Category: Simple Stories in English

Episode 66

Every four years the FIFA World Cup attracts a world-wide audience. And every FIFA World Cup also attracts controversy. Forty years ago, in 1986, the games in Mexico had their fair share of controversy, as well as amazing moments, surrounding Diego Maradona. Maradona is one of the greatest footballers, or soccer players, of all time. He started playing professionally just before his 16th birthday. He was already a popular player when he arrived at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. However, it would be his performance here, especially in the quarterfinal game against England, that would cement his name in history.

Maradona and the Hand of God

Fans from all over the world went to Mexico in the year 1986 to celebrate the World Cup. Some 24 teams represented their nations to see who could be victorious and lift up the World Cup trophy. 

The 1986 World Cup was marked by several controversies. First of all, it was originally going to occur in Colombia. However, FIFA modified some terms and Colombia announced that it couldn’t host the competition because they didn’t have the money to modify everything required by FIFA. At that time, Mexico, Canada, and the United States offered to have the event. Each nation made a presentation, but FIFA only considered Mexico. They didn’t even visit the other two nations.

Another controversy surrounding the 1986 World Cup was related to the mascot. The mascot for the event was a caricature called Pique. Pique was a jalapeño with a big mustache and sombrero. It wore the colors of the Mexican team. However, several Mexicans did not like his stereotypical appearance. 

Yet another controversy related to the hours of the games. The matches occurred in the middle of the day because it was more profitable to transmit them to Europe during that time. But that meant that the players were playing during the hottest moments of the day. On top of that, they were in higher-altitude cities of between 2,000 and 8,700 feet high. The weather was not kind. It was very hot and it was humid. In some games it even rained.

But all the information I have mentioned didn’t mean anything next to the biggest controversy of the 1986 World Cup: Maradona and the Hand of God.

Argentina was doing a great job in the World Cup. They were winning game after game. In the group phase, Argentina won against South Korea and Bulgaria, and then they tied with Italy. In the round of 16, Argentina won against Uruguay. Later in the quarterfinals, Argentina faced England.

The nations of England and Argentina had a complicated past. Only four years before the World Cup, they were involved in a war over the Falkland Islands, or in their Argentinian name, the Islas Malvinas. These islands are only 300 miles from the coast of Argentina. Several groups established colonies on the islands, but they were under English control consistently since the year 1833.

In 1982, the leader of Argentina, General Leopoldo Galtieri, decided to take control of the islands to promote a sense of patriotism among the Argentinians. England and their leader, Margaret Thatcher, responded to the invasion with military force, resulting in a war. The war lasted only 10 weeks, with England victorious. During the conflict, 258 English and 649 Argentinians died.

Relations between England and Argentina continued being tense. Even though Argentina didn’t win the war in the Falkland Islands, they had the opportunity to win the quarterfinals in the World Cup.

The two teams and a big number of fans were in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Argentina appeared in blue jerseys that they had bought three days before. England wore white.

The first half of the game saw several opportunities to make a goal, but no points. The action became more intense in the second half, mainly thanks to the Argentinian captain, Diego Maradona.

Diego Maradona was 25. He was very popular in the world of soccer. He started to play professionally a little before turning 16. He was with Argentinos Juniors, and later Boca Juniors. Then he spent two years in Spain with Barcelona, followed by several years in Naples, Italy.

Diego Maradona was already a super player in the 1986 World Cup, but the second half of the quarterfinal match between England and Argentina cemented him in soccer history.

Only 6 minutes into the second half, Maradona took control of the ball. He neared the English net. He passed the ball to a teammate and continued running. His teammate kicked the ball. The ball was high in the air. Maradona and the English goalie ran to the ball. Maradona hit the ball and made a goal.

The fans and Argentinian players went crazy. The English players spoke to the referees. The goal was illegal. From some angles, it seemed that Maradona had hit the ball with his head. But according to the English, Maradona didn’t touch the ball with his head as it seemed, but rather he hit the ball with his hand. In spite of protests, the referees validated the goal, and Argentina was one step closer to victory.

A few minutes after his first goal, Maradona made history when he took the ball from an English attack. He turned and took off some 60 meters towards the English net. Five English players attacked him, but no one could take the ball from him. Maradona gave one last kick and scored another goal.

In Argentina, the fans that were watching the game on TV shared the sentiments of the commentator Victor Hugo Morales when he exclaimed: “I want to cry, my God, long live soccer! What a goal!” Later he continued, “Maradona, a memorable run, in the play of all time, cosmic kite, what planet did you come from?”

In the last moments of the game, England scored a goal, but it didn’t matter. At the end, Argentina won with their two goals, even though one was very controversial. With this victory, Argentina advanced to the semifinals.

After the game, Maradona spoke with reporters. When they asked him about his first controversial goal, Maradona responded: “It was a little bit Maradona’s head and another little bit the hand of God.”

Even though there were photos from several angles that showed his hand hitting the ball, Maradona kept saying that it was ‘the head of Maradona and the hand of God.’ Years later, Maradona admitted that he had hit the ball with his hand, not with his head. He knew that he used his hand, but the ref said “goal.” Maradona expressed that he believed the goal was justice for what England did in the Falkland Islands.

In the semifinals, Argentina beat Belgium 2 to 0, arriving to the final round unbeaten. In the final match, Argentina faced Germany (West Germany at that time), who were the favorites.

Argentina started the battle with the first goal. A little later, they got a second goal. They seemed destined for victory. Then, Germany made a goal, followed 7 minutes later by another goal. It was a tie of two to two. With only seven minutes left in the game, Maradona passed the ball to Jorge Burruchaga, who made the third and final goal in the conclusion of the World Cup. Argentina had won.

