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Ancient Tales Student Self-Study Booklet
Name:
Ancient Tales Self-Study Unit: A Guide for Students and Parents
This booklet is for KS3 students to work through on their own or with the help of a parent or
carer.
What will I do and learn?
• Enjoy reading a range of Ancient Tales.
• Talk and write about each story’s moral and the way it is written.
• Develop a deep understanding of stories that have stood the test of time.
How do I use the booklet?
• Set aside about an hour to complete each lesson.
• Complete all the activities in each lesson in the order they appear.
• When completing written tasks, such as answering questions or writing paragraphs,
you should use full sentences and take care to use capital letters and full stops
correctly.
• You will need an exercise book or lined paper to complete some of the exercises.
How do the lessons work?
Each story is explored over three lessons.
• Lesson One: Read and understand the Ancient Tale. This lesson may take longer than
an hour. You might want to divide it over two lessons.
• Lesson Two: Explore the moral of the Ancient Tale.
• Lesson Three: Write your own summary of the Ancient Tale.
• At the end of each story cycle, complete one of the interactive quizzes.
What do I do if I am in Year 9?
• Each lesson contains one or more tasks entitled ‘Transition to GCSE’. Whilst any student
can complete these activities, Year 9 students should always complete these.
• Whilst we would advise all students to complete the lessons in order, students in Year 9
should note that the most challenging stories are The Wicked King and his Good Son
and the extracts from Tales from the Thousand and One Nights. If you have other
scheduled lessons, after completing Lesson 1, you may want to move onto Lesson 8-
13.
Can parents, carers and siblings help?
Yes of course! Other family members can help in the following ways:
• Read the stories out loud to you or listen to you reading them aloud.
• Talk with you about the questions before you start to write.
• Suggest ways to start your sentences or paragraphs.
• Check your writing, especially full stops and capital letters.
• You could challenge them to write their own story and share it with you.
P a g e | 1
What else can I do if I love stories and I want more of a challenge?
• Learn one of your summaries by heart and perform it to family members.
• Read some of the Ancient Tales with a younger sibling and discuss them together.
• Complete tasks from the Task Bank or Homework Bank at the back of the booklet.
• Write a second and improved draft of one or more of your summaries and illustrate it.
I’m a parent, what do I need know to help with this booklet?
The most important and challenging learning in this booklet is:
• What is an Ancient Tale? What is their purpose?
• What is a moral?
• How to write a clear summary.
You will find the key morals in each Ancient Tale, as well as other important information
about each story, in the knowledge organiser below.
Contents
Lesson Ancient Tale Page
1 Introduction to Ancient Tales 1
2 The Cheetah’s Whisker by KP Kojo 5
3 The moral of The Cheetah’s Whisker 15
4 Summarising The Cheetah’s Whisker 17
Complete interactive Quiz 1
5 Hansel and Gretel adapted by Carol Ann Duffy 19
6 The moral of Hansel and Gretel 29
7 Summarising Hansel and Gretel 31
Complete interactive Quiz 2
8 The Wicked King and his Good Son by Madhur Jaffrey 33
9 The moral of The Wicked King and his Good Son 39
10 Summarising The Wicked King and his Good Son 41
Complete interactive Quiz 3
11 Shahrazad’s story from Tales from the Thousand and
One Nights translated by NJ Dawood
43
12 The moral of Shahrazad’s story 48
13 Summarising Shahrazad’s story 51
Complete interactive Quiz 4
Task Bank 53
Homework Tasks 54
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Lesson 1, What are Ancient Tales?
Do Now Activities
What stories have you read this year? Which have you loved the most? Why?
Which stories have been the most powerful to you? Why?
Information: Ancient Tales
Over the coming lessons, we are going to read a number of different stories
which are designed to teach us something.
These stories come under the heading Ancient Tales.
Ancient Tales are stories that have been shared by generations in cultures
across the world.
These particular stories tell us something about how to live.
The similarities in these stories suggest that humans have much more in
common than they do differences.
Activity 1: The table below details each tale we will read, and their origins. For
each tale, think about the questions below. You can annotate the table with
your answers, or write in full sentences on lined paper.
• Do you know anything about any of the stories? If so, what?
• Do you know anything about any of the authors? If so, what?
• Do you know anything about any of the countries? If so, what?
Tale Author Origin
The Cheetah’s
Whisker KP Kojo
Ethiopia and
Eritrea
Hansel and Gretel adapted by Carol
Ann Duffy Germany
The Wicked King
and his Good Son Madhur Jaffrey India
Tales from The
Thousand and One
Nights
translated by NJ
Dawood Middle East
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Activity 2: We are going to read a story by Madhur Jaffrey. It comes from a
collection of stories called Seasons of Splendour. In the introduction to her
collection, Jaffrey explains her fascination with stories. Read what she says
and answer the questions below the extract in full sentences.
Introduction to Seasons of Splendour by Madhur Jaffrey
Our family tradition of storytelling consisted more of the
family huddle. We would crowd around an aunt on the Big
Room divan or around my grandmother on the Prayer
Room carpet or, if my mother was telling the story from the
drawing-room sofa. We would drape ourselves over its arms
and back, even overflowing on to the floor, bodies
overlapping bodies. The fund of stories seemed endless. The
plump women of the house would no sooner emerge from
their baths in freshly starched summer voile saris, their faces
smelling of powder or vanishing cream, than we would
drag them to a sofa or carpet or divan to tell us a story.
They would demur, we would insist. They would give in and
settle down languorously with a great rusting of their crisp
saris. Pillows would be adjusted. One leg would be tucked
under the other. Soon there would be no sound other than
the whirring of the fan and the twittering of the garden
birds.
…
Some of the stories we were told were of ancient origin and
were drawn from our religious epics. Others, also ancient,
had no recognisable source. They had just been told, in my
family, generation after generation for centuries. What all
the stories had in common was a clear moral tone. This
made it more comfortable for the elders to tell them to us
and, strangely enough, it made us children feel very secure.
What was right and what was wrong was so very clearly
defined.
huddle – group
divan – a long, low
seat
drawing-room – a
formal room
fund – amount
voile saris – an item of
clothing that women
in southern Asia wear
demur – show
reluctance
languorously –
dreamily
Ancient origin – stories
from the past
epics – a long story
narrating the deeds
and adventures of
heroic or legendary
figures or the history of
a nation
moral – lesson
1. Who told Madhur Jaffrey stories as a child?
2. What did the stories she was told have in common?
Transition to GCSE
How can you tell that this is a positive memory for Madhur Jaffrey? Write a
paragraph in response to this question, and select quotations from the text
to support your ideas.
P a g e | 3
Information: morals
Madhur Jaffrey says that the stories she heard as a child had a ‘clear moral
tone’.
You may know the word moral. The definition is below.
A moral is a lesson that is learned from a story or an experience.
For example, the novel Oliver Twist shows us that it is possible to be a good
person, no matter what happens in your life.
Every Ancient Tale we read will teach us lessons, will contain morals. Part of
the purpose of Ancient Tales is to teach us these morals in a way that is
interesting and understandable.
Activity 3: You are now going to answer the question below. Aim to write one
to two paragraphs.
Why are Ancient Tales an important tradition?
You should include:
- a definition of Ancient Tales, and
- the purpose of Ancient Tales.
Extension: To illustrate your points, include specific details from Madhur
Jaffrey’s introduction.
Before you check your work in the answer booklet, review your work from this
lesson.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
Please note, there is a Transition to GCSE task connected to this lesson on the
next page of this booklet.
P a g e | 4
Transition to GCSE Madhur Jaffrey has written about a childhood experience during which she
was told stories. Write three paragraphs about a significant memory from
your childhood. Use the space below to plan, making sure you think about
what each paragraph will be about, and the vocabulary you want to use.
You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery
checks. You have 20 minutes to complete your writing.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Vocabulary I will use
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have commented on
all the important things
that happened.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
P a g e | 5
Lesson 2, The Cheetah’s Whisker by KP Kojo
Do Now Activities
What is an Ancient Tale?
What does the word ‘moral’ mean?
Why is the word ‘moral’ important to this unit?
Extension: Why do you think people tell stories which contain morals?
Information: The Cheetah’s Whisker
We are going to read The Cheetah’s Whisker by KP Kojo. This story
originates in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Like A Midsummer Night’s Dream (a play you may have read this year), this
story involves a magical potion.
This story is set in Fafen Shet, a village in Ethiopia.
In this lesson we are going to read the story and show our understanding by
answering questions.
Activity 1: Read the opening of the story and answer the questions below it.
The Cheetah’s Whisker, a Habesha story by KP Kojo Habesha – Eritrean
and Ethiopian
There once lived a girl called Abeba. She lived close to a
stream called Fafen Shet, in a village that sat in the beautiful
savannah plains. Her home was in Ethiopia, a country full of
hills and rivers and one of the first places in the world where
people farmed grain.
Abeba was the happiest girl you could imagine. She
spent her free time playing tegre with friends and rode her
father’s shoulders while shouting, ‘donkey, donkey, donkey.’
When she spotted her mother, Mariam, coming home from
work in the fields, she would run and skip around her, asking
questions all the way home. Her father, Taddese, taught her
how to write a kind of poetry called qəne, which she liked to
share with her parents while they had dinner.
Every day was wonderful for Abeba, except that
every now and then she yearned for a little brother or sister
to play with. She sometimes wrote qəne poems about how a
hand cannot make a loud sound without another hand to
clap against, to remind her parents that she was lonely.
savannah plains –
grassy flat area with
few trees
tegre – a
boardgame
qəne – a unique
style of poetry from
Ethiopia
yearned – really
wanted
P a g e | 6
They would laugh and say: ‘Be patient, child,
everything happens in its own time, in its own way.’
Mariam couldn’t tell Abeba that she was not strong
enough to have another baby. However, Abeba soon knew,
for after falling sick during a season of flooding, her mother
died.
Abeba became quiet and would no longer go out to
play tegre with her friends in the village anymore. When she
started playing again, she only played with her father.
Taddese became her best friend, her teacher, her cook, her
qəne reader and still, sometimes, her donkey – even though
by the time she turned nine she became a little heavy for
the donkey to carry. Then one day, Taddese told Abeba
that she would have a new mother, because he was
marrying a new wife.
