Short simple story

28 English Short Stories with Big Ideas for Thoughtful English Learners

By aromiekim and Dhritiman Ray Last updated: January 22, 2023

When it comes to learning English, what if you can understand big ideas with just a little bit of text?

I’m talking about award-winning short stories in English. 

Stories are all about going beyond reality, and these will not only improve your English reading but also open your mind to different worlds.

Contents

• 1. “The Bogey Beast” by Flora Annie Steel
• 2. “The Tortoise and the Hare” by Aesop
• 3. “The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse” by Beatrix Potter
• 4. “The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond
• 5. “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
• 6. “Orientation” by Daniel Orozco
• 7. “Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu
• 8. “The Missing Mail” by R.K. Narayan
• 9. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
• 10.  “The School” by Donald Barthelme
• 11. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
• 12. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling
• 13. Excerpt from “Little Dorrit” by Charles Dickens
• 14. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
• 15. “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal
• 16. “The Boarded Window” by Ambrose Bierce 
• 17. “The Zero Meter Diving Team” by Jim Shepherd
• 18. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
• 19. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
• 20. “Little Red Riding Hood” by The Brothers Grimm
• 21. “A Tiny Feast” by Chris Adrian
• 22. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
• 23. “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams
• 24. “Paul Bunyan,” adapted by George Grow 
• 25. “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde
• 26. “Cinderella” by Charles Perrault
• 27. “The Friday Everything Changed” by Anne Hart
• 28. “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
• How to Use Short Stories to Improve Your English
• • Use Illustrations to Enhance Your Experience
  • Listen to Recordings of Stories
  • Explore Stories Related to a Theme
  • Choose the Right Reading Level
  • Practice “Active Reading”
  • Choose Only a Few Words to Look Up
  • Make Your Own Summary

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

A woman finds a pot of treasure on the road while she is returning from work.

Delighted (very happy) with her luck, she decides to keep it. As she is taking it home, it keeps changing.

However, her enthusiasm refuses to fade away (disappear or faint slowly).

What Is Great About It: The old lady in this story is one of the most cheerful characters anyone can encounter in English fiction.

Her positive disposition (personality) tries to make every negative situation seem like a gift, and she helps us look at luck as a matter of our view rather than events.

This classic fable (story) tells the story of a very slow tortoise (turtle) and a speedy hare (rabbit).

The tortoise challenges the hare to a race. The hare laughs at the idea that a tortoise could run faster than he, but the race leads to surprising results.

What Is Great About It: Have you ever heard the English expression, “Slow and steady wins the race”? This story is the basis for that common phrase.

This timeless (classic) short story teaches a lesson that we all know but can sometimes forget: Natural talent is no substitute for hard work, and overconfidence often leads to failure.

Timmie Willie is a country mouse who is accidentally taken to a city in a vegetable basket. When he wakes up, he finds himself at a party and makes a friend.

When he is unable to bear (tolerate or experience) the city life, he returns to his home but invites his friend to the village.

When his friend visits him, something similar happens.

What Is Great About It: Humans have been living without cities or villages for most of history.

That means that both village and city life are recent inventions. And just like every other invention, we need to decide their costs and benefits.

The story is precisely (exactly) about this debate. It is divided into short paragraphs and has illustrations for each scene. This is best for beginners who want to start reading immediately.

Ruskin Bond used to spend his summer at his grandmother’s house in Dehradun.

While taking the train, he always had to pass through a small station called Deoli. No one used to get down at the station and nothing happened there.

Until one day he sees a girl selling fruit and he is unable to forget her.

What Is Great About It: Ruskin Bond is a writer who can communicate deep feelings in a simple way.

This story is about our attachment to strangers and why we cherish (value or appreciate deeply) them even though we do not meet them ever again.

Earth has been destroyed by war and no one lives on it anymore.

The robots and the machines continue to function and serve human beings who have long ago died. 

What Is Great About It: The title is taken from a poem that describes how nature will continue its work long after humanity is gone.

But in this story, we see that nature plays a supporting role and the machines are the ones who have taken its place.

They continue their work without any human or natural assistance. This shows how technology has replaced nature in our lives and how it can both destroy us and carry on without humanity itself.

This is a humorous story where the speaker explains the office policies, as well as gossip about the staff, to a new employee.

It is extremely easy to read as the sentences are short and without any overly difficult words.

Many working English learners will relate to it as it explains the absurdities (silly moments) of modern office life and how so little of it makes sense.

What Is Great About It: Modern workplaces often feel like theaters where we pretend to work rather than get actual work done. The speaker exposes this reality that nobody will ever admit to.

He over-explains everything from the view out the office window to the intimate details of everyone’s life—from the overweight loner to the secret serial killer.

It talks about the things that go unsaid; how people at the office know about the deep secrets of our home life, but do not talk about it.

Jack’s mother can make paper animals come to life.

In the beginning, Jack loves them and spends hours with his mom. But as soon as he grows up, he stops talking to her since she is unable to speak in English.

When his mother tries to talk to him through her creations, he kills them and collects them in a box.

After a tragic loss, he finally gets to know her story through a hidden message that he should have read a long time ago.

What Is Great About It: The story is a simple narration that touches on complex issues. It is about leaving your own country with the promise of a better life.

It is also about the conflicts that can occur between families when different cultures and languages collide. In this case, the tension is so high that it destroys the relationship between a mother and her son.

It also has a moving message about never taking your loved ones for granted.

This story is part of R.K. Narayan’s “Malgudi Days” short story collection. 

Thanappa is the village mailman who is good friends with Ramanujam and his family. He learns about a failed marriage and helps Ramanujam’s daughter get engaged to a suitable match.

Just before the wedding, Thanappa receives a tragic letter about Ramanujam’s brother. He decides not to deliver it.

What Is Great About It: Despite the best of intentions, our actions can cause more harm to our loved ones than we ever intended.

The story is about the complicated relationships and feelings which are always present in our social circles, but we are often ignorant of them.

The year is 2081, and everyone has been made equal by force.

Every person who is superior in any way has been handicapped (something that prevents a person’s full use of their abilities) by the government.

Intelligent people are distracted by disturbing noises. Good dancers have to wear weights so that they do not dance too well.

Attractive people wear ugly masks so they do not look better than anyone else.

However, one day there is a rebellion, and everything changes for a brief instant.

What Is Great About It: Technology is always supposed to make us better. But in this case, we see that it can be used to disable our talents.

Moreover, the writer shows us how the mindless use of a single value like equality can create more suffering for everyone.

A school teacher is narrating all the recent incidents that have happened on campus.

First, they mention a garden where all the trees died. Pretty soon deaths of all kinds begin to occur.

What Is Great About It: Most of the adults do not know how to deal with death, even though they want to teach children about it.

It makes us realize how weak our education systems are because they can not help us deal with life’s most basic issues.

Eventually, the students start to lose faith in everything, and the adults have to put on a show of love to make themselves less frightened.

It shows how adults can fail to explain and understand death, and so they just pretend that they do. In this way, the cycle of misunderstanding and avoiding life’s issues continues.

11. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

A mother is telling her daughter how to live her life properly. The daughter does not seem to have any say in it.

What Is Great About It: This may not be technically a story since there is no plot. “Girl” talks about how girls are taught to live restricted lives since childhood.

The mother instructs (tells) her to do all the household chores, indicating that it is her sole purpose (only aim or duty).

Sometimes the mother tells her to not attract attention, to not talk to boys and to always keep away from men.

On the other hand, she hints that she will have to be attractive to bakers and other suitable males in society to live a good life.

This story is about these conflicting ideas that girls face when growing up.

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is about a Mongoose who regularly visits a family in India.

The family feeds him and lets him explore their house, but they worry that he might bite their son, Teddy.

One day a snake is about to attack him when the Mongoose kills it. Eventually, he becomes a part of the family forever.

What Is Great About It: This is a simple story about humans and animals living together as friends. It is old, but the language is fairly easy to understand.

It reminds us that animals can also experience feelings of love and, like humans, they will also protect the ones they love.

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is part of Kipling’s short story collection “The Jungle Book,” which was famously made into a movie by Disney.

If you enjoy the story but need a break from reading, check out this captivating trailer for Disney’s newer version of the movie.

Dorrit is a child whose father has been in prison ever since she could remember. Unable to pay their debts, the whole family is forced to spend their days in a cell.

Dorrit thinks about the outside world and longs to see it (wishes to see it).

This excerpt introduces you to the family and their life in prison. 

The novel is about how they manage to get out and how Dorrit never forgets the kindness of the people who helped her. 

What Is Great About It: Injustice in law is often reserved for the poor. “Little Dorrit” shows clearly how it works in society.

It is about the government jailing people for not being able to return their loans, a historical practice the writer hated since his own father was punished in a similar way.

The story reveals how the rich cheat the poor and then put them into prisons instead of facing punishment.

A man travels to a freezing, isolated place called Yukon. He only has his dog with him for company.

Throughout his journey, he ignores the advice other people had given him and takes his life for granted.

Finally, he realizes the real power of nature and how delicate (easily broken) human life actually is.

What Is Great About It: The classic fight between life and death has always fascinated us. Nature is often seen as a powerful force that should be feared and respected.

The man in this story is careless and, despite having helpful information, makes silly mistakes. He takes the power of natural forces too lightly.

