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Barnaby's Special Bubbles

LLaura
Lower Elementary
Short Story
English
3 min read
Image for Barnaby's Special Bubbles

Barnaby was a small, green dragon.

He lived on a high, rocky mountain.

He had shiny scales and a long tail.

He had two small, flappy wings.

All his friends could breathe hot fire.

They made big clouds of gray smoke.

They could toast marshmallows for a snack.

They looked like very strong dragons.

Barnaby tried to breathe fire too.

He opened his mouth very wide.

He squeezed his tummy very hard.

He took a very deep breath.

But no fire came out of his mouth.

Only shiny, wet bubbles came out.

The bubbles were pink and blue.

They floated softly in the morning air.

Barnaby felt very sad and small.

"I am not a real dragon," he sighed.

He sat on a big, flat rock.

He watched his friends blow fire.

One day, a very strong wind blew.

It shook the tall, old pine trees.

A small bird nest began to fall.

The nest was high up in a tree.

Three tiny blue eggs were in the nest.

The mother bird was very scared.

She chirped and flapped her wings.

The nest slipped off the branch.

The other dragons ran to the tree.

They tried to catch the falling nest.

But their fire was much too hot.

Their smoke made it hard to see.

Barnaby knew he had to help.

He ran fast to the bottom of the tree.

He looked up at the falling nest.

He took the biggest breath of his life.

Barnaby blew a giant, round bubble.

It was bigger than a beach ball.

It was the strongest bubble ever.

The bubble landed on the grass.

The nest fell right into the bubble.

The bubble did not pop at all.

It was soft like a bouncy pillow.

The eggs were safe and sound.

The mother bird flew down to the nest.

She chirped a happy song of thanks.

The eggs were warm and dry.

The bubble had saved the little birds.

The other dragons all cheered for him.

"You are a hero!" they shouted.

They had never seen such a trick.

Barnaby felt very tall and brave.

He was not like the other dragons.

He did not need fire to be great.

His bubbles were a special gift.

Barnaby was a very real dragon.

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Glossary
Breathe:
To take air into your lungs and send it out again.
Float:
To move slowly through the air or on top of water.
Hero:
A person or animal who is very brave and helps others.
Gift:
A special talent or something that makes a person special.
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary

“Barnaby's Special Bubbles” is a short story reading passage about Self-Acceptance, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (378 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.

Is this passage free?

Yes. You can read “Barnaby's Special Bubbles” online for free and download a printable PDF worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.

What reading level is “Barnaby's Special Bubbles”?

It’s written for Lower Elementary — a short story text about Self-Acceptance, about a 3-minute read (378 words).

What’s included with this passage?

An illustrated reading passage, a glossary of key terms, comprehension questions with an answer key, and an interactive quiz.

Can I adapt it for my students?

Yes. With a free account you can remix it to a different grade level or translate it to another language in one click.