What’s the name given to the process of sleeping through the winter in the animal kingdom? Why do some animals do that? How do they manage to survive? Do they wake up to eat and drink?
Talk to others about this and look for the answers to these questions if necessary.
Do you think that humans and snakes hibernate?
Este relato es una adaptación de un cuento de la autora inglesa Edith Nesbit titulado “Where you want to go or the bouncible ball” de la colección de cuentos Nine Unlikely Tales for Children, ilustrada por H. R. Millar y Claude A. Shepperson, y publicada en Londres en 1901. El título original de este cuento (“Dónde quieres ir o la pelota botadora”, si lo traducimos al español) no hacía referencia al verano, sino a la posibilidad de viajar donde se quisiera mediante una pelota botadora muy especial.
¿Tú por qué crees que le cambiarían el título? ¿Conoces más ejemplos de cuentos, libros, películas o series que tengan títulos diferentes en inglés y en español? A nosotros se nos ocurren ejemplos como la película Sonrisas y lágrimas, que en inglés se titula The Sound of Music (El sonido de la música); o la película Tú a Londres y yo a California, que se titulaba originalmente The parent Trap, algo así como El enredo familiar.
Ilustración del cuento original de Nesbit por H. R. Millar.
Una moraleja es una enseñanza o lección que el lector debe sacar como conclusión de una narración o cuento. Durante muchos años ha sido el principal recurso de cuentos infantiles que pretendían, a través de historias sencillas, transmitir un mensaje más profundo.
¿Te suenan de algo historias o fábulas como “La liebre y la tortuga,” “La cigarra y la hormiga” o “La gallina de los huevos de oro”?
¿Por qué crees que el insoportable tío Tomás, quiere sacar siempre una moraleja de todo? ¿Crees que este cuento tendrá moraleja? ¡Estate muy atento!
Imagen de la portada del libro de Fábulas de Samaniego (Biblioteca Digital Hispánica).
We are sure that you know what a bureau is and what it is for. Can you name up to five things that you would typically find in the drawers of a bureau and five things that you would never ever find there?
“En demasía” es una expresión que significa en exceso, es decir, demasiado.
En este cuento, la autora decide dar vida a una pelota, haciendo que hable y sea otro personaje más. La pelota pregunta a los niños qué necesitan para estar contentos y ellos, haciéndola botar, parece que van a poder cumplir sus deseos. ¿Recuerdas algún otro cuento de la colección en el que los juguetes u objetos cobren vida? ¿Qué más cuentos de la colección conoces en los que aparezcan seres que conceden deseos a los protagonistas?
Ilustración de Federico Ribas para “Una ciudad de libros”.
Aquí tienes otros cuentos de este tipo para seguir leyendo luego:
“Encarnado” quiere decir ‘colorado, rojo’. También significa ‘color carne’.
Probablemente Tomasita se refiere a la costumbre de que después de comer hay que hacer la digestión antes de bañarse. Pregunta a tus padres e investiga con ellos qué recomiendan los médicos y por qué es importante introducirse en el agua con cautela, sobre todo después de comer.
La langosta, el salmón y los helados de fresa y de piña son comidas especiales y muy valoradas por nuestros protagonistas. ¿Cuáles son las comidas especiales que más te gustan a ti? Imagina qué comidas pueden ser especiales para los niños de otros países con costumbres diferentes. Te proponemos dibujar un festín con comidas inventadas o reales.
El término “baños de pila” se refiere a un tipo de balneario o piscina que muchas veces se situaba en la costa, aprovechando el agua del mar y donde la gente iba a bañarse. Aunque no te lo creas, ir a la playa, según lo conocemos hoy en día, no se hacía antes y era muy poco frecuente bañarse directamente en el mar. Además, hay que tener en cuenta que el acceso a la playa no estaba preparado y muchas veces había edificios, fábricas o estos “baños de pila” que hacían imposible pasar a la arena y al mar de manera fácil. Por aquel entonces, los que no tenían dinero eran los que iban a la playa libre, fuera del recinto de los baños de pila. Más tarde se puso de moda ir a la playa y se empezaron a cambiar las ciudades y las zonas de costa para aprovechar el acceso al mar y crear playas bonitas donde poder ir a bañarse en familia.
