The History of Chocolate

Many people believe that chocolate originally came from Europe. However, chocolate,
called the “food of the gods,” was first made in the Americas. The first chocolate was
very different from contemporary chocolate.
Wild chocolate trees can grow easily in the humid Amazon rainforest. Clusters of
flowers growing on these trees turn to seeds. About 20 to 60 cacao beans can be found
1 „JI in the seeds. Cacao beans are the ingredient needed to create sweet, soothing, and
; jl
delicious chocolate treats.
L^~M The Mayan and Aztec cultures both thought that chocolate trees were brought from
paradise by gods. The Mayans and Aztecs used the beans from this divine tree to create
a special beverage with a very pleasant odor. Surprisingly, the Aztecs believed that it
would be toxic to women and children.
-v-M In the 1500s, the Spanish explorer Cortes met the Aztecs. Cortes became quite
interested in the plantations where the Aztecs cultivated chocolate trees. When he
returned to Europe, he took cacao beans with him. He introduced the people of Spain to
the Aztecs’ chocolate beverage.
Over the next 100 years or so, kings, queens, and members of the upper class
enjoyed drinking chocolate. They enjoyed it even more once they learned to add sugar
to the beverage! Soon, chocolate had spread all across Europe. New machines allowed
chocolate makers to perfect their products and produce them at a very rapid rate.
Preparing the beans in special ways brought out the aroma of chocolate. The beans were
combined with condensed milk to give the chocolate a smooth texture.
Today, contemporary chocolates with subtle flavors fill the shelves of expensive
chocolate shops. The different types of chocolate
*1 w&
m available today vary widely. True chocolate
lovers can tell which is best, though. They will
r* tell you that the flavor of high quality
chocolate stays on the palate long
after you finish it.
r
Monkey Island
In the middle of the ocean, there is a small island shaped like an arc. Here, monkeys
play on the beach and in the trees. But how did the monkeys get there?
Once, an English admiral was exploring Africa when he found hundreds of monkeys.
The admiral’s character was mean. He thought, “I could sell these monkeys and become
very rich! I’m going to take them to England.”
So the admiral set traps to catch the monkeys. He put stakes in the ground, tied
string around them and made loops in the string. When the monkeys ran through the
forest, their feet got caught in the loops, and they couldn’t escape. Then the admiral put
the monkeys in cages on his ship and sailed away.
The cages were small and uncomfortable. There was no soft hay for the monkeys to
sleep on. Instead, they slept on branches with sharp thorns that cut into the monkeys’
flesh. For dinner, he gave them tiny pieces of sour grapefruit to eat. The monkeys grew
hungry and weak.
But one day, the admiral hired a new steward. He was a kind man with a good
conscience. He was horrified to see the thin monkeys in the cages. So one night he let
them out.
The monkeys ran and played all over the ship! They attacked the admiral and the
steward and ate their food. They completely wrecked the ship. One monkey ran into a
kerosene lamp, and it fell over. The ship caught fire and began to sink! The whole crew
was lost except for the monkeys.
After the accident, the monkeys jumped onto a raft. They floated away from the fiery
blaze of the ship. In the morning, they saw a little island in the distance. The monkeys
used a piece of wood as a paddle, and they
went toward it. They found the
island shaped like an arc. They
felt so happy to find a
new home, and
they still live
there today.
The Young Man
and the Old Man
A proud young man was looking for a new pastime. He heard about people hiking in
the national parks and decided to try it for himself. As he started his stroll, an old man
walked up to him.
“Don’t go this way,” the old man said. “Beware. The paths are not clear. It’s easy to
become lost.”
But the young man disagreed with the old man and bragged that he had a perfect
understanding of the park. “I studied maps of this area,” he told him. “I believe I have a
thorough knowledge of these trails. I won’t become lost.”
The old man listened to the young man and then admonished him for his pride.
“I have walked these trails my entire life,” he said. “If you think you will be safe, then
go ahead.”
The young man ignored the old man and started along the trail.
Whenever he had to choose between an easy or difficult route, he always chose the
more difficult option. In addition, he was not conscious of which direction he was going.
After a while, he decided to return home. Because his course through the wilderness was
so indirect, he had no idea where he was.
He looked at his map but could not pinpoint his location. He walked one path after
another but soon realized he was lost.
The sun was going down, and sudden strong winds gave a hint that it might rain.
Immense clouds filled the sky. Awesome sounds of thunder were audible from all
directions. It echoed off the mountains. The thought of the eventual storm tormented the
young man. He hurried in one direction, but soon switched out of confusion. Luckily, it
led him out of the park.
When he arrived home, he knew that he had acted like
an idiot. He realized he was lucky to be alive. He decided
to listen to people with more experience than himself.
 .

