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Long Distance Phone Call – A Lesbian Short Story by Marty B – Reedsy Prompts

You can talk to the dead on the pay phone in front of Seventh Street Market in West Oakland.

There is also a donut store where they sell burgers, and a check cashing store in the small strip mall, but everybody references the market when talking about the Phone. I didn't tell my Dad we were going to California so he could talk to his dead wife, my Mom, until we hit Olympia, Washington.

“That is the stupidest goddamn thing I have ever heard of! We are driving to Oakland to have a seance on a pay phone?” He said when I told him our actual destination. "I thought we were going to a baseball game!”

“Dad, come on, I want to do this. Please, come along and we’ll see how it goes. And then we’ll see your Mariners play the Oakland A’s.”

Although I always think of him as so much bigger than me, we were about the same size now, he had lost so much weight from stress over the past year. He spent all day on his recliner, alone, he even stopped working in his garden. My dad had nothing else to do, and no matter what he said, he has always loved car trips. He needed something to shake him up, and I knew speaking to Mom again would do it.

He looked over at me, “Don’t you have work? Did you lose your job again!” His face was turning red under his battered Seattle mariners cap.

“I had a difference of opinion with my Bruce.-” I started.

“-Let me guess, you were right, and he was wrong.”

“He was a sexist asshole who wouldn’t know Python if it was actually a snake and bit him.” I shouted at the windshield.” I write good code, and he just-” I glanced at my dad, he was shaking his head. “Yes, I was right, but he's the Boss, so-”

“-You always blame someone else, your school or your boss or me. Maybe, just maybe- it is you?"

“You just don't understand! I don’t need your advice!”

That ended our conversation, but I knew how to get him engaged.

I gave my Dad a map, my phone to look up yelp reviews, and the real destination. To make him work a little bit I gave him some parameters- only six hours of driving a day, restaurants had to be Mexican, Indian or Greek, and we had to fit in two tourist sites per day. Once I set it up that way, he was in. He had the map spread out and outlined our route. We could have kept going south till we hit the bottom of Argentina. He was in his element.

I remember when I was young going on road trips all the time. Or maybe I remember talking about the road trips. He would plan out detailed itineraries, with each day's miles, gas and restaurant stops picked out in advance. Pretty amazing as this was all pre-internet. Dad would go on and on about what motel we would stay at, what we were going to see when we got there, how long we would stay, every little bit. The funny part was he was usually so happy before we left, and then miserable on the trip. Because of course, life does not follow such pre-laid plans. I would need to make an unplanned bathroom stop or the restaurant is closed or the motel full. And then once one thing got off track, then the issues snowballed and as he would day, ‘why did I even plan at all!’

He understood anything mechanical, however he could not understand his daughter. I couldn’t be fixed like a fan motor. We have not really gotten along since high school. When I was little, I was the son he never had, throwing the ball, watching baseball together. But when I realized I preferred girls to boys, and made some poor choices, our relationship took a left turn. My Mom understood my need to rebel, but Dad never did.

He worked at Microsoft, in facilities, for my whole life. He retired last year to take care of Mom, and that is when things started going sideways. Her leukemia diagnosis gave him a reason to plan, to map out her recovery. When the cancer did not follow the plan and Mom passed last month, he got lost. I had to do something.

In Redding, California, my Dad picked a gas station several miles out of the way. He had identified it as the lowest cost gas for the next 100 miles. As we pulled into a line of cars waiting to enter the gas station my phone rang in my Dad's hand. He showed me the caller ID, it read ‘Rosie’.

Damn. I grabbed it to answer.

“Hey, Rosie-”

-”No, Rocko is fine at my place, he is used to it now-”

-”No, do not bring him back to your apartment!”

-”Rosie, I’ll be back in 2 days! That is kidnapping! He will be fine where he is!”

“No, but-"

The phone call ended and I dropped it in the cup holder.

“It was Rosie.” I begin.” I didn’t tell you. We broke up. I moved out. Rosie is getting the apartment, and I am getting Rocko- except she just took him back”

“The cat?” my Dad said.

The line moved up and I eased toward an open gas pump.

