English story for kids_learn through stories

English story for kids_learn through stories

1.      Reading funny stories is a great way to improve your vocabulary. 2.      Learning english through funny stories & improve your english with english funny stories 3.     1.The ugly duckling Once upon a time there was a little mother duck. She was excited. Her five eggs were finally going to hatch. She watched and counted as one by one the eggs hatched. "One duckling, two ducklings, three, four, five ducklings", she said happily.  Suddenly she noticed that there was one more egg.  It was bigger and whiter than the rest.  "This cannot be my egg", she thought. Slowly the big egg began to crack and the strange looking duckling came up.  Mother duck was surprised. The younger duckling was great and bigger than the rest. "How ugly the little one is", she thought.  As the day went by, the ducklings began to grow, but the younger duckling looked different from the rest. Everybody looked at him and said, "There goes the ugly duckling".  His brothers, sisters teased him all the time.  The ugly duckling felt very bad.  Whenever people laughed at him, he used to run away and hide behind the reeds near the lake.  "Nobody loves me", he thought.  One day, the duckling decided to run away from home.  He swam and swam, and on his way he had many adventures.  2.Cinderella Once upon a time there lived a sweet little girl called Ella. Her mother had died when she was a child.  And soon her father too died.  She lived with her mean stepmother and her two proud step-sisters. They made Ella do all the housework.  "Clean the chimneys! Dust the cupboards!" "And my clothes!" they cried. The young girl was always covered in soot and dust. Hence, she was called Cinderella.  One day the Prince invited all the girls in the kingdom for a Ball in the castle. Everyone including the two step-sisters were very excited. Cinderella too wanted to go to the Ball but her sisters laughed at her.  "Stay at home and scrub the floors!", screamed her stepmother.  The day of the Ball finally came.  Her stepmother and step-sisters left Cinderella alone at home.  She was so disappointed that she began to cry.  Suddenly, she saw a shimmering light in the room.  A woman with the kind smile and a wand stood in front of her. "Who are you?" as Cinderella surprised.  The woman replied, " I'm your fairy godmother. I'll help you go to the Ball.  Now, do stop crying!"  "But I have nothing to wear" sobbed Cinderella,  I can't go to the Ball." 3.The Elves and the Shoemaker Once upon a time in a village far away, there was a shoemaker and his wife. The shoemaker worked very hard but there was never enough money.  At last, one night, they had no food for their supper. "All I have is enough leather to make one pair of shoes," he said to his wife.  He cut out the leather and placed it on the table.  "I will make them in the morning," he said.  And they went to bed hungry. In the morning, to his surprise, the leather had been made into a beautiful pair of shoes.  Just then, a customer came in.  "I have never seen such beautiful shoes!" she said.  She gave the shoemaker three gold coins for them. With the money, the shoemaker’s wife bought food and made a delicious dinner. The shoemaker bought more leather.  That night, he cut the leather for two pairs of shoes.  In the morning, there were two pairs of shoes on the table! Soon, two customers came in and bought the shoes.  They each paid him well.  So the shoemaker bought leather enough for three pairs more.  He cut out the work again that night, and found it finished in the morning.  And so it went on for some time.  Whatever he got ready at night was always done by the morning, and the good man soon was rich. One evening, at Christmas time, he said to his wife, "Tonight let’s sit up and watch, to see who it is that comes and does my work for me."  So they hid themselves behind the curtain to see what would happen.  As soon as the clock struck midnight, in came two little elves.  They sat on the shoemaker’s bench and went to work.  They stitched and rapped and hammered tapped at such a rate that the shoemaker was amazed, and could not take his eyes off them for a moment.  On they went until the job was done, and the shoes stood ready on the table.  Then they ran away as quick as lightning. The next day the shoemaker said, "The elves have helped us. How can we help them?"  "I have an idea," said his wife.  "It's so cold outside, and they have no coats to wear. I will make each of them a coat and a hat. And you can make each of them a little pair of shoes."  And so they did.  That night they put two little hats and two little coats and two little pair of shoes on the table. Then they went and hid behind the curtain to watch what the elves would do. As the clock struck midnight, the elves came in and were going to sit down at their work as usual.  But when they saw the clothes lying there for them, they laugh! They dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and skipped and sprang about as merry as could be. 4.Goldilocks and the Three Bears Once upon a time, there was a little girl with long golden hair that sparkled in the sun. Her name was Goldilocks. Goldilocks lived in a peaceful countryside. And every day, as she went out to play, her mommy would say, "Goldilocks, remember, stay in the meadow and do not wander into the forest as you will get lost!" But although she looked so pretty and well-behaved, Goldilocks was sometime naughty.  One day, when her mommy wasn't looking, she wandered into the forest to explore.  Goldilocks wandered so far into the forest that she found she was quite lost.  She was very frightened and about to cry, until she saw a little wooden cottage.  Goldilocks peeked through the window of the little cottage, but she couldn't see anyone.  She knocked on the door, but no one answered. She gave the door a push, and it crept open.  So, Goldilocks went inside. In the kitchen, there was a lovely fire burning.  And the table was set with three bowls of steaming hot porridge.  It smelled delicious.  So, Goldilocks picked up a spoon and decided to have a little taste.  She tried the biggest bowl first.  "Yapppp!" she said, "this porridge is too salty."  So, she tried the middle bowl.  "Ouch!" she said, "this porridge is too sweet."  Then she tried the little bowl. "Yummy!" she said, "this is just right."  And she ate it all up. After eating the porridge, Goldilocks was feeling quite sleepy.  So, she sat on a big chair by the fire.  "Oh, no!" she said, "this chair is much too high."  So, she sat on the middle chair.  "No, no. This chair was not do either. It is still much too high." she said.  Finally, she sat on the little chair.  But it was too small.  And it broke into pieces. "Oh dear!” said Goldilocks. But she was still sleepy.  So, she decided to go and explore upstairs. 5.The Little Red Hen There once was a farm with a big red barn.  And in that big red barn, there lived many animals, the smallest of which, was a little red hen.  