My Dog in Quarantine

This year has been so great! She is always at home now. Maybe it’s because I have been a good boy.

We play together all the time.

Well, not all the time.

Sometimes she just sits at her chair and stares at something for hours. I can’t tell what it is but it must be pretty interesting. Maybe it’s a squirrel.

But when she’s finally done with whatever she was doing, she gives me treats and we play with my rope.

We have even been going on more walks recently.

What a wonderful year!

I hope it’s like this forever.


By: Deepa Ganesan

 

Fluffy Kitty

One morning when Gregor Samsa woke from playful dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a fluffy kitty.

He lay on his fuzzy back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his belly needing rubs.

“This is fine by me,” he purred.


By: Jeff Provine

 

 

The Rat

The rat was hungry, so he decided to walk into Charleston’s.

He went in through the side door; the front was too crowded.

The tables were all full, so he went straight to the kitchen to ask the chef for food.

He scurried up the chef’s foot, and the chef screamed.

This wasn’t ideal for health standards, so the chef chased the rat instead of giving him food.

The rat was confused; he was harmless… and hungry.

He ran back outside and saw a family leaving with a to-go box.

The little boy gave the rat his leftover chicken strips.


By: C.B.

 

 

The Salamander and the Reed

Once, a young little salamander was taking a meander around the pond they lived at. The salamander’s mom had warned the little one to be careful on their journey, and be on the lookout for any predators. The walk was hardly enjoyable, with the salamander swinging their head continuously to keep an eye out for danger.

There!

The young salamander saw something moving amongst the grass and dived into a nearby puddle, a predator surely on their tail.

The salamander spent the whole day in hiding, while the rest of the salamanders watched a reed sway peacefully in the breeze.


By: Lanney Phillips

 

 

What Wolves See

The wolf lunges at its cornered prey, but something isn’t right. The prey suddenly lurches, its mouth frothing as if rabid. It dies and rots before the wolf can touch it.

The stench of decay makes the wolf gag as it leaves in search of a meal that won’t make it sick.

The opossum lives to see another day.


By: Rachael Sitton

 

 

The Heart of a Wolf

The Wolf was not as cunning as he thought he was; he supposed that he could trick the Man into thinking his heart stopped, but it was the Man’s heart that he desired.

The Wolf played dead, thinking that would fool the Man.

Only, when the Man approached, the Wolf faltered. For the Wolf’s heart got too excited, and its return caused him to lose the heart of the Man.

The Man quickly ran to safety and warned the others of the cunning Wolf. Then he returned to his hut, thankful. His heart had been protected for one more day.


By: Isha Patel

 

 

The Sly Sheep and the Wolf

The wolf was hungry, but sheepdogs guarded the flock.

So, he disguised himself as a sheep.

Thus disguised, he approached a sheep and said sweetly, “Come with me, dear. I’ll show you some lovely grass.”

“You’re just a weak sheep like me,” the sheep replied. “If you were a big, strong wolf who could protect me, then I’d gladly go with you.”

“Ah, that’s just what I am!” said the wolf, casting off his disguise.

“You look very strong,” laughed the sheep, “but just in case, I’ll call the sheepdogs to come with us.”

The wolf turned tail and ran!


By: L.K.G.

 

 

The Kid and the Wolf

A young goat sprouted horns. Feeling brave and bold, he wandered away from the flock, looking for fresh grass to eat.

A hungry wolf saw the kid wandering alone, far from the flock.

“You’ll make a nice little feast!” he growled as he grabbed the kid.

“I’m glad to oblige, Mister Wolf,” said the quick-thinking kid. “Let’s sing and dance to celebrate your feast!”

The kid started singing and whistling and clicking his heels. Enchanted by the music, the wolf also started to dance, letting go of the kid, who laughed and ran back to the safety of his flock.


By: L.K.G.

 

 

The Sky is Falling

One day a chicken named Chicken Little was eating some corn the farmer had thrown by his pen.

While eating peacefully, he heard a loud thump on the ground. Chicken Little, as innocent as can be, assumed the sky was falling!

At once he began running through the farm yelling, “The sky is falling!” Soon enough, the pigs, the cattle, the ducks, the horses, and even the barn mice were running with him!

Finally, they got to the fence where the farmer stood. “What’s all this ruckus? I was just cutting branches off the old tree by Chicken Little’s pen!”


By: P.T.

 

 

The Owl and the Grasshopper

The owl liked to sleep during the day, which is when the grasshopper liked to sing.

“Please be quiet,” the owl asked politely. “I’m trying to sleep.”

But the grasshopper just laughed and sang even more loudly.

Then the owl said, “Since I cannot sleep, let’s enjoy a drink together! I have a bottle of wine that my mistress Athena gave me. As your divine music is worthy of Apollo, I’ll share it with you.”

Flattered, the grasshopper entered the owl’s house.

And as soon as he did so, the owl ate him up, and then went promptly to sleep.


By: L.K.G.

 

 

Rabbit Races Tortoise

“You’re smart,” Rabbit said, “but I’m fast!”

“I’m faster than you!” shouted Tortoise. “Let’s race! You take the road, I’ll take the roadside.”

They marked out a five-mile race.

“One-two-three-GO!” said Buzzard, who was the judge.

Rabbit ran a mile. Tortoise popped his head out of the bushes. “Best hurry, Rabbit!” he said.

Two miles. Three miles. Four miles. Tortoise popped out in front every time!

Rabbit dashed to the finish-line, but Tortoise was already there, doing his victory dance.

Rabbit never figured out those were Tortoise’s brothers and sisters. To Rabbit, they all looked alike.

Tortoise won without running!


By: L.K.G.

Tortoise and Guinea-Fowl

“Let’s go eat apples!” said Tortoise to Guinea-Fowl, and they went to the apple-tree.