“Rosie thinks the apartment and the cat go together, and really Rocko does too. But I don’t want to give in. Rosie is the reason we broke up! And, I don’t like living alone, so it is good to have Rocko there. We were together for three years- I don’t know if I can find someone again.” I pause to breathe out. “I feel lost, I need to map out my next step, I-”

“-Pop the hood” My Dad said as if we were not talking at all. He had opened the car door before the car had completely stopped.

He checked the oil, checked the belts, and looked at the tires.

I just watch him exasperated. He gets back in and looks at me,

“Did you put in the gas?”

“Dad, you don't listen!”

“Listen to what?”

“Dad, I was telling you about how I feel!”

“How you feel- about the cat?”

“Oh my goodness.” I got out to fill up the gas.

Leaving the gas station, I switched on the radio, loud. ‘Faith,’ by George Michael came on.

“'Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith…”

I was singing along, when all of a sudden, my Dad switched it off. “Do you hear that?”

“Dad, what the F- are you doing!” I switched the radio back on, louder.

My Dad switched it off again, “No listen! “

“You turned off the radio, what can I listen to!”

“The engine, the engine! Do you hear that? What kind of gas did you put in?”

There was a faint regular knocking sound coming from the engine.

“The cheapest, isn't that why we went to that random gas station?”

“87!?” My dad said, “you have to put in 89, or 91 for your car! The engine will knock.”

“What are you talking about ‘knocks’?” I asked.

“ You put in the wrong gas Gina, oh goodness, we are going to have to listen to this for 300 miles!”

I looked at my Dad and shook my head. “Well how about George Michael then,” and I turned the radio back on.

We got to West Oakland on Friday night and I smelled the San Francisco Bay. It reminded me of Lake Sammamish. It's not a good smell. My Dad had picked out a motel right across from the Port. This was the industrial part of Oakland and was had few houses, mostly factories and large buildings.

I went for a walk by myself that night. Amazing murals covered many of the buildings. One building was entirely painted sky blue with waving trees, mythical animals and tree-people dancing around it. I stopped in front of a huge mural, a fantastical map of the universe all flowing from the open heart of a man floating in rapture. Right in front of it was a burned out shell of a car.

If there was any place that could have a Phone to speak to the dead, it would be here. The sense of anticipation was building in me.

Early Saturday we got to Seventh Street Market, and Dad asked me to drive around the block one more time before we pulled into the small parking lot.

“Dad, it is a real thing. I heard about it on a podcast. ‘Mystical Dimensions’.” We were both staring at the words spray painted on the wall in smoky gray graffiti letters, ‘Speak to the Dead’. “The episode talked to people who had spoken on the phone to their loved ones who had died.” I was not explaining this well.

Inside of a plexiglass phone booth missing its doors, a dilapidated Pacific Bell payphone waited. I can't remember the last time I saw a pay phone.

“So, I guess that is it. Do you want to talk on the Phone?” I said without turning.

He didn’t answer. From the car we watched people go into the market, the donut shop and getting cash for their payday checks.

“Do you want a donut?”

“No." He just looked away.

Everything in my life was going sideways, Gina, gone. The job, gone. And it was a good job, about to go IPO. Until I lost my temper with Bruce. Damn, what am I doing? Dad might be right, it could be me. Mom used to listen to me, give me advice when I screwed up. I don’t know how to talk to my Dad. I want to have a connection to him again. I had hoped this road trip would be a chance to connect, but nothing had changed.

“Hey. I’ll go.” I got out of the car and walked up to the beat-up pay phone. A large portion of the bottom of the phone is missing. Was this a good idea? Maybe I was trying to escape my own problems. For the first time, the idea of a pay phone to talk to the dead seemed really dumb. This whole trip has been a bust, another well planned, poorly executed trips.

I pick up the receiver, and listen to the silence. Maybe I am supposed to speak first.

“Hello, Mom, I brought Dad…”

While I listened for a response, I looked inside the market and saw a profile of a woman who looked exactly like my mother. I looked at the receiver in shock and then looked inside again. The dusty phone booth blurred my view into the store.

A strong wind began to blow and I suddenly became aware of the feeling of the phone in my hand, the ground underneath me. The back of my neck buzzed, I had goosebumps on my arms. The wind swirled trash and leaves into a small dust devil just outside the booth.

She is at the cash register, I could only see her from the back. The way of she held her head, it was exactly how I remembered mom. Was this possible?

