Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

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Midnight at the Museum of Magic

Lily discovers the true magic lies within her heart, teaching her the importance of responsibility.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time in a small town, there was a Museum of Magic. During the day, it was a regular museum with exhibits of ancient artifacts and spellbinding inventions. However, when the moon rose and the clock struck midnight, something magical happened. That’s when the exhibits came to life!

One night, a young girl named Lily, who loved magic, sneaked into the museum armed with a pocketful of curiosity. As soon as the clock struck midnight, a stuffed rabbit hopped off the shelf and whispered, “Welcome, Lily, to the Midnight at the Museum of Magic! Come, follow me!” Lily grinned with excitement and followed the rabbit through a secret door.

They entered a room filled with dazzling illusions and sparkling crystals. Suddenly, they found themselves standing in front of a locked cabinet. The rabbit handed Lily a golden key and urged, “Unlock the cabinet and take out the magic wand. Only then will you uncover the museum’s greatest secret.”

With trembling hands, Lily inserted the key into the lock. As soon as she turned it, the cabinet creaked open, revealing a beautiful wand that shimmered with purple sparkles. As she picked it up, she felt a sudden rush of power surging through her body. “This wand holds the power to make dreams come true,” whispered a voice from the wand.

Curiosity got the best of Lily as she waved the wand. Instantly, glittering blue butterflies filled the room. Lily laughed with glee, but soon realized the butterflies were causing chaos by fluttering around the magical artifacts. With a wave of the wand, she managed to guide the butterflies back into their original place, calming the chaos.

Realizing the importance of responsibility, Lily understood that magic can be both exhilarating and dangerous. Using her newfound power, she cleansed the room and put everything back in order. That night, as the clock struck one, everything returned to its original state, and Lily found herself outside the museum, clutching the wand.

With a smile on her face, Lily understood that the real magic wasn’t in the artifacts or the wand, but in her own heart. She had learned that with great power comes great responsibility. From that day on, she dedicated herself to using her magic to brighten the lives of others and bring joy to the world.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

1artifactsObjects made by humans, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
2spellbindingCaptivating or enchanting, as if by magic
3magicalPossessing or using supernatural powers
4sneakedMoved quietly and stealthily to avoid being seen or heard
5illusionsDeceptive appearances or visual tricks that mislead the senses
6dazzlingExtremely bright, impressive, or beautiful
7cabinetA piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or displaying items
8shimmeredGlistened or twinkled with light
9surgingMoving forcefully or powerfully
10curiosityA strong desire to know or learn something
11chaosComplete disorder and confusion
12exhilaratingMaking someone feel very excited and enthusiastic
13cleansedMade clean or free from dirt, pollution, or impurities
14clutchingHolding tightly to something
15dedicatedCommitted or devoted to a task or purpose

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the exhibits in the Museum of Magic when the clock struck midnight?
2. Why did Lily sneak into the museum?
3. What did the stuffed rabbit give Lily?
4. What did Lily find inside the locked cabinet?
5. What happened when Lily waved the magic wand?
6. How did Lily handle the chaos caused by the butterflies?
7. What did Lily learn about magic and responsibility?
8. How did Lily decide to use her magic after her experience at the museum?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time in a small town, there was a Museum of (1)______. During the day, it was a regular museum with exhibits of ancient artifacts and spellbinding (2)______. However, when the moon rose and the clock struck midnight, something magical (3)______. That’s when the exhibits came to life!

One night, a young girl named Lily, who loved magic, sneaked into the museum armed with a pocketful of curiosity. As soon as the clock struck midnight, a stuffed rabbit hopped off the shelf and (4)______, “Welcome, Lily, to the Midnight at the Museum of Magic! Come, follow me!” Lily grinned with excitement and followed the rabbit through a secret door.

They entered a room filled with dazzling illusions and sparkling crystals. Suddenly, they (5)______ themselves standing in front of a locked cabinet. The rabbit handed Lily a golden key and (6)______, “Unlock the cabinet and take out the magic wand. Only then will you (7)______ the museum’s greatest secret.”

With trembling hands, Lily inserted the key into the lock. As soon as she turned it, the cabinet creaked open, revealing a beautiful wand that shimmered with purple (8)______. As she picked it up, she felt a sudden rush of power surging through her body. “This wand (9)______ the power to make dreams come true,” whispered a voice from the wand.

Curiosity got the best of Lily as she waved the wand. Instantly, glittering blue butterflies (10)______ the room. Lily laughed with glee, but soon realized the butterflies were causing (11)______ by fluttering around the magical artifacts. With a wave of the wand, she managed to guide the butterflies back into their (12)______ place, calming the chaos.

Realizing the importance of responsibility, Lily understood that magic can be both exhilarating and dangerous. (13)______ her newfound power, she cleansed the room and put everything back in (14)______. That night, as the clock struck one, everything returned to its original (15)______, and Lily found herself outside the museum, clutching the wand.

With a smile on her face, Lily understood that the real magic wasn’t in the artifacts or the wand, but in her own heart. She had learned that with great power (16)______ great responsibility. From that day on, she dedicated herself to using her magic to brighten the lives of others and bring joy to the world.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a Museum of Magic? Why do you think people would visit it?
2. How would you feel if you had the chance to visit a Museum of Magic? Why?
3. Do you like the idea of objects coming to life at night? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to follow your curiosity, even if it means breaking the rules? Why or why not?
5. How would you feel if you were given a magical wand? What would you do with it?
6. Do you think having magical powers would be exhilarating or dangerous? Why or why not?
7. How do you think Lily felt when she realized the chaos caused by the butterflies? Why?
8. What do you think the museum’s greatest secret might have been? Why?
9. How would you feel if you had the power to make dreams come true? Why?
10. Do you think it’s important to be responsible when using magic? Why or why not?
11. How do you think Lily’s experience in the museum changed her? Why?
12. What do you think the moral of the story is? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. artifacts
2. spellbinding
3. magical
4. sneaked
5. illusions
6. dazzling
7. cabinet
8. shimmered
9. surging
10. curiosity
11. chaos
12. exhilarating
13. cleansed
14. clutching
15. dedicated

Meanings:
(A) Possessing or using supernatural powers
(B) Holding tightly to something
(C) Glistened or twinkled with light
(D) Complete disorder and confusion
(E) A strong desire to know or learn something
(F) Committed or devoted to a task or purpose
(G) Moved quietly and stealthily to avoid being seen or heard
(H) Moving forcefully or powerfully
(I) Objects made by humans, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
(J) Extremely bright, impressive, or beautiful
(K) Deceptive appearances or visual tricks that mislead the senses
(L) Making someone feel very excited and enthusiastic
(M) Made clean or free from dirt, pollution, or impurities
(N) Captivating or enchanting, as if by magic
(O) A piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or displaying items
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What time did Lily enter the Museum of Magic?
(a) Noon
(b) Midnight
(c) Sunrise
(d) Sunset

2. What did the rabbit give Lily to unlock the cabinet?
(a) A silver key
(b) A golden key
(c) A bronze key
(d) A diamond key

3. What did Lily find inside the cabinet?
(a) A crystal ball
(b) A potion bottle
(c) A spellbook
(d) A magic wand

4. What color were the butterflies that filled the room?
(a) Shimmering green
(b) Sparkling yellow
(c) Twinkling purple
(d) Glittering blue

5. How did Lily calm the chaos caused by the butterflies?
(a) By waving the wand
(b) By clapping her hands
(c) By blowing a whistle
(d) By stomping her feet

6. What did Lily realize about magic?
(a) It can be both exhilarating and dangerous
(b) It is always safe and predictable
(c) It can only be used by professionals
(d) It is only for children

7. What happened to the room and artifacts at the end of the night?
(a) They disappeared completely
(b) They turned into butterflies
(c) They returned to their original state
(d) They were transported to a different location

8. What did Lily learn about the real magic?
(a) It is in the artifacts
(b) It is in the wand
(c) It is in her own heart
(d) It is in the museum

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. At the stroke of one, nothing returns to normal and Lily finds herself outside the museum without the wand.
2. Lily neglects the importance of responsibility and uses her magic to disrupt order.
3. Lily realizes that true magic lies within herself and she dedicates herself to using her powers for good.
4. Lily deliberately causes chaos with the wand when she creates glaring red butterflies.
5. The wand lacks the power to make dreams come true.
6. Lily sneaks into the museum and is guided by a stuffed rabbit.
7. Lily is given a golden key to unlock a cabinet and retrieve a magic wand.
8. The Museum of Magic comes to life at midnight when the exhibits animate.
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. When the clock struck midnight, the exhibits in the Museum of Magic came to life.
2. Lily sneaked into the museum because she loved magic and was curious about what happened inside at night.
3. The stuffed rabbit gave Lily a golden key.
4. Inside the locked cabinet, Lily found a magic wand that shimmered with purple sparkles.
5. When Lily waved the magic wand, glittering blue butterflies filled the room.
6. Lily guided the butterflies back into their original place and used her wand to put everything back in order.
7. Lily learned that magic can be both exhilarating and dangerous, and that with great power comes great responsibility.
8. After her experience at the museum, Lily decided to use her magic to bring joy to the world and brighten the lives of others.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Magic
(2) inventions
(3) happened
(4) whispered
(5) found
(6) urged
(7) uncover
(8) sparkles
(9) holds
(10) filled
(11) chaos
(12) original
(13) Using
(14) order
(15) state
(16) comes
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. artifacts
Answer: (I) Objects made by humans, typically an item of cultural or historical interest

2. spellbinding
Answer: (N) Captivating or enchanting, as if by magic

3. magical
Answer: (A) Possessing or using supernatural powers

4. sneaked
Answer: (G) Moved quietly and stealthily to avoid being seen or heard

5. illusions
Answer: (K) Deceptive appearances or visual tricks that mislead the senses

6. dazzling
Answer: (J) Extremely bright, impressive, or beautiful

7. cabinet
Answer: (O) A piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or displaying items

8. shimmered
Answer: (C) Glistened or twinkled with light

9. surging
Answer: (H) Moving forcefully or powerfully

10. curiosity
Answer: (E) A strong desire to know or learn something

11. chaos
Answer: (D) Complete disorder and confusion

12. exhilarating
Answer: (L) Making someone feel very excited and enthusiastic

13. cleansed
Answer: (M) Made clean or free from dirt, pollution, or impurities

14. clutching
Answer: (B) Holding tightly to something

15. dedicated
Answer: (F) Committed or devoted to a task or purpose
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What time did Lily enter the Museum of Magic?
Answer: (b) Midnight

2. What did the rabbit give Lily to unlock the cabinet?
Answer: (b) A golden key

3. What did Lily find inside the cabinet?
Answer: (d) A magic wand

4. What color were the butterflies that filled the room?
Answer: (d) Glittering blue

5. How did Lily calm the chaos caused by the butterflies?
Answer: (a) By waving the wand

6. What did Lily realize about magic?
Answer: (a) It can be both exhilarating and dangerous

7. What happened to the room and artifacts at the end of the night?
Answer: (c) They returned to their original state

8. What did Lily learn about the real magic?
Answer: (c) It is in her own heart
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. At the stroke of one, nothing returns to normal and Lily finds herself outside the museum without the wand. (Answer: False)
2. Lily neglects the importance of responsibility and uses her magic to disrupt order. (Answer: False)
3. Lily realizes that true magic lies within herself and she dedicates herself to using her powers for good. (Answer: True)
4. Lily deliberately causes chaos with the wand when she creates glaring red butterflies. (Answer: False)
5. The wand lacks the power to make dreams come true. (Answer: False)
6. Lily sneaks into the museum and is guided by a stuffed rabbit. (Answer: True)
7. Lily is given a golden key to unlock a cabinet and retrieve a magic wand. (Answer: True)
8. The Museum of Magic comes to life at midnight when the exhibits animate. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 4 stories?

The Ice Cream Island

A boy named Johnny wins a lifetime supply of ice cream and shares it with everyone on the Ice Cream Island, spreading joy and kindness.

A magical swan named Saffron and a brave boy named Milo embark on a journey to defeat an evil sorcerer and teach a lesson about friendship.

The Saffron Swan

A magical swan named Saffron and a brave boy named Milo embark on a journey to defeat an evil sorcerer and teach a lesson about friendship.

Four adventurous children discover a magical orchard filled with fruits that grant them extraordinary abilities.

The Orchard of Oddities

Four adventurous children discover a magical orchard filled with fruits that grant them extraordinary abilities.

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