Interesting short stories in English. Fairy tales in English with translation

To train your listening comprehension of English, interesting stories in English are perfect, most of which come with translation. The stories are suitable for any age group, 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.

We ask the admins of this site to add a section where short stories will be collected, because on a phone it’s not so convenient to look through many pages of your site in search of short stories, or at least add tags))) Audio stories personally help me to perceive English speech a little better, yes and not only me, for example, my nephew would rather 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.

Since 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 would like to say thank you to the authors of the site for a good selection of 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.

It’s a pity that the site doesn’t have stories about food in English, and the main thing is that there are translations. There will be 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.

Excellent 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 was 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!!!

Hello, my beloved readers!

Have you ever wondered how to force yourself to listen and read more at the very beginning of learning a language? After all, it seems like it’s so complicated, and difficult, and uninteresting... and you can come up with a couple hundred more excuses!

Today I will share a method that helps my students a lot. I will give you stories in English for beginners (by the way, I have begun to form - please)!

I have prepared short and very interesting stories with parallel translation for you. This practice at the beginning of learning a language helps you quickly and also absorb the structure of the language as a whole.

Story 1

Sudden rain.

Sudden rain.

It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned into gray and there was no sun at all. It was already a noon.

It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned gray and there was no sun at all. It was already noon.

Mary was standing at the corner of the street talking to Jane. Both of them were holding shopping bags in their hands.

Mary stood on the street corner talking to Jane. They were holding shopping bags in their hands.

Mary and Jane started to discuss the weather.

-Do you like rain? -Mary asked.

-Yes, actually I do. - Answered Jane. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. Rain is quite refreshing and allows to think about everything. And you?

Mary and Jane began to discuss the weather.

Do you like rain? - asked Mary.

Yes, actually I like it,” Jane replied. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. The rain is very refreshing and allows you to think about everything. And you?

-Well, I love when it rains during the summer. But I can’t stand rainy weather in winter.

I love it when it rains in summer. But I can't stand rainy weather in winter.

They were talking when a sudden stroke of thunder interrupted them. The heavy rain was about to start. Jane noticed that Mary didn’t have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation sitting on her porch.

-I have no objections. At least, we can spend more time talking about your journey to the USA.

They were talking when a sudden clap of thunder interrupted them. It was about to start raining heavily. Jane noticed that Mary did not have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation while sitting on the porch.

I do not mind. At least we can spend more time chatting about your trip to the US.

At the initial stage of study, it is very important that the stories are adapted specifically to your level. These stories are exactly like that. So try another exciting story with translation and audio.

Story 2

A Book Shop Robbery.

Bookstore robbery.

Sandy was on her way to work. Being the owner of a book shop was her dream. She loved books and the smell of recently published ones.

Sandy was on her way to work. Being a bookstore owner was her dream. She loved books and the smell of newly published books.

When she got to the shop she noticed that there was something wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.

When she reached the store, she noticed that something was wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.

Entering the shop she realized that the place was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the till and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.

Upon entering the store, she realized that everything was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the cash register and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.

She was upset but the relief of the thought that nothing was stolen calmed her down.

-I need to set an alarm system, - thought Sandy and started placing books on the bookshelves.

She was upset, but the relief of knowing that nothing had been stolen calmed her.

We need to install an alarm, Sandy thought and began to lay out books on the bookshelves.

If you want not only to learn to read, but also to perceive texts by ear, then I suggest listening to these stories. I recommend that you first read the story several times, then read and listen at the same time, and not at the last stage just listen.

2. A Book Shop Robbery

Nowadays you can find hundreds of stories online that will help you quickly master the initial stages of the English language. You can read, listen to, download for your travels, and all this is completely free. Don't be lazy and spend 20 minutes a day.

And if you don’t know what to learn, then subscribe to my newsletter, where I will constantly give you new materials and ideas for studying, as well as replenish your piggy bank with new stories for different levels.

Remember that the most important thing on the way to good English is practice.

Until we meet again, my dears.

In this section you can read or download simple, short and easy texts in English for beginners. Materials include short stories, articles, excerpts from famous works, or stories in English for beginners. These texts will be useful, first of all, to those who are at the initial stage of learning and have a small vocabulary, although they may also be of interest to more advanced students. The approximate level of the stories presented is from beginner to elementary. Simple and entry-level stories will be an excellent source for vocabulary development, especially when reading without a dictionary and using semantic guesswork, since most of the words in the text are quite simple and are likely to be already familiar to you. Reading light articles and stories will allow you to develop and consolidate a vocabulary of the most frequently used words in everyday speech, the so-called “minilex” consisting of approximately 400-500 popular words.

