examples short story 150 words

Storyweek’s collection of new and recent short-short or flash fiction limited to 150 words. How much story fits in 150 words? Just enough to leave you wanting to read more.

Check in from time-to-time for new ones.

The Death of Sears

May 8, 2018 By Lars Peterson in 150 Words Tags: short fiction , 150 words , sears , refrigerator

Years ago my dad bought a refrigerator for like $800 and paid for it with a check and then a couple months later I overheard him complaining to my stepmother that that goddamned check hadn’t cleared yet and it was screwing up his checkbook. This went on for months until he finally called the bank who told him to call the Sears and they told him they didn’t have any record of that transaction whatsoever. “Well now what am I supposed to do?” he said. “Enjoy your free refrigerator.” Which he did, but only because he kept that $800 on [Read More]

Old Man’s Day at the Park

August 26, 2014 By Lars Peterson in 150 Words Tags: 150 words , hundred-fifty , Apa , short fiction

My wife’s grandfather was a Bracero from Mexico in the ’50s. He’s a tough and charming man, 94, lives alone with some paid help afternoons. Last month he got one of his grandkids’ kids a job at McDonalds. He told them they should hire the kid, he bought a McMuffin, and they hired Albert. Saturday he told us, in Spanish because English hasn’t pierced his skull in 60 years, about an afternoon he’d had at the park. He met a younger woman (60s), and soon she asked how old he was. “How old do you think?” “Maybe in your 80s?” “My 80s? Hah. If I were still in my [Read More]

July 20, 2013 By Lars Peterson in 150 Words Tags: fiction , zero to 150 , 150 words , telephone , one-hun

Long, long before caller ID, my dad would answer the phone, “Hi! How are ya?” which never failed to flummox the caller. My brother and I followed his example and managed to keep it up for several weeks until one evening, when Dad was working the swing shift, the phone rang, and after asking our stepmother if I could answer, after all it was my turn, I picked up and blurted, “Hi! How are you?” “What?” It was Dad. “How did? Goddammit, put your Stepmother on.” After she was done with the call Katie our stepmother said, “Your Dad says [Read More]

A Short Story About a Long Night

June 15, 2013 By Lars Peterson in 150 Words Tags: brother-in-law , long island iced tea , white russian , monterey , laguna seca

Jeebus, a couple weeks ago we went up to Monterey for a car race at Laguna Seca along with the brother-in-law and his two boys, 22 and 16, and the 22 year old decided he wanted to follow up his White Russian with a Long Island Iced Tea, and I looked at his dad, who looked back at me, and I said, “Jeebus, man, you need to learn some more cocktails, because now you’ve embarrassed me twice in front of the cocktail waitress,” and he looked back at me and smirked as if to say, “I have not even begun [Read More]

Good Dog Bad Heart

May 24, 2013 By Lars Peterson in 150 Words Tags: fiction , short fiction , 150 words , terrier , heart , syncope

I have a good terrier with a weak heart. She’ll die early. She’s still young, just four, and her condition isn’t apparent unless she’s playing hard at fetch or chase the hose water. When it gets her, she stops, lies down, rolls over, breathes, and waits. It’s syncope — the light headedness you feel when you stand too fast. Her heart can’t keep pace with her legs and her lungs and eventually there isn’t enough blood to her brain. When she was a pup it would sneak up on her while she romped — Boom, and over she went. She’s [Read More]

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Emilie-Noelle Provost

Author, Writer, Hiker

150-Word Short Stories

*NO AI TRAINING

Although I primarily write novels , magazine articles, and essays, several years ago, I started writing very short stories, all of them exactly 150 words long, as a fun way to keep my fiction writing skills from getting rusty. It was also great to be able to write a story from start to finish in just an hour or so. Some of these stories are posted on this blog page . I’ve also included a few of my favorites below.

If you enjoy reading my 150-word stories, please also consider reading one of my books , and telling others about them, too.

Outside the funeral home, I heard a boy say that she had fallen off the back of her boyfriend’s motorcycle. Broken her neck. She never knew what hit her, he said. I was 13. The dead girl had been a junior in high school.

The line to see her snaked around the building. Boys with long hair, wearing ties they’d borrowed from their fathers, and girls with thick blue eyeshadow smoked cigarettes in the parking lot. Someone passed a bottle of Jack. There were no adults there, just very old kids.

She almost looked like she was sleeping, except that she was too still. There was a puffiness to her face that didn’t seem quite right. They had dressed her for the prom; the crinoline sleeves of her gown like poofs of pink cotton candy. Some kids prayed, but I couldn’t. I just stared at the roses in her corsage.

“Come on! It’s starting!” Greg, my neighbor, hollered from the sidewalk. 

“What’s starting?” I said. Behind him, groups of kids hurried down the street.  

We’d moved to the neighborhood just weeks before. I was shy; a bookworm, waiting for school to start. Greg was the only kid I’d met.

“The magic show!” said Greg, exasperated. “At Mr. Hale’s house!”

At the end of the Hales’ dirt driveway, rows of kids were seated on the grass.

White-haired and very thin, Mr. Hale wore a black top-hat and tails. In his hand he gripped a wand, producing doves from an urn. He asked for a volunteer to be sawed in half. I raised my hand. No one breathed.

“Just relax,” Mr. Hale whispered. “There’s nothing to it.” I got into the box and held my breath.

A collective gasp went up. And when I emerged in one piece, I was a star.

Cat in the Wall

“How’d he get in there?” said Amy, peering into the opening in the basement wall with her hands cupped around her eyes.

“Got me,” I said, taking a look. Barney, our 18-pound Maine Coon, peered up at me with his yellow eyes. The cat had squeezed his massive frame through an opening in the wall that an animal half his size would have had trouble with. He was trapped. 

“What are we going to do?” said Amy. “We can’t just leave him there.”  

A metallic aroma, the scent of panic, perfumed the damp cellar air. She was right. We couldn’t leave him. But we wouldn’t get him out without tearing down the wall, and we were only summer tenants.

The cat let out a mournful meow.  

“Barney’s going to die!” Amy cried. 

So, I brushed the tears away from her little cheeks and grabbed the hammer from the toolbox.

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Bye, Dad (a 150 word story)

by Ben Zackheim | Sep 3, 2019 | Writing | 11 comments

I was nine when I spoke to Dad for the last time. I’d forgotten to thank him for a birthday present. I believe it was a Radio Shack radio.

“You forgot, huh?” he said, on the phone.

Long pause. I was a sensitive kid. I think I knew that my nine years as his son were about to get gutted.

“Dad?”

“Screw off,” he told me, a thousand miles, and a two-month old divorce, away.

I remember Mom grabbing the phone and screaming, “What did you say? What did you say to him?” until she was crying as hard as I was.

Ten years later, he’d finally succeeded in drinking himself dead. As I stood over his coffin, I was out of tears. And regrets. I was out of everything, even breath. But I shoved a goodbye through the scar tissue. I found some words.

“Thanks for the radio, Dad.”

Stepping Out, With Pencil (a 150 word story)

by Ben Zackheim | May 26, 2014 | Writing | 3 comments

He used a pencil to say goodbye. Maybe that would make it less permanent. Words are only as strong as their intent and he didn’t want to leave.

His parents had once hinted that they knew the truth. But by the end of the day their heads were back in The Good Book — their eyes on everything but him.

So with a whisper he crafted his goodbye on paper.

He made the sentences sharp. His points were daggers. An eraser could make them go away. But he knew his parents wouldn’t see that.

“That’s why I have to go in the first place,” he thought.

And when he took his first step into the world as an honest man he felt fixed.

He’d left the note next to the TV. Burnable, tearable. Eraseable.

Maybe after they did all that, they’d remember he was just their son.

Stepping Out, With Pencil is a 150 word story that’s part of a series of short stories that I’m working on. I’m fascinated by the idea of crafting a tale with a tight restriction like this. It may seem arbitrary, but I’ve noticed something happens for me when I limit the word count to 150 words. I find that the stories end up being 150 words exactly.

Not 147, or 151.

I’m not sure why this happens time and again, but when I finish the first draft I do not check the word count. I make my edits until I’m happy with the story and then I check. Every time but once the count has been 150 words. Naturally. No affectation.

I hope you enjoy the stories!

Other 150 word stories:

Bridge of Laughter

The Same Mistakes Twice (a 150 word story)

by Ben Zackheim | Apr 20, 2013 | Writing | 0 comments

The first rev of the Wisdom CPU was a disaster.

The infant, Sam, was new to the world but the chip in his head was stuffed with 3000 years of history. If the gentle, neural prodding of the CPU worked, he would learn to never repeat the same mistakes humanity had made for millennia. Sam would be the first generation of a New Human.

One problem.

To track his progress, a network connection transmitted Sam’s decisions to HQ. Sam was born hungry and it upset him. The boy’s anger instantly hacked the signal and launched a Denial of Service attack, which brought down the power grid state-wide. Three critical patients in three hospitals died, including his own Great Uncle Harry. Almost 1000 airplane passengers were dead by the time Sam’s circumcision wrapped up.

He was indeed a new kind of human — one who would make us yearn for our old habits.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

75 Short Short Stories

Stories to enjoy when you have five minutes to spare, grouped by category to suit your mood: Witty Stories , Introspective Stories , Morality Tales , Other-Worldly Stories , Feel-Good/Love Stories , Dramatic Stories , and Political Farce Stories

Had a rough day? Cheer up with 50 Great Feel-Good Stories and a generous helping of comforting Foodie Stories

Witty Stories

Introspective Stories

Morality Tales

Other-Worldly Stories

Feel-Good/Love Stories

Dramatic Stories

Political Farce

Looking for more? Check out our Favorite Short Stories Collection . You may also enjoy 100 Great Poems Read about the authors' own stories in American Biographies

February 22, 2018: "500 Short Stories for Beginner-Intermediate," Vols. 1 and 2, for only 99 cents each! Buy both e‐books (1,000 short stories, iPhone and Android) at Amazon-Kindle . All 1,000 stories are also right here at eslyes at Link 10 .

HOME - www.eslyes.com

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Teachers: All 167 stories above ↑ are in order from easiest (0.0) to hardest (8.7) below ↓ (per MS Word's Readability Statistics). Mike, April 6, 2019

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. email me michaeleslATgmail.com

10 of the Best Science-Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

What are the best places to begin exploring the wonderful world of science fiction? Some of the classic novels of the genre, from Frank Herbert’s Dune to Asimov’s Foundation series (which eventually stretched to seven volumes), might appear daunting because of their sheer size and scope.

Below, we introduce ten short science fiction stories which offer the perfect way in to the imaginative wonders of science fiction.

1. H. G. Wells, The Time Machine .

Wells stands at the beginning of science fiction in the English language. Although he wasn’t the very first English science fiction author, his contemporaries, such as George Griffith, have long since been forgotten.

The Time Machine is technically more of a novella than a short story, but it heads Wells’s big, fat complete short stories collection, so we reckon that qualifies it for inclusion here. Published in 1895, this tale centres on a Time Traveller who invents a machine that enables him to travel far into the future.

He ends up in the world of AD 802,701, in a London that has been transformed into a vast garden, and where humankind has evolved into two distinct subspecies: the above-ground Eloi and the sinister subterranean Morlocks …

We have discussed this remarkable novella in more detail here .

2. E. M. Forster, ‘ The Machine Stops ’.

Is this the most prophetic story of the twentieth century? Published in 1909 and showing Forster’s disdain for technological advancement and the way it would make our lives poorer, this story attracted plenty of new readers in 2020 when so many people’s lives ‘went virtual’.

It’s all here: Zoom, self-isolation, and even the fear of other human beings. Controlling everything is ‘the Machine’, a mysterious technological entity worshipped as a god by many of the inhabitants of this future Earth.

You can read our analysis of this prescient short story here.

3. Shirley Jackson, ‘ The Lottery ’.

This 1948 story is among the most acclaimed short stories of the twentieth century, and earns its place on this list because of the speculative nature of its scenario (recalling, perhaps, Borges’ ‘The Lottery in Babylon’) and the ambiguous setting.

The story is set in a fictional town. Every year an event known as ‘the lottery’ takes place. This lottery involves a member of the community being selected at random – but the fate of the person selected is truly chilling. Jackson’s story, like Le Guin’s (see below) is about the concept of the scapegoat and the dynamic between the individual and the collective in society.

The story initially attracted much negative reaction from readers of the New Yorker (where it was first published), with many readers cancelling their subscriptions, horrified and disgusted by the story. It is now regarded as a classic.

4. Isaac Asimov, ‘ Nightfall ’.

This 1941 short story, written while Asimov was still only in his early twenties, is widely regarded as one of the greatest science-fiction short stories of all time. Indeed, in 1968 the Science Fiction Writers of America voted it the best science fiction short story written before 1965.

The story is about a planet which doesn’t experience nightfall, except once in every 2,049 years, because it is normally lit by six suns. Since every human being alive will find nightfall a terrifying experience when that rare eclipse occurs, scientists worry about their chaos that will ensue when night falls …

5. Ray Bradbury, ‘ A Sound of Thunder ’.

This is another classic time travel story, this time involving a journey back into the distant past rather than the far-flung future. The story was first published in Collier’s magazine in 1952 and then collected a year later in Bradbury’s short-story collection, The Golden Apples of the Sun .

The story begins in the future, sometime around 2055. A time-travel safari company in the United States, Time Safari Inc., allows animal-hunters to travel back in time in a Time Machine and kill a long-extinct animal, such as a dinosaur. A man named Eckels turns up ready to undertake his safari … with disastrous results.

You can read more about this story in a separate post .

6. Arthur C. Clarke, ‘ The Nine Billion Names for God ’.

This 1953 story is another which, like Asimov’s ‘Nightfall’, is often given the title of ‘one of the best short stories written before the Nebula Awards were created in the mid-1960s’.

A group of Buddhist monks think that, once every single name by which ‘God’ is known has been listed, the world – indeed, the whole universe – will end. They predict there are 9 billion different names in total, which new technology will allow them to itemise. Two men are hired to be the computer programmers for the monks’ task. What happens when all nine billion names are printed out? Well, that would be telling …

7. Ursula K. Le Guin, ‘ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas ’.

This story, like Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’, is perhaps more correctly labelled ‘speculative fiction’: it’s set in the fictional town of Omelas, in which everyone is happy and prosperous. But such happiness and prosperity has come at a terrible cost, for the success and contentment of everyone’s life is dependent on the suffering of a small child which is kept in miserable conditions in a room in the town.

Le Guin raises some deeply unsettling but important ethical questions in this classic story, which is told in the beautiful, eloquent prose for which Le Guin’s work is rightly famed.

We tease out some of the elements of this story in a separate post .

8. Philip K. Dick, ‘ We Can Remember It For You Wholesale ’.

Dick (1928-82) has attracted a devoted cult following since his untimely death, and his work fuses Kafkan paranoia and fear over police states and totalitarianism with an interest in psychedelia, drugs, altered consciousness, and related paraphernalia of the 1960s.

In this story, which formed the basis of the 1990 film Total Recall , a man named Douglas Quail learns of a special ‘holiday’ to Mars that can be implanted into the brain so one can experience a trip to another planet without having to go anywhere. We discuss the story in more detail in a separate article .

9. J. G. Ballard, ‘ Billennium ’.

This 1962 story from one of the most original authors of the twentieth century is a dystopian tale set in a vastly overpopulated future, in which the world’s population is around 20 billion. As a result, people live in extraordinarily cramped rooms in vast cities. The story focuses on two friends, Ward and Rossiter, who find new living quarters and then discover a whole new room behind one of their cupboards.

10. William Gibson, ‘Burning Chrome’.

Often credited with coining the term ‘cyberspace’ (a word he certainly helped to popularise), William Gibson (born 1948) is perhaps the greatest living science-fiction author, and one of the most prophetic. His early novels of the 1980s helped to establish ‘cyberpunk’ as a new branch of science fiction, and no writer has engaged so imaginatively and prophetically with our new world of the internet and digital communication as Gibson.

Like many science fiction writers, Gibson started out writing short fiction such as ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ and ‘Burning Chrome’. The latter story prefigures Gibson’s debut novel, Neuromancer , from two years later, in focusing on a computer hacker: a startlingly new character type in the early 1980s.

This story is not available online, but is the title story of the William Gibson collection Burning Chrome .

1 thought on “10 of the Best Science-Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read”

The last line of Clarke’s “Nine Billion Names for God” sticks with you like the last line of some poems.

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11 Short Story Forms to Expand Your Writing Practice

September 05, 2021 6 min read Author Short Stories Tips 1 Comment

By   mixed-media artist  and  editor of The Ekphrastic Review  Lorette C. Luzajic.

Has your writing practice become too predictable? Do you feel like you are always telling the same story, in the same way?

Writers can flex their creativity muscles and strengthen their craft by taking their words in new directions. 

Short fiction writers might stimulate imagination by trying poetry on for size, or by taking a writing workshop . Reading short fiction by other authors is another great way to improve your own. Writing in another genre, like science fiction or horror, can be a great experience, too. 

You can also stretch your wings by writing different styles or forms of short stories.

We have long defined short fiction as stories that can be read in one sitting. Poetry has dozens of forms—the pantoum, the sonnet, the couplet, the haiku-—but prose doesn’t work that way.

Or does it?

Here are 11 short story forms to try...

1. Flash Fiction

There's no consensus on the world length of a short story, but traditionally, most were at least a few thousand words. Once a story got to 10 thousand or longer, it became a “novella” or a short novel.

Flash fiction is also loosely defined with varying word counts, but is usually under 1000 words. A flash story should be just that—a flash. A flash of insight, a flash of lightning, a flash flood, and never a flash in the pan! 

Flash stories have a small word count but a big impact. Writing one is a great exercise in separating the wheat from the chaff.

2. The Micro

Microfiction is the new kid on the block, taking flash fiction down to size. Can a story be reduced to its essence, with nothing superfluous? What kind of feats of imagination and craft would it take to make a story under 400 words complete?

Microfiction is usually defined by word count but it can be helpful to define it as a story of the microcosm. Forget the Big Story and the universe and all its complexities for now, and zoom right in to find the story in the smallest detail.

Instead of many events or conversations, instead of sequences of insights and activities, focus on the meaning of what’s in front of you.

3. The Drabble

How low can you go? If 300 words seems like an exercise in excision, could a 100 word story make the cut?

The drabble started in the 80s, established by Birmingham University’s Science Fiction Society. They borrowed the term from Monty Python, a game of the same name, where the winner would be the first to write a complete novel.

In the real world, writing a complete story in 100 words could be the winning formula.

Drabble contests became popular among sci-fi writing communities, but started to spread across genres as Internet use became widespread.

There are several literary journals that only publish 100 word stories, including The Drabble ( thedrabble.wordpress.com ), 100 Word Story ( 100wordstory.org ) and The Centrifictionist ( thecentifictionist.home.blog ).

4. 55 Fiction

Go even shorter, if you dare…

5. The Six Sentence Story

Tell a story in six sentences. 

It’s not the word count that matters in this form, but the number of sentences. 

There are several journals devoted to the six-sentence story, including Six Sentences ( sixsentences.blogspot.com ). 

Ironically, constraints and limits can liberate your literary mettle in surprising ways. Playing around with different constrictions opens your mind and takes you to unexpected places.

6. The One-Sentence Story

Writing a story in one sentence is less an exercise in brevity than it is breathlessness. Think of it as the spilled story. Think about the times you have rushed in from some exciting or unbelievable news, and spilled the whole thing to your partner or bestie in one breath?

Maybe you worked up the courage to share a terrible betrayal or bad news, and you let out the confession in a tumble of words. Even if it took some time to tell, it was still all in one sentence.

7. The Prose Poem

The prose poem doesn’t exist, according to testy naysayers from both “prose” and “poetry” worlds, and yet you’ll find whole volumes of them if you know where to look.

While the prose poem is technically a poem, as defended by its advocates, it is also prose, as stated right there in the name.

Writing prose poetry will make your prose better, period. Get some exercise using poetic techniques in your prose. 

Detractors argue that too much focus on poetry can mean losing track of the action in short fiction. Fair enough. But without some emphasis on the beauty of language, on alliteration, perhaps, or rhyme, or dissonance, or metre, you may as well read an Ikea instruction manual.

It’s a good idea to engage in regular poetry play, both reading it and writing it. Poetry in your stories can keep your writing fresh and flexible.

8. The Cadralor

A new form of prose poetry that works wonders on your creative muscle is the cadralor.

