Chapter 1: The Girl on the Beach“Good morning. You’re listening to Roundbay Radio, your favorite local radio station. It’s Saturday morning and this is Tara Mason. The time is nine o’clock. Hi, everyone."
Steve opens his eyes. “Hi, Tara,” he says to the radio. Then he sits up in bed. He always listens to Tara Mason on Saturday mornings. She is his favorite person on Roundbay Radio.
”Well, let’s have some music…”
“Good idea,” Steve says.
His mother calls from the kitchen. He does not want to get up. He closes his eyes again.
“Steve,” his mother calls again. “You must go to the shop for me after breakfast. Are you getting up?”
“OK, OK,” Steve says. “Soon.”
“Not soon—now,” his mother says. “I’m making your breakfast.
“OK,” Steve says. He opens his eyes. “I’m getting up now.”
After a moment he gets out of bed and walks across to his window. He can see Roundbay beach across the road. It is not raining, but the sky is grey. There are one or two people on the beach. There are a man and a small boy walking, and a woman with a dog.
And a girl…
“What’s she doing?” Steve thinks. He watches the girl for a minute or two.
The girl has short brown hair and is wearing jeans and a yellow shirt. She puts something into a bag then walks on. A moment later she stops again. She looks at something on the beach. She takes it and puts it in her bag.
“What is it?” Steve thinks. “It’s something red.”
He watches her for another minute or two then he puts on his clothes.
Anna walks along the beach. She is looking for interesting things—for rocks and shells. She sees something red.
“What’s that?” she says, “A red…bottle. There’s some writing on it but I can’t read it. It’s not in English. Is it Russian?”
She puts the bottle in her bag with the rocks and shells. She looks at the grey sky. “It’s going to rain again soon,” she thinks. “Another five minutes and then I have to go home.
She sees a man and a small boy walking by the sea, and a woman with her dog. Then the woman with the dog stops and looks at something on the beach. The woman calls the man and the boy. Now the three of them are looking at…what? Anna doesn’t know. The man says to the boy, “Don’t go near it, Tom.”
“What is it?” Anna thinks. “What are they looking at?”
It begins to rain and she walks quickly up to the road. It is time to go home.
Steve sits in the kitchen. He eats his breakfast and listens to the music on the radio.
“I need some shopping,” his mother says.
“OK,” Steve says.
“Can you go to the shop now, please?” his mother says.
“Here are the things we need.” She gives him a list.
“Can I listen to Tara Mason before I go?” Steve says. “She finishes at eleven o’clock.”
“I need those things before eleven, Steve,” his mother says.
“OK, all right,” Steve says. “I can take my MP3 player with me.”
“You can listen to Tara Mason later,” his mother says. “Why don’t you find something to do? You can help me. You can wash the car or do some work in the garden. Don’t sit and listen to the radio all morning.”
“OK,” Steve says. He likes the radio and he likes Tara Mason.
Steve finishes his breakfast. Then he gets his MP3 player and puts the headphones on. His mother gives him some money.
“Don’t be long,” she says.
Steve doesn’t hear her. He has music in his ears.
Chapter 2: The Red Bottle
Anna takes her bag to her room and sits on the bed. She can hear her young brother, Andy, watching a television program in his room. Andy is five years old. He likes to watch children’s television on Saturday mornings.
Anna puts the shells, rocks, and other things from the beach on her table.
“Should I draw the rocks first?” she thinks. “Or a shell? Or the red bottle?” She looks at a big shell. “That’s beautiful,” she says.
She sits down and draws the shell on some paper. She looks at it. She is not happy with it. She looks for some more paper to do it again but she cannot find any.
“Andy, where’s my paper?” she calls.
No answer. (an sir)
Anna goes into her brother’s room. Andy does not look at her. He is sitting on his bed and watching television.
“Where’s my paper?” Anna says. “I want to draw.”
“I don’t know,” Andy says.
“That’s not true,” Anna says.
“Yes, it is,” Andy says.
Anna’s father comes into the room. “What’s the matter?” he says. “Please be quiet. I’m trying to work.” Anna’s father is a writer. He writes books and works on a computer in one of the other rooms of the house.
“Andy has all my paper,” Anna says.
“Have you, Andy?” her father asks.
Andy does not answer for a moment. Then he says, “Maybe.”
“That means “yes” Anna says. “I can’t draw the things from the beach and…”
“All right,” her father says. “Be quiet, both of you. I don’t have any drawing paper, Anna, but here’s some money. Go and buy some from the shop in West Street. Get some for Andy, too.” He gives Anna some money.
“Thanks,” Anna says.
Her father goes to his room and Anna puts on her coat.
Steve walks along the street. The shopping is in a bag in his hand. It is not raining now and there is some blue in the sky.
“Maybe the sun is going to come out,” Steve thinks. “I can wash the car and then go for a walk on the beach later.”
