The Beginning: A Wish for Freedom Once upon a time, in the land of Egypt, there lived a boy named Moises who wished he were free like the birds that flew over the river. He often said, “I wish my people would leave this place and find a land where there is as much peace as we dream of.” Moises had lived in Egypt for many years, and he had watched his family and friends work hard every day since he was a child. He wished the king would let them go, but he knew it would not be easy. Moises was going to speak to the Pharaoh, who was the king that ruled Egypt. He thought, “Maybe Pharaoh will listen if I tell him how much we need to leave.” His sister, Miriam, said, “You must be brave, Moises. You have to tell him the truth. You shouldn’t be afraid.” Moises nodded, “You’re right. I will just trust in God and do what I must.” The Call and the First Signs One day, while Moises was watching his sheep, he saw a bush that was burning but did not burn up. He wondered, “Could you tell me why t...
The Beginning: A Wish for Freedom
Once upon a time, in the land of Egypt, there lived a boy named Moises who wished he were free like the birds that flew over the river. He often said, “I wish my people would leave this place and find a land where there is as much peace as we dream of.” Moises had lived in Egypt for many years, and he had watched his family and friends work hard every day since he was a child. He wished the king would let them go, but he knew it would not be easy.
Moises was going to speak to the Pharaoh, who was the king that ruled Egypt. He thought, “Maybe Pharaoh will listen if I tell him how much we need to leave.” His sister, Miriam, said, “You must be brave, Moises. You have to tell him the truth. You shouldn’t be afraid.” Moises nodded, “You’re right. I will just trust in God and do what I must.”
The Call and the First Signs
One day, while Moises was watching his sheep, he saw a bush that was burning but did not burn up. He wondered, “Could you tell me why this bush does not burn?” Suddenly, he heard a voice that said, “Moises, you must go to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go.” Moises replied, “I wish I were strong enough, but I will go if you help me.”
Moises went to Pharaoh’s palace, which was bigger than any house he had ever seen. “Do you know what time Pharaoh will see me?” he asked the guards. “You have to wait,” they answered. When he finally met Pharaoh, Moises said, “You must let my people go. If you do not, there will be troubles in your land.” Pharaoh replied, “You shouldn’t make such demands. You mustn’t think I will just say yes.”
The Plagues and the Exodus
Pharaoh would not listen, so many strange things began to happen. There wasn’t enough clean water, and there were as many frogs as there were stars in the sky. There were as many flies as grains of sand, and the people got tired of the troubles. Moises said, “If you let us go, these troubles will stop.” But Pharaoh said no.
Moises prayed, “I wish Pharaoh would change his mind.” Miriam said, “We have waited for freedom for years. We must not give up.” After many days, Pharaoh finally said, “You may go, but you must leave quickly.” Moises gathered everyone and said, “You must pack your things. You have to take only what you need. You shouldn’t bring too much.”
The Journey Begins
The people of Israel left Egypt at night. Moises said, “If we follow the path, we will reach the promised land.” The children asked, “Do you know where we are going to sleep tonight?” Moises replied, “We are going to camp by the sea. You mustn’t wander off. You should stay close to your families.”
As they walked, they got tired. “I wish we had more food,” some said. “We have walked for days since we left Egypt,” others replied. Moises encouraged them, “If you trust in God, you will see miracles.” Suddenly, they saw the sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind. The people got scared. “What are we going to do?” they cried.
The Miracle at the Sea
Moises said, “You must not be afraid. If you trust, you will see the way.” He raised his staff, and the sea opened. “You have to walk quickly. You mustn’t stop!” Moises shouted. The people crossed safely, and when Pharaoh’s army tried to follow, the sea closed again. “We are safe!” everyone cheered. “We have seen wonders we will remember for years.”
The Desert and the Lessons
In the desert, there wasn’t enough water, and there weren’t as many trees as in Egypt. The people said, “We wish we had stayed in Egypt. At least there was enough bread.” Moises replied, “You must not lose hope. If you are patient, you will see blessings.” Soon, there was as much bread as they needed, and there was as much water as they could drink.
Sometimes, the people got bored and tired. “We have walked for weeks since we left Egypt,” they complained. “You shouldn’t complain,” Moises said. “You must remember why we left.” Miriam reminded them, “If you help each other, you will get stronger.”
The Mountain of Laws
One day, Moises climbed a mountain that was higher than any he had seen. He wished he could see the promised land from the top. There, God gave him rules which the people must follow. “You must not steal. You have to respect your parents. You shouldn’t hurt others. You must love your neighbor.” Moises brought the rules down and said, “If you follow these, you will live in peace.”
The people listened. “We have learned so much since we left Egypt,” they said. “We will try to do what is right.”
The Promise Fulfilled
After many years, the people reached a land that was greener than any place they had seen. “Is this the promised land?” they asked. Moises smiled, “Yes, you have arrived. You must remember everything you have learned. You should teach your children to be kind and brave.”
Miriam said, “We have waited for this day for so long. If we take care of this land, we will be happy here.” The people built homes and planted gardens. There was as much joy as there were stars in the sky.
The Wisdom of Moises
Before he rested, Moises called the people and said, “I wish you will always remember this journey. If you ever get lost, you must look for the right path. If you help each other, you will never be alone. You have to trust in what is good.”
And so, the story of Moises and the journey to the promised land was told for generations. The children of Greenhill learned that if you are brave, if you help others, and if you follow your heart, you will find your own promised land.
Key Structures Used:
- I wish / wishes (I wish I were, I wish Pharaoh would…)
- Future with be going to / will (We are going to camp, You will see…)
- Modals for necessity and suggestion (must, have to, need to, should, ought to, had better, mustn’t, don’t have to)
- Relative clauses (who, which, that, where)
- If-clauses (If you trust, you will see…)
- Indirect questions (Do you know where…? Could you tell me why…?)
- Present perfect with since/for (have waited for years, have walked for days since…)
- Phrasal verbs (give up, pack up, bring back, get tired, look for, help out, wander off)
- Requests and polite responses (Would you mind…? Please, help me…)
- Get + adjective (get tired, get scared, get stronger)
- Excuses with will and phrasal verbs (I’m sorry, I will bring it back…)