Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Lonely Turtle

A lonely turtle named Timothy embarks on an adventure to find friends and discovers a hidden cove.

Try this story at a different level?

 

There was a turtle named Timothy who lived in a big ocean. He was very lonely because he had no friends. All the other turtles played together without him. Timothy felt sad and left out when he saw this.

One day, Timothy found a shiny magical compass in the water near a coral reef. He was very curious about it. The compass could point to what Timothy wanted most. He hoped it would help him find friends.

Timothy followed the compass on a big adventure. He swam through tough water, dodged stinging jellyfish, and passed cheeky seahorses. Even though it was hard, Timothy didn’t give up because he wanted to find friends.

The compass led Timothy to a secret place where many turtles were playing and laughing together. They welcomed him, and he felt like he belonged there. Timothy was no longer lonely because he had found friends who liked him.

This story shows us that if we are brave and keep trying, we can find true friends. Even when it’s hard and we feel alone, we shouldn’t give up. Just like Timothy, we’ll find our special place with friends who care about us.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1lonelyFeeling sad because you have no friends
2magicalSpecial and can do things that seem impossible
3curiousWanting to know more about something
4adventureA journey with exciting experiences
5toughHard or difficult
6dodgedMoved quickly to avoid something
7cheekyPlayfully rude or teasing
8welcomedGreeted in a friendly way
9belongedFelt like you were in the right place
10braveHaving courage
11compassA tool that shows direction
12secretSomething not known by others

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. Why was Timothy feeling sad and left out?
3. What did Timothy find in the water?
4. What did the compass do?
5. What did Timothy have to do to find friends?
6. How did Timothy feel when he found the secret place with the other turtles?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was a turtle (1)______ Timothy who lived in a big ocean. He was very lonely because he had no friends. All the other turtles played together without him. Timothy felt sad and left out when he saw this.

One day, Timothy found a (2)______ magical (3)______ in the water near a (4)______ reef. He was very curious about it. The compass could point to what Timothy wanted most. He hoped it would help him find friends.

Timothy followed the compass on a big adventure. He (5)______ through tough water, dodged (6)______ jellyfish, and passed cheeky seahorses. Even though it was hard, (7)______ didn’t give up because he wanted to find friends.

The compass led Timothy to a secret place where (8)______ turtles were playing and laughing together. They welcomed him, and he (9)______ like he belonged there. Timothy was no longer lonely because he had (10)______ friends who liked him.

This story shows us that if we are brave and keep (11)______, we can find true friends. Even when it’s hard and we feel alone, we shouldn’t give up. Just like Timothy, we’ll find our (12)______ place with friends who care about us.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a compass? Why do you think Timothy was curious about it?
2. How would you feel if you were Timothy and all the other turtles played together without you? Why or why not?
3. Do you like going on adventures? Why or why not?
4. How do you think Timothy felt when he found the secret place with the other turtles? Why?
5. What do you think the moral of the story is? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever felt lonely? How did you handle it?
7. Do you think it’s important to have friends? Why or why not?
8. What would you do if you found a magical compass like Timothy did? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. lonely
2. magical
3. curious
4. adventure
5. tough
6. dodged
7. cheeky
8. welcomed
9. belonged
10. brave
11. compass
12. secret

Meanings:
(A) Wanting to know more about something
(B) Greeted in a friendly way
(C) Something not known by others
(D) Moved quickly to avoid something
(E) Feeling sad because you have no friends
(F) Felt like you were in the right place
(G) Hard or difficult
(H) A journey with exciting experiences
(I) A tool that shows direction
(J) Having courage
(K) Special and can do things that seem impossible
(L) Playfully rude or teasing
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the turtle in the story?
(a) Thomas
(b) Timothy
(c) Toby
(d) Tyler

2. Why was Timothy feeling sad and left out?
(a) Because he didn’t like playing with other turtles
(b) Because he was too busy to play
(c) Because he had no friends
(d) Because he didn’t like the ocean

3. What did Timothy find in the water near the coral reef?
(a) A treasure chest
(b) A seashell
(c) A fish
(d) A shiny magical compass

4. What did the magical compass do?
(a) It pointed to what Timothy wanted most
(b) It made Timothy swim faster
(c) It helped Timothy find food
(d) It made Timothy invisible

5. What did Timothy have to do to find friends?
(a) Stay at home and wait for friends to come to him
(b) Ask the other turtles to be his friends
(c) Follow the compass on an adventure
(d) Give up and be lonely forever

6. What did Timothy have to go through on his adventure?
(a) Tough water, stinging jellyfish, and cheeky seahorses
(b) Smooth water, friendly dolphins, and colorful coral
(c) Soft sand, gentle waves, and playful dolphins
(d) Deep caves, scary sharks, and fast currents

