The Story of Creation

Creation

In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth;

He gave the dark and the water their birth.

Next He said, “Let there be light,”

And so created day and night.

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the first day.

And God said, “Let there be air

Between the waters; make a sky there.”

Wet clouds above and wet ocean beneath,

And between good dry air to breathe.

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the second day.

Then God took the waters under the sky

And moved them aside so the land was dry.

And on that land between the seas,

He grew up fruitful plants and trees.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the third day.

And God created two great lights,

One for days and one for nights,

And hung in the sky stars to shine,

So there were signs to tell the pass of time.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the fourth day.

Then fish leaped on the waters bright,

And in the air birds took to flight,

And God made their numbers increase,

Until they filled the sky and seas.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the fifth day.

Then God made creatures to walk on land,

To climb the trees and slide in the sand.

And last of all he gave Man birth,

To rule the beasts, to love the Earth.

            And He saw that it was good,

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the sixth day.

And then God took a day for rest,

And said, “Now this day will be blessed,

It will be the holy Sabbath day,

To set apart to rest and pray.”

            And there was evening and there was morning,

            And that was the seventh day.

The Story of Adam and Eve, Level B (Grade Level 3-4)

Adam and Eve

            On the Earth God had created a beautiful garden called Eden. A great river flowed into it, which separated into four rivers, named Pishon and Gihon and Tigris and Euphrates. The garden was filled with all kinds of trees which were pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

            Then God formed a man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being. He named him Adam, and gave him the garden’s fruit to eat and its animals to care for and name. But each of the birds and the beasts had companions, and Adam had none. So God said, “It is not good for Man to be alone. I will create a helper for him.”

            God put Adam into a deep sleep. While he slept He took one of his ribs, and covered the place with flesh. And from the rib He made a made a woman, and took her to the man. Adam said,

                        “This is now bone of my bones

                        and flesh of my flesh;

                        she shall be called ‘woman’,

                        for she was taken out of man.”

            When Adam was first created, God had told him, “You may eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden, except for one. You must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for if you eat from it, you will surely die.” So Adam warned his new wife not to eat from this tree.

            Now of all the wild creatures God had made, the serpent was the craftiest. One day he said to the woman, whose name was Eve, “Didn’t God say, ‘You may eat of any tree in the garden’?”

            Eve replied, “We may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, except for one. God said, ‘You must not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, or even touch it, or you will surely die.’”

            “You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

            Eve looked at the fruit of the tree, and it was pleasing to the eye and looked as though it would be pleasing to the tongue as well. And now she knew that it would also give her wisdom. And so she took some of the fruit and ate it, and also gave some to Adam, who ate the fruit as well.

            Then both of their eyes were opened. First they saw that they were naked, which they had never noticed when they were like the animals and had not eaten of the fruit. They made themselves clothing out of fig leaves.

            Then Adam and Eve heard the sound of God walking through the garden, and they hid among the trees. God called to Adam and said, “Where are you?”

            “I heard you in the garden,” said Adam, “and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid.”

            “Who told you that you were naked?” asked God. “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

            The man said, “It was the woman you put here with me! She gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

            God said to the woman, “What is this that you have you done?”

            “The serpent deceived me,” said the woman, “and I ate.”

            So God told the serpent,

                        “Cursed are you, above all creatures,

                                    tame or wild.

                        You will crawl on your belly

                                    and eat the dust

                                    all the days of your life.

                        And I will put hatred

                                    between you and the woman,

                                    and between your children and hers;

                        he will crush your head,

                                    and you will strike his heel.”

            Then he said to the woman,

                        “I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing;

                                    with pain you will bring forth children.

                        Your desire will be for your husband,

                                    and he will rule over you.”

            And to the man he said,

                        “Cursed is the ground because of you;

                                    only through painful toil will you eat

                                    all the days of your life.

                        The Earth will produce thorns and thistles for you,

                                    and you will eat the plants of the field.

