READ A SHORT STORY A WEEK

INTERMEDIATE PHASE

ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE

ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

2024
WEEK 1

THE CROW AND THE PITCHER

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to
drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But
the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter
how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor
thing felt as if he must die of thirst.

Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he

dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble,
the water rose a little higher until at last, it was near enough so
he could drink.

The moral of the story: don’t give up at the first sign of failure.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

1
THE FOX AND THE CROW

One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose
through the wood in search of a bite to eat, he saw a Crow on
the limb of a tree overhead. This was by no means the first
Crow the Fox had ever seen. What caught his attention this
time and made him stop for a second look, was that the lucky
Crow held a bit of cheese in her beak.

“No need to search any farther,” thought sly Master Fox. “Here
is a dainty bite for my breakfast.”

Up he trotted to the foot of the tree in which the Crow was

sitting, and looking up admiringly, he cried, “Good -morning,
beautiful creature!”

The Crow, her head cocked on one side, watched the Fox
suspiciously but she kept her beak tightly closed on the cheese
and did not return his greeting.

“What a charming creature she is!” said the Fox. “How her
feathers shine! What a beautiful form and what splendid wings!
Such a wonderful Bird should have a very lovely voice, since
everything else about her is so perfect. Could she sing just one
song, I know I should hail her Queen of Birds.”

Listening to these flattering words, the Crow forgot all her

suspicion, and also her breakfast. She wanted very much to be
called Queen of Birds. So, she opened her beak wide to utter
her loudest caw, and down fell the cheese straight into the
Fox’s open mouth.

“Thank you,” said Master Fox sweetly, as he walked off.

“Though it is cracked, you have a voice sure enough. But
where are your wits?”

2
The moral of the story: the flatterer lives at the expense of
those who will listen to him. (https://www.read.gov/aesop)

3
THE SMALL RED FEATHER

There once lived a man with his wife. They were very poor and always
hungry. The man often went to the forest. But he was a bad hunter and
sometimes brought home only a small bird.

One day he went to the forest again. But it was a very bad day for him.
He did not find even a small bird. He was tired and sad. He sat down to
rest under a tree. Then he heard a sweet song of a bird. He looked up
and saw a very small bird whose feathers were red.

The bird said, "I see that you are poor and hungry. I want to help you. I'll
give you one of my feathers. Take it home and cook it. You will have a
good dinner. Come back tomorrow and I'll give you another feather."

He thanked the bird and went home. He put the feather into a pot and
told everything to his wife.

"Silly, how can the feather become food? You must catch the bird and
kill it. Then we can cook the bird and eat it."

He did not answer but looked into the pot and saw a good dinner.

Every day he went to the forest and every day the small bird gave him a
red feather that made a dinner for the man and his wife. But his wife was
very greedy. Every day she said to the man, "We must not have only the
little red feather. We must have the bird. Then we can cook two, three or
four feathers every day and we shall have as much food as we like."

"But the little bird is my friend. I shall not kill it"

One day the woman followed her husband into the forest, but he did not
see her. The woman heard the sweet song of the little red bird. She took
a stone and killed it. The bird fell off the tree. The man was very sad.

But the wife said, "Now we shall have much food every day."

4
They went home. At home the woman pulled the small red feather off
the bird and put it into the hot water. She cooked and cooked it. But the
feather was just a feather and from that day on they were again always
hungry.

(The Small Red Feather: African Folk Tales: Fable: Animals Stories
(english-for-students.com))

5
WEEK 2

The Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf’

There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the
foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him all day,
so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little company and
some excitement.

He rushed down towards the village calling out “Wolf, Wolf,” and the
villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a
considerable time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days
afterwards he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his
help.

But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest, and
began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried out “Wolf, Wolf,”
still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled
twice before, thought the boy was again deceiving them, and nobody
stirred to come to his help. So, the Wolf made a good meal off the boy’s
flock.

The moral of the story: A liar will not be believed, even when he
speaks the truth.

(“The Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf’” | Aesop's Fables | Aesop | Lit2Go ETC
(usf.edu))

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

6
THE WOLF AND THE KID

There was once a small Kid whose growing horns fooled him
into believing he was an adult Billy Goat capable of self -
sufficiency. When the flock returned from the pasture one
evening and his mother called, the Kid paid no attention and
continued chewing the soft grass. When he lifted his head a
few moments later, the flock had vanished.

He was all alone. The sun was sinking. Long shadows came
creeping over the ground. A chilly little wind came creeping
with them, making scary noises in the grass.

The Kid shivered as he thought of the terrible Wolf. Then he

started wildly pacing the field, bleating for his mother. But not
halfway, near a clump of trees, there was the Wolf!

The Kid knew there was little hope for him. “Please, Mr. Wolf,”
he said, trembling, “I know you are going to eat me. But first,
please pipe me a tune, for I want to dance and be merry as
long as I can.” The Wolf liked the idea of a little music before
eating, so he struck up a merry tune, and the Kid leaped and
frisked gaily.

Meanwhile, the flock was moving slowly homeward. In the still

evening air, Wolf’s piping carried far. The Shepherd Dogs
pricked up their ears. They recognized the song the Wolf sings
before a feast, and in a moment , they were racing back to the
pasture.

The Wolf’s song abruptly ended, and he escaped, with the

hounds chasing him. Because of the incident, he cursed
himself for becoming a piper to satisfy a Kid when he should
have stayed in his butcher’s trade.

The moral of the story: do not let anything turn you from your
purpose. (https://www.read.gov/aesop)
7
WHY ANANSI HAS EIGHT THIN LEGS

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a spider named Anansi.
Anansi's wife was a very good cook. But always, Anansi loved to taste
the food that others in the village made for themselves and for their
families.

One day, he stopped by Rabbit's house. Rabbit was his good friend.

"There are greens in your pot," cried Anansi excitedly. Anansi loved
greens.

"They are not quite done," said Rabbit. "But they will be soon. Stay and
eat with me."

"I would love to, Rabbit, but I have some things to do," Anansi said
hurriedly. If he waited at Rabbit's house, Rabbit would certainly give him
jobs to do. "I know," said Anansi. "I'll spin a web. I'll tie one end around
my leg and one end to your pot. When the greens are done, tug on the
web, and I'll come running!"

Rabbit thought that was a great idea. And so it was done.

"I smell beans," Anansi sniffed excitedly as he ambled along. "Delicious

beans, cooking in a pot."

"Come eat our beans with us," cried the monkeys. "They are almost
done."

"I would love to Father Monkey," said Anansi. And again, Anansi
suggested he spin a web, with one end tied around his leg, and one end
tied to the big bean pot.

Father Monkey thought that was a great idea. All his children thought so,
too. And so it was done.

"I smell sweet potatoes," Anansi sniffed happily as he ambled along.

"Sweet potatoes and honey, I do believe!"

8
"Anansi," called his friend Hog. "My pot is full of sweet potatoes and
honey! Come share my food with me."

"I would love to," said Anansi. And again, Anansi suggested he spin a
web, with one end tied around his leg, and one end tied to the sweet
potato pot.

His friend Hog thought that was a great idea. And so it was done.

By the time Anansi arrived at the river, he had one web tied to each of
his eight legs.

"This was a wonderful idea," Anansi told himself proudly. "I wonder
whose pot will be ready first?"

Just then, Anansi felt a tug at his leg. "Ah," said Anansi. "That is the web
string tied to Rabbit's greens." He felt another. And another. Anansi was
pulled three ways at once.

"Oh dear," said Anansi as he felt the fourth web string pull.

Just then, he felt the fifth web string tug. And the sixth. And the seventh.
And the eighth. Anansi was pulled this way and that way, as everyone
pulled on the web strings at once. His legs were pulled thinner and
thinner. Anansi rolled and tugged himself into the river. When all the
webs had washed away, Anansi pulled himself painfully up on shore.

"Oh my, oh my," sighed Anansi. "Perhaps that was not such a good idea
after all."

To this day, Anansi the Spider has eight very thin legs. And he never got
any food that day at all.

(Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs (fable story) - Africa for Kids
(mrdonn.org))

9
WEEK 3

THE DOG AND HIS REFLECTION

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying

home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a
narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and saw himself
reflected in the quiet water as if in a mirror.

But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone
much bigger than his own.

If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But

instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog
in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach
the shore.

At last, he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly

thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a
stupid Dog he had been.

The moral of the story: it is very foolish to be greedy.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

10
THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE

A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the

province. For lunch, the Country Mouse served wheat stalks,
roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The
Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a
little of that, and by her manner mak ing it very plain that she
ate the simple food only to be polite.

After the meal the friends had a long talk, or rather the Town
Mouse talked about her life in the city while the other Mouse
listened. They then went to bed in a cosy nest in the hedgerow
and slept in quiet and comfort until morning. In her sleep, the
Country Mouse dreamed she was a Town Mouse with all the
luxuries and delights of city life that her friend had described
for her. So, the next day when the Town Mouse asked the
Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said
yes.

When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse

lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leftovers
of a very fine banquet. There were sweetmeats and jellies,
pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed, the most tempting foods
that a Mouse can imagine.

But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble a dainty bit
of pastry, she heard a Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door.
In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, where they
lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When at
last they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly
and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the
House Dog.

The Country Mouse stopped in the other Mouse’s den only long
enough to pick up her carpetbag and umbrella.

11
“You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,” she said
as she hurried away, “but I prefer my plain food and simple life
in the country with the peace and security that go with it.”

