Ancient Tales Student Self-Study Booklet - English Mastery · Ancient Tales Self-Study Unit: A Guide for Students and Parents This booklet is for KS3 students to work through on their

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.

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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


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


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


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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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‘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.’


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

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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

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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.


lesson. Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?




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.


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 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.


Fafen Shet Ethiopia love potion cheetah

quest savannah patience relationships

Mastery Checks


I have used every

word from the

vocabulary box

correctly.

I have used each sub-

heading to structure

my paragraphs.

I have used capital


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.


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.


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


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.


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.


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.


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?


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?




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


Mastery Checks


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


correctly.

Check your writing: Check 1: Are there any run-on sentences?




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?



Ancient Tales.



written down.







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.


checks.





P a g e | 32





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


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.




starving step-mother forest desperate

cannibalistic ingenious outwit rewarded

Mastery Checks


I have used every

word from the

vocabulary box

correctly.



my paragraphs.

I have used capital


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.


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.


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.


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.’


1. How does Hiranya Kashyap feel when his son is born?

Why?

2. What does the potter teach Prahlad?


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.’


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


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.





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.



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.


lesson.





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?



Ancient Tales.



written down.







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.


checks.





P a g e | 42





You have now completed work on the third Ancient Tale. Remember, there


Planning


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.




tyrant/tyrannical Sage courtiers potter

God furious comeuppance justice

Mastery Checks


I have used every

word from the

vocabulary box

correctly.



my paragraphs.

I have used capital


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.


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.


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.


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

P a g e | 47

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

P a g e | 48

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?

P a g e | 49

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.



Please note that there is a Transition to GCSE task connected to this lesson on

the next page of this booklet.

P a g e | 50

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


Mastery Checks


I have used every

word from the

vocabulary box

correctly.

My story ends on a cliff

hanger.

I have used capital


correctly.


lesson.





P a g e | 51

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?



Ancient Tales.



written down.







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.


checks.





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You have now completed work on the final Ancient Tale. Remember, there


Planning


Introduce Shahrazad. Bring her

character to life!

Introduce King Shahriyar. Bring his

character to life!

Explain how Shahrazad avoids death.




tyrant/tyrannical malicious marriage determined

ingenious cliff hanger repentant justice

Mastery Checks


I have used every

word from the

vocabulary box

correctly.



my paragraphs.

I have used capital


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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Documents

Ancient Tales Student Self-Study Booklet - English Mastery · Ancient Tales Self-Study Unit: A Guide for Students and Parents This booklet is for KS3 students to work through on their