In a magic land, there lived a funny animal named Humphrey. Humphrey was part hippo and part bird, but he always had hiccups. His hiccups made him jump and his feathers shake. The other animals laughed, but he felt sad.

One day, Humphrey wanted to stop his hiccups. He flew across the sky to ask for help. He talked to smart owls, little fairies, and sea mermaids. They all tried to help, but nothing worked. Humphrey still had hiccups.

Then, Humphrey found a secret place in the forest. He met a wise unicorn named Luna. Luna told him the secret was to laugh. Humphrey was confused but he wanted to try.

Humphrey closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and thought of something very funny. He laughed out loud, and his hiccups stopped! Humphrey was so happy. He learned that laughing can fix problems. He shared laughs with friends and felt lots of love in his heart.

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
2. What two animals is Humphrey part of?
3. What happens when Humphrey has hiccups?
4. Where does Humphrey go to ask for help?
5. Who tells Humphrey the secret to stopping his hiccups?
6. What does Humphrey learn about laughing?
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🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a magic land, there lived a funny animal named Humphrey. Humphrey was part hippo and part (1)______, but he always had hiccups. His hiccups made him jump and his feathers shake. The (2)______ animals laughed, but he felt sad.

One day, Humphrey (3)______ to stop his hiccups. He flew across the sky to ask for help. He talked to smart owls, little fairies, and sea (4)______. They all tried to help, but nothing worked. Humphrey still had hiccups.

Then, Humphrey found a secret place in the forest. He met a (5)______ unicorn named Luna. Luna told him the secret was to laugh. Humphrey was confused but he wanted to try.

Humphrey closed his (6)______, took a deep breath, and thought of something very funny. He laughed out loud, and his hiccups stopped! (7)______ was so happy. He learned that laughing can fix problems. He shared laughs with friends and felt (8)______ of love in his heart.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a funny animal?
2. How would you feel if you had hiccups like Humphrey?
3. Do you like to laugh? Why or why not?
4. What do you think Humphrey learned from Luna the unicorn?
5. Have you ever had hiccups? How did you make them go away?
6. Do you think it’s important to share laughs with friends? Why or why not?
7. How do you think Humphrey felt when his hiccups stopped?
8. What would you do if you met a wise unicorn like Luna?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magic
2. animal
3. hiccups
4. feathers
5. sky
6. fairies
7. mermaids
8. secret
9. unicorn
10. laugh

Meanings:
(A) A creature that can move and breathe, like a dog or a cat
(B) The blue place up above us where the sun and clouds are
(C) Make-believe girls with fish tails who live in the water
(D) Something you don’t tell other people because it’s just for you to know
(E) Tiny make-believe people with wings that can fly
(F) Special things that can’t really happen but are fun to imagine
(G) Little jumps inside your body that you can’t control and make a funny sound
(H) A make-believe horse with a horn on its head
(I) The soft things that cover a bird’s body
(J) The sound you make when something is really funny
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the funny animal in the story?
(a) Henry
(b) Humphrey
(c) Harry
(d) Howard

2. What kind of animal is Humphrey?
(a) Part hippo and part bird
(b) Part lion and part tiger
(c) Part dog and part cat
(d) Part elephant and part monkey

3. What did Humphrey’s hiccups make him do?
(a) Sing and dance
(b) Jump and shake his feathers
(c) Sleep and dream
(d) Swim and splash

4. How did the other animals react to Humphrey’s hiccups?
(a) They cried
(b) They ran away
(c) They laughed
(d) They ignored him

5. Who did Humphrey ask for help?
(a) Smart owls, little fairies, and sea mermaids
(b) Wise unicorns, brave dragons, and friendly trolls
(c) Funny monkeys, silly elephants, and playful dolphins
(d) Clever rabbits, kind squirrels, and gentle deer

6. What did Luna the unicorn tell Humphrey was the secret to stopping his hiccups?
(a) Singing
(b) Sleeping
(c) Dancing
(d) Laughing

