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 Superhero Squirrel

A mischievous squirrel with the power to fly becomes the forest's superhero and saves the day.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a busy forest with very tall trees and birds singing, there was a little squirrel named Sammy who was different from the others. Sammy could fly! Whenever something bad happened in the forest, he would wear his superhero cape made from leaves and acorns and rush to save the day.

One day, while Sammy was flying around, he saw something going on below. His friend, Billy the bunny, was trapped in a tall tree. Sammy hurried down and climbed the tree with his sharp claws to rescue Billy. After that, the two of them had lots of exciting times together, like saving bird nests from other naughty squirrels and looking for hidden treasure in the forest.

Then, a sly fox named Felix decided to steal all the acorns in the forest so he could sell them and buy a fancy home in the city. He tried to trick Sammy into thinking that the acorns had disappeared. But Sammy was smart. He knew Felix was lying and thought of a smart way to catch him.

Sammy called all his friends in the forest and they made an acorn trap. When it got dark, they set up a big net and covered it with shiny leaves and nuts. Felix came by trying to be sneaky, but as soon as he touched the acorns, the net trapped him! Sammy’s friends were so happy when they saw Felix caught in the net.

Felix realized he was better off working with everyone else and said he was sorry for causing trouble. From that day, all the animals worked together to keep the forest safe. They even called Sammy the “Forest Guardian.” Sammy showed everyone that being brave and having friends was the key to handling problems.

As time went by, Sammy kept looking after the forest as the superhero squirrel. He learned that being strong wasn’t just about what you could do, but also about the friends you made. The forest was a great place to live, and Sammy’s story became famous, reminding everyone that even a little squirrel with good friends can do big things.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1superheroSomeone with special powers who helps others and fights against bad things
2acornsSmall, round nuts that fall from oak trees and are often eaten by animals
3rescueTo save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation
4naughtyBehaving badly or mischievously, often in a playful way
5hiddenNot easily found because it’s been put in a secret place
6slyClever in a deceitful or cunning way
7stealTo take something that doesn’t belong to you
8fancyVery nice and expensive
9trickTo deceive someone as a way to play a joke or achieve something
10sneakyActing in a quiet or secret way to avoid being noticed
11trappedCaught and unable to move or escape
12realizedTo understand or become aware of something
13guardianA person who protects and looks after something
14braveHaving courage and not being afraid to face challenges
15famousWell-known by many people

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What made Sammy different from the other squirrels?
3. How did Sammy save his friend Billy from the tall tree?
4. What were some of the exciting things Sammy and Billy did together?
5. Why did the sly fox Felix want to steal all the acorns?
6. How did Sammy and his friends catch Felix in the acorn trap?
7. What lesson did Sammy teach everyone in the forest?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a busy (1)______ with very tall trees and birds singing, there was a little squirrel named (2)______ who was different from the others. Sammy could fly! Whenever something bad happened in the forest, he would wear his superhero cape made from (3)______ and acorns and rush to save the day.

One day, while Sammy was flying around, he saw something going on below. His friend, Billy the bunny, was trapped in a tall tree. Sammy (4)______ down and climbed the tree with his sharp claws to rescue Billy. After that, the two of them had lots of exciting (5)______ together, like (6)______ bird nests from other naughty squirrels and looking for hidden treasure in the forest.

Then, a sly fox named Felix decided to steal all the acorns in the forest so he could sell them and buy a fancy home in the city. He tried to trick Sammy into thinking that the acorns had (7)______. But Sammy was (8)______. He knew Felix was lying and thought of a smart way to catch him.

Sammy called all his friends in the forest and they made an acorn trap. When it got dark, they set up a big net and covered it with (9)______ leaves and nuts. (10)______ came by trying to be sneaky, but as soon as he touched the acorns, the net trapped him! Sammy’s friends were so (11)______ when they saw Felix caught in the net.

Felix realized he was better off working with everyone else and said he was sorry for causing (12)______. From that day, all the animals worked together to keep the forest safe. They even called Sammy the “Forest Guardian.” Sammy showed everyone that being (13)______ and having friends was the key to handling problems.

