The Small Pumpkin
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 5 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Alba grows a pumpkin for the big contest in town, but hers stays very small.
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Alba grows pumpkins in her garden. This year she wants to win the town contest. The prize is for the biggest pumpkin. She waters her pumpkin every day. She even talks to it.
But the pumpkin stays small. In October, it is as small as a melon. Her neighbor's pumpkin is as big as a chair.
On contest day, the town square is full. The pumpkins sit in a long line. The judges measure each pumpkin. Alba puts her pumpkin at the end.
People look at it and smile. "Is that a pumpkin?" a boy asks.
Alba laughs. "It is a baby," she says.
A man with a giant pumpkin wins the big prize. Alba claps for him. She does not win.
The next day, the town has a pie contest. Alba has a plan. She cuts her small pumpkin and bakes a pie. The kitchen smells sweet.
She puts the pie on the long table. The judges taste it. One judge closes her eyes. Then she writes a big number on her paper.
Alba wins the pie table. A judge asks, "What is the secret?"
"A small pumpkin," Alba says. She smiles and cuts the judge a second slice.
