Australia 

Australia is a large continent. It has six states and two territories.

The capital city of Australia is Canberra. It is in the Australian Capital Territory.

The The population of Australia is about 20 million. The first inhabitants to live in Australia were Aboriginal people. After that people came from all over the world. The main language is English, however many other languages are spoken.

There are many plants and animals that are only found in Australia, e.g. kangaroos, platypuses, gum trees and Waratahs.

The main products and industries are wool, minerals, oil, coal, cereals and meat.

Some famous landmarks are the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Uluru (Ayers Rock).

MANGROVE TREES 

 

A mangrove is a tropical marine tree. Mangroves have special aerial roots and sa
lt-filtering tap roots which enable them to thrive in brackish water. Brackish w
ater is salty but not as salty as sea water. Mangrove trees are commonly planted
and found in coastal areas. Mangroves can serve as walls of protection for natu
ral disaster in coastal area like tsunami. According to BBC News, healthy mangro
ve forests had helped save lives in the Asia disaster tsunami and people tended
to respect these natural barriers even more, especially after the tsunami.
There are several species of mangrove tree found all over the world. Some prefer
more salinity, while others like to be very-close to a large fresh water source
such as river. Some prefer areas that are sheltered from waves. Some species ha
ve their roots covered with sea water every day during high tide. Other species
grow on dry land but are still part of the ecosystem. The Times of India reporte
d that rare species of mangrove had been found and was also known as the looking
-glass tree, probably because the leaves are silver-coated.
Mangroves need to keep their trunk and leave above the surface of the water. Yet
they also need to be firmly attached to the ground so they are not moved by wav
es.
Any part of root that appears above the water flows oxygen to the plant under wa
ter surface. as the soil begin to build up, these roots procedure additional roo
ts that become embedded in the soil.

ELEPHANT

An elephant is the largest and strongest of all animals. It is a strange looking
animal which it has thick legs, huge sides and backs, large hanging ears, a sma
ll tail, little eyes, long white tusks and above all, elephant has a long nose,
the trunk. An elephant is commonly seen in a zoo, it has hard found in it natura
l habitat.
The trunk is the elephant's peculiar feature. This trunk has various usages. The
elephant draws up water by its trunk and can squirt the water all over its body
like a shower bath. The elephant's trunk also lift leaves and put them into its
mouth. In fact, the trunk serves the elephant as long arm and hand. An elephant
looks very clumsy and heavy and yet an elephant can move very quickly.
The elephant is very intelligent animal. Its intelligence combined with its grea
t strength makes an elephant a very useful servant to man. Elephant can be train
ed to serve in various ways such as carry heavy loads, hunt for tigers and even
fight. An elephant is really a smart animal.

RAIN FOREST

 

Rain forests cover about 10% of the earth, but they contain 90% 0f the worlds ani
mals and plants. Rain forests are found in the hottest parts of the earth. They
are situated in the area from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. T
his is the area on both sides of the Equator.
These forests are called rain forests because it usually rains there everyday. T
he weather is always hot and humid. The main rain forests are in America, Africa
, and Asia. The largest area of rain forest is Amazonian in South America. It is
three times larger than the whole of Indonesia.
Indonesia was covered by rain forests, but many of its forests have been cut down.

Some fire also destroyed the Indonesian forests, especially during the dry se

ason. It is hard now to reforest the bare land.

KOMODO DRAGON

Do you know what is the largest lizard? This lizard is called komodo. It lives i

n the scrub and woodland of a few Indonesian islands.

Komodo dragon is the world's heaviest lizard, weighing 150 pounds or more. The largest Komodo ever measured was more than 10 feet (3 meters) long and weighed 366 pounds (166 kg) but the average size of komodo in the wild is about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and 200 pounds (91 kg)

Komodo has gray scaly skin, a pointed snout, powerful limbs and a muscular tail.They use their keen sense of smell to locate decaying animal remains from several miles away. They also hunt other lizards as well as large mammals and are sometimes cannibalistic.

The Komodo dragon's teeth are almost completely covered by its gums. When it feeds, the gums bleed, creating an ideal culture for virulent bacteria. The bacteria that live in the Komodo dragon's saliva causes septicemia, or blood poisoning,in its victims. A dragon will bite its prey, then follow it until the animal istoo weak to carry on.

This lizard species is threatened by hunting, loss of prey species and habitat l

oss.

THE AMAZING TAJ MAHAL IN INDIA 

 

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world. It was built by
a Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dear wife at Agra.
Taj Mahal is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal. The mausol
eum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garde
n, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palat
ial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Ja
muna behind it.
The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corne
rs truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the inte
rlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectl
y integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating
geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.
Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 fe
et. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers. The four graceful, slender
minarets are 162.5 feet each. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chamb
ers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration.
Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty i
s beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to
glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience
the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.

Television

Television, or TV, is one of humanity's most important means of communication. It brings pictures and sounds from around the world into millions of homes.

People with a television set can sit in their house and watch the president makes a speech or visits a foreign country. They can see a war being fought, and they can wacth government leaders try to bring about peace. Through television, viewers at home can see and learn about peopl, places, and things in a away lands. Television even takes viewers out of this world as the astronauts explore outer space.

In addition to all these things, television brings its viewers a steady stream of programmes that are designed to entertain. In fact, TV provides many more entertainment programmes than any other kind of information media. The programmes include action-packed dramas, light comedies, soap operas, sports events, cartoons, quizzes, variety shows and motion pictures.

More than 83 million homes in the United States - or 98% of all the country's homes - have at least one television set. On the average, a television set is in use in each home for about 6 3/4 hours each day. As a result, television has an important influence on how people spend their time, as well as on what they see and learn. After they arrive from work, they usually watch TV. Then, the importance of television is proven.

Birds

Birds are interesting flying animals. They are vertebrates and warm blooded animals. They belong to aves class and they can be found all over the world.

Birds breath with their air pocket. Beside as respiration organ, air pocket also can enlarge or reduce their weight when flying or swimming.

There are many kinds of birds. Earth bird has special characteristic. They have different morphology acording to their food and their habitat. Some of them eat seeds, pollen, fish or meat. There are some species that live in land and the others live in water. Land birds live on their nest.

Female birds have specific tasks. they lay eggs and feed their baby, Beside that they look for foods for their baby.

