Paul Holmes -
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The King of the Kites

A young boy named Ethan becomes the King of the Kites and teaches his village the power of compassion and friendship.

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In a small mountain village, there was a boy named Ethan who loved to fly kites. He was really good at it. Every day, he would take his red kite to a field and fly it really high, and people in the village thought he was amazing. They even called him the King of the Kites.

One day, while flying his kite, Ethan saw a strange bird. While he was looking at the bird, he accidentally let his kite get stuck in a tree. He tried to climb and get it but his hands were too slippery. Suddenly, a squirrel named Sammy showed up and said he would help if Ethan gave him acorns for the rest of his life. Ethan said yes, and they got the kite back.

Ethan was so happy to have his kite back that he wanted to have a kite festival. He told everyone to make kites and they would have a competition. People from all over came to see the beautiful kites at the festival. There were kites that looked like dragons and others that looked like rainbows. Everyone had a great time, and Ethan gave a prize to the best kite.

When the festival was almost over, Ethan saw a girl named Lily who was sad because it was too windy for her to fly her kite. Ethan went to help her, and she smiled as they flew her kite together. The people watching loved to see how kind Ethan was. They decided he was not just the King of the Kites, but also the King of Compassion and Friendship.

The villagers learned that flying kites was not about winning, but about making friends and helping each other. They found out that kites could make them forget their problems and feel happy. They understood that being kind to someone could make that person’s day better. The story of Ethan, the King of the Kites, would be told for many years, teaching people to always support and lift each other up just like kites in the sky.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1mountainA large natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
2accidentallyBy chance or without intending to
3slipperyDifficult to hold or stand on because it’s wet or smooth
4squirrelA small animal with a bushy tail that lives in trees
5acornsThe nuts that come from oak trees, often eaten by wildlife
6festivalA celebration or event where people gather to enjoy and participate in different activities
7competitionA contest where people try to be the best at something
8dragonsMythical creatures that look like large reptiles with wings and often breathe fire
9rainbowsMulticolored arcs that appear in the sky when sunlight shines through rain
10compassionThe feeling of wanting to help someone who is suffering or having a hard time
11villagersPeople who live in a small town or rural area
12friendshipThe relationship between people who care about each other
13problemsDifficulties or issues that cause worry or trouble
14supportTo give assistance or help to someone or something
15liftTo raise something up or elevate it

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the people in the village think of Ethan’s kite flying skills?
2. How did Ethan’s kite get stuck in a tree?
3. Who came to help Ethan retrieve his kite from the tree?
4. What did Ethan decide to do after getting his kite back?
5. What kind of kites did people make for the festival?
6. Why was Lily sad at the festival?
7. What did the villagers learn about flying kites from Ethan’s story?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ mountain village, there was a boy named (2)______ who loved to fly kites. He was really good at it. Every day, he would take his red kite to a field and fly it really high, and people in the village thought he was amazing. They even called him the King of the Kites.

One day, while (3)______ his kite, Ethan saw a strange bird. While he was looking at the bird, he accidentally let his kite get stuck in a tree. He (4)______ to climb and get it but his (5)______ were too slippery. Suddenly, a (6)______ named (7)______ showed up and said he would help if Ethan gave him acorns for the rest of his life. Ethan said yes, and they got the kite back.

Ethan was so happy to have his kite back that he wanted to have a kite (8)______. He told everyone to make kites and they would have a competition. People from all over came to see the beautiful kites at the festival. There were kites that looked like dragons and (9)______ that looked like (10)______. Everyone had a great time, and Ethan gave a prize to the best kite.

When the festival was almost over, Ethan saw a girl named Lily who was sad because it was too windy for her to fly her kite. Ethan went to help her, and she smiled as they flew her kite together. The people watching (11)______ to see how kind Ethan was. They decided he was not just the King of the (12)______, but also the King of Compassion and Friendship.

