No Flowers on the Ward
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 5 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Camille brings flowers to a friend in hospital, but the ward does not allow them, so she finds another way.
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Camille walks into the hospital with a bunch of yellow flowers. Her friend Noemi is in bed upstairs after an operation.
At the door of the ward, a nurse stops her. "I am sorry," she says. "We do not allow flowers here. Some patients feel sick from the smell."
Camille looks at the flowers. She bought them this morning, and they are so bright. She feels sad.
"Wait," the nurse says. "I have an idea. Many people do this. Take a photo of the flowers and print it. There is a photo shop downstairs."
Camille goes to the lobby. She puts the flowers on a bench by the window. The light is good there. She takes three photos with her phone and chooses the best one.
At the shop downstairs, a young man prints a big photo. The colors are very clear. He puts it in a plastic frame. "It looks like a real bunch," he says.
Camille goes back up. This time, the nurse smiles and lets her in.
Noemi sits up in bed. She sees the frame and laughs. "Flowers that never die," she says. "And no smell!"
They put the photo on the small table by her bed. It stands next to a glass of water. Noemi looks at it for a long time.
On her way out, Camille leaves the flowers at the desk. Now the people in the lobby can enjoy them too.
