Otto's Big Football Dream
Otto was not an ordinary football fan. He was a bright blue octopus with a big smile! He lived in a large tank at the local aquarium, which was right next to the football stadium.
Every Saturday, Otto pressed himself against the glass. He watched the players run across the green field. "I wish I could play!" he whispered, waving his eight arms.
One day, the stadium caretaker, Mr. Finn, saw Otto looking out. Mr. Finn laughed. "An octopus playing football? That is silly!"
"I have eight arms!" Otto bubbled. "I can catch, throw, and block all at the same time!"
Mr. Finn liked Otto's spirit. He talked to the coach of the local team, the Sharks. The coach was not sure, but he agreed to give Otto a tryout.
On the day of the tryout, Otto was nervous. He had never left his tank. Mr. Finn moved him carefully in a large tub of seawater. When they arrived at the field, the Sharks stared in surprise.
"Okay, Otto," the coach said. "Show us what you can do."
Otto rolled onto the grass. He was amazing! With his eight arms, he caught every pass. He threw the ball far and straight. He even blocked a player with two of his arms. The team was amazed!
- aquarium:
- A building with large glass tanks of water where fish and other water animals live.
- caretaker:
- A person whose job is to look after a building, land, or facility.
- tryout:
- A test or trial to see how well someone can perform a sport or activity to join a team.
- retriever:
- Someone or something that finds and brings back items.
- wobble:
- To move unsteadily from side to side.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where did Otto live?
- 2Why did Otto think his eight arms would make him a good football player?
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About this fiction passage for 4th Grade
“Otto's Big Football Dream” is a fiction reading passage about Teamwork, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 2 minutes to read (328 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.