Once upon a time in the lush jungles of Africa, there lived an elephant named Ella. Ella was the most cheerful and playful elephant in the entire jungle. She loved to spend her days bathing in the cool rivers and munching on juicy leaves from the tallest trees. But one sunny day, Ella woke up with a terrible earache. The pain was so sharp that it made her trumpet loudly in distress.

Ella’s friends, a mischievous monkey named Max and a clever parrot named Polly, heard her distress call and quickly rushed to her side. Max swung from the trees, while Polly flew swiftly overhead. They looked into Ella’s giant ear and saw a tiny creature causing all the trouble. It was a cheeky little bug!

Polly quickly got to work and flew down towards Ella’s ear. With her sharp beak, she tickled the bug, making it fly out of Ella’s ear with a loud “pop.” Ella’s earache vanished instantly, and she let out a giant sigh of relief. The friends celebrated their victory and shared a good laugh together.

From that day onward, Ella was more careful while exploring the jungle. She always made sure to shake her head vigorously after swimming in the river to get rid of any pesky bugs that might get into her ears. She also taught Max and Polly how to take care of their ears too. Ella’s earache turned out to be a valuable lesson for everyone.

Ella’s friends were grateful for the lesson and became better friends because of it. They realized the importance of looking out for each other and tackling challenges together. Max and Polly now became Ella’s guardians and made sure she stayed clear of any trouble that could cause her harm. Their bond grew stronger, and they continued to have exciting adventures in the jungle together.

Word of Ella’s bravery and the tale of her earache spread throughout the jungle, making her a hero among the animals. She became famous for her kind heart and willingness to help others. Ella’s story taught everyone that in times of need, true friends will always be there to lend a helping hand. And so, the brave Ella, Max, and Polly continued to live happily, sharing their laughter and love with all the creatures in the jungle.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Ella love to do in the jungle?
2. How did Ella’s friends respond when they heard her distress call?
3. What did Polly do to help Ella with her earache?
4. How did Ella feel after the bug was removed from her ear?
5. What did Ella learn from her earache experience?
6. How did Ella’s friends change after the incident?
7. What did Ella become famous for in the jungle?
8. How did Ella, Max, and Polly continue to live after Ella’s earache was resolved?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time in the lush jungles of Africa, there lived an elephant named Ella. Ella was the most (1)______ and playful elephant in the entire jungle. She loved to (2)______ her days bathing in the cool rivers and munching on juicy (3)______ from the tallest trees. But one sunny day, Ella woke up with a terrible earache. The pain was so sharp that it made her trumpet loudly in distress.

Ella’s (4)______, a mischievous monkey named Max and a clever parrot named Polly, heard her distress call and quickly rushed to her side. Max swung from the trees, while Polly flew swiftly overhead. They looked into Ella’s giant ear and saw a tiny (5)______ causing all the trouble. It was a cheeky (6)______ bug!

Polly quickly got to work and flew down towards Ella’s ear. With her sharp beak, she tickled the bug, making it fly out of Ella’s ear with a loud “pop.” Ella’s (7)______ vanished instantly, and she let out a giant sigh of (8)______. The friends celebrated their victory and shared a good laugh together.

From that day onward, Ella was more careful while exploring the jungle. She always made sure to (9)______ her head vigorously after swimming in the (10)______ to get rid of any pesky bugs that might get into her ears. She also taught Max and Polly how to take care of their ears too. Ella’s earache turned out to be a valuable lesson for everyone.

Ella’s friends were grateful for the lesson and became (11)______ friends because of it. They realized the importance of looking out for each other and tackling (12)______ together. Max and Polly now became Ella’s guardians and made sure she stayed clear of any trouble that could cause her harm. Their bond grew stronger, and they continued to have exciting adventures in the jungle together.

