Choices. Life offers us plenty. How do you know you chose correctly? From the streets of West Berlin to the lush tropical climes of Bali, from New Delhi to New York - these stories follow characters faced with choices that could send their lives in different and sometimes opposite directions. A daughter who wants more from life, a father who contemplates ending his; a love lost, a love retained, a love forgotten. Regret, retribution and remorse are liberally sprinkled through this diverse and eclectic collection of short stories. In surprising, vivid and thought-provoking journeys across continents, cultures and landscapes, an indubitable truth emerges - human emotions are essentially the same world over. Savour this collection of tales that range from smooth to dark, nutty to silly, and bitter to sweet. Which story would you like to bite into today? ***** Reader reviews: "Truly like a box of chocolates, something for everyone, lovely short stories. There’s dark, light, salty, and sweet, my favorites being the darker stories! I always enjoy the author’s beautifully descriptive prose, takes me away to far flung locales, exactly what we all need these days!" "As per her usual style each story draws you in from the very first sentence. Each story has a completely different narrator and is written in beautifully rich prose. In this book the stories are set in different countries and even ages. But Poornima took care to enter a little commonality into each story, thus connecting the individual stories. Clearly the theme for this book was ‘a story with a twist’. A joy to read!" ​"This was a very enjoyable book with varied themes, different voices and locations - all from one very talented author. I will be adding more of her books to my reading list and would encourage anyone who is not familiar with her to give her a try."

Ten-year-old Walking Turtle is of the Lenni Lenape tribe. He lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in what will become northern New Jersey. They have a relatively peaceful life, with nature offering up a bounty of resources for food and shelter, amply meeting their needs. Walking Turtle is close to his younger cousin, Little Talk. He feels protective of Little Talk, who has difficulty walking. Together they roam the forests near their village, with Walking Turtle carrying his cousin on his back. But in the autumn of Walking Turtle's tenth year, his father tells him that soon he must leave childhood friends behind and begin warrior school. Walking Turtle worries about what will become of Little Talk when he leaves for his training. And what is his future?Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of numerous picture books, including The Orange Shoes and The Scarlet Stockings Spy. She lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

In this book, we will explore the origins and significance of the number twelve, examining why it has been used as a foundation for so many different systems, beliefs, and traditions. From the number of constellations in the zodiac to the number of imams in the Shia Muslim tradition, we will delve into the diverse range of contexts in which twelve has played a significant role. Furthermore, we will explore how cultures from around the world have incorporated the number twelve into their respective belief systems, giving rise to myths, legends, and stories that continue to capture our imagination. We will also explore how this number has been used in scientific and mathematical fields to describe complex phenomena, from the number of musical notes in an octave to the number of elements in the periodic table. Ultimately, this book seeks to shed light on the enduring significance of the number twelve, offering insights into its manifold roles as a foundation in various aspects of our lives. From its ancient origins to present-day uses and beyond, twelve serves as a powerful reminder of how numbers continue to shape our world and the meanings we assign to them.

A dazzling new anthology of the very best very short fiction from around the world. What is a flash fiction called in other countries? In Latin America it is a micro, in Denmark kortprosa, in Bulgaria mikro razkaz. These short shorts, usually no more than 750 words, range from linear narratives to the more unusual: stories based on mathematical forms, a paragraph-length novel, a scientific report on volcanic fireflies that proliferate in nightclubs. Flash has always—and everywhere—been a form of experiment, of possibility. A new entry in the lauded Flash and Sudden Fiction anthologies, this collection includes 86 of the most beautiful, provocative, and moving narratives by authors from six continents, including best-selling writer Etgar Keret, Zimbabwean writer Petina Gappah, Korean screenwriter Kim Young-ha, Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz, and Argentinian “Queen of the Microstory” Ana María Shua, among many others. These brilliantly chosen stories challenge readers to widen their vision and celebrate both the local and the universal.