¿Por qué crees que Tomasita y Selín prefieren una playa sin baños de pila, sin criadas y sin bandas de música?
Los Baños de Oleaje de San Miguel (1861, Barcelona).
Según Selím “hacer las camas” es cosa de chicas. En tu casa, ¿cómo se reparten las tareas domésticas? ¿Crees que los chicos y las chicas tienen que hacer las mismas cosas en casa? ¿Y fuera?
Aquí se vuelven a referir a los “baños de pila” que hemos visto antes, pero haciéndolos mucho más aburridos, puesto que acaban siendo sólo una caseta pequeña como único lugar para bañarse en frente del mar. ¡Cómo serían de pequeños que incluso no hacía falta el mar para tener un baño de pila!
Anuncio en prensa de los baños de pila “Niágara” en Paseo de San Vicente, Madrid (1881).
Tomasita de repente aparece vestida con “sus vestidos ordinarios” y con un sombrero gigante e incómodo. ¿Tú sueles usar sombreros normalmente? ¿Cómo crees que vestían los niños y las niñas en los años 20?
También puedes mirar estas fotos antiguas y jugar con estos recortables :
¿Sabes a lo que se refieren con “gordo municipal”? Quizás no sea la mejor manera de decirlo, ¿cómo lo dirías tú? Te proponemos un juego: piensa qué significan y en qué consisten las siguientes profesiones: sillero, pregonero, vinatero, sereno, barquillero, telefonista y acomodador. Luego puedes buscarlas en un diccionario y ver si has acertado o no ¡suerte! Te damos una pequeña pista con este dibujo.
El cortaplumas es una navaja pequeña que se utilizaba para cortar las plumas de ave con las que se podía escribir y que luego se ha seguido utilizando como navaja pequeña para distintos usos.
¿Recuerdas qué era una moraleja? ¿Crees que este cuento tiene una moraleja? La autora dice que sí. ¿Y tú? ¿Cuál es la moraleja de este cuento en tu opinión?
En este cuento hay dos dibujos que lo ilustran y que están mal colocados ¿Te habías dado cuenta antes? Descubre cuáles son y en qué orden deberían ir.
Con esta palabra, en la historia se refieren a que una persona o empleado con autoridad pública avise a alguien o llame su atención, con cierto objetivo o propósito. Roberto, uno de los niños del cuento, es “requerido” por el guardia para que saque las monedas de oro en la comisaría.
¿La carne de membrillo es un dulce tradicional hecho a base de membrillo y azúcar. En el norte de España se suele servir como postre acompañado de queso. El tocino de cielo es un postre hecho con yema de huevo y azúcar y de un color amarillo intenso.
Si no conocías estos postres, pregunta a los mayores de la familia si los han probado y cuáles son sus favoritos. ¿Os animáis a hacerlos juntos?
¿Te lo esperabas? Este Dragón desde el principio era muy casero y parecía que estaba muy a gusto en los sótanos del castillo, tanto que ha perdido su coraza metálica y se ha convertido en un gatito que toma leche y pan. Ahora ya puedes contarle la historia de dónde vienen los gatos a todos cuando tengas la oportunidad. ¡Quizás no sepan que en realidad son familia de los dragones más perezosos!
El sifón es una botella de un litro que muchas veces contenía una especie de gaseosa.
Hablar – o aquí gritar – al unísono quiere decir que todos gritan lo mismo a la vez.
El sacristán es la persona que ayuda al cura, y se encarga de cuidar y limpiar la iglesia.
