One of my favorite Spanish artists is Francisco de Goya. He created light hearted paintings of picnics and beautiful religious scenes, but also dark, sometimes disturbing, etchings of war and social injustice. Goya lived in a tumultuous time in Spain, and he witnessed many sad moments in history and in his own life. Like many artists, Goya captured these moments through painting, drawing, and etching.

This story is in the third person and past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “obra” (work, such as “obra de arte”, work of art), “pintura” (painting), “grabado” (etching), “retrato” (portrait), “enfermedad” (sickness), “sordo” (deaf)

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/09/21/simple-stories-in-spanish-francisco-de-goya/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher . You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher

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Mexico has cenotes and Belize has caves. Both of these spaces were sacred to the Mayan people, serving as places to connect with the gods as well as entrances into Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. While in Belize, I entered three caves: one on a tube, one in a canoe, and one on foot. All three were filled with water and were places of offerings to the Mayan gods, yet each cave was also very unique.

This story is in the first person and past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: “cueva” (cave), “caliza” (limestone), “techo” (roof), “hueco” (hole), “pared” (wall), “estrecho” (narrow), “calavera” (skull), “calcetines” (socks)

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/09/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-dentro-de-la-cueva/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher . You can also find me on Venmo and PayPal @Small Town Spanish Teacher

Support the show

Huatyacuri lived a lonely life in the Andes mountains. While his father, Pariacaca, the god of wind and storms, loved him, he could not physically hug him, as he only existed in the wind, rain and snow. Huatyacuri longed for ams to hold him. Then he met the beautiful Chaupiñaca and called upon his father to help him overcome the trials presented by her brother Kamachiq to be able to marry her.

This story is retold in the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: viento (wind), hermoso (beautiful), casarse (marry), ropa (clothing), and abrazo (hug).

No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at: https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2026/08/16/simple-stories-in-spanish-told-faster-la-leyenda-de-huatyacuri/

You can find the original recording of this story at: https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/02/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-huatyacuri/

¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher or donating to Small Town Spanish Teacher on Venmo or PayPal.

Support the show