Welcome to ReadMaster English Radio.

Today we are reading a funny bedtime story through eight comic scenes.

In scene one, Mr. and Mrs. Watson sing Mercy to sleep every night.
Mercy feels loved. The room is warm, and bedtime feels safe.

But in scene two, the light goes off.
Now the room is dark.
Mercy becomes afraid.
Here is our first useful sentence.
She becomes afraid when the light is turned off.

In scene three, Mercy makes a decision.
She does not want to sleep alone.
She goes to Mr. and Mrs. Watson's bed.
Then she dreams about buttery toast.
Toast is not just food in this story.
Toast means comfort.
Toast means home.

In scene four, the family is dreaming.
But the bed begins to creak.
Creak means a small sound from old wood.
Listen: the bed begins to creak.
That sound tells us a problem is coming.

In scene five, a hole opens in the floor.
The family is in trouble.
They call the fire department.
This is the rescue moment.

In scene six, Mercy goes to the kitchen to find toast.
But there is no toast.
This is funny because Mercy is not thinking like a hero.
She is thinking about breakfast.

In scene seven, the firefighters arrive.
They use the broken bed frame to support the ceiling.
Support means to hold something up.
The firefighters support the ceiling and rescue the Watsons.

In scene eight, everyone has breakfast toast together.
The ending feels warm.
Mercy did not plan to save anyone.
But her actions helped the family.

Now let's practice five shadowing sentences.

Mercy becomes afraid when the light is turned off.

She decides to sleep with the Watsons.

The bed begins to creak.

A hole opens in the floor.

The firefighters rescue the family.

Good.
Here is today's deeper idea.
Sometimes a story is funny because the character wants one simple thing.
Mercy wants comfort.
Mercy wants toast.
But that simple wish moves the whole story forward.

Final question.
When you feel afraid, what helps you feel safe again?