The Shrunken Sweater
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Ryan shrinks his favorite sweater doing laundry alone for the first time.
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Ryan did his own laundry for the first time. His mother was away for the weekend. He wanted to do a good job.
He put all his clothes in one load. His favorite blue sweater went in too. He never checked any of the labels.
He set the machine to hot water. He wanted his clothes very clean. Hot water seemed like the best choice.
An hour later, Ryan opened the dryer. He pulled out his favorite sweater. It looked much smaller than before.
"Oh no," Ryan said quietly. He tried to put it on. His arms barely fit in the sleeves.
Ryan called his older sister for help. He told her what happened. She laughed a little and came over.
"Wool shrinks in hot water," his sister said. "Next time, use cold water," she added. "And check the label first."
Ryan looked at the tiny sweater sadly. He held it up in the light. Then he had a good idea.
He gave the sweater to his little cousin. His cousin loved the small blue sweater. It fit her perfectly.
Ryan washed the rest of his clothes again. This time, he read every single label. He felt a little wiser about laundry.