‘I know you’ve been sad,’ he said. ‘I’ve also been sad and
lonely. Gelila is a kind woman, and I’m sure you’ll love her.’
Abeba made a face and said nothing.
‘She has two children as well,’ Taddese added. ‘A six-year
old girl called Elene and an eight-year old boy – Girma.
You’ll finally have playmates!’
But Abeba wasn’t very happy when Gelila moved in.
She had had her father to herself for more than two years,
and she wasn’t ready to share him. Besides, nobody could
replace her mother.
Although Gelila cooked much better than her father,
Abeba never ate much when she made meals and only ate
properly when her father cooked. She complained that
Gelila didn’t make specially shaped injera for her as her
mother had and put in too little salt when making dorowat –
her favourite chicken stew.
Abeba also hated her stepbrother, Girma, because he
opened her notebooks and read her qəne without asking
and he now played tegre with all her friends in the village.
She didn’t like sharing a room with two other children
anyway and she didn’t like that Elene got to wear all the
clothes that she could no longer wear because she had
grown too big.
She began to wander in the hills around the village
alone, thinking about ways in which her life could be better.
Abeba started to miss her mother all over again, even more
than she had before. She wrote and sang sad songs called
tizita:
Yesterday I danced a dream
but my arms today are broken
only memories hold me close
injera – a type of
Ethiopian flatbread
tizita – a type of
Ethiopian song
written to
remember
someone
P a g e | 7
She dreamed of her mother, remembering what her soft,
brown skin smelt and felt like. She remembered how Mariam
used to burn frankincense at the weekends, singing while
washing clothes as her father looked over his students’ work.
How wonderful it was when she ruffled Abeba’s short curly
hair!
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. Where does Abeba live?
2. What three things does Abeba like doing?
3. What does Abeba yearn for?
4. What happens to Abeba’s mother?
5. Why doesn’t Abeba like her new siblings?
Extension: How is the reader meant to feel towards Abeba?
Activity 2: Read the next section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
Gelila tried very hard to make Abeba feel special. She
asked her what she would like to eat on Saturdays when
they were all home together, she brought her little gifts from
the fields, she taught her songs that she had learned while
growing up, she offered to teach her how to draw portraits.
No matter what she did, Abeba remained quiet and didn’t
respond.
As soon as the holidays came, Abeba begged her
father to send her to her grandmother’s. She wanted to be
close to someone that reminded her of her mother, who
could tell her stories about her mother’s childhood –
someone who would understand how sad and lonely she
was.
At her grandmother’s, Abeba cried every day for two
days. Her grandmother tried to comfort her by cooking her
favourite dishes and taking her to visit cousins that she had
not seen for a while, but Abeba would not cheer up.
Eventually her grandmother called and asked her what was
wrong.
‘If you came here to be sad,’ said her grandmother, ‘then
you had better go back home. When I see my
grandchildren, I want them to be happy.’
‘Ayat, I’m sad and I’m lonely. My stepmother doesn’t love
me and now my father doesn’t have time to play with me
anymore. He’s always with Gelila’s children.
‘Abeba, your father will always have time for you. And how
do you know that your stepmother doesn’t love you?’
frankincense – a
type of incense
Ayat – grandmother
P a g e | 8
‘I am not her child. I can see it in the way she talks to them.
She doesn’t do anything special for me; she ignores me.’
‘Do you want her to love you?’ asked her grandmother.
Abeba didn’t know what to say, because she had
never thought about it, but she wanted to feel special again
so she nodded.
Her grandmother looked at her for a long time, then
pulled her close to hug her. ‘I think I know what is needed.
This has not been done since my own grandmother was a
little girl, but I think it could work for you.’
Abeba sat up, curious. ‘What is it?’
‘Well,’ said her grandmother, smiling with her eyes just
like Mariam used to, ‘I can make you a love potion to give
to her.’
‘A love potion – that’s exactly what I need,’ said Abeba. She
stood up and clapped. ‘Yes, please.’
‘Not so fast,’ said her grandmother. ‘It’s a very complicated
potion to make, but I can do it. It’s just that there is one
ingredient that you would have to get for me.’
‘Anything, Ayat, I’m ready.’
‘OK. The thing that I need to finish off the potion is the
whisker of a cheetah.’
Abeba’s jaw dropped. There was no one in the world more
scared of cheetahs than Abeba. ‘A cheetah’s whisker?’
‘Yes,’ smiled her grandmother. ‘Do you think you can get
one?’
‘Of course,’ nodded Abeba, not wanting to give up. ‘I’ll go
out tomorrow morning and start searching.’
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. How does Gelila try to make Abeba feel
special? Give at least two ways.
2. Abeba’s grandmother comes up with a solution to
Abeba’s problem. What is it?
3. What does Abeba need to get for her grandmother?
Extension: Are you surprised about Abeba’s grandmother’s
solution? Why? Why not?
Activity 3: Read the final section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
Abeba knew that the cheetahs of the savannah slept for the
hours every day in shaded areas of high grass. When Abeba
had gone to the edge of her grandmother’s village to fetch
curious – interested
cheetah – a large
slender spotted cat
found in Africa and
parts of Asia. It is the
fastest animal on
land.
savannah – grassy
flat area with few
trees
P a g e | 9
water, she had never travelled much further – except in the
direction of her own village. In every other direction, the
isolated clumps of thorn trees looked scary. However, she set
off the next day on her quest, knowing that she would have
to go beyond all the paths she had known before, leaving
behind the comfort of knowing where she belonged.
There weren’t many places to hide in the open
savannah. The hollows of abandoned anthills provided
shelter here and there and sometimes there were caves.
However, other animals lived in most of the caves and it was
dangerous to intrude.
But Abeba was determined to have the love potion,
so she carried on. Past the dark red sands that marked the
edge of the village, past the stubborn clumps of low
elephant grass that seemed to survive regardless of the
weather, beyond the patchwork scatterings of spear grass
and into higher clusters of mixed beard grass and lovegrass.
The grass was as high as her waist and made a
pleasing, swishing sound as she walked through it. After a
while she heard a distinct trickle of a stream, so she climbed
a nearby tree to look for it. She couldn’t see the water itself,
but Abeba could tell from the richer green of the grass
towards the east, where she had to shade her eyes from the
early sun, that it was there.
As she prepared to get down from the tree, she saw a
movement in the grass close to the stream and waited. She
held her breath, her heart beating faster and faster, until she
saw the creature through the grass; its thick tail, its distinctive
markings; its smooth gait. It was a cheetah, a lone cat. She
watched it move away from the stream and stop under a
cloud-shaped bush. It stretched backwards then lay down
to sleep.
Abeba got down from her tree and walked towards
the cheetah. When she was close enough to hear the low
rumble of the cheetah’s breathing, she found another tree
and crept even closer to rest beneath it and watch the
sleeping animal.
Although she was scared, she felt close to the
cheetah because, like her, it was alone. She was fascinated
by the contrast between its white belly and the rest of its
coat, like a secret it carried.
Abeba watched the cheetah all day until it woke
again. It sniffed the air as though it sensed her presence. Its
whiskers twitched and it let out a low growl as it yawned,
tossing its head before it ambled back towards the stream.
Abeba returned to her grandmother’s, determined to return
the next day and get closer to the cheetah.
isolated – far away
from other places,
buildings or people
intrude – go to a
place where you
are not welcome
stubborn –
determined, difficult
distinct – clear
gait – walk
ambled – walked
slowly
P a g e | 10
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. Although Abeba is young, she has already
faced many challenges in her life. What are the
different challenges she is facing?
2. Through these challenges, Abeba is learning
about herself and the world. What is she learning? Extension: The savannah is both beautiful and scary. Find
one quotation to prove each idea. Form these quotations
into a paragraph which answers the question, What is the
savannah like?
Now read the slide below about the word ‘quest’. It is important to this story.
Information: quest
One word to describe Abeba’s journey to get the cheetah’s whisker is a
quest. A quest is a journey, often a difficult journey, toward a specific
mission or a goal.
Activity 4: Answer the questions below about Abeba’s quest.
1. What journey does Abeba need to take?
2. Why is this journey difficult?
3. What is the specific mission and goal?
Transition to GCSE Why is Abeba’s quest scary and difficult? Answer in two paragraphs, using
2-3 quotations from the last section of the story that you read to help you.
P a g e | 11
Activity 5: Read the final section of the story. After reading the final section,
you will create a bullet point summary explaining how Abeba manages to
get the whisker from the cheetah.
While helping her grandmother cook the spicy beef
key-wat stew that evening, she thought about the cheetah’s
black tear marks that ran all the way down to the sides of its
moth, making it look sad and funny at the same time.
Abeba hummed a tizita, but with a smile on her face.
Yesterday I danced a dream
and if today my arms are gone
can my feet find a new rhythm?
She saved a large piece of raw meat from the key-wat to
take with her the next day.
Abeba was up and by the cheetah’s bush just after
sunrise. The light threw her shadow behind her as she crept
back to the tree she had found the day before to watch the
cheetah.
The cat surveyed the horizon, now and then pausing
to sniff the air. Abeba was as still as an anthill and breathed
slowly through her mouth into her hands. She felt sure that
the cheetah sensed her presence and it seemed to pause
before settling down to sleep. When she was certain that it
was in a deep sleep, Abeba left her hiding place and tossed
the meat from the night before close to the sleeping animal.
When the cheetah woke up, it caught the scent of
meat and slunk towards it. It sniffed the meat cautiously,
then lifted it into its mouth in one swift movement. As it
chewed it sniffed the air, as if sensing Abeba’s presence
again, then made a soft growling noise before returning to
rest under its bush.
Abeba watched the cheetah as she did the day
before. She realized that she now found the sounds that the
cheetah made familiar. She could tell when a growl was
contented, when one indicated hunger or thirst. She could
guess from the tone of the purring that the big cat was
about to sleep. She waited until the cheetah went towards
the stream to drink and crept away for the day.
She returned the next day with more raw meat. This
time Abeba did not wait for the cheetah to fall asleep. She
stood up and tossed the meat towards the beast then
walked slowly to her hiding place. She watched as the
cheetah gobbled the meat and observed, stunned, as it
seemed to toss its head in her direction. She thought that
was its way of saying thank you. Yes, she said to herself, yes.