Word of Ella’s (13)______ and the tale of her earache spread throughout the jungle, making her a hero among the (14)______. She became (15)______ for her kind heart and (16)______ to help others. Ella’s story taught everyone that in times of need, true friends will always be there to lend a helping hand. And so, the brave Ella, Max, and Polly continued to live happily, sharing their laughter and love with all the creatures in the jungle.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think it means to be a true friend?
2. How would you feel if you were in Ella’s situation with a terrible earache? Why?
3. Do you think it’s important to have friends who support and help you when you’re in need? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had a similar experience where a friend helped you through a difficult time? Can you share the story?
5. What do you think are some important qualities of a good friend?
6. How do you think Ella’s life would have been different if she didn’t have Max and Polly to help her?
7. Do you think it’s important to learn from our experiences, even if they are difficult or painful? Why or why not?
8. What are some ways that we can show kindness and help others in our daily lives?
9. How do you think Ella’s bravery and willingness to help others made her famous in the jungle?
10. Do you think it’s possible for animals to have friendships like humans do? Why or why not?
11. What are some ways that we can strengthen our friendships and make them more meaningful?
12. How do you think Ella, Max, and Polly’s adventures in the jungle brought them closer together as friends?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. lush
2. distress
3. mischievous
4. swiftly
5. cheeky
6. vanished
7. sigh
8. vigorously
9. pesky
10. guardians
11. bond
12. bravery
13. famous
14. lend
15. creatures

Meanings:
(A) To provide or give (help, support, etc.)
(B) Annoying or causing trouble
(C) Richly green and luxuriant with vegetation
(D) Disappeared suddenly and completely
(E) Well known by many people
(F) A long, deep breath expressing relief or tiredness
(G) Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain
(H) A strong connection or relationship between people or entities
(I) Living organisms, especially animals as opposed to plants
(J) Courageous behavior or character
(K) With great energy or force
(L) Those who protect or defend someone or something
(M) Playfully causing minor trouble or annoyance
(N) With great speed or promptness
(O) Impudently bold or showing a lack of respect
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What caused Ella’s earache?
(a) A thorn
(b) A bug
(c) A rock
(d) A leaf

2. How did Max and Polly help Ella?
(a) Max climbed the tallest tree and Polly flew around Ella’s head
(b) Max brought Ella some water and Polly sang her a song
(c) Max swung from the trees and Polly tickled the bug out of Ella’s ear
(d) Max and Polly called for help from the other animals in the jungle

3. What did Ella learn from her earache?
(a) To shake her head after swimming in the river
(b) To avoid swimming in the river altogether
(c) To stay away from Max and Polly
(d) To never go into the jungle again

4. How did Ella’s friends react to her earache?
(a) They rushed to her side and helped her
(b) They laughed at her and left her alone
(c) They ignored her and continued playing
(d) They scolded her for getting an earache

5. What did Ella become famous for?
(a) Her loud trumpet calls
(b) Her ability to swim in the river
(c) Her love for juicy leaves
(d) Her bravery and willingness to help others

6. What did Max and Polly learn from Ella’s earache?
(a) The importance of staying away from Ella
(b) The importance of looking out for each other
(c) The importance of swimming in the river
(d) The importance of playing tricks on Ella

7. How did Ella’s bond with Max and Polly change after her earache?
(a) They stopped being friends with her
(b) They started playing more pranks on her
(c) They became her guardians and looked out for her
(d) They became jealous of her fame

8. What did Ella’s story teach everyone?
(a) That bugs are dangerous
(b) That elephants should never go near the river
(c) That Ella is the strongest animal in the jungle
(d) That true friends will always be there to help

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Ella learns to be more reckless and teaches her friends about hair care.
2. Ella’s friends, Max the monkey and Polly the parrot, come to her aid.
3. Ella becomes a hero in the jungle and her bond with Max and Polly grows stronger.
4. Ella is an elephant who lives in the jungles of Africa.
5. One day, Ella wakes up with a wonderful earache.
6. Polly uses her beak to remove a bug from Ella’s ear, relieving her pain.
7. Ella is known for being serious and quiet.
8. Ella hates to bathe in rivers and eat leaves from tall trees.
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. What did Ella love to do in the jungle?
Ella loved to spend her days bathing in the cool rivers and munching on juicy leaves from the tallest trees.

2. How did Ella’s friends respond when they heard her distress call?
Ella’s friends, Max and Polly, quickly rushed to her side to see what was wrong.

3. What did Polly do to help Ella with her earache?
Polly flew down towards Ella’s ear and tickled the bug with her sharp beak, making it fly out.

4. How did Ella feel after the bug was removed from her ear?
Ella felt instant relief after the bug was removed from her ear and let out a giant sigh of relief.

5. What did Ella learn from her earache experience?
Ella learned to be more careful while exploring the jungle and to shake her head vigorously after swimming to prevent bugs from getting into her ears.

6. How did Ella’s friends change after the incident?
Ella’s friends, Max and Polly, became her guardians and made sure she stayed clear of any trouble that could cause her harm.

7. What did Ella become famous for in the jungle?
Ella became famous for her kind heart and willingness to help others, making her a hero among the animals in the jungle.

8. How did Ella, Max, and Polly continue to live after Ella’s earache was resolved?
Ella, Max, and Polly continued to live happily, sharing their laughter and love with all the creatures in the jungle and having exciting adventures together.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) cheerful
(2) spend
(3) leaves
(4) friends
(5) creature
(6) little
(7) earache
(8) relief
(9) shake
(10) river
(11) better
(12) challenges
(13) bravery
(14) animals
(15) famous
(16) willingness
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. lush
Answer: (C) Richly green and luxuriant with vegetation

2. distress
Answer: (G) Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain

3. mischievous
Answer: (M) Playfully causing minor trouble or annoyance

4. swiftly
Answer: (N) With great speed or promptness

5. cheeky
Answer: (O) Impudently bold or showing a lack of respect

6. vanished
Answer: (D) Disappeared suddenly and completely

7. sigh
Answer: (F) A long, deep breath expressing relief or tiredness

8. vigorously
Answer: (K) With great energy or force

9. pesky
Answer: (B) Annoying or causing trouble

10. guardians
Answer: (L) Those who protect or defend someone or something

11. bond
Answer: (H) A strong connection or relationship between people or entities

12. bravery
Answer: (J) Courageous behavior or character

13. famous
Answer: (E) Well known by many people

14. lend
Answer: (A) To provide or give (help, support, etc.)

15. creatures
Answer: (I) Living organisms, especially animals as opposed to plants
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What caused Ella’s earache?
Answer: (b) A bug

2. How did Max and Polly help Ella?
Answer: (c) Max swung from the trees and Polly tickled the bug out of Ella’s ear

3. What did Ella learn from her earache?
Answer: (a) To shake her head after swimming in the river

4. How did Ella’s friends react to her earache?
Answer: (a) They rushed to her side and helped her

5. What did Ella become famous for?
Answer: (d) Her bravery and willingness to help others

6. What did Max and Polly learn from Ella’s earache?
Answer: (b) The importance of looking out for each other

7. How did Ella’s bond with Max and Polly change after her earache?
Answer: (c) They became her guardians and looked out for her

8. What did Ella’s story teach everyone?
Answer: (d) That true friends will always be there to help
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Ella learns to be more reckless and teaches her friends about hair care. (Answer: False)
2. Ella’s friends, Max the monkey and Polly the parrot, come to her aid. (Answer: True)
3. Ella becomes a hero in the jungle and her bond with Max and Polly grows stronger. (Answer: True)
4. Ella is an elephant who lives in the jungles of Africa. (Answer: True)
5. One day, Ella wakes up with a wonderful earache. (Answer: False)
6. Polly uses her beak to remove a bug from Ella’s ear, relieving her pain. (Answer: True)
7. Ella is known for being serious and quiet. (Answer: False)
8. Ella hates to bathe in rivers and eat leaves from tall trees. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