English Short Story 004

CLASSIC SHORT STORIES 

One of the best ways of improving your English is to read the language. This part of our site includes complete short stories by some of the very best classic writers. All stories are complete and unabridged. Read them online or print them off and read them in bed! One new story is added to our site every month. All stories are in the public domain and now copyright free. If you're looking for a larger range of free classic English literature online, try the English Library. Or if modern short stories are your thing try here.

Aesop's Fables Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6   Part 7   Part 8 Resumed Identity by Ambrose Bierce A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins The Idiots by Joseph Conrad The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky by Stephen Crane The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens The Boscombe Valley Mystery (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Copper Beeches (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Field Bazaar (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sussex Vampire (Sherlock Holmes) bt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Final Problem (Sherlock Holmes) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventure Of Charles Augustus Milverton by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby by Joel Chandler Harris Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving A School Story by M. R. James The Dancing Partner by Jerome K. Jerome A Little Cloud by James Joyce How the Leopard Got His Spots by Rudyard Kipling The Rocking Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence A Wicked Woman by Jack London Rain by W. Somerset Maughan Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville Politics and the English Language by George Orwell The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter The Avenger by Thomas de Quincey   Hunter Quartermain's Story by H. Rider Haggard Long Odds by H. Rider Haggard   The Music on the Hill by Saki Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (simplified by C and M. Lamb) Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker The Valley of Spiders by H. G. Wells    A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf

Rich Man Invites Poor Student to Dinner

Jodie liked her apartment. She had a beautiful view to the south. A nearby tree was home to two squirrels. She liked to watch them. So did her cat. Mrs. Neely owned the apartment building. She was an old lady who spoke with a thick Norwegian accent.
Jodie and Mrs. Neely got along very well. Mrs. Neely said that Jodie reminded her of her daughter, who had died in a car crash years ago. Mrs. Neely was a widow. She kept busy by volunteering at the local library and senior center. An excellent baker, she often brought bread and pastries to Jodie.
“You’re trying to make me fat,” laughed Jodie one day. “How will I ever find a boyfriend?”
“I still can’t believe that Prince Charming hasn’t found you,” said Mrs. Neely. “Maybe you’re just too pretty and too smart for the young men around here.”
Jodie was going to graduate school at night. She had a day job as a teacher’s assistant in the fourth grade. She loved teaching kids. The principal had already told her that a full-time teaching job was hers after she got her master's degree.
“Aren’t there any nice boys in your graduate classes, Jodie?” Mrs. Neely asked.
“There are some,” said Jodie. “But they’re either married, or have a girlfriend, or are too focused on getting their degree. And don’t forget, I have to concentrate on graduating, so I really shouldn’t be dating anyway.”
“Well, that’s just a shame,” said Mrs. Neely. “You’re too pretty to be alone. But don’t worry. You keep doing your homework, and I’ll be on the lookout for you.” She winked at Jodie. Jodie smiled. She loved Mrs. Neely.
Mrs. Neely died not long after that conversation. She had a stroke while mixing some batter for cookies. An ambulance took her to the hospital, where she died a day later.
Her son Ned was Mrs. Neely’s sole heir. Ned had been married and divorced three times. None of his wives had anything nice to say about him. Ned didn’t care. He was looking for Wife Number Four.
Ned introduced himself to Jodie right after Mrs. Neely’s funeral on Saturday. He knew about Jodie because Mrs. Neely had told him about her. Ned said he was afraid that he might have to double her rent. Also, no pets were allowed in the building. “You’ll have to take your cat to the pound,” he said.
“In that case,” she said, “I’m moving out.”
“I was joking, of course. You’re very pretty,” said Ned.
“Thank you,” said Jodie.
“Come to dinner with me at Chez Maison tonight and we can discuss your apartment and your cat.” Ned had an air of confidence that Jodie found mildly attractive.
“That might be nice,” she found herself saying. Ned told her he would pick her up at 8 and left. Jodie wondered if she was doing the right thing. She didn’t even know this guy. Oh well, she thought, it would be nice to eat at a fancy restaurant for a change.
She picked up some cat food on her way home. 
 

