Diana Visits the Farm
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Diana forgot to make her brother a birthday card, but she plans to make up for it with a trip somewhere special. Will the green balloon be able to carry two people into the air? Students will read the story and answer follow-up questions about the details of the plot and the language and be asked to make an inference.
Topic(s): Science Fiction / Fantasy. Skill(s): Summary, Context Clues, Story Elements. Genre(s): Prose
“Happy birthday to me!”
Diana opened her eyes. It was very early, but her little brother Carl was already awake. Was it really Carl’s birthday?
Diana went downstairs. Mom was making pancakes and decorating them with chocolate chips. Diana knew it really was Carl’s birthday because these pancakes were his favorite.
Diana felt very sad. She had forgotten to make a card for Carl’s birthday. Now it was too late. What could she do instead?
At breakfast, Carl ate his pancakes and pretended to be a cow. “Moo! I love chocolate. Moo!”
Diana had an idea. The last time she took a trip with her green balloon, she flew over a farm with a herd of cows. Carl would love to see a cow up close for his birthday. Would the balloon be able to carry them both? There was only one way to find out.
After breakfast, Diana took Carl outside to play. She showed him her balloon.
“For me?” Carl asked. “It’s running out of air.” The green balloon was nice and round, but it sat on the ground.
Diana picked up the string. “Hold my hand and I’ll show you something.”
She held the green string in one hand and grabbed Carl’s hand in the other. “Fly us to the farm, balloon,” Diana said.
Carl gripped Diana’s hand as they floated up off the ground. He didn’t say a word as they flew over the trees and away from their house. His eyes were open wide.
They were flying very high, but soon Diana saw small black and white animals in a green field. “Down, balloon,” she said. “We want to say hello to the cows.”
“Those aren’t cows,” said Carl. “They’re small like cats.”
“That’s just because we’re far away. You’ll see,” said Diana.
As they floated to the ground, the cows got bigger and bigger. They landed next to a sleepy cow who was lying on the ground. She looked at Carl with big, brown eyes.
“Can I pet her?” asked Carl. Before Diana could answer, he reached out and stroked her back.
The cow let out a loud moo. Carl jumped back and giggled. “I think we are spoiling her nap.”
Carl and Diana walked around the field and said hello to each cow. When Carl was done, they flew home together. It was a wonderful birthday adventure.
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