Learn English while listening to this short story about Johnny Appleseed.

Johnny Appleseed (born John Chapman, 1774–1845) was an American pioneer and folk hero known for introducing apple orchards across the Midwest. A passionate environmentalist, he traveled barefoot across Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and beyond, planting apple seeds, establishing nurseries, and sharing his deep spirituality inspired by Swedenborgianism. His efforts contributed to early American agriculture and helped shape his legacy as a symbol of harmony with nature and frontier resilience. Today, Johnny Appleseed remains a celebrated figure in American folklore and environmental history.

Here is your vocabulary:

• Apprentice: A noun that means a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, usually for a fixed period.

• Nursery: A noun that means a place where young plants and trees are grown for sale or for planting elsewhere.

• Eccentricities: A noun that means unconventional or slightly strange behaviors or habits.

• Theologian: A noun that means a person who studies the nature of God, religion, and religious beliefs.

• Contaminated: An adjective that means made impure or unsafe by exposure to poisonous or polluting substances.

• Livestock: A noun that refers to farm animals regarded as an asset, such as cows, sheep, and pigs.

• Homestead: A noun that means a house, especially a farmhouse, and the land around it.

• Demeanor: A noun that means outward behavior or bearing.

• Stewardship: A noun that means the responsible overseeing and protection of something worth caring for and preserving.