Paddy Pork’s Holiday illustrated by John S. Goodall text for ESL by Annette Burton

1 Paddy was going camping. He carried his sleeping bag on his back, he tied his cup to his belt, and he had a walking stick.

2 He sat down under a big tree to rest. He was hot and tired. A rabbit watched him from behind the tree.

3 Paddy wanted a ride. When a fancy car passed, he held up his thumb. The car covered him with dust. Paddy coughed.

4 Next he saw a wagon pulled by a mule. Paddy waved to the driver, because he wanted the wagon to stop and give him a ride.

5 Paddy sat on top of the wagon to ride. The driver's children looked out the back of the wagon. In the road farther ahead, the fancy car was stopped.

6 Something was wrong with the fancy car. The passenger was unhappy. His driver was looking under the hood. Everyone on the wagon waved to them as they passed the car.

7 When Paddy got off the wagon, everyone waved goodbye to him. It was time to make camp for the night.

8 Paddy put up his tent.

9 Soon it began to rain. The wind blew hard. Paddy didn't know if his tent would keep him dry.

10 Suddenly a big gust of wind blew the tent away. Oh no!

11 The tent was stuck on a tree over a cliff. Paddy climbed up the tree to get his tent down.

12 But when Paddy climbed out onto the top of the tree, the tree began to bend. (Paddy was a fat little pig.) Below, a train was coming out of a tunnel.

13 Suddenly, the treetop broke. Paddy and the tent fell down, down, down!

14 Paddy landed in the coal car. Good! The fall didn't hurt him. But he was very dirty.

15 When the train stopped, Paddy said 'bye to the conductor.

16 The train left the station. Paddy could see a lake farther down the hill.

17 He took off his dirty clothes to take a bath in the lake. A dog came running around the end of the lake.

18 Oh no! The dog stole Paddy's clothes. Paddy yelled, but the dog didn't stop.

19 Paddy started to walk again. He had on only his underwear. He saw a scarecrow in a garden.

20 Paddy put on the scarecrow's clothes. They were fancy but a little too big. There was even a top hat. Paddy was happy to be dressed again.

21 Paddy walked into town. He came to a theater. Two men were outside. One was looking at his pocket watch.

22 The two men were very happy to see him. The sign on the wall said a famous pianist was giving a concert today. The men thought Paddy was the pianist, who was late for the concert!

23 One of the men pulled Paddy onstage. Paddy was scared. There was a big audience.

24 The man pointed to Paddy. He told the audience that the famous pianist was finally here. Paddy looked at the music. He didn't know how to read music!

25 The man whose car had broken down walked quickly through the door. A gust of wind blew the music off the piano!

26 The pianist was angry at Paddy for pretending to be him. The audience was angry too.

27 Paddy ran away. Everyone was yelling angrily at him!

28 He came to an apple orchard. He was so happy to see his friends with the wagon. They were picking apples.

29 Paddy helped the family pick apples. The children were having fun juggling. Their mother was making applesauce.

30 They gave Paddy a ride home. He took a basket of apples to his mother. She was glad to see him.

1A audience 1B belt 1C to bend 1D cliff 1E coal 2A conductor 2B to cough 2C dirty 2D gust 2E holiday 3A late 3B mule 3C music 3D orchard 3E passenger 4A pianist 4B pocket watch 4C scarecrow 4D sleeping bag 4E station 5A tent 5B thumb 5C top hat 5D tunnel 5E underwear B A B C C C CDG H L M M OP P PS S S T T T T U