Hulk Short Story

One sunny day, Hulk happens to be leaping through Manhattan and lands in front of a bank with some ruckus going on within. He roars once outside. On the inside, Black Cat shlts herself and leaves the scene. And her gear. Plus dat loot.

2 leaps later, Hulk drops onto the Raft. Also some ruckus going on - suddenly Green Goblin flies by on his glider. Insane enough not to shlt himself and actually attack Hulk, Norman throws some bombs. Gets smacked once and lands on a buoy 200 yards off the shore.

Moving on, Hulk crashes through a subway station in New York and sees Shocker. Roars. Shocker shlts himself and tries to collapse the rest of the ceiling on top of Hulk. Seeing the green figure instantly rising from the rubble, he runs off and leaves the country.

Emerging from the ruins of the crashed-in station, Hulk finds himself in a warehouse where Doc Ock is conducting some shady business. In the shadows, Black Cat once again sh1ts herself and goes on to join a monastery. After leaving the continent. Doc Ock, relying on his supreme intellect, overestimates his mecha-arms and actually attacks the "mindless brute". Gets mecha-arms tied up in a knot and is kicked through the roof. Goes MIA for quite a while.

Taking off and leaping over the docks, Hulk sees puny humans with guns running around in another warehouse. Annoyed by the sight of pew-pew-weaponry, he crashes in on them. Somewhere in the shadows Tasmkaster realizes all his copycat moves never have done anything worthwhile against Hulk when used by the original owners. Confesses all his crimes on video, exits through the back door and disappears.

The next leaps take Hulk onboard of a freighter, where The Hood is apparanetly schemeing. Drunken with delusions of grandeur, Hood teleports around and pew-pews. Gets too close and eats a fist. Wakes up from coma in a security prison med station 4 months later.

Moving on, Hulks roaming has taken him to Madripoor. Gorgon sees the green goliath up in the skies - a shiver running down his spine in panic; accidently turns himself to stone. In Lowtown, Madame Hydra also notices a jade figure afar and hears a terrible roar. Locks herself up in her shack for a week.

Hulk makes a short stop on top of the Hand Tower. Hundreds of Ninjas hide in the shadows. All shlt themselves and remain hidden. Elektra is frozen in shock, hides and shadows. Dishonored, the Hand abandon the ninja trade and form a vegetarian hippie community in the bamboo forest. Elektra leaves Madripoor for good and heads for a new gig in New York.

Two weeks later. Hulk is once again passing through The Big Apple and - blinded by some reflection - accidently crashes into the top floor of Wilson Fisk's tower. Mr Fisk rises to the occasion - but not without instantly pushing the secret red button to alert his newly hired bodyguards. Fisks knows things do not bode well - but as Kingpin he must stand his ground. (For dat street cred. Fo' shizzle? Fo' sho!) Bullseye and Elektra bust in, both turning pale. Fearing the wrath of Kingpin, they engange the Greenskin. A thunderclap later, window glass prices skyrocket in NY. Elektra and Bullseye both turn to a life of aiding the hearing impaired. Due to joining that crowd themselves. Kingpin, on the other hand, actually puts up a fight as it takes more than a backhand slap before he goes down. It takes two. Mr Fisk moves on to join Gold's Gym and hires a lot more bodygaurds.

Hopping away, Hulk passes by an old trainyard and notices a gaping hole in the side of a small church. Curious, he peeks inside and is instantly charged by the Juggernaut. A fight erupts which causes hundreds of Purifiers in the vicinity to shlt themselves and later on join the red cross. Hulk actually does break a sweat before sending Juggernaut to the land of dreams. Cain Marko denies all knowledge of the incident.

Leaping through the countryside Hulk passes a paramilitary training camp - after which the red cross is joined by another 3000 Purifiers. The Blob huddles up in a trench, unnoticed by Hulk. (Mr Dukes redefines the word "entrenchment", gaining a personal ZIP code for Pizza deliveries over the years.) Alarmed to Hulk's presence on some security monitors, Magneto and Pyro both shlt themselves during their Purifier raid. Pyro ignites the building in panic, while Erik quickly hovers off, encased in a foot-thick ball of scrap metal. He later on applies at Xavier's for the job of facility manager.

Annoyed by the american continent, Hulk roams the rest of the world for a while and happens upon the Savage Land. Dinosaurs become extinct. This time for real. As do swamp mutates. Mr Sinister succesfully hides in his lab and starts cloning himself a thousandfold. For self-preservation.

Once again on the road, Hulk lands on a small Island crowded with strange robots and puny humans in green outfits, who instantly start pew-pewing. The soon-to-be-common-domain "FAIL HYDRA!" exclamation is born. Madame Hydra successfully hides again and actually does go broke over the years due to constant hiring of more and more goons to operate her force-field-generators. Whilst hiding in her shack in Madripoor for the rest of her life. Back on the island, 10 mysterious rings are found amongst some broken terracotta statues by authorities investigating seismic disturbances. Origin unknown.

Leaping on, Hulk chances upon a facility swarming with weird dino-bots. Reminded of the annoaynces in the Savage Land, Hulk decides to SMASH. Dino-bots become extinct as well. The Wizard manages to escape unnoticed and lands a gig in weather forecast on national TV. The re-surfaced Doc Ock also tries to run off in the shadows, but stumbles, getting caught up in his mecha-arms. Wakes up with the mecha arms missing. Is never heard of again. For months and years to come, what apperars to be a giant head in some hover-chair is sighted all over the globe, always suddenly appearing and instantly disappearing. Only a faint "... He's coming! ... Must get away! ... Never stop! ... He's coming ..." can be heard. Reports also indicate "something smelly" in the vicinity of the apparition.

A few weeks later Hulk is seen leaping through Europe, and all of a sudden, Latveria declares freedom and democracy. Due to undisclosed circumstances, Dr Doom moves on to become secretary general for the UN. Asked about his abandoned armor, Victor von Doom declares "it got ... ahem... rusty beyond repair".

