Shadowing Practice: 20 Short Moral Stories || Graded Reader || Read & Learn English #shorts - Learn English Speaking with Video
Elige un modo de práctica
Cada modo abre una sala de práctica a pantalla completa.
693 oraciones
Si las oraciones son demasiado cortas o largas, haz clic en Editar para ajustarlas.
1
Welcome to Read and Learn English, the place where stories help you grow your English and your mind.
2
In today's video, we're bringing you 20 short moral stories that are simple, meaningful, and easy to understand.
3
Each story is designed to not only teach you an important life lesson,
4
but also help you practice real English in a fun and natural way.
5
These stories are perfect for learners who want to improve vocabulary,
6
grammar, and listening skills, all while enjoying thoughtful and inspiring messages.
7
Whether you're a beginner or just looking for easy English practice, this video is made for you.
8
As you listen, try to repeat some sentences out loud.
9
It's a great way to build your confidence and improve your speaking.
10
And of course, each story comes with a strong message that you can use in your daily life.
11
If you enjoy this kind of content, don't forget to subscribe to Read and Learn English for more videos like this,
12
with stories, conversations, and simple English lessons every week.
13
Now let's begin with our first story.
14
Seventeen Camels and Three Suns Long ago,
15
there lived an old man with his three sons in a deserted village located in the vicinity of a desert.
16
He had seventeen camels, and they were the main source of his income.
17
He used to rent out camels as a means of shipping in the desert.
18
One day he passed away.
19
He had left a will, leaving his assets for his three sons.
20
After the funeral and the other obligations were over, the three sons read the will.
21
While their father had divided all the property he had into three equal parts, he had divided the seventeen camels in a different way.
22
They were not shared equally among the three, as seventeen is an odd number and a prime number, which cannot be divided.
23
The old man had stated that the eldest son will own half of the seventeen camels,
24
the middle one will get one -third of the seventeen camels, and the youngest one will get his share of camels as one -ninth.
25
All of them were stunned to read the will
26
and questioned each other how to divide the seventeen camels as mentioned in the will.
27
It is not possible to divide seventeen camels and give half of the seventeen camels to the eldest one.
28
It is not possible also to divide the camels for the other two sons.
29
They spent several days thinking of ways to divide the camels as mentioned in the will, but none could find the answer.
30
They finally took the issue to the wise man in their village.
31
The wise man heard the problem and instantly found a solution.
32
He asked them to bring all the seventeen camels to him.
33
The sons brought the camels to the wise man's place.
34
The wise man added a camel owned by him and made the total number of camels eighteen.
35
Now, he asked the first son to read the will.
36
As per the will, the eldest son got half the camels, which now counted to eighteen, divided by two, equals nine camels.
37
The eldest one got nine camels as his share.
38
The remaining camels were nine.
39
The wise man asked the second son to read the will.
40
He was assigned one -third of the total camels.
41
It came to eighteen, divided by three, equals six camels.
42
The second son got six camels as his share.
43
Total number of camels shared by the elder sons.
44
Nine plus six equals fifteen camels.
45
The third son read out his share of camels.
46
One -ninth of the total number of camels.
47
Eighteen -ninths equals two camels.
48
The youngest one got two camels as his share.
49
Totally there were nine plus six plus two camels shared by the brothers, which counted to seventeen camels.
50
Now the one camel added by the wise man was taken back.
51
The wise man solved this problem smartly with his intelligence.
52
Intelligence is nothing but finding a common ground to solve an issue.
53
In short, every problem has a solution.
54
A Merchant and His Donkey One beautiful spring morning,
55
a merchant loaded his donkey with bags of salt to go to the market, in order to sell the salt.
56
The merchant and his donkey were walking along together.
57
They had not walked far when they reached a river on the way.
58
Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river.
59
As it scrambled up the bank of the river, it noticed that the bags of salt loaded on his back had become lighter.
60
There was nothing the merchant could do except return home, where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt.
61
As they reached the slippery riverbank again, the donkey fell into the river, this time deliberately.
62
Thus, the salt was wasted again.
63
By now, the merchant knew the donkey's trick.
64
He wanted to teach the animal a lesson.
65
As he returned home the second time with the donkey, the merchant loaded bags of sponges on its back.
66
The duo set out on their trip to the market a third time.
67
On reaching the river, the donkey very cleverly fell into the water again.
68
But now, instead of the load becoming lighter, it became heavier.
69
The merchant laughed at the donkey and said, You foolish donkey, your trick has been discovered.
70
You should know that you cannot fool anyone too many times.
71
Change yourself and not the world.
72
Long ago, people lived happily under the rule of a king.
73
The people of the kingdom were very happy as they led a very prosperous life with an abundance of wealth
74
and no misfortunes.
75
Once, the king decided to go visiting places of historical importance and pilgrim centers at distant places.
76
He decided to travel by foot to interact with his people.
77
People of distant places were very happy to have a conversation with their king.
78
They were proud that their king had a kind heart.
79
After several weeks of travel, the king returned to the palace.
80
He was quite happy that he had visited many pilgrim centers and witnessed his people leading a prosperous life.
81
However, he had one regret.
82
He had intolerable pain in his feet as it was his first trip by foot, covering a long distance.
83
He complained to his ministers that the roads weren't comfortable and that they were very stony.
84
He could not tolerate the pain.
85
He said that he was very much worried about the people who had to walk along those roads, as it would be painful for them too.
86
Considering all this, he ordered his servants to cover the roads in the whole country with leather,
87
so that the people of his kingdom can walk comfortably.
