The Little Red Hen.
"Can you help me?" said Hen.
"No, I can't," said Dog.
Can you help me? said Hen.
"No," said Cat. "I can't."
"Can you help me?" said Hen.
No, I can't, " said Pig.
"Can you help me?" Hen said.
"No," said Dog and Cat and Pig.
Can you help me? Hen said.
Dog and Cat and Pig said, No!"
Can you help me? Hen said.
Can we help you?! said Dog and Cat and Pig.
No, you can't.
Chicken Little was walking in the woods.
"Oh, no!" said Chicken Little. The sky is falling!
I will go to tell the king.
So Chicken Little went to tell the king.
Along came Henny Penny.
The sky is falling, " said Chicken Little.
"Oh, no!" said Henny Penny.
So Henny Penny and Chicken Little went to tell the king.
Along came Ducky Lucky.
"The sky is falling, " said Chicken Little.
"Oh, no!" said Ducky Lucky.
So Ducky Lucky and Henny Penny and Chicken Little went to tell the king.
Along came Goosey Loosey.
"The sky is falling, " said Chicken Little.
So Goosey Loosey and Ducky Lucky and Henny Penny and Chicken Little went to tell the king.
Along came Foxy Loxy.
"The sky is falling, " said Chicken Little.
"Oh!" said Foxy Loxy.
"Let's look up at the sky."
So Goosey Loosey and Ducky Lucky and Henny Penny and Chicken Little looked up at the sky.
They looked and looked.
Foxy Loxy looked at Goosey Loosey and Ducky Lucky and Henny Penny and Chicken Little.
"Maybe the sky is not falling, " said Chicken Little.
"h!" said Henny Penny and Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey.
"The sky is not falling."
So Chicken Little and Henny Penny and Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey looked at Foxy Loxy.
"Run!" said Chicken Little. "Run!" said Henny Penny. "Run!" said Ducky Lucky. "Run!" said Goosey Loosey.
They ran and ran. They ran all the way home.
And they never did tell the king that the sky was falling.
The Great Big Enormous Turnip.
One day, a farmer planted a turnip seed.
Then he went off to bed.
The seed grew all night.
It grew and grew and grew!
The next day, the farmer came out to check on the plant.
"Wow!" he said.
"Look at that turnip! I'll pull it out, and we can have it for lunch."
The farmer pulled and pulled on the turnip.
But the turnip did not come out.
The farmer's wife came out to check on the farmer.
"Wow!" she said.
"That is a big turnip!
We can have it for lunch."
"Help me pull it out, " said the farmer.
The farmer's wife pulled on the farmer.
The farmer pulled on the turnip. But the turnip did not come out.
The farmer's son came out to check on his mother.
"Wow!" he said.
"That is a great big turnip!
We can have it for lunch."
"Help us pull it out, " said the farmer.
The son pulled on his mother.
The wife pulled on the farmer. The farmer pulled on the turnip. But the turnip did not come out.
"You pull, too!" said the farmer. "Pull with us!" said the wife.
"Pull! Pull!" said the son.
The dog pulled on the farmer's son. The son pulled on his mother.
The wife pulled on the farmer.
The farmer pulled on the turnip. But the turnip did not come out.
Then a mouse ran up to the farmer.
"Squeak! Squeak!" said the mouse.
"You can't help!" said the farmer. "You are too little!" said the wife. "Go away!" said the son.
"Woof! Woof!" said the dog.
But the mouse pulled on the dog.
The dog pulled on the son.
The son pulled on his mother.
The wife pulled on the farmer.
The farmer pulled on the turnip.
POP!
Up came the turnip at last!
What a great big enormous turnip!" yelled everyone.
Now we can have it for lunch."
The farmer cut up the turnip. The farmer's wife baked the turnip.
Then the farmer, the farmer's wife, the farmer's son, the farmer's dog, and the mouse all ate the turnip.
The Coyote and the Rabbit
Long ago, Coyote met Rabbit in the woods.
"I can run as fast as the wind, " Coyote bragged. "I am the fastest animal."
"I can run fast, too, " said Rabbit.
"Let's have a race, said Coyote. "I am faster than you. So I will win the race."
Rabbit wanted to win. But he knew Coyote ran faster. So Rabbit asked his brothers for help.
"Help me trick Coyote, " said Rabbit. "Then I can win the race."
The race was the next day. Rabbit said, "I will run underground
"That is fine. I run faster than you, " bragged Coyote. "So I will win."
The race began.
Coyote dashed off! Rabbit jumped into a hole.
Coyote ran very fast. Then he stopped to rest.
A rabbit came out of a hole ahead of him.
It was one of Rabbit's brothers. But Coyote didn't know that. 
Coyote ran faster. Then he stopped to rest.
A rabbit came out of a hole ahead of him.
It was another one of Rabbit's brothers. But Coyote didn't know that.
Coyote ran even faster. Then he stopped to rest again.
A rabbit came out of a hole ahead of him.
It was another one of Rabbit s brothers. But Coyote didn't know that.
So Coyote ran. He ran as fast as the wind.
Rabbit ran, too. He ran out of the last hole. Coyote saw Rabbit win the race!
Rabbit and his brothers laughed and laughed.
And Coyote never bragged again!
Three Little Pigs and a Big Bad Wolf
Once there were three little pigs.
They needed new homes.
The first little pig made his house out of straw.
What a fine house!" he said.
The second little pig made her house out of sticks.
"What a fine house!" she said.
The third little pig made his house out of bricks.
"What a fine house!" he said.
One day a big bad wolf came to the straw house.
"Let me in, little pig!" he said. 
"No!" said the first little pig.
"Then I'll huff and puff and blow your house down," said the big bad wolf.
And he did.
The little pig ran away to his sisters stick house.
The next day the big bad wolf went to the stick house.
"Let me in, little pigs!" he said.
"No!" said the second little pig.
Then I'll huff and puff and blow your house down!" said the big bad wolf.
And he did.
The little pigs ran away to their brother's brick house.
"Let me in, little pigs!" he said.
"No!" said the third little pig.
Then I'll huff and puff and blow your house down! said the big bad wolf.
And he tried.
Huff! Puff!
The big bad wolf huffed and he puffed.
But he could not blow the brick house down!
So the big bad wolf came up with a plan.
But the three little pigs had a plan, too.
"Hello, wolf!" they said.
The big bad wolf ran away.
And the three little pigs lived happily ever after!
The Wind and the Sun
One day, Wind and Sun were bragging to each other.
"I am stronger than you, " Wind bragged.
"When I blow, I can bend trees!
I can turn umbrellas inside out!"
"I am stronger than you, " bragged Sun.
"When I shine, 
I make plants grow.
I can melt snow and ice!"
"How can we tell who is stronger?" asked Sun.
"I have a great idea, " said Wind.
"Let's have a contest."
"What kind of contest?"asked Sun.
"Look at that traveler down there on the road, " said Wind.
"He is wearing a coat.
I will make his coat come off.
I can blow it right off his back! Can you make his coat come off?"
"I like that contest, " said Sun. "I'm sure I can make his coat come off.
You go first, "
Sun said to Wind.
"I'll hide behind that cloud."
Sun went behind a cloud to watch.
Wind blew. Wind blew harder. Wind blew so hard that the man's hat came right off.
But his coat did not come off.
The man just grabbed his hat and tied it on tight.
He put on his gloves, and he traveled on.
Wind blew even harder.
He blew as hard as he could.
The man pulled his coat tighter around him, and he traveled on.
Sun came out from behind the cloud.
"It's my turn now, " he said.
"You will see how easy it is for me to make the man take off his coat."
Sun looked down at the man and began to shine.
"It is so warm, " said the man.
He took off his hat.
Sun kept shining.
Sun got very hot.
The man got hotter and hotter.
I feel really warm," said the man, and he took off his gloves.
Sun got as hot as he could.
"It's much too warm to wear this coat, " said the man, and he took off his coat.
"I win the contest!" said Sun to Wind.
"I made the man take off his coat, so I am stronger than you."
"Yes, you are, " agreed Wind.
And he turned into a little breeze.
Goldie and the Three Bears
One day, Goldie went for a walk in the woods.
Soon she came to a little house.
The door was open. "Hello, " called Goldie.
But no one answered.
"I wonder who lives here, " said Goldie.
"I think I'll go inside." And she did.
Goldie was hungry from her walk.
She saw three bowls of soup on the table.
She tried them all.
So Goldie ate the soup.
And soon it was all gone.
Goldie was cold from her walk.
She saw three chairs by the fireplace.
She tried them all.
So Goldie sat on the chair. And she broke it.
Goldie was sleepy and wanted a nap. She saw three beds in the bedroom.
She tried them all.
So Goldie lay down on the bed.
And she fell asleep.
Just then, the three bears came home.
Baby Bear was hungry from his walk.
So he got his soup bowl.
"My soup is all gone!" cried Baby Bear.
"Who ate my soup?"
"I don't know, " said Mama Bear.
Baby Bear was cold from his walk.
So he went to his chair by the fireplace.
"My chair is all broken!" cried Baby Bear.
"Who broke my chair?"
"I don't know, " said Papa Bear.
Baby Bear was sleepy and wanted a nap.
So he went to his bed.
"Someone is sleeping in my bed!" cried Baby Bear.
"Who is that?"
"I don't know, " said Mama Bear.
"It's a little girl, " said Papa Bear.
"And she's fast asleep!"
Goldie woke up when she heard the three bears. She jumped out of bed.
"Eek!" cried Goldie.
"Eek!" cried the three bears.
Goldie ran out of the house. She ran all the way home as fast as she could.
She gave her mother a big hug and kiss.
And she never went back to the little house again!
The Hare and the Tortoise
A long time ago, there lived a Hare and a Tortoise. The Tortoise was quiet and kind, but the Hare was loud and liked to brag a lot.
"I'm the fastest animal of all!" he would say. "No one could ever beat me in a race!"
Hare bragged so much that no one believed him.
"You talk so much," said the Frog, "that you don't have time to race."
"I'm pretty fast myself," said the Squirrel.
"Me, too," said the Raccoon.
"You're not as fast as I am," said the Hare. "I'll race you!"
"No thanks," said the Frog.
"Not today," said the Squirrel.
"I don't think so," said the Raccoon.
But quietly, the Tortoise said,
"I will race you."
"You must be joking!" said the Hare. "You are the slowest animal of all!"
"I'm not joking," said the Tortoise. So the two agreed to race the next morning.
Animals from near and far heard about the race. By the next morning, a crowd had gathered.
Everyone was sure the Hare would win. After all, he was the fastest animal.
But everyone hoped the Tortoise would win. After all, he was the kindest animal.
Soon, the Hare and the Tortoise were at the START line.
The Frog rang the bell, and the race began. The Hare took off like a rocket! He ran past the Tortoise and called, "Good-bye, Tortoise! This will be a very easy race for me!"
The Tortoise walked slowly along the path. "I will not listen to the Hare," he thought. "Let him say what he wants. I will just keep going."
The Hare was near the FINISH line. When he looked back, he could hardly see the Tortoise. "This is such a silly race!" he said. "That slow Tortoise could never beat me. I can take my time and still win the race."
So the Hare stopped to eat some leaves. Then he drank some cool water from the lake. He ate and drank until he was very full.
"I think I'll take a little nap," he said. "The Tortoise is very far behind. I can rest and still win the race!"
So the Hare sat down and closed his eyes. Soon he was fast asleep. He dreamed that he won the race.
Meanwhile, the Tortoise walked slowly along the path. He had walked all day. He was very tired, but he didn't stop. Soon he walked right past the sleeping Hare!
"Is that the FINISH line?" the Tortoise thought. "Yes, it is! All the animals are cheering! I'm almost there!"
All the cheering woke up the Hare. "What is going on?" he asked. Then he saw that the Tortoise was almost at the FINISH line. "Oh, no! This can, t be happening. No one could ever beat me in a race!" he said.
The Hare jumped up. He ran as fast as he could. But it was too late. The Tortoise crossed the FINISH line and won the race!
"I can't believe that you beat me!" said the Hare.
The Tortoise smiled and said quietly, "Slow and steady wins the race."
And after that, the Hare never bragged again.
The Ugly Duckling
One day, a mother duck felt her eggs begin to shake. One by one, the eggs cracked open. Eight yellow ducklings poked out their heads.
"Peep, peep," they said.
"Quack, quack!" said Mother Duck.
But one egg did not crack -- one very big egg.
Mother Duck sat on the big egg for a few more days. Finally, it cracked open. Out popped a big bird.
"Oh!" said Mother Duck. "You do not look like my other ducklings, but I am your mother, and I love you."
The little yellow ducklings made fun of the new bird.
"You do not look like us," they said. "You are big and gray. You are an ugly duckling."
This made the new bird very sad.
"You do not look like my other ducklings," said Mother Duck, "but I am your mother, and I love you."
The ugly duckling looked for someone to play with. He went to the farm pond.
"Will you swim with me?" he asked.
"No," said the ducklings. "You are too ugly."
"No," said the frogs and turtles. "You are an ugly duckling."
Then he tried the farmyard.
"Will you play with me?" he asked.
"No, no," said the horses. "You are too ugly." "No," said the pigs, and they laughed at him. The sad, ugly duckling went back to the farm pond.
"No one will play with me," he said to Mother Duck. "I am too ugly."
"You do not look like the other ducklings," said Mother Duck, "but I am your mother, and I love you."
But the ugly duckling was not happy. So he flew away.
Soon, the ugly duckling found a small pond. No one could say he was ugly.
No one could make fan of him.
Time passed, and the ugly duckling grew up. His wings were wider.
His neck was longer.
His feathers had turned white.
He had changed, but he did not know it.
Then one day, two big white birds flew over the pond.
"What beautiful birds!" thought the ugly duckling. "I hope they stop to visit.
I am lonely."
The birds flew lower and lower and landed in the pond with a splash.
"We are swans," said the big white birds, "just like you."
"I am not a swan," said the ugly duckling.
"I am an ugly duckling."
The swans laughed. "Look down at the water," they said. "What do you see?"
"You are right! he cried. "I am a beautiful swan!"
The ugly duckling was very happy to be a beautiful swan. He flew off at once to visit the farm.
"Hello," he said. "Do you remember me?"
"No!" said the ducks.
"No, no!" said the frogs and turtles. We've never seen you before, sniffed the horses and pigs.
"I am the ugly duckling!" cried the swan.
All the animals said, "You are too beautiful to be the ugly duckling."
"I grew up to be a beautiful swan," he said.
All the animals were happy to be with such a beautiful bird.
"Hello! I am your ugly duckling," he said.
Mother Duck did not care if he was a duckling or a swan. She said, "You do not look like my other ducklings, but I am your mother, and I love you."
The Goat in the Garden
Long ago, a farmer and his wife planted a garden.
One day, Goat went into the garden. Goat ate the plants.
"Stop!" said the farmer and his wife.
But Goat ate and ate.
"Let's get Dog, " said the farmer.
"He will make Goat go away."
So Dog went into the garden. Dog barked at Goat.
But Goat kicked Dog out of the garden.
"Let's get Duck, " said the farmer's wife. "She will make Goat go away!"
So Duck went into the garden. Duck quacked at Goat.
But Goat kicked Duck out of the garden.
"Where is Cow?" said the farmer.
"She will kick Goat out!"
So Cow went into the garden. Cow mooed at Goat.
But Goat kicked Cow out of the garden, too!
The farmer and his wife were sad.
Soon they would have nothing to eat!
"I can help, " said a little ant.
"How can you help us?" said the farmer and his wife. "You are tiny!"
"Just watch!" said Ant.
Ant climbed up Goat's leg. She bit Goat!
"Ouch!" cried Goat.
Ant climbed on Goat's back.
She bit Goat again and again!
"Ouch! Ouch!" cried Goat.
Then Goat ran out of the garden!
"Thank you, little Ant!" said the farmer and his wife.
"You are tiny, but you saved our garden!"
I like it here, said Ant.
"I will stay and keep Goat away."
How Bear Lost His Tail
Long ago, Bear had a long, bushy tail.
He was so proud of his tail that he showed it off to everyone.
The other animals would say,
"Bear, you have the most beautiful tail of all.
This made Fox unhappy. He thought his own long, bushy tail was the most beautiful tail of all. So Fox made a plan.
Fox knew that Bear loved fish more than anything else. So Fox cut out a hole in the ice.
He fished all day long until he had a great big pile of fish. When he heard Bear coming, Fox hid the fishing pole and dipped his tail into the cold, icy water.
Just then, Bear walked by the lake. He couldn't believe what he saw -- a great big pile of fish!
"Fox," he said. "How did you get all those beautiful fish?"
"It was easy," said Fox. "I caught them with my tail. I'll show you. But let's find a new place for you. I think I've caught all the fish here."
So Fox led Bear to a different place and cut out a new hole.
