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 Daring Dragonfly

Dara the daring dragonfly embarks on a quest, only to discover that the true treasure is within.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a magic forest, there was a brave dragonfly named Dara. She loved to go on adventures. One day, she found a secret map inside a tree. Dara was very excited and wanted to find the treasure on the map.

Dara went to her friend, Oscar the owl. He told her to be careful of the tricky spiders and their sticky webs in a canyon. Dara said thank you to Oscar and flew away to find the treasure.

Dara zigzagged through the canyon and escaped the spiders’ webs. Then, she had to fly past some bees without getting caught. She flew fast and made the bees go round until they were too dizzy to follow her.

In the end, Dara found the treasure place. It was not gold, but a little water place. Dara learned that finding new places and trying hard are better than gold. She told all her forest friends to be brave and have fun. Dara became a hero and taught everyone that true treasure is the fun and learning along the way.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1adventuresGoing on fun trips where you don’t know what will happen
2treasureSomething very special and worth a lot that people want to find
3canyonA deep valley with very steep sides and often a river flowing through it
4zigzaggedMoving in sharp turns first one way and then the other way
5escapedGetting away from something that could catch you
6dizzyFeeling like everything is spinning around you
7braveBeing strong and not afraid
8heroSomeone who does something amazing and saves others
9learningGetting new information in your head by seeing and doing things
10secretSomething that not everyone knows about, like a whisper between friends

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
2. What did Dara find inside the tree?
3. Who warned Dara about the tricky spiders?
4. How did Dara escape the spiders’ webs?
5. What did Dara find at the treasure place?
6. What did Dara teach her forest friends about treasure?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a magic forest, there was a brave (1)______ (2)______ Dara. She loved to go on adventures. One day, she found a secret map inside a tree. Dara was very excited and wanted to find the treasure on the map.

Dara went to her friend, Oscar the owl. He told her to be (3)______ of the tricky spiders and their sticky webs in a canyon. Dara said thank you to Oscar and flew away to find the treasure.

Dara (4)______ through the canyon and escaped the spiders’ webs. Then, she had to fly past some bees without getting (5)______. She flew fast and made the bees go round until they were too dizzy to follow her.

In the end, Dara found the treasure (6)______. It was not gold, but a little water place. Dara learned that finding new places and trying hard are better than gold. She told all her forest friends to be (7)______ and have fun. Dara became a (8)______ and taught everyone that true treasure is the fun and learning along the way.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a dragonfly?
2. How would you feel if you found a secret map?
3. Do you like going on adventures? Why or why not?
4. What is a canyon? Have you ever seen one?
5. How would you feel if you had to fly past bees?
6. Do you think finding new places is fun? Why or why not?
7. What is a hero? Who is your hero?
8. Do you think true treasure is gold or something else? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. adventures
2. treasure
3. canyon
4. zigzagged
5. escaped
6. dizzy
7. brave
8. hero
9. learning
10. secret

Meanings:
(A) Moving in sharp turns first one way and then the other way
(B) Feeling like everything is spinning around you
(C) Something very special and worth a lot that people want to find
(D) A deep valley with very steep sides and often a river flowing through it
(E) Going on fun trips where you don’t know what will happen
(F) Something that not everyone knows about, like a whisper between friends
(G) Being strong and not afraid
(H) Someone who does something amazing and saves others
(I) Getting new information in your head by seeing and doing things
(J) Getting away from something that could catch you
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
(a) Oscar
(b) Sherlock
(c) Dara
(d) Watson

2. What did Dara find inside a tree?
(a) A gold treasure
(b) A magic wand
(c) A talking squirrel
(d) A secret map

3. Who warned Dara about the tricky spiders?
(a) Robert the rabbit
(b) Jones the fox
(c) Watson the squirrel
(d) Oscar the owl

4. How did Dara escape the spiders’ webs?
(a) She zigzagged through the canyon
(b) She flew fast and made the bees go round
(c) She asked for help from her forest friends
(d) She used a magic spell to break the webs

5. What did Dara have to fly past without getting caught?
(a) Butterflies
(b) Bees
(c) Ladybugs
(d) Ants

6. How did Dara make the bees go round?
(a) By singing a song
(b) By flying fast
(c) By giving them honey
(d) By tickling them