You can read your favorite stories in entry-level English on our website, print the materials directly from the browser “Ctrl+P” or save them to your computer using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+S” for further work with the text.

The more you read, the faster your vocabulary will grow, since reading is the most natural, effective and enjoyable way to expand your vocabulary. At the initial stage, short and easy reading texts in English are suitable, as well as specially adapted books of 1-3 difficulty levels (starter, beginner, elementary).
You just read the story, trying to guess the meaning of all the unfamiliar words. If the level of the work is chosen correctly, then there will not be too many such words, and you will be able to fully understand the meaning of what you read. A good option for reading would also be easy texts in English for beginners with translation into Russian. The advantage of this option is that there is no need to consult a dictionary. But in this case, you should not abuse the translation and mainly use a semantic guess, and only then watch the Russian version.

This section presents mainly works of fiction for reading. And if you haven’t found what you were looking for, then perhaps you need to go to the section of the site where essays are presented, as well as essays in English. Or a collection of topics for reading and memorizing on your computer.
The collection includes simple texts in English for beginners on various topics and will be an excellent assistant for schoolchildren learning the language. A total of 400 topics ranging from stories about yourself, your family and your hobbies, to biographies of outstanding people in the history of mankind and the traditions of residents of English-speaking countries.
If easy texts for beginners in English seem too simple to you, that is, when reading you will not encounter unfamiliar words or there will be too few of them, then you can safely move on to short stories and stories of an average level of complexity or adapted books of the intermediate level.

Download and read short easy stories in English :

English legend

Everyone knows that laughter is the best cure for stress. Combine business with pleasure: read these short funny stories and practice your English with pleasure.

If you need to write a mystical story in English, I have prepared separately

My meeting with a traffic cop

My meeting with a traffic cop - A funny story from life

It was seven years ago.
I was driving to work.

I drove up to the office and broke a traffic rule — I crossed a double solid line on the road.
At that time, a police officer was standing on the street.
I thought he saw me go over the double lines.
But he kept standing.

I drove further slowly because I was near my office.
At that time, a car backed up.
The driver didn’t see my car, and smashed into it.

That police officer ran up to us and said to me:
“I have seen everything: you violated traffic rules, you have a dead body in your trunk, and drugs in your car.
Can I see your driver’s license?”

I’m standing, I’m hearing, and I can’t say anything.

Then he laughed and said: “Miss, please smile, you looked so upset that I had to tell you something to cheer you up” and let me go.

TEXT TRANSLATION

This was 7 years ago.
I was on my way to work.

I had already arrived at the office, but I violated the traffic rules - I crossed the double solid line.
And there was just a traffic police officer standing there.
I thought he saw me cross the line.
But he continued to stand.

Then a traffic cop runs up and says:
“I saw everything - you broke the rules, you have a corpse and drugs in your trunk.
Can I have your driver's license?"

I stand there listening and can’t say anything.

Then he laughed and said: “Girl, smile, you’re standing there so upset, I had to at least somehow make you laugh/encourage you,” after which he let me go.

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.

“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 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.

Fortune disappeared, leaving the man in the street.

TEXT TRANSLATION

One day a poor 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 happy and always want more money?”
“As for me,” he thought, if I only had enough for food, I wouldn’t need anything more.”
At that moment, Fate passed him by. 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?
“Oh, of course, I understand,” replied the poor man. He quickly opened his bag and diamonds fell into his bag. The bag became heavy.
"Enough?" asked Fate.
“Not yet,” the man answered, his hands trembling.
“You are the richest man in the world,” said Fate.
"More! A bit more!" said the poor man.
At that moment, another diamond fell into the overflowing bag.
The bag slipped out of the poor man’s hands and fell to the ground, and the diamonds immediately became dust.
Fate disappeared, leaving the poor man on the street.

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.

The cabman brought him to the hotel. 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 especialy 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.
“You could recognize me though you knew very few facts.”

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

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

TEXT TRANSLATION

Everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes. At one time or another, everyone has read stories about Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective. In fact, he was the most famous detective of all time.
The author of the Sherlock Holmes stories was 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 hotel where he was going to spend the night. The driver brought him to the hotel. 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 surprised.
“Well, sir, yesterday I read in the newspaper that you are traveling 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 say 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 knowing very few facts.”
“Besides,” added the cabman, “your name is on both of your traveling bags. That helped too."
Thus, the cabman made a good joke on Conan Doyle.

Honesty is the best policy

A woodman was once working on the bank of a deep river. Suddenly his ax slipped from his hand and dropped into the water.
“Oh! I have lost my ax,” he cried. “What shall I do? Who can help me?”
Mercury heard the poor man’s cries and appeared before him.

