This B1 Intermediate retelling of Around the World in Eighty Days keeps the plot clear for learners while still giving the story some atmosphere and momentum. Mr Phileas Fogg was a rich English gentleman. He lived alone in a beautiful house in London.
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.
Mr Phileas Fogg was a English gentleman. He lived alone in a in London. He was very in everything he did. Every day at exactly the same time, he went to the Reform Club. There he read the newspapers and played cards.
One day his friends at the club talked about a . Forty thousand pounds were . "I wonder where the thief can be now," said his friend. Fogg said, "He could be anywhere. The world is a big place." "But not so big," said another. "We can faster now." "Yes, in eighty days," said Fogg. Nobody believed him. "That's impossible!" they laughed. "I will do it," said Fogg calmly. "I'll bet twenty thousand pounds that I can in eighty days. I will leave tonight."
Fogg went home. His new servant, Jean Passepartout, was waiting. "Passepartout, we are going around the world. . Just a few things," said Fogg. Passepartout was a kind and funny Frenchman. "Around the world?! In how many days, sir?" he asked with wide eyes. "Eighty," said Fogg. Passepartout a coat. "Eighty! But sir, we have no time! We have no time to waste!"
They left that evening. A detective, Mr Fix, saw Fogg at the train station. Fix was the bank robber. He thought Fogg was the thief. "He is in a . He must be the robber," Fix thought. He decided to them.
Fogg and Passepartout . They took a ship to Egypt, then another ship to India. In India they wanted to take a train, but the railway was not finished. There was a of fifty miles. "We must cross somehow," said Fogg. "We will buy an !"
They bought an elephant and went into the forest. They heard music and drums. They saw a . A young Indian woman, Aouda, was with them. She was going to die in a after her husband's death. "We must help her," said Fogg. That night, Passepartout took her place in the . They ran away with Aouda.
Aouda was . "Thank you for saving my life," she said. "You are very ." She decided to travel with them to England, because she had family there. Now the three of them continued the journey together.
Fix was still them. In Hong Kong he told Passepartout, "I am a detective. Your master is a thief. Help me him." "That's impossible!" said Passepartout. "Mr Fogg is a good man!" But Fix did not give up. He wanted to stop Fogg on British land.
The travelers in Hong Kong. But Fogg found a small boat and it. They sailed through to Japan. Then they caught a steamer to America. Aouda was often afraid, but Fogg stayed calm. "Everything is under control," he always said.
In San Francisco they took a train across America. The journey was full of . A herd of buffalo stopped the train for hours. Then a bridge was too weak to cross. But Fogg always found a way. They arrived in New York without a minute to .
In New York the ship to England had already left. Fogg looked at the port. "We will take that small steamer," he said. On the way, the coal ran out. Fogg bought the ship and burned its wooden parts to make steam. They almost Liverpool, but they arrived just in time.
Then Fix Fogg. "You are the bank robber!" he said. Fogg spent some hours in jail before Fix understood his mistake. "I am sorry," Fix said. "The real thief was caught." Fogg was free, but they the fast train to London. They arrived in London at twenty past nine in the evening. Fogg was five minutes late for his bet.
Fogg went home quietly. He thought he had . He was poor now, and he had no plans. Aouda looked at him. "Mr Fogg," she said, "I love your . Will you marry me?" Fogg smiled for the first time. "Yes," he said. "Let's go to the church now."
Passepartout went to find a priest. But the priest was not there. "How strange," Passepartout said. "Today is not Sunday – it's Saturday!" He suddenly . They had traveled east around the world. They ! It was still the day before! They had not lost the bet.
Passepartout ran home. He told Fogg. They went to the Reform Club as fast as possible. Fogg walked into the club. Everyone was waiting. It was eight forty-five on the evening of day seventy-nine. Fogg had .
Fogg kept a little of the money. The rest he with Passepartout and Fix. He married Aouda and they lived happily. Passepartout often said, "You know, anything is possible if you have a good heart and a good watch!" And Fogg always answered, "No, Passepartout. Anything is possible if you have a good plan and don't waste time."
Mr Phileas Fogg was a wealthy English man who lived alone in a nice London house. He was very exact and followed the same routine daily, going to the Reform Club to read and play cards.
One day at the club, his friends discussed a bank theft of £40,000. Fogg said a thief could be anywhere since the world is large. When they talked about faster travel, Fogg claimed one could go around the world in 80 days. They didn't believe him, so he bet £20,000 he could do it, starting that very night.
Fogg returned home and told his new servant, Passepartout, they were going around the world in 80 days. He instructed him to pack lightly. Passepartout was shocked and exclaimed they had no time to waste.
That evening they left. Detective Fix saw Fogg at the station. Fix was hunting the bank robber and suspected Fogg was the thief because he seemed in a rush. He decided to follow them.