Mangrove Trees

A mangrove is a tropical marine tree. Mangroves have special aerial roots and salt-filtering tap roots which enable them to thrive in brackish water. Brackish water is salty but not as salty as sea water. Mangrove trees are commonly planted and found in coastal areas. Mangroves can serve as walls of protection for natural disaster in coastal area like tsunami. According to BBC News, healthy mangrove forests had helped save lives in the Asia disaster tsunami and people tended to respect these natural barriers even more, especially after the tsunami.
There are several species of mangrove tree found all over the world. Some prefer more salinity, while others like to be very-close to a large fresh water source such as river. Some prefer areas that are sheltered from waves. Some species have their roots covered with sea water every day during high tide. Other species grow on dry land but are still part of the ecosystem. The Times of India reported that rare species of mangrove had been found and was also known as the looking-glass tree, probably because the leaves are silver-coated.
Mangroves need to keep their trunk and leave above the surface of the water. Yet they also need to be firmly attached to the ground so they are not moved by waves.
Any part of root that appears above the water flows oxygen to the plant under water surface. as the soil begin to build up, these roots procedure additional roots that become embedded in the soil.

REPORT TEXT

KOMODO DRAGON
Do you know what is the largest lizard? This lizard is called komodo. It lives in the scrub and woodland of a few Indonesian islands.

Komodo dragon is the world's heaviest lizard, weighing 150 pounds or more. The largest Komodo ever measured was more than 10 feet (3 meters) long and weighed 366 pounds (166 kg) but the average size of komodo in the wild is about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and 200 pounds (91 kg)

Komodo has gray scaly skin, a pointed snout, powerful limbs and a muscular tail. They use their keen sense of smell to locate decaying animal remains from several miles away. They also hunt other lizards as well as large mammals and are sometimes cannibalistic.

The Komodo dragon's teeth are almost completely covered by its gums. When it feeds, the gums bleed, creating an ideal culture for virulent bacteria. The bacteria that live in the Komodo dragon's saliva causes septicemia, or blood poisoning, in its victims. A dragon will bite its prey, then follow it until the animal is too weak to carry on.

This lizard species is threatened by hunting, loss of prey species and habitat loss.

Ex 1

On Friday, we went to the Blue Mountain.  We stayed at David and Della’s house.  It has a big garden with lots of colorful flowers and tennis court.

On Saturday, we saw the Three Sisters and we went on the scenic railway.  It was scary.  Then, Mom and I went shopping with Della.  We went to some antique shops and I tried on some old hats.  On Sunday, we went on the scenic Skyway and it rocked.  We saw cockatoos having shower.

In the afternoon, we went home.

Ex 2

One day I was setting in the local library, I started to read a medical encyclopedia that was lying on the table in front of me. The first illness I read about was cholera. As I read the list of symptoms, it occurred to me that perhaps I had cholera myself. I sat for a while, too frightened to move.

Then, in a kind of dream, I started to turn the pages of the book again. I came to malaria. Yes, there was no doubt about it – I had malaria too. And I certainly had hepatitis. And yellow fever. And so it went on. I read through the whole book, and by the end I came to the conclusion that I had every illness. There was only one illness I didn’t have – and that was housemaid’s knee.

I sat and thought, and I became more and more worried. I wondered how long I had to live. I examined myself. I felt my pulse. At first, I couldn’t find it at all; then, suddenly it seems start off. I looked at my watch to time it – it was beating 147 times a minute. I tried to feel my heart. I couldn’t feel it. It wasn’t beating. I stuck my tongue out and tried to look at it. I could only see the end of it, but from that I was even more certain than before that I had yellow fever.

I went straight to my doctor, who was a good friend of mine. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked. “I have every illness in the medical encyclopedia.” I told him how I read the medical encyclopedia. Then he opened my mouth and looked at my tongue, and he felt mu pulse, and he listened to my heart. Then he sat down and wrote a prescription. It said:

• 3 good meals every day
• A two-mile walk every day morning
• Be in bed at 11 o’clock every night
• Don’t read medical books!

I followed the doctor’s instructions, and I am happy to say that I now feel quite well again.

(Adapted from Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome , first published in 1889)

Ex 3

Last week my friend and I were bored after three weeks of holidays, so we rode our bikes to Smith Beach, which is only five kilometres from where I live.  When we arrived at the beach, we were surprised to see there was hardly anyone there.  After having a quick dip in the ocean, which was really cold, we realized one reason there were not many people there.  It was also quite windy.

After we bought some hot chips at the takeaway store nearby, we rode our bikes down the beach for a while, on the hard, damp part of the sand.  We had the wind behind us and, before we knew it, we were many miles down the beach.  Before we made the long trip back, we decided to paddle our feet in the water for a while, and then sit down for a rest.  While we were sitting on the beach, just chatting, it suddenly dawned on us that all the way back, we would be riding into the strong wind.

When we finally made it back home, we were both totally exhausted!  But we learned some good lessons that day.

Ex 4

On Wednesday, my students and I went to Jogjakarta. We stayed at Dirgahayu Hotel which is not far from Malioboro. On Thursday, we visited the temples in Prambanan. There are three big temples, the Brahmana, Syiwa, and Wisnu temples. They are really amazing. We visited only Brahma and Syiwa temples, because Wisnu temple was being renovated. On Friday morning, we went to Jogja Kraton. We spent about two hours there. We were lucky because we were led by a smart and friendly guide. Then we continued our journey to Borobudur. We arrived there at four p.m. At 5 p.m. we heard announcement that Borobudur gate would be closed. In the evening we left for Jakarta by Wisata bus.

Ex 5

Last night our family went to Ball Dome to watch the Kings play the Shooters.

When we got to the stadium, an usher showed us our seats. Just as we sat down the band played the national anthem so we stood.

After the anthem both teams entered the court. As they did, the cheerleaders waved their steamers.

Next, the referee placed his whistle in his mouth and signaled the start of the play. The game was so hot that the supporters of the two teams yelled out their chants every time a player scored the point.

In the end, the Shooters won and our family was happy that both teams had given their best.

Ex 6

My mother got me ready for school then I had to wait for her to brush my hair and place every strand in just the perfect position. I had to show her my shoes that I had cleaned the night before and my school bag had to be neatly put on my shoulder before I could get near the door. Only after my mother was totally satisfied would I be allowed to rush out of the front door.