For his part, Diego Maradona received the Golden Ball for being the best player in the tournament. His second goal in the quarterfinal against England was voted the Goal of the Century in 2002. And his first goal still has the title “the Hand of God.”

The end.

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco! Or find me on PayPal and Venmo @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

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Season 3, episode 12

Zunzuncito is reaching the end of his journey. He crossed the grand lake, passed through the land of giants, and arrived at the valley of snails. Now he just needs to suck the nectar and he will be big. Because being big will make him happy, right? 

Chapter 12: Zunzuncito’s Wish

Zunzuncito started this adventure in a valley of flowers. He was sucking the nectar from pretty flowers in many colors. But other bigger hummingbirds and mean bees caused him problems.

Later he was trapped in a spiderweb, but a small frog freed him. The frog was Monty and now Monty is his best friend. Monty told him about a magic flower and Zunzuncito decided to look for it.

To find the magic flower, first he talked to an enormous snake: the Cuban boa Majá. Majá said that he had to cross the great lake, pass through the land of giants, and arrive in the valley of snails.

So Zunzuncito and Monty crossed the great lake, passed through the land of giants, and, finally, arrived in the valley of snails. It wasn’t easy and there were a lot of problems along the way, but none of that matters now because Zunzuncito is close to the magic flower and his wish to be big.

Zunzuncito is very excited. He is in the Valley of Snails! He is close to the magic flower! Now he just needs to find the flower and speak to its protector. 

Zunzuncito flies up in the air and looks for the flower. He looks for a magic flower. But he doesn’t see magic flowers, he just sees normal flowers. Where is the magic flower? He decides to talk to the snails. He sees a snail with a yellow and orange shell under a green plant. The snail’s shell is brightly colored and very pretty.

“Hello, Mr. Snail,” Zunzuncito says to the yellow snail. The snail looks at Zunzuncito.

“I am not a mister,” the snail says.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Hello, Mrs. Snail,” Zunzuncito says.

“I am not a missus,” the snail says.

“Oh! I’m sorry. So, what are you?” Zunzuncito asks.

“I am just a polymita picta. My friends call me Polly,” the snail explains.

“Nice to meet you Polly. I am Monty and the little bird is Zunzuncito,” Monty says.

“We are looking for the magic flower. Do you know where it is? Zunzuncito asks.

“Yes,” Polly says. “Why are you looking for the magic flower?”

“Well, I want to make a wish to be big. I don’t like being small,” Zunzuncito responds.

Polly looks intensely at Zunzuncito. Polly is bigger than Monty, but smaller than Zunzuncito. Polly’s shell is only two centimeters long. After a pause, Polly moves. Polly moves down to the ground with Monty.

“I will take you to the flower,” Polly says.

Zunzuncito is super excited. He is so close to the magic flower! He is going to suck the nectar from the flower and be big! Zunzuncito moves his wings quickly and flies. But there is a problem. Polly does not move quickly. Polly moves very slowly.

“Is it possible to go more quickly?” Zunzuncito asks impatiently.

“No,” Polly responds. Polly moves slowly on the ground. Monty hops on the ground. Zunzuncito decides to walk on the ground with his friends.

“Why do you want to be big?” Polly asks Zunzuncito.

“Because I don’t want to be small. I have problems with other birds. I have problems with insects. I have problems with spiders. I have problems with fish. A big bird doesn’t have problems, so I want to be big,” Zunzuncito explains.

“I like being small,” Monty announces. Zunzuncito looks at his friend with surprise.

“Me too,” Polly says. “I like to see the colors in flower petals. I like to see the intricate designs on the shells of my snail friends. I like to move calmly. I like being small.

Zunzuncito thinks about Polly’s words. There are benefits of being small. He thinks about his escape from the serpent Majá. He thinks about freeing the animals in the cages. He thinks about all of the pretty snails. A big bird wouldn’t have been able to escape from Majá’s grasp. A big bird wouldn’t have been able to free the animals in the land of giants. A big bird wouldn’t be able to see the beautiful shells of the painted snails.

After hours of walking, Zunzuncito sees a red light. In the middle of the red light there is the most beautiful flower Zunzuncito has ever seen. It is obvious that it contains the sweetest of all nectars. It is the magic flower!

A blue, red, and white bird flies in front of the flower. It is a tocororo and it is obviously the protector of the magic flower.

“What do you want?” the bird asks the three small animals.

“Great Tocororo, protector of the magic flower, I have crossed the great lake, passed through the land of giants, and arrived at the valley of snails so I could find the magic flower and drink its sweet nectar that my wish may be granted,” Zunzuncito announces.

Tocororo looks intensely at Zunzuncito. The tiny hummingbird is nervous. After a few minutes, Tocororo speaks.

“You have come far. What is your wish?”

Zunzuncito knows what his wish is. His wish is to be big. He wants to be a big bird. He wants to be big so he won’t have problems. He looks over at his little friends. He doesn’t want to be small, he wants to be big, right? Zunzuncito isn’t sure anymore. Does he want to be big?

“What is your wish?” Tocororo repeats.

“I….um, I…” Zunzuncito looks at Monty and Polly. They are small, but they are happy. Zunzuncito thinks about all the things he can do and see because he is small.

“Yes?” Tocororo asks patiently.

“I want to be happy with myself, just the way I am,” Zunzuncito exclaims.

