John Kani from Snake Pit to King
Ndivhuho Mutsila
Vusi Malindi
English
Longer paragraphs
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This storybook is about Bonisile John Kani.-
He was born in 1943 in New Brighton, in the city of Gqeberha. From an early age, he loved acting and stories.-
This boy from the Eastern Cape grew up to be a world-famous actor, author, and director!1
John’s grandmother introduced him to the world of stories.
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She told him many folktales and taught him how to create stories.-
Every evening, before bedtime, John’s grandmother would tell stories.-
They were frightening stories about a witch with long teeth and long nails!2
One day, his grandmother asked John to tell her a story.
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He began, “Once upon a time, there was an old woman who always wanted children to tell her stories!”-
John enjoyed telling stories. He began acting in plays at school.-
A play is a story performed by actors.3
Actors can change their voices and pretend to be different people. They play all types of characters in plays and films.
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When John was young, he would watch films with his friends who didn’t understand English well.-
John interpreted the English dialogue to his friends, playing different characters.4