"Here is your new hole, Bear," said Fox.
"Turn around and dip your tail into the water. Soon a fish will grab it."
Bear turned his back to the hole and dipped his beautiful tail into the water.
"I cannot see the hole. How will I know if I catch a fish? asked Bear.
Fox said, "I will hide over there so the fish don't see me. When I see a fish grab your tail, I will shout to you. Then you can pull the fish out of the water. Don't move until I tell you to.
Bear nodded his head.
So Bear waited and waited. He was very tired. Soon he fell asleep.
Bear slept all day and all night. His tail got colder and colder. The ice got thicker and thicker. Bear slept and slept.
Fox waited by the tree. He waited until Bear had slept all night long.
At last it was time. Fox crept up to Bear's ear and shouted, "NOW, BEAR!"
Bear woke up and pulled his tail, but it wouldn't move.
"Pull harder," said Fox. "It must be a HUGE fish."
Bear pulled and pulled, until... SNAP!
Bear turned around to see the huge fish he had caught. But that is not what he saw.
"My tail, " cried Bear. "My big, beautiful tail!
The fishing hole was gone. There in the ice was Bear's tail. The water had frozen while Bear slept, and his tail was stuck in the ice.
Fox pointed at Bear's new short tail and laughed. "What a silly little tail for a great, big bear," said Fox.
Bear was sad. He didn't want the other animals to see his short little tail, so he ran home to his cave and slept all winter long.
Now Fox shows off his own beautiful tail every chance he gets!
The Gingerbread Man.
Once upon a time, a little old woman and a little old man lived deep in the woods.
One day, the little old woman said "Let's make a gingerbread man."
So they made the gingerbread, and they cut out a man.
The little old woman gave the gingerbread man two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Then she put him inside the oven to bake.
"I'm hungry!" said the little old man. "Is the gingerbread man ready to eat?"
"I'll look," said the little old woman.
The little old woman peeked inside the oven.
The gingerbread man jumped out.
"You can't eat me!" he cried. And he ran away.
"Come back!" cried the little old woman.
"Come back!" cried the little old man.
Then the little old woman and the little old man ran after the gingerbread man.
The gingerbread man ran and ran. He laughed and said, "Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man!"
Down the road, the gingerbread man met a hungry pig.
"Stop! Stop!" cried the pig. "I want to eat you!"
"Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man!
I can! I can!"
Down the road, the gingerbread man met a hungry cow.
"Stop! Stop!" cried the cow. "You look good to eat!"
"Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me.
I'm the gingerbread man!
I can! I can!"
The gingerbread man came to a river.
"Oh, no!" he cried.
"How will I get across?"
Then the gingerbread man saw a fox.
"I can take you across, " said the sly fox. "Jump on my tail."
"No! You will eat me up, " said the gingerbread man.
"No, I won't, " said the sly fox.
"Jump on my tail."
So the gingerbread man jumped on the fox's tail.
"I'm getting wet, " said the gingerbread man.
"Jump on my back, " said the sly fox.
"You will stay dry there."
The gingerbread man jumped on the fox's back.
"I am getting wet, " said the gingerbread man.
"Jump on my nose, ', said the sly fox.
"You will stay dry there."
The gingerbread man jumped. He jumped right into the fox's mouth!
"Yum!" said the sly fox.
And that was the end of the gingerbread man!
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse.
There was a city mouse. She went to visit her friend in the country.
City Mouse had never been to the country before. The grass was green, and the air smelled fresh.
"I think I will like the country," she thought.
Country Mouse served a fine meal. She thought the food was delicious.
But City Mouse did not agree. "Country food is different from city food, " said City Mouse. "Come visit me in the city. You will love city food."
"I will visit you soon," said Country Mouse. "But now it is late. Let me show you your bed in the barn."
Country Mouse had made her friend a bed in the hay, right next to her own. Country Mouse thought the hay was warm and cozy.
But City Mouse did not agree. "This feels like pins and needles!" she thought. "How can anyone sleep in hay?"
"Come visit me in the city," said City Mouse. "You will love city beds."
"I will visit you soon," said Country Mouse. Then she yawned and fell asleep.
City Mouse could not sleep at all. The hay poked her and pinched her all night long. In the morning, City Mouse said good-bye and happily went back to the city.
The next month, Country Mouse visited her friend in the city.
The buildings were tall, and the people were busy. "I think I will like the city," thought Country Mouse.
"Come in," said City Mouse. "But please hurry! We have to run."
City Mouse and Country Mouse ran. Finally, they stopped in a big room. City Mouse waved her arm grandly. "Here we are!" she said.
Country Mouse looked around her. She had never seen so much food before.
"Have a taste of sugar," said City Mouse.
"Mmmm," said Country Mouse, licking her lips. "It is so sweet!"
"Try some butter," City Mouse said.
"H!" said Country Mouse. "It is so delicious!" The little mouse ate and ate. She felt like the luckiest mouse in the world!
Just then, City Mouse squeaked, "Run!"
"What's wrong? cried Country Mouse.
"The people are here!" yelled City Mouse. "Run into that hole!"
The little mice ran as fast as they could into a hole in the wall. Country Mouse was shaking with fear.
"That was terrible!" said Country Mouse. "Does that happen all the time?"
"Oh," said City Mouse. "You get used to it after a while.
Country Mouse did not think that she could ever get used to it. City life was just too scary for her.
"We can have a nap here," said City Mouse. "This is nicer than your scratchy old hay bed.
Country Mouse didn't agree. But, tired from so much running, she closed her eyes and slept.
When the mice woke up, it was quiet.
"Let's go back out!" said City Mouse.
In the kitchen, the mice saw big plates of food everywhere.
Country Mouse sniffed and nibbled one delicious dish after another.
Then Country Mouse saw a beautiful piece of cheese in the corner.
"OH -- I want some of that cheese!" Country Mouse said.
"STOP!" cried City Mouse. "Don't eat it!
It's a terrible trap!"
Country Mouse stopped. "What's a trap? " she asked.
"When you take the cheese, something comes down on your head -- hard!" said City Mouse.
Country Mouse jumped to the floor.
"I think I'll go home now, City Mouse," she said. "In the country, I never have to worry about traps coming down hard on my head!
Good-bye!"
So Country Mouse went home.
She smelled the fresh air, she ate in peace, and she slept in the warm, cozy hay. She was happy to be a country mouse.
But she did dream about her visit to the city. She dreamed about sugar, and butter... and cheese.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Once upon a time there was a poor boy named Jack. He lived with his mother in a small cottage far out in the country. A mean giant lived in a castle high up in the clouds. Jack and his mother were poor because the giant had taken all their money.
One morning, Jack woke up and went to the kitchen.
"Mother," Jack cried, "we have nothing left to eat! And we have no money. What should we do?"
"You must sell our cow at the market, " his mother said. "We can use the money to buy some food."
Jack went off to sell the cow. On the way, he met an old man.
"Where are you going?" the man asked Jack.
"I am going to the market to sell my cow," said Jack. "A mean giant took our money. We are poor and have nothing to eat."
"I have some magic beans to show you, " said the old man. "You give me your cow, and I'll give you the beans. They will grow overnight, and you will have plenty to eat."
"Thank you, " said Jack. He left the cow and went home with the beans.
When Jack returned home, his mother was waiting. "How much money did you get for the cow?" she asked.
"Oh, Mother, " Jack cried, "I have something better than money! I met an old man on the road to the market. He gave me some magic beans, and I gave him our cow."
"Magic beans? What good are magic beans?" yelled Jack's mother. "What a fool you are, Jack!" And she tossed the beans out the window into the yard.
That night, Jack and his mother went to bed hungry.
The next morning, Jack jumped out of bed. He dressed quickly and ran to the window.
Jack couldn't believe his eyes. A tall beanstalk had grown way, way up into the clouds.
"Mother, Mother!" Jack called. "Come quickly! The magic beans have grown overnight.
Now we'll have lots of beans to eat."
Jack and his mother went outside. Jack started to climb up the beanstalk.
"What are you doing, Jack?" cried his mother. "Come down! You might fall."
"I want to see what's at the top, " said Jack. "I'll be back soon." Jack climbed up, up, up into the clouds.
At the top of the beanstalk, Jack saw a long road.
"This is the road to the giant's castle, " thought Jack. "I want to see this castle."
So Jack stepped off the beanstalk and followed the road to the castle.
When Jack got to the castle, he opened the door and peeked inside. He saw the giant sitting at a table. The giant had a big sack filled with gold coins. It was the money that he had taken from Jack and his mother.
Before long, the giant fell asleep and began to snore. Quickly, Jack grabbed the sack and raced off with the money.
Clink, clank, clunk, went the coins, waking up the giant.
"Come back here!" he yelled at Jack. The giant turned red with anger. Then he roared:
"Fee-fi-fo-fum. I will squash you with my thumb!"
Jack dashed down the road as fast as lightning. He started to climb down the beanstalk.
The giant roared like thunder.
Jack climbed down the beanstalk as fast as he could. But the giant was not far behind. He roared so loudly that the beanstalk shook.
Jack held tightly onto the beanstalk. When he got to the bottom, he shouted, "Mother, get the ax!"
With one blow of the ax, Jack cut down the beanstalk. The beanstalk fell DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, hitting the ground with a thud.
The giant was never heard from again.
And Jack and his mother lived happily ever after.
Stone Soup.
Long ago, a young man came into a poor little town. All he had was a soup pot and a spoon.
The man was very hungry.
The young man stopped at a house.
He knocked at the door.
"I am cold and hungry, " he said.
"May I have a bit of food?"
"This is a poor town, " said the woman.
"We don't have any food.
I'm sorry."
Now, the woman had some beans, but not enough to share.
The young man went on until he came to another house.
He knocked at the door.
"I am cold and hungry, " he said.
"May I have a bit of food?"
"I'm sorry, " said an old man. "This is a poor town.
We don't have any food."
Now, the old man had a bit of meat, but not enough to share.
The young man went on and on from house to house.
All the people said they were sorry.
But no one gave him any food.
"This is a poor town, " they said.
"We don't have any food."
Now, all the people had a little food, but not enough to share.
The young man was still very hungry.
So he came up with a plan.
First, he made a fire right in the middle of town. Then, he filled his pot with water.
Next, he set the pot on the fire.
Last, he picked up a nice, round stone and put it into his pot.
Steam rose from the pot.
The young man stirred and stirred with his spoon.
"This stone soup looks good, " he said loudly.
"Soon it will be ready to eat."
People came out to see what the young man was doing.
"What are you doing?" they asked.
"I'm making stone soup, " he said.
"I'll give you some when it is ready. There will be plenty for all of us."
"How do you make stone soup?" asked a girl.
"It's easy, " said the young man. "All you need is a stone.
But it would be so much better with a few beans."
"I have a few beans, " a woman said.
The woman went off and got the beans. She dropped them into the pot.
"Mmm, " said the young man. "Thank you.
This stone soup looks good. But it would be so much better with a bit of meat.
An old man said, 
"I have a bit of meat."
The old man went off and got the bit of meat.
He dropped it into the pot.
"Thank you!" said the young man. "Our stone soup is getting better and better."
"Do you want some carrots?" asked a woman.
I have some carrots.
"Do you want a potato?" asked a boy.
"I have a potato."
"Do you want some corn?" asked a man.
"I have a little corn."
"Do you want some salt? asked the girl.
"I have some salt."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" said the young man. So they all ran off to get the food."
"Mmm, " said the young man. "Now the soup is ready.
Get your bowls, and we can all eat."
"Mmm, " said the men. "Mmm, " said the women. "Mmm, " said the children.
"Thank you, " said all the people. "Now we know how to make stone soup.
We will never be hungry again."
The young man just smiled and went on his way.
The Fox and the Gulls.
Long ago, Fox lived in a little reed hut on the shore of a large lake. Early one spring morning, the sound of splashing water startled Fox.
"The gulls are back!" Fox cried. "It's been a long winter." His stomach rumbled at the thought of a tasty gull breakfast. "I just need to wait a bit longer," Fox said to himself. "Soon I will have a tasty feast!"
From a distance, Fox watched Mother Gull build a nest of twigs and reeds. When she finished, Mother Gull laid her eggs.
Some weeks later, Fox heard the cries of newborn gull chicks.
"Those gulls will be delicious, " Fox said to himself. "I just need to wait a bit longer. Soon I will have a tasty feast!"
One day, Mother Gull flew off to find food for her chicks. Fox ran to the nest and scooped up the baby gulls. He put the chicks in an old sack. Then Fox ran back to his little reed hut.
Fox was very tired by the time he got home.
"I'm too tired to cook, " he said. "I need to rest before I fix dinner." He dropped the sack of chicks beside the pile of wood outside his doorway. He went inside his hut to take a nap.
While Fox slept, the baby chicks cried for help.
Mother Gull heard her babies' cries. She flew as fast as she could to Fox's hut.
"Shhh!" Mother Gull whispered. "Don't cry, my little ones."
Mother Gull took the baby chicks out of the sack. She carried them one by one to an island in the middle of the lake. Fox could not reach them there!
When all the chicks were safely on the island, Mother Gull flew back to Fox's hut.
"I will teach that mean Fox a lesson, " she said. She filled the sack with thorny branches.
Fox woke up. He was very hungry. He went outside and opened the sack. But when Fox reached down to grab a chick, he got a paw full of thorns instead!
"Ouch!" he cried. Where is my tasty treat?"
Fox looked toward the lake. There were Mother Gull and her chicks, watching him from the island.
"Mother Gull has tricked me!" Fox cried.
"I must teach her a lesson."
Fox could not swim across to the island to steal the baby chicks again. So he came up with a clever idea.
"I'll drink the lake dry!" he said, smiling to himself. "Then I can walk to the island."
Fox drank and drank. He drank all day.
He drank all night. But the lake stayed full of water!
The next morning, Mother Gull and her chicks woke up on the island. They looked back at the shore and saw Fox. He was so full of water that he looked like a balloon!
And just like a balloon, Fox lifted up into the air and floated away. Mother Gull and her baby chicks never had to worry about Fox again.
The Lion and the Mouse
One day, a Lion was taking a nap. Soon, a little Mouse came running by. He was in a hurry to get home.
The Mouse did not see the Lion.
So he ran right over the Lion's nose!
The Lion woke up with a loud roar. He grabbed the little Mouse with his big paw.
"I, M GOING TO EAT YOU!" roared the Lion.
"YOU WOKE ME UP!"
The Lion opened his big jaws. He was going to eat the little Mouse!
"Dear Lion, please do not eat me!" said the Mouse.
"I did not mean to wake you up. Please let me go!"
The little Mouse kept talking and begging.
"Dear Lion, please, please let me go!
If you do, maybe one day I will help you."
The Lion laughed at the little Mouse. He laughed so hard that he could not stop.
"You think you can help me?" he asked.
"How could a little Mouse ever help me?"
"What a funny little Mouse you are!" said the Lion.
"I think I will let you go.
I am not that hungry, anyway."
The little Mouse was so happy!
He ran off to his home.
"Thank you, dear Lion!" he called. But the Lion did not hear him. He was still laughing too hard!
A few days later, the Lion was out walking.
Suddenly, a hunter's net trapped him. He was caught.
The Lion roared and tried to get free.
But he was trapped!
The little Mouse was close by.
He was taking a nap.
The Mouse woke up when he heard the Lion roar.
"The Lion needs my help, " he said. So he went to find the Lion.
The little Mouse saw the Lion in the hunter's net.
"I will help you, dear Lion, " he said.
"Do not be silly, little Mouse, " said the Lion.
"What can you do?
No one can help me now!"
"I can help you, " said the little Mouse.
So the Mouse went to work.
He bit at the ropes with his little teeth.
He bit and he chewed.
He chewed and he bit.
Then he bit and he chewed some more.
It took the little Mouse a long time. But at last, the Lion was free!
"How can I thank you?" asked the Lion.
"What can I do for you?"
"Well, there is one thing, " said the Mouse.
"I want to be your friend."
And so it was.
The Lion and the Mouse became best friends.
And the Lion learned this lesson: "A little friend can be the best friend of all!"
The Three Billy Goats
Long ago, there were three goats named Big, Middle, and Small.
Like all goats, they loved grass, and they were always hungry for more.
One day, Small said, "Look over there, across the river!"
The goats looked. They saw a big, green hill.
"That hill is so green!" said Middle.
"It must be covered with tasty grass."
"That grass will make a fine lunch, " said Big. "Let's go there now!"
The goats reached the edge of the river. They saw a sign. It said:
Warning! Troll Bridge! Do Not Cross!
"I don't like trolls!" said Small.
"Neither do I!" said Middle.
"Don't worry, " said Big. He pointed under the bridge. "Look! We are three smart goats, and I see only one little troll. We can get across that bridge."
Small went first. As he trotted across the bridge, his small feet made a small sound.
Trip-trap.
