The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Summary: Many years ago, there was a village in a valley near a castle where a sorcerer lived. One autumn, the villagers discovered that all their crops had mysteriously disappeared. The same thing happened the following year, leaving the villagers hungry and desperate.

A brave boy named James decided to find out who was stealing their crops. He climbed the mountain and met the sorcerer, who agreed to keep him as an apprentice. Inside the castle, James saw rooms full of fruits and vegetables taken from his village. A talking raven, who was a prisoner of the sorcerer, told James to learn the sorcerer's secrets to save his people.

James worked hard but was trapped in the castle by magic. One day, he overheard the sorcerer using a magic spell to make a broom move by itself. When the sorcerer was away, James tried the spell, but the broom flooded the hall because he didn't know how to stop it. The sorcerer returned angrily, but James learned the stopping spell just in time.

When James declared he would leave, the sorcerer attacked him by turning into a bear. James used magic to transform himself into different animals - a snake, then a cat - to fight back. The battle ended when the sorcerer, as an eagle, flew away wounded.

James escaped with the raven and returned to his village. Using the magic he had learned, he helped the villagers, and they never suffered from the sorcerer's evil again.

Exercises

A. Questions

1. What happened to the crops in the village?

Answer: All the crops in the village disappeared as if by magic, leaving the fields completely bare.

2. Where did James go and why?

Answer: James went up the mountain to the sorcerer's castle to find out who had stolen the villagers' crops.

3. What work did James do?

Answer: James worked as the sorcerer's apprentice. He stirred mixtures in large pots and carried buckets of water to keep the biggest pot full.

4. How did James learn the magic spells?

Answer: James accidentally overheard the sorcerer saying a magic spell when the sorcerer dropped a jar and made a broom clean it up. By listening carefully, James learned the spell.

5. What are some of the things that happened when James used his spells?

Answer: When James used the magic spell, the broom swept and fetched water but did not stop, flooding the hall. later, James used other spells to transform himself into different animals to fight the sorcerer and finally defeated him.

B. Reference to context

For each of these lines from the story, say who said the words, to whom, and when they were said. Also, say what happened next.

1. 'I'll find out who has done this.'

Who said: James

To whom: The villagers

When: When the villagers were crying after their crops disappeared for the second time.

What happened next: James bravely set off up the mountain to find out who had stolen the crops.

2. 'Beat him! Beat him!'

Who said: The sorcerer

To whom: The broom (using magic)

When: After the sorcerer found that James had used magic without permission and flooded the castle. 

What happened next: The broom began to beat James, but James used the magic words to stop it.

3. 'Let us get out of here.'

Who said: James

To whom: The raven

When: After defeating the sorcerer, who had turned into an eagle and flown away.

What happened next: James and the raven escaped from the castle and returned safely to the village.