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The Badger's Borrowed Lantern

6th grade fiction passage about a badger who keeps a promise: 245 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade fiction a badger who keeps a promise 245 words

The Badger's Borrowed Lantern

Old Hobb the badger owned the only lantern in Thistle Wood, a tin lantern with a bright candle that he lent to neighbors who had to travel after dark, and his rule was that it must be brought back by sunrise. One night, a young badger named Pip borrowed it to visit her sick aunt on the far side of the hill, promising to return it by morning. But the aunt's cough was bad. And Pip stayed to boil herbs and tuck in the blankets, so the sun came up while she was still far away.

She was frightened, because Hobb was a kind badger but a rule was a rule. For a moment she thought about leaving the lantern behind a rock and pretending that she had never borrowed it, but then she remembered how much Hobb had trusted her. Pip ran home as fast as her short legs could carry her. And when she reached his door she was gasping. She told him that she was late, that her aunt had needed her, and that she was very sorry.

Hobb studied the lantern and then her tired face. He said that she had come back and told the truth. And that this mattered more to him than the hour. Next time, he suggested, she could send a message with a swallow, and he would understand. Pip nodded, feeling lighter than she had all morning, as if she had put down a heavy basket.

Questions

  1. What was Hobb's rule about the lantern? in the text

  2. Why did Pip borrow the lantern? in the text

  3. Why was Pip late returning it? in the text

  4. What did Pip think about doing before she remembered Hobb's trust? in the text

  5. Why did Hobb forgive Pip? think about it

  6. Why did Pip feel lighter at the end? think about it

Words to know

lantern
a lamp inside a case that can be carried
herbs
plants used for flavor or to help people feel better
frightened
feeling scared
gasping
breathing in quickly because you are out of breath
swallow
a small, fast bird with a forked tail
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 201 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7

Old Hobb the badger had the only lantern in Thistle Wood. It was a tin lantern with a bright candle. He lent it to neighbors who had to go out after dark. His rule was simple: bring it back by sunrise.

One night, a young badger named Pip borrowed it. She went to visit her sick aunt on the far side of the hill. She promised to return it by morning. But her aunt's cough was bad. Pip stayed to boil herbs and tuck in blankets. The sun came up, and Pip was still far away.

She was scared. Hobb was kind, but a rule was a rule. She thought about hiding the lantern behind a rock and saying nothing. Then she remembered how Hobb had trusted her.

Pip ran home as fast as she could. At Hobb's door, she gasped. "I am late," she said. "My aunt needed me. I am very sorry."

Hobb looked at the lantern, then at her tired face. "You came back and told the truth," he said. "That matters more than the hour. Next time, send a message with a swallow."

Pip nodded. She felt lighter, as if she had put down a heavy basket.

▲ This passage · 245 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.8

Old Hobb the badger owned the only lantern in Thistle Wood, a tin lantern with a bright candle that he lent to neighbors who had to travel after dark, and his rule was that it must be brought back by sunrise. One night, a young badger named Pip borrowed it to visit her sick aunt on the far side of the hill, promising to return it by morning. But the aunt's cough was bad. And Pip stayed to boil herbs and tuck in the blankets, so the sun came up while she was still far away.

She was frightened, because Hobb was a kind badger but a rule was a rule. For a moment she thought about leaving the lantern behind a rock and pretending that she had never borrowed it, but then she remembered how much Hobb had trusted her. Pip ran home as fast as her short legs could carry her. And when she reached his door she was gasping. She told him that she was late, that her aunt had needed her, and that she was very sorry.

Hobb studied the lantern and then her tired face. He said that she had come back and told the truth. And that this mattered more to him than the hour. Next time, he suggested, she could send a message with a swallow, and he would understand. Pip nodded, feeling lighter than she had all morning, as if she had put down a heavy basket.

■ Harder · 269 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.4

Old Hobb the badger owned the only lantern in the whole of Thistle Wood, a sturdy tin lantern fitted with a bright candle that he generously lent to any neighbor who had to travel after dark, and his rule was perfectly simple: it must be returned by sunrise. One night, a young badger named Pip borrowed it so that she could visit her ailing aunt on the far side of the hill, and she solemnly promised to bring it back by morning. But her aunt's cough was severe. And Pip lingered to boil soothing herbs and tuck the blankets around her, so the sun rose while she was still miles from home.

She was frightened, because Hobb was a considerate badger but a rule was still a rule. For a moment she considered hiding the lantern behind a rock and pretending that she had never borrowed it. But then she remembered the faith that Hobb had placed in her. Pip raced home as fast as her short legs could carry her, and when she reached his door she was gasping for breath. She confessed that she was late, that her aunt had needed her, and that she was truly sorry.

Hobb examined the lantern and then her exhausted face. He told her that she had come back and told him the truth. And that this mattered far more to him than the hour. In the future, he suggested, she should send word with a swallow, and he would completely understand. Pip nodded, feeling lighter than she had all morning, as though she had finally set down a heavy basket.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put lantern, herbs, frightened, gasping and swallow on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Badger's Borrowed Lantern"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 245 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.8. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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