Trip-trap.
Trip-trap.
The troll woke up. "Who is crossing my bridge?" he yelled.
"It's only me!" said Small. "I want some fresh grass to eat. Please let me go across.
"No one may cross!" cried the troll. "If you try, I will gobble you up!"
The little goat stopped to think.
"Please don't do that, " said Small. "I am very small and thin. Wait for my sister. She is bigger. You will find her much more tasty."
"Well, " said the troll. "All right then. Now run away before I change my mind!"
So Small ran across the bridge.
Next came Middle. As she trotted across the bridge, her middle-sized feet made a middle-sized sound.
TRIP-trap.
TRIP-trap.
TRIP-trap.
"Who is crossing my bridge?" yelled the troll.
"It's only me!" said the goat. "I want some fresh grass to eat. Please let me go across."
"No one may cross!" cried the troll. "If you try to cross my bridge, I will gobble you up!"
"Please don't do that, " said Middle. "Wait for my brother. He is very big, and he will make a much more tasty meal."
"Well, " said the troll. "All right then.
Now run away before I change my mind!"
So Middle ran across the bridge.
Then came Big. As he trotted across the bridge, his very big feet made a very big sound.
TRIP-TRAR
TRIP-TRAR
TRIP-TRAR
"Who is crossing my bridge?" yelled the troll.
"It's only me!" said the goat. "I want some fresh grass to eat. Please let me go across."
He saw Big. This goat was very big, just as Middle had said.
"If you try to cross my bridge,
I will gobble you up!" cried the troll. "I am very hungry, and you will make a very nice lunch."
"No, I won't, " said Big. "I am bigger than you, and I'm going to throw you into the river."
With that, Big put his head down. Then he began to run. He ran right into the troll and pushed him off the bridge.
The troll fell into the river.
Then, Big crossed the bridge. He joined Middle and Small on the hill.
They all felt very smart, and they had a lovely lunch of fresh, green grass.
Some people work in the day.
Some people work at night.
This worker drives a truck at night. He fixes the roads at night.
This worker drives a truck at night. He is a night worker. He picks up food in his truck.
Then he drives his truck to stores.
This night worker drives a police car.
He is a police officer.
He helps keep people safe at night.
This worker works at night, too.
She is a nurse.
The nurse takes care of sick people at night.
This worker is a firefighter. She is a night worker.
She helps people put out fires at night.
This night worker is a bus driver.
He takes people to work at night.
A fish has a tail.
It uses its tail to swim in the water.
A dog has a tail, too. It uses its tail to wag.
The snake has a tail.
It shakes its tail to tell you to stay away.
A horse has a tail. It uses its tail to slap at bugs.
The monkey has a tail. It uses its tail to swing on a tree.
A lion has a tail, too. She uses her tail to play with her cub.
A squirrel has a tail.
Its tail helps it stay warm.
Mother Sea Turtle swims to the beach. Then she crawls up on the sand.
Mother Sea Turtle picks a good spot to dig a hole. She digs and digs in the sand.
Mother Sea Turtle has big flippers.
Her flippers are good for digging.
Mother Sea Turtle digs a deep hole.
The hole is for her eggs. She lays many eggs in the hole.
Then she fills the hole with sand.
Her eggs are safe under the sand.
Mother Sea Turtle crawls back to the sea. Then she swims away. Her big flippers are good for swimming, too.
The eggs sit under the warm sand. Baby turtles grow inside the eggs.
One by one, baby turtles come out of their shells.
The baby turtles dig out of the sand. Their little flippers are good for digging.
The baby turtles crawl to the sea.
Then they swim away. Their little flippers are good for swimming, too.
A bird is flying down by the pond. The bird flies to its nest.
The bees are buzzing down by the pond.
They look for flowers.
Bees get food from flowers.
The frogs are hopping down by the pond. They look for bugs to eat.
The turtle is crawling down by the pond.
It crawls out of the water. It lays its eggs in the ground.
The snake is sliding down by the pond.
It slides into the grass.
It looks for mice to eat.
A mouse is running down by the pond.
He hides in the grass.
He hides from the snake.
The bird and the bees, the frogs and the turtle, the snake and the mouse, are down by the pond.
I am in a tree. I swing from tree to tree. What am I?
I am in the grass. I can hide in the grass.
What am I?
I am in the dirt. My home is under the ground. What am I?
I am in the sea. I can swim fast. What am I?
I am in a cave. I sleep here all day. What am I?
I am in the sand. I come out of the sea. What am I?
I am in the woods. I am eating the green leaves. What am I?
Some bugs eat plants. The bugs eat the leaves.
Some plants eat bugs!
Snap!
Look at the leaves on this plant.
They can trap bugs.
A bug lands on a leaf, and the leaf snaps shut. Snap!
The leaf traps the bug. The bug can not get out. Then the plant can eat the bug.
Stick!
The leaves on this plant are sticky.
A bug lands on a leaf, and the bug sticks to it. Stick!
The leaf rolls up.
The leaf traps the bug. The bug can not get out. Then the plant can eat the bug.
Slide!
The leaves on this plant look like cups.
The cups are traps for bugs!
The cups have smooth sides. A bug lands in a cup, and it slides down.
Slide!
The plant traps the bug inside the cup.
Then the plant can eat the bug.
Here is a panda cub.
This baby panda was born at a zoo.
The cub was very, very small when she was born.
She was only as big as a stick of butter!
She had pink skin and just a little white fur.
The mother panda held the cub in her arms.
She fed her cub.
The vets at the zoo checked the panda cub. They checked her as she grew and grew.
Now the cub has black fur on her ears and around her eyes.
She has black fur on her arms and legs, too.
The mother panda shows her cub how to play and how to climb trees.
She shows her cub good plants to eat.
Many people come to the zoo to see the panda cub.
They see her play and climb trees.
They see her eat, too.
Today, there is a big party at the zoo.
The party is for the cub's first birthday! Happy birthday, panda cub!
We got a big box. We put wheels on the box.
Now the box is a car.
We put plates and cups on the box.
Now the box is a table.
We made a sail for the box.
Now the box is a boat.
Then we got a new box. We made a door and windows for the box.
Now the box is a house.
We made puppets for the box.
Now the box is a stage.
Then we got a new box. We made a top for the box.
We made windows, too. Now this box is a rocket.
We made signs for the box.
Now this box is a store.
Now this box is a doghouse!
I have two eyes. I use my eyes to see.
I see flowers in the park.
The flowers look pretty.
I hear a bird in the park.
The bird sings a song.
I smell food in the park.
The food smells good
I have a mouth. I use my mouth to taste.
I taste ice cream in the park.
The ice cream tastes sweet.
I have two hands I use my hands to touch.
I touch the dog in the park.
The dog feels soft.
I can use all my senses at the park!
Dad and I went to the market. We wanted to make a surprise for Mom.
We got some tomatoes. We like to eat tomatoes.
We got some carrots. We like to eat carrots and tomatoes.
We got some potatoes. We like potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes.
We got some peppers. We like to eat peppers and potatoes.
We like to eat carrots and tomatoes.
We got some corn, too. We like to eat corn, peppers, and potatoes.
We like carrots and tomatoes, too.
Dad and I went home from the market.
Dad got the big pot.
He filled if with water.
I got the big spoon.
It was time to make the surprise for Mom.
Dad put some tomatoes in the big pot.
I put some carrots in the big pot.
Then Dad put some potatoes in the big pot.
I put some peppers in the big pot.
Then Dad put some corn in the big pot.
I mixed the soup with the big spoon.
Soon the soup was hot.
Mom liked the soup. She loved the surprise!
This mother frog lays eggs in the water.
The eggs are little.
There are many little eggs. Little tadpoles come out of the eggs.
The tadpoles are baby frogs.
Tadpoles do not look like frogs. They look like fish.
The tadpoles have tails. They do not have legs.
The little tadpoles grow. They grow short legs and long tails.
The little tadpoles do not look like frogs yet.
The tadpoles grow and grow.
The legs get longer.
The tails get shorter!
The little tadpoles grow up They have very long legs and no tails.
Now they look like frogs.
The frog is grown up. If can lay eggs in the wafer.
If is a mother frog.
Ice cream is cold. Ice cream is sweet. Ice cream is a yummy treat.
Many people love to eat ice cream. Throughout the world, ice cream is a popular dessert.
Ice cream is made from milk that comes from cows. The cows live on dairy farms.
Cows need a lot of food and wafer to make milk. They nibble on grass, and they eat hay and grains. Cows also drink plenty of water each day.
Dairy farmers give their cows all the food and water they need.
A healthy cow can fill about one hundred glasses of milk in one day!
Cows are milked twice a day.
On small farms, farmers milk the cows by hand. On big farms, machines do all the milking. The milk is pumped into special tanks. The tanks keep the milk clean, cool, and fresh.
Trucks pick up the milk from the farms. The trucks have huge tanks that keep the milk cold. The trucks take the milk to factories where some of it is made into ice cream.
At the factory.
At an ice cream factory, the milk is separated into cream and skim milk. Then the cream and milk are put together with sugar and other things. This makes an ice cream mix.
The ice cream mix is heated to kill any germs. A machine makes the mix smooth. Then the mix goes to another tank to cool.
Another machine whips the mix. This makes the ice cream taste rich and creamy. Then it is time to add flavorings, such as chocolate or vanilla. Treats such as fruit, nuts, and cookies can go in, too.
Next, the ice cream goes into containers. Then it is cooled again. This time the ice cream is frozen until it is very hard. The ice cream must not melt on the way to the stores.
Finally, the ice cream is shipped in special trucks that keep it cold. The trucks deliver the ice cream to stores where people can buy it.
The next time you enjoy some ice cream with friends, tell them how it is made. It is fun to learn how the milk from dairy cows becomes the ice cream that you eat.
House Cat.
This is a house cat. It has fur, claws, and padded feel. A house cat lives with a human family. House cats have soft fur They lick fheir fur fo keep if clean.
This is a lion. It has fur, claws, and padded feel. A lion lives outdoors with its lion family.
Lions have soft fur that gets covered with dirt and mud. But lions clean their fur just like house cats do.
House cats come in many sizes. But all house cats are the right size for people to hold in their arms. People love to hold and pet their house cats.
It would not be a good idea to pet a lion! Lions are big and strong. A grown lion weighs as much as three or four people. Big lions need to be left alone.
House cats do not have to hunt for food. Their families give them food fhaf comes from a store. House cats eat the food out of bowls.
Lions must hunt for their food. Hunting is hard work. Sometimes lions have to chase many animals before they can catch one to eat.
House cats love to sleep. They nap in the day, and they nap at night. House cats spend most of their time asleep!
Lions love to sleep, too. They can sleep all day! There are 24 hours in a day. Lions spend about 20 of those hours sleeping or resting.
When house cats are happy, they make a soft, purring sound. When a cat purrs, you can hear it. You can feel if with your hands, too.
When lions are angry, they make a loud, roaring sound. A lion roars to keep danger away from its family. You can hear a lion roar from five miles away!
Baby house cats are called kittens. Mother cats feed and take care of their kittens. If a kitten gets too far away, the mother cat goes after it. She picks up her kitten with her mouth and brings it back to the other kittens.
Baby lions are called cubs. Just like house cats, mother lions feed and take care of their cubs. If a cub gets too far away, the mother lion goes after it. She picks up her cub with her mouth and brings it back to the other cubs.
Kittens love to play. They jump and chase each other. They pounce on things that move. They love to play with people, too.
Lion cubs love to play. They jump and chase each other. They pounce on things that move. When lion cubs play, it is not just for fun. They are learning how to hunt for food.
House cats are little cats. Lions are big cats. House cats and lions are alike in many ways. But only one kind of cat makes a good pet!
My name is Emma Hickerson. I am a scientist.
I study plants and animals of the sea.
I use this little sub. It is a special sub that can dive deep into the water.
The sub has tanks of air for me to breathe.
The sub has bright lights, too.
They help me see the plants and animals.
I want to see what kinds of sharks live here.
This sub has a camera.
So I take pictures of the sharks that swim by.
Sometimes I dive off a boat into the sea.
I put on a special suit for diving.
I wear an air tank.
I wear a mask and flippers, too.
I carry a special camera that works underwater.
I take pictures of the seaweed.
I want to see how big it can grow.
I also take pictures of a sea turtle.
I want to see what kind of food the turtle eats.
Then I go back to my lab.
I look at all the pictures that I took in the sea.
I use my computer.
I write about the shark, the seaweed, and the turtle.
I love my job.
I love to study the plants and animals of the sea.
I'm writing a book about them!
It is a spring day in the desert. A bird is collecting sticks behind an old house on Cactus Road. She uses the sticks to make a nest.
The bird is Mother Roadrunner. Her name tells you that she likes to run. She doesn't fly well, so she doesn't make her nest high in a tree. She tucks the nest in some cactus plants.
Mother Roadrunner lays four eggs in the nest over the next four days. Then she settles down to sleep. She is tired after all her hard work.
Later, the sound of rain wakes Mother Roadrunner. She leaves her nest and runs into the desert to sip rainwater. Mother Roadrunner always runs wherever she goes!
Father Roadrunner stays in the nest while she is gone. He protects the eggs until Mother Roadrunner comes back.
Mother Roadrunner sees some lizards near a rain puddle. Lizards are fast. But Mother Roadrunner is faster! She zooms across the ground. She catches a lizard. It is a good snack for a roadrunner.
Mother and Father Roadrunner take turns guarding the nest for 14 days. Mother Roadrunner stays in the nest during the day. She goes out to hunt for food at night. Then Father Roadrunner watches the nest.
When 14 days have passed, both Mother and Father Roadrunner stay close to the nest.
Mother Roadrunner does make one quick trip to get some spiders. But she runs right back!
Soon, one of the eggs moves a little. The baby roadrunner is inside the egg. It is tapping at the shell. The baby works hard. The baby uses its beak to poke and peck at the egg. It takes a long time to crack the egg's shell.
One by one, the baby roadrunners hatch out of the eggs.
The babies are hungry They cheep and peep. Mother Roadrunner feeds her babies. Then the babies fall asleep. The roadrunner babies can not run yet. They can not even walk.
The roadrunner babies will be ready to get their own food soon. They will run fast. They will need less help from Mother and Father Roadrunner.
But now, Mother and Father Roadrunner protect the babies. Mother and Father bring the babies food. They keep the babies safe and warm in their nest near Cactus Road.
Roadrunners live in the desert. They like to run along the road. That's how they got their name.
Roadrunners are speedy birds. They can run as fast as 15 miles per hour.
Roadrunners' feet are very strong. Each foot has two toes in front and two toes in back. It makes a footprint that looks like an X.
Football Team.
This is a sports team. The team plays football. The players love to play the game.
This is a sports team. The team plays soccer. The players love to play the game.
Football players can hold the ball with their hands. They can throw and catch the ball.
Football players can run with the ball, too.
Some players on this football team can kick the ball.
One of the players is called the kicker.
Soccer Players
Soccer players can not hold the ball with their hands.
They can kick the ball and hit it with their heads. Soccer players can run with the ball.
Just one player on this soccer team can hold the ball.
This player is called the goalie.
Playing the Game
The players on this football team love their game.
They love to win!
The players on this soccer team love their game.
They love to win, too!
Eugenie Clark is a famous scientist. She has spent her life studying fish. Sharks are some of her favorite fish. Eugenie has traveled around the world to learn about different kinds of sharks. Many people call Eugenie Clark the "shark lady."
When Eugenie was a young girl, she spent hours observing fish at the New York Aquarium. Eugenie learned about different kinds of fish, and she pretended she was in the water with them. She wondered what it would feel like to be one of the fish.
At home, Eugenie set up her own fish tank. She watched her fish carefully and took notes about what they did. She wrote about fish and read about them. It was her dream to become a scientist someday.
Not many women were scientists when Eugenie was young. But that didn't stop her. When Eugenie went to college, she took science classes and became a fish expert.
Eugenie decided to dive deep in the sea, so she could study fish where they live. She learned how to dive with a mask and how to use underwater breathing equipment.
The first time Eugenie saw a shark under the water, she was surprised. The huge shark swam right past her. Eugenie thought it was beautiful, and she was sorry when it swam away.
In the lab, Eugenie tested lemon sharks to see how smart they were. Eugenie trained the sharks to do things. The sharks learned to ring a bell to get food.
Before this, people thought sharks were not very smart. Eugenie proved that sharks are smart after all!
Eugenie Clark says that she is not afraid of sharks. She is too interested in them to be scared. But she also says it is important to understand how sharks act.
Eugenie used an underwater cage to study great white sharks. These sharks can be dangerous to people, but Eugenie studied them from inside the cage where she was safe. She observed the sharks and took pictures of them.
Eugenie even went for a ride on a whale shark, the biggest fish in the sea. She grabbed the shark as it swam by her. Then she tried to sit on the shark's back, but she couldn't stay on.
