Tom worked in an office. Every day, he ate the same lunch: a cheese sandwich. His colleagues laughed, “Tom, don’t you get bored?” Tom said, “Never! Cheese is perfect.”
One Monday, Tom wanted to be adventurous. He went to the café and asked, “Please give me the biggest, most exciting sandwich you have.” The waiter smiled and brought a huge sandwich filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a very spicy sauce.
Tom took one big bite. His eyes went wide. His face turned red. He shouted, “Fire! My mouth is on fire!” He ran around the café looking for water. A woman gave him her glass, but it was lemonade. That made it worse.
Finally, Tom found a jug of cold milk. He drank it quickly, and the burning stopped. Everyone in the café laughed. Tom laughed too, but his shirt was covered in sauce, and his sandwich was on the floor.
The next day, Tom returned to the café. The waiter asked, “Another exciting sandwich?” Tom shook his head and said, “No, thank you. Just cheese.”
But the story did not end there. Later that week, Tom’s boss invited the whole office to a team lunch at the same café. Tom was nervous. He thought, “What if they all order spicy sandwiches? They will laugh at me again.”
At the café, his colleagues ordered big sandwiches with strange names: “Dragon Fire,” “Mega Volcano,” and “Burning Tower.” Tom whispered to the waiter, “Please, just cheese.” The waiter nodded.
When the food arrived, everyone stared at Tom’s small cheese sandwich. “Come on, Tom,” said his boss. “Try something new. Be brave!” Tom smiled politely and said, “I was brave once. I survived. That is enough.”
His colleagues laughed, but kindly this time. They remembered his red face and his wild run around the café. One colleague said, “Tom, you are the hero of the office. You fight sandwiches and win!”
Tom raised his cheese sandwich like a trophy. “Yes,” he said, “I am the champion of cheese.” Everyone clapped, and even the waiter laughed.
From that day, Tom became famous in the office. Whenever someone brought lunch, they asked, “Do you want to try this, Tom?” He always answered, “No, thank you. Cheese forever.”
And so, Tom lived happily, with his simple sandwich, and never again fought against spicy dragons.
Vocabulary Notes
Adventurous
Meaning: Willing to try new or exciting things, sometimes with risk.
Example: “One Monday, Tom wanted to be adventurous.”
Similar words: daring, bold, brave, curious
Extra example: She felt adventurous and tried a new sport called paddleboarding.
Spicy
Meaning: Having a strong, hot flavour from spices like chili or pepper.
Example: “…a huge sandwich filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a very spicy sauce.”
Similar words: hot, fiery, peppery, seasoned
Extra example: The curry was too spicy for me, so I drank water quickly.
Shouted
Meaning: Spoke very loudly, often because of strong feeling.
Example: “He shouted, ‘Fire! My mouth is on fire!’”
Similar words: yelled, cried, screamed, called out
Extra example: The coach shouted instructions across the football field.
Trophy
Meaning: An object that shows victory or success, often raised proudly.
Example: “Tom raised his cheese sandwich like a trophy.”
Similar words: prize, award, medal, symbol
Extra example: She held the trophy high after winning the tennis match.
Champion
Meaning: A person who wins or defends something strongly.
Example: “Yes,” he said, “I am the champion of cheese.”
Similar words: winner, hero, victor, defender
Extra example: He became the champion of the quiz competition at school.
Story written by Smart (GPT-5).
Image created by Smart (GPT-5).
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
Leave a comment