The Tricky Fox

There was a fox that lived in the forest. Fox loved to play mean tricks on the other
animals. One day, he used the sharp rim of a bottle to dig a pit in the ground. He hid in a
tree until Rabbit came to the pit’s edge. Then, he jumped out and pushed Rabbit into the
pit. Fox laughed and ran away. The angry Rabbit climbed out and told the other animals
what happened.
The others said, “That is typical behavior for Fox. He does mean things all the time.
Sometimes, he is completely immoral. We all disapprove of his actions, so we should
teach him a lesson. Tomorrow, we’ll push Fox into that pit.”
The next day, all of the animals hid near the pit and waited for Fox. Fox was oblivious
to the hidden animals. He walked up to the pit to see if Rabbit was still trapped. Just
then, the other animals ran up to Fox and pushed him in. All the animals laughed and
cheered, except Fox, of course.
Fox couldn’t get out! The walls of the pit were covered in damp ivy. It was too slippery
for him to climb out. He was utterly helpless. He moaned and began to weep.
At last, he saw Eagle watching him from her roost. He yelled, “Eagle, please help me!
If I don’t get out of here, I will perish!”
Eagle said, “You may think your tricks are trivial, but you hurt others when you do
mean things. I’ll help you if you promise to be nice.”
Fox said, “I promise!”
Eagle began her flight to the bottom of the pit. She picked up Fox with her beak and
soared out of the pit. She dropped Fox safely on the ground.
Fox thanked Eagle and kept his promise. He was nice to the other animals. The
The Magic Computer
I had a difficult geography project to finish by the end of the semester. My teacher
wanted it to be typewritten, so I went to the school computer room. But when I got
there, all the computers were turned off. Apparently there was a recent problem, and
technicians were fixing it.
I knew of some private study rooms downstairs. They were small and dark, and the
computers were very old, but I had no choice. At least the computers were operating
correctly. I typed and highlighted the assignment’s title: “Evaluate the Government’s
Response to Global Warming.” But I didn’t know what to write in my essay. Finally I
decided to find a book to help me. I went to the library, checked the book indexes and
eventually found a useful book. Then I returned to the computer.
When I looked at the screen, I saw something so weird that I nearly fainted! The essay
was complete! Had somebody in cyberspace written it? I didn’t know, but I was very
happy. I printed it out and handed it in. I got an “A.”
After that, I used the computer for all my assignments. I’d type the title, wait awhile, and
the computer would do it. Every assignment was perfect; I never had to edit anything. I
stopped paying attention to my teacher’s lectures and spent my extra time in the gymnasium.
And my grades got better and better.
A month later, I was walking into class when my friend said, “Are you prepared for the
test?”
“What test?” I asked.
“The geography test!” he replied. “I hope you studied. It’s worth seventy percent of
our final grade!”
I failed the test, of course. I was completely ignorant about the subject.
After that, I made a resolution never to use the magic computer
again. The moral of this story is that if you cheat at
school, you won’t learn anything.
 ^>^**i*---*^---M-~.-!.i~h^;/^;-*£k ... j .■-. ..5,.-^.J..jafa,-.Y . .;-. .■■,rr. f An. ■»-ll'-,;fa k

