The Borrowed Ladder
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Amina lends her neighbor a ladder and helps him clean his gutter before the rain.
Amina hears a knock on her door. Her neighbor stands outside, looking worried. "Can I borrow your ladder?" he asks.
"My gutter is full of leaves," he explains. "I want to clean it before the rain." Amina brings her tall ladder outside.
She carries it to his front yard. The ladder is heavy but not too big. She sets it against the wall carefully.
"Do you need help holding it?" she offers. He nods and thanks her kindly. Amina holds the ladder steady at the bottom.
Her neighbor climbs up carefully with a bucket. He pulls out wet leaves and sticks. Some leaves fall right onto the grass.
"This is a lot of leaves," he says. Amina laughs and hands him a bag. He fills the bag slowly and carefully.
Birds fly out from a nearby tree. The afternoon sun feels warm on their backs. Amina checks her phone for the time.
After twenty minutes, the gutter is clean. Her neighbor climbs down safely. "Thank you so much for your help," he says.
Amina smiles and picks up her ladder. She carries it back to her garage. Helping a neighbor felt like a good morning.
