Page 167 - New Grammar with a Smile 6
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3 Heaven’s Uncle Toad
Read this passage.
Long ago, there was a devastating Inside the water jar, the crab
drought on Earth. Plants yellowed and immediately pinched the Thunder God
withered away. Animals suffered and with his big and strong claws. The
died. Thunder God jumped out of the jar but
the tiger appeared to fight with him.
In a dry pond lived an ugly toad. He
could foresee the danger of the drought. “Stop! Stop!” begged the King. “Uncle
So, he decided to make a long journey to Toad, tell your friends and the tiger to
meet the King of Heaven. On the way, please spare the Thunder God.” The
he met the crab, bear, tiger, bees and fox. tiger did not harm the Thunder God.
All of them followed the toad to heaven. Knowing that the toad and his friends
could not be defeated, the King finally
Arriving at the heavenly gates, the toad agreed to let the toad in heaven.
only saw a large drum. Then he told his
friends, “Crab, get inside this water jar! “Your Majesty! There has been no rain
Bees, stay behind the gates! Fox, Bear on the earth for so long,” said the toad.
and Tiger hide at the two sides!” After “If the drought continues, all living
arranging everything, the toad stepped things on earth will die! Rain is needed at
forward and took the drumstick to beat once to save them all.”
the three loud rolls. The King of Heaven The King was afraid that living things
was very angry to see the tiny and ugly on earth would rebel if he does not grant
toad who dared to make heaven noisy.
them rain. So, he said gently to the toad,
He ordered the rooster to kill the toad. “Uncle Toad, go back home. There will
When the rooster approached the toad, be rain on earth right away.”
the toad called the fox to kill the rooster. Before the toad and his friends left, the
Then the king ordered the dog to punish King said, “Uncle Toad, next time, when
the fox. However, when reaching the you need rain, you do not have to come
gates, the bear appeared and killed the here to heaven. Just croak and I know I
dog right away. The King was so angry need to send rain to the earth.”
that he asked the Thunder God to kill
the bear. Immediately, the Thunder God When the toad arrived on earth, there
was stung by the bees hiding behind the was rain everywhere. Since then, when
gates. Crying in pain, the Thunder God the toad croaks, the rain will soon follow.
jumped into the water jar.
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