Red Rubber Ball
Fred had a red rubber ball. He kicked
the ball. It flew through the air. He
picked it up. He threw it against a wall.
The ball came back to Fred. He kicked it
with his foot again. The ball flew over
the wall. He picked it up again. He
bounced it on the street. The ball
bounced up and down. Then it stopped
bouncing up and down. It didn't move.
Fred's dog barked at the ball. Fred
kicked the ball. His dog ran after the
ball.
2. Barking Dog
Bobby woke up because he heard a
dog. He heard a dog barking outside his
window. Bobby woke up when he heard
the dog barking. Bobby got out of bed.
He got out of bed and walked to the
window. He looked out the window. He
saw a big brown dog. It was barking
very loud. Bobby opened his window.
He looked at the barking dog. "Why are
you barking so loud?" he asked the dog.
The dog looked at Bobby. Then it
stopped barking.
3. A Long Life
Nancy wants to live a long time. She
wants to live for one hundred years. She
is five years old now. She wants to live
95 more years. Then she will be 100.
Her father is 30 years old. He wants to
live a long time, too. He wants to live for
one hundred years. He wants to live for
70 more years. "Daddy, we will grow old
together, okay?" Nancy said to her
father. "Yes, honey, we will grow old
together," he said to Nancy. Then Nancy
smiled. She gave her daddy a big hug.
4. The Jumper
Johnny jumped over the dog. The dog
was lying on the ground. Johnny jumped
over it. The dog saw Johnny jump over
it. The dog got up. The dog got up and
barked at Johnny. Johnny laughed. He
laughed while the dog barked. Johnny
ran over to the fence. The dog chased
him to the fence. Johnny jumped over
the fence. He turned around and looked
at the dog. The dog stopped at the
fence. The dog could not jump over the
fence. Johnny said, "Jump, jump!" The
dog barked, but did not jump.
5. Red Berry
Mary ate a blueberry. She loved
blueberries. Then she ate a blackberry.
She loved blackberries. Then she ate a
strawberry. She loved strawberries.
Mary was confused. A blueberry is blue,
so you call it a blueberry. A blackberry is
black, so you call it a blackberry. A
strawberry is red. So, why don't you call
it a redberry? Mary asked her mom. Her
mom didn't know. She asked her dad.
Her dad didn't know. She asked her little
brother. "Because a red berry is a
cherry!" her brother said.
6. His New Book
Louis got a new book. The book was
about animals. Louis loved animals. The
book had lots of pictures. It had pictures
of dogs and cats. It had pictures of cows
and pigs. It had pictures of chickens and
rabbits. It had pictures of squirrels and
birds. Louis looked at the pictures on the
first page. Then he turned the page. He
looked at the pictures on the second
page. Then he turned the page again.
The book had 30 pages in it. Louis
looked at all the pictures on all the
pages.
7. Bug in a Bottle
Charles found a glass bottle. He found
the glass bottle in his back yard. It was a
pretty glass bottle. It was dark green. He
looked inside the dark green bottle. He
couldn't see anything. He shook the
bottle. Something came out of the bottle.
It landed on the ground. It was a bug.
Charles picked up the bug. He looked at
it. The bug looked at Charles. Charles
put the bottle back on the ground. He
put the bug on the ground, next to the
bottle. The bug crawled back into the
bottle.
8. Hungry Birds
The baby birds sat in the nest. There
were two baby birds. They were in the
nest. The nest was in the tree. The baby
birds were waiting for mama bird. They
were hungry. When would mama bird be
back? Then they saw mama bird. She
landed on the nest. She had two worms
in her mouth. She gave one worm to
each baby bird. The worms were
delicious. The baby birds ate the worms
very fast. Then they opened their
mouths. They wanted another worm.
Mama bird flew away. She went to get
more worms.
9. Row Your Boat
Brenda sang a song. She sang the song
while she walked to school. The name
of the song was "Row, Row, Row Your
Boat." Brenda liked to sing this song. It
was her favorite song to sing. She sang
it every day while she walked to school.
Sometimes she sang it with her best
friend. Sometimes her best friend
walked to school with Brenda. Then they
both sang the song together. Brenda
liked the song because it was easy to
remember the words. "Row, row, row
your boat" are easy words to remember.
10. Add Numbers
Maria was learning to add numbers. She
liked to add numbers. It was easy to add
numbers. She could add one and one.
She knew that one and one are two.
She knew that two and two are four.
She knew that three and three are six.
But that was it. She didn't know what
four and four are. She asked her mom.
Her mom told her that four and four are
eight. "Oh, now I know," Maria said. "I
am four years old now. In four more
years, I will be eight." Maria was a fast
learner. She wasn't a slow learner.
11. Clean Hands
Elizabeth washes her hands every day.
She likes to wash her hands. She
washes her hands with soap and water.
She uses soap and water to wash her
hands. She uses warm water and soap.
She washes her hands for 30 seconds.
After 30 seconds she stops washing her
hands. She turns off the water. She
dries her hands on a clean towel. Every
few hours she turns on the water and
washes her hands. Elizabeth has very
clean hands. She does not have many
germs on her hands. Germs cannot live
on her clean hands.
12. The Farm
Daniel wanted to visit a farm. He asked
his parents to take him to a farm. His
teacher told him about the animals on a
farm. There are lots of animals on a
farm. Daniel wanted to see the animals.
He wanted to see the cows. He wanted
to see the chickens. He wanted to see
the pigs. He wanted to pet the animals.
He wanted to feed the animals. He
loved animals. He wanted to live on a
farm. He wanted to live with cows and
chickens and pigs. They would be his
friends. He didn't have any friends in
school.
13. A Funny Story
Barbara likes funny stories. She likes to
hear funny stories. She likes to tell funny
stories. She told her mom a funny story.
When she finished, she waited for her
mom to laugh. "Mom, why aren't you
laughing? That was a funny story,"
Barbara said. "Oh, I'm sorry," her mom
said. "Sometimes you think something is
funny, but someone else thinks it isn't
funny." So, Barbara's mom did not laugh
at Barbara's story. Barbara told the
same story to her younger sister. Her
younger sister laughed at the story.
14. Horse Rider
"Can I ride my horse, Mommy?" Sara
asked her mom. Sara loved to ride her
horse. She rode her horse almost every
Saturday. "Okay, honey, get ready to
go," her mom said. Sara was happy.
She went into her bedroom. She put her
pink socks on. She put her pink
sneakers on. She grabbed her pink hat.
She went to the front door. "I'm going to
wait in the car," she told her mom.
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," her
mom said. Sara opened the car door.
She sat down in the front seat. She put
on her hat. She was excited.
15. A Happy Cat
Bruce picked up the cat. The cat
meowed. The cat didn't like most
people. The cat liked to be alone. It liked
to sleep on the sofa. It liked to sleep in
the fruit bowl. It liked to sleep on top of
the TV. It liked to chase bugs in the front
yard. It liked to chase lizards in the back
yard. It liked to chase flies in the kitchen.
Bruce put the cat on the floor. He
rubbed the cat's stomach. The cat liked
that. The cat licked his hand. Bruce
rubbed the cat's stomach some more.
The cat meowed. The cat was happy.
16. Short Girl
Margaret was a small girl. She was a
little girl. All her friends were taller than
her. She was shorter than all her
friends. She wanted to be tall. Her mom
told her not to worry. One day Margaret
would be tall. One day she would be
taller than her friends. One day all her
friends would be shorter than her. She
was happy to hear that. She only had
one question for her mom. When would
she be taller than her friends? Would it
be next year? She hoped it would be
next year. She was tired of being the
shortest girl.
17. Swimming Pool
Sharon jumped into the water at the
swimming pool. She held her nose. She
went under the water. Then she came
back up. She swam to the ladder in the
pool. She climbed out of the pool. She
stood at the edge of the pool. She held
her nose. She jumped in again. Sharon
liked to jump into the pool. The water felt
good. It was a hot day. The water was
cool. The water felt so good. Sharon's
mother had brought her to the pool. Her
mother was sitting in a chair. She was
watching Sharon. She wanted Sharon to
have fun.
