Storybook - V2-Digital

Título de la obra completa: EVOLVE your English
Primera edición 2020

ISBN: 978-958-52620-0-3
Autor: Stephanie O’Connell
Título de la obra: STORYBOOK.

ISBN: 978-958-52620-1-0
Diseño editorial: Natalia Aguirre
Diseño gráfico: Codyd S.A.S
Editor: Editora Sea Group S.A.S

Cra. 24 # 58-36/40
Manizales- Colombia
Impresión: Capital Graphic

Cra. 19 N° 29-55
Manizales- Colombia
©2020 Prohibida su reproducción o copia total o parcial.

Todos los derechos patrimoniales de la obra son reservados.
Acknowledgements & Credits
Many creative minds and resources contributed to the creation of this material.
The author and publishers would like to thank the following people for their involvement.
Luis Munevar (Co-Author/Sound Editor/Advisor/Recorder)

Your inspiration and guidance through the planning, research and writing phases has been invaluable.
Thank you for the late-night brainstorming sessions, for your innovative concepts and playing a key role
in the completion of this project.
Your support throughout this entire process has been a driving force for everyone involved. Without
you, this wouldn’t be possible.
Justin Anderson (B.A English/Lead Copywriter/Proof-reader)

Thank you for overseeing the curriculum and scaffolding of this project. Your input and constructive
advice has been indispensable.
Clara Vargas (Advisor/Contributor/Editor)

Thank you for your participation in developing plans and assistance with this material and the Evolve
system. Your research, keen eye for detail and feedback was fundamental.
Sebastian Diaz Restrepo (C.E.O Codyd) and his experienced team.

Thank you, Paulo Andres Granados, for all the tireless hours you put towards making the
Illustrations and design of this material. Thank you to everyone at Codyd for your perseverance and
valuable perspectives.
Christian Vergaño, Eliana Hernandez, Nataly Suarez, Tatiana Arevalo,

Angelica Camayo, Yuri Barrios, Hector Serna, Daniel Valencia, William Noth
(Advisors/Contributors/Editors)
Thank you for your patience, for your helpful input, grammar corrections and wise words. Your
encouragement in Calima was paramount, and your continued support proves you are a tremendously
loyal team.
Jonatan Gomez (Collaborator/Advisor)

Thank you for your unbelievable creativity. The momentum you gave to the beginning stages of this
project was essential.
Arianna Jessica Franco O’Connell (Audio Recorder/Advisor)

Thank you for allowing us to use your beautiful voice for the audios. Your enthusiasm and moral
support throughout this process was encouraging and extremely helpful.
1. THE EXAM................................................................................................................................................................... 10
2. DIRTY DONKEY....................................................................................................................................................... 14
3. THE BOULDER.......................................................................................................................................................... 17
4. FEAR NOT.................................................................................................................................................................... 20
5. FIST FULL OF CANDY.......................................................................................................................................... 23
6. THE GREAT IDEA.................................................................................................................................................... 26
7. THE STONE BOYS................................................................................................................................................... 29
8. EVEN STEVEN............................................................................................................................................................ 32
9. THREE TREE CUTTERS....................................................................................................................................... 35
10. DON´T BE A CHICKEN....................................................................................................................................... 39
11. A FROG´S REVENGE............................................................................................................................................. 43
12. MICE-CREAM.............................................................................................................................................................. 47
13. THE WOLF´S EXCUSE......................................................................................................................................... 51
14. GIVE A MAN A FISH.............................................................................................................................................. 54
15. BUTTERFLY WINGS............................................................................................................................................... 57
1. THE WISER MERCHANT................................................................................................................................... 62

2. HEAR NO EVIL.......................................................................................................................................................... 66
3. GIRL TALK..................................................................................................................................................................... 70
4. TWO TRAVELERS.................................................................................................................................................... 74
5. THE COAL LESSON............................................................................................................................................... 78
6. THE TOUGH COACH.......................................................................................................................................... 82
7. AUTUMN LEAVES................................................................................................................................................... 86
8. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.................................................................................................................... 89
9. GOLD RUSH............................................................................................................................................................... 92
10. THE THIRSTY CROW........................................................................................................................................... 96
11. KING OF THE JUNGLE......................................................................................................................................... 100
12. MAKE THE TIME....................................................................................................................................................... 104
13. STUCK IN THE MUD............................................................................................................................................. 108
14. STRONG ROOTS..................................................................................................................................................... 112
15. THE BANANA TREE............................................................................................................................................. 116
1. THE INVENTOR....................................................................................................................................................... 122

2. THE LOAN................................................................................................................................................................... 126
3. MING DYNASTY...................................................................................................................................................... 130
4. T - BONE....................................................................................................................................................................... 134
5. THE SACRED ASS.................................................................................................................................................... 139
6. NEVER TOO LATE.................................................................................................................................................. 144
7. PLAYING GOD.......................................................................................................................................................... 149
8. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.................................................................................................. 153
9. GOLDEN EGGS......................................................................................................................................................... 157
10. NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD.......................................................................................................... 162
1. JOE LUCK...................................................................................................................................................................... 168

2. FRESH FISH................................................................................................................................................................... 173
3. FORMULA TO SUCCEED.................................................................................................................................. 178
4. ALL INCLUSIVE......................................................................................................................................................... 183
5. THE CURE.................................................................................................................................................................... 188
6. HEAVY WATER.......................................................................................................................................................... 193
7. DO UNTO OTHERS.............................................................................................................................................. 198
8. THE FRIENDLY TRAITOR................................................................................................................................... 203
9. THE CARELESS BEAR........................................................................................................................................... 208
10. RECOGNITION........................................................................................................................................................ 213
©Depositphotos /Kobyakov
Jakkapan Sapmuangphan© 123RF.com
1
THE EXAM
It was exam week, and three university students were out drinking and partying at a club until
the sun came up the next day.
The boys had an important exam that morning, worth 70% of their overall grade, but since
they were out all night, they didn’t have time to study for it.
So, the boys went to the principal’s office with an elaborate story about how they found an old
woman on the side of the street who was severely beaten and robbed at gunpoint.
10 STORYBOOK
They said they took the woman to her house to calm her down, called the police and spent the
night answering a series of questions from the officers and didn’t get home until late. They
told the principal they weren’t able to study and requested an extension to take the test at a
later date.
The principal listened to their story and gave them a two-day extension.
On day two, the students went to the principal’s office to get their exam but were caught off
guard when he told them that the school had prepared a special exam, different from the
other students and that they would have to be seated in separate rooms to take the test.
The students agreed to the unique conditions as they all studied hard and felt prepared.
Once they were seated at their desks, they turned over the paper which read:
1 ) Your name: (1%)

2 ) Name of the old lady: (99%)
MORAL
Take responsibility for your actions.
“Do what’s right, not what’s easy.” - Roy T. Bennett
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

• SIMPLE PAST • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
• DESCRIBING PEOPLE – THINGS • POSSESSIVE CASE OF NOUNS
KEY VOCABULARY
WEEK: A period of 7 days (def ) OVERALL: Altogether,
DRINK(ING): Consuming Generally (syn)
alcohol (def ) ELABORATE: Lengthy
PARTY(ING): Celebrating (syn) and exaggerated (def )
CLUB: Nightclub, Disco (syn) FIND: Discover (def )
Stories 11
STREET: Public road (def ) ANSWERING: Respond (syn)
BEATEN: Abused, Assaulted (def ) QUESTIONS: Ask, Inquire (syn)
ROB: Steal (syn) SEATED: Arrangement
to sit somewhere (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
EXPRESSIONS / SLANG:
Until the sun came up – Meaning until the next morning
Caught off guard – To be surprised / When something happens
unexpectedly
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Would you say these boys are responsible or irresponsible?
2. Would you say these boys are young or old? Explain your answer.
3. Why weren’t the boys prepared for the exam?
12 STORYBOOK
4. How important was this exam?
5. Why did the boys lie?
6. Did the principal believe the boys story? Explain your answer.
7. Why did the principal sit the boys in separate rooms to take the exam?
8. What was the consequence for lying?
Stories 13
dbajurin© 123RF.com
2
DIRTY DONKEY
A donkey and his master were walking along a muddy trail when all of a sudden, the donkey
fell into a ditch.
The master tried to pull him out, but it was impossible. The ditch was too deep, and the
donkey was too heavy.
14 STORYBOOK
“Oh, how terrible!” – he cried
After hours of trying to get the donkey out of the ditch, the master gave up.
“It’s no use. I’ll just have to bury him and end his suffering.”
So, the man got a shovel and started throwing dirt over the donkey.
But, every time the donkey got covered in dirt, he would shake it off onto the ground and use
it to take a step up.
The more the master threw the dirt onto the donkey, the shallower the ditch got. Eventually,
the donkey was able to climb out on his own.
MORAL
Life has its downfalls. Use every disadvantage as an advantage.
Get back up when life knocks you down.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PAST
• REGULAR VERBS
• IRREGULAR VERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
MUDDY: Full of wet SHOVEL: Tool to move dirt,
dirt or soil (def ) snow or other material (def )
TRAIL: Line, Path, Route (syn) DIRT: Dust, Mud, Soil (syn)
DITCH: Trench, Duct (syn) TO SHAKE: Agitate (syn)
DEEP: Profound, Far down SHALLOW: Deep (ant)
from the surface (def ) Lacking depth (def )
HEAVY: Weighs a lot (def ) CLIMB: Ascend, Go Up (syn)
TO BURY: To put in the ground
and cover with dirt (def )
Stories 15
COMMON PHRASES /
It’s no use: Pointless in doing it because there will not be a positive result
To give up: To admit defeat, to stop trying
1. Why couldn’t the master pull the donkey out of the ditch?
2. How did the master feel about the situation?
3. Why did the master decide to bury the donkey?
4. How did the donkey get out of the ditch?
5. What should the donkey have done when he finally got out of the ditch?
16 STORYBOOK
bjul© 123RF.com
3
THE BOULDER
Once upon a time, there was a king who wanted to test the hearts of his people, so he came
up with a plan. He put a boulder in the middle of the main road and hid behind a tree to see if
anyone would move the rock.
Most people just walked around the boulder. Some complained, and blamed the king for not
putting the tax payer’s money to good use, but no one attempted to move the rock out of
the way.
Stories 17
Just when the king thought that none of his people had a proper sense of belonging for their
town, a young boy walked by.
“Someone is going to get hurt with this big boulder here in the middle of the road.” he said. And
instead of just walking around it as everyone else had done, he put down his bag and started
to push it out of the way.
The boulder was large and heavy, so it wasn’t easy to move, but the boy persisted.
After thirty minutes of pushing and pulling, the boy finally removed the boulder from the road.
When he went to retrieve his bag, he saw a pouch of silver coins where the rock had been, and a
note that read; “This gift is for the considerate man who puts others before himself.”
MORAL
Some people complain while others take action.
Don’t complain about things you’re not willing to change.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • INFINITIVES – GERUNDS

• SIMPLE PAST • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
• THERE IS (PAST) • DIRECT SPEECH
• PHRASAL VERBS • QUANTIFIERS
KEY VOCABULARY
KING: Male ruler of an COMPLAIN: Express
independent state (def ) dissatisfaction about something
PLAN: Scheme, Strategy (syn) or someone (def )
PUSH: Pull (ant) PROPER: Correct, Official,

Acceptable (syn)
HURT: To cause pain
or injury (def ) RETRIEVE: To get, or
bring back (def )
BOULDER: Large rock (def )
BLAME: To declare that
ATTEMPT: Try (syn) someone is responsible for an
Make an effort (def ) unfortunate situation (def )
HEAVY: Light (ant)
18 STORYBOOK
1. Why did the king put the boulder in the road?
2. What was the most common reaction when the people saw the obstacle?
3. What was the point of putting a reward for the person who removed the boulder?
4. What lesson was the king trying to give his people?
5. What are some obstacles in your life? And what are you doing to overcome them?
6. Change the ending of this story.
Stories 19
©Depositphotos /Alekuwka
4
FEAR NOT
A mother and her six-year-old son were at a pool party.

The mother warned her son not to go near the pool because when she was a child, she almost
drowned.
The boy wanted to go and play with the other children, but the mother insisted that it was too
dangerous.
The mother was very attentive; however, there was a moment when she got distracted and
didn’t notice that her son was playing ball next to the pool.
20 STORYBOOK
Just then, one of the kids kicked the ball into the pool, and the son instinctively jumped in to
get it. When the mother noticed her son was in the water, she dropped her plate and ran to
his rescue. But when she approached the pool, she was surprised to see her son swimming,
laughing and playing with the other kids.
“Welcome to the club.” – said an unfamiliar voice
“What club?” – asked the mother
“The club of parents who choose not to pass their fears onto their children.”
MORAL
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” - Suzy Kassem
“Never allow someone else’s fears to limit you.” - Unknown
“Confidence is built when you overcome your fears.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • TOO / VERY
• PAST WITH VERB TO BE • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
KEY VOCABULARY
WARN: Alert, Inform (syn) PLATE: Bowl, Dish (syn)
NEAR: Far (ant) APPROACH: Come,
KICK: Hit with the foot (def ) Contact (syn)
INSTINCTIVELY: FEARS: Terror, Horror (syn)

Naturally, Intuitively (syn) DROWN: Suffocate, Immerse (syn)
DROP: Let something POOL: A small man-made
fall vertically (def ) body of water made for
recreational swimming (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Welcome to the club / Join the club: Expression used when two or
more people have the same thing in common.
Stories 21
1. Why did the mother prohibit her son from swimming in the pool?
2. How did the mother feel about being near a pool with her child?
3. What happened to the mother when she was a child?
4. How did the boy get into the water?
5. How did the mother react when she noticed her son in the pool?
6. Why was the mother surprised when she saw her son in the pool?
22 STORYBOOK
5 FIST FULL OF CANDY Cathy Yeulet© 123RF.com
A little boy was at the store with his mother when they passed by the candy section. There
were rows of jars full of gumdrops, sour balls, lollipops, gummies, licorice, and candy sticks.
Every sweet you could imagine was on display. It was a dream come true for any child.
The little boys’ eyes grew bigger with every step down the candy aisle.
So, the mother gave him permission to reach into one of the jars and take some candy.
Overwhelmed with excitement, the boy ran to the jar of gumdrops and put his hand in. He dug
deep into the jar and filled his fist with as many gumdrops as possible. But, when he tried to
remove his hand, his fist was so full that it couldn’t fit out of the jar and he wouldn’t release
his grip for fear that he would lose a candy.
Stories 23
The mother waited a while to see how her son would get himself out of the predicament, but
he just stood there crying with his fist full of candy stuck in the jar.
The mother knelt down, and said to the boy, “You have two choices son, you can either keep
all the candies in your hand and never be able to enjoy them, or release some candy, and be
content with what you have.”
MORAL
Greed will get you nowhere.
“It’s not about getting everything you want, but about enjoying everything
you have.” - Unknown
“Wanting it all will get you stuck. Release enough for you to be free.” - L. Munevar
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

• ARTICLES • PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• QUANTIFIERS
KEY VOCABULARY
STORE: Supermarket, Shop (syn). DISPLAY: Exhibit, Show (syn).
CANDY: Sweet, Bonbon (syn). DREAM: Vision, Fantasy (syn).
ROWS: Line, Column (syn). GREW: Become bigger (def ).
JARS: Container, Bottle (syn). AISLE: Passage, Corridor (syn).
REACH: Access, Touch (syn). FEAR: Terror, Horror (syn)
OVERWHELM: LOSE: To no longer have
Surprise, Shock (syn). something (def ).
DUG: Excavate, Enter (syn). STUCK: Unable to move (def )
EXCITEMENT: Enthusiasm, PREDICAMENT:
Hysteria (syn). Difficulty, Problem (syn).
FILL: To make something full (def ). CRY(ING): To make
FIST: Hand (syn). a sad sound (def ).
FIT: Be of the right size (def ). CHOICES: Options (syn)
24 STORYBOOK
COMMON PHRASES /
Dream come true - When a fantasy becomes reality.
1. How do you picture the setting of this story?
2. How do you think the little boy was feeling when he was walking down the
candy aisle?
3. Why were the boy’s eyes getting bigger?
4. What candy did the boy choose?
5. Why couldn’t the boy get his hand out of the jar?
6. Explain the boy’s problem.
Stories 25
6 THE GREAT IDEA Sergey Zaikov© 123RF.com
A family of mice organized an emergency meeting to try and find a solution about a problem
with their number one enemy, the cat.
The problem was that the mice couldn’t enter the kitchen safely without the risk of the cat
catching them.
Many ideas were tossed around, but none of them were practical strategies to solve the issue.
One mouse suggested they poison the cat’s milk, but the mice couldn’t risk handling toxic
substances as they were very sensitive to poison.
Another mouse recommended they find a dog to live in the house so that the cat would stay
outside. But dogs eat leftovers, and the mice would be in risk of starvation.
26 STORYBOOK
A third mouse stood up proudly and shouted, “I’ve got it! We could put a bell around the cat’s
neck, so we could hear it coming. This way at least we will have time to scurry away before he
catches us.”
“What a great idea!” Hollered the elder mouse. “Now who will put the bell on the cat’s neck?”
MORAL
“Once you have a good idea, you need a good plan to take action.” - Unknown
“Many people have ideas, but only the brave ones turn the ideas
into reality.”- Unknown
“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.” - Dr. Linus Pauling
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ARTICLES

• SIMPLE PAST • PLURAL NOUNS
• POSSESSIVE CASE
KEY VOCABULARY
MICE: Plural of mouse (def ) SHOUT: Scream, yell (syn)
ENEMY: Adversary, opponent (syn) POISON: To administer a toxin
TOSS: Throw, propel (syn) o venom to someone (def )
SUGGEST: Propose, HANDL(ING): Manipulate,

recommend (syn) manage (syn)
RISK: To put in danger (def ) LEFTOVERS: Yesterdays

meal, unused (syn)
STARVATION: Extreme
hunger, lack of food (def ) BELL: A metal object that sounds
a musical note, alarm (def )
STOOD UP: Upright, erect (syn)
HEAR: Perceive sounds
PROUDLY: With a feeling with the ear, listen (def )
of satisfaction (def )
SCURRY: Move quickly, (def )
Stories 27
1. What problem were the mice trying to solve?
2. Why couldn’t they just poison the cat?
3. How would the bell on the cats neck solve the problem?
4. How would a dog help the situation for the mice?
5. If you were a mouse, what would you recommend in this situation?
28 STORYBOOK
Ritirong Sriphothong© 123RF.com
7
THE STONE BOYS
On a sunny afternoon, a couple of boys were playing by a small pond when they noticed a
bunch of frogs jumping from one lily pad to another.
These frogs were special. They ranged in color from bright yellow to neon orange and
turquoise blue.
Just for fun, the boys started throwing small stones on the lily pads and watched the colorful
frogs jumping like crazy, in fear of being hit.
The small stones weren’t making much of a splash, so they found larger rocks and started
throwing them directly at the frogs.
The frogs were terrified and swam down under the water for cover, but the heavy rocks cut
through the water like meteors through the atmosphere.
The boys were laughing and having a great time watching the frogs jump in terror.
Stories 29
Finally, a black bullfrog poked his head out of the water and shouted, “STOP throwing rocks!
Although this may seem fun to you, it means certain death to us frogs.”
The boys were terrified and ran away from the talking frog never to return to that pond again.
MORAL
“Pleasure should never come at the expense of another.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ARTICLES

• SIMPLE PAST • PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• PAST CONTINUOUS • DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
• PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
KEY VOCABULARY
PLAY(ING): To participate in LILY PAD: A round
a recreational activity (def ) floating leaf (def )
POND: Pool, lake, lagoon (syn) THROW(ING): Propel
FROG: Jumping amphibian (def ) something through the air (def )
JUMP: Leap, bounce (syn) STONE: A hard mineral, rock (def )
SPLASH: A sound made when FEAR: Panic, concern (syn)
something hits water (def ) LAUGH(ING):
ROCK: Stone, pebble (syn) Chuckle, giggle (syn)
TERRIFIED: Alarmed, afraid (syn) SHOUT: Scream, cry, yell (syn)
SWAM: Movement in FUN: Good, happy,
water to stay afloat (def ) entertaining (syn)
HEAVY: Difficult to move, DEATH: End of life,
To weigh a lot (def ) eradication (def )
RETURN: Coming again (def ) NEVER: At no time in the
STOP: End, pause (syn) past or future (def )
30 STORYBOOK
1. Who are the characters in this story?
2. Describe the setting of the story.
3. What were the children doing for fun?
4. Why did the boys switch from throwing stones to larger rocks?
5. How were the frogs reacting to the flying rocks?
6. Why did the boys run away in fear?
7. Change the ending of the story.
Stories 31
olegdudko© 123RF.com
8
EVEN STEVEN
There once lived a baker named Arthur who would buy his butter every week from a farmer
named Steven. His order was always the same. One pound of butter for 2 dollars.
One day, Arthur decided to weigh the butter to make sure he wasn’t getting ripped off. And to
his surprise, he saw that he wasn’t receiving a complete pound.
The angry baker took his case to court and explained to the judge that Steven had been
cheating him for years and he wanted to be recompensated.
32 STORYBOOK
Steven explained to the judge that long before Arthur started buying butter from him, he had
been buying a pound of sugar from Arthur. And since he didn’t have measuring cups, he would
just measure the sugar with his scale and give Arthur that same amount in butter.
MORAL
In life, you get what you give.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• PAST SIMPLE
• PAST CONTINUOUS
• PAST PERFECT
KEY VOCABULARY
BUTTER: Yellow, fatty spread COURT: A place of law
used on bread or in cooking (def ) where a judge makes the final
POUND: A unit of weight decision in a case (def )
equal to 16oz (def ) BEFORE: After (ant)
FARMER: Someone who SUGAR: A sweet substance
works on a farm (def ) used in food (def )
WEIGH: To find out how MEASURE: Calculate, Size,
heavy something is (def ) Weigh, Evaluate (syn)
CHEATING: To act SCALE: An instrument for
dishonestly (def ) weighing something (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Ripped off – Cheating someone by charging too much
Even Steven – Where an equal exchange is made, Mutually beneficial trade
Stories 33
1. How much would Steven charge for half a pound of butter?
2. How did Arthur realize that he wasn’t getting a full pound of butter?
3. How did Arthur react when he realized he had been cheated?
4. What was the reasoning for Steven not giving Arthur one full pound of butter?
5. Finish the story and describe how the judge responded to Arthurs reasoning.
34 STORYBOOK
Jozef Polc© 123RF.com
9
THREE TREE CUTTERS
Three tree cutters were out in the forest, chopping down old oak trees.
The men all wore earplugs, to drown out the loud sound of the chainsaw.
They had been out in the forest for hours when suddenly a Grizzly bear appeared out of nowhere.
Two of the men were a safe distance from the bear, and they quickly climbed the nearest tree.
The third man was within arm’s reach of the bear. Realizing that he surely will be attacked, he
fell flat on the ground and played dead.
Stories 35
The bear approached the man, nudged him with his snout and smelled all around his neck
and head.
Terrified, the man tried as best as he could to hold his breath and stay completely still. He
knew that the bear wouldn’t touch a dead carcass and if he could trick the bear, he would live
to see another day.
After what seemed like an eternity, the bear just walked away and disappeared into the forest.
When he was gone, the two other tree cutters descended from the tree, and asked the man,
what the bear whispered in his ear.
“He gave me this advice,” he replied. “Never walk with a friend who deserts you in the moment
of danger.”
MORAL
“Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ADVERBS OF MANNER

• SIMPLE PAST • FUTURE WITH WILL
• SIMPLE PAST WITH VERB TO BE • SECOND CONDITIONAL
KEY VOCABULARY
FOREST: Area covered GROUND: Floor, Surface (syn).
with trees (def ). DEAD: No longer alive (def ).
CHOPPING: To cut in SNOUT: The nose and
small pieces (def ). mouth of a mammal (def ).
EARPLUG: Device used BREATH: Inhalation,
to protect the ear from Inspiration (syn).
loud noises (def ).
STILL: Static, Not moving (syn).
DROWN: Immerse,
Suffocate (syn). TRICK: To be honest (ant).
CHAINSAW: Mechanical DESERT: Abandon, Leave (syn).

tool used to cut trees (def ). WHISPER: To talk in a
BEAR: Large and strong soft quiet voice (def ).
mammal (def ). ADVICE: Recommendation,
CLIMB: Ascend, Scale (syn). Suggestion (syn).
DANGER: Emergency, Crisis (syn).
36 STORYBOOK
COMMON PHRASES /
Arm’s length – To be very close. Close enough to touch
Play dead – To act like you’re dead
Live to see another day – To continue to live your life despite a bad
experience.
1. What were the men doing in the forest?
2. Why did they need to cover their ears with earplugs?
3. Why did the two men climb up the tree?
Stories 37
4. How did the third man save his own life?
5. Why didn’t the bear attack the man?
6. Did the bear really give the man advice?
7. What would you have done if you were in this situation?
38 STORYBOOK
Juan Jose Tugores© 123RF.com
10
DON´T BE A CHICKEN
One day, a farmer’s daughter was playing outside when she stumbled upon a bird’s egg that
had fallen out of a tree.
The little girl knew that if she touched the egg, the mother bird wouldn’t allow it back into her
nest with the other eggs, so she decided to bring it to her farm until it hatched.
When she got home, her mother told her to put the egg in the chicken coop with the other
eggs so that it could stay warm and safe from predators.
As the weeks went on, the egg remained in the coop until one day, it hatched, and out popped
a baby eagle!
Stories 39
The chickens seemed confused at the sight of the new addition to the coop, but eventually,
they accepted him as one of their own.
As the years passed, the eagle grew bigger and stronger than the others. However, he continued
to follow those around him even though he felt different and had an innate instinct to do
things differently.
One day, the eagle was scratching around in the dirt with the other chickens when he looked
up and saw a bird soaring overhead.
He asked his friend, “What’s that magnificent creature up in the clouds?”
“Oh, that’s an Eagle. They’re the birds of the sky. But don’t get too excited. We are birds of the land.
Chickens aren’t meant to soar like the eagles.” Replied the chicken.
The eagle never looked up into the sky again and lived the rest of his life on the ground with
the other chickens never knowing how high he could actually fly.
MORAL
Don’t let someone else tell you that you can’t do something.
Believe in yourself and reach for the sky.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • COMPARATIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • PAST CONTINUOUS
• POSSESSIVE CASE • DIRECT SPEECH
• SECOND CONDITIONAL
KEY VOCABULARY
TUMBLE: Almost fall (def ). HATCH: To open and produce
FALL: Descend, Come Down (syn). a young animal (def ).
TOUCH: To Make COOP: Cage, Corral, Pen (syn).

