Cordula Tollmien • Stepnan Baumann
Short
School Stories
Cordula Tollmien
Short
Shoot Stories
Translated by Sabrina Erfurth
Illustrations by Stephan Baumann
arszdition
Contents
Who Wants to Sit Next to Julia? 4
Can Timmi Stay?
Chewing Gum For Instance
The Second Lifeguard
29
Who Wants to Sit Next to Julia?
“This is Julia,”
says the teacher.
“She’s a new student
in our class.”
Julia nods and
swings a big bag.
“I brought something
for everybody,”
she calls.
Everybody claps and shouts.
The teacher calls:
“Not now.
We are having a lesson now.
You can hand out your sweets
during the break.
Who wants to sit next to Julia?”
Again everybody shouts: “Me!”
Only Tom doesn’t say anything.
“Where do you wont to sit, Julio?”
asks the teacher.
“Rank thprp ” Julia an.QWPr.Q ____
“Do you know each other?”
the teacher asks surprised.
“No,” Julia answers.
“Well, o.k.,” says the teacher.
“The seat next to Tom
is still free.
Then I don’t have to
move anyone to another seat.”
6
During the break
Julia hands out her sweets.
Everybody is standing around her.
Except for Tom.
Julia goes to him.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Nothing,” Tom answers.
“Why didn’t you want
to sit next to me?”
Julia carries on asking.
“But I did want to,
says Tom.
“Not true,” says Julia.
yj
7
Tom thinks about it and says:
“I didn’t Like
the way the others
shouted.
Only because of the sweets.”
8
Now Julia thinks about it.
“I only did that
because I was scared,”
she explains.
“Of what?” Tom asks.
“That nobody would like me.
Because I don’t know anybody,”
Julia answers.
Tom hadn’t thought of that.
But he can understand it.
Actually Julia is very nice.
Even without sweets.
He tells her so.
9
Julia smiles at him and asks:
“Would you like some anyway?”
She offers him the bag.
Tom smiles back at her.
Then he reaches down deep
into the bag.
10
Can Timmi Stay?
In the middle of the Maths lesson
something suddenly scratches
at the door.
The children laugh. J
“Quiet!” says Mrs Richter.
She tells them the next
maths problem.
But nobody starts solving it.
Everybody stares at the door.
11
“What’s wrong with you?”
Mrs Richter asks.
“Can’t you hear that?”
Malina asks.
Mrs Richter must really
have bad hearing.
Now something is whimpering.
Mrs Richter hears it too.
“Is that one of you?”
she asks strictly.
“It’s coming from outside,”
says Lars.
“Then it’s none of our business.
Let’s carry on,”
Mrs Richter answers.
13
But the whimpering becomes
louder and louder.
Finally, Mrs Richter opens the door.
A small dog comes barging in.
He runs all the way to the back
to Franziska
and jumps on her lap
barking loudly.
14
“Is this your dog?”
Mrs Richter asks.
Franziska nods
and beams.
Therefore Mrs Richter
stops looking quite so
sternly.
“What is his name?” she asks.
“Timmi. He was looking for me,”
Franziska answers quietly.
And she beams even more.
15
“Oh, please!
Can Timmi stay?
Only for today! Please!”
everybody begs.
“A dog doesn’t
belong in school,”
says Mrs Richter.
But Timmi looks at her so sweetly
and so does Franziska.
So Mrs Richter says:
“But only for today!”
16
Then all children are allowed
to pet Timmi.
But only once.
After that Timmi has to
lie down underneath
Franziska’s chair.
The children aren’t allowed
to look at him.
They have to pay attention.
17
Mrs Richter tells them
some things about dogs.
How they live and
what they eat.
And that they were wolves once.
After all, the children
are supposed to learn something.
Luckily, the break
is coming up soon.
18
Chewing Gum For Instance
The janitor’s name
is Mr Franz.
Usually Mr Franz is
very nice to children.
19
However, there are a few things
that he simply
can’t stand.
Chewing Gum for instance.
20
He always says:
“As long as you keep
that stuff in your mouths
I don’t care.
But I warn you,
don’t spit it out in the school yard
or stick it under the tables.
Then you’ll get the surprise
of your life!”
21
Ernesto knows that.
Even so, he sticks his chewing gum
onto the steps.
He wants to tease Mr Franz.
Shortly later Mr Franz comes.
When he steps on
the chewing gum,
it gives out a loud “smack”.
22
Mr Franz stops.
