Two friends were walking down a path in a big forest. The sun was starting to go down, and the trees were getting really tall and spooky. They were arguing about which way to go. One friend thought he knew a shortcut, but the other friend wanted to take the longer, safer path. Suddenly, they heard a loud ROAR! A huge, grumpy bear stepped out onto the path right in front of them. Its teeth, big and sharp, were clearly visible. ...
Once upon a time, deep in the middle of a warm, squelchy green marshland, there lived a great community of frogs. Now, these frogs had a wonderful life. They had no bosses, no rules, and no bedtime. They were completely free to govern themselves, which meant they spent their days swimming, catching juicy flies, and taking long naps on the lily pads. But all this freedom had spoiled them. Because they never had any real problems to solve, they grew incredibly bored. They did nothing all day but sit about puffing out their green throats and croaking in a grumpy, half-hearted way. ...
Long, long ago, the ocean was full of magic, and the creatures of the sea were very different from the way they are today. In those ancient days, dolphins were the great helpers of the ocean. They were wonderfully friendly towards people, and whenever a ship got into trouble, the dolphins would rush to the rescue. One stormy afternoon, a grand Greek sailing ship bound for the famous city of Athens was caught in a tempest. The wind howled — WHOOSH! — and the great waves smashed against the wooden hull. Then, with a loud CRACK, the ship struck a hidden rock and began to sink, just off the coast near Piraeus, the busy port town where all the ships docked. ...
Long ago in ancient Greece, music floated through the hills and valleys like a soft golden mist. And none played music more beautifully than Apollo, the god of music himself. His fingers danced across his lyre, sending out notes that shimmered in the air and made even the birds stop singing to listen. Everyone agreed: no one could match Apollo’s music. But one day, while resting under an olive tree on his island of Delphos, Apollo overheard a rumour from passing travellers. ...
Once upon a time, during a long, hot summer, a cheerful grasshopper spent his days hopping through the fields, singing his favourite songs. He loved the warm sunshine, the sweet smell of the flowers, and the delicious taste of the juicy green leaves. All around him, he saw ants busily working. They were carrying heavy grains of wheat, tiny seeds, and other bits of food back to their anthill. “Why do you work so hard?” the grasshopper asked them, laughing. “The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and there’s plenty of food everywhere! Come and sing with me!” ...
Once upon a time, a man and a lion found themselves walking along the same dusty path through the high rocky hills. Since they were both brave travellers, they decided to walk together for safety. But it was not a peaceful walk. To pass the time, they began to talk about which was the most powerful creature in the world — and very quickly, that talk turned into a great contest of boasting. ...
A very long time ago, before cities and cars and lights, the night sky was as dark as velvet, and the stars shone like diamonds. High on a mountain in ancient Greece lived seven sisters, known for their beauty, kindness, and sparkling laughter. Their names were Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope. They were the daughters of a gentle giant named Atlas, who held up the sky on his strong shoulders, and a kind goddess named Pleione, who loved to watch over them. ...
The sky was dark and the waves crashed angrily. Poseidon, the mighty sea god, was furious. His face looked like a storm, and he led an army of sea creatures toward a giant ship. Suddenly, SPLASH! A huge kraken burst out of the water! The kraken looked like a giant octopus with thick, strong arms. It wrapped its long, squishy tentacles around the ship and SQUEEEEEZED! The ship creaked and groaned. The engines went CLUNK! and stopped. ...
Poseidon, the mighty king of the sea, was swimming through his vast, blue kingdom. He liked to check on everything, making sure all the sea creatures were happy and safe. But today, something felt different. A worried frown creased his brow. Suddenly, a group of sharks, sleek and powerful, swam towards him. “Lord Poseidon,” the biggest shark, a great white named Chomper, said, “we are having trouble finding food. The fish are scarce, and we are hungry.” ...
Rexie, Marlo, and Lumi searched the underwater cave for another exit. They swam for a long time, as the cave was huge, like the Jewel at Singapore’s Changi Airport, but filled with water. They explored every nook and cranny, every dark corner, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t find one. Panic began to set in. They turned back towards the tunnel entrance, and their blood ran cold. ...