Contact with (def ). POP: Jump, Burst (syn).
SAFE: Secure, Protected (syn). WARM: Comfortable
NEST: Structure made by Temperature (def ).
birds to put their eggs (def ). REMAIN: Stay, Continue (syn).
40 STORYBOOK
SIGHT: View, Vision (syn). SCRATCHING: To mark a
GREW: Past of ‘grow’, to surface with a sharp object (def ).
become bigger (def ). SOARING: Fly high in the air (def ).
FOLLOW: To go after a OVERHEAD: Above the
person or thing (def ). level of the head (def ).
INSTINCT: Felling, Impulse (syn). GROUND: Floor, Earth (syn).
DIRT: Mud, Soil (syn).
COMMON PHRASES /
Don’t be a chicken – Being afraid or scared
1. Why did the little girl bring the egg home to the farm?
2. Why were the chickens confused when they saw the baby eagle?
3. How was the eagle different from the chickens?
Stories 41
4. Why do you think the eagle was interested in the bird flying overhead?
5. If eagles are birds of the sky and chickens are birds of the land, what are penguins?
6. Why do you think the eagle never looked up into the sky again?
7. Why didn’t the eagle try to fly?
8. What could the eagle have done differently in his life?
42 STORYBOOK
11 A FROG´S REVENGE Алексей Корнеев© 123RF.com
A mouse and a frog were seemingly the best of friends. Every afternoon, the frog would leave
his pond and visit the mouse’s house which was located across the field.
Some days the journey was more challenging than others because the frog had to overcome
certain obstacles to make it there safely.
When the weather was hot and sunny, the frog faced the risk of drying up under the sun. If
an eagle saw him out in the open field, he would surely become the eagle’s lunch. When the
ground was moist, the snakes were able to slither quicker than usual.
Regardless of all the dangers, the frog made the journey across the field every day to visit
his friend.
Stories 43
As time passed by, the frog became irritated because the mouse never made any attempts to
visit him at the pond.
The mouse never knew his friend was bothered by this. So, it continued… And the feelings of
resentment grew stronger every day.
One day, the frog had enough. He tied one end of a string to his leg and the other end to the
mouse’s tail and hopped across the field and into the pond. He dove down to the bottom
and stayed there as his friend struggled to free himself. The mouse was unsuccessful in his
attempts, so he drowned, and his lifeless body floated up to the top of the pond.
Satisfied with his act of revenge, the frog began to untie the string from his leg, but before he
could finish, an eagle flew overhead and spotted the mouse floating on the surface of the pond.
The eagle quickly swooped down, grabbed the mouse and flew to a nearby tree to enjoy his
lunch. When he reached the tree, he noticed the frog dangling from the other end of the string.
Needless to say, the eagle had a very big lunch that day.
MORAL
“Don’t dig your enemies ditch too deep because you may fall into it yourself.”
- Unknown
“The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your known enemies.”
- Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PAST • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

• SIMPLE PAST WITH VERB TO BE • COMPARATIVES
• POSSESSIVE CASE OF NOUNS
KEY VOCABULARY
SEEMINGLY: Apparently (syn) FIELD: An area of open land (def )
POND: Pool, lake, lagoon (syn) GROUND: Solid surface
SPOT: Notice, Recognize (syn) of the earth (def )
OVERCOME: To get DROWN: Suffocate, Immerse (syn)

control of something (def ) SLITHER: To move over a surface
RISK: Danger, Chance (syn) with a twisting motion (def )
44 STORYBOOK
RESENTMENT: BOTTOM: The lowest
Indignation, fury (syn) point of something (def )
DANGLING: Hang, Swing (syn) REVENGE: Attack,
Retribution (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Needless to say: Obviously, No need to say, of course, Naturally
1. What were some of the dangers the frog faced when traveling to his friend’s house?
2. Why do you think the mouse never visited the frog at his pond?
3. Why did the frog become resentful towards the mouse?
Stories 45
4. Where did the mouse live?
5. How did the mouse die?
6. What was the frogs’ fate?
7. Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? If so, did you seek
revenge?
46 STORYBOOK
David Evison© 123RF.com
12 MICE-CREAM
One hot summer day, four mice ran into an ice cream parlor to get out of the blazing sun.
The smell of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry filled their noses as they entered the parlor and
they immediately started looking for a tasty treat.
The mice scurried all over until they spotted a large, brown barrel that had a thick, white liquid
oozing from the rim, and it smelled delicious! They decided to climb up the side of the barrel
to see if they could get a taste. When they reached the top, they looked down and saw the
creamiest milk they had ever seen. Without any hesitation, the four mice dipped their heads
into the barrel and started drinking.
Stories 47
Just as their bellies were about to burst, there was a sudden BANG! One of the machines turned
on and startled the mice. Three of the mice fell directly into the barrel while one managed to
hang on to the side.
As the three mice struggled to stay afloat, they cried out for help.
“Helpppp! Someone, please help us!”
“Keep swimming. Don’t give up.” Yelled the mouse from the top of the barrel.
“Why don’t you help us? We can’t go on for much longer!” – cried the mice.
“Stay calm brothers. We will get out of here.” – said one of mice, who was also treading in the
barrel of milk.
But it was too late. One mouse had already given up and drowned.
The other two mice kept treading to stay afloat when suddenly they noticed the milk started
to thicken and cream started to form. The thick cream made it easier for the mice to remain
at the surface.
“Keep going guys! The thicker the cream gets, the higher it rises!” – Yelled the mouse from above.
After what seemed like a lifetime, the milk had been churned so much that it turned to butter,
and they were able to jump out of the barrel on their own.
MORAL
“Self-help is the best help.” - Aesop
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” - Nelson Mandela
“The harder you strive for success, the faster you will achieve it.” – Nataly Suarez
“You cannot expect something without working for it.” – Christian Vergaño
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • VERBS FOLLOWED BY

• SIMPLE PAST INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS
• ORDER OF ADJECTIVES • MODALS OF ABILITY: CAN

– COULD – BE ABLE TO
• PHRASAL VERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
ICE CREAM PARLOR: A BLAZING: Very hot (def )
store selling ice cream (def ) TASTY: Delicious (syn)
48 STORYBOOK
SCURRY: Run, Trot (syn) STRUGGLE: Combat, Fight (def )
BARREL: Cylinder, Tank (syn) AFLOAT: Floating in water (def )
OOZING: Liquid escaping TREADING: Walk, March (syn)
from something slowly (def ) DROWN: Die due to
RIM: Border (syn) inhalation of water (def )
HESITATION: Indecision (syn) THICKEN: Coagulate,
BELLIES: Stomach (syn) Solidify (syn)
BLAZING: Very hot (def ) CHURN: Agitate, Shake (syn)
STARTLE: Terrified (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Don’t give up: Don’t stop or don’t abandon your objective
After what seemed like a lifetime / eternity: After a very long time.
1. Why did the mice run into the ice-cream parlor?
2. What did the parlor smell like?
Stories 49
3. What were the mice looking for when they got inside the ice cream shop?
4. How did the mice manage to get out of the barrel of milk?
5. What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?
50 STORYBOOK
Lynn Bystrom© 123RF.com
13 THE WOLF´S EXCUSE
A young fawn was drinking water off the side of a riverbed unaware of the danger he was in.
A mean, old, hungry wolf was upstream and could see the fawn down below. He saw how
helpless and innocent the fawn was and knew it would be an easy catch. But something was
telling the wolf that this meal was too easy and so he should find an excuse to take its life.
“Fawn!” the wolf yelled. “You’re stirring up all the dirt in the stream and making my drinking water
all muddy.”
“Please don’t be angry with me,” replied the young fawn. “I couldn’t possibly be making your
water muddy. I am downstream, and the water flows my way. Maybe it’s the fish.”
“It’s not the fish!” Shouted the wolf. “Are you calling me stupid?”
“Oh no! I would never do such a thing.” Pleaded the fawn.
“Well someone told me you were calling me names last year,” replied the wolf. “So, for that, I
must eat you.”
Stories 51
“But Mr. Wolf, it couldn’t have been me. I was just born this year.”
“Then it was your brother!” the wolf argued.
“But I don’t have any brothers,” replied the fawn.
Losing patience, the wolf replied, “Then it was someone else from your family!”
And with that, the wolf leaped onto the fawn and carried him off into the woods.
MORAL
“The unjust will not listen to reasoning.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
• PAST CONTINUOUS • PERSONAL PRONOUNS
KEY VOCABULARY
FAWN: Young deer (def ) CATCH: To take an object
RIVERBED: Bottom in movement (def )
of a river (def ) DIRT: Earth, Soil (syn)
UNAWARE: Ignorant, MUD: Mix of dirt and water (def )
Uninformed (syn) ANGRY: Upset, Unhappy (syn)
DANGER: Emergency, Crisis (syn) FISH: Aquatic animal (def )
HUNGRY: To need food (def ) LEAP: Jump (syn)
WOLF: Doglike Animal (def ) BORN: Come into existence,
UPSTREAM: Against the current start to exist (def )
(of a river normally) (def ) PLEAD: To ask for something
EASY: Without difficulty (def ) strongly (def ) Beg (syn)
STIR: To Mix (def )
52 STORYBOOK
1. Describe the setting of the story.
2. Why did the wolf need an excuse to eat the fawn?
3. Name three things the wolf tried to use as an excuse to eat the fawn.
4. Why wasn’t it possible for the fawn to muddy the water?
5. Approximately how old was the fawn?
6. Why was the wolf losing his patience?
7. In the end, what happened to the fawn?
Stories 53
mihtiander© 123RF.com
14 GIVE A MAN A FISH
Once upon a time, there was an old man who worked at the beach cleaning fishing equipment.
Everyday he would wake up bright and early to clean the nets and sharpen the hooks for the
fishermen, receiving two fish per day as payment.
One morning, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake shook him awake. He jumped out of bed, ran outside
in his underwear and saw people running and screaming. They were all running in the same
direction which he found strange until he noticed the wave.
54 STORYBOOK
The earthquake had triggered a tsunami.
As the wave came inland, it swept away homes, cars, trees and sadly everyone who was in its
path. By the end of the day, homes were destroyed, crops were ruined, and many people were
trapped under the rubble. There was no running water or electricity and food was scarce.
Fortunately, the man survived the massive wave, but he found himself in another predicament.
There were no more fishermen. No fishermen meant no fish. No fish meant no food.
MORAL
“Give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you’ll
feed him for a lifetime.” - Chinese Proverb
KEY VOCABULARY
CLEANING – The act of INLAND – Towards the
making something clean (def ) interior of a country (def )
FISHING – The act of catching TRAP – Unable to escape (def )
fish for food or sport (def ) RUBBLE – Fragments of stone,
EARLY – Late (ant) brick and concrete (def )
SHARPEN – To make SCARCE – Plentiful,
something sharp (def ) Abundant (ant)
WAVE – A stretch of water MASSIVE – Huge, Gigantic,
breaking at the shore as Enormous (syn)
it comes inland (def ) PREDICAMENT – Problem (syn)
TRIGGER – A response HUNGRY - Feeling the
caused by an action (def ) need for food (def )
PATH – Trail, Passage, Route (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Bright and early – Very early in the morning
Swept away – To remove something / to make something disappear
Stories 55
1. How did the old man make a living?
2. What time of the day did the earthquake occur?
3. What was the first thing the man noticed when he ran outside?
4. What happened when the tsunami hit?
5. Why was everyone running in the same direction?
6. Why wasn’t the man able to feed himself after the disaster?
7. Change the beginning of the story.
56 STORYBOOK
Shao-Chun Wang© 123RF.com
15 BUTTERFLY WINGS
A little girl was outside playing when she found a butterfly cocoon laying on the ground. She
picked it up and placed it in a glass dish. She knew that it was in the process of undergoing an
extraordinary transformation, so she left it alone and just watched it over the next few days.
One morning, she noticed some movement in the cocoon and it was obvious that the butterfly
was trying to get out.
A small opening appeared, and the butterfly continued to push its way through.
The little girl watched anxiously for hours as the butterfly struggled to squeeze out of that
hole until suddenly it stopped moving.
Did it die? Was it stuck? She thought to herself.
Stories 57
She waited another five minutes before she reached into the dish and carefully ripped opened
the cocoon herself.
The butterfly emerged and spread its wrinkled wings as if it were stretching.
The girl expected the butterfly to fly away, but it didn’t. It lived its life in that dish, crawling
around with these tiny wrinkled wings unable to fly.
The little girl didn’t understand that the butterfly’s wings needed to go through the struggling
process to emerge from the cocoon, so it could gain the strength to fly on its own.
MORAL
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” – Oprah Winfrey
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • REGULAR AND
• PAST CONTINUOUS IRREGULAR VERBS
• ADVERBS OF MANNER
KEY VOCABULARY
PLAY: Engage in activity WRINKLE: A slight line
for enjoyment (def ) or crease in something that
BUTTERFLY: A flying insect is meant to be flat (def )
with colorful wings (def ) WATCH: To look or
COCOON: A silky enclosure observe attentively (def )
made to keep larvae safe while STRUGGLE: To have
undergoing transformation (def ) difficulty (def )
SPREAD: To open up, Extend SQUEEZE: Press,
over a wide surface (def ) Extract, Push (syn)
WING: Part of an insect, bird or STUCK: Unable to move (def )
plane for the purpose of flying (def ) WAIT: To stay somewhere
OPENING: A space or gap that until something is ready (def )
allows passage or access (def ) RIP: Tear, Cut, Peel (syn)
58 STORYBOOK
EMERGE: To come out (def ) GAIN: Earn, Achieve,
STRETCH: Extend, Elongate (syn) Acquire, Win, Get (syn)
FLY: To travel through the STRENGTH: The state

air using wings (def ) of being strong (def )
1. Where did the little girl find the cocoon?
2. Why did the girl rip open the cocoon?
3. Why wasn’t the butterfly able to fly?
4. Can you think of any struggles you have had in your life that made you stronger?
5. Can you think of any other animals or insects that have to go through some sort
of strenuous effort to ultimately give them the strength they need to survive?
6. Change the ending of the story
Stories 59
©Depositphotos /jbryson
Nataliia Tarasenko© 123RF.com
1
THE WISER MERCHANT
A salt merchant took his donkey to town to buy a ton of salt.

The journey had been made many times before without incident. However, on this particular
day, the rivers were swollen from the constant rain, and upon crossing, the donkey slipped on
a rock and fell into the water.
The merchant struggled to help the donkey up to his feet, and when he finally got up, most of
the salt had fallen into the water and melted.
The donkey quickly realized his load was a lot lighter than before and continued home
enthusiastically.
62 STORYBOOK
The next day, the merchant took his donkey to town again to buy more salt. The wise donkey
remembered what had happened the last time he fell in the river so when they got to the
crossing, he stumbled and fell in again, losing half of the salt to the water.
The merchant was pissed! He knew his donkey was a wise one and did this on purpose to
lighten his load.
So, the next day, he brought his donkey to town again, but this time he loaded him with
cotton sponges.
On the way home, they came across the same river, and sure enough, the donkey dramatically
fell into the water once again. But this time it wasn’t so easy to get back up.
The cotton had filled with water and had doubled the weight of the load.
Needless to say, that was the last time the donkey ‘accidentally’ slipped into that river.
MORAL
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me three times, I’ll settle the score.
“You can only get away with cheating for so long. Be prepared to face the
consequences when you get caught.” - Unknown
“People don’t learn by their mistakes, but they can learn by the consequences
of their mistakes” - L. Munevar
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • COMPARATIVES
• PAST PERFECT • DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
• REGULAR – IRREGULAR VERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
SALT: A white crystalline BUY: Obtain something
substance used in cooking, in exchange for money,
sodium chloride (def ) purchase, acquire (def )
MERCHANT: Person SWOLLEN: Expanded,
who sells goods (def ) enlarged (syn)
Stories 63
SLIP: Slide, move (syn) HALF: Either of two
FALLEN: Descend, drop (syn) equal parts (def )
MELT: Dissolve, evaporate (syn) WISE: Person who has experience

or knowledge, intelligent (def )
LOAD: Cargo, contents (syn)
SPONGE: A piece of
LIGHTER: Not heavy, absorbent substance used
delicate, small (syn) to clean and wash (def )
STUMBLE: To lose WEIGHT: A body’s relative
balance, almost fall (def ) mass, density (def )
FILL: To make full, fill up (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Pissed – To be really angry
Sure enough – To confirm a previous thought
Settle the score – To take revenge on someone
1. How much salt did the merchant buy on his first trip?
2. How did the donkey fall into the river?
64 STORYBOOK
3. Why were the rivers swollen?
4. What happened to the salt when the donkey fell into the river?
5. What happened to the cotton when the donkey fell into the river?
Stories 65
Febriyanto Reinaldy© 123RF.com
2 HEAR NO EVIL
Seven straight days raining cats and dogs created some massive puddles in the Everglades. All
the frogs were enjoying themselves by swimming around, teasing the crocodiles, and hopping
from one lily pad to another. They were having a great time.
After a few days without any rain and the hot sun beaming down on the puddles, the water
started to dry up.
Some of the waterholes seemed to dry up almost instantly.
66 STORYBOOK
The wet wonderland had turned into a desert leaving many frogs trapped in ditches that were
too deep for them to jump out of.
There was one ditch that had about twenty or more frogs in it. They were all jumping like crazy
trying to get out because they knew they would die without any water or shade.
The other frogs looked down into the ditch and saw them jumping tirelessly and called down
to the poor frogs.
“You won’t be able to get up here; it’s too deep. Don’t tire yourself out.”
Eventually, all the frogs stopped trying to get out of the ditch, except one determined little
frog who just kept jumping and jumping using the other frogs as trampolines.
Everyone was telling him to stop.
“It’s no use!” they cried.
“We’re all going to die down here. If the sun doesn’t dry us up, the birds will come. Either way,
we’re doomed.”
This little frog seemed to ignore all the comments and just kept jumping until he eventually
made it out!
“Wow! How did you do that?” One of the frogs asked. But the little frog didn’t respond.
“Hey, little one! Tell us. How did you make it out of that deep ditch?”
The little frog just sat under a leaf and ignored all the chatter. He didn’t say a word.
After an hour of trying to get a response, the frogs realized something was different about the
little frog. – He was deaf.
MORAL
“Success comes when you refuse to give up.” - Silken Laumann
“You’ll never know your strength until you’ve faced your struggles.” - Unknown
“Be deaf to negative thoughts if your aim is to reach the goal.”
- Mohammad Adil Bhat
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• PAST SIMPLE • FUTURE WITH WILL

• PAST CONTINUOUS AND GOING TO
• FIRST CONDITIONAL
Stories 67
KEY VOCABULARY
PUDDLE: A small pool DITCH: A canal, an
of water (def ) excavation (syn)
HOP: Short jump or bounce (def ) JUMP: To spring up from
RAIN: Precipitation from vapor the ground (def )
in the atmosphere (def ) SHADE: Shadow or area
BEAMING: Radiant, bright (def ) of darkness (def )
DRY: Wet (ant) DETERMINE: Persistent (syn)
TRAPPED: Imprisoned, DEAF: Unable to hear (def )

(syn) Can’t escape (def ) HINDER: Prevent, block (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
It’s no use: there’s no point doing it. A positive result is not likely.
We’re doomed: we’re certain to fail/die/lose
Raining Cats and Dogs: raining hard
1. Where did the story take place?
2. How did the frogs get trapped in the ditch?
68 STORYBOOK
3. Why did the other frogs in the ditch stop attempting to jump out?
4. What did the frogs need to stay alive?
5. What dangers did the frogs face if they didn’t get out of the ditch?
Stories 69
Ian Allenden© 123RF.com
3 GIRL TALK
Every Sunday morning, I drive to my sister’s house, so we can sit and chat over a couple cups
of coffee.
We talk about our lives in general. How our kids are growing up so fast, single life, married life,
how wise her husband is, what an ass mine was.
We gossip about our bosses and the perky girls at work.
We usually laugh, but oftentimes we cry. Cry about how much we’ve aged and how our bodies
have changed. How my husband left me for a younger woman or the amount of those alimony
cheques. Ouch!
70 STORYBOOK
But mostly we cry about the loss of our mother and how she was taken too soon. It’s a topic
that’s sensitive for both of us. It’s difficult to talk about without breaking down in tears, but
for some reason, the subject always comes up in conversation.
One afternoon my brother-in-law overheard us crying in the kitchen and in an attempt to
make light of the situation, he told a funny joke. We both laughed. A few minutes later, he said
the same joke. I giggled a bit because I didn’t want to be rude. But then he told the joke again
for the third time! Neither my sister nor I laughed.
“What? You didn’t like the joke?” Her husband asked.
“It was only funny the first time honey.” Replied my sister.
He thought for a minute before coming up with his usual wise remarks;
“Well, if you can’t laugh at the same joke over and over, how can you cry over the same things again
and again?”
MORAL
Crying over the same things over and over again won’t solve your
problems. You choose how you want to react to situations.
Choose laughter over tears.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • MODALS OF ABILITY- CAN

• SIMPLE PAST • PHRASAL VERBS
• ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY • COMPARATIVES
KEY VOCABULARY
DRIVE: To operate a CRY: Expression of pain (def )
motor vehicle (def ) AGED: To get older in age (def )
CHAT: To talk (def ) HUSBAND: A married man (def )
GOSSIP: Conversation LEFT: Past of leave, abandon (syn)
about other people (def )
KIDS: A young person (def )
BOSS: Person in charge (def )
GROWING: Natural
PERKY: Cheerful (syn) development of growing (def )
LAUGH: Chuckle, Giggle (syn) YOUNGER: Older (ant)
OFTENTIMES: Frequently (syn) LOSS: Gain (ant)
Stories 71
CHEQUE: An order to ATTEMPT: To try (def )
a bank to pay (def ) JOKE: To say something funny (def )
OVERHEARD: To hear GIGGLE: Laugh (syn)
something without meaning (def )
RUDE: Polite (ant)
COMMON PHRASES /
Taken too soon – When someone died before they were supposed to
Break down in tears – To cry
Make light of the situation – To joke about something serious /
To act as if it’s not that serious
Over and over / Again and again – Repeatedly
1. How often do these sisters get together?
2. What’s the purpose of the two sisters meeting every Sunday?
3. How would you describe the relationship between the sisters?
72 STORYBOOK
4. Name 2 things that the sisters worry about.
5. Why did the husband make a joke when the girls were crying?
6. Why did he repeat his joke three times?
7. What was the joke he told? - Use your imagination.
8. What is the topic of conversation that usually makes the girls cry?
9. How does crying help you through difficult moments?
Stories 73
Katarzyna Białasiewicz© 123RF.com
4 TWO TRAVELERS
Two friendly comrades were walking along a dirt road in search of shelter. They were both
homeless and often wandered the streets together.
On this particular day, one of the men saw something up ahead that looked like a bag. He ran
towards it and saw that it was a purse. When he picked it up, he noticed how heavy it was, so
he opened it and saw dozens of big shiny gold coins.
“Look what I’ve found! It’s a purse full of gold. How lucky am I?” Said the man.
“Wow! We’re rich!” said the other.
“No no. I found it. I’m rich.” The man quickly responded.
74 STORYBOOK
Shocked at his friend’s response, he replied, “You shouldn’t speak in the singular. We are comrades
who travel as one. Instead, you should say ‘WE have found a purse and how lucky are WE’ Travelers
must share all the fortunes and misfortunes WE may come across together.”
“No way! Finders keepers, losers’ weepers!” Replied the man.
Just then, they heard a loud voice shout “STOP! THIEF!”
When they looked up the road, they saw a group of large, angry men with bats and clubs
running towards them.
“OH NO! If they catch us, we’re dead!” said the man gripping the gold purse tightly in his hands.
“We?? Wait a minute.” Said the other man. “Just a second ago you said the purse was YOURS
because YOU found it and that YOU were keeping it. I wouldn’t feel right getting involved now.”
And off he ran.
Frozen with fear, the man with the gold, just stood there as the group of men approached.
They grabbed him and bounded him to a tree. Stole the purse full of gold and left him there.
His comrade never returned, and he remained bound to that tree long enough for him to think
about his actions and learn a lesson more valuable than gold.
MORAL
“Riches will show the true colors of someone. Money will only bring out the true
nature of someone’s character.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT. • MODAL SHOULD.

