sample short stories

8/10/2019 Sample Short Stories

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SHORT STORIES 1

Lenny the lying

InventorBy Jeff Smith

Once upon a time there was a funny guy named Lenny. Lenny wasan inventor. He invented all kinds of contraptions. His house looked like amess, but he had some really cool things.

One day Lenny decided he wanted to fly.

"I am going to invent some wings and fly," Lenny told his friend Rudy.

"Now I really know you're crazy. You won't even get off the ground," said Rudy.

"You'll see," said Lenny.

So he went down to his workshop and began working. Day and night, heworked. No one saw Lenny for weeks. Then one day he came out of his workshop with

a great big grin on his face.

He called Rudy on the phone. "Rudy, tomorrow I will fly, but I need your help,"said Lenny.

"Did you really build some wings?" asked Rudy.

"Yeah and they are really beautiful," said Lenny. "They're a little heavy though. Ineed you to help me drag them up to the top of Kill Devil Hill."

"What did you make them out of?" asked Rudy.

"I made them out of some scrap metal I had laying around from when I built myhelicopter last year," said Lenny.

"Metal! Don't you think that will be too heavy to use for wings?" asked Rudy.

"No, I calculated all of the angles. I will be like a human airplane," said Lenny.


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SHORT STORIES 2

Rudy just rolled his eyes. "Ok, I will be over first thing in the morning and we'll trythem out," said Rudy.

"See you then," said Lenny.

The next morning they dragged the wings up to the top of Kill Devil Hill andLenny strapped them on.

"Are you sure those are not too heavy? asked Rudy again.

"No, the faster I run, the lighter they will get. The wind will lift me up and I will beflying," said Lenny, quite confidently.

"All right, I am going to get a running start and take off," said Lenny. So, Lennybacked up about fifty feet and started running. As he ran, the weight of the wingsstarted to wear out his legs and he got lower and lower to the ground. Just as he got to

the crest of the hill, his legs gave out and he skidded across the ground on his face.

After Rudy rolled around on the ground laughing for about a minute, he got upand asked Lenny if he was Ok.

"Yeah, Yeah, real funny," said Lenny. "I guess you may be right they are a littleheavy, but I know the shape is just right. I will just go back to the workshop and makethem out of another material. Something lighter"

A couple of weeks later Lenny called up Rudy.

"I've done it," said Lenny.

"You've done what?" asked Rudy.

"I reworked the wings. I made them out of wood and tissue paper. These thingsare so light I may get going by simply jumping off the roof. Come on over, I need awitness," said Lenny.

"I'm on the way," said Rudy.

When Rudy arrived, Lenny was already up on the roof with these hilarious

looking pink wings.

"Pink wings!" laughed Rudy.

"Yeah, this is the stuff I had left over from when I invented that giant Pig robotwe used on Halloween last year," said Lenny.

"So you think you're just going to jump off and fly?" asked Rudy.


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"Yeah. Here goes," said Lenny.

He backed up a little and took a quick dash and a jump.

Aaaaaaaaaaagh, SMACK! The wings broke right off and Lenny landed on his

head in the middle of some bushes next to the house.

After Rudy rolled around on the ground laughing for about a minute, he got upand asked Lenny if he was Ok.

"Yeah, Yeah, real funny," said Lenny. "I guess they may have been a littleweak, but I know the shape is just right. I will just go back to the workshop and makethem out of another material. Something not as heavy as the scrap metal and not aslight as the tissue paper."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," said Rudy as he rolled his eyes.

A couple of weeks later Lenny called up Rudy.

"I've really done it this time," said Lenny.

"You've done what?" asked Rudy.

"I reworked the wings. I made them out of wax and balsa wood. These thingslook just like bird's wings. Meet me at Kill Devil Hill, I need a witness," said Lenny.

"I'm on the way," said Rudy.

When Rudy arrived, he saw the wings. They did look good!

"I need you to help me strap them on," said Lenny.

Rudy helped him strap on the wings. They fit real snug. There was a handleunder each wing out near the tip for Lenny to use to move the wings up and down and abelt that went around his waste so that they would not fall off.

"Here we go," yelled Lenny as he backed up and began running towards thecrest of the hill.

He didn't slow down and just as he got to the edge of the hill, he started to lift up intothe air. He was flying!

YAHOOO! Yelled Lenny.


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He flew and flew just laughing and hooting. He flew higher and higher. He wasreally getting high now, and he started to worry. "How do I land these things?" he askedhimself.

That question was about to be answered. All of a sudden, he noticed that his

wings were starting to melt. He had risen so high, that the sun was starting to melt thewax he used to make the wings. Pretty soon he had little tiny wings and he was flyingabout a hundred miles an hour down towards the woods.

"Boy this is going hurt again," said Lenny to himself.

He crashed into the trees.

Rudy ran up, "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so, but I am definitely going to quit trying to fly. This is too rough

on the body," said Lenny.

To this day, no one believes Rudy when he tells the story of how Lenny flew likea bird. It may be good that they do not believe him, because others would probably gethurt, as did Lenny.

Lenny also made a commitment not to invent anything that cannot be used whilestanding firmly on the ground.

He often tells people, "If people were meant to fly, they would have wings!"

The End!


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SHORT STORIES 5

THE PAPER BOY

A clump of hair smacked across Colin's face.The wind even tried wrestling him to the ground.Instead of newspapers, it felt as if Colin s news -bagwas full of Nova Scotia potatoes.

Maybe it had to do with the news dad read

before Colin left the house. The morning headlineswere full of the usual sad stories.

"For goodness sakes," dad said. "No good news again!"

CAR ACCIDENTS! HOUSE BURNS! STORM DAMAGE!

Colin wished he could have been able to cheer up dad. He moved quickly fromhouse to house leaving papers on the porch or in the mailbox.

It helped being the fastest runner in the school and even wearing his new runningshoes.

Right now Colin wished he could bring only good news to his family, also to hisfriendly neighbors. "There's that paper boy bringing sad news again," they wereprobably saying.

"How could he make things better for everyone?" he wondered as he continuedto deliver his papers.

He met Nathan near Victoria Park. Colin really liked Nathan, even if his wordssometimes got mixed up.

Someone told him Nathan was mentally challenged. But Colin didn't care. Nathanwas his friend.


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Colin noticed Alice coming. She was in his class. She only had one real eye. Theother was made of glass. He liked Alice even if people called her, "Bionic lady," behindher back.

He didn't realize how much It helped her, having a friend like Colin.

The dog down the street barked loudly. Prince was lonely tied to his chain andColin knew all he needed was a good friend. He always liked to pat the dog's head.

Prince's breath was warm as he licked Colin's hand.

"It's okay boy," he told the dog.

Each time Colin left a paper by a customer's door he felt bad, such sad news.How could he make some good news? He thought about it a lot, as he made hisrounds.

Colin gave his usual cheerful "Hi" to everyone on his route. Adults and childrenon both sides of the street yelled and waved back.

His smile was like the rising sun.

Someone was crying and he ran to where a little boy had fallen and hurt his leg.Colin calmed him down until the boy's mother arrived.

"I'm glad you're my paperboy," she told Colin.

He continued on his route, still ten more customers to go. But, he didn't feel tired.It was fun doing what he usually did, helping others.

Now, let's see. What else could he do to cheer up people?

His best friend Donna came by to pick up her paper. It saved him from going allthe way to the second floor.

It was her way of saying thanks for giving her a chance to earn money, helpinghim on Saturdays. She was saving money for Christmas presents.

Besides, he liked Donna a lot.

Mr. Weatherby was such a grouch but Colin didn't mind. His car was not working,again. And Mr. Weatherby's lawn was all grown up, again.

Colin would come later and cut the grass. No charge, again.


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He raced up the street to his last customer. Colin had quite a bit of energy left, ashe bounded up the stairs. Mrs. Williams saw him coming and had her usual snackwaiting.

She wondered why such a lively boy always had time to chat with an old lady.

Lemonade and his favorite peanut butter cookies were a neat treat. After all, shehad told him many times he was her favorite paperboy.

His own treat for his customers came from his little boy's heart. Colin was so fullof joy, and it made him many friends.

Everyone looked forward to his daily trips with the newspaper, even if some ofthe news was sad.

There were customers from all over. Some even came from China and Africa.

Others had thick, wavy hair and some, no hair.

Colin didn't mind. He liked them all.

Some of his customers were fat, others skinny. And some had customs andclothes, which were different. But it didn't matter to Colin.

He liked them all.

Colin did have much good news to share, even if he didn't realize it. His smileand polite manners brought cheering-up news to all his customers.

Yes, Colin was a very special paperboy.

The End!


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SHORT STORIES 8

PRINCESS

Once upon a time there were three beautiful princesses. Their names were

Kimmy, Katie, and Kristen. Kimmy was 3, Katie was 5, and Kristen was 8.

They all lived in a manor, with butlers, maids, cooks, and lots of people. But the

princesses did not treat them like slaves, they treated them with respect and kindness.

The princess s mothers name was Krystal. She was very kind, and taught her

three girls how to treat all people with respect and kindness. The mother had long

flowing black hair.

The princess s fathers name was Kevin. He taught his three girls to be lady like.

He had man like blond hair. He was very nice man.

They also had a tutor named ken. He had light brown hair. He was very

handsome.

One sunny morning a messenger came with very sad news. The mother s

mother was very ill. The mother and father had to leave.


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They left the princesses with the uncle. The uncle was very mean to every one.

His mood made everyone in the manor miserable except the princesses.

One time he told the cook to make steak and spaghetti. The uncle changed his

mind but didn t tell the cook. The cook could not read minds so he still made what the

uncle said to cook. When the uncle saw this he stormed off. The cook was not happy.

But Kristen told him it was ok, so that made the cook feel better. Everyone else ate

what he made and it tasted delicious.

Another time the butler made the beds as usual, but when the uncle inspected

them, he did not like what he saw and he blew up at the butler making him feel awful.

Kristen saw this scene too. After the uncle left she told the butler it was fine. She made

the butler feel better.

He did this to maids and lots of other people too. One day after dinner Kristen

told her two little sisters about these scenes. The girls agreed to have a meeting in their

tree house and discuss how to make there uncle learn a lesson to be respectful and

kind to others just as they had been taught.

The girls made a plan to be very kind to there uncle hoping to teach him a

valuable lesson.

First, while eating their breakfast they said to the cook, Thank for our breakfast,

this is a very nice meal. As the uncle watches his niece s polite behavior, he feels

awkward that he has never said anything nice or polite to the cook.

Later on that day, the girls offered to help their very special butler with his

chores. The Uncle sees this behavior and reacts with anger telling the girls to stay

in their rooms for the rest of the day. He does not want the girls to do butlers job.

The angry uncle goes into the library to think about how he has behaved

towards the butlers, the maids, the cooks and also his three sweet nieces who he made

very sad.


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As the uncle was thinking about them, the girls were thinking about their uncle

hoping that he had learned a lesson.

After the uncle had time to think, he let the girls out of their rooms to have a talk

with them.

I have been acting silly these past few weeks. I have been yelling at cooks,

maids and butlers. I have not been respectful to anyone in the manor. Watching the

three of you be kind and polite to everyone, has taught me to be kind and caring to

others as well. Thank you for teaching me this valuable lesson and I am very sorry I

have not been so nice to you

The girls thank their uncle and are happy that they taught him the lesson of

respect, kindness, and love.

The next day a messenger came and reported that the mother and father would

be arriving home within the next few days and that their grandmother was feeling much

better.

The uncle was on his best behavior for the rest of his stay with the girls.

