it would eventually get quite loose and fall off." Grandpa did not mean to frighten Tania. He said, "Don't worry. We don't have to do it unless you want to. We can wait for it to fall off. There is no rush. But it really doesn't hurt much. That is how I took off my first shaking tooth." Tania looked at grandpa in awe. He really must be very brave she thought. Grandpa saw how unhappy Tania was with the idea. So he changed the subject. He asked, "Tania, do you know about the tooth fairy." "No", said Tania. "Who is the tooth fairy?" Grandpa said "Didn't mama tell you? The tooth fairy collects fallen baby teeth. Nobody knows what she needs them for, but she pays well for them. So when that tooth of yours falls out, you should put it under your pillow. Then while you are asleep the tooth fairy will take the tooth and give you a little gift in return." "Oh! Is she like a Santa Claus who collects teeth?" asked Tania excited. "Yes I suppose she is." said grandpa. Just then grandma announced dinner. The delicious aroma of chana masala was wafting through the air. Tania forgot all about her tooth. She enjoyed her meal of rice, chana masala and palak paneer with great relish. After dinner grandpa offered Tania a toffee. He always gave her a sweet treat after dinner and Tania always looked forward to it. Tania took the toffee and sucked it for some time. Then she bit into it and while chewing it she felt something hard in the toffee. She took it out of her mouth to take a look and to her great surprise, she found her own tooth stuck in the toffee! Tania smiled. She had been so worried about having to tug out the tooth when grandpa told her about threads and doorknobs. But the tooth came off so painlessly that Tania did not even realise it was out. Grandpa helped Tania clean the sticky toffee off the tooth. He then wrapped it up in some cotton and gave it to Tania. Mama, papa and Sonia came to pick up Tania soon after. She told them the amazing story of how her tooth came out. On the ride back home she asked mama about the tooth fairy. Mama said "Yes Tania. There is a tooth fairy. You should put your tooth under your pillow tonight and see what she gives you." The next morning Tania found a brand new box of water colours under her pillow. Awesome! Now, she cant wait for her next tooth to fall. The tooth fairy is a generous soul, don't you think?

Busy-Ants.txt

Busy Ants Hello, I am the fourth one in the line. Can you see me? Left, right, left, right. We walk silently in a line. I just got an idea. I am going to get a set of WHEELS to move faster! We are not noisy like other animals. Ours is a language of smells. One kind of smell says, "Follow me this way for a feast." Another smell says, "Danger! Do not go there." I love cakes and all kinds of sweets, just like you. Want to see my muscles at work? I may look very tiny to you, but I am very strong. Never mind if the door is shut. I can slip through the smallest crack. Believe it or not, hundreds of us live happily in a colony. LET US LEARN SOME NEW WORDS. Small - Big Slow - Fast Short - Tall Thin - Fat Hard - Soft Noisy - Quiet Here are some words with their opposites. Can you make a sentence for each pair of opposite words? For example, ‘An ant is small; an elephant is big’. "As busy as an ant" is a nice way to describe someone who is very hard working.

009-HOMEWORK-YUCK-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

When Jamal opened the door, his mother could tell something was wrong. He looked like he was going to cry. "Jamal, what is the matter?" his mother asked. "HOMEWORK!" he shouted. "Homework ! Yuck! I will not do any more homework." Now, Jamal’s mother was quite concerned. She had never heard Jamal talk like that and she had no idea that he didn’t like doing his homework. In fact, each time she asked Jamal if he had done his homework, he would always answer "yes". "My teacher wants to meet with you," Jamal said. "That’s fine," his mother said. "But I would like to talk to you before we meet with your teacher. I think now is the perfect time," Jamal and his mother talked for a long time and all the while his mother was writing things down. Jamal chuckled to himself as she wrote. It was as if she was doing homework, and do you know what? She was. Then his mother said, "Jamal, now that we are done, I want you to do the best you can on your homework tonight. Tomorrow morning we will go to school together." Jamal agreed and his mother continued with her homework. The next day Jamal, his mother, and his teacher met before school started. Jamal was frightened. He didn’t know what to expect and it was all his fault for not doing his homework. "Homework! Yuck!" he mumbled to himself. "I heard that," his teacher said. Then his mother spoke, "Jamal and I discussed the situation last night and I assure you he will be doing his homework in the future. I also think you need to listen to his reasons. They are reasons, and not excuses. Please let Jamal explain to you as he did to me." Well, Jamal was really frightened now. He had to talk to the teacher and tell her why he didn’t do his homework. Jamal thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and began talking. "I need time to have some fun. I spend all day in school and then my teachers want me to spend the rest of the day doing homework." "I like to spend time with my mother, brother, and sister. I also have to do my chores and help my mom since my dad doesn’t live with us." "When I really try to do my homework, it takes too long and I can’t help my mom. I know this makes her sad and sometimes angry." "Sometimes I get so much homework I have to copy some of it from my friends. I know that is cheating, but I want to turn something in." "When I have done my homework it takes so long to get it back that I can’t learn from it. Meanwhile, you are teaching something else. I just get lost." Jamal’s teacher thought for a moment and then said: "I never realized you were so smart. You have made some very good points and I need to consider them. In fact, all the teachers need to hear them. I will consider your comments before I assign homework in the future. I would like you to talk to all the teachers. Will you do that?" Jamal agreed and he spoke to all the teachers, parents, and students at the school’s next Open House. He was frightened but he made excellent points. In fact, the school changed the way they assigned homework. It was easier on the students and they were able to complete it and learn. They also had some time to play and spend time with their families. Now, Jamal does his homework and actually looks forward to doing it. Now his mother doesn’t have to ask if it is done.

Tania-at-School-.txt

Tania At School It was over a year since Tania's 4th birthday. Tania was 5 years old and in the second year of Kindergarten. She loved going to school. It was a small preschool with 15 children in the class. The school had a very smart and cute uniform. The girls wore a navy blue skirt and a white blouse with a navy blue collar. Tania and her friends Tanisha and Sonali were all in the same class. The shiny yellow school bus picked them up at the gate to the housing society at 8:15 a.m. School started at sharp 9:00 a.m. every weekday morning. A pleasant sounding bell announced the beginning of the first class. The first class was creative thinking, followed by reading and writing. Then there was a break for a mid morning snack. After that there was singing, followed by art. Then after another short break the children gathered together for story time before leaving for home. Tania enjoyed all her classes and art was her favourite. Occasionally the teacher gave them a fun homework assignment. Tania was very conscientious about doing her best at all the homework assignments. Mama was very proud of her and her teachers were very fond of her. They admired her dedication. There was just one thing about Tania that irked her teachers. She was very talkative in class. Sometimes she would miss out what the teacher said. But being very bright she was usually able to fill in the gaps herself. One Wednesday morning, Tania was waiting with Tanisha and Sonali for the school bus to arrive. Sonali said, "I really enjoyed doing the homework assignment. Usually we only get art homework. It was nice to have a creative thinking assignment for a change." "Homework assignment! What assignment? Is it due today?" said Tania sounding panicked. "Yes. Miss Gupta gave us an assignment 2 days ago. It is due today." said Tanisha. "Didn't you know?" The school bus arrived and the girls got in. "No!" said Tania. "What is the assignment? Tell me." Tanisha replied, "We have to come up with 5 unusual uses of an umbrella. I think you were chatting with Karishma at the end of the class and did not hear Miss Gupta give us the assignment." "Tanisha please let me copy your assignment" begged Tania. "What!" said Tanisha shocked. "I can't believe you are saying that." "That is wrong Tania, and you know it" said Sonali. "Yes I do. I promise I wont ever ask you to do this again. But please just this once..." said Tania crying. Tanisha and Sonali looked at each other and finally decided to help out Tania just this once. Just then the bus reached school and the girls stepped out. It was only 8:30 am, and there was still half an hour before class started. Tania took out a clean sheet of paper and a beautifully sharpened pencil. She carefully copied all of Tanisha's homework. Tanisha had made a neat list of the 5 entries. Tania finished copying just a few minutes before class started. She wrote her name at the back of the sheet of paper and turned it in. The next day Miss Gupta asked Tania and Tanisha to come and talk to her during the break. Tania felt worried and guilty. The two girls walked to the teacher's office together. Miss Gupta said "Obviously one of you has copied the other's homework. Otherwise they would not be identical. Are you going to tell me who and why?" The guilt weighed Tania down and she confessed. She said "Miss Gupta, I copied Tanisha's homework. I am so sorry." "But why dear? You usually do such a good job with your homework." Tania turned red with embarrassment as she said, "I did not hear you assign the homework Miss Gupta. I was talking to Karishma at the time. Sonali was talking about the assignment at the bus stop yesterday morning. That is when I found out about it. It was too late to do the assignment myself and I really wanted to submit my homework on time. So I copied Tanisha's. She protested but I pleaded with her and she gave in. This is not her fault at all." "I see", said Miss Gupta. "Tanisha why don't you go back to your break? I need to talk to Tania." Tanisha heaved a sigh of relief and sprinted away. Miss Gupta continued "Tania the whole point of the homework was to get you to think creatively. Turning it in on time is good but worthless if you just copied it. I would have been disappointed that you did not get it done on time, but when you mess up you should be brave enough to face the consequences. That is what makes you a strong and good person." "Yes Miss Gupta" said Tania meekly. "I see your point and I promise I wont do it again. I am really very sorry." "Yes I can see you are truly sorry. Tania, I hope you also learned that it is not a good idea to be distracted and talking in class. That way you miss important things." "Yes Miss Gupta" said Tania looking very ashamed and glum. "We all make mistakes Tania. But as long as you learn from them you will do fine. Now cheer up and move on. It is time for your next class." She smiled at Tania and Tania trotted off to her next class.

Tania-the-Spy-.txt

Tania Is A Spy Tania's 5th birthday was on 2nd March 2015. Her family and friends knew about the reading club called "Bookworm Babies", that she had started. So, she obviously got a lot of books as birthday gifts. A few people gave her art supplies and board games. Tania was very happy with the gifts but she wondered what aunt Poonam would send her. A couple of days later, a package arrived for Tania by courier. She was intrigued. It was the first time she received anything by courier. She inspected the package carefully and saw it was from aunt Poonam. She opened it up. Inside was a note: Happy birthday my darling little Tania. I think you are now old enough to receive packages in your own name. Hope you have lots of adventures with this gift. Lots of love, Aunt Poonam. The gift was a lovely pair of pink binoculars. They looked really cute and sophisticated at the same time. Tania asked "Mama what is this?" Mama said, "These are binoculars sweetie. You use them to look at far away objects. Here, come to the window. Now look. Can you see that lady walking there?" "Yes I do." "Now look at her through the binoculars, like this. Does it look different?" "Yes, mama. I can see her much more clearly now. I can even count the number of bangles she is wearing. But what do people use this for?" "People take it to soccer matches so they can see the game clearly from the far away seats in the stadium." "Ah, okay. But what do I do with it?" "You'll think of something." Tania could not think of anything right away so she put away the binoculars. A month and a half went by and Tania'a summer vacation started. With school closed Tania was reading the books she got as birthday gifts at a great rate. She loved reading the Enid Blyton books in particular. She read about little kids solving mysteries and shadowing people and the whole thing sounded too exciting for words. Tania wanted to shadow people too and make notes about their suspicious behaviour in a notebook. But she knew mama would never allow that. Then she had an idea. She would climb up the very tall, leafy tree in the housing society and spy on people walking around with her binoculars. Excited, she ran to ask mama if that was okay. It seemed like harmless fun and Tania looked so eager, so mama approved. She said, "You can do that Tania. But don't look into people's houses through their windows, because that is not nice." Tania talked to Tanisha about it and they planned their spying expedition for the next day. They decided to start after lunch at 1:30 p.m. Afternoon seemed like the perfect time to catch people partaking in suspicious activity. They also decided to carry some snacks. Kids in the Enid Blyton books always had tasty stuff to eat. The next day Tania packed her binoculars, notebook, pencil a sandwich and some cookies in her backpack. Just as she was leaving mama put her cell phone in Tania's backpack. She said, "I want you to have my cell phone just in case I need to talk to you or need you back home. It is hard to contact you when you are up a tree." Tania arrived at the tree to find Tanisha already waiting there with her purse full of snacks, notebook and pencil. The girls climbed the tree. They made themselves comfortable on one of the sturdy upper branches where they were well hidden by the leaves. There was no point spying on people if they could see you doing it. Tania and Tanisha took turns at scanning the place with the binoculars, but no one suspicious seemed to be around. Tania complained, "This is the problem with living in a respectable neighbourhood. Nothing interesting happens here." How wrong Tania was! Just minutes after she said this things began to heat up. Tanisha was admiring Karishma's dad's new Bentley parked down below. It was a lovely sleek black car. Soon somebody came by the car. Tania assumed it was the driver. Tanisha was looking through the binoculars and she saw that it wasn't. The man was acting rather suspicious. Tania and Tanisha made notes of his appearance in their notebooks. Bald, goatee, medium height and weight and crooked eye brows. He looked around to see if anyone was there. Of course he did not notice the girls up on the tree, well hidden by the leaves. Then he started fiddling with the door. Tania and Tanisha were wondering what he was doing. Tania said "I have my mother's cell phone. Let's pretend he is stealing the car and make a video to give the police." "Yes" said Tanisha. "That is a great idea." Tania had learned quite well how to make videos at a time when she was obsessed with watching videos of herself. So together the girls made a clear video recording of the man's activities and they even zoomed in to get a clear picture of him. As they were filming they saw the man get in to the car and drive off. "Do you think he really did steal the car?" asked Tanisha excited. "I doubt it. He is probably a substitute driver" said Tania. "I have never heard of cars being stolen here. Have you?" "I suppose not" said Tanisha disappointed. The girls spent some more time looking around while they chatted and ate their snacks. But nothing else remotely interesting happened and they went home. That evening when Tania and Tanisha were playing outside they heard a few people talking about a stolen black Bentley. The police had no idea who stole it. The security guard had assumed the driver was taking it out to fill petrol or something. The girls looked at each other in excitement. They ran up to Tania's house. Mama was home. They told her about the video and about people discussing the stolen Bentley. Mama promptly called Karishma's house and told her father everything the girls had told her. He was relieved. He took the video to the police station. It turned out that the thief had been recently employed as a driver by someone in the housing society. He was a member of a gang of successful car thieves operating in the city. They posed as drivers in respectable neighbourhoods. They stole cars belonging to someone other than the person who employed them, so they were usually not suspected. And to think the thief would have got away with the stolen car if it had not been for the video. The girls were ecstatic with the outcome of their spying expedition. Tania told aunt Poonam all about her amazing adventure during their next video chat and thanked her for the binoculars. Whatever will Tania do next? I can't wait to find out. Can you?

