COMPREHENSION READING: The wicked stepmother
There lived a man named Mr. Akpan, Mr. Akpan had a beautiful wife and a beautiful daughter named Ada. Mr. Akpan was a peaceful and happy man because He loved his family and there was peace in the home.
One day, death struck the home of Mr. Akpan and his wife died leaving their little daughter. Mr. Akpan was a busy man and knew he won’t be able to take care of his daughter alone so he decided to marry a new wife and a new mother who will love and take care of his daughter when he is not around.
The new wife came into his home, she pretended to love Ada but was always jealous because Ada was her father’s favorite. She was able to keep up with her pretentious attitude for 6 months and started showing her bad attitude when Ada’s father decided to travel for a business trip to Australia which was going last for 4months.
Ada’s step-mother began to maltreat Ada since her father was not around by making sure she doesn’t eat a good meal, Ada did all the chores in the house, never went to school like all her mate but sells pure water in the street.
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Nobody could walk up to Ada’s stepmother to caution her about her maltreatment to Ada because she will end up fighting the person who dares do that so all her neighbor stayed away from Ada and her step-mother like a plague.
Ada had no one to talk to and no one to run to for help but she always went to the riverside to sit and cry. When her father calls home, Her stepmother always lied that she went to school or asleep and this made Ada sad. She also warned Ada that she was going to kill her any day she finds out that Ada tells her father about her maltreatment to her.
One day while Ada was crying by the riverside, a bird started flying and was singing a nice song, the song the bird sang encouraged Ada, so Ada stood up and started running after the bird happily.
While running after the bird, Ada forgot the time and lost her way, she started crying. She meets an old woman who was carrying a heavy load and decided to ask the woman the way out but when she came closer, she saw that the load the woman was crying was too heavy and decided to help her.
She helped the woman carry her load to her house which looked tattered and scary. The woman asked her what she was doing by this time in such a place all alone, so Ada explained her ordeal to the woman and the woman decided to help her
That same day, Ada's father came back from travel and was welcomed by his wife and when he inquired about Ada, she told him that she went to school.
Hours passed and no sign of Ada coming back from school, out of worry Ada's father stood up and went to the school and was told that for the past four months, Ada never came to school because she was still owing her tuition fees. He was shocked and told the teachers that he always sent money to his wife for his daughter's fees and upkeep.
He decided to go and inquire from his neighbors who told him all the ordeal and maltreatment that was given to Ada by her stepmother. He could not believe his ears and decided to go back home and ask his wife about the whereabouts of his daughter.
Out of anger, Mr. Akpan called the police and she was arrested. She could not hide it anymore so she finally told the police that she sent Ada to go and sell pure water and since then, she has not returned. A search was made but no one saw Ada.
The next day the old woman sent Ada home in a magic mat. When Ada got home, Ada saw her father and she was asked what happened. She explained to the police and her father how her stepmother always maltreated her while her father wasn't home.
Her stepmother realized what she has done and came back to beg so she might be released by the police but was rejected by Ada's father and sent out of the house.
Questions:
- What is the name of the girl who lost her mother?
- Did her stepmother love her?
- where did her father go to?
- What did she see first in the river?
- Who helped her home?
- What is the moral lesson in this passage?
