short stories collection

1

1 MY TIMMY

I have some pets. However, my favorite pet is Timmy. Timmy is a

male cat. He is very adorable with his soft fur. He has innocent eyes

and feeble sweet voice. He always meows when he feels hungry.

Actually, his voice is not suitable with his big body. When I come

home, he usually rubs himself against my legs.

Timmy is a nice friend. I am happy to spend my time with him.

Most of the time, he‟s a good pet. It‟s almost impossible for me to be

angry at him. In the morning, he always wakes up early. When he

wakes up earlier, he waits quietly by my bedside until I wake up.

Taken from: Let’s talk Grade VIII for Junior High School, p.117

2

Difficult words:

- pet = hewan piaraan - male = jantan - adorable = menggemaskan - fur = bulu - innocent = tidak berdosa - feeble = lembut - suitable = sesuai - spend = meluangkan, menghabiskan - quietly = dengan tenang

A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. The narrator has only one pet. T F

2. The narrator‟s favorite pet is Timmy. T F

3. He is a male cat T F

4. He has innocent eyes and sweet voice. T F

5. He always wakes up late. T F

B. Answer the following questions based on the text above.

1. What is the narrator‟s favorite pet?

2. Why is he very adorable?

3. What does he do when he feels hungry?

4. Why isn‟t his voice suitable with his big body?

5. When does he usually wake up?

6. What does he usually do when he wakes up?

7. Why is he a good pet?

8. Who is happy spending her time with Timmy?

3

2 THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER

An old crab said to her son, "Why do you walk sideways like that,

my son? You have to walk straight." The young crab replied, "Show me

how mother, and I'll follow your example." The old crab tried to walk

straight, but she could not. Then, she realized that she could not

blame her son for she could not walk straight either.

Taken from: http://www.ongoing-tales.com/serials/oldtime/FAIRYTALES

4

Difficult words:

- crab = kepiting

- walk sideways = berjalan miring

- walk straight = berjalan lurus

- follow = mengikuti

- blame = menyalahkan


1. An old crab talked to her son. T F

2. The son walked straight. T F

3. The old crab told her son to walk straight. T F

4. The son asked his mother to show him how

to walk straight. T F

5. The old crab was successful to walk straight. T F


1. How many crabs are there in the story?

2. How did the young crab walk?

3. What did the old crab say to her son?

4. Could the old crab give an example how to walk straight?

5. What did the old crab realize?

5

3 THE QUACK FROG

Once upon a time a frog came forth from his home in the swamp.

He proclaimed to the world that he was a clever doctor who could

cure all diseases. Among the crowd was a fox, who called out, "You a

doctor! How can you say that you are able to heal others when you

cannot even cure your own lame legs and wrinkled skin?”


6

Difficult words:

- quack = pembual (mengaku ahli dalam pengobatan) - swamp = rawa - proclaimed = mengumumkan - cure = mengobati - disease = penyakit - fox = rubah - heal = menyembuhkan - lame = pincang - wrinkled = keriput


1. The frog came forth from his home in the swamp. T F

2. He proclaimed himself a clever doctor. T F

3. He said that he could not cure all diseases. T F

4. There was not a fox among the crowd. T F

5. The frog had lame legs and wrinkled skin. T F


1. How many animals are there in the story?

2. Who proclaimed to the world that he was a clever doctor?

3. What did the fox say to the frog?

4. Was the frog arrogant? Why do you think so?

5. What is the synonym of „heal‟?

7

4 THE CROW AND THE JUG

A thirsty crow found a jug. There was only a little water in it.

She tried hard to get the water but she could not reach it with her

beak. Then she got an idea. She began dropping pebbles into the jug.

With each pebble, the water rose a little higher until at last it reached

the brim of the jug. Finally, the clever bird was not thirsty anymore.


8

Difficult words:

- crow = gagak - jug = kendi - thirsty = haus, kehausan - found = menemukan - reach = sampai, mencapai - beak = paruh - pebbles = batu kerikil - rose = beranjak naik - brim = pinggir, tepi


1. The crow was very hungry. T F

2. The crow could not reach the jug with her beak. T F

3. The crow dropped a big stone into the jug. T F

4. The jug was full of water. T F

5. The crow could reach the water in the jug finally. T F


1. What kind of bird is it in the story?

2. How many jugs did she find?

3. How did she get little water from the pitcher?

4. When did the water rise a little higher?

5. What do you think about the crow?

9

5 THE DOG IN THE MANGER

A dog was lying in a manger on the hay which was put there for

the cattle. When the cattle came and tried to eat, he growled and

barked at them. He wouldn't let them get their food. "What a selfish

animal," said one of the cattle to his friends, "he can't eat himself but

he won't let those who can to eat."


10

Difficult words:

- manger = palung

- lying = berbaring

- hay = jerami

- cattle = ternak

- growled = menggeram

- barked = menggonggong

- selfish = egois


1. A dog was lying in a manger on the hay. T F

2. The manger was for the dog. T F

3. The cattle tried to eat the dog. T F

4. The dog was selfish. T F

5. The dog let the cattle eat the food. T F


1. How many animals are there in the story?

2. Where was the dog lying?

3. What was the hay put on the manger for?

4. Why did the dog growl and bark?

5. What did one of the cattle say?

11

6 THE FOX AND THE BIRD

One day, a fox saw a bird sitting on the branch of a tree. The

bird had some food in its mouth. The fox wanted the food because

he was very hungry.

“You are a beautiful bird,” the fox said, “but can you sing?”

“Of course, I can sing,” thought the bird, “this is a stupid

fox.” He opened his mouth to sing and thus dropped the food. The

fox caught the food and said, “Yes you can sing and you are very

beautiful, but you are not very smart.” And the fox ran away with

the food.

Taken from: Reading with Understanding Story by K. Method, IB. Hel and Bolsius

12

Difficult words:

- branch = cabang - thought = berpikir - caught = menangkap - smart = cerdik, pintar - ran away = melarikan diri


1. The fox saw a bird sitting on a branch. T F

2. The bird was hungry. T F

3. The fox was not as clever as the bird. T F

4. The bird said to the fox, “Of course I can sing” T F

5. The fox fooled the bird. T F


1. Why did the fox want the food?

2. Where was the bird sitting?

3. What did the bird have in his mouth?

4. Why did the bird open its mouth?

5. What happened to the bird after opening his mouth?

13

7 TWO THIN GOATS

Once there were two goats. Both of them were hungry. They

were tied together with a brown rope. They wanted to eat the green

leaves from two separate bushes. One bush was on the left. The other

bush was on the right.

The goats thought they could do everything on their own.

However, the rope was short. They tried and tried, but they could not

reach the bushes, so they were very sad.

Then, the goats decided to work together. First, they ate the

leaves on the right. Then, they ate the leaves on the left. The leaves

were delicious. The goats were happy.

Taken from: Let’s talk Grade VIII for Junior High School

14

Difficult words:

- tied = terikat - separate = terpisah - bushes = semak-semak - tried = mencoba - sad = sedih - ate = memakan - leaves = dedaunan


1. The goats were hungry. T F

2. They were tied together with a green rope. T F

3. The rope was not long. T F

4. The goats first ate the leaves on the left. T F

5. The goats were happy in the end of the story. T F


1. How many goats are there in the story?

2. What did the goats want to eat?

3. Why did the goats want to eat?

4. Why couldn‟t they walk around freely?

5. Why were the goats sad?

6. How did the goats finally reach the bushes?

7. Which leaves did they eat first, the right leaves or the left

leaves?

8. What is the antonym of „happy‟?

15

8 YOU CAN SEE THE MOON FROM HERE

One day, a tourist wanted to take pictures of “Monumen

Nasional.” He was only a kilometre away and could already see the top

of the monument.

