The Fiddle and the Corn
Grasshopper had a fiddle. He played it all day long.
The ants had a job. They got corn for winter.
"Come and dance!" said Grasshopper. "Why do you work so much?"
"We have no time," said an ant. "Winter will come."
"We must get ready," said the ant. Grasshopper just laughed.
"There is lots to eat now!" he said. He played on.
The ants got corn all summer. Grasshopper played his fiddle.
Then the wind got cold. Snow fell on the grass.
Grasshopper had no corn. He had no seeds.
His tummy was sad and hungry. He went to the ants' door.
"Can I have some food?" he said.
"You played all summer," said an ant. "Why not play now?"
Grasshopper looked down. "I should have got ready," he said.
The ants smiled. "Come in," they said. "We have lots to share."
Grasshopper ate corn by the fire. Then he played his fiddle.
The ants danced and danced.
Questions
- A drum
- A fiddle
- A horn
- Corn
- Hats
- Sticks
- He did not get ready
- The ants hid it
- He ate too fast
- Go away
- Come in
- Not now
- Ants are small
- Get ready, and share
- Songs are bad
Words to know
- fiddle: a small violin
- winter: the cold time of year
- share: give some to others
Answer key: The Fiddle and the Corn
- B. A fiddle
- A. Corn
- A. He did not get ready
- B. Come in
- B. Get ready, and share
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Fiddle and the Corn” 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 | 158 words, 16 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.