7-9

Long, long ago, the ocean was full of magic, and the creatures of the sea were very different from the way they are today. In those ancient days, dolphins were the great helpers of the ocean. They were wonderfully friendly towards people, and whenever a ship got into trouble, the dolphins would rush to the rescue. One stormy afternoon, a grand Greek sailing ship bound for the famous city of Athens was caught in a tempest. The wind howled — WHOOSH! — and the great waves smashed against the wooden hull. Then, with a loud CRACK, the ship struck a hidden rock and began to sink, just off the coast near Piraeus, the busy port town where all the ships docked. ...

Long ago, the colours of the world were not part of anything big or beautiful. They lived alone: each a single bold line stretched across their own corner of the world. Red glowed over deserts. Green shimmered in jungles. Blue waved over oceans. And the others, Orange, Yellow, Indigo, and Violet, each had their own faraway place to shine. Sometimes, the colours would swap places, zipping across the skies like streaks of paint. And sometimes, they would all find themselves drawn to the same place, right at the top of the world, the Arctic, where the ice sparkled like glass and the sky was wide and clear. ...

As the moonlight once again illuminated Sam’s bedroom, Rexo, the plastic T-Rex, stirred on his shelf. Tonight, he felt braver than ever, eager for another adventure. Stretching his tiny arms and flexing his little tail, he decided to explore the box of plastic farm animals he had spotted the night before. With a leap and a soft plastic thud, Rexo landed on the floor and made his way to the farm animal box. As he peered inside, dozens of tiny animal eyes looked up at him. A cow mooed softly. A horse neighed in distress. A little piglet whispered, “Help us, Rexo! We’re trapped!” ...

Rexo the plastic T-Rex was a happy dinosaur. He lived in a brightly coloured toy box with many other toys: teddy bears, race cars, and a mischievous monkey. Rexo loved his life, especially playtime with his best friend, Sam. Sam would roar and stomp around the room, making Rexo feel like the mightiest dinosaur in the world. But when night fell and Sam drifted off to sleep, something magical happened. Rexo would spring to life! He’d explore the room, climb over furniture, and have thrilling adventures with the other toys. They’d race down the hallway, play hide-and-seek amongst the cushions, and even have tea parties with the teddy bears. ...

Deep in the corner of Sam’s bedroom, on a high shelf, sat Rexo, a green plastic T-Rex dinosaur. By day, he was just a toy, but when the moonlight spilled through the curtains and the house fell silent, something magical happened. Rexo came to life. One night, as the clock struck twelve, Rexo stretched his tiny arms, yawned, and jumped down from the shelf. Tonight, he decided to explore the toy box of plastic blocks that always looked so colourful and mysterious during the day. ...

Once upon a time, on a busy little farm at the edge of a green valley, there lived a dog named Buster. Buster was small and furry and had a very big attitude. He loved chasing mice, barking at the post van, and finding the cosiest spots on the farm for long, lazy naps. One chilly afternoon, Buster went looking for somewhere warm to rest. He trotted into the big wooden barn and smelled something wonderful: fresh, sweet-smelling hay. ...

In the heart of the sunny, green Valley of Everbrook lived a very special object: a big, copper cooking pot that sat right on the village square. It wasn’t shiny or fancy; in fact, it looked quite ordinary, but everyone in Everbrook knew it was the most important thing they owned. They called it the Magic Pot. The pot had one simple, amazing rule. When you put an ingredient inside and started cooking, the amount you put in didn’t just cook, it instantly multiplied by ten! ...

Long ago in ancient Greece, music floated through the hills and valleys like a soft golden mist. And none played music more beautifully than Apollo, the god of music himself. His fingers danced across his lyre, sending out notes that shimmered in the air and made even the birds stop singing to listen. Everyone agreed: no one could match Apollo’s music. But one day, while resting under an olive tree on his island of Delphos, Apollo overheard a rumour from passing travellers. ...

Long ago, in a little mountain town, there stood a school at the edge of a steep hillside. The children loved to play there, and every morning their laughter rang out like bells. But deep inside the mountain, the earth was restless. Heavy rains had soaked the ground, and a landslide was waiting to happen. One afternoon, a gentle traveller came through the town. Nobody knew his name, but he had kind eyes and a voice that calmed even the most restless child. When he saw the school on the slope, he felt a shiver in his heart. He could sense danger beneath the soil. ...

A widow named Hong-Mo lived in a small house near the market. Every year, she raised hundreds of chickens to earn money for herself and her two children. Every day, the chickens walked to the nearby fields to look for food like bugs, rice, and green plants. The biggest chicken was called the king of the chickens because he was the strongest. He led the flock to new feeding places, and he crowed the loudest. None of the other chickens dared to argue with him. ...