In a tiny, cozy house near the forest, there was a little mouse named Molly. She was braver and more curious than any mouse around. One bright morning, Molly decided to go see what the big forest next to her place was like.

Molly packed her small pink bag with cheese sandwiches and ran through the tall grass into the woods. She stopped when she saw a big river in her way. Molly had never seen so much water! She wanted to get across, so she pulled a rope which made a wooden bridge swing to her side. As she jumped on it, the wind blew hard and knocked her into the water!

While she was swimming hard in the water, Molly saw an otter named Oliver. He helped her and they got to the other side together. But they didn’t know they were now in an area where two sneaky raccoon twins, Rocky and Rosie, liked to play tricks. Soon, Rocky and Rosie covered Molly and Oliver in sticky tree sap, and they got stuck!

Luckily, a smart old owl named Oscar flew down and made a loud noise, which scared the raccoons away. Oscar used his sharp beak to remove the sticky sap and he saved Molly and Oliver.

Molly and Oliver thanked Oscar and said they would be more careful from now on. They also promised to help others who needed it. Molly understood that being curious was okay, but she had to stay safe. With her new buddies, she was excited for new fun times ahead, one small step at a time.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
2. What did Molly pack in her bag before going to the forest?
3. What did Molly do to cross the big river?
4. Who helped Molly when she fell into the water?
5. What did Rocky and Rosie do to Molly and Oliver?
6. How did Oscar help Molly and Oliver?
7. What lesson did Molly learn from her adventure in the forest?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a tiny, cozy house near the forest, there was a little mouse named (1)______. She was braver and more curious than any mouse around. One bright morning, Molly decided to go see what the big forest next to her place was like.

Molly packed her small pink bag with cheese (2)______ and ran through the tall (3)______ into the woods. She (4)______ when she saw a big (5)______ in her way. Molly had never seen so much water! She (6)______ to get across, so she pulled a rope which made a wooden bridge swing to her side. As she (7)______ on it, the wind blew hard and knocked her into the water!

While she was swimming hard in the water, Molly saw an otter named (8)______. He helped her and they got to the other side together. But they didn’t know they were now in an area where two sneaky (9)______ twins, (10)______ and (11)______, liked to play tricks. Soon, Rocky and Rosie covered Molly and Oliver in sticky tree sap, and they got stuck!

Luckily, a smart old owl (12)______ Oscar flew down and made a loud noise, which scared the raccoons away. Oscar used his sharp beak to remove the sticky sap and he saved Molly and Oliver.

Molly and Oliver thanked (13)______ and said they would be more careful from now on. They also promised to help others who needed it. Molly understood that being (14)______ was okay, but she had to stay safe. With her new (15)______, she was excited for new fun (16)______ ahead, one small step at a time.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a forest? Have you ever been to a forest before? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you were Molly and you saw a big river in your way? Why?
3. Do you like swimming? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it was nice of Oliver to help Molly when she was stuck in the water? Why or why not?
5. What do you think it means to play tricks on someone? Have you ever played a trick on someone before? Why or why not?
6. How would you feel if you were covered in sticky tree sap like Molly and Oliver? Why?
7. Do you think it was smart of Oscar to scare the raccoons away? Why or why not?
8. What do you think it means to be careful? Do you think it’s important to be careful? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if you were Molly and Oliver and you were saved by Oscar? Why?
10. Do you think Molly and Oliver will keep their promise to help others? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. curious
2. cozy
3. mouse
4. forest
5. bright
6. river
7. water
8. bridge
9. wind
10. otter
11. area
12. raccoon
13. sticky
14. sap
15. owl

Meanings:
(A) Wanting to know or learn about something
(B) A bird of prey with large eyes and a hooked beak
(C) Comfortable and warm
(D) A small furry animal with a long tail and whiskers
(E) Giving off a lot of light
(F) A large area of land covered with trees and plants
(G) A structure that allows you to cross over water or other obstacles
(H) Having a substance that is thick and sticky
(I) A playful animal that lives in water and has a long body and a flat tail
(J) A sticky substance that comes from trees
(K) A particular place or region
(L) A long, flowing body of water
(M) Moving air
(N) A clear liquid that covers most of the Earth’s surface
(O) A small mammal with a mask-like marking on its face and a ringed tail
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the little mouse in the story?
(a) Lucy
(b) Daisy
(c) Molly
(d) Bella

2. What did Molly pack in her bag before going to the forest?
(a) Fruit salad
(b) Chocolate bars
(c) Peanut butter sandwiches
(d) Cheese sandwiches

3. How did Molly and Oliver get across the river?
(a) They swam across
(b) They used a swinging bridge
(c) They flew over it
(d) They walked on stepping stones

4. Who helped Molly and Oliver when they got stuck in the sticky sap?
(a) Oliver the otter
(b) Rosie the raccoon
(c) Oscar the owl
(d) Rocky the raccoon

5. What did Oscar use to remove the sticky sap?
(a) His long claws
(b) His strong wings
(c) His soft feathers
(d) His sharp beak

