Ups and Downs
Level 8
MacMillan series R
The stories in the book Ups and Downs have good English words and sentences for learning and practicing speaking and reading in English.
Learning English from children’s books can be easier and more useful for practicing everyday words, sentences and conversations in English.
Please practice:
- Read each story out loud, using good expression.
- Read each story out loud again and again, until it is very easy for you to read all of the words.
- Reading these stories out loud, again and again, will help you learn to use these words and sentences and sentence patterns when you are talking in English.
Link to printable, pdf typed up copy of the entire book: Typed copies of stories in Ups and Downs, Level 8
Stories in Ups and Downs, Level 8:
▸ Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse page 6
▸ A Surprise for Grandma page 24
▸ John’s Bad Morning page 40
▸ Silly Sam page 56
▸ Rosa and Her Shadow page 74
▸ The Donkey Knows page 84
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Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Page 6
(Story #1 in Ups and Downs, Level 8)
Call me Joe. (the bear)
Call me Sam. (the mouse)
Where are you going, Joe?
Where are you going, Sam?
(Joe, the bear, says) I am looking for a place to live.
(Sam, the mouse, says ) I am looking for a place to live, too.
Then we can live together!
(Joe, the bear, says) I like to live in a big house.
(Sam, the mouse, says) I like to live in a little house.
Then we can’t live together.
Boo-hoo. Boo-hoo.
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What Do You Like to Do? (Part 2 of Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
(Sam, the mouse, says) Do you like to play ball?
(Joe, the bear, says) Yes, I love to play ball.
Then we can play ball together.
(Joe, the bear, says) I like to play football.
(Sam, the mouse, says) I like to play baseball.
Do you like to ride a bike?
Yes, I love to ride a bike.
Then we can ride a bike together.
(Joe, the bear, says) I like to ride slow.
(Sam, the mouse, says) I like to ride fast.
Then we can’t ride a bike together.
Good bye, Sam.
Boo-hoo. Good by, Joe. Good by.
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Let’s Be Friends (Part 3 of Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse )
Where are you going, Sam?
Where are you going, Joe?
It is three o’clock. (says Joe, the bear )
I am going to eat ice cream.
Every day at three o’clock, I eat ice cream.
I am going to each ice cream, too. (says Sam, the mouse )
Everyday at three o’clock I eat ice cream.
What kind of ice cream to you eat, Sam? (says Joe the bear )
(Sam says) All kinds of ice cream. What kinds of ice cream do you eat, Joe?
I eat all kinds of ice cream, too!
Then we can eat ice cream together!
( Sam the mouse says ) You will live in a big house.
I will live in a little house.
You will play football and ride slow.
I will play baseball and ride fast.
But every day at three o’clock…. Yes, every day at three o’clock… we will eat ice cream together!
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~ The End ~
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A Surprise for Grandma Page 24
(story # 2 in Ups and Downs, Level 8)
“We will be gone for two days,” said Mother. “Grandma will take care of you girls. And she will take care of the house.”
“What can we do?” asked Myra and Minna.
“You can be good girls,” said Father. “And you can have fun. You can play and ride your bikes. Grandma will take care of things.”
The family said good-by. Then Mother and Father were gone.
Grandma said to the girls, “I like fun, too! Minna, you take your red bike. Myra, you take your green bike. I will take the old bike with no paint on it. Let’s ride in the woods.”
In the woods, Grandma said, “I have a ball with me. Let’s play ball and have some fun.”
The two girls player ball in the woods with Grandma.
“Grandma likes to play ball,” said Minna.
“And it is fun to play with her,” said Myra.
Then Grandma said, “It looks like rain.”
“I love to run in the rain,” said Minna.
“So do I,” said Myra.
“Me, too,” said Grandma. “Let’s run!”
The Girls Take Care of Things (Part 2 of A Surprise for Grandma, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
In the morning, Grandma said, “I have a cold this morning. You girls go out and have fun. I will sit in the house. That will help my cold.”
Minna and Myra were going out to play.
But Minna said, “Grandma wants to take care of her cold. Who will take care of things in the house?”
Then Minna looked at Myra. And Myra look at Minna.
“We will,” said the girls.
“What can we do to help?” asked Myra.
“Grandma will want to eat lunch,” said Minna. “So we can be the cooks this morning! Come on. I’ll find a pot to cook lunch in.”
“And I’ll find things to cook,” said Myra.
“Look! I found a fish,” said Myra. “And here are two eggs,”
“Fish and eggs go into the pot,” said Minna.
“And here is a can of soup,” said Myra.
“Into the pot!” said Minna.
“Fish and eggs and soup,” said Minna. “Let’s find one other thing to cook.”
Myra looked and looks. And then she said, “I know! Ice cream! I love ice cream.”
“Ice cream into the pot!” said Minna.
“Fish and eggs and soup for lunch,” said Minna.
