ESOLish Picture Stories · ESOL Entry 1

The Selfish Giant

A simple retelling of Oscar Wilde’s story.

A gentle fairy tale that includes death near the end.

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 Selfish Giant: Children playing in a flowering garden.

A beautiful garden

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.A beautiful gardenEvery afternoon, children play in a giant’s garden.They enjoy the soft grass and beautiful flowers.The giant is away, so the garden is their favourite place.A high wallOne day, the giant returns and sends the children away.“This garden is only for me!” he says.The selfish giant builds a high wall around it.The children have nowhere pleasant to play.Winter staysSpring brings flowers to the gardens nearby.But the giant’s garden stays cold and white.He feels lonely and cannot understand why winter will not leave.A small visitorOne morning, the giant hears birds singing.The children have come through a hole in the wall.Flowers grow again, but one small boy cannot reach a tree.The giant gently lifts him into the branches.The gate is openThe boy gives the giant a grateful kiss.The giant pulls down the wall and welcomes the children.His garden is full of life again.But he does not see the small boy for many years.An old friend returnsThe giant grows old, and one winter the small boy returns.A tree beside the boy is covered with white flowers.The boy invites the giant to his own garden, called Paradise.Later, the children find that the giant has died peacefully under the tree.What can we learn?Sharing brings people together.A selfish choice can leave us lonely.When we welcome others, our lives can become richer.

A shortened ESOLish retelling. Original story by Oscar Wilde.

The Selfish Giant

A beautiful garden

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