Is Melanie a thief?

It was a lovely sunny day last August. Melanie went to the local park to meet her mates. There were six of
them. They loved hanging out together, just messing about. They went to the kids’ play area. There were no kids
there, so they played on the swings a bit. Then they walked towards the
lake. As they were walking along, Melanie saw something bright and
shiny under a bush. She picked it up: it was a bracelet. One of those
silver things with charms on it, nothing expensive.
Melanie wondered what to do. Take it to the police
station? It was miles away. Leave it there? What was
the point of that? She popped it in her pocket. When
she got home, she looked at the bracelet and she really liked it. One of the charms was the
Eiffel tower and Melanie loved her French lessons at school. She put it on
and wore it all evening. In the morning, she had a rash round her wrist. It was red and
angry looking. She looked more closely. The rash looked like letters! She made out some of
the letters. They spelled t-h-i-e-f. Melanie screamed because she was so shocked. She
took the bracelet off and practically ran back to the park. She left the bracelet under the
bush exactly where she had found it.

True or false? Answer the questions in full sentences.

1) It was a cold, rainy day last December. a. What did Melanie’s gang like doing?

2) Melanie went to a park near her house to meet b. What did they do at first?
her friends.
c. Where did they head after that?
3) They spent some time just chilling.
d. What did Melanie find and where was it?
4) There were seven friends in the group.
e. Where did she consider taking it, and why
5) There were some kids playing on the swings. didn’t she?

6) They walked towards the tennis courts. f. What did she particularly like about the
object and why?
7) Melanie saw a bracelet under a bush.
g. Did she put the bracelet on her bedside table?
8) She took the bracelet to the police station.
h. What did she notice the next morning?
9) Melanie likes French.
i. How did she feel?
10) She put the bracelet on her bedside table.
j. What did she do with the bracelet eventually?
11) She had a really angry rash around her wrist when
she woke up the next morning.

12) She was horrified when she read the word that
her rash spelled out.
FOR DISCUSSION:
13) The word was ‘thief’.  Was Melanie a thief to keep the bracelet? What
could/should she have done?
14) She took the bracelet to a local charity shop.  Did Melanie really see those letters? Was it
perhaps just guilt that made her see that word?
What do you think?
KEYS:
1.F – it was a lovely sunny day one day last August
2.T
3.T
4.F – there were six of them.
5. F - There weren’t any kids playing on the swings
6. F – they walked towards the lake.
7. T
8. F – she took it home with her.
9. T
10. F – she put it on her wrist/She wore it.
11. T
12. T
13.T
14. F – she took it back to the park/she left it where she had found it/under the bush.

a. She went to the local park to meet her mates.

b. They liked chilling/hanging out/messing about.
c. They went to the kids’ play area.
d. They headed towards the lake.
e. She found a charm bracelet and it was under a bush.
f. She thought about/considered taking it to the police station. She didn’t because it was too far/miles
away.
g. She liked the Eiffel tower charm; French is/was her favourite subject/she loves/loved French.
h. No, she didn’t. She put it on.
i. She noticed an angry red rash round her wrist. (Try saying that three times quickly!)
j. She felt shocked!
k. She left it exactly where she found it. /She took it back… Put it back under the bush…

Discussion – open ended.

Maybe it was psychosomatic though!