I would leave home at 8 am on the dot and make my way down the lane. After a walk of about 700 metres I would be able to see the tall steeple of the school.
The playground would be full in the summer and the noise would make me want to rush into the yard and get into a good game of football before the bell went.

Ex 7

Let me remind you my experience during an earthquake last week. When the earthquake happened, I was on my car. I was driving home from my vocation to Bali.
Suddenly my car lunched to one side, to the left. I thought I got flat tire. I did not know that it was an earthquake. I knew it was an earthquake when I saw some telephone and electricity poles falling down to the ground, like matchsticks.
Then I saw a lot of rocks tumbling across the road. I was trapped by the rock. Even I could not move my car at all. There were rocks everywhere. There was nothing I could do but left the car and walked along way to my house, in the town.
When I reached my town, I was so surprised that there was almost nothing left. The earthquake made a lot of damage to my town. Although nothing was left, I thanked God that nobody was seriously injured.

Ex 8

My Rush Time as a Journalist

I usually woke up at eight o’clock a.m. and went to the Press Center to check the daily schedule of briefings and press conferences. It was usually held by the United Nation officials or disaster mitigation team.

It was challenging to visit different refugee camps to find soft stories, human interest stories. After that I went back to the Press Center to cover the press conferences of the day.

It was heart breaking when I saw these survivors fight for food and secondhand clothing. Unfortunately as they said, the food and clothing were limited and inadequate. Emerging to glaring, fool noon, it was time to go back to Press Center to write stories and race against time. I was always fearing that the internet would come crushing down.

After everything was done, only then I remembered to eat. Most times, I only ate once a day because I always had to rush and again it was difficult to find food. I had to travel quite far. I needed to spend a 30 to 45 minutes by car just to find fresh food.

Ex 9

Mr. Richard’s family was on vacation. They are Mr. and Mrs. Richard with two sons. They went to London. They saw their travel agent and booked their tickets. They went to the British Embassy to get visas to enter Britain. They had booked fourteen days tour. This includes travel and accommodation. They also included tours around London

They boarded a large Boeing flight. The flight was nearly fourteen hours. On the plane the cabin crews were very friendly. They gave them news paper and magazine to read. They gave them food and drink. There was a film for their entertainment. They had a very pleasant flight. They slept part of the way.

On arrival at Heathrow Airport, they had to go to Customs and Immigration. The officers were pleasant. They checked the document carefully but their manners were very polite. Mr. Richard and his family collected their bags and went to London Welcome Desk. They arranged the transfer to a hotel.

The hotel was a well-known four-star hotel. The room had perfect view of the park. The room had its own bathroom and toilet. Instead of keys for the room, they inserted a key-card to open the door. On the third floor, there was a restaurant serving Asian and European food. They had variety of food.
The two week in London went by fast. At the end of the 14-day, they were quite tired but they felt very happy

Holiday at Anyer Beach

At the end of first semester, there was holiday which was very long about
two weeks.
Previously, I was just thinking about my study, because on the next semester
would be held an hard examination. But, I changed my mind to take
refreshing at the beach, which had I could get many happiness. Because, if I
just studying and studying, it would be possible if I would get stressed.
As soon, I called my friend and asked him where we will go at this holiday.
So, my friend had an idea that we will go to Anyer Beach. So we called
other friends and invited them to go together. And I was very happy because,
other friends came too. So, we planned our departure to go to Anyer Beach.
And it had been decision. The day was Monday until Tuesday.

On Monday, we had been ready to go to Anyer beach. When we arrived at
Anyer Beach, I was very fresh and enjoyed the scene. Playing with the sand
and water beach was very happy. We stayed at the hotel for tow days one
night. We enjoyed our holiday at this time. But, we didn't forget the
examination either.

A Visit to a Sheep Property

 Last holidays I visited a sheep property. I helped in the shearing sheds and in

the yards.

On the first day the Merino wethers were crutched. I helped by sweeping up after the rouseabout picked up the wool pieces. Shearers start early (at 7.30 am).

After lunch, we started shearing the lambs. There were more than 400 so we
didn't finish until the next day. Once again I was sweeping and picking up
dags.

I was tired by the end of the day in the shed but our work wasn't finished.
We all had to help to get the wethers and lambs back into the paddocks. As
well, we had to get a mob of ewes and their lambs into the yards for shearing
the next day. Then it was time for tea (that's what my nanna calls dinner).

This was a very long day but I enjoyed it a lot

PRAMBANAN TEMPEL

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.

The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.

The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: “it will take months to identify the precise damage”. However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

Penguin in the Park

Once a man was walking in a park when he across a penguin. He took it to a policeman and said; "What should I do?" The policeman replied; "Take it to the zoo!".
The next day, the policeman saw the man in the same park. The man was still carrying the penguin. The policeman was rather surprised and walked up to the man and asked; "Why are you still carrying the penguin? Didn't you take it to the zoo?" The man replied; "I certainly did. And it was a great idea because the penguin really enjoyed it. So, today I am taking it to the movie".

That Phone is Off

Soon after he left college, Dave found one of his uncles who was very rich and had no children of his own died and left him a lot of money, so he decided to set up his own real estate agency.

Dave found a nice office. He bought some new furniture and moved in. he had only been there for e few hours when he heard someone coming toward the door of his office.

“It must be my first customer” Dave thought. He quickly picked up the telephone and pretended to be very busy answering an important call from someone in New York who wanted to buy a big and expensive house in the country.

The man knocked at the door while this was going on. He came in and waited politely for Dave to finish his conversation on the phone. Then the man said to Dave; “I am from the telephone company and I was sent here to connect your telephone”

Saved by stilts

The king wanted to test Abu Nawas’ smartness. So he invited Abu Nawas to the palace. “You want me, your Majesty?” greeted Abu Nawas. “Yes, you have fooled me three times and that’s too much. I want you to leave the country. Otherwise you will have to go to jail” said the king. “If that is what you want, I will do what you said” said Abu Nawas sadly. Then “Remember, from tomorrow you may not step on the ground of this country anymore” the king said seriously. Then Abu nawas left the king palace sadly.

The following morning the king ordered his two guards to go to Abu Nawas’ house. The guards were very surprised found Abu Nawas still in his house. He had not left the country yet. Instead leaving the country, Abu Nawas was swimming in small pool in front of his house. “Hey Abu Nawas, why haven’t you left this country yet? The king ordered you not to step on the ground of this country anymore, didn’t he?” said the guards. “Sure he did” answered Abu Nawas calmly. “But look at me! Do I step on the ground of this country? No, I do not step on the ground. I am swimming on the water” continued Abu Nawas.

