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The Ant and the Grasshopper and Other Stories
by Aesop
The stories in this book are more than a thousand years old. Some are
serious. Most are funny. All make you think.
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The Brave Little Tailor and Other Stories by the
Brothers Grimm
You can read five fairy tales in this book. The stories take us to palaces
and a tall tower. They take us into the dark forest. They lead us into
fairyland.
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The Emperor's New Clothes and Other Stories by
Hans Christian Andersen
An emperor loves clothes. A tin soldier falls in love. A duckling thinks
he is ugly. An emperor gets a new toy. A soldier finds a magic tinderbox.
A prince wants to marry. Read these six favourite fairy tales to find
out what happens to them all.
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Folk Tales from Around the
World
Folk tales are old stories. They started as part of family life. No one
knows who first made them up. Usually older people told them to younger
people. The five stories in this book come from different parts of the
world.
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Heroes and Heroines
Heroes and heroines are people who do something brave or good. They do
not run away from danger. They help people. In this book, we meet two
heroes and three heroines.
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The Lion and the Mouse and Other Stories by Aesop
The stories in this book are more than two thousand
years old. Some are serious. Most are funny. All make
you think. |
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The Little Mermaid and Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen
There are four stories. In each story, the character
has a wish. The little mermaid wants to be a real girl
and marry a handsome prince. A little girl wants some
food and to be warm. Eliza, a princess, wants to help
her brothers who have been turned into swans by a wicked
witch. A poor young prince wants to marry the emperor's
daughter.
What happens to all these characters? Do you think they
get their wishes? Read these favourite fairy tales by
Hans Christian Andersen to find the answers.
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The Monkey King
A magic stone cracks open like an egg. Monkey jumps out! In this book,
you will read about Monkey's adventures.
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Peter Pan
Peter Pan is an exciting adventure story,
with pirates, Red Indians, and a hungry crocodile. It
is also a fairy story, with magic in it. The strange
boy Peter can fly. He can talk to the fairy Tinker Bell.
Do you want to know more about Peter's adventures? Read
on and find out. |
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice is sitting by the river when suddenly a white rabbit runs past
her. Then the rabbit takes a watch out of its coat pocket, and says it
is late! She runs after the rabbit, and follows it into a large rabbit
hole. This is how Alice's adventures in Wonderland begin.
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Emma
Pretty, rich young Emma Woodhouse is very pleased with herself when her
closest friend, Miss Taylor, marries Mr Weston. Emma thinks that these
two people have fallen in love because of her. She decides to find good
husbands for her other friends as well. Soon her matchmaking begins to
go wrong ... |
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The Golden Goose and Other Stories
Three brothers go to cut wood. The two older brothers come home with
nothing, but the youngest one is given a bird with golden feathers. Two
sisters, one kind, the other horrible, get water from a spring. The kind
girl becomes rich. Her sister lives alone and never speaks again. Find
out what happened in these and other fairy tales.
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Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre does not have an easy life. Her mother and father die when
she is just a small child. She goes to live with her aunt and three cousins,
but they treat her cruelly. She is sent away to a boarding school at Lowood.
She does well and grows up to become a teacher there. Then she moves to
Thornfield Hall and falls in love with the mysterious Mr Rochester ... |
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Little Women
The four March girls work hard while their father is away at war. Life
is hard, but the girls still have time for fun. The girls all learn something,
and grow up a little, while their father is away. When he finally comes
home, his 'little women' have a few surprises for him.
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The Lost Umbrella of Kim Chu
Kim Chu lives with her family in Chinatown, New York. One rainy day,
Kim loses her father's prize umbrella. Her grandmother is so angry that
poor Kim can't go home until she finds it. The search for the lost umbrella
takes her far away from home. Can she find the umbrella thief? And is
Kim Chu brave enough to get her father's umbrella back? |
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The Secret Garden
After the death of her parents, Mary is brought back from India to live
with her uncle in England. She is sickly and spoilt, and her uncle's big,
old house is strange and mysterious. Mary is told of a secret garden that
has been locked up for ten years, and she is determined to see it. What
does she find there? |
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Tales from the Arabian Nights
A cruel king marries beautiful young women, but always has their heads
cut off in the morning. However, his new wife, Sheherezade, is clever.
Every night, she starts to tell him a wonderful story. She tells him about
a robbers' cave, full of treasure; she tells him the story of Sinbad the
sailor, of a genie in a bottle, of Aladdin and his magic lamp, and many
more.
