High in the branches of an old banyan tree lived two clever crows. One sunny morning, they began to argue about who was the stronger and wiser flier. At last, one crow said, “Let’s have a challenge! We’ll each carry a sack of the same size and see who can fly the highest.” The other crow agreed at once. The Plan Each crow flew down to the ground to fill his sack. ...
Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Leo. Everyone in the village called him Buttered Lamb because he was so scared of everything! If he saw a stranger, he would run and hide right away, and everyone thought he was an easy target. His reputation spread to a nasty, hungry witch who lived in the woods. The Sack and the Stone One day, the witch disguised herself as a kind traveller and came to the village. She saw Buttered Lamb run and hide in his mother’s cupboard. The witch tricked his mother, opened the cupboard, grabbed Leo, and stuffed him into her big sack. Then she walked off, planning to cook him for dinner! ...
Once upon a time, on a blisteringly hot summer afternoon, a lively young boy named Toby decided to go for a swim. The sun was baking the earth, and the river nearby looked like a shimmering ribbon of cool blue. Toby kicked off his sandals, ran down the grassy bank, and splashed straight in. At first it was wonderful. The water came up to his knees, and then to his waist. He splashed his face, chased a few silver minnows, and laughed as the cool current tickled his toes. ...
Somehow, one bright winter morning, a golden ray of sunlight managed to slip through the thick clouds and sparkle on the snowy ground. Beneath the snow, hidden deep and quiet, lay a tiny snowdrop bulb, dreaming of warmer days. It had been a long cold winter. When that bit of sunlight touched it, the little flower woke with a shiver. “Oh! Is it spring already?” it thought. It stretched and pushed, lengthening its stem as far as it could. It made a tiny hole through the snow, twisting and wriggling until, it burst through into the cold world above. ...
On the very last night of the year, when the moon hung like a silver button in the sky, Father Time sat quietly at the edge of the world. His long white beard glimmered like frost, and his clock, an enormous one with golden hands, ticked softly beside him. Each tick sounded like a heartbeat. “Tock… tick… tock…” Tonight was special. Tonight, Father Time would hand the world over to Baby New Year. ...
Long ago, there was a young man who had no work and no money. He wandered from village to village, hoping to find something to do. One day, he met a rich-looking man who said, “Come and work for me. I’ll take you across the seas to a place where treasure waits.” The young man, eager for employment, agreed. He boarded the man’s ship, and together they sailed far, far away until they reached a lonely island. In the middle of the island rose a tall, steep mountain that glittered strangely in the sunlight. ...
Far, far up north, where the sea wears a crown of frozen white, there lies a magical world made of drift ice. The wind whispers across the icy ocean, whoosh, whoosh, and beneath the chilly blue waves lives a creature so tiny and mysterious, she is called the fairy of the drift ice. Her name is Clione. But Clione wasn’t always the graceful dancer of the sea. Long ago, before she had wings and a shimmering glow, she was just a tiny jelly-like blob named Nio. She lived in the cold seas near Hokkaido, dreaming of exploring the world beyond. ...
Once upon a time, in a wide golden savanna with tall grass that whispered in the wind, a tiger, a cheetah, and a hyena decided they were tired of hunting alone. One blazing afternoon they met a lion, resting on a rock ledge, his mane glowing like fire in the sunlight. His eyes were calm, but there was power in every twitch of his tail. “Greetings, mighty Lion,” said the tiger, bowing his striped head. ...
Long ago, in a quiet valley, a new bridge stretched across a rushing river. It was a fine bridge, arched and strong, but everyone in the valley knew it had been built by a demon. The demon had hoped to trick the people, but thanks to a clever hermit and a stubborn donkey, he had been outsmarted and vanished into the river with a hiss of smoke. For a long time, the bridge stood empty. No one dared to cross it, worried the demon might return. ...
In a lonely valley, between two steep hills, there once lived a demon. He was not a very scary demon, but a troublesome one. His greatest joy was to bother people and try to tempt them into bad habits. “Give up your honesty!” he would whisper. “Forget your kindness!” he would hiss. But the people of the valley were good and strong. They worked hard, helped one another, and prayed each day for courage. No matter how hard the demon tried, nobody listened to him. ...