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 King of the Kites

A young boy named Ethan becomes the King of the Kites and teaches his village the power of compassion and friendship.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once there was a boy named Ethan who liked to fly his red kite. He was so good that everyone called him the King of the Kites.

One day, Ethan’s kite got stuck in a tree. A squirrel named Sammy helped him get it down. Sammy wanted nuts for helping, and Ethan said yes. They got the kite back together.

Ethan made a kite party for everyone. People made their own kites and flew them. The sky was full of pretty kites. They all had fun and made a new friend named Lily.

Ethan helped Lily fly her kite. Everyone was happy and clapped. They learned that being kind is the best way to be a friend.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1EthanA boy’s name, like the name of a friend
2kiteA toy that flies in the air, like a bird with a long tail
3squirrelA small animal with a bushy tail that climbs trees
4SammyA name for a friend or someone you know
5nutsA small, hard food that some animals eat, like a tiny ball
6treeA big plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves
7partyA fun time when people get together to play and eat cake
8skyThe place up high where you see the sun, moon, and clouds
9prettySomething that looks nice, like a flower or a rainbow
10kindBeing nice to others, like sharing your toys

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who liked to fly the red kite?
2. What happened to Ethan’s kite?
3. Who helped Ethan get his kite down?
4. What did Sammy want in return for helping?
5. What did Ethan do for everyone after he got his kite back?
6. Who did Ethan help fly her kite?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once there was a boy named Ethan who (1)______ to fly his red kite. He was so good that everyone called him the King of the (2)______.

One day, Ethan’s kite got stuck in a tree. A (3)______ named Sammy (4)______ him get it down. Sammy wanted nuts for helping, and Ethan said yes. They got the kite back together.

(5)______ made a kite party for everyone. People made their own kites and flew them. The sky was full of (6)______ kites. They all had fun and made a new friend (7)______ (8)______.

Ethan helped Lily fly her kite. Everyone was happy and clapped. They learned that being kind is the best way to be a friend.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a kite?
2. How would you feel if your kite got stuck in a tree?
3. Do you like flying kites? Why or why not?
4. What do you think Ethan learned from his experience with Sammy and the kite?
5. How would you feel if someone helped you get your kite down from a tree?
6. Do you think it’s important to be kind to others? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever made your own kite? How did it go?
8. What is your favorite thing to do with your friends?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Ethan
2. kite
3. squirrel
4. Sammy
5. nuts
6. tree
7. party
8. sky
9. pretty
10. kind

Meanings:
(A) A small animal with a bushy tail that climbs trees
(B) A toy that flies in the air, like a bird with a long tail
(C) A boy’s name, like the name of a friend
(D) Something that looks nice, like a flower or a rainbow
(E) Being nice to others, like sharing your toys
(F) A big plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves
(G) A name for a friend or someone you know
(H) The place up high where you see the sun, moon, and clouds
(I) A fun time when people get together to play and eat cake
(J) A small, hard food that some animals eat, like a tiny ball
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the boy in the story?
(a) Ethan
(b) Sammy
(c) Lily
(d) King

2. What color is Ethan’s kite?
(a) Blue
(b) Red
(c) Green
(d) Yellow

3. Who helped Ethan get his kite out of the tree?
(a) Lily
(b) Sammy
(c) Ethan’s mom
(d) Ethan’s dad

4. What did Sammy want in return for helping Ethan?
(a) Nuts
(b) Candy
(c) Toys
(d) Money

5. What did Ethan do to thank Sammy for helping him?
(a) Gave him candy
(b) Gave him toys
(c) Gave him nuts
(d) Gave him money

6. What did Ethan do after he got his kite back?
(a) Went home
(b) Went to sleep
(c) Went to school
(d) Had a kite party

7. What did people do at the kite party?
(a) Played soccer
(b) Had a picnic
(c) Made their own kites and flew them
(d) Watched a movie

8. What did Ethan learn about being a friend?
(a) Being mean is the best way to be a friend
(b) Being quiet is the best way to be a friend
(c) Being loud is the best way to be a friend
(d) Being kind is the best way to be a friend

