Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Jolly Jellyfish

A jolly jellyfish named Finley gets lost in the deep sea but finds new friends along the way.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In the deep sea, there was a happy jellyfish named Finley. Finley had bright colors and laughed a lot. He liked to swim with his friends and see new things. Every day, he went to the coral reef to play. But one stormy day, he got lost from his friends.

Finley swam alone and was afraid. Then, Oscar the tricky octopus saw Finley. Oscar liked to play jokes and wanted to scare Finley.

But Finley surprised Oscar by squirting shiny ink. It sparkled and looked so pretty that little fish came to see. The fish thought Finley was cool and wanted to help him get home.

The fish and Finley swam together through the sea. They saw new places and met new friends. Finally, they got back to the coral reef. All his friends were happy to see Finley. They had a big party because they missed him. Finley felt brave and was glad he made new friends. Now all the sea animals knew Finley was a hero who could make them laugh.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1jellyfishA soft sea animal that can sting and looks like a wobbly umbrella
2brightShiny and full of light, like when the sun is really strong
3coralA kind of rock in the sea where lots of fish live, and it can be many colors
4stormyWhen the weather is bad with lots of wind and rain
5trickySomeone who is good at fooling others or playing jokes
6squirtedWhen you push water or liquid out really fast
7sparkledShining in little flashes, like tiny stars
8braveWhen you are not scared to do something, even if it might be a little dangerous
9heroA person who does something very brave or good, like saving someone
10laughThe sound you make when something is funny

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. What did Finley like to do with his friends?
3. What happened to Finley on a stormy day?
4. Who tried to scare Finley?
5. How did Finley surprise Oscar?
6. Why did the fish want to help Finley?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In the deep sea, there was a happy jellyfish named Finley. Finley had bright colors and laughed a lot. He liked to swim with his friends and see new things. Every day, he (1)______ to the coral (2)______ to play. But one stormy day, he got lost from his friends.

(3)______ swam alone and was afraid. Then, Oscar the tricky (4)______ saw Finley. Oscar liked to play jokes and wanted to scare Finley.

But Finley surprised Oscar by squirting shiny ink. It sparkled and looked so pretty that little (5)______ came to see. The fish (6)______ Finley was cool and wanted to help him get home.

The fish and Finley swam together through the sea. They saw new places and met new friends. Finally, they got back to the coral reef. All his friends were happy to see Finley. They had a big party because they missed him. Finley (7)______ brave and was glad he (8)______ new friends. Now all the sea animals knew Finley was a hero who could make them laugh.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a jellyfish?
2. How would you feel if you got lost from your friends?
3. Do you like swimming with your friends? Why or why not?
4. What is an octopus?
5. How do you think Finley felt when he surprised Oscar?
6. Do you think it was nice of the little fish to help Finley? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever been to a party? What did you do there?
8. How would you feel if you were a hero and made everyone laugh?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. jellyfish
2. bright
3. coral
4. stormy
5. tricky
6. squirted
7. sparkled
8. brave
9. hero
10. laugh

Meanings:
(A) A person who does something very brave or good, like saving someone
(B) The sound you make when something is funny
(C) Shiny and full of light, like when the sun is really strong
(D) Someone who is good at fooling others or playing jokes
(E) When you push water or liquid out really fast
(F) A soft sea animal that can sting and looks like a wobbly umbrella
(G) A kind of rock in the sea where lots of fish live, and it can be many colors
(H) When you are not scared to do something, even if it might be a little dangerous
(I) Shining in little flashes, like tiny stars
(J) When the weather is bad with lots of wind and rain
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the happy jellyfish?
(a) Finley
(b) Oscar
(c) Watson
(d) Smith

2. Where did Finley like to play?
(a) Deep sea
(b) Coral reef
(c) Sandy beach
(d) Rocky mountain

3. Who wanted to scare Finley?
(a) Finley’s friends
(b) The little fish
(c) The coral reef
(d) Oscar the tricky octopus

4. What did Finley do to surprise Oscar?
(a) Hide in a cave
(b) Swim really fast
(c) Squirt shiny ink
(d) Sing a song

5. Who came to see the shiny ink?
(a) Big sharks
(b) Friendly dolphins
(c) Scary whales
(d) Little fish

6. How did Finley and the fish get back to the coral reef?
(a) They flew in an airplane
(b) They swam together
(c) They walked on land
(d) They rode a boat

