20 THE STAR DIPPER

Once there was a little girl who was very, very kind. She and her mother lived in a little house. It was near a big woods.

One night her mother was sick. It was a very warm night.

“Oh, I am so thirsty, ”said her mother, “I wish I had some nice, cool water.”

“I will get you some water, Mother.”said the little girl.

So she took an old tin dipper and ran to the pump. But the pump would not give her any water. The well was dry.

“What shall I do? ”said the little girl. “My mother must have some nice, cool water. I will run to the spring in the woods. It is very dark, but I must not be afraid.”

So she ran down the road to the dark woods. She could not see where she was going. The sharp stones cut her feet, but she ran on and on.

It was so dark that she lost her way among the trees. But she did not turn back. “I must get some water for my mother, ”she said.

At last she found the spring, and filled her dipper. Then she started back home.

On the way home she met a little dog. She knew that he must be thirsty, as all the brooks were dry.

“Come, little dog, ”said the kind girl. “I will give you some of this nice, cool water.”She poured some water into her hand, and the little dog drank and drank.

Then a queer thing happened. The old tin dipper turned to shining silver. It was as bright as the silver moon. Then the little girl could see her way.

She went on faster and faster. Soon she met an old, old man.

“Oh, I am so thirsty! ”said the old man, “I have walked a long way. All the brooks are dry. Can you tell me where I can get a drink of nice, cool water? ”

“I will give you some, ”said the little girl. So she gave the old man a drink from her dipper. Then another queer thing happened. The silver dipper turned to shining gold. It shone like the golden sun. At last the little girl reached her home.

She gave her mother the golden dipper. “Oh, how cool this water is! ”said her mother. She drank and drank until there was no more water in the dipper.

“Thank you, my good little girl, ”said her mother. “I feel so much better, now! ”

Then a wonderful thing happened. The golden dipper turned to sparkling diamonds. They went up, up, up into the sky and turned to seven bright stars. They made a star dipper in the sky.

That was a long, long time ago, but the star dipper is still in the sky. It shows how brave a kind-hearted little girl can be.

(Old Tale)

Word list

dipper: a large spoon

tin: a kind of soft metal used for making cans

stones: large rocks

queer: unusual, strange

sparkling: very shiny

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Where did the little girl and her mother live?

2) Why couldn't the little girl's mother get herself some water?

3) Why couldn't the little girl get water for her mother at the pump?

4) Why did the little girl think the dog must be thirsty?

5) The well and the brooks were dry. What does that tell you about the weather?

B) What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the stories.

1) This shines in the sky: s _ _ _

2) This is another word for forest: w _ _ _ _

3) This means to want water: t _ _ _ _ _ _

4) This means a little bit cold: c _ _ _

5) This is another word for nice: k _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ The little girl in the story was not kind.

2) _____ The little girl became lost in the story.

3) _____ The brooks were full of water.

4) _____ The dipper is not in the sky anymore.

5) _____ The little girl was not brave.