Fungus.txt

Fungus Plants and animals live on the Earth. So does fungus. Fungus is the name for mushrooms and living things like them. There are a lot of different types of fungus. One way that fungi are different from plants is that most of their bodies live underground. Fungi can seem like plants but they are very different. Because their bodies are so different, scientists put them in their own group. The group is called a kingdom. Plants and animals are also kingdoms. Mushrooms are like the flowers of a fungus. They are the part we see most often. Mushrooms can be found in many places. Sometimes they are colorful and sometimes they are plain or ugly. Fungi like to grow in areas with some rain and a lot of dead plants. There are a lot of fungi in a forest, but not many in a desert. Fungi grow near their food. Dead plants, animals, and dirt are food for fungi. Fungi don’t need light like plants. This is why you find them in dark, smelly places. You can see mushrooms growing on dead trees. When the plant dies, the fungus uses it for food. Fungi don’t get sick from eating rotten food. They love it! As fungi use the old bodies of plants and animals, fungus cleans them up and makes space for new plants. Without fungi (and bacteria), dead plants would break down slowly. Forests would be full of dead trees. It is good that fungi clean up the dead plants. Baby plants like this can use the new space to grow. There is a juice in your stomach called acid that helps break down food. Fungi use a similar juice to break down its food. Here is a fungus eating fruit. This fungus is called mold. Mold doesn’t grow mushrooms. Fungi, though, do not have stomachs. Fungi take the broken-down food right into their bodies. This fungus is eating dead leaves. As the threads grow into a dead plant, they break it apart. The threads also let out a juice. This juice breaks down the plant. Some fungi are made up of small threads. These threads grow through the soil and into dead plants. When two threads run into each other they can make a fruiting body. Mushrooms are one type of fruiting body. These threads collect food and make new fungus. A new fungus is made in a special way. Spores are so small that they look like dust without a microscope. The wind can carry them very far. The fruiting body holds spores. Spores make new fungi like seeds make new plants. Fungi stay mostly under ground. They send a fruiting body up when they want to reproduce. Sending the spores up high helps them get to new places. Mushrooms stick above ground to help send spores far away. The wind carries them to make new fungi in new places. If you look under the top of a mushroom it looks like it has gills. This is where the spores come from. The spores of a mushroom form and fall out of these gills. Wind carries the spores and new fungi grow where they fall. You should only eat mushrooms chosen by an adult or expert. Eating new mushrooms can be dangerous! More mushrooms can mean more food! Some mushrooms are good for you to eat. Some mushrooms are bad to eat. Some mushrooms are poisonous and will make you very sick.

sam-s-christmas-present-pratham-FKB.txt

Sam's Christmas Present Sam was a very curious boy. And what he was curious about was his Christmas present! "Mummy, where is my Christmas present?" asked Sam. She smiled and said, "It is hidden in a secret place, Sam." Sam stuck his tongue out and went in search of his father. "Daddy, where is my Christmas present?" asked Sam. "It is hidden in a secret place, Sam," his father replied smiling. "I know what to do!" Sam said. "I will go gift hunting!" He looked behind his father’s desk. And he found... a gift box wrapped in red paper. "But this is for aunt Juju," said Sam reading the tag. So, he slipped into his parents' room. And he found... a gift box wrapped in gold paper. "For uncle Alfie," Sam read aloud from the tag. Then he opened his mother’s cupboard. And he found... a gift box wrapped in purple paper. ‘For our daughter Sophie’ was written on the tag. Sam went back to his room and sat on the floor feeling very sad. He had badly wanted to find his present! And then he saw a gift box wrapped in silver paper under his bed! "This is for me!" he shouted, reading the tag. Sam shook the box. He turned it around in his hands. What was inside? Oh, what could it be? Did he open it or leave it in the secret place? Are you curious to know what curious Sam did with his gift? He put it back under the bed and decided to wait for Christmas.

212-the-tree.txt

The Tree Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. And branches spread from the trunk. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. Branches spread from the trunk, and leaves sprout from the branches, and green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. Branches spread from the trunk. Leaves sprout from the branches. And flowers bloom by the leaves, and green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. Branches spread from the trunk. Leaves sprout from the branches. Flowers bloom by the leaves. And fruits grow from flowers, and green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Here is a tree. The tree is on the ground. Its roots are in the soil. Soil covers the roots. The trunk stands above. Branches spread from the trunk. Leaves sprout from the branches. Flowers bloom by the leaves. Fruits grow from flowers. And inside the fruit is a seed. And green grass grows all around. And green grass grows all around. Soon... A tiny little plant will come from the seed. One day it will be a tree. And green grass will grow all around. And green grass will grow all around.

making-friends-with-snakes-but-from-a-distance-FKB.txt

Making Friends with Snakes (But from a Distance) Come on, Anna. Get her out! Here comes Bhuvaneshwar’s yorker. And here comes Mitali’s straight drive! I’ll get it... Snaaaaake! Thangachi, get me your bat! Where is it? Right next to our ball. ANNA, STOP! Before you hit us, please listen to our story. I’m Naagin, and I’m Dhaman, and we’re here to BUT from a a venomous a non-venomous make friends distance. Spectacled Cobra... Ratsnake... with you. You know, snakes are Yeah. In so just like people. many ways. We’re beautiful. We’re colourful. We love to dress up. (Indian Rock Python) (Malabar Pit Viper) ​(Ornate Flying Snake) Yeah. Dhaman and I don’t really enjoy each other’s company. Just like some people We’ve just come together prefer to sit alone with for this book. a book, we like to be left alone too. Sigh. The things we do for you! But there are some differences. And that’s Unlike most people, But our sharp tongues and the what makes us snakes! we’re unable to hear Jacobson’s organ on the roof of our sounds. mouths give us a keen sense of smell. But we LOVE or drink milk. our food! We can’t digest UGH! ten idlis... Checkered Keelbacks love fish and frogs. Shieldtails love earthworms. Most of us love rats and mice. We eat all the pests that destroy SLURRRRPPP! your crops. Vinesnakes and King Cobras eat other snakes. Most snakes found in India are Remember, snakes down here on the ground are very non-venomous and harmless to Yeah, but Dhaman frightened of humans, even children, towering over people. Like ME! can inflict a really them. The only time we bite is in defence. stinky odour. Hey, that’s just my defence mechanism! including Right. They’re responsible for But there are four YOU! 50,000 human deaths from common venomous snakebites in India every year. snake species— Most bites are accidents that can be So let’s meet the Big Four venomous easily avoided, if you get to snakes! Sorry, I’m using four grass know us better. strands because I don’t have fingers. THE BIG FOUR 1. Spectacled Cobra I can easily be identified by my hood I am a great swimmer and love and characteristic markings. to hang out around water. My appetite for rats brings me to fields, houses, messy kitchens and granaries. When I’m threatened, my first response is NOT to bite. I do everything I can to warn you to stay away: raise my hood, hiss, and even make false strikes with my mouth closed. It’s only when none of this works or if someone steps on me, grabs me or injures me, that I am forced to bite. My venom can prove lethal. False strike (with Raised hood: the mouth closed): you Actual strike: you stay away. need to back need an ambulance! off right now. 2. Saw-scaled Viper Most people think I’m harmless because I’m tiny. Yep. But my venom is very potent Really tiny. and I can strike with lighting speed! I hang out in dry, open areas. I am But don’t you difficult to spot because of my worry; I’m not camouflage. So if you’re playing in that difficult to these fields, you need to be identify! watchful for me. You can tell I'm a Saw-scaled Viper by the zigzag patterns on my back. I too warn before I bite. I coil up like a jalebi and hiss, with my scales rubbing against each other making a saw-like sound. (Yes, that’s where I get my name!) Hissss: this means "This isn’t a jalebi you would want to touch" Strike: Told you so! 3. Common Krait Namaste! I’m among the most docile of snakes... and yet lethal! That’s because my venom is the most potent of any Indian snake! You can identify me by the thin white bands on my black hide. Other non-venomous species like this Wolf Snake may resemble me, but best to keep away from us ALL. In my search for other snakes, rodents and lizards to eat, I crawl close to people sleeping outdoors without a mosquito net or on the floor. When they move or roll over in their sleep, I bite in self-defence. Wow. You’re the worst alarm clock ever invented, Krait! I’m the grumpiest of the big four. I If disturbed, I can like my personal space. A lot. get REALLY cranky! 4. Russell’s Viper I’m often mistaken for non-venomous Boas and Pythons, and handled, and that’s a fatal mistake. Remember, if you see a chain-like pattern of markings on a snake’s back, it’s me. This is an Indian Rock Python. This is a Common Sand Boa. Keep away. Keep away. This is me. Turn around and go home. I sit hidden in bushes, camouflaged in leaf litter, waiting for my prey to come to me. This can be dangerous for people walking in the dark without a torch. Avoiding this guy should be easy, right? You kids don’t like to hang around grumpy old uncles anyway! You snakes aren’t as bad as we thought! You Avoiding us is easy. You seem like a fun bunch, if just need to we keep our distance... take these simple But how exactly do we keep a safe precautions. distance from snakes? 1. When working in open fields or playing in open areas, watch where you 2. Always use a torch at night place your hands and feet. Probing with when you walk outdoors, a long stick can easily detect our even near your home. presence. 3. If your regular path is 4. Clean your homes, littered with leaves, clear kitchens and storehouses the litter with a rake. regularly to keep them rat-free. 5. When sleeping outdoors or on the floor, create a physical barrier around you with the help of a well tucked-in mosquito net. Four rewards: no mosquito bites, no scorpion stings, no krait bites, and you get to snore away happily until morning! Rarely, snakebite accidents can happen despite taking the best precautions. You need to remember to take these steps. Do not take the victim to a tantrik or a snake Immobilise the affected limb charmer for treatment Do not suck the wound Do not cut the wound open Rush the victim to the nearest hospital that can deliver Anti-Snake Venom and Do not tie ligatures emergency care around the wound Do not burn the wound Do not apply herbal pastes over the wound I hope it never comes to that because I think you creatures are quite beautiful. And play an important role in nature and our lives! Aww, thank you! I’ll remember to help my mother I’ll remember to tell my parents clean the kitchen after every meal, to buy a torch immediately so so that rats don’t visit my house that they return safely from for scraps. the fields every evening. And I’ll remember to tell Uncle That’s the to use the mosquito net. He spirit, kids! loves to sleep outdoors and wake the whole village up with his snoring! While you’re at it, don’t forget to thank us for all the rats we eat, each time you burp Hahahaha! after a bowl of curd rice! Madras Crocodile Bank Have you ever been to the Madras Crocodile Bank? It’s a reptile zoo in Chennai, which works for the conservation of reptiles. Its project ‘Snake Conservation and Snakebite Mitigation’ teaches people about the importance of identifying which snakes are venomous, how to avoid them, and using antivenom serum. Get more information about snakebites and the Croc Bank at

28270-anna-s-extraordinary-experiments-with-weather.txt

Anna's Extraordinary Experiments with Weather "Foooo! Foooo!" Anna Mani blew out all eight candles on her birthday cake. "Happy Birthday, Anna!" shouted her brothers and sisters. Anna had a big family and a big house on a hill. But on her birthday, she had only one small wish. Anna tore open her birthday gift and peered in. There was something sparkling inside. "Diamond earrings? Aiyye!" She did not want diamond earrings. They were expensive and useless! Do you know what Anna really wished for? Books, books and more books! "We have books at home!" said her brother. But Anna had already read those. "There are more in the library!" pointed out her grandfather. But Anna had read those too! She marched into her room. "Hmmph!" Later that day, there was a knock on Anna’s door. But there was nobody outside! Instead, there lay a big box at her doorstep. "This better not be more jewellery!" she said loudly. It wasn’t. It was a brand new set of Encyclopaedia books! "So many books. Hurray!" Anna ran around her house, hugging everyone. Many years later, and many, many, many books later, Anna found a job in the laboratory of a famous scientist. "What should I do here?" asked Anna. The scientist pointed to a box. What do you think she found inside? "Diamonds? Aiyyyye!" said Anna. But this time, the diamonds were not to be worn. They were for experiments. The scientist wanted Anna to find out what makes diamonds shine. So she read books about diamonds. Books, books and more books! Being a scientist was the best! She could study anything she wanted. Anna did like things that shine. And what shines brighter than diamonds? The sun! So Anna read books about the sun, sunlight and the weather. Books, books and more books! Anna did hundreds of experiments. She built many gadgets that could measure the weather of a place. How sunny is it in Bombay? Anna built a gadget to measure that. How windy is it in Madras? Anna built a gadget for that too. Her favourite gadget took many months to build. It is a special balloon called an ozonesonde. It has a small machine fixed to it. The machine can measure a gas found in air called ozone. It can fly really high. Look, there goes Anna’s ozonesonde! Guess how many gadgets Anna Mani built in all? Nearly one hundred weather gadgets! She even had her own factory where these were made. It was as if she could build anything! Anna Mani became one of the wisest weather scientists in India. Even as she grew older and more well known, her best friends remained the same. Books, books and more books! Life & Times of Anna: A Timeline 23 August, 1918 - Anna Mani is born in Peermedu in Kerala. 1940 - She gets a scholarship to work at CV Raman’s laboratory in Bangalore. 1945 - She leaves for England to study Meteorology. 1948 - She returns and joins the Indian Meteorological Department in Pune. 1962 - She starts work on the ozonesonde project. 1976 - She retires as Deputy Director General of the Indian Meteorological department. In the 1980s (exact year unknown) - She starts her own company to manufacture her gadgets. 16 August, 2001 - Anna Mani passes away in Kerala. Wonderful Weather Words Meteorologist (say it like this: ‘meet-your-all-o- jist’): A meteorologist is a scientist who studies the weather and climate of a region. Anna Mani was one of the best meteorologists there ever was! Ozonesonde (say it like this: ‘oh-zone-sond’): Ozonesondes are balloons which fly high up into the sky. The balloons have gadgets fixed to them which measure the amount of ozone present in the air. Ozone is important because it blocks out harmful light coming from the sun. Too little ozone high up in in the sky means we are in trouble! If you could be a scientist, what would you want to study?

What-will-today-bring.txt

What will today bring? Something is burning my eyelids. I open my eyes and look around. Where am I? Sea, sun and hot sand. A beach? What is all that noise? How did I get here? Where are Mummy and Daddy? Where is Hope? The noise is getting louder and louder. I want to go home. I close my eyes and imagine. It all came back to me. Broken houses. Broken people. Trying to swim, in the water, clinging on… a piece of wood. Mummy, Daddy? Hope? What happened next? I can't remember. Who are these people? Why do I not understand them? A little girl gives me her teddy. I am holding on to teddy. With both hands. I am looking around. And around. Where is my Mummy? Daddy? Hope? My eyes fill up, like the sea. They become the sea. Where are we going? I am in a room with pictures. Happy pictures. Mountains of toys. Clothes. Food. Girls and boys with sad eyes. Where are Mummy and Daddy? Hope? I still feel their warmth. But they are not here. I run out of the room. I keep running and running. No familiar faces. None. People are crying, others laughing. "We made it," they shout. I hold on to teddy. I hold on and look around. It is just me. Nobody I know. Nobody. Suddenly a familiar voice reached my ear... I turned around. My eyes lit up. I run. With teddy. It was Hope. My heart started beating again. She squeezes me hard and doesn't let go. We look out to the sea. Hope shows me a picture. We just sit there. In silence. With teddy. It got dark and then light again. "What will today bring?" I ask Hope…

The-Engineers-Where-does-Metal-come-from_FKB.txt

Tappet Bigend Hub Cam was singing a little rhyme he was making up to remind himself what things were made of. I'm knocking on wood That comes from the trees That grow in the forest That comes from the rock That's found in the hills I'm knocking on stone I'm knocking on bricks That are made from clay That is dug from the fields That comes from err ???? Cam did not know what metal came from. I'm knocking on metal It comes from holes in the ground, Cam went to ask Uncle Bearing said Uncle Bearing about where metal came from Holes that go a long way down If it comes from Not quite, said uncle Bearing, holes lets dig a big hole. it must be stone or its got to be clay said Cam. As Cam was carrying the rocks Uncle Bearing was digging out he Have you found any metal yet. began humming to himself a little song about metal. Digging and digging What have we found Looking for metal Deep in the ground, Pink rocks, blue rocks, Yellow rocks, Green Metal's the only thing We have not seen. Cam looked at the stack of rocks he had. Not ordinary rocks, said Uncle Bearing That is what we call Ore. That is not metal that's a pile of rocks. But now we have to heat up the rocks Let us go and find a fire That is called a furnace, said Uncle Bearing. That is a big fire, Said Cam. Inside there the rocks get much hotter than red hot, they get.... The metal is locked inside the rocks and the heat of the fire melts the metal inside the rock. When that happens the metal turns liquid and forms a pool at the bottom of the Furnace. Stand back, said Uncle Bearing, I'm going to pull the plug out from the side of the furnace and let the liquid metal come out. The hot metal poured out of the furnace and ran into channels made in the sand in the floor at the side of the furnace. That is hot, said Cam, it is a good job we were a long way away. The next day Cam went to Uncle Bearing to Just one thing, said Cam, the furnace. When it is cold like it is now, he said, we have the raw metal which can be turned into you car, knives, forks even tin cans. The words do not match I will A joiner works wood have to make up a new rhyme. A mason works stone A builder likes bricks But the foundry man Works Iron.

the-lion-who-wouldnt-try_english_FKB.txt

It was a sunny day in the jungle. All the animals were out playing. "Come play with me, Lion," said Cheetah. "Catch me if you can!" zoom-zoom! went Cheetah. "Come play with me, Lion," said Elephant. "We can throw rocks!" ka-pow! ka-pow! went Elephant. "Come play with us, Lion!" said the monkeys. "Who can eat the most bananas?" pop! pop! pop! went the monkeys. "Come play with me, Lion," said Springbok. "Let’s jump high!" zoop! zoop! zoop! went Springbok. "Come play with me, Lion," said Crocodile. "It’s a swimming competition!" splash! splash! went Crocodile. Crocodile was quicker than Elephant, but each time Crocodile got ahead, Elephant tickled him! tee-hee-hee! went Elephant and Crocodile. Elephant and Crocodile had the swimming competition without Lion. Lion sat sadly by himself, watching Crocodile and Elephant swim. "Why are you sad, Lion?" asked Mouse. "Because I don't want to play," said Lion. "I'll lose." Lion slipped on a banana peel! wheeeeee! went Lion. "That looks like fun!" said all the other animals. Lion played, and he was happy.