18. Lulu's Letter
Lulu's mom gave Lulu a pencil. It was a
yellow pencil. It was a number two
pencil. It had a pink eraser. The eraser
was small and round and pink. Lulu's
mom gave Lulu a piece of paper. It was
a white piece of paper. There were blue
lines on the white paper. Lulu wrote a
letter to her grandma. Her letter said,
"Dear Grandma, Hello, I love you." Lulu
told her mom she was done. Her mom
looked at the letter. "This is a short
letter," her mom said. Lulu said, "Yes,
Mom, it is a short letter. It is short but
sweet."
19. The Flu
Larry has the flu. His nose is running.
He coughs a lot. He sneezes a lot.
When he coughs, he covers his mouth.
When he sneezes, he covers his mouth.
When his nose is running, he wipes his
nose with a tissue. Larry's mother is
taking care of him. She makes hot soup
for him. She gives him fresh orange
juice. She makes him comfortable in his
bed. She turns on the TV so he can
watch TV in his bed. She turns out the
light so he can sleep in his bed. She
gives him medicine so he will get better.
Larry will get better soon.
20. A New Car
Mark bought a new car last week. He is
happy with his new car. He got a good
deal on his new car. It was on sale. His
new car is green. The four tires are
black. His new car has four doors. It has
one trunk. The spare tire is in the trunk.
All new cars have a spare tire. His new
car has one hood. The engine is under
the hood. All new cars have an engine.
His new car has two big seats. One seat
is in the front. One seat is in the back.
Mark sits in the front seat when he
drives his new car. He always buckles
his seat belt.
21. Birthday Card
Dora wanted to buy a card for her
mother. Her mother's birthday was next
week. Dora loved her mom. She wanted
to get a nice birthday card. She wanted
a card that was pretty. She wanted a
card that said the right thing. What was
the right thing? The card must say, "I
love you, Mom." It must say, "Mom, you
are the best mother in the world." It must
say, "I'm so happy that you are my
Mom." Those are all the right things for
the card to say. But there was one more
thing the card must say. It must say,
"Happy Birthday!"
22. Chocolate Milk
James took the milk out of the
refrigerator. He put the carton of milk on
the counter. He took the cap off the
carton of milk. He opened the kitchen
cabinet. He took a glass out of the
cabinet. He put the glass on the counter
next to the milk. He poured some milk
into the glass. He put the cap back on
the carton of milk. He put the milk back
into the refrigerator. He took the
chocolate syrup out of the refrigerator.
He poured some chocolate syrup into
the glass of milk. He stirred the milk with
a spoon. He licked the spoon.
23. A Summer Job
Maria is 18. She will go to college in
September. She will be a college
student in September. But right now it is
summer time. It is June. Maria needs a
job. She needs money for college. She
needs money to buy books for college.
She wants a job. Maria went to a
restaurant. "Can I have a job?" she
asked. The restaurant manager said,
"I'm sorry. I don't need anyone right
now." Maria went to a book store. "Will
you give me a job?" she asked. The
book store manager said, "I'm sorry. I
don't need new workers right now."
24. His Red Bike
Paul has a red bicycle. He loves his red
bicycle. He got the red bicycle for his
ninth birthday. His parents gave him his
bike when he was nine. He takes care of
his bike. He puts air in both tires. He
puts air in the front tire. He puts air in
the rear tire. He puts oil on the bike
chain. He wipes dirt off the bike with a
damp rag. He puts water on the rag and
wipes all the dirt away. He rides his bike
everywhere. He rides it to school. He
rides it to the library. He rides it to his
friend's house. He really loves his bike.
25. Good Teacher
Jeff sat down. He was in class. He was
at school. He was in English class. He
liked his English class. He liked his
teacher. His teacher was friendly. His
teacher helped all the students. His
teacher answered everyone's questions.
Jeff asked a new question every day.
Yesterday he asked his teacher a
spelling question. He asked his teacher
how to spell "myself." His teacher told
him how to spell it. Jeff thanked his
teacher. His teacher said, "You're
welcome. Ask me anything anytime.
That's what I'm here for, to help you."
26. Trust God
Don has cancer. He is 12 years old. But
he is lucky. The doctor knows how to fix
Don's cancer. The doctor told Don's
mom to bring him to the hospital. Don's
mom said no. She will let God fix Don's
cancer. God will fix Don's cancer. She
does not trust the doctor. She doesn't
trust the hospital. She only trusts God.
The doctor said Don will die. He said
Don must come to the hospital. Don's
mom ran away. She ran away with Don.
The police are looking for Don and his
mom. They want to save Don's life. Only
the doctor can save Don's life.
27. The Swimmer
Karen is on the swim team. She is on
the swim team at school. She is a good
swimmer. All the swimmers on the swim
team are good swimmers. She swims
every day. She goes to the pool after
her last class. Her last class is her
English class. After English class she
walks over to the pool. She changes into
her swim suit. She dives into the water.
She swims for two hours. Her coach
watches her swim. He gives her advice.
He tells her how to swim better. Her
coach is her swim instructor. He is a
good instructor. She will win a race one
day.
28. A New Name
Herman didn't like his first name. He had
never liked it. He wanted to change it.
He asked his mother. She said it was
too late to change his name. She said
he could use his middle name. She
would call him by his middle name. She
asked him if that was okay. Herman said
yes. "From now on," he said, "please
call me by my middle name. From now
on, please call me Adam." His mother
said that was no problem. "Goodbye,
Herman," she said, "and hello, Adam."
When Adam's father came home from
work, Adam's mom said, "Guess what?
We have a new son."
29. Chicken Soup
William looked at his bowl of soup. It
was chicken soup. There was white rice
in the soup. William liked rice. There
were pieces of chicken in the soup.
William loved chicken. The pieces of
chicken were white. They were small
and square. They weren't big and round.
There were pieces of orange carrots in
the soup. William didn't like carrots. He
picked up a piece of carrot with his
fingers. He put it on the table next to his
bowl. He took all the pieces of carrots
out of the bowl. He put them all on the
table. Then he ate his soup.
30. Dear God
Peggy went to church every Sunday.
She loved to go to church. At church
she was with her family and friends. At
church she was with the saints. She was
with the angels. And most of all, Peggy
was with God. She always talked to God
in church. She always asked God to
stop war. She asked God to stop hate.
She asked God to stop sickness. But
war and hate and sickness did not stop.
There were war and hate and sickness
every day. "Mommy, why doesn't God
stop war and hate and sickness?"
Peggy asked. "God will," her mom said,
"when more people ask."
31. Yellow Corn
Brian sat down for dinner. He sat down
in the chair. He sat down at the table.
He looked at his white plate. He looked
at his silver fork. He looked at his silver
spoon. His dad said, "Pass me your
plate, Brian." His dad put white rice on
the plate. His dad put yellow corn on the
plate. His dad put green peas on the
plate. He gave the plate back to Brian.
"This looks delicious," Brian said. "It is
delicious," his dad said. Brian wondered
why corn was yellow. He wondered why
peas were green. He wondered if there
were yellow peas and green corn.
32. Patty's Doll
Patty got a doll for Christmas. It is her
favorite doll. It is a rag doll. It has a
yellow dress. It has a blue blouse. The
name of the doll is Molly. Molly has
bright red hair. She has red lips. She
has blue eyes. She has a pink ribbon in
her hair. Molly is wearing red shoes.
She's wearing white socks. Molly has a
purse. Her purse is pink. The purse is
empty. There is nothing in the purse.
There was a little mirror in the purse.
But Patty lost the mirror. When she lost
the mirror, she said, "I'm sorry, Molly. I
will get you another mirror."
33. Bug Lover
Anthony went to the book store. He
wanted to buy a book. He wanted to buy
a book about bugs. He liked bugs. He
picked up bugs in his yard. He took
them to school. He showed the bugs to
his teacher. His teacher told him the
name of each bug. Then Anthony took
the bugs home. He showed them to his
parents. His mom told him to take the
bugs out of the house. His dad liked to
see the bugs. He said Anthony did a
good job. He gave Anthony money to
buy a book. So Anthony took the money
to the book store. He looked for a book
with lots of pictures of bugs.