The mother and father never found out about their uncles bad behavior. The

girls kept this a secret. A secret they only told to their children, and their children s

children. And this lesson was passed down to many, many more.

The End!The Magic Pen


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SHORT STORIES 11

I m sitting in my backyard on a sunny early spring afternoon. My blue spiral

notebook is on my lap and a magic pen is in my hand. The pen doesn t look that

special if you see it in my bag or on my desk, just a black gelstick pen with a cap. The

magic begins when I touch it to paper.

Two fussy blue jays chase each other overhead. Are they mad at each other or just playing? My pen writes the question before I have time to think of it.

A squirrel buries a pecan in the next door neighbor s yard, his bushy tail twitching

as he digs. How will he remember where he hid it? my pen asks. I really don t know.

There are tiny yellow flowers tucked throughout the greening grass. Why do we

call them weeds? the pen questions.

Oh, and there are six fluffy dandelion seed balls lined up against the side of my

house. You can make a wish, you know. What will you wish for? my pen asks. I stop

writing for a moment to think of all the possibilities.


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A yellow and black butterfly the size of my hand flits by. My pen records its brief

appearance. A gentle breeze stirs the air around me and my pen takes note. I hear

children playing down the street, and my pen scribbles the sounds across the page.

The sun goes behind a cloud, then peeks out again but I m not looking at the

sky. I know this because of the shadow of my pen that follows the in and out dance with

the sun.

What good is all this magic from a pen on such a pleasant day, I think. I really

don t know.

But my pen keeps writing. Taking word pictures of the world around me and the

thoughts running through my h ead to be read to some child I don t even know before he

or she goes to bed.

They will be able to see the pictures and hear your thoughts, the pen explains.

Oh. Now that s magic.

The End

PETER AND THE GIANT


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SHORT STORIES 13

Peter looked at the giant.

The giant looked at Peter.

Um. How are you, Mister Giant? Peter asked politely, even while his knees were

shaking in fear.

I'm fine, little boy. And how are you?

Fine.

They stared at each other and then both started talking at once.

How did?

Who are?

Speak, little boy, the giant said.

How did you come here? I ve never seen you before. Peter said still afraid.

I was just passing by. What s your name, child?


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Peter.

I m called Rocky. Would you like me to do something for you?

Oh no, I can t ask you to do anything for me! Peter was amazed.

I don't mind. I like to help. It must be very hard to be a human, isn t it?

Peter hadn t thought about that before. No. I like being human, although, he added,

Being a giant must be cool.

No, I'm not cold, Peter.

No, no, I mean, it must be really nice to be a giant.

Oh yes it is. Now why don't you come with me? I ll take you back to my home.

You can see where I live.

Peter nodded and the giant lifted the little boy onto his huge shoulder. Soon they were

striding down the street Peter lived on and then they suddenly appeared in a large

valley filled with enormous homes. Giants moved around everywhere, doing normal

everyday things that Peter and his family and friends did too. Some were walking to

work in the fields, some were hanging up clothes to dry, children played. Peter

imagined they must be child giants as they were much smaller than the others, although

still larger than him.

How did we suddenly come here? Peter demanded of Rocky.

We are magical people, so we live in a magical place. Rocky said.

You can do magic? asked Peter in wonder.

Oh yes I can. Its lots of fun, you should try it.

I can't do magic. I ve tried. Peter said sadly.


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If you were a giant, you could. Why don't you become a giant? Come on, become

a giant, become a giant, BECOME A GIANT.

Peter woke up screaming, Become a giant!

His mother came running into his room.

Peter, Peter, what is it? Did you have a bad dream?

Yes, I think so. Oh mother, I thought it was real. A giant took me to his home and

wanted me to become like him. He was shouting at me to become a giant.

She settled him back in his bed and said comfortingly, It was only a dream son. Don't

worry. Now go back to sleep.

He nodded, and cuddling his pillow, he was soon fast asleep.

The End

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