Visit www.readinga-z.com for thousands of books and materials.

WritingIn the story, Sirena and Isabella sing songs to one another. Write a short song about the sea. Share your song with a friend. Social StudiesSirena is based on a creature who appears in a legend from Chile. Research to learn more about Chile. Share your findings with your class.

Connections

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit

A Reading A–Z Level L Leveled BookWord Count: 570

www.readinga-z.com

LEVELED BOOK • L

Written by Katherine Fol lett I l lustrated by Alessandra Fusi

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit

www.readinga-z.com

What does the sea spirit help Isabella learn?

Focus Question

Written by Katherine Follett Illustrated by Alessandra Fusi

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit

Words to Know

fierce hesitated howled

mysterious spirit warn

The Old Woman and the Sea SpiritLevel L Leveled Book© Learning A–ZWritten by Katherine Follett Il lustrated by Alessandra Fusi

All rights reserved.

www.readinga-z.com

CorrelationLEVEL L

K1820

Fountas & PinnellReading Recovery

DRA

3

Isabella was old. Her garden was too big for her tired back. Her children were grown. No one needs me anymore, she thought.

She left her village. She moved into a small shack by the seashore, where she lived alone.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 4

One night, there was a storm. The sea wolves came out to hunt, as they only did when the ocean was fierce. They howled, riding the rough waves. The next morning, the beach was littered with clams that had washed ashore.

What a feast! Isabella thought.

5

She picked up a shell. Inside was a tiny, frightened child. She had silver hair and a silver fish’s tail.

“You must be a little spirit of the sea!” Isabella said. “I bet you are hiding from those sea wolves,” she murmured.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 6

Isabella brought the sea spirit to a calm pool near her shack. The little girl danced in the shallow water.

The sea spirit stayed with Isabella, who named her Sirena. Isabella shared her clams. She sang songs from her village. Sirena sang songs from the sea. They grew to be like mother and daughter.

Word WiseSirena means “mermaid” in Spanish.

7

One year later, Isabella saw a flash of silver in the waves. It was Sirena’s mother. Sirena leaped over the rocks. She swam through the waves. Isabella saw how strong Sirena was now. She was proud.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 8

The little girl hesitated between the two women.

“It is time for you to go home,” Isabella said. With a goodbye song, Sirena and her mother slipped beneath the waves.

9

“No one needs me anymore,” Isabella wept. She thought about returning to her village. She feared they would not welcome a lonely old woman. She stayed alone by the sea.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 10

One windy day, Isabella saw a flash of silver in the waves. It was Sirena! She danced in the water, singing a mysterious song. It sounded like howling sea wolves. Then, with a powerful splash, she dove beneath the waves.

11

“Is there another storm coming?” Isabella wondered. “I must warn my village!”

Isabella marched through the wind. She went to the Wise Woman’s house in the village.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 12

“A sea spirit warned me that a bad storm is coming,” Isabella said.

“A sea spirit?” the Wise Woman gasped.

“I cared for the little one when she washed ashore during a storm,” Isabella said.

“Please, Isabella, stay with us in the village,” the Wise Woman said.

“Oh, no one needs me anymore,” Isabella said sadly.

13

“That is not true, Isabella,” the Wise Woman said. “The sea spirit needed you. Our fishermen needed you to warn us. The whole village worries about you being alone by the sea.”

Isabella was surprised to hear this. She did not think anyone cared about a lonely old woman.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 14

“As long as you care for others, someone will always need you,” the Wise Woman said.

Isabella stayed in her village during the storm. Her neighbors welcomed her. They ate and talked and laughed together.

15

The next morning, the storm moved on. Isabella looked toward the sea. She thought she saw a flash of silver in the waves.

“Thank you, sea daughter,” she called.

Do You Know?This story is based on a water spirit from Chilean

legends called the Pincoya. The legends say that the Pincoya danced to let people know if there would be good fishing that year.

The Old Woman and the Sea Spirit • Level L 16

Glossaryfierce (adj.) very violent or

powerful (p. 4)

hesitated (v.)

paused before doing something, especially because of uncertainty (p. 8)

howled (v.) made a long, loud cry (p. 4)

mysterious (adj.)

hard or impossible to explain or understand (p. 10)

spirit (n.) a supernatural being (p. 5)

warn (v.) to alert to danger (p. 11)