7-1 Five Fingers I
Diana's fingers worked hard every day, but today they got together for the first time to relax and share their stories. P
The Pinkie started off by introducing itself to the others. P
"Hello! I'm the youngest of the five fingers, and my name is Pinkie. P
Sometimes, because of my size, I'm also called the Little Finger. P
And I have a question. What's the name of the finger that is the farthest away from me?" P
The Thumb replied, "My name's Thumb. P
I'm short, but my trunk is the biggest of all of us, and some people don't think I'm a finger at all." P
The second finger asked Thumb, P
"Do you have a nickname?" P
Thumb replied, "Not really. But whenever Diana is happy, P
she lifts me up to show that everything is good." P
The other fingers nodded at Thumb. P
"So what about all of you? How about we start with the second finger now?" P
7-2 Five Fingers II
"Hey, guys. My name is Index. P
I guess I'm called that because I am used to pointing at things, or indicating them. P
I also work with Thumb to pick up small things." P
After Index's introduction, everyone looked toward the third finger. P
The third finger looked a little nervous. P
"Hi. I'm the middle finger. P
Being in the middle of the hand, I'm sometimes called the middle finger, and since I'm the longest finger, P
I'm also called the long finger. But I'm really very shy." P
"I guess it's my turn. I'm the fourth finger, but you guys can call me Ring, P
since people place their wedding rings on me." P
After all the introductions, Pinkie became sad and said, P
"Everyone has either a job to do or a cool nickname. P
I'm the only one who doesn't. Besides picking Diana's nose or ears, I have nothing else to do!" P
But Index said, "That's not true! You're the finger of promise. P
Whenever Diana makes a promise to a friend, she always hooks you to make the vow." P
And Pinkie laughed and said, "I'm glad we're a family!" P
7-3 World Cup
There are many soccer tournaments that the different countries of the world can participate in. P
The most famous soccer tournament is the World Cup. P
The World Cup began in Uruguay in 1930 and has taken place every 4 years since then. P
The World Cup is not a regular soccer tournament, P
so thousands of people through out the world pay attention to the news and watch it if they can. P
The World Cup is like a festival that brings together many people from around the world who enjoy the sport of soccer. P
During the games, there are also a large variety of cultural events taking place around the host country. P
Even people who are not soccer fans are very happy and celebrate when their country wins the World Cup. P
Some countries even turn the day into a national holiday. P
Korea co-hosted the 17th World Cup Soccer Tournament in 2002. P
We co-hosted it together with Japan. P
Many people from many different countries in the world visited to watch the games. P
Together, the people of our country worked to host the World Cup Soccer Tournament, P
and made it into an exciting world festival as well. P
7-4 Body Story I
A long time ago, God created the most beautiful animal in the world. P
It was white, with a round body, and soft fur. God named it Body. P
All the animals envied Body's beauty. P
Every time the animals looked at him enviously, Body thought, P
"God loves only me, which is why he made me so beautiful. P
He didn't care as much when he made all the other animals." P
He thought very highly of himself, and looked down on all the other animals. P
One day, a pig came to him and said, P
"Hello, Body! You look very beautiful today!" P
But Body looked at the pig and said bluntly, P
"I'm always beautiful. But your nose looks funny." P
"What is wrong with my nose?" P
"Your nose looks like a sliced cucumber. P
And your ears are broad and flat like a sesame leaf. And your tail looks like a pumpkin vine." P
Body laughed at his cleverness in making fun of the pig. P
But the pig burst into tears and scurried off to his home. P
7-5 Body Story II
One day, a squirrel spoke to Body. P
"Body, I want to be friends with you." P
Body looked down at the squirrel and said. P
"You're so small. You're small like a mushroom. P
Why don't you just go make friends with a mushroom." P
"But, I'm good at climbing trees. I could get you some acorns." P
"It would be embarrassing to be seen with a small animal like you! How could I do that?" P
The squirrel's feelings were hurt, and he scampered off to his home. P
After the squirrel left, Body met a deer and said, P
"Your antlers look like oddly shaped tree branches. P
I guess God fell asleep when he was making a tree, and made you by accident." P
"But, I can run very fast." P
"I can't be friends with an animal that looks like a tree." P
The deer blushed with shame, and ran off to his home. P
7-6 Body Story III
Since Body only made fun of every animal he met, no one wanted to talk to him anymore. P
And they wondered why God had chosen Body to be the only beautiful one. P
God was upset with Body for not appreciating the gift he had been given, and said, P
"I have only made your appearance beautiful. But you have made your heart ugly. P
From now on, every time you make fun of another animal, a handful of your beautiful fur will fall out." P
But Body didn't take the warning to heart. P
He just kept making fun of others until all of his fur fell off, and Body lost his beauty. P
Now the animals looked away when they saw Body coming, and never complimented him anymore. P
Only then did Body realize that no one cared about him without his beauty, P
so he went to God and begged him, crying, "God, I was wrong. P