Since it was very hot outside, he decided to take a becak.

The becak driver wanted three thousand rupiahs for his service.

The tourist thought this was too much and said, “That‟s too much!” He

pointed to the top of the monument and added, “You can already see

it from here.”

“Yes sir,” the becak driver replied, “You can see it from here,

but you can also see the moon from here.”

Taken from: Bahasa Inggris Cepat & Tepat 2 Story by Nababan Ph.D. et al.

16

Difficult words:

- take pictures = memotret - since = karena - decided = memutuskan - too much = terlalu mahal - pointed = menunjuk - added = menambahkan


1. The story takes places in Jakarta T F

2. The tourist wanted to see Monumen Nasional. T F

3. The day was cold. T F

4. The becak driver wanted three thousand rupiahs. T F

5. The tourist pointed to the becak driver. T F


1. What picture did the tourist want to take?

2. How far was he from the place he wanted to go?

3. How was the weather?

4. Why did he decide to take a becak?

5. How much did the becak driver want?

6. Did the tourist agree to pay the fare the becak driver wanted?

7. What did the tourist point to?

8. What did the becak driver say to the tourist in the end?

17

9 THE LADY AND THE MOUSE

One day a lady saw a mouse on her kitchen table. She was very

afraid of mice, so she ran out of the house, got on a bus and went to a

store. There she bought a mouse-trap. The shopkeeper said to her,

“Put some cheese in it, and you will soon catch the mouse.”

The lady went home with her mouse-trap, but when she looked in

her cupboard, she could not find any cheese. She did not want to go

back to the store because it was very late, so she cut out a picture of

some cheese from a magazine and put it in the trap.

Surprisingly, the picture was quite successful. When the lady

came down to check the trap the next morning, she found a picture of

a mouse next to the picture of the cheese.

Taken from: Hill, LA. Intermediate Stories for Reproduction

18

Difficult words:

- ran out = berlari keluar - got on = naik - mouse trap = perangkap tikus - shopkeeper = pemilik toko - cheese = keju - cut out = merobek, menggunting - surprisingly = tanpa diduga


1. The lady put a picture of a mouse in the

mouse-trap. T F

2. The lady did not go back to the store to buy

the cheese. T F

3. The lady cut out a picture of some cheese

from a magazine. T F

4. The mouse ate the cheese from the magazine. T F

5. The mouse had a good sense of humour. T F

B. Answer the questions below.

1. Where did the lady see the mouse?

2. Why did she run out of the house?

3. Where did she go? Why?

4. How did she get there?

5. What did the shopkeeper tell her?

6. Did she find any cheese in her cupboard?

7. Why didn‟t she go back to the store?

8. What did she find in the trap the next morning?

19

10 THE BIG RACE

Once upon a time in the Jungle of Dense, there were a baby tiger

and a lion. The lion always boasted about the fact that he was the

strongest and fastest animal in Dense. Baby tiger wanted to race with

him and win so badly. So he asked the lion to race with him, but baby

tiger lost. The audience was happy and cheered for the lion.

Baby tiger went home and said, "The lion is too fast and I give

up". But mom and dad answered, "Giving up is the only way you can

lose". So baby tiger took his parents advice and started to train himself

in his room to get in shape.

A week later the lion and baby tiger raced again and the lion

whispered to baby tiger that he couldn‟t win. The audience screamed,

"Ready, set, go!" Baby tiger was in the lead and he won the race. The

lion gave baby tiger the fastest four-legged animal trophy in the Jungle

of Dense.

Adapted from: http://www.kidsfables.com/

Story byStephen

http://www.kidsfables.com/

20

Difficult words:

- jungle = hutan - boasted = membual - cheered = bersorak - advice = nasehat - train = berlatih - in shape = kondisi badan yang baik - whispered = berbisik - screamed = berteriak - four-legged = berkaki empat


1. The lion won the race twice. T F

2. The second race was held a week later. T F

3. Baby tiger‟s friends advised him not to give up. T F

4. Baby tiger trained himself in his room. T F

5. Baby tiger received the fastest four-legged animal

trophy. T F


1. Where did baby tiger live?

2. Who always boasted as the strongest animal?

3. Who wanted to race with the lion?

4. Did the baby tiger win the first race?

5. What did the baby tiger‟s parents advice him?

6. Why did baby tiger want to get in shape?

7. When was the second race held?

8. Who won the second race?

21

11 KEEPING THE GOLD

There was once a man who loved gold so much. One day he

melted all the gold he owned into a shape of a boulder. Thinking it

would be easier to keep it in this form; he buried it in the ground

behind his house. Each night he dug it up, looked at it, and then buried

it again.

One night, a thief, who had seen the man did those acts every

night, stole the gold boulder and put an ordinary stone in its place.

When the man came out to dig up his gold, he discovered the

change and began to moan and shout about his loss. The thief,

watching in the shadows, heard the pitiful moans and said, "Why are

you so upset? The gold boulder you buried might as well become a

stone for you never ever used it.

Taken from: http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~cycle/MYmalinE.HTML#first

22

Difficult words:

- melted = melelehkan - owned = memiliki - boulder = batu besar - buried = menguburkan - ordinary = biasa - discovered = menemukan - change = perubahan - moan = merintih - pitiful = menyedihkan - upset = bingung dan sedih A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. The man buried his gold boulder in the ground in

front of his house. T F

2. A thief took the gold and changed it with a stone. T F

3. The man moaned because his gold boulder had

changed into a stone. T F

4. The thief felt upset. T F

5. The man‟s gold was useless because it was never

used. T F


1. What shape did the man melt all of his gold into?

2. Where did the man bury his gold?

3. When did he dig the gold up?

4. How did the thief know the place of the gold boulder?

5. Why was the man upset?

6. What did the thief say to the man in the end of the story?

7. What do you think of the man in the story?

8. What is the synonym of „discover‟?

23

12 THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN

One day, the north wind and the sun were arguing. They were

trying to decide which one of them was stronger.

Then a traveller came along wrapped up in his overcoat, they

agreed that the one who could make the traveller take his coat off

would be declared the stronger, of the two.

The north wind began. He blew as hard as he could, but the

harder he blew, the tighter the traveller wrapped his coat around

himself. Finally, the north wind gave up.

Then the sun began to shine with intense heat and, right away

the traveller took off his coat.

The north wind had to admit; the sun was stronger than the wind.

Taken from http://www.ongoing-tales.com/serials/oldtime/FAIRYTALES

http://www.ongoing-tales.com/serials/oldtime/FAIRYTALES

24

Difficult words:

- north wind = angin utara - arguing = berdebat, bertengkar mulut - traveller = pelancong, musafir - wrapped up = membungkus diri - declared = dinyatakan - gave up = berhenti, menyerah - intense heat = panas yang menyengat - admit = mengakui A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. The wind and the sun were arguing about which one of them was stronger. T F 2. The traveller was unaware of the dispute between the north wind and the sun. T F 3. When the sun began to shine, the traveller waited a while before removing his coat. T F 4. The sun gave up shining the traveller. T F 5. The wind admitted that the sun was smarter than the wind. T F


1. Who were arguing? 2. What were they arguing about? 3. How many travellers came along? 4. Why did the north wind blow as hard as he could? 5. What did the sun do to make the traveller take his coat off? 6. Who was stronger? 7. What are the three characters in the text? 8. What can we learn from the story?

25

13 OLIVES

Olives are about the same size as grapes, but they taste very

different. Some are bitter, some are sour, and some are very salty.

Men and women eat them with drinks before a meal but children

usually do not like them at all.

Mr. Grey was drinking beer and eating olives when his small son

Tommy came in. He saw that his father liked the olives very much, so

he said, 'May I have one, Father?' 'Yes,' answered his father. 'Take one

and try it.' Tommy took one. He thought it tasted terrible.