He is in South Street. He doesn’t need to walk home along this street but the Roundbay Radio building is in South Street and Steve likes to walk past it. He wears his head phones and he listens to the music. He looks at the window of Roundbay Radio station.
“Tara’s in there,” he thinks, “maybe only twenty or thirty meters away from me. Hi Tara.”
At that moment the music stops and Tara Mason begins to say something in his ear.
The name of that song is Cloud Nine. And now…Oh, wait a minute. Some news is coming in…and we have to go over to Mike Quinn in the newsroom. What’s the news, Mike?”
“Some important information from the police, Tara. The police are looking for red bottles along the beach. People must not open these red bottles. They must call the police.”
“What’s in the bottles, Mike?”
“The police aren’t saying at the moment, but it’s something bad, something to make you ill. The police say that it's poison."
(ill = sick – enfermo)
“Ok…thanks, Mike. Now for some music…”
Steve stops in the middle of the road. On the beach…something red…
“The girl in the yellow shirt,” he thinks.
A car goes by and the driver calls to Steve, “Get out of the road!”
Steve walks quickly on. “I must do something,” he thinks. “I have to go to the police. Maybe the girl doesn’t know the news. Maybe she’s going to open the bottle and…”
He stops and looks at the windows of the radio station and he has an idea.
Andy goes into his sister’s room. “These things are from the beach,” he thinks. “Anything interesting? Anything for me to play with?”
Anna is at the shops. Their father is in his room. The house is quiet.
Andy goes across to the table near the window. He sees the rocks and the shells, and then he sees the red bottle.
“What’s in this?” he thinks. He looks at it. “Can I open it?”
Chapter 3: “Stop! Don’t Break It!”
Anna gives some money to the woman in the shop. The woman puts the paper into a bag.
“There you are, Anna,” the woman says.
“Thank you, Mrs. Clark,” Anna says.
“You’re always buying paper,” Mrs. Clark says.
“I’m always drawing,” Anna says.
“What are you going to draw today?” Mrs. Clark asks.
“Some shells and rocks, and a bottle from the beach,” Anna says. “I got them this morning. Now I have to go. Dad is working and Andy is watching television. It’s a good time to do some drawing. Bye, Mrs. Clark.”
“Bye, Anna,” Mrs. Clark says.
Mrs. Clark goes into the room behind her shop. There is a radio on the table near the widow. Then she hears the words “red bottle” and she sits down to listen.
“…a girl with a red bottle on the beach, Steve? Is that right?”
Something red, Tara. Maybe a bottle.”
“What is she wearing?”
“Jeans and a yellow shirt. And she has short brown hair.”
“Thanks, Steve. Well, the police know about this now and they are looking for this girl. But do you know her, listeners? Then call her quickly. And now for some music.”
Mrs. Clark does not wait to hear the music. She runs out of the shop into the street. “Anna,” she calls. “Anna, wait.”
Anna is thirty meters along the road but she stops. “What is the matter, Mrs. Clark?” she asks.
Andy is angry. He wants to open the red bottle, but it is very difficult. His little hands are not very strong. He likes red. It is his favorite color.
“Maybe it’s a nice drink,” he thinks. “I’m going to take the bottle out into the garden and break it.”
He goes out into the garden with the bottle and begins to hit it with one of Anna’s big rocks. “One…two…three…” he says. It is a very strong bottle and Andy is angry.
He stops. Someone is calling him.
“Andy. Andy. Where are you?” It is Anna. She runs down the garden.
Andy has the big rock in one hand and the bottle in the other.
“Stop!” Anna calls. “Don’t break it.”
She runs and takes the bottle out of his hands.
“Ok, OK,” he says. “What’s the matter? It’s only an old bottle.”
“Oh no it isn’t,” Anna says. And she goes into the house and calls the police.
It is eleven o’clock at Roundbay Radio Station. Tara Mason puts down the phone and looks at Steve. “That’s good news,” she says. “The police are talking to the girl now.”
“And the bottle?” Steve says. “Do they have it?”
“Yes they’ve got that, too,” Tara says. “Thanks to you.”
Steve feels happy. “Me on the radio,” he says. “Now I’m famous.”
“Yes. Do you like it?” she asks.
“It’s great,” Steve says. “I want to work on radio one day.”
“It’s not always this exciting,” Tara says.
“Ok…thanks, Mike. Now for some music…”
Steve stops in the middle of the road. On the beach…something red…
“The girl in the yellow shirt,” he thinks.
A car goes by and the driver calls to Steve, “Get out of the road!”
Steve walks quickly on. “I must do something,” he thinks. “I have to go to the police. Maybe the girl doesn’t know the news. Maybe she’s going to open the bottle and…”
He stops and looks at the windows of the radio station and he has an idea.
Andy goes into his sister’s room. “These things are from the beach,” he thinks. “Anything interesting? Anything for me to play with?”