are-you-a-fish-marine-robots-introduction-elementary-school-FKB.txt

Are You a Fish? There are strange new fish swimming in the sea. They look and behave like ordinary fish. But they are made of metal and foam, cloth and plastic. PAWP paa RoboTuna swims far and fast like other tuna fish. It is also a policeman underwater. It chases smugglers and pirates at sea. shhhhrrrrrrr shhhhrrrrrrr shhhhrrrrrrr SoFi is a soft robot with fins and a tail. It takes videos of life deep inside the ocean. The fish are not afraid. They swim with SoFi. Jellyfish Robot is made of gel. It catches fish with its soft, transparent tentacles. It swims around without being seen. Robot Eel has a long, black body and red eyes. One day, it might live on the sea floor. It might fix broken pipes and machines underwater. OctoBot looks like a small octopus. One day, it could search for people lost at sea. It might even kill germs in the water. One day, these strange new fish will swim far and deep. They will show us the secrets of the sea. A bot is a computer program or little machine that can perform simple, repetitive tasks. RoboTuna SoFi Jellyfish Robot Robot Eel OctoBot

123-With-Lilly.txt

"Forest Fairy I need your help. I can’t count I’ve tried, but when I see a number I want to hide." "Now, now Lilly it can’t be that bad," said the fairy as she landed by her side. "All you need is some practise. I’ll take you to the forest you will find a lot of numbers there. So let us not give up yet, first let’s see how we fare." She took out her wand and with a swish magical dust appeared, Lilly became smaller as it glittered around her and then disappeared. The fairy lifted her wings, took Lilly by the hand and began to fly. And together they lifted to the sky. Woof, Woof! The bark made the fairy look to the ground. "It’s my dog fairy I have only 1. He likes to run and wag his tail for fun." "There look how easy that was Lilly, you counted 1." And so there counting journey begun. One Dog A cackle and quack made Lilly look back, her dog chased a pair of ducks now, Lilly counted 2, they ran and flapped their wings with all their might, then jumped into the air and took flight. Two Ducks The Forest Fairy picked up her pace and glided over big trees, from the thick branches arose an ooh, ooh, ah, ah sound. "Look Forest Fairy I see a monkey, no wait I see 3," said Lilly excitedly. Three Monkeys Now a zoom, zoom, zoom from above they could hear, Lilly looked up and saw 4 ladybugs flying near. Four Ladybugs "Look out Forest Fairy," Lilly saw blue birds straight ahead. The fairy took a dive and flew passed the flock of 5. Five Birds The fairy glided down and Lilly saw 6 horses on the ground, Their hooves echoed a clipity clop sound. Six Horses They landed in a meadow where Lilly saw 7 bees, She wanted a closer look, but the flowers made her sneeze. Seven Bees Colourful butterflies surrounded her now she twirled and counted 8. "Come on Lilly I don’t want to get you home to late." Eight Butterflies They lifted from the ground and over the meadow they flew. They passed rows of wooden logs, On one Lilly saw 9 green, sleeping frogs. Nine Frogs They flew over a stream now, golden sparkles appeared, "Wow, look at all the fish in the stream Forest Fairy?" "How much do you see Lilly? She pointed her finger and counted aloud, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10." "That’s right Lilly do you want to practise again. And Lilly counted all the way home from 1 to 10. Ten Fish Once they landed Lilly said, "Yay! I counted all my numbers today and it was such fun." The Forest Fairy replied, "You see Lilly with some practise anything can be done." THE END

The-Mountains-Monster.txt

Up above the scary mountain. Where the spooky noises shriek. Lives a creature of many faces. That only at night appears. No one’s seen this monster. Yet some claim that in their dreams. It’s a creature with big claws. And that everyone should fear Too many of these stories. Have caused me trouble indeed. For people lie and amplify. So I ventured to its peak. It was a scary dark night. When I decided to do this. And the winds blew very hard. And the rain drops were thick. As I climbed the great mountain. I heard the sounds of the night. The noises of my nightmares. The monster’s lullabies. The ground was very muddy. That a few times I slid. Back down a few meters. Making it impossible to begin. And my body shook all over. I was very terrified. The branches whistled softly. And in them I saw white eyes. Yet I continued my slow trek. All the way up to the top. Neither the cold, the wind or the rain. Could’ve never made me stop. Wet and shivering I wandered. Until the monster’s cave showed. Between the trees and out of nowhere. Something inside it glowed. And out the dark the biggest eyes. That I had ever seen. And not once they showed fear. And not once they dared to blink. And out the dark the biggest eyes. Stared directly at me. And not once they showed fear. And not once they dared to blink. But you see I had expected this. For no monster in their right mind. Would permit a stranger in their house. No monster would be so kind. But as the eyes grew closer and bigger. So did my surprise. For this was no monster at all. This was a cute cub with big eyes. He was friendly I might add. And said the mountain was his home. Said he’d seen no monsters there. Under the trees or the stones. We talked the whole night. About the way he lived up there. He lived a peaceful life. And he never got scared. I told him about the stories. That went around the town. And he laughed so hard at them. That I felt like a clown. Through the night and till the morning. We talked and drank tea. As it turned out the little monster. Had better manners than me. In the morning as I was leaving. He said "it’s been a pleasure to meet. Tell the people there’s no monster". But I couldn’t guarantee…. He asked why…. And I told him it’s a whole other story. And that the people believe. What they can’t understand is bad. And so finally we agreed. To keep the legend as it was. And not bother to tell a soul. That the scary mountain was the house. Of the monster with big claws.

007-HAMMY-THE-HAMSTER-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

I am Hammy the Hamster. I live with my mother Henrietta, my father Harry, my sister Hachi, and my brother Hal. We live in South America and you can’t miss our home. It is the burrow under the trees that look like the letter H. When we are out during the day, we are very careful so we aren’t caught. We might get trapped and become someone’s pet. So we are mostly out after dark. We like to eat seeds and fruit and can carry it back home in our pouches. Our cheeks have built in shopping bags. Just like you, we like to play and have fun. We have fun running into the light and chasing our shadows on the leaves. Last night Hachi and I found this thing. When you pushed a button, it lit up like the sun. We like to climb things and explore. Our cousins Lester, Larry, and Lorain live in the city. They are someone’s pet. They sent us this picture and said they had a lot of fun but missed playing with us. Lester said he liked people. He always had food and water and lots of toys to play with. He even likes to take a ride in the pocket of his people friend, Billy. I might be your pet some day. If I ever become your pet, I hope you take good care of me because I will do all I can to be your friend. Adios Amigos.

034-MARTY-MONGOOSE-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

In the rainforest, next to a wide river, there grew a great banyan tree. This tree was ancient and provided a home for the many animals living in the area. Henrietta Heron had a beautiful nest, high atop the banyan tree. Carl Crayfish lived in tangled roots that entered the river at the water’s edge. Sam the Black Snake had made his home under the great trunk of the tree. Marty Mongoose lived nearby. His home wasn’t actually in the banyan tree but close enough. The tree offered a cooling shade during the hot days and protection from the heavy rains that fell every afternoon. Now you must realize that not all animals in the rainforest are friends. They depend on one another for different things, many times for food. To better understand this, let me explain how Henrietta, Carl, Sam, and Marty live within the great banyan tree. Henrietta Heron had built her nest by the river so she that would be close to the food she usually ate. Her diet consisted of fish, frogs, crayfish, and even snails. She had a great home. Now Carl Crayfish lived within the rocks and roots of the tree. Carl was really a scavenger. He would eat the pieces of food dropped by other animals and his home offered him protection from animals that might snack on him. Sam, the snake had made his home under the great banyan tree as it was close to many things he liked to eat. Sam preferred bird eggs but didn’t hesitate to eat anything that he could catch, except maybe whole crayfish as they were very hard to swallow. Can you guess what Marty Mongoose liked to eat? Well if you said snakes, then you are absolutely correct. Marty liked to eat snakes of all types and sizes. One day, Henrietta was out looking for food. When she returned to her nest, she found that two of her eggs were gone. Oh, how sad she was! Something had gotten into her nest and eaten two of her precious eggs. She flew back down to the river so no other birds would see her crying. Then she saw Marty and said to him, "Sam must have slithered into my nest and eat- en two of my eggs." "That is a shame," Marty replied in a sad voice. "Oh, what can I do?" Henrietta asked. Now Marty knew that Henrietta, and the other herons, liked to eat crayfish and, if there were an easy meal to be had, he was very interested. "So, you would like to get rid of that bothersome snake?" he asked Henrietta. "Oh, yes!" Henrietta sighed. "I wish something would eat him." "Henrietta, I can help you," Marty said excitedly. "You and your heron friends need to catch all the fish and crayfish in the area. Break them into pieces and leave a trail of food from Sam’s den to my home. He will be busy eating the food and he will not realize that he is close to me. He will be an easy meal for me and you will be rid of his egg stealing ways." Henrietta thought for a minute, smiled, and then flew off to talk with the other herons. Soon the herons had captured all the fish, crayfish (even poor Carl) and made the trail of food between the snake’s den and the home of the mongoose. Then they returned to their nests to watch. As Sam slithered out of his den, he was surprised to see all the fresh snacks just lying on the ground. "Yummy! Yummy!" he thought to himself as he began eating. It wasn’t long before Sam had eaten his way to Marty’s home. As Sam opened his mouth to eat the last snack, Marty jumped out of from the bushes. Well, I don’t have to tell you what happened because you already know. But in case you don’t, there was a big B-U-R-P and Marty returned home. "Did you see that?" Henrietta asked the other herons. "Now our eggs are safe." Several days passed. Marty was hungry but there were no snakes in the area. The other snakes saw how Sam had been tricked, so they left to find a safer home. Marty looked into the river and realized that the herons had taken everything from it to set the trap. Then, he looked into the great banyan tree and saw Henrietta. The other herons saw Marty climbing the tree but it was too late to warn Henrietta. All they could do was leave their nests and, like the snakes, find a safer home. Now Marty was alone. There was no food in the area, and no reason for him to stay in his nice home, protected by the great banyan tree. The great banyan tree is now empty of all life. But there is a circle-of- life in the rainforest and it won’t be long before new animals arrive at the banyan tree, and call it "home".

Domino-Goes-to-the-Beach-.txt

Domino is a Boston Terrier. She likes to play with her toys and enjoys her family. Domino sat one Tuesday, looking so sad. She wanted something exciting to do, but it was too cold outside. We asked Domino if she would like to go to the beach to visit Alex. She was so excited! Alex was Domino's human brother who moved far away to a beautiful town on the coast of New Jersey. We traveled many hours in the car. Domino was very good and sat patiently in her seat. We made frequent stops at doggie friendly areas. On the way to the hotel, we stopped and surprised Alex. He had no idea that Domino was coming to visit him. When we arrived at the hotel, Domino was a little nervous, but happy to be out of the car so she could stretch her legs. The sand was soft on Domino's paws and there were so many new scents. The waves came up and got her feet wet. She didn't like that very much and made certain to not get too close the the ocean. Domino saw lots of things that she had never seen before. The gulls were quite odd to Domino. The noise they made sounded like laughter. What funny birds. Nothing like the small birds at home. Afterward, Domino needed a nap as she was so tired from her busy day. The next day Domino went sight-seeing at a nearby town. It was a nice walk through the streets lined with quaint shops. Domino went on the boardwalk. Dogs usually aren't allowed on the boardwalk, but since it was the off-season there were only a few people so no one minded that she was there. She stopped so some little girls could visit with her. Domino had a few bites of peanut butter frozen custard, yum!!! Domino saw some huge concrete beach balls. They wouldn't roll or bounce so they weren't too much fun for dogs to play with. We went metal detecting on the beach. I bet domino hoped that we would findsome dog bones buried in the sand, but we only found a few old metal bottle caps. We threw them in the trash because we want to make sure the beaches are clean and free of trash that can cut our feet or paws. She took a nap with Alex. I bet Domino had sweet dreams of the birds laughing as the cool waves covered her paws or the sweet taste of frozen custard or how nice it was to visit with him. We left for the long ride back home with fond memories of all of the fun adventures that we shared. We look forward for another vacation adventure with our furry family member, Domino. Good bye, Jersey Shore. We hope to come back soon! Woof, woof! Here are some tips if you want to take your pet on vacation: Make reservations at a pet friendly hotel a head of time. Sometimes there are special rules and extra charges for pets. Never leave your pet in a car alone where they might become over heated or afraid. It is your responsibility to clean up after your pet. Make sure that you have everything that you need to make your pet feel at home while traveling. Make frequent stops so your dog can stretch. Have water that your pet can sip on. Have your pet vaccinations and license up to date and available. Choose a location where your pet won't spending the whole trip in the hotel room. That won't be a fun vacation for them at all. Keep your pet on a leash to avoid accidents or confrontations with people that may not care for animals. Talk to your veterinarian before your trip. Look on the internet for ideas on things to do and local regulations for pets.

turtle-dove.txt

Turtle Dove ll Children Reading Cambodia Turtle Dove can fly. Turtle Dove cannot swim. Turtle Dove can eat food. Turtle Dove cannot chew the food. Turtle Dove can walk. Turtle Dove cannot crawl. Turtle Dove can sit on tree branch. Turtle Dove cannot hold on to tree branch.

Spike-and-Pod-Something-Very-Sticky.txt

Something very Sticky "Ahh..." shouted Pod "I'm stuck on something!" "Let me see." said Spike Sticking his paw in the substance. "That really is nasty stuff." said Spike As the sticky stuff stuck to his paw. Spike made the mistake of trying to sniff at the substance. He got his nose stuck to it as well as his paw. Pod and Spike were wondering what to do when Dab arrived. "You're stuck in the gum aren't you." said Dab. "What is this stuff." ask Pod "That's chewing gum." said Dab. "Horrible stuff made from slugs vomit and ground up toenails, with just a hint of mint." "What is it for." ask Spike. "People chew it." said Dab. "But it's so nasty they spit it out all over the streets, its very odd." "Are we stuck here forever." ask Spike. "No I think I have an idea how to help." said Dab Dab ran off to a small sandwich shop he knew, that was not far away. Dab was lucky the top of the ice-cream fridge had been left slightly open, just enough for a small mouse to get in. Spike found he could balance on his nose in the sticky stuff. Pod was worried Spike would overbalance and squash him. Dab arrived back pulling a large ice lollipop. "That's nice of you." said Spike. "But really I am not hungry." "It's not to eat." said Dab. Dab rubbed the ice lollipop on the gum, it slowly went hard and less sticky. Spike pulled his nose then his paw out. Pod with a quick jump hopped off. Spike, Pod and Dab decided they needed something to eat so went off to the sandwich shop to find some leftovers. They made quite sure however that they did not step on any more chewing gum. End

31966-let-s-make-some-lime-juice.txt

Let's Make Some Lime Juice! After school, we play under the peepal tree. Langri-taang, poshampa, ankh-micholi, stapu, oonch-neech, pithoo, eye-spy and more. Near the tree is Raju Uncle’s chai shop. When it is very hot, he leaves a jug of lime juice and glasses for us. How do we divide the lime juice equally among the eight of us? Aman has a piece of string in his pocket. We cut it so it is the same length as the drink inside the jug. We fold the string into two. Then we fold the doubled string two more times. Now we have eight equal parts. We keep the folded string against the jug and mark equal sections on the jug. Manu and Sara lift the jug together and pour the lime juice carefully into glasses. It is delicious, and we want some more. "You can make some," Raju Uncle says. "The recipe is on the board." Lime Juice Recipe lemon juice 2/10 sugar syrup 7/10 cold water Stir well and serve. We have water, sugar syrup and lime juice, but we don’t know how to measure things out of ten. Guria says, "We have eight sections marked. Let’s mark two more and we will have ten sections." Alok pours the lime juice till the first mark. I pour two portions of sugar syrup so that the mixture goes up to the third mark. Manu pours the cold water till the 10th mark. We pour out eight glasses of lime juice. We have some juice left. We pour it into a big glass for Raju Uncle. "Shabash!" says Raju Uncle. "This is the best lime juice I have tasted. But it will taste even better with some hot pakoras." "Hooray! Thank you, Raju Uncle!" Activity Quarter. Half. Three-fourths. Full. Do you use these words sometimes? Take one whole lemon and get an adult to cut it into 8 equal parts. Do be careful with the knife. Each piece makes up one part of the whole. Each piece is also called a fraction. Now try to put the pieces back so that you get half a lemon. How many pieces do you get? Give your friend three-fourths of a lemon. How many pieces does she get? Let us say your brother wants half a lemon. How many pieces make a half? One part of eight = 1/8

zandi-and-birdy-monster_en_20180508.txt

This is Zandi. She has a friend that no one else can see. Some call him her imaginary friend, but Birdy Monster is very real to Zandi. Sometimes they mix up magic potions that will make you small or tall, or run very fast. Zandi and Birdy Monster play together everyday. Sometimes they are pirates... ...or superheroes. Sometimes they climb trees to spy over the garden fence. Sometimes they blow bubbles in the bath like hippos. Birdy Monster comes from the other side of the moon, where it is always night time. When Zandi goes to bed, he glows in the dark so that she doesn’t get scared. Birdy Monster has travelled everywhere, even to Port Elizabeth to visit Zandi’s Gogo Adeline. Gogo and Birdy Monster like to play cards together. Gogo also likes to cheat. When Birdy Monster goes travelling, he always comes back with the best stories. Zandi likes to play with her other friends, too. They can’t see Birdy Monster, but he doesn’t mind. "Come on, Birdy Monster!" shouts Zandi. "Why is he called Birdy Monster?" "Because that is his name," says Zandi. Robyn asks.

Blake-and-the-Turtles.txt

Are you scared of snakes? So am I. This story is about a different snake 1 who is nice and sometimes shy. He was always happy, and never had a frown. He would never ever make 2 anyone else feel down. One sunny day, he came across a small blue lake. This was an unusual place to find Blake the snake. Blake began to explore and slither around. Until very suddenly, he heard a strange sound. • • He moved in closer and peeked around a bright colored tree. There he saw a turtle, and then it was two, then three. These were animals he had never seen before! Being very curious, he had to see more. Suddenly they spoke. "Who could you be?" "You don‛t look like any of us three." "You have no legs and you' re too thin and long." "You have no shell either. You look all wrong." He told them, "I am Blake, that is my name." "I am a snake, and I am very tame." They quickly replied, "Turtles we are, and we don‛t like you." "Snakes are ALL scary, it‛s just what you do." Turtle #1 said angrily, "You should just go." Blake slowly slid away. He was feeling very low. As he was leaving, zig-zagging through the trees. He bumped his head on something. It was covered in leaves. " "It's just a box." He thought. "But maybe it could be a shell." "I think it just needs a few changes, as far as I can tell." He worked all day and he worked all night. He worked until he got that box just right. Blake heard some noise. It was heading his way. "Let‛s check over here." He heard a turtle voice say. The three mean turtles appeared from behind a big rock. "Why does your shell look like a boxy square block?" Blake said, "It's not square, I'm a turtle just like you." Turtle #1 replied, "You are not a turtle from our point of view." "I...I am Blake, that is my name." "I...I am a turtle, and I am very ta-ta-tame." Turtle #3 laughed, "You being a turtle couldn't be true." "We can see that your shell doesn‛t even fit you." Turtle number #1 stepped closer and began to talk. "You don‛t have feet. Can you even walk?" The turtles all shouted, "Blake, go away!" "None of us turtles want you to stay." Blake became very sad, and began to go. Once again, he was feeling oh-so low. "Why don‛t they like me? Why am I a snake?" "I'm not like any others. I am just Blake." Something caught Blake's eye. He couldn‛t help but stare. One turtle had a secret that they forgot to share. It was a painted shell, that wasn't quite done. Why would anyone paint a shell? Why turtle #1? Blake turned and asked, with a very big smile. "You've only been a turtle, for just a little while?" Turtle #1 turned around, with great big eyes. He stared right at Blake, with a look of surprise. "I...I am Luke, that is my name." "I...I am a lizard, and I am very ta-ta-tame." "I am very sorry, for not being true." "Lizards are all mean, it's just what we do." The other two turtles just smiled and shouted. "You were always nice to us. You were never doubted!" "We do not all need to be the same." "Just as long as we can all be friendly and tame." They all began to smile, just as big as could be. Blake shouted, "We can all be one happy family!" Blake and Luke, along with turtles #2 and #3. Looked like a family at the lake, with nothing different to see.

FKB_Learn-Sight-Words-Print_friendly-How_to_be_Happy.txt

Gerty Goat says: Worry Less; Dance More! Colin Cow says: Take Less; Give More! Patty Penguin says: Consume Less; Create More. Leo Lion says: Frown less; Smile more! Zenna Zebra says: Talk Less; Listen more! Wally Walrus says: Fear Less; Try More! Harry Hippo says: Judge Less; Accept more! Carly Cat says: Watch less; Do more! Baba Bear says: Complain less; Appreciate more! Not everyone has fsh. And Peter Panda says: Always be Nice! Words in this book less more says and worry dance take give consume create frown smile talk listen fear try judge accept watch do complain appreciate always be nice SHARING AND CARING ACTIVITIES Ask children to come up with ideas for each page on how they can follow through with the concepts suggested, and why it makes a difference: Worry less; Dance more! Take less; Give more! Consume less; Create more! Frown less, Smile more! Talk less; Listen more! Fear less; Try more! Judge less; Accept more! Watch less; Do more! Complain less; Appreciate more! Always be nice. Appreciate more: Talk about what it means to appreciate, and have children write a list of all the things they appreciate in life. Consume Less: Discuss sustainability and reduce, reuse, recycle concepts, ask the children to write down ideas to reduce waste, have a green day where children don't produce any waste. Give more: Research some child welfare charities and discuss ideas of how to contribute, for example a fund rasising day or project at school. Give More! SHARING AND CARING ACTIVITIES from Book 1 – ALAYS BE NICE Ask children to come up with ideas for each page on how they can follow through with the actions: Always be nice. Be kind to others. Don't let others feel left out. Think about others feelings. Don't be mean, Use kind words. Help out when you can. Sharing is Caring Always say "Please". Don't forget "Thank-you". Have a star chart and give children stars whenever another child or sibling notices their caring and sharing behaviour. Ask children to think about how their behaviour makes others feel when they don't follow these rules. Ask children if they can think of a time when they didn't follow these rules. How could they change their behaviour to make the situation better. Alwaye be nice!

The-Elephant-In-The-Room-3-18.txt

One morning, Lindi found an elephant in her room. "Look!" she called. "There’s an elephant in my room!" "No there isn’t," her mother called back. "Elephants don’t live in houses. Everybody knows that." The elephant yawned. At breakfast, Lindi’s dad asked her to pass the milk. "I can’t," said Lindi. "The elephant drank it all." "There isn’t an elephant," said her dad. "Elephants don’t live in the city. Everybody knows that." The elephant burped. At school, the teacher grumbled, "What’s wrong with this chalkboard? It’s all wrinkly!" "That’s not the chalkboard. That’s my elephant!" said Lindi. "There are no elephants at school," said the teacher. "Everybody knows that." The elephant ate the teacher’s sandwiches. At break-time, the elephant followed Lindi to the playground. He knocked over the swings by mistake. "Go away!" said Lindi. "You’re not real and you shouldn’t be here! Everybody knows that!" The elephant drooped. He walked away, wiping his eyes with his trunk. After school, Lindi couldn’t see the elephant anywhere. "Elephant!" she called. "Where are you?" Lindi went home without him. She felt lonely. So she went outside, and sat on the steps, and waited. And waited. And waited. And then … she saw a trunk. And tusks. And ears. The elephant was coming down the road! She ran up and hugged him. "I’m sorry," she said. "I didn’t mean it! I know you’re real. You’re my elephant." The elephant lifted her up and put her on his back, and she rode down the street. She waved to her neighbours. "Hello, Mr Green! Hello, Mrs Green!" "Look at Lindi!" said Mr Green. "How did she get up there? Maybe she grew!" "Don’t be silly," said Mrs Green. "Little girls don’t grow that high. Everybody knows that." The elephant took Lindi to the lake, and she slid down his trunk like it was a slide. "Wheeeee!" she shrieked. They played all afternoon, laughing and splashing and spraying each other with water. That night, the elephant tucked her into bed. "Good night, Elephant," said Lindi. "Thank you for a lovely day." He patted her head, and curled up to sleep outside her window. "Elephants are the best friends in the world," Lindi said to herself. "Nobody knows that, except for me and my elephant."

3-2-1-blast-off_STEM_FKB.txt

3... 2... 1... Blast-off! 12 dreamy ​constellations ​floating in space A CONSTELLATION is a group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky. It sometimes looks like a mythological character or an animal if you have a good imagination. Cygnus, Lacerta, Triangulum, Cepheus, the Little Dipper, Lynx, Draco, Hercules, the Big Dipper, Scutum and Orion are names of the constellations on page 2. 11 shiny ​satellites up in the sky A SATELLITE is an object that goes around a planet or a star. Earth has a natural satellite -- the moon. Artificial satellites are launched into space for communications, astronomy, and weather studies. 10 busy ​engineers ​working on a rocket Mechanical ENGINEERS, electrical ENGINEERS, and electronics ENGINEERS work together to assemble a rocket. 9 expert scientists calculating the ​orbit SCIENTISTS figure out what path the satellite will take when it is in space. The path was called orbit. 8 stable ​planets ​going around the sun Four rocky inner PLANETS -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars -- and four gassy outer PLANETS -- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune -- make up the eight major PLANETS of our solar system. Pluto used to be the ninth planet but in 2006, International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto was a dwarf planet. 7 icy ​comets ​passing through COMETS are large chunks of ice, rock and gas. They orbit the Sun, but are usually far from Earth. As they pass, they leave a trail that looks like a tail. Some famous comets are Hale-Bopp, Halley, Hyakutake and Shoemaker-Levy. 6 curious people looking through ​telescopes TELESCOPES help us see objects that are far, far away like the comets, stars, planets, and moons. 5 small ​dwarf planets​ hanging around DWARF PLANETS are like planets but they are much smaller and they do not yet have a clear path around the Sun. This means that objects like asteroids and comets litter their path. Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea make up the five recognized dwarf planets of our solar system. 4 careful workers ​fueling the rocket Just like cars need petrol to run, rockets need FUEL to take off and do their job. Rockets can use both liquid fuel and solid fuel. 3 skilled astronauts in their spacesuits SPACESUITS protect astronauts in space. Suits have oxygen supplies for astronauts to breathe, and also water to drink. They prevent astronauts from getting too hot or too cold, and keep them safe from space dust. 2 eager kids at the mission control centre... MISSION CONTROL CENTRE is a room where team leaders get together and make sure the launch goes smoothly and everything works as designed till the mission is complete. 1 roaring ​rocket ​ready to soar! A ROCKET is a self-propelled vehicle that can shoot into space. It is used to launch man-made satellites into space. Blast-off! India created a world record in 2017 when it launched 104 satellites from a single rocket, PSLV-C37. Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Helping-Hand.txt

A Helping Hand Dear… well, you know who you are. And it’s not like you’re ever going to see this letter. Miss told me that I had to be your mentor and show you around because you are a new student. I didn’t know what a ‘mentor’ is, so I looked it up in the dictionary. Anyway, she didn’t tell me anything about that. Ali and Gaurav and Sumi and Rani, they kept asking me about it when we were going home from school. I told them that I didn’t know what they were talking about, but that’s not true. How can I not know? See, you made me lie to my friends. Yours sincerely, Me Hi again, Ma says that it is not good to stare at people, but I can see that everyone stares at you. They stare at me too because I have to hang around with you and be your ‘mentor’. Why did you come to our school? Why couldn’t you continue going to whatever school you went to earlier? Do you know what happened yesterday? Gaurav, Ali and two of their friends from Class VII cornered me after school to ask about you-know-what. They took my bag and wouldn’t give it back. Then they threw it into the thicket by the side of the road and I had to scramble down into the mountainside to get it. I tore my shirt and Ma was angry with me. This is all your fault. Me Hello, I keep telling them that they can ask you whatever they want to know. What’s the point of asking me? How am I supposed to know why you have that thing or how it works? To be really honest, I can’t say I’m not curious myself or that I don’t have the same questions the others are asking me. Yes, I noticed it the first day when you came into the classroom. I saw how you did everything with one hand and how your left hand never moved. At first I couldn’t tell what the problem was. Then, when I came closer, I saw that something wasn’t quite right. It looked weird, like it was covered in plastic or something. Then I thought it was a toy hand. It took me some time to understand. Also, I saw what happened at lunch. See you, Me Hello, My oldest sister, the one who’s studying engineering in Delhi, called today. I told her, "There’s a girl in my class and she has a fake hand," and she said that the term is "prosthetic hand". Listen, I have some advice for you. You may be new and all, but if you want people to stop staring at you and talking about you, you have to stop standing in the corner all the time. Why don’t you play with us? Why don’t you come on the swing? Everyone loves the swing. It’s been two weeks, and you can jolly well come by yourself. I am not going to be your minder for ever. Sometimes I don’t know what to say to you. Me Hi again, After the lunch incident that day, I’ve been watching you. I’m just curious. Is it weird to have one hand? Is it only your hand or is your entire arm fake, sorry, prosthetic? Today, Sumi, Gaurav and I walked to school together. They were playing a game they made up called One-Hand Challenge. The rule is, you have to do things with one hand. Like, packing your bag or buttoning your shirt. Sumi couldn’t tie her shoelaces and she forgot about it and tripped and fell. She got a cut on her chin. Miss saw it and, even though she put some antiseptic cream on it, she scolded Sumi for being careless. "You can’t run around in the mountains with your shoelaces untied. What will happen if you fall while going home or something?" I think adults worry too much. Yours truly, Me Hi, Do you know what a coincidence is? It’s like when you talk about something and the same thing happens sometime later in a completely unrelated way. In my last letter, I was telling you about Sumi and the shoelaces, and then, today, I saw you tying your shoelaces. Wow, that was awesome! I think you did it faster than I can do it with two hands. If you were my friend, I would challenge you to a shoelace-tying race. Or no, maybe I would ask you to teach me how to do it with one hand. I have to confess, I did try to tie my shoelace with one hand when I got home. But it’s impossible. How do you do it? Maybe I’ll ask you tomorrow. Curious, Me Hi, So, after what you said, I’ve tried to do a lot of things with only one hand, but it’s so difficult! I still don’t get how you do it, like having a bath, wearing your clothes, packing your bag. Since that day at lunch, I did realize that you have to do some things differently, but it’s not like you don’t do almost everything the rest of us do. Listen, I’m sorry about what I said earlier... about playing with us. I guess you were just feeling shy. And also about coming on the swing. I tried and it’s hard to get your balance if you don’t hold it with two hands. But you’re great in the jungle gym, even if you don’t hang from the bars, and you can run really fast, even faster than Ali, who won the first prize at Sports Day. Bye, Me Hello! That movie was really funny, no? I laughed so much that my stomach hurt and it was like I was crying. I always like it when they show movies in school. It means no classes. Last time, before you came to our school, they showed this movie about a tiger cub who got lost. It was quite scary, mostly because it was a true story. Later someone found it and managed to get it back to its family. True stories like that are called documentaries, did you know that? Tiger cubs are cute, no? Last year, there was a puppy near our house. It was very cute too, but it grew up and then it wasn’t so cute any more. Got to go now! Me Hello, hello! Did you know? I was so surprised when I saw you on the bus. I had no idea my father worked in the same place as yours! But I’m so happy you came for the office picnic, because last year when they took us, there were no other children my age and I got really bored. Okay, I’m really tired, so I’m going now. See you in school tomorrow. Me Hi, I think I should warn you, Principal Sir becomes slightly insane whenever Annual Day comes along. He might yell at you — he yells at everyone — so don’t take it personally. My ma says that he’s under a lot of pressure because our Annual Day performance reflects on him. I’m not sure what that means, but he does look stressed out. Did you see his hair? It was like he touched a loose wire and got an electric shock! Though I think it was very mean of Rani to put a frog in his chair. Okay, I’m going now before he catches me writing this letter! Me Hey, Your new hand is so cool! No offence, but the old one was a bit boring. It was just… there. The new one is like magic, and you can move the fingers and grip with it! I hope you didn’t mind that I asked to shake hands. I just said it before I could think. Maybe tomorrow we can do some experiments to find out if you can lift stuff with it. Oh! I just realized, the last couple of letters I wrote to you, I didn’t mention your prosthetic hand at all. It’s like I forgot all about it and wanted to tell you so many other things. The funny thing is, I’m not that curious about your hand any more. I don’t know why. Your friend, Me THE FRIEND-O-METER QUIZ How good are you at helping people fit in? Take our Friend-o-Meter quiz to find out! 1. Your teacher asks you to show the new student in school around. What do you feel? a. Fantastic! A new friend! b. Why can’t they figure things out themselves? c. Uh oh… 2. A girl in your class walks with a limp. The others laugh at her. What do you do? a. Nothing – it’s none of your business. b. Tell her to ignore them – they’re mean. c. Ask your classmates to imagine if they were different. 3. Your new classmate is having trouble with his lessons. What can you do? a. Tell the brainiest student in class to lend him her notes. b. Tell the teacher – it’s her job to help him. c. Ask him if you could help him with his work. 4. The new girl in class is rather shy. She doesn’t play with anyone. What can you do? a. Let her be – she’ll join in when she’s ready. b. Call her over and make her join in the games. c. Go and sit next to her – maybe she’ll start a conversation. Get your score: Q1. a - 1; b - 2 ; c - 3 Q2. a - 2; b - 1 ; c - 3 Q3. a - 3; b - 2; c - 1 Q4. a - 2; b - 1; c - 3 Now add it up. If you've scored... 4-6 points:You are a born friend, always ready to lend a hand. You don’t wait for people to ask for help – you’re already there, waiting to give it to them.7-9 points:You are an independent person and feel that people should be too. But that doesn’t mean you don’t care – you just don’t want to force anyone. 10-12 points:You might be a little shy, but you are kind-hearted too. You’ll do whatever you can indirectly to help others and make them feel at ease.

