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 Tale of the Tangerine Tiger

A unique tiger with tangerine stripes leads his animal friends on a quest for a magical fruit, only to discover that true magic lies in friendship and laughter.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a beautiful jungle, there was a tiger with orange stripes named the Tangerine Tiger. He was different from the others and really shy. He spent his days walking around the jungle and looking at all the bright plants. All the animals thought he was amazing because of his cool stripes.

One afternoon, the Tangerine Tiger heard the monkeys talking about a magic fruit that could give you powers if you ate it. He thought it was really interesting, so he decided to go with his friends to find this fruit.

The journey to find the fruit was really hard. They had to get through thick vines, slide through mud, and deal with some naughty squirrels who also wanted the fruit. Sometimes, they felt like quitting, but the Tangerine Tiger made them laugh and kept them going.

After a really long time, they found a special place that was glowing. In a tree, there was the fruit they had been looking for! The Tangerine Tiger tried to pick it, but it fell and rolled away. He chased it, and his friends followed.

While they were chasing the fruit, the Tangerine Tiger understood that the fruit wasn’t actually magic. The fun and friendship of their adventure was the real magic. They didn’t need the fruit to be special. The Tangerine Tiger let the fruit go for someone else to find, and they all went back home feeling happy. They learned that fun with friends was the best kind of magic. Now, the Tangerine Tiger was a symbol of happiness in the jungle, and they all got ready for their next adventure together.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1beautifulVery pretty or attractive
2shyNot comfortable around other people and often nervous about meeting new people
3amazingReally good or impressive
4afternoonThe time of day between noon and evening
5magicHaving special powers that can do things that seem impossible
6journeyA trip from one place to another
7vinesLong, twisting plants that often climb up trees and walls
8naughtyBehaving badly or causing trouble
9quittingThinking about stopping something because it’s too hard
10glowingShining or giving off light
11chasedFollowed quickly in order to catch
12adventureAn exciting experience that is different from normal life
13symbolAn object or thing that represents an idea or quality
14happinessThe feeling you get when you are really content and joyful
15specialNot like the others; unique or different in a good way

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. What made the Tangerine Tiger different from the other tigers?
3. Why did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends go on a journey?
4. What challenges did they face during their journey?
5. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends discover about the magic fruit?
6. Why did the Tangerine Tiger let the fruit go?
7. How did the Tangerine Tiger become a symbol of happiness in the jungle?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a beautiful jungle, there was a (1)______ with (2)______ stripes named the Tangerine Tiger. He was different from the others and really shy. He spent his days walking around the jungle and (3)______ at all the bright plants. All the animals thought he was amazing because of his cool stripes.

One (4)______, the Tangerine Tiger heard the monkeys talking about a magic fruit that could give you powers if you ate it. He thought it was really (5)______, so he decided to go with his friends to find this (6)______.

The journey to find the fruit was really hard. They had to get through thick vines, slide through mud, and deal with some naughty squirrels who also (7)______ the fruit. Sometimes, they felt like quitting, but the Tangerine (8)______ made them laugh and kept them (9)______.

After a really long time, they found a (10)______ place that was (11)______. In a tree, there was the fruit they had been looking for! The Tangerine Tiger tried to pick it, but it fell and rolled away. He (12)______ it, and his friends followed.

While they were chasing the fruit, the Tangerine Tiger understood that the fruit wasn’t actually magic. The fun and friendship of their (13)______ was the real magic. They didn’t need the fruit to be special. The Tangerine Tiger let the fruit go for someone else to find, and they all went back home feeling happy. They (14)______ that fun with friends was the best kind of magic. Now, the Tangerine Tiger was a symbol of happiness in the (15)______, and they all got (16)______ for their next adventure together.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a shy person like? Do you think it’s okay to be shy? Why or why not?
2. How would you feel if you were the Tangerine Tiger? Would you like having cool stripes? Why or why not?
3. What do you think the magic fruit symbolizes in the story? Do you believe that magic fruits exist in real life? Why or why not?
4. What qualities do you think make a good friend? How do you think the Tangerine Tiger showed that he was a good friend?
5. Have you ever been on an adventure with your friends? How did it make you feel? Would you like to go on more adventures? Why or why not?
6. Do you think it’s important to have fun in life? Why or why not? How do you have fun with your friends?
7. Have you ever had to overcome obstacles or challenges? How did you feel when you finally achieved your goal? Why?
8. What do you think the Tangerine Tiger learned from his adventure? Do you think it’s important to learn from experiences? Why or why not?
9. Do you believe that everyone has something special about them? Why or why not? What do you think makes a person special?
10. How do you think the other animals in the jungle felt about the Tangerine Tiger after his adventure? Do you think it’s important to be kind and accepting of others? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. beautiful
2. shy
3. amazing
4. afternoon
5. magic
6. journey
7. vines
8. naughty
9. quitting
10. glowing
11. chased
12. adventure
13. symbol
14. happiness
15. special

