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 Wizard of the Windy Mountain

A mischievous wizard named Wally uses laughter to defeat a wicked witch and bring joy to a troubled village.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, there was a wizard named Wally. He lived high up on Windy Mountain. Wally liked to make his friends laugh with funny jokes.

One day, his friend Freddy the Falcon sent him a letter. Freddy’s village had a problem because a mean witch made everything crazy. Houses were in the sky, rivers went the wrong way, and people walked funny.

Wally took his magic hat, cape, and a bottle that made people laugh. He flew on his broomstick to the village. He saw cows making cat sounds and people walking sideways.

Wally made the witch laugh with feathers and funny string. When the witch laughed, her magic got weak. The houses came down, rivers went right, and people could walk again. The village was happy because Wally’s laughs helped them. Wally learned that laughing is a kind of magic. It can make things better.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1wizardA person who can do special tricks that most people can’t do
2mountainA very tall hill that touches the clouds
3villageA small place where people live, with houses and roads
4witchA woman in stories who can do special tricks, sometimes not nice ones
5broomstickA stick that you can pretend to fly on, like in stories
6cowsBig animals that give milk and say “moo
7feathersSoft things that come from birds
8magicSpecial tricks that can change things or make things happen
9laughThe sound you make when something is funny
10happyWhen you feel really good and smile a lot

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character of the story?
2. Where did Wally live?
3. What did Freddy the Falcon send to Wally?
4. What was the problem in Freddy’s village?
5. How did Wally make the witch laugh?
6. What did Wally learn about laughing?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a time, there was a wizard named Wally. He lived high up on Windy Mountain. Wally liked to make his friends laugh with funny jokes.

One day, his friend (1)______ the (2)______ sent him a letter. Freddy’s village had a problem because a (3)______ witch made everything crazy. Houses were in the sky, (4)______ went the wrong way, and people walked funny.

Wally took his magic hat, cape, and a bottle that made people laugh. He flew on his broomstick to the (5)______. He saw cows making cat sounds and people walking sideways.

Wally made the witch laugh with feathers and funny string. When the witch (6)______, her magic got weak. The houses came down, rivers went right, and people could (7)______ again. The village was happy because Wally’s laughs helped them. Wally learned that laughing is a kind of magic. It can (8)______ things better.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a wizard?
2. How would you feel if your house was in the sky?
3. Do you like funny jokes? Why or why not?
4. Do you think laughter can make things better? Why or why not?
5. What is a broomstick?
6. How would you feel if you could make people laugh with a bottle?
7. What is a witch?
8. How would you feel if you could fly on a broomstick?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. wizard
2. mountain
3. village
4. witch
5. broomstick
6. cows
7. feathers
8. magic
9. laugh
10. happy

Meanings:
(A) Soft things that come from birds
(B) A woman in stories who can do special tricks, sometimes not nice ones
(C) When you feel really good and smile a lot
(D) A very tall hill that touches the clouds
(E) The sound you make when something is funny
(F) A stick that you can pretend to fly on, like in stories
(G) A person who can do special tricks that most people can’t do
(H) A small place where people live, with houses and roads
(I) Special tricks that can change things or make things happen
(J) Big animals that give milk and say “moo”
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the wizard in the story?
(a) Freddy
(b) Wally
(c) Sherlock
(d) Watson

2. Where did Wally live?
(a) Windy Mountain
(b) Sunny Beach
(c) Rocky Desert
(d) Snowy Forest

3. How did Wally travel to Freddy’s village?
(a) Bicycle
(b) Car
(c) Train
(d) Broomstick

4. What did the mean witch do to the village?
(a) Made everything beautiful
(b) Made everything crazy
(c) Made everything disappear
(d) Made everything big

5. What did Wally use to make the witch laugh?
(a) Rocks and sticks
(b) Flowers and leaves
(c) Feathers and funny string
(d) Books and pencils