He watched his father take another and eat it. He could see that

he was enjoying it, so Tommy tried another olive-but that was just as

terrible as the first.

'You are taking all the good ones,' he cried, 'and leaving the bad

ones for me!'

Taken from: L.A. HILL 1979. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press

26

Difficult words:

- olive = buah zaitun - about = kira-kira - taste = terasa - bitter = pahit - salty = asin - at all = sama sekali - terrible = sangat tidak enak - leaving = menyisakan


1. Olives are about the same taste as grapes. T F

2. Some olives are bitter, some are sour, and some

are salty. T F

3. Children eat the olives with drinks before a meal

but men and women usually do not like them at all. T F

4. Mr. Grey was drinking beer and eating olives when

his small son Tommy came in. T F

5. Tommy was taking all the bad ones and leaving

the best ones for his father. T F

A. Answer the following questions based on the text above.

1. Who usually do not like olives?

2. How big are olives?

3. How do they taste?

4. Who usually eats them?

5. When do they eat them?

6. What was Mr. Grey doing when his son came in?

7. How many times had Tommy tasted the olive?

8. Why did Tommy complain?

27

14 A BIG PARTY

One of Nasreddin's rich neighbours had a big party one evening,

but he forgot to invite him. Nasreddin waited for the invitation, but it

didn‟t come, when the party had already begun, he put folded piece of

paper in an envelope and took it to his neighbours‟ house.

'I have a very important letter for the host,' he said to the

servants at the door. The servants took him into the big room where

everybody was eating; Nasreddin gave the letter to his rich neighbour

and at once sat down and began to fill his mouth with food.

The host looked at the envelope, but there was nothing on it, so

he said, 'Are you sure that this letter is for me? There is no address on

it.'

'Oh, yes,' said Nasreddin, 'and there is no writing inside it either

because it was prepared in a hurry.'

Taken from: L.A. Hill. 1979. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press

28

Difficult words:

- neighbour = tetangga - invite = mengundang - already = sudah - folded = melipat - host = tuan rumah - at once = dengan segera - fill = mengisi - prepared = disiapkan - a hurry = tergesa-gesa


1. Nasreddin had a big party one evening. T F

2. Nasreddin’s rich neighbour waited for the invitation. T F

3. The servants took Nasreddin into the big room

where everybody was eating. T F

4. Nasreddin gave the letter to his poor neighbour. T F

5. The host looked at the envelope, but there was

nothing on it. T F


1. Who had a big party?

2. Why did Nasreddin play a trick?

3. What did he say to the servants?

4. Where did the servants take him?

5. What did Nasreddin give to his rich neighbour?

6. What did the host say to Nasreddin?

7. Was there any writing inside the letter?

8. How was the letter prepared according to Nasreddin?

29

15 HALF MAD

Nasreddin put two big baskets of grapes on his donkey and went

to market. At midday it was very hot, so he stopped in the shade of a

big tree. There were several other men there, and all of them had

donkeys and baskets of grapes too. After lunch they went to sleep.

After some time, Nasreddin began to take grapes out of the other

men's baskets and put them in his.

Suddenly one of the men woke up and saw him. 'What are you

doing?' he said angrily.

'Oh,' said Nasreddin, 'don‟t worry about me. I am half mad, and I

do a lot of strange things.'

'Oh, really?' said the other man. Then why don't you sometimes

take grapes out of your baskets and put them in somebody else's

baskets?'

'You did not understand me,' said Nasreddin, “I said that I was

half mad, not quite mad.”

Taken from: L.A. Hill. 1979. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press

30

Difficult words:

- mad = gila - donkey = keledai - midday = tengah hari - shade = keteduhan - several = beberapa - suddenly = tiba-tiba - woke up = bangun - angrily = dengan marah - strange = aneh - quite = benar-benar


1. Nasreddin put two big baskets of grapes on his

donkey and went home. T F

2. Nasreddin took grapes out of the other

men's baskets and put them in his. T F

3. Suddenly Nasreddin woke up and saw the man. T F

4. Nasreddin did a lot of strange things. T F

5. Nasreddin was really mad. T F


1. What did Nasreddin put on his donkey?

2. Where did Nasreddin go?

3. Why did he stop?

4. Where did he stop?

5. What did he see there?

6. When did the men go to sleep?

7. What did one of the men see?

8. Was Nasreddin really mad?

31

16 MRS. WILLIAMS

Mrs. Williams was very proud of her house because it was always

clean and tidy. But one day, while she was sweeping the carpets, she

saw a little mouse run across her dining-room floor! She had always

told other people that mice are found only in dirty houses. So, she was

terribly ashamed when she saw a mouse in her own house. She quickly

called her daughter and said to her, 'A terrible thing has happened! I

saw a mouse in our dining-room a few minutes ago. We must catch it at

once! Go down to the village shop and buy a mouse-trap-but, whatever

you do, don't tell anybody what it is for!'

Taken from: L.A. HILL. 1979. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press

32

Difficult words:

- proud of = bangga - tidy = rapi - sweeping = menyapu - run across = lari melintasi - dirty = kotor - terribly = sangat - ashamed = malu - happened = terjadi - whatever = apapun


1. Mrs. Williams was very proud of her house because

it was always clean and tidy. T F

2. One day, she was washing the carpets. T F

3. She saw a little mouse in her dining-room floor. T F

4. She told other people that mice were found only

in dirty houses. T F

5. She said to her son, “A terrible thing has happened!” T F


1. How many people are there in the story?

2. What did Mrs. Williams feel about her house?

3. Why did she feel so?

4. What happened one day?

5. Where did she see a mouse?

6. What had she always told other people before this time?

7. Whom did she ask to buy a mouse trap?

8. What is the antonym of „clean‟?

33

17 THE SHIRT OF A HAPPY MAN

There was once a king who was very powerful and rich. But he

was always unhappy, because he was ill all time. One day he called all

his wise men to his palace and asked them what to do. “There is only

one way,” said a very old man. “If you can find a happy man, take his

shirt and wear it, you will be soon cured.

So the king sent his men to search for all the happy men. They

traveled all over the country, but they could not find one. Then,

suddenly they saw a workman who was singing merrily while he was at

work.

“Are you happy?” they asked the man.

“Yes, I am as happy as a bird,” answered the man.

“Give us your shirt, “said the men. “We‟ll give you as much

money as you need.”

“Oh no!” cried the man, “I only have one shirt.”

Adapted from: New Standard English readers, p. 20

34

A. Circle T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false!

1. A king was very powerful but poor. T F

2. The king was happy because he was ill all the time. T F

3. The king sent his men to search for all the happy men. T F

4. The workman was singing merrily while he was at work. T F

5. The workman only had one shirt. T F

C. Answer the following questions based on the text above.

1. Why was the king unhappy?

2. Who did the king call to his palace?

3. What did the wise men tell him to do?

4. Who did the king send to search for all the happy men?

5. Could the king‟s men find all the happy man?

6. Who was the happy man that they found at last?

7. What did the men ask for the workman?

8. What did the workman say to the king‟s men?

Difficult words:

- shirt = kemeja - king = raja - powerful = berkuasa - ill = sakit - wise = bijaksana - palace = istana - wear = mengenakan - search = mencari - traveled = menjelajah - workman = pekerja, buruh laki-laki - merrily = dengan gembira

35

18 WHY DOGS CHASE CATS

Long time ago, dog was married to cat. They were happy

together, but every night when dog came home from work, cat said

she was too sick to make him dinner. Dog was patient with her reason

for a while, but soon he got very tired of making dinner for them

both after working the whole day. After all, cat just stayed home all

day long.