                        By the sweat of your brow

                                    you will find your food

                        until you return from the ground,

                                    since from it you were taken;

                        for dust you are

                                    and to dust you will return.”

            Then God made clothing of animal skins for Adam and Eve, and dressed them. And he said, “Now Man is like us, and he knows good and evil. He must not be allowed to eat also from the Tree of Life, and then live forever.” So God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to work the ground for their food. And he placed in front of the garden an angel with a flaming sword flashing back and forth, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

The Five Chinese Brothers, Dyslexic-Friendly Font (Level C)

The Five Chinese Brothers

        Once upon a time there were five brothers. They all looked exactly alike. They lived with their mother in a little house near the sea. 

        The first brother could swallow the sea.

        The second brother had an iron neck.

        The third brother could stretch and stretch and stretch his legs.

        The fourth brother could not be burned.

        The fifth brother could hold his breath forever.

        Every morning the first brother would go fishing. Even during storms, he would come back to the village with beautiful and rare fish. He sold them at the market for a very good price.

        One day, he was leaving the market place. A little boy stopped him and asked him if he could go fishing with him.

        “No, I cannot let you,” said the first brother.

        But the little boy begged and begged. Finally the first brother gave in.

        “You must make me a promise,” he said. “You must do as I say as soon as I say it.”

        “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

        Early the next morning, the first brother and the little boy went down to the beach. “Remember,” said the first brother, “you must do as I say as soon as I say it. When I make a sign for you to come back, you must come at once.”

        “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

        Then the first brother swallowed the sea. All the fish were left dry at the bottom of the sea. All the treasures of the sea lay uncovered.

        The little boy was very happy. He ran here and there stuffing his pockets with fantastic pebbles, shells, and bits of seaweed.

        Near the shore the first brother gathered some fish. He kept holding the sea in his mouth. But then he grew tired. It is very hard to hold the sea. So he made a sign with his hand for the little boy to come back. The little boy saw him but did not come back.

        The first brother made great signs with his arms that meant “Come back!” But did the little boy care?  Not a bit and he ran further away.

        Then the first brother felt the sea swelling inside him and he made huge signs to call the little boy back. But the little boy made faces at him and ran as fast as he could.

        The first brother held the sea until he thought he was going to burst. Then the sea forced its way out of his mouth. It went back to its bed . . . and the little boy was covered with water.

        When the first brother went back to the town alone, he was put in jail. Everyone thought he had killed the little boy. They decided to cut off his head.

        But he said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the first brother went home . . . and the second brother came back in his place. All the people were waiting to watch. A strong man picked up a sword. He struck a mighty blow to the second brother’s neck. But the second brother got up and smiled. He was the one with the iron neck. They simply could not cut his head off.

        Everybody was angry. They decided that he should be drowned.

        But the second brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the second brother went home . . . and the third brother came back in his place. He was put on a boat. It went out onto far onto the sea. Then the third brother was thrown into the water. But he began to stretch and stretch and stretch his legs, way down to the bottom of the sea. All the time his smiling face was bobbing up and down on the waves. He simply could not be drowned.

        Everybody was very angry. They all decided that he should be burned.

        But the third brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the third brother went home . . . and the fourth brother came back in his place.  He was tied up to a stake. It was lit on fire. All the people stood around watching. In the middle of the flames they heard him say: “This feels quite good.”

        “Bring some more wood,” the people cried.  The fire roared higher.

        “Even better!” said the fourth brother. He was the one who could not be burned. Everybody was getting more and more angry every minute. They all decided to smother him.

        But the fourth brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

        “It is only fair,” said the judge.

        So the fourth brother went home . . . and the fifth brother came back in his place. A large brick oven had been built on the village square and it had been all stuffed with whipped cream. The fifth brother was pushed into the oven, right in the middle of the cream. They shut the door tight. Then everybody sat around and waited.

