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!

Midnight at the Museum of Magic

Lily discovers the true magic lies within her heart, teaching her the importance of responsibility.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a small town there was a special museum all about magic. It looked like any other museum during the day with old items and cool magic stuff. But at night, when the moon was out and it was midnight, the museum changed. All the displays and things in the museum came to life!

One night, a girl named Lily who loved magic, sneaked in with a lot of curiosity. Right when it hit midnight, a toy rabbit hopped down and talked to her. “Welcome, Lily, to the Midnight at the Museum of Magic! Follow me!” said the rabbit. Lily smiled big and went with the rabbit through a hidden door.

They went into a room that was super sparkly and full of magic. They stopped at a cabinet that was locked. The rabbit gave Lily a gold key and told her, “Open the cabinet with this key and get the magic wand. This is the museum’s biggest secret.”

Lily was nervous but used the key to open the cabinet. Inside was a beautiful wand with purple sparkles. When she picked it up, she felt strong and powerful. The wand spoke to her, “This wand can make dreams come true.”

Lily got really excited and waved the wand just to try. Suddenly, lots of blue butterflies appeared and started flying everywhere, making a big mess with the magic items. Lily used the wand to get the butterflies back to where they belonged and stop the chaos.

Lily realized she had to be careful with magic. She used the wand’s power to fix up the room and put everything back the way it was. When the clock said one, the museum went back to normal and Lily found herself outside holding the wand.

Lily was smiling because she now knew that the true magic was inside her, not just in the wand or museum. She learned that having power means you have to be responsible. Lily decided to use her magic to help people and make them happy.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1museumA place where important or interesting things are kept and shown to the public
2displaysThe things put in a show for people to look at
3curiosityWanting to know about something or learn about it
4cabinetA piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or showing things
5sparklyShiny with tiny points of flashing light, like stars
6nervousFeeling anxious or worried about something that is happening or might happen
7powerfulHaving a lot of strength or force; very strong
8chaosComplete disorder and confusion
9butterfliesInsects with thin bodies and four large, often brightly colored wings
10wandA thin stick that, in stories, is used for doing magic
11responsibleHaving the job of taking care of something or someone
12sneakedMoved quietly and carefully to avoid being seen or heard
13midnightThe middle of the night, 12 o’clock at night
14magicThe art of performing tricks that seem impossible, often used for entertainment
15realizedUnderstood something clearly for the first time

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the museum at midnight?
2. Why did Lily sneak into the museum?
3. What did the toy rabbit say to Lily?
4. What did Lily find inside the locked cabinet?
5. What happened when Lily waved the wand?
6. How did Lily fix the chaos caused by the butterflies?
7. What did Lily learn about magic and power?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ town there was a special (2)______ all about magic. It looked like any other museum during the day with old items and cool magic stuff. But at (3)______, when the moon was out and it was (4)______, the museum changed. All the displays and things in the museum came to life!

One night, a girl named Lily who loved magic, sneaked in with a lot of curiosity. Right when it hit midnight, a toy rabbit hopped down and talked to her. “Welcome, Lily, to the Midnight at the (5)______ of Magic! (6)______ me!” said the (7)______. Lily smiled big and went with the rabbit through a hidden door.

They went into a room that was super sparkly and full of (8)______. They stopped at a cabinet that was locked. The rabbit gave Lily a gold key and told her, “Open the cabinet with this key and get the magic wand. This is the museum’s biggest secret.”

Lily was nervous but used the key to open the cabinet. Inside was a beautiful wand with (9)______ sparkles. When she picked it up, she felt strong and powerful. The wand spoke to her, “This wand can make dreams come true.”

Lily got really excited and waved the wand just to try. Suddenly, lots of blue (10)______ appeared and (11)______ flying everywhere, (12)______ a big mess with the magic items. Lily used the wand to get the butterflies back to where they belonged and stop the chaos.

Lily realized she had to be (13)______ with magic. She used the wand’s power to fix up the room and put everything back the way it was. When the clock said one, the museum went back to normal and Lily (14)______ herself outside holding the wand.

