True story of A Poor Boy Learn English through story Level 2
july 1865
the story begins in avenil
a small town north of melbourne
ned kelly lives here with his parents
john and ellen kelly
ned is 10 years old
the oldest boy of the seven kelly
children
he has two brothers
jim and dan
and four sisters
ann
maggie
kate
and grace
where’s your father boy
ellen kelly ruled out to her son one
evening is he on the road
can you see him
ned kelly looked out of the door
no ma he said
i can’t see him
ned’s father came home late
and he came in quietly
helen
he said
come with me
i need your help
there’s a dead cowboy the trees on the
hill
we must cut it up and bring it home
oh john is it one of our cows
his wife asked
how did it die
it’s one of morgan’s cows
and i killed it
john said
so we must be quick before he comes
looking for it
how you fool said ellen
and the children’s bed in the next room
ned listened to this
it was a small house
with only two rooms
and you could hear everything
ned was pleased about the dead cow
they didn’t often have meat to eat
and the children were always hungry
but dead cows bring
trouble three days later
there was a policeman at the door
john kelly
you killed morgan’s cow
and i’m taking you to prison
that was the end of school for ned kelly
he was the man of the family now
he helped his mother
and he worked on the kelly’s farm
the farm was not very big
and life was not easy for the kellys
john kelly and ellen quinn
were from ireland
they first met in melbourne and then
came north to find land for a farm
many other irish people did the same
thing
everybody wanted land
but some people had a lot more land than
other people
it was a hard
wild life
there was a lot of drinking
a lot of fighting
a lot of stealing
horses cows dead or alive
john kelly was in prison for six months
prison was not good for him
and when he came out he began to drink
a year and a half later
he was dead
what are we going to do now ma
ned asked
ellen thought about it
she was a tall strong woman and all her
life
she was a fighter
she had 12 children in the end
and was 93 years old when she died
we must leave here she said
we must go to the north east live near
my family
the kelly’s new house
was at 11 mile creek near greta
they had some animals and a small garden
and ned worked hard to get money for the
family
he could do farming work
take care of horses and cows cut down
trees
but trouble was never far away
the police did not like the wild kelly
boys or their friends
in 1870 when ned was 15
he hit a man very hard in a fight
and the police put him in prison for six
months
the next year
something worse happened
ned was in the town of greta on a brown
horse
when policeman hall came up to
him ned kelly
you get down and come with me
you stole that horse and i’m taking you
the prison
that’s not true
said ned and then there was a terrible
fight policeman hall had a gun and ned
did not
but ned was the better fighter
in the end all called for help
and five men came to help him
next day
they took ned down to wangaratta and he
went in front of the judge
it’s not my horse
it belongs to a man called wild right
ned told the judge
right was at my mother’s house and his
horse ran away
he needed a horse so i gave him one of
my horses
and he said to me
when you find the brown horse
you keep her for me
and so when i found the horse i kept her
ned kelly stole that horse
policeman hall said
it belongs to a man in mansfield and
someone stole it on the 6th of march
well that said
i was in beechworth prison after the
29th of march
how can i steal a horse when i’m in
prison
and wright told me it was his horse
i didn’t know it was a stolen horse
but it is a crime and have a stolen
horse
while right of course stole the horse
and he went to prison for 18 months
but they put ned kelly in prison for
three years
when he came back to 11 mile creek in
1874
things were very different
the kelly gang
may 1874
ned’s sister annie
is dead
his brother jim is in prison
five years for stealing cows
and his brother dan is often in trouble
too
there are new faces at home
a new husband the new baby a ned’s
mother
ned
is that you ron ned
ellen kelly ran to the door
ned now 19 years old tall and strong
was home from prison
he put his arm around his mother
hello ma he said
oh ned it’s good to see you said ellen
i heard about jim ned said
and little annie
poor poor annie said his mother
she was so ill after she had the baby
and we couldn’t do anything to help her
and poor jim got five years
yes that’s hard good ned
and what about yuma i hear you’ve got a
new husband
he looked at the sleeping baby in his
mother’s arms
he’s a good man ned
little ellen here
she’s his daughter
ned touched the baby’s little hand
i’m happy for you ma
and i’m happy to be back
ned soon found work
he moved from farm to farm