Suddenly I felt the loss of my Mom course through me, the bottom has been ripped out. She was the only one who I could talk to, who would listen to me. I desperately needed to see her again, to hold her hand like I did at the end when she couldn't get out of bed.

I saw her begin to leave and I turned to watch the front door. My heart grew with anticipation. A woman of about 30 walks out, her hair style exactly like my Mom had when I was young, but this woman is a stranger. She saw me starting, nodded and walked away. My heart was racing and I breathed. She was truly gone and the tears' blurred my vision.

“Mom, please help me know what to do with my life.” I hang up the receiver and get back in the car. Another 30 minutes went by and I brought it up again.

“Dad, do you want to try now?”

I see his hands clenched tighter.

“I miss Mom.” I said.

“I do too.”

We watched people from the neighborhood come and go, and then a minivan parked and an entire family got out. Asian, they are dressed differently than anyone we have seen yet, more corporate than streetwear. A man, a woman holding a baby, and a teenage girl walked up to look at the phone. The young girl looks back at her Mom, and then goes to the pay phone and picks up the receiver.

I get out of the car, and my Dad does too.

“Excuse me ma’am, are you here for the Phone?” My Dad asks the Mom.

The woman looks over and smiles.

“Yes, We drive down every couple months. Our son, Ayaka’s little brother, died of cancer last year. Today would have been Yoshi’s birthday, and...” She tears up, and looks down at her sleeping baby.

“My wife passed away last month.” Dad paused and looked around the parking lot. “Does Yoshi answer back?” Dad asked.

“It depends what you mean by ‘answer’.” The mom gave a soft smile, and then took Ayaka’s place at the phone, followed by the Dad.

Ayaka looked over at us, and then went back inside the phone booth and picked up the receiver.

““I am sorry for your loss.” The Mom says, as she put the baby in the car seat.

Ayaka hung up the phone and turned to my Dad.

“I asked Yoshi to go get your wife so you can talk to her.”

The family gets in the minivan and drove off.

Finally, my dad walked up to the phone booth. He reached out and picked up the receiver. After a few minutes I watched him begin to sob, his shoulders shaking.

He hung up the phone and got back in the car.

“Your Mom said you should come live with me, at least until you are back on your feet." He said. "You can even bring the cat.”

“She said that?”

My Dad looked at me and smiled, the first I had seen in a long time.

“I think we both need to figure out where we are going.”

“OK, Dad. Let’s go see a baseball game. You have the map, show us where we need to go.”

Mom answered after all.

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For those spending time at home, looking for a cozy adventure or bedtime story for kids, we offer this imaginative rhyming picture book, read by the author, Daniel Errico. Follow the Marmabill on her quest through the rainforest, where she meets fantastical creatures like wugs, tankadiggies, and flying fluthers. As her journey takes her from treetops to glowing underground caves, the Marmabill finds out for herself the true meaning of home. Remember, our stories for kids are here for you to read at any time. And remember, Dream Big!

Gemma is a middle grade novel that follows a curious explorer and her ring-tailed lemur, Milo, as they hunt for the “most greatest treasure in the world”. Solving riddles, battling a bell-wearing jaguar, and traveling the Eight Seas, Gemma’s adventures take her from a young girl to a brave captain, whose only limits are the stars.

While drawing in class at Stagwood School, 12-year old Cal sees a frog staring at him through the window. Stranger than that, is the fact that this frog happens to be wearing glasses.

Cal and his best friend, Soy, learn that the frog (who prefers the name Deli) has sought them out for a reason. When a school administrator named Ream reveals himself to be a dragon, the boys discover that fairytales are real, and that there is magic afoot in Stagwood. With Ream on their tail, the trio must unearth a powerful tool protected by riddles and rile (the magic that fuels nightmares) to save the fate of all fairytales past. But, before Cal can defeat Ream, he has to deal with Soy's knack for arguing with magical creatures, discover the truth about Deli's identity, and earn his place as the hero of the story. The Guardians of Lore is a middle grade novel that centers around two life-long friends, infusing humor and fantasy-based riddles into a modern fairytale.

This quirky tale is about our most infamous character of all. If you don’t have a soufflé-baking, trumpet-blaring, sleigh-riding friend, then maybe it’s time that you met Ms. McKay. Told as a monorhyme poem. “Say what you will or say what you may, you’ll remember the day that you met Ms. McKay…”

Mr. McKay is a most mischievous fellow. His hair and eyes have been known to change color with the seasons. If you ever feel a warm breeze on a very cold winter day, be sure to keep your coat on, because it may be Mr. McKay playing his trick! A light-hearted, rhyming bedtime story about keeping your coat on when it’s awfully cold outside.

Ages 3-8, Narrated, Read Along

Explore the ocean floor and discover the location of Orangebeard's Treasure in this series of adventure stories for kids! Each location that you visit under the sea reveals a unique story from the gnarble. Piece together the clues with reading comprehension and reasoning skills to solve the mystery!

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble is a number one best-selling ebook that has been adapted into a hardcover book and play. Through rhyming verse and engaging illustrations, the Noble Gnarble teaches kids about perseverance and determination in the face of obstacles. Dream Big!

Ages 3-5, Narrated, Read Along

One of our most popular children’s stories, this is the tale of a group of robots winding down for the night. The Robot Bedtime Book is a playful bedtime story that encourages interaction, imagination, and a fun bedtime routine.

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Stories for children. Interesting and funny stories for kids.

Grade 1-2

A famous story about two friends and a kitten whose hat fell off a chest of drawers. The boys at first thought that the hat had come to life and were very frightened. But soon the secret of the hat was discovered... The story The living hat read The hat lay on...

Dragunsky's funny and instructive story about how Denis imagined himself as an adult. The boy dreamed about how he would scold his father, mother and grandmother for misbehavior: being late, walking without a hat, talking at dinner, etc. This ...

Grade 3

An interesting and informative story about two friends who bought two toy phones to talk to each other. Yes, only Mishka decided to disassemble his apparatus and see how it works. And to collect, as it was, and ...

A story about two friends who were left alone in the country for two days. When leaving, my mother explained how to cook porridge and soup. Yes, only the boys did not listen to advice at all. Read how friends caught fleeing porridge, took out a bucket...

Dragunsky's story about Denisk and Mishka, who did their homework together. At the same time, Deniska tells a friend about lemurs. Then the boys decide to check each other's work and find many mistakes - everything needs to be redone. After…

Grade 1

A funny story about Mishutka and Stasik, who told each other all kinds of fables - they competed who would lie to whom. One day neighbor Igor sat down on the bench. The boy told how he really deceived his mother by eating half a jar of jam...

A funny story about how the yard dog Bobik came to visit his master Barbos. Bobik was surprised by everything in the house: a wall clock, a hairbrush, a mirror, a TV set. Watchdog, as a hospitable host, explained to a friend about the purpose of objects. And then...

Grade 2

A funny story about a boy who didn't want to eat semolina. Mom promised to take him to the Kremlin if he ate all the porridge. Deniska adds sugar, salt, water and even horseradish to the porridge to make it more…

Grade 1

Dragunsky's story about three guys who didn't pronounce the letter Sh. It all started when a truck with a Christmas tree drove into the courtyard of the house. Alyonka says: “Look, there are detectives hanging on the Christmas tree.” This is where it started…

Dragunsky's story about Denisk, who came to visit his friend Mishka. Mishka gathered a lot of guys. And then it was decided to play hide and seek. Deniska decided to outsmart everyone and hide in one of the communal rooms….

Grade 1-2

A story about a boy and a girl who read the fairy tale Three Little Pigs and decided to build a house out of blankets and chairs. And suddenly it seemed to the boy that a gray wolf grabbed him by the leg… The story of Zateinika read We and…

A story about rescuing a dog and a kitten on a river during an ice drift. The guys threw a board on the ice floe and the dog in its teeth with the kitten moved to the shore. She missed her owner very much and was very happy when he…

Grade 4

An instructive story about shame, about not taking other people's things, about the fact that a misdemeanor will be punished. Read the story about Lela and Minka, who ate sweets from the New Year tree and opened gifts ... Christmas tree read ...

An instructive story about the blacksmith's son Vasya. The boy was very fond of riding a cart drawn by his father's horse. The blacksmith did not approve of this. Once Vasya took a cart and went to the forest. A branch got into the wheel and started whipping the boy…

A story about how a teacher wittily taught Fedya Rybkin to stop laughing in class. The boy was smeared with mascara, the whole class could not look at him without laughing. This made Fred very happy. The teacher, having discovered the reason for the fun, said that on ...

