Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a little girl named Lily. She lived in a small village at the foot of a tall mountain. From her bedroom window, Lily often admired the picturesque castle that stood high up in the clouds. One day, feeling adventurous, Lily decided she would climb the mountain to see the castle up close.

Lily packed a picnic basket and set off on her journey. As she climbed higher and higher, the air grew thinner and cooler. Suddenly, Lily felt a gust of wind lift her off her feet and whisk her away. To her astonishment, she found herself standing right inside the castle gates! Before her stood a jolly, round man named Master Cloud, the owner of the castle.

Master Cloud explained that his castle was enchanted and could only be seen by children with pure hearts. Lily was thrilled to have found the castle, but little did she know that Master Cloud had lost the key to the entrance and needed her help to find it. Determined to solve the mystery, Lily explored the castle’s rooms, searching for clues.

As Lily followed the clues, she discovered that the key was hidden in a magical garden filled with talking animals. She met a chatty parrot who led her to a wise old turtle. The turtle, with a twinkle in his eye, challenged Lily to a riddle contest. After a few rounds, Lily managed to solve the riddles and earned the right to dig for the key in the enchanted garden.

Finally, Lily found the key and returned it to Master Cloud. To her surprise, the kindly castle owner rewarded her by granting her a wish. Lily didn’t hesitate and wished for everyone in the world to have a little more kindness and compassion. Master Cloud smiled and granted her wish, instantly transforming the world into a brighter and happier place.

Lily bid Master Cloud farewell and returned to her village, sharing her adventure with her friends and family. The lessons she learned in the castle stayed with her forever – to be kind, patient, and perseverant in the face of challenges. From then on, Lily continued to spread kindness wherever she went, making the world a better place, one act of compassion at a time.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Where did Lily live?
2. What did Lily see from her bedroom window?
3. Why did Lily decide to climb the mountain?
4. Who was the owner of the castle?
5. What did Master Cloud explain to Lily about the castle?
6. What did Lily have to do to find the key?
7. What did Lily wish for when she found the key?
8. How did Lily’s adventure in the castle change her?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a (1)______ girl named Lily. She (2)______ in a small (3)______ at the foot of a tall mountain. From her bedroom window, Lily often admired the picturesque castle that stood high up in the clouds. One day, feeling adventurous, Lily decided she would climb the mountain to see the castle up close.

Lily packed a (4)______ basket and set off on her journey. As she climbed higher and higher, the air grew thinner and cooler. Suddenly, Lily felt a gust of wind lift her off her feet and whisk her away. To her astonishment, she (5)______ herself standing right inside the castle gates! Before her stood a jolly, round man named (6)______ Cloud, the owner of the castle.

Master Cloud (7)______ that his castle was enchanted and could only be seen by children with pure hearts. Lily was thrilled to have found the castle, but little did she know that Master Cloud had lost the key to the entrance and needed her help to find it. Determined to solve the mystery, Lily explored the castle’s (8)______, searching for clues.

As Lily followed the clues, she discovered that the key was hidden in a magical garden filled with talking animals. She met a (9)______ parrot who led her to a wise old turtle. The turtle, with a twinkle in his eye, challenged Lily to a riddle contest. After a few rounds, Lily managed to solve the (10)______ and (11)______ the right to dig for the key in the enchanted garden.

Finally, Lily found the key and returned it to Master Cloud. To her surprise, the kindly castle owner rewarded her by granting her a wish. Lily didn’t hesitate and (12)______ for everyone in the world to have a little more (13)______ and compassion. Master Cloud smiled and granted her wish, instantly transforming the world into a brighter and happier place.

Lily bid Master Cloud (14)______ and returned to her village, sharing her adventure with her friends and family. The lessons she learned in the (15)______ stayed with her forever – to be kind, patient, and perseverant in the face of (16)______. From then on, Lily continued to spread kindness wherever she went, making the world a better place, one act of compassion at a time.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think it means to have a “pure heart”?
2. How would you feel if you were whisked away to a magical castle?
3. Do you think it’s important to solve mysteries and puzzles? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the talking animals in the magical garden symbolize?
5. If you could make one wish, what would it be and why?
6. How do you think the world would be different if everyone had a little more kindness and compassion?
7. Have you ever had an adventure that taught you an important lesson? Can you share it?
8. Do you think it’s important to be kind, patient, and perseverant? Why or why not?
9. How do you think Lily’s friends and family reacted when she shared her adventure with them?
10. Can you think of a time when you spread kindness or compassion? How did it make you feel?
11. What do you think the phrase “one act of compassion at a time” means?
12. How do you think the world would be different if everyone followed Lily’s example and spread kindness wherever they went?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. picturesque
2. adventurous
3. astonished
4. enchanted
5. determined
6. mystery
7. clues
8. magical
9. chatty
10. twinkle
11. riddle
12. granted
13. compassion
14. perseverant
15. kindness

Meanings:
(A) Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain
(B) A question or statement intentionally phrased to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning
(C) Filled with magic or appearing to be magical
(D) Talkative and liking to engage in conversation
(E) Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure
(F) Visually attractive, especially in a quaint or charming way
(G) A sparkle or gleam, especially in someone’s eyes
(H) Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it
(I) The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
(J) Possessing or using supernatural powers
(K) Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others
(L) Pieces of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or solving of a problem
(M) Willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences
(N) Greatly surprised or amazed
(O) Agreed to give or allow (something requested
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Lily see from her bedroom window?
(a) A mountain
(b) A village
(c) A castle
(d) A river

