Once upon a time, in a bright and busy coral reef, there lived a little fish named Reek. Reek was small and brilliant blue, with a big heart — and an even bigger fear of the shark gang that prowled the deeper water. The gang was led by a shark called Scar, famous for his teeth and for the way the water seemed to go quiet whenever he passed. The mere mention of Scar’s name was enough to set Reek trembling from nose to tail. ...
Dosi the Bully Once upon a time, in a lush green valley filled with ferns and towering trees, lived a big, grumpy Utahraptor named Dosi. Now, Dosi wasn’t just any Utahraptor. He was the biggest, baddest, and most, well, bullyish Utahraptor in the whole valley! He loved to show off his sharp claws and even sharper teeth, chasing smaller dinosaurs and scaring them half to death. Poor little Triceratops would tremble when Dosi puffed out his chest and let out a fearsome ROAR! ...
Once upon a time, in a busy meadow, there lived a very small ant. Though tiny, the ant had a heart full of courage. One hot summer’s day, the sun blazed so fiercely that the streams dried up, and the grass curled into brown wisps. The ant grew desperately thirsty. He scurried here and there, searching for even a drop of water. Scuttle-scuttle, scuttle-scuttle! He peered under leaves, checked between pebbles, and even climbed a tall stalk of wheat, but there was nothing. ...
Once upon a time, in the wide blue ocean, there lived a young shark named Sonny. Sonny was swift and strong and afraid of almost nothing — except one thing. He was terrified of Bella, the enormous blue whale who lived in the deep water beyond the reef. Bella was gentle and kind, but she was the size of a hillside, and that was quite enough for Sonny. Every day, Sonny swam among the coral reefs, exploring and playing with his friends. He loved discovering new things. But he never once went down into the deeper water where Bella lived. His friends told him again and again how kind she was, and every time, Sonny nodded politely and stayed exactly where he was. ...
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! ...
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, 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. ...
Once upon a time, in the icy expanse of Antarctica, there lived three penguin brothers named Pippin, Percy, and Puck. They were unlike any other penguins in their colony, for one simple reason: they absolutely loved going to school. Every morning they waddled off together to Iceberg Academy, where they learned about the wonders of the sea, the proper way to catch a fish, and all the secrets of the frozen world around them. ...