2nd grade

A story about a boy, Bobka, who had wonderful khaki pants. Climbing over the fence, the boy tore his pants, and his mother got angry and did not sew them up. Bobka decided to fix the patch himself… The story The patch to read U…

Nosov's instructive story, which teaches that you shouldn't take someone else's. Pavlik and Kotka once picked cucumbers in the collective farm garden. Kotka's mother saw cucumbers in her son's pocket and found out how he got them. This is strong for her…

Grade 2

A story about a boy Kotka, who was sitting at home and did not want to build a hill. However, when the guys built a slide and went home, Kotka went out into the yard to skate. And he wanted to ride from a new mountain. Climb up…

A cautionary tale about honesty. Minka got an A at school and got so upset that he forgot his diary on a park bench. They brought him a new diary and again put a unit there. In the evening a guest came and brought a forgotten diary...

A humorous story about Denisk and Mishka, who were assigned to sing a duet with satirical verses at a concert. The boys rehearsed for a long time, but during the performance Mishka got excited and repeated the first verse three times. The whole hall fell from ...

The best stories of Russian writers are collected here. Children love to read about adventures and funny stories from the life of their peers, as well as about funny animals. Funny dialogues, unusual plots and vivid illustrations make young readers fall in love with them from the first pages.

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Interesting and exciting stories for children of preschool and primary school age are collected in this section. More than one generation of people grew up on the wonderful works of the classics of children's literature Nosov, Dragunsky, Zoshchenko, Permyak, Golyavkin and other equally popular authors. Surprisingly, all these writers so deeply and penetratingly revealed the character of the characters, so interestingly and with humor conveyed the situations that happen to them, that one can only be surprised at their abilities and insight. They seemed to experience the mood of the characters themselves, as if they were describing their own lives. The emotionality of the word, which holds attention, and the detailed description of the nature that is happening around are striking. Each of the options presented here deserves attention, do not miss the chance to enjoy reading quality literature addressed to children.
From the first lines, these works make you fall in love with an eloquent word, an unbanal and fascinating plot. Can't stop reading. Here are collected those stories that will be of interest to children, stories about school and peers, about animals, about nature. The first emotional experiences, insults, emotions, sympathy and kindness towards animals are shown. These are the most popular and demanded works. A unique student library is presented to your attention. It is difficult to imagine life without a book; love for it arises at a young age precisely from such short, but such fascinating stories.
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Mysterious bag

Tatar fairy tale

There was an old bathhouse on the edge of the village. People were afraid to wash in it - they said that an evil spirit lives there. One day, young men and women gathered for a party in the same house. When it's time to go to bed, the girls them ...
An owl named Yabalak

Tatar fairy tale

One day an owl named Yabalak caught a small bird. He holds it in his beak - he is going to eat it. And the poor bird asks: “Oh, owl, you are strong and smart. But please tell me your name. Before I die, I want...
Zilyan

Tatar fairy tale

A fairy tale about how three dexterous and skillful brothers saved their sister from the hands of a terrible diva giant. "Zilyan" read They say that in ancient times there lived one poor, poor man. He had three sons and one daughter. It's hard...
Kamyr-batyr

Tatar fairy tale

There lived an old man and an old woman and they had no children. They made themselves a boy out of dough. The son began to grow by leaps and bounds: in one month he grew up like another and in a whole month...

A story about how a goose and her goslings got into a polynya on the Yenisei. The hero of the story and his friends saved the geese from death, they risked themselves. "Geese in the polynya" read Freezing on the Yenisei comes gradually. First…
Smell of hay

Astafiev V.P.

Two boys, cousins, are eager to help their grandfather and uncle bring hay from distant mowing. However, they are not taken with them, the road is hard, the work is difficult. But in the evening, when the hay is already in the yard, the guys are eager and ...
Autumn sorrows and joys

Autumn is a hot time. It is necessary to collect and prepare the entire crop. A story about how a large amount of cabbage is salted for the winter in one of the Siberian villages. It is in some way a mystical and interesting ritual and process….
Photo where I am not present

Astafiev V.P.