• SIMPLE PAST. • MODAL MUST.
• PAST CONTINUOUS. • ZERO CONDITIONAL.
• DIRECT SPEECH. • ADVERBS OF MANNER.
KEY VOCABULARY
COMRADE: Companion, SHELTER: A place that
Friend (syn). offers protection from
HOMELESS: A person danger or weather (def ).
without a home (def ). PURSE: Small bag used to
WANDER: To move in carry personal items (def ).
a casual way (def ). THIEF: Robber, Burglar (syn).
Stories 75
GOLD: Yellow, precious BAT: Wooden implement used
metal used in jewelry (def ). in baseball to hit the ball (def ).
FORTUNE: Success, Luck (syn). GRIPPING: Hold, Grasp (syn).
TRAVELER: Person who moves BOUND: Tie, Enclose, Circle (syn).
from one place to another (def ). STOLE: Past of ‘steal’, to take
MISFORTUNE: Bad something without permission (def ).
luck, Adversity (syn). REMAIN: Stay, Continue (syn).
COMMON PHRASES /
No way – It´s used to express that something is not possible or it won´t happen.
Finders keepers, losers’ weepers – Used to express that when
someone finds something by chance, is entitled to keep it.
1. How did the two men know each other? What did they have in common?
2. Why was the man saying he was rich?
3. Why did the other man get offended with his fellow comrade?
76 STORYBOOK
4. What advice did the man tell the other who had the gold? Do you agree with him?
5. What eventually happened to the man who found the purse full of gold?
6. What mistakes did the man commit?
7. What lesson do you think the man learned from this experience?
8. Have you ever found something of value?
Stories 77
Inna Kalyuzhina© 123RF.com
5 THE COAL LESSON
An eight-year-old boy came home from school and in a fit of rage, threw his backpack against
the wall and stormed up the stairs.
“What’s wrong son?” asked his father.
“I hate Mathew Mathers! He’s so annoying. Today, he sat at my desk, and I had to sit in another
seat far away from Sophie, the boy complained. “He knows I like her. I don’t know why he took my
seat. It’s my seat! I always sit there!”
“Is that any reason to hate him?” asked the father. “Look at yourself all worked up. Have you tried
talking to him?”
“No! I don’t want to talk to him. I hate his guts.”
78 STORYBOOK
“I have an idea. Let’s do an exercise to get all that anger out of you,” said the father. “Go upstairs
and get two white t-shirts and meet me in the backyard.”
So, the boy went upstairs and brought down the two white t-shirts while the father went to the
basement and brought up two buckets of coal.
“Ok son, now I want you to put on one of the t-shirts and hang the other one up on the clothesline.”
The boy did as he was told.
“Now I want you to pick up the lumps of coal and throw them as hard as you can at that white t-shirt.
Let out all your anger with every throw, and when I come back, I want to see two empty buckets.”
The boy quickly reached into the bucket and threw the first lump of coal at the t-shirt, then
another, and another. With every piece of coal, he released his anger. Yelling and screaming
with every throw. By the time he got to the bottom of the second barrel, he was tired and had
calmed down.
“Ok son, how do you feel now?” asked the father.
“Well, I’m still mad at him.”
“Son look at the hanging shirt. Do you see how dirty it is?” the father asked. “Now look at your
shirt. Which shirt is dirtier?”
MORAL
Holding onto hate in your heart is like drinking poison and waiting for the
other one to die.
Hate only hurts the person who has it in their heart.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • DIRECT SPEECH
• ARTICLES • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
• REGULAR AND • POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
IRREGULAR VERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
FIT: A sudden attack of HATE: Dislike greatly, detest (syn)
intense emotion (def ) DESK: Piece of furniture with
RAGE: Violent uncontrollable a flat surface, table (def )
anger (def )
Stories 79
SEAT: Piece of furniture COAL: A combustible black
used for sitting, chair (def ) rock used as fuel (def )
ANGER: A strong feeling CLOTHESLINE: A rope or
of hostility, rage (def ) wire used to hang clothes (def )
BUCKET: Cylindrical container THROW: Propel with force
made out of metal of plastic through the air (def )
used to transport liquids (def ) EMPTY: Containing
DIRTY: Not clean (def ) nothing, desolate (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Fit of rage – Violent reaction of anger
Hate someone’s guts – To dislike someone very much
Worked up – To be excited or upset
1. Why was the boy so upset when he got home from school?
2. Who did the boy want to sit close to and why?
80 STORYBOOK
3. What colors were the t-shirts used in the exercise?
4. What elements were needed for the exercise?
5. In your own words, list the instructions for the exercise.
6. What lesson did you get from the story?
Stories 81
Pongsakorn Tantiyakorn© 123RF.com
6
THE TOUGH COACH
A thirteen-year-old boy by the name of David had been training to become a professional
soccer player for years.
The day of the big game had arrived where all the scouts were going to be in the stands to
see who the next up-and-coming star was. It was going to be the most important game of
David’s life.
David’s nerves got the best of him, and that day he played an awful game. He committed many
errors and almost scored on his own net!
After the game, the coach told him to choose a different sport. That he didn’t have a natural
talent and it would be best if he didn’t return to practice the next day.
David was shocked and hurt. He never played soccer again.
82 STORYBOOK
Fast-forward twenty years and David was now a father of two boys.
One day he took his kids to watch a soccer game. They never had the chance to play because
their father always told them how difficult it was, and he didn’t want them to go through the
same struggles as he did growing up.
During the game, he saw his old coach sitting a few benches away. All the memories came
rushing back, and he couldn’t help but approach him.
“You ruined my life as a soccer player. I was only thirteen years old, and instead of helping me, you
scared me away from the sport!”
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?” – the man asked
“My name is David Peckerman. Twenty years ago, you were my coach, and after a bad game you told
me to choose another sport because I didn’t have the talent to become a soccer player.”
The man answered, “Though I don’t remember you, I know what you’re saying is the truth. Do you
see the team that is winning? That’s my team. I’m their coach. I trained them into the players they
are today. The reason I don’t remember you is because I say the same thing to all the kids I train.
Whoever comes back the next day, proves they have the resilience and the perseverance one needs
to become a real professional no matter the sport.”
MORAL
“Do not judge someone by their successes, judge them by how many times they
fell down and got back up.” – Nelson Mandela
“Difficult doesn’t mean impossible. It simply means you have to work harder.”
- Unknown
“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.” - Zig Ziglar
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE CASE

• SIMPLE PAST • OBJECT PRONOUNS
• DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
ARTICLES (A-AN-THE)
KEY VOCABULARY
TOUGH: Strong, Firm (syn) AWFUL: Bad, Horrible (syn)
STAND: Stage, Platform (syn) BENCH: Chair, Seat (syn)
NERVE: Extreme Anxiety (def ) RUIN: Destroy, Collapse (syn)
Stories 83
APPROACH: Come, PERSEVERANCE: Dedication,
Contact (syn) Determination (syn)
INSTEAD: As an alternative (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Up-and-coming – a person who is likely to succeed in a particular activity
Got the best of him – to gain superiority or advantage over someone or
something
1. What was David’s childhood dream?
2. Why were the scouts going to be in the stands?
3. Why do you think David played so bad during the most important game?
84 STORYBOOK
4. Why did David stop playing soccer?
5. Why didn’t David’s kids play soccer?
6. Why was David so angry with his old coach?
7. Why do you think the coach told David to choose another sport?
Stories 85
Francois Roux© 123RF.com
7 AUTUMN LEAVES
It was 5 o’clock in the morning, and Kate stood on the balcony of her twenty-second-floor
apartment looking over the treetops of Central Park with a coffee in her hand.
It was the middle of Autumn, and the leaves had changed color from vibrant green to bright
copper, toasted orange, and sunburnt red.
The silence in the street was calming.
There aren’t many hours in the day when someone who lives in NYC can enjoy the serenity
of silence.
It had been five days since Kate was diagnosed with terminal Cancer and doctors gave her
three months to live.
86 STORYBOOK
She thought to herself - It’s incredible. All these years living in this apartment and I’ve never
noticed how beautiful the view was.
It’s amazing how we can be so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we never
stop to appreciate the beauty around us.
If these are my last days, I’m going to live them as these leaves do. Beautifully, and full of light
and color.
MORAL
“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday, you’re going to be right.”
– Muhammad Ali
“Stop to smell the roses.”
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE
• PERSONAL PRONOUNS ARTICLES (A-AN-THE)
KEY VOCABULARY
STOOD: Past of stand, Sat (ant) SERENITY: State of
BALCONY: A platform on being calm (def )
the outside of a building (def ) DIAGNOSE: To identify a
AUTUMN: Season medical condition (def )
before winter (def ) VIEW: Natural scenery (def )
LEAVES: Blossoming AMAZING: Spectacular (syn)
of a tree (def ) APPRECIATE: To
STREET: Public road (def ) be grateful (def )
CALMING: Relaxing (syn) AROUND: Located
HOUR: Sixty minutes (def ) on all sides (def )
ENJOY: To have a good time (def ) FULL: Having a lot of (def )
Stories 87
COMMON PHRASES /
Hustle and bustle – Busy life in the city / A lot of work or activity in a loud
and active environment
1. Describe the setting of the story. Use as much detail as possible.
2. Why were the streets so quiet?
3. What was the weather like?
4. How would you describe Kate’s attitude, mindset or mood? Choose one.
5. Why hadn’t Kate paid attention to the beautiful view from her balcony before?
6. How long did Kate have to live?
88 STORYBOOK
kasto© 123RF.com
8
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
A scientist by the name of Igor was an extraordinary chemist with a Ph.D. who majored in
Biology and Health and had a great passion for helping those in need. He spent hours in his
lab experimenting and trying to find cures for the people of his town.
Often people would line-up outside his laboratory, looking for treatments for anything from
the common cold to chronic diseases.
But there was one particular disease that seemed to plague his town. Every day he would
encounter new patients with abnormal cell growths that would spread throughout their body,
cause tumors and eventually death. It was soon realized that these symptoms were consistent
with what we now call Cancer.
Once Igor determined that the patient had Cancer, he knew there was nothing he could do to
treat him. It was devastating telling the patients how many days they had left to live. The best
he could do was to recommend a healthy diet, rest, and time with family.
Stories 89
One morning Igor woke up and decided he would make it his life’s mission, to find the cure
for Cancer.
He worked round the clock, experimenting and testing with the help of his assistant. But after
three months, his assistant started to complain about their lack of progress.
“We have been working 20 hours a day for the last three months, tested more than a thousand
elements looking for an antidote and we haven’t learned a thing!”
Igor replied - “After all this time and effort, I can assure you we have learned a lot, and we are
in a much better position than we were three months ago. We can now eliminate over a thousand
components from our experimentation research.”
MORAL
You will always learn from trial and error.
“If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost” - Zig Ziglar.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • REGULAR VERBS

• SIMPLE PAST • IRREGULAR VERBS
• PAST WITH VERB TO BE • THERE IS / THERE ARE (PAST)
• DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
ARTICLES (A-AN-THE)
KEY VOCABULARY
LAB: Short form for CURE: Antidote, Medicine (syn)
Laboratory (def ) THROUGHOUT: Every
CHRONIC: Constant, place, Everywhere (syn)
Habitual (syn) COMPLAIN: Protest, Lament (syn)
PLAGUE: Infestation, LACK: Absence, Deficit (syn)
Invasion (syn)
ANTIDOTE: Cure,
SPREAD: Extend, Dispersion (syn) Medication (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Round the clock – none stop
Life’s mission – purpose for living, what you were born to do
90 STORYBOOK
1. Why would people line-up outside Igor’s laboratory?
2. Why do you think Igor was so passionate about finding the cure for Cancer?
3. What were some of the symptoms of Cancer mentioned in the story?
4. What advice did Igor give his patients when he diagnosed them with Cancer?
5. Why did Igor’s assistant become frustrated with the Cancer research?
6. What did Igor and his assistant learn from their research?
7. Have you ever experienced a situation where you worked hard on something
and wanted to give up?
Stories 91
imagevixens© 123RF.com
9 GOLD RUSH
In 1848, a man by the name of James Marshall found a substantial amount of gold in a
Californian river. The news brought millions of people from all over the world to California in
search of this precious metal.
As you can imagine, the impacts on the environment were consequential. Miners were drilling
at an alarming rate causing environmental harm. Entire indigenous societies were attacked
and removed from their homes, and the population of San Francisco went from 1,000 to 25,000
in just two years.
Two Californian brothers who decided to sell all their belongings and venture out in seek of
gold were sitting at a riverbank as the sun was setting and, in the distance, they saw what
looked like a thin vein of gold.
Jumping up and down in excitement, they hollered, “We’re rich! We’re rich!”
92 STORYBOOK
The next day they went to town and bought all the necessary equipment, set up camp, and
started drilling.
They drilled for weeks and weeks, when all of a sudden, the gold vein disappeared.
They continued to drill but quickly lost their motivation because, without the sight of gold, it
was hard to keep working through those hard and tireless days.
Another week without success, the brothers gave up, sold all their equipment and land rights
to another man and returned home.
The man who bought the land hired an engineer to examine the site. And the engineer told
the man to continue digging in the same area as the brothers were.
After one month of constant drilling, the determined man finally struck a gold mine and
became a multimillionaire.
MORAL
“A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but it’s persistence.”
- Jim Watkins
“Success can only be achieved by the ones who are up to doing whatever it takes.”
– Daniel Valencia
“One day you’ll thank yourself for never giving up.” -Unknown
“Don’t quit, every difficulty is an opportunity in disguise.” - Unknown.
“Success is like a building; in that it cannot be constructed in a single day.
It takes time.” – Yuri Barrios
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • DIRECT SPEECH

• SIMPLE PAST • INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS
• PAST CONTINUOUS • RELATIVE CLAUSES
• PASSIVE VOICE
KEY VOCABULARY
FOUND: To discover (def ) RIVER: Narrow body
AMOUNT: A quantity of water (def )
of something (def ) NEWS: Information not
GOLD: Yellow precious metal (def ) previously known (def )
SEARCH: To look for (def ) RICH: Poor (ant)
Stories 93
MINER: A person who BOUGHT: Past of buy or purchase
works in a mine (def ) EQUIPMENT: Necessary
DRILLING: The action of making items or supplies (def )
a hole by using a drill (def ) DISAPPEAR: Vanish (syn)
TO HARM: To cause injury, LOST: Find (ant)
pain or distress (def )
SIGHT: View, Glimpse (syn)
TO REMOVE: To take something
WITHOUT: In the
away or to take off (def )
absence of (def )
BELONGING: Property (syn)
SUCCESS: Failure (ant)
TO SELL: To give something
SOLD: Past of sell
in exchange for money (def )
SITE: An area of ground where an
VEIN: Line, Thread, Strip (syn)
activity or event is happening (def )
HOLLER: Yell, Shout (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
By the name of – Another way to say ‘called’, When you’re giving the
name of someone
As you can imagine – Interjection to make the reader/listener connect
with the writer/speaker as in ‘I’m sure you’ll agree’ or ‘I’m sure you can
imagine what the result will be.’
At an alarming rate – Something negative is happening very quickly
All of a sudden – Suddenly, All at once, Unexpectedly
1. In which state was the Gold Rush?
2. What was the last name of the man who first discovered gold in the river?
94 STORYBOOK
3. Why did the population surge when the Gold Rush started?
4. What were some of the negative impacts caused by the Gold Rush?
5. In what year did the Gold Rush start?
6. Why did the brothers decide to buy equipment and start drilling in that
particular site?
7. In your own words, explain what happened to the brother’s motivation when
they couldn’t see the trace of gold in the river.
8. What did the man who bought the equipment from the brothers do differently
to ensure success?
Stories 95
Piotr Krześlak© 123RF.com
10
THE THIRSTY CROW
It hadn’t rained in months, and the lands were dry. The flowers were wilted, and the grass
wasn’t its usual bright green. All the plants were in dire need of water, and the animals were
searching high and low for something to drink.
One crow decided to gather up the little energy he had and flew over to a cabin in the woods
hoping to find something.
The journey wasn’t long, however, it wasn’t easy. The poor crow had to rest many times on the
branches of the trees as he made his way through the woods.
When he got to the cabin, he saw a dog bowl down below. But when he approached it, it was
bone dry. He then saw a marble birdbath, but it was only filled with dry leaves and sand.
96 STORYBOOK
As the crow was about to leave, he noticed a beautiful, blue, tall, ceramic pitcher on the porch.
He quietly flew over careful not to be seen or heard by any humans or dogs.
The pitcher was tall and had a narrow neck. So, the crow had to perch itself on the windowsill
to look inside. Sure enough, he found what he had been looking for.
The problem was that the neck of the pitcher was too narrow for his beak to reach the water.
So, he tried pushing over the heavy pitcher. He pushed with all his might, but the tall ceramic
pitcher wouldn’t budge.
The crow thought for a minute and came up with a plan.
He went around and gathered up some small pebbles and dropped them into the pitcher one
at a time. With each pebble, the water gradually rose to the top of the pitcher until he was able
to drink to his heart’s content.
MORAL
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” - English Proverb
“Ingenuity is superior to strength.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • PASSIVE VOICE
• PAST CONTINUOUS • PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
• PAST PERFECT • PHRASAL VERBS
• POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES • ADVERBS OF MANNER
• PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
KEY VOCABULARY
RAIN: Water that falls SEARCH: Explore, Investigate (syn)
from the clouds (def ) DRINK: Take a liquid into the
LAND: Territory, Terrain (syn) mouth and swallow it (def )
DRY: Arid, desert (syn) CROW: Large bird with
WILT: To become black plumage (def )
limp, to fade (def ) FLEW: Past of ‘fly’, to move
DIRE: Urgent, terrible (syn) through the air (def )
BOWL: Dish, container (syn) CABIN: A small house (def )
Stories 97
WOODS: Small area covered WINDOWSILL: The
with trees, forest (def ). horizontal part at the bottom
BRANCH: Part of a of a window (def )
tree with leaves (def ) BEAK: The nose of an
PITCHER: Bottle, container (syn) animal specially birds (def )
BATH: Large container for water PUSH: To apply physical

used to wash the body (def ) force to something (def )
PORCH: Patio, balcony, BUDGE: Proceed, move (syn)

portico (syn) GATHER UP: Collect,
HEARD: Detect a sound congregate (syn)
with the ear, listen (def ) PEBBLE: Small rocks
NARROW: Small, thin (syn) or stones (def )
PERCH: Rest, relax (syn) ROSE: Past of ‘rise’ to

ascend, grow (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Dire need – To require immediate help
All your might – With all your strength/force
To your hearts content – To do something you enjoy for as long as you want.
Searching high and low – To look everywhere in search of something.
Thoroughly search.
1. How would you imagine the setting of this story? Describe your thoughts.
2. What was the main problem of the story?
98 STORYBOOK
3. How did the plants look due to the lack of rain?
4. Why was the journey to the cabin difficult for the crow?
5. What was the first thing the crow saw when he arrived to the cabin?
6. Where did the crow finally find water?
7. How was the crow able to drink the water from the pitcher?
8. The crow faced a total of 3 major problems. Can you list them?
Stories 99
Susan Richey-Schmitz© 123RF.com
11 KING OF THE JUNGLE
Benjamin the Lion is from Africa. He was born in a country called Zimbabwe. He is only 11
months old and very eager for his upcoming birthday. As a symbol of respect and honor, Lions
are often referred to as, “The Kings of the Jungle.” But Benjamin still has some growing up to
do before he can earn that title.
Today is a wonderful day for Benjamin. It’s his birthday. The pride has gathered together along
with his friends, and distant relatives.
“All this for me?” he wonders. “Wow, this is going to be the best birthday ever!”
Benjamin can’t wait for his Zebra cake. Lions need to eat at least 7 kgs of meat a day, and he
is starving!
100 STORYBOOK
As he walks towards the rocky side of the savannah to meet his family, he runs into another
lion. An adult lion with a very big mane. It was enormous!
“Hi there! my name is Benjamin!”
“Nice to meet you. I am Zulu. Are you the one having the birthday today?”
“Oh yes! That’s me! How did you know? Did you see a big Zebra cake with my name on it?
Zulu looks at Benjamin with surprise. “Zebra Cake? Hahaha! Now that’s funny!” Zulu thinks
he is joking.
“Let me guess; It’s an Elephant cake isn’t it?” Questioned Benjamin.
Zulu looks at Benjamin’s face, and immediately realizes he is serious. “There isn’t any food
waiting for you young Benjamin. You must go hunt for your own food.”
“No cake?! Hunt??? I’m too young to hunt!” shouts the young lion.
“Calm down little one. It’s not that difficult. You can do this.” Zulu assures him. “When I was a
young cub, I also thought I couldn’t hunt. I was scared too. But one day my father sat me down
under the Great Savannah Tree and said “ Zuluton! You are stronger than your other brothers, you
are wiser than your uncles, and you are the fastest cub I know. You were meant to be king.”
“Maybe I am not fit for a King.” Says Benjamin.
Zulu takes a deep breath and says, “If you don’t learn to hunt for your own food you will be a
burden for your father’s pride. In a couple of years, you will need to leave your family and find your
own way. If you’re not prepared, you will surely die.”
Benjamin’s eyes grow wide and turn glossy. The truth is difficult to hear. But it is necessary.
“Look on the bright side Benjamin. If you’re a good hunter, you can have any cake you want,
whenever you want it. There are many Zebras and Hyenas out there.”
“Today is the day you will prove to everyone what you’re capable of. Everyone will be watching,
so you must stand out. I hear Wata’s daughter Zatarah is coming.” He says, smiling, as if to
motivate Benjamin. “That birthday cake is out there waiting for you to find it. Show them what
you’re made of. Show them who’s king.”
MORAL
Your family can only carry you so far. There will come a day when you need
to stand on your own two legs and fend for yourself. You and only you can
control your own destiny.
“If you learn to be productive on your own, you will never depend on anyone.”
– Anonymous
“In order to achieve excellent results, it’s necessary to change your mind to
positive thoughts.” – Angelica Camayo
Stories 101
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ZERO AND FIRST

• SIMPLE PAST CONDITIONAL
• FUTURE WITH WILL • MODALS: CAN – COULD

AND GOING TO FOR ABILITY
• PRESENT PERFECT • SUPERLATIVES
• COMPARATIVES • PHRASAL VERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
EAGER: Anxious, enthusiastic (syn) ENORMOUS: Gigantic,
TO GATHER: To collect, Huge, Very big (syn)
or bring together (def ) TO JOKE: To say something
CAKE: A sweet dessert funny or with humor / To
with icing (def ) say something that shouldn’t
be taken seriously (def )
PRIDE: A group of lions (def )
HUNT: Search and kill
STARVING: Very hungry (def ) an animal (def )
MANE: The long hair of BURDEN: Obstacle, difficulty (syn)
a horse, lion, etc (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Look on the bright side – Consider the positive aspects of a negative
situation
Show them what you’re made of – To show others what you’re capable
of doing. Prove yourself
Calm down – Relax
Find your own way – To discover one’s own path
Fit for a king – Of extremely high quality
102 STORYBOOK
1. Why are lions called “Kings of the Jungle”?
2. How does a Lion earn that title?
3. How much does a Lion need to eat on a daily basis?
4. What did Benjamin want for his birthday?
5. What would happen if Benjamin didn’t learn how to hunt for his own food?
6. Why did Benjamin believe he couldn’t hunt for his own food?
7. How would you describe Zulu?
8. What was the last piece of advice Zulu gave to Benjamin?
Stories 103
Katarzyna Białasiewicz© 123RF.com
12 MAKE THE TIME
Rebecca stood at the door of her father’s room. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She reeked
of cigarette smoke, and her manicure was chewed at the tips.
She walked into the room and sat at her father’s bedside. He seemed to be sleeping comfortably
in the hospital bed, but this wasn’t a peaceful slumber. He had been in a coma for two months,
and doctors said he probably wouldn’t make it.
Rebecca was a successful lawyer from Chicago. She was a divorced mother of two.
Her husband left her and took the children with him, which was in the best interest of the kids
as she was a very busy woman with many obligations and commitments.
104 STORYBOOK
Her law firm took up most of her time, working long hours and often being away from the family.
She hadn’t been on vacation in eight years, didn’t have any real friends and her relationship
with her family members dwindled over time.
Work essentially took over her life.
It had been seven months since she last talked to her father. He called her on his birthday to
tell her about the kayak he got as a gift. He was so excited to share the good news, but Rebecca
cut the conversation short as she was about to go into an important meeting. She said she
would call him back, but she never did.
Five months later, she got a call from her brother saying that their father was rushed to the
hospital after suffering a stroke.
Her world shifted after that phone call. All of a sudden, she had the time for him. She went to
the hospital every day to be at his side and to ask for forgiveness.
She apologized for not making enough time for him when he was healthy.
“I’m sorry for not calling you back.” she cried.
“I’m sorry for not taking your calls.”
“I’m sorry for not coming home for Christmas.”
“I’m sorry for being too busy.”
“I’m sorry for not making the time.”
Just then, the father slowly opened his eyes and said, “Thank you for finally waking up.”
MORAL
“It’s not about having time. It’s about making time.” - Rachel Bermingham
“Nobody is too busy. It’s just a matter of priorities.” - Duke Dhiman
Make time for your loved ones because you never know when will be the
last time you see them.
You’re never too busy for the things that are most important to you.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• REGULAR VERBS • ADVERBS
• IRREGULAR VERBS • PAST PERFECT
Stories 105
KEY VOCABULARY
SWOLLEN: Inflate, WORKING: Engaged in
Bulge, Balloon (syn) manual labor (def )
CRYING: The expression of DWINDLE: Diminish or
distress or sorrow (def ) decrease in size (def )
REEK: Smell strongly (def ) GIFT: Present (syn)
SMOKE: The act of MEETING: Assembly of people
smoking tobacco (def ) for a particular purpose (def )
CHEW: Bite food with teeth (def ) STROKE: Disease that
SLUMBER: Sleep, Rest, Nap (syn) affects the arteries (def )
LAWYER: A person who SHIFT: Move from one

practices law (def ) spot to another (def )
TOOK: Past of take FORGIVENESS: Pardon,

Lenience (syn)
BEST: Worst (ant)
APOLOGIZE: To say
BUSY: Occupied (syn) you’re sorry (def )
SHORT : Long (ant) HEALTHY: Sick (ant)
1. Why do you think Rebecca felt guilty?
2. Would you consider Rebecca a workaholic?
3. What consequences did Rebecca face for putting her career ahead of her family?
106 STORYBOOK
4. Where did Rebecca live?
5. How many months had it been from the last time she spoke with her father to
the phone call she received from her brother telling her the bad news?
6. What was Rebecca’s profession?
7. Why did Rebecca’s husband leave her and take the children?
8. Why was Rebecca’s father in the hospital?
9. What did the father mean by “finally waking up?”
10. Change the last sentence of the story. Just then, the father slowly opened his
eyes and said...
Stories 107
Ivan Kokoulin© 123RF.com
13 STUCK IN THE MUD
A farmer was riding his wagon along a muddy road. His horses were struggling as their hooves
stuck deep in the mud with every step.
As the farmer continued his journey, it started to rain, and the roads seemed to get worse and
worse until suddenly, one of the wheels fell into a muddy ditch.
Frustrated, the farmer stepped down from his rider’s seat to assess the damage. When he saw
the rut he was in, he just yelled and hollered at his bad luck.
“Why do these things always happen to me?! Bad luck always finds me!” Boo hoo! Poor me! …
The more the farmer wallowed in his despair, the harder it rained.
108 STORYBOOK
“Why are you doing this to me? Haven’t I suffered enough? God help me!” cried the man.
Just then, he heard a voice through the storm that said: “Put your shoulder to the wheel and
urge your horses to pull.”
The farmer was frightened by the voice but did as he was told. He put his shoulder against
the wheel and urged his horses to pull. He pushed and pushed, but the wheel wouldn’t budge.
“It’s no use! It’s too hard!” Whined the man. And he just sat in the mud at the side of the road
waiting for a Good Samaritan to come along.
Hours had passed, and not a single wagon had gone by. The rain continued to pour down, and
conditions seemed to get worse as the time went by.
The farmer knew that once the sun set, there would be no one taking the road until the next
morning. So instead of risking the cold, dark night alone, he decided to conjure up a plan to
get himself out of the ditch.
He stopped complaining and started looking for a solution.
As he walked around the area, he stumbled upon a plank of wood. He carried the long plank
over to his wagon and placed it under the wheel. Once again, he put his shoulder against the
wheel and urged his horses to pull. Slowly but surely, the wheel started to roll over the plank
and out of the ditch.
In no time, the farmer was riding along the way, proud of himself and with a valuable lesson
learned.
MORAL
“Ultimately the greatest help is self-help.” - Bruce Lee
“Divine intervention comes when you intervene.” - Unknown
“Don’t wish things were easier. Wish to improve every day so you can achieve the
goals you wished for.” – Maria Fernanda Cepeda
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT. • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE.

