Paul Holmes -
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English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Adventures of Clara Cloud

Clara the cloud discovers her purpose in bringing joy and rain to the world.

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There was a happy little cloud named Clara who loved adventures and playing tricks. One day, she saw a rainbow and wanted to see where it ended.

When Clara got close to the ground, she ended up in a big city with lots of cars and tall buildings. She turned into cotton candy to explore, but a young girl caught her and took a bite, which made the girl yell out because it was so yucky.

Clara got free and turned into fog, hiding between the buildings. She found some kids singing and playing music in a park, and she made a cheerful sound too. The children laughed and danced, and everyone was happy.

Clara saw how she could make people happy, so she changed back into a cloud and rained on the city. The rain made the plants grow and cleaned the streets. Everyone was grateful for Clara’s help and the beauty she brought.

Clara decided from then on to spread happiness and not pranks. People began to look up at the sky, hoping to see Clara. She learned that being adventurous meant making others happy, and she kept doing just that, making everyone’s day brighter.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1adventuresExciting experiences or journeys
2tricksClever actions meant to surprise or fool someone
3rainbowA colorful arc in the sky that appears when the sun shines through rain
4exploreTo look around and discover new places
5cotton candyA fluffy, sweet treat that looks like soft wool
6fogA thick cloud that is close to the ground and hard to see through
7cheerfulHappy and full of joy
8gratefulFeeling thankful for something nice that someone has done
9pranksJokes or actions that are meant to be funny but can sometimes annoy others
10adventurousWilling to take risks or try new things
11gratefulFeeling thankful for something nice that someone has done
12brighterShining with more light or looking more lively and happy

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What did Clara turn into when she wanted to explore the big city?
3. What happened when the young girl took a bite of Clara?
4. Where did Clara hide when she turned into fog?
5. What did Clara do when she saw the children singing and playing music in the park?
6. Why did people start looking up at the sky?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was a happy (1)______ cloud (2)______ (3)______ who loved adventures and playing tricks. One day, she saw a rainbow and wanted to see where it ended.

When Clara got close to the ground, she ended up in a big city with lots of cars and tall buildings. She turned into cotton candy to explore, but a young (4)______ caught her and (5)______ a bite, which made the girl (6)______ out because it was so yucky.

Clara got free and turned into fog, hiding between the buildings. She found some kids singing and playing music in a park, and she made a cheerful sound too. The children (7)______ and (8)______, and everyone was happy.

Clara saw how she could make people happy, so she changed back into a cloud and rained on the city. The rain (9)______ the plants grow and cleaned the streets. Everyone was grateful for Clara’s help and the beauty she brought.

Clara decided from then on to spread (10)______ and not pranks. People began to look up at the sky, hoping to see Clara. She (11)______ that being adventurous meant making others happy, and she kept (12)______ just that, making everyone’s day brighter.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an adventure? Do you like going on adventures? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you saw a rainbow and wanted to see where it ended? Why?
3. What is cotton candy? Have you ever tried cotton candy? Did you like it? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you took a bite of something and it tasted yucky? Why?
5. What is fog? Have you ever seen fog? How did it make you feel? Why?
6. How would you feel if you saw kids singing and playing music in a park? Why?
7. Do you like rain? Why or why not? How does rain make you feel?
8. Do you think it’s important to spread happiness? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. adventures
2. tricks
3. rainbow
4. explore
5. cotton candy
6. fog
7. cheerful
8. grateful
9. pranks
10. adventurous
11. grateful
12. brighter

Meanings:
(A) Exciting experiences or journeys
(B) Shining with more light or looking more lively and happy
(C) Feeling thankful for something nice that someone has done
(D) A fluffy, sweet treat that looks like soft wool
(E) A colorful arc in the sky that appears when the sun shines through rain
(F) Happy and full of joy
(G) Feeling thankful for something nice that someone has done
(H) Clever actions meant to surprise or fool someone
(I) To look around and discover new places
(J) A thick cloud that is close to the ground and hard to see through
(K) Willing to take risks or try new things
(L) Jokes or actions that are meant to be funny but can sometimes annoy others
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Clara turn into to explore the city?
(a) Ice cream
(b) Cotton candy
(c) Chocolate
(d) Popcorn

2. What happened when the young girl took a bite of Clara?
(a) The girl yelled out because it was yucky
(b) The girl laughed and danced
(c) The girl turned into a cloud
(d) The girl disappeared

3. Where did Clara hide when she turned into fog?
(a) In the park
(b) Inside a car
(c) On top of a tree
(d) Between the buildings

