Dig, Ned, Dig!
Practice Words
Words with the silent 'k' in the 'kn' combination, where only the /n/ sound is heard.
Ned had come to this unknown world wanting just one thing. A place to live and settle down in. With the help of his magic book, he had found it. He even built himself a shed! It was small, with a bookshelf inside and a door that opened onto a grassy hill full of yellow flowers. 'It's not much, but I know it will do for now,' Ned said, standing in the doorway with a smile.
Inside the shed, The Book floated up from the crafting table. Its pages flipped open, and it spoke. 'If you want to make more useful stuff, you will need to dig,' it said. 'I can't dig with my bare hands! My knuckles still hurt from knocking down all those trees,' said Ned. 'Don't worry,' said The Book. 'I know just the thing. I will teach you how to make your very first tool!'
The Book turned its pages and showed Ned a drawing of a shovel. 'Get some wood planks and some sticks,' it said. 'Then put them together in this shape.' Ned knelt by the workbench and got to work. He lined up the planks and sticks just right. 'Well done, Ned!' said The Book. Ned held up his brand new shovel and grinned. He knew this was only the beginning.
Ned stepped outside into the sunshine, holding his new shovel. Red flowers and tulips dotted the grassy hillside all around him. 'I don't know how to use one of these,' Ned said, turning it over in his hands. The Book stood near the shed. 'You hold the long part and dig with the big part,' it said. 'Oh, that makes sense,' said Ned. 'But where should I start?' 'Let's try the beach,' said The Book. 'You will get the knack of it in no time.'
Ned walked down to the beach, where the sand stretched out under a bright blue sky. Flowers bloomed in the bushes behind him. He knelt down, pushed the shovel into the sand, and lifted. A big scoop of sand came right out, leaving a hole at his feet! The Book peeked up from the sand nearby with a cheerful grin. 'This is so cool!' said Ned. 'Can I dig something else?' 'You can,' said The Book, 'and I know just where to find it.'
The Book had told Ned to find a dirt hill, and he found one not far from the shed. Ned knew what to do. He dug and dug! He swung the shovel again and again until he had carved a big hole right into the side of the hill. Dirt flew everywhere. 'This is kind of fun,' said Ned, wiping his forehead. He had a real knack for digging.
Ned dug deeper into the hill until his shovel struck something unknown and hard. He tried to move it, but it would not budge. He looked down into the deep pit he had made. At the bottom, a big golden stone glowed with a warm light. 'Has this shovel run out of magic or something?' Ned asked. 'No, Ned. You have just knocked into something called stone,' The Book replied. 'Well, how do I dig it?' asked Ned.
Ned climbed down into the deep pit, knees bent as he lowered himself past the rocky walls. The Book floated down beside him and landed softly on the ground. 'You will need to make another tool for this,' said The Book. 'So the shovel can dig sand and dirt, but not stone?' asked Ned. 'Correct,' said The Book. 'What kind of tool do I need, then?' asked Ned. 'Something sharp and heavy enough to knock down stone,' said The Book with a nod.
Ned went back to the shed to work on his new tool. The Book opened its pages and showed him a drawing. 'That looks like a sharp bit with points on the end, like little knives, stuck on top of a stick,' said Ned. 'That is exactly what you need, yes,' said The Book. Ned knelt at the workbench and got to work, shaping each bit of wood with care as he put the tool together.
After some hard work and help from The Book, Ned was finished. He held up the new tool inside the shed, looking proud. 'Two sharp ends,' Ned said. 'What is it called?' 'This is a pickaxe,' said The Book, hovering near the crafting table with its pages open. 'So I can dig stone with this?' Ned asked. 'Stone, and a lot more that you don't even know about yet,' The Book replied with a smile.
Ned stepped back into the tunnel he had dug in the hill, gripped his new pickaxe, and took a deep breath. 'Well, here goes,' he said. He swung hard and knocked the pickaxe into the stone wall. Cracks shot out and chunks crumbled at his feet. Ned grinned from ear to ear and said, 'I knew I was born to dig.'
Ned knocked off chunk after chunk of stone with the pickaxe. Soon, he had carved out a whole cave! Small glowing lanterns lit the rocky walls around him. Ned sat down on the ground, his pickaxe resting at his side. He was tired, but he looked happy. 'Well done, Ned. You will need all this stone,' said The Book, floating near the entrance. 'I am tired,' said Ned, 'but I sure do have a knack for digging!' 'Good,' said The Book. 'Because I know you will need to dig a lot more.'