34. Girl Fight
Sharon was five years old. Her best
friend was Pam. They played games
together. They played all kinds of
games. They had fun together. But one
day Pam pushed Sharon. "Why did you
push me?" Sharon asked. "Because,"
Pam said. Sharon told Pam not to push
her again. So, Pam pushed Sharon
again. Sharon pushed Pam back. Then
Pam pulled Sharon's hair. Then Sharon
pulled Pam's hair. Both of them started
crying. Sharon's mom came into the
room. She told Pam to go home. Pam
ran out of the house. "Sharon, you can't
play with Pam anymore," Sharon's
mother said.
35. A Wild Cat?
The cat was not moving. It was lying in
the grass. The cat was black and white.
It was a pretty black and white cat. It
was cold outside. The cat was lying on
its stomach. It was dark outside. The
porch light shined on the cat. The cat
looked at Sissy. "Mom, can I have the
cat?" she asked her mom. Her mom
came outside on the porch. She looked
at the cat. "That is a pretty cat," her
mom said. "Can I have it?" Sissy asked.
Her mom said no. Maybe the cat
belonged to another family. Maybe the
cat was wild. If it was wild, it might bite
Sissy.
36. Collect Coins
Tom was bored. He didn't have anything
to do. He wasn't interested in doing
anything. He didn't want to watch TV.
Tom didn't want to listen to the radio. He
didn't want to play sports. He didn't want
to use the computer. He didn't want to
read books. "I'm bored," Tom said.
"What can I do? I want to do something
interesting." Tom's father had an idea. "I
have an idea," his father said. "Why
don't you collect coins? Coins are fun to
collect. And coins are everywhere. You
see coins every day. Some coins are
valuable. They will make you rich."
37. Apple for the
Teacher
Andrew was in the third grade. He loved
his teacher. His teacher was young. She
was pretty. She was friendly. She
helped Andrew add numbers. She
helped Andrew draw dogs and cats. She
helped Andrew learn to spell. Andrew
gave his teacher an apple one day. He
gave her an orange another day. He
gave her a peach another day. His
teacher thanked him. "Thank you for the
apple," she said the first day. "Thank
you for the orange," she said the second
day. "Thank you for the peach," she said
the third day. Each day Andrew said,
"You're very welcome."
38. A Good Boy
Billy always listens to his mother. He
always does what she says. If his
mother says, "Brush your teeth," Billy
brushes his teeth. If his mother says,
"Go to bed," Billy goes to bed. Billy is a
very good boy. A good boy listens to his
mother. His mother doesn't have to ask
him again. She asks him to do
something one time, and she doesn't
ask again. Billy is a good boy. He does
what his mother asks the first time. She
doesn't have to ask again. She tells
Billy, "You are my best child." Of course
Billy is her best child. Billy is her only
child.
39. Who Is It?
Joseph never opens the front door.
When someone knocks on the front
door, Joseph says, "Who is it?" But he
does not open the door. His parents told
him to keep the door closed. His parents
want him to be safe. He will be safe if he
doesn't open the door. Yesterday
someone knocked on the front door.
"Who is it?" Joseph asked. "It's the
mailman," the person said. "I cannot
open the door," Joseph said. "Okay, I
will come back tomorrow," the mailman
said. "Goodbye," Joseph said. Joseph is
a good boy. He listens to his parents.
He doesn't open the door for any
person.
40. The Moon
He looked at the rising moon. It was
rising above the houses. It was big and
orange. It looked bigger than the rising
sun. How could it be so big? How could
it be so orange? Several hours later, he
looked at the moon again. Now it was
high in the sky. Now it was smaller. It
wasn't orange anymore. Now it was
white. What happened? It changed size.
It changed color. Before, it was big and
orange. It was like a big pumpkin. Now,
it was smaller and white. It was like a
light bulb. But it was still pretty. It was
still bright. It was the brightest light in
the sky.
41. Use Soap
Kathy finished her sandwich. She had a
chicken sandwich for lunch. She got up
from her chair. She took her plate to the
kitchen sink. She put the plate in the
sink. She turned on the cold water
faucet. She rinsed the plate. She picked
up a paper towel. She wiped the plate
dry. She put the plate on the counter.
Her mother walked into the room. "Did
you wash that plate with soap?" she
asked Kathy. Kathy said no. "I couldn't
find the soap," she said. Her mom said,
"What's this right next to the cold water
faucet?" Kathy said, "Soap." Her mom
told her to wash the plate again.
42. What's Behind the
Door?
Dotty looked at the door. It was a closet
door. The door had a silver handle. The
silver handle was round. The round,
silver handle was a doorknob. One day
she tried to turn the doorknob. She tried
to open the closet door. But the
doorknob didn't turn. She couldn't open
the closet door. The closet door wouldn't
open. The door was locked. "Why is the
door locked?" Dotty asked her mom.
Her mom said it was locked for her
safety. "What's behind the door?" she
asked her mom. Her mom said a rifle
was behind the locked door. Daddy kept
a rifle in the closet.
43. Go to Your Room
Alice told her son Jesse to go to his
room. He didn't want to go to his room.
"Why do I have to go to my room?" he
said. "You were a bad boy," she said.
"You hit your sister." He said, "No, I
didn't. She hit me first." Alice said, "But
you shouldn't hit your sister, even if she
hits you first. She is younger than you
are. And she's a little girl. Boys should
never hit little girls." Jesse said, "Okay, I
won't ever hit little girls again. Now do I
have to go to my room?" Alice said yes,
he still had to go to his room. "When
she's a big girl, I'm going to hit her
again," he said.
44. The Birthday Cake
It was Jenny's fourth birthday. She was
four years old. Her mom baked a cake
for her. Her mom baked a chocolate
cake for her. The cake had two layers.
Her mom put vanilla frosting on the
bottom layer. Her mom put vanilla
frosting on the top layer. Her mom put
vanilla frosting all around the cake. Now
the chocolate cake was completely
white. Her mom put four pink candles on
top of the cake. Her dad lit the four pink
candles. The four pink candles were lit.
Jenny's mom and dad sat down next to
Jenny. They sang Happy Birthday to
her. "Happy birthday to you," they sang.
Jenny sang with her mom and dad.
"Happy birthday to me," she sang. Her
mom said, "Now make a wish and blow
out the candles." Jenny made a wish.
Then she blew out all four pink candles.
45. Tenth Birthday
Dorothy will be ten years old next
month. She is excited. Ten years old is
very old. She will not be a little kid
anymore. A nine-year-old kid is just a
little kid. A ten-year-old kid is almost an
adult. Nine is only one number, but 10 is
two numbers. Nine is a little kid number,
but 10 is an adult number. When she is
ten, she will be an adult almost. She will
be a young woman. She will wear
lipstick. She will wear nail polish. She
will have a boyfriend. He will be
handsome and polite. He will open
doors for her. He will buy her birthday
presents. Dorothy can't wait until next
month.
46. Lost Pencil
David lost his yellow pencil. He could
not find it. "Where is my yellow pencil?"
he asked his sister. His sister did not
know. "I don't know where your pencil
is," she said. David thought about it. He
thought and thought. He used his yellow
pencil before lunch. He used it to write a
note to his teacher. The note said, "Dear
teacher, Thank you for helping me.
David." He put the note in an envelope.
Where was the envelope? He looked in
the kitchen. He looked on the kitchen
counter. He found the envelope. It was
next to the toaster. He found the pencil.
It was under the toaster.
47. Feed the Pigeons
She liked to feed popcorn to the
pigeons. The pigeons liked to eat her
popcorn. She put popcorn in her hand.
A pigeon ate the popcorn in her hand.
She put popcorn on her shoulder. A
pigeon ate the popcorn on her shoulder.
She put popcorn in her hair. A pigeon
ate the popcorn in her hair. She sat
down on a bench. It was a wooden
bench in the park. She put popcorn all
over the bench. She put popcorn all
over her clothes. She put popcorn on
her head. She put popcorn on her lap.
Many pigeons landed on the bench.
Many pigeons landed on her. Nobody
could see her. Nobody could see the
bench.
48. A Growing Baby
A baby has arms and legs. It has a
mouth and eyes. It looks at everything. It
eats everything. It smiles a lot. It cries a
lot. It eats a lot. It drools a lot. It pees a
lot. It poops a lot. It sleeps a lot. It tries
to talk. It makes funny sounds. It says
"Googoo" and "Gaga." It waves its arms
and legs. It doesn't do much else. It
doesn't sit up. It doesn't stand up. It
doesn't talk. It lies on its back. It lies on
its stomach. After a year, it will do many
things. It will crawl. It will stand up. It will
walk. It will talk. But in the beginning, it
just grows. It grows bigger and bigger.