The moral of the story is do not live a life with endless sense
pleasures but with grave dangers.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

12
THERE IS NO PRICE FOR BEING KIND
Zahida Wahab
In a village far away, there lived a very poor boy who herded sheep to
feed his family. He was always kind and helpful to his neighbours and was
a blessing to his grandparents who raised him from a little boy. His name
was Thabo and he was loved by everyone.
“Aah! Thank you, Thabo, for going to the shop for my bread,” Mrs Abbas
said. “You can keep the change.”
But Thabo knew that Mrs Abbas needed every cent she had. “That’s all
right, Mrs Abbas,” he said, smiling. “There is no price for being kind.”
One day, the farmer who Thabo worked for arrived home with his nephew
Simphiwe. Simphiwe was dressed in smart clothes and spoke English
fluently.
“Thabo, come and meet Simphiwe,” said the farmer. “Simphiwe lives in
the city but will be visiting us for a while. I hope that you two will get along
and be company for each other.” Thabo was excited to meet someone his
age. Hopefully, they would become good friends.
But Thabo’s excitement soon turned to sadness. As it turned out,
Simphiwe was rude and arrogant. He showed no respect for his uncle or
any of the other workers on the farm. “These people are so old-fashioned,”
Simphiwe said, laughing loudly at the men who rode to work and back
home on donkey carts. “And why would anyone choose to live here in the
middle of nowhere, anyway?”
Simphiwe also refused to help with the daily chores on the farm. “I’m a
well-educated person. Do you think I go to school just to end up doing
manual labour? I’m not going to do any of these chores!”
Rather than helping, Simphiwe spent his days lazing under a tree, refusing
to help prepare the breakfast or lunch or to do any of the chores. Thabo
was very disappointed that a boy his age could be so lazy and unkind. “I
attend the local village school. There we are taught the value of kindness
and hard work. Simphiwe hasn’t learnt these basic things,” thought Thabo.
“He is foolish to think that he can go through life like this.”
13
One day, Simphiwe was bored and decided that he would like to go for a
walk in the bush surrounding the farm. Everyone warned him that this was
dangerous, as there were stray dogs living in the bush. They were always
hungry and not friendly at all! But Simphiwe just laughed. “What do you
know?” he said rudely. “I’m smart enough to look after myself.”
Thabo had gone out with the farmer to buy supplies. When he got back,
the workers told him that Simphiwe had decided to go for a walk in the
bush all by himself. Thabo immediately grabbed a stick and a box of
matches and ran to look for Simphiwe.
“He doesn’t realise how much danger he is in,” Thabo whispered to
himself while moving through the bush as quickly as possible. “The others
told me to leave the rude city boy to learn a lesson, but I don’t want
anything bad to happen to Simphiwe. Soon it will be dark, and the bush is
a dangerous place, especially for a boy like Simphiwe who has never been
out of the city before.”
Thabo had been searching for a long time when suddenly he heard a
scream that jolted him. He ran in the direction of the scream and saw
Simphiwe in the middle of a pack of stray dogs. The dogs were baring
their sharp teeth and getting ready to pounce. Thabo had to think fast. He
lit the stick that he had brought and charged at the dogs.
For a while, the dogs still threatened to attack the boys, but eventually
they turned around and trotted away.
Simphiwe was shivering with fear. He had twisted his ankle trying to run
away from the dogs and was limping in pain. Thabo was strong from all
the hard work on the farm, so he carried Simphiwe all the way back to the
farm.
Simphiwe was back on his feet a few days later, but something was
different about him. He was kinder and less boastful. He was quieter and
more respectful to his uncle and all the workers. When he saw Thabo, he
thanked him for saving his life and offered him his cellphone as a token of
his appreciation, but Thabo refused to accept this gift. He just smiled and
said, “There is no price for being kind,” and carried on washing the donkey
cart
(There is no price for being kind | Nal'ibali (nalibali.org))

14
WEEK 4

THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS

A man and his wife owned a goose which laid a golden egg every day.
They considered themselves very lucky to possess such a rare bird, and
they began to wonder just how much gold the goose must have inside it.

So, they cut open the goose, killing it. However, to their disappointment,
they discovered that the inside of the bird was like any other goose and
was not made of gold. In killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, they
had deprived themselves of a regular source of gold.

The moral of the story: greed is bad

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

15
THE MOTHER AND THE WOLF

Early one morning a hungry Wolf was prowling around a

cottage at the edge of a village when he heard a child crying in
the house. Then he heard the mother’s voice say, “Hush, child,
hush! Stop your crying, or I will give you to the Wolf!”

Surprised but delighted at the prospect of so delicious meal,

the Wolf settled down under an open window, expecting from
the mother that every moment to have the child handed out to
him. But though the little one continued to fret, the Wolf waited
all day in vain.

Then, toward nightfall, he heard the mother’s voice again as

she sat down near the window to sing and rock her baby to
sleep.

“There, child, there! The Wolf shall not get you. No, no! Daddy
is watching and Daddy will kill him if he should come near!”

Just then the father came within sight of the home, and the
Wolf was barely able to save himself from the Dogs by a clever
bit of running.

The moral of the story: do not trust every beautiful word that
comes from a liar’s mouth.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

16
THE TWO STRANGERS

Two strangers came to a village in the evening. They came to the chief
of that village and said, "May we stay for the night in your village?"

"Oh, yes, strangers," said the chief. "There is a house for strangers in
our village. You may sleep there. And there is supper for you to eat. But
know this. There is an old custom in our village. Strangers may sleep in
our house for strangers. But they must not snore. We kill the man who
snores."

*The two strangers went to the house. They had a good supper there
and then they went to sleep. They slept well. One hour passed. Two
hours passed. And one of them began to snore, "Vo, vo, vo."

The other stranger heard the snoring. He thought: "The people will hear
the snoring and kill him."

