Write the main ideas of the following text.

Activity 3 Write the main ideas of the following text.

The Magic Moneybag

Long ago there was a young couple into the sky, with the woodcutter still who lived in a small thatched hut in a inside it. gully. They were so poor that every

On his arrival in heaven, he saw a day they had to cut two bundles of kindly looking, white-haired old man fi rewood and carry them to market on coming in his direction. The old man their backs.

untied the bundle and when he found One day, the young couple came the man inside it, he asked, "Other back from the mountain carrying the people only cut one bundle of fi rewood fi rewood. They put one bundle in the

a day. Why do you cut two?" courtyard and planned to sell it at the

The woodcutter made a bow and market the next day to buy rice. The replied, "We are penniless. That's why my other bundle they kept in the kitchen wife and I cut two bundles of fi rewood a for their own use. When they woke day. One bundle is for our own use and up the following morning, the bundle the other we carry to the market. With it in the courtyard had mysteriously we can buy rice to make porridge." disappeared. There was nothing to do

The old man chuckled and said to but to sell the bundle which they had the woodcutter in a warm-hearted tone kept for themselves.

of voice, "I've known for a long time That same day, they cut another two that you are a decent couple and lead a bundles of fi rewood as usual. They put hardworking life. I shall give you a piece one bundle in the courtyard for market of treasure. Take it back with you and it and kept the other bundle for their own will provide you with your livelihood." use. But the following morning, the

As soon as he had fi nished speaking, bundle in the courtyard had vanished there came seven fairies who led the again. The same thing happened on young man into a magnifi cent palace. the third and fourth day as well, and Its golden eaves and gleaming roof tiles the husband began to think there was shone so brightly that the moment he something strange going on.

entered, he could no longer open his On the fi fth day, he made a hollow eyes. Inside the palace there were many in the bundle of firewood in the kinds of rare objects on display that he courtyard and hid himself inside it. had never seen before. Moneybags of From the outside it looked just the same all shapes and sizes hung in one room. as before. At midnight an enormous The fairies asked him, "Which one do rope descended from the sky, attached you like best? Choose whichever you itself to the bundle and lifted it up please, and take it home."

Valuable St ories

The woodcutter was beside himself The wife could not dissuade her with joy, "I'd like that moneybag, the husband and reluctantly went along one full of precious things. Give me with his idea. that round, bulging one." He chose the

The husband spent the money on biggest one and took it down.

bricks, tiles and timber and on hiring Just at this moment, the white- carpenters and masons. From that haired old man came in and, with a

time on, neither of them went into the stern expression on his face, said to the mountain to cut fi rewood any more. young man, "You cannot take that one. The day came when their pile of silver I'll give you an empty one. Every day you was almost exhausted, but the new can take one tael of silver out of it, and house was still unfi nished. It had long no more." The woodcutter reluctantly been in the back of the husband's mind agreed. He took the empty moneybag to ask the moneybag to produce more and, clinging onto the enormous rope, silver. So without his wife's knowledge,

he opened the bag for a second time that Once home, he gave the moneybag day. Instantly, another lump of snow- to his wife and told her the whole story. white silver rolled jingling out of the She was most excited. In the daytime bag onto the ground. He opened it a they went as usual to cut fi rewood. But third time and received a third lump. from then on, whenever they returned

he was lowered to the ground.

He thought to himself, "If I go on home after dark, they would close the like this, I can get the house fi nished in door and open the moneybag. Instantly, no time!" He quite forgot the old man's

a lump of silver would roll jingling out. warning. But when he opened the bag for When they weighed it on the palm of the fourth time, it was absolutely empty. their hand, they found it to be exactly This time not a scrap of silver came out one tael. Every day one tael of silver and of it. It was just an old cloth bag. When no more came rolling out of the bag. The

he turned to look at his unfi nished brick wife saved them up one by one.

house, that was gone as well. There before Time went slowly by. One day the him was his old thatched hut. husband suggested, "Let's buy an ox."

The woodcutter felt very sad. His The wife didn't agree. A few days wife came over and consoled him, "We later, the husband suggested again, "How

can't depend on the magic moneybag about buying a few acres of land?"