Superhero Legends Reading Comprehension

Free printable multicultural superhero legends. Read and test reading comprehension online or print and use offline. Recommended level: 3rd or 4th Grade and up

Who Is Paul Bunyan?

Paul Bunyan was an American superhero of the forest. He was a giant man, taller than a house and stronger than ten men put together.

According to legend, Paul was so big when he was born that it took five storks to carry him to his parents’ house in the northeast United States. As a baby, when he clapped his hands, the walls would shake. By the time he was 2, he could eat a wagonload of pancakes for breakfast.

Because of his size and strength, Paul became a lumberjack - someone who cuts down trees to use the wood for building homes, towns, and ships.

One day, Paul found a baby blue ox in the snow and named him Babe. Babe the Blue Ox grew to be almost as big as Paul, and the two became best friends. Together, they worked in the forest and had many adventures.

There are lots of tall tales about Paul Bunyan. Some stories say that Paul dragged his axe behind him and created the Grand Canyon. Others say that Paul and Babe’s footprints formed the Great Lakes.

People tell stories about Paul Bunyan to show how amazing and helpful he was. These tall tales may not be true, but they were told to entertain people and celebrate the hard work of lumberjacks.

Source: wordville.com/ReadingComp/PaulBunyan.html Paul Bunyan
©Courseware Solutions Wordville.com for Fun English Language Arts Learning

Who was Paul Bunyan?
a pirate
a giant lumberjack
a farmer
a giant lumberjack What made Paul Bunyan an unusual newborn?
He could talk.
He could read.
He was really really big.
He was really really big. What did Paul eat for breakfast when he was 2?
cereal
a dozen eggs
a wagonload of pancakes
a wagonload of pancakes What could Paul do as a baby?
fly
shake the walls by clapping
ride a bike
shake the walls by clapping Who was Babe?
A blue ox and Paul’s friend
Paul’s brother
a bird in the forest
A blue ox and Paul’s friend What is a lumberjack?
someone who cuts down trees
someone who builds ships
someone who hunts deer
someone who cuts down trees What is a tall tale?
a poem
a scary story
a crazy story that may not be true
a crazy story that may not be true What is one tall tale about Paul Bunyan?
He baked the world’s biggest pie.
He made the Grand Canyon with his axe.
He built a rocket ship.
He made the Grand Canyon with his axe. Why do people tell Paul Bunyan stories?
to teach people about blue animals
to scare people
to entertain and celebrate hard work
to entertain and celebrate hard work