100 free short English stories for ESL learnerswith listening, grammar, comprehension, and dictation exercises 

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0. INTRODUCTION 1. Sara Went Shopping 2. Man Injured at Fast Food Place 3. A Life-Saving Cow 4. Driver Loses Mabel, Finds Jail 5. Jerry Decided To Buy a Gun 6. Freeway Chase Ends at Newsstand 7. Better To Be Unlucky 8. Food Fight Erupted in Prison 9. Wanted To Know How His Pig’s Doing 10. Goats Being Hired 11. A Missing Cat 12. Book Him 13. Water Under the Sink (Part One) 14. Water Under the Sink (Part Two) 15. Theft Occurs Everywhere 16. Eggs and a Bunny 17. Hotel Says Goodbye to Clean Couple 18. $100 Deposit 19. Books Don’t Grow on Trees 20. A Murder-Suicide 21. New Store and Its Owners 22. Mayor Denies Hit-and-Run Charge 23. Gasoline Prices Hit Record High 24. A Festival of Books 25. Crazy Housing Prices 26. Happy and Unhappy Renters 27. Pulling Out Nine Tons of Trash 28. Cloning Pets 29. Rentals at the Oceanside Community 30. Trees Are a Threat 31. Gets Booked, Writes a Book 32. Popular Park Reopens 33. Swim Classes Begin Soon 34. Getting Older But Not Sitting Around 35. Agencies Get Millions for Homeless 36. Tenants Watch Building Burn 37. Bathtub Blues 38. Blood Drive at Civic Center 39. City Hosts 42nd Art Fair 40. City and Crime 41. Bank Robbery 42. Immigration Goes Online 43. Jimmy Fixes His Door 44. Larry Needs a New Air-Conditioner 45. Man Gets 12 Years for Fraud 46. Man Shoots Up Post Office 47. Murals Are Over 200 Years Old 48. Pier Collapses 49. Cameras in Police Cars 50. A School Girl Sues Her School

51. SUV Driver Sends Officer Flying 52. Boy Drowns in Neighbor's Pool 53. Woman Dies in House Fire 54. Pilot Killed as Plane Crashes into House 55. Fishing for Girls 56. Woman Shot Next to Her Christmas Tree 57. Man Fatally Stabbed Outside Nightclub 58. Fishing Boat Sinks, Everyone Saved 59. The Mysterious Carport Stain 60. Woman Lies About Winning Lottery 61. Victory Dance Leads to Death 62. Eat Your Vegetables 63. Honk if You're in a Hurry 64. The Man Who Loved Women 65. How to Get out of Jury Duty 66. The Way to a Man’s Heart 67. Female Seeks Mature Male 68. Let’s Go Fishing 69. Train Wreck “Frees” Cows 70. Valuable Guitar Found 71. Stepmother Kills Herself 72. Beautiful Teacher Smiles, then Walks Away 73. Are Criminals Taking Over LA? 74. Police Arrest Happy Van Driver 75. A White Spot on His Tongue 76. The Final Phone Call 77. The Doctor’s Almost Perfect Children 78. There Goes the Neighborhood! 79. Let’s Go to Vegas! 80. Squirrel Attacks Woman in Golf Cart 81. He Goes to War to Save His Baby 82. English Is Confusing 83. Pump Up the Tires and Ride the Bike 84. Don’t Go Swimming on an Empty Stomach 85. The Park That Went to the Dogs 86. Brother, Can You Spare a Carburetor? 87. Golf Like a Girl, Manage Like a Man 88. Take Me Out to the Ball Game 89. Take This Job and Shove It 90. Where Did That Book Go? 91. When You’ve Got Your Health, You've Got Everything 92. It Doesn’t Have That ‘New Car’ Smell 93. Rich Man Invites Poor Student to Dinner 94. It Only Rings When I'm in the Bathroom 95. It Was an Old, Worthless Clock 96. Schoolboys Get Five-Finger Discount on Candy 97. Collecting Seashells at the Seashore 98. Check Your Bags at the Store Entrance 99. When I Retire, We Will See the World 100. Get Me a Caffe Latte or Go to Jail