A Legend of Communipaw (for Beginner Levels A1)

A Legend of Communipaw is one of the famous short stories by the American writer Washington Irving. It was first published in the nineteenth century. Today, readers still enjoy this classic story because it is full of adventure, mystery, pirates, and old legends.

The story takes place in the small village of Communipaw, near the sea. It follows Yan Yost Vanderscamp, a young man who makes many bad choices, and Pluto, a strange and mysterious sailor. Their adventures bring danger, mystery, and ghostly events to the old Wild Goose Inn.

This classic story is an important part of American literature. It gives readers a picture of life in early America and teaches that greed, crime, and bad friends can lead to unhappy endings. It also shows the importance of honesty, responsibility, and making good choices.

The original story was written in old English, so it can be difficult for beginner English learners. For this reason, this book has been carefully rewritten for CEFR A1 (Level 1) learners. The original storyline, characters, important events, and atmosphere have been kept, but the language is now simple, clear, and easy to understand.

This graded reader will help you improve your English reading skills, learn useful everyday vocabulary, practice basic grammar, and build your confidence while enjoying a classic story.

We hope you enjoy A Legend of Communipaw and have fun learning English. Happy reading!

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!

A Legend of Communipaw

By Washington Irving

Contents

Chapter One:      The Wild Goose Inn    

Chapter Two:      Bad Friends and a Dangerous Life

Chapter Three:   The Wild Goose Becomes a Dark Place

Chapter Four:     The Guests from Gibbet Island

 

Chapter One

The Wild Goose Inn

Many years ago, there was a small village called Communipaw. The village was near the sea. It was a quiet place. People knew each other, and they lived simple lives. They worked, talked with their neighbors, and enjoyed peaceful days.

       Near the road stood an old stone building. Its name was The Wild Goose.

       Many people came there every day. They ate good food, drank, talked, and laughed together. It was the most popular place in the village.

       The owner of the inn was Teunis Van Gieson. Teunis was a kind and friendly man. He liked to help people. Everyone in Communipaw respected him.

       Teunis did not have any children, but he had a nephew. His name was Yan Yost Vanderscamp. Yan Yost was not a good boy.

       He was clever, but he loved playing tricks on people. Sometimes he put powder into a man’s pipe. When the man lit his pipe, Bang! Everyone jumped in surprise.

       Sometimes Yan Yost tied things to a horse’s tail. The horse ran fast, and the rider was very afraid.

       The people in the village were often angry.

      “That boy is always making trouble,” they said.

       Teunis was unhappy, but he loved his nephew.

       “He is still young,” Teunis said. “One day he will become a good man.”

       But that day did not come.

       One morning, after a big storm, something strange happened. The people saw a man on the beach. He was lying near the sea.

       He was alive, but he was very weak. Nobody knew who he was. Some people were afraid. Others looked at him quietly.

       Teunis walked to the man.

       “He needs help,” he said.

       The villagers carried the man to the Wild Goose.

       For many days, Teunis gave him food and water. Slowly, the man became stronger. He was a Black man. His name was Pluto.

       When people asked him where he came from, Pluto did not answer. He only pointed across the water. There was a small rocky island there. Its name was Gibbet Island.

       “But nobody lives there,” the villagers said.

       Pluto said nothing. He learned a little Dutch, but he never talked much.

       Sometimes he helped at the inn. He carried water. He cut wood. He cleaned the yard. He looked after the horses.

      But he worked only when he wanted to.

      If someone told him what to do, Pluto became angry.

The sea was his favorite place. Every day he took a small boat. He went fishing. He caught crabs. He found oysters.

       Sometimes a storm came. The other fishermen stayed at home. But Pluto smiled. He went out on the water. The bigger the storm became, the happier he looked. People watched him from the shore.

       “How can he do that?” they asked.

       “No one can live on the sea in weather like this.”

       Sometimes Pluto disappeared for two or three days. Then he came back in his little boat. No one knew where he went. No one asked him.

       The people of Communipaw were afraid of him. Only one person liked Pluto. It was Yan Yost. The boy thought Pluto was exciting. Pluto smiled at Yan Yost.

       Soon they spent many days together. The villagers watched them. They did not like what they saw.

      “I’m afraid that boy will learn bad things,” one old man said.

      And he was right.

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Chapter 1 – Vocabulary

Chapter 1 – Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1 – Grammar Exercises

Please write your answers in the comments. The correct answers will be posted later.

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Chapter Two

Bad Friends and a Dangerous Life

Yan Yost and Pluto spent more and more time together. Every morning, they took Pluto’s small boat to the sea. Sometimes they went fishing. But many days, they looked for trouble.

       One day, they saw a fishing net in the water.

       “There are many fish here,” Yan Yost said.

       Pluto smiled.

       “They are not our fish,” he said.

       Yan Yost laughed.

       “But nobody can see us.”

       They took the fish from the net and put them into their boat. Then they quickly left. The fishermen were very angry.

       “Who took our fish?” they asked.

