Reading. The Magic Wishing-Tree

Reading

The Magic Wishing-Tree

The sun shone on the tree in the garden, the wind blew gently through its branches and the leaves whispered, “Wish-wish-wish.” It was a magic tree. And whoever stood beneath it and wished would have their wish come true.

In the house next to the tree there lived a fat old man. His name was William Smythe. He sold soap in the shop in the village, and he didn’t like boys and girls.

One day he stood underneath the tree and said, “I wish all the children who live near me were on the moon!” As soon as he said it, all the girls and boys were on the moon. It was very cold and lonely up there and some of the younger children began to cry.

A blackbird looked down at Mr. Smythe and said, “I wish all the children were back again!” Mr. Smythe said, “I wish they were all on the moon.” And the blackbird said, “I wish they were all back again.” The children didn’t know where they were.

Mr. Smythe stamped his foot and said, “I wish…”, but he didn’t get any further, because the blackbird said very quickly, “I wish Mr. Smythe was good.”

And Mr. Smythe, who had just been going to say, “I wish all the children were on the moon,” suddenly changed his mind and said, “I wish all the children would come to tea this afternoon, and we’ll have cakes and lemonade for tea. And I’ll stop selling soap and open a sweet shop instead. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!”

The sun shone on the tree in the garden, the wind blew gently through its branches and the leaves whispered, “Wish-wish-wish.”

1. Read the text. Are the following statements about the text true or false? Change the false statements to make them true.

1. It was a magic tree. And whoever stood beneath it and wished would have their wish come true.

2. William Smythe was a thin young man.

3. He sold fruit in his shop.

4. He didn’t like girls and boys.

5. Mr. Smythe wished all the girls and boys were on the moon.

6. The children liked the moon.

7. A blackbird wished all the children were back again.

8. The children wished Mr. Smythe was good.

9. Mr. Smythe wished the children would come to coffee this afternoon.

10. Mr. Smythe decided to open a toy shop.

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