The cadralor is a new poetic form invented by Lori Howe, Christopher Cadra and Mary Carroll-Hackett, the editors of Gleam magazine . The cadralor contains five unrelated, numbered stanzas.

Each stanza is less than ten lines and stands on its own. The fifth stanza must pull the stanzas together somehow, by “illuminating the gleaming thread that runs obliquely through the unrelated stanzas…” The fifth stanza answers the question, “for what do you yearn?”

Get the rules of the form from the horse’s mouth here: gleampoets.org/about/ . 

I see the cadralor as a scrapbook story. There are five different images that each tell a story, and together they tell another story. 

To be true to the inventors of this new art form, it might serve us to remember their poetic intentions. But there is no rule against telling a poetic story in five parts, with the additional restraint challenges like limiting sentence numbers and using imagist language and a love theme.

The restrictions and proscriptions of this form make it tricky to work with, and so rewarding to finish.

9. The Listicle

Internet blogs have popularized lists as ways of organizing information and imparting it to an audience with a short attention span. Lists (like this one) are easy to skim, give the reader a break every few seconds, and organize information into digestible bites.

The listicle is everywhere. “Ten Great Poems for Remembrance Day.” “Twelve Keto Hacks for Restaurant Eating.” “16 Smashing Lippy Shades for Women of Color.”

The literary list is a little different. While it is still about organizing information, it does so in order to tell a story.  A list on someone’s fridge can reveal a great deal about a character. If you found your narrator’s New Year's resolutions from last decade, what would they tell you about her? 

10. The Hermit Crab 

The hermit crab is infamous for taking someone else’s shell and occupying it as its own. The hermit crab story does the same: it borrows its shell ready-made and makes use of it for its own purposes.

The hermit crab writer mines ready-made templates like recipes, mechanical instructions, prescription medicine directions, meeting bullets, and more, for ways to tell a story.

The list story is just one form of many that can be put to creative use.

11. The Novelette

Experimenting with short story forms doesn’t always mean going shorter. Go longer, and play with weaving different plot threads together and using more characters. If a novella is a short novel, or the gray area between short story and novel, the novelette is the gray area between a short story and a novella.

Don’t concern yourself too much with arbitrary word counts for purposes of definition. Simply choose a length that isn’t familiar to your personal writing practice.

If you always write microfiction, creating a story of twelve thousand words will be an amazing way to understand backstory or character development. Give yourself a taste of the depth that can happen when you plan a story with outlines and character sketches.

Enjoy spending some time setting up the place and chronology and getting to know your characters and their community.

Want to write better short stories? Sign up for a 1-on-1 consultation with our short story expert, Author  Tevis Shkodra .

About the author.

Lorette C. Luzajic is the founder and editor of  The Ekphrastic Review , a journal devoted entirely to literature inspired by visual art. Her prose poetry and small fictions have been published widely in hundreds of journals and anthologies and nominated for several Best of Net and Pushcart prizes. Her most recent book, Pretty Time Machine, is a collection of ekphrases, and she is working to complete another this year. Her flash story recently won first place in a contest at Macqueen’s Quinterly. Lorette is also an award-winning visual artist with collectors in over 25 countries.

Visit her at  www.mixedupmedia.ca  or  www.ekphrastic.net .

November 07, 2022

this website is good and it give you alot of story ideas

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Free 150-Word Essay Samples

187 samples of this type

A 150-word essay is a short piece. It might be assigned by a school teacher to test the student’s knowledge of the topic and their ability to formulate thoughts concisely. The most common genres for texts of 150 to 200 words are a discussion board post and a personal statement for a college application.

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Graham Spry is known as the father of Canadian broadcasting and one of the most successful activists of the 20th century. In the 1930s, about 80 percent of Canadians listened to American programs to learn recent hockey news and achievements (Basen, 2015). However, the citizens outside Toronto and Montreal did...

Why Does Lucretia Commit Suicide?

Lucretia was a noblewoman known for her innocence, beauty, and suicide that she committed after a rape. Her death is a symbol of dishonor in human relationships in Ancient Rome. Livy introduced Lucretia as “occupying herself differently,” which tells about her high honor and the distinction from other women (79)....

Ambivalence in Livy’s Introductory Remarks

In “Preface”, several cases of ambivalence proved Livy’s mixed feelings towards his project. First, Livy demonstrated uncertainty about “any return for the effort” because he did not “bring some greater authenticity” or new contributions but celebrated “the memory of the past” (1). The author seemed to doubt his intent “neither...

Appius’s Demise and Verginia’s Death

The arrest and imprisonment of Appius Claudius resembled Verginia’s death in several ways. Verginius, a prosecutor in the trial, underlined that Appius “who had annulled the right of appeal was himself making an appeal” (Livy 232). He connected the outcomes of Appius’s decisions with the current situation and made the...

Is a 150-Word Essay Long?

A 150-word text usually takes about 0,5 pages. All the major citation styles assume that an essay will take approximately 250 words per page. The most common format is double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. The details might differ – for instance, in MLA 9 and APA 7, Calibri and Arial are also accepted. However, 12-point Times New Roman remains preferable.

How Many Paragraphs Is 150 Words?

A 150-word essay should include 1 to 3 paragraphs. In academic writing, a paragraph should contain at least 50 words and three sentences.

What Does a 150-Word Essay Look Like?

A 150-word essay is quite a short piece. However, it should be properly planned. Your essay should contain four to five concise paragraphs. It is to consist of an introduction paragraph, two to three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

How Long Does a 150-Word Essay Take?

It will take you about 3 to 6 minutes to type 150 words on your keyboard, depending on your typing speed. However, if you also need to perform research, make a reference list, add in-text citations, and graphic materials, you’ll need more time – not less than 0,5 hours for 150 words.

How Many Body Paragraphs Are in a 150 Word Essay?

An average 150-word essay contains 1 to 2 paragraphs. Each paragraph should be 70 to 150 words long.

Humans in the Universe: The Beginning of “Genesis”

In “Genesis 1-11,” two theories discuss the place of humans in the universe, including God’s intention to create an image of himself on Earth and the desire to undermine people’s mortality. The domination of the second theory of human mortality is evident. The Lord created humans last in his image,...

Hannah Arendt and the Ward System

The essence of Arendt’s idea was in the fact that the power of many would not become something substantial over the course of time, as the core of Jefferson’s ward system was the power of everyone and the personal competencies of every civilian (254). This turned out to be a...

‘Reindeer People’ and Their Spiritual Doubles

This essay analyzes the nature of the relationship between Eveny, also known as the ‘Reindeer People’, and their spiritual doubles. The connection between these people and the reindeer that live alongside them is almost magical (Vitebsky). While the primary cause for this bond is purely practical, over time, it expanded...

Homeless Veterans: Analysis of Cases

The number of cases of homeless veterans has been on the rise mainly because of poverty, lack of affordable housing, and mental illness as a result of war, drug, and substance abuse. Veterans have undergone specific barriers when seeking healthcare. These barriers include a lack of proper mental healthcare and...

The Future of the Meat Industry

People continue developing various opinions about the future of the meat industry. The controversies are based on personal attitudes towards the topic and business knowledge. Despite the possibility to provide people with enough working placing, feeding opportunities, and economic stability, such concerns as animal rights, pollution issues, and alternative methods...

• Communication

Billing Specialists in Healthcare

Billing specialists play a considerable role in healthcare organizations, yet various work environments may affect such professionals in different ways. Billing specialists working in hospitals tend to have more workload and need to communicate to a larger number of people on a daily basis. Hospitals are places where many individuals...

The Naming Concept in the Social Environment

Naming allows people to execute their power and creates a social environment. For example, many people are anxious about the proliferation of neopronouns because it is a way for a person to take control of themselves and take it away from others (Green and Calafell 306). In addition, naming constructs...

Poliovirus and Importance of Vaccination

The points on the poliovirus’s causes, manifestations, and outcomes presented in the discussion post are thorough and informative. To add to the discussion, it is relevant to address additional causes of poliovirus outbreaks to advance prevention approaches. Indeed, according to Georgieva et al. (2020), laboratory workers and medical staff working...

Camillus’s Religious and Non-religious Arguments

After the devastating attacks of the Gauls, the Romans wanted to leave the city and immigrate to Veii. Camillus, as a “Romulus and as the father of his country and second founder of the city,” developed a powerful speech (Livy 395). Using non-religious arguments, Camillus remembered the time when Romans...

Apologies from Socrates: Analysis

In Apology 28b-30c, Socrates admits that he is not ashamed of pursuing a life that has not put him at risk of early death. The philosopher’s convictions hinge on the rational premise that it is worse to “live as a bad man” and not consider justice when taking action (28b)....

Revolutionary Anxieties and the US Role

Pages 639 to 645 of chapter 20 address the issue of revolutionary anxieties, which was triggered by German radicals. The US President, Woodrow Wilson, believed that it was the best opportunity to facilitate peace and initiated the treaty discussion with France, Britain, and Italy, to caution the country against the...

“Let America Be America Again”: The Poem Analysis

The poem “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes is highly controversial and concerns many arguable subjects. One of those subjects is the American Dream, and Hughes says it has changed (191). The author hopes the American Dream will one day become what it once was. Hughes also states...

“Are All Species Equal?” by David Schmidtz

Species egalitarianism is used to recognize the concept that all members of a species hold the same moral stance. Ethical standing entails, at the actual least, commanding respect besides being something additional than a thing. There are many reasons that all species are supposed to have moral standing even in...

The Documentary “A Brilliant Genocide”

The documentary “A Brilliant Genocide” shows how the Ugandan government killed over 800,000 people in just 100 days. I enjoyed this documentary because it was eye-opening and informative. I like how it provides many details about the killings. Additionally, the film gives a voice to the Acholi people, who are...

Cerebral Palsy, Its Causes and Symptoms

Cerebral palsy (CP) constitutes a group of severe neurological conditions caused by brain damage that affect children and impact their movement and motor skills, as well as their coordination. Other common symptoms include delays in the development of speech, tremors, difficulty swallowing and walking, seizures, blindness, and problems with muscles,...

Symptoms of Type I Diabetes

The patient provides information about chest pain, polyuria, and sweating. The patient also notes recurrent symptoms such as blurred vision and numbness of the limbs. The possible symptoms inherent to diabetes, which the patient also mentions, are unmotivated weakness, drowsiness, persistent thirst, and dry mouth. Pain in the limbs worsens...

Thalidomide Sedative: A Short History

Thalidomide was first licensed in July 1956, intended as sedative, treats many conditions. Initially it was considered safe for pregnant women. Caused significant developmental issues in babies. 1961: withdrawn after a major scandal. Thalidomide was greatly affected drug testing and approval. Birth defects if taken during pregnancy Can also be...

Confucianism vs. Taoism: Comparative Analysis

Chapter 5 of the book “The World’s Religions” is devoted to Taoism in the 6th century B.C. by Laozi in China. Compared to Confucianism, Taoism is a more mystical, irrational religion whose central concept is “Tao” (the Way) (Smith, 2009). This is the metaphysical path of ultimate reality, which cannot...

Philosophy: The Trial of Socrates

Athens held the trial of Socrates to determine whether he was indeed guilty of asebeia (impiety) against the pantheon of the city and the corruption of youth. If Plato’s account of Socrates’ life in Apology is historically accurate, then it is safe to assume that Socrates shied away from religious...

Dengue Fever Prevention: Epidemiological Analysis

The severity of the Dengue fever has sparked multiple discussions and studies regarding its prevention. To combat this disease, locations like Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia have conducted studies on the matter. For these important measures, the scientists from these areas have reviewed the information and approach towards the required prevention...

Dickinson’s “Recognizing Poetry” Literary Work Analysis

In Dickinson’s “Recognizing Poetry,” the author narrates about this genre and, more specifically, its significant trait. For her, it is the emergence of physical sensations “as if the top of my head were taken off” when reading a piece, and this factor correlates with the poetic expression (Kennedy and Gioia...

The Visual Analysis of the Collage

This collage is about youth lifestyle, including their favorite activities and past times, approach to life, way of thinking, and outlook. The pictures in the collage combine to tell a wholesome story about how youths conduct their lives. Youth are in a stage of life defined by self-realization and actualization....

A More Perfect Union: Rhetorical Précis

Précis Frame (“Rhetorical Précis – description and examples,” n.d.) – Then-senator of the United States, Barack Obama, in his speech, A More Perfect Union, delivered at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, addresses the topic of race in America and argues that both the black and white populations hold...

The 1,2,4,5-Tetrazines Synthesizing Method

The article by the Scripps Research Institute highlights the expected positive effects of a recent chemical discovery – now there is a general method that allows for the synthesis of 1,2,3,5-tetrazines, a previously unknown compound family. About sixty years ago, closely related 1,2,4,5-tetrazines were found, and their success and invaluable...

Pathology of Pneumonia: Overview, Symptoms, and Treatment

Pneumonia is one of the most common chest pathologies one can deal with in the clinical setting. It is commonly described as an acute infection in the lung parenchyma (Frank et al., 2013). It can also be of several types: bacterial, viral, lobal, or fungal pneumonia depending on the cause...

• Globalization
• Social Media
• Ancient History

Market Research for Gain in Africa

Economic development in Africa has the potential to create a new consumer class shortly. This latent market could be a future source of prosperity for Gain if marketed correctly. The first analytical technique suited for this task is cluster analysis. In short, this method puts together similar variables inside a...

High School Diploma Is Important to My Future

All great paths start with a small footprint, and this first step can be considered as the most important and the hardest. It is an indicator that a person can accomplish. Individuals may use this fact to motivate themselves – if one goal can be achieved, then thousands can be...

Crito’s Concern About Reputation

When Crito expresses concern about his reputation, Socrates inquires why one needs to worry about “the opinion of the many (44c).” At first glance, it may seem that the philosopher rebels against the social order of Athens. Upon further investigation, it becomes clear that he does not devalue but rather...

The Role of Leaders’ Values in Organizational Culture

In the contemporary corporate world, there exists a belief that leaders are motivated by their ambitions rather than beliefs. For this reason, international companies are starting to invest substantial funds in developing value-based leadership. Therefore, this response will discuss the role of leaders’ values in the organizational culture. Fundamental beliefs...

Five Major Models of Education

In section 38 of the chapter, Ibn Khaldûn emphasizes the existence of five major models of education: the methods of Maghribî, Spaniards, Infrîqiyah, Eastern world, and the instructions from Judge Abû Bakr b. al-‘Arabî. Considering each approach, the author gives preference to the latter, as it encompasses the idea of...

An Organizer Mug for Traveling and Hiking

Organizer for cosmetics + Mug = Travel mug Smaller weight – more expensive product Organizer mug for traveling + hiking = three full-fledged travel cups Necessary skills: designer skills knowledge of ecology External expertise: marketing advertising pricing search for sales channels development of product positioning Market gap: Multifunctional tourist tableware...

Napoleon Bonaparte: Autocratic and Charismatic Leadership

Napoleon Bonaparte is often referred to as one of the most effective military leaders. According to researchers, the French leader was operating based on the techniques used within the autocratic style (Weiss, 2020). At the same time, current knowledge refers to soldiers as focused on the overall environment within the...

Greek Polis: Researching of Advantages

At around 1,000 B.C., Greece accumulated significant knowledge from nearby empires and invented a new type of settlement. Polis referred to an independent city-state governed by a set of laws instead of the king’s decisions (Hunt et al. 42). In my opinion, compared to the previous forms of reign, a...

The “Archetypes of Wisdom” Book by D. J. Soccio

The second chapter of Archetypes of Wisdom by D. J. Soccio (2015) was dedicated to the Presocratic period in the development of philosophy. In general, it introduces the term Sophos, which referred to wise men or first philosophers who aimed to understand natural processes and the essence of life (Soccio,...

Save the Rhino, Save the Plant

In the present day, a lot of animal species are threatened with extinction. The presented article deals with the fact that Sumatrian rhinos are the most endangered species of rhinoceros. Because of this, several plants are endangered as well, as only large animals can disperse their seeds by eating fruit...

• Confucianism
• Collaboration

Describing the Problem of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a severe problem that adversely affects many children. The rationale behind this statement is that if individuals experience a health issue in their childhood, it is going to lead to negative consequences in the future. Multiple causes and effects demonstrate that the problem should not be ignored....

The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles

When it comes to the basic ethical principles that are integral to the behavioral and biomedical conduct centered around human subjects, these are outlined by the Belmont Report that was published in 1979. According to the report, there are three such principles: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice (U.S Department...

Types of ADR and the Hearing Court

The primary types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods include mediation and arbitration. Mediation involves the use of a mediator to reach a settlement between conflicting parties. The process has no formality, and both parties have to agree to the settlement to make it binding to them, while the mediator...

The Importance of Speed Limits and Letter of Complaint

Traffic speed limits set the legal minimum and maximum speed range on roads. They are usually placed by governmental authorities. While some people might be against them, I argue that speed limits are of high importance. Firstly, speed limits improve traffic safety and reduce the number of casualties. According to...

The Climate Change Scientist Vignette

Considering the scenario described in the third vignette, one may assume that Hannah Arendt would choose the path of telling the truth and publishing the study. She would justify her choice by interpreting a Latin idiom meaning “Let the truth be done, though the world perish” (Arendt 546). In such...

Organizational Structure: Zara

Zara is a brand that belongs to Spain’s most prominent fashion retail company called Inditex (Inditex, 2021a). The latter’s executive chairman is Pablo Isla and CEO is Carlos Crespo González. The owner, founder, and leading board member is Amancio Ortega Gaona, and the head of the Zara brand is Óscar...

“The Person Who Bled Hearts”: A Unique Tale of a Captain

‘The Person who Bled Hearts’ is a unique tale of a captain who encountered a strange woman described as having an uncertain age, old and dusty, yet with a “childish Flutter” (Chamoiseau, 1997). In my opinion, the old woman represented the end of slavery. Before being thrown overboard, she pointed...

Biopsychosocial Factors of Stress

Stress is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, as it affects a person’s physical well-being, emotional stability, and social interactions. Stress can also be explained by a myriad of biopsychosocial factors that contribute to its development described by Sarafino and Smith (2017). First, stress is correlated with social support, which implies that increased...

Sima Qian: Reasoning on the Concept of “The Root”

When analyzing “the root” that Qian puts into the essence of The First Emperor, one can conclude that this term implies a natural order, which is the root cause. In his description of Li Si, the author notes that all attempts to interpret the consequences of the minister’s actions were...

The Philippine-American War or a Tagalog Insurgency

During this time, most people called the Philippine-American war a Tagalog Insurgency because the Philippine troops commenced surrendering to the U.S army. The war commenced on February 4th, 1899, lasting until July 2nd, 1902. The war was a struggle for independence, which had early begun in 1896 under the Philippine...

• Christianity
• The Great Gatsby

Principle of Interpersonal Communication on the Example of Image

The chosen artifact demonstrates an informal interpersonal communicative situation between a man and a woman of approximately the same age. They are sharing a personal moment on what appears to be a lunch date. The two people are sharing a hug and holding hands, looking pleased with each other’s company....

Nevada Harsh Land: Roughing It by Mark Twain

Roughing It was written by Mark Twain in 1872 to present his first-hand experiences from Nevada. He learned to write there and found inspiration that brought his talent to the surface. His adventures and impressions from this city are described in the piece Roughing It. Mark Twain never returned to...

The Greenhouse Effect, Clouds, & Atmospheric Warming

The Earth’s energy budget describes the balance between the radiant energy that reaches the Earth from the Sun and the energy that leaves the Earth back into space. The atmosphere absorbs a large amount of energy and radiates it into space, as well as back to the surface of the...

Animal Experimentation: Arguments For and Against

Science is very important in society because it is through it that different discoveries are made. Scientific methods for instance are used to discover a medicine to cure different diseases and come up with innovations that improve the lives of human beings (Brundage and Michael 10). In the field of...

The Role of Followership in Supporting Servant Leaders

Leadership and followership are inseparable as they always depend on each other. However, followership seems to be often overlooked because leaders tend to be in the spotlight due to their power, influence, and authority. This paper aims to discuss the role of followership in supporting leaders and highlight the importance...

Motor Performance and the Activity of the Primary Motor Cortex

The Goal of the Research The goal of the study was to determine whether the focus of attention affected the motor performance and the activity of the primary motor cortex when implementing strenuous tasks involving the right index finger (Kuhn, Keller, Ruffieux, & Taube, 2017). How the Goal Relates to...