One day, dog told cat he was going to work, but he hid in the

cupboard and watched cat to see if she was really sick. As soon as cat

thought dog had left, she started playing games with kitten. They

laughed and ran about. Cat was not sick at all.

Dog jumped out of the cupboard. When cat saw him, she put a

marble in her cheek and told dog she had a toothache. Dog got so mad

with her that he started chasing her around the house.


36

Difficult words:

- chase = mengejar

- for a while = sejenak, sebentar

- tired = lelah

- ran about = berkejar-kejaran

- mad = murka, marah besar

B. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. Dog and cat lived happily as a family long time ago. T F

2. Cat always made the dinner every night for the dog. T F

3. Dog worked the whole day. T F

4. Cat was really sick everyday. T F

5. When dog knew what cat really did, he was very mad. T F


1. When was dog married cat?

2. Why didn‟t cat make dinner for the dog?

3. Who always made the dinner?

4. What did cat really do when dog was away for work?

5. How could dog know cat‟s real condition?

6. Where did dog hide himself?

7. What did cat do when she saw dog?

8. What did dog do when he knew the reality?

37

19 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

One summer's day, a grasshopper was lying on a field and

singing happily. An ant passed by, carrying an ear of corn which he was

taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the grasshopper,

"instead of working so hard?"

"I'm helping to store up food for the winter," said the ant, "and

I suggest you do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the grasshopper; we have

plenty of food at present."

But the ant went on its way and continued carrying the corn.

When the winter came the grasshopper had no food and found

itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing corn and grain

from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the

grasshopper knew that it is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

Taken from: http://www.vtaide.com/png/ReadWeb/ant-n-grasshopper.htm

38

Difficult words:

- carrying = membawa - ear = sebulir - nest = sarang - chat = mengobrol

- store up = menyimpan

- winter = musim dingin

- suggest = menyarankan

- plenty = banyak

- dying of hunger = mati kelaparan - grain = butir padi


1. The grasshopper was carrying an ear of corn. T F

2. The ant suggested the grasshopper to store up

food for the winter. T F

3. The grasshopper stored up food for the winter. T F

4. The ants had a lot of foods when the winter came. T F

5. In the story, both the grasshopper and the ant lived

in the wood. T F


1. When was the grasshopper lying and singing happily?

2. Who was carrying an ear of corn?

3. Where was the ant taking the corn to?

4. What did the ant do for the winter?

5. Why did the ant collect a lot of food during the summer?

6. Who suggested the grasshopper to store up food for the winter?

7. Did the grasshopper have food when the winter came?

8. How was the grasshopper in winter then?

39

20 A GREEDY DOG

A greedy dog stole a large bone from a butcher’s shop. He kept

the bone tightly between his teeth and ran home with it.

On the way home, he came to a small bridge over a stream. As he

was crossing the bridge, he looked down and saw his own reflection in

the water below; he thought it was another dog that he saw. In this

other dog‟s mouth, he saw another large bone.

“If I can get the bone from that dog, I will have two large bones

instead of one,” thought the greedy dog.

He bent down to get his bone and, as he opened his jaws, his

bone fell out and was quickly lost in the water. So, in the end, the dog

had nothing. He had been punished by his own greed.

Taken from: World Wide Readers 3A

40

Difficult words:

- greedy = tamak, rakus - stole = mencuri - butcher‟s shop = toko daging (jagal) - kept = membawa - stream = sungai kecil - reflection = bayangan diri - bent down = membungkuk - jaw = rahang - fell out = terjatuh - punished = dihukum A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. The dog bought a large bone from a butcher‟s shop. T F

2. The dog was not satisfied with one bone. T F

3. The dog carried the bone in his mouth. T F

4. The dog saw himself in the water. T F

5. The dog had two large bones in the end

of the story. T F


1. What did the dog steal?

2. Where did the dog get the bone from?

3. How did the dog hold the bone?

4. What did the dog see in the water?

5. When did he see it?

6. Why did he bend down?

7. Did the dog finally have two bones?

8. What is the moral lesson of the story?

41

21 THE CAT, THE MONKEY, AND THE CHESNUTS

One day a cat and a monkey sat watching some chestnuts put into

the fire to roast. "How good they must be!" said the monkey. "I wish we

had them. I am sure you can get some out. Your paws are so much like

hands." The cat was much pleased at these words. She put out her paw

for the chestnuts. She took one out but burned her paw. "How well you

did that!" said the monkey. "I am sure you can get them all." So the

poor cat pulled out the nuts one by one, burning her paw each time. At

last they were all out. Then she turned round, but only in time to see

the monkey crack and eat the last of the nuts. So the poor cat had only

her burnt paw for her efforts.


42

Difficult words:

- chestnut = sej. kacang

- roast = panggang

- paws = cakar

- burned = terbakar

- turned round = berbalik

- crack = memecah

- effort = usaha


1. A cat and a monkey sat together watching some

chestnuts. T F

2. The monkey did not want the chestnuts. T F

3. The cat was not pleased by the monkey‟s words. T F

4. At first, the cat did not know that the monkey had

cheated her. T F

5. The monkey had eaten all the chestnuts. T F


1. What are the animals in the story?

2. Which one seemed to like the chestnuts more?

3. What did the monkey say to the cat?

4. Where were the chestnuts?

5. Why did the cat obey the monkey?

6. How did the cat respond to the monkey‟s statement?

7. What did the cat see when she turned round?

8. What happened to the cat‟s paws every time she pulled out the

nuts?

43

22 A GLASS OF WATER

There was once a great man named Sharfuddin Yahya. He cared a lot

for his parents when he was a boy. He was obedient and kind to them.

One night, his mother was thirsty and asked Sharfuddin for a glass of

water. When Sharfuddin came to his mother with the glass of water, he

found her asleep. He did not think it is wise to disturb his mother's sleep.

So, he sat next to his mother‟s bed waiting for his mother to awake.

His mother opened her eyes after a few hours and found Sharfuddin

sitting beside her with the glass of water. She asked him, "My dear son,

have you been sitting all this time?" Sharfuddin said, "Yes mother, I have

been waiting for you to wake up to give you a glass of water."

Sharfuddin's mother was very pleased with him. She blessed him and

prayed to Allah to make Sharfuddin a great man. When he grew up,

Sharfuddin was really a very great man of his time.

Taken from: http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/kids/story/glass_water.html

44

Difficult words:

- obedient = taat, patuh

- asleep = tertidur

- disturb = mengganggu

- blessed = memberkahi

- prayed = mendo‟akan


1. Sharfuddin‟s mother wanted a glass of milk. T F

2. Sharfuddin thought it was okay to wake up his mother. T F

3. Sharfuddin‟s mother slept for a few hours. T F

4. Sharfuddin‟s mother was very happy with Sharfuddin. T F

5. Sharfuddin was a disobedient boy. T F


1. Who was very thirsty that night?

2. Who was Sharfuddin Yahya?

3. What did Sharfuddin Yahya‟s mother ask him?

4. What did Sharfuddin Yahya do when he found her mother

asleep?

5. Why didn‟t Sharfuddin Yahya wake up his mother?

6. Where did Sharfuddin sit waiting for his mother to wake up?

7. Who blessed Sharfuddin?

8. What lesson can we learn from the story?

45

23 A FIGHT BETWEEN BROTHERS

It all started when Tom called me to join him in a game of

basketball. He said that Jack and some other boys would be there too.

As I had nothing else to do so I agreed. Tom told me to go to Raja Club

at three o'clock.

On the way there, I bought a burger. When I reached the

basketball court, I was surprised to see Tom and Jack quarreling. Tom

and Jack are brothers and they loved each other and seldom quarreled.

Later on, I learnt that they were quarrelling over who should start

throwing the ball. I shouted to them to stop but they would not listen.

