ESOLish Picture Stories · ESOL Entry 1

The Necklace

A simple retelling of Guy de Maupassant’s story.

A story about honesty and appearances.

Turn the pages and enjoy the story. Tap any word to hear it. Bold, dotted-underlined words also have a simple meaning and example.

The Necklace: Mathilde’s husband gives her a party invitation in their modest home.

An invitation

Pages 1–2

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Read for pleasure. The final page shares a lesson from the story.

Turn on JavaScript for page turns and word help. You can also read the complete story here.An invitationMathilde lives with her husband in a small home.She wants beautiful clothes and expensive things.One day, her husband brings home an invitation to a big party.“Now I need a lovely dress!” she says.The borrowed necklaceHer husband gives her money for a dress.But Mathilde still feels unhappy.“I have no jewellery,” she says.Her friend lends her a shining necklace.A wonderful eveningAt the party, Mathilde feels confident.She dances and smiles all evening.Later, she arrives home and touches her neck.The necklace is gone!A difficult choiceMathilde and her husband search everywhere.They cannot find the necklace.They feel ashamed, so they do not tell her friend the truth.Instead, they borrow money to buy a necklace that looks the same.Years of hard workMathilde gives the new necklace to her friend.For ten years, she and her husband work hard to repay their debt.They move to a smaller home and spend very little money.Life becomes very difficult.The truthOne day, Mathilde meets her friend and tells her everything.Her friend looks astonished.“But my necklace was not made with real diamonds,” she says.“It was worth very little!”What can we learn?Be honest, even when telling the truth feels difficult.Asking for help early can stop a problem from growing.Value what you have.Looking rich is not the same as being happy.

A shortened ESOLish retelling. Original story by Guy de Maupassant.

The Necklace

An invitation

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