Stories

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 upon a time, in a lush green forest, there lived a mighty lion named Leo. He was king of that forest, and every creature in it both feared and respected him. But for all his size and all his roaring, Leo had a kind heart, and he valued friendship above everything else in the world. His closest friend was a clever monkey called Miko, who always had a trick or two tucked away and who loved nothing better than making the great lion laugh until the branches shook. ...

Deep inside the dark cave, T. Rex and Tarbosaurus waited and thought. The Pteranodon was still outside, screeching and circling, waiting for them to come out. Then Tarbosaurus noticed something hanging from the ceiling. Dozens, no, hundreds, of little shapes with folded wings. “Bats!” he whispered. The bats were fast asleep, hanging upside down. “They’re nocturnal creatures,” said Tarbosaurus softly. “That means they sleep during the day and wake up at night.” “So that’s why it’s so quiet in here,” said T. Rex. ...

One day, T. Rex and Tarbosaurus wandered far from their home valley in search of new hunting grounds. They crossed rocky hills and steaming swamps until they reached a wide, open plain surrounded by cliffs. “This place smells full of prey!” said T. Rex, licking his teeth. Tarbosaurus nodded. “Yes, but it’s too quiet. Almost too quiet.” Just then, a dark shadow swept across the ground. The two cousins looked up, and froze. ...

Once upon a time, in a vast green valley filled with ferns and thunder lizards, there lived two mighty dinosaurs: T. Rex and Tarbosaurus. They were cousins, both fierce and proud. One sunny morning, while drinking from the same river, T. Rex boomed, “I’m the biggest and strongest dinosaur in this valley!” Tarbosaurus snorted, shaking his scaly head. “Ha! You might be big, cousin, but I’m quicker and cleverer. Strength isn’t everything!” ...

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. ...

One fine morning, Raffee, the mischievous rabbit, twitched his little nose and sighed. “I’m so bored!” he muttered, thumping his foot against the ground. “I need a new friend to play with!” Off he went, hopping across the meadow, his big ears bouncing with each leap. First, he spotted Ox, chewing lazily on some grass. “Hey, Ox! Let’s play chase!” Raffee called. Ox snorted, his heavy body barely moving. “Chase? No thanks. I’m too big and slow for that.” He flicked his tail and went back to munching. ...

Once upon a time, in a kingdom filled with forests and mountains, there lived a brave knight. He was famous for fighting dragons. He had already defeated dragons with two heads, three heads, and even seven heads! One sunny morning, as he rode through a thick, dark forest, the knight suddenly heard a strange noise. Hiss! Roar! Grumble! Cough! He pulled on his horse’s reins and peered through the trees. To his amazement, out stomped the biggest dragon he had ever seen. And not just big: this dragon had one hundred long necks! At the end of each neck, a head snapped, hissed, or sneezed fire. ...

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. ...