The Open Road

The Open Road

short stories

Short Stories For Children The Wind in the Willows By Kenneth Grahame Listen to the story II. The Open Road                                                     Previous Chapter            Next Chapter    ‘Ratty,’ said the Mole suddenly, one bright summer morning, ‘if you please, I want to ask you a favor.’ The Rat was sitting on the river bank, singing a little song. He had just composed it himself, so he was very taken up with it and would not pay proper attention to Mole or anything else. Since early morning he had been swimming in the river, in company with his…

The River Bank

The River Bank

short stories

Short Stories For Children The Wind in the Willows By Kenneth Grahame Listen to the story I. The River Bank                                                                                                  Next Chapter  The Mole had been working very hard all morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush  and a pail of whitewash, till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash  all over his black fur, an aching back, and…

Nobody’s Story

Nobody’s Story

short stories

Short Christmas Stories Nobody’s Story By Charles Dickens Listen to the story Nobody’S Story He lived on the bank of a mighty river, broad and deep, which was always silently rolling onto a vast undiscovered ocean. It had rolled on ever since the world began. It had changed its course sometimes and turned into new channels, leaving its old ways dry and barren, but it had ever been upon the flow and ever was to flow until time should be no more. Against its strong, unfathomable stream, nothing made head. No living creature, no flower, no leaf, no particle of animate or inanimate existence, ever strayed back from the undiscovered ocean. The tide of the river set resistlessly towards it, and the tide never stopped,…

The Schoolboy’s story

The Schoolboy’s Story

short stories

Short Christmas Stories The Schoolboy’s Story By Charles Dickens Listen to the story The Schoolboy’s Story Being rather young at present—I am getting on in years, but still, I am rather young— I have no particular adventures of my own to fall back upon. It wouldn’t much interest anybody here, I suppose, to know what a screw the Reverend is, or what a griffin she is, or how they do stick it into parents—particularly hair-cutting and medical attendance. One of our fellows was charged in his half’s account twelve and sixpence for two pills —tolerably profitable at six and threepence a piece, I should think—and he never took them either but put them up the sleeve of his jacket. As to the beef, it’s shameful….

The Child’s Story

The Child’s Story

short stories

short Christmas stories The Child’s Story By Charles Dickens Listen to the story The Child’s Story Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveler who set out on a journey. It was a magic journey and was to seem very long when he began it and very short when he got halfway through. He traveled along a rather dark path for some little time without meeting anything until, at last, he came to a beautiful child. So he said to the child, “What do you do here?” And the child said, “I am always at play. Come and play with me!” So, he played with that child the whole day long, and they were very merry. The sky was so…

the poor relation’s story

The Poor Relation Story

short stories

short Christmas stories The Poor Relation’s Story By Charles Dickens Listen to the story The Poor Relation’s Story He was very reluctant to take precedence over so many respected members of the family, by beginning the round of stories, they were to relate as they sat in a goodly circle by the Christmas fire, and he modestly suggested that it would be more correct if “John our esteemed host” (whose health he begged to drink) would have the kindness to begin. For as to himself, he said, he was so little used to lead the way that really— But as they all cried out here, that he must begin, and agreed with one voice that he might, could, would, and should begin; he left off…

what christmas is as we grow older

What Christmas is as We Grow Older

short stories

short Christmas stories What Christmas is as we Grow Older By Charles Dickens Listen to the story What Christmas is as We Grow Older Time was, with most of us, when Christmas Day encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone around the Christmas fire; and made the little picture shine in our bright young eyes, complete. The time came, perhaps, all so soon, when our thoughts over-leaped that narrow boundary; when there was someone (very dear, we thought then, very beautiful, and absolutely perfect) wanting to the fulness of our happiness; when we were wanting to (or we thought so, which…

A christmas tree

A Christmas Tree

short stories

Short Christmas Stories A Christmas Tree By Charles Dickens Listen to the story A CHRISTMAS TREE  I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree. The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table and towered high above their heads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers, and everywhere sparkled and glittered with bright objects. There were rosy-cheeked dolls hiding behind the green leaves, and there were real watches (with movable hands, at least, and an endless capacity of being wound up) dangling from innumerable twigs; there were French-polished tables, chairs, bedsteads, wardrobes, eight-day clocks, and various other articles of domestic furniture (wonderfully made, in tin,…

The Garden of Paradise

The Garden of Paradise

short stories

The Garden of Paradise By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story  The Garden of Paradise There was once a king’s son; nobody had so many or such beautiful books as he had. He could read about everything which had ever happened in this world and see it all represented in the most beautiful pictures. He could get information about every nation and every country, but as to where the Garden of Paradise was to be found, not a word could he discover, and this was the very thing he thought most about. His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little fellow and was about to begin his school life that every flower in the Garden of Paradise was a delicious cake…

The Wild Swans

The Wild Swans

short stories

The Wild Swans By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story  The Wild Swans far away in the land to which the swallows fly when it is winter, there was the king who had 11 sons and one daughter named Eliza; the 11 brothers were princes, and each went to school with a star on his breast and a sword by his side. They rowed with diamond pencils on gold slates and learned the lesson so quickly and read so easily that everyone might know they were princes their sister Eliza sent on a little stool, a plate-glass, and a book full of pictures which had cost as much as half a kingdom, oh these children were indeed happy, but it was not to remain…