The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

 From Goodreads:    

   In a small American town, the local residents are filled with excitement and nervousness when they wake on the morning of the twenty-seventh of June. Everything has been prepared for the town’s annual tradition—a lottery in which every family must participate, and no one wants to win.

    “The Lottery” stands out as one of the most famous short stories in American literary history. Originally published in The New Yorker, the author immediately began receiving letters from readers who demanded an explanation of the story’s meaning. “The Lottery” has been adapted for stage, television, radio and film. 

 

Read and listen to the story here. 

 

Download the PDF here.

 

Download the Spanish translation here. 

 

 

King Jaume I and the Reconquest of Valencia

 

(Listen) A long time ago, in the 13th century, the lands we now call Spain were divided between Christian kingdoms in the north and Muslim kingdoms in the south. The Christians wanted to take back lands that had been under Muslim rule for hundreds of years. This great effort was called the Reconquest.

One of the most famous kings in this time was Jaume I, also known as James the Conqueror. He was the king of Aragón and Catalonia, and he became king when he was only a boy! Even as a child, people said Jaume was brave and wise beyond his years.

---

A Dream of Valencia

Jaume I dreamed of making his kingdom larger and stronger. He heard about a rich and beautiful city to the south called Valencia. The city was full of gardens, palm trees, and fields that grew oranges, rice, and silk. But Valencia was ruled by a Muslim king named Zayyan.

Jaume decided that one day, he would take Valencia and make it part of his kingdom. He told his knights and soldiers that they must fight not only for land, but for faith, justice, and peace.

---

The Journey South

In the year 1232, Jaume began his great campaign. He gathered knights from Aragón and Catalonia, brave men who rode strong horses and carried long lances and shining swords. They marched south, capturing towns and castles along the way.

The people in the countryside saw Jaume’s army coming and joined them, hoping for a better life under his rule. But it was not easy — there were battles to fight, walls to climb, and long months away from home.

---

The Siege of Valencia

Finally, Jaume and his army reached the city of Valencia. The city was surrounded by strong walls and towers, and inside, King Zayyan’s soldiers prepared to defend it. Jaume’s men set up camp all around the city so no one could go in or out. This is called a siege.

The siege lasted for many months. It was hard for both sides — food became scarce, and the heat was terrible in the summer sun. But Jaume refused to give up. He even built great wooden towers and machines to throw stones over the city walls.

As the months passed, the people inside Valencia grew tired and hungry. Finally, in October 1238, King Zayyan realized he could not win. He sent messengers to Jaume I to offer peace.

---

The Great Victory

On October 9, 1238, Jaume I entered the city of Valencia. The people cheered as the Christian flag with the red and yellow stripes — the same colors that still appear on the flag of Valencia today — was raised over the city walls.

Jaume entered the grand mosque, the main building for prayer, and blessed it as a Christian church. Later, it became the Cathedral of Valencia, which still stands today. He promised to protect the people who stayed and to rebuild the city so it would flourish again.

---

A Legacy of Peace and Prosperity

After conquering Valencia, Jaume I didn’t stop there. He wrote down his adventures in a book called the Llibre dels Fets — The Book of Deeds — one of the first books ever written by a king about his own life!

He also worked to bring peace and good government to his new lands. Under Jaume’s rule, Valencia grew into a rich and beautiful kingdom, full of trade, art, and learning. People from many backgrounds lived together — Christians, Muslims, and Jews — building a new future side by side.

---

Remembering Jaume I

Today, Jaume I is remembered as one of the greatest kings of medieval Spain. Statues of him can be found in many cities, especially in Valencia, where every year on October 9th, people celebrate the day the city was reconquered.

They wave flags, play music, and remember the young king who dreamed of a united and peaceful land — Jaume I the Conqueror, the brave ruler who made history.

Zombie League

(listen)  

One hot summer morning, Juan, Leo, Antonio, and Diego, all 14 years old, took the train to a football camp in a small village in Spain.

They were very excited. They talked about football, snacks, and which one of them was the best striker.

