Emma worked as a librarian in a small town. She loved her quiet job and knew all the regular visitors. One morning, she found a folded note on her desk. 'Look behind the old clock at midnight,' the note said. There was no signature on the paper. Emma felt curious but also a little nervous. She showed the note to her colleague, Tom. Tom laughed and said it was probably a joke. But Emma could not stop thinking about it. That evening, she stayed late at the library. The old clock stood in the corner of the main hall. It had not worked for many years. Emma waited until midnight approached. Her heart beat faster as the hours passed. Finally, the clock's hands pointed to twelve. She walked slowly toward the dusty clock. Behind it, she found a small wooden box. Inside the box was an old photograph. The photograph showed the library from many years ago. There were three people standing in front of it. Emma recognized one of them as her grandmother. She felt surprised and confused at the same time. Who had left this message for her? The next day, Emma asked her mother about the photograph. Her mother explained that grandmother had worked at this library. She had been one of the original founders. Emma had never known this family history. But who knew about this connection? A week later, another note appeared on her desk. 'The garden bench holds more secrets,' this one said. Emma went to the small garden behind the library. Under the old bench, she found another box. This box contained letters written by her grandmother. The letters described the library's early days. They also mentioned a hidden time capsule. Emma's excitement grew with each discovery. She followed the clues for several more weeks. Each note led her to a new piece of history. She learned about the town's past through these treasures. Finally, she found the time capsule buried near the entrance. Inside were old books, photographs, and a journal. The journal was written by her grandmother. On the last page, there was a recent note. 'Welcome to our family's legacy, Emma,' it said. The handwriting looked familiar to her. She realized it belonged to her aunt Clara. Aunt Clara had wanted Emma to discover her roots. Emma smiled and felt grateful for the anonymous messages.
English Story (A2)The Anonymous Message
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Emma, a librarian, discovers mysterious notes leading her to family secrets and a time capsule. She learns her grandmother was one of the library's founders and that her aunt Clara orchestrated this journey to help Emma discover her roots.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did the first anonymous note tell Emma to do?
2
What did Emma find inside the wooden box behind the clock?
3
What was Emma's grandmother's connection to the library?
4
Who was actually sending the anonymous messages to Emma?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