The animal is the one who is cautious and sensible in this dangerous situation. By the end, readers wonder who is really intelligent—the man who could not deal with nature or the dog who could survive?

Sly is a chimpanzee who is much smarter than the other chimpanzees. He loves to play with clay on a potter’s wheel all day and likes to keep to himself.

But one day when the school kids bully him, he loses his temper and acts out in anger. Seeing this, the teacher punishes him and takes away his clay.

What Is Great About It: Sly is a character who does not fit into society. He is too smart for the other chimps, but humans do not accept him. He is punished for acting out his natural emotions.

But the way he handles his rage, in the end, makes him look more mature than most human beings. Nominated for the Hugo award, many readers have connected with Sly since they can see similarities in their own lives.

“The Boarded Window” is a horror story about a man who has to deal with his wife’s death. The setting is a remote cabin in the wilderness in Cincinnati, and he feels helpless as she gets sick.

There’s an interesting twist to this story, and the ending will get you thinking (and maybe feeling a bit disturbed!).

What is Great About It: If you enjoy older stories with a little suspense, this would be a good challenge for you–in fact, until now, it’s still included in a lot of horror story compilations.

It talks about the event that made a hermit decide to live alone for decades, with a mysterious window boarded up in his cabin.

Aside from what actually happens in the story, there’s also a lot of emphasis on psychology and symbolism.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was one of the most deadly accidents in the twentieth century.

This is a story about that event through the eyes of a father and his sons. The family was unfortunate enough to be close to the disaster area.

The story exposes the whole system of corruption that led to a massive explosion taking innocent lives and poisoning multiple generations.

The technical vocabulary and foreign words make this text a little more difficult. However, the story is relatively easy to follow.

What Is Great About It: It is no secret that governments lie to their own people. But sometimes these lies can cost lives.

Very often we accept this as normal, but this tale opens our eyes to the cost of our indifference (lack of concern).

The story is divided into small parts that make it both easy and exciting to read.

The various events are about life in general in what was then known as the Soviet Union. And just like any other good story, it is also about human relationships and how they change due to historic events.

A man brings a magical monkey’s paw from India, which grants three wishes to three people.

When the White family buys it from him, they realize that sometimes you do not want your wishes to come true.

What Is Great About It: Sometimes we wish for things, but we do not think about their consequences.

In this story, the characters immediately regret when their wishes come true because either someone dies or something worse happens.

They realize that they never thought about the ways their wishes could destroy people and their lives.

Mrs. Mallard has heart troubles that could kill her.

When her husband dies, the people who come to give her this news try to do so gently. When she is finally informed, she bursts into tears.

Eventually, she goes to her room and locks herself in.

However, while thinking about the future, she is excited by the idea of freedom that could come after her husband’s death.

After an hour, the doorbell rings and her husband is standing there alive and well. When she sees him, she has a heart attack and dies.

What Is Great About It: Marriages can be like prisons for women. The one in this tale definitely seems like a heavy burden. Despite her grief, Mrs. Mallard is able to keep herself healthy with the hope of freedom from her husband.

But as soon as she realizes that she will have to go back to her old life, her body is unable to take it.

The story explores the conflicting range of human emotions of grief and hope in a short span, and the impact it can have on a person’s mind and body.

This is a story that every English-speaking child knows. It’s about a little girl who meets a wolf in the forest while going to see her sick grandmother.

The wolf pretends to be her grandmother in order to trick the little girl. There are actually different versions of it, with different endings–the one I’ve linked above is the most popular.

What Is Great About It: “Little Red Riding Hood” is a fairy tale, which is a story for kids that has been traditionally told through generations.

It’s often used to teach children that it’s bad to talk to strangers, since the image of being eaten by a wolf can be very scary.

It has been adapted into different movies and media, and you’ll still hear mentioned in pop culture a lot.

The basic characters are taken from Shakespeare’s famous play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

However, in this story, the plot and the concept are entirely different.

Titania and Oberon are the rulers of fairies who have been dealing with problems in their marriage.

One day they find a human child and decide to adopt him. They hope that this child will help them save their relationship.

However, the child develops a deadly disease and the fairies have no idea what to do since they have never known illness or death.

This is a tragic tale about how they try to understand something they have never seen before and their deep love for a stranger who is so unlike them.

What Is Great About It: The story is able to explore human relationships through imaginary creatures. It explores the grief of parenthood and also the uncertainty of knowing whether your child will ever even know you.

It also beautifully captures the sense of the unknown and the helplessness which every human being faces when faced with it.

Every year, a small town holds an event known as “the lottery” that everyone attends.

During this event, someone from the community is randomly chosen…but for what reason?

What Is Great About It: The story makes you wonder about human behavior, particularly within a group of people.

Perhaps you may have heard of the term “mob mentality” and how it can allow for some pretty surprising things to happen.

This short story is considered to be one of the most famous short stories in American literature.

It shows an example of what is known as a dystopian society, where people live in a frightening way. To learn more, check out this TED-Ed video that tells you how to recognize a dystopia. 

A simple, stuffed rabbit toy is given to a young boy as a Christmas present.

At first, the rabbit isn’t noticed, as the boy is distracted by much fancier gifts. While being ignored, the rabbit begins to wonder what it means to be “real.”

One day, a certain event brings the rabbit into contact with the boy. After that, the toy’s life changes dramatically (a lot).

What Is Great About It: Have you ever loved a toy or doll so much, that you treated it as if it were alive? This story shows the power of love from a very unexpected viewpoint: that of a fluffy stuffed rabbit.

The velveteen rabbit toy is loved dearly by its owner, regardless of how worn out he becomes.

Although this story was made for children, its message is for anyone of any age. The rabbit’s quest (journey) of becoming “real” can be understood in a very human way.

The story shows the importance of self-value, being true to yourself and finding strength in those who love you.

The story of Paul Bunyan has been around in the United States for many years. He’s the symbol of American frontier life, showing the ideal strength, work ethic and good morality that Americans work hard to imitate.

Some sources break down his story into even shorter versions.

What is Great About It: Paul Bunyan is considered a legend, so stories about him are full of unusual details, such as eating fifty eggs in one day and being so big that he caused an earthquake.

It can be a pretty funny read, with characters such as a blue ox and a dog that’s reversible.

This version of the story is also meant to be read out loud, so it’s fast-paced and entertaining. 

In the middle of a city is a very fancy, decorated statue of a prince, and it is known as the Happy Prince.

One day, a swallow bird decides to rest on the statue, only to get wet by the tears of the crying statue.

The Prince, as it turns out, is not happy at all. When he was alive and living in his palace, he had no idea how much suffering was happening outside his home.

Now as a statue that stands high above the city, he can finally see the many injustices happening to the people.

At the Prince’s request, the swallow begins to take off pieces of the statue and give them away to the poor. Together, the two work to try and give what aid they can to the less fortunate.

What Is Great About It: It can be easy to ignore people who are struggling and having a hard time. However, it is not good to always “turn a blind eye” and pretend not to notice.

Sometimes, even one good deed (action) can make a big impact on both the person doing it and the person receiving it.

“The Happy Prince” is a story that shows the importance of charity and empathy. These two things can come with a lot of sacrifices, but you can gain a lot in other ways.

The story also points out that you should judge a person not by what they have, but by what they give.

You may already know the story of Cinderella; many people saw the Disney movie or read a children’s book of it.

However, there are actually many different versions of “Cinderella.”

This one by Charles Perrault is the most well-known one and is often the version told to children.

What Is Great About It: “Cinderella” is a loved story because it describes how a kind and hard-working person was able to get a happy ending.

Even though Cinderella’s stepsisters treated her awfully, Cinderella herself remained gentle and humble. It goes to show that even though you may experience hardships, it is important to stay kind, forgiving and mindful.

Because only “strong boys” are allowed to do this, the girls are teased for being “weaker.”

Not only that, but the boys also get more privileges than the girls, such as being the first to get magazines.

One Friday, a girl asks the classroom teacher why girls are not allowed to get water as well. This one question causes a big reaction.

What Is Great About It: One brave act, from one brave person, can cause a big change for the better. In this story, a single girl speaks out against what she thinks is wrong.

Her courage surprises everyone, but she inspires the girls to stand up for themselves against the boys who mistreat them.

The story reflects on gender equality and how important it is to fight for fairness. Just because something is accepted as “normal” does not mean it is right.

At a Spanish train station, an American man and a young woman wait for a train that would take them to the city of Madrid.

The woman sees some faraway hills and compares them to “white elephants. ”

This starts a conversation between the two of them, but what they discuss seems to have a deeper meaning.

What Is Great About It: This story is very well-known as a text that makes you “read between the lines”—in other words, you have to try to find a hidden meaning behind what you read.

Much of the story is a back-and-forth dialogue between two people, but you can tell a lot about them just from what they say to each other.

There is a lot of symbolism that you can analyze in this story, along with context clues. Once you realize what the real topic of the characters’ conversation is about, you can figure out the quiet, sadder meaning behind it.

How to Use Short Stories to Improve Your English

Short stories are effective in helping English learners to practice all four aspects of language learning: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Here’s how you can make the most out of short stories as an English learner:

Use Illustrations to Enhance Your Experience

Some short stories come with illustrations. If you find a short story with illustrations, look at the pictures first to guess what the story is about.