6. What happened when the witch laughed?
(a) Her magic got stronger
(b) The village got sadder
(c) The village got angrier
(d) Her magic got weak

7. What happened to the houses in the village?
(a) They went up
(b) They disappeared
(c) They came down
(d) They turned into animals

8. What did Wally learn about laughing?
(a) It can make things better
(b) It can make things worse
(c) It can make things disappear
(d) It can make things bigger

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Wally liked to tell funny jokes and make his friends laugh.
2. Wally’s laughs didn’t help the village, and he learned that laughter is not a kind of magic that can make things better.
3. Wally used a special bottle that made people cry to try and help the village.
4. Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sent him a letter because his village had a problem.
5. Wally made the witch laugh with feathers and funny string, which made her magic weak.
6. A kind witch made everything in Freddy’s village go crazy, like houses in the ground and rivers flowing the right way.
7. There was a wizard named Wally who lived on a very windy mountain.
8. Wally crashed to the village on his broomstick, wearing a regular hat and cape.
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 was the main character of the story?
Wally was the main character of the story.

2. Where did Wally live?
Wally lived on Windy Mountain.

3. What did Freddy the Falcon send to Wally?
Freddy the Falcon sent a letter to Wally.

4. What was the problem in Freddy’s village?
The problem in Freddy’s village was that a mean witch made everything crazy. Houses were in the sky, rivers went the wrong way, and people walked funny.

5. How did Wally make the witch laugh?
Wally made the witch laugh with feathers and funny string.

6. What did Wally learn about laughing?
Wally learned that laughing is a kind of magic. It can make things better.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Freddy
(2) Falcon
(3) mean
(4) rivers
(5) village
(6) laughed
(7) walk
(8) make
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. wizard
Answer: (G) A person who can do special tricks that most people can’t do

2. mountain
Answer: (D) A very tall hill that touches the clouds

3. village
Answer: (H) A small place where people live, with houses and roads

4. witch
Answer: (B) A woman in stories who can do special tricks, sometimes not nice ones

5. broomstick
Answer: (F) A stick that you can pretend to fly on, like in stories

6. cows
Answer: (J) Big animals that give milk and say “moo”

7. feathers
Answer: (A) Soft things that come from birds

8. magic
Answer: (I) Special tricks that can change things or make things happen

9. laugh
Answer: (E) The sound you make when something is funny

10. happy
Answer: (C) When you feel really good and smile a lot
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the wizard in the story?
Answer: (b) Wally

2. Where did Wally live?
Answer: (a) Windy Mountain

3. How did Wally travel to Freddy’s village?
Answer: (d) Broomstick

4. What did the mean witch do to the village?
Answer: (b) Made everything crazy

5. What did Wally use to make the witch laugh?
Answer: (c) Feathers and funny string

6. What happened when the witch laughed?
Answer: (d) Her magic got weak

7. What happened to the houses in the village?
Answer: (c) They came down

8. What did Wally learn about laughing?
Answer: (a) It can make things better
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Wally liked to tell funny jokes and make his friends laugh. (Answer: True)
2. Wally’s laughs didn’t help the village, and he learned that laughter is not a kind of magic that can make things better. (Answer: False)
3. Wally used a special bottle that made people cry to try and help the village. (Answer: False)
4. Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sent him a letter because his village had a problem. (Answer: True)
5. Wally made the witch laugh with feathers and funny string, which made her magic weak. (Answer: True)
6. A kind witch made everything in Freddy’s village go crazy, like houses in the ground and rivers flowing the right way. (Answer: False)
7. There was a wizard named Wally who lived on a very windy mountain. (Answer: True)
8. Wally crashed to the village on his broomstick, wearing a regular hat and cape. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

A determined cat named Fluffy builds a flying contraption and learns the importance of seeking guidance.

Fluffy’s Fantastic Flight

Fluffy the cat wanted to fly, so he made a flying thing, but got lost in the sky. Thankfully, friendly birds helped him come back down safely.

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