Eugenie slid down and held on to the shark's tail for as long as she could. The shark swam faster and faster. But Eugenie did not feel scared.
Finally, Eugenie had to let go. As she watched the huge shark swim away, she felt happy. Eugenie had learned what it felt like to be a shark!
Eugenie Clark has spent her life studying sharks and other fish. She loves to share what she has learned about them. She talks to scientists and students who visit her lab. She writes books, and she writes articles for magazines, too. Eugenie hopes that other people will love learning about the sea.
Sharks are smart animals.
They remember what they learn.
Sharks eat many kinds of sea animals.
They eat fish, crabs, and even other sharks.
Most sharks are timid and stay away from people.
This is the story of Chester Greenwood and his big idea. Chester lived a long time ago in a small town in Maine. The winters were very cold there.
Chester Greenwood had big ears. His ears got very, very cold in the winter. Chester tried many things. He just couldn't keep his ears warm.
Chester got a very special present the day he turned fifteen: ice skates! They were just what he wanted.
It was very cold outside, and the pond was frozen solid. It was a good day to try out those new skates.
Soon Chester was skating with his friends. Then it got colder, and the wind began to blow.
Chester's ears felt like ice cubes. He was just too cold to keep skating. He gave up and went home.
Chester loved his new skates. But when he skated, the cold wind whistled past his ears. His ears got so cold that they hurt!
Chester needed to find a way to keep his ears warm. The next day, he wrapped his scarf around and around his head. Then he walked to the pond.
Chester put on his skates and glided out onto the ice. The scarf seemed to work at first. His ears were warm. That was a good thing.
But soon, Chester's ears felt itchy. The wool scarf made his ears itch!
The itch got worse and worse. Chester couldn't stand it. He took off the scarf and his skates and ran home.
Chester thought and thought. He needed to put something warm over his ears. A scarf was too itchy. What could he use?
Then he had an idea. Socks!
He found two socks. Next, he got some wire and put it through the socks. Then he tried on his invention. His ears felt warm.
But when Chester tried to skate, the socks kept slipping off. Socks didn't work.
Next, Chester made two wire circles.
He got some fur and some soft cloth. Then he went to see his grandmother. Chester's grandmother was very good at sewing. He needed her help.
Chester's grandmother sewed fur on one side of the circles and soft cloth on the other side.
Chester put on his new ear warmers. He smiled. He was sure that this big idea was going to work.
The next day, Chester went to the pond again. He was wearing his new ear warmers.
When Chester's friends saw him, they laughed. Chester didn't mind. So far, his ears were nice and warm!
Chester skated and skated. The cold wind whistled, but Chester's ears stayed warm.
Chester called his new invention ear protectors.
Soon Chester's friends wanted ear protectors. Other people in the town wanted ear protectors, too. Everyone wanted warm ears.
Chester began to sell ear protectors. He put a new, springy band on them. The band helped to keep the ear protectors in place.
More and more people wanted to buy ear protectors. So, when he was nineteen, Chester opened a factory. His newspaper ads helped sell many ear protectors in the United States.
Soon Chester began to sell his ear protectors to people all over the world. The ear protectors got a new name. People called them earmuffs.
Chester became a famous inventor. He invented a special rake, a teakettle that didn't tip over, a mousetrap, a bed that folded up, and other things. Chester made more than 130 inventions. And it all began with earmuffs for his big ears!
Today, a little town in Maine remembers Chester Greenwood and his big idea. Every year, one day in December is "Chester Greenwood Day."
People and animals march in a big parade. And they all wear earmuffs!
Robins, ducks, penguins, and bats are different animals. But they all have wings!
Robins are birds that use their wings to fly. They flap their wings up and down, up and down, as they fly
Robins have feathers on their wings. The feathers help the robins fly. They keep the robins warm, too.
Some robins fly away when the weather gets cold. They fly to warm places where they can find food. Later, robins fly back again.
Ducks are birds that use their wings to fly. A duck has feathers on its wings, just like a robin.
Some ducks also fly away when the weather gets too cold. Ducks spend a lot of time in the water. They may travel thousands of miles each year to find places where the water does not freeze.
Penguins are birds that have feathers on their wings. But penguins do not use their wings to fly. Penguins use their wings to swim.
A penguin's wings are like flippers. They help the penguin swim through the water. Penguins can swim very fast under the water.
These penguins live where the weather is always cold. They do not swim away to warm places. These penguins like cold places.
This animal is a bat. Bats are not birds, but bats do have wings.
Bats do not have feathers. A bat's body is covered with fur. Its wings are covered with smooth skin.
Some bats have very big wings. The wings of the biggest bat are more than five feet long from tip to tip.
Some bats have very small wings. This small bat is about the size of a bumblebee.
At night, many bats fly around looking for bugs to eat. They catch the bugs while they are flying.
Bats sleep during the day. Bats have strong claws on their feet. They use their claws to hang upside down while they are sleeping. They fold their wings up while they sleep.
Which of these animals can fly?
Which of these animals can not fly?
Which of these animals spend time in the water?
Which of these animals are birds?
Which of these animals does not have feathers?
We went down the river.
"Look at the boat," said Mom.
We went down the river.
Dad said,
"Look at the ducks."
We went down the river.
Mom said, "I see a little house."
We went down the river.
Dad said, "Look at the flowers."
We went down the river.
Mom said, "I see a fish."
We went down the river.
"I see a fox," said Dad.
We went down the river.
"Look at the big moose!" I said.
So we went up the river.
Ant met a bird.
"Can you fly?" said the bird.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a bee.
"Can you buzz?" said the bee.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a frog.
"Can you hop?" said the frog.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a cow. 
"Can you moo?" said the cow.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a fish.
"Can you swim?" said the fish.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a pig.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a dog.
"Can you bark?" said the dog.
"No, I can't," said the ant.
Ant met a spider.
Can you crawl up a wall?" said the spider.
"Yes, I can!" said the ant
Big Lizard ran on the sand.
Big Lizard ran fast.
Little Lizard ran, too. Little Lizard ran on the sand.
Snap!
Big Lizard got a bug.
Snap! Snap!
Little Lizard did not get a bug.
Big Lizard ran up on the rocks.
Big Lizard ran fast.
Little Lizard ran, too. Little Lizard ran up on the rocks.
Snap!
Big Lizard got a bug.
Snap! Snap!
Little Lizard did not get a bug. 
Big Lizard ran under a rock.
Big Lizard ran fast
Little Lizard ran, too. Little Lizard ran on top of the rock.
Mouse likes cake. She likes to eat cake in bed.
Mouse likes cookies. She likes to eat cookies in bed.
She likes sandwiches. Mouse likes to eat sandwiches in bed.
Mouse likes pizza. She likes to eat pizza in bed.
She likes apples. Mouse likes to eat apples in bed.
Mouse likes bananas. She likes to eat bananas in bed.
Mouse loves cheese. She loves to eat cheese in bed.
And Mouse likes to dream in bed, too.
"Come here, Mop,"
Jill said.
But Mop did not come.
"Sit, Mop," said Jill.
But Mop did not sit.
"Jump up, Mop," said Jill.
But he did not jump.
Jill said,
"Get the stick, Mop." But he did not get the stick.
"Get the ball, Mop," said Jill.
But Mop did not get the ball.
"Run, Mop," said Jill.
But he did not run.
"Stop!" said Jill. "Stop, Mop!"
But Mop did not stop!
A mouse tugged on the rope.
He tugged and tugged.
A bird tugged on the rope. He tugged and tugged.
The rabbits tugged on the rope.
They tugged and tugged.
A monkey tugged on the rope.
She tugged and tugged.
A zebra tugged on the rope.
He tugged and tugged.
The lions tugged on the rope. They tugged and tugged.
The hippo tugged on the rope.
Dad said, "Wake up. We are going fishing!"
Dad and I had breakfast. Dad had a big breakfast. I had a little breakfast.
Dad and I made lunch. Dad made a big lunch. I made a little lunch.
Dad said, "Get your fishing rod."
I got my little fishing rod. Dad got his big fishing rod.
Dad got his big box. I got my little box.
Dad said, "Put on your boots."
Dad put on his big boots. I put on my little boots.
"Look!" Dad said.
"I have a little fish."
"Look!" I said.
"I have a big fish."
We got a fish tank.
We got some little rocks. We put the rocks in the fish tank.
We got some little shells. We put the shells in the fish tank.
We got a little bridge.
We put the bridge in the fish tank.
We got some little plants. We put the plants in the fish tank.
We got some water.
We put the water in the fish tank.
We got some little fish. We put the fish in the fish tank!
We put some fish food in the fish tank.
"Let's go to the city," said Mom.
"Let's take pictures of the city,"
I said.
"I see a big bus," I said.
"I can take a picture of the bus."
"I see a train," said Mom.
"You can take a picture of the train."
"Look at the park," I said.
"I can take a picture of it."
"Look at the big lion," Mom said.
"You can take a picture of it." 
"Look at the big building," I said.
"Let's go up to the top," said Mom.
"Look at the big city!" I said.
"Look at the cloud," said Kate.
"It looks like a bird."
"I see a cloud," Tony said.
"It looks like a cat."
"Look at the big cloud," said Kate.
"That one looks like a car."
Tony said, "I see a big cloud.
It looks like a horse."
Kate said, "The cloud looks like a big house. Look at it." 
Tony said, "I see a big cloud. It looks like a rabbit."
Kate said, "Look. The big cloud looks like a hat."
"Look at the cloud," said Tony.
"It looks like my bear!"
Look at this little truck. I can play with this truck.
Look at this big truck. I can ride in this truck.
Look at this little boat. I can play with this boat.
Look at this big boat. I can ride in this boat.
Look at this little train. I can play with this train.
Look at this big train. We can ride in this train.
Look at this little car. I can play with this car.
Look at this big car. We can ride in this car.
Look at me.
I'm a little rabbit.
I can hop and hop.
Look at me.
I'm a little fro. I can hop, too!
Look at me.
I'm a little dog.
I can run and run.
Look at me.
I'm a little cat. I can run, too!
Look at me.
I'm a little bird.
I can fly and fly.
Look at me.
I'm a little duck. I can fly, too!
Look at me.
I'm a little fish. I can swim and swim and swim.
Look at us.
Look at our puppet show!
Kate got her truck. "I can ride in my truck," she said.
"I want my bear," said Kate.
She put the bear in her truck.
"I want my dolls," said Kate.
She put her dolls in the truck.
Kate said, "I want books."
She put the books in her truck.
"I want my dinosaur," Kate said.
She put her dinosaur in the truck.
"I want my dog," said Kate.
She put her dog in the truck.
Kate got in her truck. "I can ride in my truck," she said.
"Aunt Bee is coming!" said Mom.
Aunt Bee is coming. We clean the house.
Aunt Bee is coming. We pick some flowers.
Aunt Bee is coming. We blow up balloons.
Aunt Bee is coming. We make a cake.
Aunt Bee is coming. We set the table.
Aunt Bee is coming. We make a card.
Aunt Bee is here!
"Look," said my dad. "Look at the big truck."
"Look," my mom said. "Look at the big car."
"Look at the van," said my big brother.
My dad said, "Look at the taxis."
My mom said, "Look at the bicycles!"
"Look at the police car!" I said.
"Look at the big bus!" said my little sister.
"Look!" my dad said. "Look at the city!"
Mother Duck can walk. She walks and walks. She walks by the pond.
The little ducks can walk. They walk and walk.
They walk by the pond.
Mother Duck can eat. She eats and eats.
She eats by the pond.
The little ducks can eat. They eat and eat.
They eat by the pond.
Mother Duck can swim. She swims and swims. She swims in the pond.
The little ducks can swim. They swim and swim.
They swim in the pond.
Mother Duck can fly. 
The little ducks can... flap, flap, flap, fly!
This is my pet.
It is a cat.
I like my pet cat.
This is my pet.
It is a dog.
I like my pet dog.
This is my pet.
It is a mouse.
I like my pet mouse.
This is my pet.
It is a bird.
I like my pet bird.
This is my pet.
It is a fish.
I like my pet fish.
This is our pet.
It is a rabbit.
We like our pet rabbit.
We love our pets!
I like trains.
I am going on a train ride.
My dad likes trains. He can go on the train ride, too.
My little sister likes trains. My sister can come on the train, too.
My big brother can ride on the train.
He likes trains.
My Gram can ride on the train, too. She loves trains.
Gramps can come with us, t00.
And Bear likes trains. He can ride on the train, too.
Choo! Choo!
"Look at the house. I made it with the blocks," said Pam.
"Look at the big wall. I made it with the blocks," Tim said.
Pam said, "Look at the road. I made it with the blocks."
"Look at this tunnel. I made it with the blocks," said Tim.
"Look! I made a bridge with the blocks," said Pam.
"I made a building with the blocks. Look at this building," Tim said.
"We can make a big building," Pam said.
Look at us! We can help make the beds.
Look at us! We can help pick up the books.
Look at us! We can help pick up the toys.
We can help feed the cat. Look at us!
We can help wash the dishes. Look at us!
Look at us! We can help rake the leaves.
Look at us! We can help carry the bags.
And we can help eat the ice cream, too!
"I want to go out to play," said Bunny.
"You can go out," said Mom.
"Get your shoes."
Bunny got her shoes.
"Get your hat, Bunny," Mom said.
Bunny got her hat.
"Get your toys," said Mom.
Bunny got her toys.
Mom said,
"Look at the rain. You can not go out to play, Bunny."
"Look, Mom!" Bunny said. "I got my umbrella."
And she went out to play.
Once there was a baby bird. The baby bird had a small beak.
She had small legs.
She had small wings.
She was very small, but she was warm and happy.
Then something happened.
The baby bird began to grow.
"Oh, my, " said the baby bird. "My beak is getting stronger. My legs are getting longer. My wings are getting bigger, too."
The baby bird grew and grew.
"Oh, my!" said the baby bird. "Look at me!
I am getting bigger and bigger.
If I grow much more,
I will run out of room here."
The baby bird grew more and more.
The baby bird said, 
"Look at me!
My beak is getting stronger -- a lot stronger!
My legs are getting longer -- a lot longer!
My wings are getting bigger a lot bigger!
This space is just too small for me."
"Ouch!" said the baby bird.
"I am too big for this space. My legs are too long.
My wings are too big.
What can I do?"
"I know what I can do!" said the baby bird.
"I can peck with my beak. My strong, sharp beak will get me out of here."
The baby bird pecked and pecked.
She did not stop.
Then something happened.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The baby bird got out of the egg.
The baby bird was free!
The baby bird said, 
"Now my long legs can hop. Now my big wings can flap. Now I have lots of space!"
"Have a bug!" said the mother bird.
The Boss.
It was Sunday morning. Mom was sick in bed.
"Mom needs more orange juice," Dad said. "I'll go to the store and get some for her. I'll be right back. Be good while I'm gone."
"Dad is gone," said my big brother. "Now I'm the boss." "I want to be the boss," said my little sister.
"We can take turns. You go first, " I told my big brother
"OK," he said.
"Let's make breakfast for Mom. Let's make her some toast
I put peanut butter on the toast. My brother put grape jelly on top. Then my sister added chocolate chips.
"Mom can eat the toast when she wakes up," said my brother.
"Now it's my turn to be the boss," I said. "Let's make a card for Mom."
My brother got some paper, and I got the paint. We wrote,
Get Well, Mom.
My sister painted flowers.
She got some blue paint on the card. She got some blue paint in her hair!
"My turn!" said my little sister. "Now I'm the boss.
I want balloons for Mom."
My brother and I just smiled. Our little sister loved balloons.
My brother got a balloon and blew it up.
"Bigger!" my sister shouted.
So he blew some more.
He blew and blew until... 
POP!
My sister screamed.
"Oh, no!" I said.
Mom woke up. She came running into the room.
"What's going on?" Mom asked.
"We took turns being the boss," I said.
"I see," said Mom.
Mom saw the toast and the card. She saw the popped balloon. Then Mom saw my sisters blue hair.
Mom laughed and laughed. "Now I'm the boss," she said. "Let's clean up this mess!"
Once there was a little duck. He was very happy to be a duck.
He liked being a duck.
He liked his webbed feet. They helped him swim as fast as a fish.
He liked his sleek feathers. They helped him stay warm when he got wet.
He liked his duck bill.
It helped him catch bugs and other good things to eat.
But there was one thing the little duck didn't like.
He didn't like his quack.
"Why can't ducks sing like other birds?" the duck asked his mother.
"All we do is quack, quack, quack!"
"Quack!" said his mother. "Quack, quack, quack!"
"I want to make music, " the duck said to himself. "Maybe I can learn to sing
So the duck left his pond. He waddled down a path on his webbed feet.
He waddled under the trees.
Bird songs filled the air.
