Stories
A
Alberto's new neighbours
Alberto took one look at his new neighbours and knew that his life was going to get more difficult. He watched them arrive in their big, noisy car and watched them get out. There they were, two of them, as big and as noisy as their car, and smelly and stupid as well.
Ali goes to university
Ali can't wait to leave his home and his home town and go off to university. But during his first year he learns some valuable lessons of life.
A perfectly fair business deal
Hobbes-Smith collects antique musical instruments. At a music festival in Italy, he sees a valuable violin which he wants to add to his collection. Is the owner prepared to sell it? Read this story and find out.
B
Beginner's Luck
When James Milner lands a job in his uncle's bank he rides his luck for a while and even a huge earns himself a huge bottle of vintage champagne for one transaction. But how long can his luck last?
The Birth of a Star
Henry is an astronomer. He is very excited because he thinks he might have discovered the beginning of a new star. But then he gets even more exciting news ... he's going to be a father!
The Broken Mirror, The Black Cat, and Lots of Good Luck
Nikos was an ordinary man. One thing that he absolutely did not believe in was superstition. But when so many things that are meant to cause bad luck started bringing him good luck he began to wonder ...
C
The Christmas The Lights Went Out
Five people, whose lives interrelate, live the build up to Christmas in different ways in different places. A sudden blackout changes their lives forever ...
The Comeback
When the once-great opera singer Fausto Ruiz returns to the place where he was born, things do not work out as he had expected ...
Coming Back Up
So we’re driving along, a road in the middle of nowhere, a few trees now and then on each side of the road, mountains in the distance, there hasn’t been a town for ages and then you see this sign, not really a proper sign at all, just a piece of card with some words scribbled on it: “Bungee Jumping, 5km”
D
The Dinosaur in Jake’s Garage
When Jake finds a dinosaur in his garage, nobody believes him. But when he finally brings it out to show them, the result is not what he expected either ...
E
Elephants, bananas and Aunty Ethel
I looked at my watch and saw that it was going backwards. “That’s ok” I was thinking. “If my watch is going backwards, then it means that it’s early, and not late, so I’m not late for work at all…” and then I woke up. Again.
Ex-Famous
Every time Joe Mangold went into his local shop or local café or walked down his street, he looked at other people carefully. He wanted to see if people were looking at him. He wanted to see if anyone recognised him.
F
The Fix
The four judges have been sitting in a small room in the Milton Hotel in London for three hours now. They must agree on who will win the four awards in the important Global Music Awards. But there is a problem. A big problem. The judges have not yet agreed on one single thing. They must all agree on each winner. If they can’t all agree, then the award will not be given – nobody will win.
G
A Game of Go
Two people sit down opposite each other to play a game. Between them is a large wooden board. One of the players is an old man. He is now 89 years old. He has spent all of his life playing this game, which is called Go. The other person is a young woman. The young woman has only been playing Go for three years.
The Gods and the Human Resources Department
Zeus was having a bad day. “It’s just not fair!” he shouted. The Deputy Human Resources Manager for the Myths, Legends and Folktales sections (Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, India, Asia and Americas) had just told Zeus that the Myths and Legends Departments were going to be merged.
The Golden boys
A bored teenager cannot take any more of the golden boys after twelve years of humiliation on holidays.
Got any goss?
Corinne is a new girl in town. She soon becomes friends with Alicia and Alicia’s boyfriend, Anto. But Anto seems to be more interested in Corinne than Alicia. What can Corinne do? Read this story and help Corinne decide!
The Great Leonino and Ringo the Clown
The rivalry and jealousy between two circus performers makes one of them plot against the other. However, his plan goes terribly wrong.
H
The Hunting Bird
Samir’s grandfather told him that once, a long time ago, the bird had been a famous hunting bird. But now it looked old and tired and it seemed it couldn't fly. But could it?
I
In my father's footsteps
Today was a pilgrimage. Today – for Andy – was a day like going to Rome, or sick people to Lourdes, or the people walking to Santiago de Compostela, or even Mecca. But Andy is a different type of pilgrim ...
The Interesting Most Boring Man in the World
People often said that Thierry Boyle was the most boring man in the world. He didn’t know why people thought he was so boring. Thierry thought he was quite interesting. But he was unhappy because people thought he was boring. He wanted people to think that he was a very interesting person. Thierry thought about how to make himself more interesting. He decided that he needed to be famous for something.
The Invention of Nothing
I will be forgotten by history. Perhaps that was because I invented something. I invented nothing.
K
King of the Pumpkins
A young boy and his cat go in search of the King of the Pumpkins, to try and find out what - if anything - is true about his mother's stories.
