Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his horror stories but he also wrote detective and police stories. This one is about how a politician’s attempt to force a member of the royal family to do what he wants is stopped by a clever but very simple idea (3,155 words)

This short story by Tolstoy concerns good relations with neighbours is the key to a happy and peaceful home life. When that is lost, not only friendship suffers but also the farms on which they live. (4,930 words)

This Stevenson was the creator of the legendary Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the dual personality which has become a part of the English language. This horror story is about a man who steal corpses from their graves or, worse, murders people to sell their bodies to scientists for research (2,500 words)

‘Banjo’ Paterson wrote many stories about animals and life in the wild in Australia, but there are not many which are as funny as this one about sheep. Here, he tells us why he hates sheep and he makes us laugh too (800 words).

Maupassant, the greatest of all French short story-tellers, here describes a simple habit that has terrible results. A well-known man in a small French town often walks around and sees if there’s anything on the ground he can use. He finds a piece of string, but quickly this small discovery changes his life for the worse (1,350 words).

In this very short story, the great Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, gives his readers a simple truth. The story seems like a children’s tale as it includes a king and a wise old man, but it is suitable for all ages of reader (1,100 words)

Saki tells a very funny tale about a man on a train listening to the boring stories of an aunt as she tries to keep three small children interested and well-behaved. She does not succeed. The man takes her place and tells the little ones a story that makes their aunt very worried (1,760 words).

The heroine of this story has decided that money is more important in a husband than love and a very rich man she knows is about to ask to marry her. Then something goes very wrong. But, in the end, she believes she has both riches and affection … or does she? (970 words)

Clarence Day’s memoir of his self-important father, written just before the author’s death, was extremely popular. In this extract, he tells the reader about the evening when there was no ice at home and the dramatic steps his father took to solve the situation. A funny and affectionate portrait (2,140 words).

Mark Twain is famous for his acidic remarks about nearly every aspect of life and for a writing style that could make his readers laugh about the most serious subjects. Here he turns his attention to barbers (740 words).

This unhappy story is about two childhood friends – one charming and attractive and the other hard-working and loyal – who become business partners when they grow up. Sadly, jealousy gets in their way (4,050 words).

In this short tale, F. Scott Fitzgerald introduces us to a man who was once successful but has been away – we never find out where – and has only just returned to his old city. Here he takes his first walk in the streets that he once knew so well (1,100 words).

Mrs. Baroda was not happy when her husband invited an old friend to spend some time at their country home. She had been looking forward to being alone with her husband after a busy few weeks spent with friends. To make matters worse, she was less impressed with the quiet man when he arrived – he did not seem to be half the man her husband had described. But then things changed … (1,300 words)

The legendary detective investigates the disappearance of some valuable stones from a national treasure. All the clues point in one direction but Holmes is not convinced. (5,190 words)

In this very short story, the French master of the genre tells a charming tale of an old servant, his master (who is an ex-military man) and mistress, who live together in great unhappiness because the retired captain has a very bad temper. Nothing pleases him. Yet, in their own ways, the old lady and her servant are happy. De Maupassant tells us why (1,380 words).