Saki (1919) — two enemies meet in a cold forest, become friends, and then see who is coming
Original version available: read this lesson at B2/C1 level →
This is a famous short story, told here in simple English. Read each part, then stop and talk about the questions. The end is a big surprise — read slowly and do not jump ahead.
Two men did not like each other. Their names were Ulrich and Georg. For many years, their families argued about a piece of forest. Each family said, "This forest is ours!" The argument was very old. It started a long time ago, with their grandfathers.
One cold winter night, Ulrich walked in the dark forest. He carried a gun. He was not looking for animals. He was looking for Georg. In his heart, he hoped to meet him.
At the same time, Georg was walking in the same forest. He was also looking for Ulrich. The wind was cold and loud in the trees.
Then it happened. The two men met, face to face, between the trees. Each man held his gun. Each man was angry. For one long moment, they only looked at each other and said nothing.
At that moment, there was a very loud noise. A big tree fell down in the storm. It came down on top of both men!
Now Ulrich was on the ground. The tree was on his legs. He could not move. A few metres away, Georg was on the ground too. He was also stuck under the tree. He could not move either.
At first, the two men were still angry. They said hard words to each other.
"My men will come first," said Ulrich. "They will help me, and then they will roll the tree onto you."
"No! My men will come first," answered Georg. "We will see whose men come first."
Time passed. The two men lay on the cold ground together. It was very cold, and they were tired. Slowly, they began to talk in a kinder way.
"Neighbour," said Ulrich, "I have changed my mind. We have argued all our lives about this forest. It was stupid. If you help me, I will be your friend."
Georg was quiet for a long time. Then he said: "Yes. I will be your friend too. We will end this old argument tonight."
Both men were happy about this new friendship. They decided to be friends. Then they both shouted loudly for help.
Soon they saw some shapes. The shapes were coming quickly through the trees, towards them. Ulrich looked carefully to see who was coming.
"They are coming," said Ulrich. "I can see shapes in the trees."
"Are they your men?" asked Georg. "How many?"
"Nine or ten," said Ulrich. He looked again, very carefully. Then he was afraid.
"Are they your men?" asked Georg again.
"No," said Ulrich.
"Then who are they?" asked Georg.
"Wolves."
Ten useful words. Tap each card to see what it means and an example sentence.
1. A big ______ fell on the two men. 2. They could not move — they were ______. 3. At the end, the shapes in the trees were ______.
In the story, the men talk about the future. They make predictions (guesses about the future) and plans.
will = a prediction or a promise. We often use it when we decide or guess now. "My men will come first." / "I will be your friend."
going to = a plan you already have, or a prediction when you can see something now. "I am going to help you." / "Look at the sky — it is going to rain."
1. "My men here first," said Ulrich. (come)
2. "If you help me, I your friend," said Ulrich. (be)
3. "We this old argument tonight," said Georg. (end)
1. will come 2. will be 3. will end
1. Look at the storm — that big tree down! (fall)
2. "We friends now," said the two men. (be)
3. "I loudly for help," said Ulrich. (shout)
1. is going to fall 2. are going to be 3. am going to shout
Both will and going to talk about the future. The difference is small:
• Use will for a quick decision, a promise, or a simple guess: "I will help you."
• Use going to for a plan you already have, or when you can see it coming now: "We are going to be friends." / "It is going to rain."
A good short story makes you feel something. The writer of this story, Saki, uses one big trick. Here is how it works.
For the whole story, we wait for help to come. The two men are now friends, and we feel happy. Then, at the end, we learn the truth: the shapes are not men — they are wolves. This surprise at the end is called a twist.
The men stop their old argument. They decide to be friends. This is a good and kind thing. But it comes too late. The wolves are already coming. The happy ending we want does not happen.
The men argue for years about a small piece of forest. But the forest, the storm, and the wolves are much bigger and stronger than the men. Nature does not care about their argument. This makes their old fight look very small.
Do all three. Use the timer and try to keep talking. The sentence starters can help you begin.
Now tell the story again in your own words. Use short, simple sentences. Try to use four or five words from the Words tab, and tell the events in order.
These steps will help you: two men hate each other and meet in the forest · a big tree falls and traps them both · they decide to stop fighting and be friends · they shout for help · the help that comes is wolves.
Talk about your plans and your guesses for tomorrow or next week. Use will and going to.
The two men stop their old argument and become friends. Talk about a time someone stopped an argument and made peace — you, someone you know, or a person from a book or film. What did they say?