‘What is the matter, poor woodman?’ he asked. “What has happened? Why are you so sad and unhappy?”
Mercury listened to the man’s story and then said, “Perhaps I can help you.” He dived into the river and brought up a golden ax. “Is this yours?” he asked. “No, that is not mine,” was the answer.

Mercury dived a second time and this time brought up a silver axe. “Is this yours?” he asked. Again the answer was “No.” So Mercury dived a third time and brought up the very ax that the woodman had lost. “That’s my ax,” cried the man. “Yes, that is my axe. Now I can work again.”

Mercury was so pleased with the follow’s honesty that at once he made him a present of the other two axes and disappeared before the man could say, “Thank you.”

The woodman went home very pleased with his good luck. He told his friends all about it and one of them decided to try his luck. So he went to the same place, dropped his ax into the river, and cried out: “Oh! I have lost my ax. What shall I do? Who can help me?”

Mercury appeared as before, and when he learned that man had lost his axe, he dived into the river. Again he brought up a golden ax. “Is this yours”? he asked.

“Yes, it is,” answered the woodman. “You are not telling me the truth,” said Mercury.

You will neither have this ax nor the one that you so foolishly dropped into the water.”

TEXT TRANSLATION

One day a woodcutter was working on the banks of a deep river. Suddenly the ax slipped out of his hands and fell into the water.
"Oh! “I lost my axe,” he exclaimed. "What should I do? Who can help me?"
Mercury heard the cries of the poor man and appeared before him.
“What happened, poor guy?” - he asked. “What happened? Why are you so sad and unhappy?

Mercury listened to the man's story and then said, “Perhaps I can help you.” He dived into the river and picked up the golden axe. "Is this your axe?" - he asked. “No, it’s not mine,” was the woodcutter’s answer. Mercury dove a second time, and this time he picked up the silver axe. "It's your?" - he asked. Again the answer was “No”. Mercury dived for the third time and picked up the ax that the woodcutter had lost. “This is my ax,” exclaimed the poor man. “Yes, this is my axe. Now I can work again."

Mercury was so pleased with his friend's honesty that he immediately made him a gift of two other axes and disappeared before the man could say, “Thank you.”
The woodcutter returned home very pleased with his luck. He told his friends about all this, and one of them decided to try his luck. He approached the same place, dropped the ax into the river and shouted: “Oh! I lost my axe. What should I do? Who can help me?"
Mercury appeared as before, and when he learned that the man had lost his axe, he dived into the river. He picked up the golden axe. "Is this your axe"? - he asked.
“Yes, it’s mine,” answered the woodcutter. “You are not telling the truth,” said Mercury.
You won’t get this ax and yours, which you foolishly threw into the water.”

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.

“What are you doing? Why are eating these leaves? Where is the tea?”
“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.

TEXT TRANSLATION

Once upon a time in England there lived an elderly woman. She had a son who was a sailor. He traveled to different countries and always brought gifts to his old mother.

One day he went to China and brought tea from this 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 pleasant gift. But she didn't know what to do with such tea, since she had never bought it before. She thought it was a vegetable.

She told her friends about her son's gift and invited them to try this 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. Nobody liked it, but no one told the old woman about it, and 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?
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?” - the son asked, laughing.
“Of course, I poured it out,” the mother replied.

I’m four years old at home, and two and a half in buses and trains

A mother and her young son got into a bus and sat down. The bus conductor came up to them and asked them to pay the fare. The mother said, ‘I want one ticket to Oxford,’ and gave him a shilling.

The conductor was looking at the small boy for a few seconds and then said, ‘How old are you, young man?’
The mother began speaking, but the conductor stopped her, and the boy said, ‘I’m four years old at home, and two and a half in buses and trains.’

The mother took sixpence more out of her bag and gave it to the bus conductor.
He gave her one ticket and a half.

TEXT TRANSLATION

A young woman with a small child entered the bus and sat down on the seat. The bus conductor approached them and asked them to pay for the fare. Handing over one shilling, the woman says: “I need one ticket to Oxford.”

Looking at the child, the conductor asked the mother: “How old are you, young man?”
The woman started to speak, but the conductor stopped her and the boy said: “At home I’m four years old, but on buses and trains I’m 2.5.”

The woman took another sixpence from her bag and gave it to the conductor. And he gave her one adult and one child ticket.

I prefer to play the part of a great man on the stage

Once David Garrick, a famous actor, was told by a Member of Parliament that as he was so popular he could easily become an MP too. “No thank you,” the actor replied. “I prefer to play the part of a great man on the stage than the part of a fool in Parliament.”

