Family

Once upon a time, high in the misty mountains of China, lived a gentle panda named Pip. Now, Pip wasn’t like the pandas we know today. His fur was all snowy white, from his little button nose to his fluffy tail. He spent his days munching on bamboo shoots, rolling in the cool grass, and playing hide-and-seek with the mountain sprites. One crisp evening, as the sun dipped below the peaks, casting long, purple shadows, Pip was exploring a part of the forest he’d never seen before. He stumbled upon a tiny, whimpering creature. It was a baby bear cub, no bigger than his paw, lost and alone. The cub’s fur was a soft, dappled brown, and its eyes were wide with fear. ...

A Mid-Autumn Festival story for children. A long, long time ago, so long that the stars hadn’t yet learned to twinkle, the sky had ten suns. Yes, ten! Each sun was a bright golden child of the Sky Emperor. They took turns crossing the heavens, one each day, lighting the world, warming the earth, and letting people plant their crops. For many centuries, everything was peaceful. When one sun finished his journey, he would dive behind the mountains and the next would rise. The people sang songs of gratitude, and the earth bloomed. ...

If you look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you might see a group of seven bright stars shaped like a big spoon. That’s called the Big Dipper. In Chinese, it’s known as Bei Dou (北斗, the Northern Dipper). In Chinese stories, the Big Dipper isn’t just a group of stars. It’s believed to be a group of heavenly beings — seven shining stars who help the Jade Emperor, the great ruler of the heavens, keep balance in the world. ...

Once upon a time, in a small, breezy town where flowers nodded politely in the wind and even the birds seemed to chirp in whispers, lived a girl named Ella. She was a very sweet girl: gentle, kind, and always yawning. From the day she was born, Ella was unusually sleepy. As a baby, she snoozed right through her own birthday party. As a toddler, she napped during bath time, even while being soaped! And when she started school, her teachers had to gently wake her up during art class, maths time, and even recess. ...

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Leo. Leo was six years old, and he had just started Primary One. He loved his new school uniform, his shiny pencil case, and drawing rocket ships. But Leo had a big problem. He was terribly shy. He was so frightened of speaking up that whenever he needed help, his throat would tighten like a knot and his voice would disappear altogether. ...

Once upon a time, in a quiet green village, there lived an old farmer named Hari. He had four sons: Ravi, Devi, Kiri, and Movi. The brothers had grown up strong and smart. They helped their father in the fields every day, digging soil, planting seeds, and carrying heavy baskets of crops. But there was one big problem: they argued all the time. “You stepped on my row of carrots again!” Ravi would shout. ...

Once upon a time, in a high stone castle overlooking the misty mountains of Switzerland, there lived an old count. The count was a proud man who cared a great deal about power and grand titles. He had only one son, a quiet boy named Swiss. But to the count’s great disappointment, Swiss was not clever with swords or with strategy. Whatever his father tried to teach him, nothing seemed to stay in the boy’s head. ...

Once upon a time, there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess. But she couldn’t be just any princess: she had to be a real princess. The prince travelled all around the world twice to find the right one. He met many princesses, but there was always something that wasn’t quite right. Some were not very kind, others were too proud, and none of them seemed to be exactly what he was looking for. ...

There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty, close by the seaside. The fisherman went out every day to fish, and one day, as he sat on the shore with his rod, watching the sparkling waves, his float was suddenly dragged deep into the water. When he reeled in his line, he pulled out a golden fish. But the fish said, “Please let me live! I’m not a real fish. I’m an enchanted prince. Put me back in the water and let me go!” ...

Once upon a time, in a wide prehistoric land, there lived a mighty T-Rex named Rex and his little sister, Trixie. Rex was known throughout the valley for his fierce hunting and for how carefully he watched over his family. Trixie was curious and full of energy, and she followed her big brother on every single adventure he went on, whether he invited her or not. One sunny morning, the two of them set out to hunt for food. The forest was alive with sound — leaves rustling overhead, insects whirring in the ferns, and the far-off calls of other dinosaurs rolling in from beyond the trees. Rex led the way, his keen eyes sweeping left and right. ...