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...
In the magical Forest of Tomorrow, there lived a clever squirrel named Pip who always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Pip wished he were as brave as the fox who lived in the tallest tree, and he often said, “I wish I could see the future!” His best friend, Milla the mouse, had lived in the forest for many years. She had known Pip since he was a baby, and she always tried to help him when he got worried about things that hadn’t happened yet.
One sunny morning, Pip woke up and said, “Today I’m going to find out what will happen at the Great Gathering!” The Great Gathering was a festival which brought together every animal who lived in the forest. Pip was excited, but he was also nervous. He thought he would probably get lost, because there were going to be so many animals.
Milla said, “Don’t worry, Pip. If you get lost, I will find you. We must stick together!” She knew Pip had to learn to be brave. “You should bring a map with you,” she suggested. “You ought to write down the names of the animals who are going to be there.”
As they walked toward the festival, Pip asked, “Do you know where the rabbits are going to meet?” Milla replied, “Could you tell me what time the parade will start?” They saw the wise owl, who had lived in the forest for over a hundred years. “I have watched the Gathering since I was a young owl,” he said. “I have seen many animals come and go for generations.”
Suddenly, a loud voice called out, “Would you please help me carry these berries?” It was Benny the bear, who was going to make the biggest berry pie the forest had ever seen. Pip and Milla picked up the baskets. “All right, we will put them on the table,” said Pip, and he set the berries down.
As the festival began, the animals started to get excited. The fox, who was going to lead the games, shouted, “Everyone must listen to the rules! You have to follow the path marked with blue stones. You mustn’t run through the flower beds!” The hedgehog, who was in charge of the music, said, “You don’t have to play an instrument to join the band, but you need to clap your paws and tap your feet!”
Pip was a little scared. He thought he would just watch, but Milla said, “You should try the games. If you play, you will have fun!” Pip decided he was going to join the sack race. He lined up with the other animals, who were all much bigger than he was. “I wish I were taller,” he whispered. But he remembered what Milla had told him: “If you believe in yourself, you are going to surprise everyone!”
The race started. Pip jumped and bounced, and he didn’t fall over! He was going to win—until he tripped on a root. The fox ran over and said, “Don’t worry, Pip! You must get up and finish the race.” Pip stood up and finished with a big smile. The crowd cheered.
After the games, Pip noticed the sky was getting cloudy. “Do you think it will rain?” he asked Milla. “I think it will,” she said. “You had better put your hat on.” Just then, the owl flew down and said, “Would you mind helping me pick up these chairs before the rain starts?” Pip replied, “Of course, I will put them away!”
When the rain began, the animals ran to the big tent. “We have danced for hours since the sun came up,” said the hedgehog. “We have eaten berry pie for the last two hours!” laughed Benny the bear. Pip felt tired, but he was happy. He had made new friends, and he had learned that being brave isn’t about never being scared—it’s about trying, even when you are.
Later, as the rain stopped, Pip and Milla walked home. “I think tomorrow will be sunny,” said Milla. “What are you going to do if it is?” Pip smiled, “If it’s sunny, I’m going to climb the tallest tree and look at the whole forest!” Milla giggled, “If you do that, you will probably see me waving from below!”
Pip was sleepy, but he still had questions. “Could you tell me how often the Great Gathering happens?” he asked the owl as they passed his tree. The owl replied, “It has happened every year for as long as I can remember. I have watched it since I was a young owl.”
Back at home, Pip’s mother asked, “Did you get tired at the festival?” Pip nodded, “Yes, but I got happy, too. I learned that if you try new things, you will just get braver and braver.”
That night, as Pip fell asleep, he wished he were already at the next festival. But he knew he would have to wait, and that was okay. He had learned that the future is full of surprises, and if you do your best, good things are going to happen.
And in the magical Forest of Tomorrow, there is always another adventure waiting—if you are brave enough to look for it.
Key Structures Used:
- I wish / I wishes
were - Future with be going to and will (plans, predictions, questions)
- Modals of necessity and suggestion (must, have to, need to, musn’t, don’t have to, should, ought to, had better)
- Relative clauses (who, which, that, where)
- If-clauses (first conditional)
- Indirect questions (Do you know where…, Could you tell me what time…, etc.)
- Present perfect with since/for
- Phrasal verbs (pick up, put away, get up, set down, join in, etc.)
- Requests and polite responses (Would you please…, Would you mind…ing…)
- Get + adjective (get excited, get tired, get happy)
- Excuses with will and phrasal verbs (I’m sorry, I will put them away)