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 Wizard of the Windy Mountain

A mischievous wizard named Wally uses laughter to defeat a wicked witch and bring joy to a troubled village.

Try this story at a different level?

 

There once was a wizard named Wally who lived on a super windy mountain. He was a nice guy who loved to make his friends laugh by playing funny tricks on them. Everyone liked having him around because he was so much fun.

One day, Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sent him a letter from a village far away. The letter said that a mean witch had messed up the village with a spell. Houses were floating, rivers ran the wrong way, and people couldn’t walk straight. The villagers needed help badly.

Wally was eager to have an adventure, so he grabbed his magic stuff and rode his broomstick to the village. There, he saw all the weird things happening, like cows making cat sounds. It was super crazy!

Wally found the witch and instead of fighting her with serious magic, he made her laugh. He tickled her and threw silly string at her until she couldn’t stop laughing. Because she was laughing so much, her magic got weak and the spell over the village was broken. Everything went back to normal and the people could walk straight again.

The people in the village threw a big party to say thanks to Wally. They learned that making people laugh is a kind of magic too. Wally went back to his windy mountain home feeling great because he had made a difference. He knew now that when things get tough, making people laugh is one of the best things you can do. Laughter can fix problems, make friends, and turn sad times into happy ones. So if you ever feel sad or have a problem, just think of Wally and try to laugh.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1wizardA person who uses magic
2mountainA very tall hill, often with steep sides
3adventureAn exciting and risky experience
4broomstickA long stick that witches and wizards are said to fly on
5villagersPeople who live in a small community in the countryside
6eagerReally wanting to do or have something
7spellA word or phrase with magical powers
8weirdStrange and unusual
9tickledGently touching someone in a way that makes them laugh
10silly stringA playful, fun spray that comes out like string
11laughterThe sound you make when something is funny
12toughWhen something is very hard or challenging
13differenceMaking a change or having an impact
14problemAn issue or something that needs to be solved
15falconA bird of prey with sharp eyesight and strong flying abilities

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Wally and what does he like to do?
2. What did Freddy the Falcon’s letter say about the village?
3. How did Wally get to the village?
4. What strange things did Wally see happening in the village?
5. How did Wally defeat the mean witch?
6. How did the people in the village show their gratitude to Wally?
7. Why did Wally believe that making people laugh is important?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There once was a (1)______ named Wally who lived on a super windy mountain. He was a nice guy who loved to make his friends laugh by playing funny tricks on them. Everyone liked (2)______ him around because he was so much fun.

One day, Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sent him a letter from a (3)______ far away. The letter said that a mean witch had (4)______ up the village with a spell. Houses were floating, rivers ran the (5)______ way, and people couldn’t walk straight. The villagers (6)______ help badly.

Wally was eager to have an adventure, so he grabbed his magic stuff and rode his broomstick to the village. There, he saw all the weird things happening, like cows making cat sounds. It was super crazy!

Wally (7)______ the (8)______ and instead of fighting her with serious magic, he made her laugh. He tickled her and (9)______ silly string at her until she couldn’t stop laughing. Because she was laughing so much, her magic got weak and the spell over the village was (10)______. Everything went back to normal and the people could walk straight again.

The people in the village threw a big party to say thanks to Wally. They (11)______ that (12)______ people laugh is a kind of magic too. (13)______ went back to his (14)______ mountain home feeling great because he had made a difference. He knew now that when things get tough, making (15)______ laugh is one of the best things you can do. Laughter can fix problems, make friends, and turn sad times into happy ones. So if you ever feel sad or have a problem, just (16)______ of Wally and try to laugh.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a wizard? Have you ever heard of any other wizards in stories or movies?
2. How would you feel if you received a letter asking for help from someone you knew?
3. Do you like playing tricks on your friends? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have fun and make people laugh? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever seen something weird or crazy happening? Can you describe it?
6. How do you think Wally felt when he made the witch laugh and broke the spell?
7. Why do you think the people in the village threw a big party for Wally?
8. Have you ever been to a party to say thanks to someone? How did it make you feel?
9. Do you think laughter can really fix problems? Why or why not?
10. Can you think of a time when laughter helped you through a difficult or sad situation?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. wizard
2. mountain
3. adventure
4. broomstick
5. villagers
6. eager
7. spell
8. weird
9. tickled
10. silly string
11. laughter
12. tough
13. difference
14. problem
15. falcon

Meanings:
(A) A word or phrase with magical powers
(B) A long stick that witches and wizards are said to fly on
(C) An exciting and risky experience
(D) Making a change or having an impact
(E) Gently touching someone in a way that makes them laugh
(F) An issue or something that needs to be solved
(G) A very tall hill, often with steep sides
(H) People who live in a small community in the countryside
(I) A person who uses magic
(J) When something is very hard or challenging
(K) The sound you make when something is funny
(L) A playful, fun spray that comes out like string
(M) A bird of prey with sharp eyesight and strong flying abilities
(N) Strange and unusual
(O) Really wanting to do or have something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the wizard in the story?
(a) Freddy
(b) Sherlock
(c) Wally
(d) Jones

2. Where did Wally live?
(a) In a village far away
(b) In a big city
(c) In a magical forest
(d) On a super windy mountain

3. Why did Wally go to the village?
(a) To visit his friend Freddy
(b) To help the villagers with a spell
(c) To find a new home
(d) To play tricks on the villagers

