Apollo & Athena

Long ago in Ancient Greece there was a strong and handsome soldier called Apollo. Apollo
had a beautiful wife called Athena, who had been kidnapped by an old king called Minos.
Apollo was devastated and vowed to rescue Athena. He knew that the king would have
taken her to his palace in Crete but a monster called the Chimera guarded this palace.

The Chimera was a ferocious monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a long
serpent as a tail. Many heroic men had travelled to his cave and tried to beat the Chimera
but had been burnt to death by his fiery flame breath. Although Apollo was a brave man, he
did not know how to kill this enormous monster. His father told him to go to Mount
Olympus and ask the great God Zeus for advice.

Apollo set off immediately and soon reached the great mountain, where the twelve gods
lived. Apollo called for Zeus and begged for his advice. Zeus appeared before him and
explained that although the Chimera was fierce and strong, his heart was full of poisoned
blood. If Apollo could pierce his heart, the blood would leak into his body and the monster
would die an agonising death. Zeus then gave Apollo a shield to keep the Chimera’s flames
away, a sharp sword to pierce the evil heart and a pair of shoes. These shoes were shoes of
swiftness that made the wearer faster than the speed of light. Apollo thanked Zeus and set
off on the long journey to Crete.

Apollo walked on dry roads, climbed mountains and sailed the great sea until at last he
reached the palace of King Minos. He entered the cave that was home to the monster and
could hear his blood-chilling roar. Apollo crept through the tunnels and edged closer to the
monsters lair. When he was close enough to hear the serpents hissing, he put on the shoes of
swiftness and got his sword and shield ready. With a deep breath he ran towards the
Chimera with his sword in the air.

The Chimera roared and flames surrounded Apollo. He held up his shield and ran in every
direction trying to confuse the monster. The serpent hissed, the lion’s head roared and the
flames soared into the air. Apollo kept darting around and soon the Chimera was dizzy.
Apollo ran forward and plunged his sword into the monsters heart. The Chimera let out a
furious roar and fell to the floor. The monster was dead at last.

Apollo ran past the body and found his way to the tower where Athena was being held. He
knocked down the door and saw his beautiful wife chained. Quickly, he cut the chains and
with the help of the shoes of swiftness, Apollo whisked Athena off to his kingdom and there
they lived together happily for the rest of their lives.
Maud and the Dragon
A long time ago, on the western wall of the old church in Mordiford, Herefordshire was once a
painting of a gigantic dragon. Above the painting was a very odd poem, it read:

This is the true effigy of that strange

Prodigious monster which our woods did range.
In Eastwood it by Garstone's hand was slain,
A truth which old mythologists maintain.

The dragon portrayed in the picture was a fearsome creature with a massive body over twelve feet
long, a powerful tail, three pairs of enormous wings , a terrible red mouth with a forked tongue,
webbed feet and scales of green and gold. In the picture its great wings flapped and its great tail
twisted back in anger. However, according to local mythology the dragon was not always so large
or so threatening.

One day, many years before the image was painted on the church wall, in a stretch of hilly forest
north-east of the village of Mordiford known as Haugh Wood, a little girl called Maud was out
blackberrying. It was a warm autumn day. Suddenly Maud heard a strange noise and went to
investigate.

In the long grass and brambles she found the most charming little creature. The creature was the
colour of the greenest grass, with gold flecks like the sun; it had a slender pointed tail but its most
dazzling features were its flickering eyes, for they shone as bright as the stars themselves.

Maud picked up the strange creature and carried it gently to her home. Her horrified father
recognised it as a baby dragon but Maud pleaded and pleaded with him not to kill it. Seeing her
great distress he relented and allowed Maud to place the little reptile by the fireside. Here it lapped
up a saucer of milk.

Maud went to bed but could not stop thinking about the little dragon. Wide awake she crept
downstairs to see it. To her horror, she overheard her parents planning to kill the creature in the
morning. Maud quickly put on her warmest clothes, for the autumn night was very chilly, and took
the baby dragon into the woods. In the undergrowth she made a mossy nest and promised aloud to
come back and feed it and care for it.

Maud kept her promise. She kept the dragon hidden and fed it on milk. For many years she would
slip away whilst carrying out her errands and go to the woods and see the creature, so the dragon
and the girl grew up together.

But the dragon could not stay hidden forever. As it grew the dragon developed a taste for meat and
began to eat the local farm animals. It would leave its lair in the woods and venture out along a
nearby Lane in search of cows.

After it had eaten its fill it would go down the wooded lane to the point where the rivers Wye and
Lugg join to slake its thirst. The beast grew into a monstrous serpent. It soon devoured most of the
local cattle – and sometimes the people, who searched it out to try and kill it.

Many brave young men tried to kill the creature but few returned and none succeeded. The local
people became too afraid to venture into the woods or to walk down the Lane.
Everybody, that is, except Maud. For. however hungry the dragon became and however strong its
dragonish traits, it never harmed the young woman who had shown it such kindness.

Then, one day a condemned criminal, known as Garstone, offered to get rid of the dragon in
exchange for his freedom. He had nothing to lose for it was either facing the dragon or the
hangman’s noose. The desperate locals promised him a pardon if he should succeed. The threat of
execution had sharpened Garstone’s wits, he knew he could never win a straight fight and needed to
ensure that he had an advantage over the beast.

A few hours later the locals watched puzzled as he rolled a cider barrel down to the water's edge.
He jumped into the barrel and lay concealed waiting for the dragon to approach. The ambush
worked. When the curious dragon went to look at the barrel the criminal Garstone jumped out and
plunged a sword into the heart of the dragon.