The little red hen may have been little, but she was the most active resident of the farm. When she wasn’t laying eggs, she spent her time clucking and walking about the barn, pecking at the seeds on the ground, or gathering up twigs and hay to make her nest. She kept everything in the barn tidy and clean. One day, while she was pecking at the ground, she discovered some leftover wheat grains that the farmer had left behind. She knew that the wheat could be planted, and then made into delicious fresh bread. So she went to the pigsty, where the pig was eating from a bucket of slop. "Excuse me, cluck cluck, I need someone to help me plant this wheat," said the little red hen. "Oink Oink, Not I," said the pig as he went back to his slop. So the little red hen went outside, and found the cat, who was lying in the sun and playing with a ball of yarn. "Cluck Cluck, will you help me plant this wheat?" said the little red hen. "Meow," said the cat. "Not I. Can’t you see that I’m busy? Meow." The little red hen was frustrated, but she did not give up. She walked all the way out to the pond, where the duck was lazing around in the cool water. "Cluck cluck, will you help me plan this wheat?" said the little red hen. . "Quack, quack, Not I. Maybe I will help you later, when I am finished with my swim," said the duck. "Cluck cluck, then I will do it myself," said the little red hen. So the little red hen went off on her own, out to the field, and found a nice spot to plant the wheat. When she was finished, she went back to the barn to rest. Soon, when the wheat had grown tall and golden yellow, the hen became excited to make bread from it. But first, she had to harvest it. "Who will help me cut the wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," oinked the pig, who was laying in some mud. "Not I," meowed the cat, who was taking a catnap. "Not I," quacked the duck, as he waddled back to the pond. "Cluck Cluck, then I will do it myself," said the little red hen. After she cut the wheat, the little red hen was tired, but she knew that the wheat had to be taken to the mill so it could be ground into flour. "Who will help me mill this wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," oinked the pig. "Not I," meowed the cat. "Not I," quacked the duck. "Cluck cluck, then I will do it myself," said the little red hen. Once the wheat had been ground into flour, the little red hen knew it was time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" she asked, although she already predicted what the answer would be. "Not I," oinked the pig. "Not I," meowed the cat. "Not I," quacked the duck. "Cluck cluck, then I will do it myself," said the little red hen. So she made the flour into a loaf of bread, and put it into the oven. Then, she sat and rested. Soon, as the bread become hot and soft, the air filled with the sweet smell of freshly baked bread. The pig and the cat and the duck all came running into the big red barn. "Who will help me eat this bread?" said the little red hen. "I will!" oinked the pig. "I will!" meowed the cat. "I will!" quacked the duck. "Cluck cluck, well," said the hen, "Did you help me plan the wheat, and did you help me harvest the wheat, and did you help me mill the wheat, and did you help me bake the bread?" The other animals all shook their heads no. "Then I will eat the bread myself," said the little red hen. And she did. 6.Cinderella - Part 2 As she wept, Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared. "Cinderella, why are you crying?" she asked. "You wish to attend the ball, is that not so?" "Y-es," cried Cinderella, between sobs. The fairy godmother smiled and said, "Well, run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin." Cinderella immediately went to get the finest pumpkin she could find. When she brought it, her godmother struck the pumpkin with her wand, instantly turning it into a fine coach, plated with gold and silver. Next, she had Cinderella find some mice and when she brought the furry creatures back the fairy godmother tapped them each with her wand, turning them into six fine horses and a coachman. "Well what do you say?" asked her godmother. "Oh, yes!" cried Cinderella, "but should I go looking like this, in these rags?" Her godmother only touched her with her wand and instantly Cinderella’s rags turned into a dress of while and silver, sparking with jewels. To top of it, fairy godmother gave Cinderella a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world. "The spell only lasts until midnight, so promise you will leave the ball before then," warned the Godmother. Cinderella promised to return before midnight, thanked her again and drove off to the ball. When Cinderella made her entrance, the dancing and music stopped as everyone turned to gazed at her beauty. No one recognized her, she was a complete mystery. The Prince rushed up to greet her, led her to the most honorable seat by his side and later took her out for a dance. Cinderella even made time to approach her step-sisters, who still did not recognize her and shared some of the oranges the prince had presented to her as a gift. The Prince never left her side, and Cinderella was enjoying herself so much that she completely forgot the time! When the clock struck midnight, Cinderella was shocked and fled immediately, leaving one of her glass slippers behind in her haste. The Prince ran to follow her, but only managed to pick up the glass slipper she left behind. Cinderella managed to get home, but was quite out of her breath and in her dirty old clothes. She was resting in bed when her two step-sisters stumbled into her room. "You stayed really late!" cried Cinderella, rubbing her eyes and stretching as if she had been sleeping. "If you had been there you would have seen the most beautiful princess," exclaimed the eldest sister, "she was so nice to us and had the undivided attention of the Prince." "Her background is a mystery and the Prince would give anything to know who she was," said the youngest. A few days later the Prince declared that he would marry the woman whose foot fit in the slipper. His solider began to try the slipper on all the princesses and duchesses in the Court, it was all in vain. Days later, it was brought to the two sisters who tried with all their might to make the slipper fit. Cinderella, who saw this, politely asked to try it. Her sister burst out laughing at the idea, but the Prince ordered that everyone in the kingdom should have a try. When Cinderella’s foot slid perfectly into the slipper, her sisters were astonished. Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared and with the flick of her wand turned Cinderella into the beautiful girl from the ball. The step-sisters dropped to their knees and begged for forgiveness for the awful way they treated her over the years. Cinderella lifted them up and embraced them, saying she forgave them with all her heart. Cinderella was then escorted to the Prince, dressed as beautiful as she was at the ball. A few days later they were married. Cinderella who was no less good than beautiful, gave her two sisters rooms in the palace, and everyone lived happily ever after. 