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 Mischievous Monkey

Milo the mischievous monkey and Polly the Parrot become best friends, spreading laughter and joy throughout the jungle.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In the jungle, there was a funny monkey named Milo. Milo liked to play tricks on his friends. One day, he tied a sleeping lion’s tail to a tree. Milo thought the lion would laugh when he woke up.

And the lion did laugh! He wasn’t mad at Milo. All the animals laughed too. Milo learned that it’s nice to make friends laugh, but he should be careful not to hurt their feelings.

Then, Milo started doing little jokes that made everyone happy. He wanted to make the jungle full of joy. All the animals, big and small, loved Milo’s kind jokes.

One day, a bird named Polly came to the jungle. Polly copied what the animals said, and it was so funny. Milo was happy to see Polly make everyone laugh. Milo and Polly became good friends, making the jungle a happy place to live.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1jungleA place with lots of trees where wild animals are
2tricksThings you do to make someone believe something that is not true, just for fun
3tiedMade a knot with a rope or string
4laughThe sound you make when something is funny
5feelingsThe way you feel inside your heart
6jokesFunny things you say or do to make people smile
7joyFeeling very, very good inside
8copiedDoing the same thing someone else did
9happyFeeling like you are smiling inside and outside
10liveTo be in a place, like your home

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the monkey’s name?
2. What did Milo do to the lion’s tail?
3. Did the lion get mad at Milo?
4. What did Milo learn about making friends laugh?
5. What did Milo start doing to make everyone happy?
6. Who came to the jungle and made everyone laugh?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In the jungle, there was a funny monkey named Milo. Milo liked to (1)______ (2)______ on his friends. One day, he tied a sleeping lion’s tail to a tree. Milo thought the lion would laugh when he woke up.

And the lion did laugh! He wasn’t mad at Milo. All the animals (3)______ too. Milo learned that it’s nice to make friends laugh, but he should be careful not to (4)______ their feelings.

Then, Milo started (5)______ little jokes that made everyone happy. He wanted to make the jungle full of joy. All the animals, big and small, loved Milo’s kind jokes.

One day, a bird named (6)______ came to the (7)______. Polly copied what the animals said, and it was so funny. Milo was happy to see Polly make everyone laugh. Milo and Polly became good friends, making the jungle a happy (8)______ to live.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a monkey?
2. How would you feel if someone played a trick on you?
3. Do you like making your friends laugh? Why or why not?
4. What do you think Milo learned from tying the lion’s tail to a tree?
5. How would you make the jungle full of joy?
6. Do you think it’s important to make others laugh? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a friend who made you laugh a lot? How did it make you feel?
8. Why do you think Milo and Polly became good friends?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. jungle
2. tricks
3. tied
4. laugh
5. feelings
6. jokes
7. joy
8. copied
9. happy
10. live

Meanings:
(A) The way you feel inside your heart
(B) Doing the same thing someone else did
(C) Things you do to make someone believe something that is not true, just for fun
(D) Made a knot with a rope or string
(E) Funny things you say or do to make people smile
(F) Feeling very, very good inside
(G) A place with lots of trees where wild animals are
(H) The sound you make when something is funny
(I) Feeling like you are smiling inside and outside
(J) To be in a place, like your home
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the funny monkey in the jungle?
(a) Milo
(b) Max
(c) Sam
(d) Jake

2. What did Milo do to the lion?
(a) Gave it a banana
(b) Tickled its belly
(c) Gave it a hug
(d) Tied its tail to a tree

3. How did the lion react when it woke up?
(a) It cried
(b) It laughed
(c) It got angry
(d) It ran away

4. What did Milo learn from his trick on the lion?
(a) He should always play tricks on his friends
(b) He should run away when his friends get mad
(c) He should never make his friends laugh
(d) He should be careful not to hurt his friends’ feelings

5. What did Milo start doing after the lion’s trick?
(a) Sleeping all day
(b) Crying and feeling sad
(c) Making little jokes that made everyone happy
(d) Running away from his friends

