A Short Story
Esperanto Reading 1
Chapter 5 · A Short Story
📚 A Short Story — Mallonga rakonto
So far the texts have been a few lines long. This chapter has a real story, with a beginning, a problem and an ending. The skill is to follow the plot without stopping to translate each word, and to keep track of who is doing what.
Before you read: signposts
Stories use small words to show the order of events and who is speaking. Learn to spot them:
| Word | Job |
|---|---|
| Estis … | "There was …": the usual way to open a story (past of esti) |
| Sed | but: the problem begins |
| Tiam | then: a new event |
| Poste | afterwards |
| antaŭ / post | before / after |
| li diris, ŝi diris | he said, she said: marks speech |
The story
La perdita ŝlosilo
Words to help
| Esperanto | English | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| perdita | lost | ŝlosilo | key |
| devis | had to | atingi | to reach, to catch |
| halti | to stop | poŝo | |
| mantelo | coat | sako | bag |
| nenie | nowhere | certe | surely |
| lasi | to leave (behind) | hejme | at home |
| pensi | to think | najbarino | (female) neighbour |
| perdi | to lose | rideti | to smile |
| rigardi | to look at | mano | hand |
| ambaŭ | both | kuri | to run |
| ĝustatempe | in time | vagono | carriage |
Show a translation
It was early morning in Edinburgh. Petro quickly left his house, because he had to catch the train. But in front of the station he stopped. He could not find his key! He searched in the pockets of his coat. He searched in the bag. There was no key anywhere. "I surely left it at home," he thought. Then Maria arrived, his neighbour. "Hello, Petro! Are you looking for something?" "Yes, I have lost my house key." Maria smiled. "Look at your hand," she said. Petro looked. The key was there, in his hand! "Thank you!" he said, and they both laughed. Afterwards Petro ran to the train and got into the last carriage in time.
Following who does what: sia and lia
Two small words matter a great deal in a story, and the difference between them is a favourite thing to misread:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| lia | his (someone else's) | Maria, lia najbarino Maria, his neighbour |
| sia | his / her / their own (the subject's) | Petro eliris el sia domo Petro left his (own) house |
The word sia always refers back to the subject of its own clause. So in Petro ne trovis sian ŝlosilon the key is Petro's own. If the writer had meant someone else's key, the sentence would say lian or ŝian. In English "his" is ambiguous; Esperanto is not, and a careful reader uses this to follow the story.
Story map
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| Beginning | Early morning. Petro is leaving to catch a train. |
| Problem | He cannot find his key. |
| Complication | He searches his pockets and bag in vain. |
| Turning point | His neighbour Maria arrives and tells him to look at his hand. |
| Ending | The key is in his hand, they laugh, and he catches the train. |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Ekzercoj
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. Where and when does the story begin?
Show answer
In Edinburgh, early in the morning (frua mateno en Edinburgo).
2. Why does Petro leave the house quickly?
Show answer
He has to catch the train (li devis atingi la trajnon).
3. What is the problem?
Show answer
He cannot find his key (li ne trovis sian ŝlosilon).
4. Where does Petro look for the key, and where does he think it is?
Show answer
He looks in his coat pockets and in his bag. He thinks he left it at home (hejme).
5. Who is Maria and what does she suggest?
Show answer
Maria is his neighbour (lia najbarino). She suggests he look at his hand (Rigardu vian manon).
6. Answer in Esperanto: Kie estis la ŝlosilo?
Show answer
La ŝlosilo estis en la mano de Petro. (Or: en lia mano.)
7. Choose lia or sia: Petro perdis ___ ŝlosilon. (Petro lost his own key.)
Show answer
sian. The owner is the subject, Petro.
8. Choose lia or sia: Maria vidis Petron kaj ___ ŝlosilon. (Maria saw Petro and Petro's key.)
Show answer
lian. The key belongs to Petro, not to the subject Maria.
9. What does ĝustatempe tell you about the ending?
Show answer
Petro caught the train just in time: he did not miss it.
10. Write a three-line summary of the story in Esperanto.
Show answer
One possibility: Petro perdis sian ŝlosilon. Maria diris, ke li rigardu sian manon. La ŝlosilo estis tie.
Words used in this chapter
perdita lost · ŝlosilo key · devi must · atingi reach · halti stop · poŝo pocket · mantelo coat · sako bag · nenie nowhere · certe surely · lasi leave · hejme at home · pensi think · najbarino neighbour · perdi lose · rideti smile · rigardi look at · mano hand · ambaŭ both · kuri run · ĝustatempe in time · vagono carriage · tiam then · poste afterwards · antaŭ before · sia own · lia his