Short Stories in English for Beginners

mild weather
. It’s often cloudy
and summers aren’t very hot. Because of this, 
hikers
 love Lake Ullswater.
Sylvia is one of these hikers. She lives near Lake Ullswater. She loves
nature and she loves hiking. She often goes hiking in June and July. The
weather is warm, but not too hot. Every weekend, she puts her things in a
backpack
 and hikes in the 
woods
near the lake.
Sylvia’s good friend George likes hiking, too. He often goes with Sylvia.
Last weekend, they decided to go for a hike near Lake Ullswater. But in the
end, it became a very unusual 
excursion
!
Sylvia and George met at the start of the walk. ‘Hi, Sylvia!’ George
shouted
from far away.
‘Hello, George!’ answered Sylvia.
‘I’ll be right there!’ shouted George. He ran towards Sylvia.
‘George, slow down. You’ll get tired.’
‘Don’t worry, I brought energy drinks for the hike,’ said George. He
pointed to his large backpack and laughed.
The two friends were very happy to see each other. They talked a little.
Then they started their excursion.
After a few miles, the 
path
 changed. It 
split
 into two paths.
Which direction should we go?’ asked Sylvia. ‘To the left or the right?’
‘Let’s go left,’replied George.
‘Well, um … I think I’d prefer to go right.’

---

‘Why?’
Sylvia looked at the woods near the left path. Then she answered, ‘There
are stories about that path. Some people saw a big hairy 
creature
there….’
‘Really? Do you believe those stories?’
‘Um … I don’t know. I guess, we could go that way …,’ said Sylvia. She
looked worried.
‘Come on, Sylvia. Let’s try it!’ George encouraged her. Sylvia gave him
a worried look. Then they walked down the left path.
An hour later, George and Sylvia were still on the path. There were trees
all around them. It was late afternoon. Sylvia asked George, ‘Do you think
there are 
strange
creatures in these woods?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, I’ve never seen a strange creature. Have you?’
‘Not in these woods.’
‘Right. So that means we’re 
safe
!’
Sylvia laughed. ‘I guess so!’
They continued their hike.
Several miles later, the two friends were still walking. The sun was low
in the sky. Suddenly, they walked out of the woods. In front of them was the
lake.
George and Sylvia looked around. Near the lake was a house. The house
was made of 
wood
and it looked very old. ‘Look, George,’ called Sylvia.
‘Look over there!’
‘Where?’ replied George.
‘There! There’s a house! It’s made of wood.’
‘Oh! I can see it. Let’s go and have a look!’
‘What? But what if someone’s there?’
‘Don’t be 
scared
, Sylvia. I’m sure no one will be there.’
The two friends walked towards the house. Before they went in, they
looked around the place. ‘The house looks like it was built a long time ago,’

---

said Sylvia. ‘Look at the state of the windows! The glass is very old. And
the wood is really old, too!’
‘Yes,’ replied George. ‘I’d say that it’s at least 50 years old. But I
wouldn’t say it’s 
ugly
. There’s something that I like about it.’
George looked around. Suddenly he called, ‘Hey, Sylvia! Come here!’
Near the lake there was a small