COD 4-01

The Japanese Vase

I’m that Japanese vase that your neighbours gave you when you moved to the
neighborhood, alongside with an apple pie that didn’t taste that great. That vase your neighbour
insisted on taking, because it is a hundred years old and has some mysterious ancient history of a
dragon. Well I was so interesting that she kept me on a shelf for as long as I remember. She kept
me in the living room with the pictures of the cats, but well, even the pictures get more attention
than me. I just stay there because I look good with the furniture. I can’t move, I forget that from
time to time, I imagine I’m flying but it's all my imagination, and it’s just me, myself and my
thoughts. After all I'm just a vase, my ’destiny’ is just to exist without a real purpose. One day
there was this kid that was curious about the dragon on me, but of course my owner didn’t know
a thing about it.

I'm just a vase on top of the shelf and my only friend is the dust and that little kid that I
never saw again. I wish I saw him again…

COD 4-02

A simple case

You throw me in the attic or the basement when you don’t need me. I am only good for
you one or two weeks a year, then you don’t think about me at all. You leave plastic bags in me
and suffocate me with them. Why do you need to carry so much stuff with you when you go
away? You’ve been doing that for years now and you still haven’t learned your lesson.
Do you remember when you lost me in that huge airport in Germany? You had no idea
how to describe me or what size I was. What a shame! Even the customs officer was
disappointed by your lack of information concerning me. When they found me, your only care
was with what might have been stolen from me, not with my state, and now, you complain about
my small wheels being broken. Well, that should teach you a lesson, to care about me the way I
care about your belongings.
 COD 4-03

H. S.

I am H.S., better known as the Holy Spirit. A disappointed Holy Spirit. I was sent by God
to guide you, but you don’t care! You are worried about money and your career, about where to
travel next and what to buy with your money. How about travelling inside of you and thinking
about your godly nature and your spiritual side until it is not too late? You don’t have time? You
should, I am the most important thing in your life…
You say you don’t know where to start? Just stop doing what you are doing now. Stop
using your instagram and facebook and take a deep breath. Do you feel better? Have you noticed
my presence? Try again. And again. There! It’s me, you must have noticed a slight touch on your
cheek… you did not? Pay more attention, I will do it again. How about now? You did? That’s
perfect! Your new life will begin now. Your first mission: tell other people around you about my
presence.

COD 4-04

Living in these times, people rarely appreciate or use me. You can find me in some
people, in others maybe you can’t, but I surely am an important ”something”. In case you
couldn’t say, my name is Manners. Hello! Nice to meet you!
During childhood I may be pretty annoying. Some children tend to get along with me,
some don’t, while others think today is a good day to take me with them but tomorrow won’t be
the same. As I grow up along with someone, I get stronger and stronger until I am a part of them.
Once we have a bond, it is almost impossible to separate us, but making me a part of your
personality makes your life much better, trust me!
I remember one time an old lady was carrying three heavy boxes. My best friend, Diego –
a teenage boy – offered to help her. I felt so good! I love Diego because he always listens to me.
But sadly, that lady didn’t even say ”thank you”…
Seeing that people don’t pay enough attention to me makes me so sad… I wish I could
change the world… Perhaps I can?
 COD 4-05

Mirror Mirror

You look at me every single day, but you only look to see yourself. What you don’t know
is that I also look at you. I study your face every day, I notice the sparkle in your eyes when you
are about to meet Paul, your boyfriend. I also see the sadness in your eyes when you are
disappointed by someone or something. But you don’t care about me… I like you, but you only
like yourself. I am in love with your cruel nature, but you even forget to clean me from time to
time. This is not a positive relationship, so I am warning you, one of these days I will break into
pieces and bring you bad luck.
Why are you crying? It should be me crying, not you. I am getting older and nobody
cares about me. I heard you saying you would like to replace me because I no longer match your
green walls. Who on earth has green walls painted in their bedroom? Oh, you wanted everything
to be perfect. Well, dear, nothing in this world is perfect, but I love your imperfect self. If only
you loved my imperfect edges...

