Mia works at night. She cleans a large building in the city. The building is old. It has many floors and many rooms. Mia likes her job because it is quiet.

One night, Mia sees something new. On the top floor, there is a door. She never sees that door before. It is always closed. But tonight, it is open a little. A small light comes from the room.

Mia stops. She thinks, “Who is there?” No one works at night. The manager says, “Do not go to the top floor.” But Mia is curious. She walks to the door.

She pushes the door. It opens with a loud sound. Inside, the room is small. There is a table, a chair, and a box. The box is dark. It has a lock. Mia hears a sound. It is like a phone. It comes from the box.

Mia looks at the box. She wants to open it. She tries the lock, but it does not move. Then she hears steps. Someone comes up the stairs. Mia is afraid. She runs to a corner and hides behind the table.

A man comes into the room. He is tall. He wears a long coat. He does not see Mia. He goes to the box. He uses a small tool. The lock opens. Inside the box is a bag. The man takes the bag and looks happy.

Mia knows this is wrong. The man is a thief. She must do something. She looks around. On the floor, there is a book. Mia takes the book and throws it. The book hits the wall.

The man turns. “Who is there?” he says. Mia stands up. “Stop!” she says. Her voice is loud. The man is surprised. He drops the bag and runs out of the room.

Mia calls the police. She tells them about the man and the bag. The police come fast. They look in the bag. It has money and papers from the building. The police say, “Thank you, Mia. You are very brave.”

The next day, the manager comes to Mia. He says, “We close that door now. You can work on the top floor. You are a good worker.” Mia smiles. She is not afraid now. The door is closed, and the building is safe.

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Vocabulary Notes

Curious
Meaning: You want to know or learn about something.
Example: “But Mia is curious. She walks to the door.”
Similar words: interested, want to know
More examples:
I am curious about your job.
The child is curious and asks many questions.

Thief
Meaning: A person who takes something that is not theirs.
Example: “Mia knows this is wrong. The man is a thief.”
Similar words: robber, criminal
More examples:
The police catch the thief.
A thief takes money from the shop.

Brave
Meaning: Not afraid to do something difficult or dangerous.
Example: “The police say, ‘Thank you, Mia. You are very brave.’”
Similar words: strong, not scared
More examples:
She is brave and helps the man.
It is brave to speak in front of many people.

Lock
Meaning: A thing you use to keep a door or box closed. You need a key or tool to open it.
Example: “The box is dark. It has a lock.”
Similar words: bolt, fastener
More examples:
I put a lock on my bag.
The door has a lock, so no one can open it.

Push
Meaning: To use your hands to move something away from you.
Example: “She pushes the door. It opens with a loud sound.”
Similar words: shove, move
More examples:
Please push the chair to the table.
He pushes the button to start the machine.

Story written by Meta.

Image created by Meta.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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