With a thunderous cry the dragon staggered a little way up the lane before dropping with an
almighty thud to the ground. Garstone followed watching its death throes. He stood over the dragon
victorious but he never lived to enjoy his triumph, for as he watched the trembling frame of the
mighty breast, the dragon shuddered out one last mighty poisonous breath. The poison covered
Garstone and soon the man and the beast lay dead together.

There were many celebrations in the local area but seeing the once proud and fearsome creature
slumped on the ground the beautiful Maud could not stop her tears flowing for her childhood
companion. As a reminder of the great victory the church wall was painted with a picture of the
great beast.

When the church was restored around 1810 the western wall was demolished and rebuilt. The
picture was never restored. However, the dragon was not forgotten for the path which led from the
dragon's lair in the wooded hills to its drinking place at the river became known as Serpent Lane.
And it is said that on the exact spot where the dragon breathed its last, and Maud shed her tears of
sorrow, the grass never grew again.
 Maud and the Dragon
Read the text carefully, then answer the questions in full sentences.
1. There are several adjectives which describe the size of the dragon in the
introduction. Say which two adjectives you think describe it best (remember
full sentences!)
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2. In which season was Maud picking blackberries?

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3. Why does the author compare the creature’s eyes to stars?

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4. Why do you think Maud’s parents are not happy when they see the baby dragon?
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5. Why was the dragon not satisfied with feeding only on milk?
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6. Which verb word in the text describes ‘to eat’ the local cattle?
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7. The locals said they would pardon Garston if he got rid of the dragon. Explain
what this means.
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8. Garston killed the dragon. Was he really victorious and can you explain why?
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 King Uther loved Igraine of Merlin, the magician, said he
Cartoon by Gareth Pitchford Cornwall but he couldn't marry would help if Uther gave him
her. his first son.

Merlin took Arthur and gave him

Uther and Igraine were married Many years later King Uther fell
to Sir Ector and his family to look
and they had a baby son, Arthur. ill and died.
after.

The Archbishop and Merlin An inscription on the stone read,

The other lords of the land
called all the people to the "Whoever pulls this sword from
fought as to who would become
church. A magical stone had this stone is the true born king of
king.
appeared. all Britain."
 Nobody could pull the sword
from the stone so they decided Sir Ector, Arthur and his step- Sir Kay was in the tournament
to have a contest to see who brother Sir Kay went along. but he'd forgotten his sword!
was strongest instead.

Arthur went back to get it but he He decided to borrow the sword Kay was amazed at what his
couldn't find it. in the stone for Kay to use. brother had done.

THE END

Word soon spread that Arthur Merlin explained that Arthur was
had pulled the sword from the Uther's son and was the true
stone. born King of all
 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Once upon a time there was a boy who had to look after sheep. It was
a very boring job, just sitting on the hillside, day after day, watching the
sheep eating grass. He tried to think of fun things to do but he couldn’t.

One day, he was so bored that he thought he would play a trick on

the other shepherds. “I know,” he thought, “I’ll pretend that a wolf is
coming to eat the sheep.”

So he stood up and shouted as loud as he could, “Help! Help! There

is a wolf and it is going to eat the sheep!” All the other shepherds left their
sheep and ran to help the boy.

Where is the wolf?” they asked. The boy could not speak for
laughing. At last he said, “There is no wolf. I was just joking.” The other
shepherds were very cross. “Don’t make jokes like that,” they said.

“I am sorry,” said the boy. The other shepherds went back to look
after their sheep and the boy was left to watch his sheep eating the grass.
“I’m bored!” he said to himself. “I think I’ll play another trick.”

So again he stood up and shouted, “Help! Help! There is a wolf and

it is going to eat the sheep!” Again the other shepherds left their sheep and
ran to help the boy. “Where is the wolf?” they asked again.

This time the boy was laughing so much he had to sit down. “There
is no wolf,” he said. “It is a joke.” The other shepherds were really angry
this time. “You are very bad! You should not tell lies!” they shouted as
they went back to their sheep.
 The boy felt very pleased with his jokes. He sat down in the long
grass, pulled his hat down over his eyes and had a little rest. Suddenly, he
heard a strange sound!

He looked around and there on the hill behind him was a wolf! A
very big wolf! An enormous wolf! It looked at him, and licked its lips! ,
“Help! Help! There is a wolf and it is going to eat ME!” screamed the boy.

He shouted and screamed but no one came. “It is just that silly boy
playing tricks,” they all thought. The wolf ate the boy and smiled a happy
smile. “That will teach him to tell lies!” he said.
 The Lion and The Mouse

Once upon a time there was a hungry _____. He needed

something to eat and saw a little ______. The mouse was very
frightened and asked the lion not to ____ him. The mouse said
that he would do something for the lion if he let him ____. The
lion told the mouse that he was too _____ to ever be able to
______ him, but he let the mouse go. The Little mouse ran
away.

One day the lion was walking along and he stepped into a trap.
He was caught in a _____. He called for help and the little
mouse _____. The mouse had sharp _____ and he bit through
the ______. The lion was very happy. The lion had been ____ to
him so he had returned his kindness.

teeth net came mouse lion

ropes eat mall help kind

The Wind and the Sun

The Wind and the Sun were arguing about which the strongest was.
Suddenly, they saw a traveller coming down the road.

The Sun said: “I see a way to decide our argument. Whichever of us can
cause that traveller to take off his coat shall be the strongest. You
begin.”

So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as
it could upon the traveller.

But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak
round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.

Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who
soon found it too hot to walk with his coat on so he took it off.