TEXT TRANSLATION

Since David Garrick was a famous actor, one day, one of the members of parliament told him that the actor could easily join parliament.
“No, thank you,” the actor replied.
“I prefer to play the role of a great man on stage than a fool in parliament.”

Can my dog ​​have a seat in the bus?

One wet day a woman with a dog got on a bus. It was a very big dog and its feet were dirty.
The woman said, “Oh, conductor, if I pay for my dog, can he have a seat like the other passengers?”

The conductor looked at the dog and then said, “Certainly, madam, he can have a seat, but like the other passengers, he mustn’t put his feet on it.”

TEXT TRANSLATION

One rainy day, a woman with a dog got on the bus. The dog was very big and had dirty paws. The woman asked, “Conductor, can my dog ​​sit on the seat like other passengers if I pay for its fare?”
The conductor looked at the dog and replied: “Of course, madam, the dog can sit down, but she, like all passengers, should not sit with her feet on the seat.”

Why do men in this country wear black when they marry?

Mrs. Robinson was a teacher in a big school in an American city. She had boys and girls in her class, and she always enjoyed teaching them, because they were quick and because they thought about everything carefully.

One day she said to the children: “People in a lot of countries in Asia wear white clothes at funerals, but people in America and in Europe wear white clothes when they're happy, what color does a woman in this country wear when she marries, Mary?

Mary said, “White, Miss because she’s happy.”

“That’s good, Mary,” Mrs. Robinson said. “You're quite right. She wears white because she’s happy.”
But then one of the boys in the class put his hand up.

“Yes, Dick,” Mrs. Robinson said. “Do you want to ask a question?”
“Yes, Miss,” Dick said. “Why do men in this country wear black when they marry?”

TEXT TRANSLATION

Mrs. Robinson was a teacher in a large school in an American city. She had boys and girls in her class, whom she loved to teach because... they grasped everything on the fly and carefully studied the material. She once told the children:
“People in many Asian countries wear white clothes for funerals, while in America and Europe we wear white clothes for holidays when we are happy. What color clothes will a girl wear in our country when she gets married?”
“White, Miss, because she’s happy,” Maria answered.
“Okay, Maria,” Mrs. Robinson said. "You're absolutely right. She wears white because she is happy."
But then one of the students in the class raised his hand.
“Yes, Dick,” said Mrs. Robinson. “Do you want to ask a question?”
“Yes, Miss,” Dick replied.
“Why do our men wear black clothes when they get married?”

Many teachers include independent extracurricular reading in their curriculum. Some people assign reading excerpts from classic works or adapted versions of books, but much better for this purpose are short stories that can be printed and distributed to students, so that they do not have to buy the entire book. After all, everyone knows that reading interesting, well-chosen texts in English is the most effective way to expand your vocabulary. This is done in the following way: as homework, the student receives a short story in English, which he needs to read, translate and comprehend several times. Some teachers also provide audio texts, which allow you to remember, in addition to new words, the correct pronunciation. After appropriate work with the story, the student should, during class, be able to retell the plot of the work, answer questions and take part in a discussion of the content of the story read.
Such work requires a huge number of short and, most importantly, interesting texts in English. Many responsible educators spend incredible amounts of time finding short stories in English that meet these criteria. The works found must, in addition to everything else, be suitable for the level of language proficiency, and naturally, as we noted earlier, arouse interest in reading. As a result, you have to sift through dozens or even thousands of articles, stories, and books to assemble a collection of interesting short texts to read.
On this page we will post links to short texts in English for beginners and those improving their level, selected over a long period of time, for downloading and reading online. Thus, those who are learning the language themselves and want to read interesting works in English, as well as teachers who are preparing for classes, will be able to quickly download short articles, stories and short stories in English without wasting time on lengthy searches for material to study and study.

Texts in English are divided into several categories:

Some of them are also equipped with audio recordings that can be downloaded along with the story. Most of them are adapted, but not all. The content of the texts varies quite a lot in topic; these can be informational articles from the BBC, or individual episodes from the works of Mark Twain, O. Henry, Charles Dickens, Jack London, or short stories by little-known British and American authors.
The list of materials is regularly updated with new works!
Read with pleasure! After all, pleasure from the learning process is the key to quickly obtaining the desired results.

Some users are looking for a specific story in English, on a specific topic, for example about themselves or their family, and do not find them in this section. The fact is that such stories are usually called essays in English or are located in another section of our site. You can also download on our website collection of topics in English and choose the topics that you need.

In addition, you may be interested in complexities, from very simple ones of 200-300 words to more complex ones of 2-4 thousand unique words.

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