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 Peculiar Peach Palace

Three friends stumble upon a magical peach palace filled with talking animals and enchanted treasures, unlocking their own creativity and joy.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, there was a special peach house in a far land. Three friends, Max, Sam, and Mia, found this house while playing. They opened the big door and saw a magical place.

Inside the house, they met animals that could talk and tiny fairies that made everyone laugh. They found fruits that were not like normal fruits. Some fruits gave hugs, and others told jokes. The friends laughed a lot.

But there was one door they couldn’t open. They really wanted to see what was inside. They found a little puzzle on the wall that helped them find a key. They stayed in the magic house all night.

In the morning, they found a key and opened the locked door. Inside, they saw beautiful paintings and music things. They learned that they could make their own magic. They played, painted, and promised to come back. They learned that magic is everywhere if you believe.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1magicalSomething that is like a trick or a wish that can do amazing things
2animalsCreatures that might live in your home or in the woods, like a dog or a bird
3fruitsFood that grows on trees or plants, like apples or bananas
4paintingsPictures made with paint that you can look at and enjoy
5puzzleA game where you have to think hard to solve a question or mystery
6fairiesTiny make-believe people with wings that can fly
7laughThe sound you make when something is funny
8keyA small thing that opens locks
9believeTo think something is real or true, even if you can’t see it
10discoverTo find something you didn’t know about before

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who were the three friends that found the special peach house?
2. What did the friends find inside the house?
3. What were some of the special things about the fruits they found?
4. What did the friends find on the wall that helped them find a key?
5. What did the friends find inside the locked door?
6. What did the friends learn about magic?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, there was a special peach house in a far land. Three friends, Max, Sam, and Mia, (1)______ this house while (2)______. They opened the big door and saw a magical place.

Inside the house, they met animals that could talk and (3)______ fairies that made everyone laugh. They found fruits that were not like normal fruits. Some fruits gave hugs, and others (4)______ jokes. The friends laughed a lot.

But there was one door they couldn’t open. They really wanted to see what was inside. They found a little puzzle on the wall that helped them (5)______ a key. They stayed in the magic house all night.

In the morning, they found a key and (6)______ the locked door. Inside, they saw beautiful paintings and music (7)______. They learned that they could make their own magic. They played, painted, and promised to come back. They learned that magic is everywhere if you (8)______.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a special peach house?
2. How would you feel if you found a magical place?
3. Do you like fruits that give hugs and tell jokes? Why or why not?
4. What do you think was behind the locked door?
5. How would you feel if you could make your own magic?
6. Do you believe that magic is everywhere? Why or why not?
7. How would you feel if you met animals that could talk and fairies that made you laugh?
8. Would you want to visit the magic house? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. animals
3. fruits
4. paintings
5. puzzle
6. fairies
7. laugh
8. key
9. believe
10. discover

Meanings:
(A) To find something you didn’t know about before
(B) Something that is like a trick or a wish that can do amazing things
(C) A game where you have to think hard to solve a question or mystery
(D) Food that grows on trees or plants, like apples or bananas
(E) To think something is real or true, even if you can’t see it
(F) Creatures that might live in your home or in the woods, like a dog or a bird
(G) Tiny make-believe people with wings that can fly
(H) A small thing that opens locks
(I) The sound you make when something is funny
(J) Pictures made with paint that you can look at and enjoy
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who found the special peach house?
(a) Sherlock and Watson
(b) Alice and Bob
(c) Max, Sam, and Mia
(d) Lucy and Jack

2. What did the friends find inside the house?
(a) Scary monsters and witches
(b) Talking animals and laughing fairies
(c) Boring books and old toys
(d) Loud music and bright lights

3. What did the friends find on the wall?
(a) A big monster
(b) A secret treasure
(c) A magic wand
(d) A little puzzle

4. What did the friends find behind the locked door?
(a) Spiders and cobwebs
(b) A big scary dragon
(c) Beautiful paintings and music things
(d) A pile of dirty socks

5. What did the friends do in the magic house?
(a) Slept, ate, and watched TV
(b) Cried, shouted, and ran away
(c) Cleaned, organized, and left forever
(d) Played, painted, and promised to come back

6. Where did the friends learn that magic is everywhere?
(a) At school
(b) Inside the magic house
(c) In a book
(d) On the moon

7. What did some of the fruits in the house do?
(a) Gave hugs and told jokes
(b) Made the friends sleepy and grumpy
(c) Made the friends cry and scream
(d) Made the friends run and hide

