Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Peculiar Purple Pie

A small village is transformed by a baker's magical pies, teaching the importance of sharing.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a small village, there was a baker named Mr. Higgins who made amazing cakes and pastries. One day while making a pie, he mistakenly used purple paint instead of food coloring. He didn’t notice and put the pie in his shop for people to buy.

When the first customer ate the pie, they turned purple and floated into the air! Soon, everyone in the village wanted to try the magical pie. They all had different funny things happen to them, like singing like birds or getting purple curly hair. Mr. Higgins’ mistake made the village very happy.

Mr. Higgins started making more pies with different colors and weird effects. Some made people laugh a lot, turn things into jelly, or even fly! The village was filled with joy and everyone loved going to Mr. Higgins’ bakery for these surprises.

But then, the villagers got greedy. They wanted to keep all the magical pies for themselves and started acting mean. The village wasn’t a happy place anymore. Mr. Higgins saw this and knew he had to do something.

Mr. Higgins told everyone that the real magic was being happy together and sharing. The villagers understood they were wrong to be selfish. After that day, everybody could have pies for free, and they learned to share and be nice. The bakery was special not just for the magical pies, but because it taught everyone about kindness and sharing.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1villageA small town or community in the countryside
2pastriesSweet baked goods, like cookies and cakes
3mistakenlyBy accident, not on purpose
4magicalHaving special powers, like in fairy tales
5floatedGently rising into the air
6effectsChanges that happen because of something else
7greedyWanting more than you need
8meanNot nice, could hurt someone’s feelings
9selfishThinking only about yourself, not caring about others
10bakeryA place where bread and cakes are made and sold
11kindnessBeing friendly and caring about others
12sharingGiving some of what you have to others

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened when Mr. Higgins accidentally used purple paint instead of food coloring in his pie?
2. What were some funny things that happened to the villagers after they ate the magical pie?
3. Why did the villagers start acting mean?
4. What did Mr. Higgins tell the villagers about the real magic?
5. What did the villagers learn after Mr. Higgins talked to them?
6. Why was Mr. Higgins’ bakery special?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small village, there was a baker named Mr. Higgins who made amazing cakes and pastries. One day while (1)______ a pie, he mistakenly used purple paint instead of food coloring. He didn’t notice and put the pie in his (2)______ for (3)______ to buy.

When the first customer ate the pie, they turned purple and floated into the air! Soon, everyone in the village wanted to try the magical pie. They all had (4)______ funny things happen to them, like singing like birds or getting purple curly hair. Mr. Higgins’ mistake made the village very happy.

Mr. Higgins (5)______ making more pies with different (6)______ and weird effects. Some made people laugh a lot, turn things into jelly, or even fly! The village was filled with joy and everyone loved going to Mr. Higgins’ bakery for these (7)______.

But then, the villagers got greedy. They wanted to keep all the magical (8)______ for themselves and started acting (9)______. The village wasn’t a happy place anymore. Mr. Higgins saw this and knew he had to do something.

Mr. Higgins told everyone that the real magic was being happy together and (10)______. The villagers understood they were wrong to be (11)______. After that day, everybody could have pies for free, and they learned to share and be (12)______. The bakery was special not just for the magical pies, but because it taught everyone about kindness and sharing.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite type of cake or pastry? Why?
2. How would you feel if you ate a pie and suddenly started floating in the air? Why?
3. Do you like surprises? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the villagers acting mean and greedy? Why?
5. How do you think Mr. Higgins felt when he saw the villagers being mean to each other? Why?
6. Do you think it’s important to share with others? Why or why not?
7. What is something special that you have learned from a teacher or a book? Why is it important to you?
8. If you had a magical power, what would it be and why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. village
2. pastries
3. mistakenly
4. magical
5. floated
6. effects
7. greedy
8. mean
9. selfish
10. bakery
11. kindness
12. sharing

Meanings:
(A) Giving some of what you have to others
(B) Having special powers, like in fairy tales
(C) Sweet baked goods, like cookies and cakes
(D) Thinking only about yourself, not caring about others
(E) Not nice, could hurt someone’s feelings
(F) By accident, not on purpose
(G) A small town or community in the countryside
(H) Wanting more than you need
(I) Being friendly and caring about others
(J) Changes that happen because of something else
(K) Gently rising into the air
(L) A place where bread and cakes are made and sold
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Mr. Higgins mistakenly use in his pie?
(a) Purple paint
(b) Food coloring
(c) Chocolate chips
(d) Vanilla extract

2. What happened to the first customer who ate the pie?
(a) They turned green and shrunk in size
(b) They turned blue and grew wings
(c) They turned purple and floated into the air
(d) They turned red and started singing loudly

3. How did the villagers react to the magical pies?
(a) They wanted to try them and have funny things happen to them
(b) They were scared and avoided the pies
(c) They were angry at Mr. Higgins for making the pies
(d) They didn’t care about the magical pies

4. What did Mr. Higgins do when the villagers started acting mean?
(a) He closed his bakery and stopped making pies
(b) He told them that the real magic was being happy together and sharing
(c) He started charging a lot of money for the magical pies
(d) He made even more magical pies to make the villagers happier

5. Why did the villagers learn to share and be nice?
(a) Because they realized they were wrong to be selfish
(b) Because the magical pies made them happy
(c) Because they were forced to by Mr. Higgins
(d) Because Mr. Higgins taught them about kindness and sharing

6. What made Mr. Higgins’ bakery special?
(a) The magical pies that made people have funny things happen to them
(b) The delicious cakes and pastries he made
(c) The beautiful decorations in the bakery
(d) It taught everyone about kindness and sharing

7. What did the magical pies do to people?
(a) Made them turn into animals
(b) Made them laugh a lot, turn things into jelly, or even fly
(c) Made them invisible
(d) Made them sing like birds

8. How did the villagers feel after they learned to share and be nice?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Happy
(d) Scared

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Mr. Higgins realized the village was still happy and decided not to do anything about it.
2. The villagers became selfish and wanted to keep all the magical pies for themselves.
3. There was a butcher named Mr. Higgins who made dry cakes and pastries in a small village.
4. Mr. Higgins started making less pies with different colors and effects, like making people cry or fall.
5. Mr. Higgins taught the villagers about the importance of hoarding and being unkind, and they all learned their lesson.
6. When people ate the pie, they turned purple and floated into the air.
7. The villagers found the magical pie funny and wanted to try it too.
8. By accident, Mr. Higgins used purple paint instead of food coloring while making a pie.
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 happened when Mr. Higgins accidentally used purple paint instead of food coloring in his pie?
The pie turned people purple and made them float in the air.

2. What were some funny things that happened to the villagers after they ate the magical pie?
Some people started singing like birds, some got purple curly hair, and others laughed a lot.

3. Why did the villagers start acting mean?
They got greedy and wanted to keep all the magical pies for themselves.

4. What did Mr. Higgins tell the villagers about the real magic?
He told them that the real magic was being happy together and sharing.

5. What did the villagers learn after Mr. Higgins talked to them?
They learned that they were wrong to be selfish and that they should share and be nice to each other.

6. Why was Mr. Higgins’ bakery special?
It was special because it taught everyone about kindness and sharing, and they could have pies for free.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) making
(2) shop
(3) people
(4) different
(5) started
(6) colors
(7) surprises
(8) pies
(9) mean
(10) sharing
(11) selfish
(12) nice
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

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

2. pastries
Answer: (C) Sweet baked goods, like cookies and cakes

3. mistakenly
Answer: (F) By accident, not on purpose

4. magical
Answer: (B) Having special powers, like in fairy tales

5. floated
Answer: (K) Gently rising into the air

6. effects
Answer: (J) Changes that happen because of something else

7. greedy
Answer: (H) Wanting more than you need

8. mean
Answer: (E) Not nice, could hurt someone’s feelings

9. selfish
Answer: (D) Thinking only about yourself, not caring about others

10. bakery
Answer: (L) A place where bread and cakes are made and sold

11. kindness
Answer: (I) Being friendly and caring about others

12. sharing
Answer: (A) Giving some of what you have to others
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Mr. Higgins mistakenly use in his pie?
Answer: (a) Purple paint

2. What happened to the first customer who ate the pie?
Answer: (c) They turned purple and floated into the air

3. How did the villagers react to the magical pies?
Answer: (a) They wanted to try them and have funny things happen to them

4. What did Mr. Higgins do when the villagers started acting mean?
Answer: (b) He told them that the real magic was being happy together and sharing

5. Why did the villagers learn to share and be nice?
Answer: (d) Because Mr. Higgins taught them about kindness and sharing

6. What made Mr. Higgins’ bakery special?
Answer: (d) It taught everyone about kindness and sharing

7. What did the magical pies do to people?
Answer: (b) Made them laugh a lot, turn things into jelly, or even fly

8. How did the villagers feel after they learned to share and be nice?
Answer: (c) Happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Mr. Higgins realized the village was still happy and decided not to do anything about it. (Answer: False)
2. The villagers became selfish and wanted to keep all the magical pies for themselves. (Answer: True)
3. There was a butcher named Mr. Higgins who made dry cakes and pastries in a small village. (Answer: False)
4. Mr. Higgins started making less pies with different colors and effects, like making people cry or fall. (Answer: False)
5. Mr. Higgins taught the villagers about the importance of hoarding and being unkind, and they all learned their lesson. (Answer: False)
6. When people ate the pie, they turned purple and floated into the air. (Answer: True)
7. The villagers found the magical pie funny and wanted to try it too. (Answer: True)
8. By accident, Mr. Higgins used purple paint instead of food coloring while making a pie. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 2 stories?

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The Four Leaf Clover Quest

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Embarking on a magical adventure in Vegetable Land, Max discovers that vegetables are superheroes in disguise.

The Voyage to Vegetable Land

Max, a boy who hated vegetables, went on an adventure to Vegetable Land and met talking veggies who changed his mind about healthy food.

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 built a machine, but got scared when he went too high, luckily some seagulls helped him land safely and taught him an important lesson.

Lily conquers the Marshmallow Mountains, learns the secret recipe, and shares everlasting marshmallows with the world.

The Marshmallow Mountains

Lily goes to the Marshmallow Mountains and meets animals who help her find a secret recipe for everlasting marshmallows.

Jack and Emma's lives are forever changed when they discover a tiny dinosaur in an enormous egg.

The Dinosaur Egg

Jack and Emma find a dinosaur egg, but it hatches into a tiny dinosaur named Biscuit.

Maya's wish for endless laughter brings joy and unity to her village, making her the laughter ambassador.

The Mysterious Mango

Maya found a magical mango that made everyone laugh, so she decided to spread laughter everywhere.