Jack and The Beanstalk Tall and Short Stories

The magic launderette was so magic that it didn’t even need washing powder ! Clothes jumped into the washing machine all by themselves ! And were spotless when they jumped back out of the washing machine into the dryer. But the launderette’s magic soon started to work all by itself. Before long, it had washed the windows, door and floor. Everything sparkled and looked like new. Well, that’s what magic washing machines with magic do. The mop bucket and the mop worked magically, too ! Very soon there were bubbles on the mat and the magic launderette even washed the cat … But in some places, the magic launderette’s magic wasn’t magic at all … it knocked off the picture frames when it was washing the hall ! The magic launderette washed the kitchen magically, very soon, the pots and pans sparkled like new ! The magic launderette had so much magic that it washed the living room, too ! So much magic that the clothes were fantastic and grew. Very soon, the socks multiplied … and the magic launderette’s scarves were magnified.

 1. There were 50 socks in the tumble dryer and 60 gloves in the washing machine. How many items of clothing is that all together ?

 2. In the washing machine, there were 3 socks, 6 scarves and 9 ties. Express this as a ratio.

 3. The magic washing machine washed three times as many socks as shirts. If it washed 7 shirts, how many socks were washed ?

 4. The magic washing machine washed a shirt that shrank ! If the shirt was reduced in size by one quarter, what ratio is that ?

 5. One of the pairs of trousers washed by the magic washing machine stretched ! If it grew in size on a scale of 1 : 5, how big did a 120 cm pair of trousers become ?

 6. The magic washing machine trebled the number of shirts washed. If 15 shirts were put into the washing machine, how many appeared when the washing machine door was opened ?

 7. The magic washing machine had 100 screws, but 15 dropped out. How many were left ?

 8. The magic washing machine washed 18 more socks than shirts. If it washed 90 shirts, how many socks did it wash ?

 9. The magic washing machine washed 20 % of the 45 clothes in the washing basket - how many and what fraction is that ?

 10. The magic washing machine washed 700 shirts - what decimal, fraction and percentage of the 7000 clothes is that ?

 11. If the magic washing machine was so magic that 200 bubbles appeared every time it span, how many bubbles were there after 90 spins ?

 12. The scarf washed by the magic washing machine stretched in a proportion of 2 : 3. If it was 200 cm long, then how long did it become once washed ?

 13. The magic washing machine washed ten times as many pairs of trousers as socks. If it washed 20 socks, then how many trousers is that ?

 14. The magic washing machine stretched a tie to become 15 times longer. If it was 70 cm long when bought, how long did it become ?

 15. When the magic washing machine washed the living room, one third of the cushions disappeared. If there were 60 cushions, how many cushions were then left ?

Spick and Span

Write ten sentences including the word “pick” and ten sentences including the word “pan”.

Soapy Suds

How many words can you think of that include suds ? Example - should.

Rub & Scrub

How many words can you think of that you need to “rub” ? Example - rub - ber, g - rub. 

Slow and Fast Spin 

What things can you think of that go slow and fast, like a washing machine ? Example -  car.

© Jacqueline Richards 2007

Answers :

1. 50 + 60 = 110

2. 3 : 6 : 9 = 1 : 2 : 3

3. 7 x 3 = 21

4. 4 : 1

5. 120 x 5 = 600 cm

6. 15 x 3 = 45

7. 85

8. 108

9. 8

10. 700 / 7000 = 0.1; one tenth; 10 %

11. 200 x 90 = 18 000

12. 300 cm

13. 200

14. 15 x 70 = 1050 cm

15. 60 - (60 / 3 = 40) = 20

No wonder the babboon was good at music - he had been practising his violin for weeks - but when it came to singing the lyrics, he always forgot the words. The gorilla put this down to the fact that the babboon had spent too much time chomping bananas and not in music lesson at school … but once the babboon started singing, three chimpanzes fell off their stool. The babboon sang high notes so high that the coconuts fell off the trees … when the babboon sang the low notes, a bird flew off course in the breeze. The babboon was so hopelessly out of tune that he broke the glass in the garden shed … and soon even a coconut, fell off the tree and landed on his head. The babboon shook his tamborine and strung his guitar with gusto … When the babboon tried to sing, no sound came out … when the babboon tried to sing, all that came out was a shout.