A story about true friendship, sincere love for the native land and shows what a real teacher should be like. It is important to remember those who were with you as a child. These people can be an important part of your life. And together…

Russian women

Nekrasov N. A.

Contents: ♦ I. Princess Trubetskaya ♦ Part one ♦ Part two ♦ Princess M.N. Volkonskaya ♦ Chapter I ♦ Chapter II ♦ Chapter III ♦ Chapter IV…
Tam Glen

Burns R.

Oh, aunt, I ask for advice! With such a young man, I don’t have to be afraid of the fate of change. I’ll be glad of poverty, - If only I would be with me ...
Lines about war and love I give my blood In that life-creating battle, What we call love. I glorify the triumph of the world, Contentment and prosperity. It is more pleasant to create one Than to destroy a dozen!
What's a girl to do

Burns R.

What's a girl to do? What shall I do, little girl? How shall I, little girl, live with my hubby? He is grouchy and sick, always dissatisfied. There is cold in his chest, ice in his hands. He groans, ...

1 - Little Red Riding Hood

Charles Perrault

A short tale about a trusting girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ... "Little Red Riding Hood" read Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother ...
2 - Three little pigs

Mikhalkov S.

A fairy tale about three little pigs who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks. "Three Little Pigs" read Once upon a time there were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All…
3 - Kolobok

Russian folk tale

The tale about Kolobok is found in Russian and Ukrainian folklore, and also has analogues in fairy tales of many other peoples. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Kolobok" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...
4 - Turnip

Russian folk tale

The turnip is a famous fairy tale for the little ones with a lot of repetitions. The child quickly remembers the sequence of presentation and a simple plot. "Turnip" read Grandfather planted a turnip and says: - Grow a turnip, sweet, sweet! Grow big, big! A turnip has grown, sweet and big, big….
5 - Wolf and seven kids

Russian folk tale

The tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate little kids. But the mother goat will be able to save her children and get rid of the wolf. "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" read Once upon a time there was a goat with kids ....
6 - The Tale of Tsar Saltan

Pushkin A.S.

The tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son, the glorious and mighty hero Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the beautiful Swan Princess was created on the basis of the folk tale "Wonderful Sons". Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin enriched the folk work with new plot twists,… and Livanov V.B.

The story of the animals and the young Troubadour who went to the city of Bremen to become street musicians. In the city they stopped in front of the royal castle. The king and princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople ran to the square and it began ...
8 - Seven-flower flower

Kataev V.P.

A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya, who was presented with a magic seven-flower flower. It had seven petals and could grant any seven wishes. Zhenya spent the first six wishes, but did not get any pleasure and only made her last wish ...
9 - The Snow Queen test and melt even an icy heart! "The Snow Queen" read Table of contents: ♦ The first story, which tells about ...0003
10 - Three Bears

Russian folk tale

Three Bears is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a house of bears. There she behaved very rudely: without permission she ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay in every bed, ...
11 - The Wizard of the Emerald City

"The Wizard of the Emerald City" - a fairy tale by Alexander Volkov written at 1939 based on the fairy tale by the American writer Frank Baum "The Wise Man of Oz" with some changes. In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised ...
12 - Geese-swans

Russian folk tale

Geese-swans - a fairy tale about how a boy was carried away by geese-swans and his sister went to look for him. The stove, apple tree and river helped the girl save her brother. Read the fairy tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Geese-swans" read There lived a man and a woman. At…
13 - Winnie the Pooh and all, all, all

Alan Milne

A cheerful and beloved fairy tale about Winnie the Pooh does not obey the laws of the fairy tale genre. The tale is devoid of negative characters, the struggle between good and evil forces. The main characters of the fairy tale are the toys of the boy Christopher, with whom funny situations happen in a magical ...
14 - The frog princess by the will of fate. Ivan had no idea that his wife was Vasilisa the Wise, turned by Koshchei into a frog. Ivan hurried, burned the frog skin and had to ...
15 - The Fox and the Crane

Russian folk tale

The Fox and the Crane is a fairy tale about friendship between a cunning fox and a clever crane. The crane could not eat the semolina porridge, which the Fox smeared on a plate. He invited her to his place and treated her to a delicious okroshka, which he put down...
16 - Masha and the Bear

Russian folk tale

Masha and the Bear is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a bear's hut. The bear did not let Mashenka go home, however, the girl came up with a way to return to her grandparents. Masha and…
17 - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish

Pushkin A.S.