They made such a noise that the people in a nearby coffee shop were

looking at them. Soon Tom and Jack started to punch each other.

Luckily, two men came and held the boys till the boys calmed down.

After the fight, I invited them to go the coffee shop for a drink.

At the coffee shop, I brought out my burger and it was good to see Tom

and Jack sharing the burger and laughing once again.

Taken from: http://www.vtaide.com/png/burger.htm Story by Huang YiPeng, April 1998

http://www.vtaide.com/png/burger.htm

46

Difficult words:

- fight = perkelahian - join = bergabung - quarrelling = berkelahi - punch = memukul - held = memegang - calmed down = menjadi tenang - sharing = berbagi


1. The narrator bought a burger in his way to the

Raja Club. T F

2. People nearby the coffee shop saw Tom and

Jack fighting. T F

3. Three men succeeded to stop the fight. T F

4. The narrator invited Jack and Tom to the restaurant. T F

5. Jack and Tom knew each other. T F


1. Who called the narrator to join a game of basketball?

2. Where was the narrator told to go?

3. Who were quarreling when the narrator reached the place?

4. Why were they quarreling?

5. Did Jack and Tom always fight to each other?

6. Who were looking at their fight?

7. Who held the boys to calm down?

8. What did the narrator give to Tom and Jack?

47

24 DON’T RELY ON YOUR FRIENDS

A hare was very popular among the other animals. She said that

they were all her good friends. One day she heard a hound approach and went to many of her friends for help. First she went to the donkey and said, “Are you able to drive away the hound?”

“No, I‟m unable to drive him away,” said the donkey. “I‟m not strong enough to fight against the hound. Go to ask the bull. He‟ll be able to carry you away from him.”

The hare went to the bull and said, “Are you able to carry me away on your back?” “No, I‟m unable to carry you away on my back, “the bull said. “I‟m not fast enough to escape from the hound. Go to ask the goat. He‟s brave enough to fight against him.”

The hare went to the goat and said, “Are you able to help me fight against the hound?” “No, I‟m unable to do such dangerous work, “said the goat. “The hound will eat a goat as well as a hare.”

The hound was close now. The hare did not ask any more and ran away herself. Now she knew it was no use to rely on her friends for help.

Taken from: New Standard English readers, p. 17

48

Difficult words:

- rely = bergantung - hare = kelinci - hound = anjing hutan - strong = kuat - bull = banteng - escape = kabur - brave = berani - dangerous = berbahaya


1. A hare was not very popular among the other animals. T F

2. A hare first went to the bull for help. T F

3. The bull said that he was unable to carry the hare

away on his back. T F

4. The goat helped the hare fight against the hound. T F

5. The hare ran away by herself to escape from the

hound. T F


1. How many true friends did the hare have?

2. Who approached the hare?

3. Who did the hare go to for help?

4. What did she ask the donkey to do?

5. What did the hare ask the bull to do?

6. Why did the bull refuse to help her?

7. What did the hare ask the goat to help her?

8. What did the hare learn that day?

49

25 THE TIGER AND THE BIG WIND

Once upon a time, a drought hit a jungle. All of the animals felt

so hot, thirsty, and hungry. It just so happened that there was one

large pear tree full of the juiciest pears in the field that was guarded

by a tiger. The tiger didn‟t let anyone go near the tree because he was

very selfish and greedy.

All animals came to see the rabbit and told what was going on.

The rabbit then made a plan to fool the tiger. In the morning, the

rabbit came to the tiger hurriedly and told the tiger that there was a

big wind blowing. The tiger was very scared and asked the rabbit to tie

him up with a rope to the pear tree tightly so he wouldn‟t be blown

away by the wind.

After the tiger was tied up, the rabbit called the other animals to

come. "Look at the one here who tried to keep all of the juicy pears to

himself instead of sharing them. Well, food was put on earth for all to

enjoy. Nobody has the right to be selfish with what is meant for

everyone." Then all of the animals sat in the shade of the big pear

tree and happily enjoyed on the delicious fruit together.

Adapted from: http://www.afro.com/children/myths/myths.html

50

Difficult words:

- drought = kemarau - pear = buah pir - hurriedly = dg. terburu-buru - juicy = mengandung air - delicious = lezat, enak


1. All of the animals were hungry and thirsty except

the tiger. T F

2. The pear tree was in the garden. T F

3. The rabbit was tied up to the pear tree by the tiger. T F

4. The rabbit came to the tiger leisurely. T F

5. All of the animals finally ate the pears together. T F


1. What happened to the jungle?

2. What tree did the tiger guard?

3. Why didn‟t the tiger let anyone go near the tree?

4. Who made a plan to fool the tiger?

5. What did the rabbit say to the tiger?

6. Why did the tiger ask to tie him up to the pear tree tightly?

7. Where did all of the animals sit eating delicious pears together?


51

26 A PROBLEM IN ARITHMETIC

A young boy is in the second grade of Junior High School. He is a

good student and an intelligent boy. He likes to study arithmetic, and

he can do all of the arithmetic problems in his book easily.

One day on his way to school, he passed by a fruit store. There was

a sign in the window which said, “Apples - Six for five cents.” An idea

came to the boy and he went into the store.

“How much are the apples?” he asked the man.

“Six apples for five cents.”

“But I don‟t want six apples.”

“How many apples do you want?”

“It is not a question of how many apples I want. It is a problem in

arithmetic.”

“What do you mean a problem in arithmetic?” asked the man.

“Well, if six apples are worth five cents, then five apples are worth

four cents, four apples are worth three cents, three apples are worth

two cents, and one apple is worth nothing. I only want one apple, and

if one apple is worth nothing, then it is not necessary for me to pay

you.”

The boy picked out a good apple, began to eat, and walked

happily out of the store. The man looked at the young boy with such

surprise that he could not say a word.

Taken from: Dixson, p. 136

52

Difficult words:

- intelligent = cerdas - passed by = melewati - sign = tanda - mean = arti, maksud - worth = harga - necessary = perlu - pay = membayar - picked out = memilih - surprise = terkejut A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. The boy is a good student. T F

2. He likes to study world history. T F

3. He can do all of the arithmetic problems easily. T F

4. The price of six apples was five cents. T F

5. The boy picked out two apples. T F


1. What grade is the boy in?

2. What subject does he like to study best?

3. What kind of store did he pass by on his way to school?

4. What sign was there in the store window?

5. How much were six apples?

6. Did the boy want to buy apples?

7. How could he get an apple for free?

8. What do you think about the boy?

53

27 WHY THE RABBIT HAS A SHORT TAIL

Early one very cold morning a rabbit was out hopping and playing.

He looked toward the trail and saw a fox coming up the trail. The fox

had some fish with him. Wow, I'll ask him where he caught those fish.

When the fox got there the rabbit said, "Fox, where did you get those

fish?" The Fox said, "I caught them at the branch of the big river." The

branch is frozen over, however, I dug a small hole in the ice and put

my tail down through the hole and I sat there for quite a while. My tail

began to get heavy so I pulled my tail out and the fish were hanging on

my tail.”

The rabbit started hopping very fast toward the branch. When he

got there, he dug a small hole in the ice and dropped his tail through

the hole. It was very cold but the rabbit kept sitting on the frozen ice.

He thought he had enough fish so he gave his tail a pull, but it wouldn‟t

come out. So he pulled out his tail very powerfully and the tail

snapped off. That is why the rabbit has a short tail today.