Social Media and Social Networking in Modern Life

Social media and social networking are relatively new phenomena that already have a significant effect on society. As our current understanding of these phenomena is limited, studying them is critical to answering the questions their development raises. Indeed, social media exposes people to a previously impossible amount of social communication....

Championing Quality and Patient Safety

The study by Mastal, Joshi, and Schulke (2007) reports that chief nursing officers (CNOs) need to be provided with an opportunity not only to play a key leadership role in closing the knowledge gaps and reshaping values about quality and patient safety in the boardroom, but also to apply leadership...

The Cultural and Psychological Aspects of Marriage

Marriage is a long-standing social and legal institution, and studying it through social sciences can change how we view it. Recognizing the cultural and psychological aspects of marriage and the shifts these aspects are currently experiencing is also important. For instance, separating marriage from childbirth and the rearing of children...

Socrates’ Understanding of God

Socrates is accused of impiety, or “not believing in the gods in whom the city believes (West & Plato, 1979, 24b).” At first glance, it appears as if Socrates is charged with atheism, but the philosopher is, in fact, ostracized for believing in “other new spiritual things (West & Plato,...

• Professionalism
• Hypertension
• Social Networking

The Effects of Globalization on the Environment

The far-reaching consequences of globalization can sometimes be very obscure. Just like preeminent technological developments, globalization contributes to civilization as a whole but also inconveniences others. In terms of global trade, helps in reducing the isolation of poor countries by increasing specialization, it expands access to information through trade, increases...

Interview: Additions to Five Journalistic “W”s

As a means of communication and learning about a specific person or issue, an interview incorporates both ample opportunities and significant challenges. Although the format of an interview opens a plethora of chances for addressing multiple issues, reliance on the interviewee’s honesty requires that an interviewer should approach the task...

The Interview “I’m a Runner: Haruki Murakami”

I listened to Haruki Murakami’s interview “I’m a Runner: Haruki Murakami.” The writer explains how exercise has changed his social and physical lifestyle (Lee, 2005). In the second interview, Murakami talks about his writing process, general life, and characters that appear in his writing. Murakami reveals that he loves cats...

Discussion of the Film “The Batman”

Did you know that Batman has returned on the big screen? The hero, often known as the Dark Knight, is ready to fight villains again and protect people. If you have not watched the recent movie yet, here are some reasons why you should. The Batman does not have an...

Metabolism in Inorganic Systems

The definition of life and the definition of its criteria are debatable. Metabolism is the most important attribute of life, but many inorganic systems possess this property, albeit in a more primitive form. Without attempting to list all attributes of living matter, since this is impossible, in determining the criterion...

Migration Flows and Their Socio-Economic Impact

The deepening of globalization is associated with an ever-increasing level of international migration (Artal-Tur et al. 8). In order to better understand the implication of the phenomenon, it is necessary to explore it from the demographic, social, and economic points of view. One should understand that migration is a powerful...

Boston’s Experiment: Harvard Business Review’s Lessons

In Harvard Business Review’s Lessons from Boston’s Experiment with The One Fund, Mitchell discusses lessons that anyone can learn from his experience with fund distribution to the victims of the Boston bombing. What stands out about Mitchell’s opinion piece is his entrepreneurial approach to charity. Many of the lessons described...

Sanitation Workers and Compensation for Their Efforts

Sanitation workers usually ride, drive, or push garbage trucks while collecting trash and fecal matter from people’s residences and workplaces. They carry out valuable tasks of tidying up communities by collecting waste and ensuring its safe or proper disposal. Sometimes their job entails washing toilets, emptying septic tanks and dustbins,...

“My Mother’s Strange Definition of Empowerment” TED Talk by Khadija Gbla

In this TED talk, Khadija Gbla discusses the two different definitions of empowerment she learned from her mum when they lived in Sierra Leone and the one she got when they migrated to Australia. Her mother’s definition of empowerment was circumcision. She told her that it stifled her sexual urges...

The War on Drugs in the United States

The United States government’s combat with substance abuse is called the “War on drugs,” addressing the campaign initiated by President Nixon and supporting the modern attempts to control the use. Drugs disapproved by diverse societies enable the administrations to offer strategies to influence the situation and eliminate abuse via addiction...

• Ernest Hemingway
• Animal Abuse
• Animal Testing
• Contract Law

Biopsychologic Model of Alcohol Consumption

Treatments To achieve the best results, it is vital to incorporate methods effective against a specific type of addiction. Reportedly, medical treatment is the most effective in combating alcoholism (Anderson Redal, Thomas, Sim, & Campbell, 2019). The second and third best treatments are Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and non-medical outpatient care...

Rules and Formal Requirements of the Mathematical Sciences

The mathematical sciences are full of rules and formal requirements that must be met to follow academic standards. One such requirement is the rules for working with data graphs, namely the appropriateness and desirability of connecting individual points with a single line or curve. In particular, individual points on a...

“Unemployment and Terrorism” TED Talk by Mohamed Ali

In this TED talk, Ali explores the relationship between unemployment and terrorism. Unemployment is one of the challenges facing young people in big cities around the world. As young people pursue their dreams of creating wealth and attaining their goals, they encounter many obstacles that cause frustration and push them...

Training and Development for Employees

The purpose of this proposal is to instruct the employees in order to increase their performance in the organization. There are several delivery methods for development programs, the most popular of which is instructor-led training (Lacerenza et al., 2017). It is best for creating an overall understanding of the raised...

The Funding Request of the Business Plan

Introduction: The Basis of the Project The business plan has: Information about the company, products; Calculations, prospects for the years; Further actions, methods to improve efficiency; Strategies for further promotion. The Business Plan Based on the Coffee Shop The coffee shop’s uniqueness is in: Aromatic tea and fragrant coffee; Freshly...

Sociology: Role in the Life of Society

Why exactly sociology now occupies a priority position among social and humanitarian disciplines, and how does it fit into the general system of social knowledge? The answers to these questions explain the reason for sociology being among the choices of required courses for Liberal Arts Majors in most college campuses...

Afghanistan’s Location as a Cause of Conflicts

It is possible to say that the history of the emergence of Afghanistan and its physical location has become the prerequisites for the “troubles” that take place on the territory. Afghanistan emerged as a “buffer” state that separated the territories of interest of Russia and Britain (Blijde et al 265)....

Global Health Problems: The Epidemic of COVID-19

In the discussion post dedicated to global health problems, my colleague clearly indicated the need for international cooperation and underlined the universal nature of health concerns, such as the recent epidemic of COVID-19. The statistics and numbers on premature infants support the author’s position, who claims that preterm birth is...

The League of United Latin Americans’ Activity

The League of United Latin Americans (LULAC for short) is an alliance whose campaign focuses on equalizing the rights of Latin Americans (“Mexicans”) with white Americans and fighting to preserve the socio-cultural specificities of Latin America. Its goal was to create an environment where discrimination based on race and nationality...

Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody Song Analysis

I think that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is a song of the decade for the 70s. It is an obvious choice, but I think it is really difficult to name a more iconic and long-standing track. Being a rock ballad, it combines unexpected shifts of melody and style to the point...

• Homelessness
• Intelligence
• Marine Life
• Negotiation
• Hills Like White Elephants

Leadership Transition Challenges in the Intersex Society

The Intersex board has experienced a few significant processes during its existence. Initially, Chase asked her friend and colleague, Alice Dreger, to chair the board that consisted mainly of friends. However, the further development of business required to make this body more extended and professional. That is why Chase decided...

Integrative Literature Review in Developmental Psychology

Name of the Domain Developmental Psychology Rationale Yau et al. (2021) highlight the existence of the relationship between societal expectations and individual performance, which eventually results in various courses pursued during the transition to adulthood. Similar conclusions and results may be related to the results of the study by de...

The Circle Packing Chart on “Kobe Bryant Shoots” Database

This circle packing chart shows values of variables in a hierarchical structure by using circle areas. The shot type variable creates two outer circles which display two types of shots in the database: 2PT Field Goal and 3PT Field Goal. Inside each of them, many other circles represent unique action...

Methods of Forecasting Currency Market

Methods of forecasting the currency market include Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis. Fundamental analysis helps in evaluating and assessing the assets based on their intrinsic value. It is dependent on external factors where decisions are based on available information and evaluated statistics (Lyle & Yohn, 2021). Its primary purpose is...

Eating Disorders and Social Interactions

One of the possible aspects that affect the persons’ perception of their bodies and attractiveness is the closest social surrounding. Family, friends, or romantic partners sometimes unknowingly can make people feel insecure and push them towards the development of the eating disorder. It can happen by criticizing the body, compassion...

North Africa or Southwest Asia Area Classification

There is certainly controversy about classifying the North Africa/Southwest Asia realm. In (Blijde et al), we see that there are several approaches to classifying it. First, it is defined as the “Dry World” due to its climate (230); however, the majority of people live in the territories where they have...

American Psychological Association and Racism

For the past years, minority individuals in the U.S suffered from segregation in all fields including schools. For instance, the Negros had trouble in the past years when it came to academic issues. The experienced problems led to retardation of educational and intellectual development of Negro children. To solve this,...

The Film “A Time to Kill” by Joel Schumacher

In the film “A Time to Kill,” my opinion is that Carl Lee Hailey was right to have murdered rapists who assaulted his daughter. This is because of anger and the weight of the two white men’s injustice to his daughter. Therefore, he was justified in murdering the men in...

Investment. Net Present Value vs. Payback Period

Net Present Value (NPV) is a better indicator than Payback Period (PBP) because it tells precisely which value would be earned by the investors if they decide to undertake it. In general, NPV as an investment appraisal method is based on the idea that the project would be beneficial if...

Zappos: Servant Leadership

Introduction Servant leadership is defined as an organizational style within a company where the leader’s purpose is to serve their customers and help their employees grow within the field. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how this philosophy is supported at Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer....

• Discrimination
• Vaccination

“All Aunt Hagar’s Children: Stories” by E. P. Jones

Edward P. Jones’ stories are classic examples of the influence of urban infamy on one’s personality and reconnection to society. The main character Caesar is not evil by nature, instead, he is simply a victim of his social environment and a series of highly stressful circumstances that led him to...

Managing Task Clusters in Organizations in Practice

Introduction At the Mixing Department, a range of staff members was unaware of the goals to which they contributed by performing their routine functions in the organizational setting. As a result, the arrangement of work was deplorable, with most staff members being quite disorganized. Experimentations However, after thorough clarifications and...

Rationale Strategy: PetSafe Pet Insurance

These emails are directed at buyers who have subscribed to the newsletter. Pyroplasmosis is an infectious disease triggered by a tick bite and leads to the loss of appetite, decreased energy, and other long-term effects on animals (Niu et al., 2017). This text attracts people who care about their pets,...

Events in the American History Since 1980

The three events I consider the most important in American history are the pneumocystis pneumonia report in 1981, which states the discovery of the virus known as “Pneumocystis carinii” as the cause of the AIDS epidemic. The discovery of AIDS brought more attention to sex education and insight is gay...

Jay Gatsby by F. S. Fitzgerald and the American Dream

“In his blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” (Fitzgerald 32) The chosen quote is important as it illustrates that Fitzgerald brilliantly portrayed the American society’s carnival lifestyle of the so-called dreamers, excited with fun and carelessness. The...

Modeling Methods and Techniques

Summary Analytical modeling consists in constructing a model based on the description of the behavior of an object in the form of formulas. Simulation modeling involves the construction of a model with characteristics adequate based on any of its physical or informational principles. Heuristic modeling is a mechanism of self-learning...

Hunger and Homelessness Consequences on Development

Consequences of Hunger and Homelessness on Children’s Development The article “New study reports strong links between food insecurity and negative developmental consequences for young school-age children is available on the FRAC website. The article discusses the consequences of hunger and homelessness during the early developmental years on children’s growth and...

Jerrold Amplifiers Advertisement in the 1980s

Everyone wants a music system with crystal clear sounds that are appealing and entertaining. Jerrold Company presents the Jerrold amplifier, which is the absolute solution to the voice problems in homes, business places, and even campaigns. The amplifier has the Alternating Current (AC), making it easy for the user to...

Nursing Ethics in Patient Advocacy

Mr. Lilly needed to receive an increased dose of morphine, but his condition made health care professionals doubt whether he was looking for painkillers just to overcome his pain or he wanted to satisfy his addiction. It was also important not to harm his health in this way. The nurse...

Summary of Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”

Amy Tan reflects on the varieties of English she uses as an Asian American. She notes the differences between the grammatically impeccable language she uses in her writing and the often incorrect phrasing she uses when conversing with her mother and husband. Amy’s mother does not possess the same grammatical...

The Idea of Robert Frost’s Poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”

The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost is only nine lines long, but the author discusses complex topics through it. In early spring, the golden buds appear on the trees, but soon their color fades. Then flowers bloom, but they also soon turn into fallen leaves, reminiscent of...

Gender Representation in American Pop Culture

The selected excerpt of the book called “The Pop Culture Freaks” focuses on the representation of gender in American pop culture that is a powerful tool capable of impacting social tendencies and relations or creating particular attitudes. The objectification of women (or female bodies, to be more precise, since their...

Geographies of Race and Ethnicity I: Summary of Article

“Geographies of race and ethnicity I” compares and contrast two forms of racism: white supremacy and white privilege. These topics are then connected to a more generalized issue of environmental racism, with the author providing evidence of who might be responsible for its dynamics. Lastly, choosing the case of Exide...

The Treponema Pallidum Prokaryote Analysis

Treponema pallidum’s structure is similar to that of other spirochaetes: it is helical, a protoplasmic cylinder twisted into 8–12 whorls; 3 periplasmic flagella extend from the ends of the cell. Studies of the morphology of pale treponema conducted using electron microscopy showed that the central structure of the Treponema pallidum...

‘The Last Night of the World’ by Ray Bradbury

‘The Last Night of the World’ is a short story by Ray Bradbury written in a genre of speculative fiction. It presents an evening dialogue between spouses who are drinking coffee and watching their daughters play on the rug. It is an entirely ordinary evening except for the dream they...

Was Gunpowder the Cause of England’s Defeat in the Hundred Years’ War?

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Enchanting Marketing

Writing advice for small business

Storytelling in Blog Posts: How to Add Sparkle and Delight Readers

by Henneke | 67 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

His email subscribers open his email, click through to his post, and then …

They forget about the crazy world for a few minutes. They ignore their Facebook notifications and live news feeds. They don’t even notice their coffee going cold.

Could he write a blog post so good?

It seems unachievable.

But then again … when he was reading the new Jack Reacher thriller, he was gripped by the story. He forgot his exhaustion and read until 3am.

Stories keep us glued

Stories transform dull tips into sparkling information and sticky advice. They turn lackluster lessons into engaging adventures.

And what’s more …

Stories help you stand out from the drab blogging crowd. Your content becomes unique because nobody tells the same stories as you.

Becoming a storyteller is not as difficult as it may seem.

You don’t need to become the next Lee Child. You don’t need to write a 400-page bestseller full of twists and cliffhangers. A simple story of 150 words is enough to delight your readers and turn lackluster writing into sparkling content.

Want to know how?

1. The opening story

A good opening story entices blog visitors to read your blog post.

When readers recognize the problem the story’s hero is struggling with, they become eager to read your tips and learn how to solve that problem. For instance:

On Jan. 2nd, Heather browses her draft articles. She doesn’t feel like writing a complete blog post. Not this week. Heather is surprised to find 31 drafts in her folder. Why did she never finish these posts? Surely, she thinks, one of them must be almost ready for publication? Red-cheeked, with hope in her heart, Heather opens her documents. One by one. She reads an opening here, and scans the subheads there. Slowly she loses her sense of optimism. These articles are no good … Do you recognize the feeling? Do you ever look at a first draft with despair? From: The 5-Step Revision Process: How to Turn Rickety Writing into Shiny, Smooth Content

How this story works:

• A short first line sets the scene
• The next lines describe the excitement of looking for a good draft and then the disillusionment when the drafts are no good
• The two questions at the end of the paragraph address the reader directly and help transition to the tips in the main body of the post

Most stories have three parts :

• a beginning sketching the problem
• a middle part showing how the problem was solved
• a final part explaining how the hero lived happily ever after

But an opening story can remain unfinished. You can simply sketch the problem. Because the remainder of your post shows readers how to solve it.

The closing story does follows the full three-part structure …

2. The closing story

The aim of a closing story is to take away an obstacle to implementing your tips.

For instance, in my guest post on Copyblogger about using vivid language and metaphors, I empathize with readers who think they’re not creative enough:

When I started writing, I didn’t believe I had any creative talent. But I wanted my messages to stand out. Because I wanted to be heard. Encouraged by the guidance in Anne Miller’s book The Tall Lady With The Iceberg (formerly titled Metaphorically Selling), I mustered the courage to write my first metaphor. My secret to embarking on this creative journey? Foster a sense of fun. Get away from your computer. I get my best ideas while making spicy meatballs, pedaling my bike, or when listening to the murmur of rain on a walk. I also started hunting for sensory words and created my own collection of favorites. That’s how my writing improved and my voice evolved. Even better … people engaged with me because the metaphors gave them a glimpse into my life. The metaphors turned out to be excellent conversation starters. From: How to Write So Vividly that Readers Fall in Love with Your Ideas (on Copyblogger)

• The first part sketches the problem that I don’t feel I have creative talent
• The middle part explains how a book nudged me to try, how I fostered a sense of fun, and how I went hunting for sensory words
• The last part shows the impact my creative journey has had on me

Personal stories are a great tool for bonding with your readers. You position yourself as a guide, and show them you understand their pain. You explain how you overcame this pain so your readers can, too.

To write a powerful closing story, think about your readers’ objections to implementing your advice. Did you experience the same struggle? Can you explain how you overcame it?

3. The explanatory story

Sometimes your readers may not understand what their problem really is. They know something doesn’t work, but they don’t know exactly what’s wrong.

The aim of an explanatory story is to show readers the problem and make it concrete.

For instance, many websites are full of company information without explaining what’s in it for the customer. In the paragraph below, I explain this problem by telling the story of a visit to a bike store.

Imagine you haven’t cycled for years. And you really don’t know much about bikes. But you want to get fit again, and biking seems fun. You go to your local bike store and tell the super-sporty-looking shop assistant you’re looking for a bicycle to tour around the area. Leisurely. He tells you full of enthusiasm a hybrid would be ideal and shows you a few popular models. This one has 24 gears and it has cantilever brakes. That one has a Shimano drivetrain and disc brakes. And here’s a model currently on offer – it has an aluminum frame and hydraulic disc brakes. Huh? You have no idea what the guy is talking about. He makes you feel stupid. You feel like running home and giving up your plan about getting fit again. Sounds strange? It happens all the time on websites. From: A Simple Trick to Turn Features Into Benefits (and Seduce Readers to Buy!)

• The first lines lets readers imagine wanting to start cycling again
• The description of the super-sporty-looking shop assistant’s barrage of technical terms shows the problem
• The question “Sounds strange?” and the sentence “It happens all the time on websites” transition to the tips in the blog post

Stories don’t have to be real. This is a made-up story, but it’s still based on my personal experience of trying to figure out what bicycle I should buy.

When you base your story around a personal experience, it’s easier to sketch a vivid scene with specific details.

I never saw myself as a storyteller

I thought storytelling was for the “real” writers. For the creative folks, who keep diaries, write travelogues and have the ambition to become the next Hemingway, Lee Child, or Isabelle Allende.

That’s not me.

I have no ambition to write fiction. I write blog posts, web copy and emails.

But without realizing it, I started writing stories for my clients’ About pages, and I included mini-stories in my own blog posts.

My main lessons?

Storytelling is human. We all have stories to tell. And when you keep your stories short, they’re easy to write. 150 words is enough.

So don’t feel shy. Try telling a story in your next blog post.

Further reading on storytelling:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

December 8, 2020 at 5:09 am

I love all your posts. Telling a story is what I am good at. My problem is that I can’t feel that I could solve problems for other people. I could never start a post with “how to..” I read other people’s posts and I wonder where on earth did they get all this information. Weird, right?

December 8, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Storytelling is a precious skill!

Many stories provide a key lesson for readers. If you like (and if you want to write a blog to attract search traffic), you may find it helpful to think about how your story inspires or what it teaches a reader. Problems don’t need to be technical, they can be life issues, too. And you can always solve a whole problem, sometimes you can only give people a first step or a nudge.