cutting down trees and helping with the
horses and cows
he often came home to see his mother and
he and george king
ellen’s new husband
were soon friends
george was from california
and was only five years older than med
on one visit home
ned talked to george about the police
why do they give me all this trouble he
said
i don’t know
said george
they just don’t like you
it’s true ned said
when somebody loses a cow or a horse
the police always come to me with their
questions
then they go to my mother’s house and
ask her questions
and they always go late at night when
you’re all in bed
it isn’t right
well come and work with me
said george
why not
you’re good with horses and i don’t have
any trouble with the police
what work are you planning to do
said ned
sell horses
lots of them
and where are you going to get all these
horses from george
asked ned
george smiled
and ned laughed
it was exciting work
we stole 280 horses
ned said later
then we took them across the murray
river and sold them in new south wales
for a lot of money
the police got angrier and angrier
they couldn’t stop the stealing and they
couldn’t catch ned kelly or george king
with the stolen horses
in august 1877
a new policeman came to bernard
alex fitzpatrick right horses girls and
drink
and for some weeks he and ned were
friends
ned’s sister kate was a beautiful girl
with long black hair
she liked fitzpatrick too at first
but soon there were angry words between
him and ned
and then a fight
a policeman would not be a friend of the
kelly’s
for long
april 1878 came
the police had questions about stolen
horses for dan and for ned’s best friend
joe byrne
so fitzpatrick rode out to the kelly’s
house
to find dan
perhaps he wanted to see kate too
but did kate want to see him
on his way there he stopped and had two
or three drinks
when he arrived at the house
he felt very strong and brave
dan kelly you’re coming with me to the
police station
he said
i’m having a dinner
said dan
you can wait
fitzpatrick sat at the table
waiting for dan
but his eyes were on kate all the time
on her long black hair
on her beautiful body
the small room
felt very hot
then
kate walked past the table
very near him
and he put his arm around her
you’re a beautiful girl kate
he said
let’s
take your hands off me
said kate
suddenly
ned was at the door
with a gun in his hand
he fired and fits patrick
and hit him in the wrist
get out said ned
get away from my sister
fitzpatrick ran out of the house
and rode through the night back to
banala
next morning
there were 10 policemen at the door
they found ellen at home
but not ned or dan
ellen kelly they said
you and your sons tried to kill
policeman fitzpatrick
nobody tried to kill fitzpatrick said
ellen
you just want to make trouble for me and
my family
she had a new baby in her arms a third
child by george king
but george did not live with ellen now
mrs kelly where are your sons
said the
policeman ellen
looked into the policeman’s eyes
i don’t know
she said
you want them
you go and find them
when ned and dan left their mother’s
house that night
they rode away into the wombat hills
at bullock creek
miles from anywhere
they built a small hut
they lived wild and looked for gold in
the river
joe byrne
ned’s good friend and with them
because he needed to hide from the
police too
and in june
three months later
steve hart
another good friend
came out of prison
he too got on his horse and rode bullock
creek
so
there were four of them
then
in october
ellen’s brother came to find them
with some terrible news
your mother’s going to prison ned for
three years
because she
you and dan
tried to kill fitzpatrick judge said
and the police are looking for you and
dan
be careful boys
stay in the hills
for a second
ned’s eyes were red like fire
he spoke slowly and coldly
they can look
he said
but they can’t catch me out here
he looked at his brother dan and his
friends joe and steve
these policemen these judges
the worse than dogs
they put my mother in prison
and what did she do
nothing
from now on
we are the kelly gang
we are free men
and we are staying that way
are you with me boys
and that was the beginning of the kelly
gang
three dead men
october 1878
four policemen ride north from the town
of mansfield
kennedy
mcintyre lonergan and scanlon are on
their way to stringy bark creek in the
wombat hills
they plan to camp there for a week
look for the kelly gang
and bring them back to mansfield
dead or alive
very early one morning
ned and dan left bullock creek
joe and steve waited at the hut
walk quietly dan
said ned
and listen
i saw horses tracks near here yesterday
and i think the police are after us
the police camp at stringybark creek was
only two kilometers away
and the brothers soon found it
they hid behind the trees
and watched
they saw the four policemen and their
guns
two big heavy guns and four smaller guns