The stranger wanted to save the man. He thought a little and then began
to sing. So, one stranger snored and the other sang, Vo, Vo, vo, Vo! Vo,
Vo, Vo, Vo!

We walked on the road. We came to this village. They were good to us

hero. Vo, Vo, Vo, Vo!"

He sang very well. The people did not hear the snoring. They listened to
the song. Then they began to dance. Some of them sang the song
together with the stranger and danced to the music. Men, women and
even the chief sang and danced. That entire night one stranger snored.
One stranger sang. And all the people sang and danced.

In the morning the strangers came to the chief to say good-bye and to
thank him for everything. The chief said good-bye to them and gave
them a small bag of money.

"I give this money to both of you. We had a good time with you. We
danced and sang well. Thank you very much."

17
The strangers left the village. But on the road, they began to quarrel.

"How shall we divide the money?" said one of them. "I must have the
bigger part. Why did you sing that song last night? Because I snored?
So, I must have the bigger part of the money."

And the other man said, "Yes, that's so. But the people could kill you,
because you snored. My song saved your life. You must only thank me
and give me the bigger part of the money."

They quarrelled and quarrelled and could not decide anything.

(The Two Strangers: African Folk Tales : Fable : Animals Stories

(english-for-students.com))

18
WEEK 5

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging

from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes
seemed ready to burst with juice, and Fox’s mouth watered as
he gazed longingly at them.

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump
for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So,
he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it,
only to fall short once more. Again and again, he tried, but in
vain.

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to

get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for.”

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

The moral of the story: you often hate what you can’t have.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

19
THE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE

A Beetle once begged the Eagle to spare a Hare which had run
to her for protection. But she pounced upon her prey, the
sweep of her great wings tumbling the Beetle a dozen feet
away.

Furious at the disrespect shown her, the Beetle flew to the

Eagle’s nest and rolled out the eggs. Not one did she spare.
The Eagle’s grief and anger knew no bounds, but who had
done the cruel deed she did not know.

Next year the Eagle built her nest far up on a mountain crag;
but the Beetle found it and again destroyed the eggs.

In despair the Eagle now implored great Jupiter to let her place
her eggs in his lap.

There none would dare harm them. But the Beetle buzzed
about Jupiter’s head and made him rise to drive her away; and
the eggs rolled from his lap.

Now the Beetle told the reason for her action, and Jupiter had
to acknowledge the justice of her cause.

And they say that ever after, while the Eagle’s eggs lie in the
nest in spring, the Beetle still sleeps in the ground. For so
Jupiter commanded.

The moral of the story: even the weakest may find means to
avenge a wrong.
(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

20
THE MONEY IN THE POT OF BUTTER

A man had to go on a long travel. He hid his money in a pot and put
butter over it. So, nobody could see what was there under the butter in
the pot.

Then he took the pot to his neighbour and said, "Please keep this pot of
butter for me till I come back." He did not say anything about the money
in the pot.

A month passed. Two months passed. But the traveller did not come
back. His neighbour thought, "I'm afraid the butter in the pot is bad."

And he took all the butter out of the pot and saw money there.

He took the money for himself and put many small stones into the pot in
place of the money. When the traveller came back, he asked his
neighbour for the pot. He carried it home and took out all the butter. He
wanted to take the money but he found only many small stones under
the butter.

He was very angry. Then one of his friends came to see him. "You look
angry, my friend! Why are you angry?" asked his friend.

"Oh, I am a silly man!" And he told his friend the story about the pot of
butter, the money and the small stones.

"Well, I can show you how to get your money back. Let us go to the
forest."

And the two friends went to the forest, caught a monkey there and
brought it home.

"Now you go to your neighbour and say, 'Please let your son come with
me to the market. He can help me to carry food from the market."
21
The man did so. The neighbour sent his son to the man. But they did not
go to the market. The man went home with the neighbour's son and
locked the boy in his house.

The friend said, "Now go to your neighbour with the monkey and say:
'Here is your son."

The man did so. The neighbour was very angry.

"Take the monkey away and bring back my son!" he said.

"Why, this is your son! If money can turn into small stones, then a boy
can turn into a monkey."

The neighbour understood everything. He brought the money and the

man let the boy go back to his father.

The man thanked his clever friend very much. He wanted to give him a
part of the money but his friend did not take it.

"We are friends, aren't we?" he said. "And friends always help each
other. But never take money for that. Never, never!"

(The Money in The Pot of Butter: African Folk Tales: Fable: Animals
Stories (english-for-students.com))

22
WEEK 6

THE WOLF AND THE CRANE

A Wolf had been feasting too greedily, and a bone had stuck
crosswise in his throat. He could get it neither up nor down,
and of course, he could not eat a thing. Naturally, that was an
awful state of affairs for a greedy Wolf.

So away he hurried to the Crane. He was sure that she, with

her long neck and bill, would easily be able to reach the bone
and pull it out.

“I will reward you very handsomely,” said the Wolf, “if you pull
that bone out for me.”

The Crane, as you can imagine, was very uneasy about putting
her head in Wolf’s throat. But she was grasping in nature, so
she did what the Wolf asked her to do.

When the Wolf felt that the bone was gone, he started to walk
away.

“But what about my reward!” called the Crane anxiously.