August 7, 2020 at 5:58 am

Awesome post, Henneke. I’m very happy to have stumbled across your page. I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for a while, but coming up with good ideas and how to make them interesting and captivating has always seemed like a daunting task to me. I feel I’m not creative enough, but after reading this article, I now see how using storytelling can make the process easier and more natural.

August 7, 2020 at 8:53 am

That makes me happy, Prisca. I hope you’ll start your blog soon!

June 8, 2020 at 5:13 am

It sometimes feels like storytelling is hard and fast. But this tells a lot about its flexibility – could be a mix of personal and fictional.

In a way, I’d been doing tiny bits of storytelling on my contents here and there. But I found this and was inspired to consciously write my next blog post via storytelling.

June 8, 2020 at 9:07 am

Yes, there’s a lot of flexibility, and the tiniest bits of storytelling can make a blog post a lot more interesting.

Happy storytelling!

June 3, 2020 at 5:50 pm

Very good article, often times I find the same writers block type blank. Sometimes I will have an Idea and it just sticks with me and then one day it just happens. Stephen King said this happens to him often times it takes months for an idea to become a work. I find occasionally I will have an excellent ending picked out but not the rest of the story. So I build on ideas, titles or endings myself. Sometimes I will even see a picture and the story unfolds. So much joy and power can be found in a pen.

June 3, 2020 at 6:21 pm

That’s so true: “So much joy and power can be found in a pen.” I love it.

When we’re patient and keep doing the work, the words will eventually flow. Thank you for sharing, Dan.

June 2, 2020 at 2:47 pm

Thank You..

Your blog is really like a pearl in the ocean. It’s so informative yet not boring at all. I wish I could have an email with some tips of storytelling delivered to my inbox. Wishhhhh

Thanks again..

That would be a souvenir!..!!

June 2, 2020 at 6:51 pm

Thank you for your compliment on my blog. I’d be happy to add you to my email series on storytelling. Just let me know you’d like me to do that.

May 16, 2020 at 5:07 pm

Hi I am new blogger from Indonesia. Thank God, I found your blog and it is really inspiring for me to write in the term of more related to the storytelling approach. By the way, do you have e-book for this article?

May 17, 2020 at 11:39 am

I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog, Rosida. I do not have an ebook for this article.

Thank you for stopping by, and happy blogging!

February 27, 2020 at 5:03 pm

Brava Henneke! ???

February 27, 2020 at 6:38 pm

Grazie, Gianfranco 🙂

February 16, 2020 at 9:17 pm

Henneke, I am excited to find your site. It will be a great resource not only for writing tips but also for encouragement.

Thanks, Cassandra

February 17, 2020 at 12:12 pm

I’m glad you’ve found my website, too! Let me know if you have any questions?

May 6, 2019 at 3:34 pm

This was really helpful! I have just started writing and I couldn’t make my blog posts interesting. I will definitely try storytelling in my posts.

May 6, 2019 at 4:01 pm

Happy writing, Utkarsh!

June 1, 2018 at 1:36 pm

This article have helped greatly now I can continue my stories in my blog thanks.

June 1, 2018 at 6:49 pm

I’m glad you found this article useful, Ojo. Happy story writing, and thank you for stopping by.

February 7, 2017 at 3:43 pm

Great post Henneke,

Everybody has a story that they can tell and share. Just depends on mustering up the ability to tell it. What I started to do is write down many events that took place in my life and analyzing them to see how and where I can incorporate them into a story. That certainly helps me.

Great stuff as usual.

– Andrew

P.S. If you ever decided to be a fiction or non-fiction author, I would so read that book. Your way with words is captivating in blog posts, I can only imagine how it’ll be in book.

February 7, 2017 at 8:28 pm

That sounds like an interesting way to see how you can incorporate more stories into your writing. I tend to do it the other way around, first consider the topic of the post, then think about a story that fits. I might try your process instead!

Thank you for your kind words on my writing, Andrew 🙂

February 6, 2017 at 11:06 am

Wonderful post, Henneke! I was just scouring the internet for a post on storytelling 🙂 It seems like a lot of people are held back because they don’t think they have stories to share, so those examples are great- not every story has to be a deeply personal story!

February 6, 2017 at 11:42 am

Yep, so true. I was holding myself back, too, until I realized that storytelling doesn’t need to be deeply personal and it doesn’t imply writing a Disney movie either 🙂

Thank you for stopping by, Camilla!

February 6, 2017 at 9:55 am

Henneke, not only do I love your blog, I enjoy the meaningful conversation among your followers.

February 6, 2017 at 11:41 am

Me, too. I often love the conversation in the comment section more than the post! I feel grateful for people stopping by to add their thoughts and ask questions. 🙂

February 3, 2017 at 11:36 pm

Dear Henneke, till few months ago, I thought storytelling was a way someone uses to tell lies for selling stuff or cheating people. You have demonstrated that storytelling is a way to tell the truth in a fascinating and enticing way. So I decided to write stories, because I discovered that I had ever told stories without knowing I was (as everybody) a natural storyteller.

P.S. My investigation about that criminal case is going on… 😉

February 4, 2017 at 7:57 pm

Well, that happens, too, marketers telling lies to try and sell stuff 😉

Your book about the criminal case will no doubt be full of intriguing stories, too.

Happy storytelling, and thank you for stopping by!

February 3, 2017 at 1:52 pm

Good point Henneke.

I realized a while ago that I shy away from writing my blog posts as you mentioned in some of your other blog posts. I usually find myself procrastinating.

But recently I started writing short stories (which I will not put on my website) and they really help me improve my writing a little bit but more importantly I realized I enjoyed writing more. That’s the main point I think, writing should be a joy.

So I recommend this to everyone experiencing difficulty in writing: give a chance to stories, I am pretty positive that you are going to enjoy it.

Thank you again for this beautiful post, Henneke.

February 3, 2017 at 8:10 pm

Hi Anil, I’m happy to read you got yourself unstuck by starting to write what you wanted to write. Perhaps you can enjoy your blog writing more if you start incorporating stories?

February 2, 2017 at 4:17 am

Hi Henneke,

To me you are a real writer. Forget what your inner critic says ☺

February 2, 2017 at 12:24 pm

Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate your compliment.

February 1, 2017 at 7:10 pm

Brings many memories to mind.

I was a child when the only medium of media available for road trips was what could be dialed in with an AM radio knob.

My grandparents would ask my cousin to sing us a song. They knew better than to request that of me, the tone-deaf one.

When Cousin Dawn’s voice gave out, they’d turn to me.

“Tell us a story.”

And my game was to weave them all in as characters on an adventurous quest that obliquely reflected real-life problems.

Maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about copywriting in a content marketing context. It resonates with what I’ve been asked to do my whole life.

But even as it is something I’m both comfortable and familiar with, I truly appreciate the specific and personal feedback from Henneke in the courses.

Yep, I’ve reserved my spot in the Business Blogging course. I hope to see you in the forums.

PS. Henrietta makes a marvelous fairy godmother.

February 1, 2017 at 9:05 pm

It sounds like you had a lot of storytelling practice in your life!

I can’t remember anyone asking me to tell a story (and not to sing either!)

Thank you for joining the Business Blogging course, Lori. We’re going to have fun!

February 1, 2017 at 6:43 pm

Your opening story about writing like Lee Child had me hooked. You never know. One day, maybe.

I’ve come across more opening stories on the web, but I like the idea of weaving them in elsewhere. I wrote an imaginary story in my first ever blog post, but I tend to cringe when I read it back now. Perhaps it’s time to start being adventurous again?

Thanks – David

February 1, 2017 at 8:59 pm

Yeah, why not? Perhaps you’re the new Lee Child, and I can say in the future: you know, David Hartshorne used to read my blog. 😉 What amazes me about Lee Child’s writing is how much detail there is about guns.

What makes you cringe about the story you’ve written before? How would you rewrite it now?

I would certainly give it another try – either by rewriting that story or starting afresh with a new one (which every option excites you most).

Happy storytelling, David!

February 1, 2017 at 3:23 pm

Once again, good on you Henneke. Fantastic insights. Storytelling here I come.

February 1, 2017 at 7:36 pm

Happy storytelling, Bernice!

February 1, 2017 at 5:17 am

You’re so funny. I love Henrietta’s little sparkle wand to take to that story! lol And, I love this challenge: Write 150-word stories:) And, it just so happens, you told me once to try writing 200-word emails, like your mini course, and I just pulled what you suggested out to help remind to stay on track and do it. So, of course, this is perfect timing for this little tale to come in handy as well it seems. Big Thanks!! Sue-Ann

Ha, yes! I love brevity, whether it’s 150-word stories or 200-word emails 🙂

I actually think, it’s really good writing practice to limit the number of words we want to use. I learned a lot from writing my snackable course because I set myself that limit of 200 words. And with storytelling it’s great to be brief, too, because most of us (me, too!) have the tendency to include too many details which water our story down.

Happy storytelling, Sue-Ann! 🙂

February 1, 2017 at 3:29 am

I once got a writing job by submitting an article that included a story. Boss said, “I love it; hire her!” Haha! When I related the story of the success of this ^^^ story, as a way of garnering fans, in a comment contest, I won $100. Okay! It’s true! Stories are so fun. People will stop to listen. And it’s that “stop” we want. Once they stop…we can get through. Love the Disneyland drawing. You make a cute Fairy Godmother! Heh heh.

February 1, 2017 at 7:34 pm

That’s a great example of the power of storytelling. Thank you for sharing, Katharine.

And thank you for your compliment on my drawing. Perhaps I’ve missed my calling as a Fairy Godmother? 😉

February 1, 2017 at 10:34 pm

Or perhaps, for some of us anyway, you are one?

Aww, that sounds so sweet! Thank you, Katharine 🙂

January 31, 2017 at 11:01 pm

I just made one up that I am using in an article. Pretty cool. Stories are an untapped resource for blog posts.

February 1, 2017 at 7:33 pm

Yep, I agree: an untapped resource.

Happy storytelling, Todd, and thanks for stopping by 🙂

January 31, 2017 at 2:28 pm

LOL! I did a bit of storytelling in my latest post, should’ve read this first. 😉 Your drawing is spectacular! And I agree with Kitty! 😀

January 31, 2017 at 7:02 pm

No need to read this first. Keep writing! 🙂

And thank you for your compliment on my drawing. I enjoyed making it!

January 31, 2017 at 2:18 pm

I was thinking how stories captivate a reader. They are a great way to open a post. Why is it openings seem so difficult? You’ve captivated me with your fairytale castle. Love how you’ve drawn the book too. I can picture Henrietta turning the pages.

January 31, 2017 at 5:10 pm

Yeah, I know. I find openings tough, too. I always write them after I’ve written the main post, otherwise I’d never get a blog post written!

Thank you so much for your compliment on my drawing. It was fun to draw it, a little bit different from my usual sketches. 🙂

July 22, 2019 at 2:59 pm

Hi Henneke!

I’m so glad to revisit this post after a year or so… I always have more questions, the more often I read something ?.

Here goes… 1. Do you have a process/any tips/wisdom to share about how you come up with your opening story once you have written the blogpost? Do you think of a word that encapsulates the theme of the post and brainstorm on that, perhaps?

July 22, 2019 at 8:58 pm

It makes me happy when people pop by to read an “old” blog post and leave a comment 🙂

A blog post usually solves a problem (or it may answer a question or help achieve an aim). So, I try to picture my ideal reader struggling with that problem, and try to figure out what she’s doing when she’s wrestling with this problem and how it makes her feel. I often close my eyes as looking at my screen distracts me. Once, I have a picture in my mind and I know what’s she thinking/doing/feeling, I can write an opening featuring her.

I don’t always feature my ideal reader in the opening. Sometimes, there’s a story about myself that triggered the post, and then I write about myself (but in such a way that my reader recognizes my own struggle / questioning / problem.

Does that help?

July 24, 2019 at 11:37 am

That does help in terms of your physical process (not looking at the screen etc), and at the same time I was thinking more about a method for generating metaphors because your metaphors always feel fresh and new to me, no hackneyed clichés!

I am going to revisit your metaphor posts and see if they jiggle my braincells more in this area.

July 24, 2019 at 7:29 pm

To dream up metaphors, there are two things to take into account. Firstly, creative constraints—you’re more creative when you set boundaries, so instead of exploring any kind of metaphor, try to set a theme first (like trying to find a metaphor comparing business & sports, or one that compares drawing with cooking). Secondly, creativity requires an ability to make fresh connections and this easier done when we do an habitual activity like walking or washing the dishes—such tasks take up only a small part of our brain power. See also my infographic on creative habits: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/creative-habits/#infographic (point #3).

Above all, try to have fun!

January 31, 2017 at 1:18 pm

Hmm. In looking at your 3 examples, I’m noticing that the opening & closing stories seem to be based more on either personal experience or tapping into the reader’s psyche. Either way, the effect is for the reader to feel that your understand their predicament.

The explanatory story is more of a real life analogy. A parallel to the ‘real’ problem, in other words.

Would you ever advocate using an analogy type story as an opening? Why, or why not?

January 31, 2017 at 5:08 pm

Yes, you can also use an analogy type story as an opening. For instance:

Imagine going to a networking meeting …

You enter a room full of serious grey suits politely sipping their wine, bragging about their corporate missions. Rather boringly.

And there you are, in your purple shirt, feeling out of place.

You grab a glass of beer, and tap a fork against the glass to attract attention.

“Listen up,” you say, “let me tell you a story about how I conquered the world.”

“Wanna hear it?”

A business story doesn’t need bravery like that. But a good business story has the same impact: You attract attention. You stand out. You invigorate your audience, and pull them closer to you. They get inspired.

(From: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/inspirational-business-storytelling/ )

I personally have a preference for a more empathetic opening, but the analogy works, too. Perhaps I should use it more often?

January 31, 2017 at 12:12 pm

You know my passion for storytelling, and that I can get carried away… into a fairytale. You woke it up in me during the Blogging course last year. Thank you!

To my great surprise, you also taught me to write a story for my About page. It has changed it dramatically, I just love the result!

Not that I want to become another HC Andersen or J Rollings but I agree that stories are very helpful and entertaining. They show problems and possible solutions in a soft, unintrusive way. And they stick better, too!

Thank you for the great reminder ?

January 31, 2017 at 5:04 pm

I love how you put that, Irina: “Stories show problems and possible solutions in a soft, unintrusive way” That’s so true! Thank you for adding that.

And I’m so glad you connected with your inner storyteller 🙂 Keep those stories coming!

January 31, 2017 at 5:25 pm

I forgot to mention your new cartoon – that’s beautiful. ?

January 31, 2017 at 7:01 pm

Thank you! 😀

January 31, 2017 at 11:47 am

PS Love the first drawing.

January 31, 2017 at 11:51 am

Hahaha, ‘I thought storytelling was for the real writers.’ There are no real writers. But you know that by now, I hope!

What a desilusion 😉

January 31, 2017 at 11:50 am

My inner critic and I had a good conversation about “real writers” last week. She doesn’t get it completely yet, but I’m working on it 😉

January 31, 2017 at 12:03 pm

She’s a wacko. Fire her.

February 1, 2017 at 5:20 am

That inner critic character seems to keep showing up for tea! lol

January 31, 2017 at 1:12 pm

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The 10 Best Short Moral Stories With Valuable Lessons

Stories that have morals and messages behind them are always powerful. In fact, it’s crazy just how powerful a 200 word story can be.

Our last article of short stories became so popular, that we decided to create another list, in which every story has a simple moral behind it.

Table of Contents

The 10 Best Short Moral Stories

Some of these stories are very short and basic. In fact some are so basic they’re most likely featured in children’s books somewhere. However, the strength of the message remains the same.

Here’s some more of the best short moral stories:

1. An Old Man Lived in the Village

An old man lived in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and was always in a bad mood.

The longer he lived, the more bile he was becoming and the more poisonous were his words. People avoided him, because his misfortune became contagious. It was even unnatural and insulting to be happy next to him.

He created the feeling of unhappiness in others.

But one day, when he turned eighty years old , an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour:

“An Old Man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.”

The whole village gathered together. The old man was asked:

Villager: What happened to you?

“Nothing special. Eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.” – An Old Man

Moral of the story:

Don’t chase happiness. Enjoy your life.

2. The Wise Man

People have been coming to the wise man, complaining about the same problems every time. One day he told them a joke and everyone roared in laughter.

After a couple of minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled.

When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.

The wise man smiled and said:

“You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?”  

Worrying won’t solve your problems, it’ll just waste your time and energy.

3. The Foolish Donkey

A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day.

On the way they had to cross a stream. One day the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag became very light to carry. The donkey was happy.

Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day.

The salt seller came to understand the trick and decided to teach a lesson to it. The next day he loaded a cotton bag on the donkey.

Again it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would be still become lighter.

But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and the donkey suffered. It learnt a lesson. It didn’t play the trick anymore after that day, and the seller was happy.

Luck won’t favor always.

4. Having A Best Friend

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;

“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;

“Today my best friend saved my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;

“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”

The other friend replied;

“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”  

Moral of the story: 

Don’t value the things you have in your life. But value who you have in your life.

5. The Four Smart Students

One night four college students were out partying late night and didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the morning, they thought of a plan.

They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt.

Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the test.

The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:

1) Your Name? __________ (1 Points)

2) Which tire burst? __________ (99 Points) Options – (a) Front Left (b) Front Right (c) Back Left (d) Back Right

Take responsibility or you will learn your lesson.

6. The Greedy Lion

It was an incredibly hot day, and a lion was feeling very hungry.

He came out of his den and searched here and there. He could find only a small hare. He caught the hare with some hesitation. “This hare can’t fill my stomach” thought the lion.

As the lion was about to kill the hare, a deer ran that way. The lion became greedy. He thought;

“Instead of eating this small hare, let me eat the big deer.”

He let the hare go and went behind the deer. But the deer had vanished into the forest. The lion now felt sorry for letting the hare off.

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

7. Two Friends & The Bear

Vijay and Raju were friends. On a holiday they went walking into a forest, enjoying the beauty of nature. Suddenly they saw a bear coming at them. They became frightened.

Raju, who knew all about climbing trees, ran up to a tree and climbed up quickly. He didn’t think of Vijay. Vijay had no idea how to climb the tree.

Vijay thought for a second. He’d heard animals don’t prefer dead bodies, so he fell to the ground and held his breath. The bear sniffed him and thought he was dead. So, it went on its way.

Raju asked Vijay;

“What did the bear whisper into your ears?”

Vijay replied, “The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you”  …and went on his way.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

8. The Struggles of Our Life

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it.

She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners.

He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer”  he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter.

“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it. Life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive.

9. The Fox & The Grapes

One afternoon a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from over a lofty branch.

“Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.

Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them but still failed.

Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.

Moral of the story:  

It’s easy to despise what you can’t have.

10. The Lion & The Poor Slave

A slave, ill-treated by his master, runs away to the forest. There he comes across a lion in pain because of a thorn in his paw. The slave bravely goes forward and removes the thorn gently.

The lion without hurting him goes away.

Some days later, the slave’s master comes hunting to the forest and catches many animals and cages them. The slave is spotted by the masters’ men who catch him and bring him to the cruel master.

The master asks for the slave to be thrown into the lion’s cage.

The slave is awaiting his death in the cage when he realizes that it is the same lion that he had helped. The slave rescued the lion and all other caged animals.

One should help others in need, we get the rewards of our helpful acts in return.

Here’s a quick recap on the 10 best short moral stories:

• An old man lived in the village
• The wise man
• The foolish donkey
• Having a best friend
• The four smart students
• The greedy lion
• The two friends & the bear
• The struggles of our life
• The fox & the grapes
• The lion & the poor slave

If you haven’t seen our original article, with slightly more detailed inspirational short stories , check it out!

Do you have any other favorite short moral stories? Leave a comment below.

The 10 best motivational speakers in the world.

Dan Western is the founder of Wealthy Gorilla . Dan has been running Wealthy Gorilla and studying self-development, personal finance, and investment for the last 7 years. To this day, Wealthy Gorilla has become one of the fastest growing wealth infotainment sites in the world; with over 300 million views worldwide. Dan doesn't use personal social media anymore, so you won't be able to find him on Instagram, or Twitter.

