Author: Ariel Goodbody
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The Beetle and the Boy Chapter 2
Little Mike was my first ever pet. My parents had always said I was too careless for one, but I looked after my stag beetle like he was the most important thing in the world. Once a week, Big Mike came round to visit Little Mike. ‘I think he’s growing bigger,’ he would say. ‘Soon he’ll be as big as you.’
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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 didn’t cry, it was even worse. The first few years of my life were awful for them. They spent half…
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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 calls me slow and stupid!’ Steady thought for a while, and then spoke. ‘I have an idea. I will challenge…
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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, putting out two lights with it. Pelha screamed. ‘Oh well, I suppose a vampire’s kitchen would be empty.’
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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 hate on her back, and it got bigger and bigger.
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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 the top and fat at the bottom, and looked like a long sausage, which hung off his face and swung…
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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 this small has a reason to live. It would be truly evil to take its life away.’