49. They Fly So Well
He looked at the bird. It was a blackbird.
It was walking on the grass. It was
looking for food. Birds have a funny
walk. Why do they walk so funny?
Because they don't have arms. Arms
help people walk. People walk well.
Birds don't have arms. They don't walk
well. They look funny when they walk.
Birds have wings. Wings help birds fly.
They use their wings to fly. They fly very
well. They are beautiful to watch when
they fly. They belong in the sky. They
don't belong on the ground. The
blackbird found something to eat. It flew
up into a tree. It ate the food in the tree.
Then it flew away.
50. Copycat Copycat
Lucy had a cat. His name was Pirate.
Pirate was 14 years old. Fourteen is old
for a cat. "What can I do?" Lucy asked
her dad. "Pirate is old. He will die soon. I
will miss him so much." Dad said, "Why
don't you clone him? They will make a
brand new Pirate for you. It will look like
Pirate. It will walk like Pirate. It will
meow like Pirate. It will love you like
Pirate. But it will be a kitten. It won't be
an old cat. It will be a new kitten. You
can have a new Pirate for 14 more
years." "Dad," said Lucy, "that's a great
idea. Then, when my new Pirate is 14, I
can get another new Pirate!"
51. Circus Clowns
She went to the circus with her parents.
She was excited. She had never been to
a circus. There were many clowns at the
circus. She liked the clowns. They had
funny faces. They had big, red noses.
They wore funny hats. They wore big
shoes. Their shoes were much bigger
than her dad's shoes. They were twice
as big as her dad's shoes. The clowns
had loud horns. They honked their horns
at each other. They didn't talk. They
used their horns to talk. Honk, honk!
She laughed at the clowns. They were
so funny. They made her laugh. She
told her dad, "Daddy, guess what?
When I grow up, I'm going to be a
clown!"
52. The Pistol
Don had a pistol. It was a small pistol.
He offered it to his brother Tony. Tony
looked at the pistol. It was a beautiful
pistol. It was black. It had a silver
trigger. Tony put his finger on the silver
trigger. He put the pistol in his pocket.
He took it out of his pocket. He walked
outside. He saw a bird on a wire. He
aimed the pistol at the bird. He pulled
the trigger. He said, "If the gun was
loaded, I would have killed the bird."
Don said, "I'm glad it wasn't loaded. You
shouldn't kill birds." Tony thanked Don
for the pistol. "I like this pistol. Thank
you," Tony said. He took the pistol home
with him.
53. A Lazy Dog
The fox was brown. The fox was quick.
The dog was brown. The dog was lazy.
"You are a lazy dog," said the fox. "Yes,
I am a lazy dog," said the dog. "Why are
you a lazy dog?" asked the fox. "Why
not?" asked the dog. "My owner feeds
me. My owner takes me out for walks.
My owner loves me. I eat. I go out for
walks. I sleep. I'm a lazy, happy dog."
"But don't you have any ambition?"
asked the fox. "Ambition? Ambition to do
what? I'm just a dog," said the dog.
"Lassie was a dog. She saved people's
lives," said the fox. "I'm too lazy to save
people's lives," said the dog. "Let Lassie
save people's lives."
54. Piano Player
He played the piano. He played it very
well. He started playing the piano when
he was six years old. That was seven
years ago. Now he was 13 years old. He
was very good. He won one piano
contest after another. A famous piano
teacher heard him play the piano. The
teacher said, "I want to bring you to New
York. I will teach you how to be even
better. I will teach you how to be the
best piano player in the whole world."
He didn't like that idea. He wanted to
stay at home. He wanted to stay with his
parents and his friends. His parents
wanted him to go. They said they would
visit him in New York every weekend.
55. The Man in the
Moon
She looked at the moon. It was big. It
was round. It was white. It was big and
round and white. It was much bigger
than all the stars. The stars were little
lights. The moon was a big, bright light.
She looked around. She could see other
houses. She could see the sidewalk.
She could see the street. The moon was
bright. It was not as bright as the sun.
But it was much brighter than the stars.
She looked at the moon. Her dad said
there is a man in the moon. She looked
for the man in the moon. She looked for
his eyes. She looked for his nose. She
looked for his mouth. She did not see
the man in the moon.
56. A Bad Babysitter
She was a babysitter in her home. She
took care of 10 little children. They were
not her little children. They were the
sons and daughters of other people.
She did not have a son. She did not
have a daughter. She was not a mother.
She was a babysitter. The children were
1 to 4 years old. She babysat them all.
She kept them in her house all day.
They all stayed in her living room. She
gave them toys to play with. She gave
them books to look at. She gave them
pillows and blankets. Some kids played
with the toys. Some kids looked at the
books. Some kids slept. She usually
didn't watch the kids. She usually
watched the TV.
57. A New Pet Store
It was a new pet store. Brian walked into
the new pet store. He said hello to Paul,
the owner. Paul said hello to Brian.
Brian said, "This is a clean pet store.
This is a quiet pet store. This pet store
doesn't smell." Brian looked around the
store. Brian walked around the store. He
didn't see any pets. He didn't see one
pet. "Where are the pets?" he asked.
"The pets are right here," said Paul.
Paul opened a catalog. The catalog was
full of pictures. It was full of pictures of
pets. "Just pick any pet you like," said
Paul. "We will mail it to you." "What if I
don't like it?" asked Brian. "Just mail it
back," said Paul.
58. I Want All of Them
Betty was excited. It was December 1.
Christmas Day was only 24 days away.
She was looking at a magazine. It was a
magazine for little girls. There were
many pictures in the magazine. There
were many pictures of dolls. The dolls
were from many countries. There were
dolls from Mexico. There were dolls
from China. There were dolls from
France. There were dolls from
everywhere. There were so many dolls.
She showed the pictures to her mom.
"Mommy, will Santa bring me all these
dolls?" she asked. "No, honey," her
mom said, "Santa will bring you only one
doll. So pick the one you like best." "But,
Mommy," she said, "I like them ALL the
best."
59. A Famous Painter
His dad was reading one section of the
newspaper. His mom was reading
another section of the newspaper. His
older sister was reading another section
of the newspaper. He had the comics
section of the newspaper. That was the
best part of the newspaper. He didn't
understand the words. He wasn't able to
read. But he liked the comics. He liked
the drawings. They were all different. All
the animals were different. All the
people were different. All the drawings
were black and white. He colored the
drawings with his crayons. He showed
the colored drawings to his mom. She
liked them. "Those are beautiful colors,"
his mom said. "Someday you will be a
famous painter."
60. The Baseball Game
Dad took his son Chris to the baseball
game. The Los Angeles Dodgers were
playing the San Francisco Giants. The
Dodgers were the home team. The
Giants were the visiting team. Dad and
Chris walked into Dodger Stadium.
Many people were there. Most of them
wanted to see the Dodgers win. They
wanted to see the Giants lose. Dad and
Chris found their seats. They sat down.
The game had already started. Chris
told his dad he was hungry. His dad
bought two bags of peanuts for Chris.
He bought two hot dogs for Chris. He
bought a big soda for Chris. A foul ball
came their way. People dived for the
foul ball. They knocked Chris's soda
over. His dad bought him another soda.
61. Visit the Park
Nancy took her daughter Donna to the
park. The park had lots of trees. It had
lots of squirrels and birds. The squirrels
ran up and down the trees. The squirrels
chased one another. The squirrels
played with one another. The birds flew
around. They flew down to the ground.
They flew up into the trees. The
squirrels and birds were good
neighbors. Nancy sat down on a bench.
She took a magazine out of her purse.
She turned the pages of the magazine.
Donna ran over to a squirrel. She tried
to catch the squirrel. Then she tried to
catch a bird. Donna chased the squirrels
and birds. She never caught one
squirrel. She never caught one bird. But
she had a lot of fun.
62. Sleep In or Get Up?
They drove to the park. They got in line.
