Reading. The Honest Woodcutter.

THE HONEST WOODCUTTER

Once there lived an old woodcutter. Every day he went to the wood to cut down trees. He worked hard, but he was a poor man. His house was the oldest and the smallest in the village.

One day the woodcutter dropped his axe into a deep river.

"What shall I do? How can I work now?" he cried.

A friendly water spirit appeared before him with a silver axe and asked, "Is this your axe?"

"No," the woodcutter said.

The spirit returned with a gold axe.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

"No," said the woodcutter.

Then the spirit appeared with his old iron axe.

"That one is mine!" said the woodcutter happily.

"You are so honest," said the spirit, "take the gold axe and the silver axe too!"

The woodcutter thanked the water spirit and took the axes.

On the way home the woodcutter met a rich merchant. When the merchant heard the woodcutter's story, he ran to the river and dropped his axe into the water.

"What shall I do?" he cried.

The spirit appeared with a silver axe.

"That one is mine!" the merchant said quickly.

"You know it is not," said the spirit, and disappeared.

The rich man's axe stayed at the bottom of the deep river.

1. When and where does the story happen?

2. Who is the main character?

3. What is his problem?

4. Who solves his problem?

5. Whose problem is not solved? Why?

6. Find the words in the text that describe the characters of the story.

The woodcutter: old, ………………….., …………………..

The water spirit: ……………………. The merchant: …………………..

7. Use the words below to make sentences:

The woodcutter (The water spirit / The merchant) is ……… and ………

8. What is the main idea of the story?

THE HONEST WOODCUTTER

Once there lived an old woodcutter. Every day he went to the wood to cut down trees. He worked hard, but he was a poor man. His house was the oldest and the smallest in the village.

One day the woodcutter dropped his axe into a deep river.

"What shall I do? How can I work now?" he cried.

A friendly water spirit appeared before him with a silver axe and asked, "Is this your axe?"

"No," the woodcutter said.

The spirit returned with a gold axe.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

"No," said the woodcutter.

Then the spirit appeared with his old iron axe.

"That one is mine!" said the woodcutter happily.

"You are so honest," said the spirit, "take the gold axe and the silver axe too!"

The woodcutter thanked the water spirit and took the axes.

On the way home the woodcutter met a rich merchant. When the merchant heard the woodcutter's story, he ran to the river and dropped his axe into the water.

"What shall I do?" he cried.

The spirit appeared with a silver axe.

"That one is mine!" the merchant said quickly.

"You know it is not," said the spirit, and disappeared.

The rich man's axe stayed at the bottom of the deep river.

1. When and where does the story happen?

2. Who is the main character?

3. What is his problem?

4. Who solves his problem?

5. Whose problem is not solved? Why?

6. Find the words in the text that describe the characters of the story.

The woodcutter: old, ………………….., …………………..

The water spirit: ……………………. The merchant: …………………..

7. Use the words below to make sentences:

The woodcutter (The water spirit / The merchant) is ……… and ………

8. What is the main idea of the story?