later
back at bullock creek
joe and steve listened to the news about
the guns
we’ve only got two guns
what can we do
said joe
they want to kill us
said dan
they’re going to shoot the kill isn’t
that right ned
yes
that’s right
said ned
so we can stay here and wait for them
or we can go down there and take their
guns and horses
what do you say
it was an easy answer
the kelly gang got ready
left bullock creek
and went quietly through the trees
when they arrived at the police camp
only lonergan and mcintyre were there
lonergan sat on a tree reading a
newspaper
and mcintyre watched the campfire
then
from behind the tree
ned kelly called out
put your hands up
mcintyre had no gun
so he sat still and put his hands up
but lonergan ran
then he got down behind a fallen tree
took out his gun
and put his head up
he was a fool
a bullet from ned’s gun hit him in the
head
and he died at once
ned ran to mcintyre
don’t move
he said
we don’t want to kill you we just want
the guns and horses
but before the gang could find the guns
and leave
they heard a noise in the trees
ned
called steve
the other two policemen are coming back
sit on this tree
ned said to mcintyre
and when you see your friends call out
to them
say
don’t shoot
put your guns on the ground
we don’t want to kill them
or you
seconds later
kennedy and scanlon rode into the camp
mcintyre stood up and said
get off your horses and put your hands
up there are men with guns here
oh yes
said kennedy
he laughed at mcintyre
what men what guns
at once
the kelly gang came out of the trees
and ned called put your hands up
everything happened
very quickly
a bullet from meg’s gun
hit scanlon
and he fell from his horse
kennedy jumped off his horse
and fired at dan
dan fired back
and kennedy ran back into the trees
mcintyre could not shoot because he did
not have his gun with him
but there in front of him was kennedy’s
horse
he jumped on it and rode into the trees
kennedy tried to get away too
he went quietly through the trees but
suddenly he saw ned in front of him
the two men fired
and kennedy fell down
[Music]
soon
he was dead
he was a brave man
but it was him or me
said ned
i didn’t want to do it i didn’t want to
kill any of them
the gang put coats over the three dead
bodies
took the horses guns and food
and rode away
they came to kill us boys
said ned but we killed them
what could we do
now we must go
and we’re not coming back
the kelly gang rode away to the north
the next day
tired and dirty
mcintyre arrived back in mansfield
soon every town and village and farm in
the north east knew about the killing of
the three policemen at stringybar creek
the kelly gang are killers
said the police
these men are now outlaws and we must
catch them dead or alive
when you see them
tell us
we are giving 500 pounds reward for news
of every man in the gang
two thousand pounds but all four of them
it was a lot of money
more policemen came to the north east
with more guns
more horses
ned and the gang stayed in the northeast
they tried to get away to the north but
there was a lot of water in the murray
river and they couldn’t get across it
they got help from their friends and
moved from place to place all the time
one week they rode more than 300
kilometers
30 policemen rode through the hills for
a month
and looked for the outlaws night and day
but they never found them
and in december
ned and the gang moved on to the warby
hills
it was a hard wild life
and the outlaws were tired
hungry
and angry men
two visits to the bank
december 1878
the kelly gang have many friends
but they have no money
so they robbed the bank in the little
town of europa
they speak nicely to the people in the
town and do not fire their guns
they leave europa with 2
260 pounds
but they give a lot of the money to
their friends and poor farmers of the
northeast
to buy food clothes and land
the police reward goes up to 2
500 pounds
the police tried hard to catch the kelly
gang
but the outlaws had help from their
friends
they were always miles away when the
police came to look for them
so the police put many of their friends
in prison
ned was very angry about this
it isn’t right he said
why do the police do this
because our friends are poor farmers not
rich ones and because they help us
we must stop police
but how
said steve
what can we do
two things
said ned
first we need more money so we must
visit a bank
and second we tell everybody in
australia about the police here in
victoria
rob another bank
dan said
but the police are watching all the
banks now
yes in victoria said ned
but not in new south wales
so we’re going to a bank in gerald derry
here’s the plan
there are only two policemen in general
derry
we arrive at night
go to the police station and lock the
policemen in the station
then we rob the bank and go to the
office gerald’s newspaper
the newspaper office