What are they doing in the illustration? What part of the story is illustrated? The illustrations will help you to understand the meaning of the story.

You can even write your own caption or description of the picture. It can be a sentence or one word.

When you look at the story, go back to your image description. How do they relate?

Listen to Recordings of Stories

In our fantastic digital age, it is possible to find wonderful short stories online in audio or video form.

If you find a video with English-language subtitles, you can read while also listening to how a native speaker pronounces words.

Some of the short stories above are available in video format on FluentU, which is an online English immersion program.

In addition to short story video tellings, the program has many types of authentic videos like movie clips, music videos and inspirational talks.

These can help you work on your listening comprehension and pronunciation alongside your reading skills. Each video has interactive subtitles and a video dictionary for unfamiliar words.

For example, here’s a video retelling of “The Tortoise and the Hare”:

If you’re doing a review quiz for the content, you have the option of speaking in the answers for some speaking practice.

Explore Stories Related to a Theme

Like novels, short stories can be in any genre you can imagine. Do you like ghost stories? Science fiction? Romance?

You can find short stories, old and new, on the subject that you want. Some short stories teach a lesson, like fables do. Other short stories use a lot of metaphors or symbolism.

If you’re learning about hobbies, find a short story about something that you like to do. Are you learning about food? Find a short story with a lot of food vocabulary. The list goes on.

Choose the Right Reading Level

First, some short stories are over 5,000 words long while others can be as short as 50. When you’re selecting the right short story for you, you have many different types and lengths to choose from.

If you choose a story that’s too difficult, you’ll spend too much time looking up vocabulary, missing the whole point of the story. If you choose a story that’s too easy, you’ll learn little to no new vocabulary and you may become bored.

Make sure that you always challenge yourself, even if you’re only learning a few new words.

Here’s an easy way to determine if the reading level is right for you.

Choose a paragraph in the story that you want to read. How many words can you identify?

Try the “five-finger test.” Hold up your fist while you read over the paragraph. Put up one finger for each word you don’t know. If you have all five fingers up before the end of the paragraph, try to find an easier text.

What if you really want to read a story, but the level is too hard? Try to read the story anyway. If the subject interests you, you’ll be motivated to learn the vocabulary you need to understand the story.

Bring the story to your English teacher. He or she will be happy to help you understand the words you don’t know so you’ll be able to enjoy the story on your own.

Practice “Active Reading”

Your reading will only help you learn if you read actively. You are reading actively when you’re paying very close attention to the story, its words and its meanings. Think about the vocabulary and grammar.

Start by looking over the text to get an idea of what the story is about. Read the text. Try to remember some of the things you read about. Finally, review the text again to get the best understanding.

Afterwards, discuss the story with your teacher and your classmates. If there’s something you don’t understand, write down your questions to ask during the discussion.

Talk about the stories and share your own opinions about the language, culture and messages within the story.

Choose Only a Few Words to Look Up

You don’t need to look up every single word you don’t know. Choose to look up only those words that will help you understand what the paragraph is about.

If there’s a word you don’t know but you know everything else in the sentence, try to guess what the word is about by looking at the whole sentence. You can look this word up later to see if you guessed correctly.

For stories longer than 500 words, take breaks while you’re reading, especially if the vocabulary gets overwhelming. Don’t make yourself too tired, or you’ll become frustrated and give up.

If you find things are getting to be too difficult, walk away for about 15 minutes and come back and try again.

Make Your Own Summary

When you’ve finished reading the story, review it again. Do this later in the same day or the next day to let your reading really sink in. Take notes while you’re reading.

Retell the story or make a summary of the story to get even more practice.

You can make this more challenging by actually using the story as a model for writing your own English story. By writing your own stories, you get more practice in the use of vocabulary and creating your own sentences.

Why Short Stories Are Best for English Learning

Short stories are amazing resources for any English learner. That’s because:

• You can read a whole story in one sitting. Attention spans are very important for learning, and short stories are designed to give you maximum information with minimal effort.
• You get more time to focus on individual words. When a text is short, you can spend more time learning how every single word is used and what importance it has in the piece.
• It is best for consistency. It is far easier to read one story every day than trying to read a big novel that never seems to end.
• You can share them easily in a group. Since short stories can be read in a single sitting, they are ideal for book clubs and learning circles.

  Most of the time these groups do not work because members have no time to read. Short stories are the perfect solution.

• You can focus more on ideas and concepts. Language is less about words and more about the meaning behind them.

  If you spend all your time learning vocabulary and grammar, you will never be able to fluently speak a language because you will have little to talk about.

  These short stories give you the opportunity to understand big ideas in context.

You can choose almost any short story and get something useful out of it. Each story has its own special features that you can appreciate.

The best kind of story will be one that is interesting, has a strong message and, of course, helps you to both practice and learn English.

It will be one that leaves an impact, both in your English education and in your imagination.

I hope you have fun with these stories while improving your English.

Happy reading!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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15 Short Stories for Beginner + Intermediate English Students

The Blind Men and the Elephant by James Baldwin

Intermediate (B1)415 words

One morning an elephant was driven down the road where six blind men stood. The first one put his hand on the elephant’s side. “Well, well!” he said, “now I know all about this beast...”

There are many versions of this classic fable, but this one by the famous American writer James Baldwin is both the shortest and the simplest. English learners of all ages and skill levels can appreciate it — and also practice their listening skills with this audio recording from LibriVox.

A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

Intermediate (B1)636 words

She was sorry, and she knew he would probably not be able to understand, but might some day forgive her. She loved him as always, but she realized now it was only a boy and girl love...

Based on his real-life experiences during the First World War, this simple story offers a taste of the ‘terse’ writing style of Ernest Hemingway (arguably the most influential writer of the 20th century). While the moral of this story may resonate with adult readers, it’s not so interesting (or appropriate) for children.

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

Intermediate (B1)687 words

This is how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep a whole house; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like too much; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all...

The Man in the Brown Coat by Sherwood Anderson

Intermediate (B1)994 words

Little things are growing big in my mind. The window before my desk makes a little framed place like a picture. Every day I sit staring. I wait with an odd sensation of something impending...

The Last Night of the World by Ray Bradbury

Intermediate (B1)1,434 words

“I always thought I would be frightened to death, but I’m not. You don’t get too excited when you feel things are logical. This is logical. Nothing else but this could have happened from the way we’ve lived...”

Sticks by George Saunders

Intermediate (B2)392 words

On the Fourth of July the pole was Uncle Sam, on Veteran’s Day a soldier, on Halloween a ghost. The first time I brought a date over she said, What’s with your dad and that pole? and I sat there blinking...

There Was Once by Margaret Atwood

Intermediate (B2)613 words

“There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good—”
“Stop right there. Poor is relative. And I think we can cut the ‘beautiful’, don’t you? Can’t you make her, well, more average?”

Compare with 'Girl' and Bradbury's story.

A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf

Intermediate (B2)679 words

Wandering through the house, opening the windows, whispering not to wake us, the ghostly couple seek their joy. “Here we slept,” she says. And he adds, “Kisses without number.” The doors go shutting far in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart...

Hearts and Hands by O.

Intermediate (B2)873 words

In one coach there sat a pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, handcuffed together...

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Intermediate (B2)1,016 words

She was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long...

Photo by Reza Shayestehpour

Interesting short stories in English with translation

Reading short stories in English is one of the most effective language learning methods. Interesting stories in English with translation help to expand vocabulary and improve grammar. It is also the best practice for practicing learned words and reinforcing the rules.

Here are the benefits of reading stories and stories in English:

• reading stories in English expands vocabulary, allows you to understand the specifics of using many idioms, colloquial phrases, artistic techniques; nine0012
• while working with stories in English, the ability to understand the main idea of ​​what is written develops;
• reading stories in English allows you to see the practical application of grammatical structures;
• when reading stories in English, the reader has the opportunity to learn to understand the author's style.

Reading stories in English can significantly increase motivation for learning: understanding a text in a foreign language inspires further learning. When studying English, it is useful to read stories to test your knowledge and ability to understand and interpret foreign speech. nine0003

Page Quick Navigation

1. Stories Technique
2. A Good Lesson
3. The Shoebox
4. Hit the Floor!
5. Will's experience at the airport
6. Fortune and the man
7. Wrong car
8. A Magic Ring

Methodology for working with stories

The selected story should be read briefly for the first time: try to understand the general idea of ​​what was read, do not try to understand every word; nine0045 while reading the story in English for the second time, pay attention to interesting words and structures, the use of grammar;
interesting phrases and words from history can be written out in a separate notebook in order to be able to return to them in the future.

If you have difficulty reading comprehension or do not understand much of what you read, then most likely you lack theoretical knowledge. In this case, we recommend that you improve your level by taking a free English course from zero to a conversational level for busy people. nine0003

For beginners, stories in English with a simple plot and simple grammatical constructions are suitable. These can be stories, fairy tales, comic stories, simple stories and stories about animals, children, travel. We have prepared for you short but interesting stories in English with translation. But the translation is hidden so that you don't peek while reading. Try to understand on your own what the story is about, and only then open the translation.

