The Tiny Stone
Leo wanted to give Grandma a gift. It was her birthday today.
His brother Ben had a huge box. The box had a big red bow on top.
Leo looked at his own hands. He had no money to buy a big box.
Leo found a smooth gray stone in the yard. He sat at the kitchen table with his paints.
He painted a bright yellow flower on the stone. He painted tiny green leaves, too.
Ben placed the giant box on Grandma's lap. Grandma smiled and opened the soft blanket.
"Thank you, Ben," Grandma said. Then Leo held out his hands.
His gift was very small. He felt a little shy.
Grandma took the little painted stone. She held it close to her heart.
"A flower that will never fade," Grandma said. She gave Leo a warm hug.
"You made this just for me," Grandma said. "It is the best gift of all."
Grandma set the tiny stone right by her bed. Leo felt happy and proud.
- smooth:
- Flat and even, not rough or bumpy.
- giant:
- Very, very big.
- shy:
- Feeling quiet, nervous, or unsure around others.
- fade:
- To lose color or slowly disappear.
- proud:
- Feeling pleased and happy about something you did.
More sheets from this passage
Built from the text itself — answer key included where it counts.
fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — 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 1st Grade
“The Tiny Stone” is a short story reading passage about thoughtful handmade gifts, written for 1st Grade. It takes about 1 minute to read (168 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.