Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Whinytown Learns a Lesson
Whinytown was a tiny beach town nestled in a sheltered cove beside the ocean. Whinytown was blessed with beautiful white, sandy beaches and gentle ocean breezes. Each day, the tides came in, and the tides went out. Travelers came in, and travelers went out. Visitors did not stay long in Whinytown. You see, the town was named Whinytown for a good reason. It seemed everyone in Whinytown was unhappy.
They were unhappy with the weather. They were unhappy with the cloudless skies. They were unhappy with the ocean breezes. They were unhappy with the white sand that got into everything. They were unhappy with visitors who passed through without stopping. The people in Whinytown whined and complained about everything.
They whined about the mayor. The mayor whined about the counsel, and the counsel whined about the visitors. The students whined about their teachers, and the teachers whined about their students. The principal whined about the school buildings, and the parents whined about the schools.
When a visitor stopped for something to eat at Ruby's Diner, if the visitor said, "Good morning," more often than not, Ruby would reply, "What's good about it? Look at the sky. We haven't had a cloudy day since 1958. The days are all the same. The place hasn't changed in forty years. Nothin' much good goin' on this morning nor any other morning in Whinytown, no siree!"
The visitor would quickly order a cup of coffee and be on his or her way. No one enjoyed being around whining, complaining people. It was true that nothing much had changed in Whinytown. That is, until "it" happened. "It" came in the form of a full-blown, all out hurricane.
It began on a Monday morning. The citizens of Whinytown were just waking up. The day began as usual until the first few drops of rain were felt. As the wind picked up, so did the rain. The people of Whinytown had no memories of the last storm because it was so long ago. They had forgotten and had begun to whine and complain about little things. Soon they were whining about everything. The sounds of wind and rain quickly stirred memories from the storm of '58.
People who were old enough to remember began nailing boards over windows. Word spread quickly that a hurricane was headed towards Whinytown. Within an hour, the rain was falling in torrents, and winds were blowing at gale force. The people were so busy working to protect their homes and families that they forgot their whining. Gallon containers were filled with water, and food supplies were gathered up and brought to the high school gymnasium. The townsfolk gathered in the safety of the gym to weather out the storm.
When it finally hit, the sounds of breaking glass, flapping boards, and crashing trees were deafening. They heard rushing water as the rain formed small rivers in the streets. An emergency generator had to be turned on when the electricity went out. The lights flickered in the gym as the storm outside raged.
