Slide 1 The Great Rope Tug A Tale from Africa What is a tug-of-war? How do you move when you play tug-of-war? One morning, Rabbit woke up early. She sat up, stretched, and thought, “I’m thirsty! I’ll go to the river for a drink.” Hop, hop, hippity hop! She hopped in and out of the jungle bushes, all the way to the river. Just as Rabbit was about to take a sip of cool water, she saw the trees shake and heard STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! Elephant’s thunderous movements caused the ground to rumble. Rabbit lost her balance and fell into the river! “Elephant!” shouted Rabbit. “Can’t you move more gently?” “I am the biggest, greatest, strongest animal in the jungle,” said Elephant. “I can do anything I want.”

Slide 2 The Great Rope Tug A Tale from Africa (Cont.) Rabbit was thinking of a way to express how upset Elephant had made her feel, but then she thought of a better idea. “I may be little, but I am great too,” Rabbit said to Elephant. “Let’s have a tug-of-war and I’ll show you just how great I am!” Elephant fell over laughing. “All right, but you’ll never win!” he said. Rabbit found a very long rope and brought one end to Elephant. “This end is yours,” explained Rabbit. “I’ll take my end into the trees. When I yell ‘Pull!’, start tugging, and do not stop until one pulls the other over or the rope breaks.” “Okay,” laughed Elephant again. “Whoever wins the tug-of-war is the greatest of all. Let me know when you are ready.”

Slide 3 The Great Rope Tug A Tale from Africa (Cont.) Rabbit was full of energy. She hopped down the river bank and was soon far away from Elephant. There she saw Hippo resting in the water. “Hippo! Who is the greatest one in the jungle?” asked Rabbit. “That’s easy. I am the greatest one of all,” said Hippo. “Well, Hippo, I think I am great too,” answered Rabbit. “Let’s have a tug-of-war. You’ll see that I am just as great as you.” “Okay,” said Hippo. “But surely I will win. How could you possibly have the strength to beat me in a tug-of-war?” “Just wait and see,” said Rabbit. She gave Hippo one end of the rope and hopped away to hide behind a bush. “PULL!” Rabbit yelled. Elephant and Hippo pulled. Rabbit giggled as she watched the rope move back and forth through the trees. Elephant and Hippo both thought Rabbit was tugging on the other end. They were surprised at her strength. After a very long time, Rabbit jumped out and cut the rope. SNAP! It split in two.

Slide 4 The Great Rope Tug A Tale from Africa (Cont.) “Oops!” yelled Elephant as he fell into the trees with a CRASH! “Oh, no!” yelled Hippo, as she fell backwards into the river with a SPLASH! Both animals were exhausted. They could barely move. Rabbit hopped over to see Hippo. Hop, hop, hippity hop! “You are much stronger than I thought,” said Hippo in a tired voice. “You are just as great as I am.” Then Rabbit hopped over to Elephant. Hop, hop, hippity hop! “Rabbit, you are very strong,” groaned Elephant. “And you don’t look a bit exhausted. You are indeed great!” “See, I told you!” said Rabbit. “I may be small, but I am just as great as you are!” From that day on, both Elephant and Hippo believed little Rabbit to be very great indeed. Unit 1, Week 2 1. What do you do when you are trying to keep your balance? 2. Tell about a time when you could barely get out of bed. How did you feel? 3. How do you feel when you run out of energy? 4. What would make you feel exhausted, playing a long game of soccer or watching a movie? 5. What can you say to your friends to express how much you like them? 6. Why is it important to move gently around animals that you don’t know? 7. Why might someone groan when they stub their toe? 8. How are a rabbit’s movements different from an elephant’s movements? 9. What would rumble, a bird flapping its wings or thunder? 10. When do you like to stretch?