Tuneful Spelling Activity

Find ten words ending in “oon” and ten words ending in “une”

© Jacqueline Richards 2007

The magic elephant’s trumpet blew so hard that it almost blew his whiskers bent. His ears flapped so much that the notes in the tune almost went out of key. His tusks stood on end as he blew and blew and blew. He stomped his feet in tune to the musical beat and the whole jungle shook. It shook so much, the coconuts rolled to the ground … and as they crashed, they crashed with a crashing coconut sound. The magic elephant’s trumpet was so loud that the coconuts almost fell off the palm trees, which flapped in the breeze every time the notes rang higher … and louder. The magic elephant’s trumpet was so loud that it made all the leaves on the trees shake … they shook so much that there was almost a magic elephant earthquake. When he blew, his music sailed all around the world … the magic elephant’s trumpet played music without any words - it didn’t really seem to matter, that the situation was becoming absurd ! The magic elephant’s trumpet blew musical notes high and low - he blew all the notes so hard, it was great elephant musical show. The magic elephant’s trumpet had the best music beat in the town … and when he blew, his trumpet was so loud, all of the buildings came tumbling down. To blow a magical trumpet, the elephant took a deep breath. He blew with his might … a gust of wind so big it gave the other elephants a fright … that the trapeze artist almost fell off his trapeze ! The magic elephant’s trumpet could be heard all over the circus top … his music just didn’t stop. The magic elephant’s trumpet played a tune that was as long as his trunk … it really didn’t seem to matter, that the elephant seemed almost drunk. The magic elephant’s trumpet was the best music show in the town … he stamped his feet - with a magical beat - that knocked the red nose off the clown.

Trumpet the PET Into these words …

TRUM + _ _ _
_ _ _ + I T I O N
_ _ _ + A L
_ _ _ + T I C O A T
_ _ _ + R O L
_ _ _ + I T E
_ _ _ + U L A N T

_ _ _ _ _ _ + TICOAT 

 _ _ _ _ _ _ + RIFIED

 _ _ + TY 

 _ _ _ + ROL

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

Sing - A - Long - A - Ding - Dong
That’s how my song goes
Take in a deep breath and blow out through your nose
Sing - A - Long - A - Ding - Dong
That’s how my song goes
If you know the words, sing a long, it won’t take long
Take in a breath and blow out strong
Sing - A - Long - A - Ding - Dong
That’s how my song goes
Hum the tune and then it flows
My choir was small but now it grows
Sing - A - Long - A - Ding - Dong
That’s how my song goes
When I sing - and know the words it shows
Sing - A - Long - A - Ding - Dong
That’s how my song goes

 How many words can you think of that include a “ding” ? Example - loa - ding.

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

The rock buns, the bread rolls and the bouncing buns in the baker’s shop were the best rock and rollers in the whole market. As soon as the baker turned up for work early in the morning, put on his apron and oven gloves and switched on the radio - the rock ‘n’ rolling rock buns, the bread rolls and the bouncing buns started rocking and rolling all around the baker’s shop. As the rock ‘n’ roll music played, the floor shook and the rock ‘n’ rolling rock buns, the bread rolls and the bouncing buns bounced into action. The rock ‘n’ rolling rock buns and the bread buns quickly rolled from the bread basket and onto the floor, bopping their way across the oven - they really were the hottest rock buns, bread rolls and bouncing buns in town. With a lick of butter, the rock ‘n’ rolling rock buns and the bread buns rock ‘n’ rolled along the slippery floor like grease lightening from the fridge through the baker’s shop door. Sprinkling a trail of breadcrumbs, sesame and sunflower seeds as they went, the rock buns and the bread buns ricocheted around the baker’s kitchen before springing back onto the shelves with a puff of flour next to the other roly - poly, sugary Swiss rolls in clouds of icing sugar.