7. Where did the compass lead Timothy?
(a) To a deserted island with no other turtles
(b) To a dangerous place with sharks and jellyfish
(c) To a deep cave with hidden treasure
(d) To a secret place with many turtles playing and laughing together

8. What lesson does this story teach us?
(a) We should give up when things get hard
(b) If we are brave and keep trying, we can find true friends
(c) Friends are not important
(d) Turtles are better off alone

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Timothy the turtle lived in a big ocean and felt lonely because he had no friends.
2. The other turtles rejected Timothy, and he finally felt like he didn’t belong and hadn’t found friends who liked him.
3. The compass led Timothy to a public place where many turtles were playing and laughing together.
4. Timothy followed the compass on a big adventure, swimming through tough water and avoiding stinging jellyfish and cheeky seahorses.
5. One day, Timothy found a shiny magical compass in the water near a coral reef.
6. Even though it wasn’t difficult, Timothy didn’t give up because he wanted to find friends.
7. The compass couldn’t point to what Timothy wanted most, and he hoped it wouldn’t help him find friends.
8. This story teaches us that if we are brave and keep trying, we can find true friends, even when we feel alone.
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 in the story?
Timothy was the main character in the story.

2. Why was Timothy feeling sad and left out?
Timothy was feeling sad and left out because he had no friends and all the other turtles played together without him.

3. What did Timothy find in the water?
Timothy found a shiny magical compass in the water.

4. What did the compass do?
The compass could point to what Timothy wanted most.

5. What did Timothy have to do to find friends?
Timothy had to follow the compass on a big adventure and swim through tough water to find friends.

6. How did Timothy feel when he found the secret place with the other turtles?
Timothy felt happy and like he belonged when he found the secret place with the other turtles.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) shiny
(3) compass
(4) coral
(5) swam
(6) stinging
(7) Timothy
(8) many
(9) felt
(10) found
(11) trying
(12) special
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. lonely
Answer: (E) Feeling sad because you have no friends

2. magical
Answer: (K) Special and can do things that seem impossible

3. curious
Answer: (A) Wanting to know more about something

4. adventure
Answer: (H) A journey with exciting experiences

5. tough
Answer: (G) Hard or difficult

6. dodged
Answer: (D) Moved quickly to avoid something

7. cheeky
Answer: (L) Playfully rude or teasing

8. welcomed
Answer: (B) Greeted in a friendly way

9. belonged
Answer: (F) Felt like you were in the right place

10. brave
Answer: (J) Having courage

11. compass
Answer: (I) A tool that shows direction

12. secret
Answer: (C) Something not known by others
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the turtle in the story?
Answer: (b) Timothy

2. Why was Timothy feeling sad and left out?
Answer: (c) Because he had no friends

3. What did Timothy find in the water near the coral reef?
Answer: (d) A shiny magical compass

4. What did the magical compass do?
Answer: (a) It pointed to what Timothy wanted most

5. What did Timothy have to do to find friends?
Answer: (c) Follow the compass on an adventure

6. What did Timothy have to go through on his adventure?
Answer: (a) Tough water, stinging jellyfish, and cheeky seahorses

7. Where did the compass lead Timothy?
Answer: (d) To a secret place with many turtles playing and laughing together

8. What lesson does this story teach us?
Answer: (b) If we are brave and keep trying, we can find true friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Timothy the turtle lived in a big ocean and felt lonely because he had no friends. (Answer: True)
2. The other turtles rejected Timothy, and he finally felt like he didn’t belong and hadn’t found friends who liked him. (Answer: False)
3. The compass led Timothy to a public place where many turtles were playing and laughing together. (Answer: False)
4. Timothy followed the compass on a big adventure, swimming through tough water and avoiding stinging jellyfish and cheeky seahorses. (Answer: True)
5. One day, Timothy found a shiny magical compass in the water near a coral reef. (Answer: True)
6. Even though it wasn’t difficult, Timothy didn’t give up because he wanted to find friends. (Answer: False)
7. The compass couldn’t point to what Timothy wanted most, and he hoped it wouldn’t help him find friends. (Answer: False)
8. This story teaches us that if we are brave and keep trying, we can find true friends, even when we feel alone. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 2 stories?

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A princess falls in love with a humble peasant who brings her a plain potato.

The Princess and the Potato

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Penelope who loved potatoes more than anything. Her dad, the king, wanted her to get married, but she didn’t like any of the princes. So, she said she would marry anyone who could bring her another great potato. Many people tried, but only a simple man named Peter succeeded. He showed that being kind and true is more important than fancy things or looks.

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