In a magical forest called Doram, there was a playful red panda named Ruby. Ruby was famous for her bright red fur and her love for solving puzzles. One morning, while playing, she found an old piece of paper hidden under some leaves. It had a riddle on it that said to look for a golden tree with blue leaves in the center of the forest, and by solving its riddle, she would find a hint to a treasure.

Ruby was very excited and started looking for the golden tree right away. She ran through the forest and asked animals like the wise owl and the talkative squirrels if they knew anything. After a long search, Ruby found a tree with shiny gold leaves. She was happy until she saw two ways to go and didn’t know which one to pick. She finally chose to go up a hill. The path was not straight, but Ruby kept going until she came to a huge rock blocking her way. She tried to move it but couldn’t do it by herself.

Just when Ruby was about to give up, a kind elephant named Ellie showed up. Ellie found out about Ruby’s problem and decided to help. They pushed the rock together until it finally moved. Ruby said thank you to Ellie and kept going on her search for the treasure.

Deeper in the forest, Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance who knew a lot about the forest. Ruby told Terrance her riddle, and he thought about it. Then he asked Ruby, “What has a heart that doesn’t beat and runs but doesn’t have feet?” Ruby thought hard and then understood the answer was “A river!” Terrance told her where to go, and Ruby followed his directions.

Soon, Ruby came across a beautiful hidden waterfall. There was a little chest in the water. She opened the chest, expecting to find gold or jewels, but inside was just a note. The note said the real treasure was the friends she made during her journey. Ruby felt really happy and knew the journey was about more than just finding things. It was about the happiness that came from making friends and helping others. Ruby went home, promising herself to keep exploring and to value the friends she’d made.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story and what was special about her?
2. What did Ruby find one morning while she was playing in the forest?
3. Who did Ruby ask for help in finding the golden tree?
4. What obstacle did Ruby encounter on her way to finding the treasure?
5. How did Ruby solve her problem with the rock blocking her way?
6. Who did Ruby meet deeper in the forest and what did he know a lot about?
7. What did Ruby realize was the real treasure at the end of her journey?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ forest called Doram, there was a (2)______ red panda named Ruby. Ruby was (3)______ for her bright red fur and her love for solving puzzles. One morning, while playing, she found an old piece of paper hidden under some leaves. It had a riddle on it that said to look for a golden tree with blue leaves in the (4)______ of the forest, and by solving its riddle, she would find a hint to a treasure.

Ruby was very excited and started looking for the golden tree right away. She ran through the forest and asked animals like the wise owl and the (5)______ squirrels if they knew anything. After a long search, Ruby (6)______ a tree with shiny gold leaves. She was happy until she saw two ways to go and didn’t know which one to pick. She finally chose to go up a hill. The path was not straight, but Ruby kept going until she came to a huge rock blocking her way. She tried to move it but couldn’t do it by herself.

Just when Ruby was about to give up, a kind elephant (7)______ Ellie (8)______ up. Ellie found out about Ruby’s problem and (9)______ to help. They pushed the rock together until it finally moved. Ruby said thank you to Ellie and kept (10)______ on her search for the treasure.

Deeper in the forest, Ruby met an old (11)______ named (12)______ who knew a lot about the forest. Ruby told Terrance her riddle, and he thought about it. Then he asked Ruby, “What has a heart that doesn’t beat and runs but doesn’t have feet?” Ruby thought hard and then understood the answer was “A river!” Terrance told her where to go, and Ruby followed his directions.

Soon, Ruby came across a beautiful (13)______ (14)______fall. There was a little chest in the water. She opened the chest, expecting to find gold or jewels, but inside was just a note. The note said the real treasure was the friends she made during her (15)______. Ruby felt really happy and knew the journey was about more than just finding things. It was about the happiness that came from making friends and helping others. Ruby went home, (16)______ herself to keep exploring and to value the friends she’d made.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a riddle? Can you think of any riddles you know?
2. How would you feel if you found a treasure map like Ruby did? Why?
3. Do you like solving puzzles? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it means to be a good friend? Why?
5. Have you ever helped someone like Ellie helped Ruby? How did it make you feel?
6. How do you think Ruby felt when she couldn’t move the rock by herself? Why?
7. Do you think it’s important to ask for help when you need it? Why or why not?
8. What do you think Ruby learned from her journey in the forest? Why?
9. Do you think the real treasure was the friends Ruby made? Why or why not?
10. How do you think Ruby will continue exploring and valuing her friends in the future? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. riddle
3. treasure
4. wise
5. talkative
6. shiny
7. straight
8. huge
9. kind
10. tortoise
11. directions
12. waterfall
13. chest
14. jewels
15. exploring

Meanings:
(A) A slow-moving reptile with a hard shell, known for its long lifespan
(B) Having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment
(C) Not bending or curving, often used to describe a path or line
(D) Instructions on how to get from one place to another
(E) Valuable items like gold or silver, often hidden and waiting to be discovered
(F) A tricky question or problem that you have to think hard to solve
(G) Traveling around to discover new places or things
(H) A box used for storing valuable things, often found in stories about pirates
(I) Precious stones that are cut and polished to be used in jewelry
(J) A place where water flows over a cliff or rock, creating a beautiful scene
(K) Friendly and willing to help others
(L) Very large or massive, often impressively so
(M) Someone who talks a lot, often more than necessary
(N) Something that is full of mystery and enchantment, like in fairy tales
(O) Bright and reflecting light, like a polished metal or glass
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the magical forest where Ruby lives?
(a) Doram
(b) Enchanted Woods
(c) Mystical Grove
(d) Fairyland