10 Comments

Apr 7, 2019 at 12:40 pm

An old man lived in the village is a wonderful story. I like it very much. thanks

Jun 14, 2019 at 11:20 am

The foolish donkey is wonderful and all stories good but i like it

Jul 17, 2019 at 3:03 pm

I really enjoyed your entire list but my favorite of this list is the one about the egg, potatoe, and coffee. Awesome story that is very impactful.

Nov 22, 2019 at 2:36 am

Foolish donkey this story I like that and I have learn something from these stories thanks uploaded on net its was so inspection stories to people’s

Dec 13, 2019 at 2:08 pm

I like the story an old man lived in the village thank you for giving this type of story

Aqsa farhat

Feb 29, 2020 at 10:54 am

All the stories were nice and these stories reminds me about my childhood thank you for making such meaningful stories

Pattada praveen kumar

Apr 14, 2020 at 9:57 am

The fox & the grapes its really everyone thinking like

Bhim Maya subba

Nov 13, 2020 at 1:55 pm

Mine is about ( The blind girl ). Since I have read that book before but I am very glad that I got another chance to read that same book. Actually this story is one of my favorite of all time.

Ramel Sasuke Sampang

Nov 14, 2020 at 5:31 am

My favorite is the potato, egg, and coffee beans! It will help me with future problems. 😀

Marry Walker

Nov 20, 2020 at 12:40 pm

Being a writer, I love to read stories and books. And this blog includes the best short moral stories. I like these all stories and i will share it definitely. Keep writing!

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Who are the best motivational speakers of all time?

Motivational speakers have had an enormous impact on my life, and millions of others, no matter what their personal situation in life may be.

Their words are so powerful and inspirational, you just have to listen to their stuff on a daily basis. So it brings me to this post.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of motivational videos recently, have been creating my own, and have ended up listening to a lot of wonderful speeches.

Top 10 Best Motivational Speakers

But who are the best motivational speakers in the world?

Here’s my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world.

These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. They have transformed many people’s lives including mine.

10. Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic was born on December 4th 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. Vujicic was born with Tetra-Amelia syndrome, a very rare disorder whereby someone is born with an absence of all four limbs.

This no doubt ably, made things incredibly tough for Nick growing up, as he struggled both mentally and physically.

It led to him founding his very own non-profit organization called ‘Life Without Limbs’ . Nick Vujicic is a true inspiration to us all, and if you’ve watched some of his motivational speeches on YouTube, you’ll realize just how much he’s been able to adapt to a life without limbs.

Many people with this disorder might not be willing to work hard in order to truly push their abilities.

He can type 43 words a minute on a computer. That’s right, you heard me correctly. This is a guy who has an absence of all four limbs, but can type 43 words per minute on a computer.

I encourage you to watch some of his videos on YouTube, and see exactly what I’m talking about.

“It’s a lie to think you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think you’re not worth anything.” – nick Vujicic

9. Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy was born on January 5th 1944 in Vancouver, Canada, and is the CEO of Brian Tracy International , a company that specifically sets out to help individuals and organizations develop, train and grow.

Brian’s ultimate goal is to help other people achieve their goals more efficiently and be able to achieve their full potential.

That definitely sets the foundation for being one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

His lifetime achievements are phenomenal, consulting huge numbers of businesses, hosting huge numbers of seminars and conducting  years and years of research in Business, Economics, Psychology and Philosophy.

There’s no more to say other than the title given on his website: Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Success Expert. Check out some of the best Brian Tracy quotes .

“No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” – Brian Tracy

8. Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma was born in 1964 in Nepal, and straight out of the Dalhousie University School of Law, became a professional lawyer. But he went much further in his career than being a fully qualified and successful lawyer.

Sharma has written a total of 15 published books, from 1995 – 2011, on the subjects of self-help and leadership. One of his most popular books written; ‘The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari’ , has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

The book is all about a character called Julian, who decides to sell his home and Ferrari to go on a spiritual journey, after being the victim to a sudden heart attack.

Some may say that Robin Sharma’s more of a motivational author rather than speaker, but he deserves to be on this list. He’s written 12 global best sellers, and is an expert author in the world of leadership and self development.

“Dreamers are mocked as impractical. The truth is they are the most practical, as their innovations lead to progress and a better way of life for all of us.” –  Robin S. Sharma

7. Wayne Dyer

Dr. Wayne Dyer was born on May 10th 1940 in Detroit, and spent the majority of his childhood in an orphanage.

Dyer was in the U.S Navy after graduating high school, from 1958 to 1962. He then received his degree in counselling, a profession that he chose to work in for a while before taking it one step further.

Dyer left his teaching job and started pursuing a career in motivational speaking, holding various lectures across the states and becoming an incredibly popular author.

The first book that Dyer ever wrote has now had over 35 million copies sold and he’s proceeded to continue with his lecture tours, release various audio tapes and publish a regular stream of books .

“Passion is a feeling that tells you: this is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. This feeling is so good that it cannot be ignored. I’m going to follow my bliss and act upon this glorious sensation of joy.” –  Wayne Dyer

6. Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar was born on November 6th, 1926 in Alabama, and passed away on November 28th in 2012.

Ziglar has 11 siblings, and at the age of five years old, his father died of a stroke, and his sister passed away two days later. Zig actually served in the army from 1935 – 1946 during World War II.

Ziglar met his wife Jean when he was just 17 years old, and after the war began to work as a salesman for many different companies, eventually becoming the vice president for the Automotive Performance company .

He started taking part in motivational seminars, and also wrote his first book in 1975 titled: ‘See You at the Top’ . This was the first of at least 15 books he’d written during the period of 1975 and 2012.

A lot of wisdom has come from Zig Ziglar over the years and he is definitely one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30th 1947, in Austria. We all know him as the world famous professional bodybuilding champion, and there’s a very inspirational story behind Arnie’s bodybuilding success.

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army at the age of 18 years old for 1 year, which at the time was compulsory for all 18-year-old males.

During this time, he would still manage to fit in his workouts between all the training and drills, whilst most people were resting. He snuck out of the camp to compete in the Junior Mr. Europe contest , which he ended up winning.

Arnold’s discipline towards his training was incredible, and the fact that he was willing to disobey the rules of the army and sneak out of the camp to compete in the contest, just goes to show how badly he wanted it.

Nowadays, he’s an inspiration to many bodybuilders and a great source of motivation for anyone wanting to be successful.

“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

4. Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn was born September 17th, 1930 in Yakima, Washington, and passed away on December 5th, 2009. He was a very successful entrepreneur, at one time being a Vice President of a very successful sales company, Nutri-Bio.

However, after the company eventually went out of business, he was invited to speak at a meeting of one of his clubs.

After this meeting, he was invited to speak at many other events and began making a name for himself. Rohn was a wise businessman and managed to impart much of this wisdom to others.

He’s definitely earned the right to be on this list of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

3. Les Brown

Les Brown was born on February 17th, 1945 in Miami, Florida. He was adopted by Mamie Brown, and whilst in grade school, was declared “educably mentally retarded” .

Despite this and the emotional issues, it brought upon him; he was encouraged by others to continue to learn and be the best he could be. Leading him to unlock his full potential.

Les is another motivational speaker who is incredibly popular among the motivational video compilations that others create. Because his speeches are so deep and meaningful that they really get through to people.

His top-selling books: ‘It’s Not over until You Win!’  and ‘Live Your Dreams’ are truly inspirational and well worth the read.

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” – Les Brown

2. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins was born on February 29th, 1960 in Los Angeles. His life at home when he was young was described by him as abusive and chaotic. It was because of this that he left home at the age of 17.

Originally when starting out in the world of motivational speaking, Robbins was promoting seminars for Jim Rohn. He later decided to begin his own journey by hosting his own seminars.

Tony has affected and changed so many people’s lives in a positive way through his seminars, motivational speeches, inspirational quotes and best-selling books.

Search for him on YouTube and several videos will pop up showing him change someone’s life.

The favorites of mine that I’ve watched, are where he cures a young man’s stutter in 7 minutes and saves another guy’s marriage in 8.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

1. Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas, born and raised in Detroit, was homeless at the age of 16 years old. But Eric decided that he wanted to make a better life for himself, to become someone with a life he could be proud of.

E.T did just that, and you can now check out powerful advice from Eric Thomas on YouTube. Including his “Thank God It’s Monday” series.

He also managed to get the education he missed out on whilst he was homeless and pushed himself further to achieve all the qualifications he dreamed of being able to achieve.

Eric Thomas has become one of the best motivational speakers in the world. His YouTube videos are legendary and his best-selling books have taken in millions of dollars in revenue.

E.T’s speeches are so popular, that you’ll find he’s featured in roughly 90% of the motivational videos that others create and upload to YouTube, using compilations of clips, speeches, and music.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas

I hope you enjoyed this list of the top 10 best motivational speakers in the world. Many of these speakers are featured within some of the videos we included in our new list of ultimate gym motivation . Take a look and see what you think.

Here’s a quick recap on the list of the best motivational speakers in the world::

• Eric Thomas
• Tony Robbins
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Robin Sharma
• Brian Tracy
• Nick Vujicic

Who’s your favorite of the 10 best motivational speakers? Do you still agree with the current order of this list? Leave a comment below.

The 10 Most Inspirational Short Stories I’ve Heard

Short Inspirational stories are powerful reads;

The great thing about them is that they’re so easy to digest, and there’s always a moral at the end of the story.

Whether they’re true stories or not is another thing, as many of them are legends supposedly hundreds of years old.

However, the stories that I’m talking about are so powerful and inspirational that many of them really do get you thinking and even leave you speechless at times.

The 10 Best Inspirational Short Stories

I’ve been reading plenty of these short stories in the past couple of weeks and found the lessons behind them truly wonderful. So I’ve decided to write out this article highlighting the 10 most inspirational short stories I’ve heard.

Next to the subheadings, in brackets, I’ve put what the story’s lesson is all about, with a short description of the moral of the story at the end of each section.

10. The Elephant Rope (Belief)

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.

9. Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)

In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that we would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.

The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles.

Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.

He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.

The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

• Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.
• Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.
• Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.

She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;

“Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the box thinking, and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.

8. The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)

As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them.

However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit . 

Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out.

Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.

He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?”

The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

People’s words can have a big effect on other’s lives. Think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death.

7. A Pound of Butter (Honesty)

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount, which he wasn’t. Angry about this, he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weight the butter. The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”

The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”

The farmer replied;

“Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

In life, you get what you give. Don’t try and cheat others.

6. The Obstacle In Our Path (Opportunity)

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances , and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.

5. The Butterfly (Struggles)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man , he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

Our struggles in life develop our strengths . Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

4. Control Your Temper (Anger)

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into the fence.

On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence.

The boy gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he was hammering into the fence slowly decreased.

He discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

“you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

Control your anger, and don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment, that you may later regret . Some things in life, you are unable to take back.

3. The Blind Girl (Change)

There was a blind girl who hated herself purely for the fact she was blind. The only person she didn’t hate was her loving boyfriend, as he was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry him.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her – now she could see everything , including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”

The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying:

“Just take care of my eyes dear.”

When our circumstances change, so does our mind. Some people may not be able to see the way things were before, and might not be able to appreciate them . There are many things to take away from this story, not just one.

This is one of the inspirational short stories that left me speechless.

2. Puppies for Sale (Understanding)

A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies For Sale.”

Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner; 

“How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.  

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

The shop owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

The shop owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”

The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said;

“I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”

The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

1. Box Full of Kisses (Love)

Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man became embarrassed by his overreaction earlier, but his rage continue when he saw that the box was empty. He yelled at her; “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried;

“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child.

Her father kept the gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

Love is the most precious gift in the world.

Summary of the 10 Best Inspirational Stories

Here’s a quick summary of the 10 best short inspirational stories:

• Box Full of Kisses (Love)
• Puppies for Sale (Understanding)
• The Blind Girl (Change)
• Control Your Temper (Anger)
• The Butterfly (Struggles)
• The Obstacle in Our Path (Opportunity)
• A Pound of Butter (Honesty)
• The Group of Frogs (Encouragement)
• Thinking Out of the Box (Creative Thinking)
• The Elephant Rope (Belief)

Thanks for reading these inspirational short stories. Some of them left me speechless for a minute or two, and it really does make us think.

If you know of any other inspirational short stories that you think should be featured on the list, then let me know in the comments below or drop me an email and I’ll feature them in part two later on in the year.

Which are your favorite inspirational short stories? Leave a comment below.

Top 20 best personal development authors of all time.

Ever wanted to start reading self-development books, but you’re not sure who the best personal development authors to follow are?

You’re in luck…

I’m about to give you the names of what I believe to be the top 20 best self-development authors to be reading up on. These are names to remember when you’re looking for your next book to buy.

Top 20 Best Personal Development Authors

Here are, in no particular order, the names of the 20 best authors to start reading up on. I would have loved to include a few other names on this list, but the top 20 is what it is!

1. Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield is the legend behind the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series; one of the most popular self-development book series of all time.

Over 250+ books have been published by the company, and Canfield has gone on to become a leading motivational speaker and trainer.

2. Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill is the author behind the notorious ‘Think & Grow Rich’, one of the most popular self-development books of all time.

Hill teaches the principles of attaining any riches you desire in life, and there is so much valuable information within this book, that it’ll always be remembered.

3. Dale Carnegie

Another self-development author you have to check out, and one you’ve probably already heard of, is Dale Carnegie. Carnegie lived from 1888 to 1955, and within his life, published a considerable number of self-help books.

Two of those books, specifically the best selling ones, were ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ and ‘How to Stop Worrying & Start Living’.

4. Robert B. Cialdini

You probably know Cialdini as the author of ‘Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion’. This book is highly regarded as one of the best self-development books of all time, as well as one of the best psychology books to read.

5. Tim Ferriss

If you’re not following Tim Ferriss , I don’t know what you’re doing. There are four best selling books that every Tim Ferriss fan will have read, and they’ve helped change the lives of millions.

Those four books are:

• The Four Hour Work Week
• The Four Hour Body
• Tools For Titans
• Tribe of Mentors

6. Dr. Wayne Dyer

Sadly, Wayne Dyer passed away several years ago. He was an American philosopher, self-help author and motivational speaker. Dyer wrote over 40 books in the field of personal development, and they have sold in tens of millions.

7. John C. Maxwell

John Maxwell is an American author, speaker and pastor. He focuses solely on leadership, and training other to become wise and wonderful leaders.

Maxwell has written a ton of incredible books, however these are some the most popular books he’s written:

• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
• Developing The Leader Within You
• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
• How Successful People Think
• Failing Forward

8. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins , what a guy! Tony has helped people all over the world to transform their lives, and there’s so much wisdom we can all gain from listening to his speeches, and reading his content.

If you want to learn more about Tony Robbins and his work, you can check out these books:

• Awaken the Giant Within
• Unlimited Power
• Unshakeable

9. Paulo Coelho

You probably know Paulo Coelho for his best selling book, ‘The Alchemist’. Coelho is a best selling author, lyricist and novelist, and has received many awards for his work over the years.

The Alchemist is definitely a book you should read if you’re an ambitious individual trying to pursue your dreams and overcome any obstacles in your way.

10. Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is an American author, public speaker, alternative medicine advocate, and a prominent figure in the New Age movement.

Chopra has become one of the most influential figures in the area of spiritual healing and alternative medicine. Some of his best selling books you should be adding to your reading list are:

• Re-inventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul
• Creating Affluence
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

11. Peter F. Drucker

Peter Drucker was an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation.

You probably know him as the author behind ‘Managing Oneself’, and if you don’t, then you should.

12. Martha Beck

Martha Nibley Beck is an American sociologist, life coach, best-selling author, and speaker who travels the world helping people achieve personal and professional goals.

Some of Martha’s most popular books are:

• Finding Your Own North Star
• Find Your Way In A Wild New World
• The 4-Day Win

13. Stephen R. Covey

I first encountered Stephen Covey’s work when I purchased ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, which at the time had sold over 15 million copies!

Covey was an American educator, speaker and author. He sadly passed away 5 years ago, but his work has lived on to be some of the best reading material anybody could ever purchase.

14. Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy is a Canadian-born American motivational public speaker and self-development author. He is the author of over 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.

Some of his most notorious books are:

• No Excuses: The Power of Discipline
• Eat That Frog!

15. Les Brown

Les Brown is one of my favorite motivational speakers of all time. Les was labelled educable mentally retarded when he was younger, and was born on the floor of an abandoned building.

Some of his most popular and best selling books are ‘Live Your Dreams’ and ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win’.

16. Jim Rohn

Emanuel James “Jim” Rohn was an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. He was responsible for changing many people’s lives, and even mentored Tony Robbins once upon a time.

These are some of the most popular self-development books by Jim Rohn:

• 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness
• My Philosophy for Successful Living
• The Keys to Success

17. Gary Keller

Gary Keller is an American entrepreneur and best-selling author. He is the founder of Keller Williams Realty International, which is the largest real estate company in the world by agent count.

You’ve probably heard Keller’s name come up when people talk about ‘The ONE Thing’, his best selling self-help book.

18. Gabrielle Bernstein

Gabrielle Bernstein is an American motivational speaker, life coach, and author. Bernstein teaches primarily from the metaphysical text A Course In Miracles.

Some of here most popular books are:

• Miracles Now
• Spirit Junkie
• May Cause Miracles
• The Universe Has Your Back

19. Brendan Burchard

Brendon Burchard is an American author on motivation and the use of digital and affiliate marketing to sell “info products” based on whatever expertise a person has.

He is most commonly known for his book: The Motivation Manifesto, however he has written several other useful and recommended books on the subject of motivation, such as:

• The Millionaire Messenger
• Life’s Golden Ticket

20. Joel Osteen

Joel Scott Osteen is an American preacher and televangelist. He is the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church, in Houston, Texas. Osteen’s televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries.

Some of his most popular books are:

• Think Better, Live Better Study Guide
• The Power of I Am
• Fresh Start

That concludes the list of the best personal development authors of all time:

• Jack Canfield
• Napoleon Hill
• Dale Carnegie
• Robert B. Cialdini
• John C. Maxwell
• Anthony Robbins
• Paulo Coelho
• Deepak Chopra
• Peter F. Drucker
• Martha Beck
• Stephen R. Covey
• Gary Keller
• Gabrielle Bernstein
• Brendan Burchard
• Joel Osteen

Who are your favorite personal development authors? Leave a comment below.

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34 English Short Stories with Big Ideas for Thoughtful English Learners

What if you could understand big ideas in English with just a little bit of text?

You don’t need to read an entire English book to learn. A good English short story is often enough!

Stories are all about going beyond reality, and these classics will not only improve your English reading but also open your mind to different worlds.

1. “The Tortoise and the Hare” by Aesop

2. “the ant and the grasshopper” by aesop, 3. “white wing: the tale of the doves and the hunter”, 4. “royal servant”, 5. “emily’s secret”, 6. “the bogey beast” by flora annie steel, 7. “love is in the air”, 8. “the tale of johnny town-mouse” by beatrix potter, 9. “paul bunyan” adapted by george grow, 10. “cinderella” by charles perrault, 11. “little red riding hood” adapted by the british council, 12. “the lottery” by shirley jackson, 13. “the happy prince” by oscar wilde.

• 14. “The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond

15. “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury

• 16. “Orientation” by Daniel Orozco

17. “Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu

18. “the missing mail” by r.k. narayan, 19. “harrison bergeron” by kurt vonnegut.

• 20. “The School” by Donald Barthelme

21. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

22. “rikki-tikki-tavi” by rudyard kipling, 23. excerpt from “little dorrit” by charles dickens, 24. “to build a fire” by jack london, 25. “miracles” by lucy corin.

• 26. “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal

27. “The Boarded Window” by Ambrose Bierce 

28. “the monkey’s paw” by w.w. jacobs, 29. “a tiny feast” by chris adrian, 30. “the story of an hour” by kate chopin, 31. “the zero meter diving team” by jim shepherd, 32. “the velveteen rabbit” by margery williams, 33. “the friday everything changed” by anne hart, 34. “hills like white elephants” by ernest hemingway, how to use short stories to improve your english, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

This classic fable (story) is about a very slow tortoise (turtle) and a speedy hare (rabbit). The tortoise challenges the hare to a race. The hare laughs at the idea that a tortoise could run faster than him, but the race ends with a surprising result.

Have you ever heard the English expression, “Slow and steady wins the race”? This story is the basis for that common phrase . You can read it for free , along with a number of other stories in this list!

This is another great story that teaches a lesson that’s written for kids but adults can enjoy, too . The story tells of a grasshopper who lounges around all summer while his friend the ant prepares for the winter. When winter comes, the two friends end up in very different situations!