The Kitemaker
When the people of Jaizhar decided to hold a kite flying competition, Mehfooz and the kitemaker made the most wonderful kite anyone had ever seen. They were sure to win ... or were they?
L
Look what the cats dug up!
An old woman lives with her many cats in a lovely little garden full of orange trees. They the developers come along, planning to build a new road. All of the neighbours are worried, but the cats have other ideas ...
M
The Middlesbury Star
Middlesbury was a town that was as boring as its name. That’s what Joe thought, anyway, and he had lived there for 12 years, all of his life in fact, so he was an expert on Middlesbury. And it was boring. The place was so boring that it didn’t even have its own newspaper, said Joe.
Mr Smith's new nose
It is the 22nd century and the world is very different. With new technologies, people can have the bodies that they want. Read this story and see what happens when Mr. Smith decides to change his body.
N
Not a drop to drink
The Romans tried to bring water to the desert 2000 years ago. A Portuguese explorer tried the same thing in 1777. Will the narrator of this story, with the use of modern technology, succeed where the others failed?
O
On the catwalk
Carrie Brown is a famous model. Cameras follow her wherever she goes. Now she's in jail - and the photographers are waiting outside. Find out why in this story.
P
Playing God
In a future world where genetic manipulation and DNA modification is prohibited, there are still people who are prepared to risk jail sentences to get what they want. And doctors prepared to play God ...
The Polar Bear's Dinner
So, I’m a polar bear, right? Got that? A polar bear. Not one of those brown bears that live in forests and on mountains. One of those big white ones, you know, surely. Where do I live? On an iceberg of course, not that far from the North Pole. We never go too near the North Pole though, it’s much too cold up there.
Promotion
Don Jenkins works for an international telecommunications company. He wants to be promoted and is hopeful when he is suddenly chosen to go to an important conference in Paris. But he soon finds that things aren’t what they seem, and he gradually becomes involved in a web of intrigue. What is really happening to the company? You’ll find out in this story.
R
River
The river is never what it seems. The river changes. And so, of course, do people - especially after an experience on the river one day ...
S
Scarlett
Scarlett is twelve years old and is trying to understand the world around her. She asks questions about everything, all the time. She also says that she already knows five languages. Find out how …
The Secret Motorcycle
Giacomo de Filippo has a secret motorcycle ... or so he thinks! Sometimes you think that you are the main actor in your life, but then you find out that you are only a minor character in someone else’s ...
A Serious Case
I have a friend who is afraid of spiders. This isn’t very unusual; a lot of people are afraid of spiders. I don’t really like spiders much myself. But my friend isn’t afraid of spiders in any normal way. She isn’t just afraid of spiders, she is totally, completely and utterly terrified of them.
The Skier
Afel was twelve years old when he saw them. “What are those?” he asked his uncle excitedly. “Skis,” replied his uncle, “And those people are called skiers.” Afel was in love. Here was the snow, and here were people who were flying across the snow. It was just like one of his dreams. It was perfect. At that moment, he decided. He wanted to be a skier.
A Small Family Business
“One last job”, thought Jack Robino. “One last job, then I’ll finally retire.” Jack knew that it was time to give up working and go and collect his pension like other people of his age. But would his last job work out?
T
The Three Tree Thieves
Terry had a problem. There was a big tree blocking his view. So he got two friends to help him get rid of it. Would they manage to do that and get away with it?
Tommaso Argento in London
It is sixteenth century Britain. Tommaso Argento has been sent to study commerce in Oxford. However, Tommaso has discovered the joys of poetry and dreams of becoming a poet. His father has now asked him to return to Italy to continue with the family business. Will Tommaso return and honour his father? Or will he stay in London to pursue his dream? Read this story and find out!
Two Peas in a Pod
Edie and Evie are identical twins. Identical in appearance, but their personalities are not at all identical. Things get very weird when one of them pretends to be the other ...
U
The Untied Nations
It was the house at the end of the street; the one where nobody wanted to live. Seeing as people from the city didn’t want to live there, the landlord asked people from other countries to live there. At first everything went well, but then the neighbours began falling out. Fortunately, one of them had an idea
V
A Visitor to The Star
Anna Winter pulled on her Gucci sunglasses and sprayed herself with the extra-strength mosquito repellent she had bought in the airport. Anna thought her job was very difficult, and she told everybody about this. How could she be a front-line, award-winning, adventurous journalist if she had to stay in bad hotels and eat bad food?
W
Where Home Is
This poignant story is about refugees in a place where they don't belong. They spend time listening to sad, sad songs and wondering if they will ever go home.