88
The king's ministers were stunned to hear his order as it would mean
89
that thousands of cows would have to be slaughtered in order to get sufficient quantity of leather
90
and it would cost a huge amount of money also.
91
Finally, a wise man from the ministry came to the king and said that he had another idea.
92
The king asked what the alternative was.
93
The minister said, Instead of covering the roads with leather,
94
why don't you just have a piece of leather cut in appropriate shape to cover your feet?
95
The king was very much surprised by his suggestion and applauded the wisdom of the minister.
96
He ordered a pair of leather shoes for himself and requested all his countrymen also to wear shoes.
97
Moral.
98
Instead of trying to change the world, we should try to change ourselves.
99
Unhelpful friends.
100
Bunny Rabbit lived in the forest.
101
He had many friends.
102
He was proud of his friends.
103
One day, Bunny Rabbit heard the loud barking of wild dogs.
104
He was very scared.
105
He decided to ask for help.
106
He quickly went to his friend deer.
107
He said, dear friend, some wild dogs are chasing me.
108
Can you chase them away with your sharp antlers?
109
The deer said, that is right, I can.
110
But now I am busy.
111
Why don't you ask
112
Bear for help?
113
Bunny Rabbit ran to the bear.
114
My dear friend, you are very strong.
115
Please help me.
116
Some wild dogs are after me.
117
Please chase them away, he requested to the bear.
118
The bear replied, I am sorry.
119
I am hungry and tired.
120
I need to find some food.
121
Please ask the monkey for help.
122
Poor Bunny went to the monkey, the elephant, the goat, and all his other friends.
123
Bunny felt sad that nobody was ready to help him.
124
He understood that he had to think of a way out by himself.
125
He hid under a bush.
126
He lay very still.
127
The wild dogs did not find the bunny.
128
They went chasing other animals.
129
Bunny Rabbit learned that he had to learn to survive by himself, not depending on his unhelpful friends.
130
Moral, it is better to rely on yourself than depend on others.
131
Greedy Boy Sam and Tom were identical twins.
132
They were so identical that even their mother found it difficult to distinguish one from the other, at least during their initial days on Earth.
133
However, they were very different from each other when it came to everything other than their appearance.
134
Sam had no friends, while Tom was a great friendship maker.
135
Sam loved sweets, but Tom loved spicy food and detested sweets.
136
Sam was mommy's pet, and Tom was daddy's pet.
137
While Sam was generous and selfless, Tom was greedy and selfish.
138
As Sam and Tom grew up, their father wanted to share his fortune equally amongst them.
139
However, Tom did not agree,
140
and he argued that whoever proved to be more intelligent and strong would have to get a bigger share of the wealth.
141
Sam agreed.
142
Their father decided to organize a competition between the two.
143
He asked the two sons to walk as long as they could and return home before sunset.
144
The wealth would be divided in proportion to the distance covered.
145
As a rule of the competition, they were not permitted to carry a watch to keep track of the time.
146
The following day, Sam and Tom set out to walk.
147
It was a rather sunny day.
148
Sam walked slowly and steadily, while Tom broke into a sprint as he was bent on winning the race
149
and also winning a greater portion of his father's wealth.
150
Sam knew that it would be ideal to walk as far as possible till noon, and start for home at noon,
151
as it would take the same amount of time to walk back home.
152
Knowing this, Sam decided to turn back for home at noon, so as reach home on time.
153
However, Tom, with his greed to earn more wealth, did not attempt to return home even after midnoon.
154
He walked twice as long as Sam and thought he would still be able to return home before sunset.
155
He hurried back when he saw the sun turn orange.
156
Unfortunately, he could not even make it halfway home as the sun started to set.
157
Slowly darkness engulfed his path, and he had to drag his tired feet back home.
158
He had lost the race.
159
Only because of his greed.
160
Greed leads to loss.
161
Strong or weak.
162
There was a proud teak tree in the forest.
163
He was tall and strong.
164
There was a small herb next to the tree.
165
The teak tree said, I am very handsome and strong.
166
No one can defeat me.
167
Hearing this, the herb replied, dear friend, too much pride is harmful.
168
Even the strong will fall one day.
169
The teak ignored the herb's words.
170
He continued to praise himself.
171
A strong wind blew.
172
The teak stood firmly.
173
Even when it rained, the teak stood strong by spreading its leaves.
174
During these times, the herb bowed low.
175
The teak made fun of the herb.
176
One day, there was a storm in the forest.
177
The herb bowed low.
178
As usual, the teak did not want to bow.
179
The storm kept growing stronger.
180
The teak could no longer bear it.
181
He felt his strength giving way.
182
He tried his best to stand upright, but in the end, he fell down.
183
That was the end of the proud tree.
184
When everything was calm again, the herb stood straight.
185
He looked around.
186
He saw that the proud teak had fallen.
187
Moral, pride goes before a fall.
188
The Crystal Ball In the south of Spain, there was a small village whose people were very joyful.
189
The children played under the shades of trees in the gardens of their homes.
190
A shepherd boy named Nasir stayed near the village with his father, mother, and grandmother.
191
Each morning, he took his herd of goats up the hills to find a suitable place for them to graze.
192
In the afternoon, he would return with them to the village.
193
Each night his grandmother would tell him a story, the story of stars.
194
This story really interested Nasir.
195
On one of those days, as Nasir was watching his herd and playing his flute, he suddenly saw a wonderful light behind a flower bush.
196
When he approached the bush, he saw a transparent and very beautiful crystal ball.
