What happens when you shout 'Wolf!' too many times? In this lively retelling of a classic folk tale, a young shepherd boy learns the hard way that telling lies can put everyone in danger. Each day he climbs a sunny hill to watch over the village sheep, feeling bored and a little lonely. So he starts a game-crying out for help when there is no wolf, just to see the villagers run. It's funny… until a real wolf sneaks onto the hillside.
This free A2 Elementary English reader comes with full story audio so you can listen while you read. Every sentence is carefully written for your level, but if you stumble on a word, just click or tap to get an instant meaning-no dictionary needed. You will also find short lesson notes that highlight useful phrases and simple grammar points, making it easy to improve your English naturally.
Discover how the boy's tricks backfire and what he finally learns about safety, honesty, and trust. Will anyone believe him when he really needs help? Dive into the story, enjoy the audio, and grow your English skills at your own pace.
Leo loved . Every morning he said, "Safety last!" He never wore a . He never looked before .
One Saturday, Leo the park. His friend Anna was there. She wore a helmet on her bike. "Leo, where is your helmet?" she asked. Leo , "Safety last!" and .
Leo saw a very tall tree. He he could to the top. "Look at me!" he called. Anna shouted, ", Leo!" But Leo did not listen. He started to climb.
The tree was . The was to use the strong branches. But Leo used . He wanted to . He felt excited and not lonely at all.
Suddenly, a branch . Leo fell! He shouted, "Help!" He felt very . He believed he would . He hung from a big branch, high above the ground. Now he felt and afraid.
Anna . A firefighter came with a long . The firefighter said, "Don't worry, I will help you." He and carried Leo down. Leo was safe.
Leo said, "Thank you very much." He looked at Anna and said, "I believe I was wrong. Safety is important." Anna smiled. "Safety first, right?" she said. Leo nodded. "From now on, safety first!" He never said "Safety last!" again.
Leo liked adventures. He always said, "Safety last!" He didn't wear a helmet. He didn't look before crossing the street.
One Saturday, Leo went to the park. His friend Anna was there. She wore a helmet when riding her bike. She asked Leo, "Where is your helmet?" Leo shouted, "Safety last!" and rode away quickly.
Leo saw a tall tree. He thought he could climb to the top. He shouted, "Look at me!" Anna said, "Be careful, Leo!" But Leo didn't listen. He began to climb.
The tree was tall. It was safer to use strong branches. But Leo used thin branches. He wanted to show off. He felt excited and not lonely.
Suddenly, a branch broke and Leo fell! He yelled, "Help!" He was very scared. He thought he would get hurt. He held onto a big branch, high up. Now he felt lonely and afraid.
Anna ran for help. A firefighter arrived with a long ladder. The firefighter said, "Don't worry, I'll help you." He climbed up and brought Leo down. Leo was safe.
Leo said, "Thank you so much." He said to Anna, "I realize I was wrong. Safety is important." Anna smiled and said, "Safety first, right?" Leo agreed and said, "From now on, safety first!" He never said "Safety last!" again.
Leo's adventure gives us some useful words. Let's learn them so you can talk about safety and actions.
These words appear in the story. Can you remember how they were used?
- helmet - a hard hat that protects your head, especially on a bike
- branch - the arm-like part of a tree
- firefighter - a person who stops fires and helps in emergencies
- ladder - a set of steps you climb to reach high places
- show off - to do something just to get attention from others
- safety first - a phrase meaning safety is the most important thing
In the story, Anna and the firefighter use short sentences to tell Leo what to do. These are called imperatives. We use imperatives for orders, warnings, and friendly advice.
To make a negative imperative (tell someone not to do something), just add 'Don't' before the verb.
- Be careful! (warning)
- Don't worry. (reassurance)
- Wear a helmet. (advice)
- Don't show off. (negative advice)
Leo learned a big lesson: when you take risks, you can lose more than just your balance-you can lose trust. But with a few careful words and actions, you can stay safe and keep your friends close.
Next time you go outside, think about Leo. Try using your new vocabulary and give some friendly advice to a friend. Remember: Safety first!
- Use imperatives to give clear, short advice.
- Practice the new words by describing a day at the park.
- Share the story with a friend and talk about its message.
Safety Last! comes from the American / public-domain screen or print culture tradition and is best known as a silent feature film. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on 1923 film; public domain in U.S., 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/family, but this version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English. Clock-tower scene is famous; use plot only.
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 A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try 1,200 English Phrases and Expressions for another useful next step.
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