Level: L

DRA: 24
Genre:
Fantasy
Strategy:
Summarize
Skill:
Cause/Effect
Word Count: 555

3.4.19

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02095-2
ISBN-10: 0-547-02095-3

1031976

H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
 by Winston White
illustrated by Page O’Rourke

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Printed in China
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02095-2
ISBN-10: 0-547-02095-3
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 Music blasted through the forest.
Delicious food smells filled the air.
Every animal, big and small, was
laughing, dancing, and singing. It was
the Spring Fling, the biggest party of
the year!

The forest animals were having a party.


 mysterious smell

The animals smelled something bad.

Then suddenly, every animal nose

went up.
A mysterious smell filled the air.
It wasn’t anything delicious, that’s for
sure. It was something very, VERY bad.
3
 The smell got worse and worse.
The animals saw a stinky gray cloud
coming toward them!
“It smells like old socks!” said Rabbit.
“Ancient socks. Socks that haven’t been
washed in hundreds of years.”
“No, it’s worse than that!” cried
Bobcat. “It smells like rotten eggs!!”

It was a very, very bad smell.


 The animals started panicking!

As the cloud moved above them, the

animals started panicking. Some ran
and hid. But others stayed. They didn’t
want to leave their food behind for the
stinky…whatever it was.


 Just then, the animals heard a rustle
in the darkest part of the forest. A
creature came out of the bushes.
“Hi, folks!” the creature said. “I’m
here for the party!”

A stinky skunk creature came out of the woods.

6
 a stinky emergency

The animals ran away.

Nobody wondered where the smell

was coming from now.
“It’s Skunkostinkus!” cried Fox.
“Run for your noses!” cried Otter.
“It’s a stinky emergency!”
shouted Bear.
7
 scientific book

Owl held up a scientific book.

“Wait!” said Owl. “This is most

interesting. I have never seen the
Skunkostinkus. I have only read about
him in this scientific book.”
“Well, here I am!” said Skunkostinkus
with a smile. “Let’s get this party
started! Come on, everyone!”
“Well,” said Owl. “There’s a
problem, my friend. There seems to be
a powerful smell coming from you!”
“Oh, that,” said Skunkostinkus. “It’s
my aroma.”
8
 “Well, no trouble, my friend,” said
Owl. “We shall think of a way to fix
your stinky problem.”
“I could scare that smell away,”
said Bear.
Bear roared his scariest roar.
But the stinky cloud still filled the air.

Bear roared but the smell stayed!


 “I’ve got just the thing,” said Fox.
Fox stuck her big, bushy tail into
a bunch of beautiful spring flowers.
She swished the sweet smell all over
Skunkostinkus.
But the sweet flower smell could not
make the bad smell go away.

Fox swished sweet smell on the skunk.

10
 Raccoon soaked the skunk.

“I have it!” said Raccoon. “I’ll wash

the smell away.”
Raccoon soaked Skunkostinkus
with rainwater.
“Hey, I’m all wet!” said
Skunkostinkus.
But the terrible smell was still there.
11
 Hummingbird and her friends started to fly.

Then Hummingbird flew up with

her friends.
The animals all laughed.
“How can tiny birds get rid of such a
big smell?” asked Owl.
“Just watch!” said Hummingbird.
The hummingbirds flew around
Skunkostinkus. They flapped their
wings so fast you couldn’t see them.
Around and around they went.
12
 The stinky cloud moved. It moved
some more. The hummingbirds were
blowing it away with their wings!
“Hey!” said Skunkostinkus with a
giggle. “That tickles!”
Soon the terrible smell was gone!

The hummingbirds made the smell go away!

13
 Everyone had a fun time at the party.

The animals all cheered.

The Spring Fling was saved!
“Party on!” said Skunkostinkus.
And the animals had the best
Spring Fling ever.
14
 Responding
TARGET SKILL  Cause and Effect  Copy 
the chart below.  Write two more effects 
that were caused by something else.

Cause Effect
1. The animals smelled 1. The animals started
a bad smell. panicking.
2. Raccoon threw 2. ?
rainwater.

3. The hummingbirds 3. ?
flew around.

Write About It
Text to Self  Write a note to a friend. 
Persuade your friend to help you solve a 
problem at school.  Write reasons why your 
friend should help you.

15
 TARGET VOCABULARY

ancient mysterious
emergency panicking
fiery prehistoric
horrifying scientific
immediately within

TARGET SKILLCause and Effect Tell how one

event makes another happen and why.

TARGET STRATEGY Summarize Tell the

important parts of the story in your own words.

GENRE A fantasy is a story that could not

happen in real life.

16
Level: L
DRA: 24
Genre:
Fantasy
Strategy:
Summarize
Skill:
Cause/Effect
Word Count: 555

3.4.19

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02095-2
ISBN-10: 0-547-02095-3

1031976

H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN