In a small village, there was a special place where huge, tasty pumpkins grew. Every fall, the people looked forward to picking and using these pumpkins. But one year, a fun-loving squirrel named Sammy had an idea. He wanted to throw a surprise party in the pumpkin patch.

Sammy asked all the animals to come, like birds, rabbits, and wise owls. They all helped make the pumpkin patch into a party place. They tied colorful ribbons on the pumpkins and made seats from straw. Sammy also found a group of mice who played music. It was going to be the best party ever.

As it got dark, the villagers saw weird lights and heard music from the pumpkin patch. They were curious and went to see what was happening. They found the animals having a great time, dancing and singing. There was even a raccoon dancing with a mule! The people laughed when they saw this.

The mayor, Mr. Simmons, was worried about the noise at first. But then he saw that the party brought all the villagers together, having fun, no matter who they were. He smiled, knowing that being together and happy was really important.

From then on, the pumpkin patch was more than just a place for pumpkins. It was a place where everyone felt happy together. Every year, the villagers and animals celebrated there, loving each other and enjoying life’s surprises.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What kind of animal is Sammy?
2. What did Sammy want to do in the pumpkin patch?
3. Who helped Sammy make the pumpkin patch into a party place?
4. What did the villagers see and hear coming from the pumpkin patch?
5. Why did the mayor, Mr. Simmons, worry about the noise at first?
6. What happened to the pumpkin patch after the surprise party?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small village, there was a (1)______ place where huge, tasty pumpkins grew. Every fall, the people (2)______ forward to picking and using these pumpkins. But one year, a fun-loving squirrel named Sammy had an (3)______. He wanted to throw a surprise party in the pumpkin patch.

Sammy asked all the animals to come, like birds, rabbits, and wise owls. They all helped make the (4)______ patch into a party place. They tied colorful (5)______ on the pumpkins and made (6)______ from straw. Sammy also found a group of mice who played music. It was going to be the best party ever.

As it got dark, the villagers saw weird lights and heard music from the pumpkin patch. They were curious and went to see what was happening. They found the animals (7)______ a great time, dancing and singing. There was even a raccoon dancing with a mule! The people laughed when they saw this.

The mayor, Mr. Simmons, was worried about the noise at first. But then he saw that the (8)______ brought all the (9)______ together, having fun, no matter who they were. He (10)______, knowing that being together and (11)______ was really important.

From then on, the pumpkin patch was more than just a place for pumpkins. It was a place where everyone felt happy together. Every (12)______, the villagers and animals celebrated there, loving each other and enjoying life’s surprises.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a pumpkin patch? Why do people like to go there?
2. How would you feel if you were invited to a surprise party in a pumpkin patch? Why?
3. Do you like parties? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the animals did to make the pumpkin patch into a party place?
5. How do you think the villagers felt when they saw the animals having a great time at the party? Why?
6. Do you think it’s important for people to have fun together? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever been to a party where everyone was dancing and singing? How did it make you feel?
8. What surprises have you experienced in your life that made you happy? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. village
2. pumpkins
3. squirrel
4. ribbons
5. straw
6. curious
7. villagers
8. raccoon
9. mayor
10. celebrated
11. important
12. surprises

Meanings:
(A) A furry animal with a mask-like marking on its face, often seen at night
(B) Wanting to know more about something or someone
(C) The leader of a town or city
(D) Had a party or a good time to honor a special event
(E) Long, narrow strips of fabric used for decoration
(F) Something that is very needed or has a lot of value
(G) Dried stalks of grain plants, often used for bedding or feeding animals
(H) Unexpected events or gifts that can be exciting
(I) A small animal with a bushy tail that climbs trees
(J) People who live in a small town or community
(K) Large, round, orange fruits that grow on the ground
(L) A small town or community in the countryside
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What type of party did Sammy want to throw?
(a) Surprise party
(b) Birthday party
(c) Halloween party
(d) Tea party

2. What did the animals use to decorate the pumpkin patch?
(a) Balloons
(b) Colorful ribbons
(c) Streamers
(d) Confetti

3. What kind of music did the mice play?
(a) Classical music
(b) Rock music
(c) Mice played music
(d) Jazz music

4. What did the villagers see and hear coming from the pumpkin patch?
(a) Fireworks and laughter
(b) Silence and darkness
(c) Thunder and rain
(d) Weird lights and music

