The Magic Barber

by John Milne

(Adapted book. Starter level)

It is afternoon in Crossways. Crossways is a quiet town. Crossways is a sleepy town.

Everybody in Crossways wears a large hat. Everybody in Crossways wears a black hat. The women wear round, black hats.

The men wear tall, black hats. The girls wear square, black hats. The boys wear flat, black hats.

Everybody has long hair. Everybody wears a large hat. Everybody wears a large hat over their long hair.

It is afternoon in Crossways. The sun is shining brightly. It is a hot afternoon. Everybody is sleeping.

Suddenly there is a loud noise. Everybody wakes up. They all look round.

What is happening? Who is making that loud noise?

A small boy is walking along the street. He is beating a drum. The small boy is walking in front of a donkey. The donkey is pulling a cart.

The man is sitting on the cart. There is a large notice above the man's head.

THE MAGIC BARBER!

Everybody reads the notice. Everybody in Crossways is happy. They don't like black hats. They don't want to wear hats anymore. They all shout and cheer.

'Hooray!'

'Hooray!'

'Hooray!'

They all throw their hats in the air. The wind blows the hats high in the sky.

They all cheer and shout.

'Goodbye hat!'

'Goodbye hat!'

'Goodbye hat!'

Nobody sees the small boy. He is busy. He is picking up the hats. The small boy is putting the hats into a large bag. He fills the large bag with the hats.

The small boy lifts up the large bag. He runs out of the town. He is carrying the large bag on his back.

A young man climbs onto the cart. He sits down on the chair. He pays the Barber a dollar.

The Magic Barber puts a large white towel over the young man's head. He waves a large pair of scissors in the air. He shouts the magic words.

'Snip! Snip!

Up and down!

Round and round!

And off it comes!'

The Magic Barber pulls away the towel. Everybody shouts. The young man's hair is short. The young man's hair is green.

Everybody shouts and cheers,

Everybody is happy.

The Magic Barber cuts everybody's hair.

The women have blue hair.

The men have green hair.

The boys have red hair.

The girls have yellow hair.

Nobody in Crossways is wearing a hat.

The people of Crossways go to bed.

They wake up in the morning. A young man looks in the mirror.

What has happened? Where is his hair? He has no hair! He is bald!

The people of Crossways are angry. Everybody is bald.

They have no hair. They want their hats back.

'Where is my hat?'

'Where is my hat?'

'I want my hat back!'

Suddenly there is a loud noise. A small boy is walking along the street. He is blowing a trumpet. He is blowing the trumpet loudly.

The small boy is walking in front of a donkey. The donkey is pulling a cart. A man is sitting on the cart.

The cart is full of black hats. There is a notice above the cart.

Everybody reads the notice. They cheer and shout.

Everybody buys a black hat. The black hats cover their bald heads.

Everybody is happy.

-The End-