The Muddy Footprints
A short mystery about a missing loaf of bread and a trail of clues, with eight questions on using evidence to work out what happened.
Read the passage
When Nadia came home from school, the kitchen smelled wonderfully of fresh bread. Dad had baked a loaf that morning and left it to cool on the low windowsill. Now the windowsill was empty.
“Who has taken the bread?” Nadia whispered. She was determined to find out.
First, she knelt on the floor and studied the tiles. A line of muddy prints led from the back door to the window. They were small and round, with four toes and tiny claw marks. Nadia frowned. They were definitely not made by boots.
Next, she noticed a trail of crumbs across the floor and out through the open back door. She followed it into the garden, stepping carefully past the flower beds. The crumbs led all the way to the wooden bench under the apple tree.
Nadia crouched down and peered underneath. There, caught on a splinter of wood, was a tuft of ginger fur. From the shadows came a soft, contented sigh, followed by the thump of a tail and the sound of loud, happy chewing.
Nadia shook her head. “Biscuit,” she said, “you are in big trouble.” A damp black nose poked out into the light, and a pair of guilty brown eyes looked up at her. A few crumbs still clung to his whiskers.
Answer the questions
- Where had Dad left the bread to cool? (1 mark)
- What was the first clue Nadia found? (1 mark)
- How do you know the prints were not made by someone wearing boots? Give two details from the story. (2 marks)
- Find and copy one word that shows Nadia was serious about solving the mystery. (1 mark)
- What did Nadia find under the bench? (1 mark)
- The writer describes Biscuit’s eyes as “guilty”. Why? (2 marks)
- What kind of animal do you think Biscuit is? Give two pieces of evidence. (2 marks)
- Choose the sentence that best sums up the story. Write its letter. (1 mark)A. Nadia bakes bread with her dad.B. Nadia follows clues and finds out that Biscuit took the bread.C. Nadia chases a thief out of the garden.
Answer key for parents and teachers
1. On the windowsill. (1 mark)
Finding information (2b). A fact to find in the first paragraph.
2. The muddy prints leading from the back door to the window. (1 mark)
Finding information (2b). Putting events in the right order in the child’s head.
3. They were small and round, had four toes, and had tiny claw marks (any two). (2 marks)
Inference (2d). Using specific details from the text as evidence is the heart of inference.
4. determined (1 mark)
Word meaning (2a). Choosing the word that shows a character’s attitude builds vocabulary and careful reading.
5. A tuft of ginger fur (accept: Biscuit). (1 mark)
Finding information (2b). A second clue to find in the text, which also helps the child follow how the mystery is solved.
6. Biscuit knew he had done something wrong by taking the bread. (2 marks)
Inference (2d). A single word that carries a lot of meaning, so the child has to think about why the writer chose it.
7. A dog (a cat answer can be accepted if two sensible details are given). Evidence, for example: claw marks in the prints, thumping tail, wet nose, whiskers, “you are in big trouble”. (2 marks)
Inference (2d). The text never names the animal. The child collects clues to decide, and there is room for a reasoned answer.
8. B (1 mark)
Summarising (2c). Choosing the best summary tests whether the child grasped the whole story.
What this practises
Finding information (2b), Inference (2d), Word meaning (2a), Summarising (2c). The codes in brackets are the reading content domains from the national curriculum test framework. Marks and answers are a guide: accept any sensible answer that is backed up by the text.
Now try the writing task
Write a short mystery story. Something goes missing, and a clue leads to the answer.
Aim for eight to twelve sentences. Read it back aloud together and fix anything that does not sound right.
Want feedback on your child's own writing?
You mark the worksheet yourself with the answer key. LiteracyLab AI is different: it reads what your child has written and gives specific feedback, such as what worked, one thing to try next, and a corrected version, matched to their year. The Free plan includes 3 pieces a month and needs no card.
More Year 4 worksheets
Free to print and copy for your own family or classroom. Please do not sell or republish. The passage and questions were written for LiteracyLab AI.