Abeba headed back to her grandmother’s with a skip in her
step. She zoomed past the high clusters of mixed beard
grass and lovegrass, the patchwork scatterings of spear
P a g e | 12
grass, the stubborn clumps of low elephant grass and the
dark red sands that marked the beginning of the village, to
help her grandmother chop up ingredients for the key-wat.
With the onion cooking in the niter kibbeh oil and her
grandmother grinding more spices to add, Abeba crushed
garlic cloves and paused to ask about the love potion.
‘Ayat, when you get the whisker, do you chop it or
grind it, or do you just boil it for flavour like you do with bones
for soup?’
Her grandmother brushed a handful of spices into the
pan over the nicely-browned onions and looked at Abeba,
a twinkle in her eyes. ‘Just get it first,’ she said. ‘Get it and I’ll
show you.’
‘OK.’ Abeba took a piece of meat and wrapped it in the
leaves for the next morning.
At the cheetah’s resting bush, the next morning, Abeba did
not retreat to her hiding place after she tossed food to the
cheetah. She crouched close by and watched it eat. She
remained in the same position as the beast stared at her. It
purred and sniffed the air in her direction, as if making sure
that it was a scent it recognised, then turned to look across
the wide expanse of the savannah. After a while, the
cheetah growled softly and rose to go towards the stream.
Abeba returned daily with meat, moving closer to the
cheetah each time.
One morning, after a few weeks of her visits, she was
surprised to find the cheetah gone when she arrived. She
thought that it might have walked to the stream early, but
after a couple of minutes she heard a growl behind her.
Abeba realised that she was surprised but not scared. She
tossed the meat she had brought to the usual spot and the
cheetah slunk past her, brushing its thick tail against her arms
as it went to eat.
Feeling bold after her encounter, Abeba went to the
cloud-shaped tree a little earlier the next morning to spring
her own surprise on the cheetah.
She crept up behind the big cat and stroked it along the
thick patterned fur on its side. The cheetah purred, raised a
large front paw in the air for a second and growled.
Abeba placed the piece of meat she had brought in
front of the cheetah. As it ate, she reached out and pulled a
whisker from its face, tucking it into her little fabric pouch
that her mother had made for her when she was younger.
She stayed beside the cheetah as it stared across the
horizon and stood up with it when it rose to head to the
stream for a drink.
niter kibbeh – an
important Ethiopian
ingredient made
with butter and
spices
retreat – pull back
bold – brave
encounter –
meeting
P a g e | 13
Abeba went in the opposite direction, a bit sad to be
leaving her new friend, but broke into an excited run as she
approached her grandmother’s home.
‘I have it! I have it!’ she screamed as she burst into the
kitchen. ‘I have the cheetah’s whisker. Now we can make
the potion.’
Her grandmother laughed and gave Abeba a big
hug.
‘Come and sit down, my child,’ she said, leading
Abeba to her bedroom.
‘Now, tell me, how did you manage to get a whisker from a
cheetah without getting bites or scratches?’ Abeba sighed.
‘I took my time. I watched it and tried to understand its
habits. I knew that it had to trust me and I needed to lose my
fear of cheetahs, so I was patient. I took it something to eat
every day and got closer to it each time. After a while, I
could tell it expected me. When I felt like it trusted me
completely, when I felt that I could call it my friend, I sat
down beside it while it ate and pulled out a whisker.’
‘That must have been very difficult for a girl like you;
you’re intelligent, but very, very impatient,’ said her
grandmother with a knowing smile.
‘Well,’ said Abeba, ‘I knew the whisker was important
to you, to help make the love potion. Can we make it now?’
Abeba’s grandmother looked her right in the eyes,
holding the girl’s face between her small, dark hands.
‘Abeba, you don’t need a potion. You were patient
with a cheetah because you knew it was important to me.
Now try and be patient and attentive with Gelila and Elene
and Girma because it’s important to your father. You’ll see
it’s a lot easier than making a love potion.’
Abeba nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
Her grandmother wiped her tears. ‘And remember
that I don’t like to see you unhappy. It’s important to me and
your mother that you smile every day.’
attentive – giving
care and attention
Activity 6: Create a bullet point summary explaining how Abeba manages to
get the whisker from the cheetah. The first one has been done for you. Don’t
write more than four additional bullet points.
• Abeba starts leaving meat for the cheetah so it knows it can trust her.
Extension: Why is Abeba’s plan impressive? Were you surprised that Abeba
was able to come up with this plan? Were you surprised that the plan was
successful? Why?
P a g e | 14
Transition to GCSE Focus on Abeba’s relationship with the cheetah. How does Abeba’s
relationship with the cheetah change over the course of the story? Think
about the relationship in three parts: beginning, middle and end. You
should aim to use two to three quotations in your answer.
Before you check your work in the answer booklet, review your work from this
lesson. Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 15
Lesson 3, the moral of The Cheetah’s Whisker
Do Now Activities
Last lesson you met a girl called Abeba. What can you remember about her?
Create a spider diagram.
Extension: Abeba’s grandmother sent her on a quest. What is the purpose of
this quest? What might the quest teach her?
Information: Moral
Ancient Tales are designed to teach us something.
They tell us something about how to live.
Madhur Jaffrey told us (in her introduction to her Ancient Tale, The Wicked
King and his Good Son) that the tales her relatives told her all had
something in common: ‘a clear moral tone’.
Activity 1: We are going to work out what The Cheetah’s Whisker teaches us.
We are going to focus on analysing two quotations to work this out. For the
given quotation, annotate to show what Abeba learned during her quest. The
first one has been done for you (below).
P a g e | 16
Annotate the next quotation yourself. Aim to make three separate
annotations.
Understanding the moral of The Cheetah’s Whisker Abeba learned a lot during the story. We are meant to learn from The
Cheetah’s Whisker too. Below are two possible morals for The Cheetah’s
Whisker. Which do you think is the most important moral to take from this
story? Justify your answer in a paragraph response.
a. There is no shortcut to building relationships. You have to work hard at
them.
b. Relationships are important. Some you will never forget.
Extension: Think of an additional moral, something else that we are meant to
learn from reading The Cheetah’s Whisker. Explain why you think this is also
one of the morals of the story.
Transition to GCSE After reading this story, someone at English Mastery said, ‘Abeba is an
interesting character because you can sympathise with her but also
understand that she is flawed, especially in the first half of the story’.
Explain why we can sympathise with Abeba. Explain how you know she is
flawed. Use quotations to support your answer, and aim to write two
paragraphs.
P a g e | 17
Lesson 4, summarising The Cheetah’s Whisker
Do Now Activities
Explain why each of these is important in The Cheetah’s Whisker:
love potion raw meat cheetah’s whisker
Extension: Describe Abeba’s grandmother in three sentences.
Information: oral tradition
The stories that you are reading in this unit all come under the heading
Ancient Tales.
Ancient Tales are stories that have been shared by generations in cultures
across the world. Often, these Ancient Tales were shared orally rather than
written down.
This means that people told these stories to one another, just like Madhur
Jaffrey’s relatives told her stories when she was little.
You are going to become part of that tradition by writing a summary of the
Ancient Tale you have read.
The characters, plot and moral will stay the same.
However, you will have a chance to write the story in your own way.
Writing a summary Write a summary of The Cheetah’s Whisker. Use the table on the next page to
plan. Each sub-heading is there to suggest what each paragraph should be
about. You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery
checks in your writing. You have 20 minutes to complete your writing.
Once you have finished your summary, you should also complete these
checks.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings.
P a g e | 18
Transition to GCSE Learn your summary off by heart and tell this Ancient Tale to someone in
your household. Make the story come alive for them! Remember to speak
clearly, slowly and to vary your tone so that the story is understandable and
enjoyable to listen to!
You have now completed work on the first Ancient Tale. Remember, there
are homework tasks at the end of this booklet to accompany this story!
Planning
Sub-headings for each paragraph
Introduce the character of Abeba.
Bring her to life!
Explain Abeba’s dilemma, and her
grandmother’s solution.
Describe Abeba’s quest.
Explain how the story ends.
Explain the moral of the story.
Vocabulary I will use
Fafen Shet Ethiopia love potion cheetah
quest savannah patience relationships
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have used each sub-
heading to structure
my paragraphs.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
P a g e | 19
Lesson 5, Hansel and Gretel adapted by Carol Ann Duffy
Do Now Activities
Stories often begin with problems. For example, the novel Oliver Twist begins
with Oliver in a workhouse, starving and mistreated. No one cares about him.
Think about a story you have read recently. What problem(s) did the main
character face at the beginning of their story?
Extension: Why do you think stories often start with problems? Bullet point your
ideas.
Information: Hansel and Gretel
The story we are going to read today begins with a problem: the family we
meet are living in poverty. In fact, this family are starving.
The two children we meet (Hansel and Gretel) have a father and a wicked
step-mother.
Hansel and Gretel is a story that originated in Germany. We are going to
read a re-telling of the story by Carol Ann Duffy.
Carol Ann Duffy is one of the Britain's most popular poets. She was Britain’s
Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2019.
Hansel and Gretel was passed down by generations orally before being
made famous by two brothers, the Brothers Grimm. In the 19th century, they
published a book with many Ancient Tales from all over Europe. For
example, Cinderella and Rapunzel.
Activity 1: Read the opening of the story and answer the questions below it.
Hansel and Gretel, adapted by Carol Ann Duffy
It was no more than once upon a time when a poor
woodcutter lived in a small dark house at the edge of a
huge, dark forest. Now, the woodcutter lived with his wife
and his two young children – a boy called Hansel and a little
girl called Gretel. It was hard enough for him to feed them at
the best of times – but these were the worst of times; times of
famine and hunger and starvation; and the woodcutter was
lucky if he could get his hands on even a simple loaf of
bread. Night after hungry night, he lay in his bed next to his
thin wife, and he worried so much that he tossed and he
turned and he sighed and he mumbled and moaned and
he just couldn't sleep at all. ‘Wife, wife, wife,’ he said to
Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother. ‘What are we going to do?
woodcutter – a
person who cuts
down trees for fuel
famine – starvation
P a g e | 20
How can we feed our two poor children when we’ve hardly
enough for ourselves? Wife, wife, what can be done?’ And
as he fretted and sweated in the darkness, back came the
bony voice of his wife – a voice as fierce as famine. ‘Listen to
me, husband,’ she said. ‘Tomorrow at first light we’ll take the
children into the heart of the forest, right into the cold, black
heart of it. We’ll make a fire for them there and give them
each one last morsel of bread. Then we’ll pretend to go off
to our work and we’ll leave them there all by themselves.
