1. Panos and Auntie



It's me, Lola. Hello, today I'm going to tell you a story about a little boy called Panos. He lived with his mum and dad in a flat near the station.



Panos wanted to be a train driver when he grew up. From his bedroom window he could see the trains come and go. And sometimes he played with his toy train on the floor. He was very happy. He was very happy. But then one day something happened to spoil everything. His mother took Panos on her knee and said, "Listen, Panos. I'm going to go away for a few days. I'm going to have a baby, a new little brother sister for you. You can come and see me in the hospital when I have had the baby."



Panos was cross. He didn't want a new brother or sister. What's more, Panos didn't want his mum to go away, even for a few days. "You'll be all right." She said. "You'll go and stay with your Auntie Anastasia. You'll have a lovely time."



Next day Panos went to stay with Auntie Anastasia. She was a plump lady, always laughing and joking. She worked in a bakery.



"Ho, ho, hello, Panos, my love." She laughed. "I've got a present for you. Look, there." On Auntie's sofa was a box all wrapped up in blue and yellow paper. Panos unwrapped it. There inside was a fantastic new toy train. It was red and green with three coaches.



"Oh, thank you, Auntie," yelled Panos and he started to play with it straight away.



Next day Panos helped Aunt Anastasia in the bakery. They made lots of lovely Greek cakes. Panos fetched the nuts and honey and helped his auntie making the cakes. Afterwards he helped her to watch up.



"My, my!" laughed Anastasia. "It's nice having a man about the place to help me. I hope your mum has lots more babies and you come to stay with me every time."



A few days later Anastasia said, "OK, big boy. Now we're off to the hospital to see your mum. She's had the baby, and they're both waiting to see you."



"Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Panos. Anastasia laughed. "Just you wait and see. I'll tell you what, though. Why don't we take some cakes for your mum? She must be missing our Greek food." So they put some of the honey and nut cakes in a bag and Panos carried it carefully all the way to the hospital.



There was his mum in bed, looking very pretty with her hair all curly round her shoulders. Panos ran to her. "Mum, Mum." He shouted. "I made some honey and nut cakes. I've brought them for you. I helped Auntie Anastasia in the bakery, and she gave me a new train." "Aren't you a lucky boy?" smiled Mum. "And a clever boy, too, to make me some lovely cakes. Now just look in the little cradle by the bed and you'll see your baby brother, Dinos."



Panos looked in the cradle. There lay a tiny baby. He had a red wrinkly face. Panos laughed. "He looks like a little old gnome." He said, "When will he be old enough to play with my trains?"



It was going to be fun having a little brother after all.





2. Loretta Goes to the Carnival



It's me, Lola. Hello, today I'm going to tell you a story about a little girl called Loretta, whose father played in a steel band. He played music like this.



(music)



Loretta lived in a flat high up on the seventh floor. It had a lovely view over the town. You could see the park, the tall buildings and the big wide high street down below. It was summer and nearly time for the carnival. Loretta's dad always played in a steel band at carnival time. He would get up on a lorry with other dads and play special steel drums. Loretta's two big sisters were getting very excited. They were going to dress up in costumes and dance through the streets.



"Can I have a costume too, Mum, and dance through the streets?" asked Loretta.



"Not this year, love." said Mum. "You're a bit too small. You stay by my side and watch all the bands and the people go past. Maybe you can join in next year."



"Oh, please, Mum," begged Loretta.



"It's no use nagging me." said Loretta's Mum. "Apart from anything else, we just can't afford an extra costume for you. We haven't got the money. I'm sorry, love. But there it is."



Loretta felt sad. She wanted to be by herself. So she went out onto the landing of the flats. And there was a friend of hers, old Mrs. Morton, who lived in No. 72.



"Oh, Loretta, love. I wonder if you can give me a hand." said Mrs. Morton. "I was sitting sewing just now and I dropped me reel of cotton. It rolled right under the sofa and I'm so stiff and old. I can't reach down and get it."



So Loretta went into Mrs. Morton's flat and lay down on the floor and reached under the sofa and found the reel of cotton.



"I'll tell you what, dear." said Mrs. Morton. "Could you be a love and sort my sewing box out? It's got all in a tangle."



So Loretta sat with Mrs. Morton and sorted out her sewing box until it was all in order and tidy. And she told Mrs. Morton all about the carnival and how she couldn't have a costume this year.



"Just you wait here a minute." said Mrs. Morton suddenly. "I may be able to help." And she shuffled away into her bedroom. A few minutes later, she came out again. She was holding the most splendid costume you could imagine. It was a mouse costume with white fur, huge ears, and a long tail.