Some time later Hulk ends up in snowy Norway. Unbeknownst to him, a Fantasti-car takes off at great speed in the distance. It's smelly inside. Hulk stumbles upon a mysterious circle of stone with shiny runes and decides to take a look. Observing the passage site from Asgard, Loki in panic joins forces with Malekith and Kurse to collapse the rainbow bridge. They succeed. And high-five.

"Puny Stones" Hulk growls. Stomps, cracking the earth. Leaps off into the distance.

THE END

The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there was a mother pig who had three little pigs.The three little pigs grew so big that their mother said to them, "You are too big to live here any longer. You must go and build houses for yourselves. But take care that the wolf does not catch you."

The three little pigs set off. "We will take care that the wolf does not catch us," they said.Soon they met a man who was carrying some straw. "Please will you give me some straw?" asked the first little pig. "I want to build a house for myself."
"Yes," said the man and he gave the first little pig some straw.

Then the first little pig built himself a house of straw. He was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me.""I shall build a stronger house than yours," said the second little pig.
"I shall build a stronger house than yours, too," said the third little pig.

The second little pig and the third little pig went on along the road. Soon they met a man who was carrying some sticks."Please will you give me some sticks ?" asked the second little pig. "I want to build a house for myself."
"Yes," said the man and he gave the second little pig some sticks.

Then the second little pig built himself a house of sticks. It was stronger than the house of straw.The second little pig was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me."
"I shall build a stronger house than yours," said the third little pig.

The third little pig walked on, along the road, by himself. Soon he met a man carrying some bricks."Please will you give me some bricks?" asked the third little pig. "I want to build a house for myself."
"Yes," said the man and he gave the third little pig some bricks.

Then the third little pig built himself a house of bricks.It took him a long time to build it, for it was a very strong house.
The third little pig was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me."

The next day the wolf came along the road. He came to the house of straw which the first little pig had built.When the first little pig saw the wolf coming, he ran inside his house and shut the door.
The wolf knocked on the door and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

"No, no," said the little pig. "By the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in.""Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in," said the wolf.
So he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed. The house of straw fell down and the wolf ate up the first little pig.

The next day the wolf walked further along the road. He came to the house of sticks which the second little pig had built.When the second little pig saw the wolf coming, he ran inside his house and shut the door.
The wolf knocked on the door and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

"No, no," said the little pig. "By the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in.""Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in," said the wolf. So he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed. The house of sticks fell down and the wolf ate up the second little pig.

The next day the wolf walked further along the road. He came to the house of bricks which the third little pig had built.When the third little pig saw the wolf coming, he ran inside his house and shut the door.
The wolf knocked on the door and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

"No, no," said the little pig. "By the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in.""Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in," said the wolf.
So he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed. But the house of bricks did not fall down.

The wolf was very angry, but he pretended not to be. He thought, "This is a clever little pig. If I want to catch him I must pretend to be his friend."So the wolf said, "Little pig, if you will be ready at six o'clock in the morning, I will take you to Farmer Smith's field. We shall find some nice turnips for dinner."

"Very well," said the little pig. But the third little pig was a clever little pig. He knew that the wolf just wanted to eat him.So the next morning the third little pig set off for Farmer Smith's field at five o'clock. He filled his basket with turnips. Then he hurried home before it was six o'clock.

At six o'clock the wolf knocked on the little pig's door. "Are you ready, little pig ?" he said."Oh! I have been to Farmer Smith's field," said the little pig. "I filled my basket with turnips and they are now cooking for my dinner."
The wolf was very angry, but he pretended not to be.

Then the wolf said, "If you will be ready at five o'clock in the morning, I will take you to Farmer Brown's apple tree. We will pick some red apples.""Very well," said the little pig.
Next morning, the little pig set off at four o'clock. He found the apple tree. He was up in the tree, picking apples, when the wolf came along.

The little pig was very frightened, but he pretended not to be. He said, "These are fine apples, Mr. Wolf. I'll throw you one."He threw down an apple, but it rolled away down the road. The wolf ran after it.
Then the little pig jumped down from the tree. He ran all the way home and shut his door quickly.

The wolf was very angry, but he still pretended not to be.He went to the little pig's house and knocked on the door. "Little pig," he said, "if you will be ready at four o'clock this afternoon, I will take you to the fair. We will have some fun on the swings and roundabouts."
"Very well," said the little pig.

At two o'clock the little pig set off for the fair. He had great fun, riding on the swings and roundabouts.Then he bought himself a butter churn. It looked like a big barrel.
As little pig was going home he saw the wolf coming up the hill. Little pig was very frightened, so he jumped inside his butter churn.

The butter churn began to roll over and over, down the hill. It rolled faster and faster. It knocked the wolf down.The wolf did not know what had knocked him down. He was so frightened that he ran away as quickly as he could.
Little pig jumped out of his butter churn and carried it home.

The next day the wolf came and knocked on the little pig's door.He said, "Little pig, I did not go to the fair yesterday. A great, big thing came rolling down the hill and knocked me over."
"Ha-ha!" said the little pig. "That was me, inside my butter churn!"

When the wolf heard this he was very, very, very angry indeed.He said, "Little pig, I am going to eat you up. I am going to climb down your chimney to get you."
The little pig was very frightened, but he said nothing. He put a big pot of water on the fire, to boil.

The wolf climbed on the roof. Then he began to come down the chimney.The little pig took off the lid from the pot. Into the pot fell the wolf, with a big splash. And that was the end of the wolf.
The third little pig was too clever for him.

- The End -

Level 2.1

 Daniel Loves the Beach

Every Saturday Daniel and his family go to the beach. They live far from the beach, but once a week the family gets into the car and Daniel's father drives for hours until they arrive. 