        They were not going to be tricked again! So they stayed there all night, just to make sure. Then they opened the door and pulled him out. He shook himself and said, “My! That was a good sleep!”

        Everybody stared open-mouthed and round-eyed. But the judge stepped forward and said, “We have tried to get rid of you in every possible way. But we cannot do it. It must be that you are innocent.”

        “Yes, yes,” shouted all the people. So they let him go and he went home.

        And the five brothers and their mother all lived together happily for many years.

The Five Chinese Brothers, Level C (Grade Level 2-3)

The Five Chinese Brothers

          Once upon a time there were five brothers. They all looked exactly alike. They lived with their mother in a little house near the sea. 

          The first brother could swallow the sea.

          The second brother had an iron neck.

          The third brother could stretch and stretch and stretch his legs.

          The fourth brother could not be burned.

          The fifth brother could hold his breath forever.

          Every morning the first brother would go fishing. Even during storms, he would come back to the village with beautiful and rare fish. He sold them at the market for a very good price.

          One day, he was leaving the market place. A little boy stopped him and asked him if he could go fishing with him.

          “No, I cannot let you,” said the first brother.

          But the little boy begged and begged. Finally the first brother gave in.

          “You must make me a promise,” he said. “You must do as I say as soon as I say it.”

          “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

          Early the next morning, the first brother and the little boy went down to the beach. “Remember,” said the first brother, “you must do as I say as soon as I say it. When I make a sign for you to come back, you must come at once.”

          “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

          Then the first brother swallowed the sea. All the fish were left dry at the bottom of the sea. All the treasures of the sea lay uncovered.

          The little boy was very happy. He ran here and there stuffing his pockets with fantastic pebbles, shells, and bits of seaweed.

          Near the shore the first brother gathered some fish. He kept holding the sea in his mouth. But then he grew tired. It is very hard to hold the sea. So he made a sign with his hand for the little boy to come back. The little boy saw him but did not come back.

          The first brother made great signs with his arms that meant “Come back!” But did the little boy care?  Not a bit and he ran further away.

          Then the first brother felt the sea swelling inside him and he made huge signs to call the little boy back. But the little boy made faces at him and ran as fast as he could.

          The first brother held the sea until he thought he was going to burst. Then the sea forced its way out of his mouth. It went back to its bed . . . and the little boy was covered with water.

          When the first brother went back to the town alone, he was put in jail. Everyone thought he had killed the little boy. They decided to cut off his head.

          But he said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

          “It is only fair,” said the judge.

          So the first brother went home . . . and the second brother came back in his place. All the people were waiting to watch. A strong man picked up a sword. He struck a mighty blow to the second brother’s neck. But the second brother got up and smiled. He was the one with the iron neck. They simply could not cut his head off.

          Everybody was angry. They decided that he should be drowned.

          But the second brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

          “It is only fair,” said the judge.

          So the second brother went home . . . and the third brother came back in his place. He was put on a boat. It went out onto far onto the sea. Then the third brother was thrown into the water. But he began to stretch and stretch and stretch his legs, way down to the bottom of the sea. All the time his smiling face was bobbing up and down on the waves. He simply could not be drowned.

          Everybody was very angry. They all decided that he should be burned.

          But the third brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

          “It is only fair,” said the judge.

          So the third brother went home . . . and the fourth brother came back in his place.  He was tied up to a stake. It was lit on fire. All the people stood around watching. In the middle of the flames they heard him say: “This feels quite good.”

          “Bring some more wood,” the people cried.  The fire roared higher.

          “Even better!” said the fourth brother. He was the one who could not be burned. Everybody was getting more and more angry every minute. They all decided to smother him.

          But the fourth brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you let me go say good-bye to my mother?”

          “It is only fair,” said the judge.

          So the fourth brother went home . . . and the fifth brother came back in his place. A large brick oven had been built on the village square and it had been all stuffed with whipped cream. The fifth brother was pushed into the oven, right in the middle of the cream. They shut the door tight. Then everybody sat around and waited.