“And ice cream!” said Myra.
Grandma looked at her lunch and she laughed. “This is a surprise!” she said.
Mother and Father Come Home (Part 3 of a Surprise for Grandma)
Minna, Myra and Grandma were playing ball again when a car drove up.
“Mother! Father!”
“I didn’t think you liked to play ball,” said Father to Grandma.
“But I do,” said Grandma. “And I love playing with the girls. But Minna and Myra were a big help to me , too. Tell what you did today, girls.”
“Grandma wanted to take care of her cold today,” said Minna. “So Myra and I gave her lunch. I think Grandma liked her lunch. When she saw it, she laughed and laughed.”
“What did you cook for Grandma?” asked Mother.
“We cooked something good,” said Myra. “When you have a cold, we will cook something good for you.”
“I think I’ll like that,” said Mother.
Grandma and the girls laughed.
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~ The End ~
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John’s Bad Morning Page 40
( Story # 3 in Ups and Downs, Level 8 )
It was a bad morning for John. He looked at his frog, and he looked at his things. There were his crayons. There were his paints. And there was his boat. But he was not happy and his things didn’t help.
His mother looked at John. “You don’t look happy to me,” she said. “Why don’t you play with your crayons or your paints?”
“I don’t want to. That’s why!” said John.
“Then why not take your frog and go find Liza?” said his mother.
“No!” said John. “Liza ran when she saw my frog this morning. She said she didn’t like it.”
“This is a bad morning for you,” said his mother. “Why don’t you….”
But John didn’t wait. He ran out of the house with his things. And then- he threw his boat into the garbage can!
Liza was there and she saw what John did. “Don’t do that, John! I love that red boat!” said Liza.
“I can do what I like with my things,” said John. “Look.”
He threw his paints into the garbage can. He threw his crayons in, to. Then he laughed.
“That’s not funny, John!” she said.
“I think it is,” said John. “Go home, Liza, or you will go into the garbage can, too.”
Liza wanted to play with John. But she saw that it was a bad morning for. So she went home. And John ran to the park.
John’s Afternoon (Part 2 of John’s Bad Morning, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
John ran into the park. He thought of the morning. He thought of the things he threw out. He thought of Liza. He saw two little boys with a big box.
“Let’s break it,” said one boy.
“Yes, let’s break it,” said the other boy.
John ran to the box. “Don’t break that box. We can make a house out of it, said John. “Help me take it home.”
John went home with the boys and the box.
In the afternoon, John looked in the garbage can. There were his paints and his crayons.
“I’ll paint the house” John said. “And you can make the windows”
“Let’s make big windows,” said the two little boys.
Mother saw the house. “I love the windows!” she said. “I’ll make you a doorway. Then you can go in”
When there was a doorway, the boys went into the box. And so did John’s frog.
Then a girl looked in at the doorway. It was Liza.
“You can’t come in,” said John. “My frog is in here with me. And you don’t like it.”
“John, I have your boat,” said Liza. “And I have a fly for your frog, too. But you can’t have your boat or the fly if I can’t come in.”
John looked at his frog, and he looked at Liza. Then he said, “Come in, Liza. Come in.”
It was a bad morning.
But it was a good afternoon.
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~ The End ~
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Silly Sam Page 56
(Story # 4 in Ups and Downs, Level 8)
Silly Sam was going to a party. It was a party for Alice. He put on his shoes. He put on his hat. He put on his coat. And he went to the party.
Silly Sam went by a man with a fish.
“I am going to a party for Alice,” said Silly Sam. “Do you know what present I can give her? She has books and hats and balls and crayons. She has all kinds of things to play with. What present can I give her?”
“Does she have a fish that can jump up and down?” asked the man.
“ No,” said Silly Sam.
“I will give you a fish that can jump up and down,” said the man. “Stop by the lake and put in the fish. He will jump up and down. But you have to give me your shoes.”
Silly Sam wanted a present for Alice. So he gave the man his shoes.
Silly Sam went by the lake. “I will stop and put in the fish,” said Silly Sam. “I want to see it jump up and down.”
Silly Sam put in the fish. “Jump!” he said.
But the fish did not jump. Sam looked and the fish was gone. “Stop!” called Silly Sam. But the fish did not stop.
“What will I do?” said Silly Same. “Alice has all kinds of things to play with. I have no present for her. And I have no shoes.”
The Fly That Was Not There (Part 2 of Silly Sam, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
Silly Sam went on his way. He saw a boy with a box.
“I will stop and ask this boy if he can help me,” said Silly Sam.
“I am on my way to a party for Alice,’ said Silly Sam. “Do you know what present I can give her? She has books and hats and crayons. She has all kinds of things to play with.
“Does she have a fly that no one can see?” asked the boy.
“No,” said Silly Sam.
