By: Alisonder Arteban
There once lived a farmer named
Perry. He was a happy man. In fact, there
was only one thing in life that made Perry
unhappy. His wife, Tess, loved to talk. She
was a sweet lady, and Perry loved her very
much. But Tess was always telling everyone
everything.
Many times, when Perry needed a break from Tess’s talking, he would go
for a walk in the woods. Perry loved his walks. Being alone in the woods was so
quiet and peaceful.
One afternoon, as Perry was on one of his walks, he noticed something
strange.
“What is wrong with that tree?” he said aloud. Just ahead, he spied a tree
that was growing sideways.
As Perry walked closer to the tree, he saw that its leaves were made of
pure gold!
“I’m rich!” he yelled. “I’m rich! I’m rich!” Perry danced and sang.
But just then, he realized something: Once Tess found out about this
wonderful tree, she would tell everyone. Perry looked at the tree. He knew that
once word got out about its golden leaves, everyone would rush to pick it clean.
So, he came up with the perfect plan.
The next morning Perry took Tess to see the tree.
“We’re rich!” Tess yelled out. “This is amazing! How do you think this tree
was able to grow golden leaves?”
“Well,” Perry began, “I made four dozen pancakes and scattered them all
over its branches. A week later the pancakes had turned the leaves into gold!”
Perry felt bad about lying to his wife. He loved her dearly, but he knew it was the
only way to keep this tree a secret.
Tess smiled at Perry. “You are such a smart farmer!”
Page 1
By: Alisonder Arteban
The next day Tess ran all around town, telling everyone about the tree, the
pancakes, and the gold. It was just as Perry had expected. Nobody believed her.
“Tess has lost her marbles!” said Mary, the town’s doctor.
“Perry thinks he can turn pancakes into gold!” laughed Borris, the town’s
police officer.
“A pancake tree?” cried Newman, a local friend. “Do you really think we’re
going to believe there’s such a thing as a pancake tree?”
It was just as Perry had hoped. Nobody believed Tess. Finally, Tess’s love for
talking had paid off.
Peaceful: free from being disturbed
Spy: to see or look at closely
Realize: to become aware of something
Scatter: to move in many directions
Expect: to believe that something is likely to happen
Page 2
Perry and the Pancake Tree
Comprehension Questions
Name__________________________ Date__________________
1) Why did Perry put pancakes on the tree’s branches?
a) To help them grow golden leaves.
b) To hide the golden leaves.
c) He wanted to cool the pancakes.
d) He did not put pancakes on the tree.
2) Which reason BEST explains why Perry liked to walk in
the woods?
a) He loved trees.
b) He wanted some peace and quiet.
c) That was where he found his breakfast.
d) It was the only way to get to town.
3) What does the sentence “Tess has lost her marbles!” mean?
a) Tess can’t find some marbles that she lost.
b) Tess is acting strangely.
c) Tess is full of energy.
d) Tess can’t find her way home.
4) Perry was not truthful with his wife. Do you feel like this was right or wrong?
Explain why you feel this way.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5) How would the events of this story been different if Tess did not have a talking
problem?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Perry and the Pancake Tree
Vocabulary
Name______________________________ Date_______________
Peaceful: free from being disturbed
Spy: to see or look at closely
Realize: to become aware of something
Scatter: to move in many directions
Expect: to believe that something is likely
to happen
Fill in the blanks below with the correct vocabulary words from above.
1) I did not ______________ that it was going to rain today.
2) Marty’s dog can ______________ another dog from almost a mile away!
3) Mr. Harmon’s classroom was very ______________ until the PE teacher walked
in, and then all the students cheered.
4) I love to watch the leaves on the ground ______________ in the wind.
5) Most doctors ______________ you to eat well so that you can stay healthy.
Extra: What is something that you expect will happen within the next year? What
causes you to believe that it is likely to happen?
