Printable Scholar
Home/Reading/Decodable Readers/Level 3/Dave and the Mule

Dave and the Mule

Silent E — Long U 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Dave and the Mule
Dave and the Mule, page 1
1Dave had a cute pet mule. The mule was huge, but today he would not walk. He just stood still.
Dave and the Mule, page 2
2Dave wanted to take him to the pond. "It is time to go," Dave said. Dave gave the rope a tug.
Dave and the Mule, page 3
3The mule did not step. "Do not be rude," said Dave. But the mule was a brute today.
Dave and the Mule, page 4
4He stood like a huge block of stone. Dave had to think. How could he lure the mule?
Dave and the Mule, page 5
5Dave looked in his bag. He found a small flute. He put the flute to his lips and played a glad tune.
Dave and the Mule, page 6
6It was a pure, nice tune. The mule heard the tune.
Dave and the Mule, page 7
7He liked it a lot. He took a step, then five more, and he went with Dave to the pond.
Dave and the Mule, page 8
8Dave and the mule had fun at the pond.
Circle or highlight all the target words in the story above.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Dave want to take the mule?
  2. What did Dave play to lure the mule?
  3. What did the mule do at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Silent E — Long U with 10 more free worksheets

Picture worksheets to read, match and spell these words, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

Get the Silent E — Long U worksheets →
Dave and the Mule printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Want the whole level?
Level 3 pack · $14Every illustrated mini-book in the level, print-ready Or all 6 levels for $34 (best value)
Every book stays free to print one at a time.

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Silent E — Long U
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Silent E — Long U Worksheets

Target Words

cube tube cute mute huge fuse muse rude dude dune tune rule

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have

More Silent E — Long U Readers

Jane's Huge Fort illustration
Jane's Huge Fort
 Pete's New Flute illustration
Pete's New Flute
 Trent's Big Catch illustration
Trent's Big Catch
 Shane and the Sand Dune illustration
Shane and the Sand Dune
 Jen's Huge Ice Cube illustration
Jen's Huge Ice Cube
← Gus and the Mole Pete's New Flute →

About This Decodable Reader

“Dave and the Mule” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing silent e — long u phonics patterns. This mini-book uses phonetically controlled vocabulary so beginning readers can successfully sound out nearly every word in the story, building confidence and reinforcing the specific phonics skills they're learning.

The free PDF is a full-color illustrated mini-book: a cover, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the silent e — long u words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the five sheets, cut each one in half along the dashed line, and staple — your child has a real little book to hold. A read-aloud version with one large page per sheet is also included for projecting to the whole class.

This reader is part of our collection of free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with silent e — long u patterns, try our silent e — long u phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.