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Treasure Island
Jim Hawkins lives at an inn with his mother and father. One day an old
sailor is killed there. In his bag, Jim finds a map of an island, with
red crosses on it. Jim's friends, Squire Trelawney and Dr Livesey, say
it is a treasure map. It shows where pirates have hidden their gold. Jim
goes with his friends to find the gold, but they meet pirates on their
journey.
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The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, are carried by a cyclone from her aunt
and uncle's house in Kansas. When they come down, they find themselves
in the land of Oz. There Dorothy begins an exciting journey with her new
friends. They want to go and see the wonderful Wizard of Oz in the Emerald
City. Only he can give them what they want.
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A Christmas Carol
A mean, lonely old man has an unpleasant surprise when he reaches the
front door of his home on the night before Christmas. As he looks at the
door knocker, it turns into the face of a friend who has been dead for
many years! This is just the beginning of a long night in which Ebenezer
Scrooge talks to his dead friend, and meets three other ghosts.
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The Golden Touch and Other Stories
Here you will read about a king who could make gold just by touching
things; a young prince who killed a monster, but lost his father; a poor
young woman who got into trouble by eating half an apple; a boy who loved
flying so much that he flew too close to the sun; and much more. These
are stories which can teach us about life.
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The Jungle Book
Mowgli, the man cub, is raised by Mother Wolf and soon becomes her favourite.
He learns about the Law of the Jungle from Baloo, the old brown bear,
and Bagheera, the black panther. But Mowgli is in danger. Shere Khan,
the bad-tempered old tiger, hates him and wants to kill him.
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Lord Jim
Jim works as a waterclerk in the East. Everyone likes
him, but he never stays long in the same job. He always
leaves suddenly, and never tells anyone why he is going.
He is a man with a secret. Wherever he travels, it seems
he cannot hide from his secret. What is Jim's secret?
What will happen to Jim? Read on and find out. |
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A Midsummer Night's Dream and Other Stories from
Shakespeare's Plays
One midsummer night, two lovers run away to the woods where they find
two other lovers - and fairies and elves! Read how Viola dresses as a
man to become the servant of a prince, and then falls in love with him.
You can also read the famous story of the young lovers, Romeo and Juliet,
who cannot live in peace, because their families hate each other.
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The Mill on the Floss
Maggie Tulliver is tall and beautiful, and she is clever.
While Maggie's brother Tom works hard so that he can
take over the flour mill which their father manages,
Maggie's mind is on other matters.
Maggie loves the son of her father's greatest enemy.
But the man who is expected to marry her cousin Lucy
falls in love with Maggie.
Read this romantic and tragic story and discover Maggie's
fate.
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Nicholas Nickleby
Nicholas Nickleby goes to London with his mother and
sister Kate after his father dies. They are poor and
ask a relative, Ralph Nickleby, to help.
Soon things start to go wrong. Ralph Nickleby decides
he will do anything he can to punish his nephew, even
if that means hurting the people Nicholas loves.
Read this exciting story, and find out how Nicholas
saves his loved ones. |
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Oliver Twist
Poor Oliver! He has no family, and no friends. Nobody cares for him.
The only people he knows are thieves, and they want him to be a thief,
too. Now the police have caught him for stealing. Oliver has done nothing
wrong, but the judge does not believe him. He wants to send Oliver to
prison. One kind old man thinks Oliver might be a good boy, and tries
to help him. Find out how Oliver gets away from the thieves, and how,
at last, he discovers the truth about his past. |
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The Prince and the Pauper
One day two young boys meet. They look exactly the same, but there is
one big difference: Tom is a poor beggar and Edward is a prince, the son
of the King of England. The boys swap clothes, and Edward, now dressed
in beggar's rags, is mistaken for Tom and thrown from the palace by his
own guards. Suddenly Prince Edward has to live as a pauper in the streets
of London, while Tom rules the country, enjoying being a prince. What
will happen when the king dies, and the real prince must take his place? |
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The Stone Junk and Other Stories
Most of the stories in this collection are about people,
magic and gold. They also tell us what happens when
people are too proud, too cruel, or too greedy. |
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Stories from Greek Tragedies
The greed, courage, love and jealousy of the characters
make these stories as sad and moving today as they were
to the ancient Greeks. Read on to discover the strengths
and weaknesses of humankind. |
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Stories from Shakespeare's Comedies
These stories come from the plays of William Shakespeare.
They are set in different places hundreds of years ago.
They are comedies about love, with silly fights, plots,
tricks, and disguises.
