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 Jelly Bean Tree

A little girl named Mia embarks on a magical adventure through the Candy Kingdom after awakening a Jelly Bean Tree.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, a little girl named Mia loved candy more than anything. She liked to find new sweets to eat. One day, Mia found a special tree made of jelly beans in the magic forest. The tree had lots of colors and sparkled. Mia was very happy and wanted to eat the jelly beans.

When Mia touched a jelly bean, the tree shook and picked her up! It turned into a big, friendly creature that could talk. It said, “Hello, Mia! Let’s go on an adventure!” The tree changed into a candy carriage. Mia got on the carriage, and they started to move through a place with lots of candy.

Mia and the candy carriage went through a forest of candy canes and a swamp full of licorice. She met dancing gummy bears and clouds made of cotton candy that were very sticky. Mia was having so much fun and tried lots of new candies. At the end of the journey, they came to a castle. The king of the castle was a big chocolate bar. He was happy to see Mia and the tree.

When Mia went home, she knew she had learned something special. The tree showed her that life is full of fun surprises when you share happiness with others. Mia was thankful for her adventure with the jelly bean tree. She always remembered the fun she had and the good lesson she learned.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1adventureA fun trip where you do and see new things
2creatureSomething that is alive, like an animal or person
3sparkledShined and looked like tiny stars
4carriageA thing with wheels that you can ride in, like a car
5swampWet, muddy land
6licoriceA sweet that is chewy and tastes a little like sugar and a little like medicine
7gummyA kind of candy that is soft and you can chew it
8stickyWhen something is gooey and things stick to it
9thankfulFeeling happy because someone did something nice for you
10journeyA long trip

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Mia find in the magic forest?
2. What happened when Mia touched a jelly bean?
3. What did the tree turn into?
4. What did Mia see in the candy forest?
5. Who was the king of the castle?
6. What did Mia learn from her adventure with the jelly bean tree?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a (1)______, a little girl named Mia loved candy more than anything. She liked to find new sweets to eat. One day, Mia found a special (2)______ made of jelly beans in the magic forest. The tree had lots of colors and sparkled. Mia was very happy and wanted to eat the jelly beans.

When Mia touched a jelly bean, the tree shook and picked her up! It (3)______ into a big, (4)______ creature that could talk. It said, “Hello, Mia! Let’s go on an adventure!” The tree changed into a candy carriage. Mia got on the carriage, and they started to move through a place with lots of candy.

Mia and the candy carriage went through a forest of (5)______ canes and a swamp full of licorice. She met dancing gummy bears and (6)______ made of cotton candy that were very sticky. Mia was having so much fun and tried lots of new candies. At the end of the journey, they came to a castle. The king of the castle was a big chocolate bar. He was happy to see Mia and the tree.

When Mia went home, she knew she had learned something special. The tree showed her that life is full of fun surprises when you share happiness with others. Mia was thankful for her adventure with the jelly bean tree. She always (7)______ the fun she had and the good (8)______ she learned.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite candy?
2. How would you feel if you found a tree made of jelly beans?
3. Do you like trying new candies? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it would be like to ride in a candy carriage?
5. How would you feel if you met dancing gummy bears?
6. Do you think it would be fun to go on an adventure with a talking tree? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a surprise that made you happy? What was it?
8. Why do you think Mia was thankful for her adventure with the jelly bean tree?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. adventure
2. creature
3. sparkled
4. carriage
5. swamp
6. licorice
7. gummy
8. sticky
9. thankful
10. journey

Meanings:
(A) Shined and looked like tiny stars
(B) When something is gooey and things stick to it
(C) A thing with wheels that you can ride in, like a car
(D) A kind of candy that is soft and you can chew it
(E) A long trip
(F) Feeling happy because someone did something nice for you
(G) Something that is alive, like an animal or person
(H) A sweet that is chewy and tastes a little like sugar and a little like medicine
(I) Wet, muddy land
(J) A fun trip where you do and see new things
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Mia find in the magic forest?
(a) A talking animal
(b) A tree made of jelly beans
(c) A big chocolate bar
(d) A castle

2. What happened when Mia touched a jelly bean?
(a) Mia turned into a jelly bean
(b) The tree turned into a talking creature
(c) Mia flew into the sky
(d) The tree disappeared

3. What did the tree turn into after it picked up Mia?
(a) A chocolate bar
(b) A talking animal
(c) A candy carriage
(d) A castle

