English Short Stories For Intermediate Learners: 8 Unconventional Short Stories to Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn English the Fun Way!

Multiple-choice questions
Select one answer for each question
1. What is Griffin wearing?
a. Nothing
b. A suit
c. Shorts
d. Pajamas
2. How does Wagner know it is Griffin?
a. He recognizes the smell
b. He can see in the dark
c. He can see invisible people
d. He recognizes the voice
3. Who do they think is the most horrible monster?
a. Dracula
b. The Werewolf
c. Swamp Creature
d. Frankenstein’s creature
4. What is nice about Dracula’s mansion?
a. It has a large kitchen

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b. It is surrounded by a small forest
c. It has five restrooms
d. It has a swimming pool
5. What is Griffin obsessed with?
a. Popcorn
b. Not wearing clothes
c. Taking over the world
d. Television

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Answers to Chapter 1
1. c
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. c

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Chapter 2
Somehow, Dracula could always tell where the Invisible Man was. Vampires
had many secret powers. Since Dracula was the oldest vampire, he had many
abilities. He never let anyone know everything he could do. He liked to be
mysterious.
“I didn’t mean you, boss,” said Griffin. “Actually, Wagner is the one who
brought it up. He said most monsters are stupid.”
Dracula smiled. His red lips were very dark, compared to his pale white face.
“Of course, monsters are stupid, but they are smarter than the humans.”
The Invisible Man knew it was an insult. He would always be a human, even
if other humans could not see him, but he was so different from other people.
Most of the time, he felt like a monster, even if he was not one. That is why he
wanted to work with the monsters. He needed them to do what he wanted…
“Mister Hyde is a smart fellow,” the Werewolf said as he picked up his bowl
of popcorn. “But, I think the average monster is a complete idiot. We really need
a better education system, Dracula.”
No one ever talked to Dracula like that, except Wagner. Most of the others
were afraid of the old vampire. There was good reason to be afraid of him, but
the vampire and the werewolf were friends. Sometimes, they even went hunting
together.
“We do not need smarter monsters. We have a few bright ones,” Dracula
stated. “Mister Hyde, you, myself--I am probably the brightest one.”
“You are, boss,” the Invisible Man said. He gave a thumbs-up, but no one
saw it.
But, Wagner was very powerful and bold. He challenged the old vampire.
“Are you sure you are the smartest of us all?” he asked.
“Who is brighter than I am? Tell me the name of a smarter monster! You
can’t!”
“I’m thinking,” the Werewolf said, chewing a mouthful of popcorn. He
licked the salt off of his long fingernails. “What about that guy in the bandages?”

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“What guy in bandages?” the Invisible Man asked. “You mean the wrapped
up guy?”
“Yes, he’s all wrapped in bandages--”
Dracula laughed and the ground shook. “You don’t mean the Mummy? Are
you kidding me? He is a total idiot!”
The Werewolf’s eyes glowed bright red. “The Mummy is dumb now, but he
was not always like that. Before he died, he was the ruler of Egypt! He was a
smart person back in the old days.”
“That is only a rumour,” Dracula said, rolling his eyes. “Anyone can say ‘I
was the ruler of Egypt.’ Whatever! He has never been able to prove anything.”
Wagner scratched his back. “Why would he lie about it?”
“He is crazy! Last month, he said he won the Olympic Gold Medal for
swimming!”
The Invisible Man coughed. “I remember that.” He tried to sneak his hand
into the bowl of popcorn, but the Werewolf caught it.
“Don’t touch my popcorn. Get your own!”
Suddenly, another person entered the room. Actually, it was not a person, it
was the Swamp Creature. “It’s true!” said the Swamp Creature. Most of the
others had a hard time understanding it. It did not speak the English language
very well. It had a large mouth like a fish, and it did not like being out of the
water. Most of the time, it lived underwater, but tonight, it had come for the
monthly Monster Meet-Up. “It’s true,” the Swamp Creature repeated. “The
Mummy was an Egyptian Pharaoh thousands of years ago!”
“I doubt it,” Dracula said. “But, it does not matter. He was not a monster
back in those days. That is what we are talking about. The Mummy became a
monster later, after he died and came back.”
“How did he do that?” asked the Invisible Man. “I would like to come back
from the dead.”
“I can help you with that,” Dracula said, stepping closer.
“Wait! I don’t want to come back as a vampire!”
“You would rather come back as a mindless mummy?”

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“No…but I don’t want to drink blood.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“No! That is disgusting…”
Dracula gave him an evil stare.
“I mean, um… I’m sure it is not that bad. But,” Griffin said to his boss, “you
were a human once, right, Count Dracula?”
“All vampires begin as humans, then we become vampires.”
“By dying?
“It is complicated, but yes.”
“Then you are like the Mummy!” the Invisible Man said. It was a mistake.
Dracula flew across the room and grabbed Griffin by his invisible neck. “Do
not compare me to him!”
“Wait, wait… are you going to kill me?”
“I’m thinking about it,” Dracula said. “Probably.”
“Don’t make me a vampire. I want to stay human.”
“Why?” Wagner asked, spitting out a popcorn kernel. “You always say you
want to be a monster!”
“I want to stay human,” Griffin repeated. “Because I don’t want to become
stupid. I may not be the smartest person on Earth--”
“You are the dumbest!” Dracula said, bringing his sharp teeth close to
Griffin’s face.
“--but even the dumbest human is smarter than the smartest monster!”
Dracula was so angry he threw Griffin across the room. No one else could
see the Invisible Man, but they saw a window break. Dracula had thrown Griffin
through the window. He had fallen into a bushy shrub outside.
Griffin stood up. He looked in the window. “I’m okay! And I challenge you,
Dracula, to a contest!”
“I can’t believe it,” the Werewolf said. “Never pick a fight with the King of
the Vampires!”

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“I’ll tear you apart!” Dracula shouted.
“No, not a fight,” the Invisible Man said. “You say you are the smartest
monster. You say I am the dumbest human. Let’s see if the dumbest human is
smarter than the smartest monster! That is my challenge!”
The other monsters looked at their boss. Dracula had no choice. He accepted
the challenge.

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Annex to Chapter 2
Summary
Griffin compares Dracula to the Mummy. Dracula does not like the
Mummy, so he gets angry and throws Griffin out a window. Griffin is alright; he
gets up and he challenges Dracula to a contest. He does not want to fight, but he
wants to see who is smarter--a monster or a human! Dracula agrees to the
contest.