The Identical Suitcases
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Kaito and Hollis grab matching black suitcases at the airport and have to sort out the mix-up.
Kaito waits by the baggage carousel at the airport. He looks for his black suitcase with a red tag.
A black suitcase comes around the belt. Kaito grabs it and checks the tag. It looks just like his.
He walks outside and calls a taxi. At home, he opens the suitcase and stops. "This isn't my stuff," he says.
Inside, he finds a woman's clothes and a pair of hiking boots. There is also a book about birds.
He looks at the tag again. The name says "Hollis," not his name. He calls the airport right away.
At the same time, Hollis stands at the same baggage carousel. She holds a suitcase full of Kaito's shirts and shoes.
"This suitcase has men's clothes in it," she tells the airport worker. "I need to find the owner."
The worker checks the tags and finds Kaito's number. Hollis calls him. They agree to meet at a café near the airport.
"I'm so sorry about this," Kaito says when they meet. "Our suitcases really do look the same."
Hollis laughs and points at both bags. "Black, with a red tag. That's why we mixed them up."
They trade suitcases and shake hands. "Next time, I'm buying a bag with stripes," Kaito says. Hollis laughs and agrees.