As time went by, Sammy kept looking after the forest as the superhero (14)______. He learned that being strong wasn’t just about what you could do, but also about the friends you made. The forest was a great place to live, and Sammy’s (15)______ became famous, (16)______ everyone that even a little squirrel with good friends can do big things.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a superhero? Do you have a favorite superhero? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you could fly like Sammy the squirrel? Why?
3. Do you think it’s important to help your friends when they are in trouble? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Felix the fox? Do you think he was right to try and steal the acorns? Why or why not?
5. How do you think Sammy felt when he caught Felix in the net? Why?
6. Do you think it’s important to work together with others to solve problems? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had to work together with others to solve a problem? Can you tell us about it?
8. Do you think it’s important to have friends? Why or why not?
9. How do you think Sammy’s friends felt when they saw him as the “Forest Guardian”? Why?
10. Do you think Sammy’s story is inspiring? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. superhero
2. acorns
3. rescue
4. naughty
5. hidden
6. sly
7. steal
8. fancy
9. trick
10. sneaky
11. trapped
12. realized
13. guardian
14. brave
15. famous

Meanings:
(A) To save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation
(B) Acting in a quiet or secret way to avoid being noticed
(C) To take something that doesn’t belong to you
(D) Behaving badly or mischievously, often in a playful way
(E) Having courage and not being afraid to face challenges
(F) Caught and unable to move or escape
(G) To understand or become aware of something
(H) Very nice and expensive
(I) Clever in a deceitful or cunning way
(J) Someone with special powers who helps others and fights against bad things
(K) A person who protects and looks after something
(L) Not easily found because it’s been put in a secret place
(M) To deceive someone as a way to play a joke or achieve something
(N) Small, round nuts that fall from oak trees and are often eaten by animals
(O) Well-known by many people
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What made Sammy different from the other squirrels in the forest?
(a) He could talk
(b) He could swim
(c) He could run really fast
(d) He could fly

2. Who was trapped in the tall tree that Sammy rescued?
(a) Tommy the turtle
(b) Billy the bunny
(c) Lucy the ladybug
(d) Oscar the owl

3. What did Felix the fox want to do with the stolen acorns?
(a) Sell them and buy a fancy home in the city
(b) Share them with his friends
(c) Plant them in the forest
(d) Eat them all by himself

4. How did Sammy catch Felix in the end?
(a) By chasing him through the forest
(b) By using his flying powers to catch him from above
(c) By setting up an acorn trap with his friends
(d) By tricking him into falling into a hole

5. What did Felix realize after he was caught in the net?
(a) That he should try to steal more acorns
(b) That he should become the Forest Guardian
(c) That he was better off working with everyone else
(d) That he should apologize to Sammy’s friends

6. What did Sammy’s friends call him after he caught Felix?
(a) The Forest Guardian
(b) The Acorn Hero
(c) The Flying Squirrel
(d) The Brave Sammy

7. What did Sammy learn about being strong?
(a) It was all about physical strength
(b) It was all about being the fastest
(c) It was all about having the most acorns
(d) It wasn’t just about what you could do, but also about the friends you made

8. What did Sammy’s story remind everyone?
(a) That squirrels are the smartest animals in the forest
(b) That even a little squirrel with good friends can do big things
(c) That acorns are the most important thing in the world
(d) That forests are dangerous places to live

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A sly rabbit named Felix tried to plant all the acorns in the forest to buy a demure home in the city.
2. Sammy, the squirrel, had the ability to fly, which made him unique in the forest.
3. Sammy’s superhero cape was made from stones and sticks, showing his lack of resourcefulness.
4. Sammy was clever enough to see through Felix’s lies and devised a plan to catch him.
5. Felix realized the error of his ways and apologized, leading to all the animals working together to protect the forest.
6. Sammy and Billy had many exciting adventures together, such as saving bird nests and searching for hidden treasure.
7. Sammy called upon his forest enemies to help set up an acorn trap, unsuccessfully catching Felix in a net.
8. Sammy’s enemy, Billy the bunny, got trapped in a short tree, prompting Sammy to run away.
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 in the story?
The main character in the story is Sammy, the flying squirrel.

2. What made Sammy different from the other squirrels?
Sammy was different from the other squirrels because he could fly.

3. How did Sammy save his friend Billy from the tall tree?
Sammy climbed the tall tree with his sharp claws to rescue Billy.

4. What were some of the exciting things Sammy and Billy did together?
Some of the exciting things Sammy and Billy did together were saving bird nests from naughty squirrels and looking for hidden treasure in the forest.

