Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Tale of the Tangerine Tiger

A unique tiger with tangerine stripes leads his animal friends on a quest for a magical fruit, only to discover that true magic lies in friendship and laughter.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a big, green jungle, there was a tiger with stripes like an orange. He was named the Tangerine Tiger. This tiger was different from the others and was very shy. He loved to walk around the jungle and look at the plants. The other animals thought his orange stripes were very cool!

One day, the Tangerine Tiger heard monkeys talking about a special fruit in the jungle. This fruit was said to give anyone who ate it a magical power. The Tiger got excited and decided to go with his friends to find this fruit.

Their journey was tough and full of problems. They had to get past thick vines, slippery mud, and even squirrels that wanted the fruit. Sometimes they felt like giving up, but the Tangerine Tiger kept jumping and making jokes, and this made everyone feel better.

They found the fruit in a place with lots of light. The Tiger tried to pick it but dropped it, and it rolled away. He ran after it, with his friends following. During the chase, he realized the fruit wasn’t magic after all. The real magic was the fun and friendship they had on their adventure.

They all went home happy, understanding that friendship and fun times are more magical than any fruit. The Tangerine Tiger became famous in the jungle for bringing everyone together. They knew whenever a new adventure started, they would be ready because of the laughter and brave hearts they shared.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1jungleA place with lots of trees and plants where wild animals live
2shyFeeling nervous or uncomfortable around other people
3magicalHaving special powers that can do amazing things
4journeyA trip from one place to another
5toughHard to do or deal with
6vinesLong, twisty plants that grow up trees
7slipperySmooth and wet, making it easy to slide and fall
8squirrelsSmall animals with bushy tails that climb trees
9chaseRunning after someone or something
10adventureAn exciting experience or trip
11famousKnown by many people
12laughterThe sound you make when something is funny

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What color were the Tangerine Tiger’s stripes?
2. Why did the Tiger want to find the special fruit?
3. What were some of the problems they faced on their journey?
4. How did the Tangerine Tiger make everyone feel better?
5. What did they realize about the fruit during the chase?
6. Why did the Tangerine Tiger become famous in the jungle?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a big, green jungle, there was a tiger with stripes like an (1)______. He was named the Tangerine (2)______. This tiger was different from the (3)______s and was very shy. He loved to walk around the jungle and look at the plants. The other animals thought his orange stripes were very cool!

One day, the Tangerine Tiger heard monkeys talking about a special fruit in the jungle. This fruit was (4)______ to give anyone who ate it a magical power. The Tiger got (5)______ and decided to go with his friends to find this fruit.

Their journey was tough and full of problems. They had to get past thick vines, slippery mud, and even squirrels that wanted the fruit. Sometimes they felt like (6)______ up, but the Tangerine Tiger kept jumping and making jokes, and this made everyone feel better.

They found the (7)______ in a place with lots of light. The Tiger tried to (8)______ it but dropped it, and it rolled away. He ran after it, with his (9)______ following. During the chase, he realized the fruit wasn’t magic after all. The real magic was the fun and friendship they had on their (10)______.

They all went home happy, understanding that friendship and fun times are more magical than any fruit. The Tangerine Tiger became famous in the jungle for bringing everyone together. They (11)______ whenever a new adventure started, they would be ready because of the laughter and (12)______ hearts they shared.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a jungle? Have you ever been to a jungle? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you saw a tiger with orange stripes? Why?
3. Do you like going on adventures? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the special fruit in the story looked like? Why?
5. How do you think the Tangerine Tiger felt when he realized the fruit wasn’t magic? Why?
6. Do you think friendship is more important than having special powers? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a friend who made you feel better when you were sad or tired? Tell us about it.
8. If you could go on an adventure with the Tangerine Tiger, what would you want to do? Why?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. jungle
2. shy
3. magical
4. journey
5. tough
6. vines
7. slippery
8. squirrels
9. chase
10. adventure
11. famous
12. laughter

Meanings:
(A) Long, twisty plants that grow up trees
(B) Feeling nervous or uncomfortable around other people
(C) An exciting experience or trip
(D) Having special powers that can do amazing things
(E) Hard to do or deal with
(F) Running after someone or something
(G) Smooth and wet, making it easy to slide and fall
(H) Small animals with bushy tails that climb trees
(I) The sound you make when something is funny
(J) A trip from one place to another
(K) Known by many people
(L) A place with lots of trees and plants where wild animals live
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the tiger in the story?
(a) Orange Tiger
(b) Striped Tiger
(c) Tangerine Tiger
(d) Shy Tiger

2. What did the other animals think of the Tangerine Tiger’s stripes?
(a) They thought they were cool
(b) They thought they were scary
(c) They thought they were boring
(d) They thought they were ugly

3. What did the Tangerine Tiger hear the monkeys talking about?
(a) A secret treasure
(b) A hidden cave
(c) A special fruit
(d) A dangerous animal

4. Why did the Tangerine Tiger decide to go find the special fruit?
(a) It was said to be delicious
(b) It was said to be rare
(c) It was said to be beautiful
(d) It was said to give magical powers

5. What were some of the problems the Tiger and his friends faced on their journey?
(a) Deep water, tall trees, and bees
(b) High mountains, strong winds, and snakes
(c) Hot sun, dry sand, and spiders
(d) Thick vines, slippery mud, and squirrels

6. What did the Tangerine Tiger do to keep everyone’s spirits up during the journey?
(a) He sang songs and danced
(b) He made jokes and jumped around
(c) He told scary stories and hid
(d) He cooked food and shared it

7. Where did they find the special fruit?
(a) In a dark cave
(b) In a place with lots of light
(c) Underneath a waterfall
(d) On top of a tall tree

8. What did the Tangerine Tiger realize about the fruit during the chase?
(a) It wasn’t magic after all
(b) It was too dangerous to eat
(c) It was too heavy to carry
(d) It was too small to see

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. In the end, they realized that the counterfeit magic was the friendship and fun they had together, and that was less important than any fruit.
2. The other animals in the jungle thought the Tangerine Tiger’s orange stripes were uncool.
3. The Tangerine Tiger had orange stripes that made him stand out from the other tigers in the jungle.
4. Along the way, they encountered obstacles like thick vines, slippery mud, and squirrels that wanted the fruit.
5. The Tangerine Tiger heard about an ordinary fruit in the jungle that was rumored to have magical powers.
6. The Tangerine Tiger loved exploring the jungle and looking at all the different plants.
7. The Tangerine Tiger and his friends went on a difficult journey to find this magical fruit.
8. The Tangerine Tiger’s jokes and positive attitude hindered everyone’s motivation during their adventure.
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 color were the Tangerine Tiger’s stripes?
The Tangerine Tiger’s stripes were orange.

2. Why did the Tiger want to find the special fruit?
The Tiger wanted to find the special fruit because it was said to give anyone who ate it a magical power.

3. What were some of the problems they faced on their journey?
Some of the problems they faced on their journey were thick vines, slippery mud, and squirrels that wanted the fruit.

4. How did the Tangerine Tiger make everyone feel better?
The Tangerine Tiger made everyone feel better by jumping and making jokes.

5. What did they realize about the fruit during the chase?
During the chase, they realized that the fruit wasn’t magic after all.

6. Why did the Tangerine Tiger become famous in the jungle?
The Tangerine Tiger became famous in the jungle because he brought everyone together and made them laugh.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) orange
(2) Tiger
(3) other
(4) said
(5) excited
(6) giving
(7) fruit
(8) pick
(9) friends
(10) adventure
(11) knew
(12) brave
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. jungle
Answer: (L) A place with lots of trees and plants where wild animals live

2. shy
Answer: (B) Feeling nervous or uncomfortable around other people

3. magical
Answer: (D) Having special powers that can do amazing things

4. journey
Answer: (J) A trip from one place to another

5. tough
Answer: (E) Hard to do or deal with

6. vines
Answer: (A) Long, twisty plants that grow up trees

7. slippery
Answer: (G) Smooth and wet, making it easy to slide and fall

8. squirrels
Answer: (H) Small animals with bushy tails that climb trees

9. chase
Answer: (F) Running after someone or something

10. adventure
Answer: (C) An exciting experience or trip

11. famous
Answer: (K) Known by many people

12. laughter
Answer: (I) The sound you make when something is funny
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the tiger in the story?
Answer: (c) Tangerine Tiger

2. What did the other animals think of the Tangerine Tiger’s stripes?
Answer: (a) They thought they were cool

3. What did the Tangerine Tiger hear the monkeys talking about?
Answer: (c) A special fruit

4. Why did the Tangerine Tiger decide to go find the special fruit?
Answer: (d) It was said to give magical powers

5. What were some of the problems the Tiger and his friends faced on their journey?
Answer: (d) Thick vines, slippery mud, and squirrels

6. What did the Tangerine Tiger do to keep everyone’s spirits up during the journey?
Answer: (b) He made jokes and jumped around

7. Where did they find the special fruit?
Answer: (b) In a place with lots of light

8. What did the Tangerine Tiger realize about the fruit during the chase?
Answer: (a) It wasn’t magic after all
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. In the end, they realized that the counterfeit magic was the friendship and fun they had together, and that was less important than any fruit. (Answer: False)
2. The other animals in the jungle thought the Tangerine Tiger’s orange stripes were uncool. (Answer: False)
3. The Tangerine Tiger had orange stripes that made him stand out from the other tigers in the jungle. (Answer: True)
4. Along the way, they encountered obstacles like thick vines, slippery mud, and squirrels that wanted the fruit. (Answer: True)
5. The Tangerine Tiger heard about an ordinary fruit in the jungle that was rumored to have magical powers. (Answer: False)
6. The Tangerine Tiger loved exploring the jungle and looking at all the different plants. (Answer: True)
7. The Tangerine Tiger and his friends went on a difficult journey to find this magical fruit. (Answer: True)
8. The Tangerine Tiger’s jokes and positive attitude hindered everyone’s motivation during their adventure. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

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