A dying king is told that his only hope for a cure is a magical feather from an ogre known to kill any human it sees. When no one else volunteers to face the creature, one of his most loyal attendants steps forward. The story from here shares elements found in several other European and Eastern folktales: during the journey, he encounters people who request him to ask the ogre for solutions to problems they have been experiencing. Two of the solutions will change his and the ogre’s life. Themes include good vs. evil, loyalty, helping others, courage and bravery. More…
A Jury of Her Peers
The three dominant themes of this story by Susan Glaspell are feminism (gender roles), deception and justice. Men investigating a farmer’s murder bring two of their wives to the scene of the crime (his farmhouse) to collect clothing, etc. for the suspect (the farmer’s wife) while in jail. Ironically, although the men mock the women’s ability to contribute to the investigation, the wives find evidence that would convict the suspect. They then face a moral dilemma. A jury of men would not understand the suspect’s suffering. Would justice be served by proving her guilt? More…
The Green Door
This story by William Porter (aka O. Henry), provides a mix of adventure, mystery, romance and humor. By day, Rudolf Steiner lives a normal life working in a piano store. By night, he walks the streets looking for adventure. One night, adventure calls in an unusual way. A man is standing outside a building distributing cards promoting an upstairs dentist’s office. The card he hands to Rudolf contains the words: “The Green Door”. Rudolf goes inside and knocks on the only green door he can find. This leads to a series of events that could change his life forever. More…
Miss Awful
Arthur Cavanaugh’s Miss Awful is about how a sensitive third-grader (Roger) deals with a substitute school teacher who is the direct opposite of his regular one. While the regular teacher is flexible and empowers the children in her class, the substitute (who Roger nicknames Miss Awful) is an ‘old-style’ strict disciplinarian. The change affects Roger so much that he begins to show signs of depression. His fellow students are also unhappy, and the children decide to play a cruel joke on Miss Awful. As the joke plays out some of them, including Roger, realize they may have seriously misjudged her. More…
A Handful of Dates
This story by Sudanese author Tayeb Salih is about a young boy’s relationship with his grandfather. They were initially very close, and the boy idolized the old man. In a “coming of age” event, the boy realizes that his grandfather has become rich and powerful by taking advantage of the misfortune of others. The boy feels especially bad for a neighbor who has lost most of his land to his grandfather. His grandfather is determined to own the rest of the land, and is part of a group of moneylenders who take away most of the neighbor’s annual date harvest. More…