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!

Echo in the Elephant Valley

A mischievous monkey disrupts the harmony of Elephant Valley with a powerful crystal, but learns a valuable lesson.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In the middle of the jungle, there was a place known as Elephant Valley. This valley was like a wonderland with tall green trees, bright flowers, and a clear river going right through it. A group of elephants lived there, with their smart and nice leader named Big Tusk.

These elephants were special because they could send echoes using their trunks. These echoes could be heard everywhere and made them quite popular in the jungle. Every day, they would get together and make these amazing sounds that everyone loved.

One day, a naughty monkey named Charlie found a hidden cave behind a waterfall. In the cave, there was a shiny crystal with a kind of magical light. Charlie didn’t think twice; he took the crystal and showed it off in the valley.

Charlie showed everyone his new shiny rock, and it sparkled a lot. Big Tusk warned him that the crystal was not a toy, but Charlie didn’t listen. He used it when the elephants made their echoes, and this made the echoes way louder and fancier.

But the super-loud echoes started to cause problems. Animals couldn’t sleep, bees couldn’t make honey, and birds couldn’t sing. It was too noisy! They all hoped Big Tusk could fix it. Big Tusk talked to Charlie, explaining how fun things can sometimes cause trouble for others.

Charlie saw he was wrong and said he was sorry. He put the crystal back, and everything went back to normal with the echoes. Charlie then made sure the crystal stayed safe so it wouldn’t cause trouble again. This taught everyone to think about how their actions might bother others, and Elephant Valley was peaceful once more.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1wonderlandA place that is so amazing it seems like it’s from a fairy tale
2echoesSounds that are repeated after bouncing off surfaces
3popularLiked by many people
4naughtyBehaving in a mischievous or badly behaved way
5crystalA clear, shiny rock that looks like glass
6magicalHaving special powers that seem to do impossible things
7sparkledShined brightly with little flashes of light
8warnedTold someone about a possible danger or problem
9super-loudExtremely loud
10beesInsects that make a buzzing sound and are known for making a sweet, sticky food
11honeyA sweet, sticky food made by insects, often eaten on toast or in tea
12peacefulVery calm and quiet
13explainedTold someone about something in a way that is easy to understand
14actionsThe things that someone does
15botheredMade someone feel annoyed or upset

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Where was Elephant Valley located?
2. What made the elephants in Elephant Valley special?
3. What did Charlie find behind the waterfall?
4. How did Charlie use the crystal he found?
5. What problems did the super-loud echoes cause?
6. How did Big Tusk try to solve the problem?
7. What did Charlie do to fix the problem he caused?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In the middle of the jungle, there was a (1)______ known as Elephant Valley. This valley was like a wonderland with tall green trees, bright (2)______, and a clear river going right through it. A (3)______ of elephants lived there, with their smart and nice leader named Big Tusk.

These elephants were (4)______ because they could send echoes using their trunks. These echoes could be heard everywhere and made them quite popular in the jungle. Every day, they would get together and make these amazing (5)______ that everyone loved.

One day, a naughty monkey named Charlie found a (6)______ cave behind a (7)______. In the cave, there was a shiny crystal with a kind of magical light. Charlie didn’t think twice; he took the crystal and showed it off in the (8)______.

Charlie showed everyone his new shiny rock, and it sparkled a lot. Big Tusk warned him that the crystal was not a toy, but (9)______ didn’t listen. He used it when the elephants made their echoes, and this made the echoes way louder and fancier.

But the super-loud echoes (10)______ to cause problems. Animals couldn’t sleep, bees couldn’t make (11)______, and birds couldn’t sing. It was too noisy! They all hoped Big Tusk could fix it. Big Tusk (12)______ to Charlie, (13)______ how fun things can sometimes cause trouble for others.

Charlie saw he was wrong and said he was sorry. He put the crystal back, and everything went back to normal with the echoes. Charlie then made sure the crystal stayed safe so it wouldn’t cause trouble again. This (14)______ everyone to think about how their actions might bother others, and Elephant (15)______ was (16)______ once more.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a wonderland?
2. How would you feel if you lived in Elephant Valley?
3. Do you like making loud noises? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the animals in the jungle felt when they couldn’t sleep because of the loud echoes?
5. How would you feel if someone took something of yours without asking?
6. Do you think Charlie should have listened to Big Tusk’s warning? Why or why not?
7. What do you think the animals learned from this experience?
8. How would you feel if something you did caused trouble for others?
9. Do you think it’s important to consider how our actions might bother others? Why or why not?
10. What would you have done if you were Charlie in this story? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. wonderland
2. echoes
3. popular
4. naughty
5. crystal
6. magical
7. sparkled
8. warned
9. super-loud
10. bees
11. honey
12. peaceful
13. explained
14. actions
15. bothered

Meanings:
(A) Very calm and quiet
(B) A sweet, sticky food made by insects, often eaten on toast or in tea
(C) Sounds that are repeated after bouncing off surfaces
(D) Told someone about a possible danger or problem
(E) Made someone feel annoyed or upset
(F) Insects that make a buzzing sound and are known for making a sweet, sticky food
(G) Told someone about something in a way that is easy to understand
(H) Liked by many people
(I) Extremely loud
(J) The things that someone does
(K) A place that is so amazing it seems like it’s from a fairy tale
(L) Having special powers that seem to do impossible things
(M) Behaving in a mischievous or badly behaved way
(N) A clear, shiny rock that looks like glass
(O) Shined brightly with little flashes of light
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the special valley in the middle of the jungle?
(a) Elephant Valley
(b) Monkey Valley
(c) Tiger Valley
(d) Lion Valley

2. What made the elephants in Elephant Valley special?
(a) They could fly
(b) They could send echoes using their trunks
(c) They could swim underwater
(d) They could talk to humans

3. Who found the hidden cave behind the waterfall?
(a) Charlie the monkey
(b) Big Tusk the elephant
(c) The bees
(d) The birds

4. What did Charlie find in the hidden cave?
(a) A golden crown
(b) A shiny crystal with a magical light
(c) A treasure map
(d) A secret message

5. What did Charlie do with the crystal?
(a) He threw it away
(b) He hid it in his treehouse
(c) He used it when the elephants made their echoes
(d) He gave it to Big Tusk

6. What problem did the super-loud echoes cause?
(a) Bees couldn’t make honey
(b) Birds couldn’t sing
(c) All of the above
(d) Animals couldn’t sleep

7. Who did Big Tusk talk to about the problem?
(a) The other elephants
(b) The bees
(c) Charlie
(d) The birds

8. How did Charlie fix the problem?
(a) He gave the crystal to Big Tusk
(b) He broke the crystal
(c) He threw the crystal into the river
(d) He put the crystal back in the cave

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The leader of the elephants is a smart and kind elephant named Big Tusk.
2. When Charlie uses the crystal during the elephants’ echo sessions, the echoes become incredibly soft and plain.
3. A mischievous monkey named Charlie discovers a hidden cave behind a waterfall.
4. The loud echoes start causing problems for other animals in the jungle, but Charlie realizes his mistake and returns the crystal, restoring peace to Elephant Valley.
5. Charlie hides the crystal from everyone in the valley, despite Big Tusk’s warning that it is not a toy.
6. Elephant Valley is a beautiful place in the middle of the jungle with tall trees and a clear river.
7. Inside the cave, Charlie finds a dull crystal with a mundane light.
8. The elephants in Elephant Valley have the ordinary ability to send echoes using their trunks.
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 was Elephant Valley located?
Elephant Valley was located in the middle of the jungle.

2. What made the elephants in Elephant Valley special?
The elephants in Elephant Valley were special because they could send echoes using their trunks.

3. What did Charlie find behind the waterfall?
Charlie found a hidden cave behind the waterfall.

4. How did Charlie use the crystal he found?
Charlie used the crystal to make the echoes of the elephants louder and fancier.

5. What problems did the super-loud echoes cause?
The super-loud echoes caused animals to not be able to sleep, bees to not be able to make honey, and birds to not be able to sing.

6. How did Big Tusk try to solve the problem?
Big Tusk talked to Charlie and explained how his actions were causing trouble for others.

7. What did Charlie do to fix the problem he caused?
Charlie put the crystal back and made sure it stayed safe so it wouldn’t cause trouble again.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) place
(2) flowers
(3) group
(4) special
(5) sounds
(6) hidden
(7) waterfall
(8) valley
(9) Charlie
(10) started
(11) honey
(12) talked
(13) explaining
(14) taught
(15) Valley
(16) peaceful
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. wonderland
Answer: (K) A place that is so amazing it seems like it’s from a fairy tale

2. echoes
Answer: (C) Sounds that are repeated after bouncing off surfaces

3. popular
Answer: (H) Liked by many people

4. naughty
Answer: (M) Behaving in a mischievous or badly behaved way

5. crystal
Answer: (N) A clear, shiny rock that looks like glass

6. magical
Answer: (L) Having special powers that seem to do impossible things

7. sparkled
Answer: (O) Shined brightly with little flashes of light

8. warned
Answer: (D) Told someone about a possible danger or problem

9. super-loud
Answer: (I) Extremely loud

10. bees
Answer: (F) Insects that make a buzzing sound and are known for making a sweet, sticky food

11. honey
Answer: (B) A sweet, sticky food made by insects, often eaten on toast or in tea

12. peaceful
Answer: (A) Very calm and quiet

13. explained
Answer: (G) Told someone about something in a way that is easy to understand

14. actions
Answer: (J) The things that someone does

15. bothered
Answer: (E) Made someone feel annoyed or upset
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the special valley in the middle of the jungle?
Answer: (a) Elephant Valley

2. What made the elephants in Elephant Valley special?
Answer: (b) They could send echoes using their trunks

3. Who found the hidden cave behind the waterfall?
Answer: (a) Charlie the monkey

4. What did Charlie find in the hidden cave?
Answer: (b) A shiny crystal with a magical light

5. What did Charlie do with the crystal?
Answer: (c) He used it when the elephants made their echoes

6. What problem did the super-loud echoes cause?
Answer: (d) Animals couldn’t sleep

7. Who did Big Tusk talk to about the problem?
Answer: (c) Charlie

8. How did Charlie fix the problem?
Answer: (d) He put the crystal back in the cave
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The leader of the elephants is a smart and kind elephant named Big Tusk. (Answer: True)
2. When Charlie uses the crystal during the elephants’ echo sessions, the echoes become incredibly soft and plain. (Answer: False)
3. A mischievous monkey named Charlie discovers a hidden cave behind a waterfall. (Answer: True)
4. The loud echoes start causing problems for other animals in the jungle, but Charlie realizes his mistake and returns the crystal, restoring peace to Elephant Valley. (Answer: True)
5. Charlie hides the crystal from everyone in the valley, despite Big Tusk’s warning that it is not a toy. (Answer: False)
6. Elephant Valley is a beautiful place in the middle of the jungle with tall trees and a clear river. (Answer: True)
7. Inside the cave, Charlie finds a dull crystal with a mundane light. (Answer: False)
8. The elephants in Elephant Valley have the ordinary ability to send echoes using their trunks. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

A young girl named Emily discovers a tree that produces rainbow-colored raspberries, bringing joy to her village.

The Remarkable Raspberry Rain

Emily discovers a tree that rains colorful raspberries, but when they lose their color, she learns that children’s laughter can bring the magic back.

A detective solves the mystery of the missing blueberry pies and brings together a bear family and the town.

The Blueberry Pie Mystery

A detective named Graspberry finds out that a family of bears has been eating all the blueberry pies from a famous bakery, but instead of getting mad, he suggests that the bears help pick blueberries for the pies in exchange for some, and everyone becomes friends.

Humphrey the Hippogriff embarks on a quest to cure his hiccups and discovers the power of laughter.

The Hiccuping Hippogriff

Humphrey the Hippogriff couldn’t stop hiccupping, but with the help of a wise unicorn, he discovered that laughter was the key to curing his hiccups and spreading joy to others.

Feedback