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Ethan hated flying his red kite and was really bad at it.
2. Ethan decided to have a kite party for everyone to enjoy.
3. People bought their own kites at the party and flew them in the sky.
4. Ethan’s kite got stuck in a tree, but a squirrel named Sammy refused to help him get it down.
5. Sammy wanted nuts as a thank you for helping, and Ethan agreed to give him some.
6. Ethan was kind and helped Lily fly her kite, and everyone was happy and clapped for them.
7. The sky looked beautiful with all the colorful kites flying together.
8. Ethan and his friends had a terrible time at the party and made an enemy named Lily.
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 liked to fly the red kite?
Ethan liked to fly the red kite.

2. What happened to Ethan’s kite?
Ethan’s kite got stuck in a tree.

3. Who helped Ethan get his kite down?
Sammy the squirrel helped Ethan get his kite down.

4. What did Sammy want in return for helping?
Sammy wanted nuts for helping.

5. What did Ethan do for everyone after he got his kite back?
Ethan made a kite party for everyone.

6. Who did Ethan help fly her kite?
Ethan helped Lily fly her kite.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) liked
(2) Kites
(3) squirrel
(4) helped
(5) Ethan
(6) pretty
(7) named
(8) Lily
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Ethan
Answer: (C) A boy’s name, like the name of a friend

2. kite
Answer: (B) A toy that flies in the air, like a bird with a long tail

3. squirrel
Answer: (A) A small animal with a bushy tail that climbs trees

4. Sammy
Answer: (G) A name for a friend or someone you know

5. nuts
Answer: (J) A small, hard food that some animals eat, like a tiny ball

6. tree
Answer: (F) A big plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves

7. party
Answer: (I) A fun time when people get together to play and eat cake

8. sky
Answer: (H) The place up high where you see the sun, moon, and clouds

9. pretty
Answer: (D) Something that looks nice, like a flower or a rainbow

10. kind
Answer: (E) Being nice to others, like sharing your toys
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the boy in the story?
Answer: (a) Ethan

2. What color is Ethan’s kite?
Answer: (b) Red

3. Who helped Ethan get his kite out of the tree?
Answer: (b) Sammy

4. What did Sammy want in return for helping Ethan?
Answer: (a) Nuts

5. What did Ethan do to thank Sammy for helping him?
Answer: (c) Gave him nuts

6. What did Ethan do after he got his kite back?
Answer: (d) Had a kite party

7. What did people do at the kite party?
Answer: (c) Made their own kites and flew them

8. What did Ethan learn about being a friend?
Answer: (d) Being kind is the best way to be a friend
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Ethan hated flying his red kite and was really bad at it. (Answer: False)
2. Ethan decided to have a kite party for everyone to enjoy. (Answer: True)
3. People bought their own kites at the party and flew them in the sky. (Answer: False)
4. Ethan’s kite got stuck in a tree, but a squirrel named Sammy refused to help him get it down. (Answer: False)
5. Sammy wanted nuts as a thank you for helping, and Ethan agreed to give him some. (Answer: True)
6. Ethan was kind and helped Lily fly her kite, and everyone was happy and clapped for them. (Answer: True)
7. The sky looked beautiful with all the colorful kites flying together. (Answer: True)
8. Ethan and his friends had a terrible time at the party and made an enemy named Lily. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

A mischievous penguin named Percy and a wise snow owl named Oliver form an unbreakable friendship on their journey to the legendary "Penguin Parade."

The Penguin Parade

Percy the penguin found a secret map and went on an adventure with his new friend Oliver.

Embarking on a magical adventure in Vegetable Land, Max discovers that vegetables are superheroes in disguise.

The Voyage to Vegetable Land

Max didn’t like eating vegetables, but one day he went on an adventure to Vegetable Land and discovered that veggies can be fun and yummy!

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.

A young girl named Lily embarks on a daring adventure to find a hidden harbor and discovers that true treasure lies in the simple pleasures of life.

The Hidden Harbor

Lily found a secret harbor and learned that the best treasure is having fun with friends.

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