OLD SULTAN, Grimm’s Fairy Tales

OLD SULTAN A shepherd had a faithful dog, called Sultan, who was grown very old, and had lost all his teeth. And one day when the shepherd and his wife were standing together before the house the shepherd said, ‘I will shoot old Sultan tomorrow morning, for he is of no use now.’ But his wife said, ‘Pray let the poor faithful creature live; he has served us well a great many years, and we ought to give him a livelihood for the rest of his days.’ ‘But what can we do with him?’ said the shepherd, ‘he has not … Continue reading OLD SULTAN, Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Emma

The story of the Novel by Jane Austen Miss Taylor, a former governess and companion of Emma Woodhouse, has recently married Mr. Weston. Emma claims responsibility for their marriage and decides to pursue matchmaking as a hobby. Emma pursues her new obsession against the advice of her friend Mr. Knightley, who is also the brother-in-law of Emma’s older sister Isabella. She seeks to pair her female acquaintance, Harriet Smith, with the village vicar, Mr. Elton. Although Harriet loves Robert Martin, a decent, educated, and intelligent young farmer, Emma tries to persuade Harriet to reject the marriage proposal from Robert Martin. … Continue reading Emma

Romeo and Juliet

Story of the Shakespearean Tragedy Once upon a time, two powerful families called Montagu and Capulet resided in Verona. They were both wealthy, and it may be assumed that they were intelligent in most things as other wealthy men. In one respect, though, they were extraordinarily foolish. The two families had a long-standing dispute, but instead of resolving it like rational people, they nourished it like a pet and refused to let it go. So that a Montagu would not talk to a Capulet if he saw one on the street, nor would a Capulet speak to a Montagu. And … Continue reading Romeo and Juliet

Twelfth Night

Story of the Shakespearean Drama. Orsino, Duke of Illyria, was madly in love with Olivia, a lovely countess. And when her brother died, she sent back a messenger from the Duke, instructing him to tell his master that for seven years she would not let even the air see her face but would walk veiled like a nun, all for the sake of a dead brother’s love, which she would keep alive in her sorrowful memory. The Duke wished for someone to whom he could express his sadness and recount the tale of his love over and over again. And … Continue reading Twelfth Night

The Good Earth

by Pearl S. Buck The story begins when Wang Lung, a poor Chinese farmer, goes to the house of a rich family in the next village in search of a bride. The girl whom Wang Lung is seeking is a maid and slave in the household of the Huangs, a wealthy aristocratic family. Her name is O-Lan. The Huang House, like any other local family, is on the verge of breakdown as a result of excessive use of alcohol, drugs, and opiates; an unwillingness to engage in productive labour; and unrestrained luxury. O-Lan and Wang Lung, who are not very … Continue reading The Good Earth

The Golden Bird

Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 1 The Golden BirdThere was a king who had a magnificent garden, and inside the garden there was a tree that grew apples made of gold. These apples were routinely counted, and at about the time when they started to get ripe, it was discovered that one of them disappeared overnight every single day without fail. As a result of this, the monarch got quite angry, and he gave the gardener the command to maintain constant vigilance below the tree. The gardener entrusted his oldest son with keeping watch, but at twelve o’clock he slept off, and … Continue reading The Golden Bird

The Winter’s Tale

Story of the Shakespearean Drama (Comedy) Leontes was the king of Sicily, and Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, was his closest friend. They were raised together and only separated when they reached adulthood and had to take command over their own kingdoms. After several years, when they were both married and had children, Polixenes traveled to Sicily to stay with Leontes. Leontes was a violent-tempered and fairly foolish guy, and he foolishly believed that his wife, Hermione, preferred Polixenes over him, her husband. He instructed one of his lords, Camillo, to poison Polixenes’ drink, since he was unable to dispel … Continue reading The Winter’s Tale

As You Like It

Story of a Shakespearean Drama (comedy) Once upon a time, an evil duke called Frederick stole the dukedom that belonged to his brother and sent him into exile. His brother moved into the Forest of Arden, where he lived as a courageous forester, similar to what Robin Hood did in Sherwood Forest, England. Rosalind, daughter of the expelled duke, stayed with Celia, daughter of Frederick, and the two loved each other more than most sisters. Rosalind and Celia attended a wrestling competition that took place at Court one day. Charles, a renowned wrestler who had slain several opponents in similar … Continue reading As You Like It

MACBETH

MACBETH When asked to relate the narrative of Macbeth, a person has two options. One is of a guy named Macbeth who ascended the throne of Scotland by committing a crime in the year 1039 and ruled justly and well for at least fifteen years. This tale is part of Scottish history. The second tale emanates from a location known as Imagination; it is dismal and fantastic, and you will hear it. Two years before Edward the Confessor became king of England, two generals named Macbeth and Banquo defeated a Norwegian king in Scotland. After the battle, the generals went … Continue reading MACBETH