Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

Fluffy’s Fantastic Flight

A determined cat named Fluffy builds a flying contraption and learns the importance of seeking guidance.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a small and peaceful town, there was a cute, fluffy cat called Fluffy. Fluffy had a big dream: he wanted to fly in the sky, just like the birds. But Fluffy was a cat and didn’t have any wings. Even so, he was really determined to make his dream come true. He decided he would make something to fly with.

Fluffy worked hard, gathering sticks and pieces of cloth from around town. He put these things together to make his very own flying machine. After many days, Fluffy was ready to test it. He climbed inside and hit a button. The machine started to make noise, and before he knew it, Fluffy was shooting up into the air!

Flying high above the clouds felt amazing to Fluffy. The wind made his fur flutter, and he laughed with happiness. But suddenly, he noticed he was way too high and had no idea how to move the machine or come back down. Fluffy started to feel very scared because he was lost up in the sky.

Just then, a group of seagulls flew by and saw how worried Fluffy was. They decided to help him. They flew next to Fluffy and showed him the way down to a field below. Fluffy was really thankful for their help. He landed safely and made a promise to himself that he’d learn how to control a flying machine before he tried this again.

Fluffy went back to his town, happier than ever. He understood that even though his flying didn’t go exactly as planned, he had learned something important. He became more appreciative of his home and knew it was vital to have the right knowledge before chasing dreams. Fluffy told all the other animals about his journey, encouraging them to dream big. His story became famous in the town, but the biggest thing that everyone remembered was Fluffy’s lesson: to keep chasing dreams and to always accept help from friends.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1peacefulQuiet and calm, without any fighting or noise
2determinedHaving made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it
3gatheringCollecting items from different places
4flutterMoving lightly and quickly; waving
5amazingSo good or surprising it’s hard to believe
6suddenlyHappening quickly and unexpectedly
7worriedFeeling anxious or concerned about something
8thankfulFeeling grateful for something
9safelyIn a way that avoids harm or danger
10appreciativeFeeling grateful and valuing something
11vitalExtremely important and necessary
12knowledgeInformation, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education
13encouragingGiving someone support or confidence; pushing them to do something
14famousKnown by many people
15chasingFollowing or pursuing something or someone with determination

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was Fluffy’s big dream?
2. How did Fluffy make his own flying machine?
3. How did Fluffy feel when he was flying high above the clouds?
4. Why did Fluffy start to feel scared?
5. Who helped Fluffy when he was lost in the sky?
6. What did Fluffy promise himself after his flying adventure?
7. What lesson did Fluffy learn from his journey?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small and peaceful town, there was a cute, (1)______ cat called Fluffy. Fluffy had a big dream: he (2)______ to fly in the sky, just like the birds. But Fluffy was a cat and didn’t have any wings. Even so, he was really determined to make his dream come true. He decided he would make something to fly with.

Fluffy (3)______ hard, gathering sticks and pieces of cloth from around town. He put these (4)______ together to make his very own flying machine. After many days, Fluffy was (5)______ to test it. He (6)______ inside and hit a button. The machine started to make (7)______, and before he knew it, Fluffy was shooting up into the air!

Flying high above the clouds felt amazing to Fluffy. The wind made his fur flutter, and he laughed with (8)______. But suddenly, he noticed he was way too high and had no idea how to move the machine or come back down. Fluffy started to feel very scared because he was lost up in the sky.

Just then, a (9)______ of (10)______ flew by and saw how worried (11)______ was. They decided to help him. They flew next to Fluffy and showed him the way down to a field below. Fluffy was really thankful for their help. He landed safely and made a promise to himself that he’d (12)______ how to control a flying machine before he tried this again.