6. What did Molly promise to do after the adventure?
(a) Help others who needed it
(b) Stay away from the forest
(c) Never be curious again
(d) Forget about her new buddies

7. What did Molly learn from her experience?
(a) She should never leave her cozy house
(b) Being curious is okay, but she has to stay safe
(c) The forest is a dangerous place
(d) She should always rely on others for help

8. Who were Molly’s new buddies?
(a) Oliver and Oscar
(b) Rosie and Rocky
(c) Lucy and Daisy
(d) Bella and Oscar

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A young owl named Oscar comes to the detriment and invites the raccoon twins closer.
2. Molly decides to explore the big forest one morning and packs her pink bag with cheese sandwiches.
3. Molly and Oliver learn a lesson about being careful and helping others, and they look forward to new adventures with their new friend Oscar.
4. Molly encounters an uncooperative otter named Oliver while swimming in the water.
5. Molly is carried into the water by a weak wind while trying to cross the bridge.
6. Molly is a timid and uninterested mouse who lives in a large house near the desert.
7. Molly and Oliver get stuck in sticky tree sap placed by mischievous raccoon twins named Rocky and Rosie.
8. Molly encounters a big river in the forest and uses a rope to swing a wooden bridge to her side.
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 of the story?
The main character of the story is Molly, the little mouse.

2. What did Molly pack in her bag before going to the forest?
Molly packed cheese sandwiches in her bag before going to the forest.

3. What did Molly do to cross the big river?
Molly pulled a rope which made a wooden bridge swing to her side to cross the big river.

4. Who helped Molly when she fell into the water?
An otter named Oliver helped Molly when she fell into the water.

5. What did Rocky and Rosie do to Molly and Oliver?
Rocky and Rosie covered Molly and Oliver in sticky tree sap, and they got stuck.

6. How did Oscar help Molly and Oliver?
Oscar, the smart old owl, scared the raccoons away with a loud noise and used his sharp beak to remove the sticky sap, saving Molly and Oliver.

7. What lesson did Molly learn from her adventure in the forest?
Molly learned that it’s okay to be curious, but she needs to stay safe. She also learned the importance of helping others in need.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Molly
(2) sandwiches
(3) grass
(4) stopped
(5) river
(6) wanted
(7) jumped
(8) Oliver
(9) raccoon
(10) Rocky
(11) Rosie
(12) named
(13) Oscar
(14) curious
(15) buddies
(16) times
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. curious
Answer: (A) Wanting to know or learn about something

2. cozy
Answer: (C) Comfortable and warm

3. mouse
Answer: (D) A small furry animal with a long tail and whiskers

4. forest
Answer: (F) A large area of land covered with trees and plants

5. bright
Answer: (E) Giving off a lot of light

6. river
Answer: (L) A long, flowing body of water

7. water
Answer: (N) A clear liquid that covers most of the Earth’s surface

8. bridge
Answer: (G) A structure that allows you to cross over water or other obstacles

9. wind
Answer: (M) Moving air

10. otter
Answer: (I) A playful animal that lives in water and has a long body and a flat tail

11. area
Answer: (K) A particular place or region

12. raccoon
Answer: (O) A small mammal with a mask-like marking on its face and a ringed tail

13. sticky
Answer: (H) Having a substance that is thick and sticky

14. sap
Answer: (J) A sticky substance that comes from trees

15. owl
Answer: (B) A bird of prey with large eyes and a hooked beak
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the little mouse in the story?
Answer: (c) Molly

2. What did Molly pack in her bag before going to the forest?
Answer: (d) Cheese sandwiches

3. How did Molly and Oliver get across the river?
Answer: (b) They used a swinging bridge

4. Who helped Molly and Oliver when they got stuck in the sticky sap?
Answer: (c) Oscar the owl

5. What did Oscar use to remove the sticky sap?
Answer: (d) His sharp beak

6. What did Molly promise to do after the adventure?
Answer: (a) Help others who needed it

7. What did Molly learn from her experience?
Answer: (b) Being curious is okay, but she has to stay safe

8. Who were Molly’s new buddies?
Answer: (a) Oliver and Oscar
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A young owl named Oscar comes to the detriment and invites the raccoon twins closer. (Answer: False)
2. Molly decides to explore the big forest one morning and packs her pink bag with cheese sandwiches. (Answer: True)
3. Molly and Oliver learn a lesson about being careful and helping others, and they look forward to new adventures with their new friend Oscar. (Answer: True)
4. Molly encounters an uncooperative otter named Oliver while swimming in the water. (Answer: False)
5. Molly is carried into the water by a weak wind while trying to cross the bridge. (Answer: False)
6. Molly is a timid and uninterested mouse who lives in a large house near the desert. (Answer: False)
7. Molly and Oliver get stuck in sticky tree sap placed by mischievous raccoon twins named Rocky and Rosie. (Answer: True)
8. Molly encounters a big river in the forest and uses a rope to swing a wooden bridge to her side. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