4. What did Mia see in the forest?
(a) Talking animals
(b) Chocolate bars
(c) Candy canes
(d) Licorice

5. Who did Mia meet in the swamp?
(a) Gummy bears
(b) Cotton candy clouds
(c) Chocolate bars
(d) Licorice

6. What did Mia learn from her adventure?
(a) Life is full of fun surprises when you share happiness with others
(b) Candy is bad for you
(c) The magic forest is scary
(d) The tree is mean

7. What was the king of the castle made of?
(a) Jelly beans
(b) Cotton candy
(c) Licorice
(d) Chocolate

8. How did Mia feel about her adventure with the jelly bean tree?
(a) Thankful
(b) Scared
(c) Sad
(d) Angry

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Mia found a regular tree made of jelly beans in the magic forest.
2. They saw a forest of candy canes and a swamp full of licorice.
3. Mia met dancing gummy bears and sticky cotton candy clouds.
4. Mia learned that keeping happiness to herself brings fun surprises.
5. Mia and the creature went on an adventure in a vegetable carriage.
6. The tree turned into a big, friendly creature that could talk.
7. They arrived at a castle where the king was a big chocolate bar.
8. Mia loved vegetables more than anything.
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 did Mia find in the magic forest?
Mia found a special tree made of jelly beans in the magic forest.

2. What happened when Mia touched a jelly bean?
The tree shook and turned into a big, friendly creature that could talk.

3. What did the tree turn into?
The tree turned into a candy carriage.

4. What did Mia see in the candy forest?
Mia saw a forest of candy canes, a swamp full of licorice, dancing gummy bears, and clouds made of cotton candy.

5. Who was the king of the castle?
The king of the castle was a big chocolate bar.

6. What did Mia learn from her adventure with the jelly bean tree?
Mia learned that life is full of fun surprises when you share happiness with others.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) time
(2) tree
(3) turned
(4) friendly
(5) candy
(6) clouds
(7) remembered
(8) lesson
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. adventure
Answer: (J) A fun trip where you do and see new things

2. creature
Answer: (G) Something that is alive, like an animal or person

3. sparkled
Answer: (A) Shined and looked like tiny stars

4. carriage
Answer: (C) A thing with wheels that you can ride in, like a car

5. swamp
Answer: (I) Wet, muddy land

6. licorice
Answer: (H) A sweet that is chewy and tastes a little like sugar and a little like medicine

7. gummy
Answer: (D) A kind of candy that is soft and you can chew it

8. sticky
Answer: (B) When something is gooey and things stick to it

9. thankful
Answer: (F) Feeling happy because someone did something nice for you

10. journey
Answer: (E) A long trip
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Mia find in the magic forest?
Answer: (b) A tree made of jelly beans

2. What happened when Mia touched a jelly bean?
Answer: (b) The tree turned into a talking creature

3. What did the tree turn into after it picked up Mia?
Answer: (c) A candy carriage

4. What did Mia see in the forest?
Answer: (c) Candy canes

5. Who did Mia meet in the swamp?
Answer: (d) Licorice

6. What did Mia learn from her adventure?
Answer: (a) Life is full of fun surprises when you share happiness with others

7. What was the king of the castle made of?
Answer: (d) Chocolate

8. How did Mia feel about her adventure with the jelly bean tree?
Answer: (a) Thankful
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Mia found a regular tree made of jelly beans in the magic forest. (Answer: False)
2. They saw a forest of candy canes and a swamp full of licorice. (Answer: True)
3. Mia met dancing gummy bears and sticky cotton candy clouds. (Answer: True)
4. Mia learned that keeping happiness to herself brings fun surprises. (Answer: False)
5. Mia and the creature went on an adventure in a vegetable carriage. (Answer: False)
6. The tree turned into a big, friendly creature that could talk. (Answer: True)
7. They arrived at a castle where the king was a big chocolate bar. (Answer: True)
8. Mia loved vegetables more than anything. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Island of Cats

Once upon a time, there was a small island in the middle of the ocean. It was a magical place

disaster into a triumph, creating a beautiful and unforgettable moment for everyone involved.

The Carnival of Colors

In Rainbowland, everyone had a big fun day with colors, parades, and tasty snacks. Timmy’s costume flew away, but his friends helped him fix it and win a prize.

Oliver, the tiniest elf, surprises everyone with his clever strategies and magical find at the Great Elf Games.

The Littlest Elf

Oliver, the small elf, showed everyone that being small doesn’t stop you from doing great things.

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