Roll as many “rock” buns into as many “rock” - in’ words that you can think of ? Example - shamrock

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

The rockin’ rock rocked out of the volcano and was still rockin’ by the time it hit the bottom of the hill. The rockin’ rock’s rock rocked with a bunch of boulders on it’s way until the rockin’ rock’s head was rockin’ too. Even the local pebbles were soon also in a spin. With a bit of shake, rattle and roll here, and a lot of shake, rattle and roll there, too. The rockin’ rock rocked and rolled over the edge of the waterfall and floated off downstream. The rockin’ rock rocked on waves and crashed against the sides of sailing boats. The rockin’ rock headed off towards the sea with fish and other creatures … still rockin’ and rockin’ about on the waves. With a bit of shake, rattle and roll here, and a lot of shake, rattle and roll there, too. The rockin’ rock rocked right and then left … this way and that … forwards and then back … nothin’ could stop the rockin’ rock rockin’. The rockin’ rock rocked into a fence and bounced back into the middle of the road … to be narrowly missed by the spinning wheels of a number seven double decker bus. With a bit of shake, rattle and roll here, and shake, rattle and roll there, too. The rockin’ rock rickocheted off the traffic lights, slipped over the zebra crossing (still rockin’) and sped through the air. The rockin’ rock knocked the head off daisies at the side of the road … and cut through the grass, skimming the pavement whilst still rockin’. With a bit of shake, rattle and roll here, and a lot of shake, rattle and roll there, too. The rockin’ rock rocked into the other rocks, who lay fast asleep at the side of the road. Together they rocked and rocked and rocked a bit more. By now, even gravel and grains of sand were rockin’ too. With a bit of shake, rattle and roll here, and a lot of shake, rattle and roll there, too.

Activity - How many words can you think have a rock inside them ? Example - crockery. 

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

There was once a musical songbird who was auditioning for a place in the orchestra - he wanted to blow the loudest whistle that had ever been blown - the longest and most tonal tune with the highest alto and the lowest male baritone or female contralto. The real King of Swing. More famous a tenor then Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo. Do - RE - MI whistle much bit better than the first Do - Re - Mi music first introduced by Guido d’Arezzon in 1026. What the whistle was really aspiring to was more record sales than Michael Jackson’s 41 million copies of “Thriller” and a BRIT Award for Top British Artist. Not only a silver and a gold album from his Record Company but a platinum one too - if the whistle hit the jackpot for a million sales, that is. Perhaps he might even win the Eurovision Song Contest like Abba with “Waterloo” so he signed a major record contract with RCA (well, that’s what Take That ! did). Perhaps he would eventually even get a cat walk model on his arm if he was to become a truly successful whistle - blower. “Should I change my name ?”, he wondered, “and use a pseudonym - everybody else seems to be doing it”. Gordon Summer is now much better known as Pop star Sting, Englebert Humpedink is indeed more catchy than Arnold Dorsy, Stevie Wonder sounds much better than Stephen Judkins and Adam Ant’s true identity was Stuart Goddard - very everyday. All except for Madonna, of course, who had kept “Madonna” - Maybe he should follow her example - after all “Whistle” did have quite a nice ring. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with clean, fresh air. Preening his ruffled feathers and pouting his beak - he let out an almighty whhhhhh - a solo flight at first - an unaccompanied church style cappella - an arpeggio whose notes are individually sounded - off the whistle set whistling down the wind and whirring on currents of air to meet up with other musicians and songwriter talents for rhapsody.

