Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

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Short Stories for Kids

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The Snow Queen’s Spell

A brave girl named Lily breaks the Snow Queen's spell with an act of kindness.

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In a land where it was always winter, there was a Snow Queen who had magic powers. She liked to trick the people living nearby. One day, she used her magic to turn everyone in a village into ice statues. To undo the magic, someone had to find a special crystal that gave off warmth. The Snow Queen hid this crystal in her ice palace, where her snowman, Frosty, guarded it but didn’t know much.

Near the Snow Queen’s palace, there was a brave girl named Lily. When Lily found out about the magic that froze her family and friends, she wanted to help them. She started a dangerous walk through the snowy woods to the palace. On her way, she met animals that could speak. A smart fox, a wise owl, and a fast squirrel agreed to help her.

When Lily got close to the palace, she saw it was protected by a magic force field. But Lily was smart and used the fox’s tricks to make Frosty leave his post. She quietly went inside, leaving Frosty confused. Inside the palace, Lily found a room with a special mirror that only showed nice and beautiful things. Lily thought if she left a little present for the Snow Queen, it might help things.

The Snow Queen found Lily’s gift and felt kindness from it. Suddenly, the ice spell was broken, and the people were no longer statues. The Snow Queen learned how good it felt to be nice and decided to use her powers to help. She made her ice palace melt and helped the villagers make their homes warm and comfy.

The Snow Queen and Lily became close friends after that. They worked together to spread happiness and warmth in the winter land. The villagers were so happy with them that they started a winter festival every year to remember their friendship and how important it is to be kind. The Snow Queen’s previous spell showed that kindness can warm even the coldest heart.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1trickTo deceive or fool someone
2crystalA clear, shiny stone that is often used in jewelry
3warmthA gentle heat that is comfortable and not too hot
4palaceA large, impressive building where royalty lives
5guardedWatched over to protect from danger or theft
6braveHaving courage and not being afraid to face tough situations
7dangerousFull of risks or likely to cause harm
8smartHaving a quick and clever mind
9force fieldAn invisible barrier that protects or blocks something
10confusedUnable to understand something clearly or to think clearly
11mirrorA reflective surface, typically glass, that shows an image of whatever is in front of it
12kindnessThe act of being caring and generous towards others
13spellA magical command or enchantment
14comfyCozy and comfortable
15festivalA big celebration or event with lots of fun activities

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the Snow Queen and what were her magic powers?
2. What did the Snow Queen do to the people in the village?
3. How did Lily find out about the magic that froze her family and friends?
4. Who did Lily meet on her way to the palace and why did they agree to help her?
5. How did Lily manage to enter the palace despite the magic force field?
6. What did Lily find inside the palace that she thought might help?
7. How did the Snow Queen’s attitude change after receiving Lily’s gift?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a land where it was always winter, there was a Snow Queen who had magic powers. She (1)______ to (2)______ the people living nearby. One day, she used her magic to turn everyone in a (3)______ into ice statues. To undo the magic, someone had to find a special (4)______ that gave off warmth. The Snow Queen hid this crystal in her ice palace, where her snowman, Frosty, guarded it but didn’t know much.

Near the Snow Queen’s palace, there was a brave girl named Lily. When Lily found out about the magic that froze her family and friends, she (5)______ to help them. She started a dangerous walk through the snowy woods to the (6)______. On her way, she met animals that could speak. A smart fox, a wise owl, and a fast (7)______ agreed to help her.

When Lily got close to the palace, she saw it was protected by a magic force field. But Lily was smart and used the fox’s tricks to make (8)______ leave his post. She quietly went inside, leaving Frosty (9)______. Inside the palace, Lily found a room with a (10)______ mirror that only showed nice and beautiful (11)______. Lily thought if she left a (12)______ present for the Snow Queen, it might help things.

The Snow Queen found Lily’s gift and felt kindness from it. Suddenly, the ice spell was broken, and the people were no longer statues. The Snow Queen learned how good it felt to be nice and decided to use her powers to help. She made her ice palace melt and (13)______ the villagers make their homes warm and comfy.