• SIMPLE PAST. • DIRECT SPEECH.
• PAST CONTINUOUS. • PASSIVE VOICE.
• PAST PERFECT.
Stories 109
KEY VOCABULARY
WAGON: Vehicle, Car, Cart (syn). DITCH: Channel, Hole (syn)
MUDDY: Covered in RUT: Problem, Difficult
mud (dirt) (def ). Situation (syn).
ROAD: Street, Avenue (syn) WALLOW: To roll around (def ).
STRUGGLING: Make a DESPAIR: Depression,
violent effort, To fight (def ), Pain, Sadness (syn).
HOOF / HOOVES: The URGE: Implore, Beg,
foot of an animal (def ). Encourage (syn).
RAIN: Precipitation (syn) PUSH: Press with force (def ).
WHEEL: Disk, Ring, Circle (syn) BUDGE: To make a
WORSE: Comparative movement (def ).
of Bad (def ). SAMARITAN: A
CONJURE UP: Create, helpful person (def ).
Produce (syn). PLANK: A long, thin
COMPLAIN: Express piece of wood (def ).
dissatisfaction (def ). WOOD: The hard material
STUMBLE: To lose balance (def ). that comes from trees (def ).
COMMON PHRASES /
Assess the damage – To check on the severity of the damage.
It’s no use – It’s hopeless, There’s no point in trying because it’s not going
to be successful
Wallow in despair – To indulge in the feeling of despair. Being deliberately
unhappy.
Good Samaritan – A kind person who helps others in a time of need.
Conjure up – Create, Invent, Imagine
In no time – Quickly
110 STORYBOOK
1. How were the horses struggling on the road?
2. How did the wagon get stuck on the road?
3. What was the farmers initial reaction when the wagon got stuck?
4. Why did the farmer decide that it was time to get himself out of the problem?
5. How did the farmer first attempt to get the wagon out of the ditch?
6. What did the farmer do to finally get the wagon out of the ditch?
7. Can you think of another way the farmer could have gotten out of the ditch?
Stories 111
ammentorp© 123RF.com
14
STRONG ROOTS
Once upon a time, there were two old ladies living side by side. One of them was a widow, and
the other was a homemaker. They each took pride in their lush gardens. They grew colorful
flowers, plentiful vegetables, and fresh herbs year-round.
The two would often plant the same seeds; however, they looked after their gardens very
differently.
The widow would water her garden twice a day, pluck the weeds, snip the buds and fertilize
the soil. Her garden was much more abundant than the homemaker’s garden. It was greener,
fuller and more luxurious.
112 STORYBOOK
The homemaker didn’t tend to her garden as much as the widow did. Her soil wasn’t fertilized.
She watered her plants every other day. There were a few weeds amongst her flowers, and
she let her buds flourish wildly. Her garden was simpler than her neighbor’s. It didn’t look as
green or as full. It was a healthy garden but dull in appearance.
One day there was a storm. Heavy rainfalls and strong winds blew over the city and lasted most
of the afternoon. When it was finally over, the two women came out to assess the damage.
The widow found her garden was in complete ruins. The soil was saturated, the stems were
broken, and the flowers were laying flat.
However, when she peeked over the fence, she noticed her neighbor’s garden wasn’t damaged
at all. All her stems were intact, her soil was moist, and all her flowers were standing firm.
“How could this be?” The widow asked her neighbor. “We both planted the same seeds. I took more
care of my garden than you did. Why didn’t my garden survive this storm and yours did?”
The homemaker replied “You tended to your garden more than I did, that is true. But because of
that, your plants became dependent on the constant watering and fertilizing. They didn’t need to
do much for themselves. Their roots were small and weak.”
“I gave my plants only the necessary amount of water, so their roots would search deep in the soil
and create a stronger base. That’s why my garden survived the storm.”
MORAL
Children are like plants. Their character is built by the obstacles they
overcome. If everything is given or done for them, they will never know
what it means to earn something. They won’t understand the meaning of
hard work. As parents, we need to provide them with the necessities, and
allow them to plant their own roots. The same is applied in coaching and
team management.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PAST • POSSESSIVE CASE OF NOUNS

• ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY • COMPARATIVES
• ADVERBS
KEY VOCABULARY
WIDOW: A woman whose HOMEMAKER: Family manger,
husband is dead (def ) lady of the house (def )
PRIDE: Honor, Satisfaction (syn) LUSH: Abundant, Exuberant (syn)
Stories 113
SEED: Unit of reproduction HEAVY: Excessive, big (syn)
of a plant (def ) WIND: Air, Breeze, Cyclone (syn)
PLUCK: Remove, Extract (syn) DAMAGE: Accident,
SNIP: Cut with scissors (def ) Destruction (syn)
BUD: Blossom (syn) RUINS: Destruction (syn)
SOIL: Dirt, Ground (syn) WEAK: Nor Strong, Fragile (def )
TEND: To be in the service DULL: Not bright, boring,
of something, to serve (def ) lifeless in appearance
FLOURISH: Grow, Prosper (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Once Upon a Time: Expression used to begin stories. It’s a synonym of
“Long time ago”
Year-Round: An action that continues during all year
At All: Expression to emphasize negative sentences and questions. It’s a
synonym of “In any way”
1. What types of plants did the women have in their gardens?
2. Why did the widow’s garden look nicer than the homemakers?
114 STORYBOOK
3. How did the widow take care of her garden?
4. Why didn’t the widow’s plants survive the storm?
5. Why did the homemaker’s garden survive the storm?
6. Describe the widows garden after the storm?
Stories 115
15 Андрей Шевченко© 123RF.com
THE BANANA TREE
A Wildlife Researcher was performing a social experiment on Chimpanzees.

The purpose of the study was to see how information was passed from one chimp to another
and to see if fears could be inherited.
So, he placed four chimpanzees in a large glass-paneled enclosure specifically designed for chimps.
Ropes and nets were hanging from the ceiling. Large logs were scattered around for jumping
and climbing. There were tire swings for entertainment, a little pond with Barracudas, and a
tall tree with bright yellow bananas on top.
When the chimps were first placed in the enclosure, it took them a while to trust their
confinement and fully explore the grounds.
116 STORYBOOK
The environment was warm, and the pond seemed like a nice place to cool down. But they
quickly learned to stay away from the water because of the sharp-toothed fish swimming
around in there.
As expected, it didn’t take long for them to notice the ripe bananas at the top of the tree.
All four chimps raced up the tree to get their favorite snack. But, as soon as they reached a
certain point, the researcher hosed them all down with a powerful blast of water, and they all
fell to the ground.
The chimpanzees shook themselves off and looked up at the tree with a confused expression
on their face.
While two chimps were recovering from the fall, the other two tried to climb up the tree
again, but once they reached that point, they were sprayed with that damn hose and once
again, they all fell.
The chimpanzees waited until nightfall to make a third attempt and as you can imagine, they
were once again hosed down to the ground.
The next day, not one chimp attempted to climb the banana tree.
A week had passed, and it seemed like all the chimps had given up.
A month later, the researcher took out one of the chimps and added a new one to the enclosure.
When the new chimp saw the bananas, he started to climb the tree, but the others warned him
about the dangers and convinced him he would get hurt, so he decided to stop climbing.
Another month had passed, and the researcher removed another one of the original
chimpanzees from the enclosure and added a new one.
He also removed the barracudas from the pond.
The same thing happened with this new chimp. When he tried to climb the tree, or enter the
water, the others told him that he would not be successful and would get hurt in the process.
Over the course of five months, all four of the original Chimpanzees had been removed from
the enclosure, and there were six ‘new’ ones. None of which had ever seen the pressure hose
or the Barracudas.
But still, they would not go near the pond or climb the tree for those bright yellow bananas.
MORAL
“Don’t inherit the fears of others.” - Unknown
“Make your own mistakes and gain experience.” - Unknown
Stories 117
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

• PAST CONTINUOUS • PAST PERFECT
• THERE IS – THERE ARE (PAST) • INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS
KEY VOCABULARY
FEAR: Panic, terror (syn) RACE: To compete, run (syn)
INHERIT: To receive SHARP: Having a point or
something as the successor of edge able to cut (def )
the previous holder (def ) HOSED: To spray with
ENCLOSURE: An area that is a hose (a flexible tube
surrounded by a barrier (def ) transporting water) (def )
NET: Web, fabrics (syn) RECOVER: To recuperate (syn)
LOG: A part of the TO CLIMB: To go up, ascend (syn)
trunk of a tree (def ) NIGHTFALL: Evening, dusk (syn)
POND: Lake, pool, lagoon (syn) ATTEMPT: To try, to
TRUST: Believe, have make an effort (syn)
confidence (syn) WARN: Notify, alert, inform (syn)
CONFINEMENT: DANGER: Emergency, Threat (syn)
Captivity, detention (syn)
GET HURT: To be injured (def )
1. What was the purpose of the experiment?
118 STORYBOOK
2. In your own words describe the chimpanzee enclosure. Provide as much detail
as possible.
3. Why did the chimpanzees want to climb the tree?
4. Why couldn’t the chimps get in the water?
5. What are your thoughts on the experiment?
6. Change the ending of the story.
Stories 119
©Depositphotos /VitalikRadko
PAPAN SAENKUTRUEANG© 123RF.com
1 THE INVENTOR
Tom was an American Inventor who grew up in Michigan together with his six siblings. He was
homeschooled by his mother and read many books on Science and Art.
Regardless of Tom’s hearing problems, he was a bright boy who loved to experiment and learn
new things.
He began his career as an inventor at the age of Thirty by creating a device that could record
sounds and play them back. This invention was revolutionary at that time and essentially
made Tom a celebrity. Everyone was calling him a genius.
122 STORYBOOK
This attention inspired Tom to continue experimenting with transmitters until one day he
stumbled upon a system of electric illumination.
During the 1800s, people lit up their homes with gas and oil-based lamps. The problem was
that these methods were expensive and dangerous. Many houses burned down after oil lamps
were accidentally dropped and draperies caught on fire.
Tom saw a problem that most people didn’t even realize they had, and he wanted to find a solution.
So, he hired a team of experts to assist him in a new project that would change the world.
As with most major achievements, there were many failures along the way. And after some
time, the people around him started to doubt the project and tried to encourage him to stop
his efforts and work on something else. But this never discouraged Tom.
He understood that if he was going to invent something extraordinary, it wouldn’t be easy,
he would have to fail, and it would be through those difficult moments that would make him
stronger and give him the experience he needed to succeed.
After years of trial and error, Thomas A. Edison changed the world by inventing the lightbulb.
MORAL
“I never said it was easy. Giving up is easy.” - Maria Snyder
“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success.” - Ross Perot
“The most satisfying thing about triumph, is knowing you were able to surrender
on the path, but decided it wasn’t an option.” – Hector Serna
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • REGULAR AND

• SIMPLE PAST IRREGULAR VERBS
• SIMPLE PAST WITH BE • MODAL COULD

• POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
KEY VOCABULARY
INVENTOR: A person who HOMESCHOOLED: Someone
created a process or device (def ) educated at home instead of
EXPENSIVE: Costing going to a school (def )
a lot of money (def ) BRIGHT: Intelligent, smart (syn)
DANGEROUS: Able to cause REVOLUTIONARY: Something
harm, threatening (def ) that causes a dramatic change (def )
Stories 123
LIT UP: To begin shining (def ) FAILURE: The opposite
LAMP: A device to give light (def ) of achievement (def )
FIRE: Combustion, smoke (syn) DOUBT: To feel suspicion

or uncertainty (def )
BURNED: To be
consumed in fire (def ) STOP: To come to an
end, conclude (syn)
CHANGE: To make different (def )
EFFORT: Intention, work (syn)
WORLD: Planet, globe (syn)
TRIAL: Experiment, test (syn)
ACHIEVEMENT: A thing
done with effort, triumph (def ) LIGHTBULB: Electric lamp (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Trial and Error – A process of trying something and failing, Testing
1. What types of books did Thomas enjoy reading as a child?
2. Why were people calling Thomas a genius at the age of thirty?
124 STORYBOOK
3. What were some of the problems that Thomas solved?
4. What disabilities did Thomas have?
5. How did Thomas make a difference in the world?
6. What kept Thomas going after many failed attempts?
7. What did you learn from this story?
Stories 125
Ian Allenden© 123RF.com
2 THE LOAN
There was once a man named Jim who was up to his neck in debt. He owed money on his car,
his house, and his credit cards and was finding it hard to get out of debt, so he decided to go
to a loan shark for help.
The loan shark lent him the money with one condition. If Jim didn’t pay back the loan within
a month, he would owe double the amount.
Confident that he would have the money, Jim agreed to the condition.
A month passed, and the loan shark was calling Jim so he could collect his money, but he
wasn’t able to get a hold of him. It seemed as though Jim was hiding.
Three months had gone by, and all of a sudden, the loan shark received a tip that Jim was
shopping at the mall with his daughter. So, he rushed to the mall and confronted Jim and his
daughter just as they were about to get into the car.
“Jim! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you!”
“Hey!” Jim responded with a quiver in his voice. “Ya, I’ve been looking for you too. I had your
money, but I couldn’t reach you. I can have it to you by next week.”
“You know, the amount has tripled. Are you really going to have all that money for me in one
week?” The loan shark asked.
126 STORYBOOK
“Ya, don’t worry. I’ll have it for you.” Replied Jim.
Knowing that Jim would probably disappear again, the loan shark made him another offer.
“Why don’t I make you another deal,” said the loan shark. “I’m going to pick up two pebbles: a
white one and a grey one. I’ll put them both in this bag, and your beautiful daughter can pick out
one of the pebbles. If she picks out the white one, I’ll wipe your debt clean and walk away. But if she
picks out the grey one, I’ll still clear your debt, but your daughter will have to marry me.”
The daughter was appalled at the request, and even more appalled when she noticed her father
was considering taking the offer.
“Deal.” said Jim.
So, the loan shark bent down to pick up the pebbles. Jim’s daughter was paying close attention
and noticed the loan shark picked up two grey pebbles and put them in the bag.
“Take your pick, my dear,” said the loan shark.
Now, the daughter had three options. She could have:
a. Refused to pick a pebble.
b. Picked up both pebbles and exposed the loan shark’s scam
c. Picked a pebble from the bag knowing that she would have to marry the ugly loan shark
But Jim’s daughter was a smart cookie, and she quickly evaluated each option and its
repercussions. She knew she needed to think outside the box. So, she reached into the bag
and picked up a pebble, but before showing anyone, she ‘accidentally’ dropped it on the floor
with all the other pebbles.
“Oops!! I dropped the pebble. But don’t worry, just look into the bag for the pebble that’s left, and
you’ll be able to tell which color pebble I picked.”
When the father looked into the bag, he saw a grey pebble and let out a sigh of relief that his
loan would be cleared, and he wouldn’t have to marry off his daughter.
The loan shark stayed quiet as he didn’t want to expose his cheating ways and was forced to
clear Jim’s debt.
MORAL
Think outside the box.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • INFINITIVES – GERUNDS

• SIMPLE PAST • SECOND CONDITIONAL
• PAST CONTINUOUS • USE OF WOULD
Stories 127
• PAST PERFECT • FUTURE WITH GOING TO
• DIRECT SPEECH • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• PRESENT PERFECT
KEY VOCABULARY
DEBT: Money that is MALL: An establishment
owed or due (def ) with many stores (def )
OWE: To have an QUIVER: Tremble, Shake (syn)
obligation to pay (def ) OFFER: Propose,
LOAN SHARK: Someone Suggest, Present (syn)
who lends money at a high DEAL: An agreement (def )
interest rate (def )
PEBBLE: Small stone or rock (def )
LENT: To give someone
money or property with the APPALLED: Shocked (syn)
agreement to pay it back. (def ) SCAM: Fraud, Scheme, Trick (syn)
PAY: To give money that is REPERCUSSION:
due for work or goods (def ) Consequence, Outcome (syn)
AMOUNT: A sum of money (def ) DROP: Fall, Lower (syn)
COLLECT: To receive SIGH: To breathe out in
due payment (def ) relief, sadness, (def )
HIDING: The act of RELIEF: Feeling of
staying out of sight (def ) reassurance (def )
RUSH: Quick, Hurry, Fast (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Up to your neck – To be in a difficult situation that’s hard to get out of
To get a hold of someone – To be able to communicate with someone
Smart cookie – Someone who is clever
128 STORYBOOK
1. Describe Jim’s management of money.
2. Why was it so difficult for the loan shark to contact Jim?
3. Think about the 3 options that Jim’s daughter had and imagine what the outcomes
could have been for each option.
4. What would you have done if your father made a deal like that with a loan shark.
5. What are your thoughts about lending money to friends?
6. Have you ever borrowed money from a loan shark?
7. Change the ending of this story.
Stories 129
feiyuwzhangjie© 123RF.com
3
MING DYNASTY
The Ming Dynasty, A.K.A the Great Ming Empire, was a ruling government of China in the
14th century.
The regime was very resourceful and spent a lot of energy into creating a self-sustaining society.
They were extravagant and would not accept anything less than excellence.
During this time, China was the number one exporter for goods like rice, tea and fine silks for
countries in the West.
The King often had peddlers line up to show him the newest commodity in hopes of being a
significant provider in the trading market.
One day an old peddler presented the King with a stunning porcelain vase that was made from
the finest white clay. This unique clay allowed for a silky finish that no other material could
emulate. It was porcelain at its most refined state.
The King was immediately impressed but as extravagant as he was, he ordered the peddler to
go outside and find a large rock. When the peddler came back with the rock, the King told the
peddler to smash the vase with the rock.
Surprised at the request, he told the King that the vase took months to perfect, that the clay
was very hard to acquire, and it would be impossible to make an identical vase.
130 STORYBOOK
The King was irritated by the peddler’s resistance and ordered him to break the vase at once.
The peddler reluctantly complied with the King’s demand and hit the vase once with the
rock. It broke into four pieces, but the king wasn’t satisfied. He urged the peddler to continue
breaking the porcelain until it was unrecognizable and reduced to tiny pieces.
“Now, you will take these pieces and put the vase back together using liquid gold,” said the King.
The peddler, almost in tears, collected every piece making sure he didn’t leave anything behind
and went to put the vase back together.
After a week, the peddler returned to the King with the vase intact.
Thrilled at the final result, the King welcomed the peddler into his monarchy on the condition
that he revealed the secret to his craft.
The peddler agreed and went on to explain that the fine white powder-like clay is only found
at the top of the active volcano, Mount Chinxoia. There is no road up this mountain, and the
terrain is very rough. Once you make it to the top of the volcano (which could take days), you
fill your bag with its steaming hot clay and return down the mountain ASAP. You must be
quick on the journey back down, because the hot clay burns through the bags and can burn
your skin upon contact. He then showed the King the scars on his back to prove his claim.
Now, as soon as you’re back home with the clay, you must get started on the vase immediately
because the clay hardens as it cools.
The King was inspired by the blood, sweat and tears put into this piece of art, that he officially
declared that only members of the Ming Dynasty shall be allowed to gather this clay and the
creation process shall remain the same indefinitely.
The effort put into this masterpiece is extraordinary and has remained unchanged until this
day, (that includes the breaking and reassembly with gold) which might explain why some
Ming vases can be worth millions of dollars in today’s market.
MORAL
Nothing of value is obtained without effort.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • REPORTED SPEECH
• PASSIVE VOICE • DIRECT SPEECH
• THE USE OF WOULD • MODAL MUST
Stories 131
KEY VOCABULARY
RULING: Currently exercising TINY: Very small (def )
authority, Sovereign (def ) INTACT: Complete, entire (syn)
REGIME: Government, THRILLED: Excited,
organization (syn) animated (syn)
PEDDLER: A person who CRAFT: The ability to make
travels selling small goods (def ) objects by hand (def )
PROVIDER: Contributor, AGREE: To have the same opinion
supplier (syn) about something, concur (def )
STUNNING: Extremely ROUGH: Nor smooth,
impressive or attractive (def ) irregular (def )
CLAY: A sticky substance that can Steaming: Extremely hot (def )
be molded to make ceramics (def )
BURN: To be on fire (def )
ROCK: Stone, pebble (syn)
SCAR: Mark on the
SMASH: Violently break skin, cicatrix (def )
into pieces (def )
HARDEN: To become hard (def )
URGE: Implore, impulse (syn)
COOL: To become less hot (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
A.K.A – Abbreviation for ‘Also Known As’
ASAP – Abbreviation for ‘As Soon As Possible’
Needless to say – Used to emphasize that what you’re about to say is
obvious / As you would expect
Blood sweat and tears – Requires extreme effort from someone /
hard work
1. In your own words, describe what the Ming Dynasty was. Provide as much detail
as possible.
132 STORYBOOK
2. What were some of China’s major commodities?
3. What was so special about the clay used to make the vase?
4. Why did the King demand the peddler to break the vase?
5. How long does it take to make a Ming vase?
6. Describe the process of collecting the clay.
7. What happens to the clay when it gets cold?
8. How much are these vases worth today?
Stories 133
keleny© 123RF.com
4 T - BONE
Once upon a time, there lived a stray dog named T-Bone who was abandoned when he was a
puppy. Growing up alone and on the streets, T-Bone would often come across other stray dogs
who would steal his food, so he learned to become very tough on the exterior in order to survive.
He would always bark at things like birds, cars, cats, and people. Anyone who got close, was a
potential threat and needed to be frightened away.
However, T-Bone’s bark was bigger than his bite. He never hurt anyone or anything in his
twelve years of life.
One hot summer day while T-Bone was out looking for food in the backyards, he came across
a yard that was decorated for a birthday party.
134 STORYBOOK
Red balloons were tied to the trees and chairs. The table was set up beautifully with quality
paper plates, thick printed napkins and of course a huge birthday cake with vanilla cream icing.
As he walked over to get a better look (at the décor of course), he passed by the barbeque that
was just turned on and was warming up. Beside that BBQ, was a table with thick juicy steaks
just waiting to be slapped on the BBQ and sizzled to perfection.
T-Bone immediately forgot about the cake and went straight for the steaks (as any dog would do).
Since the table was too high for T-Bone to reach the meat, he needed to be creative with his
plan of action.
First and most importantly, he needed to go unseen because if anyone caught him in the act,
they would turn him into a hotdog.
Second, he needed to do this quickly because the BBQ was heating up fast and it would be
dangerous to climb up around it.
In other words, if T-Bone didn’t want to get sizzled to perfection along with the juicy steaks,
he needed to be very careful and very quick.
The backyard seemed to be set up for a child’s birthday, so there were small plastic chairs all
around. T-Bone grabbed one of the chairs in his teeth and carried it over to the BBQ. He tried
to stand on the chair, but it was too small and couldn’t support his weight.
He tried once, then twice, and the third time he lost his balance and fell onto the BBQ table,
and all the steaks came crashing down to the ground.
Just then, the backdoor swung open, and it was a large man with giant tongs in one hand and
an oven mitt on the other. “GET OUT OF HERE!” he shouted.
T-Bone jumped up in surprise, grabbed two steaks and ran. He didn’t even make it to the end
of the driveway when one of the steaks fell out of his mouth. He turned back to get it, but there
was an angry man with two scary-looking hands running towards him, so he decided it wasn’t
worth the risk and kept running. The steak was hanging out of T-Bone’s drooling mouth, and
as tempting as it was to stop and eat, he ran until he was forced to stop at a riverbed.
Given how thirsty he was from all the running, T-Bone looked into the river to see if it was
clean enough to drink, but as he looked down, he saw another dog looking back at him with a
similar looking steak.
‘That’s the steak I dropped back at the house! He stole my dinner!’ thought T-Bone, and he
opened his mouth to try and snatch the other dog’s meat, and his thick juicy steak fell into
the water.
That’s when T-Bone realized that the other dog he saw in the water was a reflection of himself.
MORAL
“Greed is the root of all evil.” - Unknown
Stories 135
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • ADVERBS OF MANNER
• PERSONAL PRONOUNS • SECOND CONDITIONAL
• ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY • ZERO CONDITIONAL
• PLURAL NOUNS
KEY VOCABULARY
STRAY: Not in the right place (def ) CAREFUL: Alert, cautious (syn)
PUPPY: A young dog (def ) QUICK: Moving fast or
TOUGH: Strong, resistant (syn) in a short time (def )
STEAL: Take without GROUND: Floor, surface (syn)

