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 Land Where Everything is Upside Down

A dragon discovers a world where everything is upside down and helps the people embrace their uniqueness.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, there was a land where everything was upside down. People walked on their hands instead of their feet, houses were built with roofs as floors, and the sky was down and the ground was up. It was a topsy-turvy world full of laughter and confusion. In this strange land, the people wore their hats on their feet and their shoes on their heads, simply because that’s how it had always been.

In this peculiar land, there lived a young girl named Lily. She was quite an adventurer and loved exploring the upside-down world. One day, as she was walking with her hands in the park, she noticed something unusual – the trees were growing down instead of up! “How peculiar!” she thought with excitement. Lily decided to climb one of the upside-down trees to see where it led.

As she climbed higher and higher, Lily found herself in a topsy-turvy forest, where the animals roamed the branches above her. She met a rabbit wearing a pocket watch around its neck and a bird building a nest in the sky. Lily couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of it all. She even spotted a fish swimming through the air! It seemed that in this land, everything was perfectly upside down, and nothing was as it seemed.

Continuing her adventure, Lily stumbled upon a group of people who were quite sad. They were unable to find their way home because the maps had instructions written in mirror reflection. Determined to help, Lily used her upside-down knowledge to guide them back to their houses, teaching them to read the maps in reverse. The people were overjoyed and grateful to Lily for her clever idea.

As word spread about Lily’s helpfulness, the people of the upside-down land began to realize that being different wasn’t a bad thing at all. They started embracing new perspectives and ideas. Soon, houses started having doors on the rooftops, and clothes were designed to allow people to walk on their hands. The upside-down land became a place where everyone celebrated uniqueness, and where the upside-down became the new right side up.

And so, Lily’s adventure in the land where everything was upside down taught everyone an important lesson – that being different is not something to fear but rather something to embrace with joy and curiosity. It’s okay to see things from a different angle and challenge the norms. Sometimes, the most extraordinary adventures and discoveries are found in the places where everything is upside down.

🎧 Listen:

📖 Vocabulary:

1topsy-turvyTurned upside down; in a state of confusion
2peculiarStrange or odd; unusual
3adventurerA person who enjoys traveling and exploring new places
4unusualNot typical or normal; out of the ordinary
5excitementA feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness
6giggleTo laugh lightly in a nervous or silly manner
7stumbledTo come across something by chance or by accident
8gratefulFeeling or showing thanks; appreciative
9cleverShowing mental sharpness or resourcefulness
10embracingAccepting or supporting willingly and enthusiastically
11perspectivesDifferent ways of viewing or considering something
12uniquenessThe quality of being one of a kind or unlike anything else
13celebrateTo observe a special event with festivities
14curiosityA strong desire to know or learn something
15extraordinaryBeyond what is usual, regular, or customary

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What were some of the characteristics of the topsy-turvy land?
2. Why did Lily decide to climb one of the upside-down trees?
3. What unusual things did Lily see in the topsy-turvy forest?
4. Why were the people in the land sad?
5. How did Lily help the people find their way home?
6. How did the people’s perspective change after Lily helped them?
7. What changes did the people make in the upside-down land?
8. What lesson did Lily’s adventure teach everyone in the upside-down land?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, there was a land where everything was upside down. People (1)______ on their hands instead of their feet, houses were built with roofs as floors, and the sky was down and the (2)______ was up. It was a topsy-turvy world full of laughter and confusion. In this strange land, the people wore their hats on their feet and their shoes on their heads, simply because that’s how it had always been.

In this peculiar land, there lived a young girl (3)______ Lily. She was quite an adventurer and loved exploring the upside-down world. One day, as she was walking with her hands in the park, she (4)______ something unusual – the trees were growing down instead of up! “How peculiar!” she thought with excitement. Lily decided to climb one of the upside-down trees to see where it led.

As she climbed higher and higher, Lily (5)______ herself in a topsy-turvy forest, where the animals roamed the branches above her. She met a rabbit wearing a (6)______ watch around its neck and a bird building a nest in the sky. Lily couldn’t help but (7)______ at the sight of it all. She even (8)______ a fish swimming through the air! It seemed that in this land, everything was perfectly upside down, and nothing was as it seemed.

Continuing her adventure, Lily stumbled upon a group of people who were quite sad. They were unable to find their way home because the maps had instructions written in mirror reflection. (9)______ to help, Lily used her upside-down knowledge to (10)______ them back to their houses, teaching them to read the maps in reverse. The people were overjoyed and grateful to Lily for her clever idea.

As word spread about Lily’s helpfulness, the people of the upside-down land began to (11)______ that being different wasn’t a bad thing at all. They started embracing new (12)______ and ideas. Soon, houses started having doors on the (13)______, and clothes were designed to allow people to walk on their hands. The upside-down land became a (14)______ where everyone celebrated (15)______, and where the upside-down became the new right side up.