Inside-the-Internet-.txt

Inside the World Wide Web Have you heard of the World Wide Web? No? Never mind. Now, have you heard of the Internet? Yes? Great! But what IS the Internet? Did you say "I am not quite sure, but I know it has something to do with computers"? You’re right – it does. But that’s not the whole answer. What’s the WHOLE answer then? Hmmm. We need an EXPERT to answer that. And guess what - I know JUST the person! She’s usually to be found near a computer, so let’s go straight to the computer now. Hi Nettikutti! Here is a group of kids to meet you! Come on out, come on out, wherever you are! THERE you are! Go on, kids, say hello! And don’t be fooled by her cuteness and her size – she holds a LOT of information in her little head! So Nettikutti, here’s what everyone wants to know - What IS the Internet? Ooooh. BIG question. Let’s see how I can put it simply. The Internet (short for ‘INTERconnected NETworks’) is a large, large, LARGE collection of computers from all over the world that are connected to each other. The computers could be gigantic computers (the kind research laboratories or governments own), desktop computers (the kind you see in banks and computer centres), laptops (the kind people sling across their shoulders and carry with them), cellphones (the kind that ring so loudly and annoyingly in movie halls), and even the little music players with the itty-bitty headphones that seem to grow out of people's ears. All these computers are connected with each other either by real wires and cables - cables that run above the ground, underground, even under the sea (big computers) - OR by wireless signals (laptops, cellphones, music players). So you see, you don’t have to be sitting in one place and have your computer plugged into an electric socket to be on the Internet – you can even be connected to the world while you are on the move! That’s it? We thought the Internet was about talking to friends and downloading film songs and booking movie tickets and looking for information for school projects and finding the telephone number of a hospital! But that's not the Internet. All THAT is part of something truly magical, something called… wait for it…. the World Wide Web! This World Wide Web - let’s call it W3 for short – is a large, large, LARGE collection of what are called PAGES (there are some 40 BILLION public pages on the W3 now!). A page could contain information in the form of words, numbers, photographs, songs, video clips, and more. This collection of pages (or the W3) ‘sits’ on the Internet, in those millions of computers and cell phones and music players. The Internet is a network of networks made up of computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. W3 is a collection of connected pages, that is on the Internet. So the W3 is NOT the Internet itself, but one PART of it, the coolest part. If you think of the Internet as a restaurant, then the W3 is the most popular dish on the menu. And the spoon that helps you dig into this dish and get to your favourite bits of it is called a ‘Web Browser’. Oooooh! Now you’ve made us hungry, Nettikutti! But do tell us more about what makes the W3 so popular. Sure! The W3 is super-exciting because it includes: Email – which allows you to send letters to anyone anywhere in the world – and have them receive it in under a minute! The same letter – if you were sending it to someone in America, say, would have taken 15 days to reach him if you had mailed it through a post office. And it would have cost you a lot of money too. But email is free! Search – which helps you find useful – and useless! – information on a million different subjects. You may want to know which states the River Ganga flows through, or see what the Statue of Liberty looks like. You may want to hear the latest film song of your favourite actor, or watch an episode of a serial that you missed. You may want to find out the score in the T20 World Cup, or see if there are tickets available on the Mumbai-Pune train tomorrow. If someone whose computer is connected to the Internet, somewhere in the world, has decided to share this information with the world and put it on the W3, you will be able to find it - instantly! And for free! But Nettikutti, HOW do you find the page that you want, out of all those billions of pages? Easy! Each page also has a unique ‘address’ which helps your Web Browser find it, just like your home address helps the postman to find your house. So if you know the page’s address, you can go to it immediately. What if you don’t know the page’s address? No problem! You can use a wonderful service called a ‘Search Engine’, which also sits on the W3, to help you. Sharing – which helps you share ANYTHING you want – a song you love, your dog’s picture, a clever way to solve a difficult maths problem, your big idea for keeping our streets free of litter – with everyone in the world! No single person owns the Internet or the W3, and no government has authority over it*, so you don’t need to ask ANYONE for permission before you share. Think about how cool that is! Until now, you had books and movies and television and newspapers giving you information, ‘talking’ to you, but YOU couldn’t talk back to THEM. With the W3, everything has changed – you can listen, and YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SAY too. And you don’t have to be an important person or a grown-up to do this. THIS is what makes the W3 so fantastic – it is a truly free and open AND democratic system – it gives EVERYONE who is connected to the Internet a VOICE. *Governments do 'control' the internet in their own countries, however. Governments can even 'switch off' the internet, so that their citizens cannot access it, and some have actually done so for short or long periods. Wow! That’s great, Nettikutti! Now, on a completely different tack – we understand why the first two Ws in W3 stand for World Wide, but why is it called a Web? Isn’t it the INTERNET that is actually a web? Good question! You’re right about the Internet being a web (because of all those computers being connected to each other), but SO IS THE W3. Let me explain. Remember those billions of pages that the W3 is made of? THEY are all connected, or ‘hyperlinked’, to each other as well! That means you can go from one page to another almost endlessly! Do you see now how the W3 is ALSO a web, a HU-MUN-GOUS web of knowledge and information and entertainment for all humankind to enjoy and use? We do, we do! Now we have to have to have to know - who was the superbrain who came up with such a wonderful idea? I thought you’d never ask! For the answer to that question, we have to go back in time some 20 years, to a nuclear research laboratory called CERN in Switzerland. Many scientists there, and across other labs in Europe, were working on projects together, but there was no way to share their work with each other quickly and easily. They would have to actually travel to each others' labs, or use the post office and courier services, to let their teams know how far they had progressed. One of the scientists at CERN, Tim Berners-Lee, was getting a little fed up of this, so he decided to figure out a way to share information better and faster. He came up with a big idea called ‘hypertext’ – a way of linking information on computers together – to do this. The idea worked really well for CERN, and everyone was really happy. And THEN - Tim Berners- Lee had his SECOND big idea. He felt his invention would benefit other people as well, and that it would be selfish to limit it to CERN. He talked to the authorities at CERN, and persuaded them to let him share the idea of hypertext with other scientists all over the world, for free. They agreed! Berners-Lee shared his idea, and urged everyone he shared it with to improve it or add to it as they wished. The idea of being able to access and share information from anywhere on earth instantly was SO powerful and SO attractive that a LOT of people began to use hypertext. Since anyone could use their own ideas to make it better, people all over the world felt they 'owned' the internet, that it was THEIRS. Which was a wonderful thing. By 1993, the W3 had EXPLODED, with millions of people beginning to use it. Today, more than TWO BILLION people use the W3 in some way – that is almost one-third of all the human beings on the planet! Hmmmm. Life would be very different today if Tim Berners-Lee had decided not to be so generous, right? Absolutely! So don’t you think we should cheer both him and the W3 with a big Hip, Hip Hurray? We should! We should, Nettikutti! Here we go. To Berners-Lee and the W3 - Hip Hip... ... HURRAYYYYYY!

Fading-Flowers-R-.txt

On the way home from school, we picked some beautiful yellow dandelions. I made sure to put them in water right away, so that they wouldn’t wilt too quickly. They looked beautiful on our table during lunchtime. But, they looked a little wilted at dinnertime. Then, when bedtime came along: "Oh no! My flowers are dead! What can I do?" I guess that kind of flower doesn’t last very long. The next morning at breakfast, to my surprise: "The flowers are alive again!" I guess they weren’t dead after all, but were only sad or sleeping. Ha! Ha! That night, I felt upset because I didn’t have time to play before bed. "Oh no!" said Mom. "It looks like my little flower is fading." "Is she talking about me? Am I like a flower too?" It was sad to see the flowers wilt. Do I look like that when I get upset? Think, think, think! Oh, I get it now. When I put a smile on my face, I look like a cheery, lively flower! But when I am grumpy, I start to look droopy and sad, just like a wilting dandelion. I want to keep my smile going forever and ever.

All-Types-of-Aircraft.txt

An aircraft is a craft that flies through the air. There are many different types of aircraft. An aeroplane is a type of aircraft, that has fixed wings for lift, and a means of propulsion. Means of Propulsion is a fancy way to say a way to move on it’s own. There are big aeroplanes, and small aeroplanes, There are VERY big aeroplanes, and very small aeroplanes, Some aeroplanes have jet engines, and some have propellers. A glider is an aircraft which flies without a motor, it uses air currents for lift. A glider needs to be launched, by towing or by a winch, A motor glider uses a motor to launch, then stows the motor after takeoff A helicopter is an aircraft that uses rotating blades like wings to create lift. A helicopter can also have a piston engine, or a jet engine. A hot air balloon is an aircraft which is lighter that air. It’s just like a party helium balloon, floating into the air when you let go. And, just like a party helium balloon, They come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes The balloon pilot lets the gas cool to come down, and heats it up to rise. Airships are like balloons, filled with gasses lighter than air. This enables the airship to float into the air like a balloon. But, unlike a balloon, they also have a means of steering and propulsion. Airships are also sometimes called ’zeppelins’ or ’blimps’ Because of their complex design, and a poor accident history during their early years, there are only a few airships still in operation today. Some aircraft are built to do a special job. Aerobatic aircraft Like aerobatic aeroplanes, are built for doing aerobatic flying, for displays, competitions, or joy rides. Military aircraft, work to defend the people and the country they belong to. Agricultural aircraft help farmers with their job. There are aircraft that help to save peoples lives; Working as firefighters, air ambulances, and search and rescue. Which aircraft do you want to fly? Draw a picture of your favourite aircraft here. Write about your favourite aircraft here.

Little-Sock-R.txt

Lili Probart Jon Keevy Chani Coetzee It’s wash day for the Socks. OH "I have to get home," NO! says Little Sock. Little Sock falls out! "Do you know the way home?" asks Little Sock. "No, but take this," says the Robot. "Do you know the way home?" asks Little Sock. "No, but take this," says the Mouse. "Do you know the way home?" asks Little Sock. " No, but take… OOPS!!!" "Maybe the marble knows the way home," says Little Sock. "It does!" says Little Sock. Little Sock is happy. MAKE YOUR OWN LITTLE SOCK Different socks have different personalities, so pick your favourite. YOU WILL NEED: INSTRUCTIONS • a sock Ask your grown-up to sew the buttons • two buttons onto the sock. • a needle and thread • a grown-up to help

A-Calming-Manatee.txt

I'm a manatee. I'm the most calming creature in the sea. I've also been called the ugliest creature in the sea.* *Rudyard Kipling – The White Seal But that depends... On who you talk to. I like the way I look just fne! And it's far more important how I feel about myself; And how others feel about themselves; Than how others feel about me! I know I'm a bit chubby. But I always have a true smile. And that makes me cute. I know I am calm and caring. And that's more important... Everyone has an opinion. Make sure yours counts! Next time before you say something unkind about someone else; Think about me, and say something kind instead. I'm a calming Manatee, And I'm here, to help you see, that you can be, as kind as me. ...And it's free! THE END

Danny-the-Dragon-.txt

Danny The Dragon Danny the Dragon blew fire everywhere, Which hissed through the other dragons, right through their hair. But Danny the Dragon – oh, he didn’t care! And the other dragons thought it wasn’t fair. If Danny could blow fire, why couldn’t they? But try as they might, they couldn’t find a way. No fire whooshed out of their nostrils or their mouths, So they’d have to figure another way out. Instead of blowing fire, why couldn’t Danny just burp? Those other dragons – they had a plan that just might work. When Danny came along, burning things away, Those other dragons, they plotted to lead him astray. To a forest they took him, a surprise promised. Where Danny had a meal he very much relished. A meal of mangoes, a most delicious fruit, Tasty to humans, but to dragons – a brute! All of it gone, not a single bit left, The mango juice had done what it did best. Danny could no longer blow fire and burn things. His fire was gone, his best things were now wings. Danny the Dragon cried sadly, "Why did they do this to me?" Now all he could do was burp all day, With everyone else laughing away. He flew over and sat in a field of red grass. "Why are you so sad?" a voice asked. A head popped up, it was the Chilly Monster. And Danny realized he had been sitting on Chilly’s fur. "Those other dragons stole my fire," Danny said. "Oh no," said Chilly Monster shaking his head. "That’s not nice of them, why did they do that?" Danny replied, "I burnt their fur and hats." "I really want my fire back," Danny said. "Eat some chillies, ones that are red." The monster smiled, picking out some. And Danny ate them, still quite glum. Suddenly, his throat fired up to red-hot. The fire was back! Danny felt better. A lot! Danny blew the Chilly Monster a fiery thanks and flew off. For, no longer did he burp or cough. So the other dragons couldn’t tease him, He had the fire. Once again, he was King!