Daniel's parents love the beach. Daniel and his sister and brother love the beach. The family's dog loves the beach very much.

But it is a problem to go to the beach every week. Daniel's father gets tired from driving so many hours. The rest of the family gets tired from sitting in the car for so many hours. Daniel's mother says: "It's fun in the beach, but it takes too much time to get there and back!"

Daniel and his sister and brother are very sad. They want to go to the beach, but it is a problem. They try to go the swimming pool, but it is not the same thing.

One day Daniel's parents come to talk with the kids. They say: "We have a problem to go to the beach every week, but we love the beach, and you love the beach, and the dog loves the beach. So we have a solution. We need to live near the beach!"

Daniel and his sister and brother are very happy! Now they live near the beach. They go to the beach every day! 

April's Month

There was a nice little girl. She was 10 years old. Her name was April. 

One day, April asked her parents why she was called April. Her mother answered that she was called April because she was born in April. The little girl was very happy to hear that. She liked her name.

April really liked the month April, too. This was because she had her birthday in that month. Her parents made her a party. All her friends came and celebrated with her, and she received a lot of presents.

One day, her mother became pregnant and soon April had a little brother.  Her brother was born in February. Everyone came to visit the family. Everyone suggested names for the new baby.

April did not understand what the problem was. This looked very simple to her. She said that if the baby was born in February, the correct name was February! 

Emily's Secret

Emily is 8 years old. She lives in a big house. She has a huge room. She has many toys and she has a lot of friends. But Emily is not happy. She has a secret.

She doesn't want to tell anyone about her secret. She feels embarrassed. The problem is that if nobody knows about it, there is no one that can help her.

Emily doesn't write her homework. When there is an exam – she gets sick. She doesn't tell anyone, but the truth is she can't read and write. Emily doesn't remember the letters of the alphabet.

One day, Emily's teacher finds out. She sees that Emily can't write on the board. She calls her after class and asks her to tell the truth. Emily says, "It is true. I don't know how to read and write". The teacher listens to her. She wants to help Emily. She tells her, "That's ok. You can read and write if we practice together".

So Emily and her teacher meet every day after class. They practice together. Emily works hard. Now she knows how to read and write!

What are You Talking About?

Jane and Laura are walking to the mall. They want to buy new clothes. Jane has some money and Laura has some money.

Suddenly, Jane is calling: "Laura! Laura! Look at that dress! Isn't it beautiful? I want that dress, but I don't have enough money."

Laura is calling: "What are you talking about? This is an ugly dress! It is just horrible! I don't even want to see this dress."

"Ok, ok…" Jane is whispering sadly.

Suddenly Laura is calling: "Oh my god! Look at this dress! It is beautiful! I want this dress. Oh, but look at the price. It is too expensive for me."

Now Jane is calling: "What are you talking about? This is an ugly dress! It is really horrible! I don't even want to see it."

"Ok, ok…" Laura is whispering sadly.

Now Jane is sad, and Laura is sad. They are walking home. They have no new clothes, but they know that next time they should respect other opinions…

Sean and the Birthday Cake

Sean likes food. He likes fruit and vegetables. He likes bread and cakes. He likes fish and dairy products. He likes meat. He eats everything!

One day he goes to a party. It is a birthday party for his friend Leo. He enjoys the party with his friends. They dance and have fun.



At the end of night, Leo's mother comes with a cake. Everyone is very happy. They like sweet cakes. Sean is also happy. He likes food!

Leo's mother slices the cake and gives every kid a piece of cake. Sean is the first one that gets a piece. At first, he is very happy, but after a few moments he turns blue. He runs outside.

When he returns, everybody is very surprised. His friend Leo asks, "Sean, is everything alright? You don't behave like yourself!"

Sean is surprised. "Why, Leo? Why do you say that?"

"Well," Leo answers, "you usually love food very much! You don't run away from food!"

Sean smiles and says, "Yes, Leo, I love food. But that cake is not food!"

Amanda's Work

Amanda goes to work every day. She works in an office. She works very hard. She starts and 7 o'clock in the morning and finishes at 10 o'clock at night. She likes her work, and she wants to be a good worker, but she has one problem. Her boss is not a very good boss.

He tells her to do one thing, and then he changes his mind. He tells her to do another thing, and then he changes his mind again. He tells her to do something else, and again, changes his mind. Amanda doesn't like this. She says, "This is a waste of time!"

Today Amanda decides to talk with him. She goes to his room and says: "I like to work. I work a lot of hours. I am a good worker. But I can't work like this. We have to work better. You need to tell me what to do without changing your mind."

Amanda's boss listens to her. He sees that she is right. He promises to listen to her advice.

Now Amanda is happy. She comes to work every day. She starts at 7 o'clock and finishes at 4 o'clock, but she completes much more things than before! Amanda and her boss are happy.

Nicole's Drums

Nicole has a new set of drums. She likes playing the drums. She practices playing the drums all the time.

Her parents tell her, "Nicole, we are happy that you like the drums, but you can't play the drums all the time. There are other people in the apartment. There are other people in the building. There are other people in the neighborhood. And they all want to sleep sometimes!

Nicole listens to them. She says she understands, but she doesn't stop doing it. She practices playing the drums all the time!

Her parents complain, her sister complains, the neighbors complain. Even the cat complains!

"Ok, ok!" Nicole says, "I will be a good girl. I will do it more quietly."

But this doesn't help much. No one can work, no one can rest, and no one can sleep.

One day Nicole comes home and sees her parents and her sister in the living room. She sees new things: a guitar, a trumpet, and a piano. Nicole is very surprised! "Wow!" she says, "What is this?"

"Well," her father answers, "we see that we can't beat you, so we decide to join you!"

Language Confusion

Laura is at the airport. She waits for her flight. Her flight is to Berlin, and it is 4 hours away. Laura walks around the airport and looks at the shops. She has a nice time.