They’ll never be able to find their way back home on their
own. We’ll be rid of them for good and only have to worry
about feeding ourselves.’ But when the woodcutter heard
these hard, desperate words he said no. ‘No, no, wife, I
can’t do that. How could I have the heart to leave young
Hansel and Gretel in the forest? The wild beasts would soon
sniff them out and eat them alive.’ But his wife was adamant.
‘You fool,’ she said with tight lips, ‘do you want all four of us
to starve to death? You might as well start smoothing the
wood for our coffins.’ And she gave the poor heartsore
woodcutter no peace until he agreed to do as she said. ‘But
I feel so sorry for my helpless little children,’ he wept. ‘I can’t
help it.’
Now Hansel and Gretel had been so hungry that
night that they hadn’t been able to sleep either, and they’d
heard every cruel word of their stepmother’s terrible plan.
Gretel cried bitter, salt tears, and said to Hansel, ‘Now we’re
finished.’ But Hansel comforted her. ‘Don’t cry, Gretel. Don’t
be sad. I’ll think of a way to save us.’ And when their father
and stepmother had finally gone to sleep, Hansel got up,
put on his coat, opened the back door, and crept out into
the midnight hour. There was bright, sparkling moonlight
outside and the white pebbles on the ground shone like
silver coins and precious jewels. Hansel bent down and filled
his empty pockets with as many pebbles as he could carry.
Then he went back inside and said to Gretel, ‘Don’t worry
Gretel, you can go back to sleep now. We’ll be fine, I
promise.’ And he got back into bed.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. Where do the family live?
2. Why is life difficult for Hansel and Gretel? Give
two reasons.
3. How does the woodcutter feel about leaving
his children in the forest?
Extension: In what ways is Hansel and Gretel’s step-mother
different to Abeba’s step-mother in The Cheetah’s Whisker?
fretted – worried
morsel – small bit
adamant –
determined
pebbles – small,
smooth stones
P a g e | 21
Activity 2: Read the next section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
At dawn, before the sun had properly risen, their stepmother
came and woke the two children. ‘Get up, you lazy scraps,
we’re going into the forest to chop wood.’ Then she gave
each of them a miserable mouthful of bread. ‘There’s your
lunch – think yourselves lucky, and don’t eat it all at once,
because there’s nothing else.’ Gretel put the bread into her
apron pocket, because Hansel’s pockets were crammed
with pebbles. Then the whole family set off along the path to
the forest. Hansel kept stopping and looking back towards
the house, until finally the woodcutter called to him, ‘Hansel,
what are you trailing behind for and looking at? Keep up
with the rest of us.’ ‘Sorry, Father,’ said Hansel, ‘I’m just
looking back at my white kitten. It’s sitting up there on our
roof, saying goodbye.’ ‘You stupid boy,’ said his stepmother.
‘That’s not your kitten. It’s just the light of the morning sun
glinting on the chimney. Now come on.’ But, of course,
Hansel hadn’t been looking at anything at all. He’d been
throwing the white pebbles from his pocket into the path.
The forest was immense and gloomy. When they had
reached the middle, the woodcutter said, ‘Now, Hansel,
now, Gretel, gather some wood and I’ll make a nice fire to
keep you warm.’ Hansel and Gretel collected a big pile of
firewood and when it was set alight and the flames were like
burning tongues, their stepmother said, ‘Now lie down by the
fire and rest. We’re going further into the forest to chop
wood. When we’re finished working, we’ll come back and
get you.’ The children sat by the small fire, and when
midday came, they chewed their small portions of bread.
They could hear the blows of a woodcutter’s axe nearby
and they thought that their father was close. But it wasn’t an
axe, it was just a branch that he had tied to an old, withered
tree and the wind was blowing it to and fro, to and fro. After
they had waited and waited and waited, the children’s eyes
grew heavy as worry and they fell fast asleep.
When at last they woke up, it was already pitch dark,
darker than a nightmare. Gretel began to cry and said,
‘How are we going to find our way out of this enormous
forest?’ But Hansel tried to cheer her up. ‘Just wait a bit till
the moon rises, Gretel, then we’ll find our way home alright.’
And when the moon had risen, casting its brilliant, magical
light, Hansel took his little sister by the hand and followed the
pebbles. They shone like newly minted coins, like cats’ eyes,
like diamonds, and showed them the way. They walked all
through the night, and at daybreak they knocked on the
door of their father’s house. When their stepmother opened
it and saw it was Hansel and Gretel, she said, ‘You naughty
children! Why did you sleep so long in the forest? We
dawn – first
appearance of
light in the morning
crammed – filled
immense – huge
withered – dry,
weak
newly minted –
recently made
P a g e | 22
thought you were never coming home.’ But their father was
pleased to have them back again, for he had been grief-
stricken at leaving them all by themselves in the forest.
Not long afterwards, times became very hard again
and the famine bit deeply and savagely into their lives. One
night, when they all lay in bed with gnawing stomachs, the
children heard their stepmother’s ravenous voice again,
‘There’s no more food left except half a loaf of bread, and
when that’s gone that’ll be the end of us. The children must
go, I tell you. Tomorrow first thing, we’ll take them even
deeper, deeper, right into the belly of the forest so they
won’t possibly be able to find their way out. It’s our only way
of saving ourselves.’ Although the woodcutter grew very
upset and thought it was better to share your last crumb with
your children, his wife wouldn’t listen to a word he said. Her
sharp voice pecked on and on at him, ‘You did it before so
you’ll do it again. You did it before so you’ll do it again.’ And
in the end, the poor starving woodcutter gave in.
Once more, Hansel waited till his parents fell asleep,
and then he got up and tried to get out to collect his
pebbles like last time. But the stepmother had locked and
bolted the door and Hansel couldn’t get out, no matter how
hard he tried. He had to go back to bed empty-handed
and comfort his little sister. ‘No more tears, Gretel,’ he said.
‘Just try and sleep. I know somehow I’ll find something to
help us.’
It was very, very early when their stepmother came
and poked the children out of bed. She gave them each a
piece of bread, but they were even smaller pieces than
before. On the way to the forest, Hansel crumbled his bit of
bread in his pocket, and kept pausing to throw a crumb on
the ground. ‘Hansel, why do you keep stopping and looking
behind you?’ said the woodcutter. ‘Get a move on.’ ‘I’m
only looking back at my little dove, Father,’ said Hansel. ‘It’s
sitting on our roof trying to say goodbye to me.’ ‘You idiotic
boy,’ snapped his stepmother, ‘that isn’t your dove. It’s the
sun shining on the chimneypot.’ But carefully, one tiny crumb
at a time, Hansel laid a lifeline of bread on the path.
And now the stepmother had led the children right
into the deepest, densest part of the forest, to where they
had never been in their whole lives. A big, licking fire was lit
again and she told them, ‘You two sit here and wait, and if
you get tired you can go to sleep. Your father and I are
going further off to chop wood. And in the evening when
we’re finished, we’ll come and fetch you.’
After a while, Gretel shared her miserly lump of bread
with Hansel, who had scattered his piece on the path. Then
they fell asleep, and the long evening passed, but nobody
came to take them home. The night grew darker and
ravenous – starving
dove – a small,
white bird
densest – thickest
miserly – too small
an amount
P a g e | 23
darker, and when they woke up, it was too black to see a
thing. ‘Don’t worry, Gretel,’ said Hansel. ‘When the moon
rises, we’ll see the breadcrumbs I dropped. They’ll show us
our way. As soon as the full moon came, glowing and
luminous, the two children set off.
But they didn’t find a single breadcrumb, because all
the thousands of birds that fly about in the forest had
pecked them away and eaten them. Hansel said to Gretel,
‘Don’t panic, we’ll find our way anyway.’ But they didn’t find
it. They walked all night and all the following day, and by the
next evening they were still hopelessly lost in the bowels of
the forest. What’s worse, they were hungrier than they had
ever been in their skinny young lives, because they had
nothing to eat except for a few berries they’d managed to
scavenge. Eventually, Hansel and Gretel were so weak and
exhausted that their legs wouldn’t carry them one step
further. So they lay down under a tree and fell fast asleep.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. What is the forest like?
2. How does the step-mother react when Hansel
and Gretel return?
3. Why doesn’t Hansel’s plan work the second time?
Extension: For question one, find three quotations to support
your point.
Activity 3: Read the next section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
It was now the third morning since they had left their father.
The famished, thirsty children forced themselves to walk
again, but they only wandered further and further into the
forest, and they knew that unless they found help very soon
they would die of hunger. When it was midday, they saw a
beautiful white bird singing on a branch, and the bird’s song
was so enchanting that Hansel and Gretel stopped to listen
to it. As soon as its song was over, the bird flapped its
creamy wings and flew off in front of them, and they
followed it till it landed on the roof of a little house. When
Hansel and Gretel got closer, they saw that the house had
bread walls and a roof made of cake and windows made of
clear bright sugar. ‘Look!’ cried Hansel. ‘This will do us! What
wonderful luck! I’ll try a slice of the roof, Gretel, and you can
start on the window. I bet it’ll taste scrumptiously sweet.’
Hansel stretched up and broke off a bit of the roof to see
what it tasted like, and Gretel snapped off a piece of
window-pane and nibbled away. Suddenly, they heard a
thin little voice calling from inside:
luminous –
producing light
bowels – the inner
parts
scavenge – find
P a g e | 24
‘Stop your nibbling, little rat,
It’s my house you’re gnawing at.’
But the chomping children chanted:
‘We’re only the wind going past,
Gently blowing on the roof and glass.’
And they just went on munching away. Hansel thought the
roof was absolutely delicious and pulled off a great slab of it.
Gretel bashed out a whole round window-pane and sat
down and had a wonderful chewy time. Then suddenly, the
door opened and an old, old woman, bent double on a
crutch came creeping out. Hansel was so scared and Gretel
was so frightened that they both dropped what they were
holding. But the old woman wagged her wizened head and
said, ‘Well, well, you sweet little things, how did you get
here? Come in and stay with me. You’ll come to no harm.’