7.The Fisherman and His Wife Once upon a time there was a poor old fisherman who lived with his wife in a little hut on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. One day, the fisherman paddled his tiny boat far out into the water to try and catch some fish. He sat in his boat all day without catching a single fish. As he was about to turn around and head home, he felt a tug on his fishing line. He reeled in his line and –plop- a fish dropped into his boat. "Hey, what’s the big idea?" said the fish. "Holy Mackerel!" the fisherman shouted in surprise, having never seen a talking fish before. "Actually, I’m a magic trout," replied the fish. "Would you please let me go?" Although the fisherman was hungry and hadn’t caught anything else that day, he took pity on the little fish flopping around next to him. He picked the fish up by the tail, swung it around over his head, and tossed it over board. "Thank you!" wailed the fish as it flew through the air and landed with a splash back in the water. That night, the fisherman returned to his little hut and told his wife about what had happened. He expected her to be happy and congratulate him for being a hero, but when he finished the story she only looked mad. "You caught a magic trout?" asked his wife. "Yes." replied the fisherman. "And you let him go, just like that?" "It seemed like the right thing to do." he answered. "But if that fish was magic, you could have asked it for a favor in return for letting it go," she explained. "What could we possibly need? We have each other and we have a roof over our heads. Isn’t that enough?" "Maybe that’s enough for you," she snapped, "but I’m tired of living in this little hut on the sea cliff! Go back and ask the fish if he can give us a nice brick cottage instead." The fisherman didn’t like the idea of going back and asking the fish for a favor, but he did love his wife, so the next day he paddled his tiny boat far out into the water and called out, "Little fish! I did you a favor by letting you go, will you do a favor for me?" The fish swam up to his boat. "What do you need?" asked the fish. "My wife is tired of our little hut on the sea cliff. She wants a nice brick cottage instead." said the fisherman. "Then when you return home, you will have a cottage." said the fish, and swam away. And sure enough, when the fisherman got home he saw that where his little hut once stood there was now a nice brick cottage. The fisherman ran up and hugged his wife and they stood outside and admired it. "Are you happy now?" he asked. "Yes," she replied. And she was… for a while. But after a week, she began to think that their nice brick cottage was a bit too small. She could do better. "We need a castle," she told her husband. "Go back to the fish and ask him for one." "Why do we need it? We have each other and we have a roof over our heads. Isn’t that enough?" "Maybe that’s enough for you," she snapped, "but I’m tired of not living in a castle! Go back to the fish and tell him to magic us one up, pronto!" The fisherman began to worry he was asking the fish for too much, but he did love his wife, so the next day he paddled his tiny boat far out into the water and called out, "Little fish! I did you a favor by letting you go, will you do yet another favor for me?" The fish swam up to his little boat. "What do you need now?" asked the fish. "My wife has had to endure not living in a castle for too long. She is tired of our big house on the sea cliff. She wants a gigantic stone castle instead." said the fisherman. "Then when you return home, you will have a gigantic stone castle." said the fish and swam away. And sure enough, when the fisherman got home he saw that where the nice brick cottage stood there was now a stone castle so huge it nearly touched the sky. The fisherman ran up and hugged his wife again as they stood outside and admired it. But before he could ask is she was happy, they began to feel the ground grumble. The gigantic castle was so heavy that it caused the cliff overlooking the sea to collapse, and it fell down into the sea. The wife fell into a deep despair. "We have nothing now! Nothing! I can’t go back to that after having tasted the good life." "When will you learn that all we need is each other and a simple roof over our heads?" the fisherman asked, picking up the scattered remains of the hut that they had once called home. With a little hard work and determination, the fisherman and his wife were able to set it up again, good as new. Returning to their modest little hut at the edge of the cliff, they lived happily for the rest of their lives. 8.The Rabbit and the Tortoise Once upon a time, there was a rabbit. "Ah…ah… I feel sleepy. I feel very sleepy." Then he hopped down the hill and met some friends, the pig, the goat, and the cow. "Hi! Oink, oink." "Hi! Bleat, bleat." "Hi! Moo, moo." "Good to see you. I’m bored, let’s play together." "Play together?" They met the tortoise. "Hi, tortoise! I am happy to see you." "Hi, rabbit. I am happy to see you, too." "Can you run? Okay, let’s have a race." "Fine." The next day at noon, all the animals came to see the fun. "How are you doing?" "Fine. You know what? Tortoise is almost 100 years old." "Poor tortoise!" "Why don’t we start over here? Let me draw a line." "Okay!" The race was about to start. "Tortoise, are you ready?" "Yes, I am ready." At last the cow called out. "Ready, steady, go!" "I must run fast. I can win. Tortoise is slow. I must run fast." "I must go fast. I can win. I am not slow. I must hurry." The rabbit shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. "Where is the tortoise? Haha, I can’t see him. Haha, I win." Tortoise just crossed the bridge. "Where is the rabbit? I can’t see him. I must hurry. I must hurry. But I am tired." Rabbit was tired, too. Rabbit sat down under the mushroom tree. "Poor guy! Even if I take a nap, he can’t catch up with me. Ah… I feel so sleepy." Tortoise sweated heavily. He walked to the mushroom tree where the rabbit slept. "Oh, rabbit is fast asleep. Sweet dreams, rabbit. I must hurry." Tortoise was almost at the finish line. "Wow, almost at the finish line. I did it. I did it. 10 more steps to go. 10… 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." At last, tortoise won the race. "I am the winner. I came in the first." "You did it, tortoise." "You are the winner." "Congratulations!" "Where is the rabbit? What is he doing?" "I lost. Tortoise won the race." 9.Strangers in the Mirror Once upon a time, there lived a man and his family in a deep forest. One day, the man packed his bags. He was leaving for Seoul. "Honey, please buy me a comb when you go to Seoul." "A comb? What is that?" "It’s  for brushing hair." "What do combs look like?" "I don’t know, I have never seen them before, but people say they look like the moon." "The moon? Okay. I see." The man went to Seoul, but he forgot the word "comb". "What did my wife say? I forgot the name." "It looks like the moon." "Now, I remember. I looks just like the moon." "I’d like to buy something. It looks like the moon." "Oh, the moon. I see." The storekeeper brought up a mirror and gave it to the man. "Oh, it looks just like the moon. Thank you." "Honey, I’m home." "Oh, did you buy a comb?" "Sure, I did. Here you are." The man gave the mirror to his wife. But his wife had never seen a mirror before. She didn’t know what it was. "Darling, is this a comb? How can I brush my hair with this?" The wife looked into the mirror. She