5. Who was worried about the noise at first?
(a) The mayor
(b) The animals
(c) The villagers
(d) Sammy

6. What did the raccoon dance with?
(a) A squirrel
(b) A bird
(c) A mule
(d) A rabbit

7. What did the mayor realize was important?
(a) Having lots of pumpkins
(b) Being together and happy
(c) Throwing parties
(d) Making noise

8. What did the pumpkin patch become after the party?
(a) A place for scary Halloween decorations
(b) A place for growing pumpkins
(c) A place for quiet and solitude
(d) A place where everyone felt happy together

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Sammy, a lazy squirrel, wanted to cancel the surprise party in the pumpkin patch.
2. Sammy even found a group of mice who played music for the party.
3. The mayor, Mr. Simmons, was initially worried about the noise, but then realized that the party brought everyone together and made them happy.
4. The villagers went to check it out and found the animals dancing and having a great time.
5. Sammy invited all the animals in the village to help him decorate the pumpkin patch for the party.
6. When it got dark, the villagers heard silence and saw no lights coming from the pumpkin patch.
7. In a small village, there was an ordinary place where small, tasteless pumpkins grew.
8. They made the pumpkin patch look dull by removing colorful ribbons from the pumpkins and making seats out of metal.
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. What kind of animal is Sammy?
Sammy is a squirrel.

2. What did Sammy want to do in the pumpkin patch?
Sammy wanted to throw a surprise party in the pumpkin patch.

3. Who helped Sammy make the pumpkin patch into a party place?
The birds, rabbits, wise owls, and mice helped Sammy make the pumpkin patch into a party place.

4. What did the villagers see and hear coming from the pumpkin patch?
The villagers saw weird lights and heard music coming from the pumpkin patch.

5. Why did the mayor, Mr. Simmons, worry about the noise at first?
The mayor, Mr. Simmons, worried about the noise at first because he didn’t know what was happening and thought it might be a problem.

6. What happened to the pumpkin patch after the surprise party?
After the surprise party, the pumpkin patch became more than just a place for pumpkins. It became a place where everyone felt happy together and every year, the villagers and animals celebrated there.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) special
(2) looked
(3) idea
(4) pumpkin
(5) ribbons
(6) seats
(7) having
(8) party
(9) villagers
(10) smiled
(11) happy
(12) year
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. village
Answer: (L) A small town or community in the countryside

2. pumpkins
Answer: (K) Large, round, orange fruits that grow on the ground

3. squirrel
Answer: (I) A small animal with a bushy tail that climbs trees

4. ribbons
Answer: (E) Long, narrow strips of fabric used for decoration

5. straw
Answer: (G) Dried stalks of grain plants, often used for bedding or feeding animals

6. curious
Answer: (B) Wanting to know more about something or someone

7. villagers
Answer: (J) People who live in a small town or community

8. raccoon
Answer: (A) A furry animal with a mask-like marking on its face, often seen at night

9. mayor
Answer: (C) The leader of a town or city

10. celebrated
Answer: (D) Had a party or a good time to honor a special event

11. important
Answer: (F) Something that is very needed or has a lot of value

12. surprises
Answer: (H) Unexpected events or gifts that can be exciting
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What type of party did Sammy want to throw?
Answer: (a) Surprise party

2. What did the animals use to decorate the pumpkin patch?
Answer: (b) Colorful ribbons

3. What kind of music did the mice play?
Answer: (c) Mice played music

4. What did the villagers see and hear coming from the pumpkin patch?
Answer: (d) Weird lights and music

5. Who was worried about the noise at first?
Answer: (a) The mayor

6. What did the raccoon dance with?
Answer: (c) A mule

7. What did the mayor realize was important?
Answer: (b) Being together and happy

8. What did the pumpkin patch become after the party?
Answer: (d) A place where everyone felt happy together
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Sammy, a lazy squirrel, wanted to cancel the surprise party in the pumpkin patch. (Answer: False)
2. Sammy even found a group of mice who played music for the party. (Answer: True)
3. The mayor, Mr. Simmons, was initially worried about the noise, but then realized that the party brought everyone together and made them happy. (Answer: True)
4. The villagers went to check it out and found the animals dancing and having a great time. (Answer: True)
5. Sammy invited all the animals in the village to help him decorate the pumpkin patch for the party. (Answer: True)
6. When it got dark, the villagers heard silence and saw no lights coming from the pumpkin patch. (Answer: False)
7. In a small village, there was an ordinary place where small, tasteless pumpkins grew. (Answer: False)
8. They made the pumpkin patch look dull by removing colorful ribbons from the pumpkins and making seats out of metal. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