The Upside-Down Tree
Narrator: Long ago, the Baobab was the finest tree in the land. It had soft green leaves. It had sweet pink flowers.
Baobab: Look at my beautiful leaves! Look at my pretty flowers! I am the best tree of all.
Narrator: The Baobab liked to brag. It talked all day long. It made the other trees sad.
Great Spirit: Please be quiet, Baobab. All trees are special. You must share the forest.
Baobab: But I am the tallest! I want to touch the sky! I want to be higher than the clouds!
Narrator: The Baobab grew and grew. It would not stop talking. It would not stop bragging.
Great Spirit: This is too much. You are too proud, Baobab. I must teach you a lesson.
Narrator: The Great Spirit reached down. He grabbed the Baobab by its trunk. He pulled it out of the ground!
Baobab: Oh no! What are you doing? Please do not hurt my beautiful leaves!
Narrator: The Great Spirit turned the tree upside down. He pushed it back into the soil. Now, its roots pointed up into the air.
Great Spirit: Now you will be quiet. Your mouth is in the dirt. Your roots are in the sky.
Narrator: The Baobab was quiet at last. Today, it still looks upside down. Its branches look like roots reaching for the sun.
Baobab: I guess I will just grow my leaves now!
Narrator: And that is why the Baobab looks so silly today.
Listen to The Upside-Down Tree
PicoBuddy read-aloud story
- Brag:
- To talk with too much pride about yourself or what you can do.
- Trunk:
- The main wood stem of a tree.
- Soil:
- The top layer of earth or dirt where plants grow.
- Special:
- Different from others in a good or important way.
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About this reader's theater passage for Lower Elementary
“The Upside-Down Tree” is a reader's theater reading passage about African Folklore, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (259 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.