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 · 245 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.7
In a damp gully of tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill could copy any sound. He could copy a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the snap of a falling branch. The other animals admired him. Quill admired himself even more.
One afternoon, Quill felt bored and playful. He made a perfect sound of a crashing tree. The wallabies ran out of the clearing, and the wrens hid in the bushes. They came back and found Quill laughing on his stump. They were annoyed, but they forgave him.
Quill played the trick again the next week, and then again. Each time the animals ran more slowly, and each time they smiled less. Soon nobody ran at all when they heard a crash. They just looked at the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split above the wallabies' resting place. Quill saw the danger and cried out as loudly as he could. But the wallabies only rolled their eyes. "Quill is playing again," one said.
Quill had to act. He ran into the clearing, stamped his feet, and flapped his wings until the wallabies jumped aside. A moment later, the heavy limb crashed down right where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. The wallabies thanked Quill, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy it. From then on, he used his copies only for singing. When he gave a warning, he used his own plain voice, and everyone trusted it.
▲ This passage · 271 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.2
In a damp gully thick with tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill could copy any sound that he heard. He could mimic a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the snap of a falling branch, and the other animals admired him greatly, although Quill admired himself even more.
One afternoon, feeling bored and mischievous, Quill let out a perfect imitation of a crashing tree. The wallabies bolted from the clearing, and the wrens scattered into the bushes. When they crept back and discovered Quill chuckling on his stump, they were annoyed, but they forgave him.
Encouraged, Quill played the trick again the next week, and then again after that. Each time the animals fled a little more slowly, and each time they looked a little less amused, until nobody ran at all when they heard a crash and everyone simply glanced at the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split above the wallabies' resting place. Quill spotted the danger and cried out with all his might, but the wallabies only rolled their eyes and muttered that Quill was playing again.
Quill had no choice. He dashed into the clearing and thumped his feet and flapped his wings until the startled wallabies leaped aside, and a moment later the heavy limb crashed exactly where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. Quill stood quietly while the wallabies thanked him, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy it. From then on, he saved his imitations for singing, and when he gave a warning, he gave it in his own plain voice, which everyone had learned to trust.
■ Harder · 306 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.2
In a damp gully thick with tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill possessed the remarkable ability to copy any sound that he happened to hear. He could mimic a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the sharp snap of a falling branch with equal precision, and the other animals admired him greatly, although Quill, it must be admitted, admired himself even more.
One afternoon, feeling bored and thoroughly mischievous, Quill let out a flawless imitation of a crashing tree. The wallabies bolted from the clearing in alarm, and the wrens scattered into the bushes. When they crept back and discovered Quill chuckling on his favorite stump, they were annoyed, but they ultimately forgave him.
Encouraged by this success, Quill played the same trick again the following week, and then again after that. Each time the animals fled a little more slowly, and each time they looked a little less amused, until eventually nobody ran at all when they heard a crash, and everyone simply glanced toward the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split high above the wallabies' resting place. Quill spotted the danger and cried out with every ounce of his strength, but the wallabies only rolled their eyes and muttered that Quill was playing his games again.
Quill had no choice. He dashed into the clearing and thumped his feet and flapped his wings until the startled wallabies leaped aside, and a moment afterward the heavy limb crashed down on exactly the spot where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. Quill stood quietly while the wallabies thanked him, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy their gratitude. From then on, he saved his imitations for singing, and whenever he gave a warning, he gave it in his own plain voice, which everyone had finally learned to trust.
Name ____________________●
The Lyrebird and the Honest Warning
In a damp gully of tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill could copy any sound. He could copy a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the snap of a falling branch. The other animals admired him. Quill admired himself even more.
One afternoon, Quill felt bored and playful. He made a perfect sound of a crashing tree. The wallabies ran out of the clearing, and the wrens hid in the bushes. They came back and found Quill laughing on his stump. They were annoyed, but they forgave him.
Quill played the trick again the next week, and then again. Each time the animals ran more slowly, and each time they smiled less. Soon nobody ran at all when they heard a crash. They just looked at the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split above the wallabies' resting place. Quill saw the danger and cried out as loudly as he could. But the wallabies only rolled their eyes. "Quill is playing again," one said.
Quill had to act. He ran into the clearing, stamped his feet, and flapped his wings until the wallabies jumped aside. A moment later, the heavy limb crashed down right where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. The wallabies thanked Quill, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy it. From then on, he used his copies only for singing. When he gave a warning, he used his own plain voice, and everyone trusted it.
