Reading Comprehension-4

The Elephant and the Hummingbird   Week 2 Day 4

            Long, long ago—in the days when people could talk to animals and learn their stories—and elephant walked slowly beside the Yellow River. This was before animals were tamed, even before the first Chinese emperors’ rule. That’s how long ago it was.

            The elephant was enjoying a peaceful stroll. Thick grasses and beautiful lotus flowers bloomed, and the water in the Yellow River made a pleasant swishing sound as it flowed past the elephant.

            Noticing what appeared to be a hummingbird, the elephant stopped. Although they don’t exist in china today, the elephant had seen hummingbirds before. He’d watched them hover above lotus flowers, their wings beat so quickly that they appeared only as a blur. The elephant sometimes wished he could move as quickly as a hummingbird. This one, however, was lying upside down, her wings motionless and her legs pointing toward the sky. Occasionally, the little bird would sigh heavily or grunt, as if working extra hard.

            “What are you doing?” asked the elephant. He slowly walked around the hummingbird, trying to understand the odd behavior. “You look ridiculous, you know.”

            “I am holding up the sky,” replied the hummingbird calmly. “I overheard that it might fall today.”

            The elephant raised his trunk and made a sound that today might pass as a deep laugh. “You’re holding up the sky? Why, just look at it. The sky is bigger than I am, and I doubt you could hold me up. Even if the sky were going to fall, your tiny legs could not possibly do the job.”

            “Ah,” said the hummingbird, “but these are the only legs I have. I might not be able to do it by myself, but I am doing what I can.”

Strategy Practice: Think of a story, movie, or experience that this folk tale reminds you of.

Skill Practice: Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer for each question.