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When Audubon was making his great book about birds, he had to live much in the woods. Sometimes he lived among the Indians. He once saw an Indian go into a hollow tree. There was a bear in the tree. The Indian had a knife in his hand. He fought with the bear in the tree, and killed it.

Audubon could shoot very well. A friend of his one day threw up his cap in the air. He told Audubon to shoot at it. When the cap came down, it had a hole in it.

But the hunters who lived in the woods could shoot better. They would light a candle. Then one of the hunters would take his gun, and go a hundred steps away from the candle. He would then shoot at the candle. He would shoot so as to snuff it. He would not put out the candle. He would only cut off a bit of the wick with the bullet. But he would leave the candle burning.

Once Audubon came near being killed by some robbers. He stopped at a cabin where lived an old white woman. He found a young Indian in the house. The Indian had hurt himself with an arrow. He had come to the house to spend the night.

The old woman saw Audubon's fine gold watch. She asked him to let her look at it. He put it into her hands for a minute. Then the Indian passed by Audubon, and pinched him two or three times. That was to let him know that the woman was bad, and that she might rob him.

Audubon went and lay down with his hand on his gun. After a while two men came in. They were the sons of the old woman. Then the old woman sharpened a large knife. She told the young men to kill the Indian first, and then to kill Audubon and take his watch. She thought that Audubon was asleep. But he drew up his gun ready to fire.

Just then two hunters came to the cabin. Audubon told them what the robbers were going to do. They took the old woman and her sons, and tied their hands and feet. The Indian, though he was in pain from his hurt, danced for joy when he saw that the robbers were caught. The woman and her sons were afterward punished.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

While making his book of birds, Audubon lived in the woods. He often lived among the American Indians. Audubon was an accurate shooter. A friend tossed a cap in the air, and Audubon shot a hole through it before it landed. Hunters in the woods could shoot even better than Audubon. They could shoot and extinguish a candle from 100 paces. Audubon's skill with a gun saved his life. Audubon stayed at the house of an old white woman. There was also a hurt American Indian staying in the house. The old woman saw Audubon's watch and held it for a few moments. The Indian pinched Audubon to let him know the woman was bad. Audubon lay on a bed and pretended to sleep while holding his gun. The old woman's two sons came in the cabin. They talked about killing the Indian and Audubon and taking Audubon's watch. Audubon pointed his gun at them. Just then, two hunters came to the cabin. Audubon told them about the robbers. The hunters tied up the old woman and her sons so they could be punished. The hurt Indian danced for joy with happiness.

Vocabulary

Cap: A hat.
Snuff: To extinguish or to put it out.
Arrow: A shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers or vanes at the back, shot from a bow.
Rob: To take property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat of force.

Concepts

  1. In the story, the old woman and her sons planned to rob and kill Audubon and the Indian.
  2. Robbing and killing are against the law in America and in countries across the globe.
  3. In our society, adults who have been proven in a court of law to have robbed or killed typically go to prison.
  4. It is not right to take things that do not belong to you.
  5. It is not right to purposefully hurt others, unless you are defending yourself or others from an attacker.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 40 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 3: Explore the Story

In the story, the Indian pinched Audubon to communicate that the old woman was bad. The pinch is an example of nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is when you tell others something without saying or writing words. Below are some additional examples of nonverbal communication.

  • Smiling, frowning, and crying.
  • Opening your arms for a hug.
  • Shaking hands, winking, patting backs, and giving a thumbs-up.
  • Practice exchanging nonverbal communication with other people.
  • Create at least one secret way of communicating nonverbally that no one else knows about.

Review

Question 1

Whose house did Audubon visit in the woods?
1 / 7

Answer 1

Audubon visited an old woman's house.
1 / 7

Question 2

Who was in the old woman's house when Audubon arrived?
2 / 7

Answer 2

A hurt American Indian was in the house.
2 / 7

Question 3

How did the Indian tell Audubon the woman was bad?
3 / 7

Answer 3

The Indian pinched Audubon.
3 / 7

Question 4

Who came to the house after Audubon fell asleep?
4 / 7

Answer 4

The old woman's two sons came to the house.
4 / 7

Question 5

What did the old woman and her sons plan to do to the Indian and Audubon?
5 / 7

Answer 5

The woman and her sons planned to kill Audubon and the Indian and take Audubon's watch.
5 / 7

Question 6

What did Audubon do to protect himself and the Indian?
6 / 7

Answer 6

Audubon aimed his gun at the woman and her sons.
6 / 7

Question 7

What eventually happened to the woman and her sons?
7 / 7

Answer 7

The woman and her sons were tied up and punished for their crimes.
7 / 7

  1. Whose house did Audubon visit in the woods? Audubon visited an old woman's house.
  2. Who was in the old woman's house when Audubon arrived? A hurt American Indian was in the house.
  3. How did the Indian tell Audubon the woman was bad? The Indian pinched Audubon.
  4. Who came to the house after Audubon fell asleep? The old woman's two sons came to the house.
  5. What did the old woman and her sons plan to do to the Indian and Audubon? The woman and her sons planned to kill Audubon and the Indian and take Audubon's watch.
  6. What did Audubon do to protect himself and the Indian? Audubon aimed his gun at the woman and her sons.
  7. What eventually happened to the woman and her sons? The woman and her sons were tied up and punished for their crimes.

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