Learning Objectives
- Understand the story and identify its moral
- Learn important vocabulary and expressions from the chapter
- Identify the characters and their roles in the story
- Practise comprehension and answer-writing skills
Key Concepts
About the Story
Author: Carol Moore. This is a humorous and imaginative story about a boy who dislikes doing homework and finds an unexpected helper.
Story Summary
Patrick is a boy who never does his homework. He prefers playing hockey, basketball, and Nintendo instead of studying. One day, he finds his cat playing with a tiny man — an elf! Patrick saves the elf, and in return, the elf promises to grant him one wish. Patrick wishes for the elf to do all his homework for 35 days until the semester ends.
The elf agrees but turns out to need a lot of help himself. He does not know English, maths, or human history. So he keeps asking Patrick for help — "Look this up in the dictionary!" "What does this word mean?" "I need help with this maths problem!" Patrick ends up sitting beside the elf every night, looking up answers in books, going to the library, and working harder than ever before.
The Twist
By the end of the semester, Patrick gets straight A's and becomes a model student. His classmates and teachers are amazed by the change. But the truth is, Patrick did all the work himself — the elf only guided him to look things up and study. The elf had tricked Patrick into doing his own homework without realising it!
Moral of the Story
There are no shortcuts to hard work. If you want to succeed, you have to put in the effort yourself. No one else can learn for you. The story teaches us that dedication and self-effort are the keys to success. Even when Patrick thought someone else was doing his homework, he was actually learning and working hard himself.
Character Analysis
Patrick: A lazy boy who avoids homework. He is clever enough to make a wish but ends up learning the value of hard work. By the end, he becomes responsible and studious.
The Elf: A tiny man saved by Patrick. He promises to help with homework but cleverly makes Patrick do all the work himself. He is wise and resourceful.
Important Terms
- Elf: A tiny, magical creature from fairy tales
- Semester: A half-year term in school
- Ignorant: Lacking knowledge or awareness
- Reluctantly: Unwillingly, without enthusiasm
- Amazed: Greatly surprised or astonished
- Model Student: An ideal, well-behaved, hardworking student
- Shrieked: Made a loud, high-pitched sound
Quick Revision
- Patrick hated homework and preferred sports and games
- He saved an elf from his cat and got one wish
- He wished for the elf to do his homework for 35 days
- The elf kept asking Patrick for help with every subject
- Patrick ended up doing all the work himself without realising
- He became a model student with straight A's
- Moral: There are no shortcuts to hard work and learning