Welcome to our A2 elementary English version of the famous Greek myth, Theseus and the Minotaur. In this retelling, brave Theseus sails to Crete to face the terrifying Minotaur, a monster that is half-man and half-bull. The creature lives deep inside a dark, twisting maze called the Labyrinth, built by King Minos. Theseus must find a way to kill the beast and escape, but the maze is impossible to navigate without help…
As you read, click on any tricky word for an instant, simple definition. You can also listen to the story audio to improve your pronunciation and hear natural English. After the story, check the lesson notes for useful vocabulary and grammar tips. This interactive graded reader is a fun and free way to learn English with a classic tale of courage and cleverness.
Long ago, in the land of , there was a king named Minos. He lived on the island of Crete. Under his palace, there was a huge, dark called the Labyrinth. Inside the Labyrinth lived a terrible monster – the Minotaur.
The Minotaur had the head of a bull and the body of a man. He was very big, very strong, and very . Every year, King Minos made the people of Athens send seven young men and seven young women to Crete. The Minotaur .
A prince from Athens, Theseus, wanted to this. He said, "I will go to Crete. I will the Minotaur." His father, the king, was afraid. But Theseus was . He sailed to Crete with the other young people.
When they arrived in Crete, they met Princess Ariadne. She was King Minos' daughter. Ariadne saw Theseus and thought, "He is very and ." She decided to him. "I know a way to save you," she said to Theseus.
Ariadne gave Theseus a magic ball of . "Take this thread," she said. " it to the door of the Labyrinth. Then, as you walk inside, let the thread . After you kill the Minotaur, you can the thread back out."
Theseus took the thread and the dark, cold Labyrinth. He tied the thread to the door and walked into the maze. Everywhere he walked, he left the thread behind. It was quiet, but then he heard a – a heavy, angry . It was the Minotaur!
Theseus found the Minotaur in the of the Labyrinth. The monster was . It ran at Theseus with its big, sharp . But Theseus was fast and strong. He the monster bravely. With one powerful blow, Theseus killed the Minotaur.
After the fight, Theseus was tired but happy. He the thread back through the dark . Soon, he saw the light of the door. He came out and found Ariadne waiting. Together, they the other young people and sailed away from Crete, back to Athens, where everyone celebrated their hero.
A long time ago in ancient Greece, a powerful king named Minos lived on Crete. Beneath his palace was a big, dark maze called the Labyrinth. Inside lived a scary monster, the Minotaur.
The Minotaur was half-bull, half-man. He was huge, strong, and always hungry. Each year, King Minos forced Athens to send seven boys and seven girls. The Minotaur ate every one.
A brave prince named Theseus from Athens wanted to end this. He said, 'I'll go to Crete and kill the Minotaur.' His father was scared, but Theseus was firm. He sailed to Crete with the other youths.
In Crete, they met Princess Ariadne, Minos's daughter. She saw Theseus and thought he was brave and good-looking. She chose to help him and whispered, 'I can save you.'
Ariadne gave Theseus a magic thread. She told him to tie it at the entrance, unwind it as he went in, and after killing the Minotaur, follow it back out.
Theseus took the thread and went into the dark, cold maze. He tied the thread at the door and let it trail behind him. Then he heard an angry snort-the Minotaur!
Theseus found the Minotaur in the center. The monster charged with sharp horns, but Theseus was quick and strong. He bravely fought and killed it with one mighty strike.
After the fight, Theseus was tired but glad. He followed the thread back, saw the door's light, and found Ariadne waiting. They freed the others, sailed from Crete to Athens, and everyone celebrated their hero.
Great stories paint pictures with words. In 'Theseus and the Minotaur', adjectives and descriptive phrases bring the characters and places to life. Learning these words will help you describe your own adventures more vividly.
- brave: showing courage (Theseus was a brave prince.)
- huge / dark / cold: big, without light, low temperature (the huge, dark Labyrinth)
- terrible / powerful / magic: very bad / strong / having special powers (a terrible monster; a magic ball of thread)
- angry / sharp: feeling strong displeasure / with a fine edge or point (an angry Minotaur with sharp horns)
When we tell stories about the past, we use the simple past tense. In this myth, almost all the verbs are in the past. Notice the difference between regular and irregular verbs.
- Regular verbs: live → lived, sail → sailed, decide → decided, wait → waited
- Irregular verbs: is → was, have → had, make → made, say → said, find → found, fight → fought
- Try saying: 'Theseus fought the Minotaur.' (not 'fight')
- Can you find more past tense verbs in the story? Listen to the audio and pause after each one.
Good storytellers guide their listeners through time. Words like 'long ago', 'then', and 'after' help us understand when things happen. They make the story flow smoothly.
- Long ago / In the land of ancient Greece (start of a past story)
- Every year (repeated action in the past)
- Then / After the fight / Soon (next event)
- Practice: Retell the story using these time words to link events.
Now you have the words and tools to tell your own tales. Try describing a hero you admire, using adjectives and past tense. Or, rewrite the myth from the Minotaur's point of view! The more you play with language, the more natural it becomes.
Theseus and the Minotaur comes from the Greek / mythology tradition and is best known as a greek myth. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Ancient Greek myth; 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 kids/general, but this version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English. Maze vocabulary; good adventure.
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.
