Stories in English with tasks. Short fairy tales and stories in English for children
Which are useful to read for both adults and children. These stories are very educational and each one has a moral at the end. For those who find it difficult to translate even such simple texts, a translation is presented. Most likely, you have already heard similar fairy tales in Russian, so it will be easier for you to understand their meaning.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling away?" “I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.” "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present.”
But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew..
MORAL: Work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
Ant and grasshopper
On a field on a sunny day, a grasshopper was jumping, chirping and singing to his heart's content. An ant passed by, dragging with great effort an ear of corn to its home. 
“Why don’t you come up to me and chat,” said the grasshopper, “instead of being so tense?” “I help make supplies for the winter,” said the ant, “I advise you to do the same.” “Why worry about winter? - said the grasshopper, “We have a lot of food at the moment.”
But the ant did his job and continued his hard labour. When winter came, the grasshopper was literally starving to death, seeing the ants distributing the corn and grain every day from their stores that they had collected in the summer.
Then the grasshopper understood...
Morality: Work hard today and you can reap the rewards tomorrow.
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wokened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
"Pardon, O King!" cried the little Mouse, “Forgive me this time.” I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?”
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.
MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.
Lion and mouse
One day, when the lion fell asleep, a little mouse began to run around him. He soon awakened the lion, who caught him in his huge paw and opened his jaw to swallow him.
“Forgive me, oh king! - the mouse sobbed, - Forgive me this time. This will never happen again, and I will never forget your kindness. And who knows, maybe one day I will also be able to do something good for you.” 
The lion was so amused by the idea that the mouse could somehow help him that he raised his paw and let him go.
A few days later, hunters caught the king and tied him to a tree while they looked for a cart in which to place him.
Just then it happened that a little mouse was running past, he saw the predicament in which the lion was, ran up to him and quickly gnawed the ropes that tied the king of beasts. "Was I wrong?" - said the mouse, happy that he had helped the lion.
Morality: Little friends can turn out to be wonderful friends.
The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife had the good fortune to have a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough.
They imagined that if the bird must be able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get mighty rich very soon. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose!
MORAL: Think before you act.
The goose who laid golden eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife were lucky enough to have a goose that laid a golden egg every day. Despite such great luck, they soon began to think that they could not 
get rich quickly enough.
They imagined that if a bird could lay golden eggs, then its insides must also be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all this a precious metal immediately, then very soon they will become extremely rich. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, when they opened the goose, they were very shocked to find that its insides were the same as any other goose.
Morality: Think before you act.
If you liked these stories, then you can read another interesting one. Don't forget to offer stories like these to your children who are learning English. They will love this unobtrusive way to learn a new language.
Here is a 45-minute collection of fairy tales with subtitles.
To train your listening comprehension of English, interesting stories in English are perfect, most of which come with translation. The stories are suitable for everyone age groups, for any level of English proficiency. Stories allow you to keep your English skills sharp. This section will be constantly updated with stories on various life topics.
- The site presents a collection of English stories, start listening to short stories if you are a beginner, or listen to stories in English for intermediate level and higher if you understand the meaning of 80% of the words.
- Write down the translations of the words you want to learn.
- Try to describe out loud and in your own words in English what the story was about.
- Read stories on everyday topics, stories about family, hobbies.
Reviews of stories
I like to listen to interesting stories in English when I’m traveling on public transport, without even reading the text itself, but just listening to the audio track. I am often too lazy to devote even an hour of time to improving my level of English, but stories help me maintain my level of knowledge.
LidaRequest to the administrators of this site, add a section where they will be collected short stories, because it’s not so convenient to look through many pages of your website in search of short stories, or at least add tags))) Audio stories help me personally to perceive English speech a little better, and not only me, for example, my nephew would be more willing to devote 10-20 minutes of time to listening to audio stories rather than sit in front of textbooks. Another request, add more stories about everyday situations.
LyudmilaSince now is the holiday season and many people are going to the seas abroad, it would be nice if you publish stories about your trip, I think there are interesting stories on this topic. I want to thank the authors of the site for good selection materials, it is convenient to learn English through a cell phone, but it is better if you can download English stories to your phone, since not everywhere there is access to the Internet, but this is so, my wishes.