The Snow Queen and Lily became close friends after that. They worked together to spread happiness and warmth in the (14)______ land. The villagers were so happy with them that they (15)______ a winter festival every year to remember their friendship and how (16)______ it is to be kind. The Snow Queen’s previous spell showed that kindness can warm even the coldest heart.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a Snow Queen and what magic powers does she have?
2. How would you feel if you found out that your family and friends had been turned into ice statues?
3. Do you like the idea of animals that can speak? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it means to be brave? Can you give an example of a time when you were brave?
5. How do you think Lily was able to outsmart Frosty and get into the palace?
6. Do you think leaving a present for someone can make them feel kinder? Why or why not?
7. How do you think the Snow Queen felt when she saw Lily’s gift? Why?
8. Do you think it’s important to spread happiness and warmth? Why or why not?
9. What do you think the winter festival symbolizes? Why is it important to remember their friendship?
10. Can you think of a time when an act of kindness made a difference in someone’s life? How did it make you feel?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. trick
2. crystal
3. warmth
4. palace
5. guarded
6. brave
7. dangerous
8. smart
9. force field
10. confused
11. mirror
12. kindness
13. spell
14. comfy
15. festival

Meanings:
(A) A gentle heat that is comfortable and not too hot
(B) Full of risks or likely to cause harm
(C) The act of being caring and generous towards others
(D) Unable to understand something clearly or to think clearly
(E) Cozy and comfortable
(F) A big celebration or event with lots of fun activities
(G) Having courage and not being afraid to face tough situations
(H) A clear, shiny stone that is often used in jewelry
(I) A reflective surface, typically glass, that shows an image of whatever is in front of it
(J) To deceive or fool someone
(K) An invisible barrier that protects or blocks something
(L) A magical command or enchantment
(M) A large, impressive building where royalty lives
(N) Watched over to protect from danger or theft
(O) Having a quick and clever mind
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the Snow Queen use her magic powers for?
(a) To turn everyone in a village into ice statues
(b) To make it snow all the time
(c) To create a palace made of ice
(d) To make the animals in the woods talk

2. Who did Lily meet on her way to the Snow Queen’s palace?
(a) Her family and friends
(b) Frosty the snowman
(c) A smart fox, a wise owl, and a fast squirrel
(d) The Snow Queen’s guards

3. How did Lily manage to enter the Snow Queen’s palace?
(a) She broke the magic force field
(b) She climbed over the palace walls
(c) She found a secret entrance
(d) She used the fox’s tricks to make Frosty leave his post

4. What did Lily find inside the palace?
(a) The crystal that gave off warmth
(b) The Snow Queen’s crown
(c) A room with a special mirror
(d) A secret passage to another world

5. How did the Snow Queen feel when she found Lily’s gift?
(a) Kindness
(b) Anger
(c) Confusion
(d) Sadness

6. What happened when the Snow Queen felt kindness from Lily’s gift?
(a) The Snow Queen’s powers grew stronger
(b) The ice spell was broken and the people were no longer statues
(c) Lily turned into an ice statue
(d) The animals in the woods lost their ability to speak

7. What did the Snow Queen decide to do after the ice spell was broken?
(a) Freeze the entire winter land
(b) Keep the crystal that gave off warmth for herself
(c) Turn Lily into an ice statue
(d) Use her powers to help the villagers make their homes warm and comfy

8. Why did the villagers start a winter festival every year?
(a) To celebrate the Snow Queen’s magic powers
(b) To remember the friendship between the Snow Queen and Lily
(c) To make the Snow Queen happy
(d) To show off their ice sculptures

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. By leaving a gift for the Snow Queen, Lily’s act of kindness intensified the ice spell, transforming the people into dangerous creatures and urging the Snow Queen to use her powers for evil.
2. To reverse the magic, someone had to find a special crystal that emitted warmth.
3. The Snow Queen used her magic to turn everyone in a village into living beings.
4. Along the way, Lily encountered silent animals – a naïve fox, an ignorant owl, and a lethargic squirrel – who declined to assist her.
5. Lily, a brave girl, embarked on a perilous journey through the snowy woods to the palace to help her frozen family and friends.
6. The Snow Queen concealed the crystal in her ice palace, guarded by her snowman, Frosty.
7. The Snow Queen had the ability to use magic and enjoyed playing tricks on the nearby villagers.
8. Lily outsmarted Frosty and gained access to the palace, where she discovered a room with a cursed mirror that reflected only grotesque and horrifying things.
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 Snow Queen and what were her magic powers?
The Snow Queen was a powerful being who had the ability to use magic. She could create ice and snow, and she could also cast spells on people.

2. What did the Snow Queen do to the people in the village?
The Snow Queen used her magic powers to turn everyone in the village into ice statues. They were frozen and unable to move or speak.

