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Continue reading →: Bale Wood“Please, you must help. If we don’t get her the weedroot soon, my baby will die,” pleaded the mother. Ursula examined the child and found the marks of a sand viper on her left leg, as the mother had indicated. “It appears you were correct in your assessment. The trouble…
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Continue reading →: Moonshine“Well, hello, stranger. I see you’ve found the Sunshine Dispensary,” said the young lady as I approached the little shack. A shady individual at a service station had directed me to this establishment. “Hey, Mister, you look like you could use a pick-me-up,” said a tall man wearing broken glasses.…
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Continue reading →: Obeah Man“Mama, be still. The healer will be here soon,” said the girl. “This pain goes through to the bone. Give me some recipe,” replied her mother. “You’ve had enough whiskey. Be still until the cunning man gets here,” the child said. Moments later, footsteps moved across the plank floor. The…
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Continue reading →: Pax TrilliiMuch woe is seen across the land as the Snufffleorts are culled and the Willymerts are driven into the sea. Time will tell whether the elders were wise to go to war against the Flurggermister and his minions. “I miss silence, and sunny days,” said Saffron. “Oh, you’ll get your…
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Continue reading →: The Bargain“Foolish female, we had a bargain, and you broke it. Now you must hand over all your next kill, or we will take matters into our own hands,” said the vulture. “You’re despicable. How could you hurt a cub who has no control in the pride?” the lioness replied. “Flesh…
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Continue reading →: Kaira“Don’t dilly-dallay now, you old lump of a horse,” said the tinker. All day long, something was eating at his belly, making him jumpy at the drop of a twig. “Horse, we must get out of the Kaira before the sun goes down, or we’ll have the Sluagh to attend…
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Continue reading →: A Dangerous Journey“It seems I have no choice in the matter,” said the Marsh Wizard. “I’m afraid not, Miss,” replied the bear. Fern had been surprised when she opened the door that morning, only to be greeted by an enormous white bear. “Your presence is required at the council of elders. Please…
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Continue reading →: Night Owl“Good hunting, my friend,” the Trogladite chuckled as the Owl swooped past, holding a limp rat in its talons. The Trogladite was roasting a Rattling over an open fire. “Nothing tastes quite as good as a roasted Rattling after a good battle,” said the beast. The Owl was not thinking…
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Continue reading →: Gruggle MonkA Gruggle Monk can appear and vanish at any time. It is a shapeshifter, but its normal form is that of a humanoid-troll hybrid. The Gruggle Monk was not always the enemy of humans. But something happened long ago to set it on a vengeful path. These days, the beastie…
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Continue reading →: A Trailing Broom“Do you hear that sound, Meeshka?” whispered Tatiana. The girl’s dog dropped to the ground and began to whimper. “Come, Meeshka. We’re exposed here,” said the girl as she made for a fallen oak. As the sound grew louder, the earth began to shake. “Meeshka, come here now,” cried Tatiana…
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Continue reading →: Listening“She was right in front of me, and I couldn’t save her,” mumbled the Woden. Shiloh had seen the young fawn fall into the river and had dashed to save her. “Kon, I don’t understand. My hand was right in front of her face; she only needed to reach up…
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Continue reading →: Let’s Take It Home“Mom is going to kill us both,” Toss said. “No, she won’t. This little guy is perfect for keeping her company while we are out hunting,” replied Grosha. The twins had defied their mother’s orders not to go to the cloud temple. “She won’t know. We can bring home gooseberries,…
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Continue reading →: The Dark One Comes“No, too soon,” cried the centipod. Melphin had decided he would spend the day deep in Willow’s Hollow. He hoped to lose himself in thoughts of the happier times. “How I wish the cool summer breezes would return,” sighed Melphin. As Melphin rested, he slipped into a trance. Instead of…
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Continue reading →: Firefox“You’re insane. What you’re asking will kill her,” cried the Wolf. “There is no choice in the matter. The ritual must be completed as the moon rises on Midsummer’s Eve,” replied the Badger. Charlotte lived alone in her family’s den. Not wishing to bother outsiders about her troubled life. “I…
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Continue reading →: A Pitying of Turtle DovesThe sound of crooning turtle doves alerted the man to his approach to the graveyard. “Not much farther, my love,” the man said. Thomas Fingerbrush was the town’s grave digger. Today, he was doing something he had dreaded for days now. “I’ve picked a beautiful spot under the elder tree.…
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Continue reading →: A Day’s Walk“Come along, Matthias, quit your straggling,” said the woman. Anya had chosen this day to fulfill a promise made long ago, when she was a young girl. “That’s a good puss, Ezrel. You always mind your manners,” called Anya. When she was twelve, Mörken the Dark One came with his…
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Continue reading →: Homeward Bound“Melvin, aren’t you cutting it a little close?” asked the shopkeeper. “If you’re referring to the Wicked Woods, I have nothing to fear. I have Esmeralda with me, and she’ll protect me from any harm that may dwell in the wood,” answered the farmer. “Still, I wouldn’t go and tempt…
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Continue reading →: Raggety and Mr Grimalkin“Don’t you think a pudding would go nicely with our brunch, or should we have scones and clotted cream?” remarked Raggety. “Reasonable,” replied Mr. Grimalkin. On Sunday morning, Raggety and Mr. Grimalkin traveled to town for their weekly brunch. “I do hope their berries are fresh this week. Those dreadful…
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Continue reading →: Persons Amuck“You there, Tommy Barns. Why are you sulking about?” demanded the Librarian. “Excuse me, Miss Crabtree. I was hoping you could help me with my school report,” murmured the boy. “Speak up, child. A school report, you say? Perhaps if the topic interests me,” replied the woman. “Our class is…
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Continue reading →: Whispering Roots“Come now, don’t be shy, share your secrets with me,” said the croan. The Hölzerne Hexe had lived longer than even the forest. When she wanted to know what was going on, the old woman would talk to the whispering roots. “Tell me how the war goes to the east,…
Twisted Tales to Delight and Amaze
Christopher Johnson
Christopher is a retired professor of science and medical education and a children’s author living in Taiwan. He has over 30 years of experience working in higher education internationally. Originally from Huron, Ohio, in the United States, he spent his childhood playing in Lake Erie and Sawmill Creek.
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