After an hour she wants to visit the bathroom. She searches for it, but she doesn't find it.

"Where is the bathroom?" she asks herself.

She looks and looks but she can't find it. She starts asking people where it is.

Laura: "Excuse me sir, could you please tell me where is the bathroom?"

Man: "You mean the restroom, right?"

Laura: "No, I mean the bathroom."

Man: "Well, the restroom is over there." He says and walks away.

Laura doesn't understand. She asks a lady: "Excuse me madam, could you please tell me where is the bathroom?"

"The restroom is over there," the lady answers and walks away.

Laura is confused. "What's their problem? I need to use the bathroom and they send me to rest?! I don't need a restroom, I need the bathroom!"

After a while Laura gives up. She feels tired of all this walking and asking. She decides that maybe they are all right and she does need to rest.

She walks to the restroom. Now she is surprised. She realizes the restroom is actually the name for a public bathroom!

Kevin's Car

Kevin likes cars. He reads about cars in magazines and he watches shows about cars on TV. His head is full of cars!

He tells his parents, "Please, please, please, could you buy me a car?"

"No," says Kevin's mom, "You are too young to drive a car. This is dangerous."

"No," says Kevin's dad, "A car is very expensive. We can't buy you a car now."

Kevin is very sad. He wants a car. He wants a fast red sports car!

He decides to build one! He buys books and reads about the subject. He hangs around at the garage and watches the mechanics fix the cars. It is very interesting for him and he has a lot of fun.

Finally, he starts building his own car! He tells his parents about it. His father doesn't believe him. He says it's too difficult. His mother says she is worried. She doesn't want him to do anything dangerous.

After two months, Kevin invites his parents to see his creation. His parents are surprised! It is beautiful! It is red! It is shiny! It is a big toy sports car! Kevin can sit inside it and drive!

Kevin's parents are very happy and proud. Kevin's dad says: "I was sure you can do it!"

Kevin's mom says: "I was sure it was not dangerous!"

Kevin smiles and drives away.

Kimberly's Acting

Kimberly works as a secretary. She answers phone calls and types letters. She makes coffee, and goes to the post office. She doesn't like her work. She is bored! "I would like to do something more exciting," she thinks, "I want an exciting job!"

Kimberly actually wants to be an actress. She goes to auditions, but she doesn't pass any. She is confused. She doesn't know what to do to solve this problem, so she decides to ask her friend Victoria.

Victoria is a good actress. She is not very famous, but she is more successful than Kimberly.

Kimberly asks Victoria to look at her acting and tell her what the problem is.

Victoria is happy to help. She watches Kimberly carefully. She takes notes. In the end, Kimberly asks her: "Well… be honest! What is wrong with me?"

Victoria smiles and says: "Kimberly, you are a wonderful actress. You act very well. There is only one problem."

"What? What is the problem?" Kimberly calls.

"Well," Victoria answers, "You act very well, but you speak too quietly. I can't hear a word!"

A Surprise from Australia

The school ends and Erica quickly puts her books in the bag and runs out of the class.

Today is a special day. Erica is very excited. She runs home and thinks about her uncle. She spoke with him on the phone a week ago. He returns from Australia, and he brings a special surprise with him!

Erica is very happy. She thinks about the surprise that he brings.

"Maybe he brings a surfboard? That is fun! I can learn how to surf!"

"Maybe he brings Australian nuts? Oh, I can eat nuts all day!"

"Or maybe he brings a kangaroo? That is not good. I don't have a place in my room for a kangaroo…"

Erica finally arrives home. Her parents are there, and her uncle is there! She is very happy to see him. They hug and she jumps up and down.

"Uncle, uncle," she calls, "what special surprise do you have for me from Australia?"

"Well," her uncle smiles and answers, "I have for you an Australian aunt!"

Level 2.2

4. The Ugly Sister

Lisa grew up in a huge family. She had six older sisters. All of them were very beautiful. This made Lisa feel very bad. She knew she looked nothing like them. Lisa had even heard people say she was the ugly sister.

As teens the girls spent every weekend out on dates. Lisa always stayed home alone. Her sisters spent their days combing their hair and putting on makeup. Lisa spent her days reading and studying. Her sisters laughed at her a lot.

As adults, all her sisters got married young. They all had handsome husbands with no brains or jobs. Lisa went to college. She became a rich scientist and traveled the world. She was the one laughing now.

5. I Know How to Snowboard

Kevin asked Michelle on a date. He wanted to go snowboarding. "I love snowboarding!" said Michelle. This was a lie. She had never been snowboarding. She wanted to impress Kevin. "That's great!" said Kevin. "Then we can go to the advanced slope."

Michelle was terrified. The top of the advanced slope was extremely high. It was too late to say the truth. "This can't be that hard," she thought. "I just have to keep my balance." Michelle flew off the hill. She stayed standing for less than two second. She looked like a giant snowball by the time she reached the bottom of the slope. Kevin felt bad for her. He hugged her tight to get her warm. Her plan worked out after all.

Level 2.3

1. Getting Ready for Work

He woke up. He got out of bed. He went to the restroom and took a shower. The water was cold at first. He made it warm. He took ten minutes to shower. He stepped out of the shower. The floor became wet. He grabbed a towel. He wrapped it all around him. He went to his bathroom mirror. He saw his reflection. He looked handsome. He had grown facial hair. It was time for him to shave it. He grabbed the shaving cream and poured some in his hand. He spread the shaving cream around his face. He grabbed the razor and started shaving. He cut himself by accident. It started bleeding. He was not hurt. He washed his face and applied aftershave. He put a band-aide on his cut. The cut stung him a little. He dried himself, and started getting ready for work.

