The tapu tree

 The Tapu Tree (SJ P3 N2 2009)

Answer the following questions using a red font for your answers:

• What does the word ‘tapu’ mean?The word tapu means sacred and trees and some trees are sacred.

• What were the children doing down by the creek? The children were down by the creek because tama threw the ball too far in the bushes that were the tapu tree was by.

• Why did Michael warn his cousin?Because michael said the tree was tapu  and it has ghosts.

• Why do you think Tama kept asking about the tapu tree?because tama thought that that tree could really be that scary even though michael was telling a joke.

• What did the boys do to help koro?they were helping koro plant flax in the garden.

• On page 4, what did koro say to the boys about their great uncle Tama?

• What is a ‘whenua’?it means land.

• Was the tapu tree haunted? Why or why not? How do you know?Michael was just telling jokes to tama to make him get scared so the tree is not haunted.

• What promise did Michael and Tama make to each other in the end?The promise was not to tell anybody about the story of the tapu tree.They had to go to the uncle koro to  find out the story.