Shadowing Practice: The Lost Child and The Witch's Game + Rose Princess ๐ | Fairy Tales and Stories for Kids - Learn English Speaking with Video
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In a village deep in the forest, a mother and her little child were living together.
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And then one day, the mother went for a walk in the forest with her little child.
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Suddenly, the little child became curious about a frog and started following it.
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The mother tried to catch up with them, but the child disappears as soon as he went around to the corner.
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Oh, where on earth did this child go?
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First she looked among the bushes, and then she thought she should look behind the big tree.
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but she couldn't see him anywhere.
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And then she found herself at the edge of the swamp.
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Without thinking, she jumped into the swamp and got herself covered in mud.
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When she couldn't find her child there either, she went into the chicken coop next door and got covered in feathers.
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On the other side, the little child, unaware of what was happening, was busy playing around with the frog.
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Suddenly, an old witch came up to him and told him she had candy for him.
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Well, hello there, little sweet boy.
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Would you like to have this candy?
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The little child was very scared of the witch.
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His mother heard the scream and immediately ran to where she heard it from.
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But when the witch saw her coming, she cast a spell that made her take the form of the mother.
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What are you doing?
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Stay away from my child.
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What nonsense are you talking?
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This boy is my child.
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The child looked at his mother and then at the woman next to him.
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Not recognizing his mother in that state, he hugged the witch tightly.
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Her mother could not hold back her tears.
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While they were busy arguing, the fairies of the forest came flying out.
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What on earth is going on here?
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Which one is the real mother?
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I don't understand.
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Maybe we should take them to Fairyland.
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Then we can find out who the real mother is.
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The fairies took the child and the two women back to Fairyland with them.
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The head fairy welcomed them into the castle and listened to their story.
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Now we're going to figure out which one of you really is the real mother.
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Whoever the child runs to is the real mother.
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Both the women agreed to this.
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The child ran to the witch.
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Seeing this, the mother said that she needed to clean herself up.
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She quickly washed herself and asked if they could do another test.
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Give us another test and he'll recognize me this time.
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The fairies asked each of them to prepare a meal that the child would like.
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First, the real mother prepared a nice rice dish for him, and the child ate it with pleasure.
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After that, the witch used her special magic powers to prepare a beautiful giant chocolate cake for him.
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When the little child saw this cake, he went absolutely crazy.
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But that's not fair at all.
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Every child loves chocolate cake.
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The fairies said that the tests were over and gave the child to the witch.
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The mother immediately burst out crying and wanted to hug her child one last time.
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The fairies allowed it.
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And then, the moment the child hugged his mother, he said softly, Mama, to her.
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Did you see that?
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He recognized me by my smell.
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When the witch saw them doing that, she immediately separated the mother and the child and tried to take the child away.
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Wait a minute, you should give him a hug as well.
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The witch hugged him, but the child didn't want her and pushed her away.
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When the witch insisted, the little child burst out into tears of his own.
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Mommy!
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Oh, he started panicking.
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Come, my boy, I'll hug you at home.
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And right at that moment, the fairies put up a huge magic wall in front of the witch.
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This made the witch very angry, and she was very quickly changed back into her old form.
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I will not give you the child!
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The fairies lifted the child up into the air with magic
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and put him safely in his mother's arms and they locked the witch up in a cage.
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With the help of the fairies, the mother and her child made it safely out of fairyland.
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The mother held her child tightly to her chest
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and was very grateful to the fairies for making sure her child was safe.
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We're also very grateful to you for showing us how close the evil really is to us.
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And then after that, the mother and her child very happily went back to their village.
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Because true love and compassion will always be powerful enough to win the battle against evil.
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In a land far, far away, there was a princess with long red hair.
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This princess had a beautiful flower garden.
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The red roses especially were giving great happiness to the princess.
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In the evening, when the people in the country went to bed to fall asleep,
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the rose princess would go out to the balcony of the palace and clap her hands three times.
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Hearing this sound, a tiny golden bird flew into the rose princess's hand.
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And at that moment, the princess's hair began to shine brightly.
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The cute bird began to sing beautifully.
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And the princess was singing a lullaby with her velvet voice.
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Everyone who heard this beautiful lullaby of the princess would slowly close their eyes and fall asleep immediately.
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Sweet dreams and goodnight, beautiful people of my country.
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While the nights were passing in peace and joy thanks to the Rose Princess,
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one day, a witch with a pointed hat and scowling came to the palace of the Rose Princess with a flying broom.
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La-da-da-da-da-da!
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I can't stand this princess singing anymore!
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I'm fed up!
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The frowning witch decided to cast an evil spell on the princess.
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Alakazam!
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Alakazam!
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Let the roses wither!
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Let the rose princess be silent!
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At that moment, the princess's hair turned into black as coal black.
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What's going on with my hair?
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They're all black!
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And it's now bedtime!
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Ugh!
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The princess with her black hair went out to the balcony to sing a lullaby to her people.
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She clapped her hands three times.
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The golden little bird flew again and landed in her hand.
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Rose Princess's black hair was shining again.
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Although the princess wondered what happened to her red hair, she started to sing her lullaby with the bird.
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Everyone in the country fell into a deep sleep.