said dan
why
what for
to print this said dough
look it’s ned’s letter to the world
i wrote it down for him
it tells the true story about ned and
his family about the police about
stringy park creek about everything
we want everybody to read this letter
but how do we give it to them that said
we must print it in a newspaper
it’s the only way
ned planned the gerald derry visit very
carefully
there were now more than 200 policemen
in the northeast of victoria because of
the kelly gang
and ned asked his friend aaron sherrod
for help
so aaron went drinking with a policeman
money passed from one hand to another
and aaron spoke quietly
in the policeman’s ear
go to corion
the gang are planning to cross the
murray river near there very soon
so the police rode east toriyong
and the kelly gang rode west and crossed
the river 200 kilometers away
and late on a saturday night in february
1879
they rode into the town of geraldery
outside the police station
ned began to shout
help help there’s a big fight at the
hotel we need help
the two policemen ran out
and saw the outlaws with their guns
the gang locked the policemen in a room
in the station and took their uniforms
for the next two days the gang lived in
the police station
on sunday
joe and steve put on the police uniforms
and walked around the town
we’re the new policeman for gerald derry
they told everyone
they went past the bank and the hotel
next to it
and looked carefully at all the doors
front and back
then
on monday morning
dan and steve went into the hotel next
to the bank
and took out their guns
they took all the hotel workers into one
room
don’t move
said dan
you’re our hostages
but don’t be afraid
we don’t want to shoot anybody
ned and joe went into the bank through
the back door
when they came back to the hotel they
had more hostages
two bank workers and all the people from
the bank
and ned
had the bank’s money
two thousand one hundred and forty
pounds
there were now about sixty hostages in
the room
and ned began to speak to them
what’s happening in this country
do you know
no
you don’t
so listen
poor men
get poorer
and rich men
get richer
the police help the rich farmers and put
the poor farmers in prison
why
for nothing
do you call this justice
there is no justice in australia
the police say we are killers
but i say the police are
killers i’m going to tell you
about stringy bark great
the true story
not the police story
ned began to read to the hostages from
his letter
it was a long letter
56 pages and more than 75 000 words
after a few pages
he stopped
where’s the newspaper office in this
town
he said
i want to print this letter
then everybody can read it
edwin living one of the bank workers
answered
mr gill is the editor of the newspaper
he said
i know his house
i can take you there
come on then
ned said
but mr gill was not at home
he was at a farm 10 kilometers away
when he heard the kelly gang were in
town he ran away
because he was afraid of them
at the house
mrs gill opened the door
where’s your husband
ned asked
i
i don’t know he’s
he’s away
mrs gill said
ned looked at her angrily and took out
his letter
i want him to print this in his
newspaper he said
give it to me
said edwin living
i can give it to mr gill when he gets
back
he must print it said ned
it’s about my life and i want the world
to read it
yes
said edwin
everybody must read it
and mr gill’s diner printed for sure mr
kelly
he must ned said
all right
you give it to him
but do it
or the next time i come to gerald derry
they went back to the hotel and ned had
a drink with the hostages
then
the four outlaws rode out of town
back to the murray river
and across into victoria
and the hills in the northeast
the police looked everywhere
they made the reward eight thousand
pounds but nobody came to get it
nobody wanted to help
geraldery people laughed about the visit
of the kelly gang
in april
ned’s friends came out of prison and
went back to their farms
and for 16 months the police heard
nothing of the kelly gang
and ned’s letter
the famous geraldery letter
edwin living did not
give it to mr gill
he went down to melbourne
and gave it to the police
nobody saw the letter again
for 50 years
alive or dead a glenn rowan
june 1880
the kelly gang living in the hills
their friends bring them food
but life is hard
and the police are still making trouble
they don’t put the kelly’s friends in
prison now
but they stop them buying land
and why
because they are friends of the kelly
gang
we must do something
ned said
to help our friends
we need a new country
a country for poor people with good
police and good judges but it’s not
going to happen easily
we must fight for it
we need money for that
said joe
a lot of money
and there’s a policeman with a gun at
every bank now
we need armor go over our heads and what
he’s ned said