7. Why did Finley’s friends have a big party?
(a) They missed him
(b) They were scared of him
(c) They wanted to play a joke on him
(d) They wanted to make him laugh

8. What did the sea animals think of Finley?
(a) He was scary
(b) He was boring
(c) He was a hero
(d) He was mean

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Finley is a sad jellyfish who lives in the shallow sea.
2. Oscar the octopus likes to play tricks and wanted to scare Finley.
3. Finley eventually lost his way back to his friends and they had a small party to mourn.
4. Finley and the little fish swam alone and saw familiar places and made no new friends.
5. One day, Finley got lost from his friends during a storm.
6. Finley surprised Oscar by squirting dull ink that looked ugly.
7. The shiny ink attracted little fish who wanted to help Finley.
8. Finley likes to swim with his friends and see new things.
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. Who was the main character in the story?
Finley was the main character in the story.

2. What did Finley like to do with his friends?
Finley liked to swim and play with his friends.

3. What happened to Finley on a stormy day?
Finley got lost from his friends on a stormy day.

4. Who tried to scare Finley?
Oscar the tricky octopus tried to scare Finley.

5. How did Finley surprise Oscar?
Finley surprised Oscar by squirting shiny ink.

6. Why did the fish want to help Finley?
The fish wanted to help Finley because they thought he was cool and wanted to be his friend.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) went
(2) reef
(3) Finley
(4) octopus
(5) fish
(6) thought
(7) felt
(8) made
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. jellyfish
Answer: (F) A soft sea animal that can sting and looks like a wobbly umbrella

2. bright
Answer: (C) Shiny and full of light, like when the sun is really strong

3. coral
Answer: (G) A kind of rock in the sea where lots of fish live, and it can be many colors

4. stormy
Answer: (J) When the weather is bad with lots of wind and rain

5. tricky
Answer: (D) Someone who is good at fooling others or playing jokes

6. squirted
Answer: (E) When you push water or liquid out really fast

7. sparkled
Answer: (I) Shining in little flashes, like tiny stars

8. brave
Answer: (H) When you are not scared to do something, even if it might be a little dangerous

9. hero
Answer: (A) A person who does something very brave or good, like saving someone

10. laugh
Answer: (B) The sound you make when something is funny
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the happy jellyfish?
Answer: (a) Finley

2. Where did Finley like to play?
Answer: (b) Coral reef

3. Who wanted to scare Finley?
Answer: (d) Oscar the tricky octopus

4. What did Finley do to surprise Oscar?
Answer: (c) Squirt shiny ink

5. Who came to see the shiny ink?
Answer: (d) Little fish

6. How did Finley and the fish get back to the coral reef?
Answer: (b) They swam together

7. Why did Finley’s friends have a big party?
Answer: (a) They missed him

8. What did the sea animals think of Finley?
Answer: (c) He was a hero
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Finley is a sad jellyfish who lives in the shallow sea. (Answer: False)
2. Oscar the octopus likes to play tricks and wanted to scare Finley. (Answer: True)
3. Finley eventually lost his way back to his friends and they had a small party to mourn. (Answer: False)
4. Finley and the little fish swam alone and saw familiar places and made no new friends. (Answer: False)
5. One day, Finley got lost from his friends during a storm. (Answer: True)
6. Finley surprised Oscar by squirting dull ink that looked ugly. (Answer: False)
7. The shiny ink attracted little fish who wanted to help Finley. (Answer: True)
8. Finley likes to swim with his friends and see new things. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

A determined cat named Fluffy builds a flying contraption and learns the importance of seeking guidance.

Fluffy’s Fantastic Flight

Fluffy the cat wanted to fly, so he made a flying thing, but got lost in the sky. Thankfully, friendly birds helped him come back down safely.

Three children embark on a thrilling adventure to outsmart a mischievous genie and discover the true meaning of happiness.

The Wishing Well Mystery

Once upon a time, three friends found a special well that could make wishes come true. They solved tricky riddles and met a funny genie who played tricks. But they learned that making others happy is more important than just getting what you wish for.

A princess falls in love with a humble peasant who brings her a plain potato.

The Princess and the Potato

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Penelope who loved potatoes more than anything. She said she would marry whoever gave her the best potato. Even though a fancy man brought a big potato, Penelope chose a boy named Peter with a small potato made with love. They got married and became happy together.

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