The moral is that those who save up during the good times will get to enjoy the benefits when times are bad.

This very short story from India was originally written in Sanskrit (an ancient language). When a group of doves is caught in a hunter’s net, they must work together as a team to escape from the hunter’s clutches.

You can listen to a reading of the story as you read along on this website.

In this story, an old man sets out to ask an African king to dig some wells in his village when their water runs dry. But first, he teaches the king a lesson in humility by showing him how all people help each other. Read the story to see how the clever old man gets the king to do as he asks!

This is a modern-day story about a little girl with a big secret she can’t tell anyone about. When her teacher finds out her secret, they work together to fix the issue.

This story is a good choice for absolute beginners, because it uses only the present tense. It’s also written in very basic English with simple vocabulary and short sentences.

The woman in this story finds a pot of treasure on her walk home. As she carries it home, the treasure keeps changing, becoming things of lesser value.

However, the woman’s enthusiasm makes her see only the positive after each change, which would have upset anyone else. Her positive personality tries to make every negative situation seem like a gift!

This story shows how important it is to look at things from a positive point of view. Instead of being disappointed in what we don’t have, this story reminds us to view what we do have as blessings.

This modern story is about a young woman named Penny who is anxious about going to her family’s annual reunion barbecue. But despite screaming children and arguing cousins, Penny ends up happy that she came to the reunion when she starts a conversation with a handsome man.

The story is written in simple English, using only the present tense, so it’s perfect for beginners.

This classic children’s story is about two mice, one from the country and one from the city. Both mice think that the other mouse is so lucky to live in what they think is a wonderful place!

The two mice decide to visit each other in their homes. It turns out that the country mouse has a difficult time in the city, and the city mouse struggles in the country.

In the end, they realize that they believed the old English saying: “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” In other words, each mouse thought the other had a better life, only to discover that they actually preferred their own life!

The story of Paul Bunyan has been around in the United States for many years. He’s the symbol of American frontier life, showing the ideal strength, work ethic and good morality that Americans work hard to imitate.

Paul Bunyan is considered a legend, so stories about him are full of unusual details, such as eating 50 eggs in one day and being so big that he caused an earthquake. It can be a pretty funny read, with characters such as a blue ox and a reversible dog.

This version of the story is also meant to be read out loud, so it’s fast-paced and entertaining. This website has an audio recording with the story, which you can play at slower or faster speeds.

You may already know the story of Cinderella, whether you saw the Disney movie or read a children’s book of it.

However, there are actually many different versions of “Cinderella.” This one by Charles Perrault is the most well-known and is often the version told to children.

“Cinderella” is a beloved story because it describes how a kind and hard-working person was able to get a happy ending. Even though Cinderella’s stepsisters treated her awfully, Cinderella herself remained gentle and humble. It goes to show that even though you may experience hardships, it’s important to stay kind, forgiving and mindful.

This is a story that every English-speaking child knows. It’s about a little girl who meets a wolf in the forest while going to see her sick grandmother. The wolf pretends to be her grandmother in order to trick the little girl.

This story is presented by the British Council as a video with the text clearly spoken. You can then play a game to rearrange the sentences below the video into the correct order, read the text of the story in a PDF file and answer some activity questions (then check your answers with the provided answer sheet.

This website has many other stories you can read and listen to, like “Circus Story” by Sue Clarke, which is an excellent option for learning animal vocabulary, and even adaptations of Shakespeare plays for younger readers.

Every year, the small town in this story holds an event known as “The Lottery.” During this event, someone from the community is randomly chosen.

What are they chosen for? You’ll have to read the story to find out.

You may have heard of the term “mob mentality” and how it can allow for some pretty surprising (and terrible) things to happen. This classic story looks at society, and how much evil people are willing to overlook to keep their society stable.

This is considered to be one of the most famous short stories in American literature. It’s a great example of what is known as a dystopian society, where people live in a frightening way. To learn more, check out this TED-Ed video that tells you how to recognize a dystopia.

Since the story is old, much of the English is outdated (not used in modern English). Still, if you have a good grasp of the English language, you can use this story to give yourself a great reading challenge.

14. “The Night Train at Deoli”  by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond used to spend summers at his grandmother’s house in Dehradun, India. While taking the train, he always had to pass through a small station called Deoli. No one used to get down at the station and nothing happened there.

Until one day, when he sees a girl selling fruit and is unable to forget her.

Ruskin Bond is a writer who can communicate deep feelings in a simple way. This story is about our attachment to strangers and why we cherish (value or appreciate deeply) them even though we might never meet them again.

The title is taken from a poem that describes how nature will continue its work long after humanity is gone. But in this story, we see that nature plays a supporting role and the machines are the ones who have taken its place.

They continue their work without any human or natural assistance. This shows how technology has replaced nature in our lives and how it can both destroy us and carry on without humanity itself.

16. “Orientation”  by Daniel Orozco

This is a humorous story in which the speaker explains the office policies to a new employee while gossiping about the staff. It’s extremely easy to read, as the sentences are short and the vocabulary is simple.

Many working English learners will relate to this story, as it explains the silly, nonsensical moments of modern office life. Modern workplaces often feel like theaters where we pretend to work rather than get actual work done. The speaker exposes this reality that few would ever admit to.

He over-explains everything from the view out the office window to the intimate details of everyone’s life—from the overweight loner to the secret serial killer. It talks about the things that go unsaid; how people at the office know about the deep secrets of our home life, but don’t discuss them.

Jack’s mother can make paper animals come to life. In the beginning, Jack loves them and spends hours with his mom. But once he grows up, his mother’s inability to speak English keeps Jack from talking to her.

When his mother tries to talk to him through her creations, he kills them and collects them in a box. After a tragic loss, he finally gets to know her story through a hidden message that he should have read a long time ago.

The story is a simple narration that touches on complex issues, like leaving your home country and the conflicts that can occur within families when different cultures and languages collide.

Thanappa is the village mailman, who is good friends with Ramanujam and his family. He learns about a failed marriage and helps Ramanujam’s daughter get engaged to a suitable match.

Just before the wedding, Thanappa receives a tragic letter about Ramanujam’s brother. To spare them heartache, he decides not to deliver the letter.

The story explores the idea that despite the best of intentions, our actions can cause more harm to our loved ones than we ever intended. If you like this and want to read more by R.K. Narayan, check out the other stories in the author’s “ Malgudi Days” short story collection.

The year is 2081, and everyone has been made equal by force. Every person who is superior in any way has been handicapped (something that prevents a person’s full use of their abilities) by the government. Intelligent people are distracted by disturbing noises. Good dancers have to wear weights so that they don’t dance too well. Attractive people wear ugly masks so they don’t look better than anyone else.

However, one day there is a rebellion, and everything changes for a brief instant.

Technology is always supposed to make us better. But in this case, we see that it can be used to disable our talents. Moreover, the writer shows us how the mindless use of a single value like equality can create more suffering for everyone.

20. “The School”  by Donald Barthelme

And that’s just the beginning of the series of unfortunate events at the school in this short story, narrated by a teacher. The story is absurd (ridiculous to the point of being silly), even though the topic is serious. By the end, the kids start asking difficult questions about death that the adults don’t quite know how to answer.

This story leaves a lot of things unsaid, which means you’ll need to “read between the lines,” or look closer at the text to understand what’s really happening.

In “Girl,” a mother tells her daughter how to live her life properly. The mother instructs the girl to do all the household chores, in very specific ways, making it seem like that’s her only duty in life.

Sometimes the mother tells the girl how to attract attention, not to talk to boys and to always keep away from men. Other times, the mother hints that the girl will need to be attractive to men to live a good life.

This story doesn’t feel like a story. There’s no plot, and nothing really happens. But read closely, and you’ll see an important message about how girls are taught to live restricted lives since childhood.

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a classic tale about a Mongoose who regularly visits a family in India. The family feeds him and lets him explore their house, but they worry that he might bite their son, Teddy.

One day, when a snake is about to attack Teddy, the Mongoose kills it. This event helps the family accept the mongoose into their family.

This is a simple story about humans and animals living together as friends. It’s old, but the language is fairly easy to understand. It reminds us that animals can also experience feelings of love and, like humans, they will also protect the ones they love.

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is part of Kipling’s short story collection “The Jungle Book,” which was famously made into a movie by Disney.

Dorrit is a child whose father has been in prison ever since she could remember. Unable to pay their debts, the whole family is forced to spend their days in a cell. Dorrit dreams of seeing the world outside their little cell.

This excerpt (short part of a larger work) introduces you to the family and their life in prison. The novel is about how they manage to get out and how Dorrit never forgets the kindness of the people who helped her.

Injustice in law is often reserved for the poor. “Little Dorrit” shows the government jailing people for not being able to return their loans, a historical practice the writer hated since his own father was punished in a similar way.

A man travels to a freezing, isolated place called Yukon with only his dog for company. Throughout his journey, he ignores the advice other people have given him and takes his life for granted.

Finally, he realizes the real power of nature and how fragile (easily broken) human life actually is.

Nature is often seen as a powerful force that should be feared and respected. The animal in this story is the one who’s cautious and sensible in this dangerous situation. By the end, readers wonder who is really intelligent—the man who could not deal with nature, or the dog who could survive?

This is a modern-day story that describes a group of children gathering around their father to watch little spiders hatch out of their eggs. But the story gets a different meaning as it nears the end. What do you think happened?

26. “Evil Robot Monkey ” by Mary Robinette Kowal

Sly is a character who doesn’t fit into society. He’s too smart for the other chimps, but humans don’t accept him. He is punished for acting out his natural emotions.

But the way he handles his rage, in the end, makes him look more mature than most human beings. Nominated for the  Hugo award , many readers have connected with Sly since they can see similarities in their own lives.

“The Boarded Window” is a horror story about a man who has to deal with his wife’s death. The setting is a remote cabin in the wilderness in Cincinnati, and he feels helpless as she gets sick.

There’s an interesting twist to this story, and the ending will get you thinking (and maybe feeling a bit disturbed!).

If you enjoy older stories with a little suspense, this will be a good challenge for you. It talks about the event that made a hermit decide to live alone for decades, with a mysterious window boarded up in his cabin. It also uses a lot of psychology and symbolism, so you may want to read the story more than once to understand everything it has to say.

Be careful what you wish for! One man finds this out the hard way when he brings a magical monkey’s paw home from India. This paw is supposed to grant three wishes to three people. People start to wish on it, only to realize that our wishes can have severe consequences.

The characters in this story immediately regret when their wishes come true. Even though they get what they wanted, it comes at a large cost!

This short story is from the early 1900s and uses some outdated English, but it’s still easy to follow. It reminds us that there are no shortcuts in life, and to be wary if something seems too good to be true.

This story centers around Titania and Oberon, two fairy characters from Shakespeare’s famous play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The two fairies are having a rough time in their marriage when they find a human child. They decide to adopt him, hoping that he’ll help them save their relationship. However, the child develops a deadly, modern disease and the fairies have no idea what to do since they have never known illness or death.

This is a tragic tale about how they try to understand something they’ve never seen before and their deep love for a stranger who is so unlike them. The story explores the grief of parenthood and the uncertainty of knowing whether your child will ever even know you.

This story, written by a woman, is a sad look inside an unhappy marriage. Mrs. Mallard is a woman with heart troubles. When her husband dies, the people who come to give her this news tell it to her gently, so she doesn’t have a shock.

Mrs. Mallard busts into tears and locks herself in her room. At first, she’s upset by the news. But the more she considers it, the more excited she becomes about the idea of the freedom that would come from her husband’s death.

What happens, then, when her husband comes home after an hour, alive and well?

The story explores the conflicting range of the human emotions of grief and hope in a short span, and the impact it can have on a person’s mind and body.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was one of the deadliest accidents of the twentieth century. This is a story about that event seen through the eyes of a father and his sons, who were all unfortunate enough to be close to the disaster area.

The story exposes the whole system of corruption that led to a massive explosion taking innocent lives and poisoning multiple generations. The technical vocabulary and foreign words make this text a little more difficult. However, its plot is relatively easy to follow.

The story is divided into small parts that make it both easy and exciting to read. Its various events show what it was like to live in the former Soviet Union . And just like any other good story, it’s also about human relationships and how they change due to historic events.

A simple, stuffed rabbit toy is given to a young boy as a Christmas present. At first, the rabbit isn’t noticed, as the boy is distracted by much fancier gifts. While being ignored, the rabbit begins to wonder what it means to be “real.”

One day, a certain event brings the rabbit into contact with the boy, and changes the toy’s life forever.

Have you ever loved a toy or doll so much, that you treated it as if it were alive? This story shows the power of love from a very unexpected viewpoint: that of a fluffy stuffed rabbit. It also highlights the importance of self-value, being true to yourself and finding strength in those who love you.

Tradition is important in this school, where the boys always go to fetch water for the class. The girls are teased for being “weaker,” and are last to get other privileges, like having the first choice of magazines. One day, a girl asks the teacher why girls aren’t allowed to get the water, as well. This one question causes a big reaction and leads to a huge change.

The girl’s courage surprises everyone, but it also inspires other girls to stand up for themselves. One act from one brave person can lead to change and inspire others. The story reflects on gender equality and how important it is to fight for fairness. Just because something is accepted as “normal,” doesn’t mean it is right!

At a Spanish train station, an American man and a young woman wait for a train that would take them to the city of Madrid. The woman sees some faraway hills and compares them to “white elephants.” This starts a conversation between the two of them, but what they discuss seems to have a deeper meaning.

This is another very well-known story that asks you to “read between the lines” to find the hidden meaning behind the text. Much of the story is a back-and-forth dialogue between two people, but you can tell a lot about them just from what they say to each other.

There’s a lot of symbolism that you can analyze in this story, along with context clues. Once you realize what the real topic of the characters’ conversation is, you can figure out the quiet, sadder meaning behind it.

Short stories are effective in helping English learners to practice all four aspects of language learning: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Here’s how you can make the most out of short stories as an English learner:

• Use illustrations to enhance your experience: Some short stories come with illustrations that you can use to guess what the story is about. You can even write your own caption or description of the picture. When you finish the story, go back to your image description. How did you do?
• Explore stories related to a theme: Do you like ghost stories? Science fiction? Romance? If you’re learning about food or cooking, find a short story with a lot of food vocabulary .
• Choose the right reading level: Make sure that you always challenge yourself! One easy way to tell if a story is just right for you is to use the “five-finger test.” Hold up your fist as you read a paragraph, and put up one finger for each word you don’t know. If you have all five fingers up before the end of the paragraph, try to find an easier text.
• Practice “active reading”: Your reading will only help you learn if you read actively . You’re reading actively when you’re paying very close attention to the story, its words and its meanings. Writing with a notebook nearby and in a place with no distractions can help you focus on active reading.
• Choose only a few words to look up: You may be tempted to stop at every unknown word, but it’s actually better to try to figure out its meaning from context clues. This means looking at everything else in the sentence or paragraph to try and guess the meaning of the word. Only look up words that you can’t figure out even with context clues.
• Summarize the story: When you’ve finished reading the story, retell it in your own words or write a summary of it. This will help you to practice any new words you learned, and make sure that you understood the story well. If you’re struggling, read the story again and take notes as you read.
• Take breaks: Just because these stories are short, doesn’t mean you need to read them in one sitting! If you find it hard to focus or you’re struggling to understand the story, take a break. It’s okay to read it one paragraph at a time.

I hope you have fun with these English short stories while improving your English language skills.

Happy reading!

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20 Super-Short Stories Your Students Will Love

As teachers struggle to make the most of every minute in the classroom and appeal to students’ diminishing attention spans, sometimes size does matter when it comes to reading selections. Even short stories can be daunting for reluctant high school readers. “It’s so long!” students may moan when presented with traditional anthology classics like “ The Most Dangerous Game ,” at 8,013 words or “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” at 3,768 words.

Shorter works of fiction are no less rigorous than their longer counterparts. Flash fiction is a genre of literature that demonstrates craft elements and packs thematic punches with a tight word count. While the definition varies, flash fiction most often refers to pieces under 1,000 words but possibly up to 2,000. Average readers can complete 1,000 words in approximately 3.3 minutes if they’re reading at a speed of 300 words per minute, making flash especially appealing.

Students are often more likely to completely read pieces that take under five minutes to finish. It’s also much easier to encourage and facilitate the multiple readings that are often necessary for students to fully understand and explicate a complex text.

Flash fiction selections are great as bell-ringer readings while still being rich enough to settle in for long discussions of craft and theme. You can also frontload longer works of fiction with these little pieces. Since they’re all delightfully short, they’re easy to slide into an existing lesson play, or you can build a day’s lesson around one. Finally, the brevity of these pieces will allow you to make copies on only one or two sheets of paper and work on annotating in class. Here are twenty that students will love.

20 Super-Short Stories Your High School Students Will Love

• “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin This story is popular with teachers not only because it weighs in at just over 1,000 words, but also because it’s replete with literary elements to demonstrate craft. In the story, a young wife, Louise Mallard, is informed that her husband is dead. Rather than mourning, she retreats to her room alone to quietly and joyfully contemplate a life of freedom without a man to dictate her life. The story takes a twist, however, when her husband returns home, oblivious to the news of his death. The shock brings on a heart attack and instant death, and everyone assumes the wife’s heart gave out from the happiness of seeing her husband alive and well. The readers will know better, however, what the source of the “joy that kills” actually is.

Chopin’s trim little story is a masterclass in pacing, dramatic irony, and characterization. Students from middle school up to AP English Literature can find richness and meaning in the text, even after multiple readings.

• “The Flowers” by Alice Walker The plot is simple and horrifying: Myop, the child of Black sharecroppers, goes for a walk in the forest, gathers flowers, accidentally steps on an old skull, and finds the remains of a lynched man. At under 600 words, this compact piece is perfect for repeated readings for analysis of Walker’s syntax along with other elements such as plot structure, characterization, and symbolism and themes of racism and loss of innocence.

This piece pairs beautifully with works by such authors as Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alice Walker herself. Students will enjoy discussing the symbolic significance of the shift from the farm to the woods, the juxtaposition of light and dark, the flowers, and, of course, the skeleton. They can also explore how Walker creates an entire archetypal hero’s journey in less than one page.

• “Birthday Party” by Katharine Brush At a lean 312 words, “Birthday Party” is rich with elements of characterization and detail. It centers on a scene in a restaurant with a wife having a special dinner for her husband’s birthday that doesn’t go the way she expected or wanted.

There are shifting points of view within the piece that are rich for classroom discussion about perspective. It can also be used for a creative writing model in rounding out a scene and using specific details to illustrate character. This story was the 2005 AP English Literature Free Response Question 2.

• “Currents” by Hannah Bottomy Voskuil This story is just under 300 words and is told backward. It’s the story of a drowning incident at a beach, but the inverted plot makes it interesting for students to discuss narrative arcs, syntax, detail, and characterization.

Students can also try their hand at writing their own backward story, using “Currents” as a model.

• “Being the Murdered Homecoming Queen” by Cathy Ulrich “The thing about being the murdered homecoming queen is you set the plot in motion.” With that first line, Ulrich moves readers forward in a wild ride of ghosts, grief, and girls. Told in second person from the point of view of a dead homecoming queen, this story is a 428-word murder mystery. Ulrich’s use of repetition and powerful imagery make this story incredibly readable and perfect for group discussion.

Students will enjoy drilling into themes of gender roles, performative grief, teenage relationships, and the transience of memory.

• “Entropy” by Andrea Rinard At just under 500 words, “Entropy” depicts an unnamed teenager in her room, struggling with her own mental illness. The story depicts not only the girl’s waxing and waning despair and hope but also her complex feelings of love, guilt, and resentment toward her caretaking mother.

The use of symbolism and repetition will give students lots to discuss. They will also connect with the speaker’s various attempts to find ways to both ground herself and escape.

• “And No More Shall We Part” by Sutton Strother This piece is just under 1,000 words and juxtaposes an incredibly creepy situation with a tender love story. A couple, Joe and Katherine, check into a hotel and slowly experience the complete deterioration of their bodies. Is it a romance? Is it a horror story? Is it speculative fiction? At first students will wonder what the “it” is that’s coming for Joe and Katherine, but in the end it won’t matter as they focus on the relationship that endures even as the flesh dissolves.

Your students will enjoy using what they know about genre and discussing how to characterize this story. They can also talk about the incredible details of the piece and the rising tension.