The (13)______ learned that flying (14)______ was not about winning, but about making friends and helping each other. They (15)______ out that kites could make them forget their problems and feel (16)______. They understood that being kind to someone could make that person’s day better. The story of Ethan, the King of the Kites, would be told for many years, teaching people to always support and lift each other up just like kites in the sky.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a kite festival? Have you ever been to one? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you saw a strange bird while flying your kite? Why?
3. Do you like flying kites? Why or why not?
4. How do you think Ethan felt when his kite got stuck in the tree? Why?
5. Do you think it was fair for Sammy to ask Ethan for acorns for the rest of his life in exchange for helping him get his kite back? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think Ethan wanted to have a kite festival?
7. Have you ever made a kite? How did you feel when you flew it? Why?
8. How do you think Lily felt when Ethan helped her fly her kite? Why?
9. Why do you think the people watching thought Ethan was kind?
10. Do you think it’s important to be kind to others? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. mountain
2. accidentally
3. slippery
4. squirrel
5. acorns
6. festival
7. competition
8. dragons
9. rainbows
10. compassion
11. villagers
12. friendship
13. problems
14. support
15. lift

Meanings:
(A) The nuts that come from oak trees, often eaten by wildlife
(B) To give assistance or help to someone or something
(C) Difficulties or issues that cause worry or trouble
(D) Multicolored arcs that appear in the sky when sunlight shines through rain
(E) A small animal with a bushy tail that lives in trees
(F) The feeling of wanting to help someone who is suffering or having a hard time
(G) A celebration or event where people gather to enjoy and participate in different activities
(H) To raise something up or elevate it
(I) By chance or without intending to
(J) A large natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
(K) People who live in a small town or rural area
(L) Mythical creatures that look like large reptiles with wings and often breathe fire
(M) A contest where people try to be the best at something
(N) The relationship between people who care about each other
(O) Difficult to hold or stand on because it’s wet or smooth
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the people in the village call Ethan?
(a) The Master of the Wind
(b) The Champion of the Skies
(c) The Ruler of the Clouds
(d) The King of the Kites

2. How did Ethan get his kite stuck in a tree?
(a) He accidentally let go of the string
(b) The wind blew it into the tree
(c) He was distracted by a strange bird
(d) He purposely threw it into the tree

3. Who offered to help Ethan retrieve his kite from the tree?
(a) Sammy the squirrel
(b) Lily the girl
(c) Ethan’s best friend
(d) A kind stranger

4. What did Sammy ask for in return for helping Ethan?
(a) A new tree to live in
(b) A lifetime supply of kites
(c) Acorns for the rest of his life
(d) A special kite made just for him

5. Why did Ethan want to have a kite festival?
(a) To show off his kite-flying skills
(b) To celebrate getting his kite back
(c) To raise money for charity
(d) To prove he was the best kite flyer in the village

6. What did people make for the kite festival?
(a) Paper airplanes
(b) Kites of all shapes and designs
(c) Hot air balloons
(d) Model rockets

7. What did Ethan do when he saw Lily struggling to fly her kite?
(a) He laughed at her
(b) He ignored her and walked away
(c) He asked someone else to help her
(d) He went to help her

8. What did the villagers learn from Ethan’s story?
(a) Flying kites is about making friends and helping each other
(b) Flying kites is all about winning competitions
(c) Kites can solve all of life’s problems
(d) Being kind to someone will make you the King of the Kites

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Ethan refused to help a girl named Lily who was sad because it was too windy for her to fly her kite, and they didn’t fly it together.
2. Ethan decided to organize a kite festival in his village to celebrate the joy of flying kites.
3. Ethan made a deal with a squirrel named Sammy to help him get his kite back by giving him acorns for the rest of his life.
4. Ethan’s story of indifference and enmity became unknown in the village, teaching people to never support and bring each other down.
5. While flying his kite one day, Ethan accidentally got it stuck in a tree while looking at a strange bird.
6. Ethan was known as the King of the Kites in his small mountain village because he was really good at flying them.
7. People from only some places came to the festival to see the beautiful kites, including ones that looked like dragons and rainbows.
8. The villagers remained oblivious to the fact that flying kites was not just about winning, but about making friends and helping each other.
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 did the people in the village think of Ethan’s kite flying skills?
The people in the village thought Ethan was amazing at flying kites. They even called him the King of the Kites.

2. How did Ethan’s kite get stuck in a tree?
Ethan was distracted by a strange bird and accidentally let his kite get stuck in a tree.

3. Who came to help Ethan retrieve his kite from the tree?
A squirrel named Sammy came to help Ethan. He offered to help if Ethan gave him acorns for the rest of his life, and Ethan agreed.

