The Cats is a short horror story for English learners about Martin, a man who enjoys escaping from his busy working life by cycling in the hills with his dog, Tess.
One afternoon, Martin discovers a narrow path he has never noticed before and decides to explore it. At first, everything seems peaceful. But when Tess suddenly disappears into the undergrowth, Martin begins to realise that they may not be alone in the hills.
This complete ESL lesson plan uses the story to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, speaking and writing skills. Students can read the full story or work through it section by section before completing a wide range of activities, including Reading Comprehension Questions, vocabulary exercises, True or False, synonyms and antonyms, discussion questions, role play, debate and creative writing. The lesson plan also includes model answers for teachers.
Recommended level: B1–B2.
1. Look at the title “The Cats.” What do you think the story might be about?
2. Do you enjoy spending time outdoors, alone or with a pet? Why or why not?
3. How well do you think people really know the wild places near their home?
4. Have you ever been somewhere that suddenly felt frightening, even though it had seemed safe at first?
5. What do you think makes cats seem mysterious or unsettling in stories and folklore?
The Cats
Martin loved cycling in the hills.
They were not particularly high, just a short range that spread out in an arc around the town. But they were ideal for cycling. Narrow roads wound between the trees, and dozens of tracks and pathways disappeared into the thick woodland.
He always took his dog, Tess.
She loved the hills as much as he did. The moment Martin let her off the lead, she would race ahead, chasing birds, squirrels, or anything else unfortunate enough to attract her attention.
Martin preferred going up there during the week. His working hours meant he could often take an afternoon off when everyone else was busy.
At times like these, it felt as though he had the hills entirely to himself.
Just him and Tess.
Martin knew almost every road and pathway. He had cycled through the hills so many times that he had a map of them in his head.
But that afternoon, he found a path he had never noticed before.
He stopped his bike and stared up it.
It was narrow and partly hidden by bushes, but there were tyre marks in the earth. Someone had been along it recently.
Martin took out his phone, but there was little point checking the map. It showed the main road at the foot of the hills and little else.
He put the phone away.
“Tess!”
Where had she gone?
He called again and listened.
There was a rustling sound in the undergrowth beside the path. A second later, Tess burst through the bushes and raced around his bike.
Her ears stood up like two sharp triangles. Her nose twitched as she stared into the trees, alert for anything she could chase.
Martin leaned down and scratched behind her ears.
“Come on, you.”
Tess barely acknowledged him. She was still staring into the trees.
For a moment, Martin noticed something unusual.
She was completely still.
Then her ears moved and she turned sharply towards the new path.
A second later, she raced up it.
Martin smiled and followed.
The trees bowed over the path, their branches forming a green tunnel above him. It provided perfect shade from the afternoon sun.
Unfortunately, it also seemed perfect for midges.
Martin slapped one away from his arm and continued climbing.
At the top, the path opened onto a small, flat clearing. To the right, the ground rose steeply towards the top of the hill. To the left, trees and thick undergrowth descended towards the valley below.
Martin stopped.
This was a good place for a break.
He lowered his bike onto the ground and sat on a large rock that must have fallen from higher up the hillside years before.
He took a bottle of water and a couple of dog snacks from his bag.
“Tess!”
She appeared from behind a bush.
Martin threw her a snack. She caught it and immediately lay down to eat.
He unscrewed the bottle and took a long drink.
It was hotter than he had expected.
But wonderfully quiet.
The only sounds were the gentle hum of insects and Tess crunching the snack between her jaws.
Martin loved days like this.
No people. No traffic. No phones ringing.
He wasn’t interested in meditation or any of that New Age stuff, but he imagined this was probably as close as he would ever get to it.
Just sitting on a rock halfway up a hill, surrounded by trees.
His work kept him rushing from one part of town to another, constantly thinking about the next appointment, the next problem, the next thing that needed doing.
Not today.
Today belonged to him.
And Tess.
He closed his eyes.
Somewhere nearby, a bird called from the trees.
Then suddenly its song stopped.
Martin opened his eyes.
Tess was standing beside him.
She wasn’t eating anymore.
Her head was raised and she was staring into the undergrowth.
“What is it?”
Her ears moved.
For several seconds, she didn’t move at all.
Then something rustled among the bushes.
Tess shot forward.
“Tess!”
She disappeared into the greenery.
Martin heard her crashing through leaves and branches as she chased whatever she had found.
He smiled and reached for his water.
Then he heard a sharp cry.
Martin froze.
It was Tess.
There was another yelp, followed by the violent thrashing of branches.
Then silence.
“Tess?”
Nothing.
Martin stood.
“Tess!”
Still nothing.
That wasn’t right.
Usually she came when he called. Perhaps not immediately, but he would at least hear her moving around.
Now there was nothing.
Martin stepped towards the trees.
“Tess!”
A sound came from somewhere in the undergrowth.
But it wasn’t Tess.
A low, drawn-out mewling sound.
Martin frowned.
A cat?
He listened.
The sound came again.
Closer this time.
Then another answered from somewhere to his left.
And another.
Martin stared at the wall of leaves and branches in front of him.
“Tess?”
He called her name more quietly now.
Something moved.
For a fraction of a second, he saw two silver discs between the leaves.
Eyes.
They stared directly at him.
Martin stopped breathing.
The eyes blinked.
Then disappeared.
He took a step backwards.
Another low mewling sound came from his right.
Then a growl.
Martin turned.
Another pair of eyes.
These didn’t disappear.
As his own eyes adjusted to the shadows, Martin began to make out a face.
Pointed ears.
Whiskers.
A cat.
He almost laughed.
Then he realised how big it was.
The animal stepped forward just enough for him to see its shoulders.
It looked like an ordinary house cat.
Except it was the size of Tess.
Martin stared at it.
“What on earth…?”
Leaves moved a few metres away.
Another face appeared.
Another cat.
Then another.
Martin slowly turned his head.
Eyes stared at him from between the trees.
Two.
Four.
Six.
More.
Everywhere he looked, another pair appeared.
There must have been dozens of them.
Some were black. Others grey, white, ginger or brown. They looked like ordinary cats, the kind that slept on sofas or sat on garden walls.
But they were enormous.
And none of them made a move towards him.
They just watched.
Martin’s mouth felt dry.
There was something about their eyes he didn’t like.
Something cold.
Hungry.
He suddenly thought of Tess.
“Tess?”
No answer.
One of the cats lowered itself towards the ground.
Another moved slowly through the bushes.
Martin stepped backwards.
The cats watched him.
He looked towards his bike.
He had to get out of there.
Now.
Martin turned.
And stopped.
There, sitting on top of the rock where he had been resting only minutes before, was another cat.
It was bigger than all the others.
Much bigger.
Its long tail moved slowly from side to side.
Martin didn’t move.
Neither did the cat.
It just sat there.
Its eyes fixed on Martin.
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. Where does Martin like to go cycling?
3. Who is he with?
4. What does Tess like to do in this place?
5. When does Martin like to go to this place?
6. Why is Martin able to visit the hills when most other people are busy?
7. How does Martin feel when he visits the hills at this time?
8. Does Martin know the area well?
9. What does he find at this point in the story?
10. What does the map on his phone show?
11. What does Martin notice about Tess when he puts his phone away?
12. Does she come back?
13. What does Tess do when she comes back?
14. What does Martin do to her?
15. What is Tess staring at?
16. What does Martin notice about Tess that is unusual?
17. Where does Tess run to?
18. What do the trees and their branches form over the path?
19. What insects are bothering Martin?
20. What does Martin do when he comes to a clearing at the top of the path?
21. Where does he sit?
22. What does he take from his bag?
23. What does he give Tess to eat?
24. What does Martin notice about the temperature?
25. What sounds can Martin hear?
26. Why does he like times like this?
27. Why does Martin compare sitting in the hills to meditation?
28. What does the story tell us about Martin’s working life?
29. What sound does Martin hear before he opens his eyes?
30. What happens to the bird’s song?
31. What does Martin notice about Tess when he opens his eyes?
32. What does Tess do when she hears something in the bushes?
33. What does Martin hear from Tess?
34. What happens after the sound of branches thrashing?
35. Does Tess respond when Martin calls her?
36. What strange sound does Martin hear from the undergrowth?
37. What kind of animal does he think might be making the sound?
38. What does Martin see between the leaves?
39. What sounds does Martin hear around him?
40. What does he finally see in this part of the story?
41. How does Martin react to what he sees?
42. What surprises Martin about the cat?
43. How big is it?
44. How many of these cats are looking at him?
45. What colour are they?
46. What do the cats do as they surround Martin?
47. What physical reaction shows that Martin is frightened?
48. What does Martin sense in the cats’ eyes?
49. What does Martin decide he needs to do?
50. What does he see on the rock where he was sitting before?
51. What is the cat doing with its tail?
52. Who is the cat staring at?
Essential Vocabulary
rustling | undergrowth | twitch |
alert | acknowledge | unusual |
sharply | tunnel | shade |
midge | clearing | steeply |
descend | valley | unscrew |
hum | crunch | jaws |
meditation | halfway | rushing |
appointment | raised | disappear |
greenery | crashing | thrashing |
yelp | drawn-out | mewling |
frown | growl | blink |
adjust | whiskers | pointed |
shoulders | enormous | ginger |
dry | fixed | tail |
lead | attract | entirely |
Vocabulary Practice
Follow the steps below to help you learn and remember new words and phrases more effectively:
1. Write each new word or phrase in your vocabulary notebook.
2. Look up the meaning of each word in your dictionary. Write a clear and simple definition next to the word.
3. Create your own sentence using the word or phrase correctly. Try to make the sentence meaningful and connected to your own life or experiences.
Examples
Rustling – a soft, dry sound made by things like leaves or paper rubbing together.
Example sentence: We could hear the rustling of leaves outside the tent all night.
Undergrowth – the low, dense plants and bushes that grow beneath trees in a wood or forest.
Example sentence: The rabbit disappeared quickly into the undergrowth.
Why do this?
Doing this regularly will help you improve all areas of your English — reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By writing definitions and making your own examples, you are actively using the language, which helps it stick in your memory.
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think Martin enjoys cycling alone in the hills so much?
2. Do you think it’s safe to explore unfamiliar paths when you’re on your own? Why or why not?
3. What do you think Tess senses before Martin does?
4. Why do animals sometimes behave strangely before something frightening happens?
5. What do you think happens to Tess after she runs into the bushes?
6. Why might the cats in the story be so much bigger than normal cats?
7. Do you think Martin should have left as soon as he found the unfamiliar path? Why or why not?
8. What does the story suggest about how well we really know the natural world around us?
9. Why do you think the story doesn’t explain what the cats are or where they came from?
10. Do you think leaving the ending unresolved makes the story more or less frightening?
11. How does the writer build tension gradually throughout the story?
12. What role does silence play in creating a feeling of unease in the story?
13. Why might people feel a special kind of fear around unfamiliar animals?
14. Do you think Martin was right to feel that the hills belonged to him? Why or why not?
15. What does the story suggest about the limits of what we can control in nature?
16. Have you ever felt that an animal, wild or domestic, was behaving unusually? What happened?
17. Why do writers often use ordinary settings, like hills near a town, for horror stories?
18. What do you think Martin should do next, based on how the story ends?
19. Do you think the cats are dangerous, or simply curious about Martin? Why?
20. What would you do if you were in Martin’s position at the end of the story?
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