8. What did the friends do with the key they found?
(a) They opened the locked door
(b) They threw it away
(c) They hid it in a secret place
(d) They gave it to a talking animal

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. In the morning, they found a key and opened the locked door.
2. They learned that they could make their own magic and that magic is everywhere if you believe.
3. Inside, they found ordinary paintings and musical things.
4. Max, Sam, and Mia found a regular house made of peaches.
5. They discovered fruits that could give hugs and tell jokes.
6. The friends easily opened one door, but they found a puzzle that hindered them from finding a key.
7. Inside the house, they met talking animals and funny fairies.
8. They left the magic house all night.
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 were the three friends that found the special peach house?
The three friends that found the special peach house were Max, Sam, and Mia.

2. What did the friends find inside the house?
Inside the house, the friends found animals that could talk and tiny fairies that made everyone laugh.

3. What were some of the special things about the fruits they found?
Some of the special things about the fruits they found were that some fruits gave hugs and others told jokes.

4. What did the friends find on the wall that helped them find a key?
The friends found a little puzzle on the wall that helped them find a key.

5. What did the friends find inside the locked door?
Inside the locked door, the friends found beautiful paintings and music things.

6. What did the friends learn about magic?
The friends learned that magic is everywhere if you believe.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) found
(2) playing
(3) tiny
(4) told
(5) find
(6) opened
(7) things
(8) believe
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (B) Something that is like a trick or a wish that can do amazing things

2. animals
Answer: (F) Creatures that might live in your home or in the woods, like a dog or a bird

3. fruits
Answer: (D) Food that grows on trees or plants, like apples or bananas

4. paintings
Answer: (J) Pictures made with paint that you can look at and enjoy

5. puzzle
Answer: (C) A game where you have to think hard to solve a question or mystery

6. fairies
Answer: (G) Tiny make-believe people with wings that can fly

7. laugh
Answer: (I) The sound you make when something is funny

8. key
Answer: (H) A small thing that opens locks

9. believe
Answer: (E) To think something is real or true, even if you can’t see it

10. discover
Answer: (A) To find something you didn’t know about before
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who found the special peach house?
Answer: (c) Max, Sam, and Mia

2. What did the friends find inside the house?
Answer: (b) Talking animals and laughing fairies

3. What did the friends find on the wall?
Answer: (d) A little puzzle

4. What did the friends find behind the locked door?
Answer: (c) Beautiful paintings and music things

5. What did the friends do in the magic house?
Answer: (d) Played, painted, and promised to come back

6. Where did the friends learn that magic is everywhere?
Answer: (b) Inside the magic house

7. What did some of the fruits in the house do?
Answer: (a) Gave hugs and told jokes

8. What did the friends do with the key they found?
Answer: (a) They opened the locked door
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. In the morning, they found a key and opened the locked door. (Answer: True)
2. They learned that they could make their own magic and that magic is everywhere if you believe. (Answer: True)
3. Inside, they found ordinary paintings and musical things. (Answer: False)
4. Max, Sam, and Mia found a regular house made of peaches. (Answer: False)
5. They discovered fruits that could give hugs and tell jokes. (Answer: True)
6. The friends easily opened one door, but they found a puzzle that hindered them from finding a key. (Answer: False)
7. Inside the house, they met talking animals and funny fairies. (Answer: True)
8. They left the magic house all night. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

Three siblings embark on a daring quest to solve the mystery of the Sapphire Sphinx.

The Secret of the Sapphire Sphinx

Three siblings named Mia, Max, and Ben found a special book about a secret. They went on an adventure to find it. They had to answer tricky questions from a big blue sphinx. They worked together and used their knowledge to solve the puzzles. They found out that the real treasure was learning new things. They were happy and shared their adventure with everyone.

The Giant’s Garden

Greg and Whiskers had a pretty garden, but mean Goblins took the seeds. Whiskers helped and they made it pretty again.

Four friends embark on a magical adventure, only to discover that the real treasure is their friendship.

The Four Leaf Clover Quest

Four friends named Lily, Max, Oliver, and Sophie went on an adventure to find a magic clover, but they learned that friendship is the best treasure of all.

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!

In the magical land of Sprinkleville, a mischievous gnome named Minty Mischief plots to steal all the cupcakes from the famous cupcake castle, but a young girl named Ella is determined to stop him and save the town from chaos.

The Cupcake Castle Caper

In a yummy town called Sprinkleville, a little gnome named Minty made salty cupcakes by mistake. Ella, a brave girl with a good nose, found Minty and helped him make delicious cupcakes again.

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.