Page 24 - BB_Textbook

8. Did your parents arrange for you a 100th Day Celebration? If you cannot remember, ask your older siblings, parents, and grandparents. Did you live up to the job (profession, calling, vocation) that they say you chose on that 100th Day, and does your personality resemble the meaning underlying the name given to you?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
One Grain of Rice
Now listen to the following fable, and follow along with the text below. Take notes. Ask yourself, “Do the ruler, the girl Rani, and the farmers live according to the attributes and values that you might expect of a leader, a village child, and a farmer?”
One Grain of Rice, Demi (New York, Scholastic Press, 1997). Shortened and adapted from the original.
Long ago in India, there lived a raja, who
ordered every farmer to give him most of
their rice. “I will store it,” this ruler said,
“so there will be food in time of famine.”
The rice collectors for the raja took nearly all that was grown. For years, the rice grew well. Storehouses were full. Yet the farmers had little to eat.
One year, there was famine. Farmers had no rice to
give. And no rice to eat. But the raja gave them nothing, explaining, “I do not know how long the famine will last. I cannot go hungry.”
Even as people starved, the raja ordered a feast for himself. As an elephant carrying two baskets of rice was led to the palace, some grains fell to the ground. A girl named Rani walked beside the elephant, caught the rice, and devised a plan. She approached a guard, “Here is rice that fell from the ruler’s basket.” Hearing this, the raja told her, “I will reward you, so ask for anything.”
Rani replied, “Although I deserve nothing, you may give me one grain of rice.”
“That is all?” the raja exclaimed, “Nothing more?”
“Very well,” she replied, “Today, give me one grain, and each day for thirty days give me double the rice as the day before.”
“You shall have it,” granted the raja, thinking “this is an honest but not very clever girl.” Turning to Rani, “Here is your one grain of rice for today.”
Rani returned the next day for two grains, and the next day for four ... on the ninth day for 256. So far, she had 511 grains of rice—a small handful. On the thirteenth day, Rani received 4,096 grains—a bowlful ... on the sixteenth, 32,768 grains—two bagfuls ... on the twentieth, sixteen bags ... on the twenty-first, 1,048,576 grains—a basketful. On the twenty-seventh day, 32 bulls delivered 64 baskets of rice ... on the twenty-ninth day, she received the content of two storehouses ... and on the thirtieth day, 256 elephants carried the contents of the last two storehouses—536,870,912 grains. She had received more than one billion grains of rice.
The raja, who had no more, asked Rani, “What will you do with this rice, now that I have none?” She replied, “I will feed the people, and save one basket for you, if you take only so much as you need.”
“I promise,” the raja said.
Behavior According to Place
Pair, Square, Share
Pair up with the person beside you—no more than two students working together. Discuss for five minutes the following three questions as a pair, and write down your answers. Then turn to another pair of students beside you, and take five minutes to compare and discuss your answers. Allow every member of the square (two pairs – 2 x 2) to contribute. Select one square member to record your conclusions. Then as a square, select a different member to be your spokesperson, who is to share briefly your findings with the class.
Describe the character of the raja. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Describe the character of the girl Rani. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
VOCABULARY
approached basketful billion bowlful bulls collectors devised elephant exclaimed famine feast full bag handful palace raja storehouses
24 CHAPTER 1 | IDENTITY
BENDING BAMBOO