Why-dont-birds-comb-their-hair_FKB.txt

Why Don't Birds Comb Their Hair? Why don’t Bulbuls comb their hair? It looks like a little wave. If I had a Bulbul’s hair, I would wear clips. Why don’t Hoopoes comb their hair? It looks like a frilly fan. If I had a Hoopoe's hair, I would push it back with a band. Why don't Spoonbills comb their hair? It looks like an old paintbrush. If I had a Spoonbill's hair, I would plait it all together. Why don’t Monals comb their hair? It looks like a tiny broom. If I had a Monal’s hair, I would tie it up with ribbons. Why don't Fish-Owls comb their hair? It looks like two furry worms. If I had a Fish-Owl’s hair, I would make two ponytails. Why don't Drongos comb their hair? It looks like a messy mop. If I had a Drongo’s hair, I would rub oil and brush it down. Why don’t Hornbills have hair to comb? They look like they are wearing helmets. If I had a Hornbill’s helmet, I would ride around all day. Why don’t Vultures have any hair? They look so bald. If I had a Vulture’s head, I would never have to comb my hair! Himalayan Monal Meet The Birds That Have Funny Hair Eurasian Spoonbill Common Hoopoe Indian Grey Vulture Red-whiskered Bulbul Racket-tailed Drongo Great Indian Hornbill Brown Fish Owl Do birds really have hair? Crests are useful in many ways.They make Some birds look like they have hair on birds look attractive. Some birds can open their heads. But their hair is not like and fold their crests to send signals to ours. Instead, each hair is just a very other birds. Some open their crests when thin feather. A group of such feathers they want to frighten away other birds and is called a crest. animals. The furry worms on the owl’s head are called ear-tufts. They are not really ears, just bits of skin covered with feathers. These help owls hide more easily, making them look like they are part of a tree. The ear-tufts also help them look attractive (to other owls) or scary (to other birds and animals). The hornbill’s helmet is called a casque (rhymes with mask). Like ear-tufts and crests, casques make hornbills look good. This helps them find mates. A hornbill’s casque also makes its beak stronger. With a strong beak, hornbills can pick and eat fruits more easily.

tania-costume-party-.txt

Tania's Costume Party Tania had just received an invitation. It was for her friend Karishma's birthday party. But this wasn't just any ordinary party. It was a costume party! Tania asked "Mama, what is a costume party?" Mama replied "You have to wear a costume to a costume party. You can dress up as a fictional character like Noddy. Or you can dress up as person belonging to a certain profession, like a doctor or a fireman. Or you can go as a fruit or vegetable like a banana, or as an animal like a cat. You can choose whatever you like, as long as you can make yourself look like it." "Oh! So what should I dress up as?" "You should think about what you want to go as. Let me know once you decide, and we will figure out how to make the costume together." "I can dress up as whatever I feel like?" asked Tania. "Yes. I will try my best to figure out a way to make the costume. You can help me. It will be fun." The next day Tania was at the playground with her friends Tanisha and Sonali. They were discussing the costume party. Sonali said "I am going to go as a doctor. My papa is a doctor, and I want to be a doctor when I grow up. Papa said I can carry a real stethoscope. He has an extra one. I promised to be very careful with it." Tanisha said, "My mama said I should go as a bookworm. I love o read, so she thinks it is a cute idea. She is making the costume for me." Sonali asked "Tania what are you going as?" Tania said "I have not decided yet. Mama said I can go as anything I like. I love animals, but I can't decide which one I want to go as. Eagles are so majestic, and they fly. So I feel like going as an eagle. But a lion is the king of the forest, and it belongs to the cat family like Kazoo. I can't decide between an eagle and a lion." That night at dinner Tania told mama of her predicament. She asked mama what she thought would be a better idea: an eagle or a lion? Mama said "I can help you with either costume, but you have to decide which one you want." Tania kept oscillating between the two choices. Meanwhile, Tanisha's mother was making great progress with her costume. She made a worm by stuffing a sock with paper. She drew bespectacled eyes, a nose and a mouth with permanent markers. Spectacles are a must have accessory for a book worm. She attached the sock worm to a hair-band so Tanisha could wear it on her head. Tanisha showed it to Tania. Tanisha's mother was also stringing together a garland of books, pamphlets and magazines for her to wear around her neck. Tania thought to herself, "I better hurry up and decide what I want to go as." The next day mama gave Tania a book about legendary mythical creatures. Mama hoped the book would help Tania decide what costume she should wear. Tania curiously opened the book and started reading. There were lovely pictures of dragons, mermaids, unicorns, griffins and sphinxes. There was also a brief description of each creature and some information about the origin of the myth. Tania was soon absorbed in the book. By dinner time she had finished reading it. At dinner, Tania said "Mama, I know why you gave me the book. I know what costume I want to wear. I want to go as a griffin. That way I get to be an eagle and a lion at the same time. Is it a difficult costume to make?" Mama grinned. "You are very sharp Tania. We can make the costume. You can wear your brown corduroy pants and white t-shirt. We can make a lions tail with long strands of wool and hang it from the back belt loop of your pants. We can draw paws on chart paper and stick them with tape over your shoes. I can make you an eagle mask and some cardboard eagle wings. How does that sound?" "That sounds awesome mama. You are the best. I love you. Thank you for the book. I really liked it. I love animals, but these mythical creatures are really amazing. A griffin is so regal. Can we learn more about griffins tonight? I want to know more about what I am going as. The book also gave me lots of costume ideas for future parties. Next time I can be a mermaid." Having figured out what costume to wear, Tania skipped off to play with Kazoo. Mama groaned, "Oh no! Maybe giving Tania that book wasn't one of my better ideas. Most of those costumes are a lot of work. I hope she doesn't get invited to too many costume parties."

HelloSeal-sightwords-Dec16-.txt

Hel lo Seal– youl ook so cut e. Wi llyoupl ay wi thme t oday? Hel lof riendl y seal – youl ook so f riendl y. Wi llyoupl ay wi thme t oday? Hel lo el ephantseal , Yournose i sso bi g,can yousmel lwel l? Woul d youl ike t o pl ay wi thme t oday? Hel lo baby seal– you l ook so young and new. Wi llyourMum l etyou pl ay wi thme? Hel lo cur iousseal , Youl ook so cur ious. Whatdo youwantt o ask? And,woul d youl ike t o pl ay t oday? Hel lo spot ty seal– you l ook so spot ty. Wi llyoupl ay wi thme t oday? Hel lor ude seal– youl ook si ll y wi thyourt ongue out . Wi llmy Mum l etme pl ay wi thyout oday? Hel lo fluf fy seal– you l ook so fluf fy! Wi llyoupl ay wi thme t oday? Hel lo shar k, – youl ook fier ce! Idon' tthi nk Ishoul d pl ay wi thyout oday? Hel lo sl eepy seal– you l ook so sl eepy! Shoul d we pl ay,orshoul d we sl eep? I t' sti me f orme t o go t o bed. Goodbye seal s! Ihope we can pl ay agai n t omor row. Mum,can It ake t hissealwi th me t o bed? SIGHT WORDS IN THIS BOOK: will up your you let what play this want with to my me can out look I don't would could should like we go so and for some let again ADJECTIVES IN THIS BOOK: cute new fluffy friendly big fierce sleepy sleep well curious rude sleek silly fierce spotty COMMON VERBS AND NOUNS play today think wake take hope nose baby tomorrow fish young hello elephant ask goodbye bed tongue smell time

CloudsOutMyWindow-NOAA-FKB.txt

The Clouds Outside My Window The Clouds Outside My Window Whether I’m outdoors or just looking outside, I like to observe the clouds. Each cloud is different and has a different story to tell. In this book, I’ll explain some of the basic cloud types and show you some of the clouds I’ve observed outside my window at the National Weather Service Office in Gray, Maine. I hope this book will encourage you to observe the sky. You may want to take pictures outside your home or school and make a book of your own. If you do, let me know, so I can see the clouds outside your window. -- John Jensenius Meteorologist A Look Out My Window Here’s a look out my window. My office is located across the street from the Pineland Farms Equestrian Center which you’ll see in many of the cloud pictures. (The black silhouette of the hawk keeps birds from flying into my reflective windows) What are clouds made of ? High in the atmosphere where temperatures are very, very cold, most clouds are made of tiny ice crystals. Closer to the ground, the clouds that we see are made of tiny water droplets. How do clouds form? In general, there are two ways clouds form. In both cases, though, the clouds form because the air is cooling. In the atmosphere, rising air cools and sinking air warms. In most cases, the clouds that you see are caused by rising air. How do clouds form? Clouds can also form when the air gets colder for other reasons. This can happen overnight when the air is cooling, or when warm air moves over a cold lake or a snow- covered surface. How are clouds named? Clouds are classified based on how high they are in the sky, whether they are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals, their general appearance, and whether they are producing precipitation. On the next few pages, I’ll explain some of the basic terminology used to classify clouds. 7 How are clouds named? Puffy clouds are called cumulus or have the prefix "cumulo." Clouds that form a layer are called stratus or have the prefix "strato." Clouds that are made up of ice crystals are called cirrus or have the prefix "cirro." Clouds that produce precipitation are called nimbus or have the prefix "nimbo." How are clouds named? We often need to combine the various cloud terms to accurately describe the clouds we see. For example, puffy clouds are called cumulus; however, if the cumulus clouds form a layer, they are called stratocumulus. If those puffy cumulus clouds grow upward high into the sky and produce rain, they are called cumulonimbus clouds. Types of Low Clouds Stratocumulus LOW Cumulus Stratus Types of Low Clouds Stratus Stratus clouds often form a blanket of low clouds near the ground. They give the sky a dull, gray appearance. Types of Low Clouds Stratus - Fog When stratus clouds form at the ground, we call it fog. If you’ve ever been in fog, you’ve been inside a stratus cloud. Types of Low Clouds Nimbostratus These stratus clouds are producing rain. When rain falls from stratus clouds, the clouds are called nimbostratus clouds. Types of Low Clouds Stratus – Ground Fog Sometimes on clear nights, a thin layer of fog forms in the air just above the ground. We call this ground fog. If you can look over the top of the fog, you’re above a cloud. Types of Low Clouds Cumulus These puffy, low clouds are cumulus clouds. More specifically, they are called cumulus humulus clouds. They have distinct bottoms and edges and often form on sunny days as air rises in the atmosphere. Types of Low Clouds Cumulus These low clouds are also cumulus clouds. In this case, they are called cumulus fractus and have rough edges, look darker, and usually form on sunny, windy days. Types of Low Clouds Stratocumulus When cumulus clouds form a layer, we call them stratocumulus clouds. Because there are breaks between the clouds, we would say this is a broken layer of stratocumulus. Types of Middle Clouds MIDDLE Altocumulus Altostratus Types of Middle Clouds Altocumulus These puffy clouds are also cumulus clouds. However, because they are at mid-levels in the sky, we call them altocumulus clouds. Types of Middle Clouds Altocumulus Altocumulus clouds early on a summer morning could be a clue that there might be thunderstorms later in the day. Types of Middle Clouds Altostratus These mid-level clouds are forming a layer across the sky and are called altostratus clouds. Often, you can see the dim sunshine through altostratus clouds. Types of High Clouds Cirrus HIGH Cirrostratus Cirrocumulus Types of High Clouds Cirrus These wispy, high clouds are cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are made up of tiny ice crystals. They sometimes resemble the tails of horses. Types of High Clouds Cirrus Cirrus clouds are caused by moisture high up in the atmosphere. Their stretched appearance is due to the strong winds at those levels. High Clouds – Cirrostratus Cirrus clouds that have formed a layer are called cirrostratus clouds. Sometimes cirrostratus clouds cause a halo around the sun or moon, which can be an indication of an approaching storm. High Clouds – Cirrocumulus Sometimes puffy cumulus clouds form high in the atmosphere. These are called cirrocumulus clouds and are often most visible at sunrise and sunset. High Clouds – Contrails Jets can also cause cirrus clouds to form. The exhaust from the jet engines adds moisture to the air and, under certain conditions, that moisture will form streaks of ice crystals that we call contrails. Vertically-Developed Clouds HIGH MIDDLE LOW ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ////////////////////// ///////////////////// /////////////// /////////////// Vertically-Developed Clouds Cumulonimbus When cumulus clouds grow high into the atmosphere, they can produce, lightning, thunder and heavy rain. We call thunderstorm clouds cumulonimbus clouds. Colors In The Sky Colors In The Sky Sunlight is made up of all different colors of light. Some particles in the atmosphere, such as raindrops and ice crystals, act as prisms and separate the sun’s light into the various colors. Other particles cause certain colored light to be scattered in many different directions. Why is the sky blue? When sunlight strikes tiny particles high in the sky, the blue portion of the sun’s light is scattered in all directions. Because we see the blue light that is scattered toward us from all over the sky, the sky looks blue. Sunrise Colors Sunrises and sunsets are red, orange, and yellow for the same reason that the sky is blue. Because the sun’s light must travel through more atmosphere at sunrise and sunset, the violet, blue, and green light gets scattered in other directions by particles in the atmosphere, leaving only the red, orange and yellow light. Sunrise Colors Sometimes, high- and mid-level clouds reflect the yellow, orange, and red light from the sun at sunrise or sunset. Sunset Colors Clouds at sunset are colored for the same reason as they are at sunrise. Beautiful sunsets often occur when the sky to the west is clearing. In this case, there were clouds overhead and rain (and a rainbow) just to the east. Rainbows Rainbows are caused when raindrops act like little prisms and separate the sun’s light into the various colors that we see as a rainbow. For the main rainbow, the red is on the outside, followed by orange, yellow, green, and blue, indigo, and violet (if visible). Rainbows In some cases, the raindrops can cause a secondary rainbow. In this case, the secondary rainbow is barely visible. The colors are reversed for secondary rainbows, and the sky between rainbows is darker than either side. Sundogs Ice crystals can also act as prisms to separate the sun’s light. In this case, ice crystals have created a sundog in the sky. Sundogs can occur on one or both sides of the sun when the sun is near sunrise or sunset. Sundogs If we take a closer look, we see that the red light is closest to the sun followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Iridescence Thin clouds composed of tiny water droplets or ice crystals can also cause iridescence. This typically occurs near the sun and is often difficult to see. Now It’s Your Turn ! So, that’s a quick look at some of the clouds and colorful skies outside my window during this past year. I’d like to see the clouds outside your window. If you make a book of the clouds outside your window and post it on the web, please let me know and send me a link! If you have any comments or suggestions, please email: [email protected] More Information NWS Jetstream Online School for Weather (Clouds) NOAA/NASA Cloud Chart The GLOBE Program – Clouds Story Book Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) Template to create your own book: The Clouds Outside My Window The End

kali-wants-to-dance.txt

Kali Wants to Dance In the fishing village of Kovalam, Kali Veerapathiran is a hero. Not because he is an actor. Not because he has fought off villains. He’s a hero because he learnt to dance. It's the year 2000 and Kali is eight years old. Like many boys, he goes to school, plays with his friends, watches TV. Unlike many boys, Kali also dances. Kali loves to watch Padmini dance on TV. She is a famous actor and a fantastic dancer. He pretends to wear a salangai (ankle bells) and dances Bharatanatyam, just like her. Thari thana jonnu thimi Thaka thari kita thaka Thathinginathom Thathinginathom Thathinginathom . Kali becomes such a good dancer that his teachers ask him to perform at school programmes. Soon, he is known in the little fishing village as a Bharatanatyam dancer. One day, Sarah Chanda, who manages a hospital in Chennai, sees him perform on stage.Ditheiyum tha thaa thei, Ditheiyum tha thaa thei She's astonished to see such a talented boy, and is moved that he’s gotten so far by himself. "Would you like to learn Bharatanatyam in Kalakshetra?" she asks him after the performance. Kali laughs at first. Dance? The Dalit community rarely had the opportunity to learn, let alone master, Bharatanatyam. In Kali’s family, there is never enough money to spare for dance classes. And who has heard of boys dancing for a living? But Sarah is serious. "You must learn Bharatanatyam in a proper school, Kali," she says. "I will pay your fees." Sarah arranges for Kali to visit Kalakshetra, one of the best dance schools in the country. It is a beautiful place in Chennai with lots of trees. Leela Samson, the head of Kalakshetra who is also a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, tells Kali to perform for them. Kali ties a saree crookedly over his trousers and dances to a film song. The teachers think he has the makings of a classical dancer. But Kali can’t decide what he wants to be when he grows up. Should he be an actor, a Collector, a teacher, a biotechnologist, or a dancer? His friends and family don’t really help. "Who has ever learnt dance and made any money afterwards? It’s a waste of time!" growls Kali’s maama. "Only girls dance! You’ll become girlish," his friends tease him. Amma asks Kali what his heart wants. "Do you love dancing? Does it make you feel good? Is that what you want to do always?" "Yes! Dance is all that and more for me, Amma," he replies. "Then don’t listen to anyone. If it makes you happy, learn dancing." As usual, Amma has all the answers. So after his final school exams, Kali begins to learn three kinds of folk dances at DakshinaChitra. Oyilaatam Dimtha nakadi naka dhina dhina Dimtha nakadi naka dhina dhina Thapattam Tha kukuku tha kukuku tha kukuku thaa tha Tha kukuku tha kukuku tha kukuku thaa tha Karagattam Datta daguna, daguna Datta daguna, daguna Next month, Kali begins learning Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra. The first few days in school arescary and quiet. When the work gets too much, and his legs hurt, he cries to Amma. "Do you want to herd buffaloes?" Amma asks him sternly. "No!" "Then go back and do your best." Kali begins to adjust to this new world. He makes friends. When language is a problem – not all his classmates know Tamil – Kali speaks using mudras. "Did you go home for the holidays?" "Have you eaten?" At Kalakshetra, he becomes a skilful dancer. He becomes lean and fit and full of energy. He can now dance for hours. He learns Carnatic music as well. He makes many friends among the students who have come from all over the country and the world. They share their hopes, dreams, and even the food they bring from their homes! Kali starts getting invitations to perform all across India and the world. He travels by bus, train and aeroplane to many places. His akkas tease him. "Do you remember you could not even sit in a bus without throwing up?" Kali laughs as well. It is true. As a child, he would carry a lemon and a plastic bag with him on bus rides. As the years pass, Kali wins awards for his performances. He starts a dance school called Koothambalam in Kovalam. Now, Kali is ready for another performance. He puts on his make-up carefully. He wears his costume with ease. The velvet curtain goes up. Kali begins to dance. Kali the dancer At the age of 25, Kali Veerapathiran is perhaps the only male dancer who has mastered the classical dance form Bharatanatyam, as well as three ancient Tamil folk dance forms, according to The People’s Archive of Rural India. Born in Kovalam, a struggling fishing village not far from Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Kali lost his father very young. It was his mother Ellamalli Veerapathiran, a construction labourer, who worked doubly hard to raise him and his many siblings. Sarah Chanda who is a member of the managing committee of Gremaltes Hospital in Chennai, sponsored his education at Kalakshetra, India’s premier dance school. He has also studied at DakshinaChitra under Kannan Kumar. Having completed his PG Diploma in dance, Kali has started Koothambalam, a dance school in Kovalam. Kali was featured in a documentary film by the People’s Archive of Rural India; many newspapers and TV channels have carried his interviews. He’s won awards for his dance, including the Music Academy’s ‘Spirit of Youth’ award. About The People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) The People’s Archive of Rural India is a living journal on, and an archive of, the world’s mostcomplex countryside. The Founder-Editor P. Sainath and his team, including an army of volunteers, hope to document the stories of 833 million people speaking well over 700 languages. PARI is also writing the textbooks of the future. That’s happening with the numerous stories, photos, videos and audio material going up on the site

my-best-friend_FKB.txt

My Best Friend I have a friend. She lives in my house. When I am happy, so is she. When I cry, she cries too. But I cannot hear her voice. My friend lives inside the mirror. "Come out," I tell her, "we will play." She does not come out. I am not happy. I go to sleep. She comes out of the mirror in my sleep! And we have fun. We play, we run, we shout and scream together. When I talk to her, she also talks to me. In the morning, my friend will go back into the mirror. But I don't mind at all. We will play again in my dreams!