7. What did Humphrey do to stop his hiccups?
(a) Cried out loud
(b) Shouted out loud
(c) Whispered out loud
(d) Laughed out loud

8. How did Humphrey feel after his hiccups stopped?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Happy
(d) Scared

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Luna tells Humphrey the secret to stopping his hiccups is to laugh.
2. Humphrey is a serious animal who is part hippo and part bird.
3. Humphrey talks to smart owls, little fairies, and sea mermaids, but nothing they try works.
4. Humphrey finds a secret place in the forest and meets a wise unicorn named Luna.
5. Humphrey tries crying and it works! He is so sad and learns that crying can fix problems.
6. The other animals laugh at Humphrey because of his hiccups, which makes him feel sad.
7. Humphrey walks across the sky to ask for help to stop his hiccups.
8. Humphrey rarely has hiccups, which rarely make him jump and his feathers rarely shake.
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?
Humphrey is the main character of the story.

2. What two animals is Humphrey part of?
Humphrey is part hippo and part bird.

3. What happens when Humphrey has hiccups?
When Humphrey has hiccups, he jumps and his feathers shake.

4. Where does Humphrey go to ask for help?
Humphrey goes to a secret place in the forest to ask for help.

5. Who tells Humphrey the secret to stopping his hiccups?
Luna, the wise unicorn, tells Humphrey the secret to stopping his hiccups.

6. What does Humphrey learn about laughing?
Humphrey learns that laughing can fix problems and bring lots of love in his heart.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) bird
(2) other
(3) wanted
(4) mermaids
(5) wise
(6) eyes
(7) Humphrey
(8) lots
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magic
Answer: (F) Special things that can’t really happen but are fun to imagine

2. animal
Answer: (A) A creature that can move and breathe, like a dog or a cat

3. hiccups
Answer: (G) Little jumps inside your body that you can’t control and make a funny sound

4. feathers
Answer: (I) The soft things that cover a bird’s body

5. sky
Answer: (B) The blue place up above us where the sun and clouds are

6. fairies
Answer: (E) Tiny make-believe people with wings that can fly

7. mermaids
Answer: (C) Make-believe girls with fish tails who live in the water

8. secret
Answer: (D) Something you don’t tell other people because it’s just for you to know

9. unicorn
Answer: (H) A make-believe horse with a horn on its head

10. laugh
Answer: (J) The sound you make when something is really funny
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the funny animal in the story?
Answer: (b) Humphrey

2. What kind of animal is Humphrey?
Answer: (a) Part hippo and part bird

3. What did Humphrey’s hiccups make him do?
Answer: (b) Jump and shake his feathers

4. How did the other animals react to Humphrey’s hiccups?
Answer: (c) They laughed

5. Who did Humphrey ask for help?
Answer: (a) Smart owls, little fairies, and sea mermaids

6. What did Luna the unicorn tell Humphrey was the secret to stopping his hiccups?
Answer: (d) Laughing

7. What did Humphrey do to stop his hiccups?
Answer: (d) Laughed out loud

8. How did Humphrey feel after his hiccups stopped?
Answer: (c) Happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Luna tells Humphrey the secret to stopping his hiccups is to laugh. (Answer: True)
2. Humphrey is a serious animal who is part hippo and part bird. (Answer: False)
3. Humphrey talks to smart owls, little fairies, and sea mermaids, but nothing they try works. (Answer: True)
4. Humphrey finds a secret place in the forest and meets a wise unicorn named Luna. (Answer: True)
5. Humphrey tries crying and it works! He is so sad and learns that crying can fix problems. (Answer: False)
6. The other animals laugh at Humphrey because of his hiccups, which makes him feel sad. (Answer: True)
7. Humphrey walks across the sky to ask for help to stop his hiccups. (Answer: False)
8. Humphrey rarely has hiccups, which rarely make him jump and his feathers rarely shake. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