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!

The Polka-Dot Pirate

Captain Pete, the Polka-Dot Pirate, embarks on a treasure hunt and discovers the true meaning of sharing.

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There once was a pirate called Captain Pete who loved polka-dots so much that he wore them from head to toe. Everyone called him the Polka-Dot Pirate. He had a funny crew made up of parrots and monkeys, and they liked to play games with him by hiding things with polka-dots for him to find.

One day, Captain Pete heard about a special treasure with the most amazing polka-dots, hidden on a far-off island named Dottilandia. He couldn’t wait to find it, so he and his animal crew set sail. When they arrived at the island, they were met by a group of polka-dotted monkeys who said they were protecting the treasure.

The monkeys told Pete he had to solve a riddle if he wanted to find the treasure. Captain Pete and his crew thought really hard. Finally, one of the parrots figured out the answer. The monkeys were so happy with their smarts that they showed Pete where the treasure was and even gave him a new polka-dotted hat.

As they were about to leave with the treasure, they heard a noise coming from inside the chest. Captain Pete opened it and found a small, polka-dotted snail named Spotty. Spotty explained that the real treasure was not just to keep for themselves, but to share with others.

Captain Pete decided to turn his pirate ship into a fun carnival that sailed around sharing joy. He started to teach people about being kind and making others happy. The story of the Polka-Dot Pirate became famous, showing that being nice and having fun is the best kind of treasure.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1pirateA person who robs ships at sea
2polka-dotsA pattern with lots of small, round spots
3riddleA tricky question that you have to think hard to answer
4treasureValuable items like gold, silver, or jewels that are hidden or kept in a safe place
5sailTo travel on water in a ship or boat
6islandA piece of land completely surrounded by water
7parrotsColorful birds that can mimic sounds and words
8monkeysAnimals that are known for their playfulness and ability to climb trees
9smartsIntelligence or the ability to think and learn quickly
10chestA large box used for storing things, often valuable items
11carnivalA large public celebration with music, entertainment, and rides
12joyA feeling of great happiness or pleasure
13famousWell-known by many people
14kindBeing nice and caring towards others
15shareTo give a part of what you have to others

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the pirate in the story and why was he called the Polka-Dot Pirate?
2. What kind of animals made up Captain Pete’s crew?
3. Why did Captain Pete and his crew set sail to Dottilandia?
4. What did the monkeys on the island tell Captain Pete he had to do to find the treasure?
5. How did Captain Pete and his crew solve the monkeys’ riddle?
6. What did Captain Pete find inside the treasure chest?
7. What did Captain Pete decide to do with the treasure and what did it teach people?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There once was a (1)______ called (2)______ Pete who loved polka-dots so much that he wore them from head to toe. Everyone called him the Polka-Dot Pirate. He had a (3)______ crew made up of parrots and monkeys, and they liked to play games with him by hiding things with polka-dots for him to find.

One day, Captain Pete heard about a (4)______ treasure with the most amazing polka-dots, (5)______ on a far-off (6)______ named (7)______. He couldn’t wait to find it, so he and his animal crew set sail. When they arrived at the island, they were met by a group of polka-dotted monkeys who said they were protecting the (8)______.

The monkeys told Pete he had to solve a riddle if he wanted to find the treasure. Captain Pete and his crew thought really hard. Finally, one of the parrots figured out the (9)______. The monkeys were so happy with their smarts that they showed Pete where the treasure was and even gave him a new polka-dotted hat.

As they were about to leave with the treasure, they heard a noise coming from inside the chest. Captain Pete (10)______ it and found a small, polka-dotted (11)______ named (12)______. Spotty explained that the real treasure was not just to keep for themselves, but to share with others.

