John Galsworthy The Apple Tree “The Apple-tree, the singing, and the gold.
James Alan Gardner. Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream. Asimov’s Science Fiction, Feb 1997 1.
Alissa is reading. Her father calls to her. ‘Alissa! Alissa!’ Alissa runs to the door. There is a car outside the house. Her father is talking to a fat man. ‘This is Alissa.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.
Edgar Allan Poe. The Masque of the Red Death The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous.
Father Rebello sat in his study, his vast bulk filling the roomy revolving chair. ‘Swish, swish’, went his pen as he wrote. Tick-tock went the clock on top of the bookshelf.
David Garnett. Lady into fox Wonderful or supernatural events are not so uncommon, rather they are irregular in their incidence.
Mark Twain. The Awful German Language A little learning makes the whole world kin.
The school bell rang. Recess at last! We rushed out of the classroom. I took the ‘gulli ° out of my satchel before I ran out. Khushal took the ‘ clan da and followed me.
The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells [1898] I The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us.
It was Bina who first got wind of what was happening. She happened to be passing the school kitchen where they cooked meals for the nuns and boarders.
As it happens, I have a friend who hints, sometimes, that he can call up spirits from the vasty deep. Or at least one spirit—a tiny one, with strictly limited powers.
Once again, father was transferred. This time to the sleepy town of Palai in Kerala. On arrival at Palai, we moved into a house, surrounded by banana trees, beds of tapioca, roses and chrysanthemums.
“Baby, come for breakfast. Your milk is getting cold,” called Bhaiya, my elder brother. I quickly put on my slippers, picked up my favourite doll, Beeta, and rushed out into the verandah.
Safdar, Ajay and I dashed out of the classroom as the bell rang. It was the lunch break, and we had a whole hour to play. Safdar was the tallest, also the strongest amongst us. He was our leader.