7. What did Dara find at the treasure place?
(a) Gold treasure
(b) A magic wand
(c) A little water place
(d) A talking squirrel

8. What did Dara teach her forest friends?
(a) To be brave and have fun
(b) To be careful of the tricky spiders
(c) To fly fast and make the bees go round
(d) To find gold treasure in the forest

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Dara stumbled in the canyon and barely escaped the spiders’ webs.
2. Dara stumbled upon a regular map inside a tree in the magic forest.
3. Dara kept her adventure to herself and didn’t teach her forest friends anything.
4. Dara had to fly past some bees without getting caught, and she made them go round until they got too dizzy to follow her.
5. Dara learned that finding new places and trying hard are more valuable than gold.
6. Dara is a brave dragonfly who loves going on adventures.
7. Oscar the owl warned Dara about tricky spiders and their sticky webs in a canyon.
8. In the end, Dara found an ordinary place, but it wasn’t gold, it was just a little water place.
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. Who is the main character of the story?
Dara is the main character of the story.

2. What did Dara find inside the tree?
Dara found a secret map inside the tree.

3. Who warned Dara about the tricky spiders?
Oscar the owl warned Dara about the tricky spiders.

4. How did Dara escape the spiders’ webs?
Dara zigzagged through the canyon to escape the spiders’ webs.

5. What did Dara find at the treasure place?
Dara found a little water place at the treasure place.

6. What did Dara teach her forest friends about treasure?
Dara taught her forest friends that true treasure is the fun and learning along the way.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) dragonfly
(2) named
(3) careful
(4) zigzagged
(5) caught
(6) place
(7) brave
(8) hero
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. adventures
Answer: (E) Going on fun trips where you don’t know what will happen

2. treasure
Answer: (C) Something very special and worth a lot that people want to find

3. canyon
Answer: (D) A deep valley with very steep sides and often a river flowing through it

4. zigzagged
Answer: (A) Moving in sharp turns first one way and then the other way

5. escaped
Answer: (J) Getting away from something that could catch you

6. dizzy
Answer: (B) Feeling like everything is spinning around you

7. brave
Answer: (G) Being strong and not afraid

8. hero
Answer: (H) Someone who does something amazing and saves others

9. learning
Answer: (I) Getting new information in your head by seeing and doing things

10. secret
Answer: (F) Something that not everyone knows about, like a whisper between friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
Answer: (c) Dara

2. What did Dara find inside a tree?
Answer: (d) A secret map

3. Who warned Dara about the tricky spiders?
Answer: (d) Oscar the owl

4. How did Dara escape the spiders’ webs?
Answer: (a) She zigzagged through the canyon

5. What did Dara have to fly past without getting caught?
Answer: (b) Bees

6. How did Dara make the bees go round?
Answer: (b) By flying fast

7. What did Dara find at the treasure place?
Answer: (c) A little water place

8. What did Dara teach her forest friends?
Answer: (a) To be brave and have fun
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Dara stumbled in the canyon and barely escaped the spiders’ webs. (Answer: False)
2. Dara stumbled upon a regular map inside a tree in the magic forest. (Answer: False)
3. Dara kept her adventure to herself and didn’t teach her forest friends anything. (Answer: False)
4. Dara had to fly past some bees without getting caught, and she made them go round until they got too dizzy to follow her. (Answer: True)
5. Dara learned that finding new places and trying hard are more valuable than gold. (Answer: True)
6. Dara is a brave dragonfly who loves going on adventures. (Answer: True)
7. Oscar the owl warned Dara about tricky spiders and their sticky webs in a canyon. (Answer: True)
8. In the end, Dara found an ordinary place, but it wasn’t gold, it was just a little water place. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

A young boy's discovery of a mysterious fossil leads to a village's newfound fame and unity.

The Fantastic Fossil

Max finds a special bone, but decides it should stay in his village instead of going to a museum.

The Magic Pony

Once upon a time, in a beautiful meadow, there lived a magic pony named Sparkle. Sparkle was a kind and

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