Star Spangled Banner                                              

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key boarded a British ship to try to obtain the release of his friend, Dr. William Beanes.   Key was detained onboard  the ship, because he overheard the British plans to attack Fort McHenry.  While Francis watched the British bombard the fort, he saw a small American flag flying and wondered if it would be there in the morning.  When morning came, he saw that not a small flag, but a large flag, was flying on the poll! (This was the American way of saying, “We ain’t done with you yet!”)  This is when Francis Scott Key wrote the famous poem, “The Star Spangled Banner”, but at the time he called it “Defense of Fort McHenry”.  Later on, music was added to it, to the tune of a famous British song, and it was printed. (Only two original copies are known left  in the world)  This famous poem was made into the National Anthem in 1931, 116 years after it was written.  

My Bedroom

Most of the time my bedroom is very dirty.  It looks like a tornado ran through there!  My legion of bionicles are warriors surrounding my room.  With the mountainous pile of clothes and the bionicles thrown everywhere, it’s almost as bad as my brother’s!  And you would never want to look into my brother’s room… it looks as bad as a toxic swamp!  Once in a while my mom goes into my room and starts screaming.  This is not good.  I go up to my room to find my mom’s head steaming… this is definitely not good!

Maybe I should clean my dirty bedroom more often.

My Dog, Jack

Some people might say that my dog is the meanest thing in the world!  But he’s my hero!  He always tries to protect me, and growls at anything that might threaten me.  He’s reasonably fit, and has more bark than bite. He loves to play with his Big Brute Toy and shake it around.  Most of the time I find him staring out the window barking at cars. He thinks he is a Great Dame, and can beat up anyone.  But, he is actually a Miniature Schnauzer, and quite small.   He is a salt and pepper Schnauzer and has a very shaggy beard.  When my mom gives him a hair cut, it shortens his beard, and his legs seem WWWAAAYYY too small for his body.  It looks so weird!  But when it comes to a good dog, Jack is the best!      

The Boasting Traveler

A man, who had traveled to a far away land, boasted when he returned home.  He had been to many places and performed many heroic acts.  He said that when he went to Rhodes he leaped such a distance that no one could beat him, and there were many so called witnesses.  Just then, a bystander interrupted him saying, “ There is no need for witnesses, show us right here and now!”      

United Nations

The United Nations is an organization that is supposed to solve world problems like world wars. The Allies set it up in 1945 after World War II.  The headquarters of the UN is in New York City.  There are 192 member nations, which is most of the countries in the world.  Each country is part of the General Assembly.  Fifteen of  them are in the Security Council to keep the world at peace; the US, China, Britain, France, and Russia are permanent members of the Security Council. So far they have not done a good job.

The flag of the UN shows a world protected by laurel leaves of peace.       

The Fox and the Grapes

A fox, famished with hunger, saw some large juicy grapes hanging out of his reach.  Eager to eat them, he resorted to all kinds of tricks to reach them.  All his efforts were in vain.  He turned away, hiding his disappointment.  He said, “Those grapes are sour anyway and not even ripe.” 

 Moral: It is easy despise what you do not possess.              

 

The Bat and the Weasels

A bat fell off of a tree branch, but a weasel caught him, and the bat pled for his life.  The weasel refused him saying, “It is my nature to be an enemy of all birds.”  The bat replied, “ I am not a bird, but a mouse.”   So the bat was set free.  But again the bat fell and was caught by another weasel, who intended to eat him.  The weasel said he felt a special hostility to mice.  The bat said, “I am not a mouse, but a bat.”  And the bat escaped again.

Moral:  It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.