After one hour, the train stopped at a tiny station. There were no taxis or buses, so they had to walk one kilometer to the village. They didn’t mind — they were athletes, after all.

When they arrived, something strange happened.

The streets were silent. No dogs, no children, no music. Then they saw the people. They realized that everyone in the village was a zombie!

“Uh… maybe this is a Halloween party?” Leo said nervously.

“No,” Juan whispered, “I don’t think Halloween is in July.”

Even the football trainer waiting at the field was a zombie! His eyes were gray, and he tried to say, “Welcome to camp!” but it sounded more like “Waaaauuugh!”

Suddenly, all the zombies started walking toward the boys.

“Run!” Antonio shouted.

But the zombies were very slow, and the boys were very fast.

Then Diego had an idea. “Hey! We came here to play football, right? Let’s play!”

They ran to the football pitch, and Diego kicked the ball hard. The zombies followed it slowly, groaning. The boys laughed and passed the ball between them, running circles around fifty zombies!

They played for an hour. Then they stopped for a water break and ate protein bars.

After another hour, the zombies started to wobble. After the third hour, they were tired and dehydrated. One by one, they fell down on the pitch.

When the last zombie hit the grass, Diego took out a whistle, blew it, and shouted, “Good practice, everyone!"

“Valencia Club de Fútbol 50 – Zombies 0.”

Juan looked at the fallen zombies. “These zombies don’t look very good. I don’t think they’ll be able to play tomorrow.”

"They need to learn about hydration." 

Leo sighed. “We should probably take the train back to Valencia.”

So, the four friends picked up their backpacks, walked back to the station, and laughed all the way.

“That was the weirdest football camp ever,” Antonio said.

Diego grinned. “Yeah… but we definitely won the match!”

 

A Day at El Saler Beach

(Listen) 

Lisa, Kyle, Meg, and Tony were best friends. It was a hot summer day in Valencia, and they wanted to go to El Saler Beach.

They packed their backpacks with sandwiches, fruit, and water, and ran to catch the bus. The ride was long, but they laughed, listened to music, and watched funny videos on Tony’s cell phone.

When they arrived, the beach was beautiful! The sea was blue, and the sand was soft. They swam, built sandcastles, played football, and ate their snacks. They were having so much fun that they didn’t see the time.

When they finally looked, the last bus to Valencia was gone!

“Oh no!” Meg said. “Now how do we get home?”
“We’ll have to walk back,” Tony said. “It’s not too far. It’s about ten kilometers from here.”

They started walking. It was dark now, and the road was quiet.

The Crazy Seagull

Soon they met a crazy seagull on the path. The bird was eating a bag of chips someone had dropped. The seagull spread its wings and made loud noises.

“I’m hungry,” Kyle said. “Maybe we can take the chips!”
He tried to grab the bag, but the seagull screamed and jumped at him!

“Ahh!” Kyle ran back.

Then the seagull got distracted by another chip.
“Quick, go around!” Lisa said.
They moved around the bird and continued walking.

The Big Dog

Later, they came to a small house. A very big dog was barking loudly at the gate.

“I’m scared!” said Meg.

“Me too!” said Kyle.

But Lisa smiled. “I’m not afraid of dogs. We have a dog at home.”
She walked slowly to the gate and spoke softly to the dog. The dog stopped barking and wagged its tail.

“See? He’s nice,” Lisa said, patting the dog’s head.
The others relaxed and walked past the house safely.

The Thirsty Problem

After walking for a long time, they were tired and hot. Their bottles were empty.

“We need to drink lots of water in this heat,” Tony said. “I was in the Boy Scouts, I know what to do.”

He saw a fence and a farm behind it.

“Maybe we can find a well there,” he said. We can get water from the well."

They jumped over the fence and found an old stone well. They pulled up a bucket of cool water and drank.

Home at Last

When they finally reached home, it was very late. Their feet hurt, and their clothes were dusty.

“My parents are at the cinema,” said Lisa.
“Mine too!” said Kyle.

“Should we tell our parents about our day?” Meg asked.

Lisa laughed.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them!”

Everyone laughed, said good night, and went to bed. It had been a long, crazy, fun day at El Saler Beach.

 

Dictionary English – Spanish

Path	Camino
Seagull	Gaviota
Distracted	Distraído
Fence	Valla - Cerca
Well	Pozo
Hurt	Herir - Doler
Dust Dusty	Polvoriento polvo

 Bucket                  Cubo

Donkeys are Cute

 1 – A Surprise in the Park

(escucha) 

It was a sunny afternoon in Valencia, and Lucía, an eleven-year-old girl, was playing in Turia Park.

     She loved the park. There were tall trees, green grass, and the smell of oranges in the air. Children were riding bikes, dogs were running, and the sun made everything shine.

Lucía was skipping along the path when she saw something strange.
Under a palm tree stood a tiny, brown donkey.

“¡Ay! A baby donkey!” she said softly.

The donkey had big, soft eyes and long ears that wiggled when he moved.
Lucía looked around. No one was near.

“Where is your family, little one?” she asked.

The donkey just looked at her and made a small sound:
“Hee-haw…” — but very quietly, like a whisper.

Lucía smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

She took her scarf and made a little rope to guide the donkey. Together, they walked home through the park, across the bridge, and down the street to Lucía’s house.

2 – A Donkey at Home

When Lucía opened the gate, her mother gasped.
“Lucía! What is that?”

“It’s a baby donkey, Mamá! He was all alone in Turia Park. Can we keep him?”

Her father came outside and shook his head. “A donkey? In our garden?”

But the little donkey looked up at them with his big eyes and made a happy sound:
“Hee-haw!”

Then he tried to eat one of Mamá’s flowers.
Lucía giggled. “He’s hungry!”

Her mother sighed. “He is very cute… What shall we call him?”

Lucía thought for a moment. The donkey’s fur was soft and the color of honey.
“Let’s call him Honey,” she said.

From that day, Honey became part of the family.
He slept in the small garden and liked to chase butterflies. He liked carrots. Every morning, he would wait by the door when Lucía left for school.

One day, Lucía had an idea. “Honey, come to school with me!”

---

3 – Honey Goes to School

The next morning, Lucía led Honey to the bus stop.
When the bus arrived, the driver looked at the donkey and said, “No animals on the bus!”

But Honey didn’t move. He made a funny little song:
“Hee-hee-hee-haw!”
Then he kicked up his legs and danced a tiny dance.

The bus driver laughed so hard he had to wipe his eyes.
“OK, OK! Come on, Honey!” he said.

At school, everyone stopped and stared.
“A donkey!” cried Lucía’s friends. “Can we pet him?”

Honey wagged his tail and brayed softly. All the children smiled and clapped.
     Even the teachers came outside to see.

The principal said, “This little donkey has made everyone happy. Let’s adopt him as our school donkey!”

From that day on, all the students took turns feeding and brushing Honey.
He went on walks by the beautiful beach in El Saler, where he loved to feel the sea breeze on his face.

Lucía watched him run by the waves and said, “Honey, you’re the sweetest donkey in Valencia!”

Honey gave a joyful “Hee-haw!” — and everyone laughed.

 The End

                                         English–Spanish Glossary

English Word	Spanish Translation	Example in English	Example in Spanish
grass	hierba / césped	The grass in the park is green.	La hierba del parque es verde.
shine	brillar	The sun makes everything shine.	El sol hace que todo brille.
skip	saltar / brincar	Lucía likes to skip along the path.	A Lucía le gusta saltar por el camino.
path	camino / sendero	She walks on the path in the park.	Ella camina por el sendero del parque.
wiggle	mover / menear (de un lado a otro)	The donkey’s ears wiggle when he moves.	Las orejas del burro se menean cuando se mueve.
scarf	bufanda / pañuelo	Lucía uses her scarf to guide the donkey.	Lucía usa su bufanda para guiar al burro.
sigh	suspirar	Her mother sighs and smiles.	Su madre suspira y sonríe.
wipe	limpiar / secar	The driver wipes his eyes when he laughs.	El conductor se seca los ojos cuando se ríe.