This B1 Intermediate retelling of A Princess of Mars keeps the plot clear for learners while still giving the story some atmosphere and momentum. I was a soldier in the Civil War. After the war, I went west to Arizona to look for gold.
This version is written for English-speaking learners and includes clickable word help inside the story, full story audio, and lesson notes after the reading. It is free to use on Yak Yacker and is designed to feel natural, readable, and manageable in English.
My name is John Carter. I was a in the Civil War. After the war, I went to Arizona to gold.
One day, I a strange cave. Inside, there was a . I felt very and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was .
The sky was . The ground was yellow moss. I , and I went ! "Where am I?" I .
Then I saw them: , green creatures with four arms. They had big tusks and rode . They .
"Who are you?" one of them shouted.
I could not his words. They and took me to their city.
The city was in a sea bottom. The green beings were called Tharks. Their chief, Tars Tarkas, .
"You are strong," he said. "You will us."
I with the Tharks. On Earth, I was strong, but here I was even stronger. I could jump very high and .
One warrior, Tal Hajus, did not . "You are not a Thark!" he shouted. He wanted to . We , and I won.
Tars Tarkas smiled. "You are a good ," he said. "Now you are a chief of the Tharks."
Time . Then, one night, the Tharks a flying ship. Inside was a woman with red skin. She was a princess.
"Please, ," she said to me. "I am Dejah Thoris of Helium. My people need me."
I to help her. I spoke to Tars Tarkas in . "She must go free," I said. He to help us.
That night, we into the desert. Dejah Thoris looked at me with her big eyes. "Why do you for me?" she asked.
"Because it is the ," I said. "And because I know what it feels like to be ."
I am John Carter. I fought in the Civil War. Then I went to Arizona to search for gold.
One day, I found a strange cave. A humming sound inside made me very tired. I fell asleep and woke up in a new place.
The sky was red, and the ground was covered with yellow moss. I jumped and went high into the air! "Where am I?" I thought.
Then I saw tall green creatures with four arms. They had big tusks and rode ugly animals. They aimed their guns at me.
"Who are you?" one shouted.
I could not understand him. They tied me up and took me to their city.
The city was in a dry seabed. The green beings were Tharks. Their leader, Tars Tarkas, talked to me.
"You are strong," he said. "You will fight for us."
I trained with the Tharks. I was strong on Earth, but here I was stronger. I could jump high and hit hard.
One warrior, Tal Hajus, did not like me. He shouted, "You are not a Thark!" He wanted to kill me. We fought, and I won.
Tars Tarkas smiled. "You are a good fighter," he said. "Now you are a Thark chief."
Time went by. One night, the Tharks captured a flying ship. Inside was a beautiful woman with red skin-a princess.
"Please help me," she said. "I am Dejah Thoris from Helium. My people need me."
I decided to help her. I secretly spoke to Tars Tarkas. "She must be freed," I said. He agreed to help us.
That night, we escaped into the desert. Dejah Thoris looked at me. "Why do you risk your life for me?" she asked.
"Because it is right," I said. "And I know what it feels like to be far from home."
Let's look at some key words from John Carter's adventure. Learning them will help you talk about strange new worlds and exciting escapes.
Take a moment to say each word aloud. Then, try to make your own sentence with it.
- moss - a soft green or yellow plant that grows on the ground or rocks. (The ground was yellow moss.)
- tusk - a long, pointed tooth, like an elephant has. (They had big tusks.)
- beast - a large, dangerous animal. (They rode ugly beasts.)
- warrior - a fighter or soldier. (One warrior, Tal Hajus, did not like me.)
- escape - to get away from a dangerous place or situation. (That night, we escaped into the desert.)
- risk - to do something that might be dangerous. (Why do you risk your life for me?)
In the story, John says: "On Earth, I was strong, but here I was even stronger." When we want to compare two things, we often use comparative adjectives.
For short adjectives, add -er: strong → stronger. For longer adjectives, use more: beautiful → more beautiful. And don't forget: if you want to emphasize the difference, you can use even or much.
- John is stronger on Mars than on Earth.
- The Tharks were taller and had more arms than humans.
- Dejah Thoris was more beautiful than anyone John had seen.
- Tip: After a comparative, use than to introduce the second part of the comparison. (He is stronger than before.)
The story paints a picture of Mars with simple but powerful details: "The sky was red. The ground was yellow moss." Instead of just saying "it was strange," the writer shows us what John sees and hears.
When you describe a new place, try to mention colours, sounds, and feelings. It helps the reader imagine being there.
- Start with what you see: The sky was…, The ground was…
- Add a sound or physical sensation: I heard a humming sound. I felt the soft moss.
- Compare it to something familiar: It looked like a desert, but the colours were all wrong.
- Use adjectives before nouns: red sky, yellow moss, ugly beasts - this creates a quick, clear image.
Now that you've travelled to Mars with John Carter, why not create your own adventure? Imagine you wake up on a strange planet. What do you see, hear, and feel? Try writing a short paragraph using the new vocabulary and at least one comparative.
You could also read the original "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs - it's full of action and curious creatures. Keep exploring, and each story will teach you something new.
A Princess of Mars comes from the Mixed / needs review tradition and is best known as a science-fantasy adventure. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1912; public domain, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. The original audience was usually general/adult, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying English. John Carter/Mars adventure; trademark caution.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Project Gutenberg.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the B1 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
