Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Land Where Everything is Upside Down

A dragon discovers a world where everything is upside down and helps the people embrace their uniqueness.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a funny land, people walked on hands and wore shoes on their heads. Houses had roofs for floors, and the sky was where the ground should be. It was a silly place where everyone laughed a lot.

A girl named Lily liked to explore this land. One day, she saw trees growing down instead of up! She climbed a tree and saw animals in the air. A rabbit had a clock, a bird made a nest in the sky, and a fish swam in the air. Lily laughed at all the funny things.

Lily found some people who were lost. They had a map, but they could not read it because it was backward. Lily knew how to read it and showed them the way home. The people were very happy and thanked Lily.

After helping the people, everyone in the land started to like being different. They made new things for walking on hands. Lily showed them that it’s fun to be different and to see things in new ways. It made the land even more special.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1exploreTo go looking around to see what you can find
2sillyKind of funny or not serious
3laughedTo make a sound when something is funny
4backwardThe opposite way from the front
5differentNot the same as everything else
6climbedTo go up something, like a tree or a ladder
7specialVery, very good and not like other things
8helpingGiving someone a hand when they need it
9discoverTo find something you didn’t know about before
10thankedTo say “you’re welcome” when someone says “thank you

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the people in the funny land wear on their heads?
2. Where did the trees grow in the funny land?
3. What did Lily find in the air when she climbed a tree?
4. Why were the people lost in the funny land?
5. How did Lily help the people find their way home?
6. What did everyone in the land start to like after Lily helped the people?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a funny land, people walked on hands and wore (1)______ on their heads. Houses had roofs for floors, and the sky was where the ground should be. It was a silly place where everyone laughed a lot.

A (2)______ named Lily liked to explore this land. One day, she saw trees growing down instead of up! She (3)______ a tree and saw animals in the air. A rabbit had a clock, a bird made a nest in the sky, and a fish swam in the air. (4)______ laughed at all the funny (5)______.

Lily (6)______ some people who were lost. They had a map, but they could not read it because it was backward. Lily knew how to read it and showed them the way home. The people were very happy and thanked Lily.

After helping the people, everyone in the land started to like being (7)______. They (8)______ new things for walking on hands. Lily showed them that it’s fun to be different and to see things in new ways. It made the land even more special.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a silly place?
2. How would you feel if you saw trees growing down instead of up?
3. Do you like exploring new places? Why or why not?
4. What is a map? Do you know how to read a map?
5. How would you feel if you were lost and someone helped you find your way home?
6. Do you think it’s important to be different? Why or why not?
7. What is something fun that you like to do?
8. How would you feel if you lived in a land where everything was different?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. explore
2. silly
3. laughed
4. backward
5. different
6. climbed
7. special
8. helping
9. discover
10. thanked

Meanings:
(A) Kind of funny or not serious
(B) Giving someone a hand when they need it
(C) To find something you didn’t know about before
(D) To go looking around to see what you can find
(E) Very, very good and not like other things
(F) Not the same as everything else
(G) To go up something, like a tree or a ladder
(H) To say “you’re welcome” when someone says “thank you”
(I) To make a sound when something is funny
(J) The opposite way from the front
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did people wear on their heads in the funny land?
(a) Hats
(b) Shoes
(c) Scarves
(d) Glasses

2. Where did Lily find the animals?
(a) In the air
(b) In the water
(c) On the ground
(d) In the trees

3. How did Lily help the lost people?
(a) She gave them food
(b) She played games with them
(c) She read the map for them
(d) She took them home

4. What did the people in the land start to like?
(a) Being the same
(b) Being quiet
(c) Being sad
(d) Being different

5. What did Lily show the people in the land?
(a) It’s fun to be different
(b) It’s fun to be the same
(c) It’s fun to be sad
(d) It’s fun to be quiet

6. What did the trees in the land do?
(a) They grew up
(b) They grew down
(c) They stayed still
(d) They disappeared

7. What did the rabbit have?
(a) A hat
(b) A book
(c) A ball
(d) A clock

8. Where did the bird make its nest?
(a) In the tree
(b) In the water
(c) In the sky
(d) In the ground

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. In this silly land, people walk on their hands and wear shoes on their heads.
2. Lily showed no one that it’s boring to be different and see things in new ways, making the land even less special.
3. A boy named Lily loves to stay at home and avoid exploring this land and finding new things.
4. The sky is where the ground should be in this funny place.
5. Lily found some lost people who couldn’t read a backward map, but she knew how to read it and helped them find their way home.
6. After Lily helped the people, no one in the land started to dislike being different and made new things for walking on hands.
7. Lily climbed a tree and saw no animals in the air, like a rabbit with a clock and a bird making a nest in the sky.
8. The houses in this land have roofs that are actually floors.
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 the people in the funny land wear on their heads?
They wore shoes on their heads.

2. Where did the trees grow in the funny land?
The trees grew down instead of up.

3. What did Lily find in the air when she climbed a tree?
Lily found animals in the air, like a rabbit with a clock, a bird making a nest, and a fish swimming.

4. Why were the people lost in the funny land?
The people were lost because they couldn’t read their backward map.

5. How did Lily help the people find their way home?
Lily knew how to read the backward map and showed the people the way home.

6. What did everyone in the land start to like after Lily helped the people?
Everyone in the land started to like being different and seeing things in new ways.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) shoes
(2) girl
(3) climbed
(4) Lily
(5) things
(6) found
(7) different
(8) made
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. explore
Answer: (D) To go looking around to see what you can find

2. silly
Answer: (A) Kind of funny or not serious

3. laughed
Answer: (I) To make a sound when something is funny

4. backward
Answer: (J) The opposite way from the front

5. different
Answer: (F) Not the same as everything else

6. climbed
Answer: (G) To go up something, like a tree or a ladder

7. special
Answer: (E) Very, very good and not like other things

8. helping
Answer: (B) Giving someone a hand when they need it

9. discover
Answer: (C) To find something you didn’t know about before

10. thanked
Answer: (H) To say “you’re welcome” when someone says “thank you”
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did people wear on their heads in the funny land?
Answer: (b) Shoes

2. Where did Lily find the animals?
Answer: (a) In the air

3. How did Lily help the lost people?
Answer: (c) She read the map for them

4. What did the people in the land start to like?
Answer: (d) Being different

5. What did Lily show the people in the land?
Answer: (a) It’s fun to be different

6. What did the trees in the land do?
Answer: (b) They grew down

7. What did the rabbit have?
Answer: (d) A clock

8. Where did the bird make its nest?
Answer: (c) In the sky
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. In this silly land, people walk on their hands and wear shoes on their heads. (Answer: True)
2. Lily showed no one that it’s boring to be different and see things in new ways, making the land even less special. (Answer: False)
3. A boy named Lily loves to stay at home and avoid exploring this land and finding new things. (Answer: False)
4. The sky is where the ground should be in this funny place. (Answer: True)
5. Lily found some lost people who couldn’t read a backward map, but she knew how to read it and helped them find their way home. (Answer: True)
6. After Lily helped the people, no one in the land started to dislike being different and made new things for walking on hands. (Answer: False)
7. Lily climbed a tree and saw no animals in the air, like a rabbit with a clock and a bird making a nest in the sky. (Answer: False)
8. The houses in this land have roofs that are actually floors. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

Stella the unicorn uses her magical rainbow to spread happiness and love to all creatures.

The Rainbow Bridge

Stella the unicorn loves making rainbows and goes on an adventure to win special magic dust.

The Secret Treehouse

Once there was a boy named Jack who lived in a small village by the forest. Every day, Jack would

The Brave Knight

Once upon a time, there was a brave knight named Sir Richard. He lived in a castle with his family,

Maya's wish for endless laughter brings joy and unity to her village, making her the laughter ambassador.

The Mysterious Mango

Maya found a magical mango that granted her a wish, and she wished for laughter for everyone!

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