I will never make fun of anyone ever again! Please make my lovely fur grow back again." P
7-7 Body Story IV
And God said to Bodeul. P
"I will do it. I will make one handful of fur grow back for each new animal friend you make. P
But for every animal that refuses your friendship, I will make your body a little longer." P
From that day on, Boduel was constantly looking for animals to make friends with. P
First, he met a pig. P
"Pig, I want to make friends with you." P
The pig recognized Boduel and said "My nose, ears and even my tail are ugly. P
How can I be friends with such a beautiful animal as yourself?" P
As the pig refused him, the round body of Bodeul stretched a little longer. P
Bodeul then asked the squirrel if he wanted to be friends with him. P
7-8 Body Story V
But the squirrel said, P
"A beautiful animal such as yourself would be embarrassed to be seen with such a small animal like me. P
Anyways, I'm already friends with the mushroom you so kindly suggested." P
As the squirrel said this, Body's body stretched a little longer. P
Body then tried to ask the deer. P
But the deer refused his friendship, too, and he stretched a little more. P
He searched the entire forest, but there were no animals that wanted to be friends with him. P
And all the while, Body's body stretched longer and longer until his legs could not be seen. P
Body truly regretted being so mean, but it was too little too late, and no one would accept Body's apology. P
And since that day, no one calls him 'Body' anymore. P
Instead, they call him 'Snake.' P
7-9 Gary and Adam I
The scorching summer had passed and it was now fall. P
One morning, Gary came to Adam's house to play. P
There were huge persimmon trees in Adam's yard. P
Large, ripe persimmons hung from the tree's branches, P
which extended as far as the house next door. P
"Wow! Those persimmons look good!" P
Gary said as he pointed to the persimmons on the other side of the neighbor's fence. P
Adam knew what Gary was thinking, and called the gardener. P
But the gardener told him that he could not pick the persimmons from the branches behind the fence. P
The gardener at the house next door insists that since the branches are on their side of the fence, P
they belong to them, and he won't let us pick the persimmons on that side. P
7-10 Gary and Adam II
"That doesn't make sense at all." P
Adam said in disbelief. P
"How can they think such a thing? P
Even if the branches do grow over the fence, the tree belongs to us." P
"I agree. Who is your neighbor?" P
"Mr. Cartwright." P
Adam's next-door neighbor was Mr. Cartwright, P
and important and well-respected man in the community. P
Mr. Cartwright was known to be a very wise man, P
but the people who worked in his house were proud and often rude to the people who worked at Adam's house. P
"Can you think of any way we can get those persimmons?" P
Adam and Gary fell deep into thought. P
7-11 Gary and Adam III
All of a sudden, Gary shouted,"I have it!" P
"Really? What is it?" P
When Adam heard Gary's plan, he smiled and nodded his head. P
And Adam and Gary went to visit Mr. Cartwright right away. P
The two boys were led into the house by Mr. Cartwright's butler, and waited at the door of his study. P
Mr. Cartwright's house was a traditional Korean house with sliding paper doors and walls, P
so he could hear the boys outside his study. P
"Please, come in," said Mr. Cartwright. P
And Adam replied, "Sir, please pardon my rudeness." P
And he punched his arm right through the paper door. P
Mr. Cartwright, who had been quietly reading a book, was startled at the sight. P
7-12 Gary and Adam IV
"Whose arm is that? What is the meaning of this?" P
"I am Adam, sir, the boy from next door." P
"Next door, eh? Well, what is the meaning of this? P
Shoving your arm through my door and ruining it?" P
Adam did not remove his arm, but apologized and said, P
"Sir, whose arm is this that you see?" P
"Yours, of course! Whom else should it belong to?" P
"But is it still mine now that it is in your room?" P
"True, it is in my room, but it remains your arm because it is attached to your body." P
Mr. Cartwright began to wonder what all these strange questions were about. P
"Please, sir. Allow me to ask you one more question. P
To whom do those branches that stretch from the other side of the fence belong?" P
7-13 Gary and Adam V
Mr. Cartwright immediately understood what the boy was attempting to prove, and replied honestly, P
"Why, they are yours." P
"Even though the branches have crossed over to your yard?" P
"But aren't the roots of the tree planted in your yard?" P
"Why is it then, sir, that your gardener has forbidden our gardener from picking our own persimmons?" P
"I see that my gardener has not been very wise. P
He will no longer be a problem to you now." P
And that is how Adam and Gary were finally able to enjoy their well-ripened persimmons. P
7-14 Mickey and His Teacher I
Mickey did not come to school today. It is now the third time in a row that he has been absent. P
The teacher began to wonder why Mickey, who was always very quiet, didn't get along well with others. P
You see, Mickey's father had passed away when he was little. P
So Mickey's mother runs a business to support them. P
Mickey's family doesn't have a phone, so his teacher couldn't call him to find out what was wrong. P
The teacher looked worriedly at Mickey's empty seat. P
Right then, the vice principal came in to the classroom. P
"You have a student named Mickey Corcoran, right? There was a call just now. P
It seems that Mickey tried to get on the train without a ticket, P