• “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver Carver is well-known as one of the greatest short story writers. In this story of just 495 words, Carver depicts a marriage at the moment of destruction and an ending that will have students’ jaws dropping as they discuss what might be one of the most horrifying and stunning last lines in all of literature.

Students love discussing the ambiguity of the story and trying to get closure, asking, “Did that really happen?” “Was that what I thought it was?” They can also discuss dialogue, syntax, detail, and understatement.

• “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid Kincaid’s breathless 685-word story is told in the voice of a daughter, reflecting on the perceptions and directions of her domineering mother. Told almost entirely in imperative commands, the story explores the relationship between mother and daughter and the expectations that can be too heavy a weight to bear.

This piece is a great work in which to explore how character and setting are inextricably linked. Students can consider how the spaces and places we occupy create our identity. Students will also enjoy analyzing elements of syntax, voice, and tone. If you’re looking for a creative writing activity, it’s a really fun piece for students to model in their own writing.

• “The Cranes” by Peter Meinke* Students will enjoy the beautiful language and leisurely pacing of this 903-word piece featuring a sweet elderly couple sitting and watching birds and reflecting on their marriage.

After hitting the shocking twist at the end, students can go back and trace the breadcrumbs that were there all along. Meinke’s use of dialogue is masterful, and students always enjoy reading this piece aloud.

*Content Warning—deals with suicide

• “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros This piece is a little longer at almost 1,200 words, but it’s beloved and widely read because it’s accessible and relatable for younger and less confident readers. It’s Rachel’s birthday, and she reflects on what it feels like to turn eleven while facing an embarrassing conflict in school.

Students will enjoy reminiscing about their own dramas and traumas at the hands of teachers and classmates while also analyzing Cisneros’s craft, especially the lyrical language and effective syntax. This story is also a great jumping-off point for creating a believable young protagonist or embarking on a memoir writing activity.

• “No One’s a Mystery” by Elizabeth Tallent Tallent’s depiction of a sordid love affair between a young girl and an older married man is told in the alternating dialogue of its two main characters. In just 927 words, Tallent explores the time before a coming of age moment when a teenager still lacks the wisdom of knowing at least a little bit about how the world works.

The intersection of idealism and realism will give students a lot to talk about along with Tallent’s use of detail and narrative pacing.

• “Powder” by Tobias Wolff This is a longer piece at 1,544 words, but one that students always enjoy. It centers on a father and son trying to get home for Christmas after a day of skiing. After being deterred by a state trooper, a closed road, and heavy snow, the father decides to sneak through and drive home in dangerous conditions, telling his son on their way, “Don’t ever try this yourself.” As the journey continues, details emerge that reveal conflicts under the surface of the family.

Students will enjoy this small moment that reveals a much larger landscape in the life of the characters. The symbolism of the setting, especially the snow, is rich for discussion, and students will connect with their own relationships with parents and other adult figures.

• “My First Goose” by Isaac Babel This story comes in at just under 1,500 words and is a wonderful study in cause and effect as well as character. Set in post WWI Europe, the narrator, Kiril Lyutove is a Russian Jewish intellectual who is struggling to balance his own philosophical beliefs with the brutality of war. He doesn’t feel like he fits in with the huge but violent Cossacks he’s alongside, so he earns their respect with a fake act of barbarism.

There is a lot of ambiguity that allows students to discuss different interpretations of the events. They can also discuss the paradox of war as heroic and inhumanly brutal. The themes of sacrificing one’s values and sense of self in order to fit in will resonate with students. It’s a great pairing with The Things They Carried.

• “The Pie” by Gary Soto At 872 words, Soto’s story of a boy stealing and then facing the guilt for stealing a pie provide students an opportunity to tune their ears to tone. The pacing of this piece is masterful as the protagonist struggles with the tension between his desire to eat the pie and his feelings of shame and guilt for stealing it.

This story always inspires fun discussions of situational ethics and how easy it is to rationalize things that should be objectively wrong. There are also surprising Biblical allusions that students can unpack.

• “Wake Up” by Kathy Fish What would you do if your elderly neighbor showed up naked on your front porch in the middle of the night? The speaker of Fish’s “Wake Up” deals with this situation with details that build and build to create a rich story that will leave readers wondering how all that managed to be communicated in under 500 words.

Themes of community and connection are woven through the story. Put on Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” while the kids read and enjoy hearing them do the “la la la la la la” under their breaths.

• “Sticks” by George Saunders Every family has its own weird traditions. In this 392-word flash by master storyteller Saunders, the narrator’s father keeps a metal pole in the yard which he decorates for different holidays and events.

The ending is poignant and powerful, and it will spark a discussion of characterization and detail. The main character’s bitterness and subsequent transformation will resonate with students.

• “Where Are You?” by Joyce Carol Oates Oates is a prolific novelist, and students may have read her longer short stories such as the widely-anthologized and creeptastic, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” In this 523-word flash with another question as its title, the elderly couple suffers from an inability to communicate. The husband won’t wear his hearing aids, and the wife is exhausted by his habit of wandering the house, calling out to her.

Students should enjoy considering this depiction of a relationship in all its complexity. The twist at the end is shocking and apt for lots of discussion.

• “The School” by Donald Barthelme At slightly over 1,200 words, Barthelme focuses on the lives and deaths that take place in a school classroom and its community. It starts in a normal day at school with the narrator-teacher talking about how the students are planting orange trees But trees die, just like snakes die. Mice, salamanders, gerbils, dogs, students, their parents… everything and everyone dies. The students start asking questions, and a theme emerges about the meaning of life. The casual, matter-of-fact tone of this piece makes it even more funny than the events being chronicled.

If your class is tackling surrealism or magical realism, this story can be a gateway or a backloading opportunity. Students will also enjoy talking about the big issues in life that are as ineffable as they are incomprehensible.

• “As the North Wind Howled” by Yu Hua It’s a longer story at 1,371 words, but after the slow, contemplative pace of the first couple of paragraphs in which the main character wakes up and spends time observing items in his room, things pick up with a knock at the door. “So that was how, on this lousy morning, a muscleman kicked down my door and lumbered me with a friend I had no interest in having—a friend who was about to die, no less. What’s more, the north wind was howling like a banshee outside. I had no overcoat or scarf, no gloves or hat—all I was wearing was a thin jacket as I went off to visit this friend I knew absolutely nothing about.”

It’s a strange little story that’s great for discussing plot structure, conflict, and themes of community, connection, and grief.

Some Final Thoughts About Using Flash Fiction in the Classroom

The above list includes titles that have been tried and tested by experienced English teachers, but it’s absolutely not an exhaustive list. Online literary magazines that feature flash fiction such as Flash Fiction Online, Word Riot, Everyday Fiction, and Smokelong Quarterly, just to name a few, are treasure troves for teachers to access high quality work for students to enjoy. For many students, flash fiction is a gateway to literature that they can not only enjoy in the classroom but also find on their own. As you try titles from this list in your classroom, explore others by the authors you learn to love and the online magazines that feature many other fantastic flashes.

1 thought on “20 Super-Short Stories Your Students Will Love”

I really appreciated this list. it included stories I was unaware of. I look for literature that my students may not have been exposed to before so that they don’t feel like they are reading the same texts over and over again.

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 Drabble: 8 Excellent 100 Word Story Examples

• Post author By Onyemechi Nwakonam
• Post date July 5, 2022
• No Comments on  Drabble: 8 Excellent 100 Word Story Examples

The 100 word story form of fiction has grown over the years to have Drabble contests with a strictly one hundred word count requirement for entries.

With more magazines and contests more writers are trying their hands at it.

While the number of readers is increasing every day. 

Although not rapidly.

 If you are new to the one hundred word story or drabble story form and you are looking for stories that reflect the typical goodness and excellence of the form. 

This post is for you.

I will share examples to help you become familiar with the look and feel of the 100 word story form.

For the sake of copyright, I will only post the first sentence or line of the stories with a link to the complete stories.

Let’s proceed.

1. Four Story by Molly Gate. 

Although this story is a collection of five stories written by Molly gates and published by 100word.org.

 One of the stories that stood out to me was Bob and Betty in the collection. 

Why I liked the story. The story was going on to the point where I felt I knew where it was going but I was surprised when it took a different road, not necessarily the author but the story.

This is a perfect example of a microfiction( 100 word story ) ending with a twist.

 First Line

It was a good divorce.

Read all four stories

2. A Friend Like Coyote by Shane Riczu

This story is the winner of the 2021 NYC Microfiction 100 word story. The story was written in response to these prompts

• Action: Chasing Something

Every cowboy needs a friend like Coyote. I give so many gifts.

Read complete story

3. The Old Man and The Moon by Regan Puckett

This is the second prize winner of the NYC Microfiction challenge for 2020.

• Action: Unpacking a suitcase
• Word: Light

For millennia, when a star flickered, the old man ascended the stairway toward the sky carrying a suitcase of starbulbs.

Read the complete 100 word story 

4. Downstream by Emily Roth

 This story is from the 100-word Microfiction Challenge 2020, Final Round (5th Place)

The story was written in response to the contest prompt

What I love about this story is the opening line. It gets me asking “what happened” and then what.

Her son vanished.

Read the complete story

5. MONKEYS WITH MONEY AND GUNS by Matt Soden, Chelmsford

This is the winner of the readers digests 2018 microfiction 100 word story contest.

Shaving the chimp and getting it into a suit was one thing, but getting it elected?

6. CONSIDERING THE WEATHER by Noah Russell, Kent

The Runner up of the 2018 readers’ digest contest.

Two boys lay in the grass, considering the weather. “The sun is very strong,” said one to the other.

7. The week our landlord kicks us out by Frankie McMillan

The opening line is filled with suspense. Let’s say it hooked me.

No rescue anywhere so we huddle around a fire under the railway bridge.

Read complete story  

8. ENCROACHMENT

by Penny Blackburn, Tyne and War.

This is another runner up in the 2018 reader’s digest contest.

All the stories from the reader’s digest are on the same page.

He presses the piano.

If you want a list of inspiring prompts for your next 100 word stories. See the list of 50 Creative 100 Word Story Prompts

Read More Stories

If you want more. A compilation of stories carefully arranged for you. Check out this book, a collection of beautiful 100 word stories.

Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story

You can read these 100 Word Story Magazines

The 100 word story form is growing faster than the 50 word story and many writers and readers are considering the form.

With these examples, you have been exposed to some of the best examples of drabbles or 100 word stories from excellent writers of the form.

We have looked at some examples of  100 word stories.

I would love to know which one of these stories is your favorite.

Let me know in the comments.

By Onyemechi Nwakonam

Hi ,I write poetry and short prose. I am excited to help you organise your writing journey.

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7210+ Adventure Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest . From riding the high sea to climbing behemoth mountains, there isn’t any action that’s out of reach when it comes to adventure stories.

🏆 Winning stories

“ lost and found ” by jonathan page.

🏆 Winner of Contest #241

On my last shift as a lighthouse keeper, I climbed the seventy-six spiral iron stairs and two ladders to the watch room, the number of steps the same as my age. The thwomp and snare of each step laid an ominous background score. Something wasn’t right. At that very moment, Richie Tedesco was pointing a fire extinguisher at the burning electrical panel in the engine room of his boat a few miles offshore.The placard in the watch room read “Marge Mabrity, Lightkeeper—First lighted the depths on March 2nd, 1985, and hasn’t missed a night.” Alrea...

“ The Lantern of Kaamos ” by Jonathan Page

🏆 Winner of Contest #233

The melting Arctic is a crime scene, and I am like CSI Ny-Ålesund. Trond is the anonymous perpetrator leaving evidence and clues for me to discover, like breadcrumbs leading back to him. “Jonna,” he had said, the day we first met at the research institute, “If you are going to make it up here, don’t lock your doors.” It seemed like a life philosophy, rather than a survival tip.It is ironic. Out on Kings Bay, the coal miners came first, then the science outposts. Trond was already out here mining the Arctic when I was sti...

“ Cell 3.47 ” by Kate Hughes

🏆 Winner of Contest #220

Cell 3.47 was situated on the third floor of B wing in Stocken Gate prison, slap bang in the heart of London’s east end. Known as The Gate, the prison had a reputation for being a tough place to do time. The inmates behind the doors at The Gate endured long cold winters in the Victorian slammer that had been condemned many times but had always escaped closure. It was harsh, it was hard, and it was overrun by rats.Paula Pritchard was the sole resident of cell 3.47, but due to the rodent crisis she ...

⭐️ Recommended stories

“ the interior life of ruck ” by ajay sabs.

Submitted to Contest #244

I backpack. Named Ruck. Store person put me on shelf. She say I “handsum”. I not know what it mean, but she make happy face when she say, so must be nice thing.  Nothing to do while I sit here but lots to look at. After I see sun come up from outside window two times, I feel little bored. I feel little empty, like I hungry. But I not wait long. Young man come, he look at me. He lift me from shelf, take me to store lady, who ask him if he want me “in a bag”, which make them both laugh. We go outside, he sling me on back. What a feeling! ...

“ Lady Blackfeather ” by S. E. Foley

This is a classic tale of a writer seeing a prompt, writing, submitting, and then reading the details.Corga soared around the tallest spire in the giant’s castle with a sparkling bit of silver chain in her talons. It would make a lovely garland for her nest. She came in fast, wings flaring to stop forward momentum, and came to perch on Lady Heather’s window sill. Cawdan and herself had a lovely nook where she’d taken up a prime spot for their nest site. She’d spent hours weaving a nice little nest with her husband. They planned on makin...

“ Souls in the Sky ” by George [email protected]

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #233

Zack Kaudjak was crossing the open snow laced fields of the Yukon River with his fourteen dog Iditarod sled team as the sun began to set below the birch tree line at three in the afternoon.  The days were short during the first week of March which meant the temperature would be dropping nearly forty degrees below zero.  He was prodding the team hoping to make it to the Galena rest stop by dinner time. Wrapped i...

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

✍️ All stories

“ the space stowaway ” by george wallace.

Henry stirred, he stretched, his mouth felt so dry with the whisky he had been drinking. He could not remember at first where he was, then he remembered he had come to fix the problem on the space capsule. Life had not been good. His girlfriend dumping him last night. He fixed the problem without difficulty. Then a wee nip had been called for to drown his sorrows. Only the wee nip became a big nip, then a larger one, and the bottle finished. The pilot’s seat was so comfortable Henry had closed his eyes for a few minutes and nodded off t...

“ DEJA VU ” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Five bone dice crumbled to dust before their eyes.“What was that?” Thom’s mouth gaped.Silence descended. No insect or bird sounds. Then it started; the earth beneath them vibrated, then shook perceptibly. The three looked at each other.“I don’t like this,” said Victoria.“I think you should both leave the Island. Who knows what will happen? I’ll have to stay,” said Marcus.“What about the others?” she said.“They’ll fend for themselves,” said Thom. “There is the boat and a plane if they decide to go. This dilemma will distract them. What will y...

“ The Colony ” by Brody Petree

Underneath every suburban backyard lies a dense jungle engulfed in an infinite violent turf war between various low-tier ecosystem organisms. Like any war, the reasons for battle stem from the quest of obtaining natural and artificial resources. Suburbia is a perfect ecosystem to thrive because all of these humans are crammed into cookie cutter houses next to each other. The spacial challenge that humans face requires the use of a community dumpster at the end of the cul-de-sac, instead of using individual trash cans. An American on average ...

“ The Fox Beyond the Thicket ” by Weronika Zgryska

Nestled within the lush expanse of Richmond Park, amidst ancient trees and the camouflage of bushes, lay my family's den. It was here, under the shelter of the area's shrubbery, that we slept, rested, and played. “Alder, we mustn’t lag. Safety in unity, remember?” my father called, his patience for exploration waning. I tore my gaze from a butterfly perched atop a nearby common yarrow bush and followed him through the enclave leading to our den. Our hunting expedition had proved successful; we nibbled on various prey as we meandered along th...

“ Acceptance ” by Domineeq Milsom

On the outskirts of Daydream lived a single person his name is Belladonna. He lived in a small cottage with little of anything, only the bare minimum. The only things he had that were out of the ordinary was his pocket watch and the key they both hung from his neck every second of everyday. Belladonna was forced to live outside the village of Daydream because of his odd appearance, he was often called a demon or a monster. He never felt loved, not even his parents loved him.  He’s lived on his own since he was 5 he learnt to talk b...

“ A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing ” by Scott Christenson

Just as the subway doors begin to close, I rush inside seconds before the train leaves Capitol Heights station. Sitting on a cold, hard aluminum seat, I feel the weight of a dozen pair of eyes examining me. I’m scared and trembling like a leaf. I still don’t belong, and I need to figure out why.Devious, that’s what my mother calls me. My biggest challenge at the moment is the daily battle to outmaneuver my government watchers. I realize this sounds crazy, but please, hear me out. I woke up as the first person ever to be taken out of a c...

“ Dragonfly ” by Jeffrey McDonald

“Dragonfly come in, Dragonfly we read catastrophic failures in the crew deck, propulsion, life support, and guidance, do you read?” The crackly voice asks.Mission control has lost communication only a week after leaving the lunar surface on its way to Mars. The first manned rocket with solar sails that give it the look of a Dragonfly had performed flawlessly on numerous missions, until now. Sirens blare, and warnings sound. Inside the ship, debris floats aimlessly here and there bumping into panels and a member of the crew floats motionless ...

“ First Contact ” by Kristina Lushey

Space is infinite, at least that is what we are always told. In the words of Star Trek “Space, the final frontier.” As I looked up to the sky above, a small smile danced around the corners of my mouth. Are we truly alone, or are there other beings in other worlds looking up at their stars in the sky and wondering the same thing?I was interested in the stars ever since I was old enough to stand on the big base telescope my dad had, and look at the constellations together, such as, Orion (The Hunter), the Great Bear (Ursa Major), and of course...

“ The Adventures of Jay ” by Taquindle Remington

Act i: AsteroidI opened my eyes. My groggy eyes. Boy was I tired! I needed some coffee. Coffee and eggs. Yes, I need it now, or imma be in a bad mood. But wait, I feel so weightless. This doesn’t make sense. I ain't that light. I have been in the gym. Plus. Wife Number 1 says I’m getting bigger. Barnacles…“Yo Big Jay, why do you keep hitting your head against the wall?”Oh no, he’s on to me. It’s a nervous tick. I can’t tell him that. He’ll think I'm soft. I ain't toilet paper. I'm hard like a spelling test.“Jay, you know I can hear you. Look...

“ Huginn and Muninn: Guardians of the Nine Realms ” by Jimi Bush

Title: Huginn and Muninn: Guardians of the Nine Realms In the heart of Asgard, amidst the grandeur of Odin's palace, two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, perched on the highest spire. Their glossy black feathers shimmered in the sunlight as they observed the realm below. "Huginn, do you see that?" Muninn pointed his beak towards a distant battlefield. "Yes, Muninn. It seems Odin has called upon us once again," replied Huginn, his sharp eyes fixated on the horizon. The ravens knew their duty well. As messengers of Odin, they were entrusted with the...

“ The Unwanted: A Prologue ” by Denise Glickler

In 1923, the first extended discussion of artificial wombs was given. The speaker, one J.B.S. Haldane, who was an English biologist, proposed that an egg could be fertilized outside the womb. He gave his speech, which was entitled “Daedalus, or Science and the Future” from the viewpoint of a student in 2073 writing about advances in biology over the previous 150 years. His theories of ectogenesis were largely controversial. In 1929 an English memoirist named Vera Brittain wrote an essay that warned that in the wrong hands it could create “de...

“ The adventures of Nemo, the plush fish ” by Dao Huy Kien

Nemo was a plush fish with the same figure of the young clownfish in Disney’s cartoon “Finding Nemo”. He was born among other cotton animals in a workshop in Saigon. After only one day staying in the workshop, he was moved to a truck to go to the seaport, where they put his box in a container. After being filled with boxes, the container was loaded on board. Nemo asked other cotton animals where they were and where they were going but no one knew. Nemo only felt a strange taste: the salty taste of the sea. Nevertheless, he didn’t know what t...

“ Cold is the Absence of Heat ” by Jack Kimball

Commander John Forebear re-enters the airlock to Novac 3 and takes his place at the bridge's command module. No sooner is he settled in than his headset sparks in static."It's a blue line here, John. Ice to every horizon, kind of mist-like, an artic blue, mythical. It's really something."The Commander smiles. Just like my science officer to admire the view. I love him, but it's another thing to keep him focused on the task at hand."I can see," the Commander replies. "Your visuals are coming in fine, but you're not on vacation, are you O...

