Old World Short Stories

The World's Best Short Stories is a compendium of crazy and oddly funny stories from different periods across human history. You’ll learn about pompous politicians, admirable animals, and some very strange oddballs! The book provides the listener with an easily accessible entrance into some of the most important aspects of human history. The stories are packed with humor and jokes to offer up even the grumpiest of listeners a wry smile.

A collection of stories drawn from some of the finest early 20th-century works on folklore and mythology. Inside, you'll encounter enchanted princesses, mischievous elves, mysterious spirits, shape-shifting animals, and noble heroes facing trials beyond imagination. Whether it's the delicate retellings of Katharine Pyle, offering graceful versions of beloved fairy tales, or the rich global selections curated by master editors like William Allan Neilson, William Patten, and Charles William Eliot, every story carries its own touch of magic.

A glittering collection of some of the world's finest short stories.

So if your child, nephew, family-friend or anyone you know can't get enough of WWII, this audiobook is perfect for them to not only discover some brand new history; but they'll also learn important morals of kindness, friendship, bravery, and doing the right thing.

Something ancient stirs beneath the soil... and it's hungry. Step beyond the veil of time with Dead Men Still Walk, a chilling collection of ten folk horror short stories rooted in forgotten rites, cursed bloodlines, and the dark mythologies of the Old World. These tales are where superstition meets survival, where twisted rural legends still breathe, and where the dead don’t rest — they wait. From moss-covered graveyards to fog-bound villages, from cursed forests to crumbling stone circles, this anthology will drag you deep into a world of haunting folklore, ancient pacts, and unspoken...

Four women, and a freshman year beyond his wildest fantasies. My life flipped upside down the day an older woman decided to take interest in me. At nineteen, I thought I had a normal, boring college life. Then she walked into my life with her knowing smiles and promises of pleasure I’d never imagined. Before I knew it, my mundane freshman year transformed into an education no university could provide. I had no idea how much my life was about to change. Volume 1 includes books 1-5. His First Taste His First Seduction His First Lesson His First Challenge His First Encounter

Do you read bedtime stories for your child? Don't modern heroes seems too boring to you? Try to plunge into the fairy tale world filled with ancient, magical creatures: elves, fairies, mermaids, dragons... This fairy tale storybook is dedicated to ancient folktales from around the world. Many of them are lost, but some have still managed to reach our era. We travel, together, all around the world. We sink into the old tales that speak of magic we still don’t fully understand. We look for answers, but — perhaps more importantly — we look for questions: for that spirit that makes us ...

Born from Bukowski's columns, the LA underground press of the 1960s, Bukowski defined his early alter ego, Hank Chinaski, as a self-described dirty old man who eyes his defeatist attitude about himself with his clarity to see humor and holiness in others. Addictive and instructive listening, Bukowski delivers the humanity and intelligence of all the unseen. Filled with his usual obsessions - sex, booze, gambling - Notes features Bukowski's offbeat insights into politics and literature, and his tortured, violent relationships.

An old security officer find himself trapped on the very train he is guarding. As the antique conveyance, which with no engine, couldn’t possibly run of its own power, speeds through the night, he discovers he is not the only passenger aboard. However, he is the only one with a heartbeat. A nurse, encountering what she assumes to be a broken down train, stops to help. Thinking two crew member have gone in search of a phone, she follows them to and old abandoned infirmary. She intends to offer them the use of her own cell phone. She soon learns their train isn’t broken and they aren’t ...

The traditional retold fairy tales in this volume speak of the awesome and the marvellous, of the perilous and the exhilarating. We shall explore the traditional, age-old stories for children our ancestors have told us about Dragons. These fairy tales of awe have grown and flourished all over the globe, although as you travel futher East it’s likely that you’ll find more dragons — and also kindlier ones. For not all dragons are the same: they’re not really siblings to each other, they’re more like removed cousins. Some are imbued with fire, others with light, and others with rain ...

Eight beautiful women, and a freshman year beyond his wildest fantasies. My life flipped upside down the day an older woman decided to take interest in me. At nineteen, I thought I had a normal, boring college life. Then she walked into my life with her knowing smiles and promises of pleasure I’d never imagined. Before I knew it, my mundane freshman year transformed into an education no university could provide with eight beautiful women. I had no idea how much my life was about to change. Volume 2 includes books 6-10. His First Dance His First Adventure His First Getaway His First ...

Filled with his usual obsessions - sex, booze, gambling - More features Bukowski's offbeat insights into politics and literature, his tortured, violent relationships with women, and his lurid escapades on the poetry reading circuit. Highlighting his versatility, the book ranges from thinly-veiled autobiography to purely fictional tales of dysfunctional suburbanites, disgraced politicians, and down-and-out sports promoters - climaxing with a long, hilarious adventure among French filmmakers.

College never felt this exhilarating. I felt crushed under the weight of college life, watching my confidence shrink with each passing day as I pined after a girl I couldn't bring myself to approach. Then Claire walked into my life with her knowing smile and an offer I couldn't refuse - she'd teach me everything I needed to know about being a man. My education started in this little café downtown, the kind of place where the coffee came in actual cups and the pastries looked like art. But it was her home that changed everything--that first night with her blew past every fumbling fantasy ...

Shortly before her death Angela Carter was preparing this volume of short stories, one which does full justice to the glory of her imagination and the range of her talent. It is divided into distinct parts. The first comprises a group of stories inspired by America: Lizzie Borden visits a circus; a John Ford Western is spiced with the story of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore'; and there is a wonderful Gothic extravaganza set in Hollywood. The second section - Old World Wonders - draws on fairy tales.

All her life, Sashi’s mother warned her not to get involved with werewolf problems. But Sashi, a witch who uses magic to heal sick and injured bodies, has never made a habit of ignoring trauma. When she meets an abused shapeshifter that no one else seems willing to help, Sashi will risk everything - including a budding romance with a human, Will - to save a woman who can’t save herself.

Many stories have stood the test of time, but this selection have entranced audiences for thousands of years and remain as fresh today as they were when first told. A fascinating collection which gives vivid insights into lives in ancient times and the issues that occupied the people of the day.

Born into a world with only seven days to live, Sim faces the same choice everyone does: how will he spend them? Is there something greater to hope for? A short story from Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka...

A road trip that redefines passion. I thought I had it all—the open road, beautiful company, and endless exploration. Then Ava swept in, a free-spirited artist who turned our road trip into a journey of self-discovery. In her gallery our desires transformed into vivid art. Through a sensual art session we grew closer, returning as a family bound by passion and spontaneity. Ava's bohemian energy contrasted with Claire and Sophia's elegance, creating an exhilarating dynamic. My education in desire had never been so vibrant, and the canvas of our lives was just beginning to take shape.

Countdown to Zero is the first in The Visioner Series of short stories. One day, Alexander McNeil notices that he has some strange powers that he really doesn’t understand. Remarkably, he’s able to tell with absolute certainty the exact day that someone will die. Working in the British Embassy in Moscow, Alexander is called to attend a World disarmament summit in the Kremlin as a translator. Everything is going very smoothly, until he’s asked to join a meeting attended by the new U.S. President. What do you do if you suddenly realise, for certain, that one of the main World leaders ...

In this captivating collection from the Shaanxi region, considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, twenty disparate and unique voices come together to show a China caught between new-world advancements and old-world traditions. From the homeland of China’s first dynasty and the world-famous terra-cotta warriors, these tales show rugged rural life colliding with fast-paced city life; hollow arranged marriages juxtaposed with torrid forbidden love affairs; and the vanity of newly minted millionaires clashing with the desperation of the poor.