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!

Sparky, the Friendly Dragon

In a magical kingdom, there lived a dragon named Sparky who was kind and friendly to everyone he met. Sparky lived in a cozy cave on the edge of the forest, and he spent his days playing with the children in the nearby village.

One day, Sparky was flying through the sky when he saw a group of children having a picnic in the park. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but suddenly, dark clouds started to gather in the sky.

The children saw the clouds too and started to pack up their things, worried that it was going to rain. Sparky flew down to see if he could help.

“Don’t worry, kids!” Sparky called out. “I’ll keep you dry with my big, red wings!”

The children were amazed and grateful as Sparky hovered above them, sheltering them from the rain. They held on to his wings and giggled as they flew through the air, feeling safe and warm under Sparky’s protection.

When the rain finally stopped, Sparky flew the children back home, where they had a warm and cozy tea party to celebrate their adventure. The children told their parents all about their exciting day, and they all agreed that Sparky was the best dragon they had ever met.

From then on, the children knew that they could always count on their friendly dragon, Sparky, to help them out in a pinch. And Sparky was happy to have such good friends to play with. He loved nothing more than making people smile and spreading joy wherever he went.

The end.

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Vocabulary

  1. “land” (noun) – a country or area
  2. “far, far away” (adverb) – at a very great distance
  3. “picnic” (noun) – an outdoor meal taken in a park or other natural setting
  4. “village” (noun) – a small group of houses in the countryside
  5. “sheltering” (verb) – protecting or providing cover from something
  6. “pinch” (noun) – a difficult or awkward situation
  7. “cozy” (adjective) – comfortable and warm
  8. “gathered” (verb) – came together or assembled
  9. “amazed” (adjective) – filled with surprise or wonder
  10. “giggled” (verb) – laughed in a light, playful way

Comprehension Questions

Please answer the following questions with your teacher or partner.
The answers are at the bottom of the page!

  1. Where did Sparky live?
  2. What did Sparky love to do?
  3. Why were the children worried when it started to rain?
  4. How did Sparky help the children?
  5. What did the children do when they got home?
  6. What did the children tell their parents about their adventure?
  7. Why were the children grateful to Sparky?
  8. How did Sparky feel about his friends?
  9. Why was Sparky a good dragon?
  10. What did Sparky like to do most of all?

Gap Fill Questions

Please fill in the gaps.
The answers are at the bottom of the page!

  1. Sparky was a ________ dragon who lived in a cozy cave.
  2. He loved to ________ with the children in the nearby village.
  3. One day, the children were having a ________ in the park when it started to rain.
  4. Sparky flew down and offered to keep the children ________ with his big, red wings.
  5. The children were ________ and grateful as Sparky flew them through the air.
  6. When they got home, the children had a ________ tea party to celebrate their adventure.
  7. The children told their parents about their ________ day with Sparky.
  8. Sparky was a good dragon because he was ________ and friendly to everyone he met.
  9. He loved nothing more than ________ people smile and spreading joy.
  10. The children knew they could always count on Sparky to help them out in a ________.

Conversation Questions

With your teacher or partner, please ask and answer these questions:

1. What was your favorite part of the story?

2. Have you ever been on a picnic before?

3. If you could have a pet dragon, what would you name it?

4. What would you do if it started to rain during a picnic?

5. Have you ever had a tea party?

6. Do you have any friends who are always there to help you out when you need it?

7. What do you think it would be like to fly on the back of a dragon?

8. How do you think Sparky’s friends felt when they saw him fly down to help them?

9. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

10. Do you think it would be fun to live in a magical kingdom like the one in the story?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

  1. Where did Sparky live?
    • Sparky lived in a cozy cave on the edge of the forest.
  2. What did Sparky love to do?
    • Sparky loved to play with the children in the village.
  3. Why were the children worried when it started to rain?
    • The children were worried because they thought their picnic was ruined.
  4. How did Sparky help the children?
    • Sparky sheltered the children from the rain with his big, red wings.
  5. What did the children do when they got home?
    • The children had a warm and cozy tea party when they got home.
  6. What did the children tell their parents about their adventure?
    • The children told their parents all about their exciting adventure with Sparky.
  7. Why were the children grateful to Sparky?
    • The children were grateful to Sparky because he kept them dry and safe from the rain.
  8. How did Sparky feel about his friends?
    • Sparky was happy to have such good friends to play with.
  9. Why was Sparky a good dragon?
    • Sparky was a good dragon because he was kind and friendly to everyone he met.
  10. What did Sparky like to do most of all?

Gap Fill Question Answers:

  1. Sparky was a friendly dragon who lived in a cozy cave.
  2. He loved to play with the children in the nearby village.
  3. One day, the children were having a picnic in the park when it started to rain.
  4. Sparky flew down and offered to keep the children dry with his big, red wings.
  5. The children were amazed and grateful as Sparky flew them through the air.
  6. When they got home, the children had a warm and cozy tea party to celebrate their adventure.
  7. The children told their parents about their exciting day with Sparky.
  8. Sparky was a good dragon because he was kind and friendly to everyone he met.
  9. He loved nothing more than making people smile and spreading joy.
  10. The children knew they could always count on Sparky to help them out in a pinch.

📚 How about these other Level 2 stories?

Humphrey the Hippogriff embarks on a quest to cure his hiccups and discovers the power of laughter.

The Hiccuping Hippogriff

Humphrey the Hippogriff had a big problem – he couldn’t stop hiccupping! He asked wise animals for help, but nothing worked. Then, a unicorn named Luna told him to laugh, and it actually worked! Humphrey learned that laughter can fix things and make others happy too.

A little girl named Lily discovers a jar of magical marmalade that brings everything to life.

The Magical Marmalade

Lily found a magical jar that made things come alive, but she learned that true magic is friendship and happiness.

A dazzling doughnut brings magic and happiness to a sleepy town, teaching the power of kindness.

The Dazzling Doughnut

A special doughnut named Mr. Sprinkles brings happiness to a town called Sugarville with its magic.