PART ONE

As the dragon appeared on the horizon, gleaming gold and red in the slowly rising sun, a villager walking home nearly dropped her pails of water that she was bringing from the well. She ran as fast as she could back to her hut, screaming all the way, "Wake up, wake up, Yoba has returned!"

**What inference can be made about the villager's home?**

PART TWO

As she ran through the village shouting loudly and clumsily spilling nearly half of her water, others emerged from her hut, others slowly emerged from their huts, squinting in the morning sun. "What is the meaning of this, Ara? Why have you woken us so early?"

**What inference can be made about Ara?**

PART THREE

Rava, the village elder, had been sitting in her hut meditating when she heard the commotion that Ara was causing outside. She pulled back the curtain that covered the opening of hut and stepped out into the commotion. There was indeed an incredible din in the village: Ara was still running about, focused on rousing anyone still asleep by rustling their huts and shout, and a large group were chasing her and shouting at her to explain what the meaning of excitement was.

**Based on context clues, what do you think din means?**

PART FOUR

Amid the scene of chaos, Rava raised both her hands in the air. She needed to do nothing else; merely the sound of the many gold bracelets clinking and jingling as they fell down her arms were enough to calm her villagers. They could recognize the sound of Rava's bracelets anywhere. They turned to their elder whose arms were still in the air. Her eyes were dark bullets, her face was a stone statue. She was only 5 feet tall, but to everyone in the village, she seemed like a giant.

**What inference could be made about Rava, the village elder?**

PART FOUR

Amid the scene of chaos, Rava raised both her hands in the air. She needed to do nothing else; merely the sound of the many gold bracelets clinking and jingling as they fell down her arms were enough to calm her villagers. They could recognize the sound of Rava's bracelets anywhere. They turned to their elder whose arms were still in the air. Her eyes were dark bullets, her face was a stone statue. She was only 5 feet tall, but to everyone in the village, she seemed like a giant.

**What inference could be made about Rava, the village elder?**

PART FIVE

The village was silent. Everyone was looking at Rava, even Ara who had stopped shaking hut and had finally put her water buckets on the ground. In her rich, booming voice, Rava said, "Now. Salna, what is this commotion?"

A young boy stood up for he had fallen on his hands and knees by others. Salna was Rava's grandson: her youngest and dearest relative. "Rava, Ara has created a great disturbance this morning and she will not say why."

**Why did Salna fall to the ground?**

PART SIX

At this, Ara, broke through the crowd until she was a few feet from Rava. Her eyes were still wide and her voice shook with urgency, but she tried to speak as clearly and calmly as possible.

"Dear, Rava, forgive me for disturbing the village, but as I was fetching water from the well I looked in the eastern sky and saw the twisting, golden form of Yoba in the distance. Even now, he's there getting closer every moment!"

**Based on context clues, what do you think fetching means in the story?**

PART SEVEN

The villagers swung their bodies in the direction Ara was pointing and indeed saw a tiny, glowing form in the sky. They could see its gargantuan wings flapping in slow even strokes. A few women in the village fell to their knees, some of the men muttered in disbelief. Even little Salna, only 4 years old stared with large eyes at the figure in the sky.

"So," as Rava's eyes closed, a tear traveled down the creases in her face. "After 200 years, he's finally returned."

**Based on clues in the text, what can be inferred about Yoba?**

PART EIGHT

Rava consulted with the village fishermen who were skilled at measuring distances and they all agreed that Yoba would arrive at the village by midnight. As the fishermen left her hut, they held the curtain at the entrance open for Gran-Dola, the village priest. As the old man hobbled into the hut, Rava could see the villagers outside rushing to and fro. Unlike this morning, which had been chaotic, the people now ran about with purpose. Some were frantically decorating their huts, others were taking fish and flowers and fruits from the storage huts in great baskets and racing towards the small mountain nearby for they knew Yoba will want to be given sacrifices-- objects of importance to the village that show him their love for him. Salna was standing on a tree stump with a small stick in his hand, barking orders in his high pitched voice, and people patted his head as they hurried by. The village was filled with happiness and anticipation.

"The people are excited, Gran-Dola," said Rava cheerfully to the ancient man who grunted as he sat. "No one alive has seen the wondrous dragon."

"They are excited, it is true." Gran-Dola was not smiling. "But they have not read the Holy Text."

**Why isn't Gran-Dola smiling?**

PART NINE

When Gran-Dola had finished speaking, Rava's smile had disappeared. It had been years since she herself had read the Holy Text. It was a large black book that the Gran-Dola currently held in his hands. Legend said that Yoba himself breathed fire on a large tree and the fire wrote into the bark the words of the Holy Text. Priests like Gran-Dola could read what it said, but it was far too complicated for ordinary villagers to understand. Even Rava, the village elder, read it only with great difficulty. She, like the others depended on the priests to explain the demands of the dragons. But now that a priest had done just that, for the first time in her life, she felt powerless.

**Based on clues from the text, what can you infer about Yoba?"

PART TEN-

It was nighttime and Rava still had not found the words to explain what will happen when Yoba arrives. Nor had she found the time, for the villagers had not stopped bustling about preparing for the dragon since the morning. But now, with the help of Salna (who was much too clever for 4 years old) they were finding their seats around the altar on the mountain and Rava knew she would soon have to break the news.

Rava had never seen the altar so beautifully decorated before. Everyone had donated something to Yoba and placed it carefully at the altar. Baskets and baskets of food were arranged in perfect circles, colorful fabrics were laid out so Yoba could admire the intricate designs. Jewelry that sparkled in the light of the torches hung on the tree beside the altar like Christmas ornaments. The villagers were pleased with their offering to the dragon. But Rava knew he would want more.

PART ELEVEN

Yoba had come at last. Even in the darkness his gold and red scales shimmered brilliantly. His great claws which he used to perch in front of the altar, were as large as the villages biggest warrior, and his face was filled with mysteries as old as time itself.

The voice shook small mountain the sat upon, it vibrated the world around them. "Ravaaaa. Where is the sacrifice? That which is dearest?"

The villagers shifted excitedly in their seats. The ones who brought food to the altar looked happily towards the baskets they brought. The ones who brought their finest fabric, admired the fabric that they had laid so carefully upon the altar.

Yoba, however, stared with fierce eyes at the village Elder. His mouth opened slightly revealing sword-like teeth. Rava stared back. Minutes passed.

Then: "Salna. Come here, my dearest."

Salna, 4 years old, walked up toward his grandmother and the most ancient of beings in the world.

"Come with me, little one." In one swift movement, Yoba snatched the child in his claws. His wings flung open, sending away the gifts the villages had brought in a great gust of wind. Yoba lifted into the air, twisted his body, and flew away.

**Based on clues from the text, why did Yoba take Salna?**