The whistle had been reading the Bible - he remembered one of Noah’s sons “who played the lyre and pipe” (Genesis 31:27) - maybe he should go and meet him. What was that he heard rumbling ? The Walls of Jericho coming crashing down with the sound of this enormous whistle - much the same as the Hebrews invading Canaan carrying trumpets into battle. Faintly in the distance, whistle could just about hear the gentle lament of David the Shepherd boy playing his harp but he was more in the mood for a party - there were lots described in the Bible - with dancing children and welcoming home the Prodigal Son. In Liverpool Cathedral, the whistle was gusted up and down the flue and reed organ pipes. There were lots of different church sounds to sing along to - hymns, Christmas carols, cappella and psalms. Whistle wanted to find out the difference between an aero phone and a chordophone so he went to visit some of the most famous composers in the world at the orchestra who told him the answer he was looking for - one is a wind instrument, the other is string. They told him all about the science of sound - acoustics. The whistle breezed through his favourite wind instruments in the orchestra - the trumpet, croonered through a coronet, cycloned through a cor anglais and breathed down a bassoon. Keeping rhythm, the whistle hit the high notes, skirting around the roof of the theatre and reciting in the Wine Bar for a quick duet with his friends and a romantic ballad. In the background, the metronome (invented in Johann Malzel in 1816) clicked and clanked - in choral harmony. Now in full melody, in the highlands of Scotland, the whistle almost got stuck in a bagpipe - but was blasted out with a large blow by a kilt - wearing Scottish Guardsman. In Edinburgh, outside the castle he marched to the brass band and joined in a good old sing song with the market street buskers. Just a few streets away, a barber shop quartet was lamenting musically. He thought this was great funnel fun ! In the Royal Albert Hall, opened in 1871, the whistle sang “Rule Britannia !!!” with gusto at the Last Night of the Proms, wafted along on flags and banners.

The whistle’s international whistle - stop tour took him to all different parts of the globe - he blew down the old English flute and recorder, danced aerodynamically on the strings of Russian balalaika, and through the bars of a Japanese koto zither. In Italy, the whistle enjoyed Italian Opera - like Norma, Otello and Lucia Di Lammermoor or ballets like Tsiachovsky’s Nutcracker, Serenade and Sleeping Beauty. In Venice, the whistle sang Barcarolle boating songs with the gondoliers and he waltzed to Mozart (did you know he also composed “Twinkle, twinkle little star” ?) in Vienna. In a New Orleans’ Jazz Bar the whistle shot through a saxophone and hurricane in the Caribbean on a Soca, salsaed to Puerto Rican Dance Band music and finally on to play an Indian sarangi, tabla and shanai melodically. He joined in many cultural choirs - like the Indonesian Gamelan and Sowetto Gospel Choirs. At the Sydney Opera House, the whistle sucked in salty sea air and surfed on the waves in the Australian bays. His journey included history museum of musical inventions - including the concertina - created in 1824 by Charles Wheatstone. He plink - plonked on a pianoforte. Much more contemporary - the whistle’s pop stop rock and rolled, spinning on long - playing records and compact discs, harmonising with modern musicians and microphones. He vented to the sounds of the sixties and seventies, before breezing home - for a quick nap to the sweet sound of a soft lullaby - “What did you think of that ? Did I get the part ?” he asked the orchestra.

recipe
Toffee Pear & Apple Pairs of Whistles

Ingredients
4oz/100 g sugar
2 pt/ 1.25 litres of water
3 pears/3 apples, pealed and cored but with their stalks on
2 tsp lemon juice
For the Sauce :
4 oz/100 g plain chocolate
2oz/50g caster sugar
1 tsp cocoa
1/2 pt/275 ml water

Prepare the pears by removing the cores from the fruit, peel but leave the stalks and slice each piece of fruit into eight slices. Gouge out a small hole for the mouthpiece in each segment and soak in lemon juice to keep white and crunchy. Meanwhile, dissolve sugar in water and bring to the boil for 5 minutes to make a light syrup. Poach the pears over a low heat until just tender. Remove from the heat and cool in a refrigerator. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, slowly adding the sugar, cocoa and half the water. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, gradually adding the rest of the water, bring to the boil then simmer for 20 - 25 minutes till the sauce is rich and thick. Cool and pour over the apples and pears.

