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

1031976

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

3.4.19

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: L

DRA: 24

Genre:Fantasy

Strategy:Summarize

Skill:Cause/Effect

Word Count: 555

by Winston Whiteillustrated by Page O’Rourke

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02095-2ISBN-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.

3

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.

The animals smelled something bad.

mysterious smell

�

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.

�

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.

The animals started panicking!

6

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.

7

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.

The animals ran away.

a stinky emergency

8

“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.”

Owl held up a scientific book.

scientific book

�

“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!

10

“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.

11

“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.

Raccoon soaked the skunk.

12

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.

Hummingbird and her friends started to fly.

13

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!

14

The animals all cheered. The Spring Fling was saved!“Party on!” said Skunkostinkus. And the animals had the best

Spring Fling ever.

Everyone had a fun time at the party.

15

RespondingTARGET SKILL   Cause and Effect  Copy 

the chart below.  Write two more effects that were caused by something else.

Cause Effect

1. The animals smelled a bad smell.

2. Raccoon threw rainwater.

3. The hummingbirds flew around.

1. The animals started panicking.

2. ?

3. ?

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.

Write About It

16

ancient emergencyfieryhorrifyingimmediately

mysterious panickingprehistoricscientific within

TARGET VOCABULARY

TARGET SKILL Cause 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.

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

1031976

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

3.4.19

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: L

DRA: 24

Genre:Fantasy

Strategy:Summarize

Skill:Cause/Effect

Word Count: 555