2. Going to Sleep

She came back home from work. She looked at the clock and yawned. It was nine o'clock. She went to her bedroom and put on her pajamas. She got her blanket. She lied down on her bed. The room was cold. She got up and went to her closet to get extra blankets. She lied down again and covered herself. She fell asleep. She woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. She drank the glass of water. She walked back to her bedroom. She yawned and fell asleep. Two hours passed. She woke up and went to the restroom. She heard a noise outside her window. She looked out the window to see what it was. It was a black cat climbing a tree. She hushed the cat. The cat ran away. She went back to bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. She slept very little.

3. Walking the Dog

It was night time. He went out to walk his dog. His dog was big. The dog's name was Max. "Let's go, Max!" he said to his dog. He walked passed his neighbor's house. He saw there were no lights in the house. His neighbor was not home. He walked passed the market. There were people shopping for groceries. He remembered he needed milk. He tied Max to a pole. "Wait here, Max," he said. He walked inside the market. It took fifteen minutes to buy the milk. He untied Max and continued walking. He walked back to his house. He let Max inside the house. It was time to feed Max. He served Max a bowl of dog food. Max ate it quickly. It was late. He took Max to the backyard. Max slept in a dog house. He said good night to Max. Max barked.

4. Lemonade on a Hot Day

It was a hot day. The sun was shining in the sky. The air was sticky. It was a Sunday afternoon. Jane was thirsty. She went to the kitchen to get a drink. She opened her refrigerator. There was nothing to drink inside. Jane grabbed some lemons and a big pitcher. She cut the lemons in two. She filled the large pitcher with water. She squeezed the lemons into the pitcher of water. She opened her cabinet to get the sugar. She poured some sugar into the pitcher of water and lemon juice. She had made lemonade. She took a sip of the lemonade. It needed more sugar. She grabbed the bag of sugar and poured a little more. She took another sip. The lemonade tasted sweet. All it needed now was ice. She opened the refrigerator to grab some ice. There was no ice.

5. Coffee on a Cold Night

It was a cold night. The moon was bright and round. The wind blew cold through the window. Jim got up from his couch and closed it. Jim was shivering because it was cold. He rubbed his hands together. Jim went to the kitchen. He wanted to make coffee. He opened his cabinet. He grabbed the can of coffee beans. He opened the lid. He held the can up to his nose. He took a deep breath. It smelled like fresh coffee beans. Jim loved the smell of coffee. He loved drinking coffee more. He poured the beans into the coffee maker. He grabbed a pitcher and put it in under the machine. He pressed a button and it started brewing. Jim started shivering again. He moved around to warm his body. The machine took fifteen minutes to finish. Jim poured the coffee into a mug. He drank it all. The coffee warmed his body. He stopped shivering.

Level 3.0

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. An Apple Pie

The tree was full of red apples. The farmer was riding his brown horse. He stopped under the tree. He reached out and picked an apple off a branch. He bit into the raw apple. He enjoyed the apple. His horse turned its head to look at him. The farmer picked another apple off the tree. He gave it to the horse. The horse ate the raw apple. The horse enjoyed the apple. The farmer put a dozen apples into a bag. He rode the horse back home. He put the horse in the barn. He walked into his house. The cat rubbed up against his leg. He gave the cat a bowl of warm milk. He sat down on the sofa. He opened a book to read. His wife came home. She cooked the raw apples. She made an apple pie. They ate bread and hot soup for dinner. They enjoyed the bread and soup. They had hot apple pie for dessert. They both enjoyed the apple pie.

Level 3.1

 The Pet Shop

 

Cody and his sister April decide they want a dog. They head down to the local pet store and have a look around.

It is a very small pet store that doesn't have many animals.

The owner of the shop is a nice old man named Mr. Smith. He walks over and greets Cody and April.

"How can I help you?" he asks. 

"We would like to buy a dog," April responds.

"Ah, well, we are not a big pet shop," Mr. Smith tells her. "So we only have two dogs to choose from."

They ask Mr. Smith to show them the dogs.

Mr. Smith leads them to the back of store where the two dogs are. One of them is a very big bulldog named Buster. The other is a very tiny chihuahua named Teacup.

April wants Teacup. Cody wants Buster. They walk outside to discuss.

They can’t agree on a dog. April suggests they race home for it. The winner of the race chooses the dog.

Cody agrees, then tells April her shoelace is untied. When April looks down, he runs off and gets a head start.

Cody runs as hard as he can. He really wants that bulldog. He looks back. April is so far behind he can’t even see her.

Cody finally gets home. He is tired but he is happy. He knows he is the winner.

April arrives a few minutes after Cody. She congratulates him. They return to the pet store to purchase Buster the bulldog.

However, when they arrive they only see Teacup the chihuahua.

They ask Mr. Smith where Buster is.

Mr. Smith gives the details. He explains that a few minutes after April and Cody leave, two boys walk in and buy the bulldog.

Cody looks at April, and she holds back a smile. Cody sighs. He turns back to Mr. Smith.

"Sometimes you win the race, but not the prize!" Cody smiles sadly. "We’ll take the chihuahua, please."

Anniversary Day

 

Chloe and Kevin enjoy going out to Italian restaurants.

They love to eat pasta, share a dessert, and have espresso.

Chloe and Kevin’s anniversary is coming up. Kevin wants to plan a night out at an Italian restaurant in town. He calls a restaurant to make a reservation but they have no tables available. He calls another restaurant, but they have no availability either.

Kevin thinks and paces around the house. He knows that Chloe loves Italian food more than anything else. He knows that nothing makes her happier. But the only two Italian places in town are too busy.

Kevin has an idea. What if he cooks Chloe a homemade Italian meal? Kevin pictures it: he puts down a fancy tablecloth, lights some candles, and plays romantic Italian music. Chloe loves when Kevin makes an effort.

There's only one thing. Kevin isn't a good cook.

In fact, Kevin is a terrible cook. When he tries to make breakfast he burns the eggs, when he tries to make lunch he screws up the salad, when he tries to make dinner even the neighbors smell how bad it is.

