8543RB Reading for Me Level 6 Part A

Imaginative
Gus, the Great Winged
Horse
Gus found it hard to believe that he was the only one of his kind—a pegasus. He hardly
remembered his past, but he did recall that he was a young foal drinking from a spring
when he was captured by a man named Bellerophon. Over time he was tamed by this man,
who he learned was a hero, warrior and monster slayer.
Together, they conquered many monsters but today was going to be a particularly tough
battle. Gus could sense that Bellerophon was tense and anxious about the impending
confrontation.
This monster was one neither of them had ever faced before. Known as a chimera, it was
a fire-breathing lion with an additional head of a goat and a snake head for a tail. The
monster was causing trouble in the village and slaying the local cattle, so Bellerophon had
been ordered by the king to slay it.
Gus knelt down and allowed Bellerophon, clutching his spear, to climb onto his back. Off
they flew in search of this great creature that needed to be destroyed. Gus spotted the
chimera below, prowling the open land, approaching a field full of grazing cows.
Bellerophon gave Gus a soft nudge in the ribs with his feet, which Gus knew meant that
Bellerophon was ready to attack. Down Gus plunged, swerving left and right, dodging
the fire coming out of the chimera’s mouth. There was no way Bellerophon could kill this
monster on his own—he needed Gus. The only chance of victory was if they attacked from
above. Bellerophon poised with his spear, waiting for the perfect moment to cast it down
to Earth. He knew he only had one chance to get it right.
Gus did his best to get
Bellerophon as close as possible,
and just as the tip of his right
wing was singed, Bellerophon
threw his spear with all his
might, aiming for the heart of
the beast. The spear landed as
intended and the great creature
collapsed to the ground, panting.
Bellerophon dismounted and
stood next to the beast until it
had taken its last breath.
They returned to the king and
Bellerophon proceeded to boast
about his glorious victory, while
Gus stood silent and proud. The
king was secretly displeased and
would have to devise a more
challenging task next time, as
this one was not as deadly as he
intended.
46 Reading for Me Level 6 (Part A) 978-1-922843-65-4 R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing