Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

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The Talking Teapot

In a small village nestled deep in a magical forest, a little girl named Lily discovers a talking teapot with the power to grant wishes.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a magical forest, there was a village where a girl named Lily lived. She loved the magic in the forest. One day, she found a teapot that could talk! The teapot, named Timothy, said it could make wishes come true for good people.

Lily picked up Timothy the teapot and made a wish. She wished for everyone in her village to never be hungry again. Suddenly, the village was full of food! The people were so happy and thanked Lily for her wish.

A mean witch in the forest heard about Lily and the teapot. She wanted the teapot for herself, so she tricked Lily and took Timothy away. The witch thought she could now make her own wishes come true.

But Timothy was a smart teapot. He tricked the witch and ran away to find Lily. The witch had locked Lily up, but together they were smarter than the witch. They beat her and set the village free from her bad spells.

After the witch was gone, the creatures of the forest helped to make sure she never came back. Everyone in the village celebrated and called Lily a hero. The villagers learned to make good wishes like Lily did. And that’s how the forest became a place full of kind people and magic.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1magicalSomething that is full of mystery and seems to use special powers
2teapotA container with a spout, handle, and lid, used for making and pouring tea
3wishesHopes or requests for something to happen
4villageA small community or group of houses in a rural area
5trickedFooled someone to get what you want
6smartHaving a quick-thinking and clever mind
7creaturesAnimals or beings that are not human
8celebratedHad a party because something good happened
9heroA person who is admired for doing something very brave or great
10spellsMagic words or actions that are supposed to change things
11kindNice and caring towards others
12lockedShut in a room or space with a door that is fastened

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What did Lily find in the forest?
3. What did Lily wish for with the teapot?
4. What did the mean witch do to Lily and the teapot?
5. How did Lily and Timothy outsmart the witch?
6. What happened to the village after the witch was defeated?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a magical forest, there was a village where a girl named Lily lived. She loved the magic in the forest. One day, she found a (1)______ that could talk! The teapot, named (2)______, said it could make wishes come true for good (3)______.

Lily picked up Timothy the teapot and made a wish. She wished for everyone in her village to never be hungry again. Suddenly, the village was full of (4)______! The people were so happy and (5)______ Lily for her wish.

A mean witch in the forest heard about Lily and the teapot. She wanted the teapot for herself, so she tricked Lily and (6)______ Timothy away. The witch thought she could now make her own (7)______ come (8)______.

But Timothy was a smart teapot. He tricked the witch and ran away to find Lily. The witch had locked Lily up, but together they were (9)______ than the witch. They beat her and set the village free from her bad spells.

After the witch was gone, the creatures of the forest helped to make sure she never (10)______ back. Everyone in the village celebrated and called (11)______ a hero. The villagers learned to make good wishes like Lily did. And that’s how the forest became a place (12)______ of kind people and magic.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a teapot?
2. How would you feel if you found a talking teapot?
3. Do you like the idea of making wishes come true? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the mean witch wanted the teapot for?
5. How do you think Lily and Timothy tricked the witch?
6. Do you think it’s important to help others and make good wishes? Why or why not?
7. What do you think the creatures of the forest did to make sure the witch never came back?
8. How would you feel if you were called a hero like Lily?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. magical
2. teapot
3. wishes
4. village
5. tricked
6. smart
7. creatures
8. celebrated
9. hero
10. spells
11. kind
12. locked

Meanings:
(A) Animals or beings that are not human
(B) Nice and caring towards others
(C) Having a quick-thinking and clever mind
(D) Fooled someone to get what you want
(E) Shut in a room or space with a door that is fastened
(F) Hopes or requests for something to happen
(G) A small community or group of houses in a rural area
(H) Magic words or actions that are supposed to change things
(I) Had a party because something good happened
(J) A container with a spout, handle, and lid, used for making and pouring tea
(K) Something that is full of mystery and seems to use special powers
(L) A person who is admired for doing something very brave or great
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Lily find in the magical forest?
(a) A magical wand
(b) A talking teapot
(c) A hidden treasure
(d) A secret door

2. What did Lily wish for with the teapot?
(a) For her village to become rich
(b) For everyone in her village to never be hungry again
(c) For her own magical powers
(d) For the forest to disappear

3. Who took the teapot away from Lily?
(a) A mean witch
(b) A friendly fairy
(c) A mischievous gnome
(d) A talking tree

4. How did Timothy the teapot trick the witch?
(a) He turned into a powerful wizard
(b) He made the witch fall asleep
(c) He escaped and ran away to find Lily
(d) He granted all of the witch’s wishes

5. What did the villagers think of Lily after defeating the witch?
(a) They were angry at her
(b) They were jealous of her
(c) They called her a hero
(d) They didn’t believe her story

6. How did the creatures of the forest help ensure the witch never returned?
(a) They used their magic to create a protective barrier
(b) They chased the witch out of the forest
(c) They destroyed all of the witch’s potions and spells
(d) They captured the witch and locked her up

7. What did the villagers learn from Lily?
(a) To be mean and selfish
(b) To hide their magical abilities
(c) To stay away from the forest
(d) To make good wishes

8. What did the forest become after the defeat of the witch?
(a) A dark and scary place
(b) A forbidden area for villagers
(c) A place without any magic at all
(d) A place full of kind people and magic

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Together, Lily and Timothy defeated the witch and freed the village from her spells.
2. Lily found a silent teapot named Timothy that could grant wishes.
3. A kind witch heard about Lily and the teapot and wanted it for herself.
4. The witch persuaded Lily and took Timothy away, thinking she could make her own wishes.
5. Timothy outsmarted the witch and ran away to find Lily.
6. Lily made a wish for her village to always be hungry again, and it came true.
7. Lily lived in a village in a magical forest and loved the magic there.
8. The creatures of the forest helped ensure the witch would never return, and the village celebrated Lily as a hero.
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?
Lily is the main character in the story.

2. What did Lily find in the forest?
Lily found a talking teapot named Timothy in the forest.

3. What did Lily wish for with the teapot?
Lily wished for everyone in her village to never be hungry again.

4. What did the mean witch do to Lily and the teapot?
The mean witch tricked Lily and took the teapot away from her.

5. How did Lily and Timothy outsmart the witch?
Lily and Timothy outsmarted the witch by tricking her and running away to find each other.

6. What happened to the village after the witch was defeated?
After the witch was defeated, the village celebrated and became a place full of kind people and magic.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) teapot
(2) Timothy
(3) people
(4) food
(5) thanked
(6) took
(7) wishes
(8) true
(9) smarter
(10) came
(11) Lily
(12) full
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. magical
Answer: (K) Something that is full of mystery and seems to use special powers

2. teapot
Answer: (J) A container with a spout, handle, and lid, used for making and pouring tea

3. wishes
Answer: (F) Hopes or requests for something to happen

4. village
Answer: (G) A small community or group of houses in a rural area

5. tricked
Answer: (D) Fooled someone to get what you want

6. smart
Answer: (C) Having a quick-thinking and clever mind

7. creatures
Answer: (A) Animals or beings that are not human

8. celebrated
Answer: (I) Had a party because something good happened

9. hero
Answer: (L) A person who is admired for doing something very brave or great

10. spells
Answer: (H) Magic words or actions that are supposed to change things

11. kind
Answer: (B) Nice and caring towards others

12. locked
Answer: (E) Shut in a room or space with a door that is fastened
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Lily find in the magical forest?
Answer: (b) A talking teapot

2. What did Lily wish for with the teapot?
Answer: (b) For everyone in her village to never be hungry again

3. Who took the teapot away from Lily?
Answer: (a) A mean witch

4. How did Timothy the teapot trick the witch?
Answer: (c) He escaped and ran away to find Lily

5. What did the villagers think of Lily after defeating the witch?
Answer: (c) They called her a hero

6. How did the creatures of the forest help ensure the witch never returned?
Answer: (a) They used their magic to create a protective barrier

7. What did the villagers learn from Lily?
Answer: (d) To make good wishes

8. What did the forest become after the defeat of the witch?
Answer: (d) A place full of kind people and magic
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Together, Lily and Timothy defeated the witch and freed the village from her spells. (Answer: True)
2. Lily found a silent teapot named Timothy that could grant wishes. (Answer: False)
3. A kind witch heard about Lily and the teapot and wanted it for herself. (Answer: False)
4. The witch persuaded Lily and took Timothy away, thinking she could make her own wishes. (Answer: False)
5. Timothy outsmarted the witch and ran away to find Lily. (Answer: True)
6. Lily made a wish for her village to always be hungry again, and it came true. (Answer: False)
7. Lily lived in a village in a magical forest and loved the magic there. (Answer: True)
8. The creatures of the forest helped ensure the witch would never return, and the village celebrated Lily as a hero. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 2 stories?

Amy and the Magic Book

Amy found a magical book that let her make anything she wanted, but she realized that the real world is already full of wonder.

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

The Sleepy Snowman

Frosty the snowman loves to sleep, but when his carrot nose goes missing, he goes on an adventure to find it and learns about friendship along the way.

Lily discovers a hidden door in the enchanted forest and befriends a sparkling fairy named Hazel.

The Fairy’s Secret

Lily loved fairy tales and one day she found a tiny door in the forest. She met a fairy named Hazel who invited her to a fairy dance. But a grumpy gnome named Grumpyboots wanted to cause trouble. Lily and the fairies joined their magic to stop him. Grumpyboots learned his lesson and became a happy gnome. Lily stayed kind and the fairies kept dancing in the moonlight.

Four friends embark on a magical adventure, only to discover that the real treasure is their friendship.

The Four Leaf Clover Quest

Four friends go on an adventure to find a special clover that grants wishes, but learn that friendship is the real magic.

Three best friends discover the joy of unexpected surprises while competing in a hot chocolate tasting.

The Hot Chocolate Mystery

Max, Ben, and Mia have a hot chocolate competition, but Max’s mom plays a funny prank on him by switching their cups.