Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Jolly Jellyfish

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

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Once there was a happy jellyfish called Finley who lived in the ocean. He was famous for being super colorful and for making everyone laugh. Finley loved to hang out with his friends and go on adventures. He would swim to a place called the coral reef every day to play and have a good time with other sea creatures. But one day, a big storm came and Finley got lost from his friends.

Feeling alone and scared, Finley swam further into the ocean. Then he met a trickster octopus named Oscar. Oscar loved to tease and play jokes on others just for fun. When Oscar saw Finley, he thought he found a new victim for his tricks. Oscar sneaked up on Finley, ready to give him a fright.

However, just as Oscar was about to scare him, Finley surprised him by shooting out a burst of shiny ink. The ink looked really pretty as it lit up, and it drew a bunch of small fish over to see what was going on. They were amazed by Finley’s cool ink and gathered all around him.

Seeing how awesome Finley was, the little fish helped him find his way back home. They traveled together through deep canyons, between tight caves, and even zoomed past some dolphins that wanted to play. On this trip, Finley got to see new places and met lots of new friends.

Finally, Finley made it back to the coral reef. His buddies were so happy to see him that they threw a huge party. Finley learned that even when times get tough, you can find a way out and make friends. From then on, everyone in the ocean looked up to Finley. If any sea creature was in trouble or felt lost, they knew Finley would be there to help and cheer them up. He kept having fun and spreading happiness in the deep blue sea.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1jellyfishA soft-bodied sea animal that usually has tentacles
2coralA kind of rock-like structure in the sea made by small animals
3adventuresExciting experiences that involve risks or discoveries
4stormA violent disturbance in the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow
5tricksterA person who deceives or plays jokes on others
6teaseTo make fun of someone in a playful or unkind way
7frightA sudden feeling of fear or shock
8burstA sudden, forceful release of something
9shinyReflecting light, bright, and sparkling
10amazedGreatly surprised or impressed by something
11canyonsDeep valleys with steep sides, often found underwater
12dolphinsIntelligent sea mammals known for their playful nature
13toughDifficult or challenging situations
14creatureAn animal or being, especially one that is not human
15happinessThe feeling of being very pleased or content with life

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was Finley?
2. What did Finley love to do with his friends?
3. What happened to Finley one day?
4. Who did Finley meet when he got lost?
5. How did Finley surprise Oscar?
6. Who helped Finley find his way back home?
7. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once there was a happy jellyfish called (1)______ who lived in the ocean. He was famous for being super colorful and for making everyone laugh. Finley (2)______ to hang out with his friends and go on adventures. He would swim to a place called the coral reef every day to play and have a good time with other sea creatures. But one day, a big (3)______ came and Finley got lost from his friends.

Feeling alone and (4)______, Finley swam further into the ocean. Then he met a trickster octopus named Oscar. Oscar loved to tease and play (5)______ on others just for fun. When Oscar saw Finley, he thought he found a new (6)______ for his tricks. Oscar (7)______ up on Finley, ready to give him a fright.

However, just as Oscar was about to scare him, Finley surprised him by shooting out a burst of shiny ink. The ink (8)______ really pretty as it lit up, and it drew a bunch of small fish over to see what was going on. They were amazed by Finley’s cool ink and gathered all around him.

(9)______ how awesome Finley was, the little fish helped him find his way back home. They traveled together through deep canyons, between tight (10)______, and even zoomed past some dolphins that wanted to play. On this trip, Finley got to see new (11)______ and met lots of new (12)______.

Finally, Finley made it back to the (13)______ reef. His buddies were so happy to see him that they threw a huge party. Finley learned that even when times get tough, you can find a way out and make friends. From then on, everyone in the ocean looked up to Finley. If any sea creature was in (14)______ or felt lost, they knew Finley would be there to help and (15)______ them up. He kept (16)______ fun and spreading happiness in the deep blue sea.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a coral reef and why do you think Finley liked to go there?
2. How would you feel if you got lost from your friends in a big storm?
3. Do you like playing tricks on others like Oscar? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever been surprised by someone or something? How did it make you feel?
5. What do you think it means to be awesome? Do you think Finley is awesome? Why or why not?
6. How do you think Finley felt when the little fish helped him find his way back home?
7. Have you ever been to a party? What was it like?
8. Do you think it’s important to help others when they’re in trouble or feeling lost? Why or why not?
9. What is something you do to spread happiness to others?
10. Can you think of a time when you had to find a way out of a tough situation? What did you do?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. jellyfish
2. coral
3. adventures
4. storm
5. trickster
6. tease
7. fright
8. burst
9. shiny
10. amazed
11. canyons
12. dolphins
13. tough
14. creature
15. happiness

Meanings:
(A) A sudden, forceful release of something
(B) A person who deceives or plays jokes on others
(C) Difficult or challenging situations
(D) Reflecting light, bright, and sparkling
(E) Intelligent sea mammals known for their playful nature
(F) A violent disturbance in the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow
(G) A soft-bodied sea animal that usually has tentacles
(H) An animal or being, especially one that is not human
(I) Greatly surprised or impressed by something
(J) To make fun of someone in a playful or unkind way
(K) A kind of rock-like structure in the sea made by small animals
(L) A sudden feeling of fear or shock
(M) Deep valleys with steep sides, often found underwater
(N) Exciting experiences that involve risks or discoveries
(O) The feeling of being very pleased or content with life
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was Finley famous for?
(a) Being the fastest swimmer in the ocean
(b) Being super colorful and making everyone laugh
(c) Being the biggest jellyfish in the ocean
(d) Being the smartest sea creature in the ocean

2. Where did Finley go every day to play with other sea creatures?
(a) The deep canyons
(b) The tight caves
(c) The open ocean
(d) The coral reef