The tale of a poor fisherman who caught a golden fish in his net. The old man took pity on the fish, released it into the sea. For this, the fish promised to fulfill his every wish. The old man did not ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…
18 - Hen Ryaba

Russian folk tale

Hen Ryaba is the first fairy tale-parable that mothers read to their babies. Children quickly grasp a simple plot and remember it by heart. Hen Ryaba read Once upon a time there was a grandfather and a woman. And they had a Ryaba Hen. The chicken laid an egg, yes ...
19 - Thumbelina

Hans Christian Andersen

The fairy tale about Thumbelina is loved by children all over the world. A tiny girl born from a flower goes through many trials on the way to her happiness. Fate rewards Thumbelina for her kind heart. The swallow she rescued earlier carries over…
20 - The Little Mermaid

Hans Christian Andersen

A touching tale about the Little Mermaid's strong love for the prince. The little mermaid is ready to give up everything that is dear to her for the sake of the human soul and the love of the prince ... The fairy tale formed the basis of the plots of many films, cartoons and musicals. Little Mermaid read In the open…
21 - Puss in Boots

Charles Perrault

The tale of an unusual cat that was inherited by a younger brother from a miller's father. The young man was not very happy at first with his share of the inheritance, but the cunning and smart cat made him the richest man and son-in-law of the king ... The cat in ...
22 - Sleeping Beauty

Charles Perrault celebration in honor of his birth. The old fairy predicted the girl's death from a spindle prick, but the good fairy was able to commute the sentence. The girl did not die, but fell asleep on ...
23 - Ax porridge

Russian folk tale

Ax porridge is a short fairy tale about a witty soldier. The greedy old woman did not want to feed the soldier, but he outwitted her and got porridge with butter ... Read porridge from an ax The old soldier went on a visit. Tired of…
24 - The Ugly Duckling

Hans Christian Andersen

A fairy tale about the miraculous transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. The duckling was born unlike his brothers, the inhabitants of the poultry yard disliked him for his dissimilarity to the others. The duckling had to leave the house and go through many trials before he…
25 - The Princess and the Pea

Hans Christian Andersen

A short story about how a prince wants to marry a real princess. One day, a girl knocked on the gate, who was soaked to the skin, but assured that she was a real princess. They let her in for the night, and the old queen gave her a check……
26 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

Russian folk tale

hooves and turning into a goat. .. Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka read Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, they had...
27 - Fear's eyes are big

Russian folk tale

Fear's eyes are big - a short fairy tale about the fact that from fear you can see what was not really ... (from M.M. Serova's collection) Fear eyes are big to read Once upon a time there was an old grandmother, a laughing granddaughter, a hen-klohtushka and a mouse-leaf. Each…
28 - Bean seed

Russian folk tale

The cockerel and the bean seed is a Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when pecking at the seeds. The hen warned him all the time and asked him to peck more slowly. One day he choked on a bean seed and fell down. But the chicken ...
29 - Crocodile Gena and his friends

Uspensky E.N.

Tale about a lonely crocodile Gena. Coming home from work from the zoo, he was left alone and bored. Crocodile Gena decided to make friends with someone. He wrote an announcement that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and ...
30 - Sivka Burka

Russian folk tale

Sivka-Burka is a fairy tale about the adventures of Ivan the Fool and his gallant horse. Sivka Burka read The old man had three sons: two smart ones, and the third Ivanushka the Fool; day and night the fool is lying on the stove. The old man sowed wheat, and it grew ...
31 - Baba Yaga

Russian folk tale

A fairy tale about a girl who was able to get out of the clutches of Baba Yaga, thanks to the advice of her own aunt and a kind cat ... Baba Yaga read Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved…
32 - Twelve months

Samuil Marshak

Do you know how many months there are in a year? - Twelve. And what are their names? — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. As soon as one month ends, another immediately begins. And…
33 - Teremok

Russian folk audio fairy tale

Teremok is a short fairy tale for kids about a house that sheltered many animals. However, the tower could not accommodate a huge bear and broke.
34 - The tale of the priest and his worker Balda

Pushkin A.S.

