The Little Blue Suitcase (A1 Reading Story)

A1 · BEGINNER Reading practice · ~1,225 words · 8-min read

This is a short, easy story for beginners. The sentences are simple. First, read the eight key words. Then read the story about a young woman on her first big trip. At the end, there is a small quiz to check what you understand.

The story

1 · Maya’s big day

Maya is twenty years old. She lives in a small town, far from the sea. She works in a small shop. She sells bread and cheese. She likes her town. But she wants to see new places too.

Today is a very special day. Maya is going on her first big trip. She is going to see her grandmother. Her grandmother lives in a town by the sea. The name of the town is Portside. Grandmother writes long letters to Maya every month. But Maya never visits her. She is busy at the shop. And she is also a little afraid to travel alone.

Now Maya has one week free. She wants to be brave. She wants to see the sea for the first time in her life.

Maya has a small suitcase. It is blue. It is old, but she loves it. It is a gift from her mother, many years ago. A suitcase is a bag with a handle. You put your clothes in it when you travel.

Maya puts in two shirts. She puts in one dress. She puts in a book and a small photo of her mother. She closes the suitcase. She takes a deep breath.

“I can do this,” she says.

2 · At the station

Maya walks to the station. A station is a place where trains stop and start. It is not far from her house. There are many people at the station today. Some people carry big bags. Some people carry small bags. Everybody is going somewhere.

Maya buys a ticket. A ticket is a small paper you buy to travel on a train. Her ticket costs twelve pounds. She holds it in her hand carefully. She does not want to lose it. To lose something means you cannot find it any more.

“Platform three,” the woman at the desk says. “Your train is coming at ten o’clock.”

Maya walks to platform three. The platform is the place where you stand and wait for the train. She sits on a bench. She looks at her little blue suitcase. She looks at her ticket. She looks at the big clock. Nine minutes to ten.

Next to Maya, an old woman sits down. The old woman has a big smile and white hair. She also has a small blue suitcase — just like Maya’s. Only one thing is different: there is a small yellow ribbon on the handle.

“Hello, dear,” the old woman says. “Are you going far today?”

Maya smiles. It is nice to talk to a stranger. A stranger is a person you do not know.

“I am going to Portside,” Maya says. “To see the sea. For the first time in my life.”

“Oh, how lovely!” the old woman says. “I am going to Portside too. My name is Rose. I go there every month, to visit my son.”

“I am Maya. It is my first big trip. I am a little afraid.”

“Do not worry,” Rose says. “I can sit with you on the train. Trains are easy. You get on, you sit, you get off. That is all.”

Maya feels better already.

3 · On the train

The train comes. It is long and grey. The doors open. Maya and Rose get on. They find two good seats near the window. A seat is a chair on a train, a bus, or a plane. They put their little blue suitcases on the shelf, above their heads.

The train starts. Maya looks out of the window. The town gets smaller. Now she can see green fields. Now she can see brown cows. Now she can see soft hills. Everything is new. Everything is beautiful.

“This is beautiful,” Maya says quietly.

“Wait until you see the sea,” Rose says with a smile. “The sea is even more beautiful.”

Rose tells Maya about her son. He is a fisherman. He has a small boat. He goes on the sea every morning. Sometimes he catches many fish. Sometimes he catches only one. But he is always happy.

Maya listens. She likes Rose. She likes the train. She feels warm and safe. The train moves slowly. Trees pass the window. Fields pass. The sound of the train is like music: “ta-tak, ta-tak, ta-tak.”

Maya’s eyes feel heavy. The seat is soft. The window is warm from the sun. She closes her eyes for a moment. Just for one small moment.

4 · The wrong suitcase

“Portside! Portside — next stop!”

Maya opens her eyes. Oh no! She is asleep! For how long?

The train is stopping. The doors are opening. People are getting off.

“Portside! Portside!”

Rose is not in her seat. Where is Rose?