permission (def ) TONGS: Grasping device
BARK: The cry of a dog (def ) similar to scissors (def )
HURT: Cause pain or injury (def ) OVEN MITT: Especial glove

made out of silicone to grab hot
STEAK: A high-quality things from the oven (def )
piece of beef (def )
DRIVEWAY: A short road leading
FORGOT: Not be able from a street to a house (def )
to remember (def )
SCARY: Frightening, terrifying (syn)
REACH: Touch, contact (syn)
DROOL(ING): To drop
MEAT: Muscle of animal saliva from the mouth (def )
consumed as food (def )
THIRSTY: Feeling a
UNSEEN: Camouflaged, need to drink (def )
invisible (syn)
TO FALL: To move from a
HEAT(ING): To make higher to a lower level (def )
hot or warm (def )
136 STORYBOOK
COMMON PHRASES /
BBQ – Short form for barbeque
PLAN OF ACTION - An organized strategy to achieve a certain goal.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT – When someone sees you doing something
you shouldn’t be doing
IN OTHER WORDS – To explain an idea in another way / Simpler
explanation
1. Describe T-Bone’s upbringing (child/puppyhood).
2. What difficulties did T-Bone have to face growing up?
3. How did T-Bone’s upbringing affect his personality later in life?
4. Was T-Bone a vicious dog?
Stories 137
5. What were the things T-Bone needed to do in order to be successful in his
attempts to steal the steaks?
6. How did the steaks fall from the table to the ground?
7. How old is T-Bone in the story?
8. Would you consider T-Bone an intelligent dog? Why or why not?
9. Do you think T-Bone acted instinctively?
10. What would you say the moral to this story is?
138 STORYBOOK
Alberto Masnovo© 123RF.com
5 THE SACRED ASS
Buckley the ass woke up to the sun shining bright on his face. He became irritated with the
brightness and walked over to the shade so that he could continue his slumber.
Buckley was a slow ass who was born with a limp. He tried to move about using as little energy
as possible because he always felt like he had a disability.
Ever since he was a young calf, his family would always treat him as the “special one” The one
unable to do any heavy lifting. His friends at school would tease him for the way he walked,
and he was never chosen when it came to teams.
Throughout his entire life, he was told he couldn’t do things, that he was slow and weak. So,
this is how Buckley believed himself to be.
He lived on a farm with other asses of all shapes, colors, and sizes. There was an ass for the
master’s every need.
Stories 139
Today was going to be a big day. All the asses knew there was a big event with hundreds of
people. They were all prepared and eager to be selected so they could show off their carrying
potential.
Buckley knew he wouldn’t be chosen, so he stayed under the Willow Tree in the shade. Just
then, the master walked passed the gate and towards the tree where Buckley was sleeping. He
gave Buckley a little kick on the butt and Buckley jumped up in surprise.
“Let’s go Buck!” shouted the master. “I’ve got an important job for you today.”
All the other asses looked perplexed as the master led Buckley out of the stable.
The master started preparing Buckley for the job. But this time, something was different.
First, the master washed all the mud off him, and then he was powered and towel dried. He
was then draped in fine red and purple fabrics. Fresh white flowers adorned his neck. They
brushed his tail, his teeth and braided his hair.
All this for me? Buckley thought.
Buckley had no idea that his job was to carry a sacred sculpture to the top of the mountain.
The master knew Buckley was the right fit for the job because he was naturally a slow walker.
And a job like this required a slow, gentle ass.
As the walk began, Buckley could see people on their knees crying with pure bliss in their eyes.
The town’s people threw petals at him as he walked by. They dropped to their knees with their
hands folded, praising and blowing kisses.
Buckley didn’t realize that all the fuss was for the sculpture and he was confused at the fact
that he was getting so much attention, but he loved it.
It wasn’t long before Buckley started to absorb all the love and began to walk with a little more
confidence. His head was held up high, and Buckley was feeling like a stallion. He exuded so
much vibrance and poise that you normally wouldn’t see in an ass, and the other masters were
inquiring about him.
On the ride home, after a long day, his master just fed Buckley with words of praise and
gratitude for a job well done.
Buckley was called upon every year for the sacred march, and he never walked with a limp again.
MORAL
Words have power.
Feed your child with negativity, sympathy, doubt, shame and fear, that is how
they will see themselves and that’s the type of person they will become.
Feed your child with love, acceptance, respect, gratitude and encouragement,
that’s how they will see themselves and that’s the type of person they will
become.
140 STORYBOOK
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • PASSIVE VOICE

• SIMPLE PAST • QUANTIFIERS
• MODAL COULD • THERE IS (PAST)
• RELATIVE CLAUSES • PHRASAL VERBS
• WOULD FOR HABITS • INFINITIVE – GERUNDS
IN THE PAST
KEY VOCABULARY
ASS: Mammal of the horse TEASE: To make fun of someone
family with long ears (def ) or laugh at someone (def )
SHINE: Emit light, radiate (def ) BELIEVE: Accept that
SHADE: Cover, obscurity (syn) something is true (def )
SLUMBER: Sleep, rest (syn) EAGER: Impatient, anxious (syn)
LIMP: Bending, hobble (syn) GATE: Door, exit (syn)
CALF: A young bovine PERPLEXED: Confused,

animal, specially a cow (def ) puzzled (syn)
LIFT(ING): Pick up, ascend (syn) STABLE: A place adapted

for keeping horses (def )
MUD: Dirt, soil (syn)
SACRED: Related to God (def )
FABRICS: Textiles, materials (syn)
SCULPTURE: The art of
BRUSH: To remove dust making two or three dimensional
by sweeping (def ) forms, statues (def )
BRAID: To interlace three or more EXUDE: Emit, emanate (syn)
pieces of hair to form a length (def )
POISE: Presence,
WEAK: Not strong, fragile (def ) grace, balance (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
SHOW OFF – To behave in a way that’s intended to attract attention for
your abilities or accomplishments.
HEAD HELD HIGH – To be proud or very confident.
JOB WELL DONE – Used when praising someone for doing a good job
on a task.
Stories 141
1. Describe Buckley’s demeaner at the beginning of the story.
2. What was Buckley’s disability?
3. How was Buckley treated differently?
4. What would you say about Buckley’s self-esteem?
5. Why did the master choose Buckley for this important job?
142 STORYBOOK
6. How was Buckley prepared for the job?
7. What colors did the master dress Buckley in?
8. What was going through Buckley’s mind when he saw the reaction of the crowd?
9. How did Buckley correct his walk after all these years?
10. In your own words, explain the moral of the story.
Stories 143
Mykola Korolkov© 123RF.com
6
NEVER TOO LATE
Colonel Harland Sanders went through many hardships in his life before he opened the biggest
fried chicken franchise chain in the world.
In 1895, when Harland was just six years old, his father died which forced his mother to find
work in a factory. She was often away for days at a time, which left little Harland responsible
for his two other siblings. He took care of the house and did all the cooking, which is where he
developed his skills in the kitchen.
His mother was unable to make ends meet, so at the age of ten, Harland was forced to work on
a farm earning $10.00 a month to help support the family.
Harland tried to balance work and school, but he eventually dropped out after only completing
grade 6.
It wasn’t long before his mother found another husband, but Harland’s relationship with his
step-father was so turbulent that at the age of thirteen he left home.
144 STORYBOOK
At sixteen, Harland enlisted in the army but was discharged a year later.
He was then hired by a railway company but got fired for fighting with a co-worker.
After a while, Harland decided to study Law, and he continued in this field for three years,
until he ruined his career by fighting in court with his own client.
Harland had hit rock bottom and was forced to move back home with his mother and sell life
insurance. This job worked out for a bit, but Harland was destined for bigger things.
He established a ferry boat company which was an instant success, and he sold his shares for
$22,000, so he could invest in the manufacturing of lamps.
Well, as the story goes, this investment was a total flop, and Sanders lost his money.
Harland continued to take on random jobs until the age of forty. It was during the Great
Depression that he began selling fried chicken at service stations.
The pressure fried chicken was a hit in the town of North Corbin, Kentucky, as it cooked faster
than regular pan-fried chicken.
After four years of working at the service station, he opened a small motel which included
a restaurant to sell his chicken. But only four months later, there was a kitchen fire, and it
burned down.
So, Harland did what Harland did best, and that was to pick himself up and dust himself off.
He built and ran a new motel-restaurant until the financial pressures from WWII forced him
to close it down.
Now, Harland was left with nothing but his secret chicken recipe that he discovered and
mastered while working in the kitchen.
At the age of sixty-five, Harland retired, and his only income was his $100.00 monthly pension check.
Feeling like a failure, he and his wife traveled throughout the US, often sleeping in his car,
looking for suitable restaurants and offering to cook chicken for them. If they liked the recipe,
he would try to negotiate franchise rights.
After multiple attempts to franchise his fried chicken recipe and being rejected over 1000
times, Sanders finally caught a break and a man by the name of Pete Harman took a chance on
the idea and invested in the franchise.
The business was highly successful and expanded internationally to Canada, UK, Mexico,
and Jamaica.
This expansion was significant, but with over 600 locations, the work became overwhelming
for Sanders and at the age of seventy-four, he sold the corporation for 2 million dollars. The
deal didn’t include the Canadian operations, and Sanders moved to Mississauga Ontario to
oversee his Canadian franchises.
Sanders passed away at the age of ninety, and at the time of his death, there were an estimated
6,000 KFC outlets in 48 countries worldwide.
Stories 145
MORAL
It’s never too late to try something new.
You’re not old and it’s not too late.
When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars. – unknown
Success isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be exhausting, difficult
and challenging or everyone would be successful.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

• SIMPLE PAST • PAST PERFECT
• SUPERLATIVE • COMPARATIVES
• RELATIVE CLAUSES • ACTIVE VOICE
• PHRASAL VERBS • SECOND CONDITIONAL
• PASSIVE VOICE • ADVERBS OF MANNER
KEY VOCABULARY
FRANCHISE: An authorization DISCHARGE: Release from
from a company given to a custody, Officially dismiss
person to carry out commercial from military force (def )
activities or act as an agent BUILT: Construct, Assemble (syn)
for that company. (def )
HIRE: To employ someone
HARDSHIP: Severe for wages (def )
suffering or poverty (syn)
FIRE: Formally dismiss an
COOK: To combine food employee from employment (def )
ingredients and prepare a meal (def )
LAW: Country’s rules,
FARM: An area of land used to Regulations, Constitution (def )
breed animals or grow crops (def )
FLOP: Failure, Lack of success (def )
HELP: Aid, Support, Assist (syn)
BURNED DOWN:
SUPPORT: Help, Provide, Destructed by fire (def )
Aid, Assist (syn)
CLOSE: Open (ant)
TURBULENT: Not stable
or calm (def ) Violent (syn) PRESSURE: Feeling of sense
of urgency caused by having
ARMY: Military Force (def ) too many demands (def )
146 STORYBOOK
MASTER: Expert, ATTEMPT: Try, Make
Professional (syn) an effort (syn)
FAILURE: Success (ant) REJECT: Refuse to
agree or accept (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Make ends meet – To make just enough money to live
Rock bottom – The lowest possible level
Destined for bigger things / Destined for greatness – When someone
is meant to do something great
Pick yourself off and dust yourself off – To be resilient. Get back up
when life knocks you down
A hit – When something is a success
Catch a break – To receive a beneficial or lucky opportunity.
1. Name three difficulties Harland Sanders faced as a child.
2. Describe Harland’s character. What kind of person was he?
3. How old was Harland when he got his first job?
Stories 147
4. How many different jobs did Harland have?
5. How old was Sanders when he got discharged from the army?
6. At what age did Sanders start selling fried chicken?
7. What was different from Sanders chicken compared to other fried chicken
recipes?
8. How old was Sanders when he opened his motel restaurant?
9. Describe how Sanders finally found success. What was the special ingredient in
Sanders character that ensured he would one day be successful?
148 STORYBOOK
Maksym Yemelyanov© 123RF.com
7 PLAYING GOD
A teacher was experimenting with his students and told them that they were going to play god
for a moment and decide the fate of four fictional characters.
Character #1
A homeless man in his 30’s who had been living on the streets of NYC since he was a teenager.
High school dropout. The little money he makes comes from begging outside of the subway
station. He doesn’t do drugs or drink alcohol. He has one child, who lives in California with
his mother.
Character #2
A young woman who just graduated from University with a business degree. Has a considerably
large school debt but is slowly paying it off. She’s a nice girl with more motivation than
potential, but she has dreams of moving to NYC in hopes of finding a good job opportunity.
(which she most likely won’t get)
Stories 149
Character #3
A father of four children, drowning in debt. Marriage on the rocks. He’s a good father and spends
a lot of time with his children. He works a 9-5 government job and makes a decent salary.
Character #4
A 45-year-old multimillionaire who runs multiple companies and has over 1000 employees.
Travels the world on his sailboat and lives a wonderful life. However, he’s single and looking
to settle down with the right woman.
Now, the students had to choose which of the four characters would win a 5-million-dollar
lottery ticket and explain why they chose that person.
“I would give the money to the homeless man,” said a student. “He’s obviously the one in the most need.”
“I would give it to the father of four,” said another student. “It could save his marriage, pay off his
debt and pay for the children’s education.”
“I think the woman who graduated from university deserves it because she has worked so hard to
get where she’s at, and her dreams will be crushed when she doesn’t find a job in NYC.”
Then the teacher interrupted, and asked the class, “So none of you would give the money to the
millionaire?”
“Of course not! He’s the one who least needs it,” yelled a voice from the back of the room.
Then another student spoke up, “If I were god, I would give the winning ticket to the multimillionaire
over the other guys.”
“And why is that?” asked the teacher.
“Well,” she went on to explain, “I wouldn’t give it to the homeless guy because he’s never had
money and wouldn’t know how to handle the instant fortune. He doesn’t have the experience or
tools to work with money and it’s obvious he doesn’t have any interest in trying to help himself
since he just begs others for money.”
“I wouldn’t give it to the University student either. Since she’s just starting her life and although
she might not get a job in NYC, she will develop a strong character while trying. I wouldn’t want to
halt the momentum she has going.”
“The father of four is obviously not organized with his finances. If he can’t be organized with the
little money that he has, how will he be able to manage the millions? He needs to learn how to get
himself out of the debt he accumulated and set a good example for his family.”
“The millionaire, however, is very organized with his finances. He must have worked very hard and
gone through difficult times to get to where he is today. He wouldn’t go crazy with the new fortune
because he is used to having money. But most importantly, I believe that the more money he has,
the more job opportunities he will give to people who want to work.”
MORAL
Blessings come to those who help themselves by helping others.
150 STORYBOOK
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PAST • THE USE OF WOULD
• PAST CONTINUOUS • DIRECT SPEECH
• REPORTED SPEECH • PRESENT PERFECT
• RELATIVE CLAUSES • SECOND CONDITIONAL
• PRESENT PERFECT • FIRST CONDITIONAL
CONTINUOUS • USED TO
KEY VOCABULARY
FATE: Destiny, providence (syn) SAILBOAT: Catamaran,
HOMELESS: Person yacht (syn)
without a home (def ) DROPOUT: A person who
BEG: Ask someone for abandoned a study or school (def )
something, implore (def ) WIN: To be victorious,
DEBT: Financial obligation, bill (syn) triumph (def )
MOVING: A change of SAVE: Conserve, preserve (syn)

place or position (def ) DESERVE: Merit, justify (syn)
DROWN: Immerse, inundate (syn) DEVELOP: Advance, mature (syn)
MARRIAGE: The legally HALT: To stop (syn)
union of two people as a LEARN: Acquire knowledge
couple, wedding (def ) or a new ability (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
Drowning in debt – To owe a lot of money and finding it difficult to pay it off
Marriage on the rocks – Meaning the marriage is heading for divorce. Not
working out
Settle down – To stop living like a single person, get a good job, get married,
buy a house etc.
Stories 151
1. Which character would you give the lottery ticket to and why? Come up with
your own reasons.
152 STORYBOOK
nanobey© 123RF.com
8 SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
There once was a turtle named Slow Poke. He was very slow at everything he did. He walked
slow, talked slow, and thought slow. Friends at school would make fun of him because he even
played slow! At recess, none of the animals would let him join in because he couldn’t play any
of the games.
One day, Bully Bunny jokingly challenged Slow Poke to a race. “Hey Slow Poke! Wanna have a
race?” All the other animals chuckled.
Eager to join in on any activity, Slow Poke accepted the challenge and responded, “Ok sure!”
Stories 153
“You’re kidding, right? You know, I’m the quickest and most intelligent rabbit around.” Bully
Bunny boasted.
“You may be quick, you may be nimble, but slow and steady is plenty.” replied Slow Poke.
Bully Bunny looked puzzled with Slow Pokes response. “Save your wits for poetry class! I’m
going to beat you in this race. Then we’ll see who has the last laugh.”
All the animals gathered as the race was about to begin.
Chatty Cat held up a flag up and hollered “On your marks. Get set. GO!”
Bully Bunny took off at lightning speed, running through the forest as fast as he could. At
times, he was hopping on one foot, bouncing in the air to show off his agility.
Bully Bunny looked back and saw that Slow Poke was way behind. He yelled “What made you
think you could ever beat me in a race? I’m too quick for you turtle! Hahaha”
Slow Poke saw his opponent way up ahead, but that didn’t discourage him one bit. He continued
the race. Slow and steady.
Bully Bunny looked back again and saw that he had advanced a lot and had a great advantage.
So, he decided to lay under a tree and relax a little.
Slow Poke continued slow and steady.
An hour had passed by, and Bully Bunny had relaxed a little too much and had fallen asleep
only to be woken up by the loud cheers of the other animals.
Slow Poke was almost at the finish line!
Bully Bunny sprung up from his nap and hopped as fast as he could towards the crowd, but it
was too late. Slow Poke won the race. Bully Bunny couldn’t believe it.
All the animals crowded around Slow Poke, cheering in delight. “How did you do it?” They asked.
Slow Poke thought about his answer for a moment and slowly replied “What matters most, is
not your fast pace. For slow and steady will win any race.”
MORAL
You can be successful at anything regardless of your pace. Don’t get
discouraged if things aren’t happening as fast as you would like them to.
Doing things slow and steadily is better than acting quick and carelessly.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PAST • WOULD EXPRESSING

• SIMPLE PRESENT HABITS IN THE PAST
• PAST CONTINUOUS • MODAL: COULD

• SUPERLATIVES
154 STORYBOOK
KEY VOCABULARY
SLOW: Fast, Quick (ant) TO HOLLER: Scream (syn)
RACE: Competition, DISCOURAGE: Not having
Marathon (syn) confidence or enthusiasm (def )
TO CHUCKLE: Laugh, Smile (syn) ADVANTAGE: Benefit (syn)
CHALLENGE: A call to ASLEEP: In a state of sleep (def )
participate in a competition (def ) NAP: To sleep during the
NIMBLE: Agile, Quick (syn) day for a short time (def )
STEADY: Constant, Regular (syn) PACE: Speed on walking,
GATHERED: Concentrated, running, or moving (def )
Grouped (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
On your marks. Get set. GO! – Used as a way to get opponents ready to
start a race
Slow poke – Someone who is slow
Wanna – Slang for “do you want to”
Slow and Steady Wins the Race – reliability is more important than speed
Last laugh – The satisfaction of success when others thought you would fail.
1. Who are the main characters in the story?
2. Why did the other animals make fun of Slow Poke?
Stories 155
3. How did Slow Poke win the race?
4. Why did Bully Bunny fall asleep?
5. What does it mean to do something “slow and steady”?
6. Why did Slow Poke accept the challenge?
7. What was different now that Slow Poke beat Bully Bunny in a race?
156 STORYBOOK
Eleni Seitanidou© 123RF.com
9
GOLDEN EGGS
On a hot summers’ day, Daniel was in the chicken coop gathering eggs for breakfast when he
noticed a golden egg under one of his hens.
He picked up the shiny, golden egg and was surprised at how heavy it was.
“What on Earth is this?!” he cried. “It isn’t gold, is it?”
He ran into the house calling for his wife. “Martha! Martha! Look what I’ve found!”
“What is it?” his wife asked. “Where on Earth did you find that?”
“It was under one of the hens,” Daniel replied.
Stories 157
“We should take it to the city to see if it’s real,” Martha said.
So, they got in the car and drove to the city. They brought it to an appraiser, and sure enough, the
appraiser confirmed that the egg was a solid, 24 karat, egg-shaped chunk of gold.
The couple was ecstatic, jumping up and down in joy.
“We’re rich!” cried Martha. “Our prayers have been answered.”
That night, the couple went to bed but couldn’t sleep. They were too excited to see if there
would be another golden egg in the morning.
They stayed up all night discussing how they would spend their new-found fortune.
Martha wanted a new house and car. She also wanted a new wardrobe and maids. On the other
hand, Daniel wanted to buy a sailboat and travel the world.
They talked and talked until the sun came up.
“Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!!!” It was the crack of dawn. Both Joshua and Martha jumped out of bed
and ran towards the chicken coop.
The hens were scattered all over, and Joshua couldn’t remember which hen laid the golden
egg. So, one by one, they searched under the hens. After looking under more than half of them,
they started to get discouraged.
After looking under all the hens, they didn’t find a single golden egg. As they started to walk
out of the coop, Martha suddenly called out, “Joshua! We missed one! There’s a hen outside!”
“Check it! Check it,” Daniel cried.
Martha picked up the large reddish hen, and sure enough, there was a golden egg laying there.
“Oh, my goodness! What do we have here?” Daniel exclaimed.
“She’s full of gold!” said Martha. “Do you know what we can do with all this gold?!”
“Yes, but we mustn’t tell anyone about this miracle, or we will have everyone in town at our door.
What if someone tried to steal the hen?! We must be extremely careful,” warned Daniel.
“We could always just kill the hen and take all the gold at once,” suggested Martha.
“Hmm..” Daniel thought for a moment. “That’s actually not a bad idea Martha.”
So, they brought the large hen into the kitchen and cut it open, but all they found were blood
and guts. There wasn’t a trace of gold. The hen was no different from the others on the inside.
“What have we done?!” Cried Martha. “The gold is gone!”
Deep down, Daniel was upset, but his reaction would suggest otherwise.
“Well, there’s no point in crying over it,” he said. “What’s done is done. Now, what’s for lunch?”
“Chicken.” She replied.
158 STORYBOOK
MORAL
Those who have plenty, want more and end up losing all.
Appreciate good fortune when you have it.
Being greedy will lead to eventual downfall.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • MODAL COULD