The duck saw a bluebird in a bush. "Tweet-tweet-tweet!" sang the bird. "Tweet-tweet-tweet!"
"Hello, bird!" said the duck.
"I like your song.
Will you teach me to sing?"
The bluebird looked at the duck.
"Well, thank you, " she said. "But why do you want to sing? You're a duck! Ducks quack."
"I don't want to quack, " said the duck sadly.
"I want to make music.
Please teach me to sing."
The bluebird was a kind bird. She wanted to help the little duck.
"All right, " said the bluebird. She lifted her head.
She opened her beak wide.
She began to sing.
"Tweet-tweet-tweet!" she sang. "Now you try it!"
The duck lifted his head.
He opened his duck bill wide. He began to sing.
"Quack! Quack! Quack!" he sang. "Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
"Well, " said the bird.
"I see I was wrong.
Ducks can sing!
I have never heard a duck sing as well as you!"
That was quite true, because the bluebird had never heard a duck sing at all.
"Are you sure?" asked the duck. "Was I really singing?
It sounded like quacking to me."
"I'm sure you were singing, " said the bird.
"You were happy and you were singing.
Your quack is your song."
"Thank you, thank you!" quacked the duck.
He waddled back to the pond as fast as his webbed feet could carry him.
And from then on, the duck loved everything about being a duck.
Quack! Quack! Quack!
Once there was a bluebird who liked to brag.
He looked at the sky, he looked at his wings, and he smiled.
"How fine I look!" thought the bluebird.
"I am as blue as the sky!"
The bluebird flew high and low in the blue sky.
The bluebird saw a mouse.
"Hello!" said the bluebird to the mouse.
"It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is a beautiful day, " said the mouse.
"The sky is a beautiful blue."
"I am blue, too, " said the bluebird. "I am beautiful, like the blue sky."
"Oh, " sighed the mouse.
"I am not blue. I am gray. I am not the color of the sky."
The bluebird laughed and flew away.
"Yes," said the flamingo.
"It is a fine and sunny day."
"Look at the beautiful blue sky," said the bluebird.
"I am blue, like the sky."
The bluebird saw a flamingo. "Hello!" said the bluebird.
"It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"I am pink," said the flamingo.
"Blue is better than pink, bragged the bluebird. 'Blue is the color of the sky!"
Oh," said the flamingo.
I am not the color of the sky."
The flamingo was angry.
He flew away without saying good-bye.
The bluebird looked up. He saw a blackbird at the top of a tree. "Hello!" said the bluebird. "It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yes it is, " said the blackbird.
"I am blue, like the sky, " said the bluebird.
"I am not blue, " said the blackbird.
"I am black."
"Blue is better than black, " bragged the bluebird.
"Blue is the color of the sky."
The blackbird was wise.
"Yes, blue is beautiful, he said.
"Blue is the color of the sky."
"But the sky is not always blue. Sometimes it is gray, like a mouse.
Sometimes it is pink, like a flamingo.
Sometimes it is black, like me."
The bluebird was surprised.
"When is the sky gray, like a mouse?" he asked.
"The sky is gray on a cloudy day," said the blackbird.
"It is as gray as a mouse."
"When is the sky pink, like a flamingo?" asked the bluebird.
"The sky is pink at sunset, " said the blackbird.
"It is as pink as a flamingo."
"When is the sky black, like you are?" asked the bluebird.
"The sky is black at night when the stars are shining, " said the blackbird.
"It is as black as I am."
The bluebird thought and thought. He thought about the gray mouse and the sky on a cloudy day.
He thought about the pink flamingo and the sky at sunset.
He thought about the blackbird and the sky at night.
"You are right, " he said to the blackbird.
"A mouse is as gray as the sky.
A flamingo is as pink as the sky.
A blackbird is as black as the sky. And I am as blue as the sky."
"We are all the colors of the sky. We are all beautiful."
The bluebird still liked being blue, but he never bragged again.
Maisy loved to eat. Every day at dinner,
Every day was the same.
Until one day ... 
Dana put food in Maisy's dish.
Maisy just looked at her food.
She didn't eat one bite.
"Eat your dinner, "
Dana said.
But Maisy wouldn't eat.
The next day, Nate put out food for Maisy. Maisy looked at the food in her dish.
But she still wouldn't eat.
"Eat your dinner, Maisy, " Nate said.
Maisy just sniffed the food and walked away.
Nate and Dana were upset.
"Why won't Maisy eat?" Nate asked.
"She must be sick, " said Dana.
"Don't worry, " said Dad. "We'll take Maisy to the vet."
Maisy wagged her tail when she saw Dr. Grant.
"What's the matter?"
Dr. Grant asked.
"Maisy won't eat, " said Dana. "And you know Maisy.
She loves to eat!"
Dr. Grant checked Maisy. "Maisy has gained three pounds, " said the doctor.
"She must be eating something!"
They took Maisy home. At dinner, she still wouldn't eat.
"Maybe this food is too old, " Dad said.
"There are some new bags of dog food in the basement."
Nate and Dana went to get a new bag of dog food.
"Oh, no!" said Nate.
"Look at all the dog food that came out of the bags!"
Dana smiled.
"I know who did it, " she said.
"Me too!" said Nate.
"Maisy!" called Nate and Dana.
"What do you do in winter?" asked the girl.
The bird said,
"The winter is cold here.
I don't like to be cold!
I fly away for the winter.
I go to a warm and sunny place."
"What do you do in winter?" asked the girl.
"The winter is snowy here," said the bat.
"I stay out of the snow.
I nap in my cave all winter long.
My friends nap there, too!"
"What do you do in winter?" asked the girl.
The frog said,
"The winter is icy here.
Ifs too cold for me!
I like the mud under the ice.
I sleep in the mud all winter."
"What do you do in winter?" asked the girl.
"Winter is a chilly time, " said the squirrel.
"I like to be warm in winter. I snuggle with my friends! We keep each other warm!"
"What do you do in winter"?" asked the girl.
The beaver said,
"Ice covers my pond in winter.
I don't mind the ice.
I swim under it and go into my den.
My den keeps me nice and cozy!"
"What do you do in winter?" asked the girl.
"Winter snow is white, " said the rabbit.
"I grow snowy white fur.
It keeps me warm.
It lets me hide, too!
My big feet help me hop on the snow."
The animals asked the girl, "What do you do in winter?"
The girl said,
"In winter, I put on my coat and hat. I put on my scarf and mittens. They keep me nice and warm."
Mom held up a faded blue jacket.
"This jacket looks like it will fit you, Iris, " said Mom.
Iris looked at the jacket.
It was her sister's old jacket. Dana always wore it with her jeans.
Iris shook her head.
"I don't want that old thing, " said Iris.
"I want a new jacket to wear with my jeans."
"But this is a good jacket, " said Mom.
"It will look good on you, Iris."
At first, Iris felt sad.
Then she felt mad.
Dana's old jacket was not the same as a new one. Iris wanted a jacket that was just for her.
Iris stared at the jacket.
She wanted to make it special. What could she do?
She put a heart pin on it. That didn't look right.
But the pin gave Iris an idea.
"Mom, can I use some things in your sewing box?" Iris asked.
"Sure, " said Mom.
Iris opened the sewing box.
She took out some red cloth and some white cloth.
She cut the red cloth in the shape of a heart.
"Oh, I see what you are doing, " her mom said.
"Do you want some help?"
"Yes, please, " said Iris.
"I want red hearts and white stars."
"Okay, " said Mom.
"You cut out the hearts, m sew them on."
Iris cut out three red hearts. Her mom put one heart on the back of the jacket. She put two hearts on the front of the jacket.
Mom took some gold beads out of a jar.
"Would you like some beads on your jacket?" she asked.
"Oh, yes!" said Iris.
"Red hearts and white stars and gold beads. That will be beautiful!"
Then Mom cut out lots of stars. She put them on the front of the jacket and on the back, too.
Iris looked at the jacket and started to feel happy!
"Here is your new jacket," Mom said to Iris at last.
Iris put on the jacket.
She looked at the back, and she looked at the front. She liked what she saw.
Iris loved her new jacket.
Just then Dana came in. 'Nice jacket!" said Dana. 'Can I have one, too?" she asked Mom.
"It's easy," said Iris.
Just get an old jacket and make it brand new!'
Annie was peeking into her pocket.
"What is in your pocket?" asked Tess.
"Come and see, " said Annie.
Tess looked in Annie's pocket. Jen and David looked, too.
"It's my new pet gecko, "
Annie said.
"He is cute, " said Jen.
'He is cute, " said David. 'But you can't have a pet in school."
'Mrs. Peck will get mad, " said Jen.
"I just had to bring him, " Annie said.
"He is so much fun.
He is the best pet ever! And he can run really fast.
Just then, the gecko showed them how fast he could run.
He ran down Annie's arm.
He ran down Annie's leg. Then he ran across the floor.
"Stop that gecko!" Annie yelled.
The kids tried to catch the gecko.
But the little gecko was too fast.
He ran out of the room.
Annie and her friends ran after him.
"Get him!" cried Annie.
Tess grabbed for the gecko. David fell over Tess.
Jen fell over David.
And Annie tripped over all of them.
"There he is!" said Tess.
The gecko raced into the lunchroom.
Little kids screamed.
Chairs crashed.
Milk spilled.
And Mrs. Wells dropped her glasses in the mashed potatoes.
"There he goes!" yelled Tess.
The gecko ran into the art room.
The art teacher screamed. Papers flew.
Paint cans crashed.
"There he goes!" Tess yelled.
The gecko ran down the hall
He ran back into Mrs. Peck's room.
"Get him!" cried Annie.
Mrs. Peck grabbed for the gecko.
Tess fell over Mrs. Peck. David fell over Tess.
Jen fell over David.
And Annie tumbled on top of them all. I'm really sorry," Annie said.
"I just wanted to show off my gecko, Now look at us."
Jen and David could not stop giggling
"That's okay, Annie, " Tess said 'That gecko is the best pet ever!"
Tiger and Elephant were best friends. They loved the good things about each other.
They did not let the bad things bother them.
Elephant was very strong.
He liked to knock things down.
Tiger thought Elephant should not knock things down.
But he did not let it bother him, because Elephant was his best friend.
Tiger was very proud.
He liked to brag about himself. Elephant thought Tiger should not brag about himself.
But he did not let it bother him, because Tiger was his best friend.
"Look at me!" bragged Tiger.
"I am the fastest animal here."
Tiger ran across the grass and back.
He ran very fast.
Elephant did not say a word.
Tiger bragged, "I am the fastest animal here."
"You are fast, " said Elephant.
Tiger jumped across the stream and back.
He jumped very far.
"How about that?" said Tiger. Elephant did not say a word.
Tiger bragged, "I can jump farther than any animal.
I am the best jumper here."
"You are a good jumper, " said Elephant.
Tiger climbed up a tall tree.
He hung down by his strong claws.
"How about that?" said Tiger.
"Am I the best climber here?"
Elephant laughed.
"You are a very funny tiger!" he said.
Tiger opened his mouth wide and showed his big teeth.
"I am very scary, too!" he bragged.
"I am the scariest animal in the jungle."
Tiger roared.
He roared and roared.
Elephant did not say a word.
"How about that?" said Tiger.
"Am I the scariest animal here?" "You are scary, " said Elephant.
Tiger bragged,
"I am the fastest animal here. I am the best jumper.
I am the best climber.
I am the scariest animal."
He was so proud of himself that he went off to show all the other animals what he could do best.
Elephant didn't say a word.
Tiger was fast.
He could jump very far. He could climb trees and he could roar.
But he was not good at looking where he was going.
Tiger fell into a deep hole.
He jumped as high as he could. He could not get out.
"Help!" cried Tiger.
He was not bragging now.
Elephant heard Tiger crying for help.
He ran as fast as he could. He looked down at Tiger in the hole.
Elephant knocked down a tall tree.
He lifted it up and put it in the hole.
Tiger was a good climber. He climbed up the tree and out of the hole.
"Thank you, Elephant," said Tiger.
"I am the fastest animal here. I am the best jumper and the best climber and the scariest animal here. But you are the best at something, too."
"What's that?" said Elephant.
"You are the best friend I have," Tiger said.
Hen had a nice white house.
She liked her house.
But she wanted a new color for her house.
"I will paint my house red, " thought Hen.
Along came Cow.
"Hello, Hen, " said Cow.
"Do you want to play with me?"
"Not today, " said Hen.
"I'm going to paint my house."
"I will help you, " said Cow.
"We need a ladder, " said Hen.
"I will go find one.
You wait here."
Cow waited and waited. She got tired of waiting. So Cow grabbed a can of paint.
"This paint is as blue as the sky, " said Cow.
"Blue is a good color for a house.
I will use this bright blue paint."
And she did.
Along came Pig.
"Look at all the paint cans, " Pig said.
"Hen must be painting her house.
I can help her."
Pig grabbed a can of paint.
"This paint is as yellow the sun, " said Pig. "Yellow is a nice color for a house.
I will use this yellow paint."
And he did.
Along came Duck.
"Hen has lots of paint, " said Duck.
"She must be painting her house.
I will help her."
Duck grabbed a paint can.
"This paint is as green as the grass, " said Duck.
"Green is a fine color for a house.
I will use this green paint."
And he did.
Along came Hen with a tall ladder.
"Hello, Hen, " said Cow. "Look at your bright blue house."
"Hi, Hen!" said Pig. "Look at your bright yellow house."
"Good morning, Hen!" said Duck.
"Look at your bright green house."
"Oh, no!" said Hen.
She looked at her house. Then Hen smiled.
"My house is as bright as a rainbow," said Hen.
"But it needs a red door.
I'll paint this door as red as a rose."
And she did!
Bear woke up.
He looked outside and smiled.
"What a beautiful day for my birthday, " he said.
"I will have a party!
First I will make a cake.
But I don't have any eggs."
So Bear went to Rabbit's house.
"Hello, Rabbit, " said Bear. "Do you have any eggs?
I want to bake a cake."
"I have some eggs," said Rabbit. "What is the cake for*?"
"It's my birthday, and I'm having a party, " said Bear.
Bear thanked Rabbit and took the eggs.
Then he went home.
"Why didn't Bear ask me to his party?" Rabbit asked sadly.
When he got home, Bear made the cake.
"Now I will make party hats, " said Bear.
"But I don't have any paper."
So Bear went to Beaver's house.
"Hello, Beaver," said Bear.
"Do you have any paper?
I want to make some hats."
"I have some paper," said Beaver. "What are the hats for?"
"It's my birthday, and I'm having a party, " said Bear.
Bear thanked Beaver and took the paper.
Then he went home.
"Why didn't Bear ask me to his party?" Beaver asked sadly.
"I will ask Rabbit
When he got home, Bear made the hats.
"These are good hats, " said Bear. "Now I will blow up balloons.
But I don't have any balloons."
So Bear went to Fox's house.
"Hello, Fox," said Bear.
"Do you have any balloons?"
"I have some balloons," said Fox. "What are they for?"
"It's my birthday, and I'm having a party, " said Bear.
Bear thanked Fox and took the balloons.
Then he went home.
"Why didn't Bear ask me to his party?" Fox asked sadly. "I will ask Rabbit
When he got home, Bear blew up the balloons.
He put the cake and the hats on the table.
"I am finished," Bear said.
"Now I will wait for my friends."
Bear waited and waited, but no friends came.
Bear was sad.
It was his birthday. Where were his friends?
"I will go look for them," he said.
Bear went to Rabbit's house. Beaver and Fox were there.
"I'm sad. Bear told them.
"I made a cake and party hats. I blew up balloons.
Why didn't you come to my birthday party?"
"We did not come," said Bear's friends, "because you did not ask us!"
"h," said Bear.
"I planned a party.
But I forgot to ask my friends to come."
"We will come now!" said Fox.
So they all went to Bear's house to have a party.
"This is a good party, Bear," said all his friends.
"Yes," said Bear. "It is a good surprise party!"
"We will have a picnic on Saturday,"
Mrs. Pig told her friends. "You must come."
Mrs. Pig made a list.
"I want a table and six chairs," said Mrs. Pig.
"I want some juice and some plates." She was a very bossy pig.
"I can bring a blanket," said Mrs. Sheep.
"A blanket is not on my list," said Mrs. Pig.
"You bring the table."
"All right," said Mrs. Sheep.
Mrs. Pig looked at her list. "You bring six chairs," she told Mrs. Goat.
"All right," said Mrs. Goat.
"I can bring some milk," said Mrs. Cow.
"Milk is not on my list, " said Mrs. Pig.
"You bring some juice."
She was such a bossy pig!
Mrs. Pig looked at her list again.
"We need plates," she told Mr. Horse.
"I will bring plates," said Mr. Horse.
"I know what I can bring," said Mrs. Owl.
"Don't bring anything," said Mrs. Pig.
"We have everything we need!"
"But I know something else we need," said Mrs. Owl.