Tocororo examines Zunzuncito for a moment. He decides that Zunzuncito’s wish is honorable and says, “You may drink the nectar from the flower.”

Zunzuncito moves his wings and flies to the magic flower. Monty, Polly, and Tocororo watch while Zunzuncito sucks the nectar. It is the sweetest nectar of any he has ever tasted. 

After drinking the nectar, Zunzuncito doesn’t feel any different. He looks at his little body and thinks about his adventure. He thinks about the benefits of being small. Zunzuncito is the smallest bird in the world, but he decides that being small isn’t bad, being small is unique. Zunzuncito is a unique and exceptional bird.

Zunzuncito, the small, unique and exceptional hummingbird, looks at his friends. Then he looks at the flowers and mountains of Cuba and feels completely happy.

The End.

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 11

Zunzuncito is getting closer to the magic flower that will grant his wish to be big. He crossed the grand lake and passed through the land of giants. Only one place remains: the valley of snails. Zunzuncito feels so close and yet so far from his goal. He is feeling impatient. 

Chapter 11: Impatient

Zunzuncito looks for the magic flower. He looks for the flower because he has a wish to be big. His friend Monty believes that the magic flower can give him his wish to be big. But the magic flower is very far away. First they crossed the great lake and then they passed through the land of giants. There is only one more step: the valley of snails. But, where is it?

Zunzuncito and Monty are in a forest and they look for the valley of snails. Zunzuncito is very anxious to arrive at his destination. He wants to be big! To be big, he needs to find the valley of snails and then the magic flower.

Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops through the forest. After a few minutes, Monty stops.

“I can’t keep going, friend. I’m hungry. I need to eat,” he tells Zunzuncito.

“But we are so close to the magic flower. We have to keep going,” Zunzuncito responds impatiently.

“We need to eat first,” Monty says.

“Okay, well, there are some flowers over there,” Zunzuncito says. He flies to the flowers and sucks the nectar but Monty doesn’t follow him.

“I don’t eat nectar. I eat insects,” Monty says.

Zunzuncito understands. He also eats really small insects sometimes. Suddenly, a group of insects attacks Zunzuncito. They are mosquitos! Zunzuncito does not like mosquitos, but Monty does.

“Come over here, friend!” Monty shouts. Zunzuncito flies over to his friend and Monty sticks out his tongue.

Monty has a special tongue that traps insects. When Monty sticks out his tongue, the mosquitos are trapped on it. Monty traps mosquitos with his tongue and then he eats them. He is not hungry now and can continue on the adventure.

Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops the rest of the day. They stop for the night to eat and sleep and in the morning they continue onward. All day, they only see trees and mountains. They don’t see a valley. As they pass animals, they ask them about the Valley of Snails, but the animals don’t have any answers. They don’t know anything about a valley of snails.

The small friends climb a mountain to look for the valley. From the top of the mountain they have an amazing view. From the mountain they can see three valleys. Which one is the Valley of Snails?

An eagle flies in the sky. Zunzuncito knows that eagles have excellent eyesight. He decides to talk with the eagle.

“Mr. Eagle, which valley is the Valley of Snails?” Zunzuncito shouts to him.

The eagle moves his head and looks at Zunzuncito. Zunzuncito is really small, but it is obvious that the eagle can see him. The eagle moves one of his wings. Zunzuncito looks in the direction of his wing towards a green valley.

“Thank you, Mr. Eagle!” Zunzuncito shouts.

Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops towards the green valley. Zunzuncito is very excited. He is close to the magic flower! He flies quickly. He is impatient. He arrives at the valley and looks around for snails. He searches everywhere, but he just sees plants. There are flowers, but he doesn’t see a magic flower. Zunzuncito flies up in the air and just sees normal plants and flowers. He is very, very sad. He sits down on a plant and cries.

“Why are you crying, friend?” Monty asks when he gets to the valley.

“This isn’t the Valley of Snails! I don’t see snails anywhere and I don’t see a magic flower,” Zunzuncito cries.

“Friend, come here and look up,” Monty says patiently.

Zunzuncito flies to Monty, looks up, and is very surprised. There are snails! The snails are under all of the plants. The snails are very pretty. Their shells are orange, yellow, green and white.

“We’re here, Zunzuncito. We are in the Valley of Snails!” Monty exclaims.

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 10

After crossing the grand lake, Zunzuncito and Monty must pass through the land of giants. The land of giants is fascinating, until Zunzuncito sees something horrible: animals in cages. Seeing the animals in cages makes him think of being trapped in the spiderweb. He has to do something, but what can a tiny bird do?

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include cage, lock, beak, break, and open.

Chapter 10: Animals in Cages

Zunzuncito and Monty crossed the great lake and now they are in the land of giants. The giants are very tall. They walk on two feet. The land of giants is fascinating with a lot of strange objects and interesting homes. But there is something that Zunzuncito doesn’t like. He sees a house with animals trapped in cages. Seeing the animals makes him remember his time trapped in a spiderweb. Monty freed him from the spiderweb. Monty is smaller than Zunzuncito. If Monty can free Zunzuncito, then Zunzuncito can free other animals too.

Zunzuncito looks at the animals in the cages and he is sad and angry. It is not okay to be trapped. He wants to liberate the animals.

Zunzuncito flies to the first cage. There is a green parakeet in the cage. The parakeet seems sad. Zunzuncito talks to the parakeet.

“Hello parakeet friend. Everything will be okay. I’m going to free you!” Zunzuncito announces.

“How are you going to free me? You are really small. You can’t break the cage,” the parakeet replies.