"My daughter Janice used this for a fancy dress party years ago." said Mrs. Morton. "I always thought it might come in useful. Try it on, dear. See if it fits."



Loretta tried it on, and Mrs. Morton altered it a bit, so it fitted her perfectly. What a good job Mrs. Morton was so good at sewing and what a good job Loretta had helped her with her cotton reel and sewing box!



When the day of the carnival arrived, Loretta put on her mouse's costume and danced along with her sister behind her dad's lorry. The lorry went very slowly, so they could all dance to the music of the steel band. And all the people saw Loretta's costume and cheered and clapped.



"Hey," they cried, "look at that mouse!"



And Loretta danced and danced to her dad's music all the way to the park.





3. Imtiaz to the Rescue



It's me, Lola. Hello, today I'm going to tell you a story about a boy called Imtiaz. Imtiaz lived wit his mum and dad and his big brother Amrik in a sunny street next to the library.



Imtiaz's dad kept the grocery shop on the corner. Imtiaz's big brother Amrik was allowed to help in the shop sometimes. Imtiaz loved to be in the shop to take a peanut from the sack on the floor or a chocolate bar.



"Put that chocolate bar back!" Dad would shout. "It'll ruin your teeth."



"In any case," said Mum, "go back upstairs and play, Imtiaz. You are too small to help in the shop. You just get in the way."



As Imtiaz went out, Amrik pulled a face of him and whispered, "Yah boo, baby face, too little to do anything." But Imtiaz took no notice. He went upstairs and played. But it was no good. It was much more fun being downstairs in the shop.



Later that day there was a great to-do. Mum had lost her locket. It was a little round gold ornament she wore round her neck.



"The chain must have broken," said Mum, "and dropped off. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. We must find it. It was a present from Grandpa."



Everybody looked and looked. They searched all over the floor in the shop and by the till where Mum had been sitting. They looked in kitchen and on the stairs and in all the rooms upstairs. They even looked into the washing basket. By the evening everyone was exhausted, but they still had not found the little gold locket.



Mum was nearly in tears and Imtiaz was very hungry. "When's supper going to be?" he asked. "I'm starving."



"Oh, I'm sorry, Imtiaz." Said Mum. "I simply forgot all about it. I'll get it now."



"I'll help you, Mum," said Amrik. He often helped Mum and was already quite a good cook.



"Let's make a chicken curry."



"I'll help you, too, Mum," said Imtiaz.



"No, no, Imtiaz. You are to small." said Mum. "You're only getting in the way. Go off and play somewhere."



Imtiaz felt sad again. He went down to the shop. It was closed now. Imtiaz was so hungry his tummy rumbled.



"I'll have just one chocolate bar to keep me going until supper." He thought. "Just one. I'll pay for it out of my pocket money." So he took his chocolate bar and squeezed himself into a little space behind some shelves to hide. It was such a tiny space only Imtiaz was small enough to get in. was small enough to get in.



As he was eating his chocolate, he suddenly noticed something. There in front of him, among all the tins of beans and peas and packets of lentils was, guess what, Mum's locket. Imtiaz grabbed it, squeezed out of his hiding-hole and ran upstairs.



"Mum, Mum. Look what I've found," he cried.



Mum was overjoyed. She gave him a big hug and a kiss. Imtiaz told her how he had found it.



"Look, Mum," said Amrik. "Is it a chocolate bar? No wonder he was hiding."



"Oh!" cried Imtiaz. "It was only 'cos I was so hungry. I'll pay for it out of my pocket money."



Mum gave him another hug. "Don't worry, darling." she said. "It's you prize for being such a clever boy."





4. Kim and the Sunflower



It's me, Lola. Hello, today I'm going to tell you a story about a little girl called Kim Li Souk.



Kim Li Souk lived with her mummy and daddy and her grandma in a little flat about the chip shop. In summer she would sit with her grandma on the step at the back of the shop. There was a little yard out there, and Kim's grandma had planted some flowers in tubs and pots. She had even planted a giant sunflower, specially for Kim. The sunflower grew and grew. First it was taller than Kim, then it was taller than grandma, then mummy, and now it was even taller than daddy.



"One day," said Grandma, "when it's grown as tall as it wants to be, it will open up its lovely yellow face to us. Just you wait and see." Kim liked sitting on the sunny step with her grandma. Grandma told such good stories. One day they were sitting on the step while Kim's mummy and daddy got all the food ready, cooking the fish and the chips and warming up the pies. It was nearly time to open the chip shop.



"Tell me a story, please, Grandma," said Kim.



