Contents

1. “The Tortoise and the Hare”

2. “The Ant and the
Grasshopper”
3. “White Wing: The Tale of the
Doves and the Hunter”
4. “Royal Servant”
5. “Emily’s Secret”
6. “The Bogey Beast”
7. “Love Is in the Air”
8. “The Tale of Johnny Town-
Mouse”
9. “Paul Bunyan”
10. “Cinderella”
11. “Little Red Riding Hood”
12. “The Lottery”
13. “The Happy Prince”
14. “The Night Train at Deoli”
15. “There Will Come Soft
Rains”
16. “Orientation”
17. “Paper Menagerie”
18. “The Missing Mail”
19. “Harrison Bergeron”
20. “The School”
21. “Girl”
22. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”
23. Excerpt from “Little Dorrit”
24. “To Build a Fire”
25. “Miracles” by
26. “Evil Robot Monkey”
27. “The Boarded Window”
28. “The Monkey’s Paw”
29. “A Tiny Feast”
30. “The Story of an Hour”
31. “The Zero Meter Diving
Team”
32. “The Velveteen Rabbit”
33. “The Friday Everything
Changed”
34. “Hills Like White Elephants”

1. “The Tortoise and the

Hare”
The Tortoise and the HareThis
classic fable (story) is about 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 him, but the race
ends with a surprising result.

Have you ever heard the

English expression, “Slow and
steady wins the race”? This
story is the basis for that
common phrase. You can read
it for free, along with a number
of other stories in this list!

2. “The Ant and the

Grasshopper”
Very short english storiesThis is
another great story that
teaches a lesson that’s written
for kids but adults can enjoy,
too. The story tells of a
grasshopper who lounges
around all summer while his
friend the ant prepares for the
winter. When winter comes, the
two friends end up in very
different situations!

The moral is that those who

save up during the good times
will get to enjoy the benefits
when times are bad.

3. “White Wing: The Tale of

the Doves and the Hunter”
White Wing The Tale of the
Doves and the HunterThis very
short story from India was
originally written in Sanskrit (an
ancient language). When a
group of doves is caught in a
hunter’s net, they must work
together as a team to escape
from the hunter’s clutches.

You can listen to a reading of

the story as you read along on
this website.
 4. “Royal Servant”
Very short english storiesIn this
story, an old man sets out to
ask an African king to dig some
wells in his village when their
water runs dry. But first, he
teaches the king a lesson in
humility by showing him how
all people help each other. Read
the story to see how the clever
old man gets the king to do as
he asks!
 5. “Emily’s Secret”
Very short english storiesThis is
a modern-day story about a
little girl with a big secret she
can’t tell anyone about. When
her teacher finds out her
secret, they work together to
fix the issue.

This story is a good choice for

absolute beginners, because it
uses only the present tense. It’s
also written in very basic
English with simple vocabulary
and short sentences.

6. “The Bogey Beast”

English short storiesThe woman
in this story finds a pot of
treasure on her walk home. As
she carries it home, the
treasure keeps changing,
becoming things of lesser value.
However, the woman’s
enthusiasm makes her see only
the positive after each change,
which would have upset
anyone else. Her positive
personality tries to make every
negative situation seem like a
gift!

This story shows how important

it is to look at things from a
positive point of view. Instead
of being disappointed in what
we don’t have, this story
reminds us to view what we do
have as blessings.

7. “Love Is in the Air”

Very short english storiesThis
modern story is about a young
woman named Penny who is
anxious about going to her
family’s annual reunion
barbecue. But despite
screaming children and arguing
cousins, Penny ends up happy
that she came to the reunion
when she starts a conversation
with a handsome man.

The story is written in simple

English, using only the present
tense, so it’s perfect for
beginners.

8. “The Tale of Johnny Town-

Mouse”
The Tale of Johnny Town-mouse
(Peter Rabbit)This classic
children’s story is about two
mice, one from the country and
one from the city. Both mice
think that the other mouse is so
lucky to live in what they think
is a wonderful place!

The two mice decide to visit

each other in their homes. It
turns out that the country
mouse has a difficult time in
the city, and the city mouse
struggles in the country.

In the end, they realize that

they believed the old English
saying: “The grass is always
greener on the other side of
the fence.” In other words, each
mouse thought the other had a
better life, only to discover that
they actually preferred their
own life!
 9. “Paul Bunyan”
Paul BunyanThe 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.

Paul Bunyan is considered a

legend, so stories about him are
full of unusual details, such as
eating 50 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
reversible dog.

This version of the story is also

meant to be read out loud, so
it’s fast-paced and entertaining.
This website has an audio
recording with the story, which
you can play at slower or faster
speeds.

10. “Cinderella”

Cinderella, or The Little Glass

SlipperYou may already know
the story of Cinderella, whether
you 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 and is often the
version told to children.

“Cinderella” is a beloved 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’s
important to stay kind, forgiving
and mindful.

