Short Story by K. A. Abbas. An embittered Indian man is left alone in the world after his constant ill-treatment of his wife and sons drives them from his home. In his misery, he finds solace and redemption through a family of sparrows nesting in the roof of his hut.
Grade 3-4 Story by Shel Silverstein. A boy is friends with a tree and re-visits it throughout his life. The tree keeps on giving to the boy until it has nothing left to give. The boy does not give anything back to the tree or even say thank you.
Quick Read by Khushwant Singh. A moving tribute to the author’s grandmother. He recalls their close friendship during his early schooling, the “turning point” when they moved to live with his parents in the city, and their growing estrangement as Western influences and higher education demands came between them.
English Folktale. A young man works for a year and earns a magic donkey. An innkeeper tricks him out of it, so he works for another year and earns a magic table. The same innkeeper tricks him out of this. For his next job, the boy earns a magic stick.
Short Story by Premchand. An Indian farmer, forced to pay his debts with money he had saved to buy a blanket, watches over his crops one night in freezing temperatures. Although he manages to survive the night, his crops do not. His wife is devastated, but he is happy.