3. How did Finley surprise Oscar the octopus?
(a) By swimming away really fast
(b) By hiding behind a rock
(c) By shooting out a burst of shiny ink
(d) By pretending to be scared

4. What did the small fish do when they saw Finley’s shiny ink?
(a) They gathered all around him
(b) They swam away in fear
(c) They ignored him and kept swimming
(d) They called for help from other sea creatures

5. How did Finley find his way back home?
(a) By following the dolphins
(b) By using his sense of direction
(c) With the help of the small fish
(d) By asking other sea creatures for directions

6. What did Finley’s buddies do when he made it back to the coral reef?
(a) They ignored him and swam away
(b) They teased him for getting lost
(c) They asked him to leave the coral reef
(d) They threw a huge party for him

7. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
(a) That even when times get tough, you can find a way out and make friends
(b) That he should never leave the coral reef again
(c) That he is the best jellyfish in the ocean
(d) That he doesn’t need friends to be happy

8. What did Finley become known for in the ocean?
(a) Being the fastest swimmer in the ocean
(b) Helping and cheering up sea creatures in trouble
(c) Being the biggest jellyfish in the ocean
(d) Being the smartest sea creature in the ocean

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Finley gets lost from his friends during a big storm.
2. Finley enjoys spending time with his friends and going on adventures.
3. Instead of being scared, Finley surprises Oscar by shooting out a burst of shiny ink.
4. Finley encounters a gullible octopus named Oscar, who easily falls for jokes played on him.
5. The burst of ink repels a group of small fish who are disgusted by Finley’s cool ink.
6. With the hindrance of the small fish, Finley is unable to find his way back home to the coral reef.
7. The coral reef is a place where Finley and other sea creatures gather to work and be serious.
8. Finley is a jellyfish who is known for being colorful and making others laugh.
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 Finley?
Finley was a happy jellyfish who lived in the ocean.

2. What did Finley love to do with his friends?
Finley loved to hang out with his friends and go on adventures.

3. What happened to Finley one day?
One day, a big storm came and Finley got lost from his friends.

4. Who did Finley meet when he got lost?
Finley met a trickster octopus named Oscar when he got lost.

5. How did Finley surprise Oscar?
Finley surprised Oscar by shooting out a burst of shiny ink.

6. Who helped Finley find his way back home?
A group of small fish helped Finley find his way back home.

7. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
Finley learned that even when times get tough, you can find a way out and make friends.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Finley
(2) loved
(3) storm
(4) scared
(5) jokes
(6) victim
(7) sneaked
(8) looked
(9) Seeing
(10) caves
(11) places
(12) friends
(13) coral
(14) trouble
(15) cheer
(16) having
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. jellyfish
Answer: (G) A soft-bodied sea animal that usually has tentacles

2. coral
Answer: (K) A kind of rock-like structure in the sea made by small animals

3. adventures
Answer: (N) Exciting experiences that involve risks or discoveries

4. storm
Answer: (F) A violent disturbance in the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow

5. trickster
Answer: (B) A person who deceives or plays jokes on others

6. tease
Answer: (J) To make fun of someone in a playful or unkind way

7. fright
Answer: (L) A sudden feeling of fear or shock

8. burst
Answer: (A) A sudden, forceful release of something

9. shiny
Answer: (D) Reflecting light, bright, and sparkling

10. amazed
Answer: (I) Greatly surprised or impressed by something

11. canyons
Answer: (M) Deep valleys with steep sides, often found underwater

12. dolphins
Answer: (E) Intelligent sea mammals known for their playful nature

13. tough
Answer: (C) Difficult or challenging situations

14. creature
Answer: (H) An animal or being, especially one that is not human

15. happiness
Answer: (O) The feeling of being very pleased or content with life
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was Finley famous for?
Answer: (b) Being super colorful and making everyone laugh

2. Where did Finley go every day to play with other sea creatures?
Answer: (d) The coral reef

3. How did Finley surprise Oscar the octopus?
Answer: (c) By shooting out a burst of shiny ink

4. What did the small fish do when they saw Finley’s shiny ink?
Answer: (a) They gathered all around him

5. How did Finley find his way back home?
Answer: (c) With the help of the small fish

6. What did Finley’s buddies do when he made it back to the coral reef?
Answer: (d) They threw a huge party for him

7. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
Answer: (a) That even when times get tough, you can find a way out and make friends

8. What did Finley become known for in the ocean?
Answer: (b) Helping and cheering up sea creatures in trouble
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Finley gets lost from his friends during a big storm. (Answer: True)
2. Finley enjoys spending time with his friends and going on adventures. (Answer: True)
3. Instead of being scared, Finley surprises Oscar by shooting out a burst of shiny ink. (Answer: True)
4. Finley encounters a gullible octopus named Oscar, who easily falls for jokes played on him. (Answer: False)
5. The burst of ink repels a group of small fish who are disgusted by Finley’s cool ink. (Answer: False)
6. With the hindrance of the small fish, Finley is unable to find his way back home to the coral reef. (Answer: False)
7. The coral reef is a place where Finley and other sea creatures gather to work and be serious. (Answer: False)
8. Finley is a jellyfish who is known for being colorful and making others laugh. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

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Maya finds a magical mango that grants her wish for never-ending laughter, bringing joy to her village.

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

The Sleepy Snowman

Frosty, the sleepy snowman, embarks on an adventure to find his lost carrot nose and discovers the importance of friendship and staying positive.

A dragon and a squirrel team up to find an enchanted treasure, but the squirrel has a secret plan.

The Dragon’s Dream

Dillon the dragon, with his special dreaming talent, embarks on a quest for a magical treasure with his new friend Daisy.

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