The ghostly village

The night was rainy; a big storm was falling on the sea. The waves were enormous and the
fog was thick. The ships rocked one side to the other as marionettes.

Suddenly, an awful creaking was heard in the darkness. A big cloud of smoke was seen in
the distance and an intense odour could be noticed in the air. Everybody was wondering
what had happened.

A ship had ran aground near the shore and had split part of the petrol it carried. A big
black stain spreaded on the water, as a big black cloack which had the sea gone into
mourning. The smell of petrol was each time stronger and mixed with the freshness of the
breeze each sunset near the beach. Charles and Anne used to go watching the stars. When
they felt that freedom that only those who have not betrayed their ideals feel. They were
the children of a fisher and lived in a humble white house very near from the cliff.

The fishers had recently had problems to fish, fishing was not very good. Now, it would be
worse, there would not be anything in many time. Fishers will not be seen carrying fish to
the harbour. They could not be said goodbye as it was usual. Now they will have to go far,
to be able to live.

The village became a village without people. A ghostly village. Just a few women and
children remained there. Men and young people went to look for a job and came back
once in a while to see their families. At nightfall, a few lights, brought the village back to
existence.
But from the cliff the view was not the same, it seemed that even the breeze had changed
of place. The air smell of petrol and the sea’s calm had turned to a terrible anguished
seeing how all the sea life was being destroyed. Dead fishes floated and all was
devastating. The few people who remained, started to rebuild and clean all that had been
damaged.
Some years passed until the village returned to normal. Some of who had left returned
and the boats returned to the harbour. Hope was born again with the fear that the story
would repeat.

THE END
The Princess and the pea

Once there was a prince who was looking for a princess. But she must be a real princess.
The prince went right round the world, and although he found several once upon a time
the beautiful princesses, there was always something not quite right about them. In the
end he came home, very disappointed.
One night, there was the most terrible storm. It thundered, it lightninged and the rain
poured down in sheets. The king and queen and prince sat round the fire toasting
crumpets. Suddenly there was a ringing of the bell at the palace gates. Putting on his
mackintosh, the king went to see who could be outside on such a dreadful night. When he
opened the gates a princess was standing there. But what a sight she was! Water
streamed off the ends of her long hair, ran down her clothes and into her shoes.
-"You´d better come in," said the king, leading the princess into the palace where she
stood, dripping, and not looking at all like a princess.
- "Yes, I am a princess," she assured them.
The old queen was doubtful. "We´ll soon see about that," she said to herself. And she
went to prepare the spare bed for their young visitor.
First she took off all the bedding and then she laid a pea at the very bottom. On top of the
pea she put twenty mattresses and on top of the mattresses she put twenty feather beds.
The next morning the princess was asked how she had slept.
-"I hardly slept a wink all night," she said. "The bed was desperately uncomfortable. There
was something hard at the bottom of it and I´m sure I am bruised all over."
Now they knew she was a real princess. For no one but a princess would be able to feel a
pea through twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds! The prince was thrilled to bits
for he had already fallen in love with her. And they decided to be married.
As for the pea, well it was put into a museum where it may still be seen if no one has
stolen it.

THE END
The Ugly Duckling.
Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been
sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six
chirpy ducklings.
But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall
laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking
inside his shell.
- Did I count the eggs wrongly?
Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally
hatched.
A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a
worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.
- I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine! she said to herself, shaking
her head as she looked at her last born.
Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his
brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became
more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and
all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him.
He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.
- Poor little ugly duckling! she would say. Why are you so different from the others?
And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody
wanted him.
- Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?
Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began
to question all the other birds.
- Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?
But everyone shook their heads in scorn.
- We don't know anyone as ugly as you.
The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries.
He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his
question. What's more, they warned him:
- Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!
The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.
Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a
stray goose, she caught him.
- I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs! said the old woman,
whose eyesight was poor.
But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.
- Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the
pot!
And the cat chipped in:
- Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!
The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept
stuffing him with food and grumbling:
- If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!
- Oh, dear me! moaned the now terrified duckling. I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope
someone would love me!
Then one night, finding the hutch door open, he escaped.
Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found
himself in a thick bed of reeds.
- If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever.
There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was
lonely.
One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long
slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.
- If only I could look like them, just for a day! said the duckling, admiringly.
Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek
food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put
him in his big jacket pocket.
- I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen! .
The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly
duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.
However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided:
I'll set him free by the pond!
That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.
- Goodness! How I've changed! I hardly recognize myself!
The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw
them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.
- We're swans like you! they said, warmly.
- Where have you been hiding?
- It's a long story, replied the young swan, still astounded.
Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans.
One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: Look at that young swan! He's the
finest of them all! And he almost burst with happiness.
THE END
Greedy boy.
here lived a twin brother called Sam and Tom! They were identical twins, even their
mother found it too hard to differentiate between them during the initial months of birth.
However, they were like two poles when it comes to everything other than their
appearance. They neither agree with anything nor do they share even one single trait!
Sam had no friends, whereas for Tom the world was friendship. Sam loved sweets and
Tom loved to eat spicy foods. Sam was mommy’s pet and Tom was daddy’s pet. While
Sam was generous, Tom was greedy!
As they grew up, their father wanted to share his fortune equally. However, Tom did not
agree and he argued that whoever is more intelligent and strong, will gain higher share of
wealth than other.
Sam agreed. Their father decided to organize a competition between the two. And they
ordered the two sons to walk as long as they can in and they should return home before
the sunset. Whoever covers the longer distance and returns home before sunset will get
huge amount of wealth proportionate to the distance they covered. They don’t carry
watch to calculate time.
Both started to walk a long way during a sunny day. Sam walked slowly and steadily,
while Tom urged to win over Sam started to run instantly.
The distance they cover until mid-noon will be equal to the distance they would reach
home before sunset. It was mid-noon and Sam decided to return back as he could reach
home on time.
However, Tom, with his greediness to earn more wealth, did not turn his way back home
even after mid-noon. He walked two times longer distance that what Sam was covered
and decided to return back before the sunset. He urged to return home as the Sun turned
orange in the evening. Unfortunately, he could not even make half way to home and the
moon rises.
He lost the race and was defeated because of greediness!