Kevin has another idea: if he calls up one of the restaurants before Chloe gets home and orders take-out, he can serve that food instead of his bad cooking!

The day arrives. Chloe is still at work while Kevin orders the food, picks it up, and brings it back home.

As he lays down the place settings, lights the candles and puts the music on, Chloe walks in.

"Happy Anniversary!" Kevin tells Chloe. He shows off their romantic dinner setting, smiling.

Chloe looks confused. "Our anniversary is tomorrow, Kevin."

Kevin pauses, looks at the calendar and realizes she's right. He looks back at her.

"I guess it's always good to practice!" he says.

Act like the Others

 

Jack and Lydia are on holiday in France with their friends, Mike and Anna. 

Mike loves to visit historical buildings. Jack agrees to sightsee some historical buildings with him. 

Lydia and Anna decide to shop in the city. "See you boys when we get back!" the girls shout.

In the village Jack and Mike see a beautiful old church, but when they enter the church, a service is already in progress.

"Shh! Just sit quietly, so that we don't stand out. And act like the others!" Mike whispers. 

Since they don't really know French, Jack and Mike quietly sit down. During the service, they stand, kneel and sit to follow what the rest of the crowd do.

"I hope we blend in and don't look like tourists!" Mike tells Jack.

At one point, the priest makes an announcement and the man who sits next to Jack and Mike stands up. 

"We should stand up, too!" Jack whispers to Mike.

So, Jack and Mike stand up with the man. Suddenly, all the people burst into laughter!

After the service, Jack and Mike approach the priest, who speaks English. 

"What's so funny?" Jack asks.

With a smile on his face the priest says, "Well boys, there is a new baby born, and it's tradition to ask the father to stand up." 

Jack and Mike look at each other and Mike shakes his head. He smiles and says, "I guess we should understand what people do before we act like the others!" 

A Secret Talent

 

Eve is excited to go to her first Dylan Wyman concert in New York. Dylan Wyman is Eve's favorite singer. In fact, Eve tells her mother Jeannine, Dylan Wyman is her favorite person! 

When they are about halfway to New York, Jeannine hears a weird noise. "Oh no," she says, realizing that they have a flat tire.

There isn't much room on the side of the road, but Jeannine pulls the car over and climbs out. Sure enough, their right rear tire is completely flat.

Jeanine opens the trunk to get the jack and the spare tire. Traffic continues to whiz by at seventy miles per hour.

"Mom, are we going to die?" Eve asks. She is really scared.

"Don't worry honey, I'll be quick," Jeannine says as she starts to jack up the car.

"Wow Mom, how do you know how to do this?" Eve is shocked at her mother's secret talent.

Then Jeannine takes off the flat tire. 

"Wow Mom, how do you know how to do that?" Eve asks in wonder.

Jeannine just laughs. Then she puts the spare tire on. Eve says, "Mom, whoare you?"

The entire tire change takes only 10 minutes. They both climb back into the car and Jeannine says, "I'm so sorry honey, but we can't drive all the way to Albany on this spare tire. We're going to have to stop and buy a new tire. We might be late for your concert."

"That's okay, Mom," Eve says, "You're my favorite person now!"

Love is in the Air

 

Every summer, Penny travels to a family reunion barbeque. Penny is never excited, and this year is no different. She dreads the drive.

She does not like talking to her relatives. And she does not like the smell of hamburgers. (Penny is a vegetarian.)

When Penny arrives, she sees lots of familiar faces. It is July and Uncle Vernon is wearing a sweater. Uncle Vernon is always cold. It’s very mysterious.

She sees her cousin Polly. Polly has six children. The youngest one screams. Then the oldest one screams. Polly’s children are always screaming.

She sees many of her other cousins in the field playing softball. They play a softball game every year, and it always ends in a big argument. Penny wonders, again, why they never solve it.

Then Penny sees an incredibly handsome man. She stares at him. He catches her staring. He smiles and walks over to her. Penny is very nervous. She is nervous because a handsome man is walking up to her and she is nervous because this handsome man might be her cousin.

The man sticks out his hand and says, "Hi, I’m Paul."

"Hi, I’m Penny," Penny says. "Are we related?"

Paul laughs. "No, we are not related. I am Vernon's nurse. He is sick and needs to keep me close by. But he did not want to miss this barbeque!"

"Oh, thank goodness," Penny says and then blushes. Penny always blushes when she is nervous, embarrassed, or hot, and right now she is all three.

Handsome Paul laughs and says, "Would you like to go get a hamburger with me? They smell delicious."

Penny smiles, "Sure. I love hamburgers!"

The Best Practice Ever

 

Shannon loves basketball. She loves everything about basketball. Shannon always looks forward to basketball practice. She enjoys the workout. She enjoys the competition. She enjoys the time with her teammates.

Coach always starts practice the same way. They run ten laps around the gym and then stretch out. They then practice shots. (Shannon usually sinks most of hers!) 

Then the coach introduces new drills. Then they practice the plays they use in games.

Shannon concentrates and does her best. She works hard, and her teammates appreciate her for it. She always has a positive attitude and encourages her teammates to work harder and do their best.

But today, Shannon twists her ankle and falls down. She cries out in pain, which is unusual for Shannon. She rarely cries. Everyone rushes over to see if she is okay. 

One of her teammates runs to get ice for her ankle. (Ice helps with the swelling.) The others help her off the court and she sits down to rest. 

The coach asks Shannon if she is okay. She says, "I am fine. Ankles heal."

The coach shakes her head. "Shannon," she says, "As usual, I am impressed with your attitude and team spirit. In honor of Shannon, we should all go get ice cream!"

So, the whole team climbs aboard the school bus and the coach takes them all out for ice cream.

As she licks her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, Shannon says, "Today, I love basketball practice more than ever!"

