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The Flying Ship

A fairy tale retold from The Yellow Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang

This tale comes from the Russian fairy-tale tradition and was collected by Andrew Lang in The Yellow Fairy Book, first published in 1894. Like many folk tales, it teaches that kindness and generosity—not cleverness alone—win the day. The Simpleton shares his small meal, and magic follows. His friends, each with a wondrous gift, show that we accomplish together what we cannot do alone. This story reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised.

Band
Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
Length
short · about 350 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
Source
The Yellow Fairy Book, Andrew Lang
First published
see the About page in the reader
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 8 minutes at this band
Pause questions
5
Words to Know
4
Quick Check
6 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

Other bands of this story

This story is ready now at the Purple band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.