6. Who came to the jungle one day?
(a) A lion named Leo
(b) A monkey named Max
(c) A bird named Polly
(d) A snake named Sam

7. What did Polly do that made everyone laugh?
(a) Climbed trees
(b) Copied what the animals said
(c) Swam in the river
(d) Slept all day

8. What did Milo and Polly become?
(a) Good friends
(b) Enemies
(c) Scared of each other
(d) Sad and lonely

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Milo learned that it’s not nice to make friends laugh and he should prioritize hurting their feelings.
2. Milo started doing mean pranks that made everyone in the jungle unhappy.
3. A bird named Polly came to the jungle and made everyone laugh by copying what the animals said.
4. Milo is a serious monkey who dislikes playing tricks on his friends.
5. Milo tied a lion’s tail to a tree while the lion was sleeping.
6. Milo and Polly became enemies and made the jungle a miserable place to live.
7. All the animals in the jungle laughed too when they saw what Milo did.
8. The lion woke up and laughed instead of getting mad at Milo.
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 monkey’s name?
Milo.

2. What did Milo do to the lion’s tail?
Milo tied the lion’s tail to a tree.

3. Did the lion get mad at Milo?
No, the lion laughed and wasn’t mad at Milo.

4. What did Milo learn about making friends laugh?
Milo learned that it’s nice to make friends laugh, but he should be careful not to hurt their feelings.

5. What did Milo start doing to make everyone happy?
Milo started doing little jokes to make everyone happy.

6. Who came to the jungle and made everyone laugh?
Polly, the bird, came to the jungle and made everyone laugh.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) play
(2) tricks
(3) laughed
(4) hurt
(5) doing
(6) Polly
(7) jungle
(8) place
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. jungle
Answer: (G) A place with lots of trees where wild animals are

2. tricks
Answer: (C) Things you do to make someone believe something that is not true, just for fun

3. tied
Answer: (D) Made a knot with a rope or string

4. laugh
Answer: (H) The sound you make when something is funny

5. feelings
Answer: (A) The way you feel inside your heart

6. jokes
Answer: (E) Funny things you say or do to make people smile

7. joy
Answer: (F) Feeling very, very good inside

8. copied
Answer: (B) Doing the same thing someone else did

9. happy
Answer: (I) Feeling like you are smiling inside and outside

10. live
Answer: (J) To be in a place, like your home
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the funny monkey in the jungle?
Answer: (a) Milo

2. What did Milo do to the lion?
Answer: (d) Tied its tail to a tree

3. How did the lion react when it woke up?
Answer: (b) It laughed

4. What did Milo learn from his trick on the lion?
Answer: (d) He should be careful not to hurt his friends’ feelings

5. What did Milo start doing after the lion’s trick?
Answer: (c) Making little jokes that made everyone happy

6. Who came to the jungle one day?
Answer: (c) A bird named Polly

7. What did Polly do that made everyone laugh?
Answer: (b) Copied what the animals said

8. What did Milo and Polly become?
Answer: (a) Good friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Milo learned that it’s not nice to make friends laugh and he should prioritize hurting their feelings. (Answer: False)
2. Milo started doing mean pranks that made everyone in the jungle unhappy. (Answer: False)
3. A bird named Polly came to the jungle and made everyone laugh by copying what the animals said. (Answer: True)
4. Milo is a serious monkey who dislikes playing tricks on his friends. (Answer: False)
5. Milo tied a lion’s tail to a tree while the lion was sleeping. (Answer: True)
6. Milo and Polly became enemies and made the jungle a miserable place to live. (Answer: False)
7. All the animals in the jungle laughed too when they saw what Milo did. (Answer: True)
8. The lion woke up and laughed instead of getting mad at Milo. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Ice Cream Island

Once upon a time, there was a special island called Ice Cream Island. It had yummy ice cream and happy friends.

Feedback