The Snail Race
A snail and a beetle lived in one garden. The beetle was fast. The snail was slow.
"You are so slow," said the beetle. "I could beat you with my eyes shut."
"Then let us race," said the snail. "To the big red flower by the gate."
All the bugs came to see. The ants lined up in a row. A ladybug called, "Go!"
The beetle zoomed off like a spark. "This will be easy," he said.
The snail did not hurry. She slid along, one soft step at a time.
The beetle stopped to have a snack. "I have so much time," he said.
He stopped to look at a bug. Then he lay down for a little nap.
The sun rose high. The snail slid past him. She did not make a sound.
"Go, snail, go!" called the ants. Step by step, she came to the flower.
The beetle woke up with a jump. He ran as fast as he could go.
But the snail was there first. She touched a red petal and smiled.
"How did you do that?" asked the beetle. "One step at a time," said the snail.
"Can we race again?" he asked. The snail laughed. "Let us walk, and you will see."
So they went side by side. The beetle saw dew shine. He saw a bee asleep in a rose.
"I never saw any of this," said the beetle. "Slow is not so bad."
Questions
- The snail
- The beetle
- A bird
- A pond
- A tree
- The big red flower
- He keeps stopping
- He is slow
- He is lost
- Fast is best
- Steady steps win
- Naps are bad
- He sees things he never saw
- He gets lost
- He falls asleep
- Slept
- Went very fast
- Ate
Words to know
- beetle: a bug
- zoomed: went very fast
- petal: flower part
- dew: morning water drops
Answer key: The Snail Race
- B. The beetle
- C. The big red flower
- A. He keeps stopping
- B. Steady steps win
- A. He sees things he never saw
- B. Went very fast
The story in pictures
- Part One · The Race
- Part Two · Side by Side
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Snail Race” 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 | 242 words, 16 screens, 6 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.