The guards were not able to argue with Abu Nawas so they left Abu Nawas’ house and went back to the palace. The guards reported what they had seen to the king. The king was curious on Abu Nawas’ excuse not to leave the country. Therefore the king ordered his guard to call Abu Nawas to come to the palace.

Abu Nawas came to the palace on stilts. The king wondered and said “Abu, I will surely punish you because you haven’t done what I have said. You have not left this country”. The King continued “And now, look at you. You walk on stilts like a child. Are you crazy? The king pretended to be furious.

“I remember exactly what you said, Your Majesty” Abu Nawas answered calmly. “This morning I took a bath in the small pool in my house so that I had not to step on the ground. And since yesterday, I have been walking on this stilts. So you see, Your Majesty, I do not step on the ground of this country”. The king was not able to say anything.

CLEOPATRA

One of the most famous women in world history was Cleopatra VII. She was the brilliant and beautiful last Pharaoh of Egypt. Historically, she became queen of Egypt in 51 B.C. at the age of eighteen. She was a Ptolemy, descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals. When she was twenty-one, Julius Caesar became her lover. Seven years later she met Antony. The romantic tragic relationship continued until they died by suicide in 30 B.C.

Cleopatra was legendary. She was famous not only for her breathtaking beauty but also for her great intellect. She had brown eyes and they were shaped like cat eyes. Her skin was in fact an olive shade, darker than Hollywood actress Liz Taylor who potrayed her in the film 'Cleopatra' in 1963. She had medium dark brown hair, about to the middle of her shoulder blades. She had a reputation as an extraordinarily sensuous woman.

Cleopatra was a woman of remarkable poise and unusual intelligence. She was highly educated. She spoke proficiently in nine languages and also skilled in mathematics. She is often considered to be a stunning seductress though she was studying to be a nun. Cleopatra was a very intelligent queen and a politician with a great charisma.

the Moon

Moon is the earth's satellite which we often see in the night. The Moon is the one place in our solar system where humans have visited. For the firs time on July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed the Lunar Module of Apollo 11 on the surface of the Moon. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the Moon. However do you know what descriptive facts about the Moon are?The moon rises in the east and sets in the west. It moves toward the east in our sky by about 12 degrees each day. The Moon is about 384,400 kilometers from Earth. The Moon has a diameter of 2,000 miles which is like to 3,476 kilometers.

The surface of the Moon has many things, such as craters, lava plains, mountains, and valleys. Scientists believe the craters were formed around 3.5 to 4.5 billion years ago by meteors hitting the moon's surface. The Moon does not have atmosphere, wind and weather that is why the footprints left there on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts will remain there for millions of years.

The Moon is not a light source. It mean that Moon does not make its own light. It reflects light from the sun. All of us can can see the Moon especially in the night because light from the Sun bounces off it back to the Earth. If the Sun wasn't there, we can not see the Moon.

The moon influences many of the tides in the oceans. This is because of the gravity force between the Earth and Moon. At full Moon and new Moon, the Sun, Earth and Moon are lined up, producing the higher than normal tides. When the Moon is at first or last quarter, it forms smaller neap tides.

Cat

Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace, performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not extend to his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television and growing fat.

He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands.

Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers. Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to humiliate me because he is jealous of my friends.

After my guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but endearing, habits.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world. It was built by a Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dear wife at Agra.

Taj Mahal is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it.

The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration.
Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.

Jatim Park

For people in East Java, Jatim Park may have been heard many times as it is one of the famous tourism object in East Java province. Jatim Park offers a recreation place as well as a study center.

Jatim Park is located at Jl. Kartika 2 Batu, East Java. To reach the location is not too difficult because the object is only 2, 5 kilos meters from Batu city. This Jatim Park tourism object is about 22 hectares width.

Visitor can enjoy at least 36 kinds of facilities which can attract them as well as give new knowledge. Just after the pass gate, the visitors will find an interesting view of ‘Galeri Nusantara’ area. This study offering continues to step on ‘Taman Sejarah’ area, which contains of miniature temple in East Java like Sumberawan temple, customhouse of Kiai Hasan Besari Ponorogo and Sumberawan Statue.

The other facility which is able to be enjoyed is ‘Agro Park’ area. It presents crop and rareness fruits, animal diorama which consists of unique animals that have been conserved, and supporting games like bowling, throw ball, scooter disco, etc

MARSUPIAL MAMMAL

What am I?

I inhabit a small area in south-western Western Australia. My species was quite widespread in Australia before European settlement but now we are endangered.

I prefer areas of open woodland. I forage for my food in the mornings and afternoons. At night I sleep in hollow logs or under fallen timber.

My body is about 25 centimeters long. My bushy tail is nearly as long as my body. I am covered in a reddish-brown coat with white stripes. My front legs are shorter then my back legs and I have small claws.

My ears are short but my snout is long I have a very long, sticky tongue for eating termites I can eat over 10000 termites in one day.
I am a marsupial mammal. What animal am I?

Singapore

Have you ever visited Singapore? Well, if you haven’t, let me tell you about Singapore. Singapore is an island city. Its population is about three millions people. Most Singaporeans live in high-rise apartments.

Uhm…Singapore is a beautiful city with lots of parks and open spaces. It is also a very clean city. You know, the business district is very modern, with lots of tall and new buildings.

Now, let me tell you about the old section of the city. In Chinatown, there are rows of old shop houses. The government buildings in Singapore are also very unique and antique. They date from the British colonial days.
Shopping! Wow, this is the part that I like very much! Singapore is famous for its many good shopping centers. Most of the goods are duty free. It’s a heaven for shoppers!
 
What about food? Uhmm ..yummy..yummy. It’s delicious. Singapore’s restaurants provide Chinese, Indian, Malay, and European food, and the prices are quite reasonable. I bet you’ll like it.

Well, since Singapore lies near the equatorial line, of course, it has a tropical climate, with a nice weather in both dry and rainy season.

The Smartest Animal

Once there was a farmer from Laos. Every morning and every evening, he ploughed his field with his buffalo.