and he is being held by the train conductor until he can be released to a responsible adult." P
So the teacher went straight to the train station to pick him up. P
7-15 Mickey and His Teacher II
Mickey took one look at the teacher, and hung his head to cry. P
Worried, the teacher asked, "Where were you headed, Mickey?" P
"Just……….I…. Wanted……..to…….ride…….. A train." P
Without saying a word, the teacher hugged Mickey. P
As time passed, Mickey continued to miss school on a regular basis. P
And each time he was missing, the teacher would bring him back from where he had run away to. P
Finally, the teacher had a meeting with Mickey's mother. P
She asked the teacher to keep an eye on Mickey for her, P
since she had to run their business all day long, P
and didn't have the time to watch out for him herself. P
After this, the teacher paid even more attention to Mickey, P
and made sure that he was always looked after. P
Soon it was time for summer vacation, and Mickey's mother came to visit the teacher. P
At first she found it hard to speak, and then she said, P
"You have always been there for Mickey, and I am very grateful for that. P
But I am worried that when vacation comes, he won't have your good guidance anymore, and…" P
Mickey's mother couldn't continue, and the teacher remained quiet for a moment. P
He had grown close to Mickey during the school year, P
and it didn't feel right to ignore him just because vacation time had come. P
'Yes!" he said, "I will take Mickey with me to the country!" P
And as soon as vacation began, the teacher took Mickey to his parents' house in the country. P
The teacher's parents welcomed Mickey with joy. P
"You're welcome in our home, Mickey! Please, come in!" P
7-16 Mickey and His Teacher III
From the very first day, Mickey helped his teacher work in the fields for his parents. P
He watered the watermelon patch and pulled weeds in the vegetable garden. P
He played with the water from the stream and sometimes swam there, too. P
He listened to the sounds of the cicada, and took long, cool naps in the melon fields. P
Time passed, and summer came to an end. It was time for Mickey to go back to school. P
But Mickey had become attached to living in the country and didn't want to leave. P
The teacher's grandmother then said, "Mickey, I hope you will come back to visit us again next summer. P
We have had so much fun with you here! P
And, of course, I'll have to give you something for all your hard work!" P
So the teacher's grandmother gave him two melons for his wages. P
"One for you, and one for your mother." P
7-17 Mickey and His Teacher IV
Tears formed in Mickey's eyes. P
When Mickey returned home from the country, he began helping his mother with her work every day. P
Even though his mother insisted he didn't need to help her, he volunteered his time to take her cart out and help set it up. P
It made his mother very happy to see that her son had changed for the better, and she wiped away tears of joy as she pushed her cart to market. P
When school started again, Mickey was on time everyday and was never absent. P
Each day he came to school smiling, and made more friends than ever before with his new, confident attitude. P
The teacher smiled at Mickey with pride. P
7-18 The Foxtails I
High up in the mountains, it began to rain hard. P
The rain drenched the foxtails that were growing high on the mountainside. P
It began to rain harder, and the soil became so heavy with rain, P
that it broke free and began to slide away down the mountainside. P
As the mudslides slid by, the thin roots of the foxtails became exposed. P
The foxtails tried their best to hold on to the soil that was left, P
but some lost their grip and were swept away by the rain. P
Soon, the rain stopped. P
As the clouds began to part and the sun came into view, P
the young foxtails that were not swept away lifted their heads and looked around them. P
They all looked around trying to find their friends. P
One of them said, "Two friends have been swept away by the rain… P
I hope another storm won't come our way again." P
But each time a storm came by, the weak foxtails were washed away, one by one, from the mountain. P
7-19 The Foxtails II
After one storm, one of the foxtails cried, "Only a tiny bit of soil is left to hold my roots." P
And they all were sad about the friends who had been swept away by the rain this time. P
Suddenly, the soil spoke up and said P
"I want to cover your roots firmly, really I do! P
But I can't seem to hold myself together! P
Is it possible that you could try taking root more deeply? P
That might help keep me in one place, too!" P
"Okay, we'll try that. Thank you for the excellent idea." P
Young foxtails were tired from the storm, P
but they diligently tried to take root more deeply into the ground. P
Then, one foxtail's roots came in contact with something! P
It was the roots of the foxtail right next to him. P
"Let us hold onto each other's roots. P
Then, even if the rain should fall, P
we won't be swept away as easily as long as we hold each other tight." P
7-20 The Foxtails III
The other foxtail said, "Yeah! That sounds like a great idea." P
So every foxtail paired up with another, and they held each other's roots very tight. P
The night passed, and it was morning. P
As the foxtails looked up, the sky became dark with thunder and lighting, P
which meant a storm was on its way. P
Soon, heavy rain was falling on the mountainside. P
The storm roared while thunder and lightning boomed and flashed overhead. P
But the foxtails held each other tight, wouldn't budge a bit. P
And despite the storm and the rain and the wind, not one foxtail was swept away. P