“What!” snarled the Wolf, whirling around. “Haven’t you got it?
Isn’t it enough that I let you take your head out of my mouth
without snapping it off?”

The moral of the story: you should help only those who
deserve it.
(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

23
THE FROG AND THE MOUSE

A young Mouse in search of adventure was running along the

bank of a pond where lived a Frog. When the Frog saw the
Mouse, he swam to the bank and croaked, “Won’t you pay me
a visit? I can promise you a good time if you do.”

The Mouse did not need much coaxing, for he was very
anxious to see the world and everything in it. But though he
could swim a little, he did not dare risk going cross the stream
without some help.

The Frog had a plan. He tied the Mouse’s leg to his own with a
tough reed. Then into the pond he jumped, dragging his foolish
companion with him.

The Mouse soon had enough of it and wanted to return to

shore, but the treacherous Frog had other plans. He pulled the
Mouse down under the water and drowned him.

But before he could untie the reed that bound him to the dead
Mouse, a Hawk came sailing over the pond.

Seeing the body of the Mouse floating on the water, the Hawk
swooped down, seized the Mouse and carried it off, with the
Frog dangling from its leg.

The moral of the story: we must not try to harm others

because, in the end, we will also be harmed.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

24
THE HANDKERCHIEF

Zakia was a beautiful and clever girl. She lived with her father. She was
so clever that her father always asked her advice. But once he did not
ask her advice and Zakia was very angry. This was when the king asked
the girl's father to let him marry her. Zakia's father did not tell his
daughter about that and said to the king, "Oh, my King, my daughter will
be very glad to marry you!"

But Zakia was not glad. "No, Father," she said, "no, no! I will not marry
and love a man whom I do not know."

"Oh, my dear daughter," said her father. "If you don't marry him, he may
be very angry! But he is very good and clever. Oh, please, do as I say!"

At last Zakia said, "All right. I'll marry him. But the King must learn a
trade. I'll marry him only if he does so. One day he may lose his throne
and what shall we do then? We shall be poor we shall die of hunger. Go
to the King and tell him my wish."

Zakia's father went to the king and told him his daughter's wish. And the
king smiled and said, "Your daughter is not only beautiful but very clever,
too. I'll be glad to do as she asks. I am sure that we shall be happy
together."

So the king began to learn the trade of a weaver. Soon he could weave
a beautiful handkerchief and he sent it to Zakia as a present.

"If she likes my present, she will marry me, I am sure," he thought.

Zakia liked the handkerchief and said, "Now I see that he loves me."

In a month they married and began to live happily. Zakia often helped
the king with her clever advice.

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One day the king came to his wife. "I want to know my people," he said.
"How can I learn what they think? How can I learn what they want?"

Zakia thought for a minute and then said, "My King, if a man wishes to
know another man well, he must live with him or meet him often. I think
you must put on the same clothes as our people have and meet them in
the streets of our city."

"I like your advice," the king said and the next day he was walking along
the streets with two of his ministers. Then dinner time came.

"We shall not go home for dinner," the king said, "Let us go to a cafe
where people eat."

So they came to a small cafe in a little street. But when they came into
the room, the floor slipped away beneath their feet and they found
themselves under the floor. They began to shout, but nobody came to
help them.

"A nice welcome for the King! Where are we? And why are we here?"
said the king angrily. Suddenly they heard a laugh and they saw the ugly
face of an old man above them.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! In three days, I shall kill you and your meat will make a nice
dish for our cafe. Everybody likes our cafe for its very good dishes! Ha,
ha, ha!"

With these words the man went. "Let us tell him who we are when he
comes back," said one of ministers. "Oh, no," said the king. "If he knows
that, he will kill us today. Give me time to think. "

And he sat down by the wall and thought. Some hours later the ugly man
came back to them. "Here is some water for you to drink. But I shall not
give you any food. You are fat enough."

Then the king said, "If we must die, we must. But I want to tell you
something. You may get much money for it."

26
"I like money very much," said the ugly man. "Go on!"

"I am a weaver and the King's wife likes my work very much. I shall
weave a handkerchief and you will take it to her. You will get more
money for it than for the good dishes in your café. I am sure."

The ugly old man brought down a loom and thread and the king began
to work. He made a beautiful handkerchief for Zakia. The old man took
the handkerchief and went to the king's wife with it. It was not easy to get
to her, but at last the servants let him, "I have a very beautiful
handkerchief," said the old man to the king's wife. "Look at it, please. A
good weaver made it. Will you buy it?"

Zakia understood at once that the king was in trouble.

"Yes, it is a very beautiful handkerchief," she said. "I like it and I'll buy it."

Zakia bought the handkerchief, but she told her servants to follow the old
man and she followed the servants on horseback. They came to the cafe
and went in. Zakia waited in the street. Very soon a fight began in the
cafe. At last, the king and his two ministers were free. They came out of
the cafe. "My dear Zakia," said the king when he saw her. "You have
saved my life. I love you more than anyone in the world!" Zakia was
happy to hear these words and the king and his wife went home.

