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 Tale of the Turquoise Tortoise

A shy tortoise named Timothy embarks on a thrilling adventure with his animal friends to find a hidden treasure.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, there was a cute turtle named Timothy. He had a shiny blue shell and lived in a magic place. He was very shy but all the other animals liked him and wanted to be his friend.

One day, while walking, Timothy found a feather that said, “Find the treasure!” This made him very happy and he wanted to find it. So, he started to look for the treasure.

On his adventure, he met some friends. There was a clever rabbit, a happy squirrel, and a brave badger. They all went looking for the treasure together.

After a long time, they found a cave with a big box of sparkling treasures! But then, a rock fell and they were all stuck inside. The brave badger dug a tunnel and they got out. Everyone was very happy. They learned that friends are better than treasure. They went home, full of joy and good memories.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1TimothyA name for a boy or a pet
2adventureA fun trip where you do exciting things
3treasureHidden gold, silver, and jewels that pirates or other people look for
4shinyBright and sparkly like little stars
5magicSpecial and wonderful, like in fairy tales
6braveNot scared to do hard things
7featherSoft thing that comes from a bird
8squirrelA small animal with a big bushy tail that climbs trees
9caveA big hole in the ground or side of a mountain
10memoriesThings you remember from before, like your last birthday party

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What color was Timothy’s shell?
3. What did Timothy find that made him happy?
4. Who did Timothy meet on his adventure?
5. What happened when they found the treasure?
6. What did Timothy and his friends learn at the end of the story?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, there was a cute (1)______ named Timothy. He had a shiny (2)______ shell and lived in a magic place. He was very shy but all the other animals liked him and wanted to be his friend.

One day, while walking, Timothy (3)______ a feather that said, “Find the treasure!” This (4)______ him very happy and he wanted to find it. So, he started to look for the treasure.

On his adventure, he met some friends. There was a (5)______ rabbit, a happy squirrel, and a brave badger. They all went looking for the treasure together.

After a (6)______ time, they found a cave with a big box of sparkling treasures! But then, a rock fell and they were all (7)______ inside. The brave badger dug a tunnel and they got out. Everyone was very (8)______. They learned that friends are better than treasure. They went home, full of joy and good memories.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a turtle?
2. How would you feel if you found a treasure?
3. Do you like making new friends? Why or why not?
4. What is a cave?
5. How would you feel if you were stuck inside a cave?
6. Do you think friends are more important than treasure? Why or why not?
7. What is a memory?
8. How would you feel if you went on an adventure with your friends?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Timothy
2. adventure
3. treasure
4. shiny
5. magic
6. brave
7. feather
8. squirrel
9. cave
10. memories

Meanings:
(A) Special and wonderful, like in fairy tales
(B) Things you remember from before, like your last birthday party
(C) A name for a boy or a pet
(D) Bright and sparkly like little stars
(E) Soft thing that comes from a bird
(F) Not scared to do hard things
(G) A small animal with a big bushy tail that climbs trees
(H) A fun trip where you do exciting things
(I) Hidden gold, silver, and jewels that pirates or other people look for
(J) A big hole in the ground or side of a mountain
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the cute turtle?
(a) Thomas
(b) Toby
(c) Tony
(d) Timothy

2. What color was Timothy’s shell?
(a) Red
(b) Green
(c) Blue
(d) Yellow

3. What did Timothy find that said, “Find the treasure!”?
(a) A rock
(b) A feather
(c) A leaf
(d) A flower

4. Who did Timothy meet on his adventure?
(a) A clever rabbit, a happy squirrel, and a brave badger
(b) A funny monkey, a sad elephant, and a scared lion
(c) A big bear, a small bird, and a tall giraffe
(d) A fast cheetah, a slow turtle, and a loud lion

5. What did they find in the cave?
(a) A small bag of shiny coins
(b) A tiny jar of colorful marbles
(c) A big box of sparkling treasures
(d) A huge chest of golden jewels

6. How did they get out of the cave?
(a) They climbed up a ladder
(b) The brave badger dug a tunnel
(c) They flew out with wings
(d) They used a magic spell

