Adaption

Once upon a time, in a small village tucked against the edge of a great forest, there lived a boy named Timmy. Timmy loved dinosaurs. He loved all of them, but most of all he loved the Ankylosaurus, with its heavy armour plates and the enormous bony club on the end of its tail. His room showed it. There were dinosaur books stacked three deep on the shelf, dinosaur models lined up along the windowsill in careful order of size, and posters covering so much of the wall that you could barely tell what colour the paint underneath was. Timmy would spend whole afternoons lying on his floor, imagining himself striding out on adventures beside those ancient giants. ...

Once upon a time, deep under the sparkling blue sea, the fish were having a terrible argument. “I’m the fastest swimmer!” shouted the mackerel. “Nonsense, it’s me!” boasted the tuna. “You’re both wrong, it’s clearly me!” barked the swordfish. The argument grew so loud that even the crabs scuttled away and the shrimps covered their ears. Finally, an old wise turtle swam into the crowd. “Enough of this nonsense!” he declared. “If you want to know who is fastest, then we shall have a race, a proper one, around the big island. Whoever wins shall be crowned the swiftest fish in the sea.” ...

Once upon a time, deep in a wild green forest, there lived a very clever fox named Foxster. Foxster was proud of a great many things — his sharp teeth, his quick paws, his bright eyes. But what he loved best of all was his magnificent, bushy red tail. He brushed it every morning and fluffed it out every night before he slept. One dark evening, while Foxster was creeping round a farmer’s chicken coop in search of a midnight snack, he stepped on something hard. ...

It happened that a cat met a fox in a forest. Earlier that day, the fox had just tricked and eaten the Gingerbread Man. The fox was feeling particularly pleased with himself, as the Gingerbread Man had boasted about his speed and thought he could outrun anyone. The fox, however, had used his cleverness to outwit the Gingerbread Man, convincing him to climb onto his nose to cross a river, and then snapping him up in one bite. The fox was now full and even more arrogant than usual, strolling proudly through the forest. ...

Once upon a time, in the rolling green foothills of the Great Crag Mountains, there lived a bull named Buster. Buster was a magnificent animal — broad-shouldered, with horns like polished ivory and a coat the colour of rich mahogany. Most creatures in the valley gave him a wide berth, not because he was unkind, but because he was simply a force of nature. Even the strongest bull, however, has one thing he fears. For Buster, that thing was Leo the lion. ...

Once upon a time, deep in the heart of a green, whispering forest, there lived a very big and very soft brown bear named Barnaby. Barnaby loved a great many things — long afternoon naps, scratching his back against rough tree bark, and rolling in soft autumn leaves. But there was one thing he loved more than anything else in the wide world: berries. On this particular afternoon, Barnaby’s tummy was rumbling like a thundercloud. Rumble, bumble, roar! ...

Deep down in the warm, sparkling waters of a sandy ocean bay, there lived a family of bright red hermit crabs. The mother crab, whose name was Constanza, was very proud indeed. She loved everything to be tidy, and proper, and just right. One bright morning, Constanza was sitting on top of a smooth piece of driftwood, watching her young son Oliver scurry across the sand. Oliver was having a wonderful time, chasing tiny bubbles and dodging the waving green seaweed. ...

Once upon a time, deep in the rocky hills of a wild forest, there lived a wolf named Winston. Now, Winston was an ordinary-sized wolf. But he had an extraordinary imagination. One beautiful summer evening, Winston crawled out of his cosy stone lair. The air was cool, the first stars were beginning to twinkle, and Winston was in fine spirits indeed. He stretched his long legs, let out an enormous yawn, and noticed that his stomach was rumbling. He had an excellent appetite, and he was ready to go and hunt his dinner. ...

In Georgia, in the olden times, there lived a wise and noble woman, Queen Magdana, who ruled her rich green land justly. When her husband died, her son Rostomel became the sole love of her life. She loved him more than words can convey, and she watched fondly as the tender, callow youth grew into sturdy manhood. Nor was she the only one who thought him handsomer than all others. ...

Long ago, so long ago that even the trees whisper it only in secret, the mice of a grand old farmhouse lived in fear every single day. They had warm burrows under the floorboards, and they loved to sneak out at night to nibble crumbs from the pantry or race across the moonlit kitchen tiles. But their joy was always short-lived, because there were cats. Big cats with bright eyes. Sneaky cats with velvet paws. Fast cats with claws as sharp as needles. And whenever a mouse ventured out, a cat might spring from the shadows! ...