197
The crystal ball was glittering like a colorful rainbow.
198
Nasir carefully took it in his hand and turned it around.
199
With surprise, suddenly, he heard a weak voice coming from the crystal ball.
200
It said, You can make a wish that your heart desires, and I will fulfill it.
201
Nasir could not believe that he had actually heard a voice.
202
When he made sure that he had indeed heard that voice from the crystal ball, he was very confused.
203
He had so many wishes that he could not decide upon one particular wish.
204
He said to himself, if I wait till tomorrow, I will remember many things.
205
Then I will make my wish.
206
He put the crystal ball in a bag, and gathering the herd, happily returned to the village.
207
He decided that he would not tell anyone about the crystal ball.
208
On the following day also, Nasir could not decide what to wish for, because he really had everything he needed.
209
The days passed as usual, but Nasir was still unable to make his wish.
210
But he appeared to be very cheerful.
211
The people around him were amazed to see the change in his disposition.
212
One day, a boy followed Nasir and his herd and hid behind a tree.
213
Nasir, as usual, sat in one corner, took out the crystal ball, and for a few moments looked at it.
214
The boy waited for the moment when Nasir would go to sleep.
215
When Nasir did fall asleep after a while, the boy took the crystal ball and ran away.
216
When he arrived at the village, he called all the people and showed them the crystal ball.
217
The citizens of that village took the crystal ball in their hands and turned it around with surprise.
218
Suddenly, they heard a voice from inside the crystal ball, which said, I can fulfill your wish.
219
One person took the ball and screamed, I want one bag full of gold.
220
Another took the ball and said loudly, I want two chests full of jewelry.
221
Some of them wished
222
that they would have their own palace with a grand door made from pure gold instead of their old houses.
223
Some others wished for bags full of jewelry.
224
All their wishes were fulfilled, but still the citizens of the village were not happy.
225
They were jealous because the person that had a palace had no gold, and the person that had the gold had no palace.
226
For this reason, the citizens of the village were angry with each other and stopped speaking to each other.
227
The gardens in the village where children used to play were no more.
228
There were palaces and gold everywhere.
229
The children became terribly unhappy.
230
Only Nasir and his family were happy and contented.
231
Every morning and afternoon he would play the flute.
232
One day, the children of the village took the crystal ball to Nasir.
233
The children said to Nasir, When we had a small village, we all were happy and joyful.
234
The parents also spoke.
235
They said, In one way or another, all of us are unhappy.
236
The luxurious palaces and jewelry only bring us pain.
237
When Nasir saw that the people were really regretful, he said, Even though the crystal ball asked me to wish for something,
238
I have not done it so far.
239
But if you really want everything to return to its own place, then I will wish for it.
240
Everyone happily agreed.
241
Nasir took the crystal ball in his hand, turned it around, and wished that the village would become the same as it was before.
242
In a moment the palaces disappeared, the green gardens appeared, and the same old village full of trees was there.
243
Once again, the people started to live happily, and the children played under the shade of trees.
244
Nasir continued his contented life every day, playing his flute at sunset.
245
Its sweet sound was heard throughout the beautiful green village.
246
Moral.
247
We should be happy with whatever we have and not be greedy.
248
The Devoted Mother A mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way to a lake one day.
249
The ducklings were very happy following their mother and quack quacking along the way.
250
All of a sudden, the mother duck saw a fox at a distance.
251
She was frightened and shouted, children, hurry to the lake.
252
There's a fox.
253
The ducklings hurried towards the lake.
254
The mother duck wondered what to do.
255
Then she began to walk back and forth, dragging one wing on the ground.
256
Short stories devoted mother.
257
To when the fox saw her, he became happy.
258
He said to himself, it seems she's hurt and can't fly.
259
I can easily catch and eat her.
260
He ran towards her.
261
The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from the lake.
262
The fox followed her.
263
Now he wouldn't be able to harm her ducklings.
264
The mother duck looked towards her ducklings and saw that they had reached the lake.
265
She was relieved, so she stopped and took a deep breath.
266
The fox thought that she was tired and he came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread her wings and rose up in the air.
267
She landed in the middle of the lake and her duckling swam to her.
268
The fox stared in disbelief at the mother duck and her ducklings.
269
The mother duck had tricked him cleverly.
270
Now he could not reach them because they were in the middle of the lake.
271
The greedy mouse.
272
A greedy mouse saw a basket full of corn.
273
He wanted to eat it.
274
So he made a small hole in the basket.
275
He squeezed in through the hole.
276
He ate a lot of corn.
277
He felt full and was very happy.
278
Now he wanted to come out.
279
He tried to come out through the small hole.
280
He could not.
281
His belly was full.
282
He tried again.
283
But it was of no use.
284
The mouse started crying.
285
A rabbit was passing by.
286
It heard the mouse's cry and asked, Why are you crying, my friend?
287
The mouse explained, I made a small hole and came into the basket to eat the corn.
288
Now I am not able to get out through that hole.
289
The rabbit said, It is because you ate too much.
290
Wait till your belly shrinks.
291
The rabbit laughed and went away.
292
Short Stories, Greedy Mouse The mouse fell asleep in the basket.
293
The next morning his belly had shrunk, but he wanted to eat some more corn.
294
He forgot all about getting out of the basket, so he ate the corn and his belly was really big again.
295
After eating, the mouse remembered that he had to escape, but obviously he could not.
296
So he thought, oh, now I will go out tomorrow.
297
The cat was the next passerby.
298
He smelt the mouse in the basket.