Many cars were in front of them. They
should have gotten up earlier. "We
should have gotten up earlier," said
Mom. "I know," said Dad. "We should
not have slept in." "I know," said Mom.
"But sometimes it's nice to sleep in,
especially on the weekend. Weekends
are for sleeping in." The line moved
slowly. Finally they were at the front of
the line. "I'm sorry," said the park
ranger. "We're closed." "What?" said
Dad. "It's not even noon. How can you
be closed?" The ranger said the parking
lot was full. There was no place to park.
He said to come back tomorrow. "Don't
sleep in," said the ranger. "The early
bird gets the worm."
63. Where Did She Go?
Debby was in the first grade. Her
brother Tommy was in the second
grade. They lived in Florida. They lived
in a small town in Florida. They walked
to school in the morning. They walked
home from school in the afternoon. On
Monday Debby and Tommy were
walking home. They were walking with a
couple of Tommy's friends. Tommy told
his friends that Debby still sucked her
thumb. "She still sucks her thumb," he
said. His friends laughed. Debby started
to cry. She ran away from Tommy and
his friends. When Tommy got home, his
mom asked, "Where's Debby?" Tommy
said he didn't know. He thought she was
already home. "No, she's not home," his
mom said. She called the neighbors.
Then she called the police.
64. A Baby and a Sock
The mother gave her baby a red apple.
The baby tried to eat the apple. His
mouth was too small. And he didn't have
any teeth. His brother took the apple.
His brother ate the apple. The baby
cried. His brother gave the baby a blue
ball to play with. The baby smiled. His
brother took the ball from the baby. He
rolled the ball on the floor. The brown
and white dog picked up the ball. The
dog chewed on the ball. The baby cried
again. His brother picked up the cat. He
put the cat on the bed with the baby.
The baby pulled the cat's tail. The cat
jumped off the bed. The dog chased the
cat. The baby cried again. His brother
let the baby hold a sock. The baby
played with the sock. The baby was
happy.
65. Make a Sandwich
The boy opened a jar of peanut butter.
He spread the peanut butter onto a slice
of bread. Then he opened the
refrigerator and took out a jar of grape
jelly. He spread the jelly on top of the
peanut butter. He put the jar back into
the refrigerator. He put another slice of
bread on top of the peanut butter and
grape jelly. Now he had a sandwich. He
opened the refrigerator again. He
poured himself a big glass of milk, and
put the milk back into the refrigerator.
He put the sandwich on a plate. He
carried the plate and the glass of milk
over to the dining room table. He sat
down. He turned on the TV and took a
big bite out of his sandwich.
67. Visit the Ocean
I love my mom. She took care of me
when I was very young. She took care
of me when I was sick. She taught me
how to read. She taught me how to get
dressed. She taught me how to button
my shirt. She taught me how to tie my
shoes. She taught me how to brush my
teeth. She taught me to be kind to
others. She taught me to tell the truth.
She taught me to be polite. She took me
to school on my first day of school. She
held my hand. She helped me with my
homework. She was nice to all my
friends. She always cheered me up.
Next year I will graduate from high
school. I will go to college. I will do well
in college. I will do well after college. My
mom has taught me well.
68. Does It Hurt?
Jenny went to the lake. She went to the
lake with her dad. It was a big lake. It
was a big, blue lake. It had a lot of water
in it. It had a lot of fish in it. Big fish were
in the lake. Little fish were in the lake.
Jenny didn't see any fish. "I don't see
any fish. Where are the fish, Daddy?"
she asked. "They're swimming around.
They're looking for food," her dad said.
Dad put a worm on a hook. "Does the
hook hurt the worm?" Jenny asked. "No,
the hook doesn't hurt the worm," her
dad said. "How do you know?" she
asked. "How do I know?" her dad asked.
"Well, the worm doesn't say anything.
So I guess the hook doesn't hurt it."
Jenny said, "But how can the worm say
anything, Daddy? The worm can't talk!"
69. A Quiet Pet
Lisa liked to visit her friends. All her
friends had pets. Her friends had dogs.
Her friends had cats. Her friends had
birds. Lisa didn't have any pets. She
didn't have a dog. She didn't have a cat.
She didn't have a bird. "Can I have a
dog, Daddy?" Lisa asked. Daddy said
no. He said a dog barked too much.
"Can I have a cat, Daddy?" Lisa asked.
Daddy said no. He said a cat meowed
too much. "Can I have a bird, Daddy?"
Lisa asked. Daddy said no. He said a
bird sang too much. "All my friends have
pets. Can't I have just one pet?" she
asked. "Okay," Daddy said. "But it must
be a quiet pet. I'll buy you a quiet pet."
He went to the pet store. He bought a
pet. He gave Lisa her new pet. "Daddy,
it's a goldfish!" Lisa said.
70. School Starts
It was the first day of school. Pete was
in the first grade. He got on the school
bus. It was a big yellow school bus. He
did not know the kids on the bus. The
kids on the bus did not know him. Many
kids were talking. They were talking with
one another. Pete sat in a seat by
himself. He sat alone. He looked out the
window. His mom was standing outside
the window. He waved goodbye to his
mom. She waved goodbye to him. The
bus took off. The bus was going to
school. Another boy sat down next to
Pete. He said hello to Pete. Pete said
hello to him. The boy's name was Eddie.
He was in the first grade. He said he
was a new student. He didn't know
anyone. Pete said he was a new
student, too. He didn't know anyone,
either.
71. Go to the Park
Chuck wanted to go to the park after
dinner. His mom wanted him to stay
home after dinner. She didn't want him
to go to the park. She said it was dark at
the park. But Chuck said it wasn't dark
at the park. "There are lights at the park,
Mom," he said. But she said there were
only a few lights at the park. She said
there were many dark places in the
park. "Bad people go to the park at
night," she said. "Bad people do bad
things. They do bad things to good
people. You are a good person. I don't
want something bad to happen to you."
Chuck said, "Nothing bad will happen to
me. I will go with my two friends. We will
be together. All three of us will be
together. We will stay away from the
dark places. We will stay under the
lights."
72. A Good Meal
The children were hungry. They looked
out the window. Where was their
mother? She walked into the house. The
children ran over to her. "Mama, we're
so hungry," they both said. She said
lunch was coming. She walked into the
kitchen. She opened a can of chicken
soup. She poured the soup into a pot.
She added water. She put the pot on the
stove. She made two peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches. She sliced an apple.
The soup was hot. She poured it into
two bowls. She put the sandwiches on
two plates. She put apple slices on each
plate. She put the bowls and plates on
the table. The children ran to the table.
"Thank you, mommy!" they said. Then
they started eating. The cat and the dog
watched them eat.
73. Birds and a Baby
The baby was lying on her back. A blue
bird flew in through the window. The
blue bird had blue eyes. It sat on the
baby's crib. The bird had a bell around
its neck. The bell rang. The baby smiled.
The baby reached for the bell. The bird
shook its head. The bell fell off the bird's
neck. It fell next to the baby. The baby
picked up the bell. The baby rang the
bell. Another blue bird flew in through
the window. This blue bird also had blue
eyes. The baby had brown eyes. The
birds looked at the baby. The baby
looked at the birds. The baby rang the
bell again. Both birds flew away. The
baby started to cry. His mama came into
the room. The baby smiled. Mama saw
the bell. She asked the baby where the
bell came from. The baby pointed at the
window.
74. Her 10th Birthday
It was Emily's 10th birthday. She was 10
years old. She was so happy. "I'm so
happy," she said. "I'm finally 10. Ten is
two numbers. Ten is an adult number.
Ten is a grown-up number. I'm an adult
now. I'm a grown-up. I used to be nine.
Nine is a kid number. Nine is for kids.
I'm not a kid anymore." Her sister Irene
said, "Of course you're still a kid.
Teenagers are kids. You're not even a
teenager yet. You're in fifth grade. Fifth
grade is for kids. Twelfth grade is for
kids, too. When you are 18, you will be
in twelfth grade. You will still be a kid.
You will be a kid for eight more years."
Emily said, "No, you're a kid. You're only
seven. Seven is a kid." Irene said she
wasn't seven. She said she was seven
and a half.
75. Dinner Chores
"Annie, set the table, please," said Mom.