Taken from: ttp://www.tc.umn.edu/~mboucher/mikebouchweb/choctaw/legends2.htm

54

Difficult words:

- tail = ekor - branch = anak sungai - frozen = membeku - hole = lubang - heavy = berat - powerfully = dengan sekuat tenaga - snapped off = putus


1. It was a summer time. T F

2. A lion was seen by the rabbit coming up the trail. T F

3. The fox dug a hole to get the fish. T F

4. The rabbit got some fish from its hanging tail. T F

5. The rabbit‟s tail couldn‟t be pulled out from the ice. T F


1. When was the rabbit out hopping and playing?

2. What did he see coming up from the trail?

3. What did the fox have with him?

4. Where did the fox get them?

5. How did the fox get them?

6. Where did the rabbit go after that?

7. Why couldn‟t rabbit pull his tail out?

8. According to the story, why do rabbits have short tails today?

55

28 A MOUNTAIN STORY

A son and his father were taking a walk in the mountains.

Suddenly, his son fell, hurt himself and screamed "Aaahhhhhhhhh!!!" To

the boy‟ surprise, he heard his voice echoing, somewhere in the

mountain " Aaahhhhhhhhh!!!" Curiously, he yelled "Who are you?" He

received the answer "Who are you?" And then he screamed to the

mountain "I admire you!" The voice answered "I admire you!" Angered

at the response, he screamed "Coward!" He received the answer

"Coward!" He looked to his father and asked "What's going on?" The

father smiled and said "My son, pay attention." His father screamed

"You are a champion!" The voice answered "You are a champion!"

The boy was very much surprised, but did not understand. Then

his father explained "People call this echo, but really this is life. It

gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection

of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in

your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your

competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of

life. Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

Taken from: http://www.indianchild.com/mountain_story.htm

56

Difficult words:

- mountains = pegunungan - voice = suara - curiously = dengan penasaran - admire = mengagumi - coward = pengecut - champion = juara - echo = gema, gaung - competence = kemampuan - improve = meningkatkan


1. The boy‟s father fell suddenly. T F

2. The boy screamed “You are a champion!” T F

3. The voice the boy heard was the echo of his voice. T F

4. The father and his son were running in the mountains. T F

5. The boy‟s father said that “Life will give everything T F

you have given to it”


1. Where were a son and his father walking?

2. Who fell down suddenly?

3. What did the son do when he fell?

4. Why did the son yell?

5. Who was curious about the echoing voice?

6. Who explained the boy about the echo?

7. What do we do to get more love in the world?

8. What did the boy learn that day?

57

29 THE PEACOCK AND THE TORTOISE

The peacock and the tortoise were good friends. One day, a

peacock was caught by a bird-catcher. He wanted to sell the peacock to

the market. The bird begged his captor to allow him saying goodbye to the

tortoise. The captor agreed and took him to the tortoise. The tortoise was

very angry to see his friend a captive.

The tortoise asked the captor to let the peacock go in return for an

expensive present. The captor agreed. The tortoise then, dived into the

water and in seconds came up with a beautiful pearl. The captor was

happy so that he let the peacock go immediately.

A short time after, the greedy man came back and told the tortoise

that he had not paid enough for the release of his friend, and threatened

to catch the peacock again unless he was given another pearl. The tortoise

was greatly angry at the greed of the man.

"Well," said the tortoise, "If you insist on having another pearl like

it, give it to me and I will find you another pearl. Due to his greed, the

captor gave the pearl to the tortoise that swam away with it saying, "I am

no fool to take one and give two!" The tortoise then disappeared into the

water, leaving the bird-catcher without a single pearl.

Taken from: http://www.parentingtoddlers.com/childshortstories.html

58

Difficult words:

- peacock = burung merak - tortoise = kura-kura - captor = penawan - captive = sandera - dived = menyelam - pearl = mutiara - immediately = dengan segera - release = pembebasan - threatened = mengancam - disappeared = menghilang


1. The tortoise gave two pearls to the bird-catcher. T F

2. The man was greedy. T F

3. The tortoise gave a pearl for releasing peacock from

the catcher. T F

4. The tortoise begged the bird-catcher to keep his friend. T F

5. The bird-catcher was fooled by the tortoise. T F


1. Who caught the peacock?

2. Where did the captor want to sell the peacock?

3. What did the peacock beg to his captor?

4. Was tortoise angry to see his friend caught by the bird-catcher?

5. What did the tortoise give the captor in return to have the

peacock released?

6. What did the captor say to threaten the tortoise?

7. How many pearls did the captor have in the end?

8. Did the tortoise fool the captor?

59

30 STORY OF A FROG

A group of little frogs was having a race to reach the top of a very

high tower. The other frogs gathered around the tower watching the race.

They believed that no one of the little frogs could reach the tower top.

They said, “The way to climb up the tower is too difficult! You won‟t be

able to reach it ever! Other frogs added, “There is no way you can reach

the tower. You‟d better give up!”

Some of the little frogs started to fall down one by one. There were

only a few frogs that kept climbing up the stairs of the tower slowly. The

onlookers kept saying, “It‟s too difficult! No one of you will reach the top.

Just stop!” Some of the little frogs listened to what the other frogs were

saying and gave up. Soon, all of them gave up except one little frog that

kept on climbing higher and higher.

The other frogs kept saying, “Just give up! It‟s impossible for you!”

But he didn‟t give up. Finally he succeeded reaching the top. When he got

down, the other frogs asked, "How could you do that? Didn‟t you hear us

saying you‟d better stop?" The little frog explained to them that he was

deaf. He thought they were encouraging him all the time.

Translated & adapted from the story sent by Renny Meutia A. via email.

60

Difficult words:

- tower = menara - gathered = berkumpul - top = puncak - stairs = anak tangga - onlookers = para penonton - impossible = mustahil - succeeded = berhasil - deaf = tuli - encouraging = menyemangati


1. The little frogs were racing to the tower top. T F

2. The onlookers believe the little frogs could reach

the tower top. T F

3. Three frogs succeeded to the tower top. T F

4. The race winner was deaf. T F

5. The race winner thought that he was encouraged

the entire time. T F


1. What was a group of little frogs doing?

2. What did they have to reach to win?

3. Where did the onlookers gather to see the race?

4. What did the onlookers keep saying?

5. What happened to some little frogs after listening what the

onlookers said?

6. How many little frogs that were still climbing the towers higher

and higher?

7. Who won the race to the tower top?

8. Why did he win?

61

31 STAR AND SKY

Once upon a time, in an Indian village, lived a boy named Star. He

liked to make fun of another boy named Sky. Sky hated waking up in the

morning knowing he was either going to get called names or lose his

afternoon snack to Star. Star called him names because he was the

smallest kid in the tribe.

One day the tribe went on a hike to get fresh air. So Star was going

to scare Sky. Star ran ahead of the group and hid in some bushes. But

there was a wolf in the bushes so Star ran out of the bushes and into the

river because he thought the wolf wouldn't jump in to swim after him. And

he didn't, but the current was too strong that Star was floating down the

river and toward a waterfall.

Someone heard him scream, told the tribe, and they ran toward the

river. When they got there they saw Star going down the river. Sky got

onto a branch and told Star to grab his hand. And Star was saved by the

person he made fun of for so long. Star became friends with Sky and they

lived happily ever after.

Taken from: http://www.kidsfables.com/ (Story written by Joe)

http://www.kidsfables.com/

62

Difficult words:

- village = desa, kampung - make fun of = mengolok-olok - tribe = suku - hike = berjalan kaki - scare = menakuti - river = sungai - current = arus - waterfall = air terjun A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. Star was a good boy. T F

2. Star often took Sky‟s afternoon snack. T F

3. Sky was the biggest kid in his tribe. T F

4. Sky hid in the bushes to scare Star. T F

5. Sky and Star were friends after Sky helped Star. T F


1. Where did Star and Sky live?

2. Who did Star always make fun of?

3. Why did Sky hate waking up in the morning?

4. What did the tribe do to get fresh air?

5. Why did Star hide in the bushes?

6. Why did Star jump into the river?

7. Who saved him from the river?

8. Did Star and Sky become friends in the end of the story?

63

32 THE MOON AND THE SUN

Nasreddin was chatting with his friends. He asked his friends,

“Which is more important, the sun or the moon?” “Both are important.

