Jackson's Cave Adventure
Jackson stood at the mouth of the big cave.
The cave was called Blanchard Springs Caverns.
It was in a town called Fifty-Six, Arkansas.
Jackson took a deep, slow breath.
The cave looked very dark inside.
Jackson did not like the dark at all.
He held his momās hand very tight.
"It is okay, Jackson," Mom whispered.
They walked down the wet, paved path.
The air felt cool and damp on his face.
Soon, they were deep underground.
The tour guide turned on a bright yellow light.
"Look up," the guide said.
Jackson looked up at the high stone ceiling.
He saw sharp rocks hanging down.
They looked like giant stone icicles.
"Those are stalactites," said the guide.
"They hold tight to the top of the cave."
Jackson saw more pointed rocks on the ground.
They pointed up like grey cones.
"Those are stalagmites," the guide said.
"They grow up from the wet floor."
Then, Jackson saw something sparkle.
The cave walls were covered in tiny crystals.
They looked like stars in the night sky.
The dark cave did not seem so scary now.
The dark was actually full of beautiful things.
"Now, we will try a quick test," the guide said.
"We will turn off the lights for a moment."
Jackson felt his heart beat fast.
- stalactites:
- Sharp, icicle-shaped rocks hanging down from the ceiling of a cave.
- stalagmites:
- Pointed, cone-shaped rocks growing up from the floor of a cave.
- crystals:
- Tiny, shiny minerals on the cave walls that sparkle when light shines on them.
- caverns:
- Large underground caves or systems of caves.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where is the cave Jackson visited located?
- 2Why did Jackson hold his mom's hand very tight at the start of the story?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
āJackson's Cave Adventureā is a short story reading passage about Overcoming Fear of the Dark, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (304 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.