"All right." said Grandma. "I'll tell you the story of the sun-king and the dragon."





The sun was king of the whole world. All the creatures and men and women admired him, and praised him. But there was a dragon, who was jealous of the sun. The dragon lived in a deep, dark pool in the shadow of a mountain. His teeth were sharp and bright, his breath was like flame, and it rattled in his throat as he looked up at the sun.



"I'll fly up there." growled the dragon. "And I'll cover the sun with my wings and everywhere will go dark. And then everybody will have to admire and praise me instead, and I shall be king of the world."



So he spread his great big leathery wings and soared up towards the sun, higher and higher. It got hotter and hotter. And the dragon beat his wings more and more slowly. By now he was almost face to face with the sun. And the sun spoke to him.



"You stupid dragon." cried the sun. "Turn back now, or I'll burn you up to a heap of ashes." And the sun glared at him fiercely with all his might.



The dragon was afraid. He stopped, turned back, and fell through the air. He crashed into the sea and he was so hot that a great jet of steam shot out of the sea where he landed. It hung like a mist over the sea.



From that day on the dragon kept well away from the fun. He lurked at the bottom of the sea for rest of his life. But the patch of mist blew round the world. So if ever it gets misty or foggy, you know it is the steam from where the dragon crashed into the sea.





Kim yawned and stretched. She remembered how in the story the sun had been king of the world. But now it was evening and the sun had gone down. Kim looked up at the sky, and "Grandma," she shouted. "There it is, look."



Up there, high above the wall was a big golden face beaming down on them. It wasn't the sun, though. It was Kim's sunflower. It had opened at last.





5. Madhavan Becomes Important



It's me, Lola. Hello, today I'm going to tell you a story about a little boy called Madhavan.



Madhavan lived with his mum and dad in a house near the shops. His dad was a teacher, a very important person. Madhavan's mum was important, too. She was a doctor. In the evenings Dad had to mark the books of the children in his class. And often Mum had to go out to visit people who were ill. Madhavan got used to playing by himself. But he sometimes wished his mum and dad weren't so busy and important. He wished they had more time to play with him.



One day his dad said, "Now, Madhavan, we are going to have a visitor. It's your Aunt Sita, my sister. She's coming all the way from India."



"You'll have to sleep in the spare room," said Mum, "and let Sita have your room. She'll feel cold when she comes here because it's very hot in India."



Madhavan was fed up. Fancy having to give up his own room to this stranger! If she was going to feel so cold in England, why bother to come in the first place? Madhavant thought and felt very angry.



Then Aunt Sita arrived. She was tall and elegant, and she wore a beautiful long dress of blue and red called a sari. Her hair was black, and her eyes were brown and seemed to be smiling all the time. But the funny thing was: she couldn't speak English. She only spoke only Hindi, the language of her country. Madhavan understood Hindi because his father often spoke to him in that language, but Madhavan spoke English, too. He thought it was strange that somebody as old and clever-looking as Auntie Sita couldn't speak English. After she had rested from her journey, Aunt Sita said she would like to go for a walk.



"Sorry, I can't go with you," said Dad. "I've got to go off and teach my class."



"Sorry, I can't go either, Sita." said Mum. "I've got to visit an old man who's ill."



"I'll take you, Aunt Sita," said Madhavan. So they set out together.



They came to the sweet shop and Aunt Sita said she'd like some sweets. So they went inside. And because Aunt Sita couldn't speak English, Madhavan asked for the sweets. He spoke to Aunt Sita in Hindi and told her how much it was, and she paid. And Madhavan told her to say "Thank you" in English.



"Well, well," said the shopkeeper, "you are a very good interpreter, aren't you, Madhavan?"



"What's an... interpreter?" asked Madhavan.



"It's somebody who speaks two languages," said the shopkeeper, "so he can help people to understand each other, just like you're helping me to understand your auntie here. So you're an interpreter. It's a very important job."



Madhavan felt proud. He took Aunt Sita everywhere. They went into all the shops and into the park. And everywhere they went, people admired Sita's lovely sari.



Then every night at bedtime Aunt Sita would tell Madhavan the most wonderful stories about India.



"I'll come and see you in India one day, Aunt Sita," he said.



"Yes, and then I'll show you around," she smiled. "But I won't have to be an interpreter for you, will I? Because you already speak Hindi. You are a very clever boy."



And Madhavan laughed because he was so happy. He felt important at last.





