A Folk TaleA magic pearl brings a boy and his

mother good luck. But the pearl has more power than they know.

CONNECT TO YOUR LIFE

• Guess what the story is about.• Have you ever found something valuable by

accident?• Tell a partner what happened afterwards.

Key to the Folk Tale

• Purpose: to teach a lesson about life moral value.

• Can explain why certain things happen

• Ex: Malin Kundang Tangkuban Perahu

Building Background

• Dragon are common in both European & Chinese folklore.

• In China dragons are seen as beneficent creatures, bring luck & prosperity, bring rain in summer & spring

• In Europe evil, fire-breathing beasts• Usually slain by knights/other hero

Vocabulary Preview

• Drought noun time of little of no rain• Scorched adjective burned of the surface• Craved verb needed very badly; past tense• Pierced verb touched deeply; past tense• Flourished verb grew very well; past tense

Open WB p. 14

COMPOUND WORD

• two words joined to make a new word with different meaning.

• Written as one word.• tea + pot teapot• sun + light sunlight• cow + boy cowboy• foot + ball football

Hyphenated compound• compound words, joined by hyphens (-)• Separate the word & look at the meaning of

each word.• cloud-breathing dragon: able to breathe out

clouds• good-natured friend: having good attitude• life-giving rain: able to help people or animal

lives

Open WB p.13

1st CHUNKPage 26, line 1-19

VOCABULARY

• Cloud-breathing dragons= able to breathe out clouds

• Good-natured boy= having good attitude

• He toiled = worked hard from dawn till dusk = from early morning until night

• …selling it for fuel or fodder= food for animals

PLOT

INTRODUCTION

RISING ACTION

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION & CONCLUSION

PLOT: what happens in the story

• Introduction: introduce main characters, setting. Beginnings of the problem

• Rising action: The characters make efforts to solve the problem

• Climax: the turning point of the story• Falling action & conclusion: the writer brings

the story to a close

LITERATURE: PLOT

• What is the time & place of the story?

• Who are the main characters?• What are the main problems

introduced in the PLOT?

COMPREHENSION

• What does Xiao Sheng do all day?

2nd CHUNKPage 26-27, line 20-47

VOCABULARY

• Xiao Sheng sang to lift his spirit = to make someone happier

• Rain-bringing dragon = able to help people or animal lives

• Wisp of cloud = a small thin line of cloud• Grass that was not shriveled = decaying & dead• Crest of the highest hill = the top part of the hill• gazed = look at something for a long time

COMPREHENSION

• REREAD: Why is Xiao Sheng worried?

• What good luck has Xiao Sheng had?

• What do you think will happen when he moves the grass? (predicting)

3rd CHUNKPage 27-29, line 48-100

VOCABULARY

• Transplanting = moving a plant to another place

• Rose-colored• Near-empty• Withered = dried up• Dashed off= run quickly• Brimming with rice = full with rice• Gleaming pearl = white & shiny

LITERATURE

• Rising Action happens after the INTRODUCTION.

• Name two Rising Actions on pages 28 & 29.

COMPREHENSION

• REREAD: Why do you think the rice has multiplied?

• In what way does the pearl change the lives of the boy & his mother?

4th CHUNK

Page 29-30, line 101-138

VOCABULARY• …not blind to their fortune• Drought-stricken = affected by drought• “What have we here!” he bellowed = to shout

in a loud voice• He snatched it = take something away by force• The ruffian = violent man lunged = to attack

toward the boy.• He popped = put something quickly the pearl

into his mouth.• The old woman began to wail = to cry

COMPREHENSION

• REREAD: If you are the villager, how would you have felt?

• What problem has the pearl caused?

5th CHUNKPage 30-32, line 139-180

VOCABULARY

• An intense heat seared through him=burned• He craved more water = need badly• Lightning crackled = make a lot of short, dry,

sharp sound • The villagers clutched one another = to try

very hard to hold something• Gaping the blackness overhead= to look in

great surprise (gape)• Clasped him tightly = to hold someone firmly

VOCABULARY• The scales of a fish rippled along his back = to

cause to move• The antlers of a deer appeared = horns with

part like branches • His hands became the talons of a hawk = a

sharp nail on a foot of a bird• He felt the twisting & coiling of a serpent’s tail

= snake

LITERATURE

• Mention two or three events in the rising action on page 31

6th CHUNKPage 33-35, line 181-236

VOCABULARY…sent then billowing into the sky = spreadingBeneficent dragon = helping people & doing good actHis mother clung to his legs = try hard to keep

somethingAgain and again she flung herself = to moveHis mother’s cries pierced his heart = touched deeplySculpting the banks with his last farewell = to form

into particular shapeThey tossed a few grains of rice = to throw

VOCABULARY• A bright orange carp splashed its tail right at

her feet

• She knew these to be glimpses of her son = to see someone for a very short time

• When the water lapped the shore= to hit gently

• Tinkling sound = a light ringing sound• The jingling of golden coins = ringing sound

LITERATURE

• Point out the CLIMAX in the story• Name two FALLING-ACTION events• What is the CONCLUSION?• What life lessons do you think this folk tale

might be trying to teach?

COMPREHENSION

• In your own words, describe how the boy changes

• Why do you think no rain ever falls over the land owned by the two wicked men?

THINK IT THROUGH HW• How does the dragon end the drought?• How does the boy show his mother that

he still cares for her?• What powers does the pearl seem to

have?• Do you think that in this story all the good

people are rewarded and all the bad ones punished? Why or why not?