       Nobody knew. Another day, Yan Yost and Pluto went to an island. There were many fruit trees there. The apples looked fresh and sweet.

       “We can take some,” Yan Yost said.

       Pluto laughed.

       “Soon.”

       They filled two bags with apples. Then they found watermelons in a field. They took those too.

       When the farmer came, the two friends were already far away in their boat.

       The people in Communipaw heard many stories.

       Someone lost fish. Someone lost fruit. Someone lost other things.

       Many people thought about Yan Yost and Pluto. But no one could prove anything.

       Teunis was very sad. He spoke to Yan Yost.

       “My boy,” he said, “you must stop doing these bad things.”

       “I do nothing,” Yan Yost answered.

       “You hear stories, but stories are not always true.”

       Teunis wanted to believe him. But he worried every day.

       Pluto taught Yan Yost many things about the sea. He showed him small rivers. He showed him quiet places between the rocks. He showed him secret ways through the water.

       Soon Yan Yost could sail in the day. Later, he could sail at night. He was brave. Some people said he was too brave.

       He was never afraid of dark water or strong wind. Years passed.

       Yan Yost became a young man. He was tall and strong. But he still loved danger.

       One morning, the villagers looked for Pluto. He was not at the Wild Goose. Yan Yost was gone too. Their boat was missing.

       One day passed. Then another. Then many weeks passed. Nobody saw them.

       Some people said,

       “They went to another country.”

       Others said,

       “They became sailors.”

       Some old people spoke very quietly.

       “Perhaps Pluto is not an ordinary man.”

       “Perhaps he took Yan Yost away.”

       No one knew the truth. Life in Communipaw became quiet again. Teunis missed his nephew. He often stood outside the Wild Goose. He looked at the sea.

       “I hope you are safe,” he said softly.

       Years passed again. Teunis became old. At last, he died. The Wild Goose was closed. Its windows stayed dark. Its door did not open.

       People walked past the old inn. Some remembered happy days there. Some remembered Yan Yost. Some remembered Pluto.

       Many people believed they would never see them again. But they were wrong.

       One afternoon, a large black ship stopped near Communipaw. A small boat came to the shore. Several rough-looking men got out.

       They laughed loudly. They shouted to each other. The villagers watched from far away.

       Then one old woman looked carefully. She became very pale.

       “I know that man,” she whispered.

       “It is Yan Yost.”

       The boy who loved trouble had come home. But he was not a boy anymore.

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Chapter 2 – Vocabulary

Chapter 2 – Comprehension Questions

Chapter 2 – Grammar Exercises

Please write your answers in the comments. The correct answers will be posted later.

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Chapter Three

The Wild Goose Becomes a Dark Place

Yan Yost walked through the village with the strange men. The villagers looked at them from their windows. No one smiled.

       No one said, “Welcome home.”

       The men were loud. They laughed, shouted, and sang. Some carried long knives. Others had guns.

       Pluto walked behind them. He looked older now. His hair was gray. One of his eyes was gone. But his face was still hard and quiet.

       Yan Yost stood in front of the Wild Goose.

       “This is my home now,” he said.

       “We will stay here.”

       Soon the old inn changed. Inside, there were new chairs, tables, and beds. There were maps on the walls.

       There were swords and guns in every room. Boxes from many countries filled the house.

       The Wild Goose was no longer a quiet inn. It became a noisy meeting place.

       Every week, more sailors came. They ate. They drank. They laughed.

       Sometimes they sang until morning. Sometimes they fought with each other.

       The villagers stayed away. They were afraid.

       “Do not go near the Wild Goose,” parents told their children.

       One evening, Yan Yost visited an old neighbor.

       “My friends and I are having dinner,” he said.

       “You must come.”

       The old man did not want to go.

       But he was afraid to say no. At the Wild Goose, the sailors laughed loudly.

       They told long stories about the sea. Some stories were true. Some were not.

       The old man smiled a little, but he wanted to go home. When dinner ended, he hurried away.

       The next day, he told everyone,

       “I do not want to visit that house again.”

       More and more strange ships stopped near Communipaw. Most of them came at night. Small boats moved quietly between the ships and the shore. They carried heavy boxes. Nobody knew what was inside.

       Some people said,

       “The men are traders.”

       Others shook their heads.

       “No,” they whispered.

       “They are pirates.”

       Long ago, pirates sailed across the seas. They attacked ships. They took money, gold, and other valuable things.

       Then they sailed away. The villagers began to understand. Yan Yost and his friends were not honest sailors. They were pirates.

       One day, soldiers came. The king wanted to stop the pirates. Many pirates were caught. Some went to prison.

       Three of Yan Yost’s friends were punished. They died on Gibbet Island. Their bodies stayed there high above the ground. Everyone could see them from the sea.

       After that, Yan Yost disappeared again. Pluto disappeared with him. The villagers felt happy.

       “The bad days are over,” they said.

       The Wild Goose became quiet once more. The sea was peaceful again.

       But peace did not last forever. Several years later, another boat came to Communipaw.

       Yan Yost was in the boat. Pluto was there too. This time, Yan Yost was not alone.

       A woman sat beside him.

       “My wife is with me,” Yan Yost told the villagers.

       “I am finished with my old life.”

       “I want to live here quietly.”

       The villagers listened. Some believed him. Others did not. The Wild Goose opened again. It looked peaceful.

       But strange visitors still came at night. They knocked softly on the door. Pluto opened it. The visitors carried boxes. Yan Yost spoke to them in low voices.

       Before morning, they were gone again. The villagers watched from far away.

       “What is in those boxes?” they asked.

       No one knew. Some people believed the boxes held food and cloth. Others believed they held stolen treasure.

       No one could prove the truth.

       One dark evening, Yan Yost climbed into his small boat. Pluto took the oars. They rowed across the quiet water toward a waiting ship. Dark clouds slowly covered the sky. A storm was coming.

       Yan Yost laughed.

       “We have time,” he said.

       But Pluto did not answer.

       He looked toward Gibbet Island.

       Something strange was about to happen. 

 

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Chapter 3 – Vocabulary

Chapter 3 – Comprehension Questions

Chapter 3 – Grammar Exercises

Please write your answers in the comments. The correct answers will be posted later.

---

Chapter Four

The Guests from Gibbet Island

One night, Yan Yost visited a ship in the bay. He ate, drank, and talked with his old friends.

       When it was very late, he said,

       “It is time to go home.”

       Pluto waited in the small boat. The night was dark. The sea was quiet. But far away, dark clouds covered the sky.

       A storm was coming.

       “Row faster,” Yan Yost said.

       “I do not want to be on the sea when the storm begins.”

       Pluto did not answer.

       He slowly turned the boat toward Gibbet Island. Yan Yost looked up.

       High above the rocks, he saw three dark shapes. They were the bodies of his old pirate friends.

       The wind moved them slowly. Their chains made a long, sad sound. Yan Yost looked away.

       “Why are we here?” he asked.

       Pluto smiled.

       “You wanted to see your old friends again.”

       Yan Yost laughed, but his laugh was not strong.

       “I am not afraid,” he said.

       Then he lifted his bottle.

       “My friends!” he shouted.

       “Come to the Wild Goose tonight!

       Eat with me!

       Drink with me!”

       Only the wind answered him. The chains moved again. The sound became louder.

       Then Pluto turned the boat toward home. Soon the storm began. The rain fell hard. The wind blew across the sea.

       Big waves hit the little boat. At last, they reached the shore.

       Yan Yost was wet and tired. He walked to the Wild Goose.

       He knocked on the door. His wife opened it. She looked angry.

       “You are very late,” she said.

       “And your guests are waiting.”

       Yan Yost stopped.

       “My guests?” he asked.

       “I came home alone.”

       His wife looked surprised.

       “No,” she said.

       “Three men are upstairs.

       They said you invited them.”

       Yan Yost’s face became white. Slowly, he walked up the stairs. His legs felt weak. He opened the door.

       Three men sat around a table. A strange blue light filled the room. The three men looked at him.

       They smiled. They were the pirates from Gibbet Island. The rope was still around each man’s neck.

       “Welcome, Yan Yost,” one of them said.

       “We are here for supper.”

       Yan Yost cried out. He stepped backward. Then he fell down the stairs.

       The villagers found him the next morning. He was dead. People said the fall killed him.

       Others believed fear killed him first.

       After that day, no one wanted to live in the Wild Goose.

       The old inn became empty. People believed ghosts lived there. Only Yan Yost’s wife and Pluto stayed.

       Pluto became quieter every year. Sometimes people saw him alone in his little boat. He often went near Gibbet Island.

      No one knew why.

      One stormy night, terrible sounds came from the Wild Goose. People heard shouting. They heard fighting. They heard loud cries.

       But nobody went to help.

       Everyone stayed inside their homes.

       The next morning, brave villagers entered the inn. Everything was broken. Chairs lay on the floor. Boxes were open. The rooms were a mess.

       Yan Yost’s wife was dead. There were marks around her neck. But Pluto was gone.

       Days later, fishermen found his boat. It was upside down in the water.

       Soon they found Pluto’s body near Gibbet Island. The old fishermen looked at each other.

       One man spoke quietly.

       “Pluto went to meet the guests from Gibbet Island one last time.”

       After that, no one lived in the Wild Goose. People walked past the old building very quickly.

       On dark nights, some villagers said they saw a blue light in an upstairs window.

       Others said they heard laughter inside the old inn. No one wanted to open the door.

       Even today, some people remember the old story. They remember the Wild Goose. They remember Yan Yost. They remember Pluto.

       And they remember the mysterious guests from Gibbet Island.

 

The End

Chapter 4 – Vocabulary

Chapter 4 – Comprehension Questions

Chapter 4 – Grammar Exercises

Please write your answers in the comments. The correct answers will be posted later.

Read the original story: americanliterature.com

More Famous Short Stories – Level 1