Week 3 Hettys Unicorn By Pie Corbett She

Week 3 Hetty’s Unicorn By Pie Corbett

She had to run to keep up with John. Deeper and deeper they ran into the wood, till they came to a clearing, silvery with light. It looked as if the moon itself was trapped amongst the trees. John stood silent and stared. Grabbing Hetty's arm, he held her back. For there in the clearing was a tiny unicorn, shimmering with light. Hetty gasped. “I told you, ” whispered John. But at that moment, Hetty, heard a noise. Something or somebody was making their way through the woods. Then she heard a voice shouting. It was John’s father – the keeper – coming through the woods, no doubt with his sword and gun. . .

TASKS Predict. 1. Make a prediction. What do you think will happen next?

“Your cloak, ” whispered John. And so it was that Hetty crouched down beside the tiny unicorn and pulled the cloak over them both. To anyone moving through the darkness, they looked just like a dark boulder, a vague shape in the night. Under the cloak, it was brighter than daylight. Hetty squeezed her eyes tight shut and waited, her hand stroking the unicorn’s mane. It snuffled against her. Meanwhile, John made his way off through the forest, crashing into bushes, stamping on branches and making as much noise as he could, ever onwards, drawing his father away from Hetty's hiding place.

Clarify 2. Find the meaning of these words vague snuffled 3. What does it mean ‘It looked as if the moon itself was trapped amongst the trees. ’ 4. Write an alternative word for ‘shimmering’. 04/03/10

When it was silent, when all that Hetty could hear was her own heartbeat and the steady breathing of the unicorn, she crept out from under the cloak. The unicorn shook its mane, pawed the ground and trotted off into the darkness. Hetty stood transfixed, watching the light flicker amongst the trees until it was gone and she was left with only the silence of the woods and herself. Now the minutes they ran by like rabbits and the rabbits ran by like years. Hetty came back the next morning. She made her way across the dew-drenched lawn and tapped on the window pane.

5. What does the word transfixed mean? 6. What time of the day did she return home? How do you know? Use evidence from the text. 04/03/10

Gasping, hand to her throat, her mother let her in. Hetty was bursting to tell her story of the unicorn that glowed like the moon itself… but all that her mother saw was the daughter that had disappeared one night, five years before. The same night that John Purcell had gone missing. Here she was again, wrapped in a threadbare cloak, clutching a spiral-shaped bone, whiter than chalk. It was Hetty, back from wherever, with her head full of wild dreams. Dreams of unicorns, unicorns.

7. What does ‘threadbare’ mean? 8. What do you think the ‘spiral shaped bone’ is? 9. Do you think Hetty’s mum will believe Hetty’s tales of unicorns? 10. Which character do you think has the most adventurous? Use evidence from the text to explain your reasons. 04/03/10

ANSWERS 1. Prediciton-Example: I predict that John’s father will capture the unicorn and tell the children off. 2. Find the meaning of these words vague - unclear Snuffled- breath noisily through the nose 3. What does it mean ‘It looked as if the moon itself was trapped amongst the trees. ’ That in-between the trees it was incredibly bright, even though it was night time. 4. Write an alternative word ‘shimmering’. Glowing 5. What does the word transfixed mean? Can’t stop looking at something, become motionless. 6. What time of the day did she return home? How do you know? ‘Hetty came back the next morning’ ‘dew-drenched’. This tells us that it is early morning as the dew off the grass hasn’t evaporated by the sun’s heat yet. 04/03/10

7. What does ‘threadbare’ mean? Thin or tattered material. 8. What do you think the ‘spiral shaped bone’ is? A unicorn horn. 9. Do you think Hetty’s mum will believe Hetty’s tales of unicorns? Various answers 10. Which character do you think is the most adventurous? Use evidence from the text to explain your reasons. John-Collects lots of exciting objects like heron eggs. He tells adventures about wrestling mermen and has a blackbird for a pet thus explaining that he has travelled far and wide. Using examples from the text to support their answer. Hetty- Secret friends with John for as long as she can remember, even though she is forbidden to be friends with John. She sneaks out of the house to meet John ‘When the midnight bell struck, Hetty slipped from her bed. ’ Using examples from the text to support their answer. 04/03/10