Online Dating

Amanda turns on her computer and opens her e-mail. She has a new message. She smiles. It is from Tall_and_Handsome34, a man Amanda met on FindNewLove.com, an online dating website. She really hopes to find a new love, and Tall_and_Handsome34 could be the right man for her!

Amanda reads the e-mail. Tall_and_Handsome34 asks Amanda if she would like to meet in person on Friday. He tells her his real name is Mike.

Amanda considers meeting Mike. She only chats with Mike on the computer, but she really likes him. He is smart and funny. They are the same age, share many interests, and live in the same city. She does not know what he looks like, but she enjoys the mystery of a blind date.

Amanda replies to Mike, "Hi Mike. My real name is Amanda."

They agree to meet at Amanda's favorite restaurant at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. They plan to meet beside the fountain in front of the restaurant.

On Friday, Amanda prepares for her date. She puts on a dress and curls her hair. She feels nervous and excited!

When Amanda arrives at the restaurant, she sees a tall man by the fountain. She cannot see his face.

"That must be Mike," Amanda thinks.

She walks toward the man.

"Mike?" Amanda asks as the tall man turns around. She sees Mike's face. She is surprised!

"Amanda Jones!" Mike exclaims. He realizes he knows her. Amanda Jones and Mike Miller dated in high school. "I cannot believe it is you!"
Amanda and Mike laugh and hug. "Well," Amanda thinks to herself, "sometimes you can find an old love too!"

Lost and Found

Donna and her husband John go to the beach every Saturday in the summer. Today is no exception. Donna packs a picnic lunch. She packs the beach umbrella and sun lotion.

She cannot find their beach towels. Donna always loses things. The towels are not in the laundry basket or dryer. They are not in the closet, either. She finally looks in her beach bag. She sees the towels folded in the bottom. Of course, the beach towels are exactly where they should be.

Donna puts on her swimsuit and floppy sun hat. She is almost ready. She just needs her sunglasses. She thinks they are on the table by the door. Or maybe they are in the bathroom. They could also be in her purse. Donna sighs.

John puts the picnic basket, umbrella, and beach bag in the car.  He  checks his fishing poles and equipment. He places them in the car beside the picnic basket.. Daisy, their dog, jumps in the backseat. She loves the beach! John is ready to leave. Where is Donna? She knows he likes to arrive at the beach before the crowds.

John groans and shakes his head. Donna is always late!

Donna searches for her sunglasses. She cannot find them, and she knows John is waiting. He hates when she is late! She grabs her purse and locks the door.

"You are late," John says as Donna gets in the car. Donna tells John that she could not find her sunglasses.

John looks at her and laughs! He flips down the sun visor so Donna can see herself in the mirror. Donna looks in the mirror and laughs too. Her sunglasses are on top of her head. They were there the whole time!
"It is always in the last place that you look," Donna giggles!

Level 3.2

 Nasreddin and the Smell of Soup

One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread.

The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while.

Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner's ear, and shook them, so that they made a jingling noise.

"What was that?" asked the restaurant owner.

"That was payment for you," answered Nasreddin.

"What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!" protested the restaurant owner.

"The sound of the coins is payment for the smell of the soup," answered Nasreddin. "Now go back to your restaurant."

Raven and the First People

Raven was bored. He was walking along the beach in Haida Gwai, looking for some new way to amuse himself. As he walked along the beach, the blue ocean in front of him and the green forest behind him didn’t seem interesting. Raven wanted to play, but there was no one to play with.

Then he heard a strange sound, unlike any sound he knew. He looked up and down the beach. Where was it coming from? As he walked he noticed a large white clamshell lying in the sand. Inside the clamshell were tiny creatures, unlike any he had seen before.

Raven bent down to get a closer look. The creatures seemed afraid of him, so he began to coax them in a gentle voice, “Come out. Come out. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

A few of the creatures came out of the clamshell. They were very different from Raven. They had no feathers, no wings, and no beaks. Like him, they walked on two legs, but they had arms, faces with mouths, and black hair. They spoke to each other in a language that Raven didn’t understand. These tiny creatures were the first humans.

Raven enjoyed watching these humans play and explore the world. After a while, when he was beginning to feel bored again, he noticed that these humans were only men. There were no women. Raven had an idea. He wondered if he could find some women. He searched for a long time. Then he saw some *chitons. He opened one of the chitons and found some lovely, tiny women. He brought the women to the men.

Raven enjoyed watching the behaviour of the men and women. He saw them begin to pair off and have children. The human families moved to other parts of the island. Since that day, many generations of humans have grown and flourished, and Raven has never been bored.

* Chiton: a large sea shell

Raven Steals the Light

In the beginning there was no light in the world, because an old magician kept it hidden in a box inside his house. Raven, who was always hungry, didn’t like the darkness because it was difficult to find food. One day he was looking for food near the old magician’s house. He heard a voice saying, “I have a box, and inside this box is another box, and inside this there is another box, and inside the smallest box is all the light in the world.” Raven decided to steal the light.

Raven waited until the old man’s daughter went down to the river to collect water. Just as she was dipping her basket into the river, he changed himself into a *hemlock needle. The needle floated into her basket. When the girl drank some water, she swallowed Raven too.

Inside the girl’s belly Raven took the form of a human baby. He grew and grew, and in time she gave birth to a funny looking child with black eyes and a big nose. The old man loved his grandson so much that he gave in to the child’s every wish. Raven became spoilt and greedy. He was bored with all his toys, and wanted to play with the box that held the light. Finally the grandfather opened the box and tossed the glowing ball of light to Raven.

As soon as Raven caught the light, he immediately changed into his bird form. Holding the light in his beak, he flew up the chimney hole into the dark world. The magician was angry. He wanted to get the light back into his box. He flew after Raven.

The light was heavy in Raven's beak, and he was getting tired. The magician was coming closer. Raven broke off some pieces of the light and threw them into the sky. They became the stars. The magician was still coming closer, so Raven broke off another piece of the light and threw it into the sky. It became the moon. Finally Raven became so tired that he tossed the last and biggest piece of the light into the sky. It became the sun; and that is how daylight came to the world.