• SIMPLE PAST • MODAL MUST
• PHRASAL VERBS • INFINITIVES – GERUNDS
• DIRECT SPEECH • ADVERBS OF MANNER
• TAG QUESTIONS • INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• MODAL SHOULD • FUTURE WITH WILL
KEY VOCABULARY
COOP: A cage adapted WARDROBE: Closet,
to keep poultry (chickens, cabinet (syn)
ducks, turkeys) (def ) MAID: A female domestic
HEAVY: Of great weight, servant (def )
difficult to move, large (def ) DAWN: Beginning of a day, first
CHUNK: A big piece appearance of light in the sky (def )
of something (def ) SCATTER: Throw in various
PRAYER: Solemn request directions, separate (def )
for help to God (def ) SEARCH: Explore, find (syn)
SPEND: Give money to BLOOD: Red liquid that circulates
pay for goods, use (def ) in the arteries and veins (def )
GOLDEN: Made of gold (def ) FOOLISH: Stupid, silly (syn)
GUTS: Stomach, belly (syn)
Stories 159
COMMON PHRASES /
What/Where/How/When on Earth…. – Used to suggest there’s no
obvious answer
Oh my goodness – Used to express surprise
What’s done is done – You can’t change it.
1. Describe three physical characteristics of the egg.
2. What was Daniel doing when he found the first golden egg?
3. What was the first thing Daniel noticed about the egg? Besides the fact that it
was gold.
4. How did Martha want to spend their fortune?
160 STORYBOOK
5. Describe the hen that laid the golden egg.
6. Why was Daniel worried if people knew they had a hen that laid golden eggs?
7. What was the reason for killing the hen?
8. What did the couple find when they opened up the hen?
9. What would you do if you found a hen that laid golden eggs?
Stories 161
10 Dmitriy Cherevko© 123RF.com
NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD
The circus industry has changed a lot in the last century. At one point, going to the circus was
the preferred choice of entertainment among families.
What was not to love? There were games, prizes, popcorn, candy apples, face painting, clowns
and of course the spectacular shows. It was an event the whole family could enjoy.
But not everything that glitters is gold. Under those big red and white tents, there was
something sinister going on. Elephants, Lions, Bears and even Mice were bred in captivity,
spending their entire lives in unnatural and stressful environments.
The living conditions were abhorrent. Large animals were confined to, filthy and poorly
ventilated spaces. And if that wasn’t enough, the animal trainers would whip and beat the
animals when they couldn’t perform a trick properly.
162 STORYBOOK
Imagine how hard it would be to train an elephant to ride a bicycle or stand on their head.
What about getting a tiger to jump through a ring of fire?
Just think of the abuse these beautiful creatures had to endure all in the name of entertainment
and of course, MONEY.
Tutu the Bear was famous for his incredible dancing abilities. The circus sold tons of merchandise
of Tutu. T-shirts, hats, buttons and stuffed animals. If you were brave enough you could even
have your picture taken with him. He was a great performer, and all the kids loved him.
But looks can be deceiving. Behind the façade, Tutu was sad and heartbroken. He was taken
from his mother at a young age and forced to stand on heated coals while his trainer played
music. This created an emotional impact on the young cub, and over time, whenever he heard
music, he would instinctively hop around thinking there were fireballs under his feet, which
gave the impression of a dancing bear.
Ellie the Elephant was also a featured animal at the circus. She was a very tame and gentle
giant that could stand on her head, and balance on a ball. Her trainers could literally walk her
around the park with just a rope around her ankle.
Some wondered why Ellie never tried to escape. Couldn’t this massive animal break free from
a thin piece of rope?
Well, the answer is yes. If Ellie had the will, she could have broken free from the shackles, but
all her life she had been conditioned to believe that if something was wrapped around her
ankle, it meant she was bound and enslaved without power.
You see, Ellie was born in captivity, and when she was only two years old, her trainers chained
her mother to a wall, tied Ellie’s legs up and dragged her away from her frantic mother.
This traumatic experience broke the spirit of the young calf, and after years of fighting the
restraints, Ellie just
stopped trying to escape and she became a submissive giant. This is when the tortuous
training began.
The physical and mental abuse she had to go through made her depressed and with no will to
fight. Poor Ellie never realized how strong and powerful she really was.
MORAL
What may seem beautiful at first glance may turn out to be ugly when you
take a closer look at it.
We can condition our minds for the good or the bad. It’s your decision. Just
because you failed at it once, twice or three times, it doesn’t mean you’re
incapable of success.
Our attempts may fail, but we should never fail to attempt.
Stories 163
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • PASSIVE VOICE

• SIMPLE PAST • WOULD TO EXPRESS
• PRESENT PERFECT HABITS IN THE PAST
• THERE IS – THERE ARE (PAST) • SECOND CONDITIONAL

• MODAL COULD
KEY VOCABULARY
ENTERTAINMENT: COAL: Combustible black
Relaxation, fun, interest (syn) rock used as fuel (def )
GLITTER: Shine, sparkle (syn) CUB: A young bear (def )
GOLD: A yellow, precious metal TAME: Domesticated, docile (syn)
used to make jewelry (def ) WILL: Determination,
BRED: Procreate, reproduce (syn) tenacity (syn)
ABHORRENT: Horrible, BELIEVE: To accept
repulsive (syn) something as true
FILTHY: Dirty, unclean (syn) SHACKLE: Metal link, chain (syn)
TRICK: An act, WRAP: To cover in paper
performance, stunt (syn) or soft material (def )
ENDURE: Suffer, experience (syn) ANKLE: The joint connecting
BRAVE: Valiant, courageous (syn) the foot with the leg (def )
FAÇADE: Appearance, RESTRAINT: Restriction,

posture (syn) repression (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Looks can be deceiving – Just because something looks good on the
outside doesn’t mean it’s good on the inside. / Appearances can be misleading
Behind the façade – Behind the mask / When you try to act one way but
you’re really feeling something different.
164 STORYBOOK
1. What are some things you can find at a circus?
2. Describe the conditions circus animals had to live in.
3. How did these wild animals become tame?
4. Have you ever been to a circus with animals?
5. Can you think of any other establishments that keep animals in captivity?
6. What are your thoughts on this topic?
Stories 165
©Depositphotos /TarasMalyarevich
Boyce Fitzgerald© 123RF.com
1 JOE LUCK
Joe Luck was a sensible man who lived a normal life. He lived on a farm with his only son
Christopher.
One day, his prized horse, Goldie escaped from the stable and ran away. Joe searched for her
for days, but she was nowhere to be found. He asked all the neighbors in the town, but no one
had seen the horse.
“Mrs. Doyle, you haven’t seen my horse Goldie, have you? She ran away last night.”
“I’m sorry to hear that Joe, but I haven’t seen your horse. She was a fine horse indeed! That is some
bad luck if I do say so myself.”
“No such thing as bad luck ma’am. Thank you for your time.” said Joe. And off he went
Weeks passed by, and Joe was sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast with his son, and
suddenly, from the window, they could see three horses galloping towards the barn.
168 STORYBOOK
“Dad, look! It’s Goldie! She came back!’
“Looks like she brought company!”
They ran outside and tied up all three horses in the barn.
“These horses aren’t just any horses Christopher. These are Purebred Arabian Stallions worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Someone must be looking for them. I should go into town and see
if we can find their rightful owners.”
Joe took the two stallions to the sheriff’s station and asked if anyone had reported a missing horse.
“You’re in luck Joe! No one has reported any lost or stolen horses. It looks like you got yourself a
nice new herd. If you register them now, they will legally be yours.” Said the sheriff.
Joe went straight to the registry office and registered his new stallions.
The woman at the counter asked Joe where he found the horses.
He explained that his horse Goldie had brought them with her when she returned home.
“Well aren’t you lucky!” said the woman
“No such thing as being lucky ma’am.” And off he went.
The next day, Christopher was in the barn tending to the herd when he decided to take one of
the new horses out for a ride. At first, the horse was calm and riding beautifully. They galloped
around in the wide-open field for hours. Flocks of birds flew over towards the horizon. It was
a serene moment until a bunny hopped out in front of them. The horse got spooked and
bucked wildly
throwing Christopher into the air and onto the ground. He was severely injured but thankfully
survived.
Joe ran over to Christopher, picked him up and rushed him to the hospital where they stitched
up his arm and wrapped his leg up in a cast.
“I’ve never heard of a cute little bunny scaring a stallion! said the nurse. You’re lucky to be alive”.
Months passed by, and Christopher wasn’t recovering as quickly as he would have liked. His
friends would often come over to visit. Timmy was Christopher’s best friend. He came over
almost every day to see if he was well enough to go outside to play.
“You broke your leg just when summer was starting. Now summer is almost over, and you haven’t
been outside once, have you?! Now that’s some serious bad luck.” Exclaimed Timmy.
A couple of weeks passed by and the news broke out that the country was going to war. All the
boys, ages 12-18 had to be recruited for army training and were sent off to military training
camps immediately.
When the military came to get Christopher, they saw the condition he was in and decided it
would be more of a hassle to take him. So thankfully they let him stay home under the care
of his father.
A few days later, there was a knock at the door. This time it was Timmy’s mother.
Joe answered the door. “Come inside Mrs. White. What can I do for you?”
Stories 169
They both sat down at the kitchen table, and Timmy’s mother just put her hands over her face
and wailed. She was devastated.
“It’s terrible! How could they take away my only son? Timmy is too innocent for war. You’re so
lucky they didn’t take your boy.”
Joe was empathetic with Mrs. White. He understood it must have been difficult to have her son
taken away from her. So, he was careful with his words.
“Mrs. White, “LUCK” is all about perspective. If you focus only on the negative aspects of this
situation, you won’t be able to heal. Instead of grieving over your misfortune, you ought to show
gratitude that you can withstand such an event. There are others who might not be able to overcome
what you are going through. Life has highs and lows. Try to find the silver lining in the situation.”
Joe continued. “Just think, when Timmy comes back home, he will be more disciplined, stronger,
and much more responsible than he was before. If our boys are needed in the war and we are
victorious because of their strength, are we lucky then?”
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. It’s not about the event itself, but how
we react to it.”
MORAL
“Life is 10% the events that happen to us and 90% how we react.”
Charles R. Swindoll
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• PAST PERFECT • COLLECTIVE NOUNS

• PAST CONTINUOUS • MODALS (MUST)
• PRESENT PERFECT • TAG QUESTIONS
• PHRASAL VERBS • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• RELATIVE CLAUSES
KEY VOCABULARY
GALLOPING: A horse SPOOKED: Scared,
racing fast (def ) Frightened (syn)
HERD: A large group BUCKED: A vertical jump
of animals (def ) performed by a horse (def )
FLOCK: A large group HEAL: To become
of birds (def ) healthy again (def )
170 STORYBOOK
RECRUIT: Enlist, Enrol, Hire (syn) GRIEVE: To feel intense
HASSLE: Irritating sorrow (def )
inconvenience (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
SILVER LINING – A difficult situation with a positive aspect to it
HIGHS AND LOWS – Successful happy moments and Unsuccessful
unhappy moments
1. Who are the main characters in this story?
2. Why were the boys removed from their homes?
3. How did Christopher injure himself ?
4. Why did Joe take the stallions to the sheriff ’s office?
5. Who was Christopher’s best friend?
Stories 171
6. How many sons did Joe have?
7. What was the weather like on the day that Christopher fell off the horse?
8. Why was Mrs. White devastated? How was her state of mind?
9. Did Christopher go to military training camp? Why? Why Not?
10. What are your thoughts about “LUCK” Do you think some people are luckier
than others?
11. Have you ever felt lucky or unlucky?
172 STORYBOOK
Jakub Gojda© 123RF.com
2 FRESH FISH
The indigenous people have a strong connection and deep understanding of the ecology.
Their cultural knowledge and respect for the land and waters have been passed down from
generation to generation through storytelling.
This story is about two main indigenous groups called the Inuit and the First Nations and how
their resourcefulness allowed them to adapt to the ever-changing environment.
For thousands of years, these two groups fished the oceans off the shores of Newfoundland
using basic nets, hooks, and traps. They were very fortunate as the rich waters were full of a
variety of marine life.
Stories 173
This abundant flow of fish continued to feed hundreds of indigenous families until the early
1500s when the European sailboats started to arrive.
At first, the Inuit and First Nations welcomed the newcomers as they believed the lands and
waters should be shared with everyone. But it wasn’t long before much larger European vessels
arrived, and the overfishing started to take a toll on the marine ecosystem.
Entire fish species were becoming depleted and underpopulated. This made fishing for the
Indigenous very difficult and more dangerous as they were forced to venture out farther
from the shore.
Fishing for dinner which used to take a day, now meant going out to sea for weeks and coming
home with frozen fish that wasn’t very tasty.
More and more men started to prefer hunting land animals as opposed to going out to sea
for fish.
But over time, the tribes grew sick of red meat and berries and went to the Chief in hopes of
finding a solution.
The wise Chief from the Inuit tribe ordered his fishermen to build fish tanks onboard, so the
fish could stay alive until they were ready to be eaten.
Now, the tribes were eating fresh fish, and that was nice, but the texture of the fish was tough,
and the smell was stale. They realized that even though the fish were kept alive, they remained
motionless in the tanks which caused the unfavorable taste.
Once again, the people went to the Chief for another solution.
He suggested they put a small shark in the tank to keep the fish swimming.
The fishermen questioned this plan as they thought the shark would eat all the fish and they
would return home without food for their families.
The Chief assured the men, that although they will lose some fish to the shark, the ones who
survive will be alive, fresh and tasty. And in the worst-case scenario, if the shark does eat all
the fish, they will have a big, juicy, well-fed shark.
MORAL
“It’s not resources, but resourcefulness that ultimately makes the difference.”
– Tony Robbins
“The more you learn, the more you earn.” - Warren Buffett
“Rescue yourselves with the power of resourcefulness.” - Unknown
“The motionless are unfavourable.” - Unknown
174 STORYBOOK
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • COMPARATIVES

• SIMPLE PAST • USED TO
• PASSIVE VOICE • FUTURE WITH WILL
• INFINITIVES – GERUNDS • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• PAST CONTINUOUS
KEY VOCABULARY
UNDERSTANDING: FARTHER: To indicate
Comprehension, interpretation (syn) distance (def )
KNOWLEDGE: Information FROZEN: Stored at a very
obtained through education low temperature in order
or experiences (def ) to preserve it (def )
LAND: Soil, terrain (syn) HOOK: A piece of metal bent
STORYTELLING: The specially used to catch fish (def )
activity of telling a story (def ) TRAP: A device used to
RESOURCEFULNESS: The catch animals (def )
ability to find ways to overcome FEED: To give food (def )
difficult situations (def ) SHARE: To have a portion
EVER-CHANGING: Constantly of something, divided (def )
changing or developing (def ) VESSEL: A ship or large boat (def )
ENVIRONMENT: The TASTY: To taste good
conditions in which a person or favorable (def )
or animal live (def )
HUNT: To look for and kill
OVERFISHING: Fishing an animal for food (def )
in excess (def )
SICK: Healthy (ant)
TOLL: Adverse effects
of something (def ) CHIEF: The leader or ruler
of a group of people (def )
DEPLETE: Empty,
Spend, Exhaust (syn) WISE: Smart, Intelligent,
Knowledgeable, Experienced (syn)
UNDERPOPULATED:
Overpopulated (ant) STALE: Not fresh (def )
VENTURE: A risky or ALIVE: Dead (ant)

daring journey (def ) SHARK: Cold blooded marine
animal with very big teeth (def )
Stories 175
COMMON PHRASES /
Take a toll – After time, it became damaging or harmful
As opposed to – Instead of
1. How did the indigenous ancestors teach their people?
2. Why do you think the indigenous has so much respect for nature?
3. When did the European’s immigrate to North America?
4. Why did the amount of fish decrease?
176 STORYBOOK
5. What tools did the indigenous use for fishing?
6. Why did the indigenous have to go out farther to catch their fish?
7. Why didn’t the fish taste good to the indigenous people?
8. What other things did the indigenous people eat besides fish?
9. In your own words, explain the final solution the chief gave his people in order
to eat fresh fish.
10. What other lessons can you get from this story?
Stories 177
choreograph© 123RF.com
3
FORMULA TO SUCCEED
People love math. You would be surprised, but it is indeed a passion for many that are not living
in the realm of geeks and nerds. Math can amaze you with ways to easily solve your life problems.
It can help you prepare for the future based on simple calculations that we call formulas.
Some formulas can actually change our lives and our perspective on life. Once a good formula
shows you the path to success, you want to share it with as many people as you can.
I want to talk to you about a formula I learned from a very wise man. A man that inspires the
world with his own story. A testimony worth spreading, for it has given so much power to
people in need. I’m talking about Christopher Paul Gardner. The American businessman and
investor who dedicates his life now as a motivational speaker.
178 STORYBOOK
He became more known to the public with the release of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness,
directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith.
This movie depicts how this great man, goes from rags to riches. From being a homeless man,
sleeping in subway stations and shelters while raising a toddler on his own, to eventually
opening his own private brokerage firm in Chicago.
I was able to learn a formula that worked for him and any other human being that applies it. I
decided to name it The Tenacity to Succeed Formula, and it is very simple.
One definition of tenacity refers to the quality of being able to grip something firmly. It also
serves as a synonym for being determined. Tenacity to succeed is the ability to set a goal in
your mind and hold onto it. Just lock yourself to that outcome, for there is no other.
Think of yourself as a climber. The higher you go; you attach anchors to the rock that will help
your rope and safety lines. If you have a good grip, you will hold yourself for the next step.
Being determined is to fix your eyes on something and not let it go. Your tenacity will not avoid
storms and difficulties in your path. But it will hold you to your goal and glue you to success.
To develop tenacity, you must have a definite purpose. It’s the only way you can change your
DNA for success. Here is how it works:
Gardner credited his tenacity to succeed to what he calls Spiritual Genetics and his Childrens’
Expectations. These two ingredients gave him the stamina and nutrients to develop the
character to become a success and a pretty good asset for humanity.
If you think of a building, the height and the size depends on the foundation. The stronger the
pillars and the base, the more stories the building can have. It happens in nature as well. Trees
need wind to blow against them, which in turn causes their roots to grow deeper into the soil,
which in turn supports the tree as it becomes taller. The wind, in this case, is a challenge for
the tree. The wind confronts the grip of the tree to the soil: The more grip, the more tenacity.
If our roots are based on a powerful belief system, we can grow accordingly.
Spirituality, which is commonly confused with religion, allows a man to find a purpose to live.
Different from a set of rules to follow, it gives a man the ability to look inside and understand
that he can be great if he develops a sense of oneness with his creator and the universe.
Chris inherited this likeness for spirituality from his mother whom he loved deeply. She gave
him enough tools to develop strong roots, so his fruits would manifest.
Chris Gardner attributed his determination and perseverance to his children. The rule applies
to anyone that makes your heart sing. Anyone that moves you to do what you think you can’t
do for yourself.
Stories 179
If the string attaching you to this person feels like love to you, he/she/they can activate enough
dopamine, so you can face the unthinkable and achieve greatness.
Gardner was moved by his son, who at a young age he told him what a great daddy he was.
His sons’ expectations were great and Chris lived up to those expectations.
We should all have a formula for success… What’s yours?
MORAL
Find the formula that works for you and have the tenacity to follow it until
you get your results.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

• MODAL CAN • REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
• ADVERBS OF MANNER • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS • ZERO CONDITIONAL
• RELATIVE CLAUSES • FUTURE WITH WILL
KEY VOCABULARY
INDEED: It is used to introduce CHALLENGE:
a stronger point (def ) Confrontation, dispute (syn)
REALM: Field, area, domain (syn) AVOID: To stay away
GEEK: An odd person, nerd (def ) from something (def )
WORTH: Sufficiently ROOT: The part of a plant which

good, important (syn) attaches it to the ground (def )
SPREAD: Extend over DEEPER: Extending very

a large area (def ) far down, profound (def )
TODDLER: A young child that INHERIT: To receive

is beginning to walk (def ) something as the successor of
the previous holder (def )
GRIP: To take and keep a firm
hold of something (def ) UNTHINKABLE:
Unimaginable, incredible (syn)
180 STORYBOOK
1. What does Chris Gardner do for a living?
2. What were some of the things he had to endure while living on the streets?
3. Who was the person motivating Chris to succeed?
4. Can you explain the formula in your own words?
5. What does it mean to have ‘Tenacity’?
Stories 181
6. The story uses a building and a tree as a metaphor for having strong roots. Can
you think of something else that needs to have strong roots to sustain life?
7. What is the difference between spirituality and religion?
8. What are some of your life goals and what habits do you have that will help you
achieve your goals?
182 STORYBOOK
mackoflower© 123RF.com
4
ALL INCLUSIVE
There was once a man named Peter who had lived his whole life in a small town. He had always
dreamt about exploring the world, but he was a humble man and lived a simple life. He only
made enough money to keep a roof over his head, food in his belly, and the small amount he
had left over, he put away in his savings.
Peter never splurged and was quite conservative with his spending. – Which could explain
why the guy had been single for so long.
One morning, while Peter was having breakfast, he thought to himself, I have been living in
this town all my life. I’m 56 years old, and I’ve never even had a passport. Wouldn’t it be nice
to leave this town even if it’s just for a short time?
Stories 183
Just then, the mailman pushed an envelope through the mail slot. It was a brochure for a resort
in Mexico. Peter curiously picked up the envelope and opened it. It was a last-minute deal on
an all-inclusive 5-Star resort in Playa del Carmen, and the price was hard to ignore.
“With my savings, I could easily go on this trip.” He thought to himself.
Peter wasn’t used to spending money on himself for entertainment, so he pondered at the
thought before finally caving in. He called the number on the brochure and booked his ticket
for the following week.
Days leading up to the trip, Peter packed his suitcase with a lot of thought. He packed the
usual sunblock, bathing suit, shorts, and shirts. He also packed peanuts, fruit and canned food
in case he got hungry and ran out of money. He packed soap and toilet paper so he wouldn’t
have to buy it at the hotel. Peter wanted to make sure he was prepared.
The big day had come, and Peter arrived at the hotel. The extravagance was overwhelming. He
couldn’t believe where he was. It was like he was in a dream.
He arrived at the concierge desk where the woman received his documents and verified his
information. She asked him, “Sir. Would you prefer the Stateroom with the king size bed or the
double suite with the ocean view balcony?”
“Oh no no. That’s too much. I’ll just take one of the rooms on the first floor. I don’t need a view, and
since I’m here alone, a king size bed would be too big for me.” Replied Peter.
The woman looked puzzled, but she complied to Peter’s request and gave him the room of his
choice. “Ok, Sir. I’ve put you in the single room on the first floor. It’s down the hall and to the right.”
“Thank you very much.” Replied Peter and off he went.
Once Peter got to his room, he started to settle in, and there was a knock at the door. It was the
hotel coordinator inviting him to some of the activities and snacks by the pool.
“Oh no, thank you, I’m fine here. Thank you for the invitation.”
Peter wanted to make sure he didn’t waste all his money on the first day.
It was now time for dinner and Peter got dressed and went to the dining room. He sat at
his designated table and his Maitre D’ immediately approached him with the wine menu.
“Today we have a Pinot Noir that would pair nicely with the Alaskan Salmon. Or if you prefer the
Chardonnay, we can offer you the grilled prawns and risotto.”
“Oh my! No no. I’ll just have a ham and cheese sandwich.” Said Peter.
“Sir. I can assure you, the seafood is fresh and you won’t be disappointed. Perhaps you would like
the Sirloin steak with truffled potatoes? We have many international beers on tap if you are not in
the mood for wine.” Said the Maitre D’ trying to influence Peters’ selection.
“I appreciate your advice, but I’ll be just fine with any sandwich you have back there. And I’ll pair
that with a glass of tap water.” – replied Peter trying to sound fancy.
“Ok, Sir. I’ll be right over with your sandwich and water.”
“I can’t imagine how much those dishes cost. They’re probably very expensive, and that’s why they
don’t have the prices listed in the menu.” Peter thought to himself. “I’m not going to let them trick
me into a huge bill at the end of this trip. Just being in this resort, is good enough for me.”
184 STORYBOOK
Throughout the entire trip, Peter avoided all the excursions and shows. He didn’t bother to
look at the menu again and just ate sandwiches, crackers and drank water.
His last day had arrived, and Peter was checking out of his room. The manager approached
Peter and asked him, “I noticed you didn’t take advantage of any of the activities. I didn’t see you
at any of the shows, and your Maitre D’ tells me you didn’t eat any of the items from the menu.
Might I ask why?”
“Well, don’t get me wrong, your hotel is wonderful. Luxury at it’s finest. But, I’m a simple man
who saved for years to pay for this trip. I didn’t have the money to pay for everything this resort
has to offer.”
The manager closed her eyes almost as if she was disappointed, “Your package was an all-
inclusive deal. You could have stayed in the Stateroom, participated in all the activities, ate the best
food and drank to your heart’s content without spending another penny.”
MORAL
“Don’t deny yourself of the gift’s life has to give.” - Unknown
“Opportunities are wasted to those who don’t value themselves.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT. • PRESENT PERFECT

• SIMPLE PAST. CONTINUOUS.
• RELATIVE CLAUSES. • PRESENT PERFECT.
• PAST PERFECT. • SECOND CONDITIONAL.
• PHRASAL VERBS. • USED TO.
• PAST CONTINUOUS. • PASSIVE VOICE.

