The Legend of the Green Bird
Long ago, the jungle was a happy place. The sun was hot and bright.
There were many birds in the trees. Some were blue. Some were red.
But the Quetzal bird was not bright. He was plain and grey.
He had short wings and a short tail. He felt very sad.
He wanted to be pretty like the flowers. He wanted to help the people.
The people in the village were artists. They made many things.
They made soft rugs. They made tall pots. They made big stone walls.
But they did not have a special color. They needed a new kind of green.
One day, the bird flew to the top of a mountain. He talked to the Great Spirit.
"Please help me," the bird said. "I want to be useful."
The Spirit liked the kind bird. The Spirit touched the birdâs back.
Suddenly, the bird changed. His feathers turned a deep, bright green.
His tail grew very long. It waved in the wind like a ribbon.
The feathers shimmered in the light. They looked like green gold.
The bird flew back to the village. The people stopped their work.
"Look at the sky!" they shouted. They saw the green trail.
The weavers took their thread. They dyed it the color of the bird.
- Quetzal:
- A type of bird known for its very long, bright green tail feathers.
- Symbol:
- An object or animal that stands for an idea, like beauty or art.
- Spirit:
- A powerful, magical being that people in stories talk to for help.
- shimmered:
- Shone with a soft, flickering or sparkling light.
- weavers:
- People who make cloth or rugs by crossing threads together.
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.
You Might Also Like
About this fiction passage for Lower Elementary
âThe Legend of the Green Birdâ is a fiction reading passage about Art Legend, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (294 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.