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

My magic music master was brilliant at conducting orchestras. At first, he brought the choir to attention with a small tap but when he rather more energetically waved his magic baton, magic music rang out. The magic violins and the magic cellos burst into a magical song. When my magic music master clapped his hands, the choir sang a magical tune that rang out across the sky and through the town. The magic high notes shook the roof so much that tiles came tumbling down. In the background, the bass drum banged a magical drumbeat, almost blowing out the candles. The stained glass windows shook and shattered into tiny pieces … as the magic contralto started to sing. By now, my magic music master’ was going red in the face and his cheeks were almost exploding. As he waved his arms, the coronets and bayonets played a magical tune. Song sheets flapped, blown into the air by the magic music and everyone stamped their feet. By now, the whole auditorium was bouncing as did the people in their seats to the beat of the magic music. The musical note that the music master played was the nicest sound anyone could ever wish to hear … the musical note swung high and low. It peeled out above the sound of the traffic and the cheering crowds. The musical note danced whenever and wherever there was music. It pranced on the musical paper … and leapt up high with the altos and low with the baritones. The musical note was the nicest sound anyone could ever wish to hear … the musical note swung high and low. It peeled out above the sound of the traffic and the cheering crowds. The musical note had such a sweet sounding tune that even the song birds came to listen. The harmony of the musical note was so sweet that it could hardly stay still on the lines of paper. The musical note did not stop singing or ringing. It sounded sweeter than a telephone and better than a church bell. The musical note could be spotted all over the place … on hymn books … in the choir. The musical note rang out louder than an alarm clock, sweeter than a church bell and better than a grand piano … even the sing birds came to hear it’s song. The magic music was so magical that it never stopped … and kept on playing on … and playing on some more … and on some more.

 Musi - cal

Think of as many words as you can ending in - cal like musical or instrumental. 

 Win - kle

Think of as many words as you can ending in - kle like winkle.  

 Un - cle Carbun - cle 

Think of as many words as you can ending in - cle like uncle.  

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

The magic tamborine was so magic that the wind only had to blow a little bit and the magic tamborine started to shake, magically playing every insturment in the orchestra jingle jangle and all the other instruments in the band started to dance. Soon every other instrument also got into the rythmn … there were rock ‘n’ rolling zylophones … and bopping claronets. Crashing symbols, whistling whistles and violent violins … and twisting, trumpeting trumpets. The symbols started singing, the pianos started dinging. The magic tamborine made everyone smile - and they quickly all tapped their feet. There were tapping symbols and harmonious harmonicas all dancing to the musical beat.

 Tamborine Spelling Activity

Add the letters “INE” “EEN” “EAN” or “IAN” to make a new word

CL + _ _ _ =

S + _ _ _ =

GR + _ _ _ =

B + _ _ _ =

SH + _ _ _ =

M + _ _ _ + ING =

T + _ _ _ + AGER =

ELECTRIC + _ _ _ =

ITAL + _ _ _ =

© Jacqueline Richards 2005

Answers :clean ; seen ; green ; bean ; sheen ; meaning ; teenager ; electrician ; Italian ;

When the symbols crashed, the drumbeats bashed … and before long everything else in the orchestra smashed. Lights flashed and the symbols crashed. All of this crashing, of course, made such a loud din - that it awoke all the animals who jumped up and landed in a bin. When the symbols fell onto the floor, they crashed and crashed and crashed some more. And before long, all the other instruments in the orchestra were dashing … the saxaphone blew, the trumpet, too. Even the guitar crashed a bit, too. When the symbols crashed, the whole house shook - they crashed so much, the chimney came unstuck. The tiles on the roof, tumbled to the ground and the symbols kept on crashing and spinning round and around. the symbols crashed so loud, they awoke all the birds - they crashed so much, nothing else could be heard. The symbols crashed and crashed so much, they made all the singers in the choir bounce. They bounced so much, they hit high notes - and even the pianist started to float. The symbols crashed and crashed about - they crashed so much, there was no doubt - the symbols’ crashing was utterly smashing.

 A BELL RINGING INSIDE WORDS

Some words have a “bell” ringing inside them and are made by adding a NOUN + the suffix “able” to show it describes the noun. Find as many words as you can ending in … able. Then write some more words which include “bel”.

inconceivable
consumable
commensurable

© Jacqueline Richards 2005