Short Story by Albert Camus. A policeman orders a teacher from a remote Algerian school to escort an alleged murderer to the nearest city. The teacher knows that whatever decision he makes (to follow the order or set the man free) will have unpleasant, and possibly deadly, consequences.
Short Story by Kamala Das. An Indian woman tells a fellow beggar how her husband, a lazy drunkard, lost a secure job and caused them to be evicted from their hut. The listener brings her to tears by poetically providing encouragement and comparing her to the goddess Lakshmi.
Novelette by Isaac Asimov. A world with eternal sun is suddenly plunged into total darkness and utter madness. In preparation for the potential end of their civilization, a group of forward-thinking scientists have created a safe place to store their world’s accumulated knowledge and hide a select group of “survivors”.
Short Story by Saki. A scientist attending an upper-class house-party amazes fellow guests by teaching Tobermory, the family house-cat, to speak perfect English. However, their wonder soon turns to anger at some household secrets Tobermory begins to share. This seals Tobermory’s fate. He knows too much and must be silenced!
Quick Read by Guy de Maupassant. A ‘saintly’ dead woman has been hiding something from her family for most of her life. The son, a sanctimonious magistrate, judges her harshly. The daughter, who has devoted herself to the Church, says nothing but may harbor a secret of her own.