In a small town named Blossomville, there was a neighborhood where everyone knew each other and their houses were all bright and different colors. In the middle of this town was an old letterbox where people liked to hang out and talk. One morning, everyone was shocked to see this letterbox broken and lying on the ground. The letterbox was super important to them for keeping in touch, so everyone started to freak out a bit about what to do next.

The people of the town didn’t waste any time and had a big meeting to figure out a plan to fix their letterbox. A funny and smart old lady named Ms. Maple thought they could make a game out of fixing it. She guessed that a playful squirrel named Nutkin was behind the mess. She suggested they should leave puzzles around for Nutkin, thinking that solving them could help put the letterbox back together.

The town went all in on Ms. Maple’s idea and put together lots of puzzles for Nutkin to find all over Blossomville. Each puzzle had hints that would lead Nutkin to parts of the letterbox. Watching Nutkin race around solving puzzles was hilarious for everyone in town. He’d end up in funny situations, like getting covered in feathers, but he always kept going with a big smile.

Nutkin finally got to the last puzzle and found the last piece of the letterbox. The whole town came out to see as he put back together the letterbox bit by bit. When he finished, everyone cheered and laughed. They all started to like Nutkin a lot more because his silly adventure helped bring everyone closer together. They saw that even bad things, like their letterbox breaking, could end up in fun times that made their bonds stronger.

After fixing it, the letterbox looked even better than before because now it had flowers and decorations all over it. The people of Blossomville realized that being creative and keeping a sense of humor could turn a bad situation into something good. They promised to always take care of their letterbox and cherish the friendships it helped maintain, knowing that even when things break, it can lead to joy and fun stories.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Where did the people of Blossomville like to hang out and talk?
2. Why were the people of Blossomville shocked one morning?
3. Who did the people of Blossomville think was behind the broken letterbox?
4. What did Ms. Maple suggest they do to fix the letterbox?
5. What did the town do to help Nutkin find the pieces of the letterbox?
6. How did Nutkin react when he got covered in feathers?
7. How did the people of Blossomville feel about Nutkin after he fixed the letterbox?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small town (1)______ Blossomville, there was a neighborhood where everyone knew each other and their houses were all bright and different colors. In the (2)______ of this town was an old (3)______ where people (4)______ to hang out and talk. One morning, everyone was shocked to see this letterbox broken and lying on the ground. The letterbox was super important to them for keeping in touch, so everyone started to freak out a bit about what to do next.

The people of the town didn’t waste any time and had a big meeting to figure out a plan to fix their letterbox. A funny and smart old lady named Ms. Maple thought they could make a game out of fixing it. She guessed that a playful (5)______ named Nutkin was behind the mess. She suggested they should (6)______ (7)______ around for Nutkin, thinking that solving them could help put the letterbox back together.

The town went all in on Ms. Maple’s idea and put together lots of puzzles for Nutkin to find all over Blossomville. Each puzzle had (8)______ that would lead Nutkin to parts of the letterbox. Watching Nutkin race around (9)______ puzzles was hilarious for everyone in town. He’d end up in (10)______ situations, like getting covered in feathers, but he always kept going with a big smile.

Nutkin finally got to the last puzzle and (11)______ the last piece of the letterbox. The whole town came out to see as he put back together the letterbox bit by bit. When he finished, everyone cheered and laughed. They all started to like Nutkin a lot more because his (12)______ adventure helped bring everyone closer together. They saw that even bad things, like their letterbox breaking, could end up in fun times that made their bonds stronger.

