Grandfather s Pencil and the Room of Stories By Michael Foreman The boy finished his letter to his father. He put down his pencil and climbed into bed. He kissed his mother goodnight. All was quiet. The house slept in the moonlight. The boy dreamed in his bed. The pencil lay on the paper. Then there was a scratchy, scribbly sound. The pencil was writing. I remember, wrote the pencil, I remember when I first came to this house. I was in a box with friends. We were all different colours. We were a present for the boy. International School of Madrid 1
I remember the shop where we were bought. The shelves were full of bottles of ink and boxes of paints in sets like soldiers. And paper so many kinds of paper smooth, rough, thick, thin. Papers from all over the world. Oh, the stories they told, in the night, in the dark! I remember the forest where we lived before we were pencils. I was part of a very tall tree. In my dreams I still feel the sway of the treetop in the wind. In the boy s room a slight breeze ruffled the paper. Yes, sighed the paper, I also remember the wind and the forest. The pencil wrote as the paper told its tale. I also remember when the men came and many trees were cut down. I remember the dragging of the logs and the thrilling journey down the river, said the paper. Do you remember those early days in the forest? squeaked the door as it slowly opened. Our hopes and dreams? Would we stay safe in the forest or travel the world? We have come a long way, but the boy has far to go. The boy stirred in his bed. A pool of moonlight lay on the floorboards of the room. International School of Madrid 2
- We have come further than any of you, croaked the floorboards. Long before this house was built we were part of a great ship with cream sails and a black flag. We lived on tar and salt and loved every pitching, rolling minute of the wind in the rigging and the swish of the sea. Oh, to feel the wind again! You will! cried the old wooden window as it flew open. The night wind whirled madly into the room. The boy sat up, his eyes wild with excitement. The door danced on its hinges, the pencil rolled off the table and dropped into the pool of moonlight and the paper flew out of the window. Out, over and beyond the city, tumbling and swooping in the sky until it was caught and held in the top most branches of a tree in the forest. And these tales of the pencil, the paper, the door and the floor were torn by the wind. Birds wove the tattered tales into their nests and sang the stories to their young. All the animals of the forest listened, and so the stories spread from the highest leaf to the deepest root. The stories had come home to the forest. International School of Madrid 3
And the boy? The boy who had far to go? He grew up and sailed the oceans of the world. When he grew too old to sail he lived in a wooden house by the sea and told his stories to his grandson, Jack. At night he slept in a sea of dreams. Then, one day, he told Jack of the night, long, long ago, when his boyhood room had filled with the night wind, and the door danced and a pencil stood on its point before it plunged into a pool of moonlight and disappeared. It was in your room, Jack. In your house in the city. When Jack got back to the city he rushed straight to his room. He lay down and peered into the cracks between the floorboards. He couldn t see anything. It was pitch black. International School of Madrid 4
- Jack straightened a wire coathanger and trawled up and down between the boards. He found several things of his own which he had lost and half forgotten. Then, finally, he hooked out an old pencil! He tried it on his note pad. It made a lovely soft line. Jack wrote a thank you for a lovely holiday letter to his Grandfather and added: P.S. I have found the pencil! His mother came and kissed him goodnight, and he went to sleep. The pencil lay on the paper. All was quiet. Scritch, scratch. The pencil began to write For many years I have lain in the dark. My companions have been a bent pin, an old gold coin and a whale bone button. Oh, the tales they told! The whale bone button remembered when it was part of a great whale and But that is another story. By Michael Foreman. Published by Andersen Press. International School of Madrid 5
2. Memories Practice questions A At the beginning of the story, what was the boy using the pencil for? B Who came to say goodnight to the boy? his father his friend his mother his grandfather Grandfather s Pencil 1 The house slept in the moonlight. What does this tell you about the setting? It was peaceful. It was long ago. It was far away. It was indoors. 2 Which words tell you the sound the pencil made when it first started to write? thick, thin smooth, rough slight breeze scratchy, scribbly 3 Why did the pencil live in a forest before it became a pencil? International School of Madrid 6
4 Why had the floorboards travelled further than any of the other things? 5 The wind blew into the room. Why was this important to what happened next? Tick 2 It blew the paper out of the window.... It blew the ships at sea.... It reminded the pencil of the shop.... It made the pencil fall on the floor.... It made the boy remember.... 6 Find and copy 3 words about how things moved in the wind....... 7 What did the boy do when he grew up? 8 Why did Jack write to his grandfather? Give 2 reasons. 1..... 2..... International School of Madrid 7
9 When does this story begin? in the future a year ago many years ago now 10 Why is the pencil important in this story? It helps the boy to write. It tells stories. It is the only one left. It is under the floor. 11 What is the main idea of the story? Everything has a story to tell. Everyone should be a sailor. Everything is made of wood. Pencils are the best presents. 12 Why would Journeys be a good, different title for this story? Explain as fully as you can. International School of Madrid 8
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4. The Midhampton Museum Your leaflet opens up. The page numbers are at the bottom. There is information on both sides of the leaflet. 1 What is this leaflet about? 2 What kind of things can you learn about at the museum? books and writing things in the past plants and animals things in the future 3 Write three activities which you can try at the museum. a)..... b)..... c)..... International School of Madrid 11
4 If you wanted to find out about food which month would you visit the museum?.. 5 Which of the events are free? Tick 3. Shop... Housework... Toys and Noise... Schools... Clothes... Now and Then... 6 After reading the leaflet: In which month would you most like to visit the museum?. Why do the events in that month interest you?...... 7 Why do you think the museum has a different event every month? 8 When can people visit the museum? Tick 3. Monday Christmas afternoons... Day... Wednesday Saturday mornings... afternoons... All day Friday Tuesday... afternoons... International School of Madrid 12
9 Why is the telephone number of the museum in bold? 10 What is the main purpose of the leaflet? It shows you what books are in the library. It tells you about far away places. It explains what happened yesterday. It encourages you to take part in the events at the museum. 11 Think about the things you have read in: Grandfather s pencil story The Midhampton Museum leaflet What is the same about them? International School of Madrid 13