11. “Little Red Riding Hood” A

Little Red Riding Hood 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.

This story is presented by the

British Council as a video with
the text clearly spoken. You can
then play a game to rearrange
the sentences below the video
into the correct order, read the
text of the story in a PDF file
and answer some activity
questions (then check your
answers with the provided
answer sheet.

This website has many other

stories you can read and listen
to, like “Circus Story” by Sue
Clarke, which is an excellent
option for learning animal
vocabulary, and even
adaptations of Shakespeare
plays for younger readers.
 12. “The Lottery”
The Lottery and Other Stories
(FSG Classics)Every year, the
small town in this story holds
an event known as “The
Lottery.” During this event,
someone from the community
is randomly chosen.

What are they chosen for?

You’ll have to read the story to
find out.
You may have heard of the term
“mob mentality” and how it can
allow for some pretty surprising
(and terrible) things to happen.
This classic story looks at
society, and how much evil
people are willing to overlook
to keep their society stable.

This is considered to be one of

the most famous short stories
in American literature. It’s a
great 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.

13. “The Happy Prince”

English short stories“The Happy
Prince” is a story that explores
compassion in society, serving
as a fairy tale and a fable at
once. It’s about a prince who is
only allowed to see beauty and
comfort in his life. When he
dies, he’s turned into a golden
statue in his city, where he
discovers that others actually
live their lives in poverty and
darkness. With the help of a
swallow (a type of bird), the
prince manages to help people
even after death.Since the story
is old, much of the English is
outdated (not used in modern
English). Still, if you have a good
grasp of the English language,
you can use this story to give
yourself a great reading
challenge.

14. “The Night Train at

Deoliruskin”
The Night Train at DeoliRuskin
Bond used to spend summers
at his grandmother’s house in
Dehradun, India. 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, when he sees a

girl selling fruit and is unable to
forget her.

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 might never meet
them again.

15. “There Will Come Soft

Rains”
There Will Come Soft RainsIn
this classic story by science-
fiction author Ray Bradbury,
Earth has been destroyed by
war and no one lives on it
anymore. Still, the robots and
the machines continue to
function and serve human
beings who have long ago died.
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.

16. “Orientation”
17.
Orientation and Other
StoriesThis is a humorous story
in which the speaker explains
the office policies to a new
employee while gossiping
about the staff. It’s extremely
easy to read, as the sentences
are short and the vocabulary is
simple.

Many working English learners

will relate to this story, as it
explains the silly, nonsensical
moments of modern office life.
Modern workplaces often feel
like theaters where we pretend
to work rather than get actual
work done. The speaker
exposes this reality that few
would 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 don’t discuss them.
 18. “Paper Menagerie”
The Paper Menagerie and
Other StoriesJack’s mother can
make paper animals come to
life. In the beginning, Jack loves
them and spends hours with his
mom. But once he grows up,
his mother’s inability to speak
English keeps Jack from talking
to her.
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.

The story is a simple narration

that touches on complex issues,
like leaving your home country
and the conflicts that can occur
within families when different
cultures and languages collide.

19. “The Missing Mail”

The Missing Mail in Malgudi
DaysThanappa 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. To spare them
heartache, he decides not to
deliver the letter.

The story explores the idea that

despite the best of intentions,
our actions can cause more
harm to our loved ones than we
ever intended. If you like this
and want to read more by R.K.
Narayan, check out the other
stories in the author’s “Malgudi
Days” short story collection.

20. “Harrison Bergeron” by

Kurt Vonnegut
Harrison Bergeron in Welcome
to the Monkey HouseThe 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 don’t dance too
well. Attractive people wear
ugly masks so they don’t look
better than anyone else.

However, one day there is a

rebellion, and everything
changes for a brief instant.
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.

21. “The School”

Easy English short storiesAt
first, the trees die. Then the
snakes, followed by the tropical
fish. Then the class gets a
puppy, and… well, you can see
where things are going.And
that’s just the beginning of the
series of unfortunate events at
the school in this short story,
narrated by a teacher. The story
is absurd (ridiculous to the
point of being silly), even
though the topic is serious. By
the end, the kids start asking
difficult questions about death
that the adults don’t quite
know how to answer.

This story leaves a lot of things

unsaid, which means you’ll
need to “read between the
lines,” or look closer at the text
to understand what’s really
happening.

22. “Girl”
English short storiesIn “Girl,” a
mother tells her daughter how
to live her life properly. The
mother instructs the girl to do
all the household chores, in
very specific ways, making it
seem like that’s her only duty in
life.

Sometimes the mother tells the

girl how to attract attention,
not to talk to boys and to
always keep away from men.
Other times, the mother hints
that the girl will need to be
attractive to men to live a good
life.

