The Lost Puppy of Oakridge Park: English short story for learners
Level: Beginner (A1–A2) · 22 sentences · 190 words · about 1 min read · Category: Kids Stories
A heartwarming story about Sarah, a kind girl who finds an abandoned puppy in the park and goes on a dedicated search to reunite him with his loving family.
Read the story
- Sarah walked into the park on a quiet afternoon.
- She saw a small puppy sitting under a bench.
- It looked around anxiously, searching for its owner.
- Sarah moved closer, careful not to startle it.
- The puppy trembled softly as she knelt down.
- Extending her hand, she offered a piece of bread.
- The puppy sniffed her fingers cautiously at first.
- Then it ate the bread eagerly and wagged its tail.
- Sarah noticed a scratched silver tag on its collar.
- She dialed the phone number written on the tag.
- A worried woman answered and thanked her politely.
- She said her puppy had escaped from the garden.
- Sarah told her to meet near the park fountain.
- The woman promised to arrive in ten minutes.
- Sarah said "good boy" repeatedly to calm the puppy.
- The energetic puppy jumped and played in the grass.
- Soon a boy and his mother came running.
- The puppy recognized them and ran over with excitement.
- Tears of relief filled the mother's eyes.
- They thanked Sarah with deep gratitude for her kindness.
- The boy gave her a small ribbon as a token.
- Sarah smiled, feeling a profound sense of joy.
Key vocabulary
- Anxiously :
- With stress, worry, or unease
- Startle :
- To surprise or frighten suddenly
- Trembled :
- Shook involuntarily from fear or cold
- Extending :
- Reaching out or stretching forth
- Cautiously :
- Doing something with care to avoid danger
- Eagerly :
- With great enthusiasm or desire
- Scratched :
- Marked or damaged on the surface
- Politely :
- In a courteous and respectful manner
- Repeatedly :
- Doing something over and over again
- Energetic :
- Full of energy and vitality
- Recognized :
- Identified someone or something previously known
- Excitement :
- A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness
- Relief :
- A feeling of reassurance following anxiety
- Gratitude :
- The quality of being thankful
- Token :
- A symbol or visible sign of something
- Profound :
- Deeply felt or experienced
Pronunciation tips
- Anxiously /ANGK-shuhs-lee/: Stress the first syllable ANGK.
- Startle /STAHR-tuhl/: Sharp 't' sound in the middle.
- Trembled /TREM-buhld/: Soft 'd' ending sound.
- Cautiously /KAW-shuhs-lee/: The middle 'ti' makes a 'sh' sound.
- Recognized /REK-uhg-nyzd/: Three distinct syllables: Rek - ug - nized.
- Gratitude /GRAT-i-tood/: Soft 't' transition in the middle.
- Profound /pruh-FOWND/: Emphasize the second syllable FOWND.
Check your understanding
1. Where was the puppy sitting when Sarah first saw it?
- Near the entrance
- Under a bench in the park ✓
- On a playground slide
- Next to a store
2. Why did Sarah approach the puppy slowly?
- She was tired
- So she would not startle it ✓
- She was searching for her shoes
- The grass was wet
3. What food did Sarah offer to the puppy?
- An apple
- A piece of bread ✓
- A biscuit
- A piece of cheese
4. Where did Sarah find the owner's phone number?
- On a paper note
- On a silver tag on the collar ✓
- On a street sign
- Printed on the backpack
5. How did the puppy escape from its house?
- It ran out of an open door
- It jumped out of a car window
- It escaped from the garden ✓
- It got lost during a walk
6. Where did Sarah ask the owner to meet her?
- Near the central park fountain ✓
- At the park entrance
- At a nearby café
- Near the parking lot
7. How long did it take for the owners to arrive?
- Five minutes
- Ten minutes ✓
- Half an hour
- One hour
8. What does the word 'Gratitude' mean?
- Sadness
- Thankfulness ✓
- Confusion
- Anger
9. What gift did the young boy give Sarah to thank her?
- A flower
- A small ribbon ✓
- A coin
- A toy
10. What feeling did Sarah experience at the end of the story?
- Confusion
- A profound sense of joy ✓
- Tiredness
- Loneliness
How to study this story
- Read each sentence and its translation once, without typing.
- Learn the key vocabulary above and say each word aloud.
- Type the story line by line in the practice box and listen to the audio.
- Answer the questions without looking back, then retype any sentence you got wrong.