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?  Sacred 

• What were the children doing down by the creek? The children were down by the creek because tama threw the ball to hard into the bushes were the tapu tree

• Why did Michael warn his cousin? Because ghost might come vist him at night

• Why do you think Tama kept asking about the tapu tree?Because he wanted to know more about the tapu tree and understand more

• What did the boys do to help koro? There help there koro plat flax in his garden 

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

• What is a ‘whenua’? Whenua is another word for land but in maori 

• Was the tapu tree haunted? Why or why not? How do you know? The tree was not haunted it was all a joke because he was trying to make michael scared.

• What promise did Michael and Tama make to each other in the end? Tama and michael promised to not tell anyone about the tapu tree but if they wanted to know they had to go to there koro to findout about the tapu tree.