(The Handkerchief : African Folk Tales : Fable: Animals Stories (english-

for-students.com))

27
WEEK 7
THE FOX AND THE GOAT

A Fox fell into a well, and though it was not very deep, he
found that he could not get out again. After he had been in the
well a long time, a thirsty Goat came by. The Goat thought the
Fox had gone down to drink, and so he asked if the water was
good.

“The finest in the whole country,” said the crafty Fox, “jump in
and try it. There is more than enough for both of us.”

The thirsty Goat immediately jumped in and began to drink.

The Fox just as quickly jumped on his back and leaped from
the tip of his horns out of the well.

The foolish Goat now saw what a plight he had got into and
begged the Fox to help him out. But the Fox was already on his
way to the woods.

“If you had as much sense as you have beard, old fellow,” he
said as he ran, “you would have been more cautious about
finding a way to get out again before you jumped in.”

The moral of the story: look before you leap.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

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WHY THE WARTHOG GOES ABOUT ON HIS KNEES

Warthog had made himself a lovely, spacious home in an old termite

mound that an aardvark had cleared out. He had built it up and made a
wide entrance. He thought it was the most magnificent home in Africa
and would often stand at the entrance of his dwelling with his snout in
the air as the giraffe, wildebeest and zebra passed to the watering hole.
“Hah,” he thought to himself, “no one has such a fine home!”

One day as he looked out from the entrance of his cave, he was horrified
to see a huge lion stealthily stalking toward him. He started to back
away, but because he had made the entrance to his place so grand, the
lion would have no difficulty in following Warthog right in. “Ahhhh,”
panicked Warthog, “Bhubesi will eat me in my own lounge! What will I
do?”

Warthog decided to use an old trick he’d heard Jackal bragging about.
Warthog pretended to be supporting the roof of his hole with his strong
back, pushing up with his tusks. “Help!” he cried to the lion, “I am going
to be crushed! The roof is caving in! Flee, oh, mighty Bhubesi, before
you are crushed along with me!”

Now Lion is no fool. He recognised Jackal’s old ploy straight away and
he wasn’t going to be caught out again. He roared so fiercely that
Warthog dropped to his knees, trembling. Warthog begged for mercy.
Luckily for him Lion was not too hungry. So, he pardoned the wart hog
and left, saying, “Stay on your knees, you foolish beast!”

Lion laughed to himself and shook his shaggy head as he walked away.
Imagine, slow-witted Warthog trying to copy Jackal’s trick! Warthog took
Lion’s order to heart. That is why, to this day, you will see Warthog
feeding on his knees, in a very undignified position, with his bottom up in
the air and his snout snuffling in the dust.

*”aardvark” means “earth pig.”

** “wildebeest” is a South African antelope that has a large ox-like head. (https://www.canteach.ca)

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THE FIRE ON THE HILL

Long, long ago, there was a lake of cold water in Kenya. Many animals
came at night to the lake to drink some water. But people never came to
the lake at night. The animals could kill and eat them. Now, a rich man
who had a beautiful daughter once said, "The young man, who will go to
the lake in the evening and stay in the cold water till morning, will have
my daughter for his wife."

There lived a poor young man who loved the rich man's daughter very
much. He said to his mother, "I shall try to stay all night in the lake and
then marry my dear girl."

"No, No," the mother said, "you are my only son! The water in the lake is
very cold and the animals will eat you up. Don't go there!"

She cried and cried. But her son said, "Mother, don't cry. I must try. I
love her so much!" So, the young man went to the girl's father. He told
him that he wanted to go to the lake and stay in the cold water all night.
The rich man sent his servants to a place where they could watch the
young man.

When night came, the young man went to the lake and his mother
followed him. But he did not see her. There was a hill forty paces away
from the place where the young man went into the water. The woman
climbed up the hill and made a fire there. The wild animals saw the fire
and were afraid to go near that place.

The young man saw the fire, too. He understood that his mother was
there. He thought of his mother's love and it was easier for him to stay all
night in the very cold water. Morning came. The young man went to the
rich man's house. The rich man saw him and said, "My servants say that
there was a fire on a hill forty paces from the lake. It warmed you and
that is why you could stay all night in the water. So, you cannot marry
my daughter. Good-bye."

The young man was very angry. He went to the judge. "Well," the judge

30
said, "this is a very simple case."

The next morning the young man with his mother and the rich man with
his servants came before the Judge. There were many people there who
wanted to hear the case. The judge asked for a pot of cold water. Then
he walked forty paces from the pot and made a fire.

"Now," he said, "we shall wait a little until the water is warm."

The people cried, "But the fire is so far away, it cannot warm the water in
the pot."

Then the judge said, "And how could that young man warm himself at a
fire forty paces away?"

So the case was over and the young man married the rich man's
daughter. They lived happily for many years.

(The Fire on The Hill : African Folk Tales : Fable: Animals Stories
(english-for-students.com))

31
WEEK 8

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his
paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in
her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion’s nose.
Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the
tiny creature to kill her.

“Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. “Please let me go and

someday I will surely repay you.”

He was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help

him but he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.

Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion
was caught in a hunter’s net. Unable to free himself, he filled
the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice
and quickly found him struggling in the net. Running to one of
the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted,
and soon the Lion was free.

“You laughed when I said I would repay you,” said the Mouse.
“Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.”

The moral of the story: kindness is never wasted.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

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THE THREE RUNNERS

In the days when Whites ruled South Africa and apartheid was
the law of the land, two middle-aged Blacks met in a Whites only
section of Johannesburg.

One of them had a permit to work in the area, the other did not.
This meant he could be put behind bars for trespassing into an
exclusive zone.

Suddenly they saw a policeman coming towards them and froze.

"Run!" whispered the man with the permit to his friend. "I'll
follow."

They started running and the policeman shouting "Stop, stop,"

began chasing them.

Finally he caught the second man.

"Did you think you could outrun me!" he snarled. " Show me your
permit!"

The man, playing for time, began fumbling in his pocket and
finally produced his permit.

The policeman was taken aback. He realized that he had been

tricked. The man without the permit was now too far away to be
caught.

"When you had a permit why did you run!" he bawled.

"Doctor's orders," said the man. "He has asked me to run a mile
every evening."

"Oh, yes?" sneered the policeman. "Then why was your friend
running?"

33
"His doctor too has ordered him to run," said the man.

The policeman became red with anger.

"You think you're very smart, don't you?" he snarled. "But tell
me, if you were only running for your health why didn't you stop
when you saw me running after you? And don't tell me you didn't
see me chasing you... I know you did!"

"Of course I knew you were running after me," said the man.

"Then why didn't you stop?" asked the policeman, triumphantly.

"It was stupid of me," said the man, "but I thought you too had
been ordered to run by your doctor."

( The Three Runners. (advance-africa.com)

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WEEK 9
BELLING THE CAT

The Mice once had general meeting to decide on a plan to free

themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to
find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might
have time to easily escape.

Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such

constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their
dens by night or day.

Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought

good enough. At last, a very young Mouse got up and said, “I
have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be
successful. All we have to do is to hang a bell around the Cat’s
neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know immediately
that our enemy is coming.”

All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of
such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their
good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said, “I will say that the
plan of the young Mouse is very good but let me ask one
question, who will bell the Cat?”

The moral of the story: think before you speak

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

35
THE FOX AND THE STORK

The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the

expense of the Stork, at whose odd appearance he was always
laughing.

“You must come and dine with me today,” he said to the Stork,
smiling to himself at the trick he was going to play. The Stork
gladly accepted the invitation and arrived in good time and with
a very good appetite.

For dinner the Fox served soup. The Stork could only wet the
tip of his bill because it was laid out in a very shallow dish. Not
a drop of soup could he get. But the Fox lapped it up easily,
and, to increase the disappointment of the Stork, made a great
show of enjoyment.

The hungry Stork was much displeased at the trick, but he was
a calm, even-tempered fellow and saw no good in flying into a
rage. Instead, not long afterward, he invited the Fox to dine
with him in turn.

The Fox arrived on time, and the Stork served a fish dinner
that smelled delicious, but it was served in a tall jar with a very
narrow neck.

The Stork could easily get at the food with his long bill, but all
the Fox could do was to lick the outside of the jar, and sniff at
the delicious odour.

The moral of the story: do not play tricks on others unless you
can stand the same treatment yourself.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

36
ROYAL SERVANT

The King of Kamera in Africa was a proud and stern man, feared
by all his subjects.

One day while sitting in his mud palace, surrounded by fawning

courtiers and watched by a multitude of people who had come to
see him, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of grandeur and
loudly declared that he was master of the world and that all men
were his servants.

“You are mistaken,” said a frail voice. “All men are servants of
one another.”

A deathly silence followed the remark. The blood froze in the

veins of the people assembled there. Then the king exploded in
anger.

“Who said that!” he demanded, rising from the royal stoo l. “Who
dares suggest that I am a servant!!”

“I do,” said a voice in the crowd, and the people parted to reveal
a white-haired old man, leaning heavily on a stout stick.

“Who are you?” asked the king.

“I am Boubakar,” said the man. “We have no water in our village.

I have come to ask for a well to be dug there.”

“So you are a beggar!” roared the king, striding down to where
the man stood. “Yet you have the temerity to call me a servant!”

“We all serve one another,” said Boubakar, showing no fear,

“and I will prove it to you before nightfall.”

“Do that,” said the monarch. “Force me to wait on you. If you can
do that I will have not one but three wells dug in your village. But
37
if you fail, you’ll lose your head!”

“In our village,” said the old man, “when we accept a challenge,
we touch the person’s feet. Let me touch your feet. Hold my
stick.”

The king took the stick and the old man bent down and touched
the monarch’s feet.

“Now you may give it back to me,” he said, straightening up. The
king gave him back his stick.

“Do you want any more proof?” asked Boubakar.

“Proof?” asked the king, bewildered.

“You held my stick when I asked you to and gave it back to me

when I asked you for it,” said
the old man. “As I said, all good men are servants of one
another.”