was very surprised when she saw herself in the mirror, but didn’t know it was her face. "Oh, no! There is a strange woman in there. Who is she? Honey, do you love her? Oh no!" The wife started to cry. "What’s going on? Why are you crying?" "Your son brought another woman from Seoul." "It’s not true, mother. I just bought a comb." "Really? Let me see." The mother of the man picked up the mirror and looked at it. She had not seen a mirror before, either. The mother saw her face in the mirror, but she didn’t know it was her face. "Oh, who is that old woman? My son, do you want to marry such an old woman?" "Mother, what are you talking about? I didn’t bring anybody. I just bought a comb." "Let me see. Let me see." The father of the man looked at the mirror. But he also had never seen a mirror before, either. He saw his face, but he thought it was his father. "Oh no! You are my father. Father, you came back from the grave. How did you get out of the grave?" "Oh really? Is my grandfather really inside? Let me see." At last, the man took the mirror and looked at it. The man also didn’t know it was himself. "Who are you? How did you get into my house? Get out of my house right now!" He screamed at the mirror, but his face in the mirror seemed to scream back. The man got very angry and smashed the mirror on the ground. Soon, the family realized all the strangers were gone. They became happy again and lived happily ever after. 10.The Fox and the Crane Once upon a time, Fox and Crane were friends. "I’ll catch you." "Catch me if you can. Hahahaha." One day, Fox heard something unhappy. "Fox, Crane told me you were cunning." Fox, who was angry with Crane, said to Rabbit. "Crane is stupid." Rabbit went to Crane and did same thing. Crane was angry, too. The next morning, Fox was still angry. "I hate Crane. I want to play a joke on her." The Fox wanted to play a joke on Crane. "How can I trick her? I have an idea. Ah-ha, I will invite her to dinner. Haha, this is so much fun." Fox sent a note to the Crane. "Dear Crane. I will treat you to a delicious meal. We will be good friends." When Crane was knocking on the door, she smelled something good. "Hmm…. What a good smell!" Crane was hungry. She thought about the food. Her mouth started to water. "It smells good. What a good friend! Knock, knock, knock. Fox, it’s me, Crane." Fox brought the food. "Here is some delicious beef soup. Help yourself." "Thank you, Fox. Wow, this looks delicious." "Eat it, dear Crane. It is delicious." Crane couldn’t eat the soup because it was a plate. "Don’t you like it? It’s really delicious." "I am not hungry. Fox, I am going home now." Angry Crane couldn’t sleep. "Cunning Fox! How could he do that to me? He knew I had a long beak. He played a joke on me." Suddenly she had an idea. "I can invite Fox to my house for dinner. I can trick Fox, too." The next day, Crane went to Fox’s house to invite him to her place. "Come to my place tomorrow at noon. I’ll prepare some food for you." "Oh, you’re so kind. Okay. Thanks. I will." "See you then." "See you. Bye." Crane had a smile on her face. When Fox was knocking on the door, he smelled something good. "Hmm… What a good smell!" Fox was hungry. He thought about the food. His mouth started to water. "It smells good. What a good friend! Knock, knock, knock. Crane, it’s me, Fox." Crane brought the food. "Here is some delicious beef soup. Help yourself." "Thank you, Crane. Wow, this is delicious." "Eat it, dear Fox, it’s delicious." Fox couldn’t eat the soup. "Don’t you like it? It’s really delicious." "I’m not that hungry. In fact, I have a stomachache. Crane, I’m going home now." The Fox was hungry because he went home with an empty stomach. On the way home, he mumbled to himself, "Stupid Crane! How could she do that to me? She knew I didn’t have a long beak. She played a joke on me. She didn’t want me to eat it." "Hahaha, good bye, Fox. Hahahahaha!" Ever since then, Fox and Crane haven’t been friends. 11.The Silly Tiger and the Smart Rabbit Once upon a time, there lived a tiger. One day, the tiger saw a rabbit. "I will eat you." "Oh, no! You are a tiger." The rabbit knew it was too late to run away. "Tiger, those are my rice cakes on that rock. Why don’t we go and eat them?" "Okay. I will eat your rice cakes first and then I will eat you. Let’s go." The rabbit picked up some small rocks and put them on a fire. "First, we need to toast the rice cakes. Roasted rice cakes taste much better. By the way, let me go get some honey for dipping." The tiger looked at the small stones. "Wow! Look at the rice cakes. 12.Tucket the Bucket Tucket was the saddest bucket in the world. He had once been a garden favorite. The gardener used to swing him by his strong handle as he went to fetch water. "What a good bucket," he said. But as time passed, Tucket the bucket grew a hole. Suddenly he was useless. What good is a bucket with a hole? Tucket was tossed into the corner of the garden. He was left out in the rain and the sun, and began to rust. Sometimes he even got kicked around. "I should throw that bucket away", the gardener muttered. Tucket didn’t want to be thrown away. He felt very sad, though his good friends in the garden tried to cheer him up. The squirrels set him back up when he was kicked down, and the birds cheerfully flapped about him. "Don’t worry, Tucket!" they chirped soothingly. Tucket really tried to be happy but it was very, very hard. One day, a little girl ran through the garden and stopped in front of Tucket. He sighed and waited for the usual kicks, when suddenly he heard: " Perfect!" Soon he found himself blinking and spluttering under the garden hose. The girl was cleaning him! He felt very chunks of rust fall off and his spirits brightened. " Oh! You already have a big hole at the bottom!" said the girl as she peered inside. " Even better!". Tucket could not believe what he had just heard. She wanted a bucket with a hole? The girl took him to the veranda, filled him with rich soil and planted a tiny rose inside. " This is a baby rose," she said to Tucket. " you must help me take care of her, OK?" Tucket was so happy. The girl really wanted him! She even asked him to take care of this small rose. Tucket nearly burst with joy. He straightened himself up proudly as the girl finished planting. She carefully placed Tucket in the best spot of the veranda. It was a cozy corner, protected from the wind and the rain. Tucket winked and smiled at his friends in the garden. " Look, I’m taking care of this little rose!" "We’re very happy for you, Tucket!" chattered the squirrels, and the birds chirped happily Tucket took great care of the rose and was visited by the girl and his friends everyday. He was now the happiest bucket in the world I should eat these before the rabbit comes." The tiger picked up one of the hot small rocks and swallow it. "Aaaaa" The hot small rocks hurt the tiger’s stomach. The tiger rolled over and over because it was so painful. "My stomach, my stomach…" The tiger was sick for many days because of the hot small rock. "The rabbit lied to me. Rabbit, you will pay for this." The tiger was furious and swore. "I will eat the rabbit." After a few days, the tiger met the rabbit. "Rabbit, I will eat