Marty the Clownfish - Children’s story

Sep 27, 2026

Marty the Clownfish feels sad because he believes clownfish should be funny, yet he is very serious and fails to make other fish laugh. He tells jokes to lionfish and dogfish, but they do not laugh, and he worries about being the “right” kind of clownfish. A friendly shark reminds him that he is kind, helpful, and smart, and encourages him to simply be himself.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Marty the Clownfish

Marty tries to be funny

The shark’s advice

Be yourself and make friends

| clownfish lionfish | dogfish serious | jokes shark | sea laugh | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Marty the Clownfish Marty was sad in the sea. As a clownfish, he felt like he should be funny. As a clownfish, he was not funny. He was not funny at all. He was very serious and did not make anyone laugh. He told jokes to the lionfish, but they did not laugh. He told jokes to the dogfish, but they did not laugh either. “I am a clownfish , and I should be funny,”Marty said aloud. “You don’t have to be funny,” said a shark from nearby. “You are kind and helpful. You are friendly and smart.” “But clowns make people laugh, so a clownfish should make fish laugh,” said Marty. “The lionfish do not act like lions. The dogfish do not act like dogs,” the shark told him. “Marty, just be yourself.” So , Marty did just that. He stopped trying to tell jokes. Soon, the fish all liked him. Soon, he hada lot of fish friends. One day, Marty said, “I am going to tell you alla joke.” “Marty, no! No more jokes!” Marty said, “Just kidding!” [www.k5learning.com](www.k5learning.com) © K5 Learning 2019 78 Marty the Clownfish (exercises) 1. Choose the correct answer. What kind of fish is Marty? a. angelfish b. clownfish c. lionfish d. swordfish Marty is sad because: a. He is not tall. b. He is not smart. c. He is not funny. d. He is not red. Which of the following is a lesson that Marty learned in the story? a. Be yourself. b. Try harder. c. Tell the truth. d. Study more. 2. Circle the correct choice in the sentences below. In the story, the ( stingray / shark ) helps Marty. At the end of the story, Marty wants to ( read a book / tell a joke ) to his friends. Marty lives in the ( river / sea ) . 3. Write a sentence below to tell how Marty got new friends in the story. | | | --- | | | | | Marty the Clownfish (answers) 1. Choose the correct answer. What kind of fish is Marty? b. clownfish Marty is sad because: c. He is not funny. Which of the following is a lesson that Marty learned in the story? a. Be yourself. 2. Circle the correct choice in the sentences below. In the story, the ( stingray / shark ) helps Marty. At the end of the story, Marty wants to ( read a book / tell a joke ) to his friends. Marty lives in the ( river / sea ) . 3. Write how Marty got new friends in the story. Marty stopped telling jokes and just acted like himself.

FAQs

Why is Marty sad in the sea?

Marty feels sad because he thinks a clownfish should be funny, but he is not funny and cannot make other fish laugh.

Who gives Marty advice about being himself?

A shark nearby tells Marty that he does not have to be funny, because he is kind, helpful, friendly, and smart.

What lesson does Marty learn by the end of the story?

Marty learns to be yourself, stop trying too hard to tell jokes, and act like his true self to gain friends.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by SundayMiles