7/23/2019 Grandfather Tang Story in mathematics tanngrams http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/grandfather-tang-story-in-mathematics-tanngrams 1/14 Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker Crown Publishers, (New York, 1990 ! "rand#ather Tan$ and %ittle &oo were sittin$ under a pea'h tree in their ba'kyard! They were amusin$ ea'h other by makin$ di##erent shapes in their tan$ram pule! )%et*s do a story about the #o+ #airies, (Chou and u %in$,) said %ittle &oo! &o "rand#ather Tan$ arran$ed his se-en tan$ram pie'es into the shape o# a #o+! Then "rand#ather Tan$ made another #o+ with %ittle &oo*s se-en tan$ram pie'es! %ittle &oo 'lapped her hands as her $rand#ather be$an! Althou$h Chou and u %in$ were best #riends, they were always tryin$ to outdo ea'h other! .ne day this ri-alry almost brou$ht their #riendship to a tra$i' end! They were sittin$ under their #a-orite willow tree beside a ri-er talkin$ about their ma$i' powers!
Transcript
7/23/2019 Grandfather Tang Story in mathematics tanngrams
The do$ ed$ed 'loser and 'loser! u %in$*s eyes $rew bi$$er and bi$$er! 8e was too
#ri$htened to mo-e at #irst! 3ut then he thou$ht, )/*ll be sa#e i# / 'an 'limb up the
willow tree!)
8is little pu## o# a tail $rew lon$ and bushy and his tall ears shrunk as u %in$
trans#ormed himsel# into a
squirrel.
u %in$ spran$ into the willow tree and s'rambled to the top!
)Chou will probably turn himsel# into a 'at so he 'an 'limb up the tree a#ter me,) u
%in$ said to himsel#! )3ut he*ll ne-er 'at'h me, /*ll 7ump #rom tree to tree and he
won*t be able to #ollow me!)
.# 'ourse, Chou thou$ht about 'han$in$ himsel# into a 'at!
)3ut that*s 7ust what u %in$ e+pe'ts me to do,) he said to himsel#! )hat 'an / doto surprise him) 8e thou$ht and thou$ht! )/ know! /*ll swoop down upon him #rom
abo-e) And he turned himsel# into a
hawk.
Chou 'ir'led round and round in the sky abo-e the willow tree, sear'hin$ #or u
%in$! u %in$ peered throu$h the lea-es o# the tree, lookin$ #or Chou on the $round!
Round and round Chou 'ir'led the willow tree until he spied u %in$!
):ek; :ek; :ek;) he shrieked as he oomed down upon the suirrel!
u %in$ trembled! Chou*s beak looked sharp enou$h to pier'e ri$ht throu$h him!
7/23/2019 Grandfather Tang Story in mathematics tanngrams
and he swam out o# Chou*s mouth between his spiked teeth!
Then he hid in a pat'h o# 'attails! Chou 'hurned the water with his lashin$ tail as he
'har$e into the pat'h a#ter u %in$! ith his head swin$in$ ba'k and #orth and his
eyes dartin$ here and there, he sear'hed #or u %in$! u %in$ knew that Chou
would not $i-e up until he #ound him!
)/ must #ly #rom here,) he thou$ht! And he started to honk as he trans#ormed himsel#
into a
goose.
)8onk; 8onk; 8onk;) 'alled u %in$! And he took to the air!
A 'horus o# honks swelled the air as the #lo'k o# $eese spread their win$s to #ollowhim! hile Chou wat'hed, the honkin$ $rew #ainter, the #lo'k $rew smaller, and he
#elt his an$er slowly drain away!
)hy, oh, why did we play that stupid $ame) he moaned! )/*ll ne-er see u %in$
8e 'losed his eyes and sank toward the ri-er*s bottom! >ust as he tou'hed it, howe-er,
he had an idea! And up he popped a$ain, a $oose himsel#!
Chou 'har$ed a#ter him, but u %in$ spread his win$s and took to the air!
Chou wat'hed him #ly to a small island where a #lo'k o# $eese were #eedin$! 3y now
he was not only -ery an$ry, he was also -ery hun$ry! 8e de'ided that i# he 'ould not
'at'h u %in$, any $oose would make him a $ood dinner! 8e splashed throu$h the
water toward the island until he rea'hed it!
?oments later, Chou was #lyin$ a#ter u %in$ and the other $eese! 8e 'ould hardly
see or hear them at #irst! 3ut he did not let this dis'oura$e him! Callin$ upon e-ery
last bit o# his stren$th, he #or$ed ahead!
@a'h #lap o# his win$s brou$ht him 'loser! The wed$e o# $eese slowly $rew bi$$er!The honkin$ $rew louder! At last Chou #ound himsel# #lyin$ beside u %in$!
)/*m tired o# our silly $ame,) he 'ried! )Come ba'k with me to our willow tree!)
3e#ore u %in$ 'ould answer, somethin$ stun$ Chou*s ri$ht win$! 8e sank toward
the $round!
A hunter had shot him! u %in$ #lew down beside Chou, pla'e his le#t win$ under
Chou*s smashed ri$ht win$, and to$ether they #luttered down to the ed$e o# the
#orest!
The hunter ran toward them!
)<ly away,) Chou ur$ed u %in$! )&a-e yoursel#! <ly; <ly;)
)/ wont* desert you,) 'ried u %in$! And with a mi$hty roar, he 'han$ed into a