bullets can’t get through armor
how are we gonna get armor asked down
we can make it
said ned
and
they did
with help from their friends
they made four suits of armor from old
farm machinery
then they began to plan their fight
our friends want to help that said
they have guns and they want to fight
with us so we need to bring a lot of
policemen to one place
how can we do that
with a killing
said joe
we kill aaron sherrod
he’s working for the police
he tells them everything about us
you know it i know it
everybody knows it
he was a friend once but now he wants to
see us dead
yes that’s true
ned said
we hear it from everybody
so you go to aaron’s house at beechworth
and shoot him
you and dan
right said dan
and then when the beechworth police hear
about the killing they know it’s us the
kelly gang
so they ask for help from the police at
ben allah
and the banana police take the train to
beechworth said steve
lots of police
all in one train
and we
ned said quietly are waiting for the
train
at glen rowan
the plan began well
joe and dan rode to beechworth
when aaron sherritt opened his door on
saturday 26th of june
joe shot him at once
then the two outlaws rode 60 kilometers
across country to glen rowan
news of the killing went down to
bernalillo
ned and steve arrived at glen rowan inn
on saturday afternoon they began to
bring hostages into the inn
people from the railway station railway
workers people from the town
then ned took some of the railway
workers to the hill just past the
railway station
take up the railway line he told them go
on
we can’t do that one worker said
do you want to kill everybody on the
next train
then he saw ned’s gun
and asked no more questions
the workers took up three metres of
railway line
and went back to the inn with ned
joe and dan were there now
and some of the gang’s friends
other friends about 30 men stayed near
the railway line
in the inn there was a lot of drinking
that night
on sunday morning
ned found more hostages
the school teacher thomas carno with his
young wife baby and sister
there were now 62 hostages in the inn
and everybody waited
for the police train
the police moved very slowly
in beechworth nala and melbourne they
talked made plans and talked some more
in the end a police train left melbourne
late on sunday evening
and that evening
ned told about 20 of the hostages
you can go home
later
the school teacher came to him
can i take my family home
he asked
don’t be afraid of me you know i’m a
friend of the kelly’s
yes you can go
said ned
thomas colonel was a brave man
he took his young family home
and later went quietly out into the
night and along the railway line
at three o’clock in the morning
he heard the train
and held up a red light
stop stop he cried
at the end
ned and the gang heard the train too
they listened
but there was no noise of a crash
no train falling through the trees
no cries and shouts
what’s happening
steve said
nothing
said ned
somebody stopped the train before it got
to the broken rails
put your armor on boys and get ready to
fight
the gang went out to the front of the
end they began to fire the police
and the police fired back
bullets went everywhere
three of the hostages inside the inn
died
the police shot ned in the arm and the
foot
and joe in the leg
go back into the inn
ned said to the gang
i must find our friends
they must get away from here
the gang’s friends were near the railway
line
we want to fight ned
they said
take us with you
no no you must get away said ned
the plan for the train went wrong there
are police everywhere
this is our fight
you can’t help us
go
back at the inn
the shooting did not stop
the hostages many of them women and
children were on the floor their faces
white and afraid
joe was in the front room with a drink
in his hand
i’d drink to that kelly gang
he cried
then
a bullet came through the wall and hit
him
he died at once
the wounds in ned’s arm and foot were
bad
and in the trees he fell to the ground
a friend tried to help him
but for some hours
ned could not move
then slowly he stood up
and in his armor
began to walk back to the inn
his brother dan and steve hart were
still inside the inn and ned went back
to help them
in the early morning light he came
slowly out of the trees
his gun in his hand
one man
against 34 policemen
they fired and fired at him
but the bullets hit ned’s armor
and ned laughed
go on fire
you can’t kill me
he called
but there was no armor on ned’s legs
one of the policemen saw this
and fired
once
twice
the bullets hit ned’s legs
and he fell slowly to the ground
at once the police were all around him
he was alive
but only just
and they carried him to the railway
station
soon after this
the last hostages left when rowan in
only dan and steve were still inside
but the police did not stop firing at
the building
later on that monday morning a second
