Intermediate Arabic reading

The Clever Monkey in Arabic

القرد الذكي

The Clever Monkey is a Intermediate-level Arabic reading text about a monkey who escapes danger by thinking quickly. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

كَانَ هُنَاكَ قِرْدٌ ذَكِيٌّ يَعِيشُ فَوْقَ شَجَرَةِ نَخِيلٍ عَلَى ضِفَّةِ النَّهْرِ.

A clever monkey lived in a palm tree on the riverbank.

كَانَ يَقْطِفُ التَّمْرَ الْحُلْوَ، وَيُهْدِي بَعْضَهُ إِلَى تِمْسَاحٍ يَزُورُهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.

He picked sweet dates and gave some to a crocodile who visited him every day.

سَمِعَتْ زَوْجَةُ التِّمْسَاحِ عَنِ التَّمْرِ، فَطَمِعَتْ فِي قَلْبِ الْقِرْدِ وَطَلَبَتْ مِنْ زَوْجِهَا أَنْ يُحْضِرَهُ.

The crocodile’s wife heard about the dates, coveted the monkey’s heart, and asked her husband to bring it to her.

حَزِنَ التِّمْسَاحُ، وَلَكِنَّهُ دَعَا الْقِرْدَ لِزِيَارَةِ بَيْتِهِ فِي الضِّفَّةِ الْأُخْرَى.

The crocodile was sad, but he invited the monkey to visit his home on the opposite bank.

رَكِبَ الْقِرْدُ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ، وَفِي وَسَطِ النَّهْرِ كَشَفَ التِّمْسَاحُ عَنْ خُطَّتِهِ.

The monkey rode on his back, and in the middle of the river the crocodile revealed his plan.

لَمْ يَفْزَعِ الْقِرْدُ، بَلْ قَالَ: «لَقَدْ تَرَكْتُ قَلْبِي فَوْقَ الشَّجَرَةِ! أَعِدْنِي لِآخُذَهُ.»

The monkey did not panic. He said, “I left my heart in the tree! Take me back to get it.”

صَدَّقَهُ التِّمْسَاحُ وَعَادَ بِهِ إِلَى الشَّجَرَةِ.

The crocodile believed him and took him back to the tree.

قَفَزَ الْقِرْدُ إِلَى غُصْنٍ عَالٍ، وَقَالَ: «لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ قَلْبَهُ!»

The monkey jumped onto a high branch and said, “No one can leave his heart behind!”

خَجِلَ التِّمْسَاحُ مِنْ خِيَانَتِهِ، وَعَرَفَ أَنَّهُ خَسِرَ صَدِيقًا مُخْلِصًا.

The crocodile was ashamed of his betrayal and knew that he had lost a loyal friend.

أَمَّا الْقِرْدُ، فَنَجَا بِذَكَائِهِ وَلَمْ يَعُدْ يَثِقُ بِالتِّمْسَاحِ الْخَائِنِ.

As for the monkey, he escaped through his cleverness and never trusted the treacherous crocodile again.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

قِرْدٌ Monkey
تِمْسَاحٌ Crocodile
ضِفَّةٌ Riverbank
تَمْرٌ Dates
طَمِعَتْ She coveted
خُطَّةٌ Plan
خِيَانَةٌ Betrayal
نَجَا Escaped

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

Score: 0 / 5

1. Why did the crocodile invite the monkey across the river?

2. How did the monkey escape?

3. How did the monkey persuade the crocodile to return?

4. Why did the monkey stop trusting the crocodile?

5. What did the crocodile learn?

Learn Arabic from this story

بَلْ corrects or contrasts an idea

لَمْ يَفْزَعِ الْقِرْدُ، بَلْ قَالَ: «لَقَدْ تَرَكْتُ قَلْبِي فَوْقَ الشَّجَرَةِ! أَعِدْنِي لِآخُذَهُ.»

The monkey did not panic. He said, “I left my heart in the tree! Take me back to get it.”

بَلْ means “rather” or “instead.” It contrasts what the monkey did not do with what he did next.

Another example: لَمْ يَفْزَعْ، بَلْ فَكَّرَ. — He did not panic; instead, he thought.

For parents and teachers

Ask the learner to predict the story, then read or play each Arabic segment and identify words connected with friendship, trust and clever dialogue. Have the learner arrange the main events in order, retell the problem and resolution, answer the comprehension questions, and use two new vocabulary items in original sentences.

Questions about The Clever Monkey

What level is The Clever Monkey?

The Clever Monkey is marked Intermediate. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Clever Monkey?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to friendship, trust and clever dialogue.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

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