4. What did Ethan decide to do after getting his kite back?
After getting his kite back, Ethan decided to have a kite festival. He wanted everyone to make kites and have a competition.

5. What kind of kites did people make for the festival?
People made all kinds of kites for the festival. There were kites that looked like dragons and others that looked like rainbows.

6. Why was Lily sad at the festival?
Lily was sad at the festival because it was too windy for her to fly her kite.

7. What did the villagers learn about flying kites from Ethan’s story?
The villagers learned that flying kites was not just about winning. They learned that it was about making friends, helping each other, and being kind. They understood that flying kites could make them forget their problems and feel happy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) small
(2) Ethan
(3) flying
(4) tried
(5) hands
(6) squirrel
(7) Sammy
(8) festival
(9) others
(10) rainbows
(11) loved
(12) Kites
(13) villagers
(14) kites
(15) found
(16) happy
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. mountain
Answer: (J) A large natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level

2. accidentally
Answer: (I) By chance or without intending to

3. slippery
Answer: (O) Difficult to hold or stand on because it’s wet or smooth

4. squirrel
Answer: (E) A small animal with a bushy tail that lives in trees

5. acorns
Answer: (A) The nuts that come from oak trees, often eaten by wildlife

6. festival
Answer: (G) A celebration or event where people gather to enjoy and participate in different activities

7. competition
Answer: (M) A contest where people try to be the best at something

8. dragons
Answer: (L) Mythical creatures that look like large reptiles with wings and often breathe fire

9. rainbows
Answer: (D) Multicolored arcs that appear in the sky when sunlight shines through rain

10. compassion
Answer: (F) The feeling of wanting to help someone who is suffering or having a hard time

11. villagers
Answer: (K) People who live in a small town or rural area

12. friendship
Answer: (N) The relationship between people who care about each other

13. problems
Answer: (C) Difficulties or issues that cause worry or trouble

14. support
Answer: (B) To give assistance or help to someone or something

15. lift
Answer: (H) To raise something up or elevate it
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the people in the village call Ethan?
Answer: (d) The King of the Kites

2. How did Ethan get his kite stuck in a tree?
Answer: (c) He was distracted by a strange bird

3. Who offered to help Ethan retrieve his kite from the tree?
Answer: (a) Sammy the squirrel

4. What did Sammy ask for in return for helping Ethan?
Answer: (c) Acorns for the rest of his life

5. Why did Ethan want to have a kite festival?
Answer: (b) To celebrate getting his kite back

6. What did people make for the kite festival?
Answer: (b) Kites of all shapes and designs

7. What did Ethan do when he saw Lily struggling to fly her kite?
Answer: (d) He went to help her

8. What did the villagers learn from Ethan’s story?
Answer: (a) Flying kites is about making friends and helping each other
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Ethan refused to help a girl named Lily who was sad because it was too windy for her to fly her kite, and they didn’t fly it together. (Answer: False)
2. Ethan decided to organize a kite festival in his village to celebrate the joy of flying kites. (Answer: True)
3. Ethan made a deal with a squirrel named Sammy to help him get his kite back by giving him acorns for the rest of his life. (Answer: True)
4. Ethan’s story of indifference and enmity became unknown in the village, teaching people to never support and bring each other down. (Answer: False)
5. While flying his kite one day, Ethan accidentally got it stuck in a tree while looking at a strange bird. (Answer: True)
6. Ethan was known as the King of the Kites in his small mountain village because he was really good at flying them. (Answer: True)
7. People from only some places came to the festival to see the beautiful kites, including ones that looked like dragons and rainbows. (Answer: False)
8. The villagers remained oblivious to the fact that flying kites was not just about winning, but about making friends and helping each other. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

Freddie the squirrel learns a valuable lesson about the true meaning of happiness and unity.

The Peacock Parade

Freddie the squirrel learns that the best things in life are experiences shared with friends.

George and his grape friends escape the vineyard, overcoming obstacles and finding a world full of adventures.

The Great Grape Escape

George the grape and his friends escape from the vineyard, facing obstacles and making new friends along the way.

Lily and her animal friends explore a crystal cave, discovering magical powers and learning important lessons.

The Crystal Cave

Lily and her animal friends discover a magical crystal cave, where they have exciting adventures and learn important life lessons.

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