          They were not going to be tricked again! So they stayed there all night, just to make sure. Then they opened the door and pulled him out. He shook himself and said, “My! That was a good sleep!”

          Everybody stared open-mouthed and round-eyed. But the judge stepped forward and said, “We have tried to get rid of you in every possible way. But we cannot do it. It must be that you are innocent.”

          “Yes, yes,” shouted all the people. So they let him go and he went home.

          And the five brothers and their mother all lived together happily for many years.

The Five Chinese Brothers, Level B (Grade Level 3-4)

The Five Chinese Brothers

            Once upon a time there were five brothers and they all looked exactly alike. They lived with their mother in a little house not far from the sea. 

            The first brother could swallow the sea. The second brother had an iron neck. The third brother could stretch and stretch and stretch his legs. The fourth brother could not be burned. The fifth brother could hold his breath forever.

            Every morning the first brother would go fishing, and whatever the weather, he would come back to the village with beautiful and rare fish which he had caught and could sell at the market for a very good price.

            One day, as he was leaving the market place, a little boy stopped him and asked him if he could go fishing with him.

            “No, it could not be done,” said the first brother.

            But the little boy begged and begged and finally the first brother gave in. “Under one condition,” said he. “You must do as I say as soon as I say it.”

            “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

            Early the next morning, the first brother and the little boy went down to the beach. “Remember,” said the first brother, “you must do as I say as soon as I say it. When I make a sign for you to come back, you must come at once.”

            “Yes, yes,” the little boy promised.

            Then the first brother swallowed the sea. And all the fish were left high and dry at the bottom of the sea. And all the treasures of the sea lay uncovered.

            The little boy was delighted. He ran here and there stuffing his pockets with strange pebbles, wonderful shells, and fantastic algae.

            Near the shore the first brother gathered some fish while he kept holding the sea in his mouth. Presently he grew tired. It is very hard to hold the sea. So he made a sign with his hand for the little boy to come back. The little boy saw him but paid no attention.

            The first brother made great movements with his arms that meant “Come back!” But did the little boy care?  Not a bit and he ran further away.

            Then the first brother felt the sea swelling inside him and he made desperate gestures to call the little boy back. But the little boy made faces at him and fled as fast as he could.

            The first brother held the sea until he thought he was going to burst. All of a sudden the sea forced its way out of his mouth, went back to its bed . . . and the little boy disappeared.

            When the first brother returned to the village alone, he was arrested and put in prison. Everyone thought he had killed the little boy. He was put on trial, and they decided to cut off his head. On the morning of the execution he said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you allow me to go and bid my mother good-bye?” 

            “It is only fair,” said the judge.

            So the first brother went home . . . and the second brother came back in his place. All the people were assembled on the village square to witness the execution. The executioner took his sword and struck a mighty blow. But the second brother got up and smiled. He was the one with the iron neck and they simply could not cut his head off. 

            Everybody was angry and they decided that he should be drowned. On the morning of the execution, the second brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you allow me to go and bid my mother good-bye?”

            “It is only fair,” said the judge.

            So the second brother went home . . . and the third brother came back in his place. He was pushed on a boat which made for the open sea. When they were far out on the ocean, the third brother was thrown overboard. But he began to stretch and stretch and stretch his legs, way down to the bottom of the sea, and all the time his smiling face was bobbing up and down on the crest of the waves. He simply could not be drowned.

            Everybody was very angry, and they all decided that he should be burned. On the morning of the execution, the third brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you allow me to go and bid my mother good-bye?”

            “It is only fair,” said the judge.

            So the third brother went home . . . and the fourth brother came back in his place.  He was tied up to a stake. Fire was set to it and all the people stood around watching it. In the middle of the flames they heard him say: “This is quite pleasant.”

            “Bring some more wood,” the people cried.  The fire roared higher.