• DIRECT SPEECH.
KEY VOCABULARY
HUMBLE: Modest, Reserved (syn). SUITCASE: Bag, Backpack (syn).
SPLURGE: To spend money WONDER: Think about,
extravagantly (def ). Meditate (syn).
SPENDING: Payment, OVERWHELMING:
Expenses (syn). Very strong (def ).
PONDER: To think about PUZZLED: Confused, Lost (syn).
something (def ). REQUEST: Petition, Demand (syn).
Stories 185
SETTLE IN: To become LUXURY: Opulent, Splendid (syn).
familiar with a new place (def ). AVOID: To stay away
MAITRE D’ (FRENCH from something (def ).
WORD): The manager of a DISAPPOINTED: Discontented,
restaurant or hotel (def ). Disillusioned (syn).
HUGE: Big, Enormous (syn).
COMMON PHRASES /
Don’t get me wrong – Used to make sure the person you’re talking to
understands what you’re trying to say and doesn’t misinterpret the idea.
Luxury at its finest – Top of the line. Total luxury.
“To your heart’s content” – To do something that you enjoy for as long
as you want.
Pinch pennies – Being cheap. Reluctant to spend money.
1. What type of man was Peter?
2. Would you call Peter cheap or frivolous? Explain your answer.
3. Was Peter married?
186 STORYBOOK
4. What made Peter purchase the vacation?
5. How long had Peter lived in his town?
6. What things did Peter pack in his suitcase?
7. What was Peters reaction when he arrived to the resort?
8. Why did Peter prefer to stay in a room on the first floor as opposed to a room
with an ocean view?
9. Why did Peter think the items on the menu were expensive?
10. Have you ever been on an all-inclusive vacation? What did you like or dislike
about it?
Stories 187
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5
THE CURE
Hannah looked at her reflection in the pond. Her image was distorted. She saw a hideous
woman looking back at her, and she couldn’t avoid her tears of despair and shame. She tried
to look deep into her own eyes as if she was going to receive a message from within. She
had no idea why life was set up this way for her. She wondered if she was being punished for
something. Was God aware of her troubled life? Maybe He just didn’t care.
Hannah made garments for a living. She was very talented and was able to fend for herself. She
had no family and no one to support her. She was a young 24-year-old woman and yet there were
no men attracted to her despite being in her prime years. She looked older than most women
188 STORYBOOK
her age. Her face was tired looking with these piercing sunken eyes and skin so pale in color. She
always wore a veil to cover her face, letting only her dark brown eyes be seen to the world.
The laws and traditions of her community were very strict on women, especially during the
days of their menstrual cycle. Women were considered unsacred for ceremonies during this
time. They couldn’t go near the altar, and anyone who touched her was considered unclean.
Hannah remembered the first day she entered womanhood. Her mother told her it was only
going to last for a few days. But she was wrong. It never stopped.
In seek of a cure, Hannah’s mother took her to multiple physicians just to get the same
response. “There is no cure for your daughter. She will remain unsacred until the bleeding stops.”
It had been 12 years with this curse and Hannah had many restrictions in the community. She
couldn’t get close to the temple, so she learned to praise God in seclusion. She wasn’t allowed
to prepare meals for others, so her social life was nil. No man would even consider being with
her once they discovered her illness.
So, Hannah learned to be independent and live a desolate life isolated from the rest.
She was an outcast.
One morning, Hannah looked at her reflection once again and this time decided not to find a
sorrowful woman with tears and remorse. She washed her face, smiled at herself and got ready
to go to the market.
As she was walking down the street, Hannah saw a large group of people going towards the
hills, and she found herself intrigued by the crowd.
Hannah overheard a man speaking. “These people are just foolish. They don’t even know the
man, and they just follow him!”
“He is Yahshua, the son of God!” Another man was saying in a joyful tone.
Hannah looked ahead in the crowd and saw the man they were talking about. She couldn’t see
his face, and it was hard to spot him with so many people around, but there was something
about his presence…
“If only I could only touch Him, I will be healed.” Hannah thought to herself.
“What if I’m caught in front of all these people? What if they find out I am ill and “unclean?”
Hannah quieted her thoughts and kept saying to herself, ‘he’s the son of God. If I could only
touch His garment, I will be healed.’
She just felt the divine presence and decided to believe that this was going to be her cure.
Hannah decided she would go against every rule in the book and touch this man’s garment.
The supposed ‘Son of God’ no less!
“Stop! Who touched me?” the man shouted.
There was a silence among the crowd.
When nobody spoke up, one of the followers said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing
against you, and you say, who touched me?”
The Master answered, “Somebody has touched me, for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me.”
Stories 189
When Hannah saw that she could not go unnoticed, she came trembling and fell at his feet. In
the presence of all the people, she told him why she had touched him and that she had been
instantly healed from her lifelong curse.
Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
MORAL
Having faith and believing in something can cure any condition.
Sometimes faith is the only cure
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • DIRECT SPEECH

• SIMPLE PAST • PAST PERFECT
• MODAL COULD • INFINITIVES – GERUNDS
• INDIRECT QUESTIONS • PAST CONTINUOUS
• REPORTED SPEECH • REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
KEY VOCABULARY
POND: Small Lake (def ) SUNKEN: At a lower level (def )
DISTORTED: Altered image (def ) PALE: Uncolored (syn)
HIDEOUS: Horrible, VEIL: Piece of fabric to
Horrendous (syn) protect the face (def )
TEAR: Drop of water that UNSACRED: Opposite
goes down your eyes (def ) to God (def )
DESPAIR: Being UNCLEAN: Dirty, not clean (syn).
without hope (def ) WOMANHOOD: To be
SHAME: Remorse, Pity, Sad (syn) an adult female (def )
GARMENT: Piece BLEED: To lose blood (def )
Of clothing (def ) CURSE: Malediction, To invoke
FEND: To take care (def ) a supernatural power (def )
PIERCING: Profound (syn) ALLOW: Permit (syn)
190 STORYBOOK
NIL: Zero, Nothing (syn) FOOLISH: Dumb, Stupid (syn)
ILLNESS: Sickness, not HEAL: To recover (syn)
to be healthy (syn) BELIEVE: To accept as truth (def )
OUTCAST: Rejected person (def ) AGAINST: Oppose
SORROWFUL: Full to something (def )
of sadness (def ) TOUCH: To be in
REMORSE: To Regret contact with (def )
something (def ) TREMBLE: To shake, to
CROWD: Big group move from side to side (def )
of people (def ) FAITH: Belief with proof (def )
INTRIGUED: Fascinated (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Fend for yourself – To take care of yourself
In seek of… - To look for / Search
Rule book – A set of rules preestablished to be followed / Official rules to life
1. Describe in detail how you think Hannah felt at the beginning of the story when
she would look at herself in the mirror.
2. Was Hannah a spiritual woman? Did she have any doubts about her God?
3. Describe Hannah’s personal life. (home, job, family, friends, income etc..)
Stories 191
4. Describe Hannah’s appearance.
5. How was Hannah outcasted from her community? Provide examples.
6. What was Hannah afraid would happen if she touched the man’s garment?
7. How did Hannah cure herself ?
8. Why were women treated unequally back then?
9. Are women still treated unequally in today’s world? How?
192 STORYBOOK
Michal Bednarek© 123RF.com
6 HEAVY WATER
The number one health concern in the world today is STRESS. We all have stress. It’s just a
part of life. We stress about everyday issues like bills, relationships, and work. How you deal
with stress is fundamental to your health and well-being.
A young woman named Andrea was starting to experience the mental and physical effects
of stress. She had already tried managing it by exercising, meditation and even prayer, but
nothing seemed to work, so she went to see a therapist for help.
“What’s been troubling you Andrea?” the therapist asked.
“Well, I’ve been suffering from migraines lately. I have trouble concentrating and difficulty sleeping.
My appetite has increased drastically which has made me gain about forty pounds in the last three
months, and my face is breaking out which is making me depressed. HELP!”
Stories 193
“Everything you just described are symptoms of stress. Stress can have adverse impacts on a
person’s health.”
Stress is the body’s’ reaction to negative situations.
The chemical reaction allows us to respond in the most appropriate way according to the
situation.
“Now let’s find out what the root of the problem is that’s creating these symptoms.If I were a genie,
and I could grant you one wish, what would it be?” the therapist asked.
“I’d wish for ten million dollars.” Replied Andrea
“Is it fair to say that you’re having some money problems?” The therapist asked.
“Well, I lost my job about four months ago. I’ve been to countless interviews, but I haven’t gotten
any calls back. My bills are adding up, and I’m behind on my mortgage. The anxiety has gotten
the best of me, and I’ve been pretty moody with my loved ones which is adding to my stress levels
because of all the arguing.” She explained.
“Could it be possible that your current employment situation is causing you to act in a way that’s
preventing you from obtaining a job and quite possibly a better opportunity?” asked the therapist.
When a conflict arises, and a person isn’t able to properly cope with the stress that comes
along with it, they tend to allow the negative impacts to take over their bodies which causes
them to act negatively.
“Now that we have found out the root of the problem, and you understand how your body is reacting,
we need to figure out how to manage it.”
The therapist grabbed a glass of water from her desk.
“Do you see this glass of water Andrea?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it’s heavy?”
“No. It doesn’t look very heavy to me,” she replied.
“I want you to hold the glass for a minute.”
“Is it heavy?” The therapist asked.
“No.”
“Ok, now I want you to keep your arm extended for another five minutes with the glass of water in
your hand.”
When five minutes passed, the therapist asked Andrea “Is it heavy now?”
“Well, yes a little.” She replied.
“Now, keep your arm out like that for one hour.”
“An hour?!”
194 STORYBOOK
“Do you want to lose those forty pounds?”
“Yes!”
“Then follow the instructions.”
After an hour had passed, the therapist asked Andrea how she was doing.
“What’s going through your mind, Andrea?”
“Well, I’m thinking about how I’m going to pay for that extra hour you just added to our session.”
The therapist laughed and then asked, “How heavy is the glass of water now?”
“I can’t feel my arm. Can I put it down now?”
“Yes. You see Andrea. Stress is much like this glass of water. When you hold onto it for a minute,
it’s easy to handle, after a little while, it becomes more difficult. Now, I only asked you to hold it
for an hour. But imagine holding on to it for three months straight? The longer you focus on your
problems and stress about them, the more difficult it gets.
Eventually, it will start to take a toll on your body which is what has been happening to you.
The weight of the glass never changed, but the longer you held on to it, the heavier it felt.
Let go of your worries. Life always has its way of working itself out. Things happen for a reason you
just need to trust the laws of nature and get out of your own way.”
MORAL
It’s not about avoiding stress, it’s about learning how to cope with it.
Let go of things you can’t control. Don’t let stress take over and ruin your life.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • PRESENT PERFECT

• SIMPLE PAST • MODALS OF ABILITY
• PAST CONTINUOUS CAN,COULD
• PAST PERFECT • INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• PRESENT PERFECT • SECOND CONDITIONAL

CONTINUOUS
KEY VOCABULARY
HEALTH: A person’s WELL-BEING: A state of
medical condition (def ) being comfortable (def )
Stories 195
PRAYER: A religious MOODY: Unpredictable
service to god (def ) changes of mood (def )
GAIN: Obtain, Get, Acquire (syn) ARGUING: Exchange views
SYMPTOMS: An indication of in an angry discussion (def )
the presence of a disease (def ) COPE: To deal with a
GRANT: Allow, Permit, Agree (syn) difficult situation (def )
MORTGAGE: A bank HEAVY: Light (ant)

loan for property (def ) TRUST: Confidence,
Faith, Believe (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Root of the problem – The main cause of the problem
Fair to say – Used when you are confident that what you’re about to say is true
Adding up – Accumulating
Gotten the best of me – When someone or something takes over you /
To get the best of someone – To defeat someone
Take a toll – With time, it becomes damaging or harmful
What’s going through your mind – What are you thinking about
1. Explain how “stress” is the number one health problem in the world.
2. What are some symptoms of stress that aren’t mentioned in this story.
196 STORYBOOK
3. What are some forms of stress management?
4. Why was Andrea gaining so much weight?
5. How did the therapist find out that Andrea was having economic issues?
6. What did the therapist mean when he said, “get out of your own way”?
7. How do you cope with stress?
8. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Stories 197
Roman Samborskyi© 123RF.com
7 DO UNTO OTHERS
A frail man in his late eighties had recently lost his wife. He had two sons who had already
married and moved out of the family home.
The eldest son knew his father wasn’t doing well on his own and needed extra care, so he
offered to have his father move in with him and his family.
At first, the new arrangement was comfortable for everyone. But after a while, the burden of
taking care of an old man started to weigh on the son and his wife.
The father would often make a mess at the dinner table. His hands would shake, so it was
difficult to feed himself. If he tried, the food would fall off his fork and onto the table and floor.
When the father would try to help clean the kitchen, he would drop and break the dishes.
198 STORYBOOK
If he cooked something, he would often forget to turn off the stove.
The son and his wife were losing their patience, and the father knew it.
They didn’t allow him to eat at the table with the rest of the family. His food was served in
plastic containers so that he couldn’t break any more dishes, and he was prohibited from
entering the kitchen for any reason.
The poor old man was losing the little independence he had and felt like a child who was
constantly walking on thin ice.
One day, the son and his wife were throwing a party at their house. His younger brother and
many influential people from the community were going to attend.
To avoid any embarrassment, the son asked the father to stay upstairs in his room during
the party.
Heartbroken and sad, the father went up to his room and stayed there while the party went on
downstairs.
After a couple of hours, the father heard someone coming up the stairs. It was one of the
guests’ children. The little boy was looking for the bathroom when he opened the door of the
old man’s room.
“Hi! Do you know where the potty is?” Asked the little boy.
“It’s down the hall to the right.” Replied the old man.
“What are you doing here all by yourself?” The boy asked.
“I’m not supposed to be downstairs. My son thinks it’s best if I stay up here.”
“But why?”
“My son is worried I’ll make a mess and embarrass him.”
“But that’s not nice! I always make a mess, and sometimes I misbehave.” Said the boy.
Just then, another child wandered upstairs. When she found her friend in the room with the
old man, she called the others and eventually all the children were upstairs in the room.
A while had passed when one of the mothers realized she hadn’t seen her son in a while. This
caused some panic amongst the parents when they noticed none of the kids were downstairs.
It wasn’t long before they found them all upstairs laughing, listening to stories and having a
great time.
“What are you all doing up here?” Asked one of the mothers
“I hope they’re not bothering you.” Said another parent.
“Not at all. I have been enjoying the company.” Replied the old man.
“Why don’t you all come downstairs and play in the backyard?” Asked the son.
Then, one of the little boys stood up, put his hands on his hips, raised his chin and replied,
“He’s not allowed to be at the party because he will embarrass you. We want to play up here.”
Everyone’s eyes widened, jaws dropped in shock, and the room grew silent.
Stories 199
The son’s face was flushed with shame. “Nonsense! Everyone is welcome to the party. Especially
my father. Now, who wants ice-cream?”
All the kids shrieked in excitement when they heard there was ice-cream.
Everyone headed down towards the kitchen. The son took his father’s hand and helped him
down the stairs, sat him at the kitchen table, and placed a big glass bowl of ice cream in front
of him. All the children gathered around the old man at the table and they all enjoyed the rest
of the party being silly and making a huge mess!
Both brothers watched their father at the table with the other children. The younger brother
turned to his older brother and said “It’s funny how the tables have turned. It seems like just
yesterday our father was running around cleaning up after us boys. Just think, in thirty years, we
are going to be in that same position, and our kids are going to be taking care of us.”
MORAL
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

• PAST PERFECT • PAST PROGRESSIVE
• WOULD EXPRESSING • RELATIVE CLAUSES
HABITS IN PAST
KEY VOCABULARY
FRAIL: Fragile, Decrepit (syn) GUEST: Person who is
BURDEN: Difficulty, Stress (syn) invited to someone’s house
or social event (syn)
WEIGH: Become heavy (def )
TO BOTHER: Aggravate,
TO SHAKE: Tremble, Agitate (syn) Disturb (syn)
POTTY: Restroom, Bathroom (syn) TO WIDEN: Enlarge, Expand (syn)
TO ATTEND: To be JAWS: Bones of the
present at an event (def ) chin, Mandible (def )
TO AVOID: Prevent, Evade (syn) SHAME: Embarrassment,
TO RAISE: Lift, Elevate (syn) Humiliation (syn)
200 STORYBOOK
COMMON PHRASES /
Walking on thin ice – to be in a situation where you’re going to suffer a
consequence if you make another mistake
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – treat others
how you want to be treated
How the tables have turned – when the situation changes so the other
party now has the advantage
1. Approximately how old was the father?
2. Why did the father move into his sons’ house?
3. Was the son happy to have his father living with him?
4. Why did the father make a mess at the dinner table?
Stories 201
5. Why did the son make the father eat out of plastic containers?
6. Why did the son ask the father to stay upstairs in his room during the party?
7. Why were the parents worried about the children?
8. Was the old man happy to have the children in his room? Why?
9. Describe the shocking moment when the boy revealed something to the adults.
10. How did the son recuperate from that awkward moment?
202 STORYBOOK
Cathy Yeulet© 123RF.com
8 THE FRIENDLY TRAITOR
Two high school kids by the names of Timmy and Joel had been friends for years. They did
everything together. Their parents were very close, and they often traveled as one family.
Some would say Timmy and Joel were like brothers.
One day the two boys were hanging out during lunch listening to music on new Timmy’s new
MP3 player when the school’s bully approached them.
“Give me all your money punk!” said the bully.
Timmy explained that he did not have any money left because he had spent it on his lunch.
“We don’t have any money. We spent it on lunch” said Timmy as his voice quivered with fear.
“Meet me in front of the school tomorrow morning. Make sure both of you bring your lunch money,
or I’m going to introduce my fists to your face” the bully angrily replied. “Do you understand?”
“Yes” the boys replied, and the bully turned away.
Stories 203
“I’m sick of that guy! He’s always bugging us. What are we going to do?” asked Timmy.
Joel assured Timmy he would take care of the problem, “Don’t worry, tomorrow I’ll talk to him
and tell him to leave us alone.”
“How are you going to manage that?” asked Timmy.
“Don’t worry about it. I have my ways,” Joel responded.
The next day, Joel and Timmy were in front of the school waiting for the bully. Once he got
there, Joel told Timmy to stay behind while he went to talk to him.
“Where’s my money punk?” asked the bully.
“Listen, I don’t have any money, but Timmy and his parents are going away next week. I know
where they hide the spare key. If I get the key for you, you can go in while they’re away and take
what you want. If I do that will you leave me alone for the rest of the year?” asked Joel.
“If you do that, I won’t bother you anymore. But if you ever tell anyone about this, you’ll regret it,”
the bully replied.
Joel walked back towards his friend and told him the news. “He said he’ll leave us alone from
now on if we stay out of his way.”
“Well I don’t have a problem with that,” said Timmy.
The following week, Timmy was packing up for his vacation. Joel went by the house to make
sure they were really leaving.
“Should I take my MP3 Player?” Timmy asked Joel.
“Nah, I wouldn’t take it. You’ll probably lose it,” Joel replied.
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Timmy.
“So, how long are you going to be away?” asked Joel.
“Just a week.”
“Well, have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.” said Joel, and off he went.
The next day, Joel went to Timmy’s house to get the key. It was hidden under a rock in the
garden. He wasn’t sure which rock it was hidden under, so he had to go digging around for a
while before he finally found it.
Joel brought the key to the bully.
“What is this? asked the bully. We are going to the house together. How do you expect me to know
where the things are?”
Joel felt his nerves take over his body, but he knew he had to go through with this.
So, later that night, the two boys went to Timmy’s house and entered through the backdoor.
Once they were inside, Joel took the bully to Timmy’s room. The bully filled his backpack with
collectibles, CD’s, a laptop, and the MP3 player.
Once they ransacked Timmy’s room. The bully asked Joel to show him where the parent’s
room was. They went across the hall to the parent’s room, and the bully went straight to the
jewelry box. He emptied it into his bag then left the room.
204 STORYBOOK
The two boys left the house, put the key back in its spot and started walking casually down
the street.
The bully turned to Joel and said, “That was a good hit. Here, take this MP3 player. You deserve it.”
Joel accepted the MP3 player and the two boys went their separate ways towards their home.
The following week when Timmy returned home, the family realized they had been robbed.
Timmy called Joel crying because all his prized possessions were gone.
Joel tried to console Timmy, but never mentioned what really happened.
“My mom is so upset. All her gold is gone.” cried Timmy.
“Oh, my that’s terrible! Who could have done this?” Joel asked in a concerning tone.
“Well, they’re going through the security cameras, so we’ll find out soon.” Replied Timmy. “The
police are on their way now.”
“Ohhh you have cameras? Well, that’s good to know,” Joel replied. His hands immediately started
to shake, and his voice trembled. He knew he was in big trouble and will probably lose the only
friend he had.
Just then, the doorbell rang at Joel’s house. He looked outside, and it was a police officer.
MORAL
“Choose your friends wisely.” - Everyone’s Mom
“Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.” - Vanny Angel
“Difficult times will reveal true friends.” - Unknown
“Allow your circle of friends to decrease in size but increase in value.” - Unknown
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PRESENT • ZERO CONDITIONAL

• SIMPLE PAST • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• PAST PERFECT • THE USE OF WOULD
• PHRASAL VERBS • PASSIVE VOICE
• DIRECT SPEECH • INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• REPORTED SPEECH • ADVERBS OF MANNER
Stories 205
KEY VOCABULARY
TRAVEL: To move from HIDDEN: Keep secret,
one point to another (def ) put out of view (syn)
PUNK: Disrespectful person (def ) ROCK: Stone (syn)
QUIVER: Shake, Tremble (syn) DIGGING: Make a hole (syn)
BUG: Molest, Bother (syn) RANSACK: Search carefully,
ASSURE: Reconfirm, Swear (syn) Look for something (syn)
SPARE KEY: An extra key (def ). JEWELRY: Accessories (syn)
BOTHER: Molest, Bug (syn) ROB: Steal, take away (syn)
REGRET: To repent, CONSOLE: Control unit (syn)

To be sorry (syn) TREMBLE: Shake, quiver (syn)
PACK: Wrap, put in a luggage (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Hanging out – To spend time somewhere
Sick of it – Used to express when you’re tired of something or don’t like it
anymore.
I have my ways – Used when you’re being questioned on your ability to do
something and you don’t go into detail about how. You have your own method
of getting something accomplished.
Nah – No
Good to know – Useful information
1. Describe the friendship between Timmy and Joel.
206 STORYBOOK
2. What does the bully mean when he says “I’ll introduce my fists to your face.”
3. Why did Joel betray his friend?
4. What items were stolen from Timmy’s house?
5. Why did the bully give Joel the MP3 player?
6. Have you ever been robbed? Explain.
7. What do you think the punishment should be for Joel and the bully?
Stories 207
Andrea Marzorati© 123RF.com
9 THE CARELESS BEAR
Betsy the Bear was fun, playful and at times a little careless. She loved summertime when she
could lay in the forest amongst the tall trees, splash in the rivers and steal honey from the
bees. She would wander near and far, and dance under the stars. She would sing with the birds,
to any tune she preferred.
All summer long, Betsy played while the others were hard at work gathering and storing food
for the cold winter ahead.
Betsy didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
One day, Pila the Porcupine went over to Betsy’s cave for a visit and noticed that Betsy didn’t
have any food stored.
“Betsy,” she asked, “why is your fridge empty and your cupboards bare? You know that winter is
just around the corner, don’t you?”
“Winter splinter! I don’t care. It’s summertime! Can’t you feel the air?”
Shocked at her response, Pila the Porcupine asked “But Betsy. What will you eat during the cold
winter if the river waters are frozen and the berries are gone?”
“There’s plenty of time to prepare for that! Come outside. Grab your ball and bat.” Replied Betsy.
“Summer is coming to an end very soon. You would be wise to start preparing for winter. If you
don’t, you will go hungry,” warned Pila, and off she went.
208 STORYBOOK
Betsy sat in her chair and thought to herself, “That Pila is wasting her summer. Work! Work!
Work! What a bummer! She thinks she’s smarter because she works harder. She works day and
night. That can’t be right!”
The months flew by and the days grew shorter. Winter was looming.
One morning Betsy woke up and went outside. She noticed something was different. There was
a crisp feeling in the air. The ground was a little harder. It was quieter than usual. She didn’t see
the other animals. Pila the Porcupine wasn’t working away as she normally would be.
“What’s going on?” Betsy thought to herself.
“Where could everyone be? There’s no snow on the ground. It’s not winter yet!”
It was at that moment when Betsy had a sudden sense of urgency. She grabbed her basket and
went out to collect food.
She walked to the strawberry field, only to discover all the strawberries had been picked.
She hurried over to the apple orchard to get some apples, but they too were all gone.
She raced to the river to catch some fish, but the Salmon had already migrated upstream.
Then, just as Betsy thought it couldn’t get any worse, a little white speck fell from the sky. She
watched as it fell slowly towards her face and landed right onto her nose.
It was the first snowflake. Winter had arrived.
Betsy slowly walked back towards her cave thinking about what to do, what to eat, and most
importantly, how to survive.
She finally reached her cave and huddled in for the winter.
Each day that passed, became more difficult for Betsy to hibernate. She was skinny, hungry
and unable to fall into a deep slumber.
Eventually, Betsy couldn’t stand it any longer, and she decided to go outside and try to find
food. When she got out of the cave, she saw the forest was completely covered in snow.
So, she knocked on Pila the Porcupines door. She knocked and knocked. But no one answered.
Suddenly, Pila appeared from around the corner.
“Betsy! What are you doing out in the cold?”
“I’m afraid I won’t make it through the winter. Do you have any extra food you can spare? I’m very
hungry, and there’s still six more weeks of winter.” sobbed Betsy.
“Well, I stored just enough food for my family and I, but I might have some leftovers from last
night that I can give you. If you portion it carefully, it might last you until the end of the winter.”
Replied Pila.
“Yes! Thank you. Anything will help.” Cried Betsy.
The next six weeks of winter were difficult for Betsy. But that winter taught her a valuable lesson.
The careless bear goes hungry.
Stories 209
MORAL
Planning for the future is more important than just living for today.
Work hard now, play hard later.
The pain you feel today, will be the strength you feel tomorrow.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS
• SIMPLE PAST • PAST CONTINUOUS