Questions
- What sounds could Quill copy?
- What trick did Quill play?
- How did the animals act after the trick was repeated?
- What happened to the branch above the wallabies?
- Why did the wallabies ignore Quill's real warning?
- What does the story teach?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Lyrebird and the Honest Warning
In a damp gully thick with tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill could copy any sound that he heard. He could mimic a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the snap of a falling branch, and the other animals admired him greatly, although Quill admired himself even more.
One afternoon, feeling bored and mischievous, Quill let out a perfect imitation of a crashing tree. The wallabies bolted from the clearing, and the wrens scattered into the bushes. When they crept back and discovered Quill chuckling on his stump, they were annoyed, but they forgave him.
Encouraged, Quill played the trick again the next week, and then again after that. Each time the animals fled a little more slowly, and each time they looked a little less amused, until nobody ran at all when they heard a crash and everyone simply glanced at the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split above the wallabies' resting place. Quill spotted the danger and cried out with all his might, but the wallabies only rolled their eyes and muttered that Quill was playing again.
Quill had no choice. He dashed into the clearing and thumped his feet and flapped his wings until the startled wallabies leaped aside, and a moment later the heavy limb crashed exactly where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. Quill stood quietly while the wallabies thanked him, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy it. From then on, he saved his imitations for singing, and when he gave a warning, he gave it in his own plain voice, which everyone had learned to trust.
Questions
- What sounds could Quill copy?
- What trick did Quill play on the other animals?
- How did the animals react after Quill repeated the trick?
- What really happened to the branch above the wallabies?
- Why did the wallabies ignore Quill's real warning?
- What lesson does the story teach?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Lyrebird and the Honest Warning
In a damp gully thick with tall ferns, a lyrebird named Quill possessed the remarkable ability to copy any sound that he happened to hear. He could mimic a laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and the sharp snap of a falling branch with equal precision, and the other animals admired him greatly, although Quill, it must be admitted, admired himself even more.
One afternoon, feeling bored and thoroughly mischievous, Quill let out a flawless imitation of a crashing tree. The wallabies bolted from the clearing in alarm, and the wrens scattered into the bushes. When they crept back and discovered Quill chuckling on his favorite stump, they were annoyed, but they ultimately forgave him.
Encouraged by this success, Quill played the same trick again the following week, and then again after that. Each time the animals fled a little more slowly, and each time they looked a little less amused, until eventually nobody ran at all when they heard a crash, and everyone simply glanced toward the stump and sighed.
Then, one evening, a real branch began to split high above the wallabies' resting place. Quill spotted the danger and cried out with every ounce of his strength, but the wallabies only rolled their eyes and muttered that Quill was playing his games again.
Quill had no choice. He dashed into the clearing and thumped his feet and flapped his wings until the startled wallabies leaped aside, and a moment afterward the heavy limb crashed down on exactly the spot where they had been resting.
Nobody laughed that night. Quill stood quietly while the wallabies thanked him, but he felt too ashamed to enjoy their gratitude. From then on, he saved his imitations for singing, and whenever he gave a warning, he gave it in his own plain voice, which everyone had finally learned to trust.
Questions
- What sounds could Quill copy?
- What trick did Quill play on the other animals?
- How did the animals react after Quill repeated the trick?
- What really happened to the branch above the wallabies?
- Why did the wallabies ignore Quill's real warning?
- What lesson does the story teach?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Lyrebird and the Honest Warning
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.7)
- A laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and a falling branch.
- He made the sound of a crashing tree so the animals would run.
- They ran more slowly and then stopped running at all.
- It split and crashed down where they had been resting.
- He had tricked them so often that they thought he was joking again.
- Tricks can cost you trust, so honesty matters when it counts.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.2)
- A laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and a falling branch.
- He imitated the sound of a crashing tree so they would run away.
- They fled more slowly and finally stopped running at all.
- It split and crashed down where they had been resting.
- He had fooled them so often that they thought he was joking again.
- Tricks can cost you people's trust, so honesty matters when it counts.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.2)
- A laughing kookaburra, a creaking gate, and a falling branch.
- He imitated the sound of a crashing tree so they would run away.
- They fled more slowly and finally stopped running at all.
- It split and crashed down where they had been resting.
- He had fooled them so often that they assumed he was joking again.
- Tricks can cost you people's trust, so honesty matters most when it counts.
Free at teach.peabody.kids