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 Riddle of the Red Panda

Ruby, the mischievous red panda, embarks on a quest to find a golden tree and discovers the true treasure of friendship.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a magical forest, there lived a red panda named Ruby. She loved playing games. One day, Ruby found a scroll with a riddle. It said to look for a golden tree with blue leaves to find a special clue. Ruby was very happy and wanted to find the tree.

Ruby asked the owl and squirrels about the tree. She found the golden tree but saw two paths. Ruby picked the path going up. It was twisty. Then Ruby saw a big rock in her way. She could not move it alone.

Then a kind elephant named Ellie came. Ellie helped Ruby move the rock. They pushed and pushed, and the rock rolled away. Ruby said “thank you” to Ellie and kept looking for the treasure.

Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance. He knew a lot. Ruby asked him about the riddle. Terrance asked her about something with a heart that doesn’t beat and runs without feet. Ruby thought hard and said, “A river!” Ruby found a waterfall and a chest. Inside the chest was a note. The note showed her that having friends is the best treasure. Ruby felt very happy about her adventure and her new friends.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1magicalSomething that is like a fairy tale, where impossible things can happen
2scrollA long piece of paper that you can roll up
3riddleA tricky question that you have to think hard to answer
4clueA hint that helps you find or understand something
5twistySomething that is not straight and has many turns
6elephantA very big animal with a long nose and big ears
7tortoiseA slow-moving animal with a hard shell that it can hide inside
8waterfallWater that falls down from very high like a river jumping off a cliff
9treasureSomething very special and valuable that is hidden and hard to find
10adventureGoing on a trip where you do new things and see new places

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who lived in the magical forest?
2. What did Ruby find one day?
3. What did the riddle say to look for?
4. What did Ruby do when she found the golden tree?
5. Who helped Ruby move the big rock?
6. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a magical forest, there (1)______ a red panda named Ruby. She loved playing games. One day, Ruby found a scroll with a riddle. It said to (2)______ for a golden tree with blue leaves to find a special clue. Ruby was very happy and wanted to find the tree.

Ruby asked the owl and squirrels about the (3)______. She found the golden tree but saw two paths. Ruby picked the path (4)______ up. It was twisty. Then Ruby saw a big rock in her way. She could not move it alone.

Then a kind elephant named Ellie came. Ellie helped Ruby move the rock. They pushed and pushed, and the rock rolled away. Ruby said “thank you” to Ellie and kept looking for the treasure.

Ruby met an old tortoise named Terrance. He knew a lot. Ruby (5)______ him about the (6)______. Terrance asked her about something with a heart that doesn’t beat and runs without feet. Ruby thought hard and said, “A river!” Ruby found a waterfall and a chest. Inside the chest was a (7)______. The note showed her that having friends is the (8)______ treasure. Ruby felt very happy about her adventure and her new friends.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a red panda?
2. How would you feel if you found a special clue in a magical forest?
3. Do you like playing games? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have friends? Why or why not?
5. What is a riddle?
6. How would you feel if you couldn’t move a big rock by yourself?
7. Have you ever met someone who helped you? How did it make you feel?
8. What do you think is the best treasure to have? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. scroll
3. riddle
4. clue
5. twisty
6. elephant
7. tortoise
8. waterfall
9. treasure
10. adventure

Meanings:
(A) A slow-moving animal with a hard shell that it can hide inside
(B) A long piece of paper that you can roll up
(C) Something that is like a fairy tale, where impossible things can happen
(D) Water that falls down from very high like a river jumping off a cliff
(E) Something that is not straight and has many turns
(F) Something very special and valuable that is hidden and hard to find
(G) Going on a trip where you do new things and see new places
(H) A tricky question that you have to think hard to answer
(I) A very big animal with a long nose and big ears
(J) A hint that helps you find or understand something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the red panda in the story?
(a) Ruby
(b) Lily
(c) Bella
(d) Sophie

2. What did Ruby find that had a riddle on it?
(a) Book
(b) Map
(c) Scroll
(d) Letter

3. What did the riddle say Ruby should look for?
(a) Silver tree with green leaves
(b) Brown tree with red leaves
(c) Black tree with yellow leaves
(d) Golden tree with blue leaves

4. Who did Ruby ask for help in moving the big rock?
(a) Terry the tortoise
(b) Molly the monkey
(c) Ellie the elephant
(d) Sammy the snake