• SIMPLE PRESENT • FIRST CONDITIONAL
• MODALS OF ABILITY: • COMPARATIVES
CAN / COULD • IMPERATIVES
• WOULD EXPRESSING • PHRASAL VERBS
HABITS IN PAST
KEY VOCABULARY
CARELESS: Irresponsible (syn) FROZEN: To harden into
SUMMER: Hot season (def ) a solid due to the extremely
low temperature (def )
TO WANDER: To walk around
without a definite objective (def ) HUNGRY: To feel the
need to eat (def )
TO DANCE: To move your
body to music with rhythm (def ) TO LOOM: The eventual
presence of something (def )
STAR: Burning balls of
gas in space (def ) SNOW: Soft white particles
of ice that fall from the
TO PLAY: To do something sky in the winter (def )
recreational that creates
amusement and fun (def ) WISE: Astute, experienced (syn)
FOOD: What we eat SLUMBER: Sleep, repose (syn)

to stay alive (def ) TO SOB: To cry, to lament (syn)
TO STORE: To save for later, To STRAWBERRY: Sweet red fruit
accumulate for future use (def ) with tiny seeds covering it and a
EMPTY: Full (ant) green sprout at the top (def )
BARE: Without content (def ) LEFTOVERS: Remaining

food left behind after everyone
WINTER: A cold season has eaten, Residue (syn)
where snow falls (def )
210 STORYBOOK
SPARE: Additional to what is APPLE: Round crunchy fruit
required for ordinary use (def ) that grows on trees during the
FISH: Aquatic animals with scales fall season. Types: Macintosh,
on the body, gills to breathe oxygen Granny Smith, Red Delicious …
from the water and fins (def )
COMMON PHRASES /
What a Bummer – Expression used for depressing or frustrating situations
What’s going on? – 1. Informal greeting 2. Expression of preoccupation
(what’s happening?)
It is around the corner – Use this expression when an event is imminent
or happening soon
Not a care in the world – To not have any worries
1. Describe the characters in the story.
2. Where did this story take place? (setting)
3. How was Betsy careless?
4. What type of home did Betsy live in?
Stories 211
5. What things did Betsy like to do in the summer?
6. What did Pila the Porcupine notice when she got to Betsy’s cave?
7. Why was it difficult for Betsy to hibernate?
8. How did Betsy feel about Pila’s advice?
9. What did Betsy find when she finally went out to look for food?
10. Why couldn’t Betsy catch any fish?
11. How did Pila help Betsy?
212 STORYBOOK
belchonock© 123RF.com
10
RECOGNITION
Being an employee at L&A Corp. was considered one of the greatest achievements.
L&A Corp. treated their employees like family. They cared about each individual and in turn,
every employee treated the company as if it was their own.
The bosses at L&A Corp. were practically the creators of “Employee of the Month” as they
found it quite necessary to give recognition to their hard workers. They understood that an
employee who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.
To win employee of the month meant you earned a small monetary bonus and a Friday off.
However, if you worked in the sales department, the incentives were much more extravagant.
They motivated the sales team with luxurious prizes that could be earned if they reached certain
monthly goals. Trips to the Caribbean, European tours, Cruises, you name it. The list goes on.
It’s easy to see why everyone wanted to work at L&A Corp.
This month, the bosses wanted to give the opportunity for anyone in the company to earn a
prize. Not only the sales team.
The idea was to boost morale, get the workers excited and motivate them to do their best so
they could see the true potential of the company.
Stories 213
Scott Stucky was a single guy who had been working as the janitor for L&A Corp. for years. He
wasn’t the most attractive man. He had black hair and bulging dark brown eyes. He was light
skinned and had acne scars on his cheeks and forehead. His nose was large and crooked. He had
a beautiful smile when his mouth was closed. When people would tell jokes, he struggled to
use his tongue and lips to hide his teeth while laughing. His motto was: “If dentists made their
money from people with bad teeth, why should I use toothpaste that 4 out of 5 dentists recommend?”
Now, Scott’s Personal hygiene and appearance aside, he was a great worker. Some would argue
he might be the best! He often won employee of the month, which only motivated him to do
even better. He was easy-going and pleasant to be around. He knew everyone in the company,
and everyone loved him. Bottom line, Scott was a valued employee, and L&A Corp. wanted to
acknowledge that in front of everyone.
The morning of the big announcement had arrived, and everyone gathered in the boardroom
to find out who was going to win the all-inclusive trip to The Bahamas. Everyone sat in their
chairs patiently waiting for the bosses to arrive and deliver the news. When they announced
that Scott Stucky was the winner, the crowd cheered in delight.
“Good for you Stucky” said Jen from accounting. “Monica said you would probably win. You’re
going to have a wonderful time.”
“Thank you” replied Scott. “I’ve never been out of the country before. I have to get my passport ASAP!”
“You should go to the passport office on King Street. They hardly ever have long lines. I usually go
there.” Said Jen. “But you must go today if you want your passport to be ready in time for the trip.”
Even though Scott was used to being recognized for his hard work, he was still in shock. He
couldn’t believe he was going to The Bahamas! He thanked everyone and ran out the door as
fast as he could. He ran down the hall towards the elevators. Once he got in the elevator, he
frantically pressed the lobby button, as if the more he pressed it, the faster he would get there.
The ride down seemed like an eternity! He finally made it to the lobby, jumped in a cab and
went straight to the passport office. Just as Jen had said, there was hardly a line up. Once he
got to the counter, the lady gave him some forms to fill out and told him to stand up against
the white backdrop, so she could take a picture. “Say Cheese!” she said in a cheerful tone. Scott
smiled with the biggest grin he could showing all 8 of his teeth, without a care in the world
what anyone might think. She handed Scott his passport and off he went.
Scott got home and started packing for the trip. He packed four pairs of shorts, four t-shirts,
one bathing suit, three pairs of sunglasses, a baseball cap, a pair of pants and a pair of socks
just in case it got chilly at night. He packed his sunscreen, a bar of soap, deodorant, and a
comb. All he was missing was his toothbrush and toothpaste.
The next day he woke up early, made a big breakfast for himself and went to the airport. The
line- ups were massive! Luckily, he was early for his flight so there was no need to panic. The
process at the airport was easier than he had imagined. He checked in his luggage, got his
boarding pass and paraded happily towards his gate. He was on cloud nine.
Scott boarded the plane and sat in his designated seat. Put on his seatbelt and sat upright with
the most perfect posture. His hands were folded in his lap like a child. He was the happiest
passenger on the plane.
As the crew members prepared everyone for take-off, Scott noticed a magazine with a
beautiful model on the cover. He took out the magazine from the seat in front of him and
214 STORYBOOK
started flipping through the pages. Gorgeous women from all over the world. “That’s what’s
missing. A beautiful girl to join me on this vacation.” He thought, “I might need this magazine for
later.” And he put it in his bag.
The flight was long, and Scott was nodding off. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the plane
started experiencing major turbulence. The oxygen masks fell from above and people started
screaming. Suddenly, he heard a voice yell “PREPARE FOR IMPACT!”
It all happened in an instant. The plane had crashed onto a deserted island in the middle of the
Bermuda triangle. Miraculously, good ol’ Stucky had survived the crash but he was unconscious.
Almost a full day had passed before Scott finally awoke. He was covered in grease and sand.
Surprisingly, he had only suffered a bruised rib and some scratches to his legs and arms.
Frazzled and disoriented, Scott couldn’t believe he was the sole survivor of this crash.
Months passed by, and Scott had lost a lot of weight. His beard had grown long and curly, his
white complexion was now more of a reddish tone, and he was now just down to seven teeth.
Scott managed to beat the odds and was living comfortably on his very own island. He taught
himself how to catch fish, open coconuts and climb trees. He built a cozy shelter for himself
that looked like it was professionally made. Scott had created a little paradise. He often said
to himself “Man! If only the folks back at the office could see this!”
One day, while Scott was collecting wood and leaves for his fire, he heard a loud sound and ran
to the shore to see what it was. A plane! “OMG they’ve come to rescue me!” He hollered.
The plane seemed to be coming closer and closer to the island. “How on earth will they be able
to land?” he thought to himself. “That is a very big rescue plane” His excitement quickly turned
to dismay as he realized this probably wasn’t a rescue mission. It became obvious the plane
wasn’t flying. It was falling.
CRASH! The Boeing 747 slammed into the water. It was horrific. He jumped in the ocean and
started swimming towards the scene. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but he knew he had
to get close in case someone needed help.
Scott noticed an orange life vest in the distance, so he swam towards it. When he reached it,
he saw that it wasn’t only a life vest. There she was. The woman from the magazine. “Was this
a dream?” he thought. “America’s top model, Cindy Crocker in distress and I’m here to rescue
her.” This was the most wanted model in the world. All the fashion designers, movie producers
and photographers wanted a piece of her. She was at the pinnacle of her career. She had some
serious injuries, but thankfully she was alive.
Scott carried Cindy to his humble abode. He laid her down on his makeshift bed of large
plantain leaves and straw. When she came to, she looked around at the cabin she was in and
she turned to Scott and asked one question after another. “Where am i? What happened? Who
are you? Is this your home?”
“Well, you’re on an island. Your plane crashed into the ocean. My name is Scott and this has been
my home for the last 9 months. I built it from the ground up.” Scott boasted.
“It’s absolutely incredible.” Whispered Cindy. And she drifted back to sleep.
“Ahhh! Finally, someone else to appreciate all my hard work.”
Fast forward five months later and life had changed in Scott’s little paradise. For starters,
he wasn’t lonely. Cindy had made a full recovery thanks to the 24-hour care Scott tirelessly
Stories 215
provided. Cindy found in Scott the man she needed. He saved her from the accident, he gave
her shelter, fed her, and best of all, loved her. - and Cindy was deeply in love with Scott.
It was another beautiful sunrise on the island, but Cindy noticed something was wrong with
Scott. He had been acting strange for days now. It was as if he was bored. Living in a paradise
island with the most beautiful woman in the world, eating healthy, no cameras, no paparazzi,
and most importantly, no competition! Who could get bored of this? Nevertheless, his attitude
was worrying her. Was he getting tired of her? She decided to confront him.
“If there is anything I can do to make you feel better, just let me know.” Cindy said.
“Anything?” answered Scott in a suspicious tone.
“Yes. I would do anything for the man who saved me!”
“Ok, listen carefully. Remember the luggage I grabbed the day I pulled you out of the water?”
“Yes, I do.” answered Cindy.
“Great, so this is the plan: you are going to wear the man’s suit and you are going to pretend to be
an old friend. When I say hi to you just play along.” Said Scott with light shining in his eyes. This
was going to be good he thought.
“All you want is to talk to a friend? You can talk to me, my love!” Cindy replied.
“I need a male friend Cindy! You said you would do anything for me, can you play along?”
Cindy put on the man’s suit and her face was marked with dirt to emulate a mustache. She
went far away from Scott as instructed. She just had to wait for his cue.
Scott waved his hand at her. “Hi, there!”
“Hi” answered Cindy with a strong, masculine voice. After multiple corrections from Scott, she
had perfected her manly voice.
Scott approached his old friend with a big smile on his face. “Oh my God man! It’s so nice to see
you! It’s been a while!”
“Yes, indeed! It is very nice to see you too. How’s it been?” Cindy replied in her deepest manly
voice. Before she could say anything else, Scott continued, “I have something very important to
tell you. You won’t be able to believe a word I say, but I assure you it is true!”
“Is that so? Please tell me, I want to know!” Cindy answered. She was eager to hear what he was
going to say, but nervous at the same time.
Scott continued with excitement in his tone, “You’re never going to believe who I’m dating
now…. Cindy freakin’ Crocker!”
Shocked at the spectacle Scott had displayed, Cindy shouted - “Scott freakin’ Stucky! What is
the matter with you? Does your happiness really depend on others acceptance? Satisfaction should
come from within and not measured by those around you. Never stop giving me your best just
because there isn’t an award waiting for you. The true award is found within your abilities. Look
around at all you have accomplished. Was all this for a cause or applause? Would you rather a
trophy instead?!” Cindy was furious! And Scott was stunned. All his life he had been taught to
work for recognition. But today, he understood the valuable lesson. All that he had achieved
was worth far more than any award, bonus or a Friday off.
216 STORYBOOK
MORAL
For some people, recognition could be the fuel they need to enjoy things a
little more. But if your happiness depends on the praise from others, you will
never have control over your own happiness.
GRAMMAR
TOPICS

• SIMPLE PRESENT • ACTIVE VOICE
• FUTURE: GOING TO • MODALS (SHOULD, MUST)
• PRESENT PERFECT • USED TO
• PAST PERFECT • PHRASAL VERBS
• RELATIVE CLAUSES
KEY VOCABULARY
ACHIEVEMENT: CHILLY: A little cold (def )
Accomplishment/Success (def ) MASSIVE: Very big, huge (def )
JANITOR: Caretaker FRAZZLED: Completely
of a building (def ) exhausted, tired (def )
MOTTO: Present, proverb (syn) FOLKS: People, individuals (syn)
BOTTOM LINE: The deciding DISMAY: Horror, panic (syn)
or crucial factor (def )
PINNACLE: The most
GRIN: Slight smile (def ) successful point (def )
ACKNOWLEDGE: ABODE: Habitat, home (syn)
Accept, recognize (syn)
MAKESHIFT: Temporary (syn)
COMMON PHRASES /
Cloud Nine: A feeling of extreme happiness, euphoria
Say Cheese: Phrase said before taking a picture
From the Ground Up: From the first step to completion, completely
ASAP: Initial letters of “As Soon As Possible”
OMG: Initial letters of “Oh My God” used to express surprise
To beat the odds: To overcome improbability
Stories 217
1. Why did everyone want to work for L&A Corp?
2. Why were the employees of L&A Corp. so loyal to the company?
3. What was the main reason that L&A Corp. decided to give everyone in the
company the opportunity to win the trip to The Bahamas?
4. Why did Scott pack pants and socks for the Bahamas?
5. What was Scott keeping the magazine for?
6. How many days was this trip supposed to be for initially?
7. Why did Cindy confront Scott?
218 STORYBOOK
8. Why was Cindy nervous to hear what Scott wanted to tell his male friend?
9. What materials were used to make Scotts house?
10. How long had Scott been living on the island when Cindy’s plane crashed?
11. Why did Scott ask Cindy to dress like a man?
12. What things did Scott do for Cindy?
13. Why was Cindy upset with Scott at the end of the story?
14. How likely is it for 2 planes to crash in the same vicinity? Provide your own theory.
15. What are your opinions about giving or receiving recognition?
Stories 219
Research and Citation Resources
The author and publisher would like to thank the following authors for their work. Their stories
have allowed us to draw inspiration and valuable content for our material.
1. The Exam
I. Creation inspired by Purpose Focus Commitment. (2019). “Only Two Questions on the Final Exam”.
Retrieved from https://purposefocuscommitment.com/only-two-questions-on-the-final-exam/
2. Dirty Donkey
I. Creation inspired by Chris Voss Show. (2012). “Donkey in the Well Story”. Retrieved from
http://thechrisvossshow.com/donkey-in-the-well-story-life-parable/
3. The Boulder
I. Creation inspired by Wealthy Gorilla. (2014). “The Obstacle in our Path”. Retrieved from https://
wealthygorilla.com/10-most-inspirational-short-stories/
4. Fear Not
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell for Editora Tree. (2019).
5. Fist Full of Candy
I. Creation inspired by Short kid stories. (2014). “The Boy and the Filberts”. Retrieved from http://
www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_BOY_AND_THE_FILBERTS
6. The Great Idea
I. Creation inspired by Short kid stories. (2014). “Belling the Cat”. Retrieved from http://www.
shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#BELLING_THE_CAT
7. The Stone Boys
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Boys and the Frogs”. Retrieved from http://
www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_BOYS_AND_THE_FROGS
8. Even Steven
I. Creation inspired by Wealthy Gorilla. (2014). “A Pound of Butter”. Retrieved from https://
9. Three Tree Cutters
I. Creation inspired by Short kid stories (2014). “Two Travelers and a Bear”. Retrieved from http://
www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#TWO_TRAVELERS_AND_A_BEAR
10. Don’t be a Chicken
I. Creation inspired by Bible Way Mag. Easton Swaby. (2016). “The Eagle Who Thought He Was a Chicken.
Retrieved from https://www.biblewaymag.com/the-eagle-who-thought-he-was-a-chicken/
11. A Frog’s Revenge
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Frog and the Mouse”. Retrieved from http://
www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops fables/#THE_FROG_AND_THE_MOUSE
12. Mice-Cream
I. Creation inspired by Two Little Mice Speech by Frank Abagnale Sr. (N.D)
13. The Wolf ’s Excuse
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Wolf and the Lamb”. Retrieved from http://
www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_WOLF_AND_THE_LAMB
14. Give a Man a Fish
I. This is an original story inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb.
15. Butterfly Wings
I. Creation inspired by Wealthy Gorilla. (2014). “The Butterfly”. Retrieved from https://
1. The Wiser Merchant

I. Creation inspired by English For Students. (nd). “The Merchant and his Donkey”. Retrieved from
http://www.english-for-students.com/a-merchant-and-his-donkey.html
2. Hear No Evil
I. Creation inspired by Moral Stories. (2019). “Two Frogs”. Retrieved from https://www.
moralstories.org/page/17/
3. Girl Talk
I. Creation inspired by Quora. (2017). “If we don’t laugh at the same joke again, then why do we
cry for the same problem again and again”. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/If-we-dont-
laugh-at-the-same-joke-again-then-why-do-we-cry-for-the-same-problem-again-and-again
4. Two Travelers
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Travelers and the Purse”. Retrieved from
http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_TRAVELERS_AND_THE_PURSE
5. The Coal Lesson
I. Creation inspired by an unknown source. (anonymous, n.d)
6. The Tough Coach
7. Autumn Leaves
8. Learn from your Mistakes
I. Creation inspired by Moral Stories. (2019). “Learning from Mistakes”. Retrieved from https://
www.moralstories.org/page/22/
9. Gold Rush
I. Creation inspired by California Gold Rush. (N.D) In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 26, 2019, https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush
10. The Thirsty Crow
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Crow and the Pitcher”. Retrieved from
http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_CROW_AND_THE_PITCHER
11. King of the Jungle
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell for Editora Tree. (2019)
12. Make the Time
13. Stuck in the Mud
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014) “Hercules and the Wagoner”. Retrieved from
http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#HERCULES_AND_THE_WAGONER
14. Strong Roots
I. Creation inspired by B3 Z Cubes. (2018). “Two Gardeners”. Retrieved from http://b3.zcubes.
com/v.aspx?mid=441411&title=two-gardeners---motivational-story-for-kids
15. The Banana Tree
1. The Inventor
I. Creation inspired by Gold Rush. (2019) In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 14, 2019, from https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison
2. The Loan
I. Creation inspired by Wealthy Gorilla. (2014) “Thinking Outside the Box”. Retrieved from https://
3. Ming Dynasty
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell, for Editora Tree. (2019). Inspired by an
unknown source.
4. T-Bone
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell. (2019) inspired by an AESOP Fable:
“The Dog and his Reflection”.
5. The Sacred Ass
I. Creation inspired by Short Kid Stories. (2014). “The Ass Carrying the Image”. Retrieved from
http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/aesops-fables/#THE_ASS_CARRYING_THE_IMAGE
6. Never Too Late
I. Creation inspired by Colonel Sanders. (2019). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 20, 2019, from https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders
7. Playing God
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell for Editora Tree. Inspired by an unknown
source. (2019).
8. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell, inspired by an AESOP Fable: “The
Tortoise and the Hare”.
9. Golden Eggs
I. This is an original story created by Stephanie O’Connell, inspired by an AESOP Fable: “The
Goose and the Golden Egg”.
10. Not all that Glitters is Gold
1. Joe Luck
I. Creation inspired by Carlos G. Valles. (1995). “Ligero de Equipaje”. Sal Terrae
2. Fresh Fish
3. Formula to Succeed
I. Creation inspired by Will Smith. (Producer) Gabriele Muccino. (Director). (2006). The Pursuit of
Happyness (Motion Picture). United States: Columbia Pictures.
4. All Inclusive
I. Creation inspired by Joel Osteen. (2004) “Your Best Life Now.” New York, NY: Hachette Book
Group
5. The Cure
I. Creation inspired by The Holy Bible. (Luke.8).
6. Heavy Water
I. Creation inspired by On Word. (N.D). “How Heavy is this Glass of Water”. Retrieved from
http://onword.co/2993
7. Do Unto Others
I. Creation inspired by Moral Stories. (2019). “Grandpa’s Table”. Retrieved from https://www.
moralstories.org/page/14/
8. The Friendly Traitor
9. The Careless Bear
10. Recognition
Copyrights:
©Depositphotos /WDGPhoto JKatarzyna Białasiewicz© 123RF.com
©Depositphotos /Kobyakov ozef Polc© 123RF.com
Jakkapan Sapmuangphan© 123RF.com Juan Jose Tugores© 123RF.com
dbajurin© 123RF.com Алексей Корнеев© 123RF.com
bjul© 123RF.com David Evison© 123RF.com
©Depositphotos /Alekuwka Lynn Bystrom© 123RF.com
Cathy Yeulet© 123RF.com mihtiander© 123RF.com
Sergey Zaikov© 123RF.com Shao-Chun Wang© 123RF.com
Ritirong Sriphothong© 123RF.com ©Depositphotos /jbryson
Febriyanto Reinaldy© 123RF.com Nataliia Tarasenko© 123RF.com
olegdudko© 123RF.com Ian Allenden© 123RF.com
Inna Kalyuzhina© 123RF.com Mykola Korolkov© 123RF.com
Pongsakorn Tantiyakorn© 123RF.com Maksym Yemelyanov© 123RF.com
Francois Roux© 123RF.com nanobey© 123RF.com
kasto© 123RF.com Eleni Seitanidou© 123RF.com
imagevixens© 123RF.com Dmitriy Cherevko© 123RF.com
Piotr Krześlak© 123RF.com ©Depositphotos /TarasMalyarevich
Susan Richey-Schmitz© 123RF.com Boyce Fitzgerald© 123RF.com
Katarzyna Białasiewicz© 123RF.com Jakub Gojda© 123RF.com
Ivan Kokoulin© 123RF.com choreograph© 123RF.com
ammentorp© 123RF.com mackoflower© 123RF.com
Андрей Шевченко© 123RF.com maridav© 123RF.com
©Depositphotos /VitalikRadko Michal Bednarek© 123RF.com
PAPAN SAENKUTRUEANG© 123RF.com Roman Samborskyi© 123RF.com
Ian Allenden© 123RF.com Cathy Yeulet© 123RF.com
feiyuwzhangjie© 123RF.com Andrea Marzorati© 123RF.com
keleny© 123RF.com belchonock© 123RF.com
Alberto Masnovo© 123RF.com
Special thanks to the following websites from

which we drew material, ideas,
inspiration and information:
http://www.wikipedia.com http://www.read.gov/aesop/001.html
http://www.google.com https://www.123rf.com
http://publicdomainreview.org www.shortstories.net
http://www.gutenberg.org/ www.dictionary.cambridge.org
http://world-english.org/stories www.macmillanthesaurus.com
http://moralstories.org www.ef.com
http://shortkidstories.com www.dictionary.com
http://www.reddit.com www.thesaurus.com
https://americanliterature.com/short-stories
http://www.wealthygorilla.com
http://www.pinterest.com

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Título de la obra completa: EVOLVE your English

Primera edición 2020

Autor: Stephanie O’Connell

Título de la obra: STORYBOOK.

Diseño editorial: Natalia Aguirre

Diseño gráfico: Codyd S.A.S

Editor: Editora Sea Group S.A.S

Impresión: Capital Graphic

©2020 Prohibida su reproducción o copia total o parcial.

Luis Munevar (Co-Author/Sound Editor/Advisor/Recorder)

Justin Anderson (B.A English/Lead Copywriter/Proof-reader)

Clara Vargas (Advisor/Contributor/Editor)

Sebastian Diaz Restrepo (C.E.O Codyd) and his experienced team.

Christian Vergaño, Eliana Hernandez, Nataly Suarez, Tatiana Arevalo,

Jonatan Gomez (Collaborator/Advisor)

Arianna Jessica Franco O’Connell (Audio Recorder/Advisor)

1. THE WISER MERCHANT................................................................................................................................... 62

1. THE INVENTOR....................................................................................................................................................... 122

1. JOE LUCK...................................................................................................................................................................... 168

1 ) Your name: (1%)

• SIMPLE PRESENT • PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

CLUB: Nightclub, Disco (syn) FIND: Discover (def )

1. Would you say these boys are responsible or irresponsible?

3. Why weren’t the boys prepared for the exam?

5. Why did the boys lie?

8. What was the consequence for lying?

2. How did the master feel about the situation?

3. Why did the master decide to bury the donkey?

4. How did the donkey get out of the ditch?

• SIMPLE PRESENT • INFINITIVES – GERUNDS

PUSH: Pull (ant) PROPER: Correct, Official,

1. Why did the king put the boulder in the road?

4. What lesson was the king trying to give his people?

6. Change the ending of this story.

A mother and her six-year-old son were at a pool party.

• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

INSTINCTIVELY: FEARS: Terror, Horror (syn)

3. What happened to the mother when she was a child?

4. How did the boy get into the water?

• SIMPLE PRESENT • POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

FIT: Be of the right size (def ). CHOICES: Options (syn)

1. How do you picture the setting of this story?

3. Why were the boy’s eyes getting bigger?

4. What candy did the boy choose?

6. Explain the boy’s problem.

• SIMPLE PRESENT • ARTICLES

SUGGEST: Propose, HANDL(ING): Manipulate,

RISK: To put in danger (def ) LEFTOVERS: Yesterdays

1. What problem were the mice trying to solve?

2. Why couldn’t they just poison the cat?

4. How would a dog help the situation for the mice?

5. If you were a mouse, what would you recommend in this situation?

• SIMPLE PRESENT • ARTICLES

1. Who are the characters in this story?

2. Describe the setting of the story.

3. What were the children doing for fun?

5. How were the frogs reacting to the flying rocks?

6. Why did the boys run away in fear?

7. Change the ending of the story.

1. How much would Steven charge for half a pound of butter?

3. How did Arthur react when he realized he had been cheated?

• SIMPLE PRESENT • ADVERBS OF MANNER

CHAINSAW: Mechanical DESERT: Abandon, Leave (syn).