All the animals came to the picnic.
They played games.
Mrs. Cow flew a kite.
"Stop playing," said Mrs. Pig.
"Put the table under that big tree, " said Mrs. Pig to Mrs. Sheep.
"Mr. Owl will help you."
"Set up the chairs," said Mrs. Pig to Mrs. Goat.
"Set the table/' she told Mrs. Cow and Mr. Horse.
Mrs. Pig looked at her list one last time.
"That's it!" she said.
"Now, please sit down."
"Where is the food?" asked Mrs. Goat.
"The food?" asked Mrs. Pig. "h dear! I forgot the food!"
Mrs. Owl smiled.
"You forgot the food," she said. "But I didn't!"
"You are a wise, wise owl," said the bossy, bossy pig. "Now let's eat!"
Once upon a time there were three little pigs. Pete lived in a straw house. Percy lived in a stick house. Petunia lived in a brick house.
A Big Bad Wolf blew down the straw house and the stick house. After that, all three pigs lived together in Petunia's brick house.
One day, Petunia went to visit her friend Penny Pig.
"Goodbye, boys, said Petunia. "Don't let any strangers in the house!"
"Our sister was so kind to let us live with her, " said Pete. "How can we thank her?"
"Let's surprise Petunia!" said Percy. "We can make her favorite dinner."
"But we don't know how to cook!" said Pete.
How hard can it be?" asked Percy.
Percy looked in his sister's cookbooks.
He found out how to make Petunia's favorite meal -- vegetable stew and carrot cake. Pete made a list of everything they needed to buy.
Then Percy and Pete went to the market "What are you going to do with all this food?" asked the clerk.
"We're going to make dinner for our sister," said Pete. "It's a surprise!"
"Cooking is a hard job," said the clerk. "If you need help, you can always call Chef Lobo. He's the best cook in town! Here is his telephone number."
When they got home, Percy said, "Let's make the cake first."
They mixed the batter. They put it in the pan. They baked it in the oven. They put the frosting on the cake.
"This cake is a mess!" said Percy.
"Maybe we should call Chef Lobo," said Pete.
So they did.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. "Never fear, Chef Lobo is here!" cried the chef. "I'll cook you a feast fit for a wolf! I mean, fit for a pig!"
Chef Lobo took out a huge pot and filled it with water.
"That pot is too big for stew," said Percy. "I know what I'm doing," said Chef Lobo.
While Chef Lobo worked in the kitchen, Percy and Pete set the table. Everything looked perfect when Petunia walked in. "What's all this?" asked Petunia.
"It's a surprise for you!" said Pete. "We're having your favorite dinner," said Percy. "Vegetable stew!"
"Who's cooking?" said Petunia.
"Chef Lobo," said Percy. "He's the best cook in town."
Oh, really?" said Petunia. "Let me see."
Petunia peered into the kitchen. Then she carefully closed the door.
"That's no chef!" she told her brothers. "That's the Big Bad Wolf! With that great big pot, I think he's planning to make Little Pig Stew."
"Oh, no!" said Pete and Percy. "What will we do?"
"I have an idea," said Petunia. "I'll hide, and you call the wolf in here."
Petunia tiptoed into the kitchen. She went to the stew pot and dumped in:
3 bottles of hot sauce,
2 jars of red pepper, and
1 tin of black pepper.
Then she hid and waited.
The wolf came back. He dipped in a spoon and tasted the stew.
YOW! That stew was hot! It was very, very hot. It made his mouth burn. It made his eyes water so much that he couldn't see.
He couldn't see Petunia open the back door.
He couldn't see the three little pigs push him outside.
He couldn't see them lock all the doors and windows.
He couldn't see them sit down and enjoy their messy, but delicious, carrot cake!
Brian and Paul were best friends. They went to school together.
They lived next door to each other.
They played ball together every day.
One day, Paul told Brian some sad news.
"My family is moving away, " said Paul.
"You can't move away!" said Brian.
"You're my best friend!"
Brian talked to his dad.
Brian said, "I don't want Paul to move away."
"Don't worry, Brian, " said his dad.
"You can send letters to Paul.
You can call him on the phone."
But Brian felt sad.
He thought, "Who will play ball with me?
Who will be my best friend?"
Soon a moving van came to Paul's house.
Brian went next door to say good-bye.
"I have something for you, " said Paul.
Paul gave Brian his baseball. "I want you to keep it."
"Are you sure?" said Brian.
"I'm sure, " said Paul.
"You're my best friend."
Paul and his family drove away.
Then Brian was all alone.
He tossed Paul's baseball in his hand.
Brian's dad came outside.
"Do you want to play catch?" he asked.
"No thanks, Dad.
I don't feel like playing, " said Brian.
One day, another moving van came to the house next door.
Then a car came along.
Two boys jumped out of the car. "I'm Jake, " said one boy.
"I'm Luke, " said the other boy. "We're going to live next door!" said Jake and Luke.
Brian tossed Paul's baseball in his hand.
Paul was his best friend, but he could make new friends. "I'm Brian," he said.
"Want to play ball?"
Once there were two friends.
One was a ladybug.
The ladybug looked very beautiful. The other was a cricket.
The cricket made beautiful music.
The two friends liked each other very much.
Each friend had one thing that the other wished for.
"You make the most wonderful music!" said the ladybug to the cricket.
"I wish I could make beautiful music like you do."
It was true.
On warm summer evenings, the cricket rubbed his wings together. Out came a sweet chirpy sound.
The ladybug had wings, but they made no music at all.
"You are so beautiful," said the cricket to the ladybug. "I wish I looked as beautiful as you do. You're as lovely as any flower!"
It was true. The ladybugs body was shiny and red, with deep black dots.
It shone in the sun like colored glass.
The crickets body was a dull, plain, brown color.
The ladybug sighed because her friend was sad. She wished she could help him have what he wished for.
The cricket sighed because his friend was sad.
He wished he could help her have what she wished for.
Suddenly, each of them had an idea.
"I must run!
I'm late for dinner!" cried the ladybug.
"Oh, my! It's getting late! See you tomorrow!" cried the cricket.
The two friends rushed off.
That night, the ladybug stayed up long after the sun went to bed.
She lined up pots and jars and brushes. She mixed flower dust and dew.
Then she smiled a ladybug smile.
The cricket stayed up late, too.
He got some sticks and a nut shell. He took apart an old spider web.
Then he smiled a cricket smile.
The next morning, the ladybug and the cricket met in the field.
"I have a surprise for you!" said the ladybug.
It was just the right size for a cricket.
"I made you a shiny new coat!"
"I have a surprise for you, too!" said the cricket.
He pulled out a tiny violin.
It was just the right size for a ladybug.
"I will teach you how to play music!"
The cricket had beautiful colors like the ladybug.
The ladybug played beautiful music like the cricket.
They each had what they wished for.
And they had each other.
"Don't lose it, Max," Mom said. "This is a lucky penny."
"I won't lose it, " Max said.
Max put the penny in his pocket. Then he walked to school.
Bu t Max had a hole in his pocket. The lucky penny fell out.
"Oh, no!" said Max.
"Where is my penny?"
Max couldn't find the penny. So he went on to school.
Ben was walking to school, too. He saw something shiny on the ground.
Ben said, "Oh! A penny!"
He picked it up.
Ben put the penny in his pocket.
At school, Ben was playing.
The penny fell out of his pocket.
"Oh, no!" said Ben.
"Where is my penny?"
Ben couldn't find the penny. So he went into the school.
After school, Deena saw something shiny on the ground.
Deena said, "Oh! A penny!"
She picked it up.
Deena put the penny in her bag.
Deena was walking home.
"Oh, no!" said Deena.
"Where is my penny?"
Deena couldn't find the penny. So she went on home.
Max was walking home, too. He saw something shiny on the ground.
He picked it up.
"Here it is!" said Max.
"I found my penny!"
A t home, Mom said,
"How was school, Max? 
Do you still have your shiny new penny?"
"Yes, " said Max.
"I still have my lucky, lucky penny!"
Most animals go to sleep at night. But some animals are just waking up.
I go for a walk in the woods with Dad. We look and listen for animals that come out at night.
Look at the moon.
It is very bright.
The moonlight will help us see the animals.
Listen to the "Hoot, Hoot" of an owl.
Look! There it is!
The owl is up in that tree.
The owl's yellow eyes shine in the moonlight.
Bats are flying here and there.
They wake up at night and look for bugs to eat.
Look! A red fox is hiding in the woods.
It jumps out of a bush and runs away.
A big raccoon is in that tree.
The raccoon has black fur around its eyes. That fur looks like a mask.
We hear a crunching sound. What animal is hiding from us?
Look! There is a deer behind the trees.
The deer runs off into the woods.
We love to walk in the woods at night. But now it is time to go home.
It is time for us to go to sleep!
"Don't forget!" said Dexter, the leader ant. "We are a team. We work together, and we will share all the food we find!"
All the ants nodded their heads.
All but one. His name was Rudy, and he had a plan.
The ants were getting ready to work.
It was a fine day to go to work in the park.
The ants marched to the park. They looked around and smiled. All over the park, they saw people having picnics. There were sandwiches, cookies, and chips laid out on paper plates.
"This way!" said Dexter, and all the ants turned left.
All but one. Rudy wanted to be a star. He wanted to show Dexter that he was the strongest and smartest ant on the team.
So Rudy turned right.
The ants marched up to one blanket. "Oh, wow!" said Dexter. "We will carry a feast of crumbs back home."
Dexter told the team what to do. The ants picked up sandwich crumbs, and cookie crumbs, and chip crumbs. All the ants picked up crumbs.
All but one ant.
Rudy was all alone, staring up at a big, fat slice of cake. To the little ant, the cake was as big as a mountain! Rudy looked back at the other ants. They were all busy, helping to pick up crumbs.
"I will be a star, " thought Rudy. "I will carry home this big, fat slice of cake all by myself."
Rudy tried to lift one side of the cake, but it would not move. He tried to lift the other side, but it would not move. Then he had an idea.
"If I eat a bit of cake, I can get under it. Then I can lift the cake on my back, " thought Rudy. "Yes, that will work!"
So Rudy ate a bit of cake. Then he got under it. He tried to lift the big, fat slice of cake. He lifted it a little. Then he lifted it some more.
The cake went UP... UP... UP... and then it came DOWN -- right on top of Rudy.
"Help! Help!" he cried. "I'm stuck under the cake!" He waved his back legs, hoping someone would see him.
Dexter heard Rudy's cry.
"Come on, " Dexter shouted. He led the whole team to help Rudy. Eight ants lifted one side of the cake. Eight ants lifted the other side of the cake. UP... UP... UP... and Rudy was free!
Rudy wiped the frosting from his face. "Thank you," he said. "I'm so glad that I am part of this team!"
"It looks like there is plenty of food to share," Dexter said with a grin. "Let's eat!"
Lola wanted to play on a team. On Monday, she went to try out for the volleyball team.
"Sorry!" the coach said.
"You're up there, and the net is down here.
You're just too tall!"
Lola was sad.
"They didn't pick me, " she told her mother and father. "But I still want to play on a team."
Lola decided to try out for another team.
On Tuesday, Lola went to try out for the softball team.
"Sorry!" said the coach.
"No one can pitch the ball to you.
You're just too tall!"
Lola hung her head. "They didn't pick me for the softball team, " she told her mother. "Try again, Lola, " said her mother. "You'll find a team that's right for you."
On Wednesday, Lola went to try out for the track team. "It wouldn't be fair, " said the coach.
"You'd win every race with those long legs! You're just too tall."
Lola went home.
"I'm just too tall, " she cried. "No one will ever want me on their team!"
"Try again, Lola, " said her father.
"Don't give up."
On Thursday, Lola went to try out for the swim team. The coach shook his head.
"I'm sorry, he said.
"The pool is only four feet deep. You're much too tall."
Lola didn't like to swim anyway, so she wasn't quite so sad.
But she still wanted to be on a team.
On Friday, Lola went to try out for the bowling team.
Well, she tried to try out.
But she couldn't even fit through the door of the bowling alley.
"You're just too tall, " the coach shouted from inside. "Sorry!"
Lola was sad.
When she got home, she said,
"I give up. I can't be on a team. I'm just too tall."
On Saturday, Lola's friends came over.
"Come try out for our team, " said Jill.
"We need one more player, " said Mindy.
"We need YOU!"
"NO!" said Lola.
"I don't want to try out for the team.
The coach won't pick me. I'm just too tall."
Lola's friends came back on Sunday.
"Please change your mind, " they said.
"Please come and try out! We know you'll get picked for our team!"
Lola thought about it.
She still didn't want to try out for another team.
But she did want to help her friends.
"Okay, " she said. "Let's go."
So Lola tried out for the basketball team.
This time, the coach picked her right away.
"I'm not too tall?" she asked. "Not at all," said the coach.
"For this team, you're just perfect!"
Mason was having a terrible time with his new Venus flytrap.
Flytraps are plants that eat bugs. Well, they're supposed to eat bugs.
"Venus is a little different, "
Mason told Mom.
"Why do you say that?" asked Mom.
"She never catches the flies buzzing around the window."
Venus was a pretty, bright green flytrap.
Her wide red jaws were lined with soft little hairs.
Her jaws were filled with sweet, sticky nectar.
Flies buzzed around Venus trying to get the nectar.
"Her jaws are supposed to trap flies inside. That's what flytraps do.
They eat flies!"
Mason looked hard at Venus.
Something about her really was different.
Then Venus cried, " Ew! That's awful! I wouldn't eat a fly!"
Mason swallowed hard.
Was Venus really talking?
"What about a crunchy cricket?"
Mason asked.
He pointed at one outside the window. "Uh-uh!" said Venus, shaking her head.
"How about a buzzy bee?" asked Mason. He showed her one as it flew past the window.
"Uh-uh!" said Venus.
She snapped her jaws shut.
"A wiggly spider?" Mason asked.
He wiggled his fingers.
"No!" cried Venus, covering her eyes.
"Mom, I don't understand why Venus doesn't eat flies, " said Mason. "Flytraps aren't like other plants. Flytraps can't make their own food. They must eat meat to live."
"You mean bugs, right?" asked Mom.
When she heard the word "bugs, " Venus shook.
She sank down in her pot.
"Yes, " said Mason.
"She's supposed to gobble up flies and wasps and beetles."
"Ew, ew, ew!" said Venus, as she covered her ears.
"Let's give her time, Mason, " said Mom.
"She's still getting used to living in a new place.
Venus will eat, sooner or later."
But Venus did not eat.
Her bright green jaws turned pale yellow.
Her stem bent way over.
"Oh, dear, " Mom sighed.
"Poor Venus isn't doing well."
"What should we do, Mom?" asked Mason.
"Let's take her to Papa Longo, " Mom said.
"He grows beautiful plants.
If he can't help her, no one can."
They put Venus in a little basket and hurried to Papa Longo's Pizza Pies.
"Hello, hello, " Papa Longo said.
"What have you got there, Mason?"
Mason held up his sick plant.
"It's Venus, my flytrap, " he said.
"Papa Longo, she just won't eat."
"Won't eat?" asked Papa Longo.
"She doesn't like flies, " said Mom.
"Who does?" Papa Longo laughed.
"She's supposed to eat bugs, " Mason said.
"Well, leave her with me, " said Papa Longo.
"I'll put her in a bright, sunny place. I'll try to get her to eat a nice bug or two."
Papa Longo put Venus near a sunny, open window.
Flies buzzed at the screen.
The smell of pizza filled the air.
"Mmm, " said Venus, as she stood up a bit. "What smells so good?"
"My best dish -- pizza!" said Papa Longo.
Papa Longo took a fresh pizza pie from the oven.
"Mmm, " said Venus.
"It smells delicious. It looks delicious."
"It is delicious, I promise you, " said Papa Longo.
Venus hung over the pizza.
It smelled so good!
Just then, a fly squeezed through a hole in the screen.
It landed right on the pizza!
"No, no!" Papa Longo cried.
"It's stuck in the cheese.
I can't serve my customers a fly pizza!"
"Papa Longo..." Venus began.
"Yes, Venus?" he asked.
"May I have a slice?"
"Now the flytrap wants to eat a fly! " said Papa Longo.
He cut a little piece of pizza and held it out to Venus.
Venus opened her mouth wide.
Snap! Venus snapped her jaws shut. "Yum!" she cried.
Miss Shay asked, "Who knows what a pen pal is?"
A few kids raised their hands. "A pen pal is someone you write letters to," said Luke.
"A pen pal is someone you don't know," added Nell.
"You're both right," said Miss Shay. "Each of you will get a pen pal from another school. Your pen pal will write you a letter. Then you will write back."
The class buzzed with excitement.
Katie hoped her pen pal would be a girl.
One day, Katie's mom came in with the mail.
"Here's a letter for you, Katie," said her mom.
