HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 2-Lesson 19Nat Love was born in 1854 in Tennessee. Nat’s father passed away when Nat
was young, so Nat helped his mother take care of the family. He cared for the
family’s garden. He picked berries and nuts to sell. Nat worked hard to earn
money. Then he used that money to buy food and clothes for his family.
But after a while, Nat became restless and wanted to see the world. So,
when he was fi fteen years old, he went west. Nat became a cowboy. Sometimes
his work was dangerous. One dark, stormy night, he had to round up cattle.
Nat could hear the cattle, but he could only see them when lightning lit up
the sky. It was hard to round up cattle in the dark. But Nat was stubborn and
would not give up. Instead, he chased the cattle until he had caught them all.
Another time, Nat entered a roping contest. Each person in the contest
had to rope, or catch, a wild horse. Then they had to put a bridle and saddle
on the horse and ride it. Nat was feisty and full of energy. From the time he
caught the wild horse to the time he rode it, it only took him nine minutes. No
one was faster than Nat, so he won the contest.
Nat was a cowboy for more than twenty years. Then he worked as a porter for
the railroad. His job was to take care of train passengers. He noticed how people
were feeling. Nat did a good job of cheering people up because he was sensitive
to their feelings. Sometimes Nat took care of sick passengers. He washed their
faces and fed them. He made a sincere effort to make them feel better.
Nat was never jealous of others. Instead, he was happy with what he had.
He was happy, too, that he was able to travel.
When Nat was fi fty-four years old, he wrote a book about his life. He wrote,
“I have seen a large part of America, and am still seeing it, but the life of a
hundred years would be all too short to see our country. America, I love thee,
sweet land of liberty, home of the brave and the free.”
COMPREHENSION What did Nat Love do that made a difference in
other people’s lives? Which words help you understand what Nat Love
was like?
Nat Love,
Cowboy Railroad Manand
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Mr. Moreno was a businessman who was staying at a hotel in a small town. He
needed a haircut, so he asked a hotel worker where he could fi nd a barbershop.
The hotel worker said, “There are only two barbershops in town. One barbershop
is on Elm Street. The other barbershop is on Park Street.”
Mr. Moreno worked until the late afternoon. Finally, he had time to get a haircut.
Mr. Moreno walked to the barbershop on Elm Street fi rst. He looked in the window
and saw the barber eating lunch. He noticed the barber’s haircut. He thought, “I
know I’m being negative, but this barber has the messiest haircut I’ve ever seen! His
hair is too long on one side. It is too short on the other side. I think someone clumsy
cut this barber’s hair.” Then he noticed the barbershop fl oor. It was a mess too, just
like his hair! The barber hadn’t swept the fl oor in a long time.
Next, Mr. Moreno walked to the barbershop on Park Street. That barbershop was
neat. The barber there was reading a paper, and his haircut was neat also. It looked
great! The businessman thought, “This barber has one of the best quality haircuts
I’ve ever seen! I want a great haircut, and after visiting both of these barbershops, I
know where I’ll get my hair cut.”
Where do you think Mr. Moreno went for his haircut?
Mr. Moreno got a haircut from the messy barber on Elm Street—the one with the
bad haircut. There were only two barbers in town. So Mr. Moreno was sure that the
two barbers cut each other’s hair. Because the neat barber on Park Street had a
great haircut, the businessman was sure that the messy barber on Elm Street gave
great haircuts. He was reluctant to go to the neat barber on Park Street. He was
sure that barber gave bad haircuts.
The messy barber on Elm Street gave Mr. Moreno a great haircut. Afterward, the
businessman gave the barber a genuine smile and said, “You are great! This is the
best haircut I’ve ever had. I mean it!”
But the messy barber was modest. He said, “I’m just doing my job. But I always
try to do my best.”
Then Mr. Moreno said, “Tell me, why is the fl oor of your shop so messy?”
The barber said, “I’m too busy giving haircuts to sweep the fl oor. Sometimes I’m
even too busy to eat lunch until late in the day.”
COMPREHENSION What words help you understand what the two barbers
are like? How does the businessman’s choice to go to the barber on Elm Street
show that you can’t always believe what you see?
The Haircut
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