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!

Rainbow Ribbons in the Sky

The Rainbow Ribbons work together to fix a chaotic rainbow and teach us about unity.

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In a dreamy place far away, there was a tiny group called the Rainbow Ribbons. They were small, colorful creatures that lived up in the clouds. Their job was to make rainbows for the world below. Each of the Rainbow Ribbons had their own color and magic. Rosy Ribbon, the pink one, could make flowers pop up. Sunny Ribbon, the yellow one, could make the sun shine super bright. Blueberry Ribbon, the blue one, could make clouds take on funny shapes. And there was Emerald Ribbon, the green one, who was really good at making plants grow big and strong. They all worked together to make the prettiest rainbows.

One bright day, they were ready to color the sky with their magic. But then, a naughty cloud named Stormy showed up. He blew a strong wind that messed up all the rainbow colors. The Rainbow Ribbons didn’t know what to do because the rainbow looked all crazy now.

But they didn’t give up. Rosy Ribbon helped calm Stormy down, and Sunny Ribbon made him laugh with funny jokes. Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon worked together to pull all the mixed-up colors back into place.

Because they all worked as a team, the Rainbow Ribbons fixed the sky and made an even more amazing rainbow. It was so beautiful that people on Earth were amazed when they saw it. The Rainbow Ribbons were so happy. They learned that by helping each other, they could handle any problem.

The Rainbow Ribbons showed us something important. They taught us that when we join forces and use what makes us special, we can get through tough times. They told us it’s alright to ask friends for help, and if we work together, we can make something even cooler than if we tried to do it alone. Now, whenever we see a rainbow, we think about the Rainbow Ribbons and how they worked together to win.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1dreamySomething that seems like it’s from a beautiful fantasy or dream
2creaturesLiving beings, especially those that are not human
3magicSpecial powers that can do things that are not possible in real life
4naughtyBehaving badly or causing trouble
5messedMade something untidy or disorganized
6calmTo make someone or something less angry or excited
7jokesFunny stories or things said to make people laugh
8amazingReally wonderful or impressive
9amazedVery surprised or impressed by something
10handleTo deal with or manage a situation or problem
11importantSomething that is very significant or valuable
12join forcesTo work together with others to achieve a common goal
13toughDifficult or challenging situations
14coolerMore interesting, exciting, or better than something else
15winTo be successful in achieving something

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who were the Rainbow Ribbons and what was their job?
2. What happened when the naughty cloud Stormy showed up?
3. How did Rosy Ribbon and Sunny Ribbon help calm Stormy down?
4. What did Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon do to fix the mixed-up colors?
5. Why were the people on Earth amazed when they saw the rainbow?
6. What did the Rainbow Ribbons teach us about working together?
7. What do we think about when we see a rainbow?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a dreamy place far away, there was a tiny group (1)______ the (2)______ (3)______s. They were small, colorful creatures that lived up in the clouds. Their job was to make rainbows for the world below. Each of the Rainbow Ribbons had their own color and magic. Rosy Ribbon, the pink one, could make flowers pop up. Sunny Ribbon, the (4)______ one, could make the sun shine super bright. Blueberry Ribbon, the blue one, could make clouds take on funny shapes. And there was Emerald Ribbon, the green one, who was really good at making plants grow big and strong. They all (5)______ together to make the prettiest rainbows.

One bright day, they were ready to color the sky with their (6)______. But then, a (7)______ cloud named Stormy showed up. He blew a strong wind that messed up all the rainbow colors. The Rainbow (8)______ didn’t know what to do because the rainbow looked all crazy now.

But they didn’t give up. Rosy Ribbon helped calm Stormy down, and Sunny Ribbon made him laugh with funny (9)______. (10)______ Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon worked together to pull all the mixed-up colors back into place.

Because they all worked as a team, the Rainbow Ribbons fixed the sky and made an even more amazing (11)______. It was so beautiful that people on Earth were amazed when they saw it. The Rainbow Ribbons were so (12)______. They learned that by helping each other, they could handle any problem.

