Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Great Grape Escape

George and his grape friends escape the vineyard, overcoming obstacles and finding a world full of adventures.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, in a sunny vineyard, there were rows and rows of juicy grapes, eagerly waiting to be picked. The grapes were thrilled at the thought of becoming delicious wine, but there was one grape named George who had a different plan. George was tired of being squished and turned into wine every year, so he decided to escape with his friends.

Late one night, while everyone was fast asleep, George and his pals quietly rolled to the edge of the vineyard. They carefully wiggled out from between the vines and began their great escape. As they ventured into the unknown, they encountered all sorts of obstacles – leaves, insects, and even a mischievous scarecrow who tried to grab them with his long arms.

Despite the challenges, George and his grape friends bravely pressed on. They slid down a mossy hill and landed in a bubbling creek, splashing around in the cool water with glee. With their spirits high, they continued their journey until they stumbled upon a friendly squirrel named Sammy. Sammy had never seen grapes like this before and decided to join the adventure.

As they neared the edge of the vineyard, the fearless group found themselves in a pickle. They were blocked by a tall wooden fence, preventing them from escaping. But George, being clever, remembered a valuable lesson about teamwork: together, they could accomplish anything. With their combined strength, they formed a grape ladder and climbed over the fence to freedom.

Finally, George and his friends reached a beautiful meadow. They rolled around in the soft grass, delighted to have made it out alive. The sun glinted off their shiny skins, and they basked in their glorious victory. They had accomplished the unimaginable – they escaped the life they were destined for and discovered a world full of adventures.

The Great Grape Escape taught George and his friends that sometimes, escaping our routines and taking risks can lead to the most extraordinary experiences. By working together and being brave, they found a whole new world waiting to be explored. And so, they journeyed onward, promising to embrace every twist and turn that life had in store for them.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

1vineyardA plantation of grapevines, typically producing grapes used in winemaking
2thrilledExtremely excited or happy
3squishedCompressed with force; crushed
4escapeBreak free from confinement or control
5obstaclesThings that block one’s way or prevent or hinder progress
6mischievousPlayfully naughty or troublesome
7venturedTraveled in search of adventure
8mossyCovered with a growth of small, green plants that form a soft, green surface
9bubblingCharacterized by a liquid emitting small, continuous streams of bubbles
10gleeGreat delight or happiness
11pickleA difficult or problematic situation
12valuableHaving great use or worth
13combinedJoined or united to make a single entity or group
14meadowA field of grass, especially one used for hay
15extraordinaryRemarkably great or impressive; beyond the ordinary

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did George want to escape from the vineyard?
2. What obstacles did George and his grape friends encounter during their escape?
3. How did George and his friends overcome the obstacle of the tall wooden fence?
4. What did George and his friends find at the edge of the vineyard?
5. How did Sammy the squirrel become a part of George’s adventure?
6. What lesson did George and his friends learn from their escape?
7. How did George and his friends feel when they reached the meadow?
8. What did George and his friends promise to do as they continued their journey?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, in a sunny vineyard, there were rows and rows of juicy grapes, eagerly waiting to be picked. The grapes were (1)______ at the thought of becoming (2)______ wine, but there was one grape named George who had a different plan. George was (3)______ of being squished and turned into wine every year, so he decided to escape with his (4)______.

Late one night, while everyone was fast asleep, George and his pals quietly rolled to the edge of the vineyard. They carefully wiggled out from between the vines and began their great escape. As they ventured into the unknown, they encountered all sorts of obstacles – leaves, insects, and even a mischievous scarecrow who tried to grab them with his long arms.

Despite the challenges, (5)______ and his grape friends bravely pressed on. They slid down a mossy hill and landed in a bubbling creek, (6)______ around in the cool water with glee. With their spirits high, they continued their journey until they (7)______ upon a friendly squirrel named Sammy. Sammy had never seen (8)______ like this before and decided to join the adventure.

As they neared the edge of the (9)______, the fearless group found themselves in a pickle. They were blocked by a tall wooden (10)______, preventing them from escaping. But George, being clever, remembered a valuable lesson about teamwork: together, they could accomplish anything. With their combined strength, they formed a grape (11)______ and climbed over the fence to freedom.

Finally, George and his friends reached a (12)______ meadow. They rolled around in the soft grass, delighted to have made it out alive. The sun glinted off their shiny skins, and they basked in their glorious victory. They had accomplished the unimaginable – they escaped the life they were destined for and discovered a world full of (13)______.

The (14)______ Grape Escape taught George and his friends that sometimes, escaping our routines and taking risks can lead to the most extraordinary experiences. By (15)______ together and being brave, they found a whole new world waiting to be explored. And so, they journeyed onward, promising to embrace every (16)______ and turn that life had in store for them.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite type of fruit and why?
2. How would you feel if you were trapped in a place and couldn’t escape?
3. Do you think it’s important to take risks in life? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had a time when you wanted to escape from something? What was it and why did you feel that way?
5. Do you like trying new things and going on adventures? Why or why not?
6. How do you think George felt when he realized he could escape from the vineyard?
7. What is a scarecrow? Have you ever seen one before? If so, where?
8. How would you feel if you were a grape and knew you were going to be turned into wine?
9. Do you think it’s important to work together with others to achieve a goal? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever encountered an obstacle in your life that you had to overcome? How did you do it?
11. What do you think the grape friends learned from their great escape?
12. How do you think George and his friends felt when they reached the beautiful meadow? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. vineyard
2. thrilled
3. squished
4. escape
5. obstacles
6. mischievous
7. ventured
8. mossy
9. bubbling
10. glee
11. pickle
12. valuable
13. combined
14. meadow
15. extraordinary

Meanings:
(A) Joined or united to make a single entity or group
(B) Great delight or happiness
(C) Things that block one’s way or prevent or hinder progress
(D) Break free from confinement or control
(E) A field of grass, especially one used for hay
(F) Remarkably great or impressive; beyond the ordinary
(G) Covered with a growth of small, green plants that form a soft, green surface
(H) Traveled in search of adventure
(I) Having great use or worth
(J) Compressed with force; crushed
(K) Characterized by a liquid emitting small, continuous streams of bubbles
(L) Extremely excited or happy
(M) A difficult or problematic situation
(N) Playfully naughty or troublesome
(O) A plantation of grapevines, typically producing grapes used in winemaking
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was George tired of being turned into every year?
(a) Juice
(b) Jam
(c) Wine
(d) Raisins

2. What obstacles did George and his friends encounter during their escape?
(a) Leaves, insects, and a scarecrow
(b) Rocks, snakes, and a rabbit
(c) Flowers, birds, and a farmer
(d) Clouds, bees, and a dog

3. Where did George and his pals land after sliding down the hill?
(a) Sandy desert
(b) Snowy mountain
(c) Bubbling creek
(d) Rocky canyon

4. Who joined George and his friends on their adventure?
(a) Benny the bird
(b) Tommy the turtle
(c) Sally the snake
(d) Sammy the squirrel

5. What did George and his friends use to climb over the fence?
(a) Grape ladder
(b) Rope ladder
(c) Wooden ladder
(d) Metal ladder

6. Where did George and his friends finally reach after escaping the vineyard?
(a) Dark forest
(b) Busy city
(c) Quiet beach
(d) Beautiful meadow

7. What did George and his friends learn from their escape?
(a) Routines are important for a happy life
(b) Taking risks can lead to extraordinary experiences
(c) Adventures are scary and should be avoided
(d) Escaping is always the best option

8. How did George and his friends feel after making it out alive?
(a) Disappointed
(b) Delighted
(c) Frightened
(d) Bored

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. They form a grape ladder to climb under a tall wooden fence.
2. George and his friends reach a beautiful meadow after their escape.
3. They encounter obstacles such as leaves, insects, and a scarecrow.
4. The story takes place in a cloudy vineyard.
5. George and his friends escape from the vineyard late at night.
6. The story teaches the lesson that avoiding risks and working alone can lead to ordinary experiences.
7. George is a grape who wants to escape being turned into wine.
8. The group is joined by an unfriendly squirrel named Sammy.
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. Why did George want to escape from the vineyard?
George wanted to escape from the vineyard because he was tired of being squished and turned into wine every year.

2. What obstacles did George and his grape friends encounter during their escape?
George and his grape friends encountered obstacles such as leaves, insects, and a mischievous scarecrow who tried to grab them with his long arms.

3. How did George and his friends overcome the obstacle of the tall wooden fence?
George and his friends formed a grape ladder and climbed over the tall wooden fence to overcome the obstacle.

4. What did George and his friends find at the edge of the vineyard?
At the edge of the vineyard, George and his friends found a beautiful meadow.

5. How did Sammy the squirrel become a part of George’s adventure?
Sammy the squirrel became a part of George’s adventure when he encountered the group and decided to join them on their escape.

6. What lesson did George and his friends learn from their escape?
George and his friends learned that sometimes, escaping routines and taking risks can lead to extraordinary experiences. They also learned the value of teamwork and bravery.

7. How did George and his friends feel when they reached the meadow?
George and his friends felt delighted and joyful when they reached the meadow. They rolled around in the soft grass, basking in their victory.

8. What did George and his friends promise to do as they continued their journey?
As they continued their journey, George and his friends promised to embrace every twist and turn that life had in store for them.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) thrilled
(2) delicious
(3) tired
(4) friends
(5) George
(6) splashing
(7) stumbled
(8) grapes
(9) vineyard
(10) fence
(11) ladder
(12) beautiful
(13) adventures
(14) Great
(15) working
(16) twist
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. vineyard
Answer: (O) A plantation of grapevines, typically producing grapes used in winemaking

2. thrilled
Answer: (L) Extremely excited or happy

3. squished
Answer: (J) Compressed with force; crushed

4. escape
Answer: (D) Break free from confinement or control

5. obstacles
Answer: (C) Things that block one’s way or prevent or hinder progress

6. mischievous
Answer: (N) Playfully naughty or troublesome

7. ventured
Answer: (H) Traveled in search of adventure

8. mossy
Answer: (G) Covered with a growth of small, green plants that form a soft, green surface

9. bubbling
Answer: (K) Characterized by a liquid emitting small, continuous streams of bubbles

10. glee
Answer: (B) Great delight or happiness

11. pickle
Answer: (M) A difficult or problematic situation

12. valuable
Answer: (I) Having great use or worth

13. combined
Answer: (A) Joined or united to make a single entity or group

14. meadow
Answer: (E) A field of grass, especially one used for hay

15. extraordinary
Answer: (F) Remarkably great or impressive; beyond the ordinary
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was George tired of being turned into every year?
Answer: (c) Wine

2. What obstacles did George and his friends encounter during their escape?
Answer: (a) Leaves, insects, and a scarecrow

3. Where did George and his pals land after sliding down the hill?
Answer: (c) Bubbling creek

4. Who joined George and his friends on their adventure?
Answer: (d) Sammy the squirrel

5. What did George and his friends use to climb over the fence?
Answer: (a) Grape ladder

6. Where did George and his friends finally reach after escaping the vineyard?
Answer: (d) Beautiful meadow

7. What did George and his friends learn from their escape?
Answer: (b) Taking risks can lead to extraordinary experiences

8. How did George and his friends feel after making it out alive?
Answer: (b) Delighted
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. They form a grape ladder to climb under a tall wooden fence. (Answer: False)
2. George and his friends reach a beautiful meadow after their escape. (Answer: True)
3. They encounter obstacles such as leaves, insects, and a scarecrow. (Answer: True)
4. The story takes place in a cloudy vineyard. (Answer: False)
5. George and his friends escape from the vineyard late at night. (Answer: True)
6. The story teaches the lesson that avoiding risks and working alone can lead to ordinary experiences. (Answer: False)
7. George is a grape who wants to escape being turned into wine. (Answer: True)
8. The group is joined by an unfriendly squirrel named Sammy. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 4 stories?

A mischievous penguin named Percy and a wise snow owl named Oliver form an unbreakable friendship on their journey to the legendary "Penguin Parade."

The Penguin Parade

A mischievous penguin named Percy and a wise snow owl named Oliver form an unbreakable friendship on their journey to the legendary “Penguin Parade.”

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