Zunzuncito thinks for a moment. Yes, he is very small, but he doesn’t need to break the cage, he needs to open the cage. Zunzuncito examines the door. There is a lock on the door. Zunzuncito examines the lock and has an idea. He puts his beak in the lock. He moves his beak, hears a click, and the door opens.

The green parakeet looks at Zunzuncito. He is surprised and happy. He moves his wings, leaves the cage, and flies through the door.

“Thank you!” he shouts at Zunzuncito as he flies outside.

Zunzuncito looks at the rest of the cages. He needs to work quickly. He flies to the cages and puts his beak in the locks to open the doors. Monty works on the bottom cages. He uses his small hands to open the cage doors.

They open a lot of cages and free a variety of animals. They free birds and lizards. They free mice and reptiles. They free dogs and cats. Some of the animals leave immediately and others form a group close to the door.

There are only two more animals: a snake and an enormous, hairy spider. Zunzuncito is afraid of snakes and spiders. He doesn’t want to open their cages. Monty goes and works on the snake’s cage, but the cage with the hairy spider is up too high for Monty. Zunzuncito is scared of the hairy spider, but he doesn’t like to see the animal in a cage. So, he flies up to the cage and opens it.

“Thank you!” the hairy spider says.

“Don’t eat me!” Zunzuncito shouts as he flies up high in the air.

“I’m not going to eat my liberator,” the hairy spider replies. “Furthermore, I am a special spider. I am a tarantula. I prefer to eat insects, mice, and small reptiles.”

The tarantula looks at Monty. Monty is an amphibian, not a reptile, but tarantulas eat frogs too. Zunzuncito is afraid for his friend.

“Don’t eat my friend!” Zunzuncito shouts. He flies to Monty, grabs the tiny frog with his feet, and leaves the house of animals. When he leaves, the group of freed animals follows him.

“Where are we going?” they ask Zunzuncito.

Zunzuncito doesn’t have a plan for a group of animals. He only has a plan for himself and Monty.

“We are going to pass through the land of giants,” he announces to the animals. “Where is the other side?”

“I know!” a dog exclaims. He starts running through the street and stops when he doesn’t see the rest of the group.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dog. You are big and fast and we are small,” Monty tells him.

“No problem. You can sit on me and I’ll give you a ride,” the dog tells the other animals. He lowers his head to the ground and some animals climb on the dog. Monty and Zunzuncito sit on his head. A lizard and a small snake sit on his back. Some birds fly above in the air. When all the animals are situated, the dog walks through the streets.

The dog walks for a long time and Zunzuncito only sees giants and houses. Finally, a parakeet announces that he sees the forest. After a few minutes, the animals don’t see any more houses or giants. They just see the forest.

The animals shout “Thank you!” to Zunzuncito and Monty and they each take off in different directions. Zunzuncito looks at his little friend. He is really happy because they are close to the magic flower.

“We are on the other side of the Land of Giants!” Zunzuncito exclaims. “Now, to the Valley of Snails!” 

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 9

Zunzuncito and Monty fell into the grand lake. Thankfully, a turtle came to save them. Once they cross the grand lake, they will reach the second leg of their journey: pass through the land of giants. To the tiny hummingbird and frog, though, everything is a giant! Will they find the land they seek and pass through it safely? 

Chapter 9: The Land of Giants

Zunzuncito and Monty had an accident. Monty was on Zuzuncito’s head and, by accident, he covered Zunzuncito’s eyes. Zunzuncito couldn’t see and he fell in the great lake.

They crossed the great lake because Zunzuncito has a mission. His mission is to find the magic flower because he wants to be big. Zunzuncito is not big. He is very small – he is only 5 centimeters long. But Monty doesn’t have a problem with his small size. He just wants to help Zunzuncito on his mission.

Monty caused the accident on the lake because he was afraid. He was afraid of the big lake and the big fish in the lake. Monty felt bad that he caused the accident, but Zunzuncito is a good friend and he forgives Monty. Now they are on the shell of a good turtle.

The good turtle swims to the other side of the great lake with Zunzuncito and Monty on her shell. While she swims, Zunzuncito explains his plan to suck the nectar from the magic flower to become a bigger bird.

“Where will you go after you cross the great lake?” the turtle asks them.

“We are going to the land of giants,” Zunzuncito responds. “Do you know where it is?”

“I think the land of giants is on the other side of the woods.”

The turtle swims calmly in the water and talks about her life. She lives in the lake and the rivers. She likes to swim a lot and she likes to help. She doesn’t eat animals. She eats plants and fruits.

In a short time, the animals arrive at the other side of the great lake. Zunzuncito and Monty get off the friendly turtle’s shell.

“Good luck on your adventure!” the turtle says to Zunzuncito and Monty.

“Thank you, Ms. Turtle!” the two small animals respond as they enter the forest.

Monty hops and Zunzuncito flies through the trees of the forest. Now they need to find the land of giants. It is a little difficult for Zunzuncito and Monty. They are very little and in comparison all the animals are giants.

In the distance, Zunzuncito sees an object. There is an enormous block in the trees. Zunzuncito feels curious. Monty sees the enormous block and feels curious too.

Monty and Zunzuncito go towards the enormous block. When they arrive at the enormous block, they see other enormous blocks and they see strange creatures. The creatures walk on two feet and they are very tall. They don’t have wings, they have arms. Their heads are big circles with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. In their mouth there are white teeth. The creatures are not like other animals in the forest. They are also really big.

“I think we are in the land of giants!” Zunzuncito shouts to Monty. Monty sees the enormous creatures. They are different from the normal animals in the forest, so he thinks that Zunzuncito is right – they are in the land of giants!