Se da por sabido que lo que le pide el cura al sacristán es que enganche el caballo al carro para llevar a los niños a casa. Actualmente, uno de los mayores problemas de las grandes ciudades es la cantidad de coches que hay en ellas. ¡Es difícil aparcar y hay grandes atascos! Casi todas las familias ahora tienen un coche para desplazarse pero antiguamente había muy pocos coches y antes aún, no había automóviles, sino coches tirados por caballos. Investiga en Internet y coméntalo con tus abuelos u otras personas mayores ¿Ellos tenían coche? ¿Cómo se desplazaban cuando eran jóvenes?
Intenta conectar los siguientes vehículos con su año de invención, ¡a ver si lo consigues!
Ilustración de sir John Tenniel (1820-1914), para la novela original de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas (1865), de Lewis Carroll.
¿Has soñado alguna vez con volar? ¿Cómo fue la sensación en tu sueño?
Y si no lo has soñado nunca, ¿cómo te lo imaginas?
¡Dibuja tu sueño o el vuelo más alocado y mágico que te imagines!
¿Te parece justo para Eufemia y Enrique el final del cuento? Piensa sobre por qué los adultos no agradecen a los niños su hazaña e imagina un final diferente para el cuento. Puedes poner por escrito ese final aquí.
Something that is made, sent out, or published.
Example: The man sold all his old issues of comics from when he was a child.
This is such a tough decision for the shepherd! Help him by writing down in one column reasons for obeying the wizard and, in another column, reasons for keeping the oath he swore to the snake.
Have a debate with your group, consider the others' opinions and try to make a final decision together. It might be necessary to vote at the end.
Imagine you and your partners are members of the city Council during the plague of dragons in the story. Each one of you must choose a role from the following list and start a discussion:
Rosie and Fabian use a six-sided puzzle to make a castle. Each side contains a beautiful picture. Go to the webpage of a famous museum and select six paintings that you like, each one corresponding to the following famous painters:
A weapon that consists of a knife attached to the front end of a rifle.
Example: Bayonets were used in close fighting long ago.
A heavy sword with one sharp curved edge.
Example: My grandfather has a sabre on the wall from the Mexican war.
Shepherds entertain themselves in many different ways. What do you think the shepherd in the story is doing in the picture below? Do you know who painted it?
A pointed metal bar for stirring up a fire.
Example: Our father used the fire poker when the grill was about to extinguish.
A plank; a flat, cut piece of wood.
Example: The child fixed small wheels to the board and then jumped on it.
Alquicel: Es una palabra que viene del árabe y se refiere a un tipo de vestidura a modo de capa, que normalmente era blanca y de lana.
Si quieres conocer qué otras palabras son de origen árabe, utiliza el diccionario e investiga: ¿Son de origen árabe estas palabras: “alcohol”, “almohada”, “aleta”, “alcázar”, “alcaldía”, “alhelí” y “altura”?
A grey metal which is very heavy.
Example: That shield is made of lead to protect the doctor against radiation.
The gathering of ripe crops or plants grown on a farm.
Example: Summer is the time of year when the farmers harvest their wheat.
A story from the Bible which narrates how a woman called Rebecca was chosen to be Isaac’s wife by his father’s servant because she was by a particular well and said and did what he was expecting, which he interpreted to be a sign of God.
Two Spanish captains who raised against French Napoleonic occupation and rule, and fought in a famous and decisive battle which took place in Madrid on May 2nd 1808.
Using the memory.
Example: The child learnt the song by heart for the festival.
A famous Spanish legal dictionary written by lawyer Marcelo Martínez Alcubilla in the 19th century.
A long narrative poem by 14th century Italian author Dante Alighieri. It is considered to be one of the greatest works of world literature.
Shepherds used to spend long hours alone in the middle of the countryside, so they knew many activities to enjoy their spare time, such as playing musical instruments or telling stories to other shepherds.
Nowadays, technology can help shepherds to avoid boredom. Write a list of five activities shepherds weren't able to do one century ago but they can do now.
