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I sleep when the wind blows

Name:

Once there was a farmer who lived along the northern edge of Iceland, which is one of the coldest places in the world. The farmer needed workers to work in his fields, but nobody wanted to work there because storms and harsh winds made the place very dangerous. One day, the desperate farmer put an advertisement in a town newspaper stating that he needed a worker for his fields. Many people came to meet the farmer, but once they realised how harsh the climate was on the farm, they turned away. Finally, a common-looking, thin, middle-aged man came to the farmer.

The farmer asked him, “Can you work in these conditions?”

“Yes,” the man replied, “but I sleep when the wind blows.”

The farmer found his answer a bit strange, but there was no-one else willing to work in his fields, so he appointed the man. After just a few days, the farmer saw how hard-working the man was and he was deeply satisfied. A few more days passed, and all was well.

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One evening, suddenly, the wind began to blow fiercely. The farmer understood that a huge storm was approaching. He rushed to the workman and shook him awake.

“Get up quickly! Don’t you see a big storm is approaching. Before everything is ruined you need to cover the harvested crops with something and tie the big gate with ropes,” said the farmer to the workman.

The workman turned on his side and said very politely, “No, sir, I already informed you that I sleep when the wind blows.”

The farmer grew furious and he wanted to fire the workman there and then, but he was more worried about the approaching storm.

The farmer rushed to his fields. He was quite surprised to see that the harvested crops were safely stored and covered with waterproof sheets, his cattle were tied very safely inside the barn, and the hens were also in their poultry house. The main gate was securely tied with ropes. Everything seemed to be in perfect order. There was no chance of any future damage. The farmer understood the words of the workman, “I sleep when the wind blows”, and why the workman was soundly asleep inside the farmhouse.

This story gives us a precious lesson. If we are prepared for the storms in our lives, we will avoid calamity striking. We must use the calm times to prepare for the stressful times and then the stressful times will be manageable. For example, if you attend school every day and prepare for all of your tests, you will be able to manage well with your exams. You can also say, “I sleep when the wind blows.”

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© e-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za

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Story adapted from Motivational Stories: I Value My Timehttps://youtu.be/Yh1jdZ4Ra9w

Questions

1. Why did no-one want to work on the farmer’s land? (2 marks)

2. Why was the farmer satisfied a few days after employing the workman? (1 mark)

3. Why was the farmer so worried when he saw the storm approaching? (1 mark)

4. Why could the workman sleep when the wind blew? (4 marks)

5. What is the moral of this story? (2 marks)

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6. What is one way that you could prepare in advance for when stressful times come? (2 marks)

Total marks: ___ / 12

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© e-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za

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Memorandum1. Why did no-one want to work on the farmer’s land? (2 marks)

For two marks:No-one wanted to work there because of the harsh climate (winds and storms) which made the place very dangerous.

2. Why was the farmer satisfied a few days after employing the workman? (1 mark)For one mark:He was satisfied because he could tell how hard-working the workman was.

3. Why was the farmer so worried when he saw the storm approaching? (1 mark)For one mark, a general answer along these lines:He knew how devastating the storm would be (for his harvest, his cattle andhis poultry and the damage that might happen to the gate) and he didn’texpect the workman to have prepared for it.

4. Why could the workman sleep when the wind blew? (4 marks)For four marks:He could sleep when the wind blew because he knew that everything was secure in the storm - the harvest was covered, the cattle were safely in the barn, the hens were in the poultry house and the gate was securely tied. There was nothing more that he needed to do, so it was his chance to rest.

5. What is the moral of this story? (2 marks)For two marks, anything similar to the following answer:If you do the work that is expected of you and you use the opportunities that you have, you will be prepared for challenges when they come.

6. What is one way that you could prepare in advance for when stressful times come? (2 marks)

For two marks, the learner can give any relevant example from his or her experience e.g.If I practise or train hard, I will do well in competitions orIf I take my puppy to puppy training classes, she will be obedient when she is

older.

Total marks: ___ / 12