"It's time for dinner." Annie said it wasn't
her week to set the table. It was her
week to clear the table. She said it was
Lisa's week to set the table. Lisa was in
the living room. Lisa was playing with
the dog in the living room. Lisa was
having fun with the dog. "Lisa," Mom
said, "come here and set the table. It's
dinner time." Lisa said it wasn't her week
to set the table. It was Mark's week to
set the table. It was Lisa's week to feed
the dog. "Where is Mark?" Mom asked.
Lisa said, "He's riding his bike." Mark
was outside riding his bike. Mom asked
Annie, "Do you want extra dessert
tonight?" Annie said yes. "What do I
have to do?" she asked. Her mom said
all she had to do was set the table.
76. Who Sits in the
Front?
The boys were going to the beach. Dad
was going to drive them to the beach.
The drive to the beach would take an
hour. Dave and Dick loved the beach.
They also loved the drive to the beach.
They loved to look out the window. They
loved to stick their heads and arms out
the window and feel the breeze. They
also loved to be in the front seat. They
both preferred the front seat. They both
hated the back seat. "Let's go, boys,"
Dad said. "Let's go to the beach." Both
boys ran out of the house. They ran
straight to the front door of the car. Dave
got there first. Dick got there second.
Dave pulled the door open. Dick fell to
the ground. Dave got into the front seat
and shut the door. "Guess what? You
can sit in the back seat," he said to Dick.
77. Walk the Dog
"Tommy, the dog is scratching at the
door," his mom yelled. "Take him for a
walk. Make sure you take a plastic bag
with you." Tommy said he didn't hear
the dog scratching. He said the dog did
not need to go for a walk. He said there
were no plastic bags in the house. His
mom said, "Take the dog for a walk right
now, please." Tommy got the dog leash,
a plastic bag, and a little plastic shovel.
"How can I finish my homework when I
have to walk the dog?" he asked his
mom. "You can finish your homework
when you get back," his mom said. He
put the leash around the dog's neck and
walked outside. It was cold outside. The
dog walked to a tree. It pooped. Tommy
put the poop into the plastic bag. "Yuck,"
he said. "This is worse than doing
homework."
78. In the Garden
Mama was in the garden. "What are you
doing?" Johnny asked. She said she
was planting roses. Roses are flowers.
They are very pretty. They are usually
red. Roses have thorns. His mama said,
"Thorns will stick you. Be careful around
thorns." Johnny went to the front yard.
His dog Rex was waiting for him.
Johnny picked up a stick and threw it.
Rex chased the stick. He brought the
stick back. Johnny ran around the
house. Rex chased him. Johnny ran
through the garden. Rex ran through the
garden. Mom yelled at Johnny and Rex.
She told them to play somewhere else.
She told them to stay out of the garden.
Johnny apologized to his mom. He went
to the garage and got his bike. He went
for a bike ride. Rex ran next to the bike.
79. Her Meow Book
Lulu couldn't find her favorite book. Her
favorite book was about a cat. The
name of the cat was Meow. The name
of the book was "How Is Meow?" Lulu
asked her mom, "Mommy, where is my
Meow book? Where is ‘How Is Meow?'”
Her mom didn't know. "Where did you
leave it? Do you remember where you
left it?" Lulu didn't remember. "I don't
remember," she said. They looked in the
kitchen. They looked in the living room.
They looked in the bedroom. They
couldn't find her favorite book. That
night Lulu got ready for bed. She
brushed her teeth. She put on her
pajamas. She got into bed. She put her
hand under her pillow. She felt
something under her pillow. "Mommy,"
she yelled. "I found my book. I found
‘How Is Meow?'" It was under my pillow.
Come read it to me, please."
80. Cross the Street
Jimmy wanted to cross the street. He
was on the south side of the street. He
wanted to get to the north side of the
street. He was in the middle of the
block. His father always told him to
cross at an intersection. His father
always said never cross in the middle of
the block. Jimmy walked to the
intersection. There was a traffic light at
the intersection. It had three colors--red,
green, and yellow. Red was at the top.
Green was at the bottom. Yellow was in
the middle. He looked at the crosswalk
sign. It was red. It was a red hand. The
red hand meant Don't Walk. He waited
for the red hand to change. It changed
to a white figure walking. The white
figure walking meant Walk. Jimmy
looked both ways. Then he walked
across the street. He walked in the
crosswalk.
81. A Cat and a Dog
The black cat jumped up onto the chair.
It looked down at the white dog. The
dog was chewing on a bone. The cat
jumped onto the dog. The dog kept
chewing the bone. The cat played with
the dog's tail. The dog kept chewing the
bone. The cat jumped back onto the
chair. It started licking its paws. The dog
stood up. It looked at the cat. It licked
the cat's fur. The cat licked the dog's
nose. The dog went back to its bone. A
boy ran through the room. He was
wearing a yellow shirt. He almost ran
into the chair. The cat jumped off the
chair. The cat jumped onto the sofa. The
chair fell onto the floor next to the dog.
The dog stopped chewing the bone. The
dog chased the boy. The boy ran out to
the street. He threw a stick. The dog
chased the stick. The dog lay down. It
chewed on the stick.
82. A Cat and a
Squirrel
Evelyn had a cat. Her cat's name was
Red. Red was a red cat. Red liked to
chase things. He chased balls. He
chased butterflies. He chased squirrels.
Evelyn had a yard. A tree was in the
middle of her yard. A squirrel lived in the
tree. Red climbed the tree. He saw the
squirrel. The squirrel saw Red. The
squirrel raised its tail. It chattered at
Red. It said, "Click, click, click." It told
Red to go away. "This is my tree," the
squirrel said. "Get out of my tree." Red
didn't understand the squirrel. Red didn't
speak "squirrel." Red was a cat. He
spoke "cat." Red said, "Meow, meow,
meow." He said, "Let's play. I will chase
you. Then you will chase me." The
squirrel chattered some more. "Leave
me alone, you crazy cat. Go play with
the other cats," it said.
83. The Baby Bear
The baby bear followed his mama.
Mama bear walked through the woods.
She was looking for berries to eat. She
found some black berries. She started
eating them. The baby started eating
them, too. They ate all the berries. Baby
bear was full. Mama bear was still
hungry. She started walking again. She
wanted to find more berries to eat. Baby
bear lay down. He was full. He wanted
to take a nap. But mama bear came
back. She growled at baby bear. He
understood mama's growl. When mama
growled, he obeyed. He got up and
followed his mama. Someday he would
take a nap after a meal. A squirrel ran
up a tree with a nut. It dropped the nut
and ran back down to the ground. It
picked up the nut and looked at baby
bear. Then it ran back up the tree. Baby
bear did not like nuts. They were too
hard to open.
84. Sugar for Sugar
Mom took Carol to the stable. Their
horse was in the stable. They walked
over to Sugar. Sugar was their horse.
"Say hello to Sugar," Mom said. Carol
said, "Hello, Sugar." Mom gave a carrot
to Sugar. Sugar ate the carrot. He ate
the carrot fast. Mom gave a carrot to
Carol. Mom said, "Now, you feed
Sugar." Carol gave the carrot to Sugar.
Sugar ate the carrot. "He ate it so fast,"
said Carol. Mom said, "Yes, Sugar eats
carrots very fast." Carol said, "We
should give him a new name. We should
call him Carrot. Why is his name
Sugar?" Mom said, "He likes sugar, too.
Watch this." Mom took some sugar
cubes out of her pocket. She held them
in her hand. She gave them to Sugar.
Sugar ate the sugar cubes. He ate them
fast. "Let me give some sugar to Sugar,"
Carol said.
85. A Birthday Dress
It was Ellen's 12th birthday. Ellen was
12 years old. Her mom took her
shopping. They went shopping at the
mall. "You can pick out a dress. You can
pick out a pretty dress," Mom said. "I will
pick out a pretty, blue dress," Ellen said.
They went into JC Penney. JC Penney
sells lots of dresses. Ellen saw a blue
dress that she liked. "I like that dress,
Mom," she said. She took the dress into
the dressing room. She put on the
dress. It fit her well. She walked out of
the dressing room. "The dress fits you
well," said Mom. "Can I have it?" Ellen
asked. "Of course you can have it, dear.
It's your birthday present," said Mom.
