The Great Climb
Leo loved big adventures. Today, he wanted to reach the top of Big Rock Hill.
His tiny dog, Pip, ran by his side. They had a map made of paper in Leo's pocket.
The hill looked very giant and very tall. Leo took his first step onto the dirt trail.
The trail went up into the green trees. Leo walked for ten minutes without stopping.
Soon, his legs began to feel tired. His breathing was fast and loud.
"This is hard work," Leo whispered. "My legs feel like heavy stones."
Pip stopped and looked back at Leo. Pip gave a quiet bark to encourage him.
Leo smiled and patted Pip's soft head. "I will keep trying," said Leo.
He picked up a sturdy wooden stick. The stick helped him keep his balance on the trail.
The path got steeper near the big gray rocks. Leo slipped on a pile of wet leaves.
Down he went onto the cool grass! His elbow bumped a smooth stone.
Leo wanted to sit down and rest for a long time. He almost wanted to turn back and go home.
Then, Leo remembered what his teacher told him. "When things are hard, trying your best makes you strong."
Leo took a deep breath. He stood right back up on his feet.
- trail:
- A path through a natural area like a forest or hill.
- encourage:
- To give someone hope, courage, or confidence.
- sturdy:
- Strong and not easily broken.
- balance:
- The ability to stay upright and steady without falling.
- valley:
- A low area of land between hills or mountains.
More sheets from this passage
Built from the text itself â answer key included where it counts.
fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed â rewrite each one correctly.
vocabulary worksheet
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
- All 4 sheets as one workbookPro
One PDF with a cover, contents page and every answer key at the back.
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
âThe Great Climbâ is a short story reading passage about Perseverance, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (313 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.