Once upon a time, in a land long, long ago, there lived a little T. rex named Toto. Toto was a bright-eyed dino with tiny arms and a heart full of big dreams. There was only one problem. Toto did not want to go to school. Every morning, Toto’s mummy nudged him awake. “Come on, Toto. It’s time for school. All your friends are waiting.” But Toto burrowed under his cosy leaf blanket and shook his head. ...
In a meadow where the wildflowers danced and the sunbeams played tag with the shadows, two butterfly friends shared their daily adventures. Emerald, whose wings sparkled like dew on fresh leaves, was always ready to chase after the next exciting thing. Azure, whose wings shimmered like a summer sky, was thoughtful and careful, and always checked the wind before taking flight. Every morning they greeted each other with their special saying: “Shine bright, fly light!” And then they spent the whole day exploring their wonderful world together. ...
Catherine was a farm girl who was cheerful, kind, and just a tiny bit silly. She always believed that things would sort themselves out if she just waited long enough. Unfortunately, things usually did not. One bright morning, Catherine was taking a big basket of cheeses to the market. She whistled a happy tune and thought proudly, “Oh, these cheeses will sell so fast today, I’ll be home in time for lunch!” ...
Once upon a time, on a warm late-summer afternoon, a sly old wolf named Wilbert was trotting along a dusty country road. His belly was letting out a long, low rumble — grumble, gurgle, roar! Wilbert was very hungry indeed, and he was on the hunt for a good meal. As he came round a bend in the road, he found a high wooden fence. And on the other side of that fence lay a grand, shimmering field of golden oats, the stalks swaying gently in the breeze, heavy with ripe crunchy grain. ...
Retold from Oscar Wilde’s “The Remarkable Rocket.” Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, the royal family was preparing for a big celebration. The Prince was getting married, and everyone was excited! There were decorations, dancing, feasts, and a spectacular firework show planned for the end of the night. Among all the fireworks was one very tall and shiny rocket. But this rocket wasn’t like the others. He was very proud and thought he was the most important firework of them all. ...
Once there was a king who had a beautiful garden, and in that garden grew a tree that bore golden apples. The apples were counted every day, and as soon as they began to ripen, the king noticed that every night one of them went missing. The king was very angry indeed, and he ordered the gardener to keep watch all night beneath the tree. The gardener sent his eldest son to do the watching. But at midnight the young man fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. So the second son was sent. He too fell asleep at midnight, and another apple disappeared. ...
Once upon a time, in a kingdom filled with forests and mountains, there lived a brave knight. He was famous for fighting dragons. He had already defeated dragons with two heads, three heads, and even seven heads! One sunny morning, as he rode through a thick, dark forest, the knight suddenly heard a strange noise. Hiss! Roar! Grumble! Cough! He pulled on his horse’s reins and peered through the trees. To his amazement, out stomped the biggest dragon he had ever seen. And not just big: this dragon had one hundred long necks! At the end of each neck, a head snapped, hissed, or sneezed fire. ...
Long ago, in a rich and prosperous village, everyone owned a real calf, except for one very poor man. He wanted one more than anything, so he decided to make a calf of his own. With his own hands and a good piece of wood, he carved a perfect calf, from its tiny tail to its head. He even carved a small hole for a tail, so he could put a real one in later. ...
A long time ago, in a land filled with tall trees and blue mountains, there lived a dinosaur named Charlie. Charlie was kind and gentle, always helping others and sharing his snacks. But Charlie had a very long neck, so long, in fact, that birds sometimes perched on it thinking it was a tree branch! Although Charlie was good and well-behaved, his long neck made him sad. His dinosaur friends would sometimes laugh and say, “Hey Charlie! How’s the weather up there?” or “Careful! You might poke the clouds!” Even though they meant it as a joke, Charlie would smile on the outside but feel hurt deep inside. ...
Once upon a time, high above the clouds, there lived a magnificent eagle named Aquila. Aquila was the undisputed king of the sky. His wings were as wide as a doorway, his talons were as sharp as steel, and his eyes could pick out a field mouse moving in the grass from miles and miles away. Every afternoon, Aquila flew to the highest, sharpest cliff in the valley. He would settle upon his rocky throne, puff out his chest, and survey the wide and beautiful land below with keen and lordly eyes. ...