The tale of the stingy priest and resourceful worker Balda. Somehow Balda was hired for the service for three clicks on the forehead of the priest. When the time of reckoning was approaching, the priest decided to give Balda an impossible task in order to get rid of him. But Balda…
35 - Little Humpbacked Horse

Ershov P.

An old man lived in a village and had three sons. They grew wheat and sold it in the market. But then someone got into the habit of trampling wheat in the field at night ... Table of contents: ♦ Part one. It begins…
36 - Alice in Wonderland

Carroll L.

A fascinating story about a girl Alice who met a talking White Rabbit and ended up in amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters… Chapter 1. Down the rabbit hole Alice tired of sitting with my sister doing nothing on the shore ...
37 - The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A fairy tale about how a pilot, who remained a child at heart, met the Little Prince in the desert, who arrived from another planet. Dedication I ask the children to forgive me for dedicating this book to an adult. I'll justify it: this…

5 sites and apps to read for free, short stories every day

If you don't read fiction yet, you should! Research has shown that reading fiction has several benefits, from stress relief and improved sleep to improved mood and mental sharpness as we age.

It is now desirable to target one brain-stimulating habit each year. habit that stimulates So, for 2016, let's make it so that every day we read a little fiction. As with any habit, the less resistance you get when you start, the easier it will be.

We scoured the world wide web to find the best sites and apps offering multiple stories at any given time. Here's what you need.

Short morning (e-mail): stories delivered to your mailbox daily

Do you know what's better than finding stories every day? Having delivered them to your mailbox, you will not even forget to visit the site. In addition, there is a team of editors who hand-pick these stories to make sure you get a quality story every morning at 10am.

Emails arrive neatly formatted for desktop or mobile viewing, so you're ready to start reading. Also, if you enjoy listening to audiobooks, the sister site Listen To Morning Short publishes one great story every morning, recorded by professional actors. And all this is completely free!

TaleHunt (Android/iOS): Exciting fantasy of 250 characters or less

When TaleHunt promises short stories, they take the "short" part seriously. Much like the Twitter celebrity @VeryShortStory , small episodes of TaleHunt are limited to 250 characters or less. And anyone can write a new fairy tale by registering for free!

By default, TaleHunt shows trending stories that will be upvoted based on the number of likes they get. You can also follow specific users to get all the stories they write. Also, each story has a hashtag so you can get the ones that interest you.

Download: TaleHunt for iOS (Free) | Android (Free)

Poop Fiction (Web): Choose how many minutes you have and get a story

Don't let the fun concept of "Poop Fiction" put you off - stories are not about empty space. In fact, the stories are carefully selected and divided into four categories: tiny (1-2 minutes of reading), short (2-3 minutes), medium (3-4 minutes), long (4+ minutes).

Select the amount of time you want to read and press or press Find me history .” Poop Fiction works great on mobile and desktop. You will be presented with a short story, and once you have finished reading it, you can either choose to read another story, or return to the main menu and select a different amount of time. It's similar to what Longreads offers, but instead of long articles, you get short fiction here.

r / ShortStories (Web): Large, frequently updated collection of amateur stories

We already know that Reddit has great true stories from real people. real stories from real people. , but you can also get sci-fi from the great community forum. The most active subreddit for this is r/shortstories where anyone can write a story and submit it for the world to read.

Check the sidebar first so you can understand what the tags mean for each post. For example, SF is science fiction, FN is science fiction, HM is humor, and so on. You can also see where the link leads (marked at the end of the title). If it is the name of another site, you will be banned from Reddit. If it's "self.shortstories", you stay on Reddit and participate in the community.

Speaking of science fiction, if you're the kind of person who loves the 10 science fiction books every reader should read, then you'll probably want to stay on Daily Science Fiction. As the name suggests, you get one new fantasy tale every weekday.

The site has been around for a while, so the archives contain a wealth of material on topics such as aliens, virtual reality, future societies, space travel, time travel, and more. Hell, there is even some kind of fantasy! It's basically a geek's delight, so if you're into those genres, you'll love it here.

Whom do you like to read?

The Internet is full of fantastic short stories that you can read for free. Some of them must be downloaded in PDF format, some can be read directly.