Lily was (15)______ because she now knew that the true magic was inside her, not just in the wand or museum. She learned that (16)______ power means you have to be responsible. Lily decided to use her magic to help people and make them happy.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a museum? Why do people go to museums?
2. How would you feel if you could visit a museum at midnight and see all the exhibits come to life?
3. Do you like magic? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it would be like to have a talking toy rabbit as a guide?
5. How would you feel if you were given a magic wand that could make dreams come true?
6. Do you think it’s important to be careful with magic? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think Lily used the wand to fix the chaos caused by the butterflies?
8. How do you think Lily felt when she realized that the true magic was inside her?
9. What would you do if you had a magic wand? How would you use it to help people?
10. Why do you think Lily decided to use her magic to make people happy?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. museum
2. displays
3. curiosity
4. cabinet
5. sparkly
6. nervous
7. powerful
8. chaos
9. butterflies
10. wand
11. responsible
12. sneaked
13. midnight
14. magic
15. realized

Meanings:
(A) Understood something clearly for the first time
(B) The art of performing tricks that seem impossible, often used for entertainment
(C) Shiny with tiny points of flashing light, like stars
(D) Feeling anxious or worried about something that is happening or might happen
(E) Complete disorder and confusion
(F) Having a lot of strength or force; very strong
(G) A thin stick that, in stories, is used for doing magic
(H) Moved quietly and carefully to avoid being seen or heard
(I) Insects with thin bodies and four large, often brightly colored wings
(J) Having the job of taking care of something or someone
(K) Wanting to know about something or learn about it
(L) A piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or showing things
(M) A place where important or interesting things are kept and shown to the public
(N) The things put in a show for people to look at
(O) The middle of the night, 12 o’clock at night
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happens to the museum at midnight?
(a) The museum closes for the night
(b) The lights turn off
(c) The museum transforms into a different building
(d) All the displays and things come to life

2. Who does Lily meet in the museum?
(a) A talking toy rabbit
(b) A friendly ghost
(c) A mischievous fairy
(d) A wise old wizard

3. What does the rabbit give Lily?
(a) A secret map
(b) A magic potion
(c) A gold key
(d) A special necklace

4. What is inside the locked cabinet?
(a) A magic wand
(b) A treasure chest
(c) A crystal ball
(d) A spell book

5. What happens when Lily picks up the wand?
(a) She turns invisible
(b) She starts floating in the air
(c) She shrinks in size
(d) She feels strong and powerful

6. What does Lily accidentally create with the wand?
(a) Red roses
(b) Blue butterflies
(c) Yellow birds
(d) Green frogs

7. How does Lily use the wand to fix the chaos?
(a) She waves the wand and everything disappears
(b) She directs the butterflies back to their places
(c) She casts a spell to clean up the mess
(d) She asks the wand to rewind time

8. What does Lily learn about magic?
(a) That magic is dangerous and should be avoided
(b) That magic can solve all problems
(c) That true magic comes from within
(d) That magic is only for special people

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. She slowly learns to use the wand’s power irresponsibly and exacerbates the mess she created.
2. Lily realizes that true magic comes from within and decides to use her powers to help others and bring happiness.
3. The museum in the small town is dedicated to magic and comes to life at midnight.
4. Inside the cabinet, Lily finds an ugly wand that can make nightmares come true.
5. At one o’clock, the museum returns to its normal state and Lily finds herself outside with the wand.
6. Disappointed, Lily purposefully causes order by banishing blue butterflies with the wand.
7. Lily, a girl who hates magic, openly enters the museum one night and is ignored by a motionless toy rabbit.
8. The rabbit leads Lily to a sparkly room and instructs her to open a locked cabinet with a gold key.
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 to the museum at midnight?
At midnight, the museum came to life and all the displays and items in the museum became animated.

2. Why did Lily sneak into the museum?
Lily sneaked into the museum because she was curious and had a love for magic.

3. What did the toy rabbit say to Lily?
The toy rabbit welcomed Lily to the Midnight at the Museum of Magic and asked her to follow him.

4. What did Lily find inside the locked cabinet?
Inside the locked cabinet, Lily found a beautiful wand with purple sparkles.

5. What happened when Lily waved the wand?
When Lily waved the wand, a bunch of blue butterflies appeared and started flying around, causing chaos and making a mess.