5. Why did the sly fox Felix want to steal all the acorns?
Felix wanted to steal all the acorns so he could sell them and buy a fancy home in the city.

6. How did Sammy and his friends catch Felix in the acorn trap?
Sammy and his friends set up a big net covered with shiny leaves and nuts. When Felix touched the acorns, the net trapped him.

7. What lesson did Sammy teach everyone in the forest?
Sammy taught everyone in the forest that being brave and having friends was the key to handling problems.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) forest
(2) Sammy
(3) leaves
(4) hurried
(5) times
(6) saving
(7) disappeared
(8) smart
(9) shiny
(10) Felix
(11) happy
(12) trouble
(13) brave
(14) squirrel
(15) story
(16) reminding
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. superhero
Answer: (J) Someone with special powers who helps others and fights against bad things

2. acorns
Answer: (N) Small, round nuts that fall from oak trees and are often eaten by animals

3. rescue
Answer: (A) To save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation

4. naughty
Answer: (D) Behaving badly or mischievously, often in a playful way

5. hidden
Answer: (L) Not easily found because it’s been put in a secret place

6. sly
Answer: (I) Clever in a deceitful or cunning way

7. steal
Answer: (C) To take something that doesn’t belong to you

8. fancy
Answer: (H) Very nice and expensive

9. trick
Answer: (M) To deceive someone as a way to play a joke or achieve something

10. sneaky
Answer: (B) Acting in a quiet or secret way to avoid being noticed

11. trapped
Answer: (F) Caught and unable to move or escape

12. realized
Answer: (G) To understand or become aware of something

13. guardian
Answer: (K) A person who protects and looks after something

14. brave
Answer: (E) Having courage and not being afraid to face challenges

15. famous
Answer: (O) Well-known by many people
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What made Sammy different from the other squirrels in the forest?
Answer: (d) He could fly

2. Who was trapped in the tall tree that Sammy rescued?
Answer: (b) Billy the bunny

3. What did Felix the fox want to do with the stolen acorns?
Answer: (a) Sell them and buy a fancy home in the city

4. How did Sammy catch Felix in the end?
Answer: (c) By setting up an acorn trap with his friends

5. What did Felix realize after he was caught in the net?
Answer: (c) That he was better off working with everyone else

6. What did Sammy’s friends call him after he caught Felix?
Answer: (a) The Forest Guardian

7. What did Sammy learn about being strong?
Answer: (d) It wasn’t just about what you could do, but also about the friends you made

8. What did Sammy’s story remind everyone?
Answer: (b) That even a little squirrel with good friends can do big things
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A sly rabbit named Felix tried to plant all the acorns in the forest to buy a demure home in the city. (Answer: False)
2. Sammy, the squirrel, had the ability to fly, which made him unique in the forest. (Answer: True)
3. Sammy’s superhero cape was made from stones and sticks, showing his lack of resourcefulness. (Answer: False)
4. Sammy was clever enough to see through Felix’s lies and devised a plan to catch him. (Answer: True)
5. Felix realized the error of his ways and apologized, leading to all the animals working together to protect the forest. (Answer: True)
6. Sammy and Billy had many exciting adventures together, such as saving bird nests and searching for hidden treasure. (Answer: True)
7. Sammy called upon his forest enemies to help set up an acorn trap, unsuccessfully catching Felix in a net. (Answer: False)
8. Sammy’s enemy, Billy the bunny, got trapped in a short tree, prompting Sammy to run away. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

Stella the unicorn uses her magical rainbow to spread happiness and love to all creatures.

The Rainbow Bridge

Stella, a magical unicorn, wins a competition and uses her wish to spread happiness and love.

In the magical land of Sprinkleville, a mischievous gnome named Minty Mischief plots to steal all the cupcakes from the famous cupcake castle, but a young girl named Ella is determined to stop him and save the town from chaos.

The Cupcake Castle Caper

A mischievous gnome named Minty steals cupcakes, but a girl named Ella catches him and teaches him a lesson about honesty.

Milo the mischievous monkey and Polly the Parrot become best friends, spreading laughter and joy throughout the jungle.

The Mischievous Monkey

Milo the monkey became the funny guy of the jungle, spreading laughter and happiness to all the animals, even the smart ones.

Feedback