Today celebrates 5 years of Simple Stories in Spanish! In honor of its 5th anniversary, I have decided to retell one of my favorite stories from season 1. This story was inspired by the capuchin monkeys that I saw all over Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.

Who doesn’t enjoy a day at the beach? Ramona certainly does. She goes to the beach every day and watches all the tourists. But Ramona isn’t just anybody, she is a capuchin monkey and is very famous for her thieving ways.

This story is in the third person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “playa” (beach), “arena” (sand), “comida” (food), and “mono” (monkey).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2025/02/02/simple-stories-in-spanish-ramona-la-mona-capuchina/ 

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Isabel wishes she were home for Christmas instead of all alone in a big city. She knows that other people in her apartment building are also alone, so when the electricity goes out, she decides to spread light and joy through candles and song.

This story is in the third person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “siente” (feels),“vecinos” (neighbors), “velas” (candles),“caja” (box), “Navidad” (Christmas), “Nochebuena” (Christmas Eve, and “villancicos” (carols).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/12/15/simple-stories-in-spanish-feliz-navidad/ 

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Juan lives a boring life in a boring house, driving a boring car to a boring job. When he turns 40, he decides that it is time to do something exciting, so he turns to the world of extreme sports.

This story is in the third person and the present tense with a sprinkling of past and future. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “aburrida” (boring),“deportes” (sports), “paracaidismo” (skydiving), “espeleología” (spelunking), and “buceo” (scuba diving).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2025/01/27/simple-stories-in-spanish-2/ 

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Pablo Pavo is a lazy turkey. He lives in the woods and just wants to eat all day. The other woodland animals are worried about Pablo. They know hunting season is coming and Pablo needs to learn how to avoid humans. Each animal gives Pablo advice on how to stay safe. But, will Pablo listen?

This story is in the third person and the present tense with multiple instances of the present subjunctive tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “pavo” (turkey), “consejo” (advice),“evitar” (to avoid), “cazar” (to hunt), and “patas” (legs/feet).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/11/25/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-pavo-flojo/ 

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Catalina, Gustavo, and Benjamín are trapped. Their only way out is to build a robot for the man who took them: Javier. But, Catalina and Gustavo have a different plan - one that will allow them to escape with their robot son and take down Javier in the process. Will they be able to pull it off?

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some past, future, perfect, and subjunctive tenses as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “cerebro” (brain), “piel” (skin), “salir” (to leave), and “enciende” (ignite/turn on).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/11/05/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot-parte-6-conclusion/ 

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Catalina and Gustavo worked hard to bring their child Benjamín to life. After the neighbors discovered their secret, they were taken away to a secret location. Now, their son is being held hostage in a way to make them create more robots like him. Will Catalina and Gustavo find a way out?

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some future, conditional, subjunctive, and perfect tense use as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “taller” (workshop), “cerebro” (brain), “tapar” (to cover), “confía” (trusts), and “mientras” (while).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/10/27/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot-parte-5/ 

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Benjamín is not like other children. He goes to school and enjoys playing, but he is not a normal child: he is a robot child. He had an accident in front of his friend Elian. Now, Elian and other kids are whispering about him and calling him a monster. Catalina and Gustavo are willing to do anything to protect their little family, but will it be enough?

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some future tense and subjunctive as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “se acerca” (approaches/nears), “vete” (go away), “piedras” (stones), and “abraza” (hugs).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/09/24/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot-parte-4/ 

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Catalina and Gustavo built a robot child. Now that child wants to go to school like other children. There are so many things that could go wrong, but they take the risk. Will it work? Will they be able to convince everyone that Benjamín is a normal 10-year-old child?

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some future tense as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “ajustes” (adjustments), “vuelven” (return), “cuerpo” (body), and “seguro” (safe).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/09/11/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot-parte-3/ 

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Catalina and Gustavo want a child so badly that they build a robot together. They are so happy when everything works. They love spending time with their robot son, but he feels like something is missing.

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some future tense as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “reemplazar” (replace), “jardín trasero” (backyard), “vecinos” (neighbors), “rostro” (face), and “herida” (wound).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/08/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot-parte-2/ 

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Catalina and Gustavo are very happy together, but something, or someone, is missing. When they learn they can’t have children, Catalina decides they should build a child, not a monster like Frankenstein, but a robot child.

This story is in the third person and the present tense with some future tense as well. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “funciona” (works/functions), “crear” (create), “piel” (skin), “cerebro” (brain), and “á” and “emos” at the end of a verb (will).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/08/13/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-hijo-robot/ 

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Arturo the monster lives alone in the mountains. He is tired of being alone in his cave and decides to go to the city to make some animal friends. Some animals look down on him because of his size, looks, and smell, but one animal steals his heart.

This story is in the third person and the past tense with some present tense dialogue. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “apestaba” (stank/smelt bad),“lastimado” (hurt), “mono” (monkey), and “cerdo” (pig).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/07/30/simple-stories-in-spanish-el-monstruo/ 

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