Behaviour, Rules and Laws
Primary 6 · English
Behaviour, Rules and Laws
Lesson 1 of 6
40 min
Think of someone in your umudugudu whom everybody trusts. Maybe she is a neighbour who always returns what she borrows, or a shopkeeper who gives the right change even to small children. What words would you use to describe that person?
Today's story is about a man whose neighbours stopped trusting him, and a son whose courage changed everything. You will learn words for people's character, and how to join ideas with who, which and whose.
This story by Phoebe Sibomana comes from the African Storybook.
A story is told of a man who lived in a faraway village with his son. His name was Syonzola, and he was a very mischievous man. People in the village didn't like him very much, because he liked to tell lies.
At night, Syonzola would wait until everyone was asleep. Then he would stand outside and start shouting, “Help! Help! I'm being attacked! Please, someone help me!”
The people would come running to help him, with spears in their hands. “Hahahahaha!” Syonzola would laugh until his stomach was sore when he saw them.
“Are you all right? Where is the animal that was attacking you?” people would shout.
“It went that way. Please help,” Syonzola would say, pointing at the darkness behind the trees. After searching, they would tell him to stop his lies and go to sleep.
One night, his son heard him screaming and shouting for help again. The boy had never understood why his father liked to fool people. But on this night, he didn't hear people opening their doors and running to help. He only heard his father screaming.
The other villagers did not want to get up, because they knew Syonzola was up to his old tricks again. So they decided to sleep and wait for his loud screams to stop.
“Help! Help me, please!” The son waited and waited. But this time he could sense that something was terribly wrong. He could hear something else that sounded scary, and his father's cries were much louder than usual.
So the boy ran out and saw that a fierce animal was attacking his father. He was brave: he waved his burning stick at the animal, and the animal ran away from the fire, very fast, into the darkness.
Syonzola was so proud to see how brave his son was. He was very grateful to his son for saving him from the fierce animal that night.
From that day, Syonzola never told a lie again. Instead of screaming “Help! Help!”, he told everyone in the village about his brave son.
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
Why didn't the villagers like Syonzola?
Because he told lies and fooled them again and again.
Why did nobody come to help on the last night?
They thought he was playing his old trick again, so they stayed in bed.
How did the son save his father?
He waved a burning stick at the animal, and it ran away from the fire.
Was it fair of the villagers not to come? Give your opinion.
Possible answer: It is sad, but it is easy to understand. Syonzola had fooled them many times, and trust is hard to win back once you lose it.
| Word | A person who ... |
|---|---|
| honest | tells the truth and does not cheat or steal |
| trustworthy | you can trust; keeps promises and secrets |
| responsible | does their duties without being reminded |
| respectful / polite | treats others well and speaks kindly |
| considerate / thoughtful | thinks about other people's feelings |
| hardworking | works well and does not give up |
| brave / courageous | does the right thing even when afraid |
| sincere | means what they say |
| faithful | stays loyal to friends and family |
| mischievous | likes to play tricks and cause small trouble |
| dishonest | lies, cheats or steals |
Many opposites are made with a prefix: honest → dishonest, polite → impolite, kind → unkind, responsible → irresponsible, respectful → disrespectful.
Relative pronouns let you describe a person or thing without starting a new sentence.
| Word | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | Syonzola was a man who liked to tell lies. |
| which | animals and things | The animal which attacked him ran away. |
| that | people or things (to say exactly which one) | This is the stick that saved his life. |
| whose | belonging to (instead of his, her, their) | Syonzola is the man whose son saved him. |
| where | places | That is the village where they lived. |
I have a neighbour. She is very honest. → I have a neighbour who is very honest.
Syonzola is a man. His son is brave. → Syonzola is a man whose son is brave.
Don't keep the old pronoun: a neighbour who she is honest is wrong.
Careful: whose (belonging) and who's (who is) sound the same but are different words.
Tip
Who for people. Which for things and animals. Whose for belonging. Where for places.
That can stand in for who or which when you are pointing out exactly which one you mean.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Choose: The boy (who / which) saved his father was brave.
Answer: who (the boy is a person)
Choose: The stick (who / which) he waved was burning.
Answer: which (or that): a stick is a thing
Join with whose: Syonzola is a man. His son is brave.
Answer: Syonzola is a man whose son is brave.
What is the opposite of honest?
Answer: dishonest
Describe someone you admire in one sentence. Use who and two character words.
Answer: Example: My aunt Umutoni is a nurse who is kind and hardworking.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each character word to the person it describes.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