A Good Lesson

Once a rich Englishwoman called Mrs Johnson decided to have a birthday party. She invited a lot of guests and a singer. The singer was poor, but he had a very good voice.
The singer got to Mrs Johnson's house at exactly six o'clock as he had been asked to do, but when he went in, he saw through a door that the dining-room was already full of guests, who were sitting round a big table in the middle of the room. The guests were eating, joking, laughing, and talking loudly. Mrs Johnson came out to him, and he thought she was going to ask him to join them, when she said, “We’re glad, sir, that you have come. You will be singing after dinner, I'll call you as soon as we're ready to listen to you. Now will you go into the kitchen and have dinner, too, please?” nine0003

The singer was very angry, but said nothing. At first he wanted to leave Mrs Johnson's house at once, but then he changed his mind and decided to stay and teach her and her rich guests a good lesson. When the singer went into the kitchen, the servants were having dinner, too. He joined them. After dinner, the singer thanked everybody and said, "Well, now I'm going to sing to you, my good friends." And he sang them some beautiful songs.
Soon Mrs Johnson called the singer.
"Well, sir, we're ready." nine0045 Ready? asked the singer. "What are you ready for?"
"To listen to you," said Mrs Johnson in an angry voice.
Listen to me? But I have already sung, and I'm afraid I shan't be able to sing any more tonight. "
"Where did you sing?"
"In the kitchen. I always sing for those I have dinner with."

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

One day a wealthy English woman named Mrs. Johnson decided to throw a birthday party. She invited many guests and a singer. The singer was poor, but he had a very good voice. nine0045 The singer arrived at Mrs. Johnson's house at exactly six o'clock, as requested, but when he entered, he saw through the door that the dining room was already full of guests who were sitting at a large table in the middle of the room. The guests ate, joked, laughed and talked loudly. Mrs. Johnson came out to him and he thought she was going to ask him to join them, as she said, “We are glad, sir, that you have come. You will sing after supper, I will call you as soon as we are ready to listen to you. Will you go to the kitchen now and have dinner too?” nine0003

The singer was very angry but didn't say anything. At first he wanted to leave Mrs. Johnson's house immediately, but then he changed his mind and decided to stay and teach her and her wealthy guests a good lesson. When the singer went to the kitchen, the servants were also having dinner. He joined them. After dinner, the singer thanked everyone and said: "Well, now I will sing to you, my good friends." And he sang some beautiful songs to them.

Soon Mrs. Johnson called the singer.
"Well, sir, we're ready."
"Ready?" asked the singer. "What are you ready for?" nine0045 "To listen to you," Mrs. Johnson said in an angry voice.
"Listen to me? But I've already sung and I'm afraid I won't be able to sing more tonight."
"Where did you sing?"
“In the kitchen. I always sing for those I dine with.”

The Shoebox

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about. nine0003

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two knitted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents.

‘When we were to be married,’ she said, ‘my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and knit a doll.’

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

‘Honey,’ he said, ‘that explains the dolls, but what about all of this money?

Where did it come from?’

‘Oh,’ she said, ‘that’s the money I made from selling the dolls.’

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

A man and woman have been married for over 60 years. They shared everything. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other, except that the old lady had a shoe box on her closet, which she warned her husband about never to open or ask about. nine0003

In all these years, he never thought about the box, but one day the old lady became very ill and the doctor said she would not recover.

Trying to sort out their affairs, the old man took off the shoebox and carried it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time for him to know what was in the box. Opening it, he found two knitted dolls and a wad of money totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents.

“When we were to get married,” she said, “my grandmother told me that the secret to a happy marriage is never to argue. She told me that if I ever get mad at you, I should just keep quiet and knit a doll. nine0003

The old man was so touched; he had to hold back his tears. There were only two exquisite dolls in the box. She was angry with him only twice in all these years of life and love. He almost burst with happiness.

“Honey,” he said, “that explains the dolls, but what about all that money?

Where is this from?’

“Oh,” she said, “this is the money I made selling dolls.”

Hit the Floor! (Muzzle to the floor!)

Jenny and Robert Slater were on holiday in America. They were young and it was their first time away from home in England. They had a car and visited many famous and interesting places. nine0003

‘I want to see New York,’ Jenny said one morning. ‘Let’s go there.’

‘Mmm, I don’t know, love. Everybody says New York’s a dangerous place and there are a lot of very strange people there,’ her husband answered.

‘We’ll be careful,’ said Jenny. ‘Then we won’t have any problems.’

So they arrived in New York early in the evening and found a hotel. Later they went out and drove around the streets. They didn't have any problems. ‘See,’ Jenny said. ‘Nothing to be afraid of.’

They had dinner in a good restaurant and then went to a cinema. They arrived back at their hotel at midnight. Under the hotel was a garage so they drove into it and left the car. It was quite dark there and they couldn't see very well.

‘Where’s the lift?’ Jenny asked.

‘Over there, I think, near the door,’ Robert answered. ‘Come on, let’s go. I don’t like this dark place.’

Suddenly they saw a very tall young man with a big black dog. They were nervous and walked past him as fast as they could to the lift. The door of the lift opened and Jenny and Robert got in. Before the doors closed the man and the dog jumped in – three people and one big black dog in the lift. nine0003

‘On the floor, Girl!’ the tall man said. Jenny and Robert were afraid now, so they quickly got down on the floor. When the lift stopped at the next floor, they stood up, gave the man all their money and got out fast.

‘That man was a robber! Perhaps he had a gun… It’s dangerous here!’ Robert said. ‘We’re going to leave New York now!’

‘Yes, you’re right. ’ Jenny answered. ‘There are some dangerous people in New York.’

First thing next morning they took their room key to the desk and gave it to the woman. nine0003

‘There’s nothing to pay, Mr Slater,’ she said. ‘A tall young man with a nice dog came to the desk late last night and paid for your room. Oh, wait a minute – he left this for you, too.’ She gave Robert an envelope.

He opened it carefully and took out a letter. They read it together: ‘Here’s your money and I’m very sorry you were afraid in the lift last night. “Girl” is the name of my dog.’

Jenny and Robert Slater were on vacation in America. They were young and it was their first time away from home in England. They had a car and visited many famous and interesting places. nine0003

"I want to see New York," Jenny said one morning. ‘Let’s go there.’

‘Mmm, I don’t know, love. Everyone says that New York is a dangerous place and there are a lot of strange people there,” her husband replied.

"We'll be careful," Jenny said. "Then we won't have any problems."

So they arrived in New York early in the evening and found a hotel. Later they got out and drove through the streets. They didn't have any problems. "See," Jenny said. "Nothing to be afraid of." nine0003

They had dinner at a good restaurant and then went to the cinema. They returned to their hotel at midnight. There was a garage under the hotel, so they drove into it and left the car. It was quite dark in there and hard to see.

"Where is the elevator?" Jenny asked.

"There, I think, near the door," replied Robert. 'Let's go. I don't like this dark place.

Suddenly they saw a very tall young man with a large black dog. They were nervous and walked past him as fast as they could to the elevator. The elevator door opened and Jenny and Robert entered. Before the doors closed, a man and a dog ran in—three people and one big black dog in the elevator. nine0003

"On the floor, girl!" the tall man said. Jenny and Robert got scared so they quickly sank to the floor. When the elevator stopped at the next floor, they got up, gave the man all their money, and quickly exited.

“That man was a robber! He might have had a gun... It's dangerous here!" Robert said. "We're leaving New York now!"

"Yes, you're right," Jenny replied. "There are dangerous people in New York."

The first thing they did the next morning was to take the key to their room and give it to the woman. nine0003

"Mr. Slater has nothing to pay," she said. "A tall young man with a handsome dog came to the counter last night and paid for your room." Oh, wait a minute - also he left it to you. She gave Robert an envelope.

He carefully opened it and took out the letter. They read together: “Here is your money, and I am very sorry that you got scared in the elevator last night. "Girl" is the name of my dog.

Will’s experience at the airport

After his return from Rome, Will couldn't find his luggage in the airport baggage area. He went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that his bags hadn't shown up on the carousel.

She smiled and told him not to worry because they were trained professionals and he was in good hands.

Then she asked Will, “Has your plane arrived yet?”

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

After returning from Rome, Will couldn't find his luggage in the luggage compartment of the airport. He went to the lost and found office and told the woman who worked there that his bags never showed up on the carousel. nine0003

She smiled and told him not to worry because they were professionals and he was in good hands.

Then she asked, “Has your plane already arrived?”

Fortune and the man

One day a man was walking along the street. He carried an old bag in his hands. He was wondering why people who had so much money were never satisfied and always wanted more. “As to me,” he said, “if I had enough to eat, I should not ask for anything else. ”Just at this moment Fortune came down the street. She heard the man and stopped. nine0003

“Listen,” she said, “I want to help you. Hold your bag, and I shall pour diamonds into it. But every diamond which falls on the ground will become dust. Do you understand?”

“Oh, yes, I understand,” said the man. He quickly opened his bag and stream of diamonds was poured into it. The bag began to grow heavy. Is that enough? asked Fortune. “Not yet.” The man's hand's began to tremble.

“You are the richest man in the world now.” Said Fortune.

“Just a few more, and a few more,” said the man. Another diamond was added and the bag slipped. All the diamonds fell on the ground and became dust. nine0003

Fortune disappeared, leaving the man in the street.

