FEAR OF GOD Once there were two brothers who were very naughty. Always they were up to some mischief. One day, their mother asked a priest to talk to her sons and put the fear of god in them so that they would mend their ways. The priest asked her to send her sons to him one by one. Firstly, the younger brother went to the priest and sat by his side. The priest asked him in a commanding voice, Where is God? The boy didn't react. When the priest asked again, the boy ran to his elder brother and said, Do you know God is missing and everybody thinks that we are responsible for this.

Written by Guy de Maupassant With the first day of spring, when the awakening earth puts on its garment of green, and the warm, fragrant air fans our faces and fills our lungs and appears even to penetrate to our hearts, we experience a vague, undefined longing for freedom, for happiness, a desire to run, to wander aimlessly, to breathe in the spring. The previous winter having been unusually severe, this spring feeling was like a form of intoxication in May, as if there were an overabundant supply of sap. One morning on waking I saw from my window the blue sky glowing in the sun above t ... read more

Once upon a time, in a village far away, there lived six blind men. One day the villagers were very excited, and when they asked what was happening they told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today!" They had no idea what an elephant was, and so they decided, "Even though we will not be able to see it, we can feel it. Let's go." So, they all went to where the elephant was, and each of them touched it: "Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man, touching its leg. "Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man, who was touching the tail. "Oh, no! it is ... read more

KEEPING THE DOCTOR AWAY Once there were two sisters named Annie and Jenny. One day they were cycling. Suddenly, Annie lost her balance and fell down and started crying. Jenny helped her in getting up and took her home. At home, their mother bandaged her and asked their father to take Annie to a doctor for a tetanus injection. On hearing the name of injection, Annie immediately went to the kitchen and took out an apple from the refrigerator. Just then Jenny came into the kitchen and asked Annie whether she was scared of injection. At this Annie replied, Yes, I am afraid of injection. That' ... read more

Akram was sitting under a tree in the pasture near to the camps. He was counting the stars, which looked like diamonds twinkling in the darkness. Every night, Akram enjoyed making different shapes out of them: As a child, one of his favourite pastimes had been to sit outside at night with his grandfather, where together they enjoyed describing the different shapes that each constellation made. These memories were now the essence of his life, and it was one reason he liked this area of pastureland so much; it provided the perfect gateway to those precious childhood memories. He was a shepher ... read more