            “Now it is quite comfortable,” said the fourth brother, for he was the one who could not be burned. Everybody was getting more and more angry every minute and they all decided to smother him. On the morning of the execution, the fourth brother said to the judge: “Your Honor, will you allow me to go and bid my mother good-bye?”

            “It is only fair,” said the judge.

            So the fourth brother went home . . . and the fifth brother came back in his place. A large brick oven had been built on the village square and it had been all stuffed with whipped cream. The fifth brother was pushed into the oven, right in the middle of the cream, the door was shut tight, and everybody sat around and waited.

            They were not going to be tricked again! So they stayed there all night and even a little after dawn, just to make sure. Then they opened the door and pulled him out. And he shook himself and said, “My! That was a good sleep!”

            Everybody stared open-mouthed and round-eyed. But the judge stepped forward and said, “We have tried to get rid of you in every possible way and somehow it cannot be done. It must be that you are innocent.”

            “Yes, yes,” shouted all the people. So they let him go and he went home.

            And the five brothers and their mother all lived together happily for many years.

The Tale of Chanticleer and Pertelote, Dyslexic-Friendly Font (Level C)

The Tale of Chanticleer and Pertelote

        Once there was an old woman who lived on a little farm. Her husband was dead and she was very poor. She had only three pigs, three cows, some chickens, and a sheep named Molly.

        The woman didn’t eat much. She never had a tasty sauce or dainty bit of food. Her meals were mostly milk and bread. Sometimes she would eat bit of bacon or an egg or two. Still, she worked hard and was merry.

        The old woman had a little yard. Around it were a ditch and a fence made of sticks. That is where she kept her chickens.

        The pride of her farm was her rooster. His name was Chanticleer. Chanticleer was a marvel of a bird. In all the land there was no match for his crowing. His voice was merrier than the church organ. It was loud and clear. He sang at each hour on the hour. He was never a second off.

        Chanticleer was also a handsome bird. The comb on the top of his head was redder than coral. It was shaped like the top of a castle wall. His black bill shone like ink. His legs and feet were blue like azure. His nails were white as lilies. His feathers were like gold.

        Chanticleer had seven hens, and they all looked very much like him. But the most beautiful of the hens was Pertelote.

        She was polite, kind, giving, and friendly. She was so good that Chanticleer had loved her since they were chicks. The love between them made them very happy. It was a joy to wake up to them singing love songs in the rising sun.

        One morning just before dawn Chanticleer slept on his perch. He slept next to the fair Pertelote. He began to groan terribly. When Pertelote heard this she woke him up, saying:

        “Oh, dear heart! What is wrong? A fine sleeper you are!”

        “Madame,” he said, “I have had such a bad dream that even now my heart is sorely frightened! I dreamed that as I roamed about our yard, I saw a great beast like a dog. He wished to catch me and kill me. He was orange, with black on the tips of his tail and ears, and a long slender snout and glowing eyes. Even now his looks frighten me almost to death.”

        “Oh, you coward!” said Pertelote. “You have lost all my love. Scared of a dream! Didn’t Cato say, ‘Don’t listen to dreams’?” (Cato was a Roman writer of long ago. Pertelote was a very well-read hen.)

        “Cato is wise,” said Chanticleer, “but there are others who are wiser. I heard once that there was a man who dreamed that his friend would be killed. The friend begged for help. The man woke with a start. But he rolled over and went back to sleep. He didn’t think the dream meant anything. But the next day he found his friend killed, just like in the dream.”

        “Fie!” said Pertelote.

        “I heard another story,” said Chanticleer, “about two men who were preparing to sail across the sea. The night before they left, the first man had a dream. The dream warned that if he set sail the next day, he would drown. When he woke up he told his friend about his dream. The second man laughed. ‘The wind is good!’ he said. ‘I will not let a silly dream keep me from my work!’ And so the second man set sail alone. But before he was half-way there, the bottom tore out from his boat. He was swept into the waves.”

