Author: Ariel Goodbody
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The Beetle and the Boy Chapter 1
I had always been good at hiding. In a crowd, a corner, or even just against the walls: I was always difficult to find. It caused my parents all kinds of trouble. When I was a baby and my cries filled the house, they ran from room to room, unable to find me. When I…
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The Rabbit and the Tortoise
One day, Steady was talking to Crush the lion and Gentle the mouse. The lion and the mouse were great friends now. ‘We must do something about Speedy,’ said Gentle. ‘He thinks he is the best in all the forest. He is unkind to you, and all the other animals.’ ‘Yes,’ said Crush. ‘He always…
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The Lion and the Mouse
There was one lion who lived in the Great Forest. The lion was called Crush. Everyone was scared of Crush the lion. Gentle looked up. Of all animals to meet, he saw Crush was in front of him. He was lying a few metres ahead. But the lion was sleeping.
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The North Wind and the Sun
The North Wind moved down to the man. She blew very, very hard. The blowing of the wind made a loud sound, whoosh whoosh. The trees began to move. They moved very, very quickly. The birds that were on the trees began to fall off.
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One Night in a Vampire’s House
‘I guess it could’ve been a coven of v-vampires. But do you think this place is really…?’ ‘Poorly looked after? It appears to be. Suppose we go to the kitchen and try to find some food?’ He began hopping towards the door, but then there was a strong gust of wind and it slammed loudly,…
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The Mature, Elegant Woman
Behind the letters, there were pictures of people laughing. They looked young and happy. Their faces were soft. They didn’t have any grey hairs. Their teeth were perfectly white. Silna hated them. She felt sick from hating them so much. As she walked to work, she kept thinking about those laughing faces. She carried the…
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The Monk’s Nose
Once upon a time, in old Japan, there was a Buddhist monk named Zenchi. Zenchi was well-known at the temple where he lived because of his nose. It was about five or six inches long, and it hung down his face, from his upper lip to the bottom of his chin. It was fat at…
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The Hair Thief
It was a cold, wet evening in Kyoto. The servant of a samurai stood under Rashoumon, a big gate. It was raining a lot, and he was waiting for the rain to stop.
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The Spider’s Thread
One time, Kandata was walking through a thick forest. He was going to steal from a man who lived in the forest. As he was walking, he saw a spider beside him. Kandata raised his foot, and was about to stand on the spider and kill it, but then he stopped. ‘No, no. Even something…
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The Deepest Love
The easiest victims were the businessmen and marketers. They had built up a wealthy, comfortable life with numbers and deals, and no longer needed to keep the old superstitions and gods alive, those backwater things. So when the monstrous gentleman and his assistant visited their huge buildings and smoky caves, they hardly noticed that something…