Fluffy went back to his town, happier than ever. He understood that even though his flying didn’t go exactly as planned, he had learned something important. He became more appreciative of his home and knew it was vital to have the right knowledge before (13)______ (14)______. Fluffy told all the other animals about his journey, encouraging them to dream big. His story became (15)______ in the town, but the biggest thing that everyone remembered was Fluffy’s lesson: to keep chasing dreams and to always (16)______ help from friends.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a dream? Why do you think it is important to have dreams?
2. How would you feel if you had a big dream but didn’t have the right tools or abilities to achieve it?
3. Do you like trying new things, even if they might not go as planned? Why or why not?
4. What do you think Fluffy learned from his experience of flying in the sky?
5. Do you think it is important to have the right knowledge before pursuing a dream? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever had a dream that seemed impossible to achieve? How did you feel about it?
7. How do you think Fluffy felt when he was lost up in the sky? Have you ever felt lost or scared before? Why or why not?
8. Do you think it is important to accept help from friends when you are facing a difficult situation? Why or why not?
9. Can you think of a time when someone helped you when you were in a tough situation? How did it make you feel?
10. What is one dream that you have for your future? How do you plan to achieve it?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. peaceful
2. determined
3. gathering
4. flutter
5. amazing
6. suddenly
7. worried
8. thankful
9. safely
10. appreciative
11. vital
12. knowledge
13. encouraging
14. famous
15. chasing

Meanings:
(A) Information, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education
(B) In a way that avoids harm or danger
(C) So good or surprising it’s hard to believe
(D) Following or pursuing something or someone with determination
(E) Feeling anxious or concerned about something
(F) Feeling grateful and valuing something
(G) Feeling grateful for something
(H) Known by many people
(I) Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it
(J) Extremely important and necessary
(K) Collecting items from different places
(L) Moving lightly and quickly; waving
(M) Happening quickly and unexpectedly
(N) Giving someone support or confidence; pushing them to do something
(O) Quiet and calm, without any fighting or noise
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the cute, fluffy cat in the story?
(a) Whiskers
(b) Fluffy
(c) Mittens
(d) Paws

2. What was Fluffy’s big dream?
(a) To swim in the ocean
(b) To climb tall trees
(c) To fly in the sky
(d) To dig a deep hole

3. What did Fluffy use to make his flying machine?
(a) Metal and screws
(b) Paper and glue
(c) Plastic and tape
(d) Sticks and pieces of cloth

4. What happened when Fluffy hit the button in his flying machine?
(a) The machine broke down
(b) He shot up into the air
(c) Nothing happened
(d) He fell back to the ground

5. How did Fluffy feel when he was flying high above the clouds?
(a) Amazing and happy
(b) Scared and worried
(c) Bored and tired
(d) Angry and frustrated

6. Who helped Fluffy find his way back down to the ground?
(a) A group of seagulls
(b) A flock of pigeons
(c) A family of squirrels
(d) A pack of dogs

7. What lesson did Fluffy learn from his flying adventure?
(a) To never chase dreams
(b) To always fly alone
(c) To have the right knowledge before chasing dreams
(d) To never accept help from friends

8. What did Fluffy encourage the other animals in the town to do?
(a) Stay at home
(b) Give up on their dreams
(c) Ignore their friends’ help
(d) Dream big

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Fluffy successfully launched his flying machine and soared high above the clouds.
2. The lesson everyone forgot from Fluffy’s journey was to never chase dreams and reject help from friends.
3. Fluffy, the cute and fluffy cat, had a big dream of flying in the sky like birds.
4. Fluffy landed safely in a field with the help of the seagulls and realized the importance of learning how to control a flying machine before trying again.
5. Fluffy returned to his town and shared his story, inspiring others to dream small and despise their home.
6. A group of pigeons noticed Fluffy’s distress and decided to help him find his way back to the ground.
7. Fluffy slacked off and used sticks and cloth to create his own flying machine.
8. Fluffy became scared and lost in the sky because he didn’t know how to control the machine or come back down.
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 was Fluffy’s big dream?
Fluffy’s big dream was to fly in the sky, just like the birds.

2. How did Fluffy make his own flying machine?
Fluffy made his own flying machine by gathering sticks and pieces of cloth from around town and putting them together.

3. How did Fluffy feel when he was flying high above the clouds?
Fluffy felt amazing when he was flying high above the clouds. The wind made his fur flutter and he laughed with happiness.

4. Why did Fluffy start to feel scared?
Fluffy started to feel scared because he realized he was way too high and didn’t know how to control the flying machine or come back down.

5. Who helped Fluffy when he was lost in the sky?
A group of seagulls helped Fluffy when he was lost in the sky. They flew next to him and showed him the way down to a field below.

