Henry and the Wind


Henry went to Lake Park in Milwaukee with his friend June. They stopped at North Point Lighthouse. Its tall white tower rose above the trees.
Henry held a sheet of paper. He had drawn the tower with a red sun beside it.
“Let me see!” said June.
Just then, a gust of wind tugged the paper from Henry’s hand. It flew past a bench and slid under a bush.
“Oh no!” Henry cried. “That is my best drawing.”
He ran to the bush. The paper was caught on a branch. Henry reached for it, but it was too far back.
June found a long stick on the ground. “Maybe this will help,” she said.
Henry tried to pull the paper out with the stick. The paper moved, but so did the branch. A leaf fell on his head.
June giggled. Henry giggled, too. Then they looked at the bush again.
“I can hold the branch up,” June said. “You can reach under it.”
June held the branch while Henry knelt down. He stretched out his arm. His fingers touched the edge of the paper.
“Got it!” he said.
The paper had a small tear, and one corner was bent. Henry felt sad for a moment. Then he saw the red sun still shining on his drawing.
- gust:
- A sudden rush of wind.
- tugged:
- Pulled with a quick movement.
- branch:
- A part that grows out from a tree or bush.
- knelt:
- Got down on one or both knees.
- stretched:
- Reached out as far as possible.
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.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where did Henry and June stop in Lake Park?
- 2What did Henry draw beside the tower?
Where this passage belongs
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Henry and the Wind” is a short story reading passage about Helping others, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (280 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.