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

One day a man was walking down the street. In his hands was an old bag. He walked and thought: “Why are people who have a lot of money never satisfied and always want to have more money. ”
"As for me," he thought, if I only had enough to live on, I would not need anything more.
At that moment, Fate was passing by him. She heard the poor man and stopped.
“Listen,” she said, “I want to help you. Give me your bag, I'll fill it with diamonds. But if even one diamond falls to the ground, the entire contents of the bag will turn to dust. Understand? nine0045 "Of course I understand," the poor man replied. He quickly opened his bag and the diamonds fell into his bag. The bag was getting heavy.
"Enough?" Fate asked.
"Not yet," the peasant replied, his hands trembling.
"You are the richest man in the world," said Fate.
"More! Some more!" said the poor man.
At this moment, another diamond fell into the overflowing bag.
The bag slipped out of the hands of the poor man and fell to the ground, and the diamonds turned into dust in the same moment.
Fate has disappeared, leaving the poor on the street. nine0003

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes. Everyone has read stories about Sherlock Holmes at one time or another. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective. Actually, he was the most famous detective of all times. The author of the Sherlock Holmes stories was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Once Sir Arthur arrived in Paris. He took a cab and asked the cabman to take him to the Ritz, the hotel where he was going to spend the night. When he received the fare he said:
“Thank you very much, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
“How do you know who I am?” asked Sir Arthur. He was very much surprised.“Well, sir, I read in the newspaper yesterday that you were coming to Paris from the South of France. I also noticed that your hair was cut by a barber in the South of France. Your clothes and especially your hat told me that you were English. I put all the information together and quessed that you were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”

“That is wonderful,” said Sir Arthur. nine0045 “You could recognize me though you knew very few facts.”

“Besides,” added the cabman. Your name is on both of your travel bags. That also helped.”

So, the cabman played a good joke on Conan Doyle.

TEXT TRANSLATION

Everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes. Everyone has read the Sherlock Holmes stories at one time or another. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective. In fact, he was the most famous detective of all time.
The Sherlock Holmes stories were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. One day Sir Arthur arrived in Paris. He took a taxi and asked the taxi driver to take him to the Ritz, to the hotel where he was going to spend the night. The driver brought him to the hotel. When he got the fare he said
"Thank you very much, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."
"How do you know who I am?" Sir Arthur asked. He was very surprised.
“Well, sir, I read in the paper yesterday that you were going to Paris from the south of France. I also noticed that you had your hair cut by a barber in the south of France.
Your clothes and especially your hat indicate that you are English. I put all these facts together and realized that you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Wonderful," said Sir Arthur. "You were able to recognize me by knowing very few facts."
"Besides," the driver added, "Your name is on both of your travel bags. That helped too." nine0045 So the driver played a good joke on Conan Doyle.

A present from the son
Long ago there lived an old woman in England. She had a son who was a sailor. He went to different countries and always brought presents for his old mother.Once he went to China and brought some tea from that country.
At that time tea was very expensive and only rich people could buy and drink it. So the old woman was very happy to have such a nice present. But she didn't know what to do with it as she had never bought tea before. She thought it was a vegetable. She told her friends about her son's present and invited them to taste it with her. At last the day of the tea-party came. The woman called her guests to the dining-room and put a big dish of tea leaves on the table. The guests began to eat the leaves with salt just as they ate vegetables. Nobody liked it but didn't tell the woman about it and continued to eat the leaves. Some tome later the sailor came into the room. When he saw that all the guests were eating leaves, he smiled. Why are these leaves? Where is the tea?” nine0045 “Here it is, my son,” the old woman said.
“And where is the water in which you have boiled the leaves?” asked the man laughing.
“I threw it away, of course,” answered the woman.

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

A long time ago there lived an old woman in England. She had a son who was a sailor. He traveled to different countries and always brought gifts for his old mother. Once he went to China and brought tea from that country. At that time, tea was very expensive, and only rich people could buy and drink such tea. Therefore, the old lady was very happy to have such a nice gift. But she did not know what to do with such tea, since she had never bought it before. She thought it was a vegetable. nine0003

She told her friends about her son's gift and invited them to try the tea. Finally the day of the tea party arrived. The woman called her guests into the dining room and placed a large dish of tea leaves on the table. The guests began to eat the leaves with salt, as they did when they ate vegetables. No one liked it, but no one told the old woman about it, but continued to eat the leaves.
Some time later, the son entered the room.
When he saw that all the guests were eating the leaves, he smiled.
"What are you doing? nine0045 Why are you eating these leaves?
Where's the tea?

"Here he is, my son," said the old woman.
"Where is the water in which you boiled the leaves?" asked the son, laughing.
"Of course I poured it out," replied the mother.

Wrong car

It happened about a year ago. Our family bought a new car, and parents decided to celebrate it all together in the cafe. We enjoyed great food, had a conversation and a lot of fun. Dad was happy and he told us many jokes, everybody laughed more and more. We played the fools and couldn't stop. When it was time to go, Dad paid and left cafe to warm up the car, and Mom, her friend, my brother and I lingered in the cafe. When we went out, we realized that it was already dark outside - so we couldn't see well. And the second thing we railsed was the fact that nobody can remember exactly what our new car looks like! But Mom confidently went towards the black car, that was standing nearly. "Oh, Dad is waiting inside, it's ours. Come on". nine0045 Just imagine: the company of four very noisy people, singing, talking loudly, laughing out, get into car. Mum turn to driver and exclaimed cheerfully: “Sasha, let’s go!”…The driver looked at us with eyes full of fear and cried out desperatly: “I am not Sasha, I am Egor!!! Who are you?!” Then we, absolutly confused and quiet, get in the right car, we told Dad about it. He couldn't drive for 5 minutes becouse of laughing.

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

This happened about a year ago. Our family bought a new car and parents decided to celebrate it in a cafe with the whole family. We ate delicious food, chatted and laughed. Dad was happy and told jokes one after another, everyone laughed non-stop. We played the fool and couldn't stop. When it was time to leave, my dad paid and went to start the car, but my mom, aunt, brother, and I were delayed. When we left, we realized that it was already dark, and in the dark we were not very good at orienting ourselves. The second thing we found was that no one remembers exactly what our new car looks like! But Mom walked confidently to the nearest black car. “So dad is already waiting for us, this is our car, let’s go.” nine0045 Just imagine: a company of four very noisy people, singing, talking loudly and laughing, tumble into a car. Mom turns to the driver and joyfully exclaims: “Sasha, let's go!” ... The driver looked at us with eyes full of horror and cried out desperately: “I'm not Sasha, I'm EGOR! Who are you all?!” And we, completely embarrassed and hushed, finally got into the right car and told dad about it. For another 5 minutes he could not move from his place from laughter.

A Magic Ring

Once upon a time there lived a young farmer. He worked very hard but was very poor. One day when he was far from home in the forest, an old woman looking like a peasant came up to him and said, “I know you work very hard, and all for nothing. I will give you a magic ring! It will make you rich, and your work won't be in vain. When you turn the ring on your finger and say what you wish to have, you'll have it at once! But there is only one wish in the ring, so think carefully before you wish." nine0003

The astonished farmer took the ring given to him by the peasant woman, and went home. In the evening he came to a big city. There he went to a merchant and showed him the magic ring. When the merchant heard the astonishing story, he thought of a plan. He invited the farmer to stay in his house for the night. At night he came up to the sleeping peasant, carefully took the ring off the man's finger, and put on another ring, which looked exactly like the one he had taken off.

In the morning when the farmer had gone away, the merchant ran into his shop, shut the door, and said while turning the ring on his finger, "I wish to have a hundred thousand pieces of gold." And down they came, on his head, shoulders, and arms, like a rain of gold! The frightened merchant tried to get out of the shop, but in vain. In a few minutes he was dead. nine0003

When the farmer returned home, he showed the ring to his wife. "Take a look at this ring," he said. "It's a magic ring! It will make us happy.”

The astonished woman could hardly say a word "Let's try. Maybe the ring will bring us more land,” she said at last.

“We must be careful about our wish. Don't forget there's only one thing that we may ask for," he explained. “Let’s better work hard for another year, and we’ll have more land.”

So they worked as hard as they could and got enough money to buy the land they wished to have. nine0003

Then the farmer's wife thought of asking for a cow and a horse. They discussed the matter more than once.
“My good wife,” said the farmer, “we shall get a horse and a cow without the ring.”
They went on working hard for a whole year and again bought the things they wished to have.

"What happy people we are!" said the farmer.

“I don’t understand you,” answered his wife angrily. "There's nothing in the world that we can't have, and still we spend days and nights working as hard as before, because you don't want to use your magic ring!" nine0003

Thirty, then forty years had gone by. The farmer and his wife had grown old. Their hair became as white as snow. They were happy and had everything they wanted. Their ring was still there. Although it was not a magic ring, it had made them happy. For you see, my dear friends, a poor thing in good hands is better than a fine thing in bad hands.

TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT

There once was a young farmer. He worked very hard, but was very poor. One day, when he was away from home in the forest, an elderly woman who looked like a peasant came up to him and said: “I know you work very hard, and everything is in vain. I will give you a magic ring! It will make you rich and your work will not be in vain. When you turn the ring on your finger and say what you want to have, you will get it right away! But there is only one wish in the ring, so think carefully before you wish.” nine0003

The surprised farmer took the ring given to him by the peasant woman and went home. In the evening he arrived in a big city. There he went to the merchant and showed him the magic ring. When the merchant heard the amazing story, he conceived a plan. He invited the farmer to stay at his house for the night. At night, he approached the sleeping peasant, carefully removed the ring from the man's finger, and put on another ring, which was similar to the one he had taken off.