The Best New Adventure Short Stories

Adventure stories are a staple in literature — pretty much everyone grows up having followed a courageous character on an exciting and unexpected journey somewhere far away. Whether it’s a fight for survival or a search for a treasure, whether it features mythical creatures or real-life monsters, adventure stories provide a spark for your imagination, transporting you to exhilarating landscapes from the comforts of your home. 

Adventure short stories aren’t exactly the same as novels — they don’t get the space to tell a complete journey, from start to finish. What they do give you is a healthy dose of adrenaline by plunging you and the characters into a wild, awe-inspiring, and yet dangerous place, even for the briefest moment. A lot of world-building goes into an adventure short story, yet not so much that it seems overwhelming — in other words, just enough to leave you wanting more. 

Looking for more adventure short stories?

We’ve collected a list of adventure shorts right here for you to peruse. Hop from one expedition to another with a diverse cast of characters created by our promising writers in their submissions to our weekly contests . At the top of the list are adventure short stories that stand out against hundreds of pieces in other genres submitted on the same weeks. They’re the ones that show impressive creativity and storytelling — and definitely not ones to miss. 

And if you want to try your hand at crafting an action-packed short story, join our contest. You might even walk away with next week’s prize — plus a shot at publication in Prompted , our new literary magazine!

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50 Irresistible Short Stories for Kids (Read Them All for Free!)

Quick reads with lasting impact.

Looking for some free tales to use for close reading or classroom read-alouds? This roundup of short stories for kids has plenty of options. From quick fables with morals to old-fashioned fairy tales and folktales from around the world, this diverse collection offers something for any child. We’ve also included ways to use these short stories with kids, in the classroom or at home.

Note: Always be sure to read a selection through before sharing it with children. Some of these short stories for kids, especially ones written a long time ago, may not be appropriate for every audience.

Classic Fairy Tale Short Stories for Kids

“ cinderella ” by charles perrault, “‘do not cry, cinderella,’ she said; ‘you also shall go to the ball, because you are a kind, good girl.'”.

Why I love it: This is one of those short stories for kids that everyone probably already knows. This older version is a little different than the Disney movie, so ask kids if they can identify the changes. They can also have fun imagining what other items could be transformed to help Cinderella get to the ball!

“ The Emperor’s New Clothes ” by Hans Christian Andersen

“‘But the Emperor has nothing at all on!’ said a little child.”

Why I love it: This is a wonderful story for talking about peer pressure and being brave enough to stand up for what you believe in. Kids will also enjoy drawing the imaginary suit of clothes that the king thought he saw.

“ The Frog Prince ” by the Brothers Grimm

“and the princess, though very unwilling, took him up in her hand, and put him upon the pillow of her own bed, where he slept all night long. as soon as it was light, he jumped up, hopped downstairs, and went out of the house. ‘now, then,’ thought the princess, ‘at last he is gone, and i shall be troubled with him no more.'”.

Why I love it: Kids love this familiar story about a prince in disguise and a young girl who keeps her word even though she doesn’t want to. In this version, the girl doesn’t need to kiss the frog, but she’s rewarded anyway.

“ The Gingerbread Man ” by Anonymous

“run, run as fast as you can you can’t catch me, i’m the gingerbread man”.

Why I love it: In the original tale, the Gingerbread Man is eventually caught and eaten. This retelling gives him a happy ending instead. For a fun activity, let kids decorate and eat their own gingerbread people.

“ Jack and the Beanstalk ” by Anonymous

“why, the beans his mother had thrown out of the window into the garden had sprung up into a giant beanstalk which went up and up and up until it reached the sky. so the man spoke truth after all”.

Why I love it: This story is a fun read, but use it to get your students thinking critically. Was it really OK for Jack to steal from the giant? Ask them to write an essay sharing their thoughts on the subject, or use it for a fun classroom debate.

“ Little Red Riding Hood ” by the Brothers Grimm

“‘but grandmother what big eyes you have,’ said little red riding hood. ‘the better to see you with, my dear,’ replied the wolf.”.

Why I love it: This retelling of the well-known tale is a little less gruesome, since the hunter merely frightens the wolf into spitting out poor granny (instead of slicing open his belly). Talk with kids about ways they can keep themselves safe when they’re out in the world.

“ The Pied Piper of Hamelin ” by the Brothers Grimm

“he sounded his fife in the streets, but this time it wasn’t rats and mice that came to him, but rather children: a great number of boys and girls from their fourth year on. among them was the mayor’s grown daughter. the swarm followed him, and he led them into a mountain, where he disappeared with them.”.

Why I love it: Some say this is a true story, and whether or not that’s true, it definitely has a moral—when people make a bargain, they should stick to their agreement. Ask kids to think about what kind of music the Pied Piper might have played, and why both children and rats couldn’t resist it.

“ The Princess and the Pea ” by Hans Christian Andersen

“i cannot think what could have been in the bed. i lay upon something so hard that i am quite black and blue all over.”.

Why I love it: This has long been one of the most beloved short stories for kids, and it’s ideal when you need a quick read. Then, grab some dried peas and see how thick a covering needs to be before students can no longer feel them.

“ Puss in Boots ” by Charles Perrault

“puss became a great lord, and never ran after mice anymore, except for pleasure.”.

Why I love it: All cat lovers know these animals can be pretty smart when they want to be. This one helps his poor master become a prince in a castle, all through his own clever tricks. Encourage students to come up with more creative ways Puss in Boots could help his master.

“ Rumpelstiltskin ” by the Brothers Grimm

“‘I will give you three days,’ said he, ‘if by that time you find out my name, then shall you keep your child.'”

Why I love it: Pretty much everyone in this story behaves badly in one way or another. Use it to learn more about characters and their motivation.

“ Sleeping Beauty ” by the Brothers Grimm

“a great many changes take place in a hundred years.”.

Why I love it: After students read this well-known story, ask them to think about what it would be like to go to sleep today and wake up in a hundred years. What might the world be like? Or what would it be like for someone who fell asleep a hundred years ago to wake up today? How many things have changed since then?

“ Snow White ” by the Brothers Grimm

“mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all”.

Why I love it: This fairy tale has all the classic elements—beautiful heroine, wicked stepmother, handsome prince—plus a handful of helpful dwarves. It’s the perfect way to start a conversation about the dangers of envy and jealousy.

“ The Three Little Pigs ” by Anonymous

“not by the hairs on our chinny chin chin”.

Why I love it: Fairy tales don’t get much more classic than this. Follow it up with a reading of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciesczka to hear the story from the wolf’s perspective, and have a conversation about point of view.

“ The Ugly Duckling ” by Hans Christian Andersen

“but what did he see there, mirrored in the clear stream he beheld his own image, and it was no longer the reflection of a clumsy, dirty, gray bird, ugly and offensive. he himself was a swan being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg.”.

Why I love it: Whether you read the original text or a shorter adaptation, this story is one every kid should know. It will teach them that everyone should be proud of who they are, even if they don’t look or feel like everyone else.

Aesop’s Fables as Short Stories for Kids

“ the boy who cried wolf ” by aesop, “so now, though he had not seen anything that even looked like a wolf, he ran toward the village shouting at the top of his voice, ‘wolf wolf'”.

Why I love it: This might be the most famous short story we use to teach kids about how important it is to tell the truth. Ask students if they’ve ever pulled a prank that went wrong, and what they learned from it.

“ The Crow and the Pitcher ” by Aesop

“But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water.”

Why I love it: Aesop’s fable reads more like a STEM challenge—how can you reach the water at the bottom of the pitcher when your neck isn’t long enough? Try the same experiment with your students, using a narrow-necked bottle. Can they come up with any other solutions?

“ The Fox and the Grapes ” by Aesop

“the grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.”.

Why I love it: If kids have ever wondered where the phrase “sour grapes” comes from, this tale will answer that question. Talk about other idiomatic phrases, and do some research to find their origins.

“ The Lion and the Mouse ” by Aesop

“‘you laughed when i said i would repay you,’ said the mouse. ‘now you see that even a mouse can help a lion.'”.

Why I love it: This fable reminds kids that they’re never too small to make a difference in someone’s life. Ask kids to share their own stories of times they helped someone.

“ The Tortoise and the Hare ” by Aesop

“the hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the tortoise should catch up.”.

Why I love it: When kids need a reminder that they should always keep trying, turn to this famous story. Use it to teach growth mindset too.

“ Two Travelers and a Bear ” by Aesop

“Two men were traveling in company through a forest, when, all at once, a huge bear crashed out of the brush near them.”

Why I love it: When danger strikes, do you worry about yourself first or try to help everyone to safety? There are arguments to be made on both sides, so this one makes for an interesting debate or persuasive essay.

More Short Stories for Kids

“ anansi and the pot of wisdom ” by anonymous, “every time anansi looked in the clay pot, he learned something new.”.

Why I love it: Kids may know about Anansi from the popular book Anansi the Spider , but there are lots of tales about him in West African folklore. In this one, Anansi thinks he knows everything, but a child has something new to teach him. Explore more Anansi tales here.

“ The Apple Dumpling ” by Anonymous

“A bag of feathers for a basket of plums. A bunch of flowers for a bag of feathers. A golden chain for a bunch of flowers. And a dog for a golden chain. All the world is give and take, and who knows if I may have my apple dumpling yet.”

Why I love it: When an old woman sets out to trade her basket of plums for some apples, her quest takes a few twists and turns along the way. In the end, though, she manages to make many people happy, not just herself. Practice sequencing by having kids try to remember all the trades the woman makes, and the order she makes them in.

“ The Blind Men and the Elephant ” by Anonymous

“sixth blind man (feeling the tail): this elephant is not like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree, or a fan. he is exactly like a rope.”.

Why I love it: Six blind men each feel a different part of an elephant, and each comes to his own very different conclusions. Written as a very short play, this classic tale opens up all sorts of discussion opportunities about seeing the bigger picture.

“ Bruce and the Spider ” by James Baldwin

“but the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure. with still more care, she made ready to try for the seventh time. bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched her swing herself out upon the slender line. would she fail again no the thread was carried safely to the beam, and fastened there.”.

Why I love it: This famous little tale is almost certainly a myth, but it’s one of the most well-known stories about King Robert the Bruce. The lesson about not giving up fits perfectly when you’re talking about growth mindset.

“ The Elephant’s Child ” by Rudyard Kipling

“but there was one elephant—a new elephant—an elephant’s child—who was full of ’satiable curiosity, and that means he asked ever so many questions.”.

Why I love it: Many kids will recognize themselves in the Elephant’s Child and his (in)satiable curiosity. After you read this one, have students come up with stories for the way other animals got their unique features. How did the giraffe get its long neck? How did the turtle get its shell? So many possibilities!

“ Paul Bunyan ” by William B. Laughead

“when paul was a boy, he was fast as lightning. he could blow out a candle at night and hop into bed before it was dark.”.

Why I love it: Paul Bunyan is an American folk hero, larger than life (literally!). This roundup of the legends surrounding him has many of the most famous tales. Encourage kids to think about what they’d do if they were as big, strong, and fast as Paul.

“ The Empty Pot ” by Anonymous

“in six months, the boy who grew the best plant would be the one to win the contest. he would be the next to sit on the throne.”.

Why I love it: This story can teach kids a lesson about honesty, but it’s also got a STEM project built right in. The emperor’s royal seeds wouldn’t grow because they’d been cooked first. Have kids try their own experiment to see if they can get peas that have been cooked to sprout!

“ The Little Engine That Could ” by Watty Piper

“I think I can. I think I can.”

Why I love it: When little ones learn early on to believe in themselves, they’ll be willing to try their best at anything. Have kids tell their own stories of times they did something that seemed impossible at first when they kept on trying.

“ Fifty-Cent Piece ” by S.E. Schlosser

“as he caught her, the husband looked into the ruin and saw a burnt table with a shiny fifty-cent piece lying in the center.”.

Why I love it: A spooky story that isn’t too gory, this one’s a perfect read in the season leading up to Halloween. Challenge kids to write their own ghost stories next.

“ The Four Dragons ” by Anonymous

“the four dragons flew back and forth, making the sky dark all around. before long the sea water became rain pouring down from the sky.”.

Why I love it: The four dragons in this Chinese tale want to help save the people from drought. When the Jade Emperor won’t help, they take matters into their own hands. Ultimately, they become the four major rivers of China. This is a great opportunity to get out the globe or pull up Google Earth and learn more about China’s geography.

“ Goldilocks and the FOUR Bears ” by Andrea Kaczmarek

“nobody ever talks about me. i don’t know why, because i am the most important bear in the story. i am grandma growl, but everybody calls me granny g, and i am the best porridge maker in the world.”.

Why I love it: Hear the classic tale from a new perspective, told by a character you never even knew existed! Use this as inspiration to have kids add a character to their own favorite tales, and tell the story from their point of view.

“ Haunted ” by Harris Tobias

“‘just because a house is haunted,’ he said, ‘doesn’t mean you can’t live there. the trick is making friends with the ghosts, learning to get along with them.'”.

Why I love it: Need a not-so-spooky story for Halloween? This tale of ghosts who love to bake fits the bill. Kids can write their own stories of making friends with ghosts instead of being scared of them.

“ Henny Penny ” by Anonymous

“so henny-penny, cocky-locky, ducky-daddles, goosey-poosey and turkey-lurkey all went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.”.

Why I love it: In an age when people are quick to spread rumors as fact, this old European folktale is more meaningful than ever. See if kids can think of times when they heard a crazy rumor that they believed at first, even though it turned out to be completely false.

“ How Gimme the Ax Found Out About the Zigzag Railroad ” by Carl Sandburg

“Then the zizzies came. The zizzy is a bug. He runs zigzag on zigzag legs, eats zigzag with zigzag teeth, and spits zigzag with a zigzag tongue.”

Why I love it: Kids will get a kick out of all the Z sounds in this silly little story about why some local railroad tracks run in zigzags. Use it to teach about alliteration and consonance, and ask kids to draw their own pictures of the zizzies.

“ King Midas and the Golden Touch ” by Anonymous

“suddenly, he started to sense fear. tears filled his eyes and that moment, his beloved daughter entered the room. when midas hugged her, she turned into a golden statue”.

Why I love it: Teach kids to be careful what they wish for. Ask them to make a list of wishes, then talk about ways each of them could ultimately go wrong. Have them write their own version of this short story.

“ The Kite That Went to the Moon ” by Evelyn Sharp

“‘i have everything in the world in my bag,’ replied the little old man, ‘for everything is there that everybody wants. i have laughter and tears and happiness and sadness; i can give you riches or poverty, sense or nonsense; here is a way to discover the things that you don’t know, and a way to forget the things that you do know.'”.

Why I love this: This whimsical tale takes two small children on a voyage to the moon and back, as they follow an enchanted kite. Pair it with a crafting session where kids make their own kites to fly.

“ The Monkey and the Turtle ” by José Rizal

“a monkey and a turtle found a banana tree on a river. they fished it out and because each wanted the tree for himself, they cut it in half.”.

Why I love it: A monkey and a turtle each plant half a banana tree, but only the turtle’s grows. The monkey offers to harvest the fruit but keeps it all for himself. But the turtle has plans of his own! This folktale from the Philippines is actually an allegory about the Spanish colonizers’ treatment of the Filipino people.

“ Mouse! ” by Michał Przywara

“‘what’ i wonder. ‘how dare you what insolence is this’ such a cheeky little mouse defying me in my own house, i simply cannot stomach this at all.”.

Why I love it: This clever little story is told using a triangular number sequence that dictates the number of words per line. Challenge students to write their own tales using a pattern or sequence of some kind.

“ The Proud Rose ” by Anonymous

“once upon a time, there lived a proud rose that was incredibly proud of her beautiful looks. the only disappointment it had was that it grew beside an ugly cactus.”.

Why I love it: It’s hard to imagine a flower being a bully, but that’s exactly what happens in this story. Fortunately, the cactus doesn’t let the rose stop it from being kind.

“ The Sword in the Stone ” by T.H. White

“whoever pulls out this sword from this stone is the true king of england”.

Why I love it: This quick retelling of the familiar tale covers all the high points. Follow it with more of the Arthurian legends or a viewing of the classic Disney film.

“ The Tale of Peter Rabbit ” by Beatrix Potter

“‘now, my dears,’ said old mrs. rabbit one morning, ‘you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into mr. mcgregor’s garden: your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by mrs. mcgregor.'”.

Why I love it: Beatrix Potter’s sweet tales are beloved, but this is the one that has really endured. Pair it with one of these terrific Peter Rabbit activities.

“ The Pumpkin in the Jar ” by Anonymous

“the soldier’s orders were to tell the maiden that the jar was from the king, and that she was to put an entire pumpkin inside the jar. the soldier was also to tell the maiden that she should not break the jar under any circumstance. both the jar with the small opening at the top and the pumpkin must remain whole.”.

Why I love it: Before you read the end of the story, stop and ask kids if they can figure out how the maiden managed to get a pumpkin into a jar without breaking it. See how fast they can come up with the right answer!

“ Rainbow Bird ” by Eric Maddern

“Bird flew around each tree putting fire into tree’s core. This way a tree could be used as wood to create fire.”

Why I love it: Learn the Australian Aboriginal legend about a greedy crocodile who wouldn’t share his fire, and the Rainbow Bird who outsmarted him. Look up the Aboriginal Dreamtime and learn more about their art and culture.

“ Rikki-Tikki-Tavi ” by Rudyard Kipling

“rikki-tikki did not care to follow them, for he did not feel sure that he could manage two snakes at once. so he trotted off to the gravel path near the house, and sat down to think. it was a serious matter for him.”.

Why I love it: Reading this story is like watching a nature documentary unfold on the page. Have kids do some research on the mongoose and its relationship with cobras in real life.

“ Stone Soup ” by Anonymous

“he pulled a big black cooking pot from his wagon. he filled it with water and built a fire under it. then, he reached slowly into his knapsack and, while several villagers watched, he pulled a plain gray stone from a cloth bag and dropped it into the water.”.

Why I love it: Want to teach kids to work together and share? This is the short story you need. Ask kids what they’d bring to put in the pot of soup themselves.

“ The Story of the Chinese Zodiac ” by Anonymous

“he reached out his paws and pushed his friend the cat into the river. the cat was swept away by the whirling waters. that is why there is no cat in the chinese calendar.”.

Why I love it: This short little tale manages to answer two questions—why there’s no Year of the Cat and why cats and rats can’t be friends. After reading it, try to imagine how the other animals in the calendar managed to win their spots.

“ The Velveteen Rabbit ” by Margery Williams

“‘real isn’t how you are made,’ said the skin horse. ‘it’s a thing that happens to you. when a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real.'”.

Why I love it: This is one of the most classic short stories for kids of all time! Let kids bring their own favorite toys to share with the class, and have them write or tell stories about what would happen if they became “real.”

“ Weighing the Elephant ” by Anonymous

“‘very well,’ said the emperor with a smile. ‘tell me how to weigh the elephant.'”.

Why I love it: Read this traditional Chinese tale right up to the point where the young boy reveals his idea for weighing an elephant without a giant scale. Ask kids if they can come up with the solution before continuing to the end of the story. You can even try out the correct method as a STEM challenge.

“ Why the Koala Has a Stumpy Tail ” by Mitch Weiss

“Just then, Tree Kangaroo had a plan. He remembered back to the last dry season when his mother excavated a hole in a dry stream bed.”

Why I love it: Look up pictures of the tree kangaroo and koala, then read this Aboriginal legend explaining why the koala’s tail is so much shorter. What other unique Australian animals can kids learn about and share with the class?

“ Winnie-the-Pooh Goes Visiting ” by A.A. Milne

“pooh always liked a little something at eleven o’clock in the morning, and he was very glad to see rabbit getting out the plates and mugs; and when rabbit said, ‘honey or condensed milk with your bread’ he was so excited that he said, ‘both,’ and then, so as not to seem greedy, he added, ‘but don’t bother about the bread, please.'”.

Why I love it: This silly old bear has been delighting children for decades, and there are dozens of short stories for kids about him and his friends. This one has a little built-in moral about greed. You can also ask kids to brainstorm their own ways to get Pooh free from Rabbit’s front door.

Looking for more short stories for kids? Check out this roundup geared toward the middle school crowd.

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