2. What did Lily pack for her journey?
(a) A picnic basket
(b) A backpack
(c) A suitcase
(d) A lunchbox

3. Who was the owner of the castle?
(a) Master Wind
(b) Master Sun
(c) Master Cloud
(d) Master Rain

4. How did Lily find the castle?
(a) She followed a map
(b) She climbed the mountain
(c) She stumbled upon it by accident
(d) She was whisked away by a gust of wind

5. What did Master Cloud need Lily’s help with?
(a) Cleaning the castle
(b) Cooking dinner
(c) Fixing a broken window
(d) Finding the key to the entrance

6. Who led Lily to the wise old turtle?
(a) A mischievous squirrel
(b) A chatty parrot
(c) A friendly rabbit
(d) A playful monkey

7. How did Lily earn the right to dig for the key?
(a) By completing a puzzle
(b) By solving riddles
(c) By answering trivia questions
(d) By finding hidden objects

8. What did Lily wish for?
(a) More kindness and compassion in the world
(b) Wealth and fame
(c) A new toy
(d) A trip around the world

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Lily lived in a small village at the foot of a tall mountain.
2. Master Cloud had found the key to the castle entrance and didn’t need Lily’s help to find it.
3. Lily admired a picturesque castle from her bedroom window.
4. Lily discovered that the key was hidden in a magical garden filled with talking animals.
5. Master Cloud, a miserable, thin man, was the owner of the castle.
6. Lily found herself standing outside the castle gates after being carried away by a gust of wind.
7. After finding the key and returning it to Master Cloud, Lily was granted a wish and wished for more kindness and compassion in the world.
8. Lily decided to descend the mountain to see the castle up close.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Where did Lily live?
Lily lived in a small village at the foot of a tall mountain.

2. What did Lily see from her bedroom window?
Lily saw a picturesque castle that stood high up in the clouds.

3. Why did Lily decide to climb the mountain?
Lily decided to climb the mountain because she felt adventurous and wanted to see the castle up close.

4. Who was the owner of the castle?
The owner of the castle was a jolly, round man named Master Cloud.

5. What did Master Cloud explain to Lily about the castle?
Master Cloud explained that his castle was enchanted and could only be seen by children with pure hearts.

6. What did Lily have to do to find the key?
Lily had to explore the castle’s rooms and follow clues to find the key.

7. What did Lily wish for when she found the key?
When she found the key, Lily wished for everyone in the world to have a little more kindness and compassion.

8. How did Lily’s adventure in the castle change her?
Lily’s adventure in the castle taught her to be kind, patient, and perseverant in the face of challenges. She continued to spread kindness wherever she went, making the world a better place.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) little
(2) lived
(3) village
(4) picnic
(5) found
(6) Master
(7) explained
(8) rooms
(9) chatty
(10) riddles
(11) earned
(12) wished
(13) kindness
(14) farewell
(15) castle
(16) challenges
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. picturesque
Answer: (F) Visually attractive, especially in a quaint or charming way

2. adventurous
Answer: (M) Willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences

3. astonished
Answer: (N) Greatly surprised or amazed

4. enchanted
Answer: (C) Filled with magic or appearing to be magical

5. determined
Answer: (H) Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it

6. mystery
Answer: (A) Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain

7. clues
Answer: (L) Pieces of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or solving of a problem

8. magical
Answer: (J) Possessing or using supernatural powers

9. chatty
Answer: (D) Talkative and liking to engage in conversation

10. twinkle
Answer: (G) A sparkle or gleam, especially in someone’s eyes

11. riddle
Answer: (B) A question or statement intentionally phrased to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning

12. granted
Answer: (O) Agreed to give or allow (something requested

13. compassion
Answer: (K) Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others

14. perseverant
Answer: (E) Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure

15. kindness
Answer: (I) The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Lily see from her bedroom window?
Answer: (c) A castle

2. What did Lily pack for her journey?
Answer: (a) A picnic basket

3. Who was the owner of the castle?
Answer: (c) Master Cloud

4. How did Lily find the castle?
Answer: (d) She was whisked away by a gust of wind

5. What did Master Cloud need Lily’s help with?
Answer: (d) Finding the key to the entrance

6. Who led Lily to the wise old turtle?
Answer: (b) A chatty parrot

7. How did Lily earn the right to dig for the key?
Answer: (b) By solving riddles

8. What did Lily wish for?
Answer: (a) More kindness and compassion in the world
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Lily lived in a small village at the foot of a tall mountain. (Answer: True)
2. Master Cloud had found the key to the castle entrance and didn’t need Lily’s help to find it. (Answer: False)
3. Lily admired a picturesque castle from her bedroom window. (Answer: True)
4. Lily discovered that the key was hidden in a magical garden filled with talking animals. (Answer: True)
5. Master Cloud, a miserable, thin man, was the owner of the castle. (Answer: False)
6. Lily found herself standing outside the castle gates after being carried away by a gust of wind. (Answer: False)
7. After finding the key and returning it to Master Cloud, Lily was granted a wish and wished for more kindness and compassion in the world. (Answer: True)
8. Lily decided to descend the mountain to see the castle up close. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