Fogg and Passepartout traveled quickly by ship to Egypt and then to India. In India, they planned to take a train, but the railway was incomplete with a 50-mile gap. Fogg decided they would buy an elephant to cross it.
They bought an elephant and entered a forest. They heard music and saw a group with a young Indian woman named Aouda, who was to die in a ritual fire after her husband's death. Fogg insisted they save her. That night, Passepartout secretly took her place and they escaped with Aouda.
Aouda was grateful for being rescued and praised their bravery. She chose to travel with them to England where she had relatives. The three continued the journey together.
Fix kept following. In Hong Kong, he revealed to Passepartout that he was a detective and said Fogg was the thief, asking for help to stop him. Passepartout refused to believe it, but Fix persisted, wanting to arrest Fogg on British soil.
They missed their ship in Hong Kong, but Fogg hired a small boat. They sailed through storms to Japan, then took a steamer to America. Aouda often felt scared, but Fogg always remained calm, saying everything was under control.
In San Francisco, they took a train across America. The trip was filled with obstacles: a buffalo herd blocked the train for hours, and they encountered a weak bridge. Yet Fogg always found a solution, reaching New York with almost no time left.
In New York, the ship to England had departed. Fogg hired a small steamer. When coal ran low, he bought the ship and burned its wooden parts for fuel. They barely made it to Liverpool on time.
Then Fix arrested Fogg, claiming he was the bank robber. Fogg spent hours in jail before Fix realized his error and apologized-the real thief was caught. Freed, Fogg missed the fast train and arrived in London at 9:20 PM, five minutes late for the bet.
Fogg went home silently, believing he had lost everything and was now poor. Aouda confessed her love for his kind heart and proposed marriage. Fogg smiled and agreed, suggesting they go to the church immediately.
Passepartout went to find a priest but discovered the priest was unavailable because that day was Saturday, not Sunday. He then realized that traveling east had gained them a day, meaning they were still within the 80-day limit.
Passepartout rushed home with the news. They hurried to the Reform Club and Fogg walked in at 8:45 PM on the 79th day. Everyone was stunned-Fogg had won the bet.
Fogg kept a small portion of the winnings, sharing the rest with Passepartout and Fix. He married Aouda, and they lived happily. Passepartout often remarked that anything is possible with a good heart and a good watch, while Fogg always corrected him, saying it's about having a good plan and not wasting time.
This story is full of movement, but its real engine is character. Phileas Fogg is calm, exact, and determined; Passepartout is lively and emotional; Fix is suspicious and stubborn. Watching how they react to the same events helps you understand the story quickly, even when the plot gets complicated.
The adventure also shows a classic pattern: a challenge, a race against time, and a surprise ending. That makes the story exciting, but it also gives you useful language for talking about plans, problems, and unexpected changes.
- Fogg = calm, precise, and confident
- Passepartout = expressive and humorous
- Fix = suspicious and determined
- The story builds tension with time pressure and surprises
A few words do a lot of work in this story. A bet is a promise to give or lose money if something happens. A detective investigates a crime. A steamer is a ship powered by steam, and a steamer can also mean a small ship in older travel stories.
You also meet words for speed and difficulty: precise means exact and careful, waste time means use time badly, and gap means an empty space between two things. These are handy words for travel stories, but also for everyday life when plans go wrong.
- bet = an agreement about money or a result
- detective = a person who investigates crimes
- precise = exact, careful, and accurate
- gap = a space or break between two things
The story uses modal verbs a lot, especially could, must, and will. These help the speaker show possibility, certainty, and strong intention. For example, "He could be anywhere" means it is possible, but not certain. "He must be the robber" shows a strong guess. "I will do it" shows a firm decision.
You can also notice how the story uses short, direct sentences in tense moments. That style makes Fogg sound controlled and serious, while the action feels fast. If you want to sound clear in English, short sentences are often your friend when the situation is urgent.
- could = possibility
- must = strong guess or logical conclusion
- will = decision or promise
- Short sentences can make action scenes feel sharper
This story is a good reminder that English stories often mix action with character. If you can follow who wants what, who is suspicious, and what changes the plan, you can understand a lot even when the journey gets wild.
Next time you read, try tracking three things: the goal, the obstacle, and the surprise. That simple habit will help you read faster and notice more of the story's clever little turns.
- Look for the goal
- Notice the obstacle
- Watch for the surprise ending
- Try retelling the story in 3 or 4 sentences
Around the World in Eighty Days comes from the French / Jules Verne tradition and is best known as a adventure novel. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Jules Verne, 1872; 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, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying English. Travel structure works well as chapter series.
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 1,200 English Phrases and Expressions for another useful next step.
