The sun shone brightly on the bustling street market. People hurried past, carrying bags full of fresh fruit and vegetables. At a stall filled with colourful birds, a young woman named Sarah stopped to admire a parrot with bright green feathers.
“Hello,” said the stall owner, a friendly man with a thick moustache. “Would you like to buy a bird? They are very friendly and can learn to talk.”
Sarah smiled, but shook her head. “Thank you, but I already have a pet.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“It’s a… a… well, it’s hard to explain,” she said, blushing slightly.
The stall owner looked confused. “Well, tell me. I’m very interested.”
Sarah hesitated. “It’s a… a cloud.”
The stall owner laughed, his eyes twinkling. “A cloud? That’s a very unusual pet. Where do you keep it?”
Sarah pointed to the sky. “It’s up there. In the blue.”
The stall owner looked up, then back at Sarah, still smiling. “You are very clever, young lady. That’s a very imaginative pet.”
Sarah laughed and walked on. She knew it was a silly thing to say, but it felt true. Her cloud was always with her. It followed her everywhere, changing shape, sometimes fluffy, sometimes wispy, always beautiful.
Later that day, Sarah visited her grandmother, who lived in a small cottage on the edge of town. Her grandmother was a kind and gentle woman with a warm smile. Sarah loved to spend time with her, listening to stories about her childhood and helping her in the garden.
As Sarah sat with her grandmother in the afternoon sun, she saw a strange sight. A small, fluffy cloud, shaped like a rabbit, hovered above the roof of the cottage. It drifted slowly, then seemed to wave its “ears” at Sarah.
“Grandma,” Sarah said, pointing to the cloud. “Do you see that? It’s a rabbit!”
Her grandmother looked up, smiling. “Yes, dear. It is a beautiful cloud.”
“But… it’s like my pet,” Sarah said, surprised.
“Everyone has a pet, Sarah,” her grandmother said gently. “Sometimes, we just need to look closely to see them.”
Sarah smiled, thinking about her grandmother’s words. Perhaps her cloud wasn’t so unusual after all. Maybe everyone had their own unique way of seeing the world.
That evening, as Sarah walked home, she noticed more clouds in the sky. There was a fluffy sheep, a playful puppy, and even a tiny, twinkling star. She smiled, feeling happy and free. Her cloud wasn’t just a fluffy shape in the sky, it was a reminder that even the ordinary could be extraordinary, if you just looked at it in a different way.
Vocabulary Notes
Bustling (adjective): full of activity and energy.
Example: The bustling street market was filled with people buying and selling goods.
Similar words: lively, vibrant, busy, crowded.
Admire (verb): to look at something with pleasure and respect.
Example: Sarah stopped to admire the parrot with its bright green feathers.
Similar words: appreciate, marvel at, be impressed by, gaze at.
Friendly (adjective): kind and pleasant.
Example: The stall owner was a friendly man with a thick moustache.
Similar words: amiable, approachable, welcoming, good-natured.
Hesitate (verb): to pause before doing something because you are unsure or nervous.
Example: Sarah hesitated before telling the stall owner about her pet.
Similar words: waver, falter, pause, delay.
Twinkling (adjective): shining brightly with a flickering light.
Example: The stall owner laughed, his eyes twinkling.
Similar words: sparkling, shimmering, glittering, blinking.
Imaginative (adjective): having or showing the ability to create new ideas.
Example: “That’s a very imaginative pet,” the stall owner said.
Similar words: creative, inventive, original, visionary.
Fluffy (adjective): light and soft.
Example: A small, fluffy cloud, shaped like a rabbit, hovered above the roof.
Similar words: downy, feathery, soft, velvety.
Hover (verb): to stay in one place in the air.
Example: The cloud hovered above the roof of the cottage.
Similar words: drift, float, hang, soar.
Gentle (adjective): kind and caring.
Example: Her grandmother was a kind and gentle woman with a warm smile.
Similar words: soft, mild, tender, considerate.
Extraordinary (adjective): very unusual or special.
Example: Her cloud wasn’t just a fluffy shape, it was a reminder that even the ordinary could be extraordinary.
Similar words: remarkable, exceptional, amazing, unbelievable.
Story written by 1min.ai
Image created by Firefly AI
Hello this is Steve. If you enjoyed the story, please would you take the time to leave a meaningful comment and click on the like icon. If you want to know when the next story has been uploaded, please click on the notify bell icon to be notified. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my channel and tell your English learning friends, so they can benefit too. Thank you.
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads

Leave a comment