Katie jumped up. "It's from my pen pal!" said Katie.
Katie ripped open the envelope and read the letter.
"My pen pal is a girl! And she sounds nice," said Katie. "Now it's my turn to write to her."
"OK," said Katie's mom. "You can mail your letter on the way to school tomorrow."
On her way to school the next day, Katie dropped her letter in a mailbox. At school, she signed up for the soccer team. Miss Shay walked by and saw Katie signing up.
"Good for you, Katie!" she said.
"Did you know I am coaching the team?" "That's great!" said Katie.
"In a few weeks, we will have our first game against the Adams School," said Miss Shay.
Katie was excited. Serena went to the Adams School. Maybe she would be in the crowd cheering her school on!
When class began, Miss Shay asked the students to tell about their pen pals.
Katie said, "My pen pal is named Serena. She goes to the Adams School!"
"My pen pal is named Chris," said Luke. "But I don't know if Chris is a boy or a girl!"
Everyone laughed.
Then Miss Shay said, "That gives me an idea! I'll take photos of you to send to your pen pals. Then maybe your pen pals can send photos to you."
The next time she wrote to Serena,
Katie clipped her picture to the letter.
She wrote, "I can't wait to see what you look like."
Katie waited for a letter from Serena. Finally, the letter came.
Katie opened the envelope quickly. When she saw the picture of her pen pal, she began to laugh out loud.
"What's so funny?" asked Katie's mom. Katie said, "Well, Miss Shay said a pen pal is someone you don't know, but I'm going to get to know Serena soon!"
Katie held up the picture of Serena. She was wearing a soccer shirt from the Adams School!
In a castle high on a mountain lived a kindly dragon called Dario. The dragon looked after the people who lived in the village below. Each evening, Dario stretched his golden wings and flew over the village. When the sky grew dark, Dario began to sing his lullabies.
"Now that day has turned to night, and all the stars look so bright, climb into bed and close your eyes, and I will sing some lullabies."
When Dario began to sing, the children ran to their windows. They stood on tiptoes and looked for Dario in the sky. Dario was easy to see. His long, golden wings sparkled in the moonlight.
Dario's lullabies made the children so sleepy that they crawled into bed and closed their eyes. The dragon's lullabies soon put everyone in the village to sleep. The village was so still you could hear a star shoot across the sky.
After singing his lullabies, Dario said, "Good night, everyone. Sleep tight." But no one ever answered. All the villagers were fast asleep. 
One night, Dario did not appear in the night sky. The dragon's soothing lullabies were not heard in the village.
Without the lullabies, the villagers couldn't fall asleep. The next day, the children were cranky. The villagers got very little work done.
Everyone was tired.
A week passed. Dario still did not sing his lullabies. The villagers were miserable. They couldn't sleep. They couldn't work. They were even too tired to eat! Something had to be done.
At last, the mayor spoke up. "I'll go see Dario," she said. "I'll ask him why he has stopped singing to us."
The mayor climbed and climbed until she reached Dario's castle on top of the mountain. It was daytime, but the mayor found Dario in bed.
"What's wrong, Dario?" the mayor asked. "Are you sick? Is that why you don't sing to us anymore?"
Dario looked sadly at the mayor. "I will tell you why I stopped singing," he said.
"Every night I sing lullabies to the villagers. Then I wish them good night. But no one ever wishes me good night. The villagers don't care about me." Then Dario cried and hid under the covers.
"Oh, no, Dario!" the mayor answered. "That's not true!"
But Dario wasn't listening.
The mayor went back down the mountain. She called a meeting and told all the villagers what Dario had said, 
"Dario thinks we don't care about him!" she said. "How can we show him that we do care?
"I know!" said a small voice at the back of the room. "We can sing Dario a lullaby!"
The people turned around to see who had spoken. It was a little girl named Olivia.
"When Dario sings us a lullaby, we know that he loves us," Olivia said. "If we sing to him, he'll know that we love him, too!"
Everyone agreed. They decided to write a special lullaby for the dragon. All the villagers helped write the lullaby. Then they sent a card to Dario. The next day, Dario got this card in the mail:
Dario didn't know what to think. But on Wednesday night, he flew down the mountain and into the village. The mayor's house was dark when Dario arrived. A sign on the front door said "Please Come In."
Dario slowly opened the door. Suddenly, the lights came on. The villagers shouted, "We love you, Dario!"
Then they sang their lullaby:
"When the night has turned to day, we can run and laugh and play.
But when it's time to close our eyes, we need your soothing lullabies."
Dario's heart filled with joy. He wanted to thank the villagers for their kindness, but he fell asleep!
The next night, Dario returned to the sky with his songs. When he said, "Good night," no one answered. But this time Dario knew why. His lullabies had put all the villagers to sleep!
Tia was about to have a day she would never forget... no matter how hard she tried!
Everyone in her family was getting ready for work or school. But not Tia -- her alarm clock had not gone off.
Later, the family was enjoying breakfast -- but not Tia.
The dog bumped the table.
Most of Tia's cereal ended up in her lap.
Tia changed her clothes and stepped outside just in time to see the school bus driving away.
"Great, just great, " whispered Tia. "This is turning into a real bad-luck day."
Tia started walking.
But something was bothering her. Had she forgotten something?
When she got to school,
Tia opened her backpack.
Her lunch and her homework were missing.
All the kids turned in their math homework -- but not Tia.
A row of cups sat by the window. The wind blew one cup over.
On the side of this cup was the name "Tia."
Tia's friend Gracie felt sorry for her. "You're having such a bad-luck day! Here, take my lucky charm.
It will bring you good luck."
Someone from the principal's office came into class with a bag -- Tia's lunch!
Tia grinned.
"I think your charm is working!" she whispered to Gracie.
On the way to lunch, Tia and Gracie stopped to wash their hands.
The charm fell off Tia's neck, into the sink.
"I'd better keep it, " Gracie said nervously. "It almost went down the drain."
In the lunchroom, Tia didn't see the puddle of milk on the floor.
She slipped and fell with a crash.
Her sandwich fell right into the puddle.
Everyone was enjoying lunch -- but not Tia.
Gracie offered Tia half of her tuna sandwich.
"My brother Tony surprised me. He made the sandwich.
Here, take this half."
Tia started to take a big bite.
Then she noticed something.
"A BUG!" Tia shrieked, dropping the sandwich.
Gracie leaned down.
"It's just a plastic worm, " she said. "I knew Tony was up to something."
Back in class, everyone else was reading -- but not Tia.
Her stomach rumbled.
She searched her backpack for something to eat.
Tia found an old candy bar.
Finally, some good luck!
Then a shadow fell across Tia's desk.
"I have to take that, " said the teacher. "Candy is not allowed in class.
You know that."
When Tia got home, she ran to her room and shut the door.
"I'll just stay here for the rest of the day, " she told the dog. "That way, nothing bad can happen."
Tia called her friend Benny.
She told him about all the bad things that had happened.
"I feel better talking to you," said Tia.
"I think my bad luck has finally stopped. What do you think, Benny?... Hello? Benny?"
Annie Alligator was worried.
"On Friday, Mom is taking me to see the dentist," thought Annie.
"I've never been to the dentist before. What will Dr. Cobb do to my teeth?"
Annie looked at her teeth in the mirror. Then she started to count them. She counted her top teeth.
She counted her bottom teeth.
There were dozens of teeth to count.
"I have so many teeth," she thought. "What if Dr. Cobb wants to take some of them out?" smiled at her friends. When they smiled back, she counted their teeth.
She had more teeth than Becky Beaver.
^ I She had more teeth than Ray Rabbit.
And she had a lot more teeth than Tara Turtle.
"Don't forget," Mom said on Friday morning. "I will pick you up after school, so you can visit the dentist."
"Oh, no!" Annie said to herself. "The dentist will say I have too many teeth. I have a lot more teeth than my friends."
Annie felt more and more worried.
She started to count her teeth again.
"Hop in the car," said Annie's mom after school on Friday. "We don't want to be late."
"Mom, I don't want to go to the dentist," Annie complained.
"Don't worry," said her mom. "You will like Dr. Cobb!"
At Dr. Cobb's office, Annie sat and waited with her mom. She looked at pictures of teeth on the wall. There were big teeth, and there were little teeth. There were lots and lots of teeth.
"Annie Alligator," called Dr. Cobb's helper.
Annie tried to hide behind a tall plant.
"It's your turn, Annie," said her mom, peeking around the plant.
"That's right, Annie," said the helper. "I'm Sandy. Please come with me, and I promise we will take good care of your teeth."
Annie sat in a big chair and worried. What would Sandy say when she noticed that Annie had too many teeth?
Sandy looked at Annie's teeth with a little mirror. Then she brushed Annie's teeth with a noisy toothbrush. Finally, she flossed Annie's teeth.
"Look in the mirror, Annie," Sandy said. "Your teeth are nice and clean now. I'll call Dr. Cobb to come in and take a look."
"Hello, Annie. I'm Dr. Cobb," said the dentist. "Can you open your mouth for me so I can take a look?"
Dr. Cobb looked at Annie's top teeth. She looked at Annie's bottom teeth. She looked at the teeth that were way, way in the back.
"Smile for me, Annie," Dr. Cobb said. "Your teeth look great!"
But Annie was not quite ready to smile. She had a question to ask.
"Do I have too many teeth?" Annie asked the dentist. "I have a lot more teeth than my friends."
Dr. Cobb gave Annie a wide alligator smile. "You're an alligator, Annie," said Dr. Cobb. "An alligator can never have too many teeth!"
Libby stretched her long neck.
Then she ate some leaves at the top of a tree.
"Yum!" said Libby.
"Aren't these leaves tasty?" asked her sister Lucy. "I could eat them aII day!"
"I like them, too," Libby said. "These leaves are so soft and sweet
Just then, a giant ROAR shook the forest.
"It's T. Rex!" Lucy shouted. "Run!" Libby turned and saw T. Rex crashing through the trees and showing his long, sharp teeth.
"Oh, no!" said Lucy. "T. Rex is so loud and scary. Let's get out of here."
Lucy ran and hid behind a tree. But Libby didn't want to run away. She liked the forest. She wanted to eat more of the soft, sweet leaves.
Libby turned and looked down at T. Rex.
"Watch where you're going!" she shouted.
T. Rex looked around.
"Are you talking to me?" he asked.
"Of course I'm talking to you," Libby answered. "You scared everyone else away!"
"I know," T. Rex said, and his eyes filled with tears.
"What's wrong?" Libby asked.
T. Rex said, "No one ever talks to me. No one wants to play with me. Everyone thinks I'm scary."
He began to sob. Tears rolled down his sad face.
"Don't cry," Libby said. "Some dinosaurs want to be scary like you! Isn't it fun to be scary?"
"No, it is NOT fun to be scary," T. Rex said with a sniffle. "No one l wants to be my friend."
Libby thought for a little while. Then she had an idea.
"I know how you can be a little less scary," said Libby.
"Really? How?" asked T. Rex. "Well," said Libby, "you can close your mouth so those scary teeth don't show."
T. Rex closed his mouth and smiled.
"Oh, that's much better!" said Libby. "You can try not to shake the ground when you walk, too. And does your roar have to be so loud?"
T. Rex roared quietly.
"Is that better?" he asked.
"Yes," said Libby, and she smiled.
Just then, they heard a very loud roar in the forest.
"That's my mom calling me for dinner," said T. Rex. "I'd better go." "K, " said Libby. "Do you want to play with me tomorrow?"
"YES!" said T. Rex. Then he waved good-bye and tiptoed off into the forest.
"See you tomorrow!" called Libby.
Lucy came up behind Libby.
"Good work, Libby," said Lucy. You made a new friend!"
A snake can swim.
This snake is swimming in the water.
A snake can climb. This snake is climbing up a tree.
A snake can eat. This snake is eating an egg.
A snake can hide. This snake is hiding under a rock.
A snake can hang. This snake is hanging from a free.
A snake can sleep. This snake is sleeping in the sand.
This snake can lay eggs. If is laying eggs in the grass.
A shark is a fish. If lives in the sea.
A shark has a big fail. It has a big fin on its back.
A shark has rows and rows of teeth in its mouth.
It gets new teeth all the time.
A great white shark has 5,000 teeth.
Its teeth are long and sharp. This shark can eat and eat and eat!
A great white shark is big. But a whale shark is bigger. The whale shark is as long as a bus!
Not all sharks are big. This shark is very small.
It is as long as a pencil!
Here are some baby sharks. They are called pups.
Shark pups can swim very well.
Some sharks have spots.
Some sharks have stripes.
Some sharks lay eggs.
The sled dogs are running in a race.
Look at how fast they run. Sled dogs love to run fast.
A good sled dog is strong.
It can run fast while it pulls a sled.
It works well with other dogs.
Sled dogs have thick fur. The fur keeps them warm out in the cold.
The dogs wear booties to protect their feet.
Sled dogs work as a team. Some teams have 20 dogs. The dogs that are up front have an important job.
They lead the team.
Each dog team has a driver. The driver is called a musher. The musher tells the dogs in front how to lead the team.
Here are some words that mushers use.
Hike! Get going! Gee! Turn right! Haw! Turn left! Easy! Slow down! Whoa! Stop!
Some mushers train their dog teams all year. In winter, the team pulls a dog sled.
In summer, the dogs pull a cart on wheels.
Most dog teams run in races. One important race is in Alaska.
Dog teams race mile after mile on ice and snow.
This is a beetle.
A beetle is a bug. Bugs have six legs.
This is an ant.
Ants crawl on the ground. A little ant can carry a very big load.
This is a bee.
It has six legs, and if has wings. Bees fly from flower to flower.
This is a grasshopper. A grasshopper has very strong legs.
It can walk and hop.
This is a ladybug.
It has red wings with black spots.
It can crawl on a flower.
Then it can fly away!
This is a firefly.
If has wings.
Fireflies glow in the dark. They blink on and off as they fly.
This is a walking stick. This bug is hard to see. It looks like a stick that can walk.
Where can you see bugs? Look up and down.
Look for bugs that crawl or hop or fly!
Dinosaurs lived long, long ago.
No one has ever seen a dinosaur. But scientists think they know how dinosaurs looked.
Scientists want to learn more about dinosaurs.
They dig up dinosaur bones. They clean the bones.
Then they put the bones together like a big puzzle.
The dinosaur bones tell a story.
Scientists use the bones to find out how the dinosaurs looked.
Different Kinds of Dinosaurs.
Some dinosaurs were small. These are the bones of a small dinosaur.
Scientists think the small dinosaur looked like this.
It was only as big as a chicken.
Some dinosaurs were big. These are the bones of a very, very big dinosaur.
Scientists think the big dinosaur looked like this.
It had a very long neck and a very long tail.
Its tail was longer than a school bus!
Some dinosaurs had horns. This dinosaur had three horns on its head.
Some dinosaurs had spikes. This dinosaur had many spikes on its back.
Some dinosaurs ate only plants. Their teeth were flat.
This dinosaur had flat teeth.
Some dinosaurs ate meat.
Their teeth were long and sharp. This dinosaur had lots of long, sharp teeth.
Some dinosaurs ate plants. Some dinosaurs ate meat. And some dinosaurs ate other dinosaurs!
Look at these dinosaur bones. You can think about the story they tell!
The sun goes down.
Night comes to the forest.
In houses around the woods, people get ready for bed. But not bats!
They are just waking up.
During the day, bats stay safe in roosts.
Roosts are places where bats sleep. Bats sleep when the sun is out. They hide in caves or trees.
They rest in barns and attics.
Bats hang upside down to sleep.
Bats wake up when night falls.
They are awake when people are asleep.
Bats are busy at night.
At night, large groups of bats fly off.
They search for food.
Bats are mammals.
Their bodies are covered with fur. Some bats look like mice with wings.
Other bats look like foxes or little bears.
Every night, bats eat half their weight in food. Some bats eat frogs, fish, or other bats.
Some bats eat fruit.
Most bats eat insects.
Bats must hunt for food in the dark.
Bats cannot see in the dark. How do they find tiny bugs?
Bats use their ears to find bugs. Bats make high sounds as they fly through the dark.
Bats make sounds when they fly. A bat sends out sound waves.
The sound waves bounce back like an echo.
The bat knows something is there.
Bats use these echoes to find insects. The bat sends out a short, high sound. The sound wave hits an insect and bounces back to the bat.
The bat knows how far to fly to catch it.
Bats also use echoes to find their way through the black night.
Bats use sounds such as clicks and chirps. Each bat makes its own special sound. Each bat follows its own echoes.
Echoes keep the bat from flying into things.
Bats fly and send out sounds all through the night.
They fly and eat, fly and eat.
Bat sounds are too high for people to hear.
Bats flutter through the night as people sleep in their homes
The sun rises in the sky.
It's the start of a new day for people in their homes. For bats, it's time to return to their roosts -- until night comes again.
