Adaption

In the long-ago time, when the world was brand new, the Great Magician was busy getting everything ready. First, he made the Earth. Then, he made the Sea. Finally, he called all the animals together and said, “It’s time to play!” The animals asked, “Great Magician, what should we play?” “I’ll show you,” he said. He took the Elephant and said, “Play at being an Elephant.” He took the Turtle and said, “Play at being a Turtle.” One by one, he gave every beast, bird, and fish a special job to do. ...

Once upon a time in a quiet mountain village in old Japan, there lived a kind-hearted ragman named Kenji. He wandered from town to town with a large sack on his back, collecting old clothes, broken toys, and worn-out pots and pans that people no longer wanted. Though he didn’t have much, Kenji was always smiling and willing to help anyone in need. One crisp autumn morning, while walking through a forest trail, Kenji heard a faint rustling sound near the base of a tree. Curious, he went to look, and there, caught in a rusty old trap, was a small badger. Its leg was bleeding, and its eyes were full of pain. ...

One sunny morning, a little tailor was sitting by his window, sewing a jacket. He was in a fine mood, and he was singing to himself as he worked. Then he heard someone calling out in the street below. “Fresh jam for sale! Lovely jam, cheap!” The tailor was very fond of jam. He stuck his head out of the window and shouted down, “Up here! I’ll buy some!” The woman climbed the steps to his room with her great basket. The tailor looked over every jar, sniffed each one carefully, and finally said, “This smells delicious. I’ll take four ounces, please.” ...

One bright morning, a clever fox was walking through the woods when he smelled something delicious. He followed the scent and looked up to see a black-feathered crow sitting on a tree branch. In her beak, she held a big, tasty piece of cheese. The fox’s mouth watered, and he thought, I must have that cheese! But how could he get it? He had an idea. “Good morning, Miss Crow!” the fox called up. “My, you look beautiful today! Your feathers shine so brightly in the sunlight.” ...