Short Stories in English for Beginners

1. A Trip to Barcelona Goes Unexpectedly Wrong

‘We’ve arrived in Valencia,’ he replies.

Exciting exchange trip. Daniel and his sister Julia, both Spanish students, are heading to Barcelona for a term abroad. Their supportive parents drive them to the airport, giving them money for the trip. Julia is initially nervous about going somewhere new and not knowing anyone, but Daniel reassures her, mentioning his friend Armando who helps exchange students.

Arrival and a choice. In Barcelona, Daniel's friend Armando meets them and takes them to his flat where they'll stay. Hungry, they ask Armando for restaurant suggestions. He recommends two nearby places: La Paella Loca for paella and a fish restaurant next door. Since Armando has a class, Daniel and Julia decide to split up to try both and compare.

The wrong bus. Julia goes to the fish restaurant, and Daniel heads for the bus station to get to La Paella Loca. He asks for directions and is told the number 35 bus goes there but is usually packed. Tired, Daniel gets on the next bus and falls asleep. He wakes up to find he's on an express bus and has accidentally travelled all the way to Valencia, hours away from Barcelona.

2. The Wrong Bus Leads to a Family Reunion

"Armando, this is your father," I say.

Stranded and disconnected. Daniel is stuck in Valencia with a dead phone battery and no way to contact Julia, whose number is only in his mobile. He finds a phone box but can't remember her number. Hungry, he eats paella alone, finding the situation ironic. He realizes he can call his parents in London, who can then contact Julia to tell her where he is.

A lucky encounter. The next morning, Daniel needs to get back to Barcelona but has little money left. He sees a lorry from La Paella Loca restaurant and asks the driver for a ride. The driver agrees, letting Daniel hide among rice boxes. Inside the dark lorry, Daniel discovers an old man also travelling to Barcelona, hiding from the driver.

A surprising connection. The old man tells Daniel he's going to Barcelona to find his son, Armando, whom he's never met, after being separated from his mother years ago. He mentions Armando lives near La Paella Loca. Daniel realizes this is his friend Armando's father. They arrive in Barcelona, go to Armando's flat, and find it empty. Daniel calls Julia, who is out with Armando, having been worried all night. They return, and Daniel introduces Armando to his long-lost father, Antonio.

3. Hiking Leads to a Strange Creature Encounter

A big hairy creature was standing in the kitchen!

Lake District hike. Sylvia and George, friends who enjoy hiking, decide to explore near Lake Ullswater in the Lake District, England. Sylvia is a bit hesitant about taking a specific path due to local stories about a strange creature, but George, eager for adventure, convinces her.

An old house and a boat. After hiking for a while, they emerge from the woods near the lake and spot an old wooden house and a small boat by the shore. George suggests they take the boat out onto the lake, and Sylvia reluctantly agrees. They row to the middle, enjoy the view, and eat snacks.

Investigating a noise. While on the lake, they hear a noise coming from the old house. George, excited by the mystery, wants to investigate. Sylvia is hesitant, preferring to stick to hiking, but George persuades her. They row back, go to the house, and find it old and dusty, seemingly empty for years. However, they find large footprints on the floor.

4. A Creature Hunt Turns into a Birthday Surprise

‘Happy birthday, Sylvia!’ he said.

The creature revealed. Suddenly, they hear another noise from the kitchen and find a big, hairy creature standing there. It quickly runs out the back door, breaking it. George wants to chase it to get a photo and potentially become famous, but Sylvia is scared. They follow the footprints into the woods anyway.

George disappears. George suggests they split up to search, despite Sylvia's fear. Sylvia agrees but soon concludes they imagined the creature. She sees George heading into a thicket of trees and waits for him. After a long time, he doesn't reappear. Sylvia can't contact anyone as her phone has no service.

A surprising reunion. Worried, Sylvia returns to the old house, then goes to town for help, but can't reach George or other friends. She returns to the house later and sees lights on. She enters and finds her family and friends, who say George is missing because of the creature. They go to search, but Sylvia feels something is wrong and stays behind. The creature appears again, chases her, but then helps her up. It's her father in a costume! It was all a surprise for her birthday, and the old house is her present.

5. A Knight's Dangerous Gold Delivery Mission

‘If you try to take it, we will kill you.’

A knight's quest. Lars, a famous independent knight, arrives in a kingdom ruled by King Andur. He buys two strength potions from a mysterious trader. Using an old scroll, he gains access to the castle and meets King Andur. The king needs someone trustworthy to transport a large amount of gold to his brother, King Arthuren, and Lars accepts the mission.

A dangerous journey. King Andur assigns three of his top guards, led by Alfred, to accompany Lars and protect the gold. Alfred makes it clear that the gold is not Lars's property and they will kill him if he tries to take it. Lars smiles, accepting the terms. They set off with the gold wagon towards King Arthuren's kingdom via the Northern Road.

Mysteries of the path. As they travel, Lars reveals he knows the dangerous path well, having been there before. He tells Alfred about a great battle fought years ago in the Silent Woods between King Andur and King Arthuren over a magic water fountain that gave special powers. The battle destroyed the fountain, turning it into a lake, but Lars hints that the magic water wasn't entirely lost.

6. A Gold Delivery Reveals a Kingdom's Secret

‘If the potion does not work,’ he explained, ‘then the battle at the Silent Woods was not the last one.’

The secret revealed. Lars explains that King Arthuren saved some magic water and learned how to make more. King Andur now pays Arthuren in gold every five years to buy this magic water, which is used to make strength potions for his people. Lars shows Alfred the potions he bought, confirming they are made from this water.