In the morning, when the farmer left, the merchant ran to his shop, closed the door, and turning the ring on his finger, said, "I want to have one hundred thousand gold pieces." And they rained down on his head, shoulders and arms like golden rain! The frightened merchant tried to get out of the store, but in vain. A few minutes later he died. nine0003

When the farmer returned home, he showed the ring to his wife. “Look at this ring,” he said. "It's a magic ring! It will make us happy."

The surprised woman could hardly utter the words “Let's try. Maybe the ring will bring us more land,” she said at last.

“We must be careful what we wish for. Don't forget that we can only ask for one thing," he explained. "Let's work hard for another year, and we'll have more land." nine0003

So they worked hard and got enough money to buy the land they wanted to own.

Then the farmer's wife decided to ask for a cow and a horse. They discussed this issue more than once.
"My good wife," said the farmer, "we will get a horse and a cow without a ring."
They continued to work hard for a whole year and again bought the things they wanted to have.

“What happy people we are!” said the farmer.

"I don't understand you," his wife replied angrily. "There is nothing in the world that we don't have, and yet we spend our days and nights working as hard as ever because you don't want to use your magic ring!" nine0003

Thirty, then forty years passed. The farmer and his wife are old. Their hair turned white as snow. They were happy and had everything they wanted. Their ring was still there. Although it was not a magic ring, it made them happy. You see, my dear friends, a bad thing in good hands is better than a good thing in bad hands.

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Read online «Uninvented stories. Short stories, Andrey Semke – LitRes

© Andrey Semke, 2017

ISBN 978-5-4485-2204-8

Created by the intelligent publishing system Ridero

Why do people need two hands? Then, to hold on to mom for one, and dad for the other. And what should I do, a little girl who was just born two days ago. I am a brown-eyed brunette with very beautiful features, very smart and talented. So far, however, no one knows about this except me. Neighbors periodically appear on the table next to me, they are so fickle. They cry, twist their faces, ask for their mother. And my mother abandoned me, gave birth and left, left. Her parents and sisters said if you bring the baby into the house, we will kick it out with her. Yes, and where with me in this kennel, where at ten meters, as many as eight people huddle. So I was left alone in the maternity hospital. Nurses don't pick up, they say not to get used to it. There will be no affection in the baby’s house, it will get used to it, then it will need to be weaned, and this is difficult. The path immediately gets used to the cruelty of life. And so I want, like my neighbor, to my mother, to cuddle up to my chest, to feel her warmth. Mommy, come on, take me in your arms. nine0003

There are so many interesting things around. Everyone goes somewhere. They rustle with rags, everything is stuffed with diapers, and the doctors write and write. Lights turn on and off. The light bulbs are so bright, they blind the eyes, but rainbows spread cheerfully from them in different directions. Yes, my neighbor roars all the time, trains his voice. What if I scream? Ay, ay, ay. .. Zero attention, only she wasted her strength, no one got distracted, didn’t run up, didn’t take hands, didn’t caress. Ah, mommy, mommy ... Dinner is coming soon, they will bring a white sweetish liquid, I will get drunk, my belly will growl, and the eyes will bang and close ...

Mikhail Ivanovich, already at the age of a man, all his adult life he dreamed of having children, but everything was out of luck with his wife. They went around all the doctors, traveled half the world. Nothing helps, nothing saves. So a cheerful and cheerful person turned into a gloomy, eternally dissatisfied type. Life gradually faded away, and goals lost their orientation. Saved one thing: love for the second half. After all, they swore during the wedding both in hardships and in sorrows ... So they experienced one failure after another, one attempt to solve a family problem after another. And around all the neighbors, the children are full of huts, they run along the street, they play. Mikhal Ivanych has everything: a big house, money work, and a kind, sympathetic wife. There are just no kids. There is no children's laughter, worries and such necessary family worries in the house ...

Again, this kid is saying that his gas trucks must have gone? Mom is nearby, and he yells, yes yells. If I had my mother next to me, I would never scream. I would put my head on her shoulder and rejoice. Soon they will bring a bottle and change the diaper. The nurses keep walking past, they don't look back at me. They don't bring food, they forgot about me or something. Doctors fuss around me, smile, say that I'm lucky. What's the luck there? Everyone has mommies nearby, and I’ve been lying alone for the third day like this, no one even smiled, they say that I don’t get used to it. Oh, some thoughtful little man came up to me, stroked my tummy, and talked to me. I don’t understand anything, tell me like a child so that everything is clear. Smiling and hooting…

Mikhail Ivanovich, after many years of waiting, decided that foster children would appear in his house. We completed all the paperwork with my wife, went through all the bureaucratic instances. My wife and I bought everything we needed: a crib, undershirts, cribs, blankets and diapers, rattles and carousels. We prepared a room with beautiful children's wallpapers. It was only necessary to wait for a call from the maternity hospital. And it rang...

A man came up to me, his hair was up, his eyes were red with excitement. The nurse nurse shows him how to pick me up. He gently lifts me awkwardly. There are tears in his eyes. Why are you crying? Grown men shouldn't cry! A smile appears on his face, his eyes shine with happiness. And tears roll from the eyes one after another. I can't understand, who is he? Why did you come to me? Maybe it's my dad? Exactly, that's my daddy! Look what an unusual bag he has, and in it is such a soft pink blanket. Oh, yes, this is my new crib. Daddy gently lays me down and talks, talks, talks. And I, happy, smile, look at him and cannot stop looking at him. I reach out to him, how handsome he is. Daddy went to mommy. nine0003

“Why does a person need two hands? Then, so that one would hold on to mom, and the other to dad!".

Deuce

At school I was an exemplary student, attended all classes, did my homework. In general, he was an avid good student and an excellent student and never received twos: neither for answers in the lessons, nor for dictations and tests, nor for homework. Everything was well studied and understood. There were teachers to whom I simply adapted.

So in physics lessons, we played a sea battle with a friend on the last desk. The notebook was 70% painted with fights and battles. At the right moment, when he understood that he needed to get an assessment, he raised his hand and answered the rule or definition, and five in his pocket. It remained to submit the diary and continue their interesting tactics on the last desk. It is clear that I did not know this subject a priori. So the sixth grade passed, then the seventh, after the eighth we received the first school leaving certificates, having passed several mandatory exams. nine0003

The rest of the summer my team and I spent at training camps and competitions. The last games ended at the end of September. We performed more than worthily, taking second place in our age group at all-Union competitions.

Tanned and matured, we returned to our native schools for school desks. At the very first physics lesson, I got ready to play a sea battle with a friend. But it was impossible to recognize classmates, everyone was sitting, rereading paragraphs of the textbook, rewriting homework tasks. I was sure that the first lesson would not be difficult for me. nine0003

The teacher entered. It turned out that since this year we have been assigned a new teacher. Gray-haired, with a large bald head and very intelligent, shifty eyes. The large horn-rimmed spectacles could barely stay on his small nose. Neat, in an amazingly beautiful light-colored suit and a snow-white shirt. Against the background of a brown board, he seemed like a white spot in the black realm of science unknown to us. The silence in the classroom was deathly. Everyone is waiting for the poll. Viktor Broneslavovich, that was the name of our new teacher, looked around the class over his glasses and fixed his eyes on me. “We have a new student,” he said affirmatively, “I ask you to come to the blackboard.” nine0003

Brave and knowing that I would not be questioned on the merits of the topic, defiantly and pedantly went to the blackboard. The banal question followed, where have I been disappearing all this time? Explaining his absence casually, hoping for praise, he threw: "By the way, we took second place in the All-Union competitions!". To which he received a sharp and precise answer: "Second place is not first, tell us about the Mendeleev-Clapeyron law."

My face was instantly covered with perspiration. No, I knew about Mendeleev, but who Clapeyron was, and what they, together with the great Russian scientist, discovered behind the law, I had no idea. Answered honestly. I expected everything: a reproach, a confession of my ignorance, but the simple phrase became a blow: “Sit down, two!”. nine0003

I never got that grade from first to ninth grade. Yes, very rarely, one, well, two in a quarter there were threes, which were instantly corrected by several fives in a row. There were never two. For me, everything that happened was a shock. I don't remember how I got to my desk. How did you get involved in the work of the class and sit until the end of the school day? Everything was like a fog. What to say to parents? How to explain your bravado and unpreparedness for the lesson?

In the evening I leafed through textbooks on physics for a long time, found a lot of interesting materials, I was especially lucky with Landsberg's thick textbook. So, in an embrace with him, I fell asleep. The whole next lesson I did not lower my hand, I was ready to talk about the whole of molecular physics. But the teacher ignored me. There was frustration and even confusion. nine0003

Another sleepless night and a brief nap with a physics textbook. And again a whole lesson with a raised hand, and again I was never asked. Hands dropped. It seemed that this shining deuce would haunt me until the end of the six months.

