Youth, a Narrative (for Beginner Levels A1)

Youth, A Narrative By Joseph Conrad PDF Book – Free Download

 Youth: A Narrative is a story written by Joseph Conrad, a famous English writer and sailor. He lived from 1857 to 1924 and wrote many powerful stories about the sea. Conrad’s stories often show the beauty, danger, and mystery of life at sea.

This story tells about Marlow, a young man of twenty, and his first big voyage on the old ship Judea. The ship sails from London, but the journey is full of problems: storms, delays, fire, and finally the loss of the ship. Through all these troubles, Marlow feels the spirit of youth—hope, courage, and the dream of adventure.

The story is not told in difficult words here. It is rewritten in easy English for learners. This edition is specially made for students who are at beginner level. It is part of the a1 a2 english book pdf collection, created to help learners read and enjoy classic stories while improving their English step by step.

This story was rewritten by LearnEnglish-new.com for English learners. The story is in the public domain, so it is free from copyright. Enjoy reading and improve your English skills!

Youth, a Narrative

By Joseph Conrad

Contents

Chapter One:    The Beginning of the Voyage

Chapter Two:    Storm and Trouble

Chapter Three:   Fire on the Sea

Chapter Four:    The End of the Judea

Chapter One

The Beginning of the Voyage

We are sitting around a table. The table is brown wood, and it shines like water. On the table are bottles and glasses. Around the table sit five men. All of us are sailors. All of us know the sea.

There is a director, an accountant, a lawyer, Marlow, and me. The director once studied on a ship. The accountant worked four years at sea. The lawyer is old and serious. He was once a chief officer. Now he is a man of law. We are different, but one thing is the same: the sea is in our blood.

That evening Marlow speaks. He tells a story from his youth. He leans forward, and his eyes are bright.

“Yes,” Marlow says, “I know the Eastern seas. But I remember best my first voyage there. I was only twenty years old. It was my first time as second mate. I was young, full of dreams, full of hope.”

We listen carefully. The room is quiet. Only Marlow’s voice moves in the air.

He begins.

“The ship was old. Her name was Judea. She looked broken and tired. Her sides were dirty and rusty. On her stern was a sign: Judea, London – Do or Die. When I read those words, I felt excited. The ship was ugly, but I loved her. She was my first true ship as an officer.”

Marlow smiles, remembering. His voice grows warm.

“Our captain was sixty years old. His name was Beard. He was small, bent, and had a face like a nutcracker. But his blue eyes were young, full of honesty. I respected him. The mate was also old. His name was Mahon. He had a white beard and a serious face. He was unlucky in life, but he was a good seaman. Between those two men I felt like a boy between grandfathers.”

Marlow pauses. He looks at us with a laugh.

“And me? I was only twenty. I felt proud. I felt strong. I thought the world was open before me. Second mate! A real officer! I would not give up that chance for anything.”

The table is silent. We can almost see the young Marlow on that old ship. We can almost smell the tar, the salt, the wind.

“We left London,” he continues. “We carried sand in the hold. We sailed to another port to load coal for Bangkok. Bangkok! The name was like magic to me. I had never been there. I had seen Australia, yes. But Bangkok was something different, something far and mysterious. I dreamed of it day and night.”

The ship sails down the Thames, past the coast, out into the open sea. Marlow’s eyes shine as he speaks.

“The first days were hard. The ship was slow. She was heavy. She was tired. But I did not care. I felt alive. I felt young. Every rope, every sail, every wave was wonderful to me. The words Do or Die on her stern were not only the ship’s motto. They were my own heart.” 

Chapter Two

Storm and Trouble

The Judea leaves London. The river is behind us, and the open sea is before us. I feel proud and happy. I am young. I am strong. I believe the voyage will be full of light and dreams.

But soon, the sea shows her power.

We sail slowly up the coast. The wind begins to rise. The sky grows dark. The waves grow bigger. A storm comes. It is October, and it is cold. Rain falls. Lightning cuts the sky. The sea is white with foam. The ship shakes, groans, and rolls.

I hold the ropes with all my strength. My heart beats fast. I am not afraid, but I feel small against the sea.

“Hold on, boys!” cries the captain. His old voice is strong, but I can see fear in his eyes.

The ship is light, with no cargo yet. The waves throw her from side to side. Water crashes onto the deck. Bulwarks break. Sand in the hold moves to one side. The ship leans dangerously. We must fix it.

We go below with shovels. It is dark. We hold small tallow candles. The air is wet and heavy. The ship rolls like a toy. Sand slides in waves. We try to push it back with our shovels. We fall. We rise. We dig. A ship’s boy cries in the shadows. His tears mix with the sea water.

For days the storm continues. We work until our hands bleed. We pump water without rest. My body aches. My eyes burn. But inside me is fire. I think, “This is life! This is the sea! This is adventure!”

At last, the wind falls. The sea grows quiet. We are saved. A tug takes us to the Tyne River to load coal. Sixteen days pass between London and the Tyne. Sixteen days for a short distance! The ship is damaged, and we have lost our turn to load.

We wait one month. The captain’s wife comes. She is old but kind. She repairs my shirts and socks. She treats me like a son. I feel warm in my heart.

Finally, we load coal for Bangkok. The ship is heavy now. The men are ready. We sail again. But the sea has more trouble for us.

At night, another ship crashes into us. Wood breaks. Men shout. Steam roars. When the noise is over, our ship is hurt again. We must wait three more weeks for repairs.

The captain looks tired. He is sixty years old, and this is his first command. His eyes are worried. His wife tries to smile, but I can see fear in her face.

At last, we say goodbye to her, and we go to sea once more. Three months after leaving London, our voyage has still not truly begun. But I am twenty years old. I am strong. I am full of dreams. The words on the ship’s stern are in my heart: Do or Die. 

Chapter Three

Fire on the Sea

At last, the Judea sails to the open ocean. The sky is clear. The winter sun shines. The sea is blue and calm. For a few days, everything is beautiful.

But soon the wind changes. It comes from the southwest. It grows stronger every hour. The ship begins to fight the sea.

Day after day the storm blows. The waves are huge. They crash over the deck. The ship groans like an old animal in pain. Water fills the ship. We work the pumps day and night. Our hands bleed. Our backs ache. We do not sleep. We only pump, pump, pump.

I am tired, but inside me is fire. I think: I am twenty years old. This is my first voyage as second mate. I will not give up. I will fight like the others. The motto on the ship’s stern shines in my heart: Do or Die.

Weeks pass. The ship is broken. The bulwarks are gone. The cabins are full of water. The cook goes mad from fear. But still we sail. At last, we reach Falmouth, a port in England. We repair again. We wait for new men. People in the town laugh at us:

“Where are you going?” they ask.
“To Bangkok!” we answer.
“Ha! That ship will never get to Bangkok!” they shout.

Their words hurt, but I do not care. I am young. I believe.

Finally, the Judea sails again. The sun shines. The sea is calm. The rats leave the ship. Some sailors say this is a bad sign. Others laugh.

For weeks we sail slowly. The old ship moves like a tired horse. But I love her. She is part of me now.

Then one day, a terrible smell comes from the hold. I open a hatch. Thick smoke rises. The coal is burning! The cargo is on fire.

“Fire!” I shout.

The captain calls us to the cabin. His face is pale. His eyes are dark. “We will not turn back,” he says. “We will fight the fire. We will sail to Bangkok.”

We cover the hatches. We try to stop the air. Still the smoke comes. It finds its way through cracks, doors, and walls. It fills the air with poison.

We open the hatches. A cloud of smoke rises into the sky. We pour water with buckets. We use the pumps. We work for hours. For days. The sun burns. The sea is bright. But our ship is full of black smoke.

Sometimes the men shout with dry throats: “Hurrah for Bangkok!” Their voices are weak, but their hearts are strong.

I feel proud. I feel alive. I am twenty. The world is wide. This fire is terrible, but it is also adventure. I think: This is my life. This is youth.

At last, the smoke grows weaker. For two days the ship is calm. The men smile again. We wash our clothes. We laugh. We eat well. But the smell of burning is still in the air. We do not see fire, but we know it is waiting below.

And one morning, it happens. The coal explodes. The deck breaks. Wood flies in the air. Flames rise. The Judea is burning.

I touch my face. My hair is gone. My skin is black. My body is cut and bleeding. Around me, men cry, curse, and run. But the masts still stand. The ship still floats.

The captain shouts: “Trim the yards! Hold her steady!” His voice is calm, almost gentle. We obey. We are hurt, but we work. We are sailors.

The smoke grows thicker. The flames rise higher. The sea is blue and silent, but our ship is dying. I look at her and think: This is not only a ship. This is my youth, my dream, my test. She will burn, but I will remember her forever.

Chapter Four

The End of the Judea

The fire grows stronger. The smoke is thick. Flames climb high into the sky. The old ship Judea is dying.

The captain stands still. His face is tired. His shoulders are bent. But his voice is calm.
“We must save what we can,” he says.
We lower the boats. We put food, water, and ropes inside. Some men take small bags with clothes. Some carry nothing.

I help to load the long-boat. My face burns. My hands shake. But my heart is full. I am only twenty. I am living a great adventure.

The captain looks at the ship. His first command is burning. His eyes are wet, but he does not cry. “We must see the last of her,” he whispers.

At night the ship is a tower of fire. The sea shines red from the flames. Sparks rise into the sky like stars. The masts fall with a crash. The crew sit quietly in the boats. Nobody speaks. We only watch.

Hours pass. Then the Judea slowly goes down. The stern rises, the bow sinks. A loud hiss of steam fills the air. The water swallows the fire. And she is gone.

We are alone on the wide sea. Three boats, small and weak, float on the dark water. The men are silent, tired, broken. The captain sits with his head down. His hands are clasped together. He looks like a man in prayer.

I have my first command now. I am in charge of the smallest boat, with two men and some biscuits. I feel proud. I feel strong. I think: This is my boat. This is my command. This is my youth.

We row through the night. The sea is calm. The stars shine above us. At dawn we see land. A bay, a quiet shore, palm trees standing tall. It is the East. It is strange, beautiful, and mysterious.

The air is soft. It smells of flowers and spices. My heart beats fast. This is what I dreamed of: the East, the unknown, the magic. I feel that the world is waiting for me.

I never forget that moment. The silence of the land. The crowd of brown faces watching us from the shore. The wide sea behind me. The fire of youth in my heart.

Now I am old. I sit at the table with my friends. My hair is grey. My face has lines. But when I think of that voyage, my heart still burns. The old ship Judea is gone, but her memory lives in me.

Youth! So strong, so brave, so full of hope. It comes once, and then it goes. But it shines forever in memory.

— THE END –

The Original Version of the Story: gutenberg.org

A1 A2 English Book PDF