Describe an Interesting Traditional Story IELTS Cue Card

Dec 6, 2025

Describe an Interesting Traditional Story: IELTS Speaking Cue Card model answers have been provided below. The answers are centred upon questions - What the story is about, When/how you knew it, Who told you the story, And explain how you felt when you first heard it

What is a Cue Card: IELTS Speaking Part 2 includes cue cards containing topics on which candidates are to speak. Candidates get 2-3 minutes time to speak and 1 minute for note-taking. In IELTS Speaking part 2, candidates' proficiency in grammar and vocabulary is assessed along with their confidence to speak in English.

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Describe an Interesting Traditional Story IELTS Cue Card

Topic: Describe an interesting traditional story: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What the story is about
When/how you knew it
Who told you the story
And explain how you felt when you first heard it

Answer 1:

What the story is about?

It’s the legendary Vikram aur Betaal series—probably the coolest Indian folktale ever. There’s this fearless king, Vikramaditya, who gets tricked by a shady tantrik into fetching a corpse that’s hanging from a tree in a cremation ground. The catch? The corpse is possessed by a super-smart, super-sarcastic spirit called Betaal (or Vetal). Every time Vikram throws the body over his shoulder and starts walking back without saying a word, the Betaal starts telling him an insane story full of kings, queens, impossible choices, and mind-bending riddles. At the end he asks, “So, what should have happened?” If Vikram keeps quiet, Betaal flies back to the tree. If the king can’t help himself and answers (because he’s too wise to stay silent), Betaal laughs and escapes again. Twenty-five times this happens, twenty-five different stories, each one crazier and trickier than the last.

When/how I first came across it?

I must have been seven or eight, in class 3 or 4. During library period our teacher used to roll in that old box TV and play the Doordarshan animated series. The second that spooky theme music started—“Vikraaam… Betaaal…”—the whole room went dead quiet. Everyone was glued. That’s when I fell completely in love with it.

Who told me the story?

My nanaji was the real master storyteller. Every summer when we went to his place, bedtime meant one Betaal story—no excuses. He’d switch off all the lights, sit on the bed, and start in that deep, dramatic voice of his. He’d do the Betaal’s creepy laugh, the king’s calm replies, the parrot’s squawks, everything. He’d even stop right before the answer and go, “Ab tu bol, kya sahi tha?” I lived for those nights.

How I felt when I first heard it?

The first story he told literally blew my little mind. I was thrilled, properly scared (that whole hanging corpse thing gave me chills), and totally amazed at how clever the Betaal was. I felt like I was walking behind Vikram in that dark graveyard, holding my breath every time the spirit started talking. I’d try so hard to solve the puzzle before Nanaji gave the answer, and when I actually got it right I felt like a genius. Some nights I’d even hide under the blanket because the cremation ground scenes were too spooky, but I never ever asked him to stop. Even now, just hearing someone say “Vikram-Betaal” or that old tune takes me straight back—I get goosebumps and this big stupid grin at the same time. Those bedtime stories are hands-down my happiest childhood memories.

Answer 2:

What the story is about?

One story I’ll never forget is the Panchatantra tale of the monkey and the crocodile. There’s this cheeky monkey living happily on a jamun tree by the river, making friends with a crocodile who keeps coming for the juicy fruits. The crocodile’s wife gets greedy—she wants the monkey’s heart (literally) because she thinks it’ll taste amazing. So the crocodile tricks the monkey into hopping on his back for a ride, then halfway across the river he confesses he’s taking him home to be killed. The monkey doesn’t even blink—just calmly says, “Oh no! I left my heart hanging on the tree, let’s go back and get it.” The dumb crocodile turns around, the monkey leaps to safety, climbs the tree, and starts pelting him with jamuns while laughing his head off. Total savage move. The moral is: brains beat brawn any day.

When/how I first came across it?

I was probably four or five. It was in this fat picture book with shiny pages that my mom kept on the lower shelf. The crocodile was bright green and the monkey had the naughtiest grin—I’d flip to that story again and again just to stare at the pictures and giggle.

Who told me the story?

My mom read it to me first. She was obsessed with moral stories and Panchatantra was her go-to. She’d sit me on her lap, open the book, and do the funniest voices—the crocodile all slow and dopey, the monkey super fast and sassy. She’d stop right when the crocodile revealed his plan and ask, “Ab monkey kya karega?” I’d scream random answers till she continued. Those reading sessions were the best part of my day.

How I felt when I first heard it?

I thought the monkey was the coolest creature on earth. When he pulled that “I left my heart on the tree” line, I burst out laughing so hard my mom had to shush me because my baby sister was sleeping. I felt so proud of that little monkey—like I wanted to high-five him through the page. It was the first time I realized you could totally beat someone bigger and scarier just by being smarter. I remember feeling all warm and happy inside, and for days I kept telling everyone, even the neighbor’s dog, “Arre, dil toh ped pe hi chhod aaya tha!” That story made me fall in love with cleverness forever.

Answer 3:

What the story is about?

It is the story of Savitri and Satyavan—hands down one of the most badass love stories in Indian mythology. Savitri is this super-intelligent and strong-willed princess who chooses to marry Satyavan even though she knows he’s fated to die exactly one year after their wedding. When the day comes and Yama, the God of Death himself, shows up in the forest to take Satyavan’s soul, Savitri doesn’t cry or beg. She just follows Yama, calm as anything, and starts debating with him—logic, philosophy, dharma, everything. She’s so sharp and respectful at the same time that Yama keeps granting her boons. Finally she tricks him into giving Satyavan his life back without even realizing it. It’s basically a wife outsmarting death because her love is that fierce.

When/how I first came across it?

I think I was in class 6 or 7. Our school had this big cultural fest, and there was a storytelling competition on stage. One girl from the senior section told the Savitri-Satyavan story with so much emotion—her voice actually shook when Savitri followed Yama into the darkness. The whole auditorium was dead silent. I got goosebumps and went straight to the library the next day to hunt down the full Mahabharata version.

Who told me the story?

My dadi told me the proper, detailed version later that year during summer holidays. We were sitting on the terrace at night, and she told it like it was a real incident that happened to someone in the family. She explained why we light a lamp and keep fruits under the vat-vriksh on Vat Savitri puja, how married women still fast for their husbands because of Savitri. Her eyes shone while talking about Savitri’s courage, and I just sat there completely spellbound.

How I felt when I first heard it?

Honestly, I was blown away. I’d heard plenty of stories about gods and heroes, but a woman—a normal human wife—standing toe-to-toe with Yama and winning? That felt revolutionary. My heart was racing when she kept walking behind Death, refusing to leave. I remember getting teary-eyed when Satyavan finally opened his eyes, but at the same time I felt this huge rush of pride—like yes, girls can be that strong, that clever, that unbreakable. Even now, whenever someone says “true love conquers death,” I instantly think of Savitri following Yama with fire in her eyes and the calmest voice ever. That story lives rent-free in my head and still gives me chills every single time.

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