Decided not to study physics anymore, come what may. And as luck would have it, they noticed me and called me to the board. I struggled with the question as best I could, relying on previous knowledge, answered, told a lot of additional information, interesting, but not related to the given topic. The class listened with amazement and admiration to my entertaining stories about discoveries and laws. But, furrowing his forehead, the physics teacher thanked me for diverting from the topic, and put a three for the answer to the question asked. My classmates made a noise of indignation. But the physicist quickly and briefly summarized, explaining his position. Everything became clear to me even before this monologue. Two and three and no more marks, disgrace! nine0003

After that several times Viktor Broneslavovich asked me to prepare additional information for the lesson. With success, I talked about my readers' discoveries in the field of physics, it became interesting for me to solve non-standard problems and riddles. But our physicist did not give marks for this. In mid-December, when there were a little more than two weeks left before the end of the semester, a teacher in the laboratory handed me a textbook that had cracked over the years: “Decide at home, in a week we will have a city Olympiad, try, I will review your grades.” The term is quite long, and there are even more tasks in the old manual. There was a lot of incomprehensible and difficult, I approached my smart teacher, he almost immediately explained the solutions to me in an accessible and understandable way. nine0003

At the City Olympiad, the tasks were not difficult, but I did not take first place. Made a few minor mistakes. “Second place is not bad either. It’s a pity that I let Viktor Broneslavovich down,” I thought.

In half a year I got all fives. My soul rejoiced, my work in physics was appreciated.

Graduated from school with a gold medal, graduated from the Faculty of Physics of the University. Today I teach physics at school. I am engaged in research work with children, preparing for the Olympiads. I am a happy person, because on my life path I met a good, amazing, smart and far-sighted teacher. nine0003

Pasha

There are notorious losers in every school. So in our school there was a paradoxically interesting teenager named Pasha. He had a deuce on a deuce in his journal on mathematics and the Russian language, teachers complained that he was a loafer, did not do homework, and even worked under duress in the classroom.

Surprisingly, this student did not skip classes, he asked for time off from them. So you sit in your office, shifting papers, and a shaggy, unwashed head crawls through the crack of the door, and there is a half-face smile on it: “There, he says, you need to dig in the trees, it’s spring all the same. I also have a shovel with me.” And my heart is happy. What a good guy, without any coercion. In one word: Well done. nine0003

After work, I return home, and the trees are all dug in, neatly, like a blueprint. And teachers say to me: “You supposedly let Pasha go to work, but he was not in Russian. He needs to take exams this year, and instead of essays and presentations, he waves a shovel.

Another time he meets me again at the door: “Let me paint the monument to Gorky, otherwise he doesn’t look like himself after the winter. I have already found the paint." How can you say no to such an enterprising boy. Then it turns out that algebra and geometry were on his schedule. And again a flurry of remarks and negativity from the teachers came over me. The monument in the yard is like new, painted with white paint, everything around is clean and tidy. You will fall in love. nine0003

And once two men from the tractor brigade came straight to my lesson and asked Pavel for an hour. You won't refuse again, after all, bosses. Two hours later, the boy returns, covered in fuel oil, his nose is dirty, his jacket is soiled, and the same unforgettable smile is on his face. “Yes, there it was necessary to unscrew one thing and rearrange it, but they didn’t think it through. I showed them everything. We fixed it, now the tractor is on the move.”

Exam time was approaching, my team and I were worried about our "wunderkind". And Pasha reassured us all the time: “Hands will help the brain!”. Apparently they helped, because he passed all the exams with C's. All Pavel's relatives came to the presentation of the certificate of graduation from the ninth grade. He came out in a shiny new suit and red tie, which, apparently, were very uncomfortable for him. He finished school, and received a document that he hardly needs at all. nine0003

Time has passed, five or ten years. At the next big regional event dedicated to the harvest, the leaders of agricultural production were honored. The hall is full of people, prizes and cars are awarded to the best. Suddenly I hear a familiar combination of last name and first name, and I see my loser going up on stage, in the same shiny prom suit, but without a tie. He is awarded with a personalized ribbon of the hero of the harvest and is given the keys to the brand new Niva. He proudly rises to the stage, and I am proud of my student, a field worker. nine0003

Case

Often we argue: who is the stronger sex and who is the weaker one? Lately, it’s really impossible to understand who is stronger in this life: guys or girls. Have you seen the village cemeteries? We recently came across this, a terrible sight. Half of the fresh graves are the burials of young children between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. The stories are the saddest. One got drugged. The second drowned due to drunkenness in the pond. The third climbed into the noose from the difficulties of life. You walk through the graveyard, and it becomes scary from the terrible, terrible picture painted by the fate of a strong male. Monuments with young faces, they should live and live, please those around them with their energy, but they chose their other way...

One day I met my student in our village. I didn’t recognize him right away, he was in ugly dirty clothes, scratched and beaten, he could hardly stand on his feet. We were both taken aback by the meeting. I did not expect to see one of my best schoolchildren in this form...

He was an amazingly well-bred boy, actively engaged in scientific activities. He treated animals from primary school, so almost the entire village brought his four-legged friends to him. After graduating from school, he entered the agrarian academy and graduated brilliantly. What happened to him next, only God knows. But he brought himself to an ugly state. nine0003

In the morning a guy came to my school and complained angrily about his fate. He told how unhappy he was and how unlucky he was in life, no work, no money. I felt sorry for him, and cats scratched my heart, it was so hard to see this smart guy in such a depressing state...

After our conversation, a lot of water flowed. We haven't met in over ten years. I was sure that the boy's lifestyle brought him to a land plot in a cemetery. But one spring day, a very respectable, confident young man, in a beautiful beige raincoat, came into my office. This was my student. nine0003

The guy told me his story about a lucky break that fate gave him. After our meeting, he was ashamed and uncomfortable. He collected the last money and went to Moscow. Arriving in a huge city without money, without connections, he was confused, sat on a bench at the station. Nearby was a gray-haired man. We got talking. It turned out that he was alone, a retired officer. Lives near the railway station in a three-room apartment. For a while, the old man sheltered the guy. Advertisements about veterinary examinations at home were posted in neighboring entrances. The veteran collected applications, and a young talented guy ran around apartments and performed minor surgical operations, gave injections, in general, treated animals. This is how the job appeared, and with it the money. There were many who wanted to treat their pets at home, and not in clinics and queues. And soon the veterinarian opened a private mobile clinic. The boy turned around, invited fellow students to his firm, gathering them in villages and villages, giving them a chance for well-being and pulling them out of drunken carefree everyday life leading to death. nine0003

This is how a happy accident can turn life around abruptly, from bumps and hardships, to a bright and interesting destiny. He chose his interesting path.

Strusil

Today my son has important competitions. He is the best prepared, everyone believes in him: the coach, his friends, and we parents. All is ready. The kimono and protective pads are washed, the bag with gloves and helmet is assembled. It's time...

When I was seven years old, I was very active in swimming. He swam a hundred meters better than his older comrades. And so my coach, a heavyset big lady with a steel character, announced me for the first time to an adult competition. In the evening, my parents and I prepared slippers, a hat, swimming trunks. Grab a gym bag. All night I practically did not sleep, one vision followed another, I could hardly wait for dawn. nine0003

The 50m swimming pool was full of athletes, coaches and fans. By lot I got the eighth track. All the guys are a head taller than me, broad-shouldered and charged for a good result. He cheered himself up as best he could. The main participation, the Olympic principle is important. So what, what is small. You just have to try. Excitement overcame me, fear fettered my legs and arms, my whole body went numb. It's time, announced my swim. The chief judge announced everyone in order. Track eight, my eight track. Whistle, I jump into the water and do not swim, but stay near the side. Out of shame, I swim under water into a sump. The coach says something to me, breaking into a scream. How can I explain to her that I was scared ... After that, I had many victories. My team and I traveled all over the republic, played water polo and most often won. He received several adult ranks in various sports, but he remembered his first start for the rest of his life. nine0003

I didn't make it to my son's first fight. Work takes a lot of time, and duties kill him completely. I run and find out that my son has reached the final. Will fight for the gold medal. Outwardly, he seems to be calm. There are fights for third place, our fight is approaching. The tension is rising. My son's jaws are shaking. What does he feel? Worries? I am preparing my camera, I want to take these unique shots, everyone is supporting me nearby. Yes, his opponent is not simple, older, more powerful, there is a fairly large difference in weight. The fight will be difficult. Announce. The son is ready. A fight began, and... In a second, the son finds himself on the tatami. The coach and all the friends are at a loss as to what happened. I can see it in my son’s eyes and understand that he’s chickened out…

The history of a school

You can call me a grandmother. I turned 90 this year. The term for the school is short, but how much I have experienced during this time. Let's start in order.

The Romanians built me. They built a tyap blunder. More building materials were drunk and sold. Times were hard, there was famine in the country, everyone survived as best they could. Many people died. Bricks for construction were fired right there in the yard in the oven. Of course, you won't find two alike. All curves are different, how to lay them evenly. It was here that the Romanians who were in the settlement demonstrated their skill as builders. nine0003

They pompously accepted me into the ranks. The bosses, big and small, arrived. Everyone wanted to cut the red ribbon and hand over the symbolic key. My walls are painted with snow-white lime, the floors are shiny brown, the boards on the walls are pitch black, the desks are dark brown, heavy, just yesterday they were worn by the whole world from the construction team.

