Author: Ariel Goodbody
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One-Eyed, Two-Eyed, Three-Eyed (Pre-Intermediate)
There was once an old woman, who had three daughters. The eldest daughter had three eyes, so she was called Three-Eyed. The youngest daughter had one eye, so she was called One-Eyed. The middle daughter had two eyes, so she was called Two-Eyed. Three-Eyed was beautiful, and One-Eyed was very clever, but Two-Eyed was ugly, and not very clever at all. She was, however, very hard-working. Her sisters hated her, because she had two eyes,…
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Little Red Riding Hood
There was an illness in the world. It went everywhere. It went into cities, towns and villages. It went inside houses, inside factories, inside people’s thoughts. The people could not see it, but they felt it. At first, it felt like a light wind. But days passed, and then weeks, and the illness started working. It hit men and women, and made them sick for weeks. It took the old and the weak. Everywhere, people…
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Steal from the Rich and Give to the Poor
Juraj Jánošík was a young man. He grew up in a small villege in Slovakia. His mother died giving birth to him, so his father looked after him. When Juraj turned eighteen, he went to war. ‘Do not worry, Father,’ he said, ‘I will not be gone long.’ But he was at war for three years, and during that time there were three cold winters and three hot summers. Juraj’s father was old and alone,…
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A Letter from God
My name is Hubert Lenartowicz, and this is my story. All the details in it are true. I hope you will believe me. I’m 57 and I grew up in a family of athiests. My father in particular did not believe in God. In addition, he was a police officer in a school for traffic police, as well as a history teacher. In the communist era in Poland it was forbidden for police officers to…
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The Three Languages
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Genre: Children’sSetting: FairytaleNew Vocabulary: Animals, Christianity, Italy, Kings and Queens, Learning Languages, Religion, TreasureWord Count: 1291Original Author: Fairy TalesOnce there was an old man who lived in Switzerland. He was very rich, but his wife had died young. They only had one son, and he was very stupid. His name was Eric. One day, the father said to Eric, ‘Listen, my son. You are not the cleverest in the world. I try to teach you many things, but I can get nothing into your head. It is time for you to leave home.…
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Mia the Witch
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Genre: RomanceSetting: FairytaleNew Vocabulary: Animals, Caves, Fishing, Food, Housework, Kings and Queens, Love, Magic, Making FriendsWord Count: 3881Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyOnce there was a witch called Marabella, who lived in a deep, dark forest. As with most witches, she was not actually evil, but she did magic, and so the people were afraid of her, and whenever there was a storm, or a bad harvest, or a child got sick, they said, ‘It is the witch’s anger!’
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The Little Frog with the Big Mouth (Beginner)
Once there was a little frog. He lived in the forest next to a river. He was very small, about the size of a tennis ball. But his mouth was very big. When he smiled, his smile went from one ear to the other. Everyone called him the Little Frog with the Big Mouth.
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The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage
Once there was a mouse, a bird and a sausage. They were friends. They lived together in a house. Each one had a job. The mouse’s job was to collect water from the river, make the fire and lay the table. The bird’s job was to go to the forest and collect wood for the fire. The sausage’s job was to cook. Every day, each did their job, and they ate dinner together. They were…
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The Brave Little Tailor
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Genre: ComedySetting: FairytaleNew Vocabulary: Animals, Clothes, Competition, Fighting, Food, Kings and Queens, Magic, Making Clothes, SewingWord Count: 2862Original Author: Fairy TalesOnce there was a tailor, who was very brave but quite stupid. He lived alone in a small town, and made and sold clothes all by himself. His business never did quite well, but he was happy, although sometimes he thought about leaving the town.
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The Legend of Lake Toba
A long time ago, in North Sumatra, there lived a poor young man in a valley. He had no parents, but the valley was beautiful, and anything he planted there grew wonderfully. He lived by farming and fishing in the river near his home. The food he made was not special, but he never went hungry.