A2 English Stories
Page 4 of 8 • 139 stories total
Thumbelina
A woman who wants a child plants a magic seed that grows into a flower. Inside the flower is Thumbelina, a tiny girl no bigger than a thumb. She has many adventures: a toad kidnaps her to marry her son, but fish help her escape. A beetle takes her but abandons her when other beetles call her ugly. She survives alone in the forest until winter, when a kind field mouse takes her in. The mouse wants her to marry a rich mole, but Thumbelina finds a sick swallow and nurses it back to health. In spring, the swallow takes her to a warm land where she meets a tiny flower prince. They fall in love, and Thumbelina finally finds happiness as the queen of the flower fairies.
The Bremen Town Musicians
An old donkey runs away from his farm to become a musician in Bremen. Along the way, he meets an old dog, cat, and rooster who all face similar problems. The four friends travel together and discover a cottage in the forest occupied by robbers. They stack on top of each other and make a terrible noise, scaring the robbers away. The animals decide to stay in the cozy cottage and live happily together, never making it to Bremen.
The Golden Goose
A kind young man called Simpleton shares his meager food with a magical old man and receives a golden goose in return. Anyone who touches the goose gets stuck to it, creating a hilarious chain of people. When a sad princess sees this funny sight, she laughs for the first time, and Simpleton wins her hand in marriage.
At the Dentist
Emma wakes up with a painful toothache and calls the dentist for an appointment. At the clinic, she feels nervous but Doctor Roberts is kind and reassuring. He discovers a cavity and gives her an injection before filling the tooth. Despite her fear, Emma experiences no pain during the procedure. After receiving advice about brushing twice daily and avoiding sweets, she leaves feeling relieved and promises to take better care of her teeth.
Getting Enough Sleep
Maria is a nurse who is always tired because of her bad sleep habits. She watches TV and checks her phone until late at night, then wakes up early for work. Her friend Anna gives her advice: turn off the phone at nine, stop coffee after lunch, and go to bed at the same time every night. Maria tries these changes and after one month feels like a new person with more energy.
The Doctor's Advice
Anna visits her doctor because she feels tired and has headaches. The doctor discovers she doesn't sleep enough, eats unhealthy food, and doesn't exercise. He gives her simple advice about lifestyle changes, and one month later, Anna feels much better.
Learning to Drive
Emma, who just turned eighteen, signs up for driving lessons at a local driving school. Her patient instructor, Mr. Hansen, teaches her the basics: steering, pedals, and how to use the clutch. After weeks of practice on quiet streets and busy roads, Emma takes her driving test. Despite her nervousness, she passes and gets her driver's license. She feels proud of her accomplishment and excited about the freedom driving brings.
New Baby
Anna and Peter are expecting their first baby. When Anna goes into labor early, they rush to the hospital. After several hours, their daughter Emma is born. They learn to be new parents, facing sleepless nights and learning how to care for their baby. As weeks pass, Emma grows and smiles at her parents for the first time.
Buying a Car
Lisa saves money for two years to buy her first car. With her father's help, she visits a car dealership and finds a blue used car that she loves. After a test drive and some negotiation, she buys the car and feels proud of achieving her goal through hard work.
The New Apartment
Emma moves into her first apartment after saving enough money. With help from her friends, she brings in boxes and furniture. They order pizza and celebrate together. After everyone leaves, Emma unpacks her books and makes her bed, feeling happy and grateful in her new home.
Delivery to Wrong Address
Anna orders a birthday present online but accidentally types the wrong house number. The package arrives at her neighbor Mr. Peters' house. When he brings it to her, Anna invites him for tea. They discover he lives alone, and what started as a mistake becomes the beginning of a friendship.
Lost in Translation
Tom travels to France for his first trip after studying French for six months. Despite his preparation, he makes several funny mistakes: asking for poison instead of the exit, saying he is a horse instead of hungry, and accidentally ordering snails. Through his mishaps at the airport, café, market, and restaurant, Tom learns that making mistakes is the best way to learn a language.
Dress Code Mistake
Tom misunderstands a dress code for a company party. He arrives in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts while everyone else wears formal clothes. Instead of being embarrassed, he embraces the mistake and becomes the life of the party.
Accidentally Being Rude
Emma moves to Germany and accidentally sounds rude at a bakery when she confuses her words. After her friend Klaus explains her mistake, she apologizes to the baker and they become friends. She learns that making mistakes is part of learning a new language.
The Accidental Reply All
David accidentally clicks 'Reply All' instead of 'Reply' and sends a funny message about his boss's boring meetings to all two hundred employees. After a terrifying meeting with the director, he learns that everyone makes mistakes, but it's important to always check before sending emails.
The False Friend Word
Emma travels to Germany confident in her German skills, but learns about false friend words the hard way. At a clothing store, she accidentally asks for poison instead of a present for her mother, confusing the German word 'Gift' with the English word. Her embarrassing mistake teaches her that similar-looking words can have very different meanings across languages.
Food Allergy Mix-Up
Emma travels to Italy and tries to communicate her nut allergy at a restaurant. Despite practicing the phrase beforehand, she uses the word for walnuts specifically instead of all nuts, leading to a mix-up when pine nuts appear on her pasta. The waiter and chef quickly fix the problem, and Emma learns to be more specific about food allergies in a foreign language.
Who Sent the Flowers?
Sophie receives beautiful roses on her doorstep with an anonymous card. She tries to discover who sent them, suspecting her colleague Tom and neighbor David. When another bouquet arrives a week later, Sophie recognizes the handwriting. The mystery sender turns out to be her loving mother who misses her.