The Mystery of the Missing Painting – A Short Story for English Learners


Chapter 1: The Missing Painting
Last night, Emma visited the art gallery. She liked to look at the beautiful paintings. Her favorite was a painting of a big, old castle. Every time she came, she stood in front of it and imagined herself inside the castle.
But this time, something was wrong. The painting was not there. Emma looked around the gallery. She walked to the security guard and asked, “Where is the castle painting?”
The guard looked surprised. “I don’t know,” he said. “It was here yesterday.”
Emma felt worried. “Who took it?” she thought. She decided to stay and find out. She sat on a bench and watched the people in the gallery.
Suddenly, she saw a man. He wore a long coat and looked nervous. He walked quickly past her. Emma stood up and followed him.
The mystery had begun.

Chapter 2: The Strange Clue
Emma followed the man through the gallery. He walked fast, looking over his shoulder. Emma stayed quiet and careful. She didn’t want him to see her.
The man turned into a small hallway. Emma followed, but when she reached the hallway, the man was gone. Confused, she looked around. Then, she saw something on the floor. It was a small piece of paper. She picked it up and read:
“Meet me at the park at 10 p.m.”
Emma’s heart started to race. “What does this mean?” she thought. “Is this about the painting?” She didn’t know, but she decided to go to the park and find out.
At 10 p.m., Emma stood near the park entrance. It was dark and quiet. Suddenly, she saw the man from the gallery. He was standing under a tree, looking around. Emma hid behind a bench and watched him closely.
Something strange was happening, and Emma was ready to find out what.

Chapter 3: The Secret Revealed
Emma hid quietly behind the bench, watching the man under the tree. He seemed nervous. After a few minutes, another person appeared. It was a woman, and she was holding a small bag.
Emma listened carefully as they began to talk.
“Do you have it?” the woman asked in a low voice.
The man nodded. “Yes, I took the painting this morning,” he said. “But why do you want it?”
The woman smiled. “It’s not about the painting,” she said. “There’s something hidden inside the frame, something very valuable.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Something hidden in the painting?” she thought. She needed to act fast. Quietly, she pulled out her phone and called the police. She stayed behind the bench, listening to every word.
A few minutes later, the police arrived. They quickly arrested the man and the woman. Emma stood up and walked over to the officer. She explained everything she saw and gave them the piece of paper she found.
The next day, the painting was back in the gallery. Emma visited again and smiled when she saw it. She solved the mystery and helped return the missing painting. Now, every time she looked at the castle painting, she remembered her adventure.
The mystery was over, but Emma knew she was ready for the next one.
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