“Cool!” Monty replies and asks, “Can you see the entire land? Is the land of giants really big?”

Zunzuncito moves his wings and flies high in the sky. From the sky, Zunzuncito sees a lot of enormous blocks that are obviously the giant’s houses. Some houses are small and others are very, very tall. There are a lot of houses and a lot of giants. Zunzuncito looks in the distance and only sees houses and more houses. He doesn’t see the forest.

“The land of giants is enormous!” Zunzuncito tells Monty. “I can’t see the other side.”

“Well, we don’t have a minute to waste. To the land of giants!” Monty announces.

The two small animals hop and fly. They pass a lot of houses and giants. The giants don’t see the animals because the animals are very, very small and the giants are very, very big.

Zunzuncito thinks that the land of giants is really interesting. The houses have different shapes and colors. The giants are also very different. Some giants have long hair and others have short hair. Some giants have brown skin and others have pale skin.

Zunzuncito looks inside some of the houses. He sees fruits, vegetables and meat. He sees sweets and desserts. He sees electronics and paper. Zunzuncito is fascinated with all of the objects of the giants.

Suddenly, Zunzuncito sees a house that he doesn’t like. In the house there are animals, but all the animals are in cages. Zunzuncito remembers the spider web. The animals in the cages are trapped in a similar manner. Zunzuncito thinks that it is terrible.

“Monty, look! The animals are trapped. They need help. We have to free them!” Zunzuncito exclaims. 

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 8

Zunzuncito and Monty have a three-part journey: cross the great lake, pass through the land of giants, and arrive in the valley of snails. They have found the great lake, but now they need to cross it. Zunzuncito can easily fly over the lake, but it is filled with big fish that want to eat the small Monty. How will they make it across? 

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include lake, fish, fly, scared, turtle, and don’t move!

Chapter 8: Monty is Scared

Zunzuncito and Monty need to cross the great lake. They need to cross the lake to get to the land of giants and arrive in the valley of snails where they can find the magic flower. They need to find the magic flower because Zunzuncito wants to be big. He doesn’t want to be the smallest bird in the world – he wants to be the biggest bird in the world.

But there is a problem. The great lake is very big and they need to cross it. Zunzuncito can fly to the other side of the lake, but Monty needs to swim to the other side. Monty can swim well, but in the great lake there are big fish. The big fish want to eat Monty. Zunzuncito has an idea. Monty can sit on his head. That way Zunzuncito can fly with Monty to the other side of the lake.

Zunzuncito is small, but Monty is smaller than Zunzuncito. So Monty sits on Zunzuncito’s head. Zunzuncito moves his wings and yells: “Let’s cross the lake!”

Zunzuncito moves his wings and flies. Monty is on his head. Zunzuncito flies very high and Monty is scared. Monty does not like to be up high. He is nervous and scared. Monty moves around on Zunzuncito’s head because he is scared.

“Don’t move!” Zunzuncito shouts.

“Sorry. I’m just nervous,” Monty responds.

“It’s okay, friend. You need to look forward. Focus on the trees on the other side of the great lake,” Zunzuncito recommends.

Monty looks forward. He sees the tall trees on the other side of the great lake. Monty focuses on the trees up ahead and feels calmer. He doesn’t think about the lake, he doesn’t think about the fish. He only thinks about the trees up ahead.

“Feeling better?” Zunzuncito asks Monty.

“Yes. It is really pretty up here in the air,” Monty replies. He is calm now that he is not thinking about the water or the fish.

Suddenly, a fish jumps from the water and Zunzuncito moves. Monty moves too and accidentally looks down. He sees the great lake. He sees the fish jumping in the great lake. Monty is not calm now. He is nervous and he moves his hands around on Zunzuncito’s head.

“Don’t move!” Zunzuncito yells.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Monty says, but he moves more and more because he is nervous. When Monty moves his hands, he accidentally covers Zunzuncito’s eyes. Zunzuncito can’t see! He is frustrated and yells at Monty.

“Move your hands! I can’t see anything!”

“I’m sorry!” Monty shouts and he moves his hands. But he doesn’t move them enough because he is really scared and Zunzuncito still can’t see anything.

Zunzuncito flies erratically in the air because he can’t see anything. He doesn’t know where he is going. He doesn’t know if he is flying up or down. Monty moves a lot because he is nervous. He accidentally touches Zunzuncito’s wings. Zunzuncito can’t fly because Monty is touching his wings.

Zunzuncito falls because he can’t fly with Monty touching his wings. He falls into the water with Monty on his head. Monty squeezes Zunzuncito’s head because he is so scared. Zunzuncito is scared too because he can’t fly and he can’t see.

The two tiny animals fall into the water. When they fall in the water, Monty swims, but Zunzuncito can’t swim. His wings are for flying, not swimming. Monty grabs his friend and tries to swim. It is really difficult because Zunzuncito is bigger than Monty.

There are many fish in the water. The fish look at the small animals and swim towards them. Monty is scared and tries to swim with his friend. Suddenly, the fish swim away because there is another, bigger animal in the water. It is a turtle. The turtle swims directly to Zunzuncito. Monty thinks that the turtle wants to eat his friend and he is scared.

“Don’t eat my friend!” Monty yells at the turtle.

“I don’t want to eat a bird, I want to help,” the turtle replies.

The turtle stops just below Zunzuncito. When Zunzuncito is on his shell, the turtle swims to the surface of the water. Monty also swims to the surface of the water.