This story doesn’t feel like a

story. There’s no plot, and
nothing really happens. But
read closely, and you’ll see an
important message about how
girls are taught to live restricted
lives since childhood.
 23. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”
is a classic tale 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, when a snake is about

to attack Teddy, the Mongoose
kills it. This event helps the
family accept the mongoose
into their family.

This is a simple story about

humans and animals living
together as friends. It’s 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.

24. Excerpt from “Little Dorrit”

Little Dorrit (Penguin
Classics)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
dreams of seeing the world
outside their little cell.

This excerpt (short part of a

larger work) 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.
Injustice in law is often
reserved for the poor. “Little
Dorrit” shows 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.

25. “To Build a Fire”

To Build a Fire and Other Tales
of the NorthA man travels to a
freezing, isolated place called
Yukon with only his dog for
company. Throughout his
journey, he ignores the advice
other people have given him
and takes his life for granted.

Finally, he realizes the real

power of nature and how
fragile (easily broken) human
life actually is.

Nature is often seen as a

powerful force that should be
feared and respected. The
animal in this story is the one
who’s 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?

26. “Miracles”
27. This is a modern-day story
that describes a group of
children gathering around
 their father to watch little
spiders hatch out of their
eggs. But the story gets a
different meaning as it nears
the end. What do you thi
nk happened?

28. “Evil Robot Monkey”

storiesSly is a chimpanzee
who’s 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.Sly is
a character who doesn’t fit
into society. He’s too smart
for the other chimps, but
humans don’t 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.

29. “The Boarded Window” by

Ambrose Bierce
“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!).

If you enjoy older stories with a

little suspense, this will be a
good challenge for you. It talks
about the event that made a
hermit decide to live alone for
decades, with a mysterious
window boarded up in his
cabin. It also uses a lot of
psychology and symbolism, so
you may want to read the story
more than once to understand
everything it has to say.

30. “The Monkey’s Paw”

The Monkey’s Paw and Other
Tales of Mystery and the
MacabreBe careful what you
wish for! One man finds this
out the hard way when he
brings a magical monkey’s paw
home from India. This paw is
supposed to grant three wishes
to three people. People start to
wish on it, only to realize that
our wishes can have severe
consequences.
The characters in this story
immediately regret when their
wishes come true. Even though
they get what they wanted, it
comes at a large cost!

This short story is from the

early 1900s and uses some
outdated English, but it’s still
easy to follow. It reminds us
that there are no shortcuts in
life, and to be wary if
something seems too good to
be true.

31. “A Tiny Feast”

This story centers around
Titania and Oberon, two fairy
characters from Shakespeare’s
famous play, “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.” The two fairies
are having a rough time in their
marriage when they find a
human child. They decide to
adopt him, hoping that he’ll
help them save their
relationship. However, the child
develops a deadly, modern
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’ve never seen
before and their deep love for a
stranger who is so unlike them.
The story explores the grief of
parenthood and the
uncertainty of knowing
whether your child will ever
even know you.

32. “The Story of an Hour”

The Story Of An HourThis story,
written by a woman, is a sad
look inside an unhappy
marriage. Mrs. Mallard is a
woman with heart troubles.
When her husband dies, the
people who come to give her
this news tell it to her gently, so
she doesn’t have a shock.

Mrs. Mallard busts into tears

and locks herself in her room.
At first, she’s upset by the
news. But the more she
considers it, the more excited
she becomes about the idea of
the freedom that would come
from her husband’s death.
What happens, then, when her
husband comes home after an
hour, alive and well?

The story explores the

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

33. “The Zero Meter Diving

Team”
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster
was one of the deadliest
accidents of the twentieth
century. This is a story about
that event seen through the
eyes of a father and his sons,
who were all 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, its
plot is relatively easy to follow.

The story is divided into small

parts that make it both easy
and exciting to read. Its various
events show what it was like to
live in the former Soviet Union.
And just like any other good
story, it’s also about human
relationships and how they
change due to historic events.

34. “The Velveteen Rabbit”

The Velveteen RabbitA 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, and changes the toy’s life
forever.

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. It
also highlights the importance
of self-value, being true to
yourself and finding strength in
those who love you.

35. “The Friday Everything

Changed” by Anne Hart
Tradition is important in this
school, where the boys always
go to fetch water for the class.
The girls are teased for being
“weaker,” and are last to get
other privileges, like having the
first choice of magazines. One
day, a girl asks the teacher why
girls aren’t allowed to get the
water, as well. This one
question causes a big reaction
and leads to a huge change.

The girl’s courage surprises

everyone, but it also inspires
other girls to stand up for
themselves. One act from one
brave person can lead to
change and inspire others. The
story reflects on gender
equality and how important it is
to fight for fairness. Just
because something is accepted
as “normal,” doesn’t mean it is
right!

36. “Hills Like White

Elephants”
Hills Like White Elephants 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.

This is another very well-known

story that asks you to “read
between the lines” to find the
hidden meaning behind the
text. 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’s 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, you can figure out the quiet,
sadder meaning behind it.