She took the children by the hand and led them into the
tempting house. Then she gave them a wonderful meal of
creamy milk and mouth-watering pancakes with sugar and
chocolate and apples and nuts. After Hansel and Gretel
had eaten as much as they could, she made up two soft,
comfy little beds with the best white linen, and Hansel and
Gretel lay down to sleep.
But the old crone was only pretending to be kind, for
she was really a cruel and evil witch who lay in wait for
children and had only built her bread house with its cake
roof to trap them. When a child fell into her power, she
would kill it, cook it and eat it, and that was her favourite
banquet. Witches have red eyes which they can’t see very
far with – but they have a wonderful sense of smell, as good
as any animal’s, and they can sniff out when anyone comes
near them. So as Hansel and Gretel approached her little
house in the woods, she’d cackled a spiteful laugh and said
nastily, ‘Here’s two for my belly who shan't escape.’
Early next morning before the children had woken,
she was already drooling by their beds, looking greedily
down at them. They looked so sweet lying there with their
rosy cheeks and she slavered to herself, ‘This will make a
tasty scram for me to swallow.’ Then she seized Hansel with
her long claws and dragged him off to a mean shed outside
and locked him up behind the door with iron bars. Hansel
screamed his head off, but it was no use. Then the witch
went to Gretel and jabbed her awake and shouted, ‘Get
up, you lazy slut, get water and cook a good meal for your
brother. He’s locked up outside in the shed and I want him
fattened up. When he’s nice and plump, I’m going to eat
him.’ Gretel started to cry hot, stinging tears, but it was
hopeless, and she had to do what the wicked witch told her.
Day after day, the best meals were cooked for
Hansel, while poor Gretel had to survive on crabshells. Every
wizened – old and
dry
crone – ugly old
woman
cackled –laugh in a
harsh way
spiteful – cruel
scram – meal
slut – an insult used
to make girls or
women feel bad
about themselves
plump –slightly
overweight
P a g e | 25
morning, the horrible witch groped and fumbled her way out
to the shed and shrieked, ‘Hansel, stick out your finger for me
to feel if you’re plump.’ But clever Hansel held out a little
bone instead, and the old crone’s red witchy eyes couldn’t
see it. She thought it was Hansel’s finger and was furious and
surprised that he went on and on not getting plump.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. What do the children find in the forest?
2. How does the witch trick Hansel and Gretel?
3. How does Hansel trick the witch?
Extension: Which is the more dangerous setting: the
savannah in The Cheetah’s Whisker or the forest in Hansel
and Gretel? Why do you think this?
groped – felt
Now read the slides below about the words ‘ingenious’ and ‘ingenuity’. They
are important to this story.
Information: ingenious and ingenuity
Activity 4: Hansel has come up with two ingenious plans in the story so far.
What are they? Bullet point your answer.
Activity 5: Read the final of the story and then answer the questions below it.
After four weeks of this, the witch lost her patience
completely and refused to wait a day longer. ‘Now then,
Gretel,’ she shouted. ‘Jump to it and cook him one last
meal. Tomorrow, whether he’s plump or skinny, fat or thin,
I’m going to cut Hansel’s throat with my sharpest knife and
cook him.’ Gretel sobbed and wailed as the witch forced
her to carry the water for cooking, and her face was basted
with tears. ‘Who can help us now?’ she cried. ‘If only the
wild beasts had eaten us in the forest, then at least we’d
have died together.’ ‘You can cut that bawling out,’ said
the witch. ‘It won’t do you any good.’
basted – covered in
liquid (usually used
in cooking)
bawling – intense
crying
P a g e | 26
Next morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up a
big cooking pot of water and light the fire. ‘First we’ll bake
some bread,’ said the witch. ‘I’ve already heated the oven
and kneaded the dough.’ She pushed and pinched poor
Gretel over to where the oven was, with greedy flames
leaping out of it already. ‘Crawl inside and tell me it it’s hot
enough for the bread to go in.’ And the witch’s gruesome,
gluttonous plan was to shut the oven door once Gretel was
inside, so she could roast her and eat her too. But Gretel
guessed this, and said, ‘I don’t know how to do it. How can I
get inside there?’
‘You foolish goose,’ snapped the witch. ‘The opening’s big
enough for you. I could get into it myself. Look.’ And the
witch hobbled up and poked her ugly head inside the oven.
Then Gretel gave her such a push, such a big shove, that
she fell right into the middle of the oven. Gretel slammed the
iron door shut with shaking hands and bolted it. The witch
began to shriek and howl in the most frightful way; but
Gretel ran outside and the heartless witch burned
agonizingly to death.
Gretel ran straight to Hansel’s shed and opened it,
shouting, ‘Hansel, we’re saved! We’re saved! The old witch is
dead.’ And Hansel jumped out, free as a bird released from
a cage, and they both danced and cheered and hugged
and kissed. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore, so
they went into the witch’s house and opened all her
cupboards, which were stuffed to bursting with pearls and
precious stones. ‘These are much better than pebbles,’ said
Hansel. He crammed his pockets with as much as he could,
and Gretel said, ‘I’ll take some home too,’ and filled her
apron full to the brim. ‘Right,’ said Hansel. ‘Now let’s go and
get out of this witchy forest for good.’ When the children
had walked for a while, they came to the edge of a big,
wide river. ‘I can’t see a bridge anywhere,’ said Hansel. ‘We
won’t be able to get across.’ ‘And there’s no boat either,’
said Gretel. ‘But look! There’s a white duck swimming along.
I’m sure it’ll help us across if I ask it nicely.’ So she called out:
‘Excuse me, little white duck,
Gretel and Hansel seem to be stuck.
A bridge or a boat is what we lack,
Will you carry us over on your back?’
Sure enough, the duck came swimming and quacking
towards them, and Hansel jumped quickly onto its back and
told Gretel to sit behind him. But sensible Gretel said, ‘No.
That’ll be too heavy for the duck. I think it should take us
across one at a time.’ And that is exactly what the kind little
duck did. So Hansel and Gretel walked happily on, and the
wood became more and more familiar, until at last they saw
their father’s house in the distance. They began to run, run,
gruesome – horrible
gluttonous – greedy
agonizingly – very
painfully
P a g e | 27
run, charged into the kitchen and flung their arms around
their father’s neck. The sad, lonely man had not had one
happy moment since he had abandoned the children in the
forest, and his wife had died and was buried. But Gretel
shook out the contents of her apron, making the precious
stones twinkle and shine upon the floor, and young Hansel
threw down handful after handful of white pearls from his
pockets. Now it was certain that all their troubles were over,
and the grateful woodcutter and Hansel and Gretel lived on
together at the edge of the forest and were happy ever
after. So that was that. Look! There goes a rat. Who’ll catch
it and skin it and make a new hat?
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. How does Gretel trick the witch?
2. How to the children get across the river?
3. Why are Hansel, Gretel and their father able to live
happily? Give two reasons.
Now read the slide below about the word ‘outwit’. It is important to this story.
Information: outwit
Activity 5: Think about the story as a whole. When and how do the children,
Hansel and Gretel, manage to outwit an adult in the story? Write down at
least two examples.
Please note that there is an extension task, and a Transition to GCSE task,
connected to this lesson on the next page of this booklet.
P a g e | 28
Extension: Below are two descriptions of Hansel and Gretel. Which one do you
agree with more? Why? Justify your answer in a paragraph response.
Statement A: Hansel and Gretel are vulnerable children. They manage to
save themselves and this shows their desperation to survive.
Statement B: Hansel and Gretel are ingenious children. Through cunning, they
manage to outwit the witch.
Transition to GCSE Think of another story you have read that involves a character who is
vulnerable. You could choose a text that you have read in class (for
example, Oliver in Oliver Twist, or Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
You can also choose a character from a novel you have read outside of
school. Compare one character to another using the questions below to
guide you:
• Why is each character vulnerable?
• Who is more vulnerable? Why?
Remember to think about specific reasons for their vulnerability. For
example, the setting of the story, or the adults in the story.
Check your writing: Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 29
Lesson 6, the moral of Hansel and Gretel
Do Now Activities
Last lesson, we read Carol Ann Duffy’s adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. List
each character in the story, and explain what you remember about each of
them.
Extension: We also learned the word ‘ingenious’. Who is more ingenious in the
story, Hansel or Gretel? Why?
Information: Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel is about two vulnerable children and a cannibalistic
witch. However, some people think it is about something bigger than that.
They think it is about how growing up is difficult, but rewarding.
Activity 1: Bullet point your answers to these two questions:
1. What difficulties do Hansel and Gretel face?
2. How are they rewarded?
Extension: How does Gretel change and develop during the story? Aim to
write one paragraph, and to use supporting quotations.
Understanding the moral of Hansel and Gretel Hansel and Gretel learned a lot during the story. We are meant to learn from
Hansel and Gretel too. Below are three possible morals for Hansel and Gretel.
Explain why each is something we learn during the story. One has been done
for you.
Growing up is difficult but
rewarding.
Good will overcome
evil.
A little bit of cunning
can save your life.
• Hansel and Gretel
face many different
difficulties but they
end up rich, and living
with their father.
• Hansel and
Gretel have to rely
on themselves and
their ingenuity and
not adults.
Extension: Which do you think is the strongest moral? Why? Write a paragraph
response, making specific reference to the story in your answer.
P a g e | 30
Transition to GCSE Both the forest and the witch’s house are vividly described in Carol Ann
Duffy’s adaptation of this Ancient Tale. Pick one of these settings and write
your own description. Use the space below to plan, making sure you think
about what each paragraph will be about, and the vocabulary you want to
use. You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery
checks. You have 20 minutes to complete your writing.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Vocabulary I will use
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have only described
the setting. I have not
included any plot
points.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
Check your writing: Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 31
Lesson 7, summarising Hansel and Gretel
Do Now Activities
What are the similarities and differences between the witch in Hansel and
Gretel, and the step-mother in Hansel and Gretel? Create a Venn diagram to
record your ideas.
Extension: Hansel and Gretel is often performed on stage. In some
productions, the wicked step-mother plays the witch as well. Why do you
think this is?
Information: oral tradition
The stories that you are reading in this unit all come under the heading
Ancient Tales.
Ancient Tales are stories that have been shared by generations in cultures
across the world. Often, these Ancient Tales were shared orally rather than
written down.
This means that people told these stories to one another, just like Madhur
Jaffrey’s relatives told her stories when she was little.
You are going to become part of that tradition by writing a summary of the
Ancient Tale you have read.
The characters, plot and moral will stay the same.
However, you will have a chance to write the story in your own way.
Writing a summary Write a summary of Hansel and Gretel. Use the table on the next page to
plan. Each sub-heading is there to suggest what each paragraph should be
about. You will also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery
checks in your writing. You have 20 minutes to complete your writing.
Once you have finished your summary, you should also complete these
checks.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 32
Transition to GCSE Learn your summary off by heart and tell this Ancient Tale to someone in
your household. Make the story come alive for them! Remember to speak
clearly, slowly and to vary your tone so that the story is understandable and
enjoyable to listen to!
You have now completed work on the second Ancient Tale. Remember,
there are homework tasks at the end of this booklet to accompany this
story!
Planning
Sub-headings for each paragraph
Introduce Hansel, Gretel and their
parents. Bring them to life!
Explain Hansel and Gretel’s dilemma,
and Hansel’s solution.
Describe their interaction with the
witch.
Explain how the story ends.
Explain the moral of the story.
Vocabulary I will use
starving step-mother forest desperate
cannibalistic ingenious outwit rewarded
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have used each sub-
heading to structure
my paragraphs.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
P a g e | 33
Lesson 8, The Wicked King and his Good Son by Madhur
Jaffrey
Do Now Activities
What qualities does a good ruler have? What makes a ruler a bad ruler?
Create spider diagrams to answer these questions.
Extension: Give a specific example of a good or bad ruler from a story you
have read. For example, Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist, or Theseus in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
Information: The Wicked King and his Good Son
In the story you will read today, you will meet another powerful ruler. His
name is King Hiranya Kashyap.
The story you will read is called The Wicked King and his Good Son, from a
collection of Indian stories by Madhur Jaffrey.
You read the introduction to these stories in your first lesson. Madhur Jaffrey
told us: “What all the stories had in common was a clear moral tone.”
The Wicked King and his Good Son has a clear moral.
Activity 1: Read the opening of the story and answer the questions below it.
The Wicked King and his Good Son by Madhur Jaffrey
Hiranya Kashyap thought very highly of himself. He was
good looking, rich – and he was the King. What more could
anyone want? One day, a wise Sage, who could see into
the past and the future, came to him and said, ‘Your
majesty, according to what I see in the stars, you cannot be
killed by man, beast or weapons, during the day or during
the night, on earth or in water, inside a house or, indeed,
outside it.’
That, as far as King Hiranya Kashyap was concerned,
made him immortal. If he was arrogant before, he now
became unbearable and was very cruel to those subjects
who did not flatter him endlessly. If he said, “This bread is
stale,” all his palace cooks would have to agree and throw it
out, even if they had just cooked it. If he said, “The River
Ganges flows up from the sea to the Himalaya Mountains,”
all the courtiers would have to nod their heads in agreement
even though they knew that the Ganges began as a series
of cool, icy trickles from the cracks of the world’s highest
mountains and then flowed, slowly and gracefully, down to
the sea.
Sage – a wise
person
immortal –
someone who can
never die
The River Ganges –
a river that flows
through India and
Bangladesh
Himalaya
Mountains –
mountains in Asia,
including Mount
Everest
P a g e | 34
The sad fact of the matter was that Hiranya Kashyap
thought he was God. Not only did he make his subjects
kneel and pray before him but he bullied and tortured those
who did not.
He had a sister called Holika who had been told by
the same wise Sage that she could never be burnt by fire.
Hiranya Kashyap and Holika became so vain that they
behaved as if they were the owners of the entire universe.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. Why does Hiranya Kashyap think is he immortal?
2. How does Hiranya Kashyap treat his subjects? Give
examples from the story.
3. What is Hiranya Kashyap’s sister like?
Extension: For each question, find a short supporting
quotation.
Activity 2: Read the next section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
Then, one day, all this changed.
Hiranya Kashyap’s wife gave birth to a baby boy
whom they named Prahlad.
Hiranya Kashyap found no need, or time, to rejoice.
When the courtiers came to him and sad,
‘Congratulations, your majesty, on the birth of your heir,’ he
only snarled, saying, ‘Bah, what do I need an heir for? I shall
live for ever. I am God. Heirs mean nothing to me.’
One day, when Prahlad was four, he was playing
outside the potter’s kiln and saw the potter praying.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
‘I am praying to God to save my kittens,’ she replied.
‘They have got locked up in the kiln by accident.’
‘You should pray to my father,’ said Prahlad.
‘Your father cannot save my kittens from that awful
fire inside,’ she said, ‘only God can.’
‘My father will punish you if you use God’s name,’
Prahlad advised her.
‘I’ll have to take my chances,’ the potter replied.
‘Your God can do nothing to help,’ Prahlad said.
‘Oh yes he can,’ the potter answered.
‘Then I’ll wait here and see,’ the young boy said.
Prahlad waited. When it was time to open the kiln, he heard,
‘Meaow, meaow.’ It was the kittens. They were safe!
rejoice – celebrate
heir – successor,
next in line
kiln – an oven for
baking pottery
P a g e | 35
A year later, when Prahlad was five and was playing
in the garden, his father chanced to pass that way. The King
paused long enough to ask his son, ‘Who is the greatest
being in the whole Universe?’ He expected the same answer
he got from all his flatterers.
‘God,’ said the child.
The King was taken aback for a second. Then he
smirked. ‘See, see,’ he boasted to his courtiers, ‘even this
small child recognises that I am God.’
‘No,’ said the child. ‘you are not God. You are the
King and that is all you will ever be.’
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. How does Hiranya Kashyap feel when his son is born?
Why?
2. What does the potter teach Prahlad?
Activity 3: Read the next section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
Hiranya Kashyap’s face turned purple with rage. ‘Take this
child,’ he ordered, ‘and hurl him from the highest cliff in the
kingdom.’
The courtiers were very fond of the gentle child but
were terrified of his father. So they scooped little Prahlad up
and carried him to the highest mountain in the Himalayas.
There, they stood on a peak that touched the sky and
dropped the boy.
Prahlad fell…fell…fell. But to his surprise – and to that
of the courtiers looking down from above – he landed in the
midst of the warmest, sweetest softness that could be
imagined. God had been watching from his heavenly
window and had decided to catch the child in his lap.
When Hiranya Kashyap found out what had
happened, he turned black with anger. He had the boy
brought to the court and thrown at his feet.
‘You were very lucky to be saved,’ he raged.
‘It was God who saved me,’ Prahlad replied.
‘As I was saying,’ the King continued angrily, ‘you
were lucky to land on such a soft patch. The courtiers who
threw you down there will have their heads chopped off
and then I’m going to have a roaring fire made and have
you burnt in it. Let’s see what your God can do for you then!’
The King commanded that a huge bonfire be made
the following day. Logs were collected and piled into a
massive pyre. Then the pyre was lit.
smirked – smiled in
an arrogant way
hurl – throw
midst – middle
pyre – a pile of
wood
P a g e | 36
Hiranya Kashyap called his sister, Holika, and said, ‘If
we just toss the child into the fire, he will squirm and run out.
Since you have been granted the boon of never being burnt
by fire, why don’t you take Prahlad in your arms, walk into
the flames and sit down. Hold the child tightly. When he is
quite dead, you can walk out.’
Holika took Prahlad in her arms and walked into the
middle of the fire. There, she put him in her lap and sat
down.
The flames were leaping hundreds of feet into the sky.
Hiranya Kashyap was quite pleased with himself. He was
finally getting rid of this troublesome child.
The flames were very hot and made the King perspire.
At first he contented himself with moving back a few yards.
Then, when the heat and smoke became quite
overwhelming, he said to courtiers, ‘I’m going into my cool
palace. Let me know when this is all over.’
A strange thing happened amidst the flames. Holika
had a change of heart. She looked up towards heaven and
prayed, ‘God, please do not save me from the fire. I am
ready to meet my Maker. But please save this innocent life. I
give my boon to this young boy. Let him live.’
The fire burnt for several hours. The King had just sat
down to enjoy his dinner when one of his courtiers came
running in.
‘Your majesty,’ he said bowing, ‘your majesty’.
‘Yes, yes, what is it? You know I do not like being
disturbed at dinner time.’
‘The fire has burnt itself out.’
‘And?’ prompted the King.
‘Holika has perished in the flames.’
‘What!’ cried the King, ‘And the child?’
‘Your majesty…Well, your majesty…’
‘Well, what? Answer quickly or I’ll have your tongue
pulled out.’
‘Prahlad is still alive.’
Hiranya Kashyap kicked his food away and stood on
his feet, puffed up with fury like a balloon.
‘Bring that brat to me. I’ll kill himself.’
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. How does Hiranya Kashyap first try to kill Prahlad? 2. How does Hiranya Kashyap try to kill Prahlad the
second time?
boon – blessing
ready to meet my
Maker – I am ready
to die
perished – died
P a g e | 37
3. What is the third way Hiranya Kashyap intends to kill
Prahlad?
4. What, or who, save Prahlad each time?
Extension: How are we meant to feel towards Holika?
Activity 4: Read the final section of the story and answer the
questions below it.
The courtiers dragged in little Prahlad and threw him in front
of his father.
‘So,’ said the father, ‘you managed to escape a
second time.’
‘I did not escape,’ said Prahlad, ‘God saved me.’
‘God, God,’ cried the King, ‘I am sick of your God.
Where is he anyway?’
‘He is everywhere – in fire, water – even in that pillar.’
‘Oh, he is in that pillar, is he?’ the King yelled. ‘Well, I
am going to tie you up to that same pillar and kill you. Let’s
see if your God will come out to save you.’
Prahlad was tied to the pillar and Hirayna Kashyap
raised his sword to finish him off. Just then, there was a loud
thunderclap and the pillar broke in two.
Out of the pillar came God.
He had assumed a strange shape.
The upper part of the body was that of a lion, the
lower, that of a man.
So he was neither man nor beast.
He lifted the King and carried him to the threshold of the
palace and then placed him on his lap.
So the King was neither in a house nor outside it.
Then he killed Hiranya Kashyap with one swipe of his
long lion’s claws.
So no weapon was used.
The time of the day was dusk.
So it was neither morning nor night.
Pink and grey clouds puffed along in the sky. Hirayna
Kashyap was finally dead, despite all his arrogant
predictions.