Jack Frost and the Pudding

Every winter, a magical boy with a wild spirit named Jack Frost arrives in
town. He wears a white cape, and his role is to cover everything with frost
and ice. But Jack Frost also gets pleasure from playing tricks on common
folks.
One dark winter evening, he was sitting on the rail of a fence near a
river, pointing at some trees. When he did so, there was a pop, and
the trees were evenly covered in frost.
Then old Tom Muggins came along the path. He was carrying
a basket of ingredients for his wife’s cake recipe. “I’ll have some
fun with him!” said Jack Frost. He pointed, and suddenly there was
a patch of ice on the path. Poor Tom slipped and fell into the river.
The bags of flour, fruit and sugar fell open and got wet. A couple of
eggs broke, and a stick of butter shrank in the water. Tom gathered the
ingredients and climbed out of the river. The food made an absolute
mess of the path. “Alas!” he cried. “There’ll be no cake for me!”
Jack Frost laughed at poor Tom because his nice suit got soaked as
well. “Are you cold?” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you warm!” He
pointed at the mess in Tom’s basket. Suddenly, there was a spark.
What was left of the food caught fire! Jack Frost ran off laughing.
Poor Tom sat by the fire. He could only envision how angry his
wife would be. He wished he had been more attentive and noticed
that Jack was around.
Suddenly, a pleasant smell came from the basket. Tom looked
inside. The butter was melting and the eggs were starting to
cook! Even the fruit began to simmer. Soon there was a fat, brown
pudding in the basket! Tom tasted it. It was delicious! He happily
took it home for dessert. Although Jack Frost had tried to make
Tom’s life difficult, Jack had actually made Tom a wonderful
pudding!
 —
The Architect’s Plan
An architect wanted to build a new office building.
He selected some land that seemed perfect. He
planned to cut down the trees to make room for the
building. But there was a problem . . . a big problem.
The land was actually the habitat of several types
of birds. Some nature lovers were very upset with the
architect. First, they held a rally and told others about
the issue. Then, they decided to take legal action because
the architect didn’t respect the animals’ rights.
To resolve the problem, they asked a judge to
intervene.
The judge could not call any witnesses for the nature lovers, so he first asked
the architect to tell his side of the story.
“Why are you going to destroy the birds’ habitat?” the judge asked.
The architect replied, “I have the deed to the land. I want to make a great
building there. As you may know, all my buildings become memorable landmarks.”
Then one of the nature lovers spoke. “We believe that there’s no
reason to destroy all the trees. We just want to protect the birds.”
Then the judge made his decision. “I proclaim that
the office building should be built,” he said. “It is not
a crime to remove those trees. I cannot give you a
sentence for any offenses, but I feel obliged to
make one request. I will only allow you to use
half of the land. The other half will remain
free, so the birds have a place to live.
The nature lovers could not conceal
their gratitude. All of the people cheered.
The architect said, “I have an idea.
I will volunteer my time and efforts to
design a new type of building. It will
provide bushes on the roof where birds
can live. There are enough resources in
my company’s bank account to create the
best building ever made.”
The architect did exactly as he
promised. He built this new type
of building, which was loved by
everyone.
"“ ■a * * ™ - - -irr w m w _J