This book is for all little boys and girls who love fairies and pixies. Hewe we have a story about a boy named Wendell, who lives in Boston and likes fairy stories and baseball MUCH more than he likes fractions – but he does like reading and can be found in the children’s section of the library on most days. He even checked fairytale books out of the library and took them home with him. At night his parents had to take the books away from him as he was quite often found in the early hours of the morning reading a book under his covers with a torch. Then Wendell reads about the Wishing Stone. On making enquiries he finds it is no longer where his book said it would be and he starts to make enquiries as to its current whereabouts – and so starts Wendell’s adventure across Boston and into the land of Fairydom. This volume is sure to keep you and your young ones enchanted for hours, if not because of the quantity, then their quality. They will have you coming back for more time and again. ============ KEYWORDS/TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, childrens stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy kingdom, ethereal, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, happy place, happiness, laughter, Wishing Stone, Pixie Starts It, First Task, Wendell, Unexpected, Ally, Frog, Out Of The Common, extraordinary, Enchanted Maiden, Midnight Spell, Cousin Virginia, Caller, Break, Charm, spell, Giant, House, Cloak Of Darkness, invisibility, Blind Man’s Buff, bluff, Cap Of Thought, Magic Book, Choice, Happy Family, Sammy, Tries His Hand, Acorn, Beacon, Beauteous, Beautiful, Boston, Cap, Cousin, electric, freckle-faced, Kobold, library, magic, Maiden, Mummer, Park, Pixie, riddle, Sammy, school, shape, squirrel, stepmother, Stepsister, telephone, Virginia, Wendell, young

Every family is unique. Loyal and Katherine Nash raised their four children to be honest, fair, and proud of their origins. Born during a Vermont blizzard, Beatrice was welcomed by her older brothers and nine cows. But as would happen several times in her childhood, her family soon moved, packing up and heading for the Northwest. In a fascinating memoir accompanied by original photographs, Beatrice chronicles her childhood from birth through her varied experiences as her family eventually traveled from the Northwest to an isolated farm in Maine shortly after the Second World War. As she details how she contended with her older brothers and explored as far as her curiosity and legs would take her, Beatrice shares a glimpse into her coming-of-age journey as she played heated games of cowboys and Indians, ran through the sprinkler, built imaginary cities in the hay, and knelt in school bathroom stalls to protect herself from the Communists. But it was not until she turned thirteen and enrolled in boarding school that Beatrice finally saw a world beyond that of her parents’ dreams. Some Stories is the memoir of a girl’s mid-twentieth century New England childhood as she learned lessons, found happiness in the simple gifts, and ultimately attained independence.

Down the Snow Stairs is a story about Kitty, a mischievous eight-year-old who has found herself in a whole heap of trouble on Christmas Eve. Eight-year-old Kitty is in bed but cannot sleep. Through her own thoughtlessness and disobedience, her beloved little brother, Johnny, lies critically ill in bed, she is now wrought with guilt about her actions. When she eventually falls asleep, she travels in a dream to “Naughty Children Land.” There she meets many strange people, including Daddy Coax who is so tender-hearted he cannot bear to see naughty children punished, and gives them candies and gifts when they are naughty, in the hope he can cajole, or coax, them back to being good. She also meets the beautiful lady, Love, who offers naughty children the kiss of forgiveness and the opportunity to return to the Path of Obedience. But, to reach her home again, Kitty must find a way to stand firm against the many temptations and enticements she faces and win the Christmas blessing! The 16 adventures in this book have been given added life to an already excellent text by the 60 pen and ink illustrations provided by Gordon Browne. 10% of the profit from the sale of this book is donated to charities. =========================== Keywords/Tags: Down, Snow Stairs, Christmas eve, Kitty, Folklore, Fairy Tales, myths, legends, children’s stories, fables, kids, Johnnie, Naughty Children Land, Daddy Coax, Stream, Pictures, Fog, Love, Woods, Dance, Strange Partner, Play-Ground, Myself, Gate, Restlessness, Art, Treasures, Snow-Man, Wide Staircase, Tears, Slide, Baluster, Visit, Drollery, Elf, elves, Broken Toys, Dismal, Chorus, black creature, Cruel-Heart, Song of the Sillies, Jam-Tarts, Wig, Powder, Spitfire, Flute, Shadow, Rod, mist, White Robe, Entangled, Web, Tramp, Weary Feet, Ice-Children, Hard Lesson, Faces, Kiss, Guardian, Child, Naughty, Goblin, Dwarf, Goblin, Sloth, spring, Wriggle, Courtiers, Musing, Apple-Pie Corner, Merry, Game, Goblin Crew, Locked Gate, Punishment, secret,

In this volume, Marvin A. Sweeney builds upon his former work Form and Intertextuality in Prophetic and Apocalyptic Literature (FAT 45, 2005). He introduces further studies that take up several key issues, including the reading of prophetic books in their final literary form and the significance of textual versions for this reading. He also observes the intertextual relationships between the prophets and other works of biblical and post-biblical literature, and the reception of the prophetic books. Following an introduction that lays out methodological perspective, it includes the title essay for the volume, Reading Prophetic Books, as well as selections of papers devoted to Isaiah, Jeremiah in both its Masoretic and Septuagint forms, Ezekiel, individual books from the Twelve Prophets, and the reading of biblical texts in Qumran, Rabbinic, and Targumic literature.