PITU AND THE BIRDS

1
In a forest in South America the people and the animals speak the same
language. A young Indian boy, Pitu, lives in the forest with his mother, father,
brothers and sisters. They live in a house made of grass and leaves. There are
about twenty houses in their village.
Every day Pitu goes into the forest alone. He likes shooting birds with his bow
and arrow. In this forest the birds are different; they are all completely white! One
morning Pitu goes hunting. Suddenly he notices something strange bu the river.
There are lots of colourful shells, all the colours you can imagine. Pitu sits down,
takes a piece of string, and makes a necklace with the shells. Then suddenly a
strange thing happens. PItu begins to grow big and fat and long! After a few
minutes, he isnt a boy at all, but a great, fat, long, colourful river snake! He goes
into the water and sits on the bottom of the river. He stays there for a long time.
Sometimes he gets out of the river and eats an animal or a person!
1. Where does Pitu live? ; Can the animals talk? ; What colour are the birds? ;
What does Pitu make? ; Where is Pitu at the end? ; What is he?

PITU AND THE BIRDS

1

In a forest in South America the people and the animals speak the same
language. A young Indian boy, Pitu, lives in the forest with his mother, father,
brothers and sisters. They live in a house made of grass and leaves. There are
about twenty houses in their village.
Every day Pitu goes into the forest alone. He likes shooting birds with his bow
and arrow. In this forest the birds are different; they are all completely white! One
morning Pitu goes hunting. Suddenly he notices something strange bu the river.
There are lots of colourful shells, all the colours you can imagine. Pitu sits down,
takes a piece of string, and makes a necklace with the shells. Then suddenly a
strange thing happens. PItu begins to grow big and fat and long! After a few
minutes, he isnt a boy at all, but a great, fat, long, colourful river snake! He goes
into the water and sits on the bottom of the river. He stays there for a long time.
Sometimes he gets out of the river and eats an animal or a person!

1. Where does Pitu live?; Can the animals talk? ; What colour are the birds? ;
What does Pitu make? ; Where is Pitu at the end? ; What is he?
PITU AND THE BIRDS
2
Pitus mother is very sad because she thinks the great river snake killed and
ate her son. The animals and the people are angry because sometimes the snake
eats people and animals. So the Chief of the Indians has a meeting in the forest.
All the people and all the animals go and listen to the Chief. The Chief says,
Somebody must kill the great river snake. Whoever kills the snake can keep its
colourful skin.
The animals are frightened and they dont want to kill the snake. They give
their excuses. I cant swim, says the white parrot. Ive got a bad cold, says
the monkey. I cant see very well, says the bat. Im very small, says the
mouse.
Then the cormorant stands up. He is a big bird with a long neck. He usually goes
to the river to catch fish. I think I can kill the snake, he says. The cormorant
takes an arrow and puts it in his beak. He goes to the river immediately. He
swims down and down until he sees the enormous snake. There is a terrible fight,
but the cormorant kills the snake with the arrow. Everybody is happy. The Indians
and the animals pull the snake out of the water. They cut off its beautiful skin.
Now the Indians want the skin because it is very beautiful. But the cormorant
says, No, its mine. The Chief of the Indians says, OK, you can have it. But how
can you carry it? The chief laughs, and the cormorant thinks about what he can
do.

PITU AND THE BIRDS

2
Pitus mother is very sad because she thinks the great river snake killed and
ate her son. The animals and the people are angry because sometimes the snake
eats people and animals. So the Chief of the Indians has a meeting in the forest.
All the people and all the animals go and listen to the Chief. The Chief says,
Somebody must kill the great river snake. Whoever kills the snake can keep its
colourful skin.
The animals are frightened and they dont want to kill the snake. They give
their excuses. I cant swim, says the white parrot. Ive got a bad cold, says
the monkey. I cant see very well, says the bat. Im very small, says the
mouse.

Then the cormorant stands up. He is a big bird with a long neck. He usually goes
to the river to catch fish. I think I can kill the snake, he says. The cormorant
takes an arrow and puts it in his beak. He goes to the river immediately. He
swims down and down until he sees the enormous snake. There is a terrible fight,
but the cormorant kills the snake with the arrow. Everybody is happy. The Indians
and the animals pull the snake out of the water. They cut off its beautiful skin.
Now the Indians want the skin because it is very beautiful. But the cormorant
says, No, its mine. The Chief of the Indians says, OK, you can have it. But how
can you carry it? The chief laughs, and the cormorant thinks about what he can
do.