2021-02-20 ‘William Wilson,’ by Edgar Allan Poe, Part One
We present the first of four parts of the short story “William Wilson,” by Edgar Allan Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.…
2021-02-06 The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton
Today’s story is “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton. The story was written by Frank Stockton in 1882. It was adapted for VOA Learning English by Shelley…
2021-01-30 ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ by Washington Irving
Today’s story is called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is about something strange that happened long ago in a valley called “Sleepy Hollow”. It was written by Washington Irving.…
2021-01-23 ‘One Thousand Dollars,’ by O. Henry
Our story today is called “One Thousand Dollars.” It was written by O. Henry. Here is Steve Ember with the story. “One thousand dollars,” said the lawyer Tolman, in a…
2021-01-16 ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe
Today we present the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. Here is Shep O’Neal with the story. True! Nervous — very, very nervous I had been and…
2021-01-09 The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe
Our story today is called “The Purloined Letter.” It was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is generally known for his horror stories. This is the third of three stories…
2021-01-02 The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Our story today is called “The Ambitious Guest. ” It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Here is Harry Monroe with our story. One December night, a long, long time ago,…
2020-12-26 ‘A Horseman in the Sky’ by Ambrose Bierce
Our story today is called, “A Horseman in the Sky.” It was written by Ambrose Bierce. Carter Druse was born in Virginia. He loved his parents, his home and the…
2020-12-19 ‘Keesh’ by Jack London
Our story this week is “Keesh.” It was written by Jack London. Here is Shep O’Neal to tell you the story. Keesh lived at the edge of the polar sea.…
2020-12-12 The Cask of Amontillado
Our story today is called “The Cask of Amontillado.” It was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Here is Larry West with the story. Storyteller: Fortunato and I both were members…
2020-12-05 The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte
We present “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte. Here is Jim Tedder. John Oakhurst was a gambler. He had lived in the small western town of Poker Flat…
2020-11-28 ‘The Californian’s Tale,’ by Mark Twain
Editor’s Note: This is a weekly multimedia series of American short stories for English language learners. Each story has video, audio, a quiz, and a lesson plan for teachers. Hope…
2020-11-21 ‘A Piece of Red Calico,’ by Frank Stockton
Editor’s note: If you are tired from doing year-end gift shopping, relax and think about the poor man in this story. Our story today is called “A Piece of Red…
2020-11-14 The Open Boat by Stephen Crane, Part Two
We continue the story of “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. As we told you last week, the story is based on true events. In eighteen ninety-six, Crane was traveling…
2020-11-07 The Open Boat by Stephen Crane, Part One
Our story today is called “The Open Boat.” It was written by Stephen Crane and is based on what really happened to him in eighteen ninety-six. Crane was traveling from…