Once upon a time, there was a girl. When her mother died, she inherited a small house, a spindle, a shuttle, and a needle. The girl was very diligent; she spun thread, wove cloth, and made clothes while living alone. Because she was a kindhearted girl, everyone wished to buy her things. At that time, the king's son was looking for a wife. He said, "I want to find a girl who is both the poorest and the richest girl." The king came to her village; the people first took him to the house of the richest girl in town. Afterward, they came to the house of the poor spinning girl. The spinning girl was very shy; during the whole time, she never dared to lift her head to look at the prince.
The prince rode off on his horse. The girl ran to the window and saw the white plume upon the prince's head slowly disappear in the open fields. She couldn't restrain a large sigh, "Who could help me guide him back?" Just as she spoke these words, her spindle jumped up, and went straight outside pulling behind it a long golden thread. Before long, it was out of sight. The girl just grabbed the shuttle; she weaved and talked to herself at the same time, "Shuttle, shuttle, wonderful weaving, lead the man back." Abruptly, the shuttle left her hands. At the threshold of the front door, it began to weave a rug with with red roses, white lilies, and green grape vines. It was truly gorgeous!
The girl sat down to make clothes; she looked about the room saying, "Sewing needle, sewing needle, who can help me tidy this house?" Suddenly, the sewing needle left her hands. Like lightning, back and forth it flew about the room. In a short time, the room resembled a beautiful palace. Everywhere hung velvet. Then, the girl saw out the window the white plume of the prince appear. The prince stepped upon the carpet and entered the room. He proclaimed that the girl was his wife because she was not only the poorest but also the richest girl. The wedding was held in the palace, and the girl became the queen.
Introductory Discussion Questions:
Do you like romance stories, songs, or movies? Can you name any?
Should a rich person marry a poor person? Why or why not?
What should a poor person do if they want to marry a rich person?
Do you believe magic ever helps hardworking people? Why or why not?
Do you know anyone who likes spinning, weaving, or sewing? Who?
Matching Pictures to Vocabulary: open fields, golden thread, red roses, village, lightning, white lilies, green vines, spinner, shuttle, white plume, velvet, palace, sewing needle.
The prince rode off on his horse. The girl ran to the window and saw the white plume upon the prince's head slowly disappear in the open fields. She couldn't restrain a large sigh, "Who could help me guide him back?" Just as she spoke these words, her spindle jumped up, and went straight outside pulling behind it a long golden thread. Before long, it was out of sight. The girl just grabbed the shuttle; she weaved and talked to herself at the same time, "Shuttle, shuttle, wonderful weaving, lead the man back." Abruptly, the shuttle left her hands. At the threshold of the front door, it began to weave a rug with with red roses, white lilies, and green grape vines. It was truly gorgeous!
The girl sat down to make clothes; she looked about the room saying, "Sewing needle, sewing needle, who can help me tidy this house?" Suddenly, the sewing needle left her hands. Like lightning, back and forth it flew about the room. In a short time, the room resembled a beautiful palace. Everywhere hung velvet. Then, the girl saw out the window the white plume of the prince appear. The prince stepped upon the carpet and entered the room. He proclaimed that the girl was his wife because she was not only the poorest but also the richest girl. The wedding was held in the palace, and the girl became the queen.
Introductory Discussion Questions:
Do you like romance stories, songs, or movies? Can you name any?
Should a rich person marry a poor person? Why or why not?
What should a poor person do if they want to marry a rich person?
Do you believe magic ever helps hardworking people? Why or why not?
Do you know anyone who likes spinning, weaving, or sewing? Who?
Matching Pictures to Vocabulary: open fields, golden thread, red roses, village, lightning, white lilies, green vines, spinner, shuttle, white plume, velvet, palace, sewing needle.
Synonym Matching
died by herself
alone on
wished passed away
inherited desired
upon got
gorgeous abruptly
tidy looked like
like lightning said
resembled clean
proclaimed beautiful
Antonym Matching
diligent lazy
kindhearted pushing
richest crooked
afterward terrible
straight before
pulling small house
wonderful hardhearted
palace poorest
Paragraph 2: Multiple Choice
The prince rode off 1. ( ) his horse. The girl ran 2. ( ) the window and saw the white plume upon the prince's head slowly disappear in the open fields. She couldn't 3. ( ) a large sigh, "Who could help me guide him back?" Just as she spoke 4. ( ) words, her spindle jumped up, and went straight outside 5. ( ) behind it a long golden thread. Before long, it was out of sight. The girl just grabbed the shuttle; she weaved and 6. ( ) to herself at the same time, "Shuttle, shuttle, wonderful weaving, lead the man back." Abruptly, the shuttle left 7. ( ) hands. At the threshold of the front door, it began to weave a rug with with red roses, white lilies, and green grape vines. It was 8. ( ) gorgeous!