7. What did they learn on their adventure?
(a) Friends are better than treasure
(b) Treasure is more important than friends
(c) Money can buy happiness
(d) Adventure is scary and should be avoided

8. How did they feel when they went home?
(a) Sad and disappointed
(b) Angry and frustrated
(c) Tired and bored
(d) Full of joy and good memories

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. They find a mansion with a small box of dull treasures.
2. Timothy is outgoing, but the other animals dislike him and do not want to be his friend.
3. They get trapped outside the cave when a rock falls, but the badger abandons them.
4. Timothy lives in a magic place.
5. Timothy is a turtle with a shiny blue shell.
6. Timothy finds a feather that tells him to ignore the treasure.
7. They learn that having friends is more important than finding treasure.
8. Timothy goes on an adventure with his friends, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a badger.
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 is the main character in the story?
Timothy is the main character in the story.

2. What color was Timothy’s shell?
Timothy’s shell was shiny blue.

3. What did Timothy find that made him happy?
Timothy found a feather that said “Find the treasure!” and it made him happy.

4. Who did Timothy meet on his adventure?
Timothy met a clever rabbit, a happy squirrel, and a brave badger on his adventure.

5. What happened when they found the treasure?
When they found the treasure, a rock fell and they got stuck inside the cave. But the brave badger dug a tunnel and they got out.

6. What did Timothy and his friends learn at the end of the story?
Timothy and his friends learned that friends are better than treasure. They realized that being together and having fun is more important than finding treasure.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) turtle
(2) blue
(3) found
(4) made
(5) clever
(6) long
(7) stuck
(8) happy
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Timothy
Answer: (C) A name for a boy or a pet

2. adventure
Answer: (H) A fun trip where you do exciting things

3. treasure
Answer: (I) Hidden gold, silver, and jewels that pirates or other people look for

4. shiny
Answer: (D) Bright and sparkly like little stars

5. magic
Answer: (A) Special and wonderful, like in fairy tales

6. brave
Answer: (F) Not scared to do hard things

7. feather
Answer: (E) Soft thing that comes from a bird

8. squirrel
Answer: (G) A small animal with a big bushy tail that climbs trees

9. cave
Answer: (J) A big hole in the ground or side of a mountain

10. memories
Answer: (B) Things you remember from before, like your last birthday party
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the cute turtle?
Answer: (d) Timothy

2. What color was Timothy’s shell?
Answer: (c) Blue

3. What did Timothy find that said, “Find the treasure!”?
Answer: (b) A feather

4. Who did Timothy meet on his adventure?
Answer: (a) A clever rabbit, a happy squirrel, and a brave badger

5. What did they find in the cave?
Answer: (c) A big box of sparkling treasures

6. How did they get out of the cave?
Answer: (b) The brave badger dug a tunnel

7. What did they learn on their adventure?
Answer: (a) Friends are better than treasure

8. How did they feel when they went home?
Answer: (d) Full of joy and good memories
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. They find a mansion with a small box of dull treasures. (Answer: False)
2. Timothy is outgoing, but the other animals dislike him and do not want to be his friend. (Answer: False)
3. They get trapped outside the cave when a rock falls, but the badger abandons them. (Answer: False)
4. Timothy lives in a magic place. (Answer: True)
5. Timothy is a turtle with a shiny blue shell. (Answer: True)
6. Timothy finds a feather that tells him to ignore the treasure. (Answer: False)
7. They learn that having friends is more important than finding treasure. (Answer: True)
8. Timothy goes on an adventure with his friends, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a badger. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

The Lazy Lion

Once upon a time, in a beautiful jungle, there lived a lion named Leo. Leo was the laziest lion in

The Busy Bee

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

A fish named Rainbow learns the importance of sharing its unique beauty with others.

The Rainbow Fish’s Journey

Rainbow the fish had shiny scales that no one wanted to share, but with the help of new friends, Rainbow learned to share and make everyone happy.

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.

A young girl named Lily embarks on a daring adventure to find a hidden harbor and discovers that true treasure lies in the simple pleasures of life.

The Hidden Harbor

Lily found a secret harbor and learned that the best treasure is having fun with friends.

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