Captain Pete decided to turn his pirate ship into a fun carnival that sailed around sharing joy. He started to teach (13)______ about being kind and making others happy. The story of the Polka-Dot (14)______ became (15)______, (16)______ that being nice and having fun is the best kind of treasure.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about Captain Pete’s love for polka-dots? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you had a crew of parrots and monkeys? Why?
3. Do you like playing games? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of a treasure with amazing polka-dots? Why?
5. How would you feel if you had to solve a riddle to find a treasure? Why?
6. What is kindness to you? Why is it important?
7. How would you feel if you found a small, polka-dotted snail in a treasure chest? Why?
8. Do you think it’s important to share with others? Why or why not?
9. What do you think about Captain Pete turning his pirate ship into a fun carnival? Why?
10. How do you think the story of the Polka-Dot Pirate became famous? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. pirate
2. polka-dots
3. riddle
4. treasure
5. sail
6. island
7. parrots
8. monkeys
9. smarts
10. chest
11. carnival
12. joy
13. famous
14. kind
15. share

Meanings:
(A) A tricky question that you have to think hard to answer
(B) A large public celebration with music, entertainment, and rides
(C) To travel on water in a ship or boat
(D) A large box used for storing things, often valuable items
(E) A pattern with lots of small, round spots
(F) A piece of land completely surrounded by water
(G) Being nice and caring towards others
(H) Well-known by many people
(I) A person who robs ships at sea
(J) Animals that are known for their playfulness and ability to climb trees
(K) Valuable items like gold, silver, or jewels that are hidden or kept in a safe place
(L) A feeling of great happiness or pleasure
(M) Colorful birds that can mimic sounds and words
(N) Intelligence or the ability to think and learn quickly
(O) To give a part of what you have to others
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Captain Pete love wearing?
(a) Stripes
(b) Polka-dots
(c) Plaid
(d) Floral patterns

2. Who made up Captain Pete’s crew?
(a) Parrots and monkeys
(b) Dogs and cats
(c) Dolphins and whales
(d) Elephants and giraffes

3. Where did Captain Pete and his crew sail to?
(a) Dottilandia
(b) Polka-Dot Island
(c) Treasure Island
(d) Pirate Cove

4. What did the monkeys ask Captain Pete to do in order to find the treasure?
(a) Sing a song
(b) Dance a jig
(c) Recite a poem
(d) Solve a riddle

5. Who figured out the answer to the monkeys’ riddle?
(a) Captain Pete
(b) One of the parrots
(c) One of the monkeys
(d) Spotty the snail

6. What did Captain Pete find inside the treasure chest?
(a) Gold coins
(b) Jewels and gemstones
(c) A polka-dotted snail named Spotty
(d) A map to another treasure

7. What did Captain Pete decide to do with the treasure?
(a) Keep it all for himself
(b) Sell it for a profit
(c) Bury it on a deserted island
(d) Share it with others

8. What did Captain Pete turn his pirate ship into?
(a) A museum
(b) A school
(c) A fun carnival
(d) A restaurant

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Inside the treasure chest, they discovered a small polka-dotted snail named Spotty.
2. His crew consisted of parrots and monkeys who enjoyed avoiding games with polka-dots.
3. They set sail to find a special treasure hidden on an island called Dottilandia.
4. Captain Pete decided to use the treasure to spread sadness and teach others about cruelty by turning his ship into a traveling prison.
5. One of the parrots cleverly solved the riddle, impressing the monkeys and earning their help.
6. Upon arriving, they were greeted by polka-dotted monkeys who claimed to be protecting the treasure.
7. The monkeys dared Captain Pete to solve a riddle in order to find the treasure.
8. Captain Pete, also known as the Striped Pirate, loved wearing stripes from head to toe.
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 was the pirate in the story and why was he called the Polka-Dot Pirate?
The pirate in the story was Captain Pete. He was called the Polka-Dot Pirate because he loved polka-dots so much that he wore them from head to toe.

2. What kind of animals made up Captain Pete’s crew?
Captain Pete’s crew was made up of parrots and monkeys.

3. Why did Captain Pete and his crew set sail to Dottilandia?
Captain Pete and his crew set sail to Dottilandia because they heard about a special treasure with amazing polka-dots hidden there.

