The Monkey Mind Tamer
The Monkey Mind Tamer
Deep in the whispering jungle, lived a little monkey named Mika. Mika wasn't like the other monkeys, always calm and swinging smoothly. Mika had a monkey mind. His thoughts bounced around like a rubber ball, never settling. One second, he was thinking about bananas; the next, he was worrying about a sneaky snake; and then, he was planning a jungle party with all his friends!
One sunny morning, a wise old tortoise, Shelly, saw Mika pacing back and forth, chattering to himself. "What troubles you, little one?" she asked kindly.
"Oh, Shelly, it's my mind!" Mika exclaimed. "It never stops! It jumps from thought to thought. I can't focus on anything!"
Shelly smiled. "Ah, you have a monkey mind, my dear. It's very common. But there is a way to tame it."
Mika's eyes widened. "Really? How?"
Shelly slowly blinked. "First, you must learn to notice your thoughts without getting carried away by them. Imagine your thoughts are leaves floating down a stream. Just watch them go by."
Mika tried it. He sat down, closed his eyes, and focused on his breath. In… out… But his mind was still racing. Bananas… snake… jungle party… He felt frustrated.
- Monkey Mind:
- A mind that is restless and full of racing thoughts.
- Focus:
- To concentrate on something.
- frustrated:
- Feeling annoyed or upset because you are struggling to do or achieve something.
- pacing:
- Walking back and forth over and over again, usually because of feeling nervous, worried, or impatient.
- wandering:
- Drifting away from a main path or losing focus on what you are doing.
- tame:
- to bring something wild, restless, or out of control into a calm and manageable state
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.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was Mika's problem in the story?
- 2Who helped Mika with his problem?
Where this passage belongs
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About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
“The Monkey Mind Tamer” is a fiction reading passage about Mindfulness, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (375 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.