And so, Lily’s adventure in the land where everything was upside down taught everyone an important (16)______ – that being different is not something to fear but rather something to embrace with joy and curiosity. It’s okay to see things from a different angle and challenge the norms. Sometimes, the most extraordinary adventures and discoveries are found in the places where everything is upside down.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think it would be like to live in a topsy-turvy world where everything is upside down?
2. How would you feel if you had to walk on your hands instead of your feet?
3. Do you think it’s important to embrace new perspectives and ideas? Why or why not?
4. How do you think the people in the upside-down land felt when they couldn’t find their way home?
5. What is something you’ve discovered or learned from a different perspective or point of view?
6. Why do you think the people in the upside-down land started embracing uniqueness and new ideas?
7. How would you feel if you saw a fish swimming through the air?
8. Do you think it’s important to challenge the norms in society? Why or why not?
9. What is something you’ve done that others might consider upside down or different?
10. How do you think Lily felt when she was able to help the people find their way home?
11. Do you think it’s important to celebrate uniqueness? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the upside-down land changed after Lily’s adventure?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. topsy-turvy
2. peculiar
3. adventurer
4. unusual
5. excitement
6. giggle
7. stumbled
8. grateful
9. clever
10. embracing
11. perspectives
12. uniqueness
13. celebrate
14. curiosity
15. extraordinary

Meanings:
(A) Turned upside down; in a state of confusion
(B) Strange or odd; unusual
(C) To observe a special event with festivities
(D) A person who enjoys traveling and exploring new places
(E) The quality of being one of a kind or unlike anything else
(F) Beyond what is usual, regular, or customary
(G) Different ways of viewing or considering something
(H) To come across something by chance or by accident
(I) A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness
(J) A strong desire to know or learn something
(K) Not typical or normal; out of the ordinary
(L) To laugh lightly in a nervous or silly manner
(M) Feeling or showing thanks; appreciative
(N) Showing mental sharpness or resourcefulness
(O) Accepting or supporting willingly and enthusiastically
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was unusual about the trees in the upside-down land?
(a) They were growing down instead of up
(b) They were made of candy
(c) They were invisible
(d) They were floating in the air

2. What was the rabbit wearing around its neck?
(a) A bow tie
(b) A pocket watch
(c) A necklace
(d) A crown

3. What was the bird doing in the topsy-turvy forest?
(a) Singing a song
(b) Building a nest in the sky
(c) Flying upside down
(d) Sleeping on a branch

4. What did Lily teach the people in the upside-down land?
(a) How to walk on their hands
(b) How to fly like a bird
(c) How to swim in the air
(d) How to read maps in reverse

5. How did the people in the upside-down land react to Lily’s help?
(a) They were angry and upset
(b) They were confused and scared
(c) They were indifferent and uninterested
(d) They were overjoyed and grateful

6. What changes did the people in the upside-down land make after Lily’s adventure?
(a) Clothes were designed for walking on hands
(b) Both (a) and (b)
(c) Houses had doors on the rooftops
(d) None of the above

7. What did Lily’s adventure teach everyone in the upside-down land?
(a) Being different is something to embrace
(b) Being different is something to fear
(c) Being different is something to ignore
(d) Being different is something to hide

8. Where did Lily find the most extraordinary adventures and discoveries?
(a) In the places where everything was right side up
(b) In the places where everything was invisible
(c) In the places where everything was upside down
(d) In the places where everything was made of candy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Lily is a young girl who loves exploring the upside-down world.
2. Lily climbs an upside-down tree and finds herself in a topsy-turvy forest.
3. The houses in this land have walls as floors.
4. The people in this land wear their hats on their feet and their shoes on their heads.
5. The sky is up and the ground is down in this topsy-turvy world.
6. The people in the upside-down land start embracing new perspectives and ideas, celebrating uniqueness.
7. Lily hinders a group of people who are unable to find their way home due to mirror reflection instructions on maps.
8. In this land, people walk on their feet instead of their hands.
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 were some of the characteristics of the topsy-turvy land?
– People walked on their hands instead of their feet.
– Houses had roofs as floors.
– The sky was down and the ground was up.

2. Why did Lily decide to climb one of the upside-down trees?
Lily decided to climb one of the upside-down trees because she noticed that the trees were growing down instead of up, and she was curious to see where it led.

3. What unusual things did Lily see in the topsy-turvy forest?
Lily saw a rabbit wearing a pocket watch around its neck, a bird building a nest in the sky, and even a fish swimming through the air.

4. Why were the people in the land sad?
The people in the land were sad because they were unable to find their way home due to the instructions on the maps being written in mirror reflection.

5. How did Lily help the people find their way home?
Lily used her upside-down knowledge to guide the people back to their houses. She taught them to read the maps in reverse, which allowed them to find their way home.

6. How did the people’s perspective change after Lily helped them?
After Lily helped them, the people began to realize that being different wasn’t a bad thing. They started embracing new perspectives and ideas.

7. What changes did the people make in the upside-down land?
The people started making changes in the upside-down land, such as having doors on the rooftops of houses and designing clothes that allowed people to walk on their hands. They embraced uniqueness and celebrated being different.

8. What lesson did Lily’s adventure teach everyone in the upside-down land?
Lily’s adventure taught everyone in the upside-down land that being different is not something to fear but rather something to embrace with joy and curiosity. It taught them to see things from a different angle and challenge the norms, as sometimes the most extraordinary adventures and discoveries are found in the places where everything is upside down.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) walked
(2) ground
(3) named
(4) noticed
(5) found
(6) pocket
(7) giggle
(8) spotted
(9) Determined
(10) guide
(11) realize
(12) perspectives
(13) rooftops
(14) place
(15) uniqueness
(16) lesson
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. topsy-turvy
Answer: (A) Turned upside down; in a state of confusion

2. peculiar
Answer: (B) Strange or odd; unusual

3. adventurer
Answer: (D) A person who enjoys traveling and exploring new places

4. unusual
Answer: (K) Not typical or normal; out of the ordinary

5. excitement
Answer: (I) A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness

6. giggle
Answer: (L) To laugh lightly in a nervous or silly manner

7. stumbled
Answer: (H) To come across something by chance or by accident

8. grateful
Answer: (M) Feeling or showing thanks; appreciative

9. clever
Answer: (N) Showing mental sharpness or resourcefulness

10. embracing
Answer: (O) Accepting or supporting willingly and enthusiastically

11. perspectives
Answer: (G) Different ways of viewing or considering something

12. uniqueness
Answer: (E) The quality of being one of a kind or unlike anything else

13. celebrate
Answer: (C) To observe a special event with festivities

14. curiosity
Answer: (J) A strong desire to know or learn something

15. extraordinary
Answer: (F) Beyond what is usual, regular, or customary
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was unusual about the trees in the upside-down land?
Answer: (a) They were growing down instead of up

2. What was the rabbit wearing around its neck?
Answer: (b) A pocket watch

3. What was the bird doing in the topsy-turvy forest?
Answer: (b) Building a nest in the sky

4. What did Lily teach the people in the upside-down land?
Answer: (d) How to read maps in reverse

5. How did the people in the upside-down land react to Lily’s help?
Answer: (d) They were overjoyed and grateful

6. What changes did the people in the upside-down land make after Lily’s adventure?
Answer: (c) Houses had doors on the rooftops

7. What did Lily’s adventure teach everyone in the upside-down land?
Answer: (a) Being different is something to embrace

8. Where did Lily find the most extraordinary adventures and discoveries?
Answer: (c) In the places where everything was upside down
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Lily is a young girl who loves exploring the upside-down world. (Answer: True)
2. Lily climbs an upside-down tree and finds herself in a topsy-turvy forest. (Answer: True)
3. The houses in this land have walls as floors. (Answer: False)
4. The people in this land wear their hats on their feet and their shoes on their heads. (Answer: True)
5. The sky is up and the ground is down in this topsy-turvy world. (Answer: False)
6. The people in the upside-down land start embracing new perspectives and ideas, celebrating uniqueness. (Answer: True)
7. Lily hinders a group of people who are unable to find their way home due to mirror reflection instructions on maps. (Answer: False)
8. In this land, people walk on their feet instead of their hands. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 4 stories?

The broken letterbox becomes a source of laughter and connection as the townsfolk turn it into an interactive game for a mischievous squirrel named Nutkin.

The Broken Letterbox

The broken letterbox becomes a source of laughter and connection as the townsfolk turn it into an interactive game for a mischievous squirrel named Nutkin.

Lily and her animal friends explore a crystal cave, discovering magical powers and learning important lessons.

The Crystal Cave

Lily and her animal friends explore a crystal cave, discovering magical powers and learning important lessons.

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.

Milo the mischievous monkey discovers a hidden portal to a land of sour bananas and embarks on a quest to find kindness crystals and restore sweetness to the land.

The Baffling Banana Blizzard

Milo the mischievous monkey discovers a hidden portal to a land of sour bananas and embarks on a quest to find kindness crystals and restore sweetness to the land.

Freddie the squirrel learns a valuable lesson about the true meaning of happiness and unity.

The Peacock Parade

Freddie the squirrel learns a valuable lesson about the true meaning of happiness and unity.

Feedback