Anna is at the shops. Their father is in his room. The house is quiet.
Andy goes across to the table near the window. He sees the rocks and the shells, and then he sees the red bottle.
“What’s in this?” he thinks. He looks at it. “Can I open it?”
Chapter 3: “Stop! Don’t Break It!”
Anna gives some money to the woman in the shop. The woman puts the paper into a bag.
“There you are, Anna,” the woman says.
“Thank you, Mrs. Clark,” Anna says.
“You’re always buying paper,” Mrs. Clark says.
“I’m always drawing,” Anna says.
“What are you going to draw today?” Mrs. Clark asks.
“Some shells and rocks, and a bottle from the beach,” Anna says. “I got them this morning. Now I have to go. Dad is working and Andy is watching television. It’s a good time to do some drawing. Bye, Mrs. Clark.”
“Bye, Anna,” Mrs. Clark says.
Mrs. Clark goes into the room behind her shop. There is a radio on the table near the widow. Then she hears the words “red bottle” and she sits down to listen.
“…a girl with a red bottle on the beach, Steve? Is that right?”
Something red, Tara. Maybe a bottle.”
“What is she wearing?”
“Jeans and a yellow shirt. And she has short brown hair.”
“Thanks, Steve. Well, the police know about this now and they are looking for this girl. But do you know her, listeners? Then call her quickly. And now for some music.”
Mrs. Clark does not wait to hear the music. She runs out of the shop into the street. “Anna,” she calls. “Anna, wait.”
Anna is thirty meters along the road but she stops. “What is the matter, Mrs. Clark?” she asks.
Andy is angry. He wants to open the red bottle, but it is very difficult. His little hands are not very strong. He likes red. It is his favorite color.
“Maybe it’s a nice drink,” he thinks. “I’m going to take the bottle out into the garden and break it.”
He goes out into the garden with the bottle and begins to hit it with one of Anna’s big rocks. “One…two…three…” he says. It is a very strong bottle and Andy is angry.
He stops. Someone is calling him.
“Andy. Andy. Where are you?” It is Anna. She runs down the garden.
Andy has the big rock in one hand and the bottle in the other.
“Stop!” Anna calls. “Don’t break it.”
She runs and takes the bottle out of his hands.
“Ok, OK,” he says. “What’s the matter? It’s only an old bottle.”
“Oh no it isn’t,” Anna says. And she goes into the house and calls the police.
It is eleven o’clock at Roundbay Radio Station. Tara Mason puts down the phone and looks at Steve. “That’s good news,” she says. “The police are talking to the girl now.”
“And the bottle?” Steve says. “Do they have it?”
“Yes they’ve got that, too,” Tara says. “Thanks to you.”
Steve feels happy. “Me on the radio,” he says. “Now I’m famous.”
“Yes. Do you like it?” she asks.
“It’s great,” Steve says. “I want to work on radio one day.”
“It’s not always this exciting,” Tara says.
The End
Questions from Radio Boy:
What does Steve open? … He opens his eyes.
What does he say to the radio? … He says “Hi, Tara” to the radio.
Who does he always listen to on Saturday mornings? … He always listens to Tara Mason on Saturday mornings.
Who is Steve’s favorite person on Roundbay Radio? … Tara Mason is his favorite person on Roundbay Radio.
Who calls Steve from the kitchen? … His mother calls him from the kitchen.
Does Steve answer? …No, Steve doesn’t answer.
Does he want to get up? … No, he does not want to get up.
What does he do again? … He closes his eyes again.
What can Steve see across the road? … He can see Roundbay Beach across the road.
What color is the sky? … The sky is grey.
How many people are there on the beach? … There are one or two people on the beach.
How long does Steve watch the girl? … He watches the girl for a minute or two.
What is the girl wearing? … She is wearing jeans and a yellow shirt.
What is Anna looking for? She is looking for interesting things—for rocks and shells.
Where does Anna put the bottle? ..She puts it in her bag.
What does she look at? … She looks at the sky.
Who does Anna see? … She sees a man and a small boy walking by the sea.
What does the man say to the boy? … He says, “Don’t go near it, Tom.”
Where does she walk? … She walks quickly up the road.
Where does Steve sit? … Steve sits in the kitchen.
Where is Steve sitting? … Steve is sitting in the kitchen.
What does he listen to? … He listens to the music on the radio.
What is Steve listening to? … He is listening to the music on the radio.
What does his mother say? … She says, “I need some shopping.”
What does she give him? … She gives him a list.
What time does Tara Mason finish? … She finishes at eleven o’clock.
What does Steve finish? … He finishes his breakfast.
What does his mother give him? … She gives him some money.
Who gives Steve some money? … His mother gives him some money.
To whom does she give some money? … She gives some money to Steve.
What does his mother say? … His mother says, “Don’t be long.”
Why doesn’t he hear her? … He doesn’t hear her because he has music in his ears.