Anna works at a bank in Taunton. She is a good worker. She likes her job. Every day, she helps people with their money. She knows many of the customers. She says “Good morning” and smiles.

One cold morning in April, a man comes to the bank. He has a red bag. The bag is big. He is tall. He wears a dark hat and a long coat. His eyes are grey. He does not smile. He stands in the line and looks at Anna.

When it is his turn, the man walks to Anna. He does not say “Hello”. He puts the red bag on the desk. Then he gives Anna a note. The note is on white paper. The note says, “Put money in the bag. Do not speak. Do not call for help. Do it now.”

Anna reads the note. Her heart goes fast. Her hands shake. The man has one hand in his coat. Anna thinks, “He has a gun. I must be careful.”

Anna looks up at the cameras on the wall. The man sees her. He says in a low voice, “No. Look at me. Only at me.”

Anna opens the cash box. Slowly, she takes money from the box. She puts the money in the red bag. She tries to think. She needs to get help.

Her boss, Mr. Reed, is at his desk. He looks up. He sees Anna. Her face is white. He sees the man with the hat. Mr. Reed starts to walk to her.

The man sees Mr. Reed come. He moves fast. He takes his hand from his coat. Anna thinks, “Now he will shoot.” But the man has a phone in his hand, not a gun. He throws the phone at Mr. Reed. The phone hits the floor. Then the man grabs the red bag and runs to the door.

Anna shouts, “Stop him! He is a thief!”

Two police officers are at the door. They are there to talk to Mr. Reed about safety. They see the man run. They catch him fast. They hold his arms. They take the red bag from him.

The police open the red bag on a table. They find all the money from the cash box. Under the money, they find a letter. The letter has a name and an address. The police officers look at the name. One officer says, “We know this man. He is a bad man. He tells other people to steal for him.”

Later, a police woman talks to Anna. She gives Anna some water. She says, “Thank you, Anna. You are very brave. You did not panic. You helped us to catch two bad men today. The man with the red bag works for the man in the letter. Now we can go to that address.”

That night, Anna goes home to her flat. She sits with her cat. She drinks tea. She feels tired but safe. On the news, she sees the two men. The police have them. The red bag is in the police station. The money is back in the bank.

Anna goes to work the next day. She is not afraid. She knows the bad men are in jail. The story is over. She is safe.

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Vocabulary Notes

Brave
Meaning: Not afraid when something is hard or dangerous. You do the right thing.
Example: “You are very brave. You did not panic.”
Similar words: strong, not scared, courageous
Another example: The police officer is brave when he catches the thief.

Thief
Meaning: A person who takes something that is not theirs.
Example: “Stop him! He is a thief!”
Similar words: robber, criminal, bad person
Another example: The thief puts the money in the red bag.

Shake
Meaning: To move a little, up and down or side to side, often because you are cold or afraid.
Example: “Her hands shake.”
Similar words: tremble, move, quiver
Another example: When Anna is afraid, her hands shake.

Catch
Meaning: To stop someone and hold them so they cannot go.
Example: “They catch him fast. They hold his arms.”
Similar words: stop, grab, get
Another example: The police catch the man at the door.

Safe
Meaning: Not in danger. Nothing bad can happen to you.
Example: “She feels tired but safe.”
Similar words: secure, protected, out of danger
Another example: Now the bad men are in jail, so Anna is safe.

Story written by SteveUK and Meta.

Animation created by Meta.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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