This is a spider.
A spider creeps and crawls on eight legs.
Most spiders eat bugs. Some spiders build webs to trap the bugs.
The webs are sticky.
The bugs get stuck in the sticky webs.
Not all spider webs look the same.
This spider makes a round web.
It looks like a circle.
This spider makes a very messy web.
Some spiders make tube webs.
This web has a door!
Some spiders do not make webs at all. These spiders hunt for bugs, and then they grab them.
This spider eats tiny fish.
The spider has long, thin legs.
It can walk on water and not sink.
Then it can dive down to get a fish!
More Spider Facts
Most spiders have eight eyes.
Baby spiders hatch from eggs.
All spiders can make a string of silk.
Some very big spiders eat mice and birds.
The Sonoran Desert is very hot and very dry.
For most of the year, it does not get any rain.
Yet many plants and animals live in this desert.
Plants of the Desert
This tall plant is a cactus. The cactus can live here because it stores water in a special way.
When it rains, the cactus roots soak up water.
The plant swells up and gets bigger.
The cactus uses the water until it rains again.
This small plant is a cactus, too. When the cactus is little, it grows in the shade of a taller plant.
A plant that helps a cactus grow is called a "nurse" plant!
The cactus has very long spines. The spines help shade the plant from the hot sun.
This desert plant has no leaves.
The plant dropped its leaves to save water.
Here is the same kind of plant after the rain.
Now the plant is covered with new green leaves.
Animals of the Desert.
Many animals make their homes in the Sonoran Desert.
The animals find ways to stay cool on very hot days.
Some animals find places to hide when the sun is very hot.
The desert tortoise may dig deep into the dirt to stay cool.
The tortoise also finds shade under large rocks.
The tortoise gets some water by eating the fruit of a cactus plant.
These desert animals have a different way to stay cool.
They have long ears that let out the heat.
Desert birds have other ways to cool off.
This bird lifts up its feathers to stay cool.
Some birds make nests inside a cactus plant.
They stay inside the cactus during the heat of the day. They come out at night to hunt for food.
The Sonoran Desert doesn't get much rain.
But when rain does fall, desert plants burst into bloom. Then the desert is full of color!
These toy dogs are robots. A robot is a machine that does some kind of work. A robot dog has a good job. Its job is to be a fun toy!
There is a computer inside the robot dog. The computer acts like a brain. It tells the robot dog what to do. The computer in this robot tells it how to walk and bark. This robot dog can even do tricks!
Robots are good workers. They do not get sick or tired. And they do not need to get paid to do their jobs.
Robots do lots of different jobs. Some robots help make cars. The robots lift heavy car parts. They drill holes and use tools that are very hot. Robots even spray the paint on cars.
Robots can work in places that are dangerous for people to work. This robot works deep in the sea. The robot can stay in the water day after day. It does not get cold. The robot does not need to breathe air.
This robot is lifted out of the sea after making a deep dive.
This robot explores a ship that sank at sea many years ago.
Some robots use special tools to collect sea plants, rocks, and animals. The robots take pictures of sharks and other fish.
Robots have even gone into space. This robot is called a rover. It went to the planet Mars. The rover does not have eyes. It has lots of cameras instead. The cameras keep the rover from getting lost or crashing into things. The robot took pictures for scientists back on Earth.
Some schools have robot contests. Students make their own robots. The students think up ways to make the best robot. The winner gets a prize!
This animal has a trunk and tusks. It has wrinkled skin and big ears.
It has big feet with pads on the bottom.
It lives in Africa. It is an African elephant!
Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. They can weigh as much as a truck! The biggest elephants live in Africa.
An elephant has a long trunk. The trunk is an elephant's nose and lip. But an elephant also uses its trunk like a hand.
An elephant can pick up a tiny leaf or a big branch with its trunk. Sometimes an elephant uses its trunk to take a shower!
All African elephants have tusks. Tusks are long teeth that don't stop growing. These elephants use their tusks to dig holes. They also use them to carry things. An elephant will even rest its trunk on its tusks.
African elephants have big ears. On hot days, elephants flap their ears to cool off.
An elephant's skin is wrinkled. It looks very tough, but it is not. Elephants can get bug bites and sunburns. An elephant protects its skin by covering it with mud or dirt.
Elephants have big feet with pads on the bottom. The pads let the elephant walk quietly.
Elephants eat about 300 pounds of food a day. They eat grass, plants, fruit, and parts of trees. Elephants reach high with their trunks to get the best leaves.
Elephants cannot talk, but they do make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble, growl, and make a sound like a horn. They also make some very low sounds that people can't hear.
Female elephants and babies live in family groups. An older female elephant leads the family.
Elephants are very good mothers.
They take good care of their own babies. They also watch out for the other babies in their group.
Elephants can call to each other from miles away.
Elephant babies suck their trunks.
Elephants can live for 70 years or more.
Redwood trees are very tall. The trees are taller than a house. They are taller than most buildings. They are the tallest trees of all.
Why do redwood trees grow so tall? They grow as long as they live. And they live a very long time. Redwood trees can live 2,000 years!
Redwood trees grow by the sea. The weather there is just right for them. It is not too cold or too hot. There is a lot of rain and fog by the sea. Redwood trees grow well in rain and fog.
Redwood trees have thick bark. Bugs do not like redwood bark. It has a bad taste. The thick bark helps protect the trees from fire, too.
Redwood trees are very big. But redwood seeds are small.
A redwood seed is as small as a tomato seed.
This redwood tree has a big hole for cars to drive through. People do not cut holes in redwood trees today. But this tree is still fun to see!
Today people want to save old redwood trees. And they want new redwood trees to grow and grow for many years.
Redwood trees are named for the color of their wood.
The bark on a redwood tree is 6 to 12 inches thick.
New redwood trees can grow from the stump of an old redwood tree.
Animal moms take care of their babies.
This mother robin feeds her babies.
The baby birds eat worms.
A mother kangaroo carries her baby. The baby kangaroo rides in her pouch.
The mother hippo teaches her baby. She shows the baby hippo how to swim.
This mother lion cleans her baby.
She licks her baby lion to keep it clean.
This mother bear teaches her babies.
She shows the baby bears how to catch a fish.
A mother whale swims with her baby.
She shows the baby whale how to swim up to get air.
A mother chimp teaches her baby. She shows the baby chimp how to get bugs.
An animal dad can take care of a baby, too.
This father penguin keeps his baby penguin warm. He holds the baby on his feet!
In the Garden, The flowers bloom on a warm summer day.
You can hear the sound of bees in the garden.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Little honeybees fly around the flowers. These bees are working!
Something sweet is inside the flowers.
It is called nectar.
The worker bees sip the nectar from the flowers.
Then they carry the nectar home.
A bee's home is called a hive. Many, many bees live in a hive.
The inside of a hive looks like a lot of little boxes.
The boxes are called cells.
The bees put the nectar into the little cells.
Then lots of bees flap their wings very fast.
This dries out the nectar and turns it into honey.
Honey is food for bees, but other animals like honey, too. This bear wants to take honey from the hive.
The bees sting the bear to save their hive.
People like honey, too, Beekeepers keep bees in hives like these.
The bees bring nectar to the hives.
Beekeepers take honey from the hives.
They cover up so the bees cannot sting them.
Then the beekeepers put the honey into bottles and jars.
It is a sweet and sticky treat!
This is a dolphin. Dolphins live in the sea, but they are not fish.
Dolphins need to breathe air.
A dolphin breathes through a blowhole on top of its head.
A dolphin has one flipper on each side.
If has one fin on its back and one fin on its tail.
The tail fin helps the dolphin swim fast.
Some dolphins can swim up to 25 miles an hour.
Dolphins swim together in groups. The groups are called pods.
A pod has baby dolphins and grown-up dolphins.
A baby dolphin is called a calf. A calf stays with its mother for two or three years.
Dolphins eat many kinds of fish, but they do not need to drink. They get water from the fish they eat.
This pod is hunting for food to eat.
Dolphins are noisy animals. They slap their tail fins on top of the water.
They click, squeak, and even whistle.
Dolphins make sounds to find food.
Mother dolphins make sounds to call their babies.
Dolphins love to play. They chase each other and ride on waves.
They jump high out of the wafer just for fun.
Dolphins are very smart and can learn to do tricks.
This dolphin learned how to shake hands.
When the dolphin does a trick, it gets a fish. Good job, dolphin!
Some dolphins are pink.
Dolphins swallow their food whole.
Dolphins can jump 20 feet out of the water.
Look at these boats in the water. Some are big and some are small. All the boats do some kind of job.
This is a tugboat.
Tugboats are small but they are very strong! This tugboat is pulling a big ship out to sea.
This is a fishing boat. If goes out to sea to catch fish.
This boat has nets that go deep into the water.
The boat comes back with nets full of fish.
Here is a ferryboat. Ferryboats carry people across the water.
They take people to work, and they take them home again.
A big ferryboat can carry cars and trucks, too.
This is a fireboat.
The fireboat helps put out fires on little boats and big ships.
The boat sprays water at the fire.
This boat is a barge.
A barge is long and flat.
It carries big loads.
This barge is carrying coal. A tugboat is pushing the barge.
Here is a houseboat.
It is a floating home. The boat has rooms for eating and sleeping. A family lives on this houseboat.
Many kinds of boats are in the water.
Some are big and some are small. This small boat is for play!
This is a chimp.
Chimps have dark hair. They have big ears and big hands.
Most chimps live in the forest.
They spend a lot of time in trees.
Chimps have long arms. Their arms are very strong. Chimps can swing from tree to tree.
This is a chimp's foot. Look at the big toe!
It helps the chimp climb trees.
Chimps live in groups. They make sounds to talk to each other.
Chimps help each other find food.
Chimps clean each other's hair with their fingers.
This chimp looks for bugs and dirt.
If he finds a bug, he eats it!
What Chimps Eat: Chimps eat fruit, leaves, flowers, and seeds.
They also eat eggs and bugs.
Some chimps work as a team to find their food. They share the food they find.
Chimps use tools.
This chimp uses a stick to catch bugs.
The chimp pokes the stick into a hole.
Bugs crawl up the stick. The chimp pulls the stick out and eats the bugs.
How Chimps Live: 
Chimps sleep in the trees. They make nests from branches and leaves.
Some chimps make a new nest every night.
This is a baby chimp. She is with her mother.
The baby chimp rides on her mother's back.
Most chimp mothers have one baby at a time.
But this chimp mother had twins!
Walking on the Moon.
Astronauts travel into space. The astronauts work in teams to do special jobs in space. The jobs are called missions.
One team of U. S. astronauts had a very special mission to fly from Earth to the moon. In July of 1969, people all over the world watched on TV as this team arrived at the moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.
Two astronauts place a U. S. flag on the moon.
After that, other astronauts went on missions to the moon. They collected samples of moon rocks and moon dirt, and they brought their collections back to Earth. Scientists studied the samples. Many people went to look at the moon rocks on display in museums.
A boy studies a moon rock on display.
Becoming an Astronaut.
It takes a lot of study and hard work to become an astronaut. The men and women who become astronauts must be excellent students. In college, they study math and science. They need to learn all about Earth, other planets, and outer space.
This is what Earth looks like to astronauts on the moon.
The word astronaut means "sailor among the stars."
Astronaut Training: 
After college, astronauts go to special classes to learn more about space flight. They learn about rockets, the stars, and the planets. They learn about their special missions, too. Neil Armstrong and his team of astronauts studied the moon before their special mission. They learned about the rocks they might find there.
Some astronauts are pilots. They know how to fly airplanes. During their astronaut training, they learn how to fly a spacecraft. They use special models to practice flying the spacecraft.
During training, astronauts learn how to wear a space suit. There is no air in space, so the suit has air tanks to help an astronaut breathe.
The space suit is very big and bulky.
An astronaut learns how to move in the suit by going into a pool. Moving around underwater feels like moving around in space.
These astronauts are training underwater in a pool at the Johnson Space Center.
On the Spacecraft.
On Earth, a force called gravity pulls us toward the ground. On the moon and out in space, there is little or no gravity. When the spacecraft flies into space, the things inside float around unless they are tied down.
The astronauts have to eat food from special packages. The packages are tied to a tray, so the food doesn't float away.
In a spacecraft, three astronauts have fun floating around.
Inside the spacecraft the astronauts float, too, if they are not tied down. When the astronauts want to sleep or exercise, they wear a special strap, like a seat belt, that holds them in place.
Sometimes the astronauts need to do work outside the spacecraft. They put on their space suits and take a space walk.
Temperatures in space can be very hot or very cold, so an astronaut wears special underwear under the space suit. Small tubes run through the underwear. Water is pumped through the tubes to warm or cool the astronaut.
Some kids dream of becoming an astronaut. At Space Camp, kids can train like astronauts do. They dress in space suits and they learn about spacecraft. They even learn how to eat and sleep in space.
Kids at Space Camp learn how to walk and move in space, where there is little or no gravity. They use special chairs that can move forward, backward, or even upside down! They might even practice taking a space walk -- but not a real one!
On a spacecraft, each astronaut has a special job to do. Astronauts have to work as a team to complete their mission. At Space Camp, kids learn the importance of teamwork, too. They take turns being in charge of a mission. Someday these kids may become real astronauts!
Mount Saint Helens: 
In 1980, rumbles shook the ground around Mount Saint Helens, a mountain in the state of Washington. Scientists watched the mountaintop grow larger and larger. They saw cracks forming, and they knew something big was about to happen. All of a sudden there was a big BOOM!
The huge blast destroyed millions of trees. It flattened them like a bunch of sticks. Heat from the blast melted the snow on top of the mountain. The melted snow mixed with dust. It made a thick mud that raced down the mountainside. The mud buried houses, cars, roads, and bridges.
Months before the blast, scientists saw clues that Mount Saint Helens was about to burst. The police warned people who lived near the mountain to leave their homes. They also warned workers, reporters, and visitors to leave the area. Hundreds of lives were saved because people left before the huge blast.
How a Volcano Forms:
Mount Saint Helens is a volcano.
A volcano is an opening in the Earth through which lava, ash, and gases come out. Lava is hot, melted rock that comes from deep inside the Earth. Ash is small bits of lava and rock.
Gas gets trapped in melted rock inside the Earth. The gas escapes when a volcano explodes. Then lava and rocks shoot out. This is a little like shaking a bottle of soda and then opening it.
The gas in the soda causes the liquid to bubble up over the top of the bottle.
Some volcanoes are active. They burst, or erupt, often. Some volcanoes are dormant. This means they have not erupted for a very long time. Dormant volcanoes seem to be sleeping. Before 1980, Mount Saint Helens was dormant for more than 100 years.
This rock is lava that has cooled.
Not all volcanoes look like Mount Saint Helens when they erupt. When this big volcano erupts, red-hot lava flows from openings in the mountain.
Some kinds of lava move slowly, and some kinds move very quickly When lava cools, it becomes hard rock. The rock becomes part of the mountain.
Volcanoes Under the Sea.
Some volcanoes erupt on land, and some volcanoes erupt under the sea. The islands of Hawaii are volcanoes in the sea. The volcanoes erupted many years ago and sent out streams of hot lava. The lava cooled into rock under the water. Each time the volcanoes erupted, the rocks got higher and higher. Finally, they rose over the top of the sea. These rocks formed the islands of Hawaii.
Volcanoes and People.
Volcanoes are dangerous when they erupt. Hot lava, gas, and ash burst out of the Earth. Yet, many people choose to live near volcanoes. The lava and the ash make the soil rich and good for farming. Rice, pineapples, and other plants grow well in volcanic soil.
People in Iceland use the heat from volcanoes to make electricity. Pipes pump water through the hot rocks underground near a volcano. As the water heats up, it turns to steam. The steam is used to make electricity.
Studying Volcanoes:
Some scientists study volcanoes.
These scientists look for clues that a volcano might erupt soon. The ground might be rumbling and shaking, or the volcano might be getting bigger. There might be steam coming out or new cracks forming in the ground. These are signs that a volcano will erupt.
A scientist wears a helmet and a special suit to collect lava samples.
Some scientists work near active volcanoes. They collect hot rocks and lava from the ground. These scientists need to wear special clothing to protect themselves. They also need to use special tools.
Right now some volcanoes are inactive. They seem to be sleeping.
Will these dormant volcanoes wake up and erupt again? No one knows for sure! Only time will tell.
Look at the penguin. The penguin can walk. It can walk on the ice.
Look at the penguin. A penguin can slide. It can slide on the ice.
Look at the penguin. The penguin can dive. It can dive into the sea.
Look at the penguin. A penguin can swim It can swim in the sea.
Look at this penguin. This penguin can hop. It can hop on the rocks.
Look at the penguin. The penguin can sit. It can sit on the rocks.
A penguin can sit on an egg, too.
Look at the baby penguin!