Rattle-Ben Plays Hide-and-Seek
Rattle-Ben was a happy little skeleton. He lived in a cozy house under a hill.
Rattle-Ben loved to play games with his friends. His best friend was a friendly ghost named Pip.
One sunny day, Pip flew into the yard. "Let us play hide-and-seek!" Pip called out.
"I will hide first!" said Rattle-Ben with a wide grin. He looked for the best spot in the garden.
He crept behind a big oak tree. He tried to stand very still.
Clack-clack-clack! went his knees. Click-clack! went his ribs.
Pip floated right over to the tree. "I found you, Rattle-Ben!" Pip laughed.
"Oh, barnacles!" said Rattle-Ben. "My bones are too noisy."
Next, Rattle-Ben crawled inside a wooden barrel. He held his breath and pulled his knees up.
Rattle-tat-tat! went his funny elbow bones. The wood made the sound even louder!
Pip peeked right over the top of the barrel. "I hear you in there!" Pip cheered.
Rattle-Ben climbed out and sighed. "I cannot win this game," he said.
Then Pip had a clever idea. "Wait here!" Pip said, zooming into the house.
Pip came back with fuzzy winter socks. There were colorful socks for Ben's feet and elbows.
Ben pulled the soft wool socks over his bones. He crept behind a big flower bush.
- skeleton:
- The frame of bones that supports a body.
- garden:
- An outdoor area with plants, trees, or flowers.
- barrel:
- A large round container with flat ends, often made of wood.
- clever:
- Quick to learn, understand, or think of smart ideas.
- fuzzy:
- Covered with soft, frizzy hair or woolly fibers.
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Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
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Summarize
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Purpose
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What kind of creature is Rattle-Ben?
- 2Where does Rattle-Ben live?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Rattle-Ben Plays Hide-and-Seek” is a short story reading passage about hide-and-seek, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (260 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.