One day, a tiger saw the farmer and his buffalo working in the field. The tiger was very surprised to see a big animal listening to a small animal. The tiger wanted to know more about the big animal and the small animal.
After the man went home, the tiger spoke to the buffalo; “you are so big and strong. Why do you do everything the man tells you?” The buffalo answered; “oh, the man is very intelligent”.
The tiger asked; “can you tell me how intelligent he is?”. “No, I can’t tell you”, said the buffalo; “but you can ask him”
So the next day the tiger asked to the man; “Can I see your intelligence?”. But the man answered; “it at home”. “Can you go and get it?” asked the tiger. “Yes” said the man; “but I am afraid you will kill my buffalo when I am gone. Can I tie you to a tree?”
After the man tied the tiger to the tree, he didn’t go home to get his intelligence. He took his plough and hit the tiger. Then he said; “Now you know about my intelligence even you haven’t seen it.

Arabian Story

Maura, who like to be thought of as the most beautiful and powerful queen of Arabia, had many suitors. One by one she discarded them, until her list was reduced to just three sheiks. The three sheiks were all equally young and handsome. They were also rich and strong. It was very hard to decide who would be the best of them.

One evening, Maura disguised herself and went to the camp of the three sheiks. As they were about to have dinner, Maura asked them for something to eat. The first gave her some left over food. The second Sheik gave her some unappetizing camel’s tail. The third sheik, who was called Hakim, offered her some of the most tender and tasty meat. After dinner, the disguised queen left the sheik’s camp.

The following day, the queen invited the three sheiks to dinner at her palace. She ordered her servant to give each one exactly what they had given her the evening before. Hakim, who received a plate of delicious meat, refused to eat it if the other two sheiks could not share it with him.

This Sheik Hakim’s act finally convinced Queen Maura that he was the man for her. “Without question, Hakim is the most generous of you” she announced her choice to the sheiks. “So it is Hakim I will marry”.

The Story of Sangkuriang and Tangkuban Perahu Mountain

Once, there was a kingdom in Priangan Land. Lived a happy family. They were a father in form of dog,his name is Tumang, a mother which was called is Dayang Sumbi, and a child which was called Sangkuriang.
One day, Dayang Sumbi asked her son to go hunting with his lovely dog, Tumang. After hunting all day, Sangkuriang began desperate and worried because he hunted no deer. Then he thought to shot his own dog. Then he took the dog liver and carried home.

Soon Dayang Sumbi found out that it was not deer lever but Tumang's, his own dog. So, She was very angry and hit Sangkuriang's head. In that incident, Sangkuriang got wounded and scar then cast away from their home.

Years go bye, Sangkuriang had travel many places and finally arrived at a village. He met a beautiful woman and felt in love with her. When they were discussing their wedding plans, The woman looked at the wound in Sangkuriang's head. It matched to her son's wound who had left severall years earlier. Soon she realized that she felt in love with her own son.

She couldn't marry him but how to say it. Then, she found the way. She needed a lake and a boat for celebrating their wedding day. Sangkuriang had to make them in one night. He built a lake. With a dawn just moment away and the boat was almost complete. Dayang Sumbi had to stop it. Then, she lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. It made the cock crowed for a new day.
Sangkuriang failed to marry her. She was very angry and kicked the boat. It felt over and became the mountain of Tangkuban Perahu Bandung.

Kite's Tale

The sun shone brightly and the west breeze blew. The kite was flying this way and that way tied to her string.
Suddenly the string snapped. The kite was free. She soared high in the air until she could see far, far away.
The kite followed some parrots who took her to see the rainforests. The air was cool and the kite got wet.
The kite followed some crocodiles who took her to see the rivers. The air was misty and the kite caught a fish.
The kite followed some wallabies who took her to see the deserts. The air was hot and the kite got tired.
So the kite followed the sun who took her back home, right to her string

Note on Narrative Text
The example of Narrative above is taken from Jeany Eather. We see that Narrative will be a narrative if the text include any complication among the characters. Narrative is mainly to tell a story. Telling a story is intended to entertain as well teach certain moral values.
From the narrative example above, we can see the specific generic structure which actually makes this text different from other text types
The first paragraph is setting the scene. This scene set up will include information of who, what, when and where. This is actually what we know as Orientation to introduce the participant in the text, kite and information near it.
The second paragraph is introducing a problem as complication set which is followed by other three paragraphs as series of event.
The last paragraph is the resolution to end the story. Resolution can be good or bad.

Monkey and Crocodile

One day a monkey wanted to cross a river. He saw a crocodile in the river, so he asked the crocodile to take him across the other side. The crocodile told the monkey to jump on its back. Then the crocodile swam down the river.
Now, the crocodile was very hungry, so when it was in the middle of the river, it stopped and said to the monkey, ”Monkey, my father is very sick. He must eat the heart of the monkey. Then he will be strong again.”
The monkey thought for a while. Then he told the crocodile to swim back to the river bank.
“What’s for?” asked the crocodile.
“Because I didn’t bring my heart with me,” said the monkey. “I left it under the tree, near some coconuts.”
So, the crocodile turned around and swam back to the bank of the river. As soon as they reached the river bank, the monkey jumped off the crocodile’s back and climbed up to the top of a tree.
“Where is your heart?” asked the crocodile.
“You are foolish,” the monkey said to the crocodile. “Now I am free and you have nothing.”
The monkey told the crocodile not to try to fool him again. The crocodile swam away, hungry.

Three Fish

Once three fish lived in a pond. One evening, some fishermen passed by the pond and saw the fish. ‘This pond is full of fish’, they told each other excitedly. ‘we have never fished here before. We must come back tomorrow morning with our nets and catch these fish!’ So saying, the fishermen left.

When the eldest of the three fish heard this, he was troubled. He called the other fish together and said, ‘Did you hear what the fishermen said? W must leave this pond at once. The fishermen will return tomorrow and kill us all!’ The second of the three fish agreed. ‘You are right’, he said. ‘We must leave the pond.’

But the youngest fish laughed. ‘You are worrying without reason’, he said. ‘We have lived in this pond all our lives, and no fisherman has ever come here. Why should these men return? I am not going anywhere – my luck will keep me safe’.

The eldest of the fish left the pond that very evening with his entire family. The second fish saw the fishermen coming in the distance early next morning and left the pond at once with all his family. The third fish refused to leave even then.

The fishermen arrived and caught all the fish left in the pond. The third fish’s luck did not help him – he was caught and killed.

