VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

The Star Dipper 

Many, many years ago there lived a little girl who was very kind. She and her mother lived in a small house near a big woods. One very warm night her mother was sick. “How I wish I had a drink of fresh, cool water,” said the sick woman. “I will get you some water, Mother,” said the little girl. So she took a dipper from the kitchen and ran to the well. But she could not get any water. The well was dry.

“What shall I do?” said the little girl. “If my poor sick mother does not have a cool drink, she cannot go to sleep. I will run to the spring in the woods. It is very dark tonight, but I will not be afraid.” Down the road she ran, to the woods. There was no moon, and she could hardly see where she was going. It was not easy to find the path among the trees.

Once the little girl fell down, but she jumped up quickly. The stones hurt her feet, but she ran on and on. “I must not think about myself now,” she said. “I must find the spring.” At last she found the spring and filled her dipper. Then she started back through the woods. On the way home she met a little dog. He looked at the dipper of water and began to bark. The little girl knew that he wanted a drink.

“Come, little dog,” she said. “I’ll give you a fresh, cool drink.” She poured part of the water into her hand, and the little dog quickly drank every drop. Then a strange thing happened. The old dipper changed to shining silver. It was as bright as the silver moon. Now the little girl could see the path through the dark woods.

She hurried on, and soon she met an old old man. “Little girl, can you tell me where I can get a drink of nice, cool water?” he asked. “I have walked a long way to find some, but all the wells are dry.” “I got some water from a spring,” said the little girl. “I was taking it to my sick mother, but I will give it to you. I can go back and get some more.”

The old man drank all the water from her dipper, and as he drank, the silver dipper changed to shining gold. It was as bright as the sun, and made a great light among the dark shadows in the woods. Then the little girl could see the path back to the spring. She filled the golden dipper and hurried home.

“Here is a cool drink,” she said, as she gave the golden dipper to her mother. “Oh, how good this water is!” said her mother. She drank and drank until there was not a drop left in the dipper. “Thank you, my dear,” said the sick woman. “I can go to sleep now!” Suddenly a wonderful thing happened.

The golden dipper changed to diamonds! Then the diamonds went high up into the sky and turned into seven bright stars. They looked just like a big dipper. That was a long, long time ago, but the star dipper is still in the sky.

Vocabulary

bat – 蝙蝠

black – 黑的

candles – 蜡烛

candy – 糖果

costume – 装扮

demon – 恶魔

Dracula – 吸血鬼（特指某个人物）

vampire – 吸血鬼

evil – 邪恶的

fog – 大雾

ghost – 鬼

goblin – 小精灵

haunted – 闹鬼的

headstone – 墓碑

mask – 面具

midnight – 午夜

moon – 月亮

mummy – 木乃伊

orange – 橙色

pumpkin – 南瓜

witch – 女巫

zombie – 僵尸

skull – 骷髅头

Review vocab