Mia is a student. She lives in the city. Each morning, she goes to a small café by her school. She likes tea. She does not like coffee.

Today, Mia is late. She runs to the café. The café is full of people. Mia looks for a place to sit. She sees a table. On the table is a cup. The cup has hot tea in it. There is no name on the cup.

Mia is cold. She sits down. She looks at the cup. “Who is this for?” she thinks. She waits. One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. No one comes.

Mia drinks the tea. It is warm and sweet. She feels good.

A man comes to the table. He is old. He smiles at Mia. “That tea is for you,” he says. “I see you here each day. You look tired today. I want to help.”

Mia says, “Thank you. That is very kind.” The man’s name is Mr. Bell. They talk. They laugh. They talk about school and life.

The next day, Mia goes to the café again. On the table is a cup of tea. Near the cup is a small note. The note says, “For Mia. From Mr. Bell.”

Now, each morning, Mia finds a cup of tea on the table. She drinks the tea. She talks with Mr. Bell. She is happy. She has a friend.

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Vocabulary Notes

Late
Meaning: not on time; after the correct time
From the story: “Today, Mia is late.”
Example: The bus is late today. I wait at the stop.
Similar words: delayed, slow, behind time

Tired
Meaning: needing rest or sleep; no energy
From the story: “You look tired today.”
Example: After work, I am tired. I want to sit down.
Similar words: sleepy, exhausted, weary

Kind
Meaning: good and helpful to other people
From the story: “Thank you. That is very kind.”
Example: My teacher is kind. She helps all students.
Similar words: nice, friendly, generous

Note
Meaning: a short message on paper
From the story: “Near the cup is a small note.”
Example: I write a note for my friend. It says, ‘See you at 5.’
Similar words: message, letter, card

Friend
Meaning: a person you like and know well
From the story: “She has a friend.”
Example: I meet my friend at the café every week.
Similar words: pal, buddy, companion

Story written by Meta.

Animation created by Meta.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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