Who Turned Off the Lights?

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Fantasy Decodable Reader with -le, -al, -el and -il Words

Practice Words

Two-syllable words ending in stable final syllables -le, -al, -el, or -il.

battle bundle candle candles chuckled couple dazzling fumbled giggled grumbling huddle little middle people riddle rumbled signal single sparkle sparkled sparkles stumbled table tangled total tremble twinkle twinkled
Page 1
On the right side of the image, a large illuminated monument and fountain dominate the scene, with dramatic beams of bright light radiating outward into the dark night sky, turning it brilliant yellow. Small flags line the base of the fountain. On the lower-left and centre, a crowd of festival-goers stands gazing up at the spectacle — a boy rides on an adult's shoulders, smiling wide with excitement and waving a small flag, while nearby figures hold up phones to take photos and others wave flags of their own. A small child stands near the centre looking toward the monument. The atmosphere is festive and joyful, with string lights and vendor stalls visible in the background. Multiple crowd members are visible — adults and children enjoying the festival.

The night was dazzling with sparkles of gold light. A dad in the crowd lifted his little boy onto his shoulders. The boy waved a small flag. 'Best night ever!' he shouted. People cheered all around. But no one saw the shadow at the back of the crowd, grumbling.

Page 2
A nighttime aerial view of a small American town fills the left side of the image, seen from an elevated angle. Warm golden light glows from the windows of houses, shops, and storefronts, contrasting against the deep dark blue sky. Streets wind between the buildings where tiny figures walk along sidewalks and a small red vehicle drives along a road in the lower right area of the town. The right ~40% of the image is plain dark sky, suitable for text overlay. Several small figures are visible on the streets and sidewalks throughout the town — they are too tiny to identify individually but appear to be townspeople going about evening activities.

From above, the town glowed with golden light. A warm shine spilled from every single window and lit the hills for miles. Up in the dark sky, someone was not happy. 'Look at them!' said The Dark. 'Lights in every window! Nighttime belongs to me!'

Page 3
On the right side of the image, three stacked comic-style panels rendered in dark blue watercolour tones depict a young child experiencing a world without lights. In the top panel, the child sits at a table with a worried expression, struggling to see a plate of food and a glass in near-darkness. In the middle panel, the child reaches out with arms extended, looking anxious and disoriented as they feel their way through the dark room. In the bottom panel, the child is curled up in bed hiding under the covers with a scared expression, peeking out fearfully, the bedroom furniture barely visible in the deep nighttime darkness. The left ~40% of the image is plain white background.

The Dark crept into a little house and flicked off the lights. A boy at the table blinked as the room went black. He stumbled past the chairs, reaching out with both arms, and dove under his covers. 'Who turned off the lights?!' he whispered.

Page 4
On the left side of the image, a nighttime scene is shown from a bird's-eye view inside a dimly lit American home, rendered in blue-toned watercolour. A family is gathered in a room lit by a single candle on the dining table — two figures sit at the dining table, one reading a book by candlelight, while another stands nearby holding what appears to be a dish; a window behind them shows a dark night sky with a single candle glowing on the sill. In the lower-left, two children lie in bed under a patchwork quilt, and on the floor near the table, a cat prowls the dim room looking for a warm spot. The entire scene conveys a pre-electricity, medieval-like atmosphere with no modern lighting, matching the text's theme of living by the sun. The right ~40% of the image is plain white background. There should be only one candle in the room. There should be no candle on the windowsill.

The Dark slid house to house, putting out every bulb. Some people had to huddle around a single candle, and the cat looked grumpy. A child read a book by the little flame while two kids settled into bed. 'This,' The Dark said, 'is how nighttime should be.'

Page 5
A busy nighttime city street scene viewed from an elevated angle, with the action spread across the centre and right side of the image. On the right, colourful buildings line the roadside — a large two-story house and smaller storefronts — with people visible in the windows. The wide road stretches into the distance toward a city skyline of tall buildings and a Ferris wheel, with streetlights, traffic lights, cars, buses, a motorcycle, and a bicycle all navigating the illuminated road. Several pedestrians cross at a crosswalk in the middle of the scene, while others walk along the sidewalks on the right. In the lower right, a child sits on the kerb near a small dog, watching the bustle of the city. The sky is dusky blue with stars beginning to appear, and streetlights cast a warm glow, reflecting the nighttime setting described in the text. Multiple unnamed pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists populate the scene.

Outside, the lamps and signals blinked on and off. Cars and buses rolled along safely while people crossed without trouble. A little kid sat on the kerb with a poodle. Nearby, The Dark shouted, 'Oh, come on. More lights?'