The courtiers cried, ‘Long live the King,’ as they
placed the young Prahlad on his father’s throne, happy in
the knowledge that they were now going to be ruled with
justice.
assumed – taken on
dusk – when the
sun is setting in the
evening and it is
becoming dark
P a g e | 38
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. Where is Hiranya Kashyap killed?
2. How is Hiranya Kashyap killed?
3. What time of day is Hiranya Kashyap killed?
Extension: Explain, in your own words, why the Sage’s
prophecy still holds true.
Now read the information below about the word ‘comeuppance’. It is
important to this story.
Information: comeuppance
Activity 5: You are now going to write answers to these questions:
• What is Hiranya Kashyap’s comeuppance?
• Why does he deserve this comeuppance?
Aim to write two paragraphs, one about each bullet point. The second
paragraph should include at least one quotation.
Transition to GCSE Prahlad develops as a character over the course of this story. Explore this
development, analysing his character at the beginning, middle and end of
this story. What is the reader meant to feel towards him? Why? Aim to write
three paragraphs. Each paragraph should include quotation. You might
want to compare Prahlad to another character in the story.
P a g e | 39
Lesson 9, the moral of The Wicked King and his Good Son
Do Now Activities
What happens to Hiranya Kashyap at the end of The Wicked King and his
Good Son? What happens to Holika? What happens to the Wicked King’s
subjects?
Extension: What evidence do we have that Prahlad will be a good ruler?
Now read the slides below about the words ‘tyrant’ and ‘tyrannical’. They are
important words for the story The Wicked King and his Good Son.
Activity 1: You are now going to answer the question below. Aim to write one
to two paragraphs.
Why is Hiranya Kashyap a tyrant?
In your answer, you should:
• Reference how Hiranya Kashyap treats his subjects, and
• How Hiranya Kashyap treats his son.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
Information: tyrant and tyrannical
P a g e | 40
Understanding the moral of The Wicked King and his
Good Son Prahlad learned a lot during the story. We are meant to learn from the story
too. Below are four possible morals. Explain why each is something we learn
during the story. One has been done for you.
No mortal can escape death. Trying
to do so ends in disaster. Don’t be arrogant.
• Hiranya is so sure he is immortal
that he doesn’t care about
what he does or says on Earth.
He is punished for this.
Good will triumph over evil. It is never too late to make up for
the bad things you have done.
Extension: Which do you think is the strongest moral? Why? Write a paragraph
response, making specific reference to the story in your answer.
Transition to GCSE Select one cruel adult from the story Hansel and Gretel, and one cruel adult
from the story The Wicked King and his Good Son. Explain
• their similarities and differences, and
• the reasons for their similarities and differences.
Aim to write two paragraphs including quotations or references to both
stories.
Before you check your work in the answer booklet, review your work from this
lesson.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 41
Lesson 10, summarising The Wicked King and his Good
Son
Do Now Activities
If you had to come up with your own title for The Wicked King and his Good
Son, what would it be and why?
Information: oral tradition
The stories that you are reading in this unit all come under the heading
Ancient Tales.
Ancient Tales are stories that have been shared by generations in cultures
across the world. Often, these Ancient Tales were shared orally rather than
written down.
This means that people told these stories to one another, just like Madhur
Jaffrey’s relatives told her stories when she was little.
You are going to become part of that tradition by writing a summary of the
Ancient Tale you have read.
The characters, plot and moral will stay the same.
However, you will have a chance to write the story in your own way.
Writing a summary Write a summary of The Wicked King and his Good Son. Use the table on the
next page to plan. Each sub-heading is there to suggest what each
paragraph should be about. You will also need to make sure you have
included all of the mastery checks in your writing. You have 20 minutes to
complete your writing.
Once you have finished your summary, you should also complete these
checks.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
P a g e | 42
Transition to GCSE Learn your summary off by heart and tell this Ancient Tale to someone in
your household. Make the story come alive for them! Remember to speak
clearly, slowly and to vary your tone so that the story is understandable and
enjoyable to listen to!
You have now completed work on the third Ancient Tale. Remember, there
are homework tasks at the end of this booklet to accompany this story!
Planning
Sub-headings for each paragraph
Introduce Hiranya Kashyap. Bring him
to life!
Introduce Prahlad and describe his
relationship with his father.
Describe how Hiranya Kashyap tries to
kill his son.
Explain how the story ends.
Explain the moral of the story.
Vocabulary I will use
tyrant/tyrannical Sage courtiers potter
God furious comeuppance justice
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have used each sub-
heading to structure
my paragraphs.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
P a g e | 43
Lesson 11, tales from The Thousand and One Nights
Do Now Activities
Think of a book that you have read that includes a malicious character. Why
are they malicious?
Extension: Is your chosen character always malicious or do they change
during the story? If so, why do they change?
Information: Tales from The Thousand and One Nights
Today, we are going to meet a malicious character. His name is King
Shahriyar.
He is a character from a famous story called Tales from the One Thousand
and One Nights. This story contains lots of different tales by lots of different
writers, and from lots of different Middle Eastern countries.
Even though the stories in Tales from the One Thousand and One Nights
come from different countries, writers and time periods, the book pretends
that each tale is told by one woman called Shahrazad.
Shahrazad is also a character in the story!
Today, we are going to learn why she tells all these amazing stories.
We are going to start reading in the middle of the story. At this point, King
Shahriyar has just found out that his wife, the queen, is cheating on him.
Activity 1: Read the first section of the story and answer the questions below it.
One Thousand and One Nights translated by NJ Dawood
Crazed with anger, King Shahriyar put his Queen to death,
together with all her women and the slaves. And after that he
made it his custom to marry a young girl every day and kill
her the next morning. This he continued to do for three years,
until an outcry arose among the people, and some of them
left the country with their daughters.
At last a day came when the King’s vizier searched
the city in vain for a wife for his master. Finding none, and
dreading the King’s anger, he returned home with a heavy
heart.
Now, the vizier himself had two daughters. The older
was Shahrazad, and the younger Dunyazad. Shahrazad was
both beautiful and accomplished: she knew the works of
poets and the legends of ancient kings.
Shahrazad noticed her father’s anxiety and asked him
what made him so sad. The vizier told her the reason. ‘Dear
Father,’ she said, ‘give me in marriage to the King. Either I will
custom – tradition,
way of doing
something
outcry –
disapproval, anger
vizier – employee
in vain – without
success
accomplished –
skilful
P a g e | 44
die a martyr’s death, or I will live and save my countrymen’s
daughters.’
Her proposal filled the vizier with horror. He warned her
how dangerous it would be; but she had made up her mind
and would not listen to his advice.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. What do you learn about King Shahriyar? Make a bullet
point list.
2. What do you learn about Shahrazad? Make a bullet point
list.
Extension: For each attribute, find a short quotation to support
your idea.
Activity 2: Read the next section and answer the questions
below it.
‘Nothing will change my mind, Father,’ Shahrazad said at the
end of the story. ‘I am resolved.’
So the vizier arrayed his daughter in bridal garments,
decked her with jewels, and made ready to announce her
wedding to the King.
When she said good-by to her sister, Shahrazad gave
her these instructions: ‘After I have been received by the King
I shall send for you. When you come, you must say, “Tell us,
sister, some tale of marvel to pass the night.” Then I will tell
you a tale which, if Allah wills, shall be the means of our
deliverance.’
So the vizier went with his daughter to the King. And
when the King had taken Shahrazad to his chamber, she
wept and said, ‘I have a young sister to whom I dearly wish to
say a last farewell.’
The King sent for Dunyazad, who came and threw her
arms around her sister’s neck and sat down beside her.
Then Dunyazad said to Shahrazad, “Tell us, sister, a tale
of marvel so that the night may pass pleasantly.’
‘Gladly,’ she answered, ‘if the King permits me.’ The
King, who was troubled with sleeplessness, gave her leave
and eagerly listened to Shahrazad’s story:’
This is where the story about Shahrazad ends and the first tale
of One Thousand and One Nights begins. Shahrazad tells a
range of stories. Some of the most famous are Aladdin, Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Sinbad the Sailor.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. What instructions does Shahrazad give her sister?
2. What problem does the king suffer from?
martyr – a person
who is killed for
their beliefs
resolved –
determined
arrayed – dressed
decked – dressed
made ready – got
ready
Allah – the Arabic
word for God
P a g e | 45
Information: Shahrazad’s ingenious plan
Shahrazad is meant to be killed the morning after her wedding. This is King
Shahriyar’s custom. It is what he decided to do after he found his first wife
cheating on him.
However, Shahrazad’s ingenious plan is to tell King Shahriyar a story that is
so exciting and interesting that he puts off killing her so he can hear the
next part. This plan works!
Let’s read what happens at the end of the story, after Shahrazad has shared
all her tales.
Activity 3: Read the end of the story and answer the questions below it.
Epilogue
Night after night, for a thousand and one nights, Shahrazad
told King Shahriyar strange and wonderous stories; and so
charmed was he by her beauty and gentle wit that at the
dawn of each day he put off her execution until the next.
Now, during this time she also bore the King three sons.
On the thousand and first night, when she had ended the last
of her tales, she rose and kissed the ground before him, saying,
‘Great King, for a thousand and one nights I have told you
stories of past ages and the legends of ancient kings. May I
now make so bold as to beg a favour of Your Majesty?’
The King replied, ‘Ask, and it shall be granted.’
Shahrazad called out to the nurses, saying, ‘Bring me my
children.’
Three little boys were instantly brought in, one walking,
one crawling on all fours, and the third held in the arms of his
nurse. Shahrazad ranged the little ones before the King and,
again kissing the ground before him, said, ‘Look upon these
three whom God has granted to us. For their sake I implore
you to save my life. For if you destroy the mother of these
infants, they will find none among women to love them as I
would.’
The King kissed his three sons, and his eyes filled with
tears as he answered, ‘I swear by Allah, Shahrazad, that you
were already pardoned before the coming of these children. I
loved you because I found you chaste and gentle, wise and
eloquent. May God bless you, and bless your father and
mother, you ancestors, and all your descendants. O
Epilogue – a
section or speech
at the end of a
book or play that
serves as a
comment on or a
conclusion to
what has
happened
wit – dressed
bold – brave
implore – beg
infants – children
pardoned –
forgiven
chaste – faithful
to her husband
eloquent – beg
ancestors and
descendants–
relations more
P a g e | 46
Shahrazad, this thousand and first night is brighter for us than
the day!’
Shahrazad rejoiced. She kissed the King’s hand and
called down blessings upon him.
The people were overjoyed at the news of the King’s
pardon.
Next morning Shahriyar summoned to his presence the great
ones of the city, the chamberlains, the nobles, and the officers
of his army. When they had all assembled in the great hall of
the palace, he proclaimed his decision to spare the life of his
bride. Then he called his vizier, Shahrazad’s father, and
invested him with a magnificent robe of honor, saying, ‘God
has raised up your daughter to be the saviour of my people. I
have found her chaste, wise, and eloquent, and repentance
has come to me through her.’
Then the King gave robes of honor to the courtiers and the
captains of his army, and ordered the decoration of his
capital.
The city was decked and lighted; and in the streets and
market squares drums were beaten, trumpets blared, and
clarions sounded. The King lavished alms on the poor and the
destitute, and all the people feasted at his expense for thirty
days and thirty nights.
King Shahriyar reigned over his subjects in all justice,
and lived happily with Shahrazad ever after.
Comprehension questions (answer in full sentences)
1. What reason does Shahrazad give to the King, asking
him to not kill her?
2. How does the king respond to Shahrazad’s request?
3. Give three ways the city celebrates the King’s pardon.
Extension: What evidence do we have that King Shahriyar’s
repentance is sincere (real, true)? Bullet point your reasons.
distant that your
grandparents
from whom you
are descended
honor – the
translation we
are reading uses
American
spellings which is
why honour is
spelt ‘honor’
clarions – dressed
lavished alms –
gave food and
money
destitute – the
very poor
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Now read the information below about the word ‘repentance’. It is an
important word for this story.
Activity 4: Look at the final section of the story, the Epilogue. Find three
quotations which prove King Shahriyar is repentant.
Extension: This tale is about the power of stories. Shahrazad’s stories are so
powerful that they stop King Shahriyar killing her. Think about a story that you
have read that you think is powerful. Explain why it is powerful. Use the bullet
points below to help you frame your answer. Aim to write one paragraph.
Is it powerful because –
• It made you change your behaviour?
• You think about the story and its characters often.
• It made you see a certain situation or person differently?
• It made you feel a strong emotion? eg. happiness or anger
Transition to GCSE You are now going to answer the question, What type of character is King
Shahriyar?
You must:
• Describe what he is like at the beginning of the story,
• What he is like at the end of the story, and
• Explain why he changes.
Aim to write three paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain a reference
to the story, or a quotation.
Information: repentance
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Lesson 12, the moral of Shahrazad’s story
Do Now Activities
How do stories save Shahrazad’s life?
Extension: Imagine you are King Shahriyar. Explain why you decide to pardon
Shahrazad.
Now read the information below about the word ‘cliff hanger’. It is an
important for this story.
Information: cliff hanger
Activity 1: Why is it an ingenious idea for Shahrazad to tell stories that end on
cliff hangers?
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Understanding the moral of the tale of Shahrazad The King learned a lot during the story. We are meant to learn from the story
too. Below are four possible morals. Explain why each is something we learn
during the story. One has been done for you.
Good will triumph over evil. No one is beyond repentance.
• The king is evil and cruel at the
beginning of the story but…
• By the end, he is just and fair.
A little bit of cunning can save your
life.
Power comes in many forms.
Extension: Which do you think is the strongest moral? Why? Write a paragraph
response, making specific reference to the story in your answer.
Please note that there is a Transition to GCSE task connected to this lesson on
the next page of this booklet.
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Transition to GCSE Shahrazad tells powerful stories for one thousand and one nights. Each story
ends on a cliff hanger. Write a story about a time you felt powerful. The
story should end on a cliff hanger. Use the space below to plan, making
sure you think about what each paragraph will be about, and the
vocabulary you want to use. You will also need to make sure you have
included all of the mastery checks in your writing. You have 20 minutes to
complete your writing.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Vocabulary I will use
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
My story ends on a cliff
hanger.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
Before you check your work in the answer booklet, review your work from this
lesson.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
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Lesson 13, summarising the tale of Shahrazad
Do Now Activities
Write a short description of Shahrazad. What is she like? (Aim to write one
paragraph)
Extension: Make a list of all the ingenious plans that all the different women in
the four stories you have read have come up with. Whose ingenuity do you
admire the most and why?
Information: oral tradition
The stories that you are reading in this unit all come under the heading
Ancient Tales.
Ancient Tales are stories that have been shared by generations in cultures
across the world. Often, these Ancient Tales were shared orally rather than
written down.
This means that people told these stories to one another, just like Madhur
Jaffrey’s relatives told her stories when she was little.
You are going to become part of that tradition by writing a summary of the
Ancient Tale you have read.
The characters, plot and moral will stay the same.
However, you will have a chance to write the story in your own way.
Writing a summary Write a summary about the extract from the Tales of the One Thousand and
One Nights that you read. Use the table on the next page to plan. Each sub-
heading is there to suggest what each paragraph should be about. You will
also need to make sure you have included all of the mastery checks in your
writing. You have 20 minutes to complete your writing.
Once you have finished your summary, you should also complete these
checks.
Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?
Check 2: Does each proper noun begin with a capital?
Check 3: Have you used pronouns clearly and accurately?
Check 4: Have you checked your spellings?
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Transition to GCSE Learn your summary off by heart and tell this Ancient Tale to someone in
your household. Make the story come alive for them! Remember to speak
clearly, slowly and to vary your tone so that the story is understandable and
enjoyable to listen to!
You have now completed work on the final Ancient Tale. Remember, there
are homework tasks at the end of this booklet to accompany this story!
Planning
Sub-headings for each paragraph
Introduce Shahrazad. Bring her
character to life!
Introduce King Shahriyar. Bring his
character to life!
Explain how Shahrazad avoids death.
Explain how the story ends.
Explain the moral of the story.
Vocabulary I will use
tyrant/tyrannical malicious marriage determined
ingenious cliff hanger repentant justice
Mastery Checks
Mastery Check 1 Mastery Check 2 Mastery Check 3
I have used every
word from the
vocabulary box
correctly.
I have used each sub-
heading to structure
my paragraphs.
I have used capital
letters and full stops
correctly.
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Ancient Tales Task Bank
Here are some additional tasks you can complete after finishing the Ancient
Tales lessons. Answers to these questions should be in paragraph format. They
will require 5-10 minutes of thinking and planning time.
This second set of tasks are designed to be completed by students
transitioning to GCSE.
Select one of the stories you have read in this booklet. Explain why the plot,
its characters and its morals have stood the test of time. Explain why you
think it remains popular and is read by so many people today.
Select one character from any of the stories. Write one paragraph
describing what they are like at the beginning of the story, and one
paragraph describing them at the end of the story. Have they changed?
Why? Why not?
Select two villains from any of the four stories you have read. Compare
them to each other focusing on why they are villains, how they terrorise
other characters and what happens to them in the end. Come to a
conclusion about who is the most villainous.
Select any tale apart from Tales from the Thousand and One Nights. Explore
how the adults in your chosen tale are presented. Is it a positive or negative
impression? Why? Do they help or hinder the children in the story? How is
the reader meant to feel about them?
These Ancient Tales all include scary plot details and characters. Are they
suitable for children? Compose an argument for or against. Explain why
you think what you think, and make specific references to individual stories
in your answer.
This first set of tasks can be completed by Year 7 and 8 students.
Which was your favourite Ancient Tale? Why? You might want to mention
one or more of the following: the plot, its characters, its moral.
Think about each of the four stories we read. Which do you think has the
most inspiring moral? Why?
Which character do you think learned the most in any of the four stories
that you have read. Why do you think this?
Which character do you think was the most heroic in any of the four stories
you have read. Why do you think this?
Which character do you think was the most villainous in any of the four
stories you have read. Why do you think this is?
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Ancient Tales: Homework tasks
Here are some options for homework tasks for each of the lessons in this unit of work.
1 Creative writing: Write the opening of a short story using the title of one of the Ancient
Tales we will read as your inspiration.
2 Letter writing: Write a letter to Madhur Jaffrey, describing a memory from your own
childhood.
3 Creative writing: Find a picture of a cheetah and write a description of it.
4 Poetry: Abeba loves writing poems. Write a poem about a cheetah.
Creative writing: Describe when Abeba returns to her father, Gelila and her step-
siblings. How will she behave and feel?
5
Research: Carol Ann Duffy was appointed Britain’s poet Laureate in 2009. Find out
more about this important position, its role and responsibilities.
Comparison: Write 200 words comparing Abeba’s step-mother and Hansel and
Gretel’s step-mother. Use quotations from each story, and explain how the reader is
meant to feel towards each step-mother.
6 Adapt: Carol Ann Duffy adapted the story of Hansel and Gretel. What do you think it
means to adapt a story?
7
Research: Find out more about the Brothers Grimm who first wrote down the tale of
Hansel and Gretel.
Adaptation: Hansel and Gretel has been adapted by many different people into
many different forms, including an opera. Re-write the opening section of Hansel and
Gretel as a song or poem.
8
Creative writing: The potter is a very important character in The Wicked King and his
Good Son. Pretend you are the potter. Describe what happens between you and
Prahlad, and what you hope this encounter will teach him.
9
Research: Holika is a very important character in The Wicked King and his Good Son.
Find out more about this character.
Reflective writing: Holika does something very selfless. She makes a sacrifice for her
nephew. Write about a time when you have had to sacrifice something. Why did you
make this sacrifice and how did it make you feel?
10
Adaptation: You summarised the story, The Wicked King and his Good Son. Turn your
summary into a poem. It needs to have no more than five stanzas (verses). It does not
need to rhyme.
11
Research: Today we started reading Tales from the Thousand and One Nights. Find
out about one of the famous stories in this collection of tales: either Aladdin, Sinbad
the Sailor or Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Comparison: Shahrazad comes up with an ingenious plan to save her own life. What
other ingenious plans have you come across in this unit? What are their similarities?
What are their differences?
12 Reflective writing: You have now read four Ancient Tales. Which was your favourite?
Why? What did you like about the characters, the story or the moral?
13 Creative writing: You have read four stories, each of which contain morals. Write your
own story that has a moral.
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