3. How did Lily find out about the magic that froze her family and friends?
Lily found out about the magic when she saw that her family and friends had turned into ice statues. She was shocked and wanted to find a way to help them.

4. Who did Lily meet on her way to the palace and why did they agree to help her?
Lily met a smart fox, a wise owl, and a fast squirrel on her way to the palace. They agreed to help her because they could see that Lily was brave and determined to save her family and friends.

5. How did Lily manage to enter the palace despite the magic force field?
Lily used the fox’s tricks to distract Frosty, the snowman who guarded the palace. While Frosty was confused, Lily quietly entered the palace.

6. What did Lily find inside the palace that she thought might help?
Inside the palace, Lily found a special mirror that only showed nice and beautiful things. She thought that leaving a little present for the Snow Queen in front of the mirror might help change her heart.

7. How did the Snow Queen’s attitude change after receiving Lily’s gift?
The Snow Queen felt kindness from Lily’s gift and realized how good it felt to be nice. This made her change her attitude and she decided to use her powers to help others. She made her ice palace melt and helped the villagers make their homes warm and comfortable.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) liked
(2) trick
(3) village
(4) crystal
(5) wanted
(6) palace
(7) squirrel
(8) Frosty
(9) confused
(10) special
(11) things
(12) little
(13) helped
(14) winter
(15) started
(16) important
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. trick
Answer: (J) To deceive or fool someone

2. crystal
Answer: (H) A clear, shiny stone that is often used in jewelry

3. warmth
Answer: (A) A gentle heat that is comfortable and not too hot

4. palace
Answer: (M) A large, impressive building where royalty lives

5. guarded
Answer: (N) Watched over to protect from danger or theft

6. brave
Answer: (G) Having courage and not being afraid to face tough situations

7. dangerous
Answer: (B) Full of risks or likely to cause harm

8. smart
Answer: (O) Having a quick and clever mind

9. force field
Answer: (K) An invisible barrier that protects or blocks something

10. confused
Answer: (D) Unable to understand something clearly or to think clearly

11. mirror
Answer: (I) A reflective surface, typically glass, that shows an image of whatever is in front of it

12. kindness
Answer: (C) The act of being caring and generous towards others

13. spell
Answer: (L) A magical command or enchantment

14. comfy
Answer: (E) Cozy and comfortable

15. festival
Answer: (F) A big celebration or event with lots of fun activities
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the Snow Queen use her magic powers for?
Answer: (a) To turn everyone in a village into ice statues

2. Who did Lily meet on her way to the Snow Queen’s palace?
Answer: (c) A smart fox, a wise owl, and a fast squirrel

3. How did Lily manage to enter the Snow Queen’s palace?
Answer: (d) She used the fox’s tricks to make Frosty leave his post

4. What did Lily find inside the palace?
Answer: (c) A room with a special mirror

5. How did the Snow Queen feel when she found Lily’s gift?
Answer: (a) Kindness

6. What happened when the Snow Queen felt kindness from Lily’s gift?
Answer: (b) The ice spell was broken and the people were no longer statues

7. What did the Snow Queen decide to do after the ice spell was broken?
Answer: (d) Use her powers to help the villagers make their homes warm and comfy

8. Why did the villagers start a winter festival every year?
Answer: (b) To remember the friendship between the Snow Queen and Lily
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. By leaving a gift for the Snow Queen, Lily’s act of kindness intensified the ice spell, transforming the people into dangerous creatures and urging the Snow Queen to use her powers for evil. (Answer: False)
2. To reverse the magic, someone had to find a special crystal that emitted warmth. (Answer: True)
3. The Snow Queen used her magic to turn everyone in a village into living beings. (Answer: False)
4. Along the way, Lily encountered silent animals – a naïve fox, an ignorant owl, and a lethargic squirrel – who declined to assist her. (Answer: False)
5. Lily, a brave girl, embarked on a perilous journey through the snowy woods to the palace to help her frozen family and friends. (Answer: True)
6. The Snow Queen concealed the crystal in her ice palace, guarded by her snowman, Frosty. (Answer: True)
7. The Snow Queen had the ability to use magic and enjoyed playing tricks on the nearby villagers. (Answer: True)
8. Lily outsmarted Frosty and gained access to the palace, where she discovered a room with a cursed mirror that reflected only grotesque and horrifying things. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

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