6. Learning to Draw (1)



It's me, Tim. Hello, this week in the Listening Corner we are going to draw. Have you got a piece of paper and a pencil or crayon? Good. Then we'll begin. First of all, can you use your paper and pencil to play a guessing game with me? Listen! Here's the guessing game. I'm going to play a piece of music, and I'd like you to draw a line. Yes, that's it. Just a line to match the piece of music. Are you ready? Here's the music.



(music)



Did you draw a wavy line? I did. Draw the line again.



(music)



Now here's another sound to match another sort of line.



(music)



What sort of line did you draw then? An up-and down line like a zigzag? Perhaps you've got something else. Here's the sound again.



(music)



What would a straight line sound like, I wonder? Like this (music), or this?



(music)



It could be either, couldn't it? Now I'm going to play a piece of music to match a shape. Can you try and guess what a shape it is? Can you draw the shape?



(music)



Did you guess? No. then I'll give you a clue. It's a shape with four corners, and it would be the shape of a box, a room, or a table top. That's it, a square. Listen again.



(music)



What shape do you think this could be?



(music)



Here it is again.



(music)



Did you guess? If you didn't, here's a clue. It's the same shape as a wheel, and the same shape as a ring. That's it, a circle. Now how about the shape of this sort of music?



(music)



Tomorrow I've got some rhymes for you about lines and all the different things that lines can be. Will you have your pencil and paper ready? I hope so. Until then. Good-bye.





Side Two

1. Learning to Draw (2)



It's me, Tim. Hello, have you got your paper and pencil ready? Because today we are going to draw squares. Ready? Do you remember the square music?



(music)



Four beats because a square has four corners. Listen now to today's rhyme about squares, and do some drawing at the same time if you like. But first here's the music again.



(music)



Can you think of a shape that rhymes with fair, or dare, or care? That's it. You've got it. It must be a square. Can you draw a square? Four straight lines, four meeting points, called corners, or in woodwork, joints. Is your square a picture frame, or a box that holds your favourite game? Perhaps your square is a Jack-in-the-box. Lift up the lid, out Jack pops. Perhaps you've drawn a square you can eat, of chocolate or fudge or some such treat. A square could be a garden gate, a cardboardcarton, or wooden crate. Could your square be seen as a television screen, with flickering pictures and a whitish glare? Then if everything looks square, how funny a square bear, a square pear, a square moon, square money. Squares sewn together make a patchwork quilt. A squared pattern called tartan makes a skirt called a kilt.



Look around and you'll find checks on scarves or ties round people's necks or spread the cloth on a table top, or perhaps your dad has a checked cloth cap. A chessboard is checkered, white and black, down and across, there and back, rather like a crossword puzzle, but all in order, not such a muddle. Could you give your square windows four? A roof, and a chimney, perhaps a door. Turn the knob, open wide. What a nice square room! Step right inside. If you look round your house, I'm sure you will be able to find lots of squares besides the square table, a square chair, a square mat on a square floor, square tiles in the kitchen, and a square oven door, a square flannel for washing your face, square table mats to mark each place, square paper to draw on, square picture-books, square cushions to sit on, square mirrors on hooks. Here, there, everywhere, lots and lots of things are square. If a square has sides as many as six and looks like one of your building bricks, then it's got a name that rhymes with tube. Have you heard of it? It's called a cube. Cubes can be cold and made of ice; cubes with spots are playing dice. A cube that's made of wood or rock has another name-it's called a block. When I'm stuck for the word, I'll stick to a square, for a square is a square, is a square, so there.



I'll be back tomorrow the same time. Until then. Good-bye.





2. Learning to Draw (3)



It's me, Tim. Hello, this week we've been drawing lots of different lines. Have you got your paper and pencil ready? Good. Why don't you draw with me?



First, some wavy lines.



(music)



Now let's try some zigzag lines.



(music)



And now a long, long straight line.



(music)



And do you remember yesterday we were drawing squares?



(music)



Today we're going to draw circles. Let's hear the circle music again.



(music)



And now I'll tell you the circle rhyme. Can you draw a circle? Start with dot, go right round till you're back where you started. What have you found? Is it a blob, or is it a spot? Is it a knob, or the top of a pot? It's bigger than a speck or a dot. Do you think it might be a roundabout or the shape of your mouth when you're going to shout? Could it be a sort of spout that sucks things in and spits them out? Is it the shape of someone's eye? A loop, or a hoop, or a pie in the sky?