        “Fie!” said Pertelote.

        “Look at Joseph, then,” said Chanticleer. “He did not think that dreams were useless. Remember the king’s dream, of the seven fat cows and the seven skinny cows? He called for someone who could tell him what it meant. Joseph said that the cows meant there would be seven years with much food and then seven years of little food. If the king had not listened and saved up food, his people would have starved.”

        “Oh, fie!” said Pertelote yet again. Chanticleer felt a bit silly.

        “Well, I say the dream has meaning,” he told her, “but let us talk of something merry! When I see you all my fear melts away.”

        And with that he flew down from his rafter. All his hens followed, because it was day now. He strutted up and down the yard on his toes. Whenever he clucked his hens would gather around him.

        He looked as grand as a prince or a lion, and knew it. He held Pertelote in his wing twenty times. At nine o’clock he was dancing about the yard with his hens beside him. He cast his face up to the sun to call the time.

        “Pertelote, my heart’s bliss,” said Chanticleer, “listen to how the happy birds sing. See how the flowers spring up from the wet ground! It is April, and my heart is light and full of joy.”

        That, dear reader, is what we call irony. For as Chanticleer sang of how wonderful life was, a sly fox lay among the cabbages. He had sneaked into the yard that very night. Now he was waiting for his chance to catch Chanticleer and eat him for his supper.

        Pertelote and the other hens lay in the warm sun. Chanticleer kept marching about the yard. He sang better than the mermaids of the sea, and mermaids are very good singers.

        Then he saw a butterfly making its way toward the cabbages. He watched it land on a plant. Then he saw the hiding fox.

        Chanticleer no longer wanted to crow. He shrieked “Caw! Caw!” instead. He started up with terror in his heart. All beasts know to run from those who will eat them, even when they have never seen them before. And Chanticleer would have flown to the henhouse and safety if the fox had not spoken.

        “Alas, gentle sir!” said the fox. “Where are you going? Are you afraid of me? I am your own dear friend. I do not mean you any harm. I only came to listen to your singing. It is as beautiful as the voice of an angel.”

        Chanticleer stayed on the dirt, but he still did not trust the fox.

        “I am Don Russel. I knew your dear father,” said the fox, “and your mother too. I was happy to have both of them in my house. Surely, all that your father sang came from his heart. He would stand up on his toes, and close his eyes, and stretch out his long, slender neck. Then he could sing even better. I have read of many good singers. None was as good as your father. Tell me, can you sing like him?”

        Chanticleer had begun to flap his wings happily. He was very pleased with Don Russel’s flattery. And he stood high on his toes, and stretched out his neck, and closed his eyes, and began to crow loudly.

        Up started Don Russel. He grabbed Chanticleer by the neck. Then he dashed into the woods.

        Ladies have never cried as loudly as the hens then. And above all Pertelote shrieked. The other animals joined in. The ducks quacked. The geese flew high over the trees. The bees buzzed out of their hive. The birds and beasts and the old widow ran shouting after the fox. They made a noise that even an angry army cannot make.

        “If I were you,” said Chanticleer, “I would say, ‘Turn back! I have reached the woods. You will never catch me now. I will eat this rooster for my supper.’”

        “Haha!” said the fox, looking back. “Turn back! I have reached the woods. You will never catch me now. I will eat this rooster for my supper!”

        But when Don Russel opened his mouth, Chanticleer freed himself and flew up to a tree.

        When Don Russel saw that Chanticleer had got away, he thought fast. He looked up at Chanticleer and said, “Alas! I have done wrong to scare you. Come down from the tree. I will show you that I meant no harm.”

        “Fool me once, shame on you,” said Chanticleer. “But fool me twice, shame on me! Never again will your flattery make me sing and close my two eyes. For he who willfully shuts his eyes where he should see, may God never let him thrive.”

        “May God give him bad fortune who speaks when he should keep his peace,” said the fox, and slunk away.