As you can imagine, this is not the best way to address someone you love. If you were the shepherd, what would you say to your wife to confort her?
Birdlime is forbidden in many places. Can you imagine why?
Write it down and share it with your partners. Comment on the potential effect of what you all have written.
This word is the female form of "shepherd". As you can see, it is the same word but with the sufix "-ess". You can find other examples of this use in words like "countess" and "heiress".
Also, there are other more common ways to refer to professionals who are women. For example, what do you call a woman who is a doctor?
Los escritores utilizan muchos trucos para hacer sus historias interesantes. En este caso, la autora hace que los juguetes y los espacios de juego que construyen los niños cobren vida y se hagan reales dentro de la historia. ¿Conoces otros cuentos en los que ocurra hacen algo parecido?
Aquí tienes un ejemplo muy famoso:
To use up the entire amount of something.
Example: It was such a hot day that we ran out of drinks.
Manuel Rivadeneyra (1805-1872) fue un editor e impresor español que desde 1846 trató de reunir las obras clásicas de la literatura española en una colección que se llamó la Biblioteca de Autores Españoles.
Otro truco para hacer una buena historia es jugar con los narradores y el origen del cuento. Nuestro narrador ha escuchado la historia que acabamos de leer de uno de los personajes del cuento. ¿No es un poco raro? ¿Te fiarías tú de lo que cuente un ratón mecánico?
Inventa una historia con un narrador poco fiable ¡pero divertido!
Holidays can be very different if you spend them at the seaside, in the mountains, or where you live. In the seaside, for example, you can go for a swim and play with the sand, while in a city you can visit museums, go to performances and enjoy the parks.
What type of holidays do you prefer? Choose one option and write down three advantages and one or two downsides.
In this sentence there are many words and expressions that describe a negative situation. Which ones are they? Describe another negative situation of your invention, using eloquent, powerful verbs, nouns, adjectives and, adverbs.
To ruin; to make something good into something bad.
Example: I spoilt my soup by putting too much salt in it.
An area that is close to the sea.
Example: I like to go to the seaside to relax.
To interrupt.
Example: You shouldn't disturb a cat or a dog when they're eating; they don't like that.
Irritating; upsetting; making somebody a little bit angry.
Example: It is very annoying when people interrupt you when you're talking.
The capital of the country.
Example: In the past the king and queen lived in the court together with the aristocrats.
Brothers and/or sisters.
Example: We are a big family; I have five siblings: two brothers and three sisters.
Being strict; expecting that rules are always followed.
Example: This teacher is known for his strictness; he hates it when students don't do what they should.
More or further than something.
Example: The exercise was beyond our abilities; it was too difficult.
Content, happy about something.
Example: She was very pleased with her birthday present.
Wanting something very much.
Example: My dog is always keen to go out for a walk.
A lesson that can be learnt from a story or an experience.
Example: The moral of the story is that we must always be honest.
So much that it is too painful or unpleasant.
Example: The South Pole is unbearably cold for people; only penguins, seals and some birds can live there.
To argue, fight.
Example: The team always agrees on everything; they do not often quarrel about anything.
To press someone's skin between your thumb and finger.
Example: It really hurts when someone pinches you.
To hit someone or something with the palm of your hand.
Example: The teacher slapped the book against the desk to get the students' attention.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the word "here" in the audio. Is there any difference with the pronunciation of the words “hear”, "ear", "air", "heir", "hare" and "hair"? Do you know the meaning of all these words?
The children are debating about the wish for that day. Do you know which wish they asked for?
As you can read, there is a speaking ball in this story. There are many children stories where speaking objects appear, like "The Beauty and the Beast".
Which of the objects you own would you like to talk with? Write a comic with a sequence of strips and balloons where you live an adventure with one of your favourite (talking) objects.
A high level of temperature.
Example: The light and the heat help the plants grow beautifully in the greenhouse.
A type of elastic plastic used to make things like tyres and hoses.
Example: My boots are made of rubber.