Bees-Like-Flowers-.txt

Bees LIKE Flowers Rebecca Bielawski MUMMY NATURE SERIES Nurturing children's curiosity by Rebecca Bielawski Each book in the series is one mini nature lesson wrapped up in colour and rhyme. These books are intended for very young children including toddlers and will give them just a glimpse into some of the wonders of the natural world around them. Illustrated for maximum vibrancy and visual impact, using rhyme to engage young minds and encourage participation. Bees like Flowers Rebecca Bielawski Meet Bacteria! ©2014 Rebecca Bielawski All rights reserved Bees like flowers, Look! A buzzy bee! Sometimes they sting people, But they never sting me. You see, she's got a fluffy body, But, don't touch her cos she might... Get you with her stinger, Cos you've given her a fright. I don't bother them – they're working, I just watch them do their thing. They walk around on flowers, And stick their little faces in. Bees like flowers, That are growing in the ground. Bright colours bring them closer, And keep them buzzing round. Bees like flowers, And the nectar that's so sweet. But, when they fly away, Something sticks on to their feet. It's pollen and it's yellow, Look, it's sticking to the bee. She takes it to another flower, Or the blossoms of a tree. So, flowers like bees too, "Thank you bees," they say. They help to spread the pollen, And make new flowers far away. This is called a beehive, The bees call it their home. The queen lays her eggs in there, Inside the honeycomb. Bees use the nectar, To make honey in the hive, They feed it to the babies, When they finally arrive. Yummy, runny honey, made by our friends the bees, They might give you a little bit... If you would just say, "please". So, that's why bees like flowers, And that's why... The End Insect Bodies Insects have 6 legs. Count my legs. Insects have 3 parts to their bodies. Count my body parts. Am I an insect? Flower Names Sunflower Poppy Daisy Can you find them in the story? The first book of Mummy Nature

Pepper_and_Carrot_Comic_Episode_02-2_FKB.txt

Pepper and Carrot's home. Pepper is cooking something up. Carrot is curious. Pepper is putting away the potions. (Someone else is still watching). Ohhh, Ahhh.....Colours... A -rainbow- dream! Mi - ooww – don't be caught....don't be caught... Phew! Got it!! Hey guys, look - magic potion!!! Yay!! Rainbow dream team coming up... Smells bad, but it'll be so worth it, bottoms up team! Phooeeeyy, splaaah, - Dogs br*&th... ...What the.... – c**n*p! ... La, la-la, la. I so love my rainbow bubble potions. -THE END -

Learn_Music_1_Beats_and_tone.txt

Music is all about beat and tone. 1 and 2 and... Beats are as simple as counting. C, F, E, D, A, D, C, F 1 and 2 and Tone can be learned like ABCs. C, F, E, D, A, D, C, F 1 and 2 and Let's start with learning beats or rhythm. In music a 4/4 bar has four quarter beats. Or it can have 8 eighth beats. Or it can have 16 sixteenth beats. It also has 2 half beats. How many whole beats? Yes, a whole beat is 4 counts in 4/4. Can you see the pattern? Eighth notes quarter notes half notes whole notes Let's recap 4/4: whole is four counts Half is two counts, Quarter is one count, Eighth is half count And so on. A rest is a pause, where there is no beat. Whenever there is no beat there must be a rest! Dotted notes add half a note again and tied notes link. Extension: Sometimes these notes are called Semi Breve - whole Minum – ½ - half Crotchet – ¼ - quater Quaver – 1/8 eighth Semi quaver – 1/16 - sixteenth Different rhythms have different numbers of notes in a bar. Can you clap these rhythms in 4/4? Here are some tricky rhythms to clap. Can you see the pattern? (Hint – the bottom number is the type of beat) C, F, E, D, A, D, C, F 1 and 2 and Lets learn about tone. The natural notes are named like the alphabet. A, B, C, D, E, F G, only 7, then we start at A. On a piano the natural notes ( ) are the white keys. The other notes are called sharps (#) or fats ( ). On a piano the sharps and fats are the black keys. Sharps and fats relate to the natural C# = D That is, sharps and fats have two names C# = D The jump from A to A again is called an Octave. An octave contains all the notes we have. For traditional music that's 12 notes all together! 7 naturals 5 accidentals (sharp or fat) Each octave repeats at higher or lower pitches. How many octaves can you count here? STAVE / STAFF TREBLE BASS CLEF CLEF To write down music we use clefs and staves. Each line on the staff is one natural note. The sharp and fat notes are you guessed it # or . Can you see why sometimes a # or can be better? b C D E F G A B C tone tone ½ tone tone tone tone ½ tone A scale is a series of tones or half tones in an octave. C D E F G A B C A scale with all 12 notes is a chromatic scale. C D E F G A B C Chromatic scales have only half tones. C Major A minor Other scales can be major or minor. C Major b C D E F G A B C tone tone ½ tone tone tone tone ½ tone Major keys are happy sounding. A minor tone ½tone tone tone ½tone tone tone Minor keys are sad sounding. C Major A minor The easiest scales are C major and A minor. C major and A minor don't have any sharps of fats. Finger: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 Try to play these scales on a keyboard (real or online). Can you hum along? Note the different sound Now try this tune, do you recognise it? C, F, E, D, A, D, C, F 1 and 2 and Congratulations, now you can play music! Glossary Scale Clef Note Sharp Flat Natural Accidental Tone Beat Quarter note Eighth note Half Note Whole note Time signature Major Minor Octave Bar C, F, E, D, A, D, C, F 1 and 2 and Resources and Activities Check out The Captain Uke's Glockenspiel Book, you should be able to play all the tunes in the book now: The Kaptain Uke Glockenspiel Book - Simple tunes for all ages Try writing your own music with MuseScore: A free program, and really easy to use: The piano or keyboard is a great starting point for music, and can be easily learn try some simple tunes using two hands next. Once you know rhythm and how to read music, you can try any instrument out, contact a local music school or business to see if you can hire an instrument you might like to learn.

God-and-my-Pencil-.txt

God and my Pencil bject lessons with Be-Me With a pencil I draw a picture of a heart. It reminds me to show love. With my pencil I draw many things that I’m thankful for. I pretend my pe n c i l is a microphone and I sing a song about Jesus. With my pencil I write a letter to Mom and Dad to show them appreciation. I use my pencil to make invitation cards for a Praise Party. With my pencil I write the things that I want to remember to pray for. When I have a problem and I don’t know what to do, I use my pencil to write to tell God about it. I line up all my pencils to spell out the word "GOD". I use my pencil to tell others about God’s love. With my pencil I make Christmas cards to remind others that it’s Jesus’ birthday. I can use my pencils to make finger puppets and tell a Bible story. Can you think of more things to do with a pencil ? j En eo y bject lessons withBe-Me m o r God and my Pencil God and my Car God and my Hat God and my Flower God and my Shoe God and my Cake God and my Balloon God and my Flashlight

the-three-doof-doofs_english_20170320-bedtime-story.txt

What is that?! What is that doof-doof-doof noise? A cat? A mouse? A visitor in the house? No, it’s something even furrier than a cat, even cuter than a mouse, and much tinier than you and me. It’s the three Doof-Doofs. These sweet creatures have only one foot each to hop on. And each hop makes a thumping doof-doof on the floor. a h hhh uhh Here is Solly Doof, the smart one, who is always thinking looooong and loud. He uhhs and ahhs and doof-doofs all night long. He reads daytime stories to the other Doof-Doofs, because unlike you and me, that is when they sleep. Thinky, stinky Solly Doof prefers reading over bathing any time. And here is Sally Doof, the smallest and sweetest Doof-Doof of the three. In a little quiet voice she sings doobee-doobee Doof-Doof songs, when it gets a bit too quiet in the night. She likes finding shiny things and cuddles. Snuggly, huggly Sally Doof who loves to sing. clink clank clu nk Don’t forget Silly Doof, the funniest Doof-Doof Wiggly, giggly Silly Doof will make you laugh in the house. He is always joking. until your tummy hurts. He cheers up the other Doof-Doofs whenever they feel sad. hahaha hah a! He loves to dance on his big silly foot, to the songs that Sally Doof sings. So, if at night you ever hear a strange doof-doof noise again, remember, it’s just the three Doof-Doofs, reading, singing and dancing on their one doof-doof foot. So sleep well, little one. Or keep one eye open... Because maybe, just maybe, you’ll see three cute little creatures hopping past on one foot, going doof-doof-doof.

avani-and-the-pea-plant-pratham-fkb.txt

Avani and the Pea Plant One day, Avani was sitting at the kitchen table, watching her mother cook. Amma got the cooker ready. "Avani, please give me the peas," Amma said. Avani took a bowl of dried peas from the kitchen table and gave it to Amma. One pea fell out of the bowl. Avani and Amma did not see it! The pea bounced on the table, onto the floor... ... and rolled under the table. Chikki the cat found it. She pushed it. She pawed at it. She tried to lick it. The pea rolled to the kitchen door. Chikki pushed it again. It rolled out... ... into the garden. A mynah saw the pea. She pecked at it with her beak. But it was too hard. She pecked at it again. With a jump, the pea landed on the soil, near a tomato plant. An earthworm popped out of the ground. It looked at the pea, but did not find it interesting. It popped back into the ground. Now there was a hole in the ground! The pea slipped into the hole, and got covered by loose mud. It rested in the cool, dark mud. The days passed. The rains came. The pea got wet. It swelled, and it swelled a little more. It grew a tail... ... and a crown. The crown shot out of the ground, and tried to reach for the sun. It grew taller... and taller... and taller! Avani saw it when she was playing in the garden. "Amma! Look here!" she said. "A pea plant!" said Amma. Both of them looked at the pea plant. They were surprised. "Did you plant it?" Amma asked Avani. "No Amma, did you not sow it?" asked Avani. "Then, who did it?" they wondered. "Who planted it?" You and I know, don’t we? Try it yourself! 1. Plant a seed in a small pot and water it every day. 2. Does it grow if you keep the pot in a dark and cool place? 3. Many sprouted seeds and grains are very good for our health. Which sprouts do you like to eat?

020-HECTOR-THE-HERMIT-CRAB-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

As Hector the Hermit Crab crawled along the sandy shallows of the lagoon, he noticed a strange shadow form across the small hills and valleys of the sand. It got bigger, and bigger ... and bigger! "What a great catch!" Larry yelled to the others in the boat. "We now have over 100 hermit crabs, 50 starfish, and who knows how many snails to sell to the pet shop. Let’s go and deliver our precious cargo." About one week later, Tammy and Jimmy were shopping with their mom at a new plaza that had just opened in their town. It was a nice plaza and built just across the street from a small beach, a lagoon, and the big, blue, beautiful ocean. They liked to shop with their mom, but today was different. All of the stores were new and their mom was shopping for a special gift and had told them that they couldn’t buy anything. They weren’t bored, but they were definitely not happy. Jimmy mumbled as they walked ... "another shoe store, oh look – more dresses, pots and pans, just what I need." "Jimmy," Tammy said. "It’s hard enough as it is without listening to you complain. I don’t like being here any more than you, but you don’t hear me grumbling." "What are you doing now?" Jimmy asked. Their mom smiled and just kept on walking through the maze of stores. "We’re almost there," she said. "Almost where?" asked Tammy. "Almost at another shoe store." blurted Jimmy. "Actually," their mom said. "I was thinking of the new pet shop. It’s supposed to be the best in the area. It has a giant aquarium with all kinds of fish, even a shark. There are birds, dogs, cats, lizards and more. It’s almost like a zoo. I thought you two could spend some time there while I got that special gift." Well, this changed everything. Tammy and Jimmy were now excited and couldn’t wait to get to the pet shop. As they went around the next corner - there it was. A huge door with a giant sign … "The Amazing Animal Emporium". As they walked through the door, they couldn’t believe their eyes. There, right in the middle of the store, was an aquarium that was bigger than any swimming pool they had ever seen. They walked around and peered into the water and saw all sorts of creatures. "Look at all the clown fish," Tammy said. "Well, they better swim fast. Look at that shark!" Jimmy replied. Oh, they were amazed!!! There seemed to be every type of fish and sea creature right in the middle of the store. This truly was an amazing pet shop. "Let’s see what else is here," yelled Jimmy as he walked off to explore. They were amazed at the animals that were for sale and each type of animal had its own room. The door with the sign "Slithers" had all sorts of snakes. "The Pond" had frogs, toads, and giant dragonflies. "Arachnoland" had spiders and "Chirps" had hundreds of different birds. There were rooms for cats, dogs, hogs, and more. "I wonder what’s in ‘Little Critters’." Tammy said. "There’s only one way to find out." Jimmy replied as they walked in together. As they looked at all the small and sometimes unusual animals. They were amazed that people had these as pets. There were mice, chipmunks, moles, starfish, snails, clams, beetles, and all things small. "Look at this," squealed Tammy. "A hermit crab." "Cool!" replied Jimmy. Although the crab didn’t do much, they watched with fascination as it crawled over the sand and rocks. Once in a while, it would start to come out of its shell and then quickly pop back in and cover its face with its giant claw. "He’s looking for a new and bigger shell for his home," said their mom. "I’m glad I was able to find you two, this place is big." Tammy looked at the crab and said "Bye, Hector. We’ll miss you." Jimmy waved to him and turned to walk away. As the three were leaving, they heard a tapping on the glass. "I don’t believe this," said their mom. "That crab is saying good-bye to you two. I guess we’ll just have to buy him and have a new pet." Now the fun began. They had the sales-person get Hector (since Tammy already named him) and put him into a box. Then they bought him a new cage, hermit crab bedding, several shells, a swimming pool, water dish, special food, some rocks, and everything Hector needed to be at home – in their home. Tammy and Jimmy took excellent care of Hector and their mom was happy to see that they were so responsible with their little friend. But as time passed, Hector seemed to be less and less happy. After all, no matter how nice his human friends were, he didn’t have any friends of his own kind. Hector missed his family and the open spaces of the lagoon that he was accustomed to. One morning, Jimmy and Tammy decided that although Hector was a good pet, he deserved things they couldn’t give him. "Mom," Tammy asked from across the room. "Can we let Hector go?" "Don’t you like him any more?" she inquired. "Of course we do," said Jimmy. "But he isn’t happy here and setting him free would be the best for him." "Hmm," their mom thought. "Tammy and Jimmy are very unselfish and very smart. I am so proud of them." Later that day, their mom took Tammy, Jimmy, Hector, and all of Hectors’ things to the lagoon across from the plaza. Tammy carefully took Hector from his cage and placed him in the sand next to the shallows. Jimmy put his swimming pool and rocks in the sand and their mom placed his food dish securely between two rocks. As they left with the empty cage, they thought they heard a faint tapping on a rock. They turned to see Hector and several other hermit crabs slowly crawling into the shallows. A true act of love is ensuring that everyone is happy.

