Sample
from
Islamic Stories
Raintree English Readers
Grade 5
retold by
Abdul Matin Chabot
The Story-teller arrives
The birds were singing in the little town of Amircus. The sun had been up for several hours. The children of the town had eaten breakfast. Their parents had made them put on their best clothes and sent them to the market place. The holidays had started, and Abdullah the story-teller was coming.
Abdullah usually walked from town to town. Sometimes he rode a donkey or a horse, but this time, when he arrived in Amircus, he was on foot. He carried only a small bag on his back, and he used a walking stick.
Abdullah looked like a mountain man. He was not very tall. He wore a turban on his head. He had a round body and a round face with a short grey beard. He had dark eyes which were full of feeling. His nose was a bit round and flat. When he smiled, his white teeth showed.
Before Abdullah arrived, the children had prepared a shady corner for him. The ground had been swept and thick carpets had been spread out. On the carpets, the children had laid a few soft cushions.
When Abdullah reached Amircus, all the children ran to meet him at the gate. Abdullah smiled when he saw them. He knew some of them by name from his last visit. He greeted the ones he knew and he smiled at the new faces. Of course, after a year, they all looked quite different. He marvelled at how much they had grown. He laughed. 'You are all growing up,' he said, 'but I am growing down!'
The children led Abdullah by the hand to the market. They all sat down in a half circle facing him. Some tea and biscuits had been prepared. Everyone had something to eat and drink. Then Abdullah began to speak.
More of this and other stories in
Islamic Stories
retold by
Abdul Matin Chabot
Raintree English Readers
Grade 5
ISBN 967 65 4164 8
This text is copyright Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T) 1997.
If you can read this sample easily, you can enjoy any Raintree English Reader from Grade 1 through to Grade 5.
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