-
Continue reading →: Pairs of WingsDeath From Above: During the battle for Ãlskad, the beloved forest, Mörken the Dark One used Kanthri bats as weapons against the Waldvolker. The Kanthri were fast and highly maneuverable compared to the swans the Waldvolker used. Unfortunately for many Troth pilots, the Kanthri proved too erratic in their flight…
-
Continue reading →: Good Old Days“I miss the good old days,” said the Cyclops. “What do you mean?” asked the Goblin. “I miss all the mashing, crushing, and stomping on villagers,” replied the Cyclops. “God, how I miss the screaming. Now you get, “Hey ugly, stop repressing my rights or some other thing,” the Troglodyte…
-
Continue reading →: Cold ComfortI sense danger, Mistress,” said the Tutu. “Yes, I sense it as well,” remarked Fern. Fern had heard the rumors that a dark specter was roaming Folksburywoods. “I don’t like this, Franny. Winter is a time of quiet in the woods. It must be the work of a necromancer,” Fern…
-
Continue reading →: Hidden Folk“I swear, Angus, I saw him out the corner of my eye on Merlin’s Crossing last Tuesday. When I turned to get a better look, he and the bird were gone,” said Tom Flannery. “T’was a Hidden Folk for sure. I used to see’em when I was a young’en,” remarked…
-
Continue reading →: Pen Pals“Hurry up, Petunia, we need to get off the road as soon as possible,” exclaimed Tiberius. “Mercy, you are a cruel one today. I was getting my step, and now we must rush off to some ditch,” complained the donkey. “Better a ditch than a glue factory, I say,” remarked…
-
Continue reading →: Slow TimeCooter wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but was personable enough. Folk in Butler like Coot’s hogshead soup. About three times a year, he heads to the farmers’ market. He buys a hog’s head there. “Cooter will tell you the secret to a mighty fine soup is half bottle…
-
Continue reading →: Anya’s Regret“I should have gone after her. Why didn’t I?” the matron asked herself over the years. Anya was still young at the time. Her elder sister set out on a stormy night to secure bitter root for their mother’s aching tooth. Tytanya was never seen again. Eighty years, and the…
-
Continue reading →: Moon Struck“Deary me, you’re as gitty as a schoolgirl on her first day,” teased Gojeck. “Hush! You know how important tonight is. Help me tie my corset so I can be off. Yeah, old codger,” snapped Anya. On the night of the harvest moon, the matron of Folksburywoods travels to Merlin’s…
-
Continue reading →: A Wee Door in the WoodIn the wildwood lives a tiny man in a tree with a wee little door. You will find him eating his tea and cakes. In the evenings, he sits outside watching the setting sun. Then, late-night walks to gather moonberries and marshmallow pies. On Saturdays, he eats gooseberry pie with…
-
Continue reading →: Caim“When I was little, Nana gave me the gift of the Caim,” Maura told her sister. “I don’t understand. What is a Caim?” asked Gauta. “Sanctuary,” answered her elder. “You mean like a holy place, that sanctuary?” questioned the younger. “Well, not exactly. Caim is an invisible circle of protection…
-
Continue reading →: Weary Travlers“Hurry along, Cedric. We don’t want to be late for tea,” the hobo said to the clown. “Food is all you ever think about. Why not enjoy the moment instead of dashing full speed into the unknown?” replied the clown. “As you wish,” said Bartholomew while he tried to catch…
-
Continue reading →: Souls of AnimalsKneeling over the fallen creature, the girl laid her hand upon its body. “She’s still warm,” said Astra. “What killed it? There are no marks, and a predator wouldn’t leave it behind,” remarked Ramn. “It seems as though it lay down and went to sleep, intending never to wake up.…
-
Continue reading →: Her Witchy WaysFarina doesn’t like being a witch. She thought of herself as a provider of magical services. The covenant was unhappy, and Granny Stockholm told her she was treading on thin ice. “Child, we have ways of dealing with upstarts, so mind your P’s and Q’s,” said the witch. Farina couldn’t…
-
Continue reading →: VargamorAlone in their dark woods, the Vargamor or Wolf-crones seek to avoid prying eyes. “Best not go in them woods,” the barkeep warned the traveler. “Young’en those that go in don’t always come out,” he added. Gretchen’s parents died when she was a baby—the Vicar’s attempts to find the baby…
-
Continue reading →: Stairs“I don’t want to go, Josef. I want to stay here with you,” the plant pleaded. “Dear Ingeborg, I would love that more than anything. The great fires have made a burning smoke which will kill you,” said the farmer. Josef’s wife had died several months ago from the smoke,…
-
Continue reading →: What News Have You?A war broke out between the elves and the fairies long ago. There was a dispute between the elves’ king and the fairies’ queen about who owned the twilight realm. Twilla, the shadow fae, and her best friend, Samual, the forest elf, were stuck in the middle of the mess.…
-
Continue reading →: Strange Little Man“Two, four, six, eight, who do they appreciate? Zippo, that’s me!” said the strange little man sitting in the tree’s hollow. No one knows where he came from or how long he’s been around. “He’s a strange one, that Zippo. Stranger still is he’s not changed since I first saw…
-
Continue reading →: Night Walking“Honestly, Cuthbert, I just can’t understand why I wake each morning standing before the main door, ” said Professor Giles. Stanley Giles, a professor of archaeology, has had horrifying dreams since his return from the dark continent. “I think it has something to do with the skull you brought back,…
-
Continue reading →: William the TerribleWilliam the Terrible was the meanest critter in Dewy County. Folks steered clear of his farm, fearing a meeting with him. The farmer had no trouble with the beast. William knew better than to upset his meal ticket. Thumbtack was another story. The plow horse lived in constant fear of…
-
Continue reading →: Two Tales for TotsI help run an educational enrichment program in the evening that focuses on a story at the center. Here are two tales from that program for Taiwanese children. Timmy’s Invisible Friend Hello children. I’m Mr. Yattle, the teller of tales. Today’s story explains that sometimes things happen, and we aren’t…
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.
No AI is used for images or stories.
Join the fun!
Stay updated with our latest tales.
Folksburywoods 