“Thank you, Ms. Turtle,” Zunzuncito says after taking a big breath of air.

“Your welcome, little bird. Why are you in the middle of this big lake?” the turtle asks Zunzuncito and Monty.

Zunzuncito looks at Monty. He is frustrated with his new friend, but he knows that Monty is a good frog and he doesn’t want to cause problems.

“We had an accident,” Zunzuncito replies. “We need to cross the great lake. Could you help us?

“Of course. Let’s cross the great lake together!” The turtle says.

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 7

Zunzuncito is on a mission to find the magic flower that will grant his wish to be big. He spoke with the wise snake Majá and now he knows where he must go, but how will he get there? Thankfully, he has a small sidekick, the tiny frog Monty, to help him out.

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include lake, fish, fly, swim, and right.

Chapter 7: The Great Lake

Zunzuncito does not like snakes at all. He is very scared of snakes. He had to talk to the snake Majá because he wants to find the magic flower. He wants to find the magic flower because he wants to be big. He wants to be big because he is the smallest bird in the world and being small causes him problems.

Zunzuncito has a friend named Monty. Monty is a small frog. Monty wants to help Zunzuncito with his adventure. Zunzuncito and Monty learned from Majá that to get to the magic flower they have to cross the great lake, pass through the land of giants, and arrive in the valley of snails.

But there is a problem. They don’t know where to go. They don’t know where the great lake or the land of giants or the valley of snails are. But at least they aren’t with the big snake Majá.

“I never want to see another snake again!” Zunzuncito tells Monty. He is still a little scared of the boa Majá.

“I understand, friend,” Monty responds, “but it is over now. We are going to focus on the future and the adventure.

“Yes, the adventure,” Zunzuncito says. “Where are we going first?”

“To cross the great lake, of course,” Monty replies.

“And where is the great lake?” Zunzuncito asks.

“I have no idea. I only visit little lakes,” Monty responds.

“Ugh! This adventure is impossible,” Zunzuncito comments. He sits on the ground and cries. Monty stops hopping and pats his friend’s back to calm him down. He has an idea.

“It’s okay, friend. I have an idea. You can fly, right? You can fly fast and really high up. You just need to fly up in the air and look for the biggest lake in the forest.”

Zunzuncito looks at Monty. Monty is right. Zunzuncito can fly fast and really high in the air. It is a good idea.

Zunzuncito moves his wings quickly and flies up in the air. He flies very high. When he is higher than the trees, Zunzuncito looks for the biggest lake. He looks to the north and the south. He looks to the east and the west. There are various lakes, but there is one lake in the north that is bigger than the rest.

Zunzuncito flies to Monty and describes the big lake. “I think it is the great lake,” he says.

“I think you’re right,” Monty responds. “Let’s go north!”

The two friends go north to the great lake. Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops. They go very quickly and they arrive at the great lake in thirty minutes.

“We arrived at the great lake! Now we need to cross it,” Zunzuncito exclaims. He is very excited. After crossing the great lake he will be closer to the magic flower.

Monty doesn’t say anything. He sees the great lake and he is scared. Monty typically visits little lakes. He doesn’t like big lakes.

“Let’s go, friend. You can swim and I can fly. Let’s cross the great lake!” Zunzuncito says and he flies over the water. Monty doesn’t move.

While Zunzuncito flies, a huge fish jumps out of the water. The fish tries to eat Zunzuncito! Then another fish jumps out of the water. Zunzuncito is scared and flies back to Monty.

Now Monty really doesn’t want to get in the water. He doesn’t want to be fish food! But if he doesn’t swim, how will he cross the great lake?

Zunzuncito looks at his friend. They need to cross the great lake, but Monty is frozen in fear. It is obvious that Monty can’t swim in the great lake. Zunzuncito needs to help his friend. He knows that he is not a big animal, but Monty isn’t big either. Zunzuncito has an idea.

“Monty, we need to cross the great lake. I have an idea. You can fly with me,” Zunzuncito tells his frog friend.

“F-fly? H-how?” Monty asks nervously.

“You can sit on my head,” Zunzuncito tells him and he lowers his head.

Monty hops on Zunzuncito’s head. Monty isn’t big – he is only a centimeter long – but Zunzuncito is small too, so Monty seems big on the birds head. When Monty is in position, Zunzuncito moves his wings quickly and flies up in the air.

“Let’s cross the great lake together!” Zunzuncito shouts. 

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 6

Zunzuncito is a tiny hummingbird. His friend, Monty, is an even smaller frog. The two animals are searching for a magic flower. Zunzuncito hopes that the magic flower will grant his wish to be big. Majá is a Cuban boa. According to Monty, she knows everything. There is just one problem – Zunzuncito is incredibly afraid of snakes and Majá is the biggest snake on the island of Cuba.

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include scared, forest, lake, snails, near and far.

Chapter 6: The Cuban Boa

Zunzuncito has a mission. His mission is to find the magic flower. He wants to find the magic flower because he wants to be big. Zunzuncito is a small hummingbird. He is the smallest bird of all the birds in the world. He doesn’t like being small. Being small causes problems. It causes problems with other birds, insects, and spiders.

Zunzuncito met Monty when Monty rescued him from a spiderweb. Monty is a frog. He is a very small frog. He is the smallest frog in all of Cuba. Monty is smaller than Zunzuncito!

Monty told Zunzuncito about the magic flower. But there is a problem. Monty doesn’t know where to find the flower. So Monty and Zunzuncito went to the woods to find the smartest of all the animals in Cuba – Majá.