2. What was the color of the leaves on the golden tree?
(a) Blue
(b) Green
(c) Red
(d) Yellow

3. Who did Ruby ask for help in moving the huge rock?
(a) Oscar the owl
(b) Ellie the elephant
(c) Sammy the squirrel
(d) Terrance the tortoise

4. What was the answer to the riddle asked by Terrance?
(a) A mountain
(b) A cloud
(c) A river
(d) A flower

5. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
(a) Gold and jewels
(b) A magical amulet
(c) A map to another treasure
(d) A note

6. What did the note inside the chest say?
(a) The real treasure was hidden elsewhere
(b) The real treasure was inside Ruby all along
(c) The real treasure was the journey itself
(d) The real treasure was the friends she made

7. How did Ruby feel after reading the note?
(a) Disappointed
(b) Confused
(c) Happy
(d) Angry

8. What did Ruby promise herself at the end of the story?
(a) To find more treasures in the forest
(b) To keep exploring and value her friends
(c) To solve more riddles and puzzles
(d) To never return to the magical forest

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. She eventually found the golden tree but had to choose between two paths, unsure of which one to take.
2. Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance who helped her solve the riddle by asking her a question about a heart that doesn’t beat and runs without feet.
3. Ruby discovered that the real treasure was the friends she made during her journey and promised to value them.
4. Ruby asked animals like the wise owl and talkative squirrels for help in solving the riddle.
5. A mean elephant named Ellie came to Ruby’s aid and hindered her from moving the rock.
6. Ruby decided to go down a hill and encountered a tiny rock blocking her way.
7. Ruby, the red panda, hated solving puzzles and was infamous for her dark red fur.
8. She found a new piece of paper with a riddle that led her to a silver tree with purple leaves in the magical forest of Doram.
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 and what was special about her?
The main character in the story was Ruby, a playful red panda. She was special because of her bright red fur and her love for solving puzzles.

2. What did Ruby find one morning while she was playing in the forest?
While playing in the forest, Ruby found an old piece of paper hidden under some leaves. It had a riddle on it that led her to search for a golden tree with blue leaves.

3. Who did Ruby ask for help in finding the golden tree?
Ruby asked animals like the wise owl and the talkative squirrels for help in finding the golden tree.

4. What obstacle did Ruby encounter on her way to finding the treasure?
On her way to finding the treasure, Ruby encountered a huge rock blocking her path.

5. How did Ruby solve her problem with the rock blocking her way?
Ruby couldn’t move the rock by herself, but a kind elephant named Ellie showed up and helped her push the rock until it moved.

6. Who did Ruby meet deeper in the forest and what did he know a lot about?
Deeper in the forest, Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance. He knew a lot about the forest and helped Ruby with a riddle.

7. What did Ruby realize was the real treasure at the end of her journey?
At the end of her journey, Ruby realized that the real treasure was the friends she made along the way. She learned that the journey was about more than just finding things, but also about the happiness that came from making friends and helping others.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) magical
(2) playful
(3) famous
(4) center
(5) talkative
(6) found
(7) named
(8) showed
(9) decided
(10) going
(11) tortoise
(12) Terrance
(13) hidden
(14) water
(15) journey
(16) promising
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (N) Something that is full of mystery and enchantment, like in fairy tales

2. riddle
Answer: (F) A tricky question or problem that you have to think hard to solve

3. treasure
Answer: (E) Valuable items like gold or silver, often hidden and waiting to be discovered

4. wise
Answer: (B) Having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment

5. talkative
Answer: (M) Someone who talks a lot, often more than necessary

6. shiny
Answer: (O) Bright and reflecting light, like a polished metal or glass

7. straight
Answer: (C) Not bending or curving, often used to describe a path or line

8. huge
Answer: (L) Very large or massive, often impressively so

9. kind
Answer: (K) Friendly and willing to help others

10. tortoise
Answer: (A) A slow-moving reptile with a hard shell, known for its long lifespan

11. directions
Answer: (D) Instructions on how to get from one place to another

12. waterfall
Answer: (J) A place where water flows over a cliff or rock, creating a beautiful scene

13. chest
Answer: (H) A box used for storing valuable things, often found in stories about pirates

14. jewels
Answer: (I) Precious stones that are cut and polished to be used in jewelry

15. exploring
Answer: (G) Traveling around to discover new places or things
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the magical forest where Ruby lives?
Answer: (a) Doram

2. What was the color of the leaves on the golden tree?
Answer: (a) Blue

3. Who did Ruby ask for help in moving the huge rock?
Answer: (b) Ellie the elephant

4. What was the answer to the riddle asked by Terrance?
Answer: (c) A river

5. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
Answer: (d) A note

6. What did the note inside the chest say?
Answer: (d) The real treasure was the friends she made

7. How did Ruby feel after reading the note?
Answer: (c) Happy

8. What did Ruby promise herself at the end of the story?
Answer: (b) To keep exploring and value her friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. She eventually found the golden tree but had to choose between two paths, unsure of which one to take. (Answer: True)
2. Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance who helped her solve the riddle by asking her a question about a heart that doesn’t beat and runs without feet. (Answer: True)
3. Ruby discovered that the real treasure was the friends she made during her journey and promised to value them. (Answer: True)
4. Ruby asked animals like the wise owl and talkative squirrels for help in solving the riddle. (Answer: True)
5. A mean elephant named Ellie came to Ruby’s aid and hindered her from moving the rock. (Answer: False)
6. Ruby decided to go down a hill and encountered a tiny rock blocking her way. (Answer: False)
7. Ruby, the red panda, hated solving puzzles and was infamous for her dark red fur. (Answer: False)
8. She found a new piece of paper with a riddle that led her to a silver tree with purple leaves in the magical forest of Doram. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