full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: The tale of the boy who tricked the Devil

Unscramble the Blue Letters

In the sun-dappled streets of a slaml town, a proud mother showed off her newborn son. Upon noticing his lucky birthmark, townsfolk predicted he would marry a princess. But soon, these rumors recaehd the ears of the wicked king. Enraged, the king stole the cilhd away, and sent him hurtling down the river. But the infant’s luck proved gateerr than the king’s plan.
Years later, the king was traveling his realm, when he soteptd a strapping young man with an uncanny birthmark. After confirming the child’s oiirgns, the sly king etstnuerd the boy with a letter for the queen. The youth eagerly set out to deliver the message— not knowing he was carrying his own dteah sentence.

Open Cloze

In the sun-dappled streets of a _____ town, a proud mother showed off her newborn son. Upon noticing his lucky birthmark, townsfolk predicted he would marry a princess. But soon, these rumors _______ the ears of the wicked king. Enraged, the king stole the _____ away, and sent him hurtling down the river. But the infant’s luck proved _______ than the king’s plan.
Years later, the king was traveling his realm, when he _______ a strapping young man with an uncanny birthmark. After confirming the child’s _______, the sly king _________ the boy with a letter for the queen. The youth eagerly set out to deliver the message— not knowing he was carrying his own _____ sentence.

Solution

  1. child
  2. small
  3. death
  4. greater
  5. spotted
  6. reached
  7. origins
  8. entrusted

Original Text

In the sun-dappled streets of a small town, a proud mother showed off her newborn son. Upon noticing his lucky birthmark, townsfolk predicted he would marry a princess. But soon, these rumors reached the ears of the wicked king. Enraged, the king stole the child away, and sent him hurtling down the river. But the infant’s luck proved greater than the king’s plan.
Years later, the king was traveling his realm, when he spotted a strapping young man with an uncanny birthmark. After confirming the child’s origins, the sly king entrusted the boy with a letter for the queen. The youth eagerly set out to deliver the message— not knowing he was carrying his own death sentence.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

Important Words

  1. birthmark
  2. boy
  3. carrying
  4. child
  5. confirming
  6. death
  7. deliver
  8. eagerly
  9. ears
  10. enraged
  11. entrusted
  12. greater
  13. hurtling
  14. king
  15. knowing
  16. letter
  17. luck
  18. lucky
  19. man
  20. marry
  21. mother
  22. newborn
  23. noticing
  24. origins
  25. plan
  26. predicted
  27. princess
  28. proud
  29. proved
  30. queen
  31. reached
  32. realm
  33. river
  34. rumors
  35. sentence
  36. set
  37. showed
  38. sly
  39. small
  40. son
  41. spotted
  42. stole
  43. strapping
  44. streets
  45. town
  46. townsfolk
  47. traveling
  48. uncanny
  49. wicked
  50. years
  51. young
  52. youth