5. What did Terrance the tortoise know a lot about?
(a) Trees
(b) Rivers
(c) Mountains
(d) Riddles

6. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
(a) Key
(b) Note
(c) Coin
(d) Toy

7. What did the note inside the chest say?
(a) Having friends is the best treasure
(b) Always be kind to others
(c) Look for the golden tree with blue leaves
(d) Share your toys with others

8. How did Ruby feel at the end of her adventure?
(a) Very sad
(b) Very happy
(c) Very scared
(d) Very angry

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Ruby met a kind elephant named Ellie who helped her move a big rock.
2. Ruby loves playing games and having fun.
3. Ruby asked the owl and squirrels for help finding the tree.
4. Ruby found the tree but had to choose between two paths.
5. The riddle told Ruby to look for a silver tree with green leaves.
6. One day, Ruby found a regular scroll with a riddle on it.
7. Ruby discovered that the real treasure was having enemies like Ellie and Terrance.
8. Ruby is a red fox who lives in an ordinary forest.
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 lived in the magical forest?
Ruby, the red panda, lived in the magical forest.

2. What did Ruby find one day?
Ruby found a scroll with a riddle one day.

3. What did the riddle say to look for?
The riddle said to look for a golden tree with blue leaves.

4. What did Ruby do when she found the golden tree?
Ruby picked the path going up when she found the golden tree.

5. Who helped Ruby move the big rock?
Ellie, the kind elephant, helped Ruby move the big rock.

6. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
Inside the chest, Ruby found a note that showed her that having friends is the best treasure.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) lived
(2) look
(3) tree
(4) going
(5) asked
(6) riddle
(7) note
(8) best
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (C) Something that is like a fairy tale, where impossible things can happen

2. scroll
Answer: (B) A long piece of paper that you can roll up

3. riddle
Answer: (H) A tricky question that you have to think hard to answer

4. clue
Answer: (J) A hint that helps you find or understand something

5. twisty
Answer: (E) Something that is not straight and has many turns

6. elephant
Answer: (I) A very big animal with a long nose and big ears

7. tortoise
Answer: (A) A slow-moving animal with a hard shell that it can hide inside

8. waterfall
Answer: (D) Water that falls down from very high like a river jumping off a cliff

9. treasure
Answer: (F) Something very special and valuable that is hidden and hard to find

10. adventure
Answer: (G) Going on a trip where you do new things and see new places
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the red panda in the story?
Answer: (a) Ruby

2. What did Ruby find that had a riddle on it?
Answer: (c) Scroll

3. What did the riddle say Ruby should look for?
Answer: (d) Golden tree with blue leaves

4. Who did Ruby ask for help in moving the big rock?
Answer: (c) Ellie the elephant

5. What did Terrance the tortoise know a lot about?
Answer: (d) Riddles

6. What did Ruby find inside the chest?
Answer: (b) Note

7. What did the note inside the chest say?
Answer: (a) Having friends is the best treasure

8. How did Ruby feel at the end of her adventure?
Answer: (b) Very happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Ruby met a kind elephant named Ellie who helped her move a big rock. (Answer: True)
2. Ruby loves playing games and having fun. (Answer: True)
3. Ruby asked the owl and squirrels for help finding the tree. (Answer: True)
4. Ruby found the tree but had to choose between two paths. (Answer: True)
5. The riddle told Ruby to look for a silver tree with green leaves. (Answer: False)
6. One day, Ruby found a regular scroll with a riddle on it. (Answer: False)
7. Ruby discovered that the real treasure was having enemies like Ellie and Terrance. (Answer: False)
8. Ruby is a red fox who lives in an ordinary forest. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Busy Bee

Once upon a time, in a beautiful meadow filled with flowers, there lived a busy little bee named Buzz. Buzz

A little girl named Lily saves her town from darkness by convincing mischievous squirrels to return stolen sunflowers.

The Day the Sun Forgot to Rise

Once upon a time, there was a town that got scared when the sun didn’t come up. A brave girl named Lily found squirrels taking sunflowers, and she told them to put them back. The people in the town planted the flowers again and sang to make the sun come back. They learned that being hopeful is important, and the sun always came up after that day.

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

The Sleepy Snowman

Frosty the snowman takes a nap, but when his carrot nose goes missing, he goes on an adventure to find it with his animal friends.

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.

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