Arthur loved his afternoon cup of tea. He especially loved it with a good biscuit. Every day, exactly at three o’clock, he would sit in his favourite armchair, pour a cup of hot tea, and open his special biscuit tin. The tin was blue with a picture of a palace on the front. Inside, there was always a packet of his favourite chocolate biscuits. Today was no different.
At three o’clock, Arthur walked into the kitchen. He hummed a happy tune. He put the kettle on to boil and reached for the blue tin. He opened the lid.
His face changed. The happy tune stopped. The tin was empty.
“What?!” he shouted.
He looked inside again. Nothing. Not one biscuit. He felt his heart beat a little faster. This was a serious problem.
He looked around the kitchen. The window was closed. The door was locked. Who could have taken his biscuit? A criminal mastermind? A sneaky neighbour?
“Carol!” he called to his wife, who was in the living room.
Carol came in. “Yes, dear?” she asked. She was holding a book.
“My biscuits are gone!” he announced. “The tin is empty. Completely empty.”
Carol looked at the empty tin and then at Arthur. She smiled. “Did you eat them yesterday, perhaps?”
“No!” he said loudly. “I would remember. This is a mystery. A crime! I must investigate.”
He put the kettle on the counter. He took out a magnifying glass from a drawer. It was a joke present from his birthday, but today it was a serious tool. He looked at the counter. No clues. He looked at the floor. No crumbs.
Carol watched him, trying not to laugh. “Maybe a tiny mouse with a tiny bag?” she suggested.
Arthur did not find this funny. “This is serious, Carol. The biscuit thief is still out there. We need to be careful.”
He searched the whole kitchen. He looked in the cupboards, under the table, even behind the fridge. Nothing. He walked back into the living room, feeling defeated. He sat heavily in his armchair and sighed.
“Oh, dear,” he said. “The biscuit thief has won.”
Carol came over to him with a cup of tea. She put it on the small table next to his chair. “Drink your tea, Arthur. It will make you feel better.”
He put a hand in his jacket pocket. He felt something. It was small, round, and covered in chocolate. He pulled it out.
It was a biscuit. His biscuit.
He stared at it, then at Carol. He remembered. He had taken one out this morning and put it in his pocket, thinking he would eat it later. He had completely forgotten.
Carol laughed, a big, warm laugh. “So, the thief was you all along!”
Arthur looked at the biscuit and then at the cup of tea. He blushed a little. “I suppose so,” he said, and he took a big, happy bite of the biscuit. The mystery was solved.
Vocabulary Notes
hummed a happy tune: To hum is to sing with your mouth closed. This phrase means Arthur was singing a simple, happy melody to himself.
Example: “He hummed a happy tune. He put the kettle on to boil and reached for the blue tin.”
Similar words: sang softly, chanted, murmured.
favourite armchair: This is a comfortable chair that a person likes best. It’s often where they relax or read.
Example: “Every day, exactly at three o’clock, he would sit in his favourite armchair…”
Similar words: preferred chair, best chair.
shouted: This means to speak very loudly, often because you are angry, surprised, or excited.
Example: “‘What?!’ he shouted.”
Similar words: yelled, yelled, cried out, screamed.
a serious problem: This is an issue that is important and not funny. It needs to be solved.
Example: “He felt his heart beat a little faster. This was a serious problem.”
Similar words: a big issue, a grave matter, a difficult situation.
criminal mastermind: This is a clever and intelligent person who plans and organises crimes. Arthur is using this phrase in a funny way, because it’s only a biscuit that is missing!
Example: “Who could have taken his biscuit? A criminal mastermind? A sneaky neighbour?”
Similar words: genius thief, evil planner.
magnifying glass: This is a special glass that makes things look bigger. It is a common tool for detectives.
Example: “He took out a magnifying glass from a drawer.”
Similar words: hand lens.
feeling defeated: This means to feel sad and disappointed because you have failed or lost.
Example: “He walked back into the living room, feeling defeated.”
Similar words: discouraged, beaten, disheartened, hopeless.
blushed a little: To blush is when your face becomes red, usually because you are embarrassed or shy.
Example: “He blushed a little. ‘I suppose so,’ he said…”
Similar words: reddened, flushed.
The mystery was solved: This is a phrase used at the end of a story or investigation when the answer to a puzzle is found.
Example: “The mystery was solved.”
Similar words: The puzzle was answered, the problem was figured out, the case was closed.
Story written by Gemini Pro AI
Image created by Imagiyo AI
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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