In a small place, there was a field full of big, round pumpkins. Every fall, people got ready to pick them and make them into fun shapes. One day, a little squirrel named Sammy had a fun idea to make a surprise.

Sammy asked all his animal friends to come to the pumpkin field for a party. They put bright ribbons on the pumpkins and made seats from hay. A group of tiny mice played music. It was set to be a very fun night.

One night, the people in the village saw lights and heard sounds coming from the pumpkins. They walked over to see what was happening. They saw all the animals dancing and singing. Even a raccoon danced with a donkey! The people laughed and started to dance, too.

The main person in the village, Mr. Simmons, saw the dancing and was happy. Everyone was having fun together. From then on, the pumpkin field was a place where people and animals had a big party every year. They danced, sang, and were happy together because good things can happen when you don’t expect them.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Sammy the squirrel want to do with the pumpkins?
2. Who did Sammy invite to the pumpkin field for a party?
3. What did the animals use to make seats for the party?
4. Who played music at the party?
5. What did the people in the village see and hear coming from the pumpkins?
6. Why were the people happy and what did they start doing?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small place, there was a field full of big, round pumpkins. Every fall, people got ready to pick them and make them into fun shapes. One day, a little squirrel (1)______ Sammy had a fun idea to make a surprise.

Sammy asked all his animal (2)______ to come to the pumpkin field for a party. They put bright ribbons on the pumpkins and made (3)______ from hay. A group of tiny mice played music. It was set to be a very fun (4)______.

One night, the people in the village saw lights and heard sounds coming from the pumpkins. They walked over to see what was happening. They saw all the animals dancing and singing. Even a raccoon (5)______d with a donkey! The people laughed and started to dance, too.

The main (6)______ in the village, Mr. Simmons, saw the dancing and was (7)______. Everyone was having fun together. From then on, the pumpkin field was a place where people and (8)______ had a big party every year. They danced, sang, and were happy together because good things can happen when you don’t expect them.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a pumpkin?
2. How would you feel if you saw animals dancing and singing in a field?
3. Do you like surprises? Why or why not?
4. What is your favorite thing to do at a party?
5. Do you think animals can have fun at a party? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the people felt when they saw the animals dancing and singing?
7. Have you ever seen a pumpkin before? What did it look like?
8. Do you think it’s important to have fun with friends? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. field
2. pumpkins
3. squirrel
4. ribbons
5. mice
6. village
7. raccoon
8. donkey
9. danced
10. surprise

Meanings:
(A) A big open space where plants grow
(B) Long, thin, pretty pieces of cloth used for decoration
(C) An animal with long ears that can carry things on its back
(D) Something you didn’t think would happen
(E) A small animal with a bushy tail that likes to climb trees
(F) Moved your body to music
(G) Tiny animals with whiskers and long tails that like cheese
(H) A grey animal with a mask-like face and a bushy tail
(I) A place where people live, smaller than a city
(J) Orange, round things that grow on the ground and can be big or small
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Sammy want to make in the pumpkin field?
(a) A cake
(b) A painting
(c) A puzzle
(d) A surprise

2. What did Sammy ask his animal friends to do?
(a) Pick the pumpkins
(b) Sleep in the hay
(c) Come to the pumpkin field for a party
(d) Play hide and seek

3. Who played music at the party?
(a) Big elephants
(b) Tiny mice
(c) Fast cheetahs
(d) Loud lions

4. What did the people in the village see and hear coming from the pumpkins?
(a) Lights and sounds
(b) Water and wind
(c) Fire and thunder
(d) Birds and bees

5. Who danced with a donkey?
(a) A squirrel
(b) A raccoon
(c) A mouse
(d) A bird

6. How did Mr. Simmons feel when he saw the dancing?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Happy
(d) Scared

7. What happened at the pumpkin field every year after the party?
(a) People and animals had a big party
(b) People and animals had a big fight
(c) People and animals had a big sleep
(d) People and animals had a big race

8. Why were the people and animals happy?
(a) Because they found a treasure
(b) Because they won a prize
(c) Because they ate lots of candy
(d) Because good things can happen when you don’t expect them

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Sammy asked all his animal friends to come to the field for a party.
2. Mr. Simmons, the main person in the village, was unhappy and nobody had fun together.
3. The animals stood still and remained silent while a group of tiny mice played music.
4. Sammy, a little squirrel, had a fun idea to make a surprise in the pumpkin field.
5. In a small place, there was a field with small, square pumpkins.
6. The people in the village saw the darkness and heard silence coming from the pumpkins.
7. Every fall, people picked the pumpkins and made them into fun shapes.
8. They put bright ribbons on the pumpkins and made seats from hay.
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 Sammy the squirrel want to do with the pumpkins?
Sammy wanted to make a surprise with the pumpkins.

2. Who did Sammy invite to the pumpkin field for a party?
Sammy invited all his animal friends to the pumpkin field for a party.

3. What did the animals use to make seats for the party?
The animals used hay to make seats for the party.

4. Who played music at the party?
A group of tiny mice played music at the party.

5. What did the people in the village see and hear coming from the pumpkins?
The people in the village saw lights and heard sounds coming from the pumpkins.

6. Why were the people happy and what did they start doing?
The people were happy because they saw the animals dancing and having fun. They started to dance and have fun too.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) friends
(3) seats
(4) night
(5) dance
(6) person
(7) happy
(8) animals
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. field
Answer: (A) A big open space where plants grow

2. pumpkins
Answer: (J) Orange, round things that grow on the ground and can be big or small

3. squirrel
Answer: (E) A small animal with a bushy tail that likes to climb trees

4. ribbons
Answer: (B) Long, thin, pretty pieces of cloth used for decoration

5. mice
Answer: (G) Tiny animals with whiskers and long tails that like cheese

6. village
Answer: (I) A place where people live, smaller than a city

7. raccoon
Answer: (H) A grey animal with a mask-like face and a bushy tail

8. donkey
Answer: (C) An animal with long ears that can carry things on its back

9. danced
Answer: (F) Moved your body to music

10. surprise
Answer: (D) Something you didn’t think would happen
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Sammy want to make in the pumpkin field?
Answer: (d) A surprise

2. What did Sammy ask his animal friends to do?
Answer: (c) Come to the pumpkin field for a party

3. Who played music at the party?
Answer: (b) Tiny mice

4. What did the people in the village see and hear coming from the pumpkins?
Answer: (a) Lights and sounds

5. Who danced with a donkey?
Answer: (b) A raccoon

6. How did Mr. Simmons feel when he saw the dancing?
Answer: (c) Happy

7. What happened at the pumpkin field every year after the party?
Answer: (a) People and animals had a big party

8. Why were the people and animals happy?
Answer: (d) Because good things can happen when you don’t expect them
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Sammy asked all his animal friends to come to the field for a party. (Answer: True)
2. Mr. Simmons, the main person in the village, was unhappy and nobody had fun together. (Answer: False)
3. The animals stood still and remained silent while a group of tiny mice played music. (Answer: False)
4. Sammy, a little squirrel, had a fun idea to make a surprise in the pumpkin field. (Answer: True)
5. In a small place, there was a field with small, square pumpkins. (Answer: False)
6. The people in the village saw the darkness and heard silence coming from the pumpkins. (Answer: False)
7. Every fall, people picked the pumpkins and made them into fun shapes. (Answer: True)
8. They put bright ribbons on the pumpkins and made seats from hay. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