* hemlock needle: the needle-shaped leaf of an evergreen tree

Sedna the Sea Goddess

Sedna was a beautiful Inuit girl who didn’t want to get married. Many hunters wanted to marry her, but she refused their offers. Her father scolded her, saying, “I am getting older, and soon you will need a good husband who can provide you with food and furs. You must marry the next hunter who asks for you.” Sedna still wasn’t interested.

Soon a young hunter from a distant place came to her father’s camp . He was dressed in warm furs, and spoke in a soft voice. He promised to provide a good home and plenty of animals for food and clothing. Although he kept his face hidden under his hood, Sedna was very impressed with him, so she agreed to marry him.

Sedna got into her husband’s kayak and travelled with him to her new home. When they arrived at his island, she saw that her home was nothing but some sticks and bits of moss and feathers clinging to a large rock. Her husband took off his hood, and she realized that he was not a man, but an evil raven. He never hunted, he only caught fish. Sedna was cold, lonely, hungry, and very unhappy. Every day she cried for her father to come and save her.

Her father heard her cries and decided to rescue her. He paddled his kayak to the island where she was living. On their way home, Sedna looked back and saw that the raven was following them. He was gaining on them quickly. As the raven came close, her father took his paddle and struck the bird, who had to fall back. Then the raven flapped his powerful wings at the ocean and caused a huge storm to blow up.

When her father saw that their lives were in danger, he became afraid for his own life. He threw Sedna over the side of the kayak. Sedna tried to save herself. She grabbed onto the kayak with her fingers, but her father took his paddle and beat at her fingers until they broke off. As they sank into the ocean, her fingers turned into seals and fish. Again, Sedna grabbed the kayak with her hands, but her father took his paddle and beat her hands until they also fell into the water. As they sank into the ocean, her hands turned into whales and walrus. Sedna also sank into the ocean.

Sedna lives at the bottom of the ocean. She is the goddess of the sea. She is the one who provides animals for the hunters, but only when she feels generous. When she is angry, and this is often, the hunters can’t find food; and the people go hungry. 

Nasreddin and the Pot

One day Nasreddin borrowed a pot from his neighbour Ali. The next day he brought it back with another little pot inside. "That's not mine," said Ali. "Yes, it is," said Nasreddin. "While your pot was staying with me, it had a baby."

Some time later Nasreddin asked Ali to lend him a pot again. Ali agreed, hoping that he would once again receive two pots in return. However, days passed and Nasreddin had still not returned the pot. Finally Ali lost patience and went to demand his property. "I am sorry," said Nasreddin. "I can't give you back your pot, since it has died." "Died!" screamed Ali, "how can a pot die?" "Well," said Nasreddin, "you believed me when I told you that your pot had had a baby."

Nasreddin Goes Shopping

One day Nasreddin went to town to buy new clothes. First he tried on a pair of trousers. He didn't like the trousers, so he gave them back to the shopkeeper. Then he tried a robe which had the same price as the trousers. Nasreddin was pleased with the robe, and he left the shop. Before he climbed on his donkey to ride home, the shopkeeper and the shop-assistant ran out.

"You didn't pay for the robe!" said the shopkeeper.

"But I gave you the trousers in exchange for the robe, didn't I?" replied Nasreddin.

"Yes, but you didn't pay for the trousers, either!" said the shopkeeper.

"But I didn't buy the trousers," replied Nasreddin. "I am not so stupid as to pay for something which I never bought."

Nasreddin and the Beggar

One day, Nasreddin was up on the roof of his house, mending a hole in the tiles. He had nearly finished, and he was pleased with his work. Suddenly, he heard a voice below call "Hello!" When he looked down, Nasreddin saw an old man in dirty clothes standing below.

"What do you want?" asked Nasreddin.

"Come down and I'll tell you," called the man.

Nasreddin was annoyed, but he was a polite man, so he put down his tools. Carefully, he climbed all the way down to the ground.

"What do you want?" he asked, when he reached the ground.

"Could you spare a little money for an old beggar?" asked the old man. Nasreddin thought for a minute.

Then he said, "Come with me." He began climbing the ladder again. The old man followed him all the way to the top. When they were both sitting on the roof, Nasreddin turned to the beggar.

"No," he said.

Nasreddin the Ferry Man

Nasreddin once had an old boat, which he used to ferry people across the river. One day, he was taking a university professor to the other side.

"What is the square root of 9?" asked the professor.

"I don't know," answered Nasreddin.

"How do you spell elephant?" asked the professor.

"I have no idea," replied Nasreddin.

"Didn't you study anything at school?" demanded the professor, surprised.

"No," said Nasreddin.

"Then you wasted half your life," said the professor.

Nasreddin was silent for a little while. Then he said:

"Can you swim?"

"No," said the professor.

"Then you wasted ALL of your life," said Nasreddin. "We are sinking."

Nasreddin's Visitors

One day a visitor came to Nasreddin's house. "I am your cousin from Konya," he said, "and I have brought you a duck to celebrate the visit." Nasreddin was delighted. He asked his wife to cook the duck, and served the visitor a fine dinner.

The next day another visitor arrived. "I am the friend of the man who brought you the duck," he said. Nasreddin invited him in and gave him a good meal. The next day another visitor arrived, and said he was the friend of the friend of the man who had brought the duck. Again Nasreddin invited him in for a meal. However, he was getting annoyed. Visitors seemed to be using his house as a restaurant.

Then another visitor came, and said he was the friend of the friend of the friend of the man who had brought the duck. Nasreddin invited him to eat dinner with him. His wife brought some soup to the table and the visitor tasted it. "What kind of soup is this?" asked the visitor. "It tastes just like warm water." "Ah!" said Nasreddin, "That is the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck."