Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

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The Dazzling Doughnut

A dazzling doughnut brings magic and happiness to a sleepy town, teaching the power of kindness.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a tiny town named Sugarville, there was a special bakery with yummy treats. The best treat was a sparkly doughnut named Mr. Sprinkles. He was a very shiny doughnut because he had magic dust on him.

One day, a strong wind blew Mr. Sprinkles away from the bakery. He rolled and jumped through the town, leaving sparkles everywhere. All the people in Sugarville started looking for the sparkly doughnut.

A little girl named Lily saw Mr. Sprinkles. She ran after him until he stopped by a sad old man’s house. The old man, Mr. Whiskers, ate the doughnut and his yard turned into a magical forest with many colors. He was very surprised and happy.

Lily told Mr. Whiskers they should share the special doughnut with everyone. They had a big party and everyone in town ate a piece of Mr. Sprinkles. They all laughed and felt joy. After that, the people in Sugarville loved sharing and being happy together.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1specialSomething not like other things because it is better or very important
2sparklyShiny like little stars or glitter
3treatsYummy things to eat, like cookies or candy
4rolledMoved by turning over and over on the ground
5jumpedPushed off the ground and into the air quickly
6sparklesTiny bits of light that look like tiny shiny pieces
7lookingTrying to find something with your eyes
8magicalLike something from a fairy tale, full of wonder
9surprisedWhen something happens that you did not think would happen
10shareGiving some of what you have to others

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the name of the special bakery in Sugarville?
2. Why was Mr. Sprinkles a shiny doughnut?
3. What happened to Mr. Sprinkles one day?
4. Who saw Mr. Sprinkles and followed him?
5. What happened when Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut?
6. What did the people in Sugarville do after they ate the doughnut?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a tiny town named Sugarville, there was a special bakery with (1)______ treats. The (2)______ treat was a sparkly doughnut named Mr. Sprinkles. He was a very shiny doughnut because he had magic dust on him.

One day, a strong wind blew Mr. Sprinkles away from the bakery. He rolled and jumped through the town, (3)______ sparkles everywhere. All the people in Sugarville started looking for the sparkly (4)______.

A little girl named Lily saw Mr. Sprinkles. She ran after him until he stopped by a sad old man’s (5)______. The old man, Mr. Whiskers, ate the doughnut and his yard turned into a magical forest with many colors. He was very surprised and (6)______.

Lily told Mr. Whiskers they should share the special doughnut with everyone. They had a big party and everyone in (7)______ ate a piece of Mr. Sprinkles. They all laughed and felt joy. After that, the people in Sugarville loved (8)______ and being happy together.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a bakery?
2. How would you feel if you found a sparkly doughnut?
3. Do you like doughnuts? Why or why not?
4. What do you think happened when the old man ate the doughnut?
5. How would you feel if you were at the big party and got to eat a piece of Mr. Sprinkles?
6. Do you like parties? Why or why not?
7. What do you think happened after the people in Sugarville ate the doughnut?
8. How would you feel if you could make a magical forest appear in your yard?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. special
2. sparkly
3. treats
4. rolled
5. jumped
6. sparkles
7. looking
8. magical
9. surprised
10. share

Meanings:
(A) Pushed off the ground and into the air quickly
(B) Tiny bits of light that look like tiny shiny pieces
(C) Yummy things to eat, like cookies or candy
(D) When something happens that you did not think would happen
(E) Giving some of what you have to others
(F) Moved by turning over and over on the ground
(G) Trying to find something with your eyes
(H) Shiny like little stars or glitter
(I) Something not like other things because it is better or very important
(J) Like something from a fairy tale, full of wonder
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the special bakery in Sugarville?
(a) Sweet Treats Bakery
(b) Sugarville Bakery
(c) Sprinkle Delight Bakery
(d) Yummy Bakery

2. Why was Mr. Sprinkles a shiny doughnut?
(a) He was made of silver.
(b) He had magic dust on him.
(c) He was covered in glitter.
(d) He was made of gold.

3. What happened when Mr. Sprinkles blew away from the bakery?
(a) He turned into a bird.
(b) He disappeared.
(c) He left sparkles everywhere.
(d) He became invisible.

4. Who saw Mr. Sprinkles and followed him?
(a) Mr. Whiskers
(b) The bakery owner
(c) The mayor of Sugarville
(d) Lily

5. What happened when Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut?
(a) His yard turned into a magical forest.
(b) He turned into a doughnut.
(c) He became invisible.
(d) He started flying.

6. What did Lily suggest they do with the special doughnut?
(a) Share it with everyone.
(b) Eat it all by themselves.
(c) Throw it away.
(d) Hide it in the bakery.

7. What did the people in Sugarville do at the big party?
(a) Played games.
(b) Went to sleep.
(c) Watched a movie.
(d) Ate a piece of Mr. Sprinkles.

8. How did the people in Sugarville feel after eating the doughnut?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Joyful
(d) Scared

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. When Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut, his yard turned into a magical forest.
2. A little girl named Lily saw Mr. Sprinkles and chased after him.
3. Mr. Sprinkles was dull because he had dirt on him.
4. There was a special bakery in a tiny town called Sugarville.
5. The worst treat at the bakery was a plain doughnut named Mr. Sprinkles.
6. Lily and Mr. Whiskers chose to keep the special doughnut to themselves and had a small gathering.
7. One day, a strong wind blew Mr. Sprinkles away from the bakery.
8. Mr. Sprinkles skipped the sad old man’s house named Mr. Whiskers.
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 was the name of the special bakery in Sugarville?
The special bakery in Sugarville was called Sugarville Bakery.

2. Why was Mr. Sprinkles a shiny doughnut?
Mr. Sprinkles was a shiny doughnut because he had magic dust on him.

3. What happened to Mr. Sprinkles one day?
One day, a strong wind blew Mr. Sprinkles away from the bakery.

4. Who saw Mr. Sprinkles and followed him?
A little girl named Lily saw Mr. Sprinkles and followed him.

5. What happened when Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut?
When Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut, his yard turned into a magical forest with many colors.

6. What did the people in Sugarville do after they ate the doughnut?
After they ate the doughnut, the people in Sugarville had a big party and felt happy together.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) yummy
(2) best
(3) leaving
(4) doughnut
(5) house
(6) happy
(7) town
(8) sharing
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. special
Answer: (I) Something not like other things because it is better or very important

2. sparkly
Answer: (H) Shiny like little stars or glitter

3. treats
Answer: (C) Yummy things to eat, like cookies or candy

4. rolled
Answer: (F) Moved by turning over and over on the ground

5. jumped
Answer: (A) Pushed off the ground and into the air quickly

6. sparkles
Answer: (B) Tiny bits of light that look like tiny shiny pieces

7. looking
Answer: (G) Trying to find something with your eyes

8. magical
Answer: (J) Like something from a fairy tale, full of wonder

9. surprised
Answer: (D) When something happens that you did not think would happen

10. share
Answer: (E) Giving some of what you have to others
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the special bakery in Sugarville?
Answer: (b) Sugarville Bakery

2. Why was Mr. Sprinkles a shiny doughnut?
Answer: (b) He had magic dust on him.

3. What happened when Mr. Sprinkles blew away from the bakery?
Answer: (c) He left sparkles everywhere.

4. Who saw Mr. Sprinkles and followed him?
Answer: (d) Lily

5. What happened when Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut?
Answer: (a) His yard turned into a magical forest.

6. What did Lily suggest they do with the special doughnut?
Answer: (a) Share it with everyone.

7. What did the people in Sugarville do at the big party?
Answer: (d) Ate a piece of Mr. Sprinkles.

8. How did the people in Sugarville feel after eating the doughnut?
Answer: (c) Joyful
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. When Mr. Whiskers ate the doughnut, his yard turned into a magical forest. (Answer: True)
2. A little girl named Lily saw Mr. Sprinkles and chased after him. (Answer: True)
3. Mr. Sprinkles was dull because he had dirt on him. (Answer: False)
4. There was a special bakery in a tiny town called Sugarville. (Answer: True)
5. The worst treat at the bakery was a plain doughnut named Mr. Sprinkles. (Answer: False)
6. Lily and Mr. Whiskers chose to keep the special doughnut to themselves and had a small gathering. (Answer: False)
7. One day, a strong wind blew Mr. Sprinkles away from the bakery. (Answer: True)
8. Mr. Sprinkles skipped the sad old man’s house named Mr. Whiskers. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Secret Forest

Once upon a time, there was a magical forest filled with wonders. It was a secret forest, hidden away from

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 Land of Wizards

Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there lived a group of wizards. These wizards were very powerful

Three children embark on a thrilling adventure to outsmart a mischievous genie and discover the true meaning of happiness.

The Wishing Well Mystery

Once upon a time, three friends found a special well that could make wishes come true. They solved tricky riddles and met a funny genie who played tricks. But they learned that making others happy is more important than just getting what you wish for.

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