Listening and speaking: Trickster stories; Pronunciation: /i/ and /i:/

1. What did Tortoise ask Elephant to do early one morning? 
2. What ‘good idea’ did Tortoise have?
3. Do you find Elephant foolish? Explain your answer.

Points to note about trickster stories:

• Trickster stories are usually humorous and light-hearted. However, beneath the humour, they indirectly comment about the society.
• Important lessons such as the need to question other people’s motives are learnt through these stories.
• The stories usually bring out the contrast between brain (wit) and physical strength (brawn).
• Most narratives start and end with a particular statement or formula. For example, the trickster story you listened to started with the statement, ‘A long time ago’ and ended with ‘the tortoise is a very cunning person.’ The opening and closing statements vary from one community to another.

Activity 1

Practise reading the following sentences.

1. I saw a cheap chip.
2. Let the baby sit on that seat.
3. She did not heed my advice; instead she hid behind the box.
4. The children were asked to bid using beads.