Happy Mother's Day!

The Lark and her Little Ones
(Beginning)

A family of little larks lived with their mother in a nest in a cornfield. When the corn was ripe, the mother lark watched carefully to see if there were any sign of the reapers' coming. For she knew that when they came their sharp knives would cut down the nest and hurt the baby larks. So every day, when she went out for food, she told the little larks to look and listen very carefully to everything that went on, and to tell her all they saw and heard when she came home.

One day when she came home, the little larks were frightened.

"Oh, Mother, dear Mother," they said, "you must move us away tonight! The farmer was in the field today, and he said, ‘The corn is ready to cut; we must call in the neighbors to help.' Then he told his son to go out tonight and ask all the neighbors to come and reap the corn tomorrow."

The mother lark laughed. "Don't be frightened," she said; "if he waits for his neighbors to reap the corn, we will have plenty of time to move. Tell me what he says tomorrow."

The next night the little larks were trembling with fear. The moment their mother got home they cried out, "Mother, you must move us tonight! The farmer came today and said, ‘The corn is getting too ripe. We cannot wait for our neighbors. We must ask our relatives to help us.’ Then he called his son and told him to ask all the uncles and cousins to come tomorrow and cut the corn. Shall we not move tonight?"

"Don't worry," said the mother lark. The uncles and cousins have plenty of reaping to do for themselves. We'll not move yet."

The third night, when the mother lark came home, the baby larks said, "Mother, dear, the farmer came to the field today. When he looked at the corn, he was quite angry. He said, 'This will never do! The corn is getting too ripe. It's no use to wait for our relatives. We will have to cut this corn ourselves.' Then he called his son and said, '‘Go out tonight and hire reapers. Tomorrow we will begin to cut.'"

"Well," said the mother, "that is another story. When a man begins to do his own work instead of asking somebody else to do it, things get done. I will move you out tonight."



Vocabulary


Do you know what these words mean? If not, look them up in an English dictionary, or click here to look them up online.

careful
cornfield
farmer
fear
frighten
hire
hurt
knife
neghbor
reaper
relative
ripe
work



Sentence Completion I


Use the vocabulary words to complete the sentences below.
  1. Mother Lark and her little ones lived in a ___________.
  2. She watched carefully for the ____________
  3. She knew that sharp ____________ could hurt the little larks.
  4. Each day when she went out she told her children to listen ___________ and tell her what they heard.
  5. The little larks were ____________ when the farmer sent his son to call the neighbors.
  6. When the neighbors did not come, the farmer's son called the ____________.
  7. When a man does his own ___________ instead of asking someone else to do it, things get done.


Sentence Completion II


Use the vocabulary words to complete the sentences below.
  1. The ____________ grew beans, corn, and tomatoes.
  2. The child was ____________ by the storm.
  3. We did not sleep well last night because the _____________ were having a loud party.
  4. We saw many ____________ at my cousin's wedding.
  5. You will need a sharp ____________ to cut the meat.
  6. The students  ____________ hard to complete the project on time.
  7. The school will ____________ two more teachers next year.



Reading Comprehension


  1. What are larks?
  2. When did the mother began to watch for reapers?
  3. Why did she watch for the reapers?
  4. What job did she give to the little larks when she went out each day?
  5. Why did she go out each day?
  6. What was the first message the little larks gave their mother?
  7. Was she frightened? Why or why not?
  8. What was the second message the little larks gave their mother?
  9. Was she frightened? Why or why not?
  10. What was the third message the little larks gave their mother?
  11. What did the mother do when she heard the third message?
  12. What does this story teach?


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