MaksimIt’s a pity that the site doesn’t have stories about food in English, and the main thing is that there are translations. Will double benefit, and you can improve your English, and at the same time cook something delicious. In general, audio stories in English were a discovery for me; it’s a pity that when I was at school, stories were not as popular as they are today. For those who are just starting to learn English, I recommend listening to short stories as often as possible.
SvetlanaExcellent English stories, it really helps when learning a foreign language, but there is not enough list of “difficult” words with translations that appear in the stories. I once tried to force myself to read long stories in English, but they were difficult for me, and recently I decided to read simple stories and a positive result is already noticeable, I was able to significantly increase my reading speed in English. Friends, don’t be lazy, read more literature in English, good luck to everyone!!!
KateWhen learning English, we must practice abilities such as: comprehension, reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening. Each skill has its own ways of practicing. However, there are many methods that allow you to combine work on several skills at once. For example, by reading stories in English for beginners, we not only practice reading, but also work with pronunciation, learn new vocabulary, and become familiar with the use of grammar in speech. In today's material we will tell you how to read short stories correctly to learn English and give examples of literature for beginners.
Reading in English will be effective only if certain conditions are met.
If you ask students what advantages learning a text in English gives for beginners, the majority will answer - acquaintance with new vocabulary. This is certainly true. By reading short stories in English, we encounter new words and expressions and learn how to use them in different contexts.
All new phrases and words always need to be not only translated, but also clarified correct pronunciation. Only such meticulous work will give effective results: quick memorization of vocabulary and the ability to use it when constructing your speech.
In addition to mastering vocabulary, you can simultaneously improve your pronunciation and listening comprehension of English. To do this, you need to use audiobooks for beginners.
To make it easier for you to parse the recording, you must have its printed text with you. To develop listening comprehension skills, beginners need to select easy and simple texts in English. Take a look at the text and evaluate it, based on the fact that you should know about 90% of the vocabulary presented in it. If this indicator is reached, feel free to turn on the recording and work on listening to the text.
After listening, read the text aloud on your own, trying to correctly highlight the intonations and pronounce all the words correctly.
Varieties of English Literature for Beginners
A typical way to work on reading is to study topics.
These are small English texts that cover one particular topic. The most common topics are:
- Family,
- Favorite hobby/movie/book,
- My city,
- My schedule,
- In an Aeroport,
- At the restaurant and so on.
In fact, this is a special educational material designed for a certain level of student preparation.
Sometimes there are topics in dialogue format, but most often it is just a short story. After the text there is usually a vocabulary, i.e. a small dictionary with transcription and translation of words. Also, such texts are equipped with additional tasks for knowledge of the studied material.
Topics are a convenient format for learning English, but many are put off by its somewhat “artificial” and formal content. If you need interesting stories in English for beginners for work, then it is better to use fiction. Moreover, adapted reading texts are produced for beginners who want to learn English. Two types of such literature are widespread.
1) Books in English
These texts for beginners have been thoroughly revised, simplifying all grammatical structures and removing complex and outdated vocabulary. However, they are presented entirely in English, only sometimes accompanied by a small dictionary with confusing expressions.
Such books are divided into 6 levels of difficulty. The simplest stories are intended for children and beginners, more complex texts will be of interest to people who have been studying English for more than a year, and the most complex stories can only be read by advanced level speakers, i.e. almost fluent in the language. Accordingly, at initial levels little vocabulary is used (300-500 words), and at advanced levels more than 1000.
2) Books adapted according to the method of Ilya Frank.
They are texts in English with parallel translation into Russian. The reader is presented with a paragraph of English text first, followed by a paragraph with a Russian translation. Complex words are given in a separate list and, in addition to translation, are accompanied by transcription.
This approach allows you not to be distracted by working with a dictionary or online translator, and immediately write down unfamiliar words and expressions in a study notebook. In addition, you will be confident in the correct understanding of the content of the text, because you can always rely on a literary translation.
Now let's try to move a little away from theory and move on to practice. In the next section we will give several examples of texts that will be interesting for study by both adult and children's audiences.
Stories in English for beginners
Let's start with an example of a typical topic about a family. We provide the text with translation, a small dictionary and questions that students must answer.
Topic My family
I want to tell you about my family. There are five of us - my parents, my two younger sisters and me.
