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The First Green Leaf
Patience — waiting for a small seed to grow.
Ana plants one tiny seed and waits. Day after day she sees only brown soil — until one morning something green appears. A gentle A1 listening story about patience, built around seven everyday gardening words and one useful phrase.
This is a short story about a girl named Ana. She plants a seed and waits for it to grow. Before you listen, three words to know:
Listen to the whole story once. Try it without the transcript first — just follow the big picture. You can open the transcript if you need it.
Ana has a small seedseed · a small thing you plant to grow a new plant. It is brown and round. Her neighbor, Mr. Costa, gives it to her.
“Plant it,” he says. “Then waitwait · to stay and let time pass.”
Ana puts soilsoil · the brown dirt that plants grow in in a little potpot · a small container for a plant. She makes a hole with her finger. She drops the seed in the hole. Then she covers it with soil.
Ana puts the pot on the window. The sunsun · the bright light and heat in the sky is warm there.
“Now I'll waterwater · to put water on a plant it,” Ana says. She gives the seed a little water. The soil is wet and dark.
Ana looks at the pot. She sees only soil. No leafleaf · the flat green part of a plant. No green.
“Grow, little seed,” she says.
The next day, Ana runs to the window. She looks in the pot. She sees only brown soil.
“Where's my plant?” she asks.
“Wait,” Mr. Costa says. “Seeds are slow. The sun helps. The water helps. You must wait.”
Ana waters the seed every morning. She moves the pot into the sun. She waits and waits. But the pot is still brown.
Ana is sad. “My seed isn't happy,” she says.
“Give it timegive it time · be patient; let something happen slowly,” Mom says. “Be patient.”
One morning, Ana goes to the window. She looks in the pot. She stops. She sees something new.
A tiny green leaf is in the soil! It is very small. It is soft and green.
“Mom! Mr. Costa! Come and look!” Ana shouts.
They run to the window. They see the little green leaf.
“You did it,” Mr. Costa says. “You waited. It's here now.”
Ana smiles. She is very happy. She gives the leaf a little water.
“Hello, little plant,” she says. “Grow big and green.”
Every morning, Ana looks at her leaf. And every morning, it is a little bigger.
Listen again. You can read along with the transcript now.
Ana has a small seedseed · a small thing you plant to grow a new plant. It is brown and round. Her neighbor, Mr. Costa, gives it to her.
“Plant it,” he says. “Then waitwait · to stay and let time pass.”
Ana puts soilsoil · the brown dirt that plants grow in in a little potpot · a small container for a plant. She makes a hole with her finger. She drops the seed in the hole. Then she covers it with soil.
Ana puts the pot on the window. The sunsun · the bright light and heat in the sky is warm there.
“Now I'll waterwater · to put water on a plant it,” Ana says. She gives the seed a little water. The soil is wet and dark.
Ana looks at the pot. She sees only soil. No leafleaf · the flat green part of a plant. No green.
“Grow, little seed,” she says.
The next day, Ana runs to the window. She looks in the pot. She sees only brown soil.
“Where's my plant?” she asks.
“Wait,” Mr. Costa says. “Seeds are slow. The sun helps. The water helps. You must wait.”
Ana waters the seed every morning. She moves the pot into the sun. She waits and waits. But the pot is still brown.
Ana is sad. “My seed isn't happy,” she says.
“Give it timegive it time · be patient; let something happen slowly,” Mom says. “Be patient.”
One morning, Ana goes to the window. She looks in the pot. She stops. She sees something new.
A tiny green leaf is in the soil! It is very small. It is soft and green.
“Mom! Mr. Costa! Come and look!” Ana shouts.
They run to the window. They see the little green leaf.
“You did it,” Mr. Costa says. “You waited. It's here now.”
Ana smiles. She is very happy. She gives the leaf a little water.
“Hello, little plant,” she says. “Grow big and green.”
Every morning, Ana looks at her leaf. And every morning, it is a little bigger.
| Picture | Word | Type | Line from the story | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seed | noun | “Ana has a small seed.” | A small thing you plant to grow a new plant. | |
| wait | verb | “Then wait,” he says. | To stay and let time pass before something happens. | |
| soil | noun | “Ana puts soil in a little pot.” | The brown dirt that plants grow in. | |
| pot | noun | “Ana puts soil in a little pot.” | A small container for a plant. | |
| sun | noun | “The sun is warm there.” | The bright light and heat in the sky. | |
| water | verb | “Now I'll water it,” Ana says. | To put water on a plant. | |
| leaf | noun | “No leaf. No green.” | The flat green part of a plant. | |
| give it time | phrase | “Give it time,” Mom says. | Be patient; let something happen slowly. A kind, encouraging phrase. |
Read the meaning and write the word — no word bank this time. The first letter is in the box to help you.
You listened, noticed the words, and used them yourself. Come back any time to listen again — repetition is how the words stick.