Momotaro

Once upon a time, there lived in Japan a peasant and his wife. They were sad couple because they had no children. They kept praying to their god pleading to give them a child.

While cutting wood by a stream one day, the man saw a large peach floating on the water. He ran to pick it up. His wife was excited because she had never seen such a large peach before. They were about to cut the peach when they heard a voice from inside.

The couples were surprised to do anything. The peach then cracked open, and there was a beautiful baby inside. The couples were very happy, of course. They named the baby Momotaro, which meant ‘peach boy’.

Momotaro grew up to be clever, courage young man. His parents loved him very much.

One day, Momotaro told his parents hat he was going to fight the pirates who always attacked their village. These pirates lived on an island a few kilometers away. Momotaro’s mother packed his food, and his father gave him a sword. Having blessed Momotaro, they sent him off on his journey.

Sailing on his boat, Momotaro met an eagle going in the same direction. They became good friends; soon, both of them arrived on the island of the pirates.

Momotaro drew out the sacred sword his father had given him and began to fight the pirates. The eagle flew over the thieves’ heads, pecking at their eyes. Finally, the pirates were defeated.

Momotaro brought home all the goods that pirates had stolen. His parents were proud of him, and they were overjoyed at his victory and save return.

The Three Sheiks and Queen of Arabia

Maura, who liked to be thought of as the most beautiful and powerful queen of Arabia, had many suitors. One by one she discarded them, until her list was reduced to just threes sheiks, all equally young and handsome, rich and strong. It was very hard to decide who would be the best of them.

One evening, Maura disguised herself and went to the camp of the three sheiks, as they were about to have dinner, and asked them for something to eat.

The first gave her some leftover food; the second gave her some unappetizing camel’s tail; the third sheik, who was called Hakim, offered her some of the most tender and tasty meat. After dinner, the disguised queen left the sheiks’ camp.

The following day the queen invited the three sheiks to dinner at her palace. She ordered her servants to give each one exactly what they had given her the evening before.

Hakim, who received a plate of delicious meat, refused to eat it if the other two could not share it with him, and this act finally convinced Queen Maura that he was the man for her.

“Without question, Hakim is the most generous of you,” she announced her choice to the sheiks, “So, it is Hakim I will marry.”

HERMIT

Many years ago, there lived a hermit in a forest in Sumatra. He did not grow food but depended on the jungle fruit to survive. Soon, there was a drought, and all the plants and fruit trees in the jungle died.

The old man had nothing to eat now, so he turned to begging. He went to a nearby village trying to get some food. At first, the villagers were happy to help him. However, when he came continually, they refused to give him any more food. They told him to grow his own food.

One day, while the hermit was sitting in his hut, sad and hungry, he began to think about growing his own food. Just then, a boatman stopped by and taking a pity on hermit gave him some “paddy” seeds.

Before the boatman went away, he said, “These seeds will grow and give you everlasting harvest if you work very hard. If you are tired of the work, the “paddy” plants will turn into weeds.”

The old hermit worked hard to clear the land and sowed the seeds before the rain came. Strangely, after a short period of time, the “paddy” was ready for harvesting. The old man got a lot of rice from the harvest. After each harvest, the plants grew back again right away.

When the villagers heard about the hermit and his wonderful “paddy”, they flocked to his “paddy” field and took home as much “paddy” as they could.

One day, hermit became so tired of harvesting the “paddy then he shouted,” Oh, stop growing, you wretched thing!” As soon as he had said this, the “paddy” plants turned into weeds.

The Princess and The Pea

There once was a prince who wanted to marry a princess, but it had to be real princess. So he went all over the world looking for a real princess. Everywhere he met young ladies told him they were real princess, but could never be completely sure that this was true. There was always something about them that did not seem quite right. And so, after along time, the prince went back home to his parents and was very sad.

One evening there was a terrible storm. It rained heavily and there was thunder and lightning in the sky above the royal castle. Then there was a knock at the castle gate. The old king went out to see who it could be.

A princess was standing outside the gate. The rain ran down over her hair and clothes and into her shoes. She told the king that she was a real princess, and he asked her to come inside.

“Well, said the old queen. We’ll soon find out if that is true. She went into the guest bedroom and took the mattress and blanket of the bed. Then she put a little green pea on the bed. She put twenty mattress on top of the pea, and then twenty mattress on top of the pea, and then twenty blankets on top of the mattress. This was where the princess was going to spend the night.

The next morning the queen asked the princess how she had slept.

“oh, it was terrible” answered the princess. Í didn’t close my eyes all night. I don’t know what was in my bed, but I lay on something hard, and now I am black and blue all over. It was quite a terrible night.”

Now, the king, the queen and the prince could be sure that this was a real princess she had felt the little pea trough twenty mattresses and twenty blankets. Only a real princess will be able to do that.

So the prince married the princess and the pea was put in a museum for everyone to see, unless someone has taken it, it’s still there today.

The Moon, A Balloon, and A Spoon

This is a very strange story about the moon, a balloon and a spoon-but who's to say it isn't true?

It happened late one night when everybody had gone to bed. All the children in the houses had been fast asleep for hours, and all the grown-ups too. Only the cats that sat on the rooftops were wide awake in the monnlight.

Suddenly there came a noise like..,,,...thunder perhaps, or a jet plane maybe, or the roaring, rushing sound of a hurricane......no-one could really say for sure.

All at once everyone was out of bed opening their windows and looking up into the sky.

There it was again, and again, and again. The noise was so loud that it knocked off some of the chimney pots and sent them rolling down the roofs.

"What is it?" the people in the houses cried with fright.

A ginger cat who had been sitting on the roof seemed to know the answer.

"Its the Moon!" he purred, looking very aloof. "The Moon has a bad cold and he keeps on sneezing!" and the ginger cat strolled off to find a quieter rooftop.

Sure enough when the people looked up into the sky, they could see that the Moon had a dreadful cold red nose and all!

The stars were scattered across the sky, for they found it very difficult to hang on when the Moon was sneezing so hard.

All through that night the moon sneezed and sneezed. No-one got a wink of sleep and everyone felt very tired and grumpy next morning.

"What are we going to do?" neighbours asked one another-but nobody had the least idea.

"How long does a bad cold usually last?" someone asked the chemist in the shop down the street.

"At least a week," he said gravely, "and in some cases up to a fortnight!"

