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...
Once upon a time, in a magical land called Numeria, there was a kingdom where everything was counted and compared. The king loved to say, “There is as much magic in Numeria as in any other land!” But not everyone agreed. Some villagers whispered, “There isn’t as much gold in our treasury as in the neighboring kingdom, and there aren’t as many jewels in the crown as there used to be.”
In Numeria, the gardens were famous. There are as many roses in the royal garden as in the wild meadows, and there is as much fragrance in the air as in springtime. But the gardener, Mr. Moss, often complained, “There aren’t as many gardeners as we need, and there isn’t as much rain this year as last year. The flowers aren’t as bright as they were before.”
The royal kitchen was always busy. There is as much bread in the pantry as the baker can make, and there are as many pies on the table as there are guests at the feast. But sometimes, the cook sighed, “There isn’t as much sugar left as I thought, and there aren’t as many apples for the pies as last autumn.”
Princess Mira loved animals. She had as many kittens as her cousin in the next village, and there is as much laughter in her room as in the playground. But she noticed, “There aren’t as many birds singing in the morning as there were in the summer, and there isn’t as much sunlight in my window as I want.”
One day, Numeria prepared for the Great Festival. The king wanted the celebration to be as grand as possible. He declared, “There must be as much music in the square as at the last festival, and there should be as many lanterns as there are stars in the sky!” The villagers worked hard, but soon they realized, “There aren’t as many musicians as before, and there isn’t as much time to practice as we hoped. There aren’t as many lanterns as the king wants, and there isn’t as much paint for decorations as we need.”
Still, the children were excited. “There are as many games as ever!” they cheered. “There is as much fun at this festival as at any other!” But the oldest villager, Granny Willow, remembered, “There isn’t as much energy in my legs as when I was young, and there aren’t as many friends at the dance as in the old days.”
When night fell, the festival began. The square was bright, and there were as many smiles as there were candles. There was as much joy in the air as on the happiest day. The king smiled and said, “There is as much happiness in Numeria tonight as in any fairy tale.” Princess Mira agreed, “There are as many reasons to celebrate as there are stars above.”
But as the last song played, the villagers noticed, “There isn’t as much noise now as before, and there aren’t as many fireworks as last year.” Yet, everyone agreed, “There is as much love in Numeria as we could ever wish for, and there are as many dreams as there are hearts in this kingdom.”
From that day on, the people of Numeria learned that even if there isn’t as much gold, or as many jewels, or as much sunlight as they want, there is always as much wonder and hope as they need.
Key Structures Used (There is as much … as, There isn’t as much … as, There are as many … as, There aren’t as many … as):
- There is as much ... as
- There isn’t as much ... as
- There are as many ... as
- There aren’t as many ... as
With a variety of nouns and adjectives:
- as much magic, as much gold, as much fragrance, as much rain, as much bread, as much sugar, as much laughter, as much sunlight, as much music, as much time, as much paint, as much fun, as much energy, as much joy, as much happiness, as much noise, as much love, as much wonder, as much hope
- as many jewels, as many roses, as many gardeners, as many pies, as many apples, as many kittens, as many birds, as many lanterns, as many musicians, as many games, as many smiles, as many reasons, as many fireworks, as many dreams, as many hearts, as many friends