The Secret of Echo Gorge
Characters:
- Rusty: An adventurous, quick-thinking red fox.
- Bramble: A cautious, observant porcupine.
Setting: The edge of Whispering Woods, where a steep trail drops down into the misty canyon of Echo Gorge. A recent late-summer rainstorm has washed away the usual animal paths.
Rusty: (peering over a mossy ledge, ears perked forward) Come on, Bramble! Pick up your paws. If we don't reach the bottom of Echo Gorge before noon, the sun will shift, and we'll miss the sight of the Hidden Cascades!
Bramble: (waddling up slowly, his quills rattling softly like dry leaves) Easy for you to say, Rusty. You have four long legs built for sprinting. I am built for waddling and climbing—mostly at a sensible, leisurely pace. Besides, the mud is thick after last night’s downpour.
Rusty: (trotting in an impatient circle) A little mud never hurt a red fox! Think about it, Bramble. Old Badger told me that after a heavy rain, the underground springs overflow and turn the dry cliff wall into a giant, glittering waterfall. Nobody from our side of the forest has seen it in three years!
- leisurely:
- Done in a slow, relaxed, and unhurried way.
- reliable:
- Able to be trusted to work well or be accurate.
- ravine:
- A deep, narrow gorge with steep sides, often carved by running water.
- evaluate:
- To carefully examine and judge the condition of something.
- terrain:
- A stretch of land, especially regarding its physical features and surface.
- silt:
- Fine sand, clay, or dirt carried by moving water and left at the bottom of a pit or river.
- agility:
- The ability to move quickly, lightly, and easily.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why is Rusty eager to reach the bottom of Echo Gorge before noon?
- 2How do the stage directions at the beginning of the script contrast Rusty's and Bramble's personalities?
About this reader's theater passage for 4th Grade
“The Secret of Echo Gorge” is a reader's theater reading passage about Forest Adventure, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 6 minutes to read (920 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.