"But it's not on sale," said Ellen. "We
always buy everything on sale." "It's
your birthday, dear. On your birthday,
we can pay full price," said Mom.
86. Don't Do This,
Mommy Says
Don't wipe your nose on your sleeve.
Don't pick your nose. Don't interrupt me.
Don't talk with food in your mouth. Don't
go swimming right after eating. Don't
forget to feed the dog. Don't forget to
take the dog for a walk. Don't hit your
sister. Don't make your brother cry.
Don't chew with your mouth open. Don't
make fun of other people. Don't slam the
door. Don't play in the street. Don't be
late. Don't bother me now. Don't shout.
Don't yell. Don't scream. Don't litter.
Don't be rude. Don't drop out of school.
Don't talk while you eat. Don't make a
mess. Don't talk so loud. Don't fight with
your brother. Don't worry. Don't give up.
Don't eat that. Don't talk to strangers.
Don't play with matches. Don't play with
fire.
87. The Moon and the
Sun
"How far away is the moon?" Chris
asked his dad. His dad said that was a
good question. He said the moon was
not as far away as the sun. "How far
away is the sun?" Chris asked. His dad
said that was a good question. He said
the sun was farther away than the
moon. "Did you have to learn this in
school?" Chris asked. Dad said, "Yes, I
had to learn this in school." Chris asked,
"But you forgot it?" Dad said, "Yes, I
forgot it." Chris asked, "Why did you
forget it?" Dad said, "I forgot it because
it isn't important." Chris asked, "If it isn't
important, why are we learning it?" His
dad said that was a good question. He
said, "You're learning it because your
teacher thinks it's important." Chris
asked, "Can't you call my teacher? Can't
you tell her that this isn't important?"
88. He Hates Carrots
"Eat your vegetables, Mikey," Mom said.
"I am eating my vegetables," Mikey said.
He was eating the sliced carrots. He
was eating the sliced carrots one by
one. He was eating them one at a time.
He picked up one sliced carrot with his
fork. He looked at it. He slowly put it in
his mouth. He slowly chewed it. Finally,
he swallowed it. Then he drank some
water. Then he picked up another sliced
carrot with his fork. Mom watched him.
"Why do you hate vegetables, Mikey?"
He said, "I don't hate vegetables. I hate
carrots." "Why do you hate carrots?"
Mom asked. "Because they don't taste
good," Mikey said. "But they are good
for you," Mom said. "They are good for
your eyes. They help you to see well.
Don't you want to see well?" "Not if I
have to see carrots," Mikey said.
89. Today's Mail
The mailman put the mail in the mailbox.
Dad went outside. He said hello to the
mailman. The mailman said hello. Dad
opened the mailbox and took out a
magazine and two letters. One letter
was from his sister. The other letter was
from his brother. The magazine was for
his wife. It was a garden magazine. His
wife liked to work in the garden. She
grew flowers and vegetables in the
garden. Dad went back into the house.
He opened both letters. His sister invited
him to a birthday party. His brother
invited him to a wedding. Dad enjoyed
reading the letters. He enjoyed getting
the invitations. He picked up the phone.
He left a message for his sister. He
would come to the birthday party. He
also called his brother. He said he would
come to the wedding.
90. He Will Go to
Heaven
Adam was doing his homework. He
stopped doing his homework. He was
bored. He didn't like homework. "Dad,
what happens when we die?" Adam
asked. "You will go to heaven," Dad
said. "Does everyone go to heaven?"
Adam asked. "No, only good people go
to heaven," Dad said. "What is heaven
like?" Adam asked. "It is a happy place,"
Dad said. "Everyone is happy. Everyone
is your friend. Everyone likes you. You
like everyone." He told Adam to be
polite. He told Adam to be honest. "If
you are polite and honest, you will go to
heaven," Dad said. Adam said, "I want
to go to heaven. I will be polite and
honest." Dad said there was one more
thing. Adam had to do one more thing to
go to heaven. "What's that?" Adam
asked. "If you want to go to heaven, you
have to do your homework," Dad said.
91. The World Map
Jerry was looking at a map. It was a
map of the world. The map showed
many countries. It showed all the
countries in the world. All the countries
were different colors. There were red
countries, green countries, and blue
countries. Jerry pointed at one country.
"Daddy, why is this country red? Is it on
fire? Did someone paint the ground red?
Does it have a lot of tomatoes?" Jerry
pointed at another country. It was a
green country. "Daddy, why is this
country green? Does it have a lot of
grass? Did someone paint the ground
green?" Jerry pointed at another
country. It was a blue country. "Daddy,
why is this country blue? Is it full of blue
water? Does it have a lot of bluebirds?
Did someone paint the ground blue?"
His daddy said, "No, the colors make
the map pretty. They don't mean
anything."
92. School Fight
One day at school Harry pushed Scott.
Scott pushed Harry back. Harry
punched Scott in the face. Scott went
home with a bruise on his face. He had
a red bruise on his face. His mom said,
"Who did this to you? Who hit you?" His
dad asked, "Did you hit him back? I
hope you hit him back. Don't be a
chicken. You must not be a chicken."
Scott said he had pushed Harry back.
His dad told him to punch Harry next
time. Scott went to school the next day.
Harry pushed him to the floor. Scott got
up and punched Harry in the face. Harry
fell down. His nose was bleeding. A
teacher walked by. He picked up Harry
off the floor. The teacher called Scott's
dad. "Scott punched Harry," he said.
"Harry's nose is bleeding." Scott's dad
said, "That's my boy!"
93. Drive the Car
Charley wanted to drive the car. "Can I
drive the car, Dad?" he asked. "You can
drive the car," his dad said. Charley
followed his dad out to the car. His dad
opened the driver's door. "You are the
driver," he said. Charley got into the car.
His dad closed the driver's door. His dad
walked around the car. He opened the
passenger door. He sat next to Charley.
He gave Charley the key. Charley put
the key into the ignition. Charley turned
the key. The car started. Charley was so
excited. He turned the steering wheel
left. He turned the steering wheel right.
Left, right, left, right. He honked the
horn. He honked the horn again. Honk!
Honk! He turned on the left blinker. He
turned on the right blinker. Blink! Blink!
He asked, "Am I a good driver, Dad?"
His dad said, "Son, you're a very good
driver."
94. Easter Eggs
It was Easter Sunday. Mom gave a little
basket to Michelle. Mom told her to look
for Easter eggs. The Easter eggs were
in the back yard. "What do Easter eggs
look like?" Michelle asked. Mom said,
"They look just like regular eggs. But
they are colored. They are red. They are
blue. They are yellow. They are many
different colors." "Why are they red? Do
they come from red hens?" Michelle
asked. "No," Mom said. "They are red
because Daddy and I colored them red.
They are blue because we colored them
blue. They are yellow because we
colored them yellow." Michelle asked,
"Why did you color the eggs?" Mom
said, "It's an Easter tradition. A tradition
is something people do every year."
Michelle went into the back yard. She
found six Easter eggs. "Next year you
can help us color the eggs," Mom said.
"Oh, yes!" said Michelle.
95. The Top Bunk
He and his brother slept in a bunk bed.
He had the bottom bunk. His brother
had the top bunk. The top bunk had a
guard rail. The rail kept the sleeper safe.
His brother didn't like the rail. He always
left it down. One time his brother fell out
of the top bunk. He hit the carpet and
woke up. He said, "Ouch!" Then he
climbed back into the top bunk. When
he woke up the next day, his back was
sore. Mom took him to see the doctor.
The doctor examined him. The doctor
said he was okay. He said to keep the
guard rail up. His brother said he would
do that. That night his brother climbed
into the top bunk again. He left the
guard rail down. He said the guard rail
was like jail. He didn't want to feel like
he was in jail. He fell asleep. Then he
fell out of the top bunk again.
96. A Small Apartment
The big family lived in a one-bedroom
apartment. Their apartment had only
one bedroom. Mom and Dad slept in the
bedroom. The two babies also slept in
the bedroom. Four people slept in the
bedroom. Four children slept in the
living room. Two sisters slept in the
living room. Two brothers slept in the
living room. All four of them slept in the
living room. They slept on air
mattresses. They leaned the air
mattresses against the wall in the
daytime. They put the air mattresses on
the floor in the nighttime. They all liked
to sleep on the air mattresses. But the
girls didn't like to sleep next to the boys.