For somebody; representing somebody.
Example: The actress couldn't go to the award giving ceremony, so a friend spoke on her behalf.
To make something jump up and down.
Example: In basketball you have to bounce the ball when you're running; you cannot keep it in your hands.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the word "for” in the audio. Is there any difference with the pronunciation of the word “four”? Can you think of homophones of the following words: our, allowed, fairy, aisle, Ireland, all, ail, ad?
Do you know where the country called "Whereveryouwantborough" is?
It is normal if you don't know it because it is an imaginary place.
"-borough" is an old suffix for "city". Other possible endings would have been: "-ville", "-mouth" or "-wick".
Literary authors sometimes make up the names of the characters and locations that appear on their books. Imagine you went to a country where you must do whatever you are asked to do all the time (an opposite situation to the one in the story). How would you call it? Write down the name you invented for it. Remember you can join different words to create a compound name or just use some random letters. Also, you can add common words and letters to make the name more plausible, such as "United" and "-land".
The sandy or rocky border of the sea.
Example: It's fun to look for shells at the seashore.
To get into a horizontal position to rest.
Example: I was tired and decided to lie down on my bed for a little while.
Did you know trains have changed a lot during the last century?
Tomasita and Selim were probably used to travelling in a train propelled by coal, with wooden seats and no A/C. Also, at that time, suitcases were made of wood and leather, without small wheels on the bottom. Could you imagine a trip in those conditions? Describe three aspects of travelling by train that were worse a century ago and maybe one or two that were better.
Tomasita and Selim are going to play in the sand with buckets and spades. Nowadays, you can play many games at the beach that are different from the ones our grandparents did. Make a list of fun beach games, mark those that existed when your grandparents were children and those that are modern and did not exist then. Choose a particularly good one and make a project on a piece of cardboard or PowerPoint, including the name of the game, images and a well organized description. If you share it with your group, you may all end up voting for the best beach game!
What do you wear when you go to the beach? Do you use a swimsuit?
Swimsuits are a rather modern invention. During the early years of the 20th century, people used regular clothes at the beach and swimsuits consisted in ordinary shirt and pants, as you can see in the image below:
It was not until 1960, with the invention of lycra, that regular swimsuits were popularized.
Imagine you are with Tomasita and Selim in Whereveryouwantborough on holidays, far away from your home.
Write a brief letter to your family telling them what you have been doing with the siblings of the story so far. Remember to date the letter, add a header, organize it in paragraphs, and sign it at the end after saying goodbye.
In the time the story was written, it was common in families of high society to have many servants. In the story, we found out there are different house helpers in the children's house: a housekeeper, a maid and a cook.
Working in groups, write down three different tasks each of them do.
Once you are done, each member of the group should write who in his family does all that tasks.
Hills of sand at the beach.
Example: Sand dunes are protected areas in most national parks so people cannot walk on them.
A tool used to dig.
Example: The gardener used the spade to make a hole in the ground.
With a lot of (or good) taste; delicious.
Example: Paella is very tasty.
To jump or plunge into the water.
Example: I saw the acrobat dive into the net.
A large brown crustacean with a cylindrical body, antennae and pincers that lives in the sea.
Example: I went to touch the lobster and it pinched my finger with one of its pincers.
A napkin; a tissue made of cloth.
Example: Before there were paper tissues, everyone used handkerchiefs made from cloth.
A type of algae or vegetable that grows in the sea.
Example: Invasive seaweed may reduce the number of fish.
To tell somebody not to do something for their own good.
Example: My father warned me not to play so close to the fireplace.
To try and give the right answer when you're not sure that you know what it is.
Example: I have a surprise for you. Can you guess what it is?
A small area of water.
Example: In our backyard at home, we have a small pond with fish in it.
How do you think Tomasita feels when she sees her parents reflected in the water?
If you had the opportunity to use this magical pond, what would you use it for? What could other people use it for (for example, the police, the fire brigade, the government)?