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The Talking Tree and Other Stories
Two boys, walking through a forest, suddenly hear a voice coming from
a tree. The Talking Tree tells them to bring it food and drink. Scared,
the boys do as they are told. Then they notice some marks on the ground,
close to the tree. Is the tree really magic, or is someone trying to trick
them? There are plenty of surprises in this unusual collection of short
stories. |
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Through the Looking Glass
A little girl called Alice suddenly finds herself in
the dreamlike Looking-Glass world, where she seems to
be a pawn in a chess game. If, as the Red Queen tells
her, she can get as far as the eighth square, then she
too can become a Queen.
Find out how Alice gets into this strange world, and
what happens when she arrives at the eighth square. |
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huck is only fourteen when he escapes from his bad-tempered
and no-good father. Soon he reaches Jackson's
Island, and finds himself sharing the island with Jim,
a runaway slave. Together they put all their things
on a raft and set off on what becomes a great adventure
down the Mississippi River.
Will Huck be caught by his father? Will Jim ever be
a slave again? Read on to enjoy the exciting and amusing
story of Huck Finn and his friends.
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Running away from home; hiding in a dark graveyard at midnight; camping
out as pirates on an island in the Mississippi; going to their own funeral;
looking for treasure; and getting lost in a deep, dark cave, are all part
of the exciting and amusing story of Tom Sawyer and his friends.
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The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories
The poor old Canterville Ghost is meant to frighten people, but the American
people who live in Canterville Chase are not frightened by anything he
does. Just when he doesn't know what to do, Virginia, the beautiful daughter
of the family, comes to talk to him. In this and six other short stories,
love and selfishness meet in different ways. The results are sometimes
sad and sometimes funny, but always interesting.
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David Copperfield
Young David Copperfield's life starts to go wrong when his mother marries
the cruel Mr Murdstone. David is sent to school, where the headmaster
hits him whenever he can. Poor David is only happy when he is visiting
the strange boat-house home of his nurse, Peggotty. When he runs away
from school to find his Aunt Betsy Trotwood, however, things begin to
get better.
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Fog and Other Stories
Polly is walking through the fog. She cannot see where she is going.
She believes she can hear footsteps behind her, but when she stops there
is silence. Is someone following her? Perhaps it is the tall man who was
watching her earlier on the train ... Then she hears a deep cough, and
a strange tapping sound. Is Polly in danger? In this, and other short
stories, Bill Lowe presents us with some strange mysteries, and some surprising
endings. |
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Great Expectations
Pip is a poor orphan who dreams of becoming a gentleman so that he can
win the heart of Estella, a beautiful but proud girl. Estella lives with
a strange, rich old lady called Miss Havisham. Years later, it seems that
Pip's dreams have come true. An unknown person is going to give him a
fortune, so that he can be a gentleman. But who is this mysterious person?
Is it Miss Havisham, or someone else from his past? When he finds out,
Pip's troubles are only just beginning ... |
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The Merchant of Venice and Other Stories from
Shakespeare's Plays
Shylock, the moneylender, hates Antonio and wants to hurt him. He has
an idea. He lends money to Antonio. If Antonio cannot pay back the money,
he must give Shylock a pound of his flesh. From cold, dark Scotland to
the blue sky of the Mediterranean, from the Danish court to the court
of Britain long ago, these five well-known stories are filled with murder,
madness and magic.
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The Red Badge of Courage
When Henry Fleming heard there was a war, he did not
really believe it. He did not think there could be a
war in his own country. However, he wanted to be part
of it.
Later Henry finds out that war is not what he imagined.
Would he run away, when the fighting got too fierce?
Or would he stand up bravely and lead his companions
in acts of great heroism? |
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Silas Marner
The people of Raveloe are very curious when a lonely
weaver, Silas Marner, comes to live in their village.
He works hard to earn gold, but this seems to be all
he cares about.
Then, one winter, everything changes. Silas's gold is
stolen, and Squire Cass's younger son disappears. Then
a stranger dies in the snow and a golden-haired girl
appears in Silas's cottage.
What will happen to the girl, Silas and the people of
Raveloe?
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Stories from Shakespeare's Histories
Henry the Fourth, King of England, has a son called
Harry, who prefers to drink than win honour on the batterfield.
Can the king persuade Harry to help him defend the crown
against a rebellion?
Later, Henry the Fourth is dead and Harry is crowned
Henry the Fifth. Does Henry the Fifth continue a life
of playing and drinking, or does he become a king that
England can be proud of?