Everybody groaned. No sleep for a fortnight.....it was unthinkable!.

"What the Moon really needs is a bottle of my best cold medicine," the chemist went on, "that will stop him sneezing in a jiffy."

"This all sounds very silly indeed," said a lady who lived in one of the houses. "How on earth can we give medicine to the Moon?"

"Somebody could float up there in a ballon," said one little boy "they do it all the time in nursery rhymes and fairy stories!"

"That sounds like a very good idea to me," a man spoke up, "I have a hot-air balloon and would gladly help the Moon's bad cold!"

First the medicine had to be mixed. The chemist found everything he needed and put all the ingredients into a great big bowl. He had a giant bottle in his shop window so he carefully poured the cold mixture into that.

"So far so good," smiled the chemist looking very pleased with himself.

"We shall need a giant spoon!" piped up the little boy (whose idea it was in the first place).

"I've just the thing," cried the baker. "I use it to stir my cakes at Christmas time.......I've such a lot to make!" 

So straight away he ran to his shop to fetch the giant spoon.

The man who owned the hot-air balloon started getting things ready.

The little boy (whose idea it was in the first place), was going up in the basket to give the Moon the medicine.

By the time darkness fell and the Moon appeared in the sky, everything was ready.

You could hear that the Moon's cold was no better, in fact he sounded much worse. Even the clouds were being blown all over the place.

"Soon we shall be sneezing instead of twinkling," some of the stars grumbled loudly.

At long last the man in the hot-air balloon and the little boy, (whose idea it was in the first place), reached the Moon.

Very, very carefully the little boy gave the Moon the cold medicine from the giant spoon.

"Is it alright to take the whole bottle?" asked the Moon wheezing and sneezing.

"Perfectly alright," the little boy replied, "it says so on the label!"

The cold medicine worked wonders. In next to no time the Moon recovered and all was peace and quiet.

Everyone in the houses had a good night's sleep, for there was nothing to disturb their slumbers......and the cats walked along the rooftops as usual and gazed up at the moon, who was asleep too!

The Boy who cried “Wolf”

There was once a shepherd-boy who kept his flock at a little distance from the village. Once he thought he would play a trick on the villagers and have some fun at their expense. So he ran toward the village crying out, with all his might,

“Wolf! Wolf! Come and help! The wolves are at my lambs!”

The kind villagers left their work and ran to the field to help him. But when they got there the boy laughed at them for their pains; there was no wolf there.

Still another day the boy tried the same trick, and the villagers came running to help and got laughed at again. Then one day a wolf did break into the fold and began killing the lambs. In great fright, the boy ran for help. 

“Wolf! Wolf!” he screamed. “There is a wolf in the flock! Help!”

The villagers heard him, but they thought it was another mean trick; no one paid the least attention, or went near him. And the shepherd-boy lost all his sheep.

Goolden Goose

There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.

It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.

When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who bade him good-day, and said, do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine, I am so hungry and thirsty. But the clever son answered, if I give you my cake and wine, I shall have none for myself, be off with you, and he left the little man standing and went on.

But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go home and have it bound up. And this was the little grey man's doing.

After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of wine. But the second son, too, said sensibly enough, what I give you will be taken away from myself, be off, and he left the little man standing and went on. His punishment, however, was not delayed, when he had made a few blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so that he had to be carried home.

Then Dummling said, father, do let me go and cut wood. The father answered, your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone, you do not understand anything about it. But Dummling begged so long that at last he said, just go then, you will get wiser by hurting yourself. His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer.

When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise, and greeting him, said, give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of your bottle, I am so hungry and thirsty.

Dummling answered, I have only cinder-cake and sour beer, if that pleases you, we will sit down and eat. So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become good wine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said, since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have, I will give you good luck. There

stands an old tree, cut it down, and you will find something at the roots. Then the little man took leave of him.

Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goose sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would stay the night. Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would have liked to have one of its golden feathers.

The eldest thought, I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a feather, and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.

The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast.

At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out, keep away, for goodness, sake keep away. But she did not understand why she was to keep away. The others are there, she thought, I may as well be there too, and ran to them, but as soon as she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So they had to spend the night with the goose.

The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out, without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to it. They were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now right, wherever his legs took him.

In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the procession he said, for shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are you running across the fields after this young man. Is that seemly?

At the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himself obliged to run behind.

Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running behind three girls. He was astonished at this and called out, hi, your reverence, whither away so quickly. Do not forget that we have a christening to-day, and running after him he took him by the sleeve, but was also held fast to it. Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two laborers came with their hoes from the fields, the parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. But they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there were seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.

Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So he had put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh should marry her. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all her train before the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she

began to laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never stop.

Thereupon Dummling asked to have her for his wife, but the king did not like the son-in-law, and made all manner of excuses and said he must first produce a man who could drink a cellarful of wine.

Dummling thought of the little grey man, who could certainly help him, so he went into the forest, and in the same place where he had felled the tree, he saw a man sitting, who had a very sorrowful face.

Dummling asked him what he was taking to heart so sorely, and he answered, I have such a great thirst and cannot quench it, cold water I cannot stand, a barrel of wine I have just emptied, but that to me is like a drop on a hot stone.

There, I can help you, said Dummling, just come with me and you shall be satisfied.

He led him into the king's cellar, and the man bent over the huge barrels, and drank and drank till his loins hurt, and before the day was out he had emptied all the barrels. Then Dummling asked once more for his bride, but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whom everyone called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made a new condition, he must first find a man who could eat a whole

mountain of bread. Dummling did not think long, but went straight into the forest, where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up his body with a strap, and making an awful face, and saying, I have eaten a whole ovenful of rolls, but what good is that when one has such a hunger as I. My stomach remains empty, and I must tie myself up if I am not to die of hunger.

At this Dummling was glad, and said, get up and come with me, you shall eat yourself full. He led him to the king's palace, where all the flour in the whole kingdom was collected, and from it he caused a huge mountain of bread to be baked. The man from the forest stood before it, began to eat, and by the end of one day the whole mountain had vanished. Then Dummling for the third time asked for his bride, but the king again sought a way out, and ordered a ship which could sail on land and on water. As soon as you come sailing back in it, said he, you shall have my daughter for wife.