Tigers.txt

Tigers Tigers are big cats that live in the wild. Have you seen a tiger at the zoo? What do you know about tigers? Baby tigers are called cubs. When cubs are born, they are blind and helpless. Cubs grow quickly and spend lots of time play fighting with their brothers and sisters. The mother takes care of her cubs and teaches them how to hunt. The cubs leave home when they are around two years old. Tigers are carnivores, which means they eat meat. A full grown tiger eats thirty to forty pounds of meat a day. Tigers are the heaviest cats found in the wild. They can weigh up to 660 pounds. Tigers have large, sharp teeth that help them hunt and eat. They hunt at night when it’s easier to sneak up on their prey. Tigers live in the jungle or the forest so they can hide in the plants and trees and sneak up on their prey. Tigers always live close to water. Most cats don’t like to swim, but tigers do. They can swim up to four miles. Tigers cool off by laying in a pool of water. Most tigers have over 100 stripes. The stripes help the tiger hide in the jungle and forest. Tigers can be orange, white or golden. White and golden tigers are rare and are found mostly in zoos. Next time you go to the zoo, visit the tigers and watch them eat, sleep and play!

where-do-my-thoughts-go-FKB.txt

Where Do My Thoughts Go? Where do my thoughts go? Do they plip-plop or do they thump-thump when they walk? Do they spin and spin and spin with the fan and get di-diz-dizzy? Do they ride on a paper plane to go play with the clouds? Do they sleep like Raasu all day long when they eat too much? Do they hide inside Mumma’s bag and secretly go to work with her? Do they tiptoe around the house looking for a treat? Do they grow up to be tomatoes if Papa plants them in the soil? Do they glow when the stars come out? But wait, I can’t find my thoughts! Did they hide under my bed because they are scared of the dark? "Be brave!" I think. "It's okay. It's just a little dark." I go to bed. They come out and curl up in my head. My thoughts go zzzzzzzzz with me.

028-THE-WAY-OF-THE-WOODS-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

Many years ago, deep in the North Woods, lived a great bear named Paw-Paw. He was the strongest and bravest bear alive and respected by all the forest creatures. One day, all the animals gathered together to discuss some changes in the woods. A new animal that walked on two legs and was covered in strange fur was making its home nearby. They needed a leader and could think of no one better than Paw-Paw. They all marched to Paw-Paws’ cave and asked if he would be the king of the forest. Paw-Paw was thrilled and even though he didn’t know what being a king was all about, he gladly accepted. Paw-Paw then said "I will need some helpers and I want Crowly Crow and Willard Weasel to be my advisors." Well, Crowly and Willard were honored, and both agreed to work with King Paw-Paw. One day, Slither, the snake visited King Paw-Paw and told him of a strange animal he saw close by. Paw-Paw asked, "Where did you see this animal?" Slither replied. "It lives with the strange, two- legged creature at the edge of our woods." Paw-Paw thought for a moment and said. "Willard and Crowly - go to the edge of the woods and see what this animal is." Within moments, his two helpers were on their way. Some time later, Willard and Crowly returned and excitedly told King Paw-Paw that there was indeed a strange animal at the edge of the woods. It was small, maybe the size of Bobby Beaver, and it had a strange, barking voice instead of a yelp or a howl. All three sat for a long time thinking about the strange newcomer that lived so close to their woods. Finally, King Paw-Paw said, "We must go and meet this animal." All three got up and left King Paw-Paws’ cave. In a short while, they were at the edge of the woods watching the strange animal. King Paw-Paw said, "Willard, go to the animal and ask what he is and why there is a rope tied around his neck." Without hesitation, Willard scampered across the field and hid behind some piled wood close to the strange animal. "Psst!" said Willard. The strange animal looked around. "Psst! I am over here behind the woodpile," Willard said in a louder voice. The strange animal stretched the rope as far as it would go but not being able to see who was speaking said, "Please come out so that I can see you. My master isn’t around." Willard came out slowly from behind the woodpile and cautiously approached the strange animal. "What type of an animal are you?" asked Willard. "I am a dog. And my name is Dillard." He replied. "And what are you?" he then asked. "Me … I am Willard, the Weasel representing King Paw-Paw, ruler of the forest." "Why are you bound to that stake in the ground?" asked Willard. "My master keeps me tied so I cannot go into the woods," replied Dillard. "No animal should be tied," Willard shouted. "I shall bite through the rope to set you free. You can then come into the woods and live with me." In one mighty bite, Willard set Dillard free. Then the two of them ran across the field and into the woods. After Willard introduced Dillard to King Paw-Paw and Crowly, they all left. When they got to the center of the woods, King Paw-Paw introduced Dillard to all the other forest creatures. Dillard especially liked meeting Wayne Wolf and Carl Coyote who seemed to be his cousins. As the summer passed, King Paw-Paw fattened himself on berries and salmon, Dillard and Willard became good friends. One day, Willard sniffed the air. Oh, what a marvelous smell was being carried on the breeze. "Chicken eggs … Fresh chicken eggs," Willard thought to himself. "I must find them and have a snack." In seconds, he was off running through the woods and following his nose to his favorite treat. His nose lead him to the strange creature’s house, where he had first met Dillard. He looked around … All was clear. He followed the wonderful smell of eggs into a strange cave. He looked around and couldn’t believe his eyes. There were chicken eggs, hundreds of chicken eggs all around him. As he reached for an egg, a chicken saw him and sounded the alarm. Soon all the chickens were clucking, squawking, and making a fuss. Then he heard something behind him. As he turned, he saw the strange creature that lived there. The one that Dillard called master. There was no escape and Willard was terrified. The strange creature looked at Willard and said, "You varmint! You are the weasel that set Dillard free. Why I ought to …" But before he could finish Willard yelled out. "Wait! Don’t do anything to me." "I can return Dillard to you. Just let me pass and Dillard will be back in a very short time." The strange creature stepped aside and let Willard free. When Willard returned to the woods, he ran to his friend. "Dillard! Quick follow me. I need your help." Well, Dillard didn’t hesitate to help his friend and off they ran- with Willard in the lead. As they crossed the field, Dillard stopped. "What’s wrong?" asked Willard. "My master lives there and I am afraid to go any further." Dillard replied. "Don’t worry," said Willard. "Your master is not there." Again, Dillard followed Willard right into the cave with all the chickens. In a flash, the master had a rope around Dillard’s neck. He then looked at the weasel, tossed him an egg, and said "Thank you for returning my dog." Willard left for the woods without saying a word. Dillard remained with the farmer, making sure no weasel or any other varmint ever bothered his livestock.

046-UP-AND-DOWN-AND-ALL-AROUND-Free-Childrens-Book-By-Monkey-Pen.txt

I am Freddie and I just learned something. No matter where you are: Look up. Look down. Look all around. You never know what you may see. And it helps us be safe, yep-you and me. There I was, just walking down the street. Not paying attention and staring at my feet. Step one, step two, step three, and four. I walked into an open door. I did not look up, and now I am sad. Free Ice Cream - read the sign - For Any Lad. Step five, step six, step seven, and eight. Where am I at, I went through the wrong gate. I did not look right. But if I had. I would have seen Sally flying a kite with her dad. Who looks left? What is there to see? Only a Circus Parade and a monkey in a tree. I turned around and took one step. Into a puddle, and now I am wet. Look up. Look down. Look all around. You will not miss a thing and be safe and sound.

7-colours-of-a-rainbow-African-Storybook.txt

7 Colours of a Rainbow What are the 7 colours of a rainbow? 1. Red He wears a red shirt. 2. Orange What is orange in this picture? 3. Yellow What is yellow in this picture? 4. Green What is green in this picture? 5. Blue What is blue in this picture? 6. Indigo What is indigo in this picture? 7. Violet Violet is the best colour! What colour do you like? What are the 7 colours of a rainbow?

Collection_3-12_single_page_stories-Blank_space_for_a_boys_name-ClarkNess-FKB.txt

This Story Astronaut Bear Cat Lover Dog Lover "I want to be an Blair went for a walk and Blair is a cat lover. Blair is a dog lover. astronaut," said Blair. met a happy bear. She loves cats. She loves dogs. "I want to go out in The bear wore boots, mittens, and a stocking She loves big cats. She loves big dogs. space." She loves little cats. She loves little dogs. hat. "It would be neat to go "It must be a cold day," She loves pretty cats. She loves pretty dogs. to the Moon." said Blair. She loves ugly cats. She loves ugly dogs. "It would neat to go to "Yes, it is," said the Mars." Blair loves all cats. Blair loves all dogs. bear.

Everything-Looks-New.txt

Everything looks new! Today is Vasant Panchami. My parents say it is the first day of spring. Spring is the season between winter and summer. It is called Vasant Ritu in Sanskrit. In many parts of India, people pray to the goddess of learning, music and art on this day. Many birds are sitting on the tree near my house. I think they are singing to me. The leaves on the tree are new and shiny. Just like my new frock. Amma is also wearing a yellow sari ― such a pretty colour ‘basanti’, and such a pretty name! Grandpa wants me to plant a tree. "But why?" I ask. "So that you will have a friend to grow up with, Meenu," he says. "Spring is a good season to start something new." We go to the garden. Grandpa and I dig a hole in the ground and plant a sapling. "How tall will it grow?" I ask him. "Wait and watch, dear Meenu!" he says. The squirrels are chasing each other. Tingu, the cat, chases a squirrel. And I want to chase Tingu. The garden is full of flowers. I like the yellow roses the best and Grandpa likes the white jasmine.There is a carpet of leaves under some trees. Many trees have flowers. I like spring! Everything looks so pretty in spring! Tomorrow is Holi. School is closed for two days. We have made a huge Holika with twigs, and pieces of wood. Some of us went to the forest and brought tesu flowers. Manu put the flowers in a tank of water. The water has turned a bright orange! Tomorrow we will play Holi with the orange water. We will get gujia and puris to eat. Spring is such a happy season. It is not cold, it is not hot, and it is not wet. I can play all the time!

tell-me-now-good-for-you-pratham-FKB.txt

Tell me now! - 'Good For You' Why should I go to school every day? It is good for you. Why should I have a bath every day? It is good for you. Why should I not play in the sun? It is not good for you. Why should I not stay up late? It is not good for you. Why should I sleep every day? Your body needs rest. Why should I listen to you? You know why.

Bullying-advice-from-Supercow.txt

Bullying Guidance for Kids Bullying happens when someone hurts someone else on purpose. Bullying can affect anyone, anytime or place. ALL bullying is wrong!! Other People's Feelings It's not nice to make other people feel bad, just the same way we don't want someone to make us feel bad. DO: Play nicely, treat others nicely, share, compliment, make others happy. DON'T: Hurt other kids, call names, whisper, tease, hit/kick/pinch, hurt others feelings, or ignore others by not asking them to join in activities. We're all the Same, in that, We're all Different! NO BETTER, NO WORSE! Just DIFFERENT. Just because someone is different doesn't mean that they are better or worse than the rest of us – it's differences that make us more interesting! We all have special talents, all of us, and no one should be picked on because they seem different or not as good at something, or because they have special needs. And, remember also, we're all the same in that no one wants to be hurt, no one wants to feel bad, left out, or picked on. Support Your Friends If a child in your school is being bullied, tell someone, a friend, parent, or teacher. And be nice to them, make sure you and your friends support them and they feel welcome. Set an example, don't hurt others, be kind to others. Don't support a bully or anyone who hurts others, make it clear to them it's NOT okay. Being Bullied Bullies are looking for your response; whenever you can, ignore the bully: – walk away, don't say anything, don't let them get to you. Find other friends: Remember, you're perfect the way you are, and there are always plenty of good people that will accept and love you, just as you are. Tell a friend, teacher, or parent straight away, don't be afraid, because bullying is wrong, no matter what, and must be stopped. Being a Bully Sometimes we feel hurt by others, or we may feel not as good as someone else, and this makes us want to hurt someone else to make us feel better. This is the worst thing that we can do to ourselves and for those around us. Making others feel bad is not a way to make ourselves look better or feel better. Hurting someone because we are being hurt is equally wrong, if we're being hurt by someone we need to tell someone about it. Finding a friend and someone to support us the way we are is the best way to feel better about ourselves, and the best way to find a friend is to be a friend! Free Kids Books Advice on Bullying DON'T BE A BULLY Kids that bully hurt other kids on purpose. Bullying is very bad. Bullying can hurt people with: ✗ Words, teasing, calling them names, saying unkind things about them; ✗ Or by actions, hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching, throwing objects; ✗ Or by ignoring them and leaving them out of activities. ✗ BULLYING Dos and Don'ts Do be nice Don't hurt What Cool Kids Do What Cool Kids Don't ●Cool Kids are nice to others ●Cool Kids don't bully! by caring, sharing, helping, ●Cool Kids don't hurt other and putting others first; kids on purpose; ●Cool kids support all types ●Cool Kids don't judge of kids no matter what their others; differences or abilities; ●Cool kids don't let others ●Cool kids think about other bully or be bullied; people's feelings; ●Cool kids aren't mean to ●Cool kids support kids who others. are being bullied. Make the bullying pledge: "I promise never to bully or be with someone who bullies others. If I see someone being bullied, I will help them by telling an adult. I promise never to hit, push, or say unkind words to hurt someone on purpose." ________________________________________________ Name Date Signed Bullying Guidance for Parents Bullying is best defined as discrimination by a stronger entity against a weaker entity. Although usually involving children, bullying has no limits of age, creed, or race, and can affect anyone. Recognition Generally, a child will not not tell anyone they are being bullied, often until it is too late, especially not an adult, unless there has been a prior relationship of trust built up. Some incidents of bullying in teenage years have resulted in death and suicide, and yet the child was still too afraid to speak out. Many teenagers and middle-graders will have mood swings, but it is really important as a parent, caregiver or concerned adult friend, that you monitor any out of character mood changes, or behavior changes and speak to the child concerned as soon as possible. Being available, being observant, and being a friend, can be your biggest methods of support for a child in difficulty. Confidence A confident child will shrug off or counteract bullying, and the bully will usually loose interest soon enough. It's no fun bullying someone that doesn't bite. Ensuring a child is sure of themselves, secure in their own self image, accepting of their abilities and disabilities, will mean they are less likely to be a victim of bullying, or if they are, they have the ability to deflect the attack and turn the situation to their advantage. Support If a child comes to you for support, it is vital that the situation is handled correctly. Incorrect handling can result in more subtle and more vicious bullying, which could be much more emotionally damaging than straight physical attacks. If it is the first time you have dealt with the issues seek advice and research the subject carefully. Both generically and personally, don't jump in feet first, especially if you are emotionally involved. Time taken to search a solution usually will result in a better solution for all. Prevention Start early by instilling confidence and trust with your child. Ensure they have a high self worth, and a high level of trust in you to share problems without fear of repercussions. This is harder than it sounds, but much easier than it is for a child to put up with bullying silently. If you start early and keep practicing, it will have rewards. Links to Bullying Support Sites

Smile-Please.txt

Smile Please! A fawn was racing in the forest. He was ahead of the rabbit. He was ahead of the elephant. He leapt and cleared the stream. He ran past the crumbling wall. There was a large boulder on the grassy plain. He stumbled and fell down. He burst into tears. The monkey massaged his leg. Tears flowed from the fawn's eyes. Brother Bear picked him up. The fawn didn't stop crying. His mother came. She said, "Look, we’ll beat up this bad boulder!" The fawn said, "Oh, don’t do that or he will also start crying." His mother laughed. So did the fawn.

Bugs-by-Numbers-.txt

BUGS by NUMBERS there's a whole lot of creatures living with me. GECKOS One - One colourful GECKO, lying on the rock, happily. 1 BUZZY BEES One, Two - Two BUZZY BEES flying freely by me. 2 1 LADYBUGS LADY BUGs One, two, three - Three LADY BUGS playing daintily. Each ladybug has three black dots each side of their back, can you see? LADY BUGs 1 can you see? 2 3 BUTTERFLIES One, two, three, four - Four beautiful BUTTERFLIES fluttering by me. 4 3 1 2 ARMY ANTS One, two three, four, five - Five angry ARMY ANTS, marching two by three. c 3 4 5 1 2 One gecko; Two buzzy bees; Three ladybugs; Four butterflies; Five army ants. c These are all the creatures living with me, down in the garden, under the tree. THE END