My father's name is Andrew. He is 45 years old. My dad is very tall and strong. In his childhood he played basketball very well. When he studied at the University, he won many competitions with his team. And now he goes to the gym three times a week. I am very proud of my father.
My mother's name is Svetlana. She is a famous actress. She really enjoys working at the theater. All our family often goes to the theater to watch her performances. My mother is 42, but she looks very younger. My mum is slim and rather tall. She has long dark hair and big blue eyes. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends.
I've got two younger sisters. Nina is 5 years old and Vera is 14 years old. They go to school. Nina enjoys painting. I think she will be a great artist, when she grows up. Vera likes reading books and learning foreign languages. Perhaps, she will be an excellent interpreter.
And my name is Boris. I’m 20. Now I study at Moscow State University. It was founded by a famous Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. I went to the faculty of Fundamental Medicine two years ago. In four years I will be a professional surgeon. I like my future profession and want to get a job as soon as possible.
My family supports me in my choice. Generally, our family is very united. We love each other and always try to spend more time together.
| Vocabulary | ||
| family | [ˈfæməli] | family |
| tall | high | |
| famous | [ˈfeɪməs] | famous, famous |
| strong | strong | |
| performance | performance, performance | |
| slim | slim | |
| rather | [ˈrɑːðə(r)] | quite, quite |
| in childhood | [ɪn ˈtʃaɪld.hʊd] | in childhood, in childhood |
| competition | [ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃn] | competition |
| think (thought/thought) | [θɪŋk] | think (irregular verb) |
| painting | [ˈpeɪntɪŋ] | drawing |
| foreign | [ˈfɒrən] | foreign, overseas |
| perhaps | perhaps, probably | |
| excellent | [ˈeksələnt] | great |
| interpreter | [ˈeksələnt] | translator, interpreter |
| was founded | was founded | |
| scientist | [ˈsaɪəntɪst] | scientist |
| surgeon | [ˈsaɪəntɪst] | surgeon |
| future | [ˈfjuːtʃə(r)] | future |
| job | Job | |
| as soon as possible | [əz suːn əz ˈpɒsəbl] | As soon as possible |
| support | support, support | |
| generally | [ˈdʒenrəli] | in general, in general |
| spend (spent/spent) | spend, spend (time, money) | |
| each other | each other | |
Questions :
- How many people are there in Boris’s family?
- Does Boris have grandparents?
- What does his father do?
- What does his mother do?
- What are the names of his sisters?
- They are younger or older than Boris?
- What are they fond of?
- Where does Boris study?
- Does he like his profession?
- Is this family friendly?
Translation
I want to tell you about my family. There are five of us in total: my parents, my two younger sisters and me.
My father's name is Andrey. He is 45 years old. My dad is very tall and strong. As a child, he played basketball very well. When he was at university, he won many competitions with his team, and now he goes to the gym three times a week. I'm very proud of my father.
My mom's name is Svetlana. She is a famous actress. She really enjoys working in the theater. Our whole family often goes to the theater to watch her performances. My mother is 42 years old, but she looks much younger. She is slim and quite tall. She has long dark hair and big blue eyes. My mother is very kind and understanding. She and I are real friends.
I have two younger sisters. Nina is 5 years old, and Vera is 14. They go to school. Nina enjoys drawing. I think she will become a great artist when she grows up. Vera loves to read books and study foreign languages. Perhaps she will become an excellent translator.
And my name is Boris. I am 20 years old. I study at Moscow State University. It was founded by the famous Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. I came to the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine 2 years ago. In 4 years I will become a professional surgeon. I like my future profession and I want to get a job as soon as possible.
My family supports my choice. In general, our family is very close-knit. We love each other and always try to spend as much time together as possible.
Fiction
As we have already noted, not everyone likes to work with topics. They are uninformative, stingy with new vocabulary and, frankly speaking, a bit boring. In contrast, fiction engages students with interesting characters and exciting plot twists. And he loves exciting adventures child, and an adult.
Here are some tips for short fiction stories.
- Mark Twain : A dog and three dollars, Mistaken identity;
- O'Henry : A walk in amnesia, Tildys moment; The Christmas presents, The Memento;
- Alvin Schwartz : Room for one more;
- Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm : Rumpelstiltskin;
- Jan Carew : Journeys end, The Charm, Lost love; The doll;
- Jennifer Bassett : South for the winter; The girl with green eyes.