The king was so pleased with the Royal Servant Boubakar’s wit
and daring that he not only had wells dug in his village but also
retained him as an adviser.
(Royal Servant (advance-africa.com)

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WEEK 10

SOMETHING SPECIAL
Jacqui Lange
“Coo-coo-coo, come in, my beauties!”
Every evening, Jasmien’s grandmother called her chickens in to roost,
and closed them inside to keep them safe from hungry animals. And every
morning, Jasmien let the chickens out again and collected the eggs they
laid. It was her favourite part of the day. Grandmother’s chickens came in
all shapes and sizes, but Jasmien liked one best of all.
Lady was a speckled hen. She had a curly comb and a fanned-out tail.
When Jasmien gave scraps to the chickens, she always made sure Lady
got first choice. One day, Lady disappeared. Jasmien looked
everywhere, but Lady was gone.
“Maybe a buzzard ate her,” Eddie said.
“Or a mongoose?”
Jasmien didn’t want to think about that. “Lady, you are my special,”
Jasmien crooned.
“You shouldn’t have favourites,” Gran scolded.
“Every chicken is special in its own way.” But Jasmien couldn’t help it. She
loved Lady best.
Three long weeks passed without Lady. Until the morning Jasmien went
to let the chickens out. She heard a cheep-cheep sound. It was Lady, with
six fluffy chicks following her!
“Coo-coo-coo,” Gran said. “Clever Lady, hiding away to hatch your eggs!”
Now Jasmien had even more specials.
(Something special | Nal'ibali (nalibali.org))

39
THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants was bustling

about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had
stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper,
his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite
to eat.

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything

away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last
summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the

Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew
it, the summer was gone.”

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust. “Making music,

were you?” they cried.

“Very well, now dance!” They turned their backs on the

Grasshopper and went on with their work.

When the winter came, the Grasshopper had no food and

found itself dying of hunger while it saw the ants distributing
everyday corn and grain from the stores they had collected in
the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew, it is best to prepare
for days of need.

The moral of the story: there’s a time for work and a time for play.

(https://www.read.gov/aesop)

40
THE POUCH OF GOLD
Phumlani Mavimbela

One morning a homeless man woke up. He had spent the previous night
begging for food, but no one had shown him any kindness. His stomach
was growling because he was very hungry. Desperate to find food, he
walked through the village market begging merchants for their leftovers.

“Please … please … It’s been two days since I have eaten. Please give
your leftovers to a poor homeless man,” he pleaded.

But most people pretended he was invisible. Those who saw him, threw
rotten fruit at him and called him names like “street rat” and “slum dog”.

After many tries and many insults, the man decided to go scratching
through a nearby rubbish dump, hoping he might find food there. While he
was searching through piles of old rubbish, he suddenly saw a small
leather pouch that was tied at the top with string. He picked it up and
opened it. It was full of gold coins! With a heart filled with joy, he counted
his treasure.

“One, two, three … a hundred gold coins!” he said when he had finished
counting. “This will feed me for the rest of my life.”

As the man ran back into the marketplace looking forward to having a full
stomach, he heard a merchant shouting, “Listen everyone! I have lost my
pouch of gold coins and I will reward anyone who brings it to me!”

The homeless man had a kind heart and he felt bad for the merchant. He
decided to do the right thing.

“Is this the pouch you have lost?” he asked, holding up the pouch he had
found.

41
“Oh my, you’ve found it!” said the merchant taking the pouch and counting
the gold coins inside.

The homeless man waited a while then he asked softly, “Sir, you said
something about a reward?”

“Reward?” scoffed the merchant. “Why should I give you a reward? You
have already stolen some of the coins!”

“I have not taken anything from the pouch. Please, can I have the reward
you promised?” asked the homeless man.
“The pouch I lost had two hundred gold coins in it. Now it only has a
hundred coins. You have already stolen more than your reward,” said the
merchant angrily.

“Please, sir, I have not stolen anything,” explained the homeless man. “All
the coins are in the pouch, exactly as I found them.”

“Go away, before I call the king’s guards to arrest you,” shouted the
merchant.

“I may not seem like much to you, but I am an honest man,” said the
homeless man. “Call the guards and I will prove myself before the king.”

So, the merchant called the guards. Then the merchant followed them and
the homeless man to the king.

“What can I do to help the two of you?” asked the king when the merchant
and the homeless man were standing in front of him.

The merchant was the first to speak. He told the king his side of the story.
He explained how many gold coins had been in his lost pouch and how
the homeless man had stolen half of them.

The king listened to the merchant, then he turned to the homeless man
and asked, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
42
“My king, I found the pouch on the rubbish dump and it had only a hundred
gold coins in it,” said the homeless man bowing his head as he spoke.
“That is the truth.”

The king thought for a while and then he said, “Merchant, am I correct?
You say that your pouch had two hundred gold coins in it.”

“Yes, my king,” said the merchant.

“I see,” said the king stroking his long beard. “Well, I believe both of you
and I can solve this easily! Merchant, you said that the pouch you lost had
two hundred gold coins in it. That is a lot of gold to carry around in a small
pouch. But the pouch this homeless man found only had a hundred gold
coins inside. That means that this is not the pouch that you lost. I order
you to give it to the homeless man immediately.”

And so, the merchant had no choice but to give the pouch to the homeless
man. The homeless man’s honesty had paid off and he lived a long and
happy life, with plenty to eat every day.

(The pouch of gold | Nal'ibali (nalibali.org))

43