The Willful Little Breeze
by Thornton Burgess from Old Mother West Wind
Thornton Burgess loved nature and liked to write about its beauty. He wrote "Old Mother West Wind" in 1910. The book has many stories about interesting characters, including Peter Rabbit,, Jimmy Skunk, and of course, Old Mother West Wind who is the wind that blows from the west. Below is a passage from the book about one of her children.
Reading Comprehension Passage
The Willful Little Breeze
by Thornton Burgess from Old Mother West Wind
Reading Comprehension Questions
Vocabulary List
Vocabulary List
Each of the vocabulary words below are used in the reading passage. As you read the passage, pay attention to context clues that suggest the word’s meaning.
- wee
- whirling
- grind
- willful
- nightcap
Context Clues
Context Clues
Using context clues from the sentences in the passage, underline the correct meaning of the word in boldface.
1) "Old Mother West Wind was tired—tired and just a wee bit cross"
a. our people, us b. far away c. tiny, little d. large amount, very much
2) "she had kept all the big and little wind mills whirling and whirling to pump water for thirsty folks and grind corn for hungry folks"
a. turning, spinning b. crashing c. stopping, not running d. empty
3) "she had kept all the big and little wind mills whirling and whirling to pump water for thirsty folks and grind corn for hungry folks"
a. cook b. plant c. sell or give away d. crush, smash
4) "Pretty soon all were in the bag but one, a willful little Breeze, who was not quite ready to go home"
a. happy, joyful b. sleepy c. stubborn, naughty d. loud, noisy
5) "Mr. Sun, who had been shining and shining all day long, went to bed and put on his nightcap of golden clouds"
a. mask b. soft hat worn in bed c. night light d. soft music