Mr. Frog and the Birds is the original title of the story retrieved from Pupil’s Book Five (Reading Comprehension): An English Course for Ghanaian Schools.
Reading Comprehension: How Mr. Frog went flying with the Birds
Many years ago, a frog lived on an island near the sea. Some birds also lived on the island. Two of the birds were the frog’s friends. They were sparrows.
Mr. Frog and his friends never went far from their home. They got their food and water from their part of the island.
In the evenings, Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow and the other birds met in a tree. The tree was near the place where Mr. Frog lived. Some of the birds told Mr. Frog stories. Mr. Frog also told the birds stories. He told them how he got his food. He also told the birds how he spent the day when they were away. The friendship between Mr. Frog and the birds became very strong.
Then, in a certain year, something happened. There was no rain where Mr. Frog and the birds lived. The ponds and the rivers near their home dried up. All the plants and small insects which Mr. Frog often ate also died. There was neither food nor water for Mr. Frog and his friends. So Mr. Frog became very hungry. He hid himself in a hole for a very long time.
But the birds were not always hungry as Mr. Frog. They flew to other parts of the island for food. When they returned in the evening, they went to see their friend. They told him there was plenty of food on the other parts of the island. Mr. Sparrow said, “Frog, we shall take you to another part of the island. You will get food to eat and water to drink.
Mr. Frog said, “How can I come with you? I can’t fly, ” Sparrow said, “I will hold one end of a stick with my feet. My wife will hold the other end of the stick with her feet. You will also hold the middle of the stick with your mouth. Then we will fly with you.
Mr. Frog was happy and said. “That’s good. Shall we try it?” They tried. Soon the three friends were in the air. Mr. Frog was very happy that he was going to get food. He was also happy that he was flying.
As they flew in the air, Mr. Frog looked down and saw a farmer. The farmer also looked up and saw the two birds and the frog. The farmer had never seen a frog flying before. He shouted, “What kind of frog is this?”
Mr. Frog was happy that he was the first frog to fly. So he wanted to tell the farmer he was the frog from the other side of the island. As soon as he opened his mouth to talk, he fell off the stick. Mr. and Mrs. Sparro did not see their friend again. Poor Mr. Frog!.
Reading Comprehension Questions on the story: Mr. Frog and the Birds
- Where did Mr. Frog and the sparrows live?
- What was the name of Mr. Sparrow’s wife?
- Why was Mr. Frog hungry?
- Where did Mr. Frog fall off the stick?
- Were Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow happy or unhappy when their friend fell down?
- Give one synonym that can replace the following words in the Reading Comprehension passage: friends, afraid, happy, and met.
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Source: An English Course For Ghanaian Schools – Pupil’s Book Five – GES | Ghana Publishing Corporation – 1986