Meanings:
(A) Shining or giving off light
(B) Not like the others; unique or different in a good way
(C) Thinking about stopping something because it’s too hard
(D) An exciting experience that is different from normal life
(E) Really good or impressive
(F) Having special powers that can do things that seem impossible
(G) Very pretty or attractive
(H) An object or thing that represents an idea or quality
(I) Followed quickly in order to catch
(J) A trip from one place to another
(K) Behaving badly or causing trouble
(L) The time of day between noon and evening
(M) Not comfortable around other people and often nervous about meeting new people
(N) The feeling you get when you are really content and joyful
(O) Long, twisting plants that often climb up trees and walls
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the tiger in the story?
(a) Tangerine Tiger
(b) Stripy Tiger
(c) Shy Tiger
(d) Jungle Tiger

2. Why did the animals think the Tangerine Tiger was amazing?
(a) Because he was really fast
(b) Because he could fly
(c) Because of his cool stripes
(d) Because he was the biggest tiger in the jungle

3. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends have to get through on their journey?
(a) Rivers, mountains, and caves
(b) Tall trees, deep valleys, and wild animals
(c) Swamps, quicksand, and poisonous plants
(d) Thick vines, mud, and naughty squirrels

4. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends find at the end of their journey?
(a) A hidden treasure chest
(b) A secret cave with a magical waterfall
(c) A glowing tree with the magic fruit
(d) A group of friendly monkeys

5. What did the Tangerine Tiger learn about the magic fruit?
(a) It could make you invisible
(b) It wasn’t actually magic
(c) It could make you fly
(d) It could make you super strong

6. What did the Tangerine Tiger do when the fruit fell and rolled away?
(a) He chased after it
(b) He gave up and went home
(c) He asked his friends to find it for him
(d) He decided to find a different fruit

7. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends learn was the real magic?
(a) The glowing tree with the fruit
(b) The special place they found
(c) The journey itself
(d) The fun and friendship of their adventure

8. What did the Tangerine Tiger become in the jungle?
(a) The king of the jungle
(b) A symbol of happiness
(c) The fastest tiger
(d) The strongest tiger

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Eventually, they found the glowing tree with the fruit they were searching for.
2. The Tangerine Tiger heard about a mundane fruit from the monkeys and decided to find it.
3. Despite the ease, the Tangerine Tiger’s seriousness and discouragement kept his friends going.
4. The journey to find the fruit was effortless, involving thin vines, dry slides, and obedient squirrels.
5. However, the Tangerine Tiger realized that the real magic was the fun and friendship they experienced during the adventure, not the fruit itself.
6. The other animals in the jungle admired the Tangerine Tiger for his cool stripes.
7. The Tangerine Tiger was ordinary because of his orange stripes and confidence.
8. The Tangerine Tiger enjoyed exploring the jungle and admiring the vibrant plants.
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 main character in the story?
The main character in the story was the Tangerine Tiger.

2. What made the Tangerine Tiger different from the other tigers?
The Tangerine Tiger was different from the other tigers because he had orange stripes, which made him stand out.

3. Why did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends go on a journey?
The Tangerine Tiger and his friends went on a journey to find a magic fruit that could give them powers.

4. What challenges did they face during their journey?
During their journey, they faced challenges like thick vines, mud, and naughty squirrels who also wanted the fruit.

5. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends discover about the magic fruit?
The Tangerine Tiger and his friends discovered that the magic fruit wasn’t actually magic. The real magic was the fun and friendship they experienced during their adventure.

6. Why did the Tangerine Tiger let the fruit go?
The Tangerine Tiger let the fruit go because he realized that they didn’t need the fruit to be special. The fun and friendship they had together was more important.

7. How did the Tangerine Tiger become a symbol of happiness in the jungle?
The Tangerine Tiger became a symbol of happiness in the jungle because he showed everyone that fun with friends was the best kind of magic. His positive attitude and ability to make others laugh made him a symbol of happiness.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) tiger
(2) orange
(3) looking
(4) afternoon
(5) interesting
(6) fruit
(7) wanted
(8) Tiger
(9) going
(10) special
(11) glowing
(12) chased
(13) adventure
(14) learned
(15) jungle
(16) ready
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. beautiful
Answer: (G) Very pretty or attractive

2. shy
Answer: (M) Not comfortable around other people and often nervous about meeting new people

3. amazing
Answer: (E) Really good or impressive

4. afternoon
Answer: (L) The time of day between noon and evening

5. magic
Answer: (F) Having special powers that can do things that seem impossible

6. journey
Answer: (J) A trip from one place to another

7. vines
Answer: (O) Long, twisting plants that often climb up trees and walls

8. naughty
Answer: (K) Behaving badly or causing trouble

9. quitting
Answer: (C) Thinking about stopping something because it’s too hard

10. glowing
Answer: (A) Shining or giving off light

11. chased
Answer: (I) Followed quickly in order to catch

12. adventure
Answer: (D) An exciting experience that is different from normal life

13. symbol
Answer: (H) An object or thing that represents an idea or quality

14. happiness
Answer: (N) The feeling you get when you are really content and joyful

15. special
Answer: (B) Not like the others; unique or different in a good way
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the tiger in the story?
Answer: (a) Tangerine Tiger

2. Why did the animals think the Tangerine Tiger was amazing?
Answer: (c) Because of his cool stripes

3. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends have to get through on their journey?
Answer: (d) Thick vines, mud, and naughty squirrels

4. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends find at the end of their journey?
Answer: (c) A glowing tree with the magic fruit

5. What did the Tangerine Tiger learn about the magic fruit?
Answer: (b) It wasn’t actually magic

6. What did the Tangerine Tiger do when the fruit fell and rolled away?
Answer: (a) He chased after it

7. What did the Tangerine Tiger and his friends learn was the real magic?
Answer: (d) The fun and friendship of their adventure

8. What did the Tangerine Tiger become in the jungle?
Answer: (b) A symbol of happiness
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Eventually, they found the glowing tree with the fruit they were searching for. (Answer: True)
2. The Tangerine Tiger heard about a mundane fruit from the monkeys and decided to find it. (Answer: False)
3. Despite the ease, the Tangerine Tiger’s seriousness and discouragement kept his friends going. (Answer: False)
4. The journey to find the fruit was effortless, involving thin vines, dry slides, and obedient squirrels. (Answer: False)
5. However, the Tangerine Tiger realized that the real magic was the fun and friendship they experienced during the adventure, not the fruit itself. (Answer: True)
6. The other animals in the jungle admired the Tangerine Tiger for his cool stripes. (Answer: True)
7. The Tangerine Tiger was ordinary because of his orange stripes and confidence. (Answer: False)
8. The Tangerine Tiger enjoyed exploring the jungle and admiring the vibrant plants. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

Penelope, the brave pirate princess, embarks on daring adventures, outsmarting sea monsters, cunning pirates, and even making a wish with a magical Golden Mermaid.

The Pirate Princess

Penelope, the pirate princess, sails the seas, outsmarting monsters, tricking pirates, and finding the true treasure of friendship.

Silly Sally's interactive circus cake, complete with a mischievous kitten, wins The Great Cake Contest.

The Great Cake Contest

In Sweetopia, bakers compete in The Great Cake Contest, and Silly Sally’s playful circus cake wins because of a brave kitty named Sprinkles.

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