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A Tale of Two Cities
Lucie thinks that her father, Dr Manette, is dead. Then she finds out
that he is alive - he has just been released from prison in Paris. Lucie
finds her father there, and goes back to England with him. When Dr Manette
and Lucie return to Paris some years later, everything has changed. The
French Revolution has begun, and the poor people are killing the noblemen.
Lucie's husband, the kind Charles Darnay, is the heir of some of the cruellest
noblemen, and he is in great danger. Only love and courage can save him
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Two Boxes of Gold and Other Stories
A young man who works for a bank is taking two boxes of gold from London
to Italy. On the way, everything begins to go wrong. His travelling companions
seem friendly, but are they all trying to help him? Or is one of them
trying to steal the gold? Read this and six other stories by Charles Dickens.
Some are amusing, some strange and frightening - all are full of surprises. |
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The Great Gatsby
On Long Island, New York, the rich and mysterious Jay Gatsby has built a grand mansion. All summer, he gives wonderful parties there. However, Gatsby's only hope is that one evening the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, will wander into one of his parties. When he finds out that his new neighbour, Nick Carraway, is Daisy's cousin, Gatsby requests a meeting with his former love. |
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Mansfield Park
Fanny Price finds life difficult when she first arrives at Mansfield Park. Only Edmund, her youngest cousin, is kind and friendly. How will Fanny and the people around her order their lives? Will they find love and happiness? |
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
A beautiful young man called Dorian Gray has his portrait painted. He prays that as he gets older, his face will never change and instead the face in the portrait will age. His prayer is answered. As Dorian goes on to explore the pleasures of London, the face in his portrait becomes wrinkled and twisted with cruelty and lust. |
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Tess Durbeyfield is a beautiful and innocent country girl, living in a village in the south of England. Her simple life is suddenly changed when the family horse is killed, and Tess's father discovers that the family is descended from the old and noble d'Urbervilles. Tess goes to live with her relations, but finds they are not what they seem. |
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The Diamond As Big As The Ritz & Other Stories
John Unger's friend, Percy, says his family is the richest family in the world. When John is invited to Percy's home, he discovers that his friend is telling the truth. However, he soon discovers that there is a dark side to this life of great wealth.
In other tales, a man tries to escape his past and get his daughter back, but his plans are spoiled by friends from his drinking days. A girl who teaches her cousin to be 'popular' with boys discovers that her pupil has stolen her young man, and so she takes her revenge. |
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Kidnapped
David is a prisoner on a ship going to America. Then the famous Jacobite, Alan Breck Stewart, comes on board, and the ship's crew plan to murder him. Together, Alan and David escape to the west coast of Scotland. Here, David begins his long and dangerous journey home. |
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Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone, a beautiful girl with soft white skin, grows up amongst a group of outlaws in the wild marshes of Exmoor in England. Her only friends are her faithful maid and her grandfather, Sir Ensor Doone. Sir Ensor is the leader of the outlaws and Lorna loves and fears him equally. John Ridd, a brave and honest young man, is determined to avenge the death of his father. His father was murdered by the outlaws. |
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The Old Wives' Tale
Constance and Sophia are the two beautiful daughters of a draper. When she grows up, Constance marries the manager of her father's shop and works in the family business. Sophia, on the other hand, elopes to Paris with the dangerous Gerald Scales. |
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Pride and Prejudice
Mrs Bennet desperately wants to find husbands for her five daughters. When two rich young men visit their village, everything seems to be going to plan. Mr Bingley is friendly and charming. But Mr Darcy seems to think he is too good for his new neighbours. Mrs Bennet does not give up her search, but there are problems of family and fortune, love and money¡Xand even a scandal¡Xon the way. |
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Vanity Fair
Rebecca Sharp, although charming and witty, is not born into the nobility of England. But she is determined that she will become part of it before she dies.Her best friend, Amelia Sedley, has a sweet and gentle nature. Her only ambition is to be married to a handsome army officer called George Osborne. However, Rebecca flirts with George even when he is married to Amelia. |
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Wuthering Heights
Late one evening, Mr Earnshaw returns to his moorland home, Wuthering Heights, with a wild, dirty, black-haired boy, who he has found starving on the streets of Liverpool.
The boy, Heathcliff, grows up with the two Earnshaw children: Hindley, who hates him, and Catherine, who becomes his wild childhood playmate, and the love of his life. However, Heathcliff is treated as a servant by Hindley, so Catherine marries the rich, gentle Edgar Linton instead. Years later, Heathcliff returns, looking for revenge. |
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