Page 6
On the left side of the image, a chaotic urban intersection is shown from a bird's-eye view in near-total darkness, with cars, buses, and trucks tangled together in the middle of the intersection, blocking crosswalks. The traffic lights are dark and unlit. Several small figures of pedestrians are scattered among the vehicles — some stumbling between cars, some standing with arms raised waving and yelling in frustration, and others appearing to argue or gesture angrily at one another. Vehicles are pointed in various directions and nearly colliding, with gridlock stretching in every direction. The right ~40% of the image is plain white/light background, clear of any detail.

Click. The Dark shut off every single signal in town. Cars tangled with buses in the middle of the road. People stumbled between them, waving and yelling. 'Who turned off the lights?!' they shouted. The Dark just chuckled and moved on.

Page 7
A lively nighttime carnival scene set against a dark blue starry sky. On the right side of the image, children giggle and ride a colourful carousel (merry-go-round), sitting on painted horse figures under a canopy of golden bulbs. A large Ferris wheel with glowing yellow lights and colourful gondolas twinkles in the centre-right background against the starry sky. In the mid-ground, food and game stalls with bright awnings are visible, with families strolling among them. In the lower right foreground, a few children and adults look up at the attractions with excited, joyful expressions.

The fair was next, and it was dazzling. A couple of children giggled on a ride with painted horses. A Ferris wheel glowed against the starry sky, and every single ride was alive with light. The Dark's eye began to tremble. 'That,' it said, 'is the most dazzling thing I have ever seen.'

Page 8
On the left side of the image, a carnival scene is shown in muted, dark blue tones suggesting the power has gone out. A large Ferris wheel dominates the upper left, stopped mid-turn, with small figures visible in its gondolas — one child near the bottom looks up with a troubled, distressed expression. A carousel sits in the centre-left, still and silent. Below and around the rides, a couple of kids stand idle on the ground, one clutching a balloon, looking disappointed. The overall atmosphere is dim and still, conveying that the carnival has shut down — no music, no laughter, no rides. The right ~40% of the image is plain muted blue background.

CLICK. The Ferris wheel came to a stop. The rides went still and silent. A couple of kids on the ground held a single balloon, staring at nothing. No music. No fun. Just dark. 'Who turned off the lights?' one little kid said. This time, no one chuckled.

Page 9
A nighttime coastal scene with a tall red-and-white striped lighthouse on a rocky ledge on the left side, its powerful beam sweeping across the dark waves and starry sky. On the right side of the image, a large white-and-red ferry sails past on dark blue choppy waters, while a little wooden rowboat bobs nearby. A distant city skyline with twinkling lights is faintly visible along the horizon.

One light still burned out on the water. A tall lighthouse swept its signal across the dark waves. A ferry and a little boat sailed safely by. 'That is the last one,' The Dark growled from the shore.

Page 10
On the left side of the image, a huge ship plows through dark, churning waves at nighttime, bearing down on a small wooden rowboat. A boy in the rowboat grips his oars with a terrified, screaming expression as the vessel looms above him. Two small figures are visible peering through the ship's windows with worried faces. In the distant background on the dark shore, the unlit lighthouse stands as nothing but a silent dark tower — no signal, no warning. Birds fly across the dark sky.

The Dark swallowed the lighthouse beam. The ferry rushed toward the little boat. A boy in the boat held on tight and screamed. On shore, the lighthouse stood silent. No signal. Then The Dark felt a tremble it had never felt before. 'Oh no,' it whispered. 'What have I done?'

Page 11
A wide nighttime view of a bustling American town seen from an elevated angle, with all activity on the right side of the image. In the lower right, a train rumbles along the tracks with headlights blazing. The town stretches across the centre-right, filled with colourful buildings, houses with warmly glowing windows, cars travelling the roads with their headlights on, streetlights glowing, and a distant carnival sparkling on the horizon with a Ferris wheel and fairground lit up. A dark night sky fills the upper portion, emphasising how every single light — from a streetlamp to a window candle — keeps the town alive after dark. The left ~40% is plain dark sky and muted background.

The Dark let go. Every single light came back to life. Cars rolled safely, and houses glowed warm. Far away, the fair gave off a dazzling twinkle. But The Dark hung back in the sky, alone, feeling very small.

Page 12
On the left side of the image, four children play joyfully at nighttime surrounded by various light sources under a starry sky. One child stands with arm raised waving a bright glowing star wand, grinning widely; another child beside them laughs with arms outstretched amid colourful sparkle-filled string lights draped around them. In the foreground, a third child carries a little glowing lantern, and a fourth child twirls a green glow stick overhead, smiling broadly. Small floating lights and stars dot the dark blue background. The right side of the image is open dark sky, clear for text.

Four children came outside: one with a sparkle wand, one tangled in string lights, one swinging a little lantern, and one waving a glow stick. They were not chasing The Dark away. They were playing right inside it! 'Stars don't twinkle without you!' one called up. The Dark smiled for the very first time. At last, it could see the answer to the riddle. The best lights don't battle the dark. They dance with it.

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