Text Leveling System

The Tomten and the Fox

RDQ:	278	Max Word/Sent	29	Total Words	459		Diff Words	184
Lex	530	Ave Word/.Sent	8	Hi Freq occurs	279	60.8%	Hi freq	81	44%
AR	2.1	Long Sentences	1.9	Low Freq occurs	4	0.9%	Low freq	3	1.6%

The fox lives in the middle of the forest.
When evening comes he leaves his den.
Where can a hungry fox find something to eat?
He knows.
Creep silently Reynard creep silently to the farm where people live.]]
But how light it is!
The snow is so white and the stars so bright.
Creep carefully Reynard creep so that no one can see you.]]
Who will see him?  There is a light in the window
and there are people inside the house
but no one will look out to see a hungry fox
coming through the snow.
But someone can see you Reynard
the Tomten who watches the farm at night.]]
Children are playing in the cottage.
Soon they will be going to bed.
They don't know about the fox
and the Tomten out in the snow.]]
The fox sneaks around to the cowshed.
There must be something there for a hungry fox to eat.
Creep silently Reynard so that no one will hear you!]]
Now everything is quiet.
The cows are fast asleep.
What do cows care about a fox?]]
But the cowshed mice are awake.
"Come on Reynard catch us if you can!
We have a hole in the floor.  Ask the cat she'll tell you.
Come on come on come on Reynard
come and catch us if you can!"
Who cares for mice?  There are other things which taste better.
Look out hens for Reynard is coming!
"The fox is here! Oh help help!"
Then steps are heard outside.
The hens hear them and the fox hears them.
Who is coming through the snow?]]
Only an old old tomten who guards the farm at night.
Were you frightened Reynard?
Have you seen the Tomten before
going his rounds from building to building?]]
An old tomten knows that a fox can be hungry.
"You know that no one
is allowed to steal our hens don't you Reynard?"
"Hens" says Reynard.
"Who thought of stealing hens?"]]
"Didn't you stick your hungry nose through that hole?
As long as I am on guard
every hen can sit safely on her perch."]]
But an old tomten knows that a fox can be hungry.
"Here you are eat this porridge!"
Every night the children fill the Tomten's bowl with porridge.
They have never seen him but they know he is there.]]
"It's good isn't it?
Eat Reynard you can share my porridge.
Every night if you like.  But don't touch our hens!"
"We'll see" says the fox "but thank you anyway."]]
Satisfied and happy
Reynard goes through the forest back to his den.
It is a night for foxes and tomtens.
People are fast asleep in their beds but the morning star
has already risen above the edge of the forest.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Some phrases/refrains repeated

Dialog: Simple

Vocabulary: More decoding/definition issues

Language: Many descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Story/Poem

Inferences: Some implications

Complexity: Several ideas - closely related

Concept: Fanciful

Sequence of Events: Chronological

Features

Character traits

Integral Setting

Simple problem/solution

Simple Plot

Personification

Topic

Foxes

*Animals

Predators/Prey

*Fictional Ideas/Charac

*Animal Life

Low Frequency Words

cowshed

perch

satisfied