Kate Chopin (1894) — a woman hears that her husband is dead, and feels something surprising
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.
Mrs Mallard had a weak heart. So when her husband died, everyone was very careful. They wanted to tell her the news gently.
Her sister, Josephine, told her. Her husband's friend, Richards, was there too. There was a train accident, and Brently Mallard's name was on the list of dead men.
Many women cannot believe news like this at first. But Mrs Mallard cried at once. She cried in her sister's arms. Then she went to her room. She wanted to be alone. She did not want anyone to follow her.
In her room there was a big, comfortable armchair. It was in front of an open window. Mrs Mallard sat down. She felt very tired.
Outside the window, it was spring. She could see the tops of the trees. The air smelled of rain. Birds were singing. Someone was singing a song in the street. The sky was blue between the clouds.
She sat and looked at the sky. She felt that something was coming to her. She did not know what it was. She was a little afraid.
Then she understood. She said one word, very quietly: "Free, free, free!"
Her eyes were bright now. Her heart was beating fast. She thought about the future. The years in front of her were her own. She could live for herself.
She had loved her husband — sometimes. But often she had not. Now that did not matter. "Free! My body and my heart are free!" she whispered.
Josephine was outside the door. "Louise, open the door!" she said. "Please! You will make yourself ill."
"Go away. I am fine," said Mrs Mallard. She was thinking about her new life. She wanted to live a long time. Yesterday, she did not want a long life. But today, she did.
At last, she opened the door. Her face was happy, like a winner. She and her sister walked down the stairs together. Richards was waiting at the bottom.
Then the front door opened. A man came in. It was Brently Mallard — her husband! He was alive. He was not on the train in the accident. He did not even know about it.
Josephine screamed. Richards tried to stand in front of him, so Mrs Mallard could not see. But it was too late.
Later, the doctors came. They said that Mrs Mallard died of heart disease. She died, they said, of happiness.
Eight useful words. Tap each card to see what it means and an example sentence.
1. She wanted to be ______ in her room. 2. He was not dead — he was ______! 3. She said the word very quietly, in a ______.
This story uses two past tenses. We use them to tell stories about the past.
Past simple = a finished action. She cried. He died. She opened the door.
Past continuous (was/were + verb-ing) = an action happening at that moment, often in the background. The birds were singing. She was looking out of the window.
1. Her husband in a train accident. (die)
2. She in her sister's arms. (cry)
3. She to her room alone. (go)
4. At last, she the door. (open)
5. Her husband into the house. (come)
1. died 2. cried 3. went 4. opened 5. came
1. The birds outside the window. (sing)
2. Someone a song in the street. (sing)
3. She about her future. (think)
1. were singing 2. was singing 3. was thinking
We often use them in one sentence: a long background action (past continuous) is interrupted by a short action (past simple).
1. She out of the window when the door . (look / open)
2. They down the stairs when the front door . (walk / open)
1. was looking … opened
2. were walking … opened
A good short story is more than just words. The writer uses tricks to make you feel something. Here are three simple ones from this story.
We think the husband is dead for the whole story. Then, at the end, he walks in alive. This surprise is called a twist. It makes us think about the whole story again.
The open window is not just a window. It shows the free life that Mrs Mallard suddenly wants. Outside it is spring, with birds, blue sky, and new life. When an object means something bigger like this, we call it a symbol.
She says "free, free, free." Saying a word three times makes it strong and important. This is called repetition.
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: a woman is told her husband died · she cries, then feels a strange new freedom · she imagines free years ahead · she comes downstairs · her husband walks in alive, and she dies.
Talk about a time when something surprising happened — you, someone you know, or a person from a book or film. Say what happened and how the person felt.
Mrs Mallard feels free when she thinks her husband is dead. Is it OK to feel this way? Say what you think.