None is more important than the other,” his friends answered almost

spontaneously. “No, I think in general the moon is more important

than the sun,” said Nasreddin.

“Is it? Why?” one of his friends asked.

Nasreddin answered seriously, “Night is dark. So, people need

light very much. Fortunately, there is a moon. It gives them the light.

On the other hand, day is very bright. I think people don‟t need any

light. So, they don‟t need the sun. All of his friends laughed together.

But Nasreddin soon said further, “Night is dark. Maybe it is a problem

for you. But, for me it is not. Since I can see in the dark, for me night

and day are just the same. So, both the moon and the sun are not

important to me.”

One of his friends asked, “If it is true, Nasreddin, why do I

sometimes see you walking with a light at night?”

“Oh, that‟s only to prevent somebody from hitting me.”

Taken form: Nasreddin A Man with Thousand of Ideas, p. 35

64

Difficult words:

- important = penting - spontaneously = secara spontan - seriously = dengan serius - fortunately = untungnya - bright = terang - prevent = mencegah


1. Nasreddin was joking with his friends. T F

2. Nasreddin thought that the moon was

more important than the sun. T F

3. Night is dark. T F

4. People do not need any light in the day. T F

5. Nasreddin was walking without a light at night. T F


1. Who was Nasreddin chatting with?

2. What did Nasreddin ask his friends?

3. What is Nasreddin‟s opinion about the moon?

4. Were moon and sun important for Nasreddin?

5. Why did Nasreddin walk with a light at night?

6. Could Nasreddin really see in the darkness?

7. When do people need light very much?

8. What do you think of Nasreddin?

65

33 DOG AND WOLF STORY

A dog slipped off his leash one day and went for a walk in the woods. Then he met a wolf.

The dog said to the wolf, “Brother Wolf, you look so thin! How can you be happy when you are so thin? You should come live with me and my master. I always eat everyday.

The wolf thought for a moment and replied, “Yes, you are right. Why should I be in the wild hunting for small bites of food when someone else will give it to me? Okay, I will come to live with you.”

“Good,” said the dog, „then follow me.” As they trotted to the dog‟s home, the wolf noticed a patch

around the dog‟s neck where the fur had been worn off. „Brother Dog,” asked the wolf, “Why do you have that patch

around your neck where there is no fur?” The dog stopped and turned to the wolf with sadness in his eyes.

“That is where they place the leather leash around my neck. They do this so they can control me and keep me in my place.” replied the dog sadly.

“Never!” said the wolf as he began to trot back into the forest. “I would rather be starving and free than to be fat and a slave.”

Taken from: http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/story/story-1094.asp

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/story/story-1094.asp

66

Difficult words:

- slipped off = lepas - leash = pengikat anjing - woods = hutan - master = pemilik anjing - trotted = berlari - worn off = hilang, habis - patch = bagian, daerah - sadly = dengan sedih - starving = kelaparan - slave = budak


1. The dog was happy living with his master. T F

2. The wolf was very fat. T F

3. There was no fur around the dog‟s neck. T F

4. The leather leash was used to control the dog. T F

5. The wolf preferred to be starving and free than

to be fat and slave. T F


1. Who did the dog meet in the woods?

2. How was the wolf?

3. What did the dog offer to the wolf?

4. What did the wolf see around the dog‟s neck?

5. What happened to the dog‟s fur around the neck?

6. Why did the dog‟s master put the leather leash around the

dog‟s neck?

7. What would the wolf rather be?


67

34 THE WOLF AND THE CRANE

A wolf was one day eating his dinner. He was very greedy. He ate

so quickly that a bone stuck in his throat. He tried hard to get it out

but all was in vain. Then he went to the crane and said, “Good

morning, Crane. Will you help me to do something?”

“What can I help do you?” asked the crane.

“I have a bone stuck in my throat. You have a long bill, and so

you can draw it out”, said the wolf. “If you do that for me, I will give

you a reward.”

“Let me try,” said the crane. “It is not difficult for me to do so.”

The wolf opened his mouth wide. The crane put her bill in and

drew out the bone. “Now will you give me the reward, please?” the

crane asked the wolf.

“Reward?” said the wolf. “Don‟t talk about that. You should be

thankful to me. Although you put your head into my mouth, I did not

bite you. What more do you want?”

Taken from: New Standard English Reader for Elementary School, p. 36

68

Difficult words:

- crane = bangau - stuck = tersedak - throat = kerongkongan - bill = paruh - reward = hadiah - wide = lebar - drew = menarik - thankful = berterima kasih - bite = menggigit


1. The wolf was very greedy. T F

2. The wolf ate so slowly that a bone got stuck in

his throat. T F

3. He could not draw the bone out. T F

4. He asked a crane to draw the bone out. T F

5. The crane got a reward for helping the wolf. T F


1. What happened when the wolf was eating greedily?

2. What got stuck in the wolf‟s throat?

3. When did the wolf go to the crane?

4. Why did the wolf go to the crane?

5. What did the wolf say when he came to the crane?

6. What did the wolf say to the crane if the crane helped him?

7. How did the crane draw out the bone in the wolf‟s throat?

8. Did the crane get the reward from the wolf?

69

35 MY NEIGHBOUR

David had been waiting for his mother in front of the school. His

mother usually fetched him from school but today she was not there.

David waited for 15 minutes before he walked home by himself.

When he reached home, he knocked on the door as he did not

bring the keys. Surprisingly, no one answered the door. David knocked

again but still no one answered the door. Just as he was about to go to

the nearby coffee shop where his father worked to get the keys, he

heard the friendly voice of his neighbour, John.

David told him that no one was home and John's mother

suggested that David stayed in their house till his mother came back.

David and John played happily till evening when David's mother came

back.

David thanked John and his family before he went back into his

house. David's mother explained to David that she had a backache and

she had to see a doctor. From this experience, David learnt an

important lesson, "Neighbours are people who help each other."

Taken from: http://www.vtaide.com/png/neighbours.htm Story by Huang YiZhong

70

Difficult words:

- fetched = menjemput

- knocked = mengetuk

- friendly = ramah

- backache = sakit punggung

- experience = pengalaman


1. David‟s father worked in the post office. T F

2. John is David‟s neighbour. T F

3. David‟s mother went to the market that day. T F

4. David and John played together till the next morning. T F

5. David‟s mother had a backache. T F


1. Where had David been waiting for his mother?

2. Did David‟s mother fetch him after school that day?

3. How long did David wait for his mother?

4. Did anybody answer the door when he knocked it?

5. Who suggested David to wait for his mother in their house?

6. What did David do in John‟s house?

7. Why didn‟t David‟s mother fetch him that day?

8. What lesson did David learn that day?

71

36 A YOUNG LADY

A

pretty, well-dressed young lady stopped a taxi in a big square, and

said to the driver, 'Do you see that young man at the other side of this

square?'

'Yes,' said the taxi-driver. The young man was standing outside a

restaurant and looking impatiently at his watch every few seconds.

'Take me over there,' said the young lady.

There were a lot of cars and buses and trucks in the square, so

the taxi-driver asked, 'Are you afraid to cross the street?'

'Oh, no' said the young lady. 'But I have been forty five minutes

late. I said that I would meet that young man for lunch at one o'clock,

and it is now a quarter to two. If I arrive in a taxi, it will seem as if I

have tried not to be too late.