“How will we get apples?” asked Guinea-Fowl.

“Like this,” said Tortoise. He lay down and shouted, “Give me an apple!”

The tree hurled an apple on Tortoise’s back. The apple split, and Guinea-Fowl ate the apple. “Delicious!” he said.

“Now you!” commanded Tortoise.

But Guinea-Fowl was scared. “My back isn’t strong enough.”

They argued, and finally Tortoise shouted, “Give Guinea-Fowl an apple!”

The tree hurled an apple down on Guinea-Fowl’s head, killing him. Tortoise ate the apple, and then he ate Guinea-Fowl too. “Delicious!” he said.


By: L.K.G.

The Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil, also known as the Leeds Devil, lives around the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. It has the head of a horse, the body of a wyvern, and the wings of a bat.

The story goes that, in 1735, Mother Leeds had twelve children. When she found out she would have a thirteenth child, she cursed him and cried that the child would be the devil.

As she was giving birth, the child turned into the creature. It flew away up the chimney and escaped forever.

Clergymen have tried to exorcise the creature, but to no avail.


By: Savannah Kotkin

 

 

Chupacabra

The Chupacabra — chupar means to suck and cabra means goat — is a blood-sucking creature that targets livestock. Farmers report sightings of the chupacabra targeting their sheep and goats, draining the animals of blood.

Eyewitnesses describe the creature as having the lower body of a kangaroo and the upper body of a primate, with the claws of a crab.

DNA from alleged Chupacabra sightings have all matched to coyotes or dogs suffering from mange or some other skin disease.

No one has ever photographed the true Chupacabra, but it continues to leave a trail of bodies in its wake.


By: Savannah Kotkin

 

 

Bigfoot

For the past four hundred years, a Sasquatch, reported to be from six to fifteen feet tall, has roamed the woods of the Pacific Northwest. Some say Bigfoot is a remnant of Neanderthals; others call him an anomaly. Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, might be kin to this American cryptid.

His quiet movements have kept him safe, but there are recordings of his high-pitched cries.

He has been sighted but never caught.

In Bluff Creek, California a video was taken of the creature strolling through the forest.

Why does Bigfoot wish to be hidden?

Does he know something we don’t?

Probably.


By: Savannah Kotkin

 

Whatever Pops Into My Head

The cow jumped over the moon.
But he tripped.
His toe got caught on a crater.
He floated through space.
There were no other cows.
Just aliens in their spacecrafts.
He felt lonely.
But yet so at peace.
Why did he try to jump over the moon?
Why was the cow in space?
He drifted further.
He crashed onto Mars.
He walked around Mars.
He met space cows.
He was no longer lonely.
The space cows became his family.
The cow smiled.
He was happy that he tried to jump over the moon.
Don’t worry: cows can breathe in space.


By: C.B.

The Beginning: Beautiful Sky

Once upon a time, no moon was in the sky at night. Only a sun shining day and night.

That sun was sad, crying all the time.

One day, her friend the moon asked her why she was always crying. She said she was always too hot.

Then the moon, who was very friendly, said to her that she could bathe in the ocean if she wanted. While she was bathing, he would take her place and watch over the earth.

So, the sun went into the ocean to cool off, and the moon took her place in the sky.


By: Mélanie Cameron

 

 

Blue or Black?

Once upon a time, when the earth was just created, the creators got together to decide the color of things. They decided blood would be red like roses and fruits. Grass would be green like caterpillars and bushes.

But there was a debate about the color of the sky. It would be either blue like the ocean or black like coal and smoke — half the designers wanted the sky to be blue, while the other half wanted it black.

That’s why for part of the day the sky is blue, and for part of the day it is black.


By: Mélanie Cameron

 

 

A Race

Once upon a time, there was an argument between the earth and the moon. The two were fighting to see who was faster.

Then they organized a race to find out who was the fastest.

The goal was simple: the first to reach the starting point of the other would be crowned champion.

So, the race began, and both were at the same point.

When they arrived, a phenomenon occurred: as the earth and the moon arrived at the starting point of each one, the moon passed in front of the sun, and the earth darkened for a few minutes.


By: Mélanie Cameron

 

 

Light’s Creation

Lizen, god of light, set about creating life.

“Life should be filled with creativity,” he thought. Reaching into the depths of the earth, he pulled from it a piece of its heart. From this, he created a race skilled in crafts and arts, giving them a home in the mountains where they could prosper.

Then Lizen thought, “Life should be strong-willed.” He looked to the forests, with trees that stood tall, and carved a race from the trees. This race was skilled at philosophy and arts of the mind. He let them stay in the forest where they could thrive.


By: Jordan D. Boydstun

 

 

Dark’s Creation

Node, god of darkness, saw Lizen’s creations and decided to make her own.

“Life should be bountiful,” she thought. Node took water from the vast sea to create a race that could survive in any environment. She gave them a home in the plains so that they could grow.

Then Node thought, “Life should be sturdy.” She took the elemental flames to create another race. This race was hearty and skilled at diplomacy. Node gave them the tundra so they could hunt.


By: Jordan D. Boydstun

 

 

Short-Tale, Short-Tailed: A Beckoning

A hare perches on the edge of a brook, and squirrels are knocking acorns to the ground.

We try not to make a sound — we know hares are born wide-eyed and watchful. They have seen so many things, and we have not; they have bedded down on tall grass and nestled into lunar maria, they have felt the ground shake.

We are starving, we have not seen the sky fall. We try to sneak up on the long-eared.

“Come this way,” it says to us, and dives into the water, plopping through stillness as barely a ripple swallows its tail.


By: Kat Currey

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Tiny Tales of Spring 2021 Copyright © 2021 by Laura Gibbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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