Pete woke up early on a bright, sunny morning. He yawned, stretched, and looked at the clock beside his bed. It showed half past seven. Pete felt energetic and ready to start his day. He had many plans: he wanted to clean his flat, buy some groceries, and meet his friend, Dave, for an afternoon picnic in the park.
First, Pete decided to make breakfast. He went to the kitchen and opened his fridge. To his surprise, there were no eggs, no bread, and no milk. All he could find was a lonely piece of cheese. Pete shrugged and said, “All right, cheese on toast it is!” Then he realized he had no bread, so he had to eat the cheese alone. It made him laugh. “This is not a very good breakfast,” Pete thought, “but it will have to do.”
After he ate, Pete tried to do his cleaning. He switched on the vacuum cleaner, but it made a loud banging sound, then stopped working. Pete tapped it gently. He tried again. It still did not work. “Oh dear,” Pete said. “I really need to clean this carpet. Maybe I can borrow a vacuum cleaner from my neighbour, Mrs. Johnson.” Pete knocked on her door. She opened it with a friendly smile and said, “Good morning, Pete! How can I help you?” Pete explained the problem, and Mrs. Johnson offered him her old vacuum cleaner. “It’s a bit noisy,” she warned, “but it works well!” Pete thanked her and left happily.
Back in his flat, Pete plugged in the borrowed vacuum cleaner. It roared like a lion. He started to vacuum, but just then, his phone rang. It was Dave, cancelling the picnic. “Sorry, mate,” Dave said, “I have to work this afternoon. My boss called me in.” Pete felt disappointed, but he understood. “No worries,” he replied. “We can picnic another day.”
Pete tried to continue vacuuming. He did not notice that the vacuum cleaner bag was too full. Suddenly, it burst open, and dust flew everywhere. Pete started coughing and sneezing. “This is turning into a very messy day!” he said. He cleaned up as best he could, but he knew he would have to shower again because now he was covered in dust.
Finally, Pete decided to go shopping for groceries. However, he could not find his wallet. He looked under the bed, on the kitchen table, and even in the fridge. He could not find it anywhere. “Where did I put that wallet?” Pete wondered. Then he remembered he had worn his other jacket the day before. He checked the jacket pocket, and there it was, all along. “Yes!” Pete shouted triumphantly.
Pete walked to the supermarket with a spring in his step. On the way, a bird flew by and dropped something on Pete’s shoulder. It was not a pretty sight. “Oh, come on!” Pete cried, grabbing a tissue from his pocket. He wiped his shoulder and tried not to laugh at his bad luck. He said, “They say that is good luck, right?” He hoped so.
At the supermarket, Pete carefully picked out fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, milk, and eggs. He also decided to buy a chocolate bar to cheer himself up. He walked to the checkout with a basket full of items. At the till, the cashier scanned everything. Then, Pete reached into his coat for his wallet. It was not there. Pete panicked. “Oh no,” he thought. “Did I drop it again?” The cashier waited patiently, and people behind Pete began to tap their feet. Suddenly, Pete remembered his wallet was in his trouser pocket. “I am so silly!” he laughed, pulling it out to pay.
On his way home, Pete tripped over a loose paving stone, but he did not fall flat. He managed to catch himself and stayed on his feet. A passer-by said, “That was close!” Pete just smiled and said, “I’m having a funny day.” Finally, Pete made it back to his flat. He put away his shopping and decided to relax on the sofa with a cup of tea.
Despite all the silly mishaps, Pete felt happy. His day had included strange surprises, awkward moments, and a few laughs. He learned that even on a day full of problems, he could still find reasons to smile. Now, he was ready for whatever might happen tomorrow.
Vocabulary Notes
Yawn
Definition: To open your mouth wide and breathe in deeply, often when you are tired or bored.
Example: “Pete woke up early on a bright, sunny morning. He yawned, stretched, and looked at the clock…”
Similar words/phrases: “stretch,” “breathe in,” “take a deep breath”
Shrug
Definition: To raise your shoulders and then let them drop, usually to show that you do not know something or do not care.
Example: “Pete shrugged and said, ‘All right, cheese on toast it is!’”
Similar words/phrases: “raise one’s shoulders,” “gesture of uncertainty,” “show you do not mind”
Groceries
Definition: Food and household supplies you buy from a shop or supermarket.
Example: “…he wanted to clean his flat, buy some groceries, and meet his friend, Dave, for an afternoon picnic…”
Similar words: “food shopping,” “provisions,” “supplies”
Borrow
Definition: To take something from someone with permission and promise to give it back later.
Example: “Maybe I can borrow a vacuum cleaner from my neighbour, Mrs. Johnson.”
Similar words: “use temporarily,” “lend” (Note: “lend” is the opposite action — to give something for someone else to borrow)
Burst
Definition: To suddenly break open, often with force.
Example: “Suddenly, it burst open, and dust flew everywhere.”
Similar words/phrases: “explode,” “pop,” “break open”
Cheer (someone) up
Definition: To make someone feel happier or less sad.
Example: “He also decided to buy a chocolate bar to cheer himself up.”
Similar words/phrases: “brighten up,” “lift someone’s spirits,” “make happier”
Mishap
Definition: A small accident or mistake that does not cause serious harm but can be annoying or embarrassing.
Example: “…Pete felt happy. His day had included strange surprises, awkward moments, and a few laughs. He learned that even on a day full of problems, he could still find reasons to smile.” (The word “mishap” sums up these little problems.)
Similar words/phrases: “accident,” “blunder,” “minor problem,” “unfortunate event”
Story written by ChatGPT-01 AI
Image created by Google AI Studio
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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