LEVEL 3

This is a story about the Formosan Black Bear and the Formosan Clouded Leopard

Once upon a time, there was a bear and a leopard. The bear and the leopard were good
friends, and they both had pale, gray coats. The black bear was not black and the leopard
didn’t have any spots. They looked very boring.

One day, the two friends were talking and they had a good idea. They wanted to look more
beautiful, so they decided to paint their coats. The bear would paint the leopard and the
leopard would paint the bear.

First, the bear painted the leopard. The bear was a very kind, gentle and clever, so he spent
many hours carefully painting his friend. The bear painted an amazing pattern on the
leopard. It looked like many pretty clouds in a yellow sky. The leopard was very happy with
his new coat after the bear finished painting him.

Then the bear sat down and the leopard started to paint him. The bear was so tired that he
fell asleep while the leopard was painting him. The leopard looked at the big bear and he
thought: “I am too lazy to paint such a big animal”. He also thought: “I don’t want the bear to
look more beautiful than me.”

So the lazy leopard went to a lake and found some black mud. He picked up a lot of mud,
and took it back to the bear. Then he put the black mud all over the bear’s coat. When the
leopard finished, the bear was all black except for one small, white ‘V’ on the bear’s throat.

When the bear woke up he was very, very angry! He was so angry that he chased the
leopard through the forest for a long way. The leopard was tired, so he jumped up into a
tree. The bear waited below the tree. The leopard tried to talk to the bear. “If you don’t kill
me, I will share my food with you! Please don’t hurt me!”

The bear thought about it for a while, then he made a decision. He didn’t kill the leopard.
LEVEL 2

This is a story about the Formosan Black Bear and the Formosan Clouded Leopard

Once upon a time, there was a bear and a leopard. The bear and the leopard were friends,
and they both had pale, gray coats. The black bear was not black and the leopard didn’t
have any spots. They looked very boring.

One day, the bear and the leopard had an idea. The bear said: “My coat is boring. I want to
look more beautiful.” The leopard said: “My coat is boring too! I know! We can paint our
coats!”

“Great idea!” Said the bear, “I can pain you, and you can paint me.”

First, the bear painted the leopard. He painted...

...and painted…
...and painted…
...and painted…
...and painted.

The bear painted a beautiful pattern on the leopard. It looked like lots of pretty clouds in a
yellow sky. After the bear finished, the leopard was very happy. His new coat was very
pretty.

Then the bear sat down and the leopard started to paint him. The bear fell asleep because
he was very tired. The leopard was lazier than the bear. He looked at the big bear, and he
didn’t want to paint so much. ”

So the lazy leopard went to a lake. At the lake he picked up a lot of black mud. He took the
mud back to the bear. Then he put the black mud all over the bear’s coat. When the leopard
finished, the bear was almost all black. He had a small, white “V” on his throat.

When the bear woke up he was very, very angry! He chased the leopard through the forest
for a long way. The leopard jumped up into a tree because he was tired. The bear waited
under the tree. The leopard talked to the bear. “If you don’t kill me, I will give you some of my
food! Please don’t hurt me!”

The bear thought about it for a while, then he made a decision. He didn’t kill the leopard.
LEVEL 1

This is a leopard. That is a bear.

Look at the boring coats that they wear.

The leopard’s coat is gray. The bear’s is gray too.

They both want coats that are pretty and new.

“I can paint your coat.” Says the leopard to the bear.

“I can paint you too.” Says the friendly bear.

The bear paints the leopard, he paints a black spot.

Then he paints one more, and one more, then a lot.

The leopard’s coat is pretty. It is yellow and black.

The leopard feels happy with the coat on his back.

The bear goes to sleep. The bear is sleepy.

The leopard wants to sleep. The leopard is lazy.

The leopard paints the bear. He paints him all black.

Black on his feet, on his head, on his back.

The bear is all black, but there is one white bit.

The bear sees his coat, and he doesn’t like it.

The bear is angry. The leopard is afraid.

The bear makes a loud roar. The leopard runs away.

The leopard runs and runs. The leopard climbs a tree.

The leopard says: “Bear! Please don’t eat me!”

The bear stops and thinks. And then he says: “OK.”

“You are my friend. I won’t eat you today.”