He takes of his shoe
and Looks under it.
Then he shouts:
“Everybody come here!
Who did this?”
23
Ernesto stands in the back.
But that doesn’t help.
Mr Franz doesn’t have to
ask any more.
He waves Ernesto over.
24
Then he points
at his shoe and says:
“Clean it!”
“With what?”
Ernesto asks pitifully.
Jan gives him a piece of paper.
But it doesn’t work with that.
The paper sticks
to the chewing gum.
25
So Mr Franz
puts his shoe back on.
He gets a spatula.
With that it works much better.
Ernesto also cleans
the step.
But Mr Franz
still isn’t satisfied.
26
He goes to
Ernesto’s teacher.
She gives Ernesto
a lesson off.
Together with Mr. Franz
Ernesto has to
search the school yard
for chewing gum..
That is so disgusting!
There’s chewing gum
everywhere.
Ernesto scratches and scrapes.
His hands hurt
from all the scratching and scraping.
27
Now Ernesto knows
why Mr Franz
can’t stand chewing gum.
And he tells him too.
Mr Franz laughs.
That makes Ernesto happy.
Because he actually
really likes Mr Franz.
The next time he wants to tease
Mr Franz a little,
he will think of
something different.
In any case, definitely
nothing including
chewing gum.
28
The Second Lifeguard
“I am sure I have a fever,”
says Julian.
His mother lays her hand
on his forehead and says:
29
“But a stomach-ache,”
says Julian.
Mom looks at him and asks:
“What’s wrong, Julian?
Don’t you want to go to school?
You are going swimming today.
Surely, that is great.”
“No way,” Julian thinks.
But he doesn’t say anything.
30
Julian is afraid of the water.
He dawdles while he
changes his clothes.
He stays under the shower
as long as possible.
31
Everybody is already in the water.
Only Julian isn’t.
The others romp in the water and
splash it around.
Julian would like
Then the lifeguard comes to Julian
and asks:
“Can you help me?
The pool for the children
has to be separated
from the deep side
with a rope.
32
I have forgotten
to put it up.
But it needs
to be there.
So that you all can tell
where it is deep.
Could you do that for me?
Then I don’t have to
go into the water myself.”
33
The Lifeguard answers:
“Of course!
It’s really easy.
You go into the water.
Then I will give you the rope.
34
You walk
to the other side with it.
You will find a hook there.
You hook up the rope.
That’s all.”
Julian is afraid.
Then he must go into the water!
But the lifeguard is
so friendly.
Therefore he doesn’t want to say no.
35
So Julian walks towards the pool.
As soon as he is on the steps the
others splash water on him.
36
But then the lifeguard calls:
“Leave him alone!
He is the second lifeguard
today.”
Then nobody dares to anymore.
37
Julian takes the rope
and goes through the pool.
On the other side he hooks it up.
That was really very easy.
And he wasn’t afraid
at all.
“Second lifeguard,”
is what the lifeguard had said.
That sounds good.
38
Maybe Julian
should try
to learn to swim after all?
Then he could become
a lifeguard one day.
39
Some words in the School Stories rhyme! Find the
rhyming pairs and write them on the lines below.
___________________________<n>___________________________
___________________________<X>___________________________
<tf>--------------------------
Ф-----------------------------
_____________________________Ф___________________________
1
Find the following words in the grid and circle them!
lifeguard
school
because
nothing
clothes
friend
class
anybody
scared
children
good
surprise
E	A	s	C	H	1	L	D	R	E	N
S	N	A	G	0	0	D	R	E	В	C
C	Y	C	U	N	T	A	N	U	E	L
A	В	N	0	T	H	1	N	G	C	A
R	0	E	F	R	1	E	N	D	A	S
E	D	S	C	H	0	0	L	1	U	S
D	Y	S	S	U	R	P	R	1	S	E
T	W	E	N	C	L	0	T	H	E	S
L	1	F	E	G	U	A	R	D	U	A
2
Read the story “Chewing Gum For Instance”
closely. Finish up these sentences correctly to solve
the riddle below.
1.	The name is Mr Franz.
-	lifeguard’s (S)
-	teacher’s (P)
-	janitor’s (M)
-	wolves’ (N)
2.	Ernesto knows Mr Franz doesn’t like it, still he ...
-	lay his chewing gum on Mr Franz’s lap. (A)
-	sticks his chewing gum onto the steps. (O)
-	sticks his chewing gum under a table. (I)
-	lays his chewing gum on a chair. (U)
3.	Mr Franz...
-	shouts at the tables. (M)
-	looks for his chair. (N)
-	points at the door. (A)
-	takes off his shoe and looks under it. (U)
4.	What does Jan give Ernesto that simply sticks to the
chewing gum?