“I will give you a fly that no one can see,” said the boy. “But you have to give me your hat.”
Silly Sam wanted a present for Alice. So he gave the boy his hat. Silly Sam wanted to see the fly. So he looked in the box. But he didn’t see a fly. He looked and looked. But there was no fly in the box.
“What will I do?” said Silly Sam. “I have no present for Alice. I have no shoes and I have no hat.”
Silly Sam went on his way.
Good-by Bird (Part 3, Silly Sam, Ups and Downs, Level 8 )
Silly Sam saw a little girl with a gold cage. There was a gold bird in the cage.
“I am on my way to a party for Alice,” said Silly Sam. “Do you know what present I can give her? She has books and hats and balls and crayons. She has all kinds of things to play with.”
“Does she have a bird that can fly very high?” asked the little girl.
“No,” said Silly Sam.
“I will give you a bird that can fly very high. But you have to give me your coat.”
Silly Sam wanted a present for Alice. So he gave the girl his coat.
Silly Sam wanted to see the bird fly very high. So he looked in the gold cage. And the bird flew out. It flew up high. It flew up very high. It flew away.
“What will I do?” said Silly Sam. “I have no present for Alice. The fish did not jump up and down. There was no fly in the box. The bird flew away. And I gave away my shoes, my hat and my coat.”
At the Party (Part 4, Silly Sam, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
Silly Sam was very sad. He looked back at the cage. Then he looked back again. And he saw the little gold egg.
“I will go to the party,” said Silly Sam. “And I will give Alice this egg. I have no other present to give her.”
The girls and boys at the party laughed at Silly Sam. There he was without shoes, without a hat, and without a coat on his back. And the boys and girls laughed at his little present, too.
But Alice looked at the egg. And, as she looked, it cracked. And then it cracked a little more. And then it cracked a little more.
There in the egg was a little gold bird. It was a little gold bird for Alice.
“A gold bird!” said Alice. “I love my present, Sam. I do!”
Silly Sam had no shoes. He had no hat. And he had no coat. But he didn’t care. He had a happy friend.
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The End
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Rosa and Her Shadow
Page 74 (Story #5, Ups and Downs, Level 8)
When Rosa goes out to play, she is not alone. Her shadow is there. She can’t go out without it. Or can she?
She puts on her hat and goes out. Rosa is quiet, very quiet. She thinks she is alone. Then she looks back. And what does she see? Her shadow! She was so quiet, too.
Rosa takes her time as she walks. And her shadow takes its time, too. Then she sees her friends and she runs. And her shadow runs to be there with her.
When Rosa goes home to eat, she is not alone. Her shadow is there all the time.
What if Rosa wants to be alone? She can’t put her shadow in a box. And she can’t give it away. How do you say good-by to a shadow?
DO YOU KNOW?
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The End
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The Donkey Knows Page 84
( Story #6, Ups and Downs, Level 8 )
In this play:
Donkey
Donkey Man
Walking Man
Time: Day
Place: Country road (Walking man is walking down the road. Donkey Man rides down the road on his donkey)
Walking Man:This is a hot day. It is too hot to walk. (He sees Donkey Man on his Donkey) Will you give me a ride? I will give you money.
Donkey Man: Yes! Give me your money.
Walking Man: Here you are. (He gives Donkey Man money and he jumps on Donkey.)
Donkey Man: How hot it is! I think I will stop for water.
Donkey: (to himself) Will they think of me?
(Walking Man and Donkey Man stop for water. They don’t give water to Donkey.)
Walking Man: I think I will sit down.
Donkey: (to himself) Can’t I sit down, too?
Walking Man: It is so hot! I think I will sit in the shadow of the donkey.
Donkey Man: No, you don’t! There is a place for one man here. It is my donkey. I think I will sit in his shadow.
Walking Man: I gave you money. I will sit there! (He sits down in the shadow of Donkey. )
Donkey: (to himself) I am hot, but they didn’t give me water.
Donkey Man: You gave me money to ride my donkey. You didn’t give me money to sit in his shadow. I will sit there!
(He pushes Walking Man out of the shadow.)
Walking Man: Don’t do that!
(He pushes Donkey Man and he pushes Donkey.)
Donkey: (To himself)
I think I will run away.
(He runs away.)
Donkey Man: Come back! Come back!
Walking Man: He is gone!
Donkey Man: It is so hot. And we have to walk. There is no shadow for you or for me.
Walking Man: Why do you think the donkey ran away?
Donkey Man: I don’t know.
Walking Man: And I don’t know.
Donkey: (He is down the road. He looks back) I know why!
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The End
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The End of this book.
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New words in the stories in this book.
- Please practice reading these words, again and again.
- Understanding and remembering these words will help you understand, read and speak in English.
- Many of these same words will be in the next book, so it helps to understand and remember them before you start to read the next book.
English 4 Me 2 