Dummling went straight into the forest, and there sat the little grey man to whom he had given his cake. When he heard what Dummling wanted, he said, since you have given me to eat and to drink, I will give you the ship, and I do all this because you once were kind to me. Then he gave him the ship which could sail on land and water, and when the king saw that, he could no longer prevent him from having his daughter. The wedding was celebrated, and after the king's death, Dummling inherited his kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly with his wife.

The Three Feathers

There was once upon a time a king who had three sons, of whom two were clever and wise, but the third did not speak much, and was simple, and was called the simpleton. When the king had become old and weak, and was thinking of his end, he did not know which of his sons should inherit the kingdom after him. Then he said to them, go forth, and he who brings me the most beautiful carpet shall be king after my death.

And that there should be no dispute amongst them, he took them outside his castle, blew three feathers in the air, and said, you shall go as they fly. One feather flew to the east, the other to the west, but the third flew straight up and did not fly far, but soon fell to the ground.

And now one brother went to the right, and the other to the left, and they mocked simpleton, who was forced to stay where the third feather had fallen. He sat down and was sad. Then all at once he saw that there was a trap-door close by the feather. He raised it up, found some steps, and went down them. Then he came to another door, knocked at it, and heard somebody inside calling - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and quickly see who is without.

The door opened, and he saw a great, fat toad sitting, and round about her a crowd of little toads. The fat toad asked what he wanted. He answered, I should like to have the prettiest and finest carpet in the world. Then she called a young one and said - little green waiting-maid, waiting-maid with the limping leg, little dog of the limping leg, hop hither and thither, and bring me the great box.

The young toad brought the box, and the fat toad opened it, and gave simpleton a carpet out of it, so beautiful and so fine, that on the earth above, none could have been woven like it. Then he thanked her, and climbed out again.

The two others, however, had looked on their youngest brother as so stupid that they believed he would find and bring nothing at all. Why should we give ourselves a great deal of trouble searching, said they, and got some coarse handkerchiefs from the first shepherds' wives whom they met, and carried them home to the king.

At the same time simpleton also came back, and brought his beautiful carpet, and when the king saw it he was astonished, and said, if justice be done, the kingdom belongs to the youngest. But the two others let their father have no peace, and said that it was impossible that simpleton, who in everything lacked understanding,

should be king, and entreated him to make a new agreement with them.

Then the father said, he who brings me the most beautiful ring shall inherit the kingdom, and led the three brothers out, and blew into the air three feathers, which they were to follow. Those of the two eldest again went east and west, and simpleton's feather flew straight up, and fell down near the door into the earth.

Then he went down again to the fat toad, and told her that he wanted the most beautiful ring. She at once ordered her big box to be brought, and gave him a ring out of it, which sparkled with jewels, and was so beautiful that no goldsmith on earth would have been able to make it.

The two eldest laughed at simpleton for going to seek a golden ring. They gave themselves no trouble, but knocked the nails out of an old carriage-ring, and took it to the king, but when simpleton produced his golden ring, his father again said, the kingdom belongs to him. The two eldest did not cease from tormenting the king until he made a third condition, and declared that the one who brought the most

beautiful woman home, should have the kingdom. He again blew the three feathers into the air, and they flew as before.

Then simpleton without more ado went down to the fat toad, and said, I am to take home the most beautiful woman. Oh, answered the toad, the most beautiful woman. She is not at hand at the moment, but still you shall have her. She gave him a yellow turnip which had been hollowed out, to which six mice were harnessed. Then simpleton said quite mournfully, what am I to do with that. The toad answered,

just put one of my little toads into it. Then he seized one at random out of the circle, and put her into the yellow coach, but hardly was she seated inside it than she turned into a wonderfully beautiful maiden, and the turnip into a coach, and the six mice into horses. So he kissed her, and drove off quickly with the horses, and

took her to the king.

His brothers, who came afterwards, had given themselves no trouble at all looking for beautiful girls, but had brought with them the first peasant women they chanced to meet. When the king saw them he said, after my death the kingdom belongs to my youngest son. But the two eldest deafened the king's ears afresh with their clamor, we cannot consent to simpleton's being king, and demanded that the one whose wife could leap through a ring which hung in the centre of the hall should have the preference. They thought, the peasant women can do that easily, they are strong enough, but the delicate maiden will jump herself to death.

The aged king agreed likewise to this. Then the two peasant women jumped, and jumped through the ring, but were so clumsy that they fell, and their coarse arms and legs broke in two. And then the pretty maiden whom simpleton had brought with him, sprang, and sprang through as lightly as a deer, and all opposition had to cease. So he received the crown, and has ruled wisely for a length of time.

Father Eyes

Once in a city, there was a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship.

Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior.

All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but remained a bench-warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent.

Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday."

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted is worst player in this close playoff game.

But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star.

His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!".

Silent Love

Once, there was a couple who love very much each other. From the very Begining, the girl's family objected strongly on her dating this guy. Saying that it has got to do with family background & that the girl will have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him.

Due to family's pressure, the couple quarrel very often. Though the girl love the guy deeply, but she always ask him: "How deep is your love for me?"

As the guy is not good with his words, this often cause the girl to be very upset. With that & the family's pressure, the girl often vent her anger on him. As for him, he only endure it in silence.

After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated & decided to further his studies in overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl: "I'm not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I'll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?"

The girl agreed, & with the guy's determination, the family finally gave in & agreed to let them get married. So before he leave, they got engaged.

The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They sent their love through emails & phone calls. Though it's hard, but both never thought of giving up.

One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realised that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum crying, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh. She has lost her voice......

The doctors says that the impact on her brain has caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents' comfort, but with nothing coming out from her, she broke down.

During the stay in hospital, besides silence cry,.....it's still just silence cry that companied her. Upon reaching home, everything seems to be the same. Except for the ringing tone of the phone. Which pierced into her heart everytime it rang. She does not wish to let the guy know. & not wanting to be a burden to him, she wrote a letter to him saying that she does not wish to wait any longer.

With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions & millions of reply, and countless of phonecalls,.. all the girl could do, besides crying, is still crying....

The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything & be happy.

With a new environment, the girl learn sign language & started a new life. Telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came & told her that he's back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn't anymore news of him.

A year has passed & her friend came with an envelope, containing an invitation card for the guy's wedding. The girl was shattered. When she open the letter, she saw her name in it instead.

When she was about to ask her friend what's going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her. He used sign language telling her "I've spent a year's time to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I've not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I Love You. With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled.