Family

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. ...

Deep down in the warm, sparkling waters of a sandy ocean bay, there lived a family of bright red hermit crabs. The mother crab, whose name was Constanza, was very proud indeed. She loved everything to be tidy, and proper, and just right. One bright morning, Constanza was sitting on top of a smooth piece of driftwood, watching her young son Oliver scurry across the sand. Oliver was having a wonderful time, chasing tiny bubbles and dodging the waving green seaweed. ...

The next morning, Daniel could hardly wait. He hurried through breakfast, tucked his kite under his arm, and dashed to the park. The sky was clear again, but today the wind was even stronger, whispering as if it was inviting the kite to climb higher than before. With his friends cheering, Daniel ran and let the string unroll, faster and faster, until the kite soared above the tallest trees, above the rooftops, almost brushing the drifting clouds. ...

Once upon a time, there was an ordinary boy named Daniel. He wasn’t the fastest runner in his class, or the best at football, or the loudest singer at school. But one thing he loved was making things with his hands. One Saturday morning, after carefully saving up for weeks, Daniel bought some sticks, string, and bright red paper. With a little glue and a lot of patience, he made a kite. ...