STORY ABOUT RED

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rosaura. One day, she was hiding
from her mother and father. It was her favourite game. She crouched quietly, listening to the
faint sound of her mother's voice. All Rosaura could see were the swaying green stalks of the
corn. They rustled above her head where the sky stretched clear and blue. Suddenly, a bright
yellow butterfly darted by. Rosaura jumped up to chase the butterfly, forgetting all about her
hiding game.
"Rosaura! There you are," called her mother. "It's time for lunch." It was dark and cool in the
cottage where Rosaura lived with her parents. Rosaura ate her meal quickly. She wanted to
go back into the sunshine to play. As soon as she had finished her food she slipped
down from her chair. "Rosaura, where are you going?" called her mother.
She caught a glimpse of Rosaura's red ribbon disappearing around the door. But Rosaura was
already through the gate, and heading for the fields. "Rosaura! Rosaura!"
Was that the sound of her mother calling, or the wind whispering in the corn? Rosaura was
not sure. All day long through the hot summers she loved to run in the fields. Her feet were
scratched and her toes bruised on stones as she chased after the mice hiding in the corn stalks.
Her skin was brown as a nut from the sun. In her tangled black hair, her red ribbon fluttered.
The afternoon stretched out long and hot. As the sun reached the far side of the field,
Rosaura's father walked back to the cottage. His eyes scanned the fields for Rosaura's red
ribbon. But it was nowhere to be seen. "Hasn't Rosaura come back yet?" asked her father as
he came through the door. "Not yet," said her mother, "I'm sure she'll be back soon."
But the supper was ready and still there was no sign of Rosaura. Now the sun had set, casting
a red glow over the fields. Rosaura's mother and father stood at the door of their cottage,
staring over the field, looking for the red ribbon.
"Rosaura! Rosaura!"
Soon the shadows were deep blue in the yard. It was too dark to see the red ribbon now.
Rosaura's parents began to walk and call for her in the field. As night fell, they fetched lamp
that lit up patches of corn and grass and startled the sleeping mice. But they could find no red
ribbon. Rosaura's parents called and called all through the night. In the dawn, they stood
alone and sad amongst the corn. The red morning sun lit up their tired faces.
"Look!" cried Rosaura's mother suddenly. "There she is!"
They began to run towards the red ribbon that she had spotted among the corn. But oh! It
wasn't Rosaura's ribbon at all, but the red petals of a flower.
Rosaura's mother and father had never seen such a flower before. Her father looked away in
disappointment.
"I see her!" he cried. And again they ran towards the dear red ribbon. But it was another red
flower. As the sun came up bright and strong, Rosaura's mother and father looked around the
field. It was filled with red flowers swaying and fluttering in the tall grass. Rosaura's mother
and father felt so sad. "Rosaura won't be coming home anymore," said her mother. "She was
always happier in the fields."
"But the spirits have left us these flowers to remind us of her," said Rosaura's father.
"They will stay with us!"
Every year, when the corn ripened and the evenings grew long, Rosaura's parents stood at the
edge of the fields and watched the red flowers dancing under the sun. And that, say the
Indians, is how the red poppy came to be.
Answer the Following Questions!

1. Who is the main character of the story?

2. What was Rosaura's favourite game?
3. Why did Rosaura eat her meal quickly?
4. Did Rosaura come back home when the supper was ready?
5. Could Rosaura's mother and father find her?Why?
6. Why did Rosaura's mother think that the petals of the flower were her ribbon?
7. Why did Rosaura's mother think that Rosaura wouldn't be coming home anymore?
8. What did Rosaura's father say about the red flowers filled the field?
9. What do Indians say about the story?
10. What is the moral value of the story?
 The Legend of Laut Tawar Lake

A long time ago, there was a kingdom in Takengon, Nangroe Aceh Darussalam. The
king and the queen had a beautiful princess. Her name was Princess Pukes. She was single.
The king and the queen wanted her to get married soon. However they did not know that their
daughter already had a boyfriend. The princess did not tell his parents because they did not
approve their relationships. The princess really loved her boyfriend. They did not want to
separate. Therefore they secretly got married. Soon the king found out their marriage. The
king was really angry. He asked the soldiers to lock her in her room. The princess could not
meet her husband. She was locked for many days. Meanwhile her husband always waited for
her. The princess tried to escape. But she always failed. And finally she succeeded! She
jumped through the window and ran towards the palace garden. Unfortunately, she was
caught! The soldiers immediately brought her to the king. The king was so angry. “You really
make me angry! You are truly ungrateful daughter. If you want to leave this place, leave
now! You can meet your husband. But remember on the way you go, don’t look back.
Something bad will happen to you if you look back,” cursed the king. Princess Pukes was
sad. She was really confused. She had to choose between her parents and her husband. She
loved her husband and she did not want to be apart from him.
Sadly, she walked and left the palace. Some soldiers followed her. The king asked
them to guard her. While she was walking, Princess Pukes heard her mother crying. Princess
Pukes wanted to see her mother for the very last time. But she remembered her father’s
message, not to look back or something bad would happen to her. She could not hold it
anymore. She desperately wanted to see her mother. Then she looked back. Surprisingly,
thunder attacked the kingdom. It was a very bright day, but suddenly rain fell heavily. The
guards asked the princess to go to a cave. The rain was so heavy. The guards did not want the
princess to be wet. Later the princess went inside the cave. She was standing in the corner of
the cave. And after the rain stopped, the guards asked the princess to continue walking. They
called out the princess to go out. “My princess, let’s go now. The rain has stopped. We can
continue walking,” asked the guards. But the princess did not respond. Again, the guards
asked her to go out. But still the princess did not respond. The guards were so curious. They
went inside the cave. They were surprised. The princess had changed into a stone.
Meanwhile, the heavy rain had created a new lake. The lake was so big and the people named
it as LautTawar Lake. People also can still find the stone of Princess Pukes. The local
people say that when someone visits the stone and feels sad about the story of the princess,
the stone will also cry.
Answer the questions below with correct answer!
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
2. How many characters can you find in the text? Who are they?
3. Where did the story happen?
4. Why did the king get so angry to the princess?
5. Did the king say something to the princess?
6. How did the princess feel when she heard her mother was crying?
7. Do you thing the princess can be united with her husband?
8. What can you learn from the text?
9. How was the Laut Tawar Lake created?
10. Do you think LautTawar Lake is one of the most famous tourism resorts in Aceh?