"Daddy, we don't like to sleep next to
the boys. We want our own bedroom.
When will we get our own bedroom?"
asked one girl. "You'll get your own
bedroom when I get a better job," Daddy
said.
97. I Have a Question
How high is up? Why is the sky blue?
Do fish sleep? Where do babies come
from? How do ships float? How do
planes stay in the air? Why are you
laughing? Why are you crying? Are we
there yet? What do I care? Who's there?
Who's calling? Who's at the door?
Where are you from? Where do you
live? Where is my pencil? Who won?
Who lost? Who's playing? Do I know
you? Have we met? What was your
name again? Do you have the time?
What time is it? What day is it? What is
the date? How are you? How do you
do? What do you do? How old are you?
How tall are you? How much do you
weigh? Are you married? Do you have
any children? Do you love me? Can you
hear me? Can you see me? What's that
smell? What are you cooking? Can I
borrow your pencil? Can I borrow $5?
What are you watching? What's on TV?
98. An Impolite Bird
A robin is a pretty bird. It has a red
breast. It has black wings. It sings a
pretty song. A crow is pretty, too. It is
completely black. It is shiny black. A
crow is a big bird. It is a smart bird. It is
a lazy bird. It watches people. People
have food. They throw food into a
garbage can. The crow flies down to the
garbage can. It walks around the edge
of the can. It looks for something tasty. It
hops into the can. It picks out a potato
chip. It flies into a tree. It eats the potato
chip. Then it flies back to the garbage
can. The robin sees the crow. The robin
is hungry. It flies down to the garbage
can. The crow yells at the robin. It says,
"Get out of here. This can is my can."
The robin flies back into the tree. The
crow is a greedy bird. It doesn't like to
share with others.
99. Cookies for
Students
Cindy's teacher was Mrs. Jones. Mrs.
Jones was old. But she didn't walk slow.
She walked fast. She didn't have white
hair. She had black hair. She wasn't
bent over. Her back was straight. All the
students liked Mrs. Jones. They
especially liked her on Friday. On Friday
she brought cookies to class. She gave
cookies to all the students. The cookies
were delicious. All the students liked the
cookies. All the students ate the
cookies. Today was Friday. Mrs. Jones
gave cookies to all the students. All the
students said thank you. Then they ate
the cookies. But Cindy didn't eat her
cookie. Mrs. Jones asked, "Why aren't
you eating your cookie, Cindy?" She
said, "I'm not eating my cookie because
I will take it home. I will share it at home
with my sister." Mrs. Jones said, "You're
so sweet. Here's a cookie for your
sister."
100. A Cat Scratch
Kenny was crying. "Why are you
crying?" Mom asked Kenny. "The cat
scratched me," said Kenny. The cat had
scratched Kenny on his hand. Kenny
showed his hand to his mom. The
scratch didn't look too bad. It wasn't a
deep scratch. Mom went to the kitchen.
Kenny went with her. She turned on the
water. She put his hand under the
water. She washed the scratch with
soap. She rinsed off the soap. She took
a Band-Aid out of the kitchen cabinet.
She put the Band-Aid on the scratch.
She said he would be okay. "Why did
the cat scratch you?" she asked. Kenny
said he didn't know why the cat
scratched him. Just then, Kenny's little
sister walked into the kitchen. She knew
why the cat scratched Kenny. "I know
why Tiger scratched him, Mommy," she
said. "He was pulling Tiger's tail!"
102. Ask Santa
It is December. That means it is
Christmas time. Christmas time means
Santa Claus is coming. Sara and Billy
love Christmas. They love Santa Claus.
They love the gifts from Santa. Last year
they got nice gifts. Sara got a teddy bear
and a rubber duck. Billy got a green
boat and a rubber duck. The rubber
ducks float. When Sara takes a bath,
her pink duck floats in the water. When
Billy takes a bath, his blue duck floats in
the water. One time Billy put a goldfish
into the tub. It swam for a while. Then it
died. He buried it in the back yard. He
was sad. This year Sara and Billy want
bicycles. Sara wants a red bike. Billy
wants a blue bike. Mama said she would
talk to daddy. Sara asked mama, "Why
don't you talk to Santa?" Mama said,
"That's a good idea. When daddy comes
home, he and I will talk to Santa."
103. A Christmas
Present
"What do you want for Christmas?"
Daddy asked Anthony. Anthony wanted
a little brother. "Can I have a little
brother for Christmas?" Anthony asked.
"Well, I'll have to talk to your mother,"
said Daddy. "Why do you have to talk to
Mommy?" Anthony asked. "Who's going
to change the diapers?" Daddy asked.
"You're right, Daddy. We need Mommy
to change the diapers." Mommy walked
into the room. Anthony told Mommy that
he wanted a little brother for Christmas.
Mommy said, "Well, I'll have to talk to
your father." "Why do you have to talk to
Daddy?" Anthony asked. "Who's going
to pay the doctor?" asked Mommy.
"You're right, Mommy. We need Daddy
to pay the doctor." Mommy and Daddy
walked out of the room. A little later,
they came back into the room. Mommy
said, "You can't have a little brother for
Christmas. But if you can wait, you can
have a little brother in April."
104. An Old Dog
"Rex is very sick," Lucy's mom said. "Is
he going to die?" Lucy asked. "Yes, I'm
afraid so," mom said. "I'm going to take
him to the vet." Lucy wanted to go
along. "Okay, but try not to cry, okay?"
mom asked. Lucy said she wouldn't cry.
Mom carried Rex out to the car. She put
him in the back seat. He was a little dog.
He was 12 years old. He was the same
age as Lucy. They drove to the vet. The
vet looked at Rex. He said he could not
do anything for Rex. "Rex is on his last
legs," the vet said. He told mom she
could take Rex home and wait for him to
die. Or the vet could simply put Rex to
sleep. "Let's put him to sleep," Lucy
said. "That way he won't suffer." Mom
said that was a good idea. They left Rex
with the vet. "We can get another dog
for you if you want," mom told Lucy on
the way home. "Can we get a kitten
instead?" Lucy asked.
105. Daddy Is
Watching
"Let's go to the beach, Daddy," Susan
suggested. "That sounds like a good
idea," her daddy replied. It was a hot,
sunny day. The ocean was only two
blocks away. Susan went into her room.
She put on her swimsuit. She grabbed a
big beach towel. She put on a hat and
grabbed her sunglasses. She put on her
flip-flops. "I'm ready, Daddy," she said.
"Do you have any sunscreen?" he
asked. "No, I forgot. Where is it?" she
asked. He told her it was in the top
drawer in the bathroom. She went into
the bathroom and opened the drawer.
"I've got it," she said. They walked
outside. The sun was bright. Susan put
on her sunglasses. She loved to wear
her sunglasses. They made her look like
an adult. She gave the beach towel to
her dad. She grabbed her dad's hand
and they started walking. Ten minutes
later they were at the beach. It was
crowded. Dad found a spot. He put the
beach towel on the sand. Susan took off
her hat and sunglasses. She ran into the
water. Dad watched her play in the
water. She was having fun. Suddenly a
wave knocked her over. She went under
water. Dad ran into the water. He pulled
her up. "Daddy, I almost drowned,"
Susan said. "No, you didn't," he said.
"That wave only knocked you over.
Don't worry. I'm watching you."
106. Bears and a Pig
The three bears left their cave. They
lived in a beautiful cave. The cave was
big. The cave was warm in winter. The
cave was cool in summer. It was a quiet
cave. It was a dark cave. They loved
their cave. Today was Sunday. They
liked to pick berries on Sunday. So they
left their cave. They walked through the
woods. They found a field of berries.
Mama bear had a basket. They filled the
basket with blackberries and
blueberries. Then they walked back to
their cave. When they got inside the
cave, they heard a noise. "Who is that?"
papa bear asked. "It's only me," said a
pig. "What are you doing here?" asked
papa bear. "I'm hiding from the farmer,"
said the pig. "I think he wants to eat
me." Papa bear told the pig he could
stay in the cave as long as he wanted.
The bears shared their berries with the
pig. Then the pig and baby bear took a
nap together.