After fixing it, the letterbox looked even better than before because now it had flowers and decorations all over it. The people of Blossomville realized that being (13)______ and keeping a sense of (14)______ could turn a bad situation into something good. They promised to always take care of their letterbox and (15)______ the (16)______ it helped maintain, knowing that even when things break, it can lead to joy and fun stories.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a letterbox? Why do you think it was important to the people in Blossomville?
2. How would you feel if something important to you, like a letterbox, broke? Why?
3. Do you like solving puzzles? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had to work together with a group of people to solve a problem? How did it make you feel?
5. What do you think about Ms. Maple’s idea to make a game out of fixing the letterbox? Do you think it was a good idea? Why or why not?
6. How do you think Nutkin felt while he was solving the puzzles and getting into funny situations? Why?
7. Do you think it’s important to have a sense of humor in difficult situations? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever turned a bad situation into something positive? Can you share your experience?
9. How do you think the people of Blossomville felt when they saw Nutkin putting the letterbox back together? Why?
10. Why do you think the people of Blossomville decided to decorate the letterbox after fixing it? How do you think it made them feel?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. neighborhood
2. shocked
3. important
4. puzzles
5. hilarious
6. adventure
7. cheered
8. creative
9. maintain
10. cherish
11. bonds
12. decorations
13. realized
14. situation
15. joy

Meanings:
(A) Having great value or significance
(B) Extremely funny or amusing
(C) Came to understand or become aware of something
(D) The area or community where people live close to each other
(E) An exciting or daring experience
(F) Items used to make something look more attractive
(G) Surprised or upset by something unexpected
(H) Having original ideas or thinking of new ways to do things
(I) A feeling of great happiness or pleasure
(J) Keep something in good condition or continue doing something
(K) Shouted with happiness or approval
(L) Hold something dear or value it highly
(M) A set of circumstances or a condition that needs to be dealt with
(N) Connections or relationships between people
(O) Challenges or games that test your knowledge or problem-solving skills
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the small town where the story takes place?
(a) Maplewood
(b) Roseville
(c) Sunflower City
(d) Blossomville

2. What was the purpose of the old letterbox in the town?
(a) Collecting mail
(b) Keeping in touch
(c) Storing keys
(d) Displaying artwork

3. Who did the people of the town suspect was responsible for breaking the letterbox?
(a) Ms. Maple
(b) Nutkin
(c) Sherlock
(d) Watson

4. What idea did Ms. Maple come up with to fix the letterbox?
(a) Hiring a handyman
(b) Buying a new letterbox
(c) Leaving puzzles for Nutkin to solve
(d) Ignoring the problem

5. What happened to Nutkin while he was solving the puzzles?
(a) He got covered in feathers
(b) He got lost in the town
(c) He found a hidden treasure
(d) He became friends with Ms. Maple

6. How did the people of the town feel when Nutkin finished fixing the letterbox?
(a) They were disappointed
(b) They were angry at Nutkin
(c) They didn’t care
(d) They cheered and laughed

7. What did the people of Blossomville realize after the letterbox was fixed?
(a) They should never trust Nutkin again
(b) They should move to a different town
(c) Being creative and having a sense of humor can turn a bad situation into something good
(d) They should get rid of the letterbox

8. What did the people promise to do after fixing the letterbox?
(a) Always take care of it and cherish their friendships
(b) Break it again for fun
(c) Ignore it and never use it again
(d) Replace it with a new one

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The people of the town gather and socialize at an old letterbox in the middle of town.
2. Nutkin goes on a funny and adventurous journey, encountering humorous situations along the way.
3. One morning, the letterbox is found broken and lying on the ground, causing panic among the townspeople.
4. The story takes place in a large city called Brookstown.
5. Nutkin struggles to solve the puzzles and fails to put the mailbox back together, causing division in the town and weakening the sense of community.
6. The townspeople create puzzles for a playful squirrel named Nutkin to solve in order to find the pieces of the letterbox.
7. The neighborhood in the town is known for its plain houses.
8. Mr. Birch, a young man in the town, comes up with the idea to turn fixing the mailbox into a chore.
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 the people of Blossomville like to hang out and talk?
– The people of Blossomville liked to hang out and talk at the old letterbox in the middle of town.

2. Why were the people of Blossomville shocked one morning?
– The people of Blossomville were shocked one morning because they found the letterbox broken and lying on the ground.

3. Who did the people of Blossomville think was behind the broken letterbox?
– The people of Blossomville thought that a playful squirrel named Nutkin was behind the broken letterbox.

4. What did Ms. Maple suggest they do to fix the letterbox?
– Ms. Maple suggested that they should leave puzzles around for Nutkin to solve, thinking that it could help put the letterbox back together.

5. What did the town do to help Nutkin find the pieces of the letterbox?
– The town put together lots of puzzles with hints that would lead Nutkin to the pieces of the letterbox.

6. How did Nutkin react when he got covered in feathers?
– Nutkin kept going with a big smile when he got covered in feathers. He didn’t let it stop him.

7. How did the people of Blossomville feel about Nutkin after he fixed the letterbox?
– The people of Blossomville felt a lot more fondness towards Nutkin after he fixed the letterbox. They saw that his silly adventure brought everyone closer together and made their bonds stronger.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) middle
(3) letterbox
(4) liked
(5) squirrel
(6) leave
(7) puzzles
(8) hints
(9) solving
(10) funny
(11) found
(12) silly
(13) creative
(14) humor
(15) cherish
(16) friendships
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. neighborhood
Answer: (D) The area or community where people live close to each other

2. shocked
Answer: (G) Surprised or upset by something unexpected

3. important
Answer: (A) Having great value or significance

4. puzzles
Answer: (O) Challenges or games that test your knowledge or problem-solving skills

5. hilarious
Answer: (B) Extremely funny or amusing

6. adventure
Answer: (E) An exciting or daring experience

7. cheered
Answer: (K) Shouted with happiness or approval

8. creative
Answer: (H) Having original ideas or thinking of new ways to do things

9. maintain
Answer: (J) Keep something in good condition or continue doing something

10. cherish
Answer: (L) Hold something dear or value it highly

11. bonds
Answer: (N) Connections or relationships between people

12. decorations
Answer: (F) Items used to make something look more attractive

13. realized
Answer: (C) Came to understand or become aware of something

14. situation
Answer: (M) A set of circumstances or a condition that needs to be dealt with

15. joy
Answer: (I) A feeling of great happiness or pleasure
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the small town where the story takes place?
Answer: (d) Blossomville

2. What was the purpose of the old letterbox in the town?
Answer: (b) Keeping in touch

3. Who did the people of the town suspect was responsible for breaking the letterbox?
Answer: (b) Nutkin

4. What idea did Ms. Maple come up with to fix the letterbox?
Answer: (c) Leaving puzzles for Nutkin to solve

5. What happened to Nutkin while he was solving the puzzles?
Answer: (a) He got covered in feathers

6. How did the people of the town feel when Nutkin finished fixing the letterbox?
Answer: (d) They cheered and laughed

7. What did the people of Blossomville realize after the letterbox was fixed?
Answer: (c) Being creative and having a sense of humor can turn a bad situation into something good

8. What did the people promise to do after fixing the letterbox?
Answer: (a) Always take care of it and cherish their friendships
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The people of the town gather and socialize at an old letterbox in the middle of town. (Answer: True)
2. Nutkin goes on a funny and adventurous journey, encountering humorous situations along the way. (Answer: True)
3. One morning, the letterbox is found broken and lying on the ground, causing panic among the townspeople. (Answer: True)
4. The story takes place in a large city called Brookstown. (Answer: False)
5. Nutkin struggles to solve the puzzles and fails to put the mailbox back together, causing division in the town and weakening the sense of community. (Answer: False)
6. The townspeople create puzzles for a playful squirrel named Nutkin to solve in order to find the pieces of the letterbox. (Answer: True)
7. The neighborhood in the town is known for its plain houses. (Answer: False)
8. Mr. Birch, a young man in the town, comes up with the idea to turn fixing the mailbox into a chore. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