Janie and the Music Player

Janie had constant thoughts about getting a music player. One day, she was late to
class. She hurried down the hall but halted when she saw a backpack on the floor. She
looked inside and found nothing but some books. She reached inside the bag and felt a
small object at the bottom. It was a music player enclosed in a black case! Janie tended
to be honest, and she had no valid reason to take the device. However, her desire for
the player influenced her decision. Janie was being sly. She put the device into her own
backpack. When she arrived at class, she gave her teacher the bag. “I found this,” she
said.
Ms. Johnson asked, “Does this backpack belong to anyone?” A girl named Linda
claimed the bag. Linda looked inside and yelled, “My music player
is missing! Janie took it!” Janie answered, “I did not.” Linda
responded, “You were the only one that had access to it! If your
version of the story is true, you’ll let Ms. Johnson check your bag.”
Janie started to perspire as she realized the impending trouble
she was in. She gripped her bag tightly.
Ms. Johnson took the bag from Janie. Inside
she found the player. “Janie, I never expected
this kind of conduct from you,” she said. “You’ve
always been such a good student.”
Ms. Johnson gave Linda the player. Linda said, “Ms.
Johnson, look!” There was a crack along one side. She
turned it to the “on” mode, but it wouldn’t work. It must’ve
snapped while Janie was holding onto the bag so tightly.
Ms. Johnson called Janie’s parents. They were very upset.
“Stealing is illegal. You have no respect for the
law whatsoever,” they said. “We bought you a
music player, but we’re giving it to Linda. It
will replace the one you broke.” In the end,
Janie’s bad behavior left herwith nothing
at all.
 Growing to be Great
When George was just a boy, he didn’t have any parents. The rumor was that they died
in a car accident. Many bad things could have happened to George, but he was lucky.
He was sent to live alongside other children without parents. There were kind people to
assist George and help him go forward with his life. However, he was a pessimistic and
mean little boy.
George was often outraged. He told mean rumors about the other kids. He smashed
furniture and even slapped other boys. He defied anyone who tried to help him, and
soon it was difficult for them to forgive him. But George did display a love for one thing.
He loved to play baseball. Whereas he was lazy in school and liked neither the subjects
nor the teachers, he was lively and happy when he played baseball.
One of George’s teachers noticed his talent. He began to work with the boy. At first
- • they only talked about baseball. The teacher watched George play. He was a very efficient
hitter. He almost never missed the ball. The teacher thought that George looked majestic
when he played. When George hit the ball, it flew through the breeze as if it would never
come down. In time, they began to talk about other things. They talked about George’s
3 family and his dreams for the future. They developed a very good relationship.
As George got older, he began to grow. His appetite was huge. He ate and ate. He got
stronger. Soon the other boys and even the teachers looked small and feeble next to him.
Everyone thought that this heralded the
start of a great baseball career.
When George got his first job as a
baseball player, he gave most of his
wages to the people who had helped
him as a boy. He hoped that other
children would also find a way to live
happy, successful lives.
Anton’s Great Discovery
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch cloth merchant. His life began to change after
he got his first microscope in 1653. It was a very simple microscope. It had a lens in an
upright stand. It could make small things look large. It was handy for looking closely at
cloth.
Soon, Anton felt a longing to build a more powerful microscope. He dreamed of
using it to make an important scientific discovery. He wanted to become famous. Three
decades later, he did.
For many years, Anton experimented with microscopes and lenses. Eventually he
constructed a very powerful microscope. If he had sold the concept to others, it would
have made him very rich. However, Anton refrained from surrendering his secret
to anyone. Instead, he wanted to use it to become famous. So he used his secret
microscope to study the natural world.
One day he was looking at saliva from his mouth with the microscope. In the saliva,
he saw numerous tiny particles. Some of them were moving! He thought that the
particles were tiny organisms. So he isolated them from each other and studied each
one carefully. Then he classified them into different categories. Some
were round. Others were long and had tails. All were alive.
Anton was so excited. He knew he could become famous
now. He was the first person to see these tiny organisms. So
he drew diagrams of the organisms and sent them to a group
of scientists in London. The scientists were sophisticated men
who did not believe tiny, animate organisms could live in our
mouths. Anton made a plea for them to come to Holland to
see the organisms with their own eyes. The men took a ferry
to Holland and met Anton. They performed a careful review of
his work, and they conceded that he had made a
worthwhile discovery. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
had discovered bacteria. After decades of
hard work, he had become famous.

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