Vocabulary
 

tool	crowded	buy/bought/bought
wise	crowd	leave/left/left
duck	sheep	go/went/gone
put	noise	merchant
smile	take out	good/better/best
truly	this time	fantastic
feel	shovel	lesson (2)
real	advice	appreciate
hoe	moral	pitchfork
rake	decide

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

The Farmer

There was once a farmer, John. He lived in a farmhouse with his wife and ten children.

One day John went to town. There he bought some farm tools: a new shovel, a hoe, pitchfork and a rake.

Before leaving, he decided to visit a wise woman.
 
 
The Wise Woman

“Please help me,” John said to her. “I have a big family: a wife and ten children! We live in an old house. It’s not big, and very crowded inside!

The wise woman listened to John.

She then closed her eyes.

After fifteen minutes, she opened them.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Advice

“Do you have any farm animals?” the wise woman asked John.
“Yes, I do,” answered John.
“How many animals do you have?”
“We have ten animals: a horse, two cows, three pigs, four sheep, five geese and six ducks.”
“Good. Go home now. And put all your animals in your house with you.”
“WHAT?!? Put our animals in my house!?! Are you kidding?”
“Yes, you heard me. Put all of your animals in your house!”
 
 
Very Bad

So John returned home. He put all his farm animals in his house.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 
One week later, John went back to the wise woman.

“Now it’s very BAD!” he said. “The animals eat our food. They are in the rooms. They sleep on our beds. They make noise.”

“Okay, okay,” replied the wise woman.

She closed her eyes again.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Second Advice

After 10 minutes, she told John to go home and take all the animals out of his house.

John then returned home and took all his animals out of his house.

The next day he returned to the wise woman. This time he had a big smile on his face.

“It’s fantastic! It’s wonderful” he said. “Now we can eat. We can sleep. Everything is much better. Thank you for your help. You are truly a wise woman!”
 
 
 
 

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Questions
 
 
11. John was a carpenter. True or false?

12. What did he do one day? Why did he go to town? John went to town to . . . . . . .

13. Before returning home, he went to a disco. Yes or no?

14. Was John happy and satisfied with his life? Why was he unhappy and dissatisfied with his life?

15. Did the wise woman give him advice? What did she tell John? The wise woman told John to . . . . . .

16. John followed the wise woman’s advice. Is this correct or incorrect? What did John do? How did he feel afterwards?

17. Did he return to town? What did the wise woman tell him the second time?

18. In the end, John’s life changed. Is this right or wrong?

19. The moral of the story is don’t put farm animals in your house. Yes or no? Or the lesson of the story is to appreciate what you have. You should be thankful for what you have.
 
 
G. I know some people who are farmers. Yes or no?

H. Nobody wants to be a farmer nowadays. Young people are not interested in farming. True or false?

I. Do (young) people move from farms, villages and the country to cities?

J. Can you think of examples of this story from real life, in terms of travel, work, people?

K. Are some people frustrated with their lives or situation? What should they do?