Stories

Stories are limited to a fixed vocabulary of about 1,000 common Vietnamese words, suitable for intermediate language learners.

• Following the Kite

  A boy chases his kite into an unfamiliar neighborhood and must ask a series of strangers for directions; each one walks him one street closer to home.

• Letters Across the City

  A child moves to a new city and sends letters to her best friend every week; the friendship grows stronger across the distance.

• Lost by the Lake

  Two children follow a path into the forest near a lake, get turned around, and find their way out by following the sound of water back to the river.

• One Chapter a Night

  A sick boy in hospital cannot sleep; a nurse visits every night and tells him one chapter of a story until he is well enough to go home.

• The Boy Who Cried Snake

  A child lies so often that when a real snake enters the kitchen, no one believes him until his grandmother comes running.

• The First Walk

  A woman recovers from a long illness and takes her first walk to the market alone; everything looks new and beautiful.

• The Hidden Shoes

  A man ignores a painful tooth for weeks until his wife hides his shoes so he cannot leave the house without going to the doctor first.

• The Honest Merchant

  A greedy merchant sells bad fish and drives customers away; when he starts selling honestly again he has to earn back each customer one by one.

• The Letter

  A friendship between two boys is broken by a lie; after a week of silence, one writes the other a letter and they make up.

• The Long Walk Home

  A girl misses the last bus home and walks through the rain; a neighbor she barely knows gives her shelter and they become close friends.

• The Returning Soldier

  A soldier returns home after a long time away and finds his old neighborhood changed; his young niece shows him everything new.

• The Shared Feast

  A family with only rice and a few vegetables invites a hungry neighbor to eat; the neighbor brings fish he had been saving and they make a feast.

• The Stranger Pays

  Two friends argue over who should pay a restaurant bill; a stranger at the next table pays for both of them and leaves before they can thank him.

• The Television

  A husband and wife argue about spending money on a big television; they end up giving the money to a neighbor whose child needs medicine.

• The Toy Rabbit

  A child is terrified of the dentist and cries in the waiting room; the dentist lets her hold a toy rabbit through the whole appointment.