COD 4-06
A pigeon

When was the last time you fed me, human? When was the last time you ran after me,
trying to catch me? You say these are childish things, but I say they are part of being happy and
optimistic. Don’t argue with me, you know I am right, it is just difficult to accept that your life
took a wrong turn and you forgot about the simple gestures. You can change all that, if you
wanted to! Are we too many? No, you are too many. You are everywhere, destroying the planet
you live on. This is not very clever of you. You have said you wanted to change your attitude, but
it’s just words, you don’t want to leave your comfort zone and do something about it.
Do you want my advice, human? Look for meaning in the small things. Care for the ones
around you, even the smallest creatures, like me and my brothers. Think positively and try to see
the good in others. I have always tried to see the good in you all, even if you have forgotten
about us.
 COD 4-07

It is cold. It has been so for some time now and cold is all this will be. The ship is sinking
and we all stay clinging, all bound to eventually fall. I haven’t looked at the sun for so long and
yet its presence remains felt, as if I am being grasped by its millions of hands at once. They all
watch as we lay motionless in the wind, their gaze signalling no concern, as if it’s but a
homogeneous patch of colour they are observing.
Maybe this is what we ever were.
I was so concerned with having a shade of my own that I failed to notice what it meant.
What was once a bright yellow or gold has now turned into something rusty and old. I fell in love
with my fate as it crushed me to death.
And the seas began to rise…
Perhaps they will scoop me out of these soft waters one day, but ultimately it is only my
sun who’s giving me hope.

COD 4-08
Jake the Stray Dog

My name is Jake, I’m a three-year-old dog and I have been living on the streets struggling
to survive since I was just one year old.
My story began when a nice family adopted me. They fed me well, they played with me
and raised me until I got too big. One day we went for a car ride. I was very excited because I
thought we were going to the park but they just got me out of the car and left.
At first, I didn’t fully understand what was happening but after a while I understood that
they were never coming back. And this is how I found myself alone on the streets, with no food
and no one to love me and make me happy, surrounded by other bad dogs wanting to hurt me.
Now I must struggle to find leftover food in the trash and sometimes I even go days without
eating.
Despite all the people passing by me every day, the closest thing to attention I ever get is
from bad people who hit me or tell me to go away.
 COD 4-09

The willow nymph

I was just a willow nymph, dancing around my ring of toadstools and singing to my
willow's branches all day.

One evening, a man dressed in a green padded coat came to me with a flower in hand and
asked me to be his wife. I was flattered, but I declined his request because my willow needed me
there.

After that everything was quiet, until that man came again. But this time he was different.
He came with an axe and used it to cut my ancient tree. I was too shocked to even move a finger.
I just sat there and watched as my dearest willow's leaves withered. The man grabbed my hand
and dragged me out the forest. With every step, my hair's colour started to fade from amber to
brown. Then I collapsed upon the earth and faded into a flower.

Because of my druid nature, the flower I turned into was the last thing that would keep
the Earth together. I knew I would be harvested and this world would end but I still felt a shadow
of hope.

COD 4-10

Hi there, my name is Ships and yes, I’m a salad. Wait! I want you to pay attention to what
I’m saying before you choose that bar of chocolate instead of me. There are a lot of reasons why
you should choose me over some chocolate.
I know I don’t look or taste that great but I can make you a lot healthier than a chocolate
bar. The sad fact is that other vegetables or fruits are in the same situation as me. People don’t
see the risk of eating junk food or sweets in high quantities. These types of food could lead to
obesity in most cases and to serious health problems.
I would recommend people to pay more attention to me and especially to their lifestyle as
I’m full of vitamins that only bring benefits to the human body, making people look better as
well. I hope I’ve changed your mind and the next time you go shopping, you’ll pick me instead
of that chocolate bar.
 COD 4-11

I LOVED HER, BUT….

