The End of the Storm
1
Thi Liên watched from the window as the rain poured
down. In the distance beyond the dark clouds, she could see
Sam Mountain at the edge of her village. Thi Liên had
always thought Sam was a silly name. The shape of the
mountain resembled a gigantic king crab, so people called it
Sam, which means “king crab” in Vietnamese.
2
“The floodwaters have risen so high that I might as well
be living by the sea with the king crabs,” Thi Liên mumbled.
3
Heavy rains were a part of life in Vietnam. Each year
seasonal winds brought seemingly endless downpours. The
rainy season, called the monsoon, usually lasted from May
through September. Though the rains were torrential, they
weren’t always destructive. The rain washing down from the
hillsides carried silt that was rich in nutrients. The
floodwaters made the land along the Mekong River fertile
for growing rice.
4
Suddenly a gust of wind and rain swept through the
doorway as Thi Liên’s father returned from their neighbor’s
home. He was drenched and shivering. “News from upriver
is not encouraging,” he said, trying not to upset them. “This
season’s rains have overflowed the river’s banks. Surging
floodwaters are claiming almost everything in their path.
Families have had to move to safer locations, and there are
reports that some houses have been swept away.”
5
Thi Liên stared out the window. She tried to focus on
the bountiful rice harvest that the floodwaters would bring,
but fear rose within her like the rising river.
6
Grandfather came over and put his hand on her
shoulder. “The floodwaters have visited our village before,
but they have never knocked on our door,” he said softly.
7
Thi Liên thought about what her grandfather said. Yet
he could not deny that this year’s rains were unusually
heavy. Days had gone by without even a ray of sunlight.
8
Father paced back and forth, shooting nervous glances
in Grandfather’s direction. Grandfather remained standing
near the window, watching the rain as it continued to fall.
9
Later, while several neighbors waded through the
flooded streets, her parents made a decision. “It’s time to
evacuate,” Father announced. “We can go to the community
center. It’s on higher ground, so we should be safe there.”
10
“No!” Grandfather said firmly. “It’s wrong to drag your
family out of their home in fear.”
11
“We’re leaving with thoughts of safety, not fear,” Father
replied forcefully.
12
Thi Liên shuddered. She had never heard her father
raise his voice to his own father. Though Father was an
adult, arguing with Grandfather was considered
disrespectful.
13
Father and Grandfather faced each other, neither
speaking another word. Their long, uneasy silence seemed
as if it would last forever. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder
sounded, breaking the silence. Father walked boldly to the
door and opened it. Thi Liên, her mother, and her
grandfather followed obediently.
14
They waded knee-deep through the drowning streets.
Holding on to one another, they struggled against the
currents. Thi Liên kicked off her sandals, hoping she would
have better footing in her bare feet. She had no choice but to
watch as her sandals were quickly swept away.
15
Finally they reached the crowded community center. It
was filled with other families looking for refuge from the
rising water. Exhausted from the struggle, Thi Liên lay
down on a mat and tried to sleep, but all she could think
about was Grandfather’s expression as Father opened the
door. Thi Liên turned to face the wall. The rain pounding on
the metal roof muffled her sobs.
16
Early the next morning Thi Liên was awakened by a
gentle touch on her shoulder. Turning, she saw her
grandfather. He brushed her long dark hair away from her
face. “I’ve been a foolish man,” he said softly. “Because of my
pride, I have refused to speak to your father when I should
be thankful.”
17
Thi Liên could not think of any reason that they should
be thankful. Their home was probably full of water by now.
They were living in cramped conditions with many other
families. And the rain was still falling!
18
“I don’t understand,” she said slowly.
19
“Here we have shelter from the rain and more than
enough food,” Grandfather explained. “Others are living in
rescue camps or sleeping in makeshift shelters quickly built
from whatever they can find to protect them from the
weather. Some people’s homes have been completely washed
away. We don’t know whether our home is still standing, but
it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we are safe and
together.”
Thi Liên studied her grandfather’s expression. In his
20
eyes she could see his profound sense of gratitude.
21
“Will you ever speak to Father again?” she asked.
22
“Of course I will,” he assured her. “In fact, I think I’ll go
over right now and tell him how foolish I’ve been.”
23
Thi Liên watched as Grandfather walked to the table
where Father was seated. After exchanging a few words,
Grandfather sat down across from his son.
24
Off in the distance, a ray of sunlight broke through the
clouds.
1 Grandfather's tone in paragraph 16 can best be described as —
A
regretful
B
confused
C
hopeful
D
nervous
2 The conflict of the story begins when —
F
Grandfather speaks to Father again
G
Father disagrees with Grandfather
H
Thi Liên's sandals are swept away
J
the ray of sunlight breaks through the clouds
3 In paragraph 19, which phrase helps the reader know what the word makeshift means?
A
more than enough food
B
built from whatever they can find
C
protect them from the weather
D
our home is still standing
4 In paragraph 8, why does Father pace and look at Grandfather nervously?
F
He is worried because Grandfather does not want to move to higher ground.
G
He remembers that the house once flooded when Grandfather was young.
H
He is concerned that the news from upriver has frightened Grandfather.
J
He thinks Grandfather can tell that he has exaggerated the bad news.
5 Which sentence in the story shows that Grandfather remains calm while floodwaters are rising?
B
"The floodwaters have visited our village before, but they have never knocked on our door,"
he said softly.
Thi Liên watched as Grandfather walked to the table where Father was seated.
C
... but all she could think about was Grandfather's expression as Father opened the door.
D
Though Father was an adult, arguing with Grandfather was considered disrespectful.
A
6 Why does Thi Liên take off her sandals as she walks through the water?
F
She is curious about the swiftness of the current.
G
She does not want the water to ruin them.
H
She wants to feel the mud between her toes.
J
She will be less likely to lose her balance.
7 In paragraph 13, why is the clap of thunder important?
A
It signals Father's defiance of Grandfather's wishes.
B
It shows Thi Liên respect for Vietnamese traditions.
C
It symbolizes Father's nervousness as he paces back and forth.
D
It represents Grandfather's wisdom in difficult situations.
8 In paragraph 3 what does the word torrential mean?
F
Intense
G
Unexpected
H
Brief
J
Refreshing