B1 English Stories
Page 2 of 4 • 66 stories total
Rapunzel
In this classic fairy tale, a desperate father steals rapunzel lettuce from a witch's garden to satisfy his pregnant wife's cravings. As payment, the witch takes their newborn daughter and names her Rapunzel. The girl is locked away in a doorless tower, where only her extraordinarily long golden hair provides access. When a prince discovers her and they fall in love, they devise an escape plan. However, Rapunzel accidentally reveals their secret, leading to her banishment and the prince's blindness. After years of wandering, he finds Rapunzel in the wilderness with their twin children, and her tears miraculously restore his sight, reuniting the family.
Jack and the Beanstalk
A poor boy named Jack trades his family's only cow for magic beans. When his angry mother throws them out, they grow into a giant beanstalk reaching the clouds. Jack climbs up three times to a giant's castle, stealing gold, a hen that lays golden eggs, and a magical harp. On his third adventure, the giant chases him down, but Jack cuts down the beanstalk just in time, defeating the giant and securing his family's wealth forever.
The Little Mermaid
A young mermaid princess falls in love with a human prince she saves from drowning. She trades her beautiful voice to a sea witch for human legs, hoping to win his love. When the prince marries another woman he believes saved him, the mermaid chooses not to harm him. Her selfless love transforms her into a spirit of the air, destined to earn an immortal soul through good deeds.
Beauty and the Beast
A merchant's daughter named Belle sacrifices herself to save her father by living with a terrifying Beast. Through kindness and patience, Belle discovers the Beast's gentle heart, and her love breaks a curse, transforming him back into a prince.
Rumpelstiltskin
A poor miller falsely boasts to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king locks the girl in a room full of straw and demands she spin it into gold or face punishment. A mysterious little man appears and offers to help in exchange for her valuables. When she has nothing left to give, she promises him her first child. She becomes queen and later tries to keep her child when the little man returns. He gives her three days to guess his name. A messenger discovers the name 'Rumpelstiltskin' and the queen saves her child.
Quitting Sugar
After a doctor's warning about high blood sugar, Sara decides to quit eating sugar completely. The first weeks are difficult with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but she replaces sweets with fruits and stays determined. After a month, she notices improved energy, clearer skin, and better sleep. Two years later, Sara lives sugar-free and shares her experience through a blog, inspiring others to make healthier choices.
Mental Health Day
Sophie, a marketing manager, wakes up exhausted after weeks of overwork. She remembers her therapist's advice about mental health being as important as physical health and decides to take a mental health day. Despite initial guilt, she spends the day reconnecting with herself - sleeping in, cooking a proper breakfast, walking in the park, visiting her favorite coffee shop, and talking with her mother. She reads, takes a bath, and writes in her journal. The experience helps her realize she had been ignoring her own needs. Sophie returns to work with a new perspective, setting boundaries and scheduling regular mental health days, inspiring her colleagues with her positive change.
The Hospital Visit
Sarah receives an early morning call that her grandmother has fallen and broken her hip. She rushes to the hospital where she learns the emergency surgery was successful. Throughout the day, Sarah stays by her grandmother's side, bringing comfort items from home and helping her rest. The doctor explains the recovery process, including physical therapy. When Sarah's parents arrive in the evening, the family makes plans to support the grandmother's rehabilitation together.
Learning Meditation
Thomas is a stressed software developer who cannot sleep well and constantly thinks about work. His colleague Sarah suggests meditation. Despite initial skepticism, Thomas starts using a meditation app. After struggling with wandering thoughts at first, he gradually learns to focus on his breathing. Within a month, Thomas experiences better sleep, fewer headaches, and improved concentration. Six months later, he meditates daily and has joined a meditation group, finally finding peace in his busy life.
Starting a Business
Maria, a software engineer, decided to leave her stable job to start her own business. She created an app to help small businesses manage their finances. The first year was challenging with only a few users, but she listened to feedback and improved her product. Eventually, an investor funded her company, allowing her to hire more people and grow. Five years later, Maria's company had fifty employees and thousands of customers, proving that taking risks and persevering through difficulties can lead to success.
Moving to a New City
Sarah leaves her hometown for a new marketing job in Berlin, facing loneliness and challenges before finding friends through a language exchange group and building a new life.
The Empty Nest
When their youngest daughter Emma leaves for university, Maria and David face the empty nest. After years of focusing on their children, they rediscover themselves and each other. Maria returns to painting, David reduces his work hours, and together they build a new chapter in their marriage.
Retirement Day
Margaret, a dedicated nurse, experiences her last day at the hospital after thirty-five years of service. She receives heartfelt goodbyes from colleagues and patients, including a plaque honoring her career. At home, surrounded by family, she realizes retirement is not an ending but the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Cultural Misunderstanding
Emma, an American woman, moves to Munich for work and experiences various cultural misunderstandings as she adapts to German life. From using first names too casually at work to forgetting to greet shopkeepers, Emma learns that German culture values formality, punctuality, and respect for personal space. With help from her colleague Claudia, who becomes her close friend, Emma gradually understands the unwritten rules of German society. She learns that directness is a sign of honesty, not rudeness, and that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. After a year, Emma feels at home in Germany and starts a blog to help other expats navigate cultural differences, realizing that such differences are opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
The Forgotten Room
Sarah inherits her grandmother's old house and discovers a hidden room in the attic. Inside, she finds paintings, letters, and photographs revealing that her grandmother had a twin sister named Eleanor who died during an expedition. Through the diary and letters, Sarah learns about the deep bond between the twins and why her family kept Eleanor's existence a secret. She decides to restore the forgotten room and preserve the memory of both her grandmother and Eleanor.
The Secret Code
Emma, a librarian in the small town of Riverside, discovers a mysterious coded message hidden in an old book from 1892. Using her puzzle-solving skills, she deciphers the book cipher and learns it points to a treasure buried beneath an ancient oak tree. With her friend Marcus, she unearths a metal box containing gold coins, photographs, and letters from town founder William Hartford. Instead of keeping the treasure, Emma donates the historical items to the local museum and creates a scholarship in Hartford's name, inspiring renewed interest in the town's history.
Save the Planet
After watching a documentary about climate change, Emma decides to make a difference. Together with her friends Leo and Mia, she creates an environmental club that organizes park cleanups, plants trees, and starts recycling programs. Their efforts inspire the whole community to work together for a greener future.
Adopting a Pet
Sarah, feeling lonely in her small apartment, visits an animal shelter after her friend's encouragement. While looking at various dogs, she discovers Luna, a gentle brown and white dog whose previous owner had to give her up. They share an instant connection, and Sarah decides to adopt her. As weeks pass, Luna brings joy, companionship, and purpose into Sarah's life, transforming her daily routine. On the anniversary of the adoption, Sarah visits the shelter to donate and volunteer, grateful for the unexpected bond that changed both their lives.