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Once upon a time, in a bright green forest, there lived a little hare named Hazel. Hazel was the most popular animal in the whole wood. She was cheerful and kind, and she had a bright smile for everyone she met. Because she was so nice, all the other animals claimed to be her very best friend. Every morning the horse neighed happily when he saw her. The bull gave a friendly nod. The goat bleated a warm hello. The ram waved, and the little calf trotted along beside her. ...

Once upon a time, high in the misty mountains of China, lived a gentle panda named Pip. Now, Pip wasn’t like the pandas we know today. His fur was all snowy white, from his little button nose to his fluffy tail. He spent his days munching on bamboo shoots, rolling in the cool grass, and playing hide-and-seek with the mountain sprites. One crisp evening, as the sun dipped below the peaks, casting long, purple shadows, Pip was exploring a part of the forest he’d never seen before. He stumbled upon a tiny, whimpering creature. It was a baby bear cub, no bigger than his paw, lost and alone. The cub’s fur was a soft, dappled brown, and its eyes were wide with fear. ...

An old farmer once kept in his yard an ox, a ram, a goose, a chicken, and a pig. With guests coming for dinner over the holidays, he said to his wife, “Old woman, we shall need meat for the holidays. I’ll kill the chicken in the morning.” The chicken, who happened to be listening at the door, fled to the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. When the farmer came out before sunrise to wring his neck, there was no chicken anywhere to be found. ...

A Mid-Autumn Festival story for children. A long, long time ago, so long that the stars hadn’t yet learned to twinkle, the sky had ten suns. Yes, ten! Each sun was a bright golden child of the Sky Emperor. They took turns crossing the heavens, one each day, lighting the world, warming the earth, and letting people plant their crops. For many centuries, everything was peaceful. When one sun finished his journey, he would dive behind the mountains and the next would rise. The people sang songs of gratitude, and the earth bloomed. ...

Once upon a time, in a sunny orchard surrounded by singing birds and buzzing bees, there was a wooden basket filled with shiny red apples. The apples were proud of their smooth skins and sweet smells. They had been picked that morning and placed gently in the basket, ready to be taken to the market. But among these lovely apples was one that was not quite right. This apple, named Ricky, had a dark spot near his stem. He had fallen from the tree a little too early and landed on a rock. Though he looked mostly fine, the inside of Ricky had started to go soft and mushy. ...

If you look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you might see a group of seven bright stars shaped like a big spoon. That’s called the Big Dipper. In Chinese, it’s known as Bei Dou (北斗, the Northern Dipper). In Chinese stories, the Big Dipper isn’t just a group of stars. It’s believed to be a group of heavenly beings — seven shining stars who help the Jade Emperor, the great ruler of the heavens, keep balance in the world. ...

Once upon a time, in a village on the edge of a great forest, there lived a fox and a wolf. They were not exactly friends, but sometimes they travelled together. You see, the fox was clever, but not very strong. The wolf was strong, but not very clever. And so, they often used each other’s company to get what they wanted, especially food. The wolf was much bigger, and he often bullied the fox. “Go and find me something to eat,” the wolf growled. “Or else I shall make you my supper instead!” ...

Once upon a time, in a sun-drenched meadow filled with colourful wildflowers, there lived two caterpillar friends named Louie and Bella. They were inseparable, always crawling from leaf to leaf together, munching on fresh greens, and playing hide-and-seek beneath the shade of tall ferns. Life was simple and sweet, and the meadow was their entire world. One morning, Bella noticed something different. She could feel it deep in her caterpillar heart. “Louie,” she said, her tiny voice filled with both excitement and nervousness, “I think it’s time for us to spin cocoons and take a long rest. It’s what we need to do to become butterflies!” ...

Once upon a time, in a small, breezy town where flowers nodded politely in the wind and even the birds seemed to chirp in whispers, lived a girl named Ella. She was a very sweet girl: gentle, kind, and always yawning. From the day she was born, Ella was unusually sleepy. As a baby, she snoozed right through her own birthday party. As a toddler, she napped during bath time, even while being soaped! And when she started school, her teachers had to gently wake her up during art class, maths time, and even recess. ...

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Leo. Leo was six years old, and he had just started Primary One. He loved his new school uniform, his shiny pencil case, and drawing rocket ships. But Leo had a big problem. He was terribly shy. He was so frightened of speaking up that whenever he needed help, his throat would tighten like a knot and his voice would disappear altogether. ...