A Rainy Day Rescue
A Rainy Day Rescue
Once upon a time, high above the world in a fluffy, gray cloud, lived a little raindrop named Rolly. Now, Rolly wasn't like the other raindrops. While they eagerly waited for their turn to fall, Rolly was terrified! He had a terrible fear of heights.
"I just can't do it!" Rolly would squeak, clinging to a particularly large cloud particle. The other raindrops would giggle. "Don't be silly, Rolly! It's fun!" they'd shout as they plunged downwards. But Rolly couldn't see the fun. All he could see was the dizzying drop to the ground far, far below.
One day, a strong gust of wind shook the cloud. Rolly lost his grip! He tumbled through the air, his tiny raindrop heart pounding like a drum. "Help!" he cried, but the wind carried his voice away.
Suddenly, a bright green leaf fluttered past. "Need a ride?" the leaf chirped. Rolly, surprised, grabbed onto the leaf. The leaf gently glided down, down, down, much slower than Rolly would have fallen on his own.
"Who are you?" Rolly asked, his voice trembling.
"I'm Leafy," the leaf replied cheerfully. "And you're Rolly, the raindrop who's afraid of heights, right? I've heard about you!"
- Terrified:
- Very scared
- Gust:
- A sudden, strong rush of wind
- Trembling:
- Shaking slightly because you are nervous, afraid, etc.
- plunged:
- Fell or dropped quickly and suddenly from a high place.
- relieved:
- Feeling happy and relaxed because a scary or stressful situation has ended.
- overcome:
- To successfully deal with, control, or defeat a difficult problem or fear.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why was Rolly different from the other raindrops?
- 2How did the other raindrops react to Rolly's fear?
Where this passage belongs
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About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
“A Rainy Day Rescue” is a fiction reading passage about Fear and Friendship, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (291 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.