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.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time in the deep blue sea, there lived a jolly jellyfish named Finley. Finley was known for his vibrant colors and his contagious laughter. He loved swimming with his friends and exploring new places. Every day, Finley would swim to the coral reef, where all the sea creatures would gather to play games and have fun. But one day, an unexpected storm arrived, and Finley got separated from his friends.

Lost and scared, Finley ventured deeper into the sea. Suddenly, a mischievous octopus named Oscar appeared. Oscar liked to play tricks on other sea creatures for his own amusement. He saw Finley and thought, “What a perfect target for my pranks!” Oscar slyly swam toward Finley, ready to scare him.

But as Oscar approached, Finley startled him by suddenly squirting a cloud of glittery ink. The ink cloud sparkled and glowed, creating a beautiful spectacle that attracted the attention of a nearby school of fish. The little fish were amazed by Finley’s creative defense mechanism and quickly surrounded him.

Impressed by Finley’s unique ink trick, the fish decided to help him find his way back to the coral reef. Together, they swam through canyons, squeezed through narrow caves, and even raced past a playful pod of dolphins. Along the way, Finley discovered new places and made many new friends.

After a daring journey, Finley finally found his way back to the coral reef. His friends were overjoyed to see him, and they celebrated his return with a grand party. Finley’s adventure taught him that even in the most challenging situations, there is always a way to overcome obstacles and find new friends.

From that day forward, Finley became a hero in the sea. Whenever a sea creature needed help or felt lost, they knew they could count on Finley to light up their path and bring laughter to their hearts. Finley learned that even though life can be full of unexpected twists and turns, it’s important to stay positive, make the best out of every situation, and help others along the way. And so, the jolly jellyfish continued spreading joy and laughter in the deep blue sea.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

1jollyFull of high-spirited happiness
2vibrantFull of energy and life; bright and striking
3contagiousCapable of being transmitted to others; infectious
4exploringTraveling through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it
5unexpectedNot anticipated or predicted
6separatedCaused to be apart from others
7venturedTook a risky or dangerous journey or action
8mischievousPlayfully causing trouble or acting in a deceitful manner
9slylyIn a cunning or stealthy manner
10startledCaused to feel sudden shock or alarm
11spectacleAn event or scene regarded in terms of its visual impact
12impressedFelt admiration stirred by something considered remarkable
13daringAdventurous or audaciously bold
14obstaclesDifficulties that obstruct or hinder progress
15twistsUnexpected changes or developments in a situation

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What made Finley stand out from other jellyfish in the sea?
2. Where did Finley and his friends like to gather and have fun?
3. How did Finley get separated from his friends?
4. Who was the mischievous sea creature that tried to scare Finley?
5. What was Finley’s unique defense mechanism?
6. Who was impressed by Finley’s ink trick and decided to help him?
7. What obstacles did Finley and his new fish friends face on their journey back to the coral reef?
8. How did Finley’s adventure change his reputation in the sea?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time in the deep blue sea, there lived a jolly jellyfish named Finley. Finley was known for his vibrant colors and his contagious (1)______. He loved (2)______ with his friends and exploring new places. Every day, Finley would swim to the coral reef, where all the sea creatures would gather to play games and have fun. But one day, an unexpected storm arrived, and Finley got (3)______ from his friends.

Lost and (4)______, Finley ventured deeper into the sea. Suddenly, a mischievous octopus named Oscar appeared. Oscar liked to play tricks on other sea (5)______ for his own amusement. He saw Finley and thought, “What a (6)______ target for my pranks!” Oscar slyly swam toward Finley, ready to scare him.

But as Oscar approached, Finley startled him by suddenly squirting a cloud of glittery ink. The ink cloud (7)______ and (8)______, creating a beautiful spectacle that attracted the attention of a nearby school of fish. The little fish were amazed by Finley’s creative defense mechanism and quickly surrounded him.

Impressed by Finley’s unique ink trick, the fish decided to help him find his way back to the coral reef. Together, they swam through canyons, squeezed through narrow caves, and even raced past a playful pod of (9)______. Along the way, Finley discovered new places and made many new friends.

After a daring journey, Finley finally found his way back to the coral reef. His friends were (10)______ to see him, and they celebrated his return with a (11)______ party. Finley’s adventure taught him that even in the most challenging (12)______, there is always a way to overcome obstacles and find new friends.

From that day forward, Finley became a hero in the sea. Whenever a sea creature needed help or felt lost, they knew they could count on Finley to light up their path and bring laughter to their hearts. Finley learned that even though life can be full of unexpected twists and turns, it’s important to stay (13)______, make the best out of every (14)______, and help others along the way. And so, the jolly (15)______ continued (16)______ joy and laughter 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 creative defense mechanism? Why do you think Finley’s ink trick was considered creative?
2. How would you feel if you were lost and scared in a new place? Why?
3. Do you think it’s important to have friends to help you overcome obstacles? Why or why not?
4. What are some unexpected twists and turns you have experienced in your own life? How did you handle them?
5. How do you think Finley’s positive attitude helped him during his adventure? Can you think of a time when your positive attitude helped you in a difficult situation?
6. What qualities do you think make someone a hero? Do you think Finley is a hero? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a friend who made you feel joyful and brought laughter to your heart? How did they do that?
8. What are some ways you can spread joy and laughter to others? Why do you think it’s important to do so?
9. How do you think the story could have been different if Finley didn’t have any friends to help him?
10. Do you think it’s important to explore new places and make new friends? Why or why not?
11. What do you think is the moral or lesson of this story? How does it apply to your own life?
12. Can you think of a time when you made the best out of a challenging situation? How did you do it?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. jolly
2. vibrant
3. contagious
4. exploring
5. unexpected
6. separated
7. ventured
8. mischievous
9. slyly
10. startled
11. spectacle
12. impressed
13. daring
14. obstacles
15. twists

Meanings:
(A) Caused to feel sudden shock or alarm
(B) Felt admiration stirred by something considered remarkable
(C) Full of energy and life; bright and striking
(D) Difficulties that obstruct or hinder progress
(E) Traveling through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it
(F) Took a risky or dangerous journey or action
(G) In a cunning or stealthy manner
(H) Adventurous or audaciously bold
(I) Full of high-spirited happiness
(J) Playfully causing trouble or acting in a deceitful manner
(K) Unexpected changes or developments in a situation
(L) Not anticipated or predicted
(M) Caused to be apart from others
(N) An event or scene regarded in terms of its visual impact
(O) Capable of being transmitted to others; infectious
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the jolly jellyfish?
(a) Oscar
(b) Watson
(c) Finley
(d) Smith

2. Where did the sea creatures gather to play games and have fun?
(a) Canyons
(b) Coral reef
(c) Narrow caves
(d) Deep blue sea

3. Who liked to play tricks on other sea creatures?
(a) Oscar
(b) Finley
(c) Watson
(d) Smith

4. What did Finley use to defend himself against Oscar?
(a) A cloud of bubbles
(b) A shiny shell
(c) Glittery ink
(d) A loud noise

5. Who was impressed by Finley’s unique ink trick?
(a) A pod of dolphins
(b) A mischievous octopus
(c) Finley’s friends
(d) A school of fish

6. How did Finley find his way back to the coral reef?
(a) By following Oscar
(b) By swimming through canyons
(c) By squeezing through narrow caves
(d) With the help of the fish

7. How did Finley’s friends react when they saw him?
(a) They were overjoyed
(b) They were scared
(c) They were angry
(d) They were sad

8. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
(a) To play tricks on other sea creatures
(b) To stay positive and help others
(c) To swim deeper into the sea
(d) To avoid the coral reef

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Finley despises swimming with his friends and avoiding new places.
2. Oscar, a mischievous octopus, likes to play tricks on other sea creatures.
3. Finley’s adventure teaches him the importance of staying positive, making the best out of every situation, and helping others.
4. A school of fish is unimpressed by Finley’s ink trick and refuses to help him find his way back to the coral reef.
5. Finley gets separated from his friends during an unexpected storm.
6. Finley startles Oscar by releasing a cloud of murky ink.
7. Finley and his friends gather at the coral reef every day to play games and have fun.
8. Finley is a shark known for his dull colors and somber demeanor.
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 made Finley stand out from other jellyfish in the sea?
Finley stood out from other jellyfish in the sea because of his vibrant colors and contagious laughter.

2. Where did Finley and his friends like to gather and have fun?
Finley and his friends liked to gather and have fun at the coral reef.

3. How did Finley get separated from his friends?
Finley got separated from his friends due to an unexpected storm.

4. Who was the mischievous sea creature that tried to scare Finley?
The mischievous sea creature that tried to scare Finley was Oscar the octopus.

5. What was Finley’s unique defense mechanism?
Finley’s unique defense mechanism was squirting a cloud of glittery ink.

6. Who was impressed by Finley’s ink trick and decided to help him?
A nearby school of fish was impressed by Finley’s ink trick and decided to help him.

7. What obstacles did Finley and his new fish friends face on their journey back to the coral reef?
Finley and his new fish friends faced obstacles such as canyons, narrow caves, and a playful pod of dolphins on their journey back to the coral reef.

8. How did Finley’s adventure change his reputation in the sea?
Finley’s adventure changed his reputation in the sea as he became known as a hero who spread joy and laughter and helped others in need.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) laughter
(2) swimming
(3) separated
(4) scared
(5) creatures
(6) perfect
(7) sparkled
(8) glowed
(9) dolphins
(10) overjoyed
(11) grand
(12) situations
(13) positive
(14) situation
(15) jellyfish
(16) spreading
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. jolly
Answer: (I) Full of high-spirited happiness

2. vibrant
Answer: (C) Full of energy and life; bright and striking

3. contagious
Answer: (O) Capable of being transmitted to others; infectious

4. exploring
Answer: (E) Traveling through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it

5. unexpected
Answer: (L) Not anticipated or predicted

6. separated
Answer: (M) Caused to be apart from others

7. ventured
Answer: (F) Took a risky or dangerous journey or action

8. mischievous
Answer: (J) Playfully causing trouble or acting in a deceitful manner

9. slyly
Answer: (G) In a cunning or stealthy manner

10. startled
Answer: (A) Caused to feel sudden shock or alarm

11. spectacle
Answer: (N) An event or scene regarded in terms of its visual impact

12. impressed
Answer: (B) Felt admiration stirred by something considered remarkable

13. daring
Answer: (H) Adventurous or audaciously bold

14. obstacles
Answer: (D) Difficulties that obstruct or hinder progress

15. twists
Answer: (K) Unexpected changes or developments in a situation
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the jolly jellyfish?
Answer: (c) Finley

2. Where did the sea creatures gather to play games and have fun?
Answer: (b) Coral reef

3. Who liked to play tricks on other sea creatures?
Answer: (a) Oscar

4. What did Finley use to defend himself against Oscar?
Answer: (c) Glittery ink

5. Who was impressed by Finley’s unique ink trick?
Answer: (d) A school of fish

6. How did Finley find his way back to the coral reef?
Answer: (d) With the help of the fish

7. How did Finley’s friends react when they saw him?
Answer: (a) They were overjoyed

8. What did Finley learn from his adventure?
Answer: (b) To stay positive and help others
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Finley despises swimming with his friends and avoiding new places. (Answer: False)
2. Oscar, a mischievous octopus, likes to play tricks on other sea creatures. (Answer: True)
3. Finley’s adventure teaches him the importance of staying positive, making the best out of every situation, and helping others. (Answer: True)
4. A school of fish is unimpressed by Finley’s ink trick and refuses to help him find his way back to the coral reef. (Answer: False)
5. Finley gets separated from his friends during an unexpected storm. (Answer: True)
6. Finley startles Oscar by releasing a cloud of murky ink. (Answer: False)
7. Finley and his friends gather at the coral reef every day to play games and have fun. (Answer: True)
8. Finley is a shark known for his dull colors and somber demeanor. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

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