Once upon a time, there was a steamboat that traveled down the river. The boat had a big obstacle to overcome, a huge waterfall! The captain of the steamboat knew that he needed to find a way to get over the waterfall. Suddenly, he remembered that cedar shakes were very slippery. So, he asked all the passengers to spit out as much saliva as they could and spread it on the cedar shakes. With enough saliva, the steamboat was able to slide over the obstacle and safely continue down the river. The end.

Reflections

1. Why did the captain ask for saliva?
2. What was the obstacle the steamboat had to overcome?
3. How did the steamboat get over the obstacle?
4. What is a steamboat and what is its purpose?
5. What is cedar shakes and why were they used in the story?