Is it a yo-yo when you add some string? Could it even be a wedding ring? Is it a button without any holes? Is it a marble that rolls and rolls? What else could it be? Can you help me to think? Is it a penny, or a plug for the sink? What about a tiddlywink? Is it a spot on a lady-bird's back, or just the head of a sharp tin tack? Is it an apple? Is it a cherry, or is it some other sort of berry? It could be nothing. It could be nought. It could be a very empty thought. It could be a ball of whitish snow that melts and leaves you simply. Oh, is it the entrance to a long, dark tunnel, or the shape you get when you draw round a funnel?



Could it possibly be a wall round a well, or might it be a bicycle bell, a balloon or a bubble, a badge or a bow? Is it a doughnut, or just a hole? Is it a plate, or sticky bun? Is it the moon? Is it the sun? What happens if you give it a nose, two eyes and a smile? Yes, everyone knows it's a face. It's a face, like yours, like mine. What happens if you give it some arms? Does it swing them about or hold them stiff? What else could you give it? A leg or two. Now it could be a person like you. So give it some ears and a nice head of hair, and maybe some feet, and something to wear, and give it a name, so it knows who it is. Give it a clap. Give it a kiss. You see circles are found in so many places, but the best are the ones round people's faces.



Tomorrow we'll be scribbling. Until then. Good-bye.



3. Sally and the Magic Rattle



It's me, Cherine and Ken. Hello, we've got some stories for you this week about a girl called Sally.



Do you have a favourite place to hide? Sally does. In a corner of her parents' bedroom is a clothes rail with a curtain pulled across. That's where Sally goes to be on her own, to think and dream. Sally has a secret, too. She has a magic rattle. It was given to her as a farewell present by an old lady who used to live in the same block of flats. On the day she left, she had presented Sally with an old silver rattle. "For me?" asked Sally, thinking it must be meant for Tim, her baby brother. "For you." answered the old lady. "It's a magic rattle. You must close your eyes, shake the rattle, and say some magic words." And she whispered them to Sally.



Sally thanked the old lady very much and ran off with the rattle to her curtained cupboard where she wouldn't be disturbed. Making a little space for herself, she closed her eyes; gentle shook the rattle, and repeated the words the old lady had told her.



Rattle me, rattle me,



Roll me round.



Close your eyes,



Hear my sound.



Let me take you where I will,



Under the ground, over the hill.



What did she hear? It was the sound of the sea. She opened her eyes, and blinked in surprise. For Sally was no longer in the dark bedroom cupboard, but dazzled by sunlight on the lovely sandy shore. Beside her was a bucket and a spade. She got to work straight away building a sand castle. She built turrets and a courtyard and a moat with a bridge. She had just put in a seashell for the door when it immediately opened wide. "Come in. Come in. Tea is on the table. Come on in. the shore people are waiting."



"Who are they?"



"The people who live on the seashore, of course."



Sally walked through the door of the castle she had built, which had grown mysteriously bigger, or else she, much smaller, and found herself in the banqueting hall, which shell-shaped windows and seaweed drapes. There sat shore lords and shore ladies round the table of mother-of-pearl.



"Have some seaweed soup," said the shore lord.



"And some jellyfish-jelly," said the shore lady.



"And a sand sandwich," said a shrimp, who waited on them.



She was just about to taste the jellyfish-jelly when everyone jumped up from the table.



"Run!" shouted the shore lord, "Tide's coming in."



Sure enough, through the door and all the windows, the sea was flooding the castle.



Sally ran with the shore people across the bridge over the moat away from the incoming tide.



The shore ladies wept. The shore lords looked sad.



"This is always happening. No sooner do we settle down in a nice new castle than the tide drives us out."



"Never mind." said Sally, "I'll build you a better one. Here away from the tide."



And so she did with a special balcony for the ladies and a high tower for the lords. The shore people were so pleased.



"You must be our guest on earth," they said to Sally. Shells resounded like trumpets and Sally shook her rattle as she led the way through the door of the new castle.



Straight into her parents' bedroom.



"Where have you been, Sally?" said her mother. "I've been looking everywhere for you."



In the furthest corner of the cupboard, Sally hit the magic rattle. "Look, Tim," she said to her brother, "I've brought you a seashell."



4. The Letter



It's me, Bret. Hello, I've got an envelope on my desk. On the front it says, "To Bret." I'll just open it.



"Mind my flap. Wish you wouldn't tear me like that."



"Sounds like the letter."



"Yes, that's right. Inside me is an invitation to a party. And I don't suppose you know the long journey I made to bring it to you."



"Well, I suppose the postman brought you."



"That's what you think. It wasn't just him. First of all your friend wrote the invitation. And then put it into me and stuck me down. She stuck a stamp in the corner and popped me into the postbox. Down, down I felt in the dark letter box and landed at the bottom.
关键字:绕口令
生词表: