Riza was a grocer in a small town in Persia. He worked very hard, but earned only enough to feed his family. Riza wasn’t happy. He wanted to earn more. He wanted to be wealthy. There also lived a rich landlord in Persia. Kind, the landlord wished to share his wealth with someone who needed…
Sasha was sitting underneath the basket on the court next to her home. She had not been able to make a basket the whole evening. She was sad and disappointed. “Why can I not do it? Not even once? How can everyone else do it?” she kept beating herself up, although it was the first…
In the middle of a thick forest, there was a vast pond. Deer and lions, elephants and leopards, bears and giraffes, all lived in the forest in harmony, all relying on the pond for water. All animals went to the pond to quench their thirst once every day. There was an unwritten rule about the…
It was a warm Sunday. The month was January. Hannah found a bird lying in their backyard. The little sparrow had broken her wing. As Hannah approached, the bird struggled hard to get away from whatever harm could come from the 5-year-old. Hannah gently picked up the bird, and went to her mother. “Look, Mommy,…
A herd of sheep lived in a forest. There were all kinds of sheep in the herd: fat and lean; young and old; white and grey. And there were sheep with horns as well. There also lived a pack of wolves adjacent to where the sheep lived. The sheep were easy prey for the wolves,…
The sun had stopped shining over the lake. The summer was over, winter about to begin, to freeze everything that black ducks called home. It was time for the birds to migrate to warmer regions to spend their winter. The entire colony of the birds was getting ready to begin their long flight. While the…
It was very cold one Wednesday morning in December. An old man in rags was sitting idle outside a town school. The sky was overcast, as if just minutes from snowing. The old man was frail, his hands trembling, his wrinkled cheeks red. Young students, in neat and warm school uniforms, were coming in, all…
Deep in the Himalayas, there was a small village, an abode to people who were unknown to trickery and wars. They were artists and artisans, who hadn’t seen much of the outside world. A wicked thief came to the village once, and, sensing the villagers’ lack of knowledge, spread a lie: “A monster that destroyed…
A brown mouse was sitting quietly in a corner of a bus stop. The mouse was sad. There also lived an eagle on the roof of the bus stop, and she was always looking out for prey. The mice were her favourite. The eagle spotted the mouse, but the rush of the people around didn’t…
It was only October, but the weather was freezing cold in Varmaska. The houses along the narrow street leading to the city centre were deserted. A few hundred people inhabiting Varmaska had locked themselves inside their homes. It was very cold for the birds as well, who were not prepared for the early winter. “What…
