Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Read the short story. Then answer each question.

Sennin the Hermit

In the far- away l and of Japan, there was a l ittl e vil l age that l ay at the foot of a high m ountain.

Every day the children went to pl ay on the grassy bank near a pond at
one end of the vill age. They threw stones into the water. They f ished, and they sail ed their toy boats.
They picked the wil d fl owers that grew in the
fiel ds nearby. They carried with them rice to eat , and, from morning until evening, they pl ayed
near the pond.

One day, whil e they were pl aying, the children were surprised to see an
old m an with a l ong, white beard wal king toward them . He came from the direction of the m ountain.

The chil dren stopped their gam es to watch the ol d m an. He cam e into their m idst
and, patting them upon their heads easil y, m ade them his
friends.

The chil dren continued their pl ay because they knew that the ol d man was kind.

The m an watched the chil dren, and when it was tim e for them to go
hom e, he said, “ Com e to the fl at rock on the side of the m ountain tom orrow and I will
show you some wonderful gam es.”

Then he cl im bed up the m ountain once m ore and disappeared.

Reading and Math for ©

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

The foll owing m orning, the chil dren went to the fl at rock. They found the old m an waiting for them .

“Now, my dear children,” he said, “ I am going to am use you. Look here!”

He picked up som e dry sticks. He blew at the ends of the sticks, and at
once they becam e sprays of beautiful cherry, pl um , and peach bl ossom s. He passed a branch of
each of the fl owers to the girl s.

Then he took a stone and threw i t into the air. The stone turned
into a dove!

Another stone becam e an eagl e, another a

nightingal e, or any bird a boy chose to nam e.

“Now,” said the ol d m an, “ I will show you som e anim al s that I
am sure will m ake you laugh.”

The chil dren cl apped their hands.

He recited som e verses, and a com pany of

monkeys came l eaping upon the rock. The m onkeys jum ped
about, grinning at the sam e time and
perform ing funny tricks.

The chil dren cl apped their hands again.

Then the old m an bowed to them and said, “ Chil dren, I can pl ay no m ore gam es today. I t is tim e for
you to go back to the vill age. Farewell. ”

The ol d man turned to go. He went up the m ountain in the direction of a cave. The chil dren tried to foll
ow him , but in spite of his age, he was m ore nim ble than they. They ran far enough, however, to see
him enter the
cave.

When they reached the entrance, the old m an had disappeared.

The cave was surrounded by fragrant f l owers, but the chil dren did not dare to go into i ts depths.

Reading and Math for ©

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Suddenly one of the girl s pointed upwards and cried , “ There is the ol d grandfather!”

The others l ooked up, and there, standing on a cl oud over the top of the mountain, was the ol d man.

“Let us go hom e now,” said one of the boys.

On the way, they m et two m en of the vil l age whom their parents had sent to search for
them . When the chil dren had tol d their st ory, one of the m en excl aim ed, “ Ah, happy chil
dren! The kind ol d m an is surely Sennin, the
wonderful Herm it of the Mountain!”

Reading and Math for ©

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Questions:

1. Why do you think the chil dren were surprised to see the ol d m an at first?

2. How do you think the ol d m an was able to do all the things to am use the
children?

3. What does the word nimble m ean in the sentence, “In spite of his
age he was m ore nimble than they”?

4. Why do you think the ol d m an tells the children it is tim e for them to go hom e at
the end of the story?

Reading and Math for ©

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Answers:

1. Why do you think the chil dren were surprised to see the ol d m an at first?

The chil dren were surprised to see the old m an as they had not m et him before.

2. How do you think the ol d m an was able to do all the things to am use the
children?

(Answer will vary) for exam pl e: The old m an was abl e to do all those
things as he’s a m agician.

3. What does the word nimble m ean in the sentence, “In spite of his age he was m
ore nimble than they”?

The word nim bl e means quick and l ight in m ovement.

4. Why do you think the ol d m an tells the children it is tim e for them to go hom e at
the end of the story?

The ol d man tel ls the chil dren to go home at the end of the story, because he did not want
their parents to worry about them being gone.

Reading and Math for ©