Adaption

Once upon a time, a very clever but very careless fox named Felix was trotting through the forest, looking for adventure. He was busy watching a beautiful butterfly hovering in the air, and he was not watching where his paws were going at all. Whoops! Slip… WHOOSH! With a loud splash, Felix tumbled straight down into an old stone well. Luckily, the water at the bottom was not deep, and Felix was not hurt. But when he looked up, he realised he had a serious problem. The walls of the well were steep, and wet, and horribly slippery. However high he jumped, however hard he scrabbled at the stones, he simply slid straight back down into the puddle at the bottom. ...

Catherine was a farm girl who was cheerful, kind, and just a tiny bit silly. She always believed that things would sort themselves out if she just waited long enough. Unfortunately, things usually did not. One bright morning, Catherine was taking a big basket of cheeses to the market. She whistled a happy tune and thought proudly, “Oh, these cheeses will sell so fast today, I’ll be home in time for lunch!” ...

Once upon a time, on a warm late-summer afternoon, a sly old wolf named Wilbert was trotting along a dusty country road. His belly was letting out a long, low rumble — grumble, gurgle, roar! Wilbert was very hungry indeed, and he was on the hunt for a good meal. As he came round a bend in the road, he found a high wooden fence. And on the other side of that fence lay a grand, shimmering field of golden oats, the stalks swaying gently in the breeze, heavy with ripe crunchy grain. ...

Retold from Oscar Wilde’s “The Remarkable Rocket.” Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, the royal family was preparing for a big celebration. The Prince was getting married, and everyone was excited! There were decorations, dancing, feasts, and a spectacular firework show planned for the end of the night. Among all the fireworks was one very tall and shiny rocket. But this rocket wasn’t like the others. He was very proud and thought he was the most important firework of them all. ...

Once there was a king who had a beautiful garden, and in that garden grew a tree that bore golden apples. The apples were counted every day, and as soon as they began to ripen, the king noticed that every night one of them went missing. The king was very angry indeed, and he ordered the gardener to keep watch all night beneath the tree. The gardener sent his eldest son to do the watching. But at midnight the young man fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. So the second son was sent. He too fell asleep at midnight, and another apple disappeared. ...

Long ago, in a rich and prosperous village, everyone owned a real calf, except for one very poor man. He wanted one more than anything, so he decided to make a calf of his own. With his own hands and a good piece of wood, he carved a perfect calf, from its tiny tail to its head. He even carved a small hole for a tail, so he could put a real one in later. ...

Once upon a time, high above the clouds, there lived a magnificent eagle named Aquila. Aquila was the undisputed king of the sky. His wings were as wide as a doorway, his talons were as sharp as steel, and his eyes could pick out a field mouse moving in the grass from miles and miles away. Every afternoon, Aquila flew to the highest, sharpest cliff in the valley. He would settle upon his rocky throne, puff out his chest, and survey the wide and beautiful land below with keen and lordly eyes. ...

Two friends were walking down a path in a big forest. The sun was starting to go down, and the trees were getting really tall and spooky. They were arguing about which way to go. One friend thought he knew a shortcut, but the other friend wanted to take the longer, safer path. Suddenly, they heard a loud ROAR! A huge, grumpy bear stepped out onto the path right in front of them. Its teeth, big and sharp, were clearly visible. ...

Toby the tortoise lived in a quiet pond, shaded by tall reeds and whispering trees. But though the pond was peaceful, Toby often felt restless. “I’ve lived here my whole life,” he said one morning. “But I want to see the world beyond this water. I want adventure!” Two ducks, Dilly and Dally, who often visited the pond, heard his wish. “We can help,” said Dilly kindly. “But it’s risky.” ...

Once upon a time, deep in the middle of a warm, squelchy green marshland, there lived a great community of frogs. Now, these frogs had a wonderful life. They had no bosses, no rules, and no bedtime. They were completely free to govern themselves, which meant they spent their days swimming, catching juicy flies, and taking long naps on the lily pads. But all this freedom had spoiled them. Because they never had any real problems to solve, they grew incredibly bored. They did nothing all day but sit about puffing out their green throats and croaking in a grumpy, half-hearted way. ...