This is just a small list of stories that deserve attention.
When you are ready for larger volumes, we recommend that you read our other material, in which you will find a selection of audiobooks for beginners. This way you will not only practice reading and improve your vocabulary, but also listen to real English speech, adapting to its perception and understanding.
Texts with translation are the next step after mastering basic vocabulary and basic grammar rules in any language, including English.
Most often, so-called parallel texts are used: this means that the English part of them is accompanied by a Russian translation. Can be read this way:
- First read the full English version, and then the Russian version
- Read and translate in fragments
The second option is preferable for beginners.
Thematic English texts for beginners
Most popular text topics:
- biography and stories about yourself
- everyday life (at home, with family, visiting)
- urban society (shopping, streets, transport, institutions, etc.)
- employment and business
- health, sports
- nature, animals
- trips, excursions, travel
- politics and journalism
- culture (books, films, exhibitions, etc.)
- abstract topics (religion, psychology, philosophy, discussions where one expresses one’s attitude towards something), etc.
The topic is listed in order of increasing complexity. For beginners, it is better to use the initial topics of the list and then gradually complicate the texts
Sample parallel text with translation
The young man is preparing to undergo an interview with the director of the company and has prepared the following text in English:
I am the beginning programmer. I am interested in only technology and computers during all my life. Mechanical cars and planes were always my favorite toys, and physics and mathematics were my favorite subjects. When the first computer had appeared when I was 10, it replaced everything. I sat in front of it all days and nights, having forgotten about sleep. I could play and communicate with friends continuously. When I had grown up, it became interesting for me how these games and programs were created. Soon I came to believe that programming is that unique area which is really important for me. I entered the university on the specialty of programming after school. Learning was not easy, but it was justified for my interest. I made my first website at once after I had graduated the university. Then information technologies became interesting for me and I even finished an Internet class on this subject by dint of the one international educational platform. I believe the protection of information against hacker intrusions is the main problem of our time today. When I have found that a programmer in this area is required to your company, I was very happy, as your company is doing high technologies. The robotics connects my childhood memories with dreams of the future. I’m going to register in courses of lectures on a robotics, incidentally. I think, it will expand my opportunities and I would be still more valued and preferable employee for you.
Translating to Russian language:
I am a beginner programmer. All my life I was only interested in technology and computers. My toys have always been mechanical cars and airplanes, and my favorite subjects at school were physics and mathematics. And when, at the age of 10 of my life, I got my first computer, it replaced everything. I sat at it day and night, forgetting about sleep. I could continuously play and chat with friends. When I grew up, I became interested in how these games and programs were created, with the help of which all this works. I soon became convinced that programming was the only area that was truly important to me. After school I entered the university to major in programming. It was not easy to study, but it was justified by my interest. Immediately after graduating from university, I made my first website. Then I became interested in information technology, and even completed an online course on this topic using an international educational platform. I believe that protecting information from hacker attacks is the main problem of our time.
When I found out that your company required a programmer in this area, I was very happy, since your company is engaged in high technology. Robotics connects my childhood memories with future dream. By the way, I’m going to sign up for lecture courses on robotics. I believe this will expand my capabilities and make me an even more valuable and preferred employee to you.
Look at more ready-made texts in English.
The child and his mother
A curious child asked his mother: “Mommy, why are some of your hairs turning grey?”
The mother tried to use this occasion to teach her child: “It is because of you, dear. Every bad action of yours will turn one of my hairs grey!”
The child replied innocently: “Now I know why grandmother has only gray hairs on her head.”
Translation:
Child and his mother
A curious child asks his mother, “Mommy, why do some of the hairs on your head turn gray?”
The mother tried to take advantage of the situation and teach her child a lesson: “It’s all because of you, dear. Every bad deed you do turns one of my hairs gray!”
The child answered innocently: “Now I know why grandma has only gray hair on her head.”
Wrong email address
A couple going on vacation but his wife was on a business trip so he went to the destination first and his wife would meet him the next day.
When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email.
Unfortunately, when typing her address, he mistyped a letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband had passed away only the day before.
When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint.
At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
dearest wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
P.S. Sure is hot down here.