This is a story about an old pair of socks. I’m that pair of socks. Let me tell you
something about my life.
Everything started in the store, where humans come and buy lots of things, even socks.
I’ve told you I’m a pair of socks, in fact, we are two: me and my wife.
One day, a little boy bought the pair and he took us home. We were at school with him
and then, back home. He put us in the laundry basket and we slept there that night.
In the morning, the child’s mother took and put us into the washing machine. It was the
last time I saw my wife because that washing machine separated us forever. Nobody cared about
me and my broken heart…
There were hard moments when I realized that humans are paying attention just for
expensive things like their phones, their laptops and this kind of things, nobody cares about an
old and in love pair of socks…

COD 4-12
A lucky dog

Hello ! My name is Storm. I am a Golden Retriever dog.

I was born in a so loving family but unfortunately I was also born disabled. My face was
malformed. The kids did not understand why my face looked like that.One day, when I was
chasing a squirrel, I got very far from my place and I was hit by somebody.The days were sad
and full of pain. Some people gave me some food , others called me strange names. I was
hungry, wet, dirty and weak. My fur was full of dried blood and mud.
After a week and a half a car passed by and a man grabbed me and took me to an animal
shelter, I was fed with delicious bones. He got me a bath and , moreover, he offered me huge
hugs. I felt loved and suddenly I could see the world in a different way.I made lots of friends.
Now I have a better life. Maybe some day I will be adopted by a nice family who doesn't care of
my ugly face.
 COD 4-13
Looking for love

Once upon a time there was a little girl looking for love in strange places. She kept on
looking until she reached a dark forest where she found this small heart bleeding.
“Are you Love?” the girl asked.
“I used to be!” the heart answered. But people don’t want to love, they no longer look for
love, they want fame and fortune.
“That’s not true! I am looking for Love, it is the most precious feeling in the whole
world.”
“Will you take me home with you, then? I am so sick and tired of this world. I would like
to have a beautiful place where to spend my time, just loving people. After all, this is what I am
supposed to do.”
“I will, I will, just don’t be sad. I hate seeing sad hearts!”
And so, the little girl, without knowing, saved Love from dying of sadness in the middle
of that dark forest of humanity.

COD 4-14
The long forgotten best friend

My name is Barbie. One day, Hailey came back from school looking pretty tired. He
didn’t even take a glance at me. I don’t know why, but she’s been really distant lately and today
is one of those days. I’ve heard her talking on the phone with someone called Josh, saying that
they are going out tonight.
I wish I could go with her and have fun. She’s curling her beautiful long hair and doing
her make-p now. Only if I could just open my mouth and tell her ”I want to go with you! Please
take me!” but I am unable to do that. There was a lump in my throat. I was on the verge of
crying. I was losing my so called ”best friend”. Now she is checking her outfit in the mirror. She
used to spend so much time looking for the perfect outfit for me.
Then she told her mom ”goodbye” and she left. Still no look in my direction, but her
mom did, she did look at me with sympathy in her eyes.
 COD 4-15
Sunny Days

Do you know what’s the most painful thing in the world? When nobody is paying any
attention to you and you feel like you don’t even exist. And that happens to me every day.

I’m Sunny. I was Meghan’s best friend until one day… We used to go out every day
when the sun was shining and we used to visit so many places, I took her everywhere. I am a
bike in case you haven’t figured it out yet.

I remember the day she forgot about my existence perfectly: it was raining outside, her
parents gave her an early birthday present – it was a mobile phone. She was so amazed by that
phone and the fact that she could talk to her friends from home… soon after that she started
having “crushes” and hanging out with her friends more. She was about 16 when she began
going out with this Jake she kept talking about.

I was glad that she was happy but I was missing her so much… but today, she came to
me with tears in her eyes and told me “I need some sunshine in my life again.” Today she
remembered me.