4. What did Clara do when she saw the kids singing and playing music?
(a) Ran away and hid
(b) Made a cheerful sound too
(c) Started crying
(d) Fell asleep

5. What did Clara turn back into to rain on the city?
(a) A cloud
(b) A rainbow
(c) A bird
(d) A flower

6. What did the rain do for the city?
(a) Made everyone wet and angry
(b) Turned everything into mud
(c) Created a flood
(d) Made the plants grow and cleaned the streets

7. Why did people start looking up at the sky?
(a) Looking for rainbows
(b) Trying to catch cotton candy
(c) Hoping to see Clara
(d) Searching for birds

8. What did Clara learn about being adventurous?
(a) It meant playing tricks on people
(b) It meant exploring dangerous places
(c) It meant making others happy
(d) It meant being alone and sad

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Clara decided to spread happiness instead of playing pranks and continued to make everyone’s day brighter.
2. Clara managed to escape and turned into fog, hiding between the tall buildings.
3. A young girl caught Clara and took a bite of her, and she loved the taste.
4. Clara realized that she could make people sad, so she transformed into a cloud and poured acid on the city.
5. Clara is a cloud who loves going on adventures and playing tricks.
6. Clara discovered some kids singing and playing music in a park and ignored them completely.
7. One day, Clara saw a rainbow and had no interest in finding out where it ended.
8. When Clara got close to the ground, she turned into cotton candy to explore.
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?
The main character in the story is Clara, the happy little cloud.

2. What did Clara turn into when she wanted to explore the big city?
Clara turned into cotton candy when she wanted to explore the big city.

3. What happened when the young girl took a bite of Clara?
When the young girl took a bite of Clara, she found it yucky and yelled out.

4. Where did Clara hide when she turned into fog?
Clara hid between the buildings when she turned into fog.

5. What did Clara do when she saw the children singing and playing music in the park?
When Clara saw the children singing and playing music in the park, she made a cheerful sound and joined in their fun.

6. Why did people start looking up at the sky?
People started looking up at the sky because they wanted to see Clara and the happiness she brought.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) little
(2) named
(3) Clara
(4) girl
(5) took
(6) yell
(7) laughed
(8) danced
(9) made
(10) happiness
(11) learned
(12) doing
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. adventures
Answer: (A) Exciting experiences or journeys

2. tricks
Answer: (H) Clever actions meant to surprise or fool someone

3. rainbow
Answer: (E) A colorful arc in the sky that appears when the sun shines through rain

4. explore
Answer: (I) To look around and discover new places

5. cotton candy
Answer: (D) A fluffy, sweet treat that looks like soft wool

6. fog
Answer: (J) A thick cloud that is close to the ground and hard to see through

7. cheerful
Answer: (F) Happy and full of joy

8. grateful
Answer: (C) Feeling thankful for something nice that someone has done

9. pranks
Answer: (L) Jokes or actions that are meant to be funny but can sometimes annoy others

10. adventurous
Answer: (K) Willing to take risks or try new things

11. grateful
Answer: (C) Feeling thankful for something nice that someone has done

12. brighter
Answer: (B) Shining with more light or looking more lively and happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Clara turn into to explore the city?
Answer: (b) Cotton candy

2. What happened when the young girl took a bite of Clara?
Answer: (a) The girl yelled out because it was yucky

3. Where did Clara hide when she turned into fog?
Answer: (d) Between the buildings

4. What did Clara do when she saw the kids singing and playing music?
Answer: (b) Made a cheerful sound too

5. What did Clara turn back into to rain on the city?
Answer: (a) A cloud

6. What did the rain do for the city?
Answer: (d) Made the plants grow and cleaned the streets

7. Why did people start looking up at the sky?
Answer: (c) Hoping to see Clara

8. What did Clara learn about being adventurous?
Answer: (c) It meant making others happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Clara decided to spread happiness instead of playing pranks and continued to make everyone’s day brighter. (Answer: True)
2. Clara managed to escape and turned into fog, hiding between the tall buildings. (Answer: True)
3. A young girl caught Clara and took a bite of her, and she loved the taste. (Answer: False)
4. Clara realized that she could make people sad, so she transformed into a cloud and poured acid on the city. (Answer: False)
5. Clara is a cloud who loves going on adventures and playing tricks. (Answer: True)
6. Clara discovered some kids singing and playing music in a park and ignored them completely. (Answer: False)
7. One day, Clara saw a rainbow and had no interest in finding out where it ended. (Answer: False)
8. When Clara got close to the ground, she turned into cotton candy to explore. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

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