The Chalk Marks on the Driveway
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Xiomara investigates the chalk numbers that appear on her driveway every morning and meets a young neighbor practicing math.
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Every morning, Xiomara found new chalk marks on the shared driveway. Numbers and letters covered the gray stone. They disappeared by the next afternoon.
At first, she thought the rain washed them away. But some mornings were dry, and the marks still vanished.
One Saturday, Xiomara decided to check early, before school. She walked outside at seven. A small boy sat on the driveway with a box of chalk.
"Good morning," she said. "Are you the person with all these chalk numbers?"
The boy looked up, a little shy. "I'm Rio," he said. "I practice my numbers before school. My mom washes the driveway every afternoon."
"That explains it," Xiomara said. She sat down next to him. "Can I see your numbers?"
Rio showed her rows of numbers, from one to twenty. They looked a little crooked but clear.
"These are good," Xiomara said. "Do you want help with the next ten?"
Rio nodded and handed her a piece of chalk. They sat together and wrote numbers all the way to fifty.
The next morning, new marks covered the driveway again. Numbers from one to fifty looked neat and proud.
Xiomara smiled when she saw them on her way to school.
