Meet Pop, a playful little weasel who loves to hide and pop out at the most surprising times! In this cheerful retelling of the classic rhyme, Pop finds himself in a busy kitchen where a hungry cook is making a big pot of rice and treacle. What will happen when the cook lifts the lid? You'll have to read (and listen!) to find out.
This free English story is written at the A1 CEFR level, using very simple words and short sentences. Click on any tricky word for a quick translation, listen to the story audio to practice your pronunciation, and check the lesson notes for extra learning tips. It's the perfect way to start reading in English-enjoy!
I cook and . The is on the .
A comes in. It behind the pot.
"Where is the ?" I say.
Pop! The ! It .
The in a cup.
"Where is the now?" I ask.
Pop! It is in the cup! The .
I am cooking rice and treacle. The pot is on the fire.
A weasel comes inside. It hides behind the pot.
I say, "Where is the weasel?"
Pop! The weasel jumps out and runs away.
The weasel hides in a cup.
I ask, "Where is the weasel now?"
Pop! It is in the cup! The weasel makes me laugh.
In our story, the cook makes rice and treacle. Warm rice and sweet treacle-what a yummy mix! These are common foods in many kitchens.
The pot holds the food on the fire, and later the weasel hides in a cup. Let's look at these words.
- rice: a grain, white or brown, you eat it.
- treacle: a sweet, sticky syrup (like molasses).
- pot: a deep container for cooking.
- cup: a small container for drinking.
The story is full of simple actions. The cook does things, and the weasel does things. All these words are in the present simple-perfect for talking about what happens now.
- cook: to make food (I cook rice.)
- hide: to go where no one can see you (The weasel hides.)
- jump: to move up quickly (Pop! It jumps out!)
- run: to move fast (It runs away.)
Small words like 'behind' and 'in' tell us where something is. They are prepositions. Notice how we ask 'Where is the weasel?' and answer 'It is in the cup.'
- behind: at the back of something (behind the pot)
- in: inside something (in the cup)
- Question: Where is + noun? (Where is the weasel?)
- Answer: It is + preposition + place. (It is behind the pot.)
You learned food words, action words, and where words. Now you can tell your own little story. Maybe a cat hides in a box? Or a bird jumps out from a tree? Have fun playing with the new words!
Pop Goes the Weasel comes from the English / traditional verse tradition and is best known as a nursery rhyme/song text. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Traditional; public domain text versions, 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 kids, but this version is adapted for A1 Beginner learners studying English. Can be confusing; retell as simple toy/shop story.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Wikisource.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A1 English Vocabulary. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