299
He lifted its lid and ate the mouse.
300
The ant and the grasshopper.
301
One summer's day, in a field, a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content.
302
An ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to his nest.
303
Why don't you come and chat with me, asked the grasshopper, instead of toiling your life away.
304
I am helping to store up food for the winter, said the ant, and I recommend you to do the same.
305
Why bother about winter, said the grasshopper.
306
We have got plenty of food at present.
307
Short stories, but the ant went on its way and continued its toil.
308
When winter came, the grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing,
309
every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in summer.
310
Then the grasshopper knew, moral, work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
311
The Hare and the Tortoise There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run.
312
Tired of hearing him boast, the tortoise challenged him to a race.
313
All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.
314
The hare ran down the road for a while and then paused to rest.
315
He looked back at the tortoise and cried out, how do you expect to win this race
316
when you are walking along at your slow slow pace the hare stretched himself out alongside the road
317
and fell asleep thinking there is plenty of time to relax the hare
318
and the tortoise story the tortoise walked and walked never ever stopping until he came to the finish line.
319
The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise that they woke up the hare.
320
The hare stretched, yawned, and began to run again, but it was too late.
321
Tortoise had already crossed the finish line.
322
Moral.
323
Slow and steady wins the race.
324
This is the story that we have all grown up with.
325
But recently, two editions have been proposed to the story.
326
Edition 1.
327
After being defeated by the tortoise, the hare did some soul -searching.
328
He knew that though he had tried hard in the beginning, he was not consistent and had grown overconfident.
329
He was determined to undo his mistakes and invited tortoise for another race.
330
This time, the rabbit was careful to run the whole distance, and of course, emerged the winner.
331
Moral.
332
Fast and consistent may be better than slow and steady.
333
Addition 2 Well, after emerging the loser in the second race, the tortoise thought long and hard.
334
He knew that in any traditional terrain, the hare would win if he was fast and consistent.
335
Therefore, he thought of a non -traditional terrain for the race.
336
Then he invited the rabbit for another race.
337
This time, the rabbit laughed out loud, thinking that the tortoise was out of his head.
338
But the tortoise insisted that there should be another race and the terrain would be decided by the tortoise.
339
The rabbit agreed to the idea.
340
The race began.
341
The rabbit was leading in front with the tortoise far back trundling along.
342
Around halfway through the race, they came across a river.
343
The rabbit halted on the bank of the river, wondering how to cross the river.
344
Meanwhile, the tortoise approached the river slowly, got into the water, swam across, climbed up on the other bank,
345
ran the last few kilometers, and won the race.
346
Moral.
347
When your capabilities are below par, choose a playing ground that gives you a natural advantage.
348
Proud red rose.
349
One beautiful spring day, a red rose blossomed in a forest.
350
As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, what a beautiful flower.
351
I wish I was that lovely.
352
Another tree said, dear pine, do not be sad.
353
We cannot have everything.
354
The rose turned and remarked, it seems that I am the most beautiful flower in this forest.
355
A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, why do you say that?
356
In this forest there are many beautiful flowers.
357
You are just one of them.
358
The red rose replied, I see everyone looking at me and admiring me.
359
Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, look at that ugly plant full of thorns.
360
The pine tree said, red rose, what kind of talk is this?
361
Who can say what beauty is?
362
You have thorns too.
363
The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, I thought you had good taste.
364
You do not know what beauty is at all.
365
You cannot compare my thorns to that of the cactus.
366
What a proud flower, thought the trees.
367
The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move.
368
As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things like, this plant is useless.
369
How sorry I am to be his neighbor.
370
The cactus never got upset and even tried to advise the rose saying, God did not create any form of life without a purpose.
371
Spring passed, and the weather became very warm.
372
Life became difficult in the forest, as there was no rain.
373
The red rose began to wilt.
374
One day, the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus, and then fly away, refreshed.
375
This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing.
376
The pine tree explained that the birds were getting water from the cactus.
377
Does it not hurt when they make holes?
378
asked the rose.
379
Short stories.
380
Sparrow.
381
Yes, but the cactus does not like to see the birds suffer, replied the pine.
382
The rose opened its eyes in wonder and exclaimed, the cactus has water?
383
Yes, you can also drink from it.
384
The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help.
385
The red rose felt too ashamed to ask for water from the cactus, but finally it did ask for help.
386
The cactus kindly agreed.
387
The birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose's roots.
388
Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.
389
The Rope The night fell heavy on the heights of the mountains, and the man could not see anything.
390
There was zero visibility.
391
The moon and the stars were covered by the clouds.
392
When he was just a few feet below the top of the mountain, he slipped and fell into the air, falling at great speed.
393
He could see only black spots as he went down, and feel the terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.
394
He kept falling, and in those moments of great fear, all the good and bad episodes of his life came to his mind.
395
He was thinking now about how close death was getting,
396
when all of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard.
397
His body was hanging in the air.
398
Only the rope was holding him.
399
In that moment of stillness, he had no choice other than to scream, Help me, God!
400
All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the sky answered, What do you want me to do?
401
Save me, God.
402
Do you really think I can save you?
403
Of course, I believe you can.
404
Then cut the rope tied to your waist.
405
There was a moment of silence.
406
The moment passed, and the man decided to hold on to the rope with all his strength.
407
The rescue team says that the next day the climber was found dead and frozen,
408
his body hanging from a rope and his hands holding it tight.
409
He was only one foot away from the ground.
410
How attached are we to our ropes?
411
Will we let them go?