4. What did the monkeys on the island tell Captain Pete he had to do to find the treasure?
The monkeys on the island told Captain Pete he had to solve a riddle if he wanted to find the treasure.

5. How did Captain Pete and his crew solve the monkeys’ riddle?
Captain Pete and his crew thought really hard and one of the parrots figured out the answer to the riddle.

6. What did Captain Pete find inside the treasure chest?
Inside the treasure chest, Captain Pete found a small, polka-dotted snail named Spotty.

7. What did Captain Pete decide to do with the treasure and what did it teach people?
Captain Pete decided to turn his pirate ship into a fun carnival that sailed around sharing joy. This taught people about being kind and making others happy, showing that being nice and having fun is the best kind of treasure.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) pirate
(2) Captain
(3) funny
(4) special
(5) hidden
(6) island
(7) Dottilandia
(8) treasure
(9) answer
(10) opened
(11) snail
(12) Spotty
(13) people
(14) Pirate
(15) famous
(16) showing
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. pirate
Answer: (I) A person who robs ships at sea

2. polka-dots
Answer: (E) A pattern with lots of small, round spots

3. riddle
Answer: (A) A tricky question that you have to think hard to answer

4. treasure
Answer: (K) Valuable items like gold, silver, or jewels that are hidden or kept in a safe place

5. sail
Answer: (C) To travel on water in a ship or boat

6. island
Answer: (F) A piece of land completely surrounded by water

7. parrots
Answer: (M) Colorful birds that can mimic sounds and words

8. monkeys
Answer: (J) Animals that are known for their playfulness and ability to climb trees

9. smarts
Answer: (N) Intelligence or the ability to think and learn quickly

10. chest
Answer: (D) A large box used for storing things, often valuable items

11. carnival
Answer: (B) A large public celebration with music, entertainment, and rides

12. joy
Answer: (L) A feeling of great happiness or pleasure

13. famous
Answer: (H) Well-known by many people

14. kind
Answer: (G) Being nice and caring towards others

15. share
Answer: (O) To give a part of what you have to others
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Captain Pete love wearing?
Answer: (b) Polka-dots

2. Who made up Captain Pete’s crew?
Answer: (a) Parrots and monkeys

3. Where did Captain Pete and his crew sail to?
Answer: (a) Dottilandia

4. What did the monkeys ask Captain Pete to do in order to find the treasure?
Answer: (d) Solve a riddle

5. Who figured out the answer to the monkeys’ riddle?
Answer: (b) One of the parrots

6. What did Captain Pete find inside the treasure chest?
Answer: (c) A polka-dotted snail named Spotty

7. What did Captain Pete decide to do with the treasure?
Answer: (d) Share it with others

8. What did Captain Pete turn his pirate ship into?
Answer: (c) A fun carnival
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Inside the treasure chest, they discovered a small polka-dotted snail named Spotty. (Answer: True)
2. His crew consisted of parrots and monkeys who enjoyed avoiding games with polka-dots. (Answer: False)
3. They set sail to find a special treasure hidden on an island called Dottilandia. (Answer: True)
4. Captain Pete decided to use the treasure to spread sadness and teach others about cruelty by turning his ship into a traveling prison. (Answer: False)
5. One of the parrots cleverly solved the riddle, impressing the monkeys and earning their help. (Answer: True)
6. Upon arriving, they were greeted by polka-dotted monkeys who claimed to be protecting the treasure. (Answer: True)
7. The monkeys dared Captain Pete to solve a riddle in order to find the treasure. (Answer: False)
8. Captain Pete, also known as the Striped Pirate, loved wearing stripes from head to toe. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

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The Jolly Jellyfish

A colorful jellyfish named Finley gets lost in the ocean but makes new friends along the way.

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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.

The Chocolate Waterfall

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Max, the boy who could talk to animals, used his unique gift to save a trapped bear and teach others about kindness.

The Boy Who Could Talk to Animals

Max, a boy with the extraordinary ability to talk to animals, uses his gift to save a trapped bear and spread kindness and understanding in his village.

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.

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