The
Boy
and his
Sled
Mike was the smallest child in school. Another boy, Joe, always
teased
Mike. Joe had
a large
scar
on his face from fighting other children. One day, Joe
offended
Mike when
he made fun of M ike’ s
valentine,
Jane. Mike felt
disgrace,
but he d id n ’t know how to
make Joe stop.
That day,
Mike walked home down an
alley.
He found a
bunch
of wood boards next
to a
pine
tree. He thought to him self, “ I could build a
decent sled
from this.
If I let Joe
use it, he w ill be n ic e rto me and Jane.” He took the wood home.
Mike got an
ax
and cut the wood. He used nails to make sure that the pieces were
not
loose.
As he worked, he bumped his
elbow
on the boards. The
painful
sensation
made him w ant to cry. It was a hard
chore,
but he
persisted.
He worked
overnight.
By
morning, the sled was finished.
Mike called Joe on the telephone. He said, “ Hi Joe. Come over to my house right
away.”
Joe d id n ’t know why Mike wanted him to come over. When Joe arrived, Mike told
him, “ Joe, it
irritated
me the other day when you said
mean things about my card to
Jane. You weren’t
kidding
when you said those mean things.
But I’ m not like you. I just b uilt this sled, and I’ ll let you
ride it w ith me if you are nice.”
They became friends, and Joe was
grateful
m
P/MT A Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false
statements to make them true.
1.
Joe offended Mike by saying mean
things about his valentine, Jane.
2.
Mike found a bunch of pine trees.
3.
Joe was a decent person at the beginning of the reading.
4.
Mike persisted even though the chore was very hard.
5.
Mike used his elbows to put together loose pieces.
6.
Mike told Joe he was sharing his new sled because he was a civil person.
P/iMF B Answer the questions.
1. Which item did Mike NOT use when bui
a. Ax
c. Alley
2. At the end of the reading, Joe
.
a. was grateful that Mike was nice
c. irritated Mike again
3. Why did Mike feel a painful sensation?
a. Joe teased him w ith the hammer.
c. He got a scar on his face.
4.
According to the reading, when did Mil<
a. The next morning
c. Before school
n g th e sled?
b. Nail
d. Valentine
b. did
not get to ride on the sled
d. said he was kidding
b. He dragged the wood home.
d. He bumped his elbow on the boards.
build the sled?
b. Overnight
d. Throughout the day