72

Difficult words:

- well-dressed = berpakaian rapi - square = alun-alun - other side = sisi lain - impatiently = dengan tidak sabar - afraid = takut - arrive = tiba - as if = seolah-olah


1. A pretty, well-dressed young lady stopped a taxi

in a big square. T F

2. The young lady was standing outside a restaurant

looking impatiently. T F

3. There were a lot of cars and buses and trucks

in the square. T F

4. The young lady was afraid to cross the street. T F

5. The young lady was an hour late to meet the

young man. T F


1. How was the lady in this story?

2. Where did she go to?

3. Whom did she want to meet?

4. Where was this person?

5. How long had the man been waiting for the lady?

6. What did she meet the man for?

7. What time should the lady meet the young man?

8. Why did she want to arrive in a taxi?

73

37 A CLEVER PRISONER

A potato farmer was sent to prison just at the time when he

should have dug the ground for planting potatoes. He knew that his

wife was not strong enough to do the digging, although she could

manage to do the planting. He also knew that none of his friends or

neighbours would be willing to do the digging for him. So he wrote a

letter to his wife saying, “Please do not dig the potato field. I hid the

money and the gun there.”

Ten days later, he got a letter from his wife saying, “I think

somebody must have read your letter before it left the prison. Some

policemen came two days ago and dug up the entire potato field. What

should I do now?” The prisoner wrote back at once, “Plant the

potatoes, of course.”


74

Difficult words:

- prisoner = napi, tahanan - prison = penjara - planting = menanam - manage = mengurus - willing = sudi, mau - hid = menyembunyikan


1. There was some money and a gun hidden in

the potato field. T F

2. The potato farmer‟s friends and neighbours

Were willing to help planting potatoes. T F

3. The farmer wrote a letter to his wife. T F

4. Some friends and neighbours came and dug up

the entire potato field. T F

5. The farmer was smart. T F


1. Who is the „prisoner‟?

2. When was the potato farmer sent to prison?

3. Would his wife be strong enough to do the digging?

4. Was she strong enough to do the planting?

5. How were their friends and neighbours?

6. What did the farmer say in his letter to his wife?

7. When did the farmer get a reply letter from his wife?

8. Who actually dug the potato field for his wife?

75

38 THE GIRL AND HER BUCKET

A young girl was going to market with a bucket of milk on her

head. "With the gold that I get from the sale of this milk, I'll buy a red

hen," she said. "The hen will lay eggs, they'll hatch and then I'll have

many chicks to be raised. I'll feed them well and when they're grown,

they will lay eggs. And those eggs will hatch and I will have more hens

that will lay more eggs that will hatch into chicks.

I'll be rich and I'll wear fine clothes with emeralds and rubies

from my collar to my toes and one day perhaps I shall visit the Queen.

I shall bring her rare gifts from China. I'll enter the court with my arms

full of treasure. When I bow low to the queen, I shall say, "For your

majesty's pleasure!"

And she bowed low. With that sweep of her arm, she knocked off

the bucket and spilled her fantasy load.

"Oh dear," she cried, "My dreams are splattered in puddles of

milk on the road."


76

Difficult words:

- bucket = ember - sale = penjualan - lay eggs = bertelur - hatch = menetas - raised = diternakkan - feed = memberi makan - emeralds = zamrud - rubies = merah delima - collar = kerah baju - rare = langka - treasure = harta karun - bow = membungkuk - spilled = menumpahkan - splattered = tercecer - puddles = genangan, kubangan


1. A young girl was going to market to sell the milk. T F

2. She would buy emeralds from the sale of the milk. T F

3. The girl is from a rich family. T F

4. The girl had a fantasy to be rich. T F

5. The girl lost her dream as she spilled the milk. T F


1. Where did the girl put the bucket of milk on?

2. Where was the girl going to?

3. What did she want to get from the sale of the milk?

4. Why did he want to be rich?

5. Who would she visit if she was rich?

6. What would she say when bowing to the Queen?

7. What would she give to the Queen?

8. How did she splatter her dream?

77

39 THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE

Once upon a time, a Country Mouse had a visit from his cousin

in the country. He was so happy. He loved his cousin and made him

heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had

to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse said: "I cannot

understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this,

but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country; come

you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in

town a week you will wonder how you could ever have stood a country

life."

Next, the two mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town

Mouse's residence late at night. "You will want some refreshment after

our long journey," said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend into

the grand dining-room. There they found the remains of food, and soon

the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes and all that was nice.

Suddenly they heard growling and barking. "What is that?" said the

Country Mouse. "It is only the dogs of the house," answered the other.

"Only!" said the Country Mouse. "I do not like that music at my dinner."

Just at that moment the door flew open, in came two dogs, and the

two mice had to run away. "Good-bye, Cousin," said the Country Mouse,

"What! Going so soon?" said the other. "Yes," he replied; "Better beans

and bacon in peace than cakes and beer in fear."


78

Difficult words:

- bacon = daging babi - offer = menyajikan - freely = dengan gratis - expect = mengharapkan - country = pedesaan - wonder = takjub - residence = tempat tinggal - remains = sisa-sisa


1. The country mouse visited his cousin in the town. T F

2. The mice ate the remains of a fine feast in the

grand dining room. T F

3. The town mouse didn‟t like music at the dinner. T F

4. Two dogs were growling and barking to the mice. T F

5. The country mouse liked peace than fear. T F


1. Who came to visit the country mouse?

2. What did the country mouse offer to his guest?

3. Where did the two mice go?

4. When the two mice arrive at the Town Mouse‟s residence?

5. What did they eat in the grand dining room?

6. Who does not like the dog‟s bark at dinner time?

7. How many dogs were in the house?

8. Why did the country mouse leave so soon?

79

40 BRUCE AND THE SPIDER

Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, was hiding in a hut in the forest. His

enemies were seeking him. Six times he had met them in battle, and six

times he had failed. Bruce had given up all as lost. He was about to run

away from Scotland, and to leave the country in the hands of his enemies.

Full of sorrow, he lay on a pile of straw in the poor woodchopper's hut.

While he laid thinking, he noticed a spider spinning her web. The spider

was trying to spin a thread from one beam to another. It was a long way

between the beams, and Bruce saw how hard it was for her to do. "She can

never do it," though the king.

The little spider had tried it six times and had failed each time. "She

is like me," thought the king. "I have tried six battles and failed. She has

tried six times to reach the beam and failed." Then starting up from the

straw, he cried, "I will hang my fate upon that little spider. If she swings

the seventh time and fails then I will give up all for lost. If she swings the

seventh time and wins, I will call my men once more for a battle."

The spider tried the seventh time, letting herself down upon her

slender thread. She swung out bravely. "Look! Look!" shouted the king.

"She has reached it. The thread hangs between the two beams. If the

spider can do it, I can do it." Bruce got up from the straw with new

strength and sent his men from village to village, calling the people to

arms. The brave soldiers answered his call and came. Soon, his army was

ready to fight, and when the king led them in a great battle against the

enemy, this time, like the spider, Bruce won.


80

Difficult words:

- hut = gubuk - battle = peperangan - enemy = musuh - wood chopper = tukang pembelah kayu - web = jaring - beam = balok, tiang - straw = jerami - hang = bergelantungan - fate = nasib, takdir - thread = benang - bravely = dengan berani A. Circle T if the statement is True and F if it is False.

1. Bruce was a king. T F

2. He hid in the farmer‟s hut. T F

3. He had lost in the battle for seven times. T F

4. The spider inspired Bruce to be brave again. T F

5. Bruce won the battle at last. T F


1. Who was hiding in a hut in the forest?

2. How many times had Bruce failed in the battle?

3. What did Bruce notice?

4. How many times had the spider tried to spin a thread between the

two beams before she finally succeeded?

5. Who did Bruce hang his fate upon?

6. What made him confident to have a battle against his enemy again?

7. Did Bruce win in his seventh battle?

8. What can we learn from the story?

short stories collection

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