Translation:
Wrong email
The couple is going on vacation, but the wife is traveling for business purposes, so the husband arrived at the place first, and the wife met him the next day.
When he got to the hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email.
Unfortunately, when he typed her address, he missed a letter, and his letter went instead to his wife to the elderly priest's wife, whose husband had died just the day before.
As the grieving widow was checking her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a scream of horror, and fell to the floor in a deep swoon.
Hearing this sound, the relatives rushed to her room and saw a note on the screen:
Dear wife,
Just settled in. Everything is ready for your arrival tomorrow.P.S.: It's hot here.
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 been 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:
The incident with Will at the airport
After returning from Rome, Will couldn't find his luggage in the airport baggage area. He went to the lost and found office and told the woman working there that his bags never showed up at the carousel.
She smiled and told him not to worry because they were professionals and he was in good hands.
Then she asked: “Has your plane arrived yet?”
Clever kids
A police officer found a perfect hiding place for watching for speeding motorists.
One day, the officer was amazed when everyone was under the speed limit, so he investigated and found the problem.
A 10 years old boy was standing on the side of the road with a huge hand painted sign which said “Radar Trap Ahead.”
A little more investigative work led the officer to the boy’s accomplice: another boy about 100 yards beyond the radar trap with a sign reading “TIPS” and a bucket at his feet full of change.
Translation:
Smart kids
A police officer has found the perfect hidden location to monitor speeding motorists.
One day, the officer was struck by the fact that all the motorists were driving below the speed limit. He investigated and identified the problem.
A ten-year-old boy stood on the side of the road holding a large sign that read: “Trap for reckless drivers ahead.”
Further research led the officer to the boy's accomplice: he saw another boy standing 100 yards behind the officer with a radar gun, next to a sign that said "Tips" and a bucket at his feet filled with change.
Mouthology
A Professor was traveling by boat. On his way he asked the sailor:
“Do you know Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Geography, physiology?
The sailor said no to all his questions.
Professor: What the hell do you know on earth. You will die of illiteracy.
After a while the boat started sinking. The Sailor asked the Professor, do you know swiminology & escapology from sharkology?
The professor said no.
Sailor: “Well, sharkology & crocodilogy will eat your assology, headology & you will dieology because of your mouthology.
Translation:
Boltology
The professor traveled by boat. During the journey he asked the sailor:
“Do you know biology, ecology, zoology, geography, psychology?”
The sailor answered “No” to all his questions.
Professor: What do you even know then? You will die from illiteracy.
After some time, the boat began to sink. The sailor asked the professor if he knew swimming science, salvage science and sharkology.
The professor said no.
Sailor: “Well, then sharkology and crocodilology will eat your backology, headology, and you will die from boltology.”
Captain
A navy captain is alerted by his First Mate that there is a pirate ship coming towards his position. He asks a sailor to get him his red shirt
The captain was asked, “Why do you need a red shirt?”
The Captain replies, “So that when I bleed, you guys don’t notice and aren’t discouraged.” They fight off the pirates eventually.
The very next day, the Captain is alerted that 50 pirate ships are coming towards their boat. He yells, “Get me my brown pants!”
Translation:
Captain
A navy captain warned his first mate that a pirate ship was heading their way. He asked the sailor to get him a red T-shirt.
The captain was asked: “Why do you need a red T-shirt?”
The captain replied, “When I bleed, you guys won’t notice and won’t be afraid.”
They eventually defeated the pirates.
The very next day, the captain announced the alarm that 50 pirate ships were approaching their boat. He shouted, “Bring me my brown pants!”
Elephant
The class teacher asks students to name an animal that begins with an “E”. One boy says, “Elephant.”
Then the teacher asks for an animal that begins with a “T”. The same boy says, “Two elephants.”
The teacher sends the boy out of the class for bad behavior. After that she asks for an animal beginning with “M”.
The boy shouts from the other side of the wall: “Maybe an elephant!”
Translation:
Elephant
The teacher asks the students to name an animal that starts with "E". One boy said "Elephant" (elephant).
Then the teacher asked to name the animal that starts with the letter “T”. The same boy said: “Two elephants” (two elephants).
The teacher kicked the boy out of class for bad behavior. After that, she asked to name an animal that starts with “M”.
The boy shouted on the other side of the wall: “Maybe an elephant!” (Maybe an elephant).
