https://xpressenglish.com featuring the world's best short stories Wed, 11 Feb 2026 02:13:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://xpressenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-bookworm-32x32.jpg https://xpressenglish.com 32 32 https://xpressenglish.com/emperor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=emperor Sun, 19 Nov 2023 21:00:19 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=48231 Grade 5-6 Story by H. C. Anderson. Two dishonest tricksters convince an Emperor who puts appearance before the well-being of his people that they can weave him a suit of the most magnificent fabric imaginable. His courtiers, who sense that something is amiss, don’t have the courage to report it

The post The Emperor’s New Clothes first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/always-right/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=always-right Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:55:59 +0000 http://ajarnjohn.com/?p=12357 Norwegian Folktale. An old couple own a fine horse, which they decide to sell or trade for something more useful. The husband sets off for town and, after several trades along the way, comes home with a bag of rotten apples. His wife is delighted with the result.

The post What the Old Man Does is Always Right first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/the-nightingale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-nightingale Wed, 21 Aug 2019 23:05:50 +0000 http://ajarnjohn.com/?p=10837 Grade 5-6 Story by Hans Christian Andersen. The Chinese Emperor has a nightingale that sings so beautifully it is famous all over the world. One day, he replaces it with a mechanical bird covered in jewels. Years later, close to death, he comes to appreciate the real nightingale’s song.

The post The Nightingale first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/little-claus-great-claus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=little-claus-great-claus Thu, 11 May 2017 20:46:33 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=51156 Grade 5-6 Story by H. C. Andersen. A poor farmer who develops a talent for swindling people invents stories to explain the source of his newfound wealth to an envious neighbor. When the greedy neighbor tries to make money the same way, he suffers greatly.

The post Little Claus and Great Claus first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/the-fir-tree/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fir-tree Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:00:36 +0000 http://ajarnjohn.com/?p=10611 Grade 5-6 Story by Hans Christian Andersen. A fir tree grows up never being satisfied with life until one day (a Christmas Eve) it stands tall and proud. After Christmas, people throw it into a dark attic where it remembers the many other things in life it should have enjoyed.

The post The Fir Tree first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/the-little-match-seller/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-little-match-seller Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:10:03 +0000 http://ajarnjohn.com/?p=11157 Grade 5-6 Story by Hans Christian Andersen. A cruel father sends his little girl out into the snow to sell matches. She crouches between two buildings, afraid to go home because she hasn’t made any sales. A vision of her beloved grandmother appears to take her to a better place.

The post The Little Match Seller first appeared on shortsonline.]]>