The Rainbow Ribbons showed us something (13)______. They taught us that when we join forces and use what makes us special, we can get through tough (14)______. They told us it’s alright to ask (15)______ for help, and if we work together, we can make something even cooler than if we tried to do it alone. Now, whenever we see a rainbow, we (16)______ about the Rainbow Ribbons and how they worked together to win.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a rainbow? Why do you think people find them so beautiful?
2. How would you feel if you were one of the Rainbow Ribbons? What color would you be and what magic would you have?
3. Do you think it’s important to work together as a team? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had to ask a friend for help? How did it make you feel?
5. What is something that makes you special or unique? How can you use that to help others?
6. How do you think the Rainbow Ribbons felt when Stormy messed up their rainbow? Have you ever felt frustrated or upset when something didn’t go as planned?
7. Do you like helping others? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever seen a rainbow? What did you think when you saw it?
9. How do you think the Rainbow Ribbons were able to fix the rainbow? What do you think they said or did to work together?
10. Can you think of a time when you and your friends worked together to solve a problem? What happened and how did it make you feel?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. dreamy
2. creatures
3. magic
4. naughty
5. messed
6. calm
7. jokes
8. amazing
9. amazed
10. handle
11. important
12. join forces
13. tough
14. cooler
15. win

Meanings:
(A) Really wonderful or impressive
(B) To make someone or something less angry or excited
(C) Something that is very significant or valuable
(D) Very surprised or impressed by something
(E) To deal with or manage a situation or problem
(F) Living beings, especially those that are not human
(G) Made something untidy or disorganized
(H) Behaving badly or causing trouble
(I) Difficult or challenging situations
(J) To work together with others to achieve a common goal
(K) Funny stories or things said to make people laugh
(L) Something that seems like it’s from a beautiful fantasy or dream
(M) More interesting, exciting, or better than something else
(N) Special powers that can do things that are not possible in real life
(O) To be successful in achieving something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the group that makes rainbows?
(a) Rainbow Ribbons
(b) Colorful Clouds
(c) Magic Rainmakers
(d) Sky Painters

2. What is Rosy Ribbon’s special magic power?
(a) Making the sun shine bright
(b) Making flowers pop up
(c) Making clouds take on funny shapes
(d) Making plants grow big and strong

3. Who caused trouble for the Rainbow Ribbons?
(a) Sunny
(b) Blueberry
(c) Emerald
(d) Stormy

4. How did Rosy Ribbon help calm Stormy down?
(a) By talking to him
(b) By giving him a hug
(c) By making him laugh
(d) By singing a song

5. What did Sunny Ribbon do to make Stormy laugh?
(a) Made funny faces
(b) Did a silly dance
(c) Told him funny jokes
(d) Showed him a magic trick

6. What did Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon do together?
(a) Made the sun shine bright
(b) Pulled the mixed-up colors back into place
(c) Made flowers pop up
(d) Made clouds take on funny shapes

7. What did the Rainbow Ribbons learn from their experience?
(a) They should never ask for help from friends
(b) Working alone is better than working as a team
(c) They should give up when things get tough
(d) By helping each other, they could handle any problem

8. What do we think about when we see a rainbow?
(a) The different colors of the rainbow
(b) How rainbows are made
(c) The Rainbow Ribbons and how they worked together to win
(d) The weather

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Each of the Rainbow Ribbons has shared color and magic.
2. False Versions:
3. Rosy Ribbon cannot make flowers pop up.
4. The Rainbow Ribbons teach us the importance of teamwork and using our unique abilities to overcome challenges.
5. Blueberry Ribbon can make clouds take on funny shapes.
6. The Rainbow Ribbons do not work together to make the prettiest rainbows.
7. Sunny Ribbon cannot make the sun shine super bright.
8. Emerald Ribbon is really good at making plants grow big and strong.
9. The Rainbow Ribbons are small, colorful creatures that live in the clouds.
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 were the Rainbow Ribbons and what was their job?
The Rainbow Ribbons were small, colorful creatures that lived in the clouds. Their job was to make rainbows for the world below.

2. What happened when the naughty cloud Stormy showed up?
When Stormy showed up, he blew a strong wind that messed up all the rainbow colors.

3. How did Rosy Ribbon and Sunny Ribbon help calm Stormy down?
Rosy Ribbon helped calm Stormy down by using her magic to make him feel peaceful. Sunny Ribbon made Stormy laugh with funny jokes.

4. What did Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon do to fix the mixed-up colors?
Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon worked together to pull all the mixed-up colors back into place. They used their magic to fix the rainbow.

