The Swamp with Wooden Knees
Leo sat in the red canoe. His mom paddled through the quiet water.
The water was dark and still. They were in the Great Cypress Swamp.
Huge trees grew right out of the wet ground. The trees were called bald cypress trees.
Leo looked down at the water. He saw strange brown bumps sticking up.
They looked like little wooden cones. Some looked like small, knobby legs.
"What are those?" Leo asked. He pointed to a group of them.
"Those are cypress knees," Mom said. "They grow from the tree roots."
Leo smiled at the funny knees. The swamp felt like a magical world.
A little green frog sat on one knee. It let out a soft croak.
Leo waved to the frog. He loved his swamp adventure.
- swamp:
- A wet, muddy area of land where many trees and plants grow.
- cypress knees:
- Woody bumps that grow from the roots of cypress trees and stick up above the water.
- croak:
- A deep, hoarse sound made by a frog or toad.
- adventure:
- An exciting, fun, or unusual experience.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What color is the canoe that Leo and his mom are in?
- 2Who is paddling the canoe through the swamp?
Where this passage belongs
About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
āThe Swamp with Wooden Kneesā is a short story reading passage about Great Cypress Swamp, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (128 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.