6. What did Fluffy promise himself after his flying adventure?
Fluffy promised himself that he would learn how to control a flying machine before he tried flying again.

7. What lesson did Fluffy learn from his journey?
Fluffy learned the lesson to always have the right knowledge before chasing dreams and to accept help from friends.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) fluffy
(2) wanted
(3) worked
(4) things
(5) ready
(6) climbed
(7) noise
(8) happiness
(9) group
(10) seagulls
(11) Fluffy
(12) learn
(13) chasing
(14) dreams
(15) famous
(16) accept
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. peaceful
Answer: (O) Quiet and calm, without any fighting or noise

2. determined
Answer: (I) Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it

3. gathering
Answer: (K) Collecting items from different places

4. flutter
Answer: (L) Moving lightly and quickly; waving

5. amazing
Answer: (C) So good or surprising it’s hard to believe

6. suddenly
Answer: (M) Happening quickly and unexpectedly

7. worried
Answer: (E) Feeling anxious or concerned about something

8. thankful
Answer: (G) Feeling grateful for something

9. safely
Answer: (B) In a way that avoids harm or danger

10. appreciative
Answer: (F) Feeling grateful and valuing something

11. vital
Answer: (J) Extremely important and necessary

12. knowledge
Answer: (A) Information, understanding, or skill that you get from experience or education

13. encouraging
Answer: (N) Giving someone support or confidence; pushing them to do something

14. famous
Answer: (H) Known by many people

15. chasing
Answer: (D) Following or pursuing something or someone with determination
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the cute, fluffy cat in the story?
Answer: (b) Fluffy

2. What was Fluffy’s big dream?
Answer: (c) To fly in the sky

3. What did Fluffy use to make his flying machine?
Answer: (d) Sticks and pieces of cloth

4. What happened when Fluffy hit the button in his flying machine?
Answer: (b) He shot up into the air

5. How did Fluffy feel when he was flying high above the clouds?
Answer: (a) Amazing and happy

6. Who helped Fluffy find his way back down to the ground?
Answer: (a) A group of seagulls

7. What lesson did Fluffy learn from his flying adventure?
Answer: (c) To have the right knowledge before chasing dreams

8. What did Fluffy encourage the other animals in the town to do?
Answer: (d) Dream big
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Fluffy successfully launched his flying machine and soared high above the clouds. (Answer: True)
2. The lesson everyone forgot from Fluffy’s journey was to never chase dreams and reject help from friends. (Answer: False)
3. Fluffy, the cute and fluffy cat, had a big dream of flying in the sky like birds. (Answer: True)
4. Fluffy landed safely in a field with the help of the seagulls and realized the importance of learning how to control a flying machine before trying again. (Answer: True)
5. Fluffy returned to his town and shared his story, inspiring others to dream small and despise their home. (Answer: False)
6. A group of pigeons noticed Fluffy’s distress and decided to help him find his way back to the ground. (Answer: False)
7. Fluffy slacked off and used sticks and cloth to create his own flying machine. (Answer: False)
8. Fluffy became scared and lost in the sky because he didn’t know how to control the machine or come back down. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

Penelope, the brave pirate princess, embarks on daring adventures, outsmarting sea monsters, cunning pirates, and even making a wish with a magical Golden Mermaid.

The Pirate Princess

Penelope, the pirate princess, sails the seas, outsmarting monsters, tricking pirates, and finding the true treasure of friendship.

A dragon and a squirrel team up to find an enchanted treasure, but the squirrel has a secret plan.

The Dragon’s Dream

Dillon the dragon, with his special dreaming talent, embarks on a quest for a magical treasure with his new friend Daisy.

A little girl named Lily discovers a jar of magical marmalade that brings everything to life.

The Magical Marmalade

Lily and Bubbles discover that real magic comes from being happy, having friends, and enjoying simple things.

A mischievous monkey disrupts the harmony of Elephant Valley with a powerful crystal, but learns a valuable lesson.

Echo in the Elephant Valley

Elephants in Elephant Valley use their trunks to make amazing echoes, but trouble starts when a monkey finds a shiny crystal that makes the echoes too loud.

The Chocolate Waterfall

Tommy discovers a magical chocolate waterfall, saves the village from a chocolate monster, and becomes a hero.

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