“Hello Majá! How are you today?” Monty fearlessly asks the serpent. Zunzuncito doesn’t understand why Monty is so calm. Majá’s eye is bigger than the little frog!

“I am well, little frog. I heard my name. Do you want sssomething?” the serpent asks Monty and Zunzuncito.

Monty looks at Zunzuncito. Zunzuncito is nervous because he is scared of snakes and Majá is a really big snake. When Monty notices that Zunzuncito doesn’t want to talk, he talks for him.

“My friend wants to suck the nectar from the magic flower. He wants to be a bigger bird,” Monty says.

“Hmmmm. Yesss. He isss a very sssmall bird,” Majá comments.

“Do you know where the flower is?” Monty asks Majá.

“Yesss, but the magic flower isss very far away and you are ssso sssmall,” Majá responds.

“I-I’m n-not s-scared,” Zunzuncito finally says. It is obvious that he is nervous in Majá’s presence. 

“No?” Majá moves her head directly in front of Zunzuncito and sticks out her tongue. Zunzuncito is scared, but he says, “N-n-no.”

“Well, to get to the magic flower, you need to crosss the great lake, passs through the land of giantsss and arrive in the valley of sssnails.”

Zunzuncito’s eyes get big. Where is the great lake? Where is the land of giants? Where is the valley of snails? This is an impossible journey!

“Thanks for the information, Majá,” Monty says. “You are very kind.”

“That isn’t all. When you arrive in the valley of sssnails, you need to talk with the flower’s protector. You need to convince the protector of the flower that you will use the magic of the flower for good and not for evil,” Majá says.

“Well, that isn’t a problem. Zunzuncito just wants to use the magic to get big. It isn’t anything bad,” Monty responds. Zunzuncito doesn’t speak, he just moves his head a little. He is still scared of the enormous serpent.

“Great. Well, thanks again for the information, Majá. We have a big adventure ahead of us so it is time to go,” Monty says. Monty starts hopping away, but Zunzuncito doesn’t move. He is paralyzed by his fear of the snake.

Majá looks intensely at Zunzuncito. The head of the snake doesn’t move, but the rest of her body moves closer and closer to Zunzuncito. Her long tail grabs Zunzuncito. Little by little, Majá squeezes Zunzuncito’s small body.

Majá doesn’t squeeze Monty because he is too small. Monty sees that Majá is squeezing Zunzuncito.

“What are you doing?” Monty asks Majá.

“I’m hungry. I need to eat, and this little bird is the perfect snack,” Majá responds and squeezes Zunzuncito more tightly. Majá is a special snake called a boa. Boas squeeze their victims and then they eat them.

Zunzuncito hears Majá’s words. He doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want to be a snack for Majá.

Majá squeezes more tightly, but there is a problem. Zunzuncito is very small. Zunzuncito is too small for Majá. Majá can’t squeeze Zunzuncito very well.

Zunzuncito is scared, but he is no longer paralyzed. He moves his wings and escapes from Majá’s grasp.

“I am not going to die today!” Zunzuncito announces when he escapes. Then he sticks out his tongue at Majá.

“Onward to adventure!” Monty shouts. Then Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops away from Majá. They need to find the magic flower. They have an adventure ahead!

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 5

Zunzuncito is done dealing with the small life. He wants to be big. Luckily, his new frog friend Monty knows about a special magic flower that might be able to grant his wish. He just doesn’t know where it is. So, the hummingbird and frog head to the woods in search of the all-knowing Majá. On the way, Zunzuncito learns a few things about his small amphibious friend.

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include frog, forest, trees, ground, jump and fly.

Chapter 5: Monty

Zunzuncito only wants to live his life and suck sweet nectar from pretty flowers. He doesn’t want to have problems with other animals or insects. But Zunzuncito has had problems. He has had problems because he is small.

First, he had a problem with a bigger hummingbird. Zunzuncito is a hummingbird, but he is the smallest hummingbird in the world. Then, he had a problem with bees. The bees attacked him because they didn’t want to share the flowers. Then he had a problem with a spider. The spider wanted to suck Zunzuncito’s blood for his dinner!

An animal rescued Zunzuncito. He thought it was a big animal, but in reality his rescuer is very, very small. It is a Monte Iberia frog named Monty. Monty is small, but Zunzuncito wants to be big. Monty says that there is a magic flower and that it is possible to be big by sucking the nectar from the flower.

Zunzuncito is very happy that he is no longer trapped in a spider web. He is also excited to have a new friend. He is anxious to drink the magic nectar from the special flower and be big. To do that, Zunzuncito and Monty need to talk to Majá. They want to find the flower with the magic nectar. They don’t know where it is, but Majá knows everything.

“Where is Majá?” Zunzuncito asks Monty.

“She is in the forest. She likes the trees,” Monty replies.

Monty hops in the direction of the forest. Zunzuncito moves his wings to fly. He can’t fly very high in the sky because it is really difficult to see Monty in all the plants.

Zunzuncito flies and Monty hops in the forest. While they go to the forest, they talk about their lives. Zunzuncito learns that Monty is a special type of frog. He is a Monte Iberian frog. The Monte Iberian frog is only one centimeter long and is the smallest frog in Cuba and all of North America. It isn’t the smallest frog in the world, but there are only two frogs smaller than Monty in the rest of the world.

Monty is an amphibian. As an amphibian, he lives in the water and in plants. He likes to swim a lot and he likes to eat little insects. Sometimes he eats little spiders too, that’s why he knows how to break spider webs.

