The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Yukio lives in a little village. It is in the country, not far from Kyoto - in old Japan.

Yukio's parents are dead. So he lives with his older sister, Mariko. They live in the old family house.

Mariko works hard in the garden, and the house. Yukio helps her. For some years they are happy together.

But then Kunio arrives. Kunio lives on a farm near their house. He is a farmer.

One spring day, Kunio is walking past their house. Suddenly he sees Mariko. She is standing under the cherry tree in her garden. It has beautiful blossoms on it.

Kunio smiles at Mariko, and Mariko smiles at Kunio. But Yukio does not smile. He does not like Kunio.

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parents mother and father

hard a lot, strongly

together with someone or near to someone

farm a house with land in the country

spring the warm time of the year when the first flowers arrive

cherry (plural cherries) a little, round, red fruit that has a hard stone in the middle

blossom a flower on a tree in spring time