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But instead of good dreams...
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They had terrible nightmares.
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There were even children who woke up crying.
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Ahaha, mommy!
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Ugh!
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I had a very scary dream!
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I don't want to sleep at night anymore!
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My dreams are so scary!
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So are mine!
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In the evening of the next day,
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the Rose Princess who learned that her people were having nightmares went back to her balcony and called her golden little bird.
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My little bird!
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My people are tired of having nightmares!
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Help me to heal their dreams before morning!
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Let the roses make your hair smile!
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Let the roses make your hair smile!
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Do-a-do-do-do-do-do!
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Roses make my hair smile?
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Hmm...
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With the bird's advice, the princess filled a large tub with water.
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She also put a handful of red rose petals in it.
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The water has turned red.
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The princess dipped her hair in this water.
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The hair turned red at that very moment.
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Roses made my hair smile.
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The little bird was telling the truth.
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Hooray!
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That night, when the princess sang a lullaby,
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everyone in the country slept peacefully and had beautiful dreams.
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Realizing that the spell she had cast on the Rose Princess was broken, the frowning witch got angry and cursed her once again.
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Allakazam!
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Pallakazam!
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Let the roses wither!
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Let the Rose Princess be silent!
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Then, she withered all the rosebuds in the country and fled.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
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Rose Princess was very upset when she saw that her hair was coal black again.
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Oh, no way!
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Again?
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What is happening to me?
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The princess asked her assistants to bring rose petals immediately to fix her hair.
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However, the assistants could not find even a single rose in the garden or the country.
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What am I going to do now, little bird?
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Tell me, huh?
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Let the roses make your hair smile.
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But there is not even a single rose in the whole country.
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Wait, don't go!
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Rose Princess was so upset that she started to cry loudly.
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The tears flowing from her eyes have fallen to the ground.
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At that time, there was a young and handsome man passing through the palace garden.
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When this young man saw the tears falling to the ground, he took out a box from his pocket,
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and inside there was a thin red strand of hair.
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Left the strand of red hair on the tears on the ground.
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A strand of red hair turned into a sparkling red rose in an instant.
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The handsome man took the rose and went to the princess.
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The princess, who was sadly standing by the bathtub full of water, was very excited when she saw the handsome man entering.
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You!
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I remember you!
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Yes, I am, your childhood friend.
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This flower is for you.
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Please accept it, my rose princess.
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The princess was so happy when she saw the red rose her childhood friend brought her.
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Immediately after, she threw the rose into the tub.
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She then dipped her hair in water.
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And finally the witch's curse was broken.
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That coal black hair has turned red again.
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Seeing the happiness of his daughter, the king is very curious.
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Young man, please tell me.
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How did you find this rose when there was not a single rose left in the whole country?
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This rose was formed with the sad tears of our princess, and a strand of her red hair that I kept since childhood.
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My dear king, my loyalty is endless.
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That's right, Daddy.
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Look, I've been keeping a strand of his hair in this box for years, too.
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The king was impressed by the loyalty of both the princess and the young man.
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Thus, the rose princess and her childhood friend, the handsome man, got married the very next day.
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Realizing that her curse was broken by the power of love,
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the witch realized that she could never win again and flew to the lands far, far away.
Context & Background
The enchanting tale of "The Lost Child and The Witch's Game" takes place in a serene village nestled deep within a forest. The story begins with a devoted mother and her curious little child who, during a day out in nature, gets sidetracked by an intriguing frog. As the mother searches frantically for her missing child, she finds herself in a series of comical yet desperate situations involving mud and feathers. Meanwhile, the child encounters a mysterious witch offering candy, leading to a confrontation that tests the bond between mother and child. This imaginative narrative not only captivates its young audience but also presents an opportunity for learners to enhance their English speaking skills through engaging storytelling.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "What are you doing?" - A common phrase to check in on someoneโs activities.
- "Stay away from my child." - A protective statement emphasizing concern.
- "I couldn't find him anywhere." - Expressing desperation and urgency.
- "Would you like to have this candy?" - An inviting way to offer something.
- "Mama, is that you?" - A heartfelt expression of recognition and affection.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize this tale for your IELTS speaking practice and grasp better English pronunciation, follow this step-by-step shadowing guide:
- Watch the video: Pay attention to the tone, pacing, and expressions of the narrators. Each character's voice and inflection are important to capture the emotional weight of the story.
- Listen and repeat: Using the shadow speak technique, pause the video after each sentence and try to mimic the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker. For instance, when you hear, "What are you doing?" repeat it aloud, focusing on the rhythm and accent.
- Break down phrases: Focus on the top phrases highlighted above. Write them down and practice saying them in everyday scenarios to build familiarity.
- Record yourself: Use your phone to record your repetitions and compare them with the original narration. This will help you identify areas to improve your English pronunciation.
- Engage with subtitles: If available, enable subtitles to follow along visually. This can enhance comprehension and reinforce vocabulary as you learn English with YouTube.
By integrating this enchanting story into your practice sessions, you will not only enjoy a delightful narrative but also develop essential speaking skills, making your English learning journey both effective and enjoyable.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud โ like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1โ2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency โ making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.