-	clothes (D)
-	water (B)
-	paper (T)
-	sweets (O)
5.	Ernesto finds scraping chewing gum off the school
yard ...
-	disgusting. (H)
-	great. (Y)
-	o.k.. (S)
-	bad. (A)
6.	Ernesto likes to Mr Franz.
-	hurt (T)
-	swim with (O)
-	walk to (N)
-	tease (S)
Fill in the letters of the correct answers to find the
word:
“Keep your chewing gum in your
!” Mr Franz tells the
"i
children.
4
Oh no, an eraser was at work here and now some
letters are missing!
Read the story “The Second Lifeguard” closely.
Fill in the blank letters.
They form a sentence in the end.
Ju____ian doesn’t want to go sw___mming with his class.
1	2
He is a___raid of th_water. He tells his mom that he has a fever
3	4
and a stomachache. But his mother simply says that swimmin__________
5
is great. J___lian d__wdles at the pool. He doesn’t go into the
6	7
wate_____and wants to run away. The lifeguar_____ask____him for help.
8	9	10
Juli__n is af__aid, but h__doesn’t say. The rompin_______child___en
11	12	13	14	15
want to spray wat____r on Juli___n. Bu___the lifeguard tell__them to
16	17	18	19
5
let Julian _alk and that Jul_an is the second lifeguard. This
20	21
akes Julian happy and also __akes him see that going into th—
~22	23	24
wate___is ecr y.
25	26
Fill in the letters to find the sentence:
6
Read the story “Can Timmi Stay?” closely and fill in
the words correctly!
Mrs Richter is teaching. However, the students
don’t solve the problems and laugh because they hear something
at the. When Mrs Richter finally opens the
door, a runs up to Franziska and jumps on her
lap. His name is Timmi and he is allowed to stay in
, but only for the day. Mrs Richter tells the
all about dogs so that they learn something.
The children are happy that the is coming up
soon.
7
8
Oh no! The words from the story “The Second
Lifeguard” are all mixed up!
Write the correct word on the line.
M w s
G N M
I I
I 0 G _ N
(□
U О
Y
The words are all part of one sentence. Can you
find it in the story? Write the sentence down here.
9
Find the English words for the pictures in your book
and fill them into the crossword puzzle below.
Then you can finish the sentence under the puzzle.
Dogs do not in schools
10
Read the story “Chewing Gum For Instance” closely.
Some words don’t belong in the text below.
1. Cross the words out and write them on the lines.
2. The first letters of these words make a new word!
Now Ernesto knows then
why Mr Franz
can’t stand hands chewing gum.
And he tells him into so.
Mr Franz laughs.
That makes Ernesto nice happy.
Because he actually
really likes Mr Franz.
The next time he wants to going tease
Mr Franz a little,
he will think of
something different.
In any case, definitely
nothing sternly including chewing gum
11
The first letters of these words make a new word:
Some_________________________don’t belong in school:
chewing gum on the steps for instance.
12
13
Fill the idioms of the lost page into the sentences.
Mrs Richter wants the students to (T).
Mr Franz says:
____________________(D).”
The lifeguard says: “(A) it’s easy to
hook the rope up.”
Julia asks Tom: “(U)”
Mrs Richter says that the scratching outside is
_____________________________(O).
Mr Franz(H) chewing gum.
The class thinks Mrs Richter
__________________________(N).
Match the numbers in the puzzle pieces with the Let-
ters in the sentences above to find the missing word!
When it’s your birthday, you are allowed to
________________ ____________________something good for your class.
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
14
S.1:
hook <ii> look; long <ii> wrong; finally ф usually; make <ii> stomach-ache;
none <и> run
S. 7:	Maths; door; dog; school; children; break
S. 9:	swimming - are - today - going - you; You are going swimming today
S 11/12: then, hands, into, nice, going, sternly; Some things don’t belong in school:
chewing gum on steps for instance.
What’s wrong? = Was ist los?; pay attention = aufpassen
S 14: pay attention; You’ll get the surprise of your life.; of course; what’s wrong;
none of our business; can’t stand; has bad hearing/ When it’s your birthday,
you are allowed to hand out something good for your class.