Bartholomew the Barking Sheep
Bartholomew the Barking Sheep
Bartholomew was a sheep. But he was not like the other sheep. The other sheep said, "Baa, baa, baa!" Bartholomew did not say "Baa." Bartholomew said, "Woof, woof, woof!"
Mrs. Gable, the farmer, was very surprised. "A sheep that barks? How funny!" she said. The other sheep did not like it. They would stop eating grass to stare at him.
One day, a big, brown dog came to the farm. The dog ran to the sheep. The dog wanted to play. The sheep were scared. "Baa! Baa!" they cried. Bartholomew ran in front of the other sheep. "Woof! Woof! Go away!" he barked. The dog stopped. He looked at Bartholomew. Then, the dog ran away.
The other sheep were happy. They said, "Thank you, Bartholomew! You saved us!" Now, the other sheep liked Bartholomew. They did not care that he barked. Bartholomew was their friend.
Mrs. Gable smiled. "Bartholomew is a very good sheep," she said. She gave Bartholomew an extra-big apple. Bartholomew wagged his tail and barked happily.
- Sheep:
- A farm animal with wool.
- Bark:
- The sound a dog makes.
- Farmer:
- A person who grows food and raises animals.
- surprised:
- How you feel when something happens that you did not expect.
- stare:
- To look at someone or something for a long time without looking away.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What sound did the other sheep make?
- 2What sound did Bartholomew make?
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About this fiction passage for Lower Elementary
“Bartholomew the Barking Sheep” is a fiction reading passage about Unique Animals, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (173 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.