4. What happened to the village because of the mean witch’s spell?
(a) Houses were floating and rivers ran the wrong way
(b) The villagers couldn’t walk straight
(c) Cows made cat sounds
(d) All of the above

5. How did Wally defeat the witch?
(a) By using serious magic
(b) By making her laugh
(c) By running away
(d) By asking for help from his friends

6. What did the villagers learn from Wally?
(a) That serious magic is the only way to solve problems
(b) That witches are always mean
(c) That they should be afraid of wizards
(d) That making people laugh is a kind of magic

7. How did Wally feel after helping the village?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Great
(d) Confused

8. What did Wally learn about laughter?
(a) It can fix problems and make friends
(b) It is a waste of time
(c) It can only be done by wizards
(d) It is not important in life

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Wally’s plan fails, and the spell over the village remains, keeping everything abnormal.
2. Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sends him a letter asking for help with a mean witch who has cast a spell on their village.
3. Instead of using serious magic, Wally decides to make the witch laugh to weaken her magic.
4. The villagers ignore Wally’s help and continue with their normal lives.
5. Wally enjoys playing funny tricks on his friends to make them laugh.
6. Wally learns that making people laugh is a weak form of magic and has no impact on others.
7. The story is about a wizard named Wally who lives on a windy mountain.
8. The spell has caused normal things to happen, like houses floating and cows making cat sounds.
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 Wally and what does he like to do?
Wally is a wizard who lives on a windy mountain. He likes to make his friends laugh by playing funny tricks on them.

2. What did Freddy the Falcon’s letter say about the village?
Freddy’s letter said that a mean witch had messed up the village with a spell. Houses were floating, rivers ran the wrong way, and people couldn’t walk straight.

3. How did Wally get to the village?
Wally rode his broomstick to the village.

4. What strange things did Wally see happening in the village?
Wally saw cows making cat sounds and other weird things happening in the village.

5. How did Wally defeat the mean witch?
Instead of fighting her with serious magic, Wally made the witch laugh. He tickled her and threw silly string at her until she couldn’t stop laughing. Her laughter weakened her magic and broke the spell over the village.

6. How did the people in the village show their gratitude to Wally?
The people in the village threw a big party to say thanks to Wally.

7. Why did Wally believe that making people laugh is important?
Wally believed that making people laugh is important because it can fix problems, make friends, and turn sad times into happy ones.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) wizard
(2) having
(3) village
(4) messed
(5) wrong
(6) needed
(7) found
(8) witch
(9) threw
(10) broken
(11) learned
(12) making
(13) Wally
(14) windy
(15) people
(16) think
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. wizard
Answer: (I) A person who uses magic

2. mountain
Answer: (G) A very tall hill, often with steep sides

3. adventure
Answer: (C) An exciting and risky experience

4. broomstick
Answer: (B) A long stick that witches and wizards are said to fly on

5. villagers
Answer: (H) People who live in a small community in the countryside

6. eager
Answer: (O) Really wanting to do or have something

7. spell
Answer: (A) A word or phrase with magical powers

8. weird
Answer: (N) Strange and unusual

9. tickled
Answer: (E) Gently touching someone in a way that makes them laugh

10. silly string
Answer: (L) A playful, fun spray that comes out like string

11. laughter
Answer: (K) The sound you make when something is funny

12. tough
Answer: (J) When something is very hard or challenging

13. difference
Answer: (D) Making a change or having an impact

14. problem
Answer: (F) An issue or something that needs to be solved

15. falcon
Answer: (M) A bird of prey with sharp eyesight and strong flying abilities
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the wizard in the story?
Answer: (c) Wally

2. Where did Wally live?
Answer: (d) On a super windy mountain

3. Why did Wally go to the village?
Answer: (b) To help the villagers with a spell

4. What happened to the village because of the mean witch’s spell?
Answer: (a) Houses were floating and rivers ran the wrong way

5. How did Wally defeat the witch?
Answer: (b) By making her laugh

6. What did the villagers learn from Wally?
Answer: (d) That making people laugh is a kind of magic

7. How did Wally feel after helping the village?
Answer: (c) Great

8. What did Wally learn about laughter?
Answer: (a) It can fix problems and make friends
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Wally’s plan fails, and the spell over the village remains, keeping everything abnormal. (Answer: False)
2. Wally’s friend Freddy the Falcon sends him a letter asking for help with a mean witch who has cast a spell on their village. (Answer: True)
3. Instead of using serious magic, Wally decides to make the witch laugh to weaken her magic. (Answer: True)
4. The villagers ignore Wally’s help and continue with their normal lives. (Answer: False)
5. Wally enjoys playing funny tricks on his friends to make them laugh. (Answer: True)
6. Wally learns that making people laugh is a weak form of magic and has no impact on others. (Answer: False)
7. The story is about a wizard named Wally who lives on a windy mountain. (Answer: True)
8. The spell has caused normal things to happen, like houses floating and cows making cat sounds. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 3 stories?

In the end, it wasn't the blueberries that made the Bizarre Blueberry Banquet special, but the spirit of the village.

The Bizarre Blueberry Banquet

In a village called Berryville, the blueberries disappeared before the big party, but they found a secret blueberry bush and had a blast at the rain-soaked celebration.

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.

A young girl named Lily embarks on a daring adventure to find a hidden harbor and discovers that true treasure lies in the simple pleasures of life.

The Hidden Harbor

Lily discovers a secret harbor and learns that the real treasure is happiness and adventure.

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