5. Why were the people on Earth amazed when they saw the rainbow?
The people on Earth were amazed when they saw the rainbow because it was even more beautiful and colorful than before. They had never seen such a magical rainbow before.

6. What did the Rainbow Ribbons teach us about working together?
The Rainbow Ribbons taught us that when we work together and use our unique talents, we can overcome any problem. They showed us the importance of teamwork and helping each other.

7. What do we think about when we see a rainbow?
When we see a rainbow, we think about the Rainbow Ribbons and how they worked together to fix the sky. We remember the lesson they taught us about teamwork and the power of working together.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) called
(2) Rainbow
(3) Ribbon
(4) yellow
(5) worked
(6) magic
(7) naughty
(8) Ribbons
(9) jokes
(10) Blueberry
(11) rainbow
(12) happy
(13) important
(14) times
(15) friends
(16) think
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. dreamy
Answer: (L) Something that seems like it’s from a beautiful fantasy or dream

2. creatures
Answer: (F) Living beings, especially those that are not human

3. magic
Answer: (N) Special powers that can do things that are not possible in real life

4. naughty
Answer: (H) Behaving badly or causing trouble

5. messed
Answer: (G) Made something untidy or disorganized

6. calm
Answer: (B) To make someone or something less angry or excited

7. jokes
Answer: (K) Funny stories or things said to make people laugh

8. amazing
Answer: (A) Really wonderful or impressive

9. amazed
Answer: (D) Very surprised or impressed by something

10. handle
Answer: (E) To deal with or manage a situation or problem

11. important
Answer: (C) Something that is very significant or valuable

12. join forces
Answer: (J) To work together with others to achieve a common goal

13. tough
Answer: (I) Difficult or challenging situations

14. cooler
Answer: (M) More interesting, exciting, or better than something else

15. win
Answer: (O) To be successful in achieving something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the group that makes rainbows?
Answer: (a) Rainbow Ribbons

2. What is Rosy Ribbon’s special magic power?
Answer: (b) Making flowers pop up

3. Who caused trouble for the Rainbow Ribbons?
Answer: (d) Stormy

4. How did Rosy Ribbon help calm Stormy down?
Answer: (a) By talking to him

5. What did Sunny Ribbon do to make Stormy laugh?
Answer: (c) Told him funny jokes

6. What did Blueberry Ribbon and Emerald Ribbon do together?
Answer: (b) Pulled the mixed-up colors back into place

7. What did the Rainbow Ribbons learn from their experience?
Answer: (d) By helping each other, they could handle any problem

8. What do we think about when we see a rainbow?
Answer: (c) The Rainbow Ribbons and how they worked together to win
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Each of the Rainbow Ribbons has shared color and magic. (Answer: False)
2. False Versions: (Answer: False)
3. Rosy Ribbon cannot make flowers pop up. (Answer: False)
4. The Rainbow Ribbons teach us the importance of teamwork and using our unique abilities to overcome challenges. (Answer: True)
5. Blueberry Ribbon can make clouds take on funny shapes. (Answer: True)
6. The Rainbow Ribbons do not work together to make the prettiest rainbows. (Answer: False)
7. Sunny Ribbon cannot make the sun shine super bright. (Answer: False)
8. Emerald Ribbon is really good at making plants grow big and strong. (Answer: True)
9. The Rainbow Ribbons are small, colorful creatures that live in the clouds. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

A dolphin and a seagull team up to create a mesmerizing performance that wows the judges.

The Dolphin’s Dance

Flip the dolphin dreams of being the best dancer in the ocean, but he can’t jump high enough – until he teams up with his seagull friend Squawk and wows everyone at the audition.

The Golden Egg Hunt in Fantasia turns into a heartwarming display of unity and selflessness.

The Golden Egg Hunt

In the magical land of Fantasia, everyone is excited for the Golden Egg Hunt, where they can make any wish they want if they find a golden egg, but this year, they learn that working together and being kind is even better than winning.

Polly's determination pays off when she finds her lost puppy safe and sound.

Polly’s New Puppy

Polly really wanted a puppy, so she worked hard to prove to her parents that she could handle the responsibility, and they surprised her with an adorable puppy named Buttercup; but one day, Buttercup ran away and Polly had to search everywhere until a kind old man found him and Polly promised to keep a closer eye on her furry friend.

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