Danny's Short Tail
Danny Meadow Mouse sat on his front step. He was sad, and he hid his tail under him.
His tail was very short. His cousin had a long one. Danny wished for one, too.
Old Toad hopped by and sat down. "Why so sad, little friend?" he asked.
"I want a long tail," said Danny. "Mine is just a stub. It looks silly."
Old Toad laughed. "A long tail! You would trip on it all day."
"It would catch on every twig," he went on. "You would have to watch it all day."
"Look at me," said Old Toad. "I am lumpy and brown. Nobody calls me pretty."
"But I am glad to be me. I have the sun, and I have plenty to eat."
Danny looked at Old Toad's kind eyes. They had a little twinkle in them.
Danny thought about his own home. He had a warm bed. The sun shone on his step.
"I am sorry I grumbled," he said. "I will be glad of the tail I have."
Old Toad nodded and hopped off. Danny pulled his tail out. The sun felt warm on it.
Questions
- A long tail
- A new house
- A big hat
- Reddy Fox
- Old Toad
- A hawk
- It would be warm
- It would be pretty
- It would catch on twigs
- Complained
- Sang
- Ran
- Glad of what he had
- More sad
- Cross at Old Toad
Words to know
- stub: a short end
- twig: a small stick
- grumbled: complained
- twinkle: a bright spark
Answer key: Danny's Short Tail
- A. A long tail
- B. Old Toad
- C. It would catch on twigs
- A. Complained
- A. Glad of what he had
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“Danny's Short Tail” is a reading level 6 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 6 words a sentence, and to show 12 to 20 words on a screen. At most 7% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Readers reach this level by climbing, not by grade.
| This passage | 189 words, 12 screens, 5 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 4 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 12 to 20 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), first sounds, sight words |
Reading level 6: 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.