L1 – Beginner

Stories for beginner-level students, equivalent to CEFR A1-A2.

Simon’s New Job

Simon gets a new job, but everything goes wrong. He doesn’t wear enough deodorant and smells at work. He tries walking, taking the bus, the train, a taxi, but he always gets there too early or too late. One day, it all becomes too much…

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The Piper of Hamelin (Beginner)

Rats come to the town of Hamelin, three times as big as normal rats. The townspeople don’t know what to do. But then a piper comes to town and says he can get rid of the rats with his music. The only problem? The price! But when the mayor refuses to pay him, the piper plays a different kind of music…

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The King’s New Clothes (Beginner)

There is a king who loves only his clothes. One day, two brothers come to town and say that they can make magic clothes for the king. If you are stupid or bad at your job, you can’t see the clothes. But what happens when the king can’t see them?

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Eyes, Teeth and Toenails

Ken finally has his holiday. But his eyes hurt! Maybe watching TV will help. Lisa loves brushing her teeth – she does it EVERYWHERE. But what will happen when she goes to the dentist? Vladimir has beautiful, long toenails… but does his boss agree?

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The Pancake Man

Francis’s mother dies, and his father gets very sad. One day, Francis’s father starts making pancakes. Francis loves the pancakes, so his dad makes bigger and bigger pancakes. But maybe they’re too big…

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The Perfect Pet (Beginner)

Rory has always wanted a pet, but his parents don’t like animals. When Rory finishes university, he decides to get a pet. First, he gets a dog, but then things start going wrong…

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks goes into the forest and gets lost. She finds a house with porridge by the window, and it smells so good… The old man who lives there would want her to go and eat it, wouldn’t he?

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Whose Child Is It?

Two women come to the king with a baby. Both say that the baby is theirs. Who is the real mother? The king must decide.

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The Boy Who Knew No Fear (Beginner)

One day, a young man called Anders hears his brother say, ‘Oh, those scary stories make me shudder!’

‘I wonder what it means to shudder?’ Anders thinks, and he goes out on a journey to find out.

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Hector the Snail

Hector is a snail, so of course he’s very slow. But he dreams of becoming fast. He decides to find a wizard and ask the wizard to swap his body with an ostrich’s. What could go wrong? Well, a lot, actually…

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