412
Don't ever doubt God.
413
God.
414
We should have enough faith to cut the rope, if that is what God tells us to do,
415
even when it seems to be the most foolish thing to do.
416
The Tree and the Travelers Once,
417
there was a huge tree with a broad trunk and innumerable branches right in the middle of a dry land.
418
The tree gave rest and shelter to hundreds and thousands of travelers.
419
Being located near four towns and many villages, the tree was an ideal meeting point for travelers.
420
One day, two travelers reached the tree after a long time of walking.
421
Their destination was one of the towns nearby.
422
It was a hot and sunny day, and the travelers were very happy to take a rest under the tree.
423
Exhausted, they slumped under the tree.
424
They slept for a while, enjoying the cool shade and the soft breeze.
425
After a while, one of the traveler got hungry.
426
They had no food with them.
427
The hungry traveler looked up at the tree to see if there was any fruit.
428
Finding none, he began to curse the tree.
429
Oh, this is just a useless tree and it has nothing to feed us, not even a fruit or even nuts.
430
It is of no use.
431
The other traveler comforted him and asked him to stay cool.
432
However, the hungry man continuing cursing the tree, the tree which could not tolerate the cursing words of the traveler,
433
said in a sad yet strong voice, You can't be so ungrateful to me.
434
Just think of your condition when you reached here in the hot and dry sun.
435
I offered you a cool and comfortable place to rest and sleep with a soothing breeze.
436
If I was not here, you would have died now.
437
I saved your life from the hot sun, but you humiliate me.
438
The traveler realized his mistake and apologized to the tree.
439
Be grateful for your blessings.
440
The Three Cows Once, three cows lived in a green and fresh pasture near a forest,
441
a white cow, a black cow, and a reddish -brown cow.
442
The cows were kind to each other.
443
They used to graze in the meadow together and sleep near each other.
444
One day, a reddish -brown lion happened to take a stroll out of the forest onto the meadow.
445
It was hungry and looking for a prey.
446
On catching sight of the cows, it became glad, but couldn't attack them because they were together.
447
So the lion sat behind a boulder and patiently waited till the cows would separate from each other.
448
However, the cows were too clever to separate from each other.
449
They knew that if they were together, no predator could attack them.
450
The lion lay in ambush nearby for two or three days, but the cows continued to remain together and wouldn't separate from each other.
451
The lion became impatient.
452
It thought of a plan.
453
It went towards the cows, greeted them, and said, How are you, my friends?
454
Are you fine?
455
I have been busy lately, so could not come and visit you.
456
Today I made up my mind to pay you a visit.
457
The reddish -brown cow said, Sir, your coming has really pleased us and brightened our pasture.
458
Both the white and the black cows were troubled by what their friend, the reddish -brown cow, said, and were grieved at its thoughtlessness.
459
They said to each other, Why does the reddish -brown cow believe what the lion says?
460
Doesn't it know that lions seek other animals only to prey on them?
461
As the days passed by, the reddish -brown cow became more and more attached to the lion.
462
The black cow and the white cow advised it against a friendship with the lion, but their efforts were in vain.
463
One day, the lion said to the reddish -brown cow, You know that the color of our bodies is dark and
464
that the color of the body of the white cow is light.
465
You also know that light color is the opposite of the dark color.
466
It will be very good if I eat the white cow,
467
so that there will be no difference among us any longer and we will be able to live together well.
468
The reddish -brown cow accepted the lion's argument and started talking to the black cow to keep it busy,
469
so that the lion could eat the white cow.
470
The white cow was left alone and was killed while the black and the reddish -brown cows were busy in idle talk.
471
Two or three days passed since the lion devoured the white cow.
472
It became hungry again.
473
It called the reddish -brown cow.
474
The cow answered, Yes, sir.
475
The lion said, The color of my body and the color of your body are both reddish -brown,
476
and black does not go with our color.
477
It will be very good if I eat the black cow, so that in this forest we all will be of the same color.
478
The reddish -brown cow accepted this argument and moved away from the black cow.
479
The lion attacked and devoured the black cow soon.
480
And as for the reddish -brown cow, it was so filled with joy that it didn't know what to do.
481
It roamed and grazed and said to itself, it is only me who has the color of the lion.
482
A few days passed later, the lion was hungry again.
483
It roared and said, Oh, the reddish -brown cow, where are you?
484
The reddish -brown cow, shaking with fear, went forward and said, Yes, sir.
485
The lion said, Today it is your turn.
486
Get yourself ready.
487
I am going to eat you.
488
The reddish brown cow with great fear and horror said, Why, sir, I am your friend.
489
I did whatever you asked me to do.
490
Still, why do you want to eat me?
491
The lion roared and said, I have no friends.
492
How is it possible that a lion makes friendship with a cow?
493
No matter how much the reddish brown cow begged and entreated, the lion didn't accept its words.
494
Finally, the cow said, Mr. Lion, please allow me to cry out three times before you eat me.
495
The lion said, okay, quickly, quickly.
496
The reddish brown cow cried out, I was eaten the very day the white cow was eaten.
497
I was eaten the very day the black cow was eaten.
498
I was eaten the very day I made friends with the lion.
499
The lion devoured the reddish -brown cow very quickly.
500
Then it said to itself, I have finished my job in this forest.
501
Now I had better go to other forests.
502
Any group without unity will easily be destroyed.
503
Health is wealth.
504
Once upon a time, there lived a generous and kind -hearted king.
505
But the people weren't happy with their king
506
because the king was very lazy and would not do anything other than eating and sleeping.