6. How did Lily fix the chaos caused by the butterflies?
Lily used the wand’s power to gather the butterflies and put them back where they belonged, and then she used the wand to fix up the room and put everything back in order.

7. What did Lily learn about magic and power?
Lily learned that magic and power come with responsibility. She realized that the true magic was inside her and that she needed to use her power to help others and make them happy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) small
(2) museum
(3) night
(4) midnight
(5) Museum
(6) Follow
(7) rabbit
(8) magic
(9) purple
(10) butterflies
(11) started
(12) making
(13) careful
(14) found
(15) smiling
(16) having
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. museum
Answer: (M) A place where important or interesting things are kept and shown to the public

2. displays
Answer: (N) The things put in a show for people to look at

3. curiosity
Answer: (K) Wanting to know about something or learn about it

4. cabinet
Answer: (L) A piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing or showing things

5. sparkly
Answer: (C) Shiny with tiny points of flashing light, like stars

6. nervous
Answer: (D) Feeling anxious or worried about something that is happening or might happen

7. powerful
Answer: (F) Having a lot of strength or force; very strong

8. chaos
Answer: (E) Complete disorder and confusion

9. butterflies
Answer: (I) Insects with thin bodies and four large, often brightly colored wings

10. wand
Answer: (G) A thin stick that, in stories, is used for doing magic

11. responsible
Answer: (J) Having the job of taking care of something or someone

12. sneaked
Answer: (H) Moved quietly and carefully to avoid being seen or heard

13. midnight
Answer: (O) The middle of the night, 12 o’clock at night

14. magic
Answer: (B) The art of performing tricks that seem impossible, often used for entertainment

15. realized
Answer: (A) Understood something clearly for the first time
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happens to the museum at midnight?
Answer: (d) All the displays and things come to life

2. Who does Lily meet in the museum?
Answer: (a) A talking toy rabbit

3. What does the rabbit give Lily?
Answer: (c) A gold key

4. What is inside the locked cabinet?
Answer: (a) A magic wand

5. What happens when Lily picks up the wand?
Answer: (d) She feels strong and powerful

6. What does Lily accidentally create with the wand?
Answer: (b) Blue butterflies

7. How does Lily use the wand to fix the chaos?
Answer: (b) She directs the butterflies back to their places

8. What does Lily learn about magic?
Answer: (c) That true magic comes from within
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. She slowly learns to use the wand’s power irresponsibly and exacerbates the mess she created. (Answer: False)
2. Lily realizes that true magic comes from within and decides to use her powers to help others and bring happiness. (Answer: True)
3. The museum in the small town is dedicated to magic and comes to life at midnight. (Answer: True)
4. Inside the cabinet, Lily finds an ugly wand that can make nightmares come true. (Answer: False)
5. At one o’clock, the museum returns to its normal state and Lily finds herself outside with the wand. (Answer: True)
6. Disappointed, Lily purposefully causes order by banishing blue butterflies with the wand. (Answer: False)
7. Lily, a girl who hates magic, openly enters the museum one night and is ignored by a motionless toy rabbit. (Answer: False)
8. The rabbit leads Lily to a sparkly room and instructs her to open a locked cabinet with a gold key. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

Humphrey the Hippogriff embarks on a quest to cure his hiccups and discovers the power of laughter.

The Hiccuping Hippogriff

Humphrey the Hippogriff couldn’t stop hiccupping, but with the help of a wise unicorn, he discovered that laughter was the key to curing his hiccups and spreading joy to others.

A lonely turtle named Timothy embarks on an adventure to find friends and discovers a hidden cove.

The Lonely Turtle

Timothy the turtle feels lonely, but when he finds a magical compass, he embarks on an adventure to find friends and discovers a secret bay full of turtles just like him.

A llama farmer builds an obstacle course to keep his mischievous llamas entertained and happy.

The Llama Farmer

Mr. Thompson builds an obstacle course for his llamas, and Milo’s silly antics steal the show.

Oliver, the tiniest elf, surprises everyone with his clever strategies and magical find at the Great Elf Games.

The Littlest Elf

Oliver, the littlest elf, proves that size doesn’t matter by winning the Great Elf Games.

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