Pip and the Lost Bell
Pip was a young pirate with a small red boat. One sunny day, Pip sailed to a little island.
A map showed a star by a tall palm tree. “That must be where the treasure is!” Pip said.
Pip pulled the boat onto the sand and set off. Soon, a soft sound came from the grass.
“Peep! Peep!”
A baby bird sat under a bush. It could not fly back to its nest in the palm tree.
Pip looked up. The nest was high, and the tree was too tall to climb.
Then Pip saw a long branch on the sand. Pip held it near the bird, but the bird hopped away.
“It's all right,” Pip said. Pip sat still and waited.
At last, the bird hopped onto the branch. Slowly, Pip lifted it up to the nest. The bird hopped in beside two other chicks.
Something shiny lay at the foot of the tree. Pip brushed away the sand and found a small brass bell.
“The treasure!” Pip said. But a name was scratched on the bell: Moss.
Just then, a goat came down the path. A bit of rope hung from its neck.
“Are you Moss?” Pip asked.
The goat gave a loud “Baa!” Pip tied the bell to the rope. When Moss ran, the bell rang.
- treasure:
- Something valuable or special.
- nest:
- A place where a bird lays eggs and cares for its babies.
- branch:
- A part of a tree that grows out from its trunk.
- brass:
- A yellow-colored metal.
- shore:
- The land along the edge of water.
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
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where did Pip sail on the sunny day?
- 2What did the star on the map show?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Pip and the Lost Bell” is a short story reading passage about Adventure, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (283 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.