507
He spent days and weeks and months in his bed, either eating something or sleeping.
508
The king became a potato couch, and the people started to worry about the king.
509
One day, the king realized that he couldn't even move his body, not even his foot.
510
He became very fat, and his enemies made fun of him, calling him fatty king, bulky king,
511
etc. The king invited expert doctors from various parts of his country and offered them generous rewards to make him fit.
512
Unfortunately, none could help the king gain his health and fitness.
513
The king spent enormous amounts of money, but everything went in vain.
514
One fine morning, a holy man visited the country.
515
He heard about the ill health of the king
516
and informed the minister at the palace that he could easily cure the king.
517
Hearing these promising words, the minister became very happy.
518
He requested the king to meet the holy man to get rid of his problem.
519
The holy man resided at a distant place.
520
Since the king could not move his body, he asked the minister to bring the holy man to the palace, but the holy man refused.
521
He said that the king had to go to him in order to get cured.
522
After strenuous efforts, the king met the holy man at the latter's residence.
523
The holy man complimented the king saying that he was a good ruler and said that he would soon regain his health.
524
He asked the king to come for treatment the next day.
525
He told the king also that the king would be treated only if he came on foot to the holy man's residence.
526
The king was unable to walk even a few steps on the road, but aided by his followers, he reached the holy man's place.
527
Unfortunately, the holy man was not available there, and his devotee requested the king to come and meet him the next day for treatment.
528
This was repeated for two weeks, and the king never met the holy man and never had any treatment.
529
Gradually, the king realized that he felt a lot lighter, lost a considerable amount of weight, and felt more active than before.
530
He realized the reason why the holy man asked him to reach his place by walking.
531
Very soon, the king regained his health, and the people were very happy in his kingdom.
532
Health is wealth.
533
The Hidden Treasure Once there was an old man who had four sons.
534
All four of them were very lazy.
535
One day, the old man fell sick and was counting his last days in bed.
536
He worried a lot about his son's future as the young men hesitated a lot to work.
537
The sons believed that luck would favor them.
538
The old man's health deteriorated every day and he decided to talk to his sons about their future.
539
However, his sons did not listen to him.
540
Finally, the old man decided to play a trick to let his sons realize the importance of work.
541
He called all his sons and let them sit near him on his bed.
542
He said that he had a treasure box with gold coins
543
and expensive gems for them and wanted to share the treasure equally among the four of them.
544
The young men were very happy and asked where his father had placed the treasure.
545
The old man replied, I cannot exactly remember the place where I have hidden the treasure.
546
However, the treasure box is buried in our land.
547
I'm really not sure about the place where I have hidden the treasure box.
548
Even though the lazy young sons were happy, they were sad that the old man had forgotten the place where the treasure was hidden.
549
After a few days, the old man died.
550
The sons decided to dig the land to find the treasure box.
551
They worked very hard and dug their land.
552
They could not find any treasure box in the land.
553
Finally, they decided to dig a spot in their land that was a bit different from the rest of the area.
554
The sons believed that the treasure was buried in that spot.
555
They dug the specific spot deeply, but got nothing but water.
556
A passerby who noticed the land and the water flowing from the spot talked to the sons about farming.
557
Upon his advice, the four sons sowed vegetable seeds and planted greens and flowering plants in their land.
558
Since the land was very fertile with abundant water, within a few weeks, it became a fertile garden with nutritious vegetables and greens.
559
The four sons sold the vegetables at a good price and earned a good amount of money.
560
Then they realized that it was hard work that was referred to as treasure box by their father.
561
Gradually, the four sons overcame their laziness, worked hard, earned more money, and lived happily.
562
Hard work always pays.
563
Don't desire to walk when you have wings to fly.
564
Once upon a time, there lived a generous and kind -hearted king.
565
He was fond of birds and animals and had a huge bird sanctuary in his kingdom.
566
He disliked harming the animals and birds.
567
He did not kill them even for meat.
568
In appreciation of his generosity and kindness towards birds, the king was gifted two beautiful falcons by a businessman.
569
Those two falcons were used to different climatic conditions.
570
The king thanked the businessman
571
and ordered the head bird trainer to provide all the facilities to those beautiful falcons
572
and make them feel comfortable in their country.
573
The head trainer took care of the birds.
574
Gradually, the birds got adapted to the country's climate.
575
One day, the king wanted to see the falcons fly as he had heard
576
that one of those falcons could fly to great heights at very high speed
577
The bird trainer let the falcon out of the enclosure
578
It flew very high, very quickly, and came down to the enclosure within minutes
579
The king was quite surprised and rewarded the bird trainer with a handful of gold coins
580
He inquired about the other Falcon.
581
The bird trainer stated with regret
582
that the other falcon had not moved even a step from day one and had just sat on the branch.
583
The trainer also added that he had tried everything he could, but still failed to make the bird move.
584
The king consoled him and told him
585
that he would bring someone more experienced than him to try to train the other falcon.
586
Soon, the king announced that he needed someone to make the falcon move and fly.
587
Hearing this announcement, an old man reached the king's palace
588
and assured him that he would make the bird fly like the other one.
589
The king asked the head trainer to take the old man to the sanctuary to train the falcon.
590
He said that he would visit them the next day to see if there was any change.
591
The next day, the king was very surprised to see the other falcon fly like the first one to great heights in rapid speed.
592
The king was very happy and gifted the old man a handful of gold coins.
593
Then the king asked the old man what he had done to make the bird fly in a day.
594
The old man simply replied, I just cut down the branch of the tree where the falcon used to sit.
595
Many of us are like this.
596
We have wings to fly.
597
We know how to fly and where to fly.
598
Still, we sit doing nothing or doing something that makes us inferior to others.
599
Don't sit still when you have wings to fly.
600
Real Vis is fake.
601
Minoo was a sweet, lovable and beautiful girl aged six years.
602
She was an adorable kid as she always obeyed her elders.
603
Minoo's parents loved her for her amazing behavior.
604
One day, Minoo's mother took her for grocery shopping.
605
As they passed the shops, Minoo noted a cute plastic pearl necklace in dazzling pink.
606
She asked her mother to buy her the necklace.
607
Her mother told her that it cost quite a few pennies.
608
She asked her to do some chores so that for every completed piece of work,
609
Minu would get some money and she could buy the pink necklace.
610
Minu prepared a to -do list and assisted her mom with all the chores.
611
Her mom was very happy and she paid enough money to buy the pink necklace.
612
Minu happily purchased the necklace and wore it just everywhere, every time, except while taking bath.
613
Her mother said that her neck would turn pink and the pearls would lose their sheen if she wore it while bathing.
614
But all other times, Minu wore it, even while sleeping.
615
Minu's father used to tell her bedtime stories frequently.
616
One night, after completing a story, her dad asked how much she loved him.
617
Minoo replied, You know how much I love you.
618
Dad asked, Then give me your pearl necklace please.
619
Minoo replied, Please daddy, I love you so much but please don't ask for these pearls.
620
I will give you the pink
621
Barbie which you bought me a month ago.
622
Dad replied, fine, sweetheart.
623
After a few days, the conversation was repeated between Minu and her dad.
624
Again, Minu refused to give her pearl necklace and instead asked her dad to take her pet.
625
Dad kissed her and left with smile.
626
This was repeated several times.
627
Pink pearl necklace one day, Minu slept while her dad was reading her a story.
628
She was holding the necklace in her hands.
629
Her dad took the pearl necklace from her hand.
630
The next moment she woke up and asked, Dad, what are you doing?
631
Dad quickly opened a jewel box placed near her bed and handed her a real precious pink pearl necklace.
632
He said, sweetheart, this is your real necklace.
633
I wanted to take away the fake one all this while to give you this real one.
634
She replied.
635
Thank you, Dad.
636
Minu immediately gave up her fake necklace for the real one.
637
God wants us to give up all the fake and cheap things we consider very precious in our life.
638
It can be habits, hatreds, harming relationships, activities, negative thoughts,
639
etc. He will provide us with genuine things if we give up the fake.
640
When adversity knocks.
641
Mary was a young girl.
642
She used to get annoyed with everything.
643
She had a negative attitude towards life.
644
Once, when she felt that life was unbearable, she asked her father what to do.
645
She told him that if she was able to manage and solve one problem, another one followed quickly.
646
Her father consoled her and took her to the kitchen.
647
He asked Mary to take a potato, an egg, and two spoons of tea leaves.
648
Mary was surprised and asked her father, do you want me to cook?
649
No, her father said.
650
He then took three vessels and poured one cup of water in each vessel.
651
The vessels were placed on the stove.
652
Once the water started to boil, he dropped the potato in a vessel, egg in the second one and the tea leaves in the third one.
653
Why are you doing all these things?
654
Mary asked, really annoyed with her father.
655
Just wait 15 minutes, said her father.
656
The impatient daughter managed to wait for around 15 minutes.
657
Father removed the potato from the pot and placed in a plate.
658
He did the same with the eggs.
659
He filtered the tea decoction using a cup.
660
Now he placed the two plates, one with the potato and the other with the egg, and the cup of tea in front of Mary.
661
He asked Mary, what do you see?
662
Potato, egg, and a cup of tea, said Mary.
663
No, you are wrong, said her father.
664
Look at it closely and answer me.
665
Mary replied the same.
666
Now touch it and answer me.
667
The potato was cooked and was soft, the egg was boiled hard, and the tea carried a nice aroma.
668
Mary couldn't find the correct answer.
669
Her father said, The potato was so hard and strong before it was boiled.
670
Now it has turned soft and smooth.
671
Also, the egg was delicate, but after boiling, it became hard.
672
Sip the tea.
673
It is delicious, Mary asked.
674
What does it mean, Father?
675
I don't understand.
676
Each object responded differently to water.
677
Each object was put under the same kind of circumstances, faced similar adversities, but reacted differently.
678
The potato, when put in boiling water, became very weak
679
The soft egg became very hard when we put it in boiling water
680
And the tea leaves are unique
681
It changed the water itself, giving it a unique flavor and aroma
682
It gave something new
683
Mary understood that we can create something new and unique
684
Even when we experience adversities
685
So, what are you?
686
A potato, an egg, or a tea leaf?
687
Thank you for joining me on this journey through 20 beautiful stories, each filled with wisdom, wonder, and life lessons.
688
I hope these tales inspired you, made you smile, and helped you learn something new in English.
689
Stories have the power to change the way we think, feel, and grow.
690
So keep reading, keep learning, and keep dreaming.
691
If you enjoyed these stories, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to Read and Learn English.
692
More exciting stories and learning adventures are coming soon.
693
Until next time, stay curious, stay kind, and keep reading.
Descargar app
Todo lo que necesitas para hablar con fluidez
Pronunciación con IAEvalúa cada oración
Práctica de IPADomina cada sonido
VocabularioConstruye tu banco de palabras
Juego de vocabularioAprende mientras juegas
Mismo canal
A240
English Presentation #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
A223
A Rainy Day #shorts #english #learnenglish #fyp
KidsDaily Conversation
A2672
My Favorite Hobby #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A25
The Kind Stranger #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
B15
Power of Kindness #shorts #english#lesson #story
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
A27
The Importance of Trees #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A27
A Happy Memory #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A226
The Wolf and the Lamb 🐺 || Graded Reader || Improve your English || Reading and Listening Practice
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
B1Learn English With Story 🔥Married a Poor Man | Level 4 English Listening Practice || Graded Reader
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
A257
My Favorite Food #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A27
The Sun and the Moon #shorts #english #englishmerl #englishreading #englishgrammar #education
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
B12
Reading and Listening Practice || The Boy Who Never Gave Up || Graded Reader || Learn English
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Recomendar Video
A23
257 oraciones
Level1 Stories - Fairy tale Compilation | 26 minutes English Stories (Reading Books)
KidsDaily Conversation
A22
10 oraciones
ONE STORY A DAY - BOOK 5 FOR MAY - Story 22: A little Reader
KidsDaily Conversation
A21
14 oraciones
Learning Good Habits | Short Story in English | Bedtime Stories for kids in English
KidsDaily Conversation
A276
14 oraciones
Short Stories | Moral Stories | The True Friend | #writtentreasures #shortstoriesinenglish
KidsDaily Conversation
A27
42 oraciones
Learn English Through Story | 4000 Essential English Words | Book 1 | Unit 2
KidsDaily Conversation
A21
141 oraciones
GREEDY PETROL SELLER | LEARN ENGLISH | ENGLISH STORY | ENGLISH ANIMATED STORIES | MORAL STORIES
KidsTeensDaily Conversation
A2580 oraciones
Learning English Through Story 👍Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp Retold By Judith Dean | Level 1
KidsDaily Conversation
A111
13 oraciones
For beginners| One story a day| Book 1- Round and Round
KidsDaily Conversation
A22
78 oraciones
VALUE OF TIME | A Life Changing Motivational Story | Time Story | English Stories | Moral Stories
KidsDaily Conversation
A22
131 oraciones
Detective Animals Solve the Circus Mystery 🕵️🐘| English Moral Stories | Bedtime Stories
KidsDaily Conversation
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación se basa en el vídeo “20 Short Moral Stories |”. Las palabras que más se repiten: cow, king, camel. Este vídeo tiene 693 frases y 8082 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 58:54. El hablante mantiene un ritmo constante de unas 137 palabras por minuto, cómodo para el shadowing. El 83 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
15 palabras del vídeo que vale la pena aprender, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| camel sustantivo | /ˈkæm(ə)l/ | camello, dromedario |
| lion sustantivo | /ˈlaɪən/ | león |
| crystal sustantivo | /ˈkɹɪstəl/ | cristal |
| rabbit sustantivo | /ˈɹæbɪt/ | conejo, conejil |
| necklace sustantivo | /ˈnɛkləs/ | collar |
| falcon sustantivo | /ˈfælkən/ | halcón, falcón (disused) |
| treasure sustantivo | /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/ | tesoro |
| cow sustantivo | /kaʊ/ | vaca |
| palace sustantivo | /ˈpælɪs/ | palacio |
| divide verbo | /dɪˈvaɪd/ | desunir, dividir |
| potato sustantivo | /pəˈteɪ.təʊ/ | patata, papa |
| donkey sustantivo | /ˈdɑŋ.ki/ | asno, burro |
| moral adjetivo | /ˈmoɹəl/ | moral |
| mouse sustantivo | /maʊs/ | ratón, laucha |
| hare sustantivo | /hɛɚ/ | liebre |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| give up verbo | rendirse, entregar | |
| come out verbo | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | revelarse, salir a la luz |
| wake up verbo | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | despertarse, recordar |
| come across verbo | pasarse a | |
| cut down verbo | talar | |
| get out verbo | salir | |
| get out of verbo | salirse de, ponerse fuera de | |
| go out verbo | salir |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- Can you chase them away with your sharp antlers?
- Do you really think I can save you?
- How attached are we to our ropes?
- Will we let them go?
- Still, why do you want to eat me?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verbo — un hábito o estado pasado que ya no es cierto | used to rent · used to play · used to graze |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | is designed · is made · were not shared |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | has been discovered · have not done · have been proposed |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | people who had · man who had |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 25 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, couldn't, can't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: leather /ˈlɛðɚ/, grandmother /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌmʌðɚ/, ninth /naɪnθ/, bath /bɑːθ/, thorn /θoɹn/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: treasure /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, shade /ʃeɪd/, foolish /ˈfuː.lɪʃ/, enclosure /ɛnˈkloʊʒəɹ/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/, sanctuary /ˈsæŋkt͡ʃuˌɛɹi/, adversity /ædˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: stretch /stɹɛt͡ʃ/, steady /ˈstɪdi/, slip /ˈslɪp/, swim /swɪm/, sweetheart /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: divide /dɪˈvaɪd/, vessel /ˈvɛsəl/, solve /sɒlv/, vegetable /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/, vain /veɪn/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: lazy /ˈleɪ̯zi(ː)/, desert /ˈdɛz.ɚt/, residence /ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/, wisdom /ˈwɪzdəm/, businessman /ˈbɪznəsmæn/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Haz shadowing frase por frase a velocidad normal, repitiendo cada una hasta que tu ritmo coincida con el del hablante.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como camel, lion, crystal.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.