Arrival and a plan. They arrive at King Arthuren's kingdom, which is surprisingly similar to King Andur's, a remnant of a time when they were united. Lars and Alfred meet King Arthuren, and it's clear Lars knows him well. Lars gives Arthuren the strength potions he bought. Alfred is confused, as Arthuren should have his own magic water.

A desperate gamble. Lars reveals the kingdom's secret: Arthuren has run out of magic water. King Andur doesn't know this. Lars and Arthuren plan to try and make new magic water using the potions Lars brought, hoping the magic within them will work. Alfred is angry, realizing the gold was paid for nothing and Lars lied. Lars explains he did it to maintain peace, as Andur finding out would mean war. Arthuren confirms that if the potions don't work, war is inevitable.

7. An Old Watch Holds a Time-Traveling Secret

‘People said that el Kraken could travel through time.’

A watchmaker's find. Carl, a watchmaker living by the sea in Penzance, meets his friend Susan, a security guard, on the beach. Susan shows him a very old, unusual watch she found. Carl, despite his expertise, doesn't recognize it. They go to his workshop to research it.

Pirate legend. In Carl's old books, Susan finds a picture of the watch in a book about Caribbean pirates. The book mentions a famous pirate, Eric el Kraken, who supposedly owned a similar watch with strange powers, allowing him to travel through time. Carl dismisses it as just a legend.

The watch disappears. Suddenly, they hear a noise and find the watch is gone from the workshop. The door is open, and they hear footsteps running away. They chase a man to the beach, where Carl catches him. The man, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, claims to be Eric el Kraken and says the watch is his and he needs it to return to the seventeenth century.

8. A Pirate's Time Machine Causes Chaos

The next thing they knew, the watch was activated.

A trip to the past. Carl and Susan are shocked but intrigued. Eric el Kraken admits he found the watch and doesn't fully understand how it works, only that it transports him forward and back in time. Carl and Susan, wanting adventure, convince Eric to take them back to the seventeenth-century Caribbean with him.

Pirate camp and a battle. They arrive in a pirate camp. Eric introduces them to his crew, including his second-in-command, Frank. Eric surprisingly announces that Carl and Susan will help them win an upcoming battle against English ships, who are trying to get the watch. Carl and Susan are confused and scared, having no fighting skills.

A plan to steal the watch. Frank tells Carl and Susan that Eric is crazy; the pirates are outnumbered 30 to 1 by the English ships and cannot win. He explains the English attack nightly because they want the watch. Frank suggests Carl and Susan steal the watch from Eric to prevent the battle and return to their own time. Susan comes up with a plan: Carl, as a watchmaker, will tell Eric he can use the watch's powers to win the battle, then grab it and run.

9. A Mysterious Quest for Three Numbers

‘I need those three numbers for my mission,’ Walter said.

An old man's mission. Walter, an old, kind man from Scotland, embarks on a mission. He has saved money for travel and needs to visit three places. He carries a picture of an old chest with a lock missing three numbers. His mission is to find these numbers.

First number in Edinburgh. Walter travels to Edinburgh and finds a young man named David in a park, somehow knowing his name. Walter shows David the picture of the chest and asks if he has an old object with one of the missing numbers. David is suspicious but remembers an old necklace he's had since he was a baby. He takes Walter to his garage, finds the necklace, and discovers a number inside. Walter tells David to remember the number, gives him a letter, and leaves for Northern Ireland.

Second number in Belfast. Walter arrives in Belfast and goes to a large, expensive house belonging to Lucy Murray, a successful designer. He asks her about the chest and if she has an object with a number. Lucy is confused at first but, after seeing the picture of the chest, remembers a similar old necklace. She takes Walter to a private museum next to her house, finds the necklace, and discovers a number inside. Walter takes the number, gives Lucy a letter, and leaves for London, telling her to remember the number and read the letter.

10. A Mysterious Quest Unites a Lost Family

The three of you … you are siblings.

Third number in London. Walter travels to London and finds a young man named Alan living in a simple, traditional house near a boat rental shop. Walter asks to speak to him. He notices Alan is wearing a ring with a number on it. Alan says it was a gift from his childhood, possibly originally a necklace. Walter realizes this is the third number.

An invitation to Scotland. Walter shows Alan the chest picture, explains he needs the three numbers, and that Alan is one of the people who has one. He gives Alan a letter, tells him to read it, and says he'll see him soon. Alan reads the letter, which is addressed to David, Lucy, and Alan. It explains that the individual numbers mean nothing but together open the chest at Walter's home in Scotland, inviting them to meet him there in three days.

The chest and the truth. David, Lucy, and Alan, having read their identical letters, meet in Edinburgh and go to Walter's house. Walter welcomes them. They go to a room with the chest. They use their numbers to open the lock. Inside, they find things and another letter. David reads the letter aloud. It reveals they were all adopted, are siblings, and Walter is their uncle. Their parents died in an accident when they were young, and Walter had to put them up for adoption but wanted to reunite them as adults.

11. A Strange Capsule Lands on a Farm

‘A capsule has landed on my farm, Emperor.’

Interstellar conflict. Centuries in the future, humanity has colonized other planets, leading to wars between two main empires: the Earthlings and the Kalkians. Emperor Valior, the ruthless ruler of the Earthlings, is meeting with his ministers, including his trusted advisor Aldin, discussing the economic strain of the war.

An unexpected arrival. A woman named Kira interrupts the meeting, reporting that a Kalkian space capsule has landed on her farm. Emperor Valior, intrigued, sends Aldin and guards with Kira to investigate. Kira, whose husband died in the war, is hesitant to reveal details about the capsule.

A child discovered. At the farm, they find the capsule on its side, open. Kira admits she lied about not looking inside. Aldin approaches and discovers a young girl inside,
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Last updated: September 4, 2025