Coyote’s Song A boy was eating lunch in a field on his grandmother’s farm. Her farm was large and he had explored and seen many things that morning. “Do not wander into the woods,” Grandmother said. So he kept to the fields. As he ate his lunch, he heard the call of a blue jay. “I’ll follow the sound of Blue Jay. I will find him and see his blue feathers and listen to his song. I will bring him bread.” The afternoon sun was hot and there were many hills to climb, but the boy was determined to follow the call. He walked slowly and cautiously with care. Soon he ran into Coyote who was looking for lunch but not having any luck. He did not have a single crumb or morsel of food. “Hello,” said Coyote. “I see you are enjoying an afternoon walk.” “I’ve been exploring Grandmother’s farm and now I’m looking for Blue Jay. I want to listen to his song, see his beautiful feathers, and give him bread.” Coyote took one look at the bread and became hungrier. Quietly, he muttered to himself, “I will trick that boy, then he’ll give me that bread.” “I can sing a song and perform for you. Then you can give me your bread,” Coyote said with a grin. “But howling and barking isn’t a song, and you only have brown fur,” said the boy. “I want to hear Blue Jay’s song and admire his feathe rs, and I only have enough bread for him.” 12 25 36 53 68 79 91 104 107 120 133 144 154 168 171 182 196 197 212 218 230 244 C o p y r ig h t ©T h eM c G r a w -H illC o m p a n ie s , I n c . Name Comprehension and Fluency 4 Practice • Grade 4 • Unit 1 • Week 1 Coyote’s original plan didn’t work, so he quickly thought of a new one. “Then I’ll help you find Blue Jay,” said Coyote. “I know where he sings. I can take you there through the woods.” The boy remembered Grandmother’s warning. What was the harm, the boy thought to himself. “Then let’s go,” said the boy. “We must run! Blue Jay will depart soon and then he’ll be gone,” said Coyote. Coyote began running through the woods calling out for the boy to run faster and faster. The boy did not want to miss Blue Jay, yet the faster he ran the more he stumbled and tripped on tree roots. The woods became thicker and thicker, making it harder for the boy to run. Accustomed to running in the woods, Coyote was used to jumping over the roots so he didn’t fall. “Hurry! Blue Jay and his song and feathers will leave!” said Coyote. “You could run faster if you were not slowed down and burdened by having to carry that bread. I can carry it for you, and then you can run faster,” said Coyote. “If you think that will help,” said the boy, “here is the bread.” Coyote took the bread in his mouth and disappeared. “Thank you for the meal!” Coyote howled as he ate the bread. The boy had been tricked, and now he was lost in the woods. By evening he found his way back to Grandmother’s home and explained to her what happened. “You should know that leaving the right path to follow an easier one leads to trouble,” she said. “Luckily, you only lost some old, stale bread.”
Use the sequence of events to summarize the plot