train arrived in glen rowan with more
police photographers and newspaper men
there were now more than a thousand
people in the town
and down south in melbourne hundreds of
people waited in the street for news of
the kelly gang
on monday afternoon
ned’s sisters maggie and kate arrived in
glen rowan
they heard the news about ned
and then asked the news of dan
maggie tell your brother and steve hart
to put down their guns and come out of
the inn
said a policeman
tell them to stop fighting
never
said maggie
maggie and kate did not see dan alive
again
the police were afraid to go into the
inn
but they did not want dan and steve to
get away in the night
so they set fire to the building
old buildings burn fast and when maggie
and kate got to the inn the sky was red
with fire
damn oh damn
maggie called out again and again
my poor poor brother kate cried
glen rowan in
burnt down to the ground
when the fire was cold they took out the
dead bodies of dan kelly
steve hart
and joe byrne
ned was alive
but in prison
it was the end
of the kelly gang
ned’s last days
july 1880
the police take ned kelly to benala
then to melbourne prison
there is a lot of waiting and talking
and more talking
the police talk the judge’s talk
ned talks
but the ending is always the same
at the end of october ned went before
his last judge the redmond barry in
melbourne
for two days judge barry listened to the
police
listened to ned read the police papers
and thought about it
but he didn’t think long
there were a lot of dead policemen in
ned kelly’s life
and there was only one answer to that
ned kelly must die
hang him in the prison
hang him by the neck until he is dead
a lesson to every outlaw in australia
ned’s mother ellen was still in
melbourne prison
when they told her the news
she cried
she cried for her dead son dan and she
cried for her son ned alive but waiting
to die
they took her to see ned on his last day
alive
what did mother and son talk about that
day
ned’s sisters and brother worked hard to
help him
how can they do this
said maggie angrily
how can they hang poor ned
what did the police do to him
why don’t the judges think about that
shmee
said jim no time for that now
we must get out there and talk to the
people in the town
and so they did
they went all around melbourne to all
the hotels talking to everybody
they’re going to hang ned kelly
what do you think about that
they asked
it’s not right said one man
why do they want to hang him the second
man said
because he killed a policeman
no
because he helps poor people and gives
them money that’s why
but what can we do
asked a third man
put your names on our petition
was the answer
there were more than 32 000 names on the
kelly petition
but the petition changed nothing
so the last visitors came to see ned on
the 10th of november
and he ate his last dinner
then he sang
half an hour
and went to bed
next morning
they took ned across the prison
to a room with a rope
outside the prison
more than 5 000 people waited
men and women
rich and poor
where’s the kelly family
one woman asked
some of them are here at the hotel was
the answer but maggie went back to
beechworth yesterday
she wanted to be with her children and
this is ned’s poor mother
she’s in the prison too
waiting for 10 o’clock
then the prisoners in melbourne prison
began to make a terrible noise shouting
and crying out and banging on their
doors
and in her room
ellen kelly
cried quietly for her oldest son
in the hotel
jim kelly sat
with his head in his hands
poor ned
this is the end of all his troubles he
said
and
at ten o’clock
the prison officers put the rope around
ned kelly’s neck
and hanged him
ned was dead
but in the northeast life went on
68 people got money from the kelly gang
reward
school teacher thomas carno got a
thousand pounds
a new man
policeman graham came to greta
he was a good policeman and ned’s
friends listened to him
don’t make trouble and then you can buy
your farms he told them
he went to 11 mile creek and had tea
with ellen kelly everyone talked about
that
slowly
things began to change
the police tried to be more friendly
to help poor people and not just the
rich
most of the young men stopped stealing
and fighting the police
soon it was quiet in the northeast
the other kelly children stayed out of
trouble
jim kelly was a good son to his mother
all her life
ellen lived the age of 93
and had many grandchildren
but she never forgot her oldest son
ned
who was the real ned kelly
did he fight for the poor or just for
ned kelly
some people say he was a brave man
some people say he was a fool
some people say he was just a killer
just a wild man with a gun
one thing is sure
more than a hundred years later
people are still talking about him
there are books about him and songs and
films and websites
everybody still remembers australia’s
most famous outlaw
you