The boys thought about their new sledge. They wanted to slide downhill. But it was Sunday and no work or play was allowed. They looked at their Christian textbook and they thought about the new sledge. It seemed that Sunday would never end.
After waiting a long time they heard a snore, the sound people make in their sleep. They looked at their father. They saw that his head had fallen against the back of his chair and he was fast asleep.
audio 1
Then James looked at George and James got up from the bench. He tiptoed very quietly out of the room through the back door. George looked at your young grandfather and George tiptoed quietly after James. And your grandfather looked fearfully at his father, your great grandfather. But on tiptoe he quietly followed George and left their father sleeping and snoring.
They took their new sledge and went quietly up to the top of the hill. They meant to slide down, just once. Then they would put the sledge away. Afterwards they would go back to their bench and the Christian textbook before their father woke up.
audio 2
James sat in front on the sledge, then George and then your grandfather, because he was the littlest. The sledge started, at first slowly, then faster and faster. It was running, flying, down the long steep hill, but the boys dared not shout. They must slide silently past the house, without waking their father.
There was no sound except the little whirr of the runners (the bottom of the sledge) on the snow and the wind rushing past.
Then just as the sledge was moving quickly toward the house, a big black pig stepped out of the woods. He walked into the middle of the road and stood there.
audio 3
The sledge was going so fast it couldn't be stopped. There wasn't time to turn it. The sledge went right under the pig and picked him up. With a squeal he sat down on James. He kept on squealing, long and loud and shrill, “Squee-ee-ee-ee-ee! Squee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!”
They flashed quickly by the house, the pig sitting in front, then James, then George, then Grandfather. They saw their father standing in the doorway looking at them. They couldn't stop, they couldn't hide and there was no time to say anything. Down the hill they went, the pig sitting on James and squealing all the way.
At the bottom of the hill they stopped. The pig jumped off James and ran away into the woods (forest), still squealing. “Squee-ee-ee-ee-ee! Squee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!”
audio 4
(The original book is in the public domain under Hong Kong copyright law. This simplified copy is under my new copyright.)
The Little House in the Big Woods
Chapter 1 - Part 1: Introduction
Chapter 1 - Part 2: Wolves in the Night
Chapter 1 - Part 4: Smoked Meat
Chapter 1 - Part 5: Food for Winter
Chapter 1 - Part 6: Butchering Time
Chapter 1 - Part 7: After Butchering Time
Chapter 1 - Part 9: Winter Night
Chapter 1 - Part 10: About the Author & Where to Find the Book
Chapter 2 - Part 1: Winter Days and Winter Nights
Chapter 2 - Part 2: Jack Frost
Chapter 2 - Part 3: Laura and Mary Helped Mother with the Housework
Chapter 2 - Part 4: Churn on Thursday
Chapter 2 - Part 5: The Best Time of All
Chapter 2 - Part 6: Her Father Began to Play his Fiddle and Sing
Chapter 2 - Part 7: Father Told Stories
Chapter 2 - Part 8 - The Story of Grandfather and the Panther
Chapter 3 - Part 1: Introduction (The Long Rifle)
Chapter 3 - Part 2: Making Bullets
Chapter 3 - Part 3: Cleaning the Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 4: Loading the Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 5: Where and Why to Keep a Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 6: The Story of her Father and the Voice in the Forest Part 1
Chapter 3 - Part 7: The Story of her Father and the Voice in the Forest Part 2
Chapter 4 - Part 1: Christmas in the Forest
Chapter 4 - Part 2: Making a Gift for his Wife
Chapter 4 - Part 3: Christmas is Coming
Chapter 4 - Part 4: Children Make Pictures in the Snow
Chapter 4 - Part 5: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 1 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 6: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 2 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 7: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 3 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 8: Christmas Morning
Chapter 4 - Part 9: Santa Claus Only Gives Presents to Children
Chapter 4 - Part 10: Breakfast, Dinner and Goodbye
Chapter 5 - Part 2: The Weekly Bath
Chapter 5 - Part 3: Being Quiet
Chapter 5 - Part 4: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 1 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 5: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 2 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 6: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 3 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 7: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 4 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 8: Sunday Music
Chapter 5 - Part 9: Birthday Spanking
by John Larrysson
A native English speaker who has been teaching practical English in Hong Kong for over two decades.
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