you." "Oh, just a minute. I was hunting sparrows." Go behind the bush, I will drive the sparrows into your mouth. Open your mouth wide and wait. The tiger thought he would first eat the sparrows and then eat the rabbit. So he went behind a bush. He opened his mouth and waited. "Stupid tiger! There are no sparrows for you. Ah ha ha ha!" The rabbit set the bush on fire. Soon, the tiger caught on fire, too. "Aaaaa" The tiger rolled over and over. His body was burned, and it was very painful. "Oh, it hurts… It hurts! Rabbit, you will pay for this. I will never forgive you. Aaaaa" A few days later, the tiger get well. At last, the tiger met the rabbit again. "Rabbit, I will eat you." "Oh, tiger, have you ever eaten fish?" "Fish?" "Yes, fish taste so good. I will let you taste a fish today. So let’s go fishing." "Put your tail in the water. Your tail is the bait, and the fish will bite your tail." "That’s a great idea." "You will eat a very delicious fish for dinner today." "Thank you, rabbit. I will eat you after eating the fish. Ha ha!" "Of course you will. Ha ha!" The tiger waited for a few hours. It was getting colder and darker. "Hum, I can’t wait any more. No fish are biting my tail. I give up on eating fish, and I will eat you." "Okay, come and eat me." "Oh, no! My tail is stuck in the ice. I can’t move." "I’m sorry. The stream will melt next spring. Good bye!" The silly tiger cried for help, but the rabbit hopped away. 12.One Week on the Island It is a sad day, Robinson’s ship hits a rock and he is sinking. He leaves the ship and swims. On day one, he swims all day and night until he reaches the land. He is alive! "Oh, I’m tired. I want to rest and sleep." On day two, he walks around the island. He sees deep blue sea and hot sand. "Oh, I’m hungry. I want to eat! Who knows where I can find food?" On day three, he goes swimming and fishing. There are many fish in the sea. He climbs up a banana tree, takes some bananas; then he climbs up a coconut tree and takes some coconuts. Now he has fish and fruits. "Oh, I’m thirsty now. I want to drink. Who knows where I can find water?" On day four, he climbs a volcano. At the top, there is a pool of fresh water. It’s nice. Now he has fish, fruits and fresh water. "Oh, I’m hot. I want to make a shelter. Who knows how can I make a shelter?" On day five, he makes a shelter from banana and coconut leaves. Now he has food, fresh water and  shelter. "Oh, I’m cold now. I want to make a fire. Who knows how can I make a fire?" On day six, he makes a fire from logs and leaves. The fire is huge. There is a ship on the sea. People on the ship see the fire. Robinson sees the ship and he shouts out loud: "Hey. Hey. I’m here! Help! Help!" On day seven, the ship lands on the island. "Hello. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I’m hot. I’m cold. Please…. Take me home!" The ship takes Robinson to his home. "Now I’m very happy, thank you." "We are happy, too." A Good Meal It’s a beautiful day. Mina the kitten goes out for a walk. She picks up some flowers and chases some butterflies. Then poor Mina gets lost in the forest! She keeps walking and walking but she cannot find her way home. She is hungry and tired. Suddenly, she sees a house. She comes in and sees some tables with so much food. "Wow!" On table one, she sees some chicken. "It’s chicken. I like eating chicken." Suddenly, the chicken disappears! There’s nothing on the table. The kitten is very hungry now. She comes to table two. "Rice! It’s rice. I like eating rice. I will eat it right now!" Suddenly, the rice disappears! There’s nothing on the table. The kitten is now very hungry, so hungry. And she sees table three. "There are eggs over there! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five eggs! I like eating eggs and I will eat them all up." Suddenly, the eggs disappear again! There’s nothing on the table. The kitten is now hungry to death! "Mina, it’s time to get up!" The kitten wakes up. It’s only a dream! Mina’s now ready for her breakfast with chicken, rice and milk. Gerick's Dream Gerick gets up. Everything around him is blue. Gerick hears someone talking to him, "Gerick, I need your help to find the witch." "Wow, superman? But how can I do that?" Superman holds Gerick’s hand and takes him to many places on a blue cloud. First, superman takes Gerick to a place named Sun. But the witch is not there. Then, superman takes him to another place, named Moon. But the witch is not there, either. Gerick is so sad. He cries a lot because he can not find the witch. Suddenly, he hears his mother’s voice, "Gerick, it’s time to go to school." Gerick awakes. No superman. No witch. No cloud. He cries even more loudly but his mother doesn’t know why. Do you know why Gerick cries? Four Princes and a Princess Today is a special day in the Cat Kingdom. The King will choose a man to be the husband of the Cat Princess. There are four Princes: Croko, Giffee, Tiggy and Miumiu. All of them want to have the Princess. So they try to show they are the best. The first Prince says very proudly, "I can swim." The King is so glad to hear that. The second Prince says loudly, "I can tiptoe." The King is so glad to hear that. The third Prince says confidently, "I can run very fast." The King is so glad to hear that. The last Prince raises his voice, "I love the Princess forever." The King is so glad to hear that. The King cannot decide. He asks his daughter, "Who do you love, dear?" The Princess answers, "I…I…I love Miumiu." Soon the wedding between the Princess and Miumiu is held in the Cat Kingdom. Friendship After a trip to an outskirt of London, Adela comes back home and cannot find Mickey. She is so anxious. She tries to find him. She goes around her house, seeking for him but there is no clue. She asks her friend Kicky for help. "Kicky, help me find Mickey, please, please." Although Kicky is sick, she agrees to help Adela without hesitation. "Don’t worry, my friend. I will help you." She flies off her nest to the forest, where many animals live. She sees someone like Mickey. She raises her voice loudly. "Hello, what’s your name?" "My name’s Tom." A cat replied. Kicky keeps flying on. She meets another animal. She asks: "What’s your name, please?" "My name’s Jerry." A mouse answers. "It’s getting darker, I must go faster!" Kicky thinks. Suddenly, she sees a shadow. She asks: "Hey, what’s your name?" "My name is Mickey." "Oh. Are you Mickey? Oh, Mickey, I found you." Kicky shouts out happily. Mickey and Kicky come back together in Adela’s great welcome. From then, they become close friends. A Secret Friend On his birthday, Pat receives a bunch of flowers and a letter from a secret friend. "Oh there are many flowers and a letter." "Happy birthday, Pat! I'm small. I'm yellow. I'm 6. Go and find me!" Pat goes and sees a turtle. "What's your name?" "My name's Tot." "How old are you, Tot?" "I'm six." Is Tot the secret friend? No, he isn't. Pat and Tot go and see a bee. "What's your name?" "My name's Jepp." "How old are you, Jepp?" "I'm seven." Is Jepp the secret friend? No, he isn't. Pat, Tot and Jepp go and see a frog. "How old are you?" "I'm six. My name's Ginger." Is Ginger the secret friend? No, he isn't. Pat, Tot, Jepp and Ginger go and see a little