The Cherry Tree

The Cherry Tree: Short story by Ruskin BondThe Cherry Tree from Ruskin Bond contrasts the enduring cycles of nature with the changing world of man. An allegory of parenthood in which a young boy plants a cherry seed and watches as it grows into a tree. He nurtures and protects the tree and, once it is grown, asks: What’s so special about this tree? When his grandfather answers that it’s because they planted it themselves, he responds with pride: is this what it feels to be God? Themes: the beauty and bounty of nature, change, growth, responsibility, caring, achievement, pride.

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The Nightingale

The Nightingale: Children's story by H. C. AndersenIn this story by Hans Christian Andersen, a nightingale living near the palace of the Chinese Emperor sings so beautifully that it becomes famous all over the world. The Emperor loves the nightingale’s song so much that he makes a home for it in the palace. One day the Japanese Emperor sends him a mechanical bird covered in jewels that can sing as well as the nightingale. He replaces the live bird with the mechanical one, and does not come to appreciate the love of the real nightingale until close to death. Themes: artificial vs. natural beauty, friendship, betrayal, loyalty.

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The Nightingale and the Rose

The Nightingale and the Rose: Short story by Oscar WildeThe major themes of this Oscar Wilde story are sacrifice and the nature of love. A nightingale sacrifices its life in exchange for a red rose to help a love-smitten student. The story contrasts the selfless, unconditional love of the nightingale, the student’s naïve infatuation with a fickle girl, and her materialistic love of another. The student, who only knows things that are written down in books, not only laments that the nightingale’s song doesn’t do any practical good but, angry about being rejected, dismisses love as quite unpractical. Other themes include compassion, naivety, materialism, and intellectualism vs. aesthetic appreciation.

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Festival of Eid / Idgah

Festival of Eid / Idgah: Short story by PremchandIn this well-known Indian children’s story from Premchand, a young orphan foregoes the pleasures enjoyed by friends at a festival to buy a pair of tongs to prevent his poverty-stricken grandmother from burning her hands when cooking. The most obvious themes are related to the boy: poverty, innocence, hope, love, selflessness, temptation and willpower. However, at around 5,000 words, the story also highlights several additional issues. The boy’s friends display materialism and greed, while other themes include religious devotion, superstition (Jinns), village vs. city life and, through the fate of the dolls, the fall of British colonialism.

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The Stone

The Stone: Short story by Lloyd AlexanderThis story from Lloyd Alexander is about Maibon, a poor farmer who is worried about growing old. His troubles begin when he rescues one of the “fair-folk” from under a log and demands one of their famous “un-aging stones” as a reward. As often happens to those who try magic to defy nature, things start to go wrong. Maibon tries several times to throw the stone away. When it keeps reappearing, he has no choice but to return it. Maibon’s life goes back to normal and he learns that aging gracefully with one’s family can be a good thing.

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The Scholarship Jacket

The Scholarship Jacket: Short story by Marta SalinasThis story by Marta Salinas is about prejudice, privilege and hope. Martha is 14 and about to enter High-School. Her parents are very poor, so she lives with her grandparents. Marta gets top grades, and wants nothing more than for this to be recognized by winning the Grade 8 Scholarship Jacket. She is devastated when she hears two teachers arguing about whether the jacket should go instead to a lesser student whose father is on the School Board. When Martha explains the problem to her grandfather, his answer proves that you don’t need a formal education to acquire great wisdom.

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Eleven

Eleven: Short story by Sandra CisnerosThis children’s story by Sandra Cisneros was initially rejected because the publisher thought the themes were too deep for children. It has since become one of the most widely taught stories in Elementary Schools. A misunderstanding at school over an ugly red sweater spoils a girl’s eleventh birthday. Her teacher is convinced the sweater is the girl’s and demands that she put in on. The girl does so but then breaks down in tears, embarrassing herself in front of the class. This is a “coming of age” story that deals with the difficult concepts of vanity and timidity.

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What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything?

What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything?: Short story by Edward Wortis (aka Avi)The major theme of this story from Edward Wortis (aka Avi) is closed-mindedness. A struggling single mother still treats her sixth-grader son, Willie, as a young child. She is so preoccupied with her troubles that she doesn’t realize he is now an adolescent. Through prejudice, she shuns a beggar on the street. When Willie asks how to cure the beggar’s unhappiness, her answer is money. The beggar’s answer is cryptic: “What a person needs is always more than they (other people) say.” By this, he means everyone’s situation is different; we need to “open our eyes” to understand their needs.

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