Ben works at a food shop in the city. The shop is in a big street market. The market opens from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Ben sells hot noodles and tea. He likes his job.

One cold night in November, the market is very busy. Many people buy food and gifts. At 9 p.m., Ben sees a young girl near his shop. She looks about ten years old. She has no coat. Her hands shake. She looks at all the people, but she does not talk.

Ben stops work. He walks to the girl. He says, “Hello. Are you okay? Where are your parents?” The girl looks at him. She does not answer. She holds a small paper in her hand.

Ben takes the paper. On the paper is a photo of a woman. Under the photo are three words: “Help me, please.” Ben feels cold inside. He thinks, “This is not normal.”

Ben calls his sister, Lily. Lily works for the police. Ben says, “Lily, I have a girl here. She is alone. She has a strange note.” Lily says, “Do not let the girl go. I will come now. Call the police too.”

Ben calls the police. Then he gives the girl a hot cup of tea and his coat. The girl drinks the tea. She starts to cry, but she still does not speak.

Ten minutes later, Lily comes with two police officers. The officers are kind. One officer, Officer Dan, sits next to the girl. He shows her a picture book. Slowly, the girl points to a picture of a blue car. Then she points to the photo on the paper and nods.

Officer Dan asks Ben, “Did you see a blue car today?” Ben thinks. He says, “Yes. A blue car stops near the market at 8 p.m. A tall man gets out. He looks at the market, but he does not buy food. Then he drives away.”

The police check the cameras in the street. On the camera, they see the blue car. They see the man. They see the girl in the car with him at 7:30 p.m. At 8:45 p.m., the girl is at the market alone. The man is not with her.

Lily says, “We must find this man now.” The police use the car number from the camera. In one hour, they find the blue car at an old office. The tall man is inside. The woman from the photo is inside too. She is tied to a chair. She is the girl’s mother.

The police help the mother. They take the man to the police station. The man tries to get money from the mother. He takes the girl to the market and tells her to wait. He thinks the girl will not talk.

At the police station, the mother hugs the girl. The mother cries and says, “Thank you.” She looks at Ben and says, “You save my life and my girl’s life.”

Next month, the mother and the girl visit Ben’s shop. The girl can talk now. Her name is Ella. She gives Ben a drawing. The drawing is of Ben, Lily, and the police at the market. Under the drawing, Ella writes, “Thank you for help.”

Ben puts the drawing on the wall of his shop. Now, when people come for noodles, they see the drawing. Ben smiles. The night market is safe again. The bad man is in prison. Ella and her mother are happy and free.

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Vocabulary Notes

Busy
Meaning: When a place has many people or a lot of activity.
From the story: “One cold night in November, the market is very busy.”
Example: The shop is busy on Saturdays.
Similar words: crowded, full, active

Shake
Meaning: To move from side to side quickly, often because you are cold, scared, or nervous.
From the story: “She has no coat. Her hands shake.”
Example: He is cold, so his hands shake.
Similar words: tremble, shiver, move

Strange
Meaning: Not normal or usual. Something different that makes you think.
From the story: “She has a strange note.”
Example: That is a strange sound from the room.
Similar words: unusual, odd, different

Save
Meaning: To stop someone from danger or a bad problem. To help someone stay safe.
From the story: “You save my life and my girl’s life.”
Example: The doctor saves the man.
Similar words: help, rescue, protect

Tied
Meaning: When something is held with rope or string so it cannot move.
From the story: “She is tied to a chair.”
Example: The dog is tied to the tree.
Similar words: fastened, connected, bound

Story written by Meta.

Animation created by Meta.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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