Thor and the Giants
Thor was the strongest god. He had a big hammer. One day he went to see the giants.
The giants lived in a huge city. Their king smiled at Thor. "Show us what you can do!" he said.
First, the king gave Thor a big horn. "Drink it all," he said. "It is easy!"
Thor drank and drank. He drank until his face was red. But the horn was not empty.
Next, the king pointed to a gray cat. "Can you pick up my cat?" he asked. "A child can."
Thor pulled up on the cat. It went up and up. But just one paw left the floor!
Thor was sad. "I am not so strong," he said. The giants all laughed.
In the morning, the king walked Thor to the gate. "The truth is," he said, "it was all magic!"
"That horn ran down to the sea," said the king. "You drank a lot, and the sea went down."
"The cat was a giant snake. It goes round the world. You lifted it up!"
"No one else could do that. You are very strong, Thor. It was magic, not you."
Then the city was gone! Thor was in a green field. He laughed, and he went home.
Questions
- The king
- Thor
- The cat
- A horn of drink
- A pot of milk
- A bowl of soup
- A big rock
- The king
- A gray cat
- The horn was too small
- Thor was not thirsty
- The horn was joined to the sea
- A kind of horn
- A big door in a wall
- A fast run
- He laughed and went home
- He hit the king
- He stayed in the city
Words to know
- giant: a huge man
- horn: a drinking cup
- magic: a spell
- gate: a big door
Answer key: Thor and the Giants
- B. Thor
- A. A horn of drink
- C. A gray cat
- C. The horn was joined to the sea
- B. A big door in a wall
- A. He laughed and went home
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“Thor and the Giants” 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 | 208 words, 12 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.