English Short Stories | Short Stories in English to Read

The Secret Garden

Lucy was a curious 10-year-old girl who had just moved to a big old house in the countryside with her parents.

The house had a huge backyard that seemed to go on forever. Lucy loved exploring outside, looking for interesting bugs and plants.

One day, while wandering in a far corner of the yard, Lucy noticed something odd. There was a section of an old stone wall hidden behind some thick bushes.

As she pushed the branches aside, she saw a small wooden door in the wall. It was green and weathered, almost invisible among the leaves.

Lucy’s heart raced with excitement. She tried the rusty handle, and to her surprise, the door creaked open.

She stepped through and gasped. On the other side was the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.

Colorful flowers bloomed everywhere. Butterflies fluttered between the petals. In the center stood an enormous old tree with low, twisty branches perfect for climbing.

A bubbling stream wound its way through the garden, and Lucy could hear birds singing sweetly.

As Lucy explored, she noticed something strange. The flowers seemed to turn to face her as she walked by, like they were watching her.

When she accidentally stepped on a twig, the nearby plants shivered as if they felt it too.

Lucy approached the big tree in the middle. As she got closer, she thought she saw faces in the bark, smiling at her.

She put her hand on the trunk and felt a warm, comforting energy flowing through it.

Amazed, Lucy spent hours exploring the garden. She found a patch of strawberries that tasted better than any she’d ever had.

She saw rabbits and squirrels that didn’t run away when she came near. Everything felt magical and alive.

As the sun began to set, Lucy reluctantly headed home, promising herself she’d come back tomorrow.

She decided to keep the garden a secret for now. It felt special, like it was meant just for her.

The next day, Lucy rushed to the garden as soon as she finished her chores. To her delight, the door was still there.

As she entered, the flowers seemed to perk up, like they were happy to see her again.

Lucy noticed a path she hadn’t seen before. Following it, she came to a small pond.

Sitting on a rock by the water was a frog, bigger than any she’d ever seen. To her shock, the frog spoke!

“Welcome back, Lucy,” it said in a deep, croaky voice. “We’ve been waiting for someone like you to find us.”

Lucy’s mouth fell open. “You can talk?” she asked.

The frog chuckled. “In this garden, many things are possible. My name is Ribbit, and I’m the guardian of this place. It’s been a long time since a child with a pure heart found their way here.”

Over the next weeks, Lucy visited the garden every day. Ribbit taught her about the plants and animals that lived there.

Lucy learned she could understand the language of the flowers and trees if she listened carefully.

She helped tend the garden, watering the plants and pulling weeds.

Sometimes, Lucy brought her homework to do in the garden.

She found that sitting under the big tree helped her concentrate, and tricky math problems seemed easier to solve.

One day, Lucy arrived to find the garden looked droopy and sad. The stream had slowed to a trickle, and many of the flowers were wilting.

Ribbit explained that the garden’s magic came from the joy and wonder of the children who visited it. But Lucy was the first to come in many years, and the magic was fading.

Lucy was determined to help. She asked Ribbit if she could bring her friends to see the garden.

At first, the frog was unsure, worried that too many people might damage the delicate place.

But Lucy promised her friends would be careful and respectful.

The next day, Lucy brought her two best friends, Sam and Maria. They were amazed by the garden and quickly fell in love with it too.

The three children spent their summer caring for the plants, playing with the animals, and adding their own touches to make the garden even more beautiful.

As more children discovered the garden, its magic grew stronger.

The flowers bloomed brighter, the stream flowed faster, and even Ribbit seemed more energetic.

Lucy was happy to share her special place with others who appreciated its wonder.

Years passed, and Lucy grew up. She never forgot the magical garden of her childhood.

As an adult, she became a botanist, studying plants and teaching others to love nature.

She often thought about Ribbit and the lessons she learned in the secret garden.

Sometimes, when Lucy visited her old home, she would check the back corner of the yard.

The little green door was always there, waiting for the next child with a pure heart and a sense of wonder to discover the magic hidden inside.

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The Secret Society

Maya was just a normal 15-year-old girl, or so she thought.

She went to Oakwood High School, liked hanging out with her friends, and sometimes struggled with math homework. But one day, everything changed.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when Maya found a strange note in her locker.

The paper was old and yellow, and the writing looked like it was done with a fancy pen. It said:

“Meet us in the old library at midnight. Your destiny awaits.”

Maya was confused and a little scared. Who would want to meet her at midnight?

And in the old library? That place had been closed for years! But she was also very curious.

That night, Maya snuck out of her house. Her heart was beating fast as she walked to school in the dark.

The old library looked spooky with its broken windows and ivy growing all over it.

As she got closer, she saw a faint light coming from inside. Maya took a deep breath and opened the creaky door.

Inside, she found five students from her school standing in a circle. They were all wearing dark robes with golden symbols on them.

Maya recognized Sarah from her English class and Tom from the basketball team.

“Welcome, Maya,” said Sarah with a smile. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Tom stepped forward. “Maya, you’ve been chosen to join The Guardians, a secret society that has protected the world from dark forces for hundreds of years.”

Maya’s eyes went wide. “Me? But I’m just a normal girl!”

“That’s what we all thought too,” said another girl named Zoe. “But we each have special powers that help us fight evil. And we think you have powers too.”

Maya couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What kind of evil are you talking about?”

“Demons, dark wizards, and monsters that normal people can’t see,” explained Tom. “They’re always trying to take over our world, but we stop them.”

“If you want to join us,” Sarah said, “you’ll have to pass three trials to prove you’re worthy.”

Maya thought for a moment. It all seemed crazy, but something inside her felt excited. Like this was what she was meant to do. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

The first trial was the Test of Courage. Maya had to spend a whole night alone in the town’s haunted house.

She heard strange noises and saw scary shadows, but she stayed brave and made it through till morning.

The second trial was the Test of Wisdom. Maya had to solve an ancient puzzle that had stumped people for centuries.

She worked on it for days, barely sleeping or eating. Finally, on the seventh day, she cracked the code and the puzzle opened, revealing a glowing crystal inside.

The third and final trial was the Test of Heart. Maya had to face her deepest fear and overcome it.

In a magical mirror, she saw herself failing at everything and letting everyone down.

But Maya stood tall and said, “I am strong, I am brave, and I believe in myself!” The mirror shattered, and Maya passed the last test.

After completing all three trials, Maya was officially welcomed into The Guardians.

She learned that her special power was the ability to see glimpses of the future, which would help the group prevent disasters before they happened.

Over the next few months, Maya and her new friends fought all kinds of evil creatures.

They stopped a demon from poisoning the town’s water supply, caught a shapeshifting monster that was pretending to be the school principal, and even closed a portal to a dark dimension that had opened in the gym!

Maya’s life had completely changed. School was still important, but now she had this amazing secret.

She was part of something bigger, protecting people who didn’t even know they were in danger.

Sometimes it was scary, and Maya missed just being a normal teenager. But then she would remember all the good they were doing, and how she had found a place where she truly belonged.

As she stood with her fellow Guardians, watching the sun rise after another night of saving the world, Maya smiled.

She knew that no matter what challenges came next, they would face them together. And that made all the difference.