1. a. in b. on c. over. d. beside
2. a. on b. too c. upon d. to
3. a. restraining b. restrained c. restrain d. restrainer
4. a. these b. this c. those d. their
5. a. pulling b. pulled c. pull d. will pull
6. a. talk b. talking c. talked d. will talk
7. a. she's b. his c. its d. her
8. a true b. truthfully c. truly d. truth
Paragraph 3: Listening Blank Fill
The girl sat down to make clothes; _______ looked about the room saying, "Sewing needle, __________ needle, who can help me tidy this house?" ____________, the sewing needle left her hands. Like _____________, back and forth it flew about the _______. In a short time, the room resembled a _____________ palace. Everywhere hung velvet. Then, the girl saw out ______ window the white plume of the prince __________. The prince stepped upon the carpet and __________ the room. He proclaimed that the girl was his ________ because she was not only the poorest but ________ the richest girl. The wedding was held in the __________, and the girl became the queen.
Pair Work Discussion Questions
A
What did you think of this story?
In what ways is it beneficial to experience wealth?
What situations make you feel very shy?
If something magical could happen to your work, what would you wish for?
If you could get married anywhere, where would you choose? Why?
B
What makes you want to go back and buy again from the same person?
In what ways is it beneficial to experience want?
Why do you think the king wanted to find both the richest and poorest person?
What do you think the moral of this story was?
If you became king or queen, what would you do first?
Debate
Divide the class into teams. Team A prepares and discusses why they believe it is beneficial for a rich and poor person to marry. Team B prepares and debates why they believe people should marry within their own socioeconomic class.
Research and Writing
Find and read a fairy tale. Write a summary of the story and describe its moral.
Chinese Version
从前有个女孩 , 母亲临死时 , 给她留下一间小屋 , 还有一副纺锤 , 梭子和缝针. 女孩很勤劳 , 她纺线 , 织布 , 做衣服 , 一个人过日子. 因为她是个善良的姑娘 , 人们都愿意买她的东西. 当时王子正在找未婚妻 , 他说: "我要找一个既是最穷 , 又是最富的姑娘!" 王子来到这个村子 , 人们先带他去了村里最富的女孩子家 , 然后 , 又来到那个贫穷的纺纱女的家里. 纺纱女很害羞 , 一直不敢抬头看王子.
王子骑马走了 , 女孩跑到窗口 , 看着王子头上的白羽毛慢慢消失在田野里. 她不禁叹息道: "谁能帮我把他再引回来呢?" 话音刚落 , 女孩的纺锤跳出来 , 一直向外跑去, 它身后拖着一根长长的金线 , 不一会儿就不见了. 女孩只有拿起梭子织布 , 她一边织一边自言自语: "梭子 , 梭子 , 好好地织 , 把求婚的人引进来!" 梭子一下子从她手里跳走了 , 它在门槛前面开始织一快地毯. 红的玫瑰 , 白的百合 , 还有绿油油的葡萄藤 , 真是华丽极了!
女孩坐下缝衣服 , 她看了房里 , 说: "缝针 , 缝针, 谁能帮我把房子收拾干净? " 缝衣针从她手里跳走了 , 像闪电一样在屋子里飞来飞去 , 不一会儿 , 屋里变得像皇宫一样美 , 到处挂着天鹅绒. 这时 , 女孩看见窗子头上的白羽毛. 王子踏着地毯进屋来 , 宣布女孩是他的妻子 , 因为女孩既是最穷的 , 又是最富有的. 王宫里举办婚礼 , 女孩成了王后.
Answers
Antonym Matching: diligent-->lazy, kindhearted-->hardhearted, richest-->poorest, afterward-->before, straight-->crooked, pulling-->pushing, wonderful-->terrible, palace-->small house.
Synonym Matching: died-->passed away, alone-->by herself, wished-->desired, inherited-->got, upon-->on, gorgeous-->beautiful, tidy-->clean, like lightning-->abruptly, resembled-->looked like, proclaimed-->said.
Paragraph 2: Multiple Choice: 1. b. on, 2. d. to, 3. c. restrain, 4. a. these, 5. a. pulling, 6. c. talked, 7. d. her, 8. c. truly.
Paragraph 3: Listening Blank Fill: she, sewing, suddenly, lightning, room, beautiful, the, appear, entered, wife, also, palace.
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