duck. "Hello, I'm Pat. What's your name?" "My name's Sam." "How old are you, Sam?" "I'm six." Is Sam the secret friend? Yes, he is. Together Sam, Ginger, Jepp, Tot sing Happy Birthday song to Pat. The Little Princess & 7 Dwarves Once upon a time, in a kingdom lives a little princess. She has no friends and she is very lonely. In the next forest, there are seven dwarves living together in a small house. They sit on seven small chairs around one small table. They eat food in seven small bowls with seven small spoons. They drink milk with seven small cups. They sleep on seven small beds. Everything in the house is very small. One day, seven dwarves go to work. No one is at home when the little princess comes to the house. She comes in and sees many small things. "Oh there are seven small bowls and seven small spoons on the table." Then she eats food in seven small bowls with seven small spoons. "Ah hah, there are also seven cups here". Then she drinks milk in the seven small cups. She looks around and sees seven small beds. "Well there are seven beds over there!". Then she sleeps in the most comfortable bed. When the day ends, seven dwarves come home. They see seven bowls on the table but no food left. One dwarf says: "Oh, who ate the food in my bowl?". They see seven cups on the table but no milk left. One dwarf says: "Oh, who drank the milk in my cup?". Then they see seven beds and there is a princess in one bed! One dwarf says: "Oh she is sleeping in my bed and she is still there!" The little princess gets up and see seven dwarves. She is scared and about to run out of the house. But seven dwarves say: "Please stay and play with us!" The lonely princess stays with seven dwarves and they live happily ever after in the house. The princess is not lonely anymore. And from then on, there are eight small bowls and eight small spoons on the table. The Big Tummy Bunny Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit called Bunny. He got a big tummy and was always hungry. However, he was too lazy to cook his meals by himself. So, every day, he went to his friend's house for lunch. Day one, Bunny went to Turtle's house. Turtle was frying sausages. Bunny: Hi, Turtle! It's lunch time! What do you have? Turtle: Hi, Bunny! I have sausages. Bunny: Wow! They look so tasty. Turtle: Do you want some? Bunny: Yes, please. It's my favorite food. Then, he piggishly ate a big sausage. Day two, Bunny went to Porcupine's house. Porcupine was baking bread. Bunny: Wow! What is this? It smells delicious. Porcupine: Hi, Bunny. It is bread with tomato soup. Do you want some? Bunny: Yes, please. It's my favorite food. Then he took all the best bread. Day three, Bunny went to Bear's house. Bunny: Hi, Bear! What do you have for lunch? Bear: I have beef and carrots. Do you want some? Bear gave Bunny a dish of carrots. Bunny: No, thanks. I don't like carrots. Bunny: The beef smells amazing! I want some. Then, Bunny didn't wait for Bear to reply. He quickly took the beef and ate it all. Bear was very angry at Bunny. He shouted at him: "That's my lunch!" Then, he grabbed Bunny. He strongly pulled the beef from Bunny's mouth, and broke many of Bunny's teeth. Since then, Bunny had only two front teeth. The Farmer and the Turnip Once upon a time, there lived a farmer. He raised turnips. He worked so hard during the summer. In autumn, he harvested the turnips. "Let's pull out the turnips." He easily pulled them out one by one. But one of them wouldn't come out. "Oh, it's strange. I should try harder." He tried for hours to pull the turnip. At last, the turnip came out. It was so huge and heavy. "Look at this turnip! It is as big as a man. I can't believe it." It was the biggest turnip the farmer had ever seen. "This turnip is too great to eat. I want to show off this turnip to others. What shall I do?" The farmer went to the king's palace. "Your majesty, I am a farmer. This year, everyone's turnips grew so well. That's all because you ruled this country peacefully. This turnip is the biggest in the world. So I brought it here to give you." "Oh, this turnip is really big. I've never seen such a big turnip like this. Thank you." The king said to his servant. "I want to give something to the farmer in return. Is there anything precious I can give to him?" "A few days ago, the Chinese king gave this calf. So how about giving this calf to the farmer?" "Okay! Farmer, take this calf. This is for you." "Wow! Thank you, your majesty. Thank you." "Hey, look at my calf! The king gave this calf to me." "The king gave this calf to you? Why?" "Because I gave him my turnip." "Turnip?" "Yes, I gave him my turnip. He gave me this calf in return." "Oh, I'm so jealous. I will get a bigger present than the calf." "Hum, what shall I give to the king? Shall I give a bag of rice? No, it's too simple." The greedy man wanted to get a bigger present from the king than the farmer's calf. "The farmer got the calf in return for a turnip. If I give the king something better than a turnip, I will get something better than a calf." The greedy man thought and thought. Finally he decided to give a calf to the king. "I think a calf could please the king. This calf is much more expensive than the farmer's turnip." The greedy man wanted the king to give him something very expensive. "Surely the king will give me gold, diamonds or land. Yes, he will. Now, let's go to the palace and give my calf to the king." The greedy man went before the king. "What brought you here?" "Your majesty, you ruled our country so peacefully that I could raise my cattle well. Here is my calf in appreciation." "Ha ha ha. Thank you very much. I want to give something precious to the man. Hey, is there anything I can give him?" "Just a minute, please." "Here is the biggest turnip in the world." "Oh, that's a great idea. Give the turnip to the man." "A turnip?" "A few days ago, a farmer came to me and gave me this turnip. This is the biggest turnip, so it's really precious. Take it! This is for you." He came back home with the big turnip. His neighbors asked questions about it. "Oh, what a great turnip! Where did you get that?" "The king gave this in return for my calf." "What? You gave a calf and got a turnip? What a stupid deal! Ah ha ha!" "A! Give my calf back. Give my calf back...!" The greedy man wanted to get his calf. But it was too late. The Ants and the Grasshopper It was summer. The sun was very hot and the ant family walked in a row. "Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho!" "Mommy, it's too hot." "Try to be patient." "Daddy, I am thirsty." "Try to be patient." The ant family kept on working. "Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho!" "Mommy, somebody is singing." "The grasshopper is singing. He always sings." "Does he sing all the time?" "Yes, he sings all the time in summer." "We always work and Grasshopper always sings. The singing grasshopper! He looks so cool." The concert was about to start. The grasshopper said to the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Please enjoy my music. Five little ants jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more ants jumping on the bed!" Ant family never listened to the music. All they did was work, work, work! "Hey, you, Ants! It's a lovely summer's day. Why don't you rest your feet for a while and listen to my music?" "No time to stop. We're too busy saving food for the winter." "Five little ants jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more ants jumping on the bed!" The ant family went back home while grasshopper continued singing. When autumn came, the ant family still walked in a row. "Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho!" "The wind is blowing." "Let's collect more food." "Look! Mr. Grasshopper is singing." "Yes, he sings all the time. What a lazy grasshopper! He only likes to sing." The ant family ignored the grasshopper. A squirrel passed by and said to the ant family, "He really is a great singer." The grasshopper loved to hear praises. "Yes! I am the best singer. Thank you, my squirrel friend. I will sing for you." The grasshopper was happy to hear praises. The ant family shouted, "Yo-heave-ho! Yo-heave-ho!" They walked together in a line. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The wind blew, and blew, and blew! The grasshopper stopped singing. "I am a little cold. I am a little hungry." The grasshopper was suddenly afraid. "I can't see anybody. Where is everybody?" The grasshopper visited the squirrel. "Open the door, Squirrel. I will sing for you. Please give me some food." The squirrel said no. "No. I am busy now. I have a lot of things to do." The hungry grasshopper shivered in the cold. The poor grasshopper came to the Ants' place. "Mr. Ant! Mrs. Ant! Please open the door. I am so hungry. I am so cold. Please let me in." "Poor grasshopper!" "Poor grasshopper who only sings in the summer." "Let him in." When Grasshopper entered the house, there was so much food on the table. "Grasshopper, help yourself." "Thank you." "Let me ask you something. Do you still want to sing all the summer?" "No, sir. I promise not to sing all the time. I promise to work hard." The Mouse and the Fingernails Once upon a time, there lived a boy. His name was Samdol. Samdol was trimming his fingernails. "Hey, Samdol. Don't drop your fingernails on the floor. They look dirty. Put them in the trash." "Oh, leave me alone." Samdol didn't listen to his father. He went out to play. "I told you to get rid of your fingernails on the floor." "Later. I'm busy." "Oh, look! Those are human fingernails. I like to eat them." There lived a rat in Samdol's house. It came out and ate the fingernails. And it turned into Samdol. "Mom, I'm home. I'm hungry." "Huh? Who is that?" Samdol was so surprised when he saw another Samdol in his house. It was the rat. "Oh, you look just like me. Who are you?" "I am Samdol. You are a fake. Get out of my house. Mother, father, kick him out!" "No, it's not true. Father, he must be a goblin or a ghost. You evil goblin, get out! Get out!" "Who is my son?" "I don't know. But my son has a big red on his back. Then show me your back." The rat took the red dot away from Samdol's back and put it on his back. "I'm ready. Father, mother, let me show you my back." "Oh, you have the red dot on your back. You are my son, Samdol." But actually, he wasn't Samdol. He was the rat. "Father, mother! Please, believe me. I'm your son." "No, you aren't. Get out of my house." "Mom, I'm your son. He is a fake." Samdol was driven out of his house. He was really sad. Samdol had no place to go. He walked around on a mountain. "I'm hungry and tired. A..r.!" A monk saw Samdol crying. "Why are you crying?" Samdol told the monk what happened. "A rat ate your fingernails and turned into you. Go back to your house with this cat." "A cat?" "The cat will help you." "Thank you. Let's go, cat. Hurry, hurry!" "Hey, get out of my house!" "Oh, Samdol, you're back. I won't leave. This is my house." "I won't forgive you, evil rat." "You'd better get out of here before your mother and father come. Ha ha ha." Samdol threw the cat at the fake. "Oh, no! It's a cat. Help, help!" When the fake Samdol saw the cat, he ran away and turned into a rat. "Mother, father! I'm back. I missed you so much. I will never drop my fingernails again." After that Samdol didn't drop his fingernails on the floor when he trimmed them, and he lived with his mother and father happily ever after. The Happy Family and The Unhappy Family Once upon a time, there were two families. One was Mr. Kim's family and the other Mr. Lee's. The Kim's were always happy, but the Lee's always fought. One day, Mr. Lee saw his children fighting. "You are so bad." "You are so evil." "Why does my family always fight? Look at Mr. Kim's family. They are always happy and get along. What's the problem with my family?" He wanted to know why. But he couldn't figure it out. One day, Mr. Lee's cow was running around in his field. The reins were loose. The cow ruined all the crops in the field. Mr. Lee and his family had to run after the cow all day long. "Hold the cow. Hold it!" After a few hours, they finally got hold of the cow. Mr. Lee was angry. Mr. Lee blamed his wife. "You let go of the cow and it ruined all the crops in our field. It's your fault." "No, it's not. I didn't do anything wrong. Mr. Lee's wife blamed his son. "Hey, why didn't you watch the cow? I told you to always carefully watch the cow. It's your fault." "Mom, I didn't do anything wrong." Mr. Lee's son blamed his sister. "Hey, it's your fault. I told you to watch the cow while I'm away." "It's not my fault, I said I was busy. I couldn't do it. But you didn't listen to me." "Oh, no! Why does my family always argue?" "Please, tell me. Why is my family unhappy? Why does my family always argue?" "Well, let me show you something." Suddenly, Mr. Kim let go of his cow. He slapped the cow's back and said. "Run. Run...!" The cow was surprised and started to jump all over the place. Mr. Kim's family started to run after the cow. "Hold it. Hold the cow!" "Mom, it's dangerous. Let me do that." Soon, Mr. Kim's family got hold of the cow. "Who let go of the cow? Whose fault is it?" "Oh, It's my fault. I didn't feed the cow enough, so the cow was hungry and jumped here and there." "No, it's not. It's my fault. I didn't tie the cow to the tree tight enough. I'm sorry." "No, it's not. It's my fault. I should have watched the cow while I was washing the clothes. I'm sorry. It's all my fault." Mr. Kim's wife, son and daughter didn't blame each other. Instead, they blamed themselves. "I'm sorry. Don't blame them. It's my fault." "Oh, no! Father, don't blame mom. It's my fault." "Daddy, don't blame mother and brother. It's all my fault." "Now, I see why Mr. Kim's family is happy." Mr. Lee realized that he always blamed others first. He went back home and didn't blame anyone but himself. After that, Mr Lee's family became happy and lived happily ever after. The Fox and the Crow One day, Mr. Fox took a walk in the woods. It was a fine, bright morning. "Lalalala. What a wonderful day! I love the fresh air. I love the blue sky. Lalalala. What a wonderful day!" The happy Fox was singing and dancing. Mr. Fox looked up at the sky just as Ms. Crow flew by. "Look! A crow! She has a piece of cheese. Umm ... I love cheese! It looks delicious!" Ms. Crow landed on a tree branch. "Sniff, sniff. That smells great! I want that piece of cheese. But how? Aha! Yes, I've got an idea!" Mr. Fox had a plan to get Ms. Crow's cheese. Mr. Fox walked towards the tree. "Good day, Ms. Crow. I am Mr. Fox. Nice to meet you. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Ms. Crow said nothing. "Oh! You look beautiful. You look very beautiful today. You are the most beautiful bird." Ms. Crow puffed herself up with pride. Mr. Fox continued. "What lovely feathers! Your feathers are very attractive. How bright your eyes are! Your eyes are very attractive, too." Ms. Crow became proud and happy. And Mr. Fox went on. "You are the queen of all birds. Yes, you are. You must have a beautiful voice. Let me hear a sweet song. Please, queen of all birds." Ms. Crow thought. "The fox could be right. Who is the queen of all birds? I am. Who is the most beautiful bird? Of course I am. Look at my lovely feathers. How glossy they are!" Ms. Crow opened her beak to sing. "CAW-CAW-C-CAW-W-W" The cheese fell down. Poor Ms. Crow watched the piece of cheese drop, drop, drop, and drop. It didn't stop until it popped into Mr. Fox's mouth. "What a silly crow! You are the most stupid bird! And it was the most delicious cheese! Thanks for the cheese, Ms. Silly Crow. Hahahaha!" And he ran off into the woods. The Fox and the Grapes A hungry fox was wandering around in search of food. "I'm so hungry. I can't find anything to eat." He was so hungry, everything around him was blurry. The fox was passing a vineyard, but the fox didn't know it was a vineyard. "Oh, I'm so hungry, I can't even see well now. But what's that roundish thing that looks like a grape? It would be nice if it was a real grape." Fox hung his head and walked on. "Huh? What's that smell?" The fox suddenly became aware of the smell of grapes. "Wow! It's a grapevine. There are so many grapes. My mouth is watering." Fox looked at the grapevine and drooled. "Shall I try one?" The fox jumped up toward the grapes. But the grapes were too high and the fox couldn't reach them. The fox jumped up again. He was about to touch them, but he couldn't pick them. The fox continued to jump, but he kept missing. "Oh, I'm so tired. Why are they so high? They're too high. I can't reach them." The fox looked at the grapes for a long time and thought about how he could get them. He suddenly got up and said to himself. "Those grapes are probably too sour. I don't like grapes anyway. I don't want to eat sour grapes. I wasted my time for nothing." The fox couldn't pick the grapes, so he made excuses and gave up. The fox's stomach continued to growl and he continued to think about the grapes he couldn't reach. The Bundle of Sticks A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling amongst themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons’ hands, upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided amongst yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks." Moral: Union gives strength. The Little Pianist There was once a little boy named Azul. He loved to play the piano and dreamed of becoming a pianist someday. Every Sunday, Azul went to his piano class, and practiced every night at home just before going to bed. Azul became good at it because he was so sincere. He would forget to brush his teeth but would never forget to practice playing the piano! One day, Vicki, his piano teacher told him, "Azul, you will perform tomorrow in front of a large audience. You are getting to be quite the pianist! Your fingers move like a squirrel on the piano keys. But ... there is something missing." "What is it?" Azul just had to know. He really … really wanted to be not just a good pianist, but a great pianist. Vicki smiled. She whispered into Azul’s ear a piano teacher’s secret. "Play with your heart, not with your fingers." As always, Vicki pulled out her box of stickers. Azul held out his hand and Vicki stuck on it, a gorgeous sticker of a butterfly. "There, think of this butterfly when you want to play with your heart," she said. That day, when all the children played in the park, Azul just stared at his butterfly. He wondered, "I can play with my fingers because I can move them. I can touch the piano keys. How can I play with my heart? I can’t even see my heart." For the first time,  in a long time, Azul went to bed without playing the piano. The night before his performance,he did not practice because he did not know how to play with his heart! When Azul woke up,he looked for the butterfly sticker. Oh no! The sticker was gone too! Now Azul was nervous. Really nervous… He tried playing the piano, but his fingers would just not move! However, that did not stop the clock from ticking. Soon it was performance time. The piano was in the middle of a round stage, surrounded by rows of people. Azul walked onto the stage,  sat on the piano bench and closed his eyes for a second. Remembering Vicki’s words,  he thought of the butterfly. In the quiet of the auditorium, Azul heard the flutter of wings. A butterfly sat on his shoulder and started to hum a tune. His fingers began  to move by themselves.  His heart began to play  the butterfly’s song. The six blind men and the elephant Once upon a time, there were six blind men.  They lived in a town in India.  They thought they were very clever. "I am very smart." "I am smarter than you." "No, I am the smartest man in this town." Every day, they argued with each other. One day, an elephant came into town.  The blind men did not know what an elephant looked like.  But, they could smell it and they could hear it. "Wow! It’s a very big elephant!" a little girl said. "An elephant?" "What is this animal like?"  they said. Each man touched a different part of the elephant. The first man touched the elephant’s body.  It felt hard, big and wide.  "An elephant is like a wall," he said. The second man touched one of the elephant’s tusks.  It felt smooth and hard and sharp. "No, it’s not like a wall.  An elephant is like a spear,"  he said. The third man touched the elephant’s trunk.  It felt long and thin and wiggly.  "No! An elephant is not like a wall.  It is not like a spear, either.  An elephant is like a snake,"  he said. The fourth man touched one of the legs.  It felt thick and rough and hard and round.  "No! An elephant is not like a wall.  It’s not like a spear or a snake, either. An elephant is like a big tree," he said. The fifth man touched one of the elephant’s ears.  It felt thin and it moved.  "No, no! An elephant is not like a wall.  It’s not like a spear or a snake or a tree.  An elephant is like a fan," he said. The sixth man touched the elephant’s tail.  It felt long and thin and strong.  "You’re wrong! An elephant is not like a wall.  It’s not like a spear or a snake or a tree or a fan.  An elephant is like a rope," he said. The six men still argued together. "It’s like a wall!" "No, it isn’t!  It’s like a spear!" "No, it isn’t!  It’s like a snake!" "No, it isn’t!  It’s like a tree!" "No, it isn’t!  It’s like a fan!" "No, it isn’t!  It’s like a rope!" They did not agree. A little girl also heard them and said,  "Huh, you are not very clever.  You did not feel the whole animal.  You just felt part of it! But, I know what you are talking about. It’s an elephant! Hahahaha!"    Thanks for reading these funny stories