Maya jumps up. Her heart is beating fast. She grabs a small blue suitcase from the shelf. She runs to the door. She jumps off the train.

The train doors close. The train goes away.

Maya stands on the platform. She is at Portside. She did it! She feels happy and afraid at the same time.

She looks at her suitcase. It is small and blue. But wait — there is a yellow ribbon on the handle. A small yellow ribbon.

Maya’s mouth opens. “This is not my suitcase!” she says. “This is Rose’s suitcase!”

She looks all around the platform. Rose is not there. The train is gone. Maya’s own little blue suitcase is on the train — with her clothes, her book, and her photo of her mother. And she has Rose’s suitcase in her hand.

“Oh no, oh no,” Maya says.

5 · Grandmother, and something strange

Maya walks slowly out of the station. She is nearly crying. But then, at the door, she sees a small old lady. The lady has grey hair and kind eyes.

“Maya?” the old lady says. “Is that you, my Maya?”

“Grandmother!” Maya says. She runs. They hug for a long time. Grandmother smells like flowers and old books. It feels like coming home.

“Come, dear,” Grandmother says. “The sea is only five minutes from here. But first — tea. And you look tired! What is wrong?”

At Grandmother’s small house, Maya tells the story. Grandmother laughs, but kindly.

“Poor Rose,” Grandmother says. “But do not worry. In Portside, everybody knows everybody. We can find Rose’s son. Tomorrow. Tonight, you must see the sea.”

Grandmother takes Maya’s hand. They walk to the end of the street. And there — there it is.

The sea.

It is big. It is blue. It moves and breathes like a big animal. It is louder than Maya thinks it can be. The wind is cold on her face. The water shines in the evening sun.

Maya cannot speak. She only looks. Her eyes are wet, but she is smiling.

“Now you know,” Grandmother says quietly.

Later that night, Maya sits on her bed. The wrong blue suitcase is on the floor. Maya knows she must open it. Maybe there is a name inside. Maybe there is an address for Rose’s son.

She opens the yellow ribbon. She opens the suitcase.

Inside, she sees clothes. She sees a small book. And then she sees one thing more — one small thing that makes her sit up quickly. Her heart is beating fast again.

“Grandmother,” Maya calls softly. “Come and look at this.”

Check your understanding

Read each question. Think about your answer. Then click “Show answer” to check.

Words to remember

Here are the key words again, in new sentences. Say each one out loud.

• suitcase — My suitcase is heavy. There are many books inside.
• station — The station is very busy on Monday morning.
• ticket — I buy a ticket for the bus every day.
• platform — Our train comes to platform five in ten minutes.
• seat — Please, take a seat near the window.
• stranger — A kind stranger helps me with my bag.
• lose — Do not lose your ticket! You need it on the train.
• sea — In the summer, we swim in the sea every day.

Talk about it · Write about it

Talk about it: Do you like to travel? Where do you want to go? Do you travel alone or with your family?

Write about it: Write 5 simple sentences about a trip you want to take. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Who do you want to go with? Use the present continuous where you can (for example: “I am going to…”, “I am staying in…”).

🎉 Well done — you read a whole English story about a big first trip! And now you also know eight new travel words. That is a great step for a beginner.

But wait — what is inside Rose’s suitcase? Why does Maya call her grandmother so quickly? You will find out in the next story…

Next story: Read another easy A1 story →

About this story: This is an original A1 graded reader (~1,225 words). It uses simple, controlled vocabulary and mostly present simple and present continuous tenses, so beginners can understand about 98% of the words. Any harder word is explained before the story and used again inside it.

Khamis Maiouf

I’m Khamis Maiouf. English is not my first language – I learned it as an adult in the UK, passed Functional Skills Level 2 in English, qualified in Hairdressing at Level 3, and I’m now studying Business at university. For over five years I’ve taught ESOL classes in my community and tutored students through GCSE English. I write every lesson on this site myself, for the learner I used to be.