Call - and began. The kids run like crazy along my corridors, the teachers are strict, the director smokes unevenly all the time. Everything went peacefully and smoothly, school life was getting better. My walls were decorated with portraits of philosophers and scientists, composers and poets, appeared on snow-white and the first scribbles, as if without them. On my facade fluttered a large bright maroon poster with the leader of all times and peoples. My pride. And my headdress, the roof, was occupied by pigeons and sparrows. They kept raising my brains with their nests and offspring. nine0003

But in an instant the school was orphaned, exactly half of the children and teachers disappeared from the school. The remaining teachers became haggard, they stopped chatting in the teachers' room and inked the names of the dropped out students in the journals with dark ink. Black ovals appeared in school photographs instead of faces. There was little laughter and fun, the director began to smoke even more. And it seemed to me that tobacco enveloped all my rooms, and the skinny curtains were saturated with a pungent and suffocating smell. It turned out that many villagers were repressed and the children, together with their parents, were sent to distant Siberia as enemies of the people. nine0003

A war has suddenly begun. The director, taking his pouch and pipe, left with the graduates for the front. I was quickly converted into a hospital. The whole world carried the desks to the backyard and brought in the beds. The call went out, only fast lorries rattled in the yard, one by one they brought soldiers crippled and mutilated by shells and bullets. Nurses spent days and nights, doctors occasionally left operating rooms and quickly smoked in the backyard, sitting down at school desks. The whole courtyard was covered with ropes with sheets, tunics, bandages, which fluttered in the wind like sails on old corvettes. The flow of cars only increased, beds with the wounded stood wherever they could be placed. nine0003

A large ditch was dug near me in the backyard. Gradually, it was filled with the bodies of dead soldiers and officers, sailors and midshipmen. How many there were is unknown. This is how the first mass grave appeared.

Suddenly fascists entered our village. A fight broke out in the school yard. A terrible sight. Bullets and shells flew into my walls every now and then. The bricks could not stand it and cracked from pain. In my yard, dead Russian and German soldiers lay mixed up. At night, the villagers dug a large grave and very carefully, without dropping a word, buried all the dead. How many there were, no one counted. So a second mass grave appeared in my yard, and on my walls there is a history of terrible battles. Windows throughout the war gaped with black holes of broken glass and broken frames. My roof shone with gigantic bald patches. Only red and yellow flowers never withered on my mass graves. nine0003

We won the war. Not everyone returned home. Among our graduates - front-line soldiers, two were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The headmaster of the school, who was always smoking, went missing, and many children received funerals. Window openings were quickly glazed, doors were installed. They whitewashed the walls and brought in the desks. And school life began to boil within my walls again, only there was less gaiety and laughter. During the years of occupation, the children have grown up a lot.

Time flew by very quickly. Pioneers and Octobers were replaced by punks and rockers. Then the fashion for different movements disappeared, and girls in white aprons and boys in jackets with ties returned to my walls. But no matter how times change, one important tradition remains. Every year, on the eve of Victory Day, our entire village gathers near my walls with candles, flowers, wreaths and photographs, a procession goes to two mass graves. And my wounded walls remain an eternal witness to the terrible events of such a close and already distant Great Patriotic War. nine0003

I'm still young. After all, every year babies come to my walls, my children whom I teach and educate. I see how they begin to think and think, fall in love and love, make friends, work, grow up and honor our great history.

One story

The best teams of technical creativity have gathered on the shore of the beautiful sea. Girls and boys came not only to compete, but also to have a good time, chat, make friends. Sunny warm weather, sea breeze, fragrant fragrant boxwood forest disposed to hiking and positive emotions. San Sanych, our leader, is a very demanding, sometimes tough, but very kind and sympathetic person, he immediately set before us the conditions of behavior, for us they were more than acceptable. nine0003

We slept to our heart's content in the mornings, then ran to swim, of course, whoever wanted to, plunged into the freezing water of the autumn sea. Then there were competitions, and in the evening we talked with our new friends, sitting in pavilions for a long time.

It hurt to look at the girls from the neighboring area. They were somehow tired, unhappy. Leaders are not discussed, but they had a real tyrant and a bore. Early in the morning he took them to exercise, then breakfast, and his half-hour lecture on where to go and where not to go, with whom to communicate and with whom it is not worth it. We fell into the category with whom you should not walk and communicate. Immediately after dinner, another lecture on the results of the day. It all ended with tears, remorse and horror in the eyes of the children. After that, hang up. The huge and pot-bellied leader himself drank a couple of three bottles of beer, after which he fell asleep, uttering roaring and wheezing snores, from which even the birds in the forest fell silent. And so every day. nine0003

Every evening, after lights out, we carefully led our girlfriends over the railings of the balconies, since their rooms were located on the first floor, and went into the forest, where we talked until midnight, drank tea and sang songs. Then they quietly made their way to the camp and restored the usual rhythm of life.

On the last evening, suddenly an angry and noisy leader suggested to organize a fire on the seashore and spend the last night there. Everyone was surprised by this proposal, but the reaction of the girls was unexpected. They balked, said they were very tired and wanted to sleep. A few minutes later, our friends approached our leader San Sanych and asked to take them to the last fire, quietly, so that the "beer keg" would not hear about it. nine0003

We walked along the forest path, breathing in the healthy air, in anticipation of an unforgettable evening. San Sanych - our leader is ahead, we helped the girls jump over ditches and gullies. On the seashore, we prepared seats from discarded logs, kindled a fire and sat tightly in a circle. The flame, like a magic lantern, illuminated our happy faces. The pot with herbal tea quickly emptied, but almost instantly filled with new infusion. We sang songs, told stories, played associations. nine0003

Time flew by quickly and imperceptibly. Red-burgundy clouds appeared near the horizon. Then the sky shone with all the colors of dawn. We hugged, screamed and jumped for joy.

The road to the camp took us several minutes, we did not want to leave. San Sanych asked me to walk around the camp very quietly. We made our way to our rooms, helped the girls climb onto the balcony, and retired to sleep...

Those were wonderful childhood times. We corresponded with one of the girls for a long time, then entered institutes in the same city, met, then got married. Often, as a friendly family, we visit our unforgettable leader San Sanych, sit in a circle and drink herbal tea, remembering that bright light on the seashore. nine0003

To smoke or not to smoke

Here is a man who appeared because my mother gave an ultimatum to my father: either a son or a pipe. I won.

It will soon be 500 years since a traveler named Andre Tove brought tobacco seeds from Brazil to France. After that, they didn’t do anything with this grass: they chewed it, smoked it, sniffed it, cooked porridge and soups from it, etched out chemicals, and used it in medicine.

The stories of diseases and problems associated with smoking are endless. Some young people, in their stupidity and ignorance, believe that smoking will grow them up. Others do not want to stand out from their company. Still others start using tobacco products because the so-called comrade said: "You are a weakling!" nine0003

As adults, many want to give up this addiction. Not everyone succeeds. But there are people with excellent motivation and willpower. So one of my good friends, with a long history of smoking, suddenly quit this occupation. It turned out that he simply could not answer the second question asked by the youngest son. What was the kid interested in? “Dad, is it true that smokers live less?” - Sitting on his father's lap, the boy asked. Having received an affirmative answer, the child asked: “Why do you smoke then?” nine0003

Another example is no less instructive. My friend was in the hospital. He was diagnosed with a massive heart attack. After the magical rescue, the doctor said: "You will live if you stop smoking!". After this phrase, a person who has been inhaling smoke with a bunch of rubbish for many years, either needs to throw a pack in the trash, or this person is an idiot. The comrade carried an open pack of cigarettes in his pocket for a month, at every opportunity he brought it to his nose, but he did away with the habit.

A man dear to my heart, my father, smoked a pipe. At all events, the main attribute was his burnt, tarred contraption, which, like a steam locomotive, soared with white acrid smoke. Dad quit smoking, and soon I was born. nine0003

Lesson

Call. Forty minutes of fear and panic. Will they ask what? Will I answer, won't I? I sit, I wait. I leaf through the notebook, letters and formulas merge in my eyes. I don't understand anything, I'm bad at thinking. The teacher says something, only the beats of the pulse are reflected in the mind, like a metronome. I lower my head. I fidget nervously with my notebook. The class is in a daze, everyone is tense, if only it wasn’t for me, if only it would blow today! But tomorrow I will definitely learn, I will definitely prepare, I will definitely figure it out. Necessarily! nine0003

Wow. Lucky. New topic. Interesting and entertaining story. Cheered up. The teacher says something, gesticulates, draws. Trying to understand. We write. It is important! We write. This must be learned! We write. These are examples! It seems that everything is clear, everything is to the point, jokes and jokes. Several tasks. It turns out. Exactly understandable. Easy. We fix. I extend my hand. Praise. Well done!

I prompt, the teacher shakes his head. I understand that it's not right. Everyone must understand, everyone must understand. And I understood. Understood! Everything is great. We are waiting for new tasks. We raise our hands, almost the whole class. I have a question. I ask quickly. The teacher reacts instantly. Cool and unusual. The physicist thanks you for your attention. I startle at the piercing sound. Ah, it's a call. Why and why? After all, everything has just begun, interesting, colorful, understandable ...

Chewing gum

Today you can find white muck everywhere: on a chair, under a table top.

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