A Bell for the Cat
Many mice lived in a big house. A cat lived there too.
The cat was quiet. The mice did not hear her come.
The mice met in the night. "We must do something!"
A young mouse said, "Put a bell on the cat!"
"We will hear it ring. Then we can run and hide!"
The mice cheered. What a good plan!
An old mouse said, "But who will put it on?"
No one said a word.
"Not me," said one. "I am too slow."
"Not me," said one. "I am too small."
Not one mouse would do it.
The cat just yawned and went back to sleep.
Questions
- A dog
- A cat
- A hen
- Hide in a box
- Run away
- Put a bell on the cat
- An old mouse
- The cat
- A hen
- Me, me
- I will
- Not me
- Mice like bells
- Plans are easy to make, but hard to do
- Cats are kind
Words to know
- bell: a thing that rings
- plan: an idea to do
- yawn: a big sleepy breath
Answer key: A Bell for the Cat
- B. A cat
- C. Put a bell on the cat
- A. An old mouse
- C. Not me
- B. Plans are easy to make, but hard to do
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“A Bell for the Cat” is a reading level 5 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 10 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 5 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 12 words on a screen. At most 6% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Children in 2nd grade start at this level.
| This passage | 107 words, 12 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 3 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 1 to 12 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words |
Reading level 5: the limits, a real sample and the free games. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: use the questions to talk about the story, not to grade a child.