On a hot sunny day in summer, Tom decided to wear his new t-shirt. It was red with big white letters on the front and back that said, “Don’t even think about it!” He thought it was funny and perfect for the warm weather. Tom lived in a small town, and he needed to buy some groceries, so he walked into the busy town centre in the afternoon.
The streets were full of people shopping, eating ice cream, and enjoying the sunshine. As Tom walked past a group of teenagers sitting on a bench, one of them noticed his t-shirt. “Hey, mate, what shouldn’t I think about?” the boy asked with a laugh. His friends giggled. Tom smiled and said, “Whatever you’re thinking right now!” They all burst out laughing, and Tom kept walking, feeling amused.
Next, he stopped at a café to get a cold drink. The waitress behind the counter read his t-shirt and raised her eyebrows. “Don’t even think about it? Are you warning me not to give you extra sugar in your lemonade?” she joked. Tom chuckled and replied, “No, but now that you mention it, maybe I should!” She handed him his drink with a wink and said, “Well, I thought about it, but I won’t do it.”
As he continued down the street, an old lady with a shopping bag stopped him. She squinted at the words on his chest. “Young man, what does that mean? Don’t think about what? The weather? Or buying too many sweets?” Tom explained it was just a funny message, but she shook her head. “In my day, we didn’t need t-shirts to tell people what to do. But it’s a good reminder – don’t think about crossing the road without looking!” She patted his arm and walked away.
At the market, a vendor selling fruits saw the back of Tom’s t-shirt as he picked some apples. “Don’t even think about it!” the man read out loud. “Think about what? Stealing my apples? Ha! You’d better not!” Tom turned around and laughed. “No stealing here, I promise. How much for these?” The vendor grinned and gave him a discount. “For that t-shirt, I’ll make it cheaper. It made my day!”
Then, a couple walking hand in hand approached. The woman pointed at Tom’s t-shirt. “That’s brilliant! Is it about proposing marriage or something romantic?” Her boyfriend looked nervous and said, “Don’t give her ideas!” Tom shrugged. “It could mean anything. What do you think?” The woman smiled. “I think it’s a challenge. Now I’m definitely thinking about it!”
By the end of the afternoon, Tom had heard all sorts of comments. Some people ignored it, but many stopped to chat or joke. He bought his groceries and headed home, tired but happy. As he sat in his garden with a cool breeze, he thought about the day. The t-shirt had turned a simple trip into an adventure full of laughs and conversations. “Maybe I’ll wear it again tomorrow,” he said to himself. But for now, he was glad to relax and not think about anything at all.
Vocabulary Notes
Amused (adjective)
Definition: Feeling entertained or finding something funny in a mild way.
Example: “Tom kept walking, feeling amused.” (This shows Tom found the teenagers’ reaction to his t-shirt funny and it made him smile.)
Context: Tom felt amused because the teenagers laughed and joked about his t-shirt, which created a light, happy moment.
Similar words: entertained, delighted, tickled, pleased.
Example sentence: She was entertained by the funny video her friend sent her.
Chuckled (verb, past tense)
Definition: Laughed quietly or softly, often because something is mildly funny.
Example: “Tom chuckled and replied, ‘No, but now that you mention it, maybe I should!’” (Tom laughed softly when the waitress made a joke about sugar in his lemonade.)
Context: The chuckle shows Tom’s friendly and relaxed reaction to the waitress’s humour.
Similar words: giggled, laughed, snickered, chortled.
Example sentence: He giggled when his dog tried to chase its own tail.
Squinted (verb, past tense)
Definition: Looked at something with eyes partly closed, often because of bright light or to see better.
Example: “She squinted at the words on his chest.” (The old lady narrowed her eyes to read the t-shirt’s message clearly.)
Context: The old lady squinted because she was trying to read the big letters on Tom’s t-shirt, possibly due to age or bright sunlight.
Similar words: peered, stared, gazed, narrowed (eyes).
Example sentence: He peered at the small print on the label to check the ingredients.
Vendor (noun)
Definition: A person who sells goods, often at a market or stall.
Example: “At the market, a vendor selling fruits saw the back of Tom’s t-shirt.” (The vendor is the person selling apples at the market stall.)
Context: The vendor’s interaction with Tom was playful, as he joked about the t-shirt message while selling fruit.
Similar words: seller, merchant, trader, shopkeeper.
Example sentence: The merchant at the market offered fresh vegetables at a low price.
Brilliant (adjective)
Definition: Very impressive, clever, or excellent (can also mean bright, but here it’s about something great).
Example: “That’s brilliant! Is it about proposing marriage or something romantic?” (The woman thought the t-shirt’s message was clever and interesting.)
Context: The woman used “brilliant” to show excitement and admiration for the t-shirt’s bold message.
Similar words: fantastic, great, wonderful, superb.
Example sentence: The new café in town has a fantastic menu with lots of choices.
Story written by SteveUK and Grok 3 AI.
Image created by Grok 3 AI.
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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