What shouldn't the magical pond be used for?
Share with your group and contrast your views!
Tomasita and Selim argued about the responsibility of making the bed. Do you make your bed every morning?
Discuss with your partners who is responsible for making their bed at home. Does anybody think that it is a girls' thing, a maid's thing or their mother's thing? You may initiate a discussion about housework adopting different viewpoints, independently of what you really think.
When it is your turn to speak, try and be polite, yet firm, with your opinions. You may start by finding a hole in your opponent's argument and use expressions like: "I can't agree with you because...", "I don't think that is a good idea because...", "I couldn't disagree more with your view". Then, in order to give your own opinion, use expressions like: "In my opinion...", "The way I see it, ...", "I think that...", "I can't help thinking that..."
Intonation is a very important component of oral communication.
Listen carefully to this audio page. What is Selim's intonation when he says: "That's a girls' thing"? And what is the intonation in Tomasita’s answer?
Do you think their intonation gives you any information about their feelings?
Turkey is a polysemic word, which is a type of word with more than one meaning.
Do you know of any other polysemic words? Write a list of three to five polysemic words and discuss with your group the different meanings you can find out. Notice that the meanings have to be indirectly related or totally unrelated to be considered different (e.g., "bank" as the land alongside a river or lake, or a financial institution).
Are you able to find a word with three or more meanings?
After reading a large part of the story, you know Tomasita and Selim fairly well. How would you describe them? Write a brief description of both of them in two or three lines. Remember to base your descriptions on the facts that you have read. You may complete them using your imagination but mustn't contradict what we know already about these two characters.
Also, organize the information so that you go from general to specific and from physical to psychological.
Share them with your group and discuss the differences between your descriptions.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the word “they’re” in the audio. Is there any difference with the pronunciation of the word “there”?
To let someone do something.
Example: A telescope enables you to see objects that are far away, for example planets and stars.
Female servants.
Example: After dinner, the maid cleaned the table and washed all the dishes.
A young girl.
Example: The knight had to defeat three dragons to rescue the maiden.
To take somebody to their bed to rest or sleep.
Example: Dad always puts us to bed with a story and a kiss.
To allow.
Example: The teacher wouldn't let us leave the classroom before the break.
To become something different.
Example: The wizard turned a man into a mouse.
Cooked very slowly in a pot.
Example: A popular Spanish dish is stewed beans with spicy sausage and black pudding (fabada).
A young sheep.
Example: The shepherd carried the newly born lamb on his shoulders.
To play in the water.
Example: I wish it were July so I could bathe in the sea.
An imaginary creature with magical powers.
Example: My grandmother used to tell me stories about fairies.
A small simple house, usually made of wood.
Example: The shepherd lived in a hut up in the mountains.
To descend from the air (like birds or butterflies).
Example: We saw two beautiful birds alight on a tree branch.
Outrageous! In this story the narrator does not want to tell us the moral! You have finished reading the whole story. Can you deduce what the moral of this story is?
Silly or stupid people.
Example: When I forgot to bring my pencil case to school I felt like a fool.
Beautiful; adorable.
Example: We had a lovely time at the swimming pool with our friends yesterday.
A hotel at the beach.
Example: The family enjoyed their time at the beach resort last summer.
To watch/observe carefully.
Example: The lifeguard keeps an eye on people who are swimming.
To reprimand someone angrily.
Example: Grandpa scolded us because we broke an expensive sculpture.
A small knife that you can keep in your pocket when you travel; you can open and close it.
Example: The girl sharpened her pencil with a penknife.
Empty of water; not having any liquid left.
Example: After the hot summer, the water in the reservoir dried up, so everybody was waiting for the rain.
Quickly; without warning.
Example: We were walking in the park and all of a sudden a big dog appeared and scared us.
Also not.
Example: I don't like volleyball and I don't like football either.
Beautiful; adorable.
Example: We had a lovely time at the swimming pool with our friends yesterday.