Zunzuncito is fascinated by his new friend. Monty has an interesting life with a lot of adventures. He doesn’t seem frustrated by his small size. But Zunzuncito is frustrated with his small size. He doesn’t like being little. That’s why he needs to talk to Majá and find the magic flower.

But there is a problem. Who is Majá? Zunzuncito doesn’t know.

“Who is Majá?” Zunzuncito asks Monty.

“Majá is the smartest animal in all of Cuba,” Monty responds.

“Yes, I understand that she is the smartest animal. But what kind of animal is she?”

“She is a reptile.”

“What kind of reptile.”

“She is a boa.”

“What is a boa?”

“It’s a…a…snake,” Monty finally says.

“A snake?!” Zunzuncito exclaims. He doesn’t like snakes. He is afraid of snakes.

“Yes, Majá is a snake. But she is intelligent and good. Do you want to find the magic flower?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to be big?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to talk with Majá,” Monty says.

When they arrive at the forest, Zunzuncito looks for the snake in the trees. He flies high among the trees and looks for Majá. Monty looks for the snake on the ground. He hops among the plants and looks for Majá on the ground.

“Majá! Majá! Where are you?” Monty shouts while he hops.

Zunzuncito doesn’t see anything in the trees. Monty doesn’t see anything on the ground.

“Majá isn’t here, Monty. What do we do now?” Zunzuncito asks his frog friend.

Suddenly, the plants move and Zunzuncito and Monty hear the hiss of an enormous serpent. The two small animals turn around and see the face of Majá.

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!

Season 3, episode 4

It’s not easy being the smallest bird in the world. You have to deal with bigger bully birds, bees that don’t want to share and spiders that want to suck your blood. Zunzuncito is tired of being small. Perhaps if he is big and strong he can save himself from these sticky situations. After all, the animal that saved him from the spiderweb must be big and strong, right?

This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include bird, small, trapped, big, and small.

Chapter 4: I Want to be Big

Zunzuncito, the small bee hummingbird only wants to suck sweet nectar from the prettiest flowers in Cuba, but he has had a lot of problems. First, the bigger hummingbirds blocked the flowers. Then, a group of bees attacked him because they were using the flowers and didn’t want to share. Then he got trapped in a spiderweb. All these problems occurred because Zunzuncito is small. He is the smallest of all the birds. Zunzuncito doesn’t want more problems. He doesn’t want to be small, he wants to be big! 

Zunzuncito looks for the animal that saved him from the spiderweb. He thinks it is a big, fantastic animal because it was able to destroy the spiderweb and free Zunzuncito. Zunzuncito wants to be a big, fantastic animal like his rescuer.

Zunzuncito searches and searches, but he can’t find the animal that freed him. He is very thankful and he wants to express his thanks to his rescuer, but where is he?

“I don’t know where you are, but thanks for saving me,” Zunzuncito yells.

“You’re welcome, friend,” a voice responds.

Zunzuncito hears the voice and looks for an animal, but he doesn’t see anything. He imagines that it is a big animal to have been able to break the spider web and free Zunzuncito.

Suddenly, Zunzuncito is very sad and frustrated. He doesn’t like being small. He has problems with other birds because he is small. He has problems with bees because he is small. He has problems with spiders because he is small. He almost died because he is so small!

Zunzuncito sits on the ground and cries. He cries because he is little and he wants to be big.

“What’s wrong, friend?” the voice asks him.

“I’m small. I’m very small. I don’t want to be small!” Zunzuncito cries.

“Being small is not so bad,” the voice responds.

“You don’t understand because you are probably a big, strong animal. I have a lot of problems because I am small,” Zunzuncito closes his eyes and cries even more.

Two little hands touch Zunzuncito. He opens his eyes and sees a frog. The frog is black with two yellow lines. But the biggest surprise is that the frog is little. The frog is smaller than Zunzuncito.

“It’s okay friend,” the small frog says. When Zunzuncito hears the tiny frog’s voice, he recognizes the voice of his liberator. His liberator isn’t a big animal. He is a small animal. He is a really small animal.

“You aren’t big. You’re small,” Zunzuncito exclaims.

“Being small is not so bad,” the frog repeats himself.

“I don’t like being small. It only causes problems. I want to be big,” Zunzuncito says. Then he explains his problem with the large hummingbird, his problem with the bees and his problem with the spider. The tiny frog listens attentively and thinks about Zunzuncito’s problems. He thinks he has an idea.

“Do you really want to be big?” the tiny frog asks Zunzuncito.

“Yes. I don’t want to be little anymore,” Zunzuncito replies.

“I have an idea. There is a special flower. The nectar in the flower is magic. The animals that drink the nectar receive a wish. You can drink the nectar and wish to be big,” the frog says.

Zunzuncito thinks about the plan. He thinks it is a fantastic plan. He wants to suck the nectar from the flower right away.

“Where is the magic flower?” Zunzuncito asks.

“I don’t know where it is,” the frog responds.

“Then how are we going to find the flower?” Zunzuncito exclaims. He is anxious to be big.

“We can talk to Majá.”

“Who is Majá?”

“Majá is the smartest creature in the forest. She knows everything. Let’s go!” the tiny frog explains.

Zunzuncito is surprised. The tiny frog wants to help him. He just met the frog. They are talking about an adventure and he doesn’t even know his name yet.

“My name is Zunzuncito,” he introduces himself. “What’s your name?”

“I am the Monte Iberia frog. My friends just call me Monty.”

You can also watch a video of this story on YouTube!

Zunzuncito’s Adventure is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. I work hard to provide tools and supports for those who want to learn. Please, consider buying me a taco to support my work! You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher!