Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

The Fox and the Canyon Echo

6th grade fiction passage about a fox who tricks with an echo: 236 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade fiction a fox who tricks with an echo 236 words

The Fox and the Canyon Echo

In Cedar Canyon, the stone walls threw every sound back across the valley, and a young fox named Wren found this wonderful. She discovered that if she shouted from the rim, her voice came back from three directions at once, so she could sound like a whole crowd. At first it was a harmless game, and she called out that the clover patch was open and giggled while the echo bounced around her. But the game grew bolder. One afternoon, she yelled that wolves were coming, and the echo thundered through the canyon until the sleeping deer sprang up and fled in every direction. Wren rolled in the grass, laughing.

A few days later, she was crossing a narrow ledge when a rock slid beneath her paws, and she tumbled into a crevice and could not climb out. She cried for help, and the echo carried her voice around the canyon. But the deer, the rabbits, and the old marmot only looked up and said that it was Wren's trick again, and they went on with their day.

Only as the shadows lengthened did a slow badger finally wander by. He had not been fooled the last time, because he had been asleep. He lowered a vine, and she climbed out, trembling. She whispered her thanks and promised never to shout a false alarm again. The canyon kept her echo, but it kept her promise, too.

Questions

  1. What did Wren discover about the canyon? in the text

  2. What false warning did Wren shout? in the text

  3. What happened to Wren on the narrow ledge? in the text

  4. Who finally helped Wren? in the text

  5. Why did the other animals ignore Wren's cries for help? think about it

  6. Why was the badger the only one who came? think about it

Words to know

echo
a sound that bounces back after hitting something
rim
the top edge of something
crevice
a narrow crack in rock or the ground
marmot
a stocky, furry animal that lives in the mountains
trembling
shaking, often from fear or cold
Share

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 · 205 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7

In Cedar Canyon, the stone walls sent every sound back across the valley. A young fox named Wren found this wonderful. When she shouted from the rim, her voice came back from three sides. She could sound like a whole crowd.

At first it was a harmless game. She called, "Rabbits, the clover patch is open!" and giggled at the echo. But the game grew bolder. One afternoon, she yelled, "Wolves are coming! Run!" The echo thundered. The sleeping deer jumped up and ran in every direction. Wren rolled in the grass, laughing.

A few days later, she was on a narrow ledge when a rock slid under her paws. She fell into a crevice and could not climb out. "Help!" she cried. "Somebody help me!"

The echo carried her cries around the canyon. But the deer, the rabbits, and the old marmot only looked up and said, "That is Wren's trick again." They went on with their day.

Only as the shadows grew long did a slow badger wander by. He had slept through the false alarm, so he had not been fooled. He lowered a vine, and she climbed out, shaking.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I will never shout a false alarm again."

▲ This passage · 236 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1

In Cedar Canyon, the stone walls threw every sound back across the valley, and a young fox named Wren found this wonderful. She discovered that if she shouted from the rim, her voice came back from three directions at once, so she could sound like a whole crowd. At first it was a harmless game, and she called out that the clover patch was open and giggled while the echo bounced around her. But the game grew bolder. One afternoon, she yelled that wolves were coming, and the echo thundered through the canyon until the sleeping deer sprang up and fled in every direction. Wren rolled in the grass, laughing.

A few days later, she was crossing a narrow ledge when a rock slid beneath her paws, and she tumbled into a crevice and could not climb out. She cried for help, and the echo carried her voice around the canyon. But the deer, the rabbits, and the old marmot only looked up and said that it was Wren's trick again, and they went on with their day.

Only as the shadows lengthened did a slow badger finally wander by. He had not been fooled the last time, because he had been asleep. He lowered a vine, and she climbed out, trembling. She whispered her thanks and promised never to shout a false alarm again. The canyon kept her echo, but it kept her promise, too.

■ Harder · 251 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.9

In Cedar Canyon, the towering stone walls hurled every sound back across the valley, and a young fox named Wren found this absolutely wonderful. She discovered that if she shouted from the rim, her voice returned from three directions at once, so that she could sound like an entire crowd. At first it was a harmless game, and she called out that the clover patch was open and giggled while the echo bounced from cliff to cliff. But the game grew bolder. One afternoon, she bellowed that wolves were coming, and the echo thundered through the canyon until the sleeping deer sprang to their feet and scattered in every direction. Wren rolled in the grass, laughing uncontrollably.

A few days later, she was crossing a narrow ledge when a loose rock slid beneath her paws, and she tumbled into a crevice and discovered that she could not climb out. She pleaded for help, and the echo carried her desperate voice around the canyon. But the deer, the rabbits, and the old marmot merely glanced upward and muttered that it was Wren's trick again, and they resumed their ordinary routines.

Only as the shadows lengthened did a slow-moving badger finally wander past. He had not been fooled by the earlier alarm, because he had been fast asleep. He lowered a long vine, and she clambered out, trembling. She whispered her gratitude and promised never to shout a false alarm again. The canyon kept her echo, but it also kept her promise.

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 echo, rim, crevice, marmot and trembling 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 Fox and the Canyon Echo"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 236 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 6.1. 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.

Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.