Featured Stories

Dragon, Dragon

Dragon, Dragon: Short story by John GardnerThe central theme of this humorous story by John Gardner is to respect the views of one’s elders. A dragon ravages a medieval kingdom with some modern touches (clocks, novels, cars and cigars). When the king’s knights and wizard prove ineffective, he calls a town meeting to ask for ideas, promising his daughter’s hand and half his kingdom to anyone who can slay the dragon. After the two older sons of a wise cobbler ignore their father’s advice and fail, their nervous younger son heeds his words and succeeds. Other themes include social class, honor, and courage (overcoming one’s fears).

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Farewell to a Ghost

Farewell to a Ghost: Short story by Manoj DasAlthough one of the main characters is a ghost, this story by Manoj Das is not a horror story. An unfortunate ghost in a deserted villa has become an integral part of life in an Indian village. The government plans to demolish the villa to pay its taxes, and the villagers must try to relocate the ghost so that it doesn’t try to resettle in someone’s house. Themes include coming of age, the important role of superstition in traditional village culture, and the impact of modern ideas in changing traditional values and beliefs.

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The Jade Bracelet

The Jade Bracelet: Short story by Mary Frances ChongThe jade bracelet in this story by Mary Frances Chong represents the strong bond between a young Malaysian girl and her dying grandmother. The girl’s mother has devoted herself to caring for her mother in her final years and, when the end is near, moves her to a Buddhist cave temple for prayers and cremation. The grandmother’s wish was for the girl to have her bracelet. Unfortunately, her mother’s insistence on following Chinese hereditary practice causes her to disrespect this wish and give it to her irresponsible brother. Themes include love, care and respect for the aged, tradition, “face”.

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Fairy Ointment

Fairy Ointment: English folktale from Joseph JacobsIn this folktale, a strange looking little old man asks a nurse to come to his house to help his sick wife look after their baby boy. The man’s wife gives the nurse some ointment to put on the baby’s eyes. Being curious, the nurse puts some of it on one of her own eyes. The family seemed normal enough up to this point. However, the ointment helps her to learn their secret. The nurse pays a heavy price for her actions when the old man finds out what she has done.

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Parallel Universes

Parallel Universes: Short story by Gary SotoThe title of this Etgar Keret story describes his writing, which takes readers on humorous, often shocking journeys to worlds so absurd they could only exist outside our own. Keret developed a special interest in parallel universe theory when told that thinking about them helped his father get through the privations of Jewish persecution in World War 2 Europe. Although Parallel Universes fits the Keret mould in terms of the absurd contrasts between the described worlds, it is also a poignant love story that ends: I enjoy knowing there’s one place … where I’m falling asleep happy.

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Crossing the Zbrucz / My First Goose / Salt

Red Cavalry: Short stories by Isaac BabelToday we have three stories (Crossing the Zbrucz, My First Goose and Salt) from Red Cavalry, a collection of edited entries from the war diary of Russian author Isaac Babel. The stories reflect his time as a journalist / propagandist attached to the First Cavalry unit of the Red Army during the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. These are not typical war stories involving great battles and inspiring heroes. Instead, the book provides a graphic insight into the human impact of the war on those fighting it, as well as the casualties and brutalities inflicted by both sides on innocent civilians.

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When Darkness Falls

When Darkness Falls: Short story by Ruskin BondOne of Ruskin Bond’s strengths is his ability to portray characters that are so life-like readers can empathize with them. So it is with this tragic story of man so frightfully disfigured by war that he is afraid to leave his room by day, and confines himself to creeping phantom-like around an aging hotel by night. His loves in life are his books and music. The message of the story: before turning away from a grossly disfigured or disabled person, stop to consider the feelings of the human being within. Themes include appearance, fear, despair, the healing power of music.

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The Necessary Grace to Fall

The Necessary Grace to Fall: Short story by Gina OchsnerIn this story by Gina Ochsner, an investigative assistant in the claims department of a life insurance company finds himself bored by both the routine of the job and his marriage. He compensates by taking a morbid interest in the unusual causes of death he encounters, and becomes obsessed with learning more about a woman from his childhood neighborhood who jumped/fell from a bridge. While sitting on a ledge of the same bridge trying to imagine her motivation and feelings, he has an epiphany that may change his life. Themes include alienation, guilt, death, suicide, obsession, redemption, hope.

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