203 Results in the "Children’s Fiction" category


    • Chapter IV: Hero-Stuff Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter IV: Hero-Stuff begins with the quiet rhythm of life at the Place, a routine Lad has come to cherish. His world, centered around his people and his familiar surroundings, is gently stirred when the Master introduces a new puppy—Lady. At first, the intent seems kind, aimed at giving Lad companionship, but the result is far more complex than expected. Lady’s presence does not fill a gap Lad knew he had; instead, it reshapes the emotional landscape. Their bond grows over time, but it’s not simple…
    • Chapter V: The Stowaway Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter V: The Stowaway begins in quiet heartbreak. With Lady sick and sent away for treatment, Lad is left to manage their restless son, Wolf. The young collie is wild and undisciplined, needing the firm but fair presence of his father. Lad takes to the task dutifully, and by the time Lady returns, Wolf has matured. But something shifts. The bond once shared between Lad and Lady weakens, replaced by her newfound closeness with Wolf. Lad tries to join their playful moments, but he finds himself left out,…
    • Chapter VI: The Tracker Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VI: The Tracker opens with disruption arriving in the form of Cyril, a sickly, undisciplined boy sent to the countryside while his parents travel abroad. The Place, usually calm and ordered, quickly falls into chaos under his carelessness and disregard. He pesters the staff, breaks rules with impunity, and torments animals for amusement—his antics consistently causing distress. Lad, dignified and serene in his old age, becomes the target of much of Cyril’s cruelty. The boy throws objects,…
    • Chapter VII: The Juggernaut Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VII: The Juggernaut opens not with celebration, but the heavy weight of injustice pressing on those who loved Lad. The community buzzes with rumors and anger, for what had appeared as an isolated tragedy now unravels into something more sinister. Rhuburger, the man at the center of Lady’s death, isn’t just a careless driver—he’s part of a twisted pastime that glorifies cruelty. His connection with Bilke, a man infamous for purposefully running down dogs, casts a disturbing shadow. Together,…
    • Chapter VIII: In Strange Company Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VIII: In Strange Company begins not with excitement, but with a peaceful journey into the quiet beauty of the Ramapo Mountains. Lad accompanies the Mistress and Master on a camping trip, eager and alert, even in his older years. The serenity of the wild does not dull his senses—it sharpens them. As the family prepares to leave camp, an unintentional oversight leaves Lad tied near a tree, overlooked amid the bustle. He waits calmly, trusting that they will return, his gaze steady on the trail.…
    • Chapter IX: Old Dog; New Tricks Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter IX: Old Dog; New Tricks opens with a challenge to a familiar saying—one that suggests age and learning are at odds. Lad, a dignified collie well past the height of his youth, quietly disproves that notion through his actions rather than any display of force or novelty. At twelve, his muzzle is silvered and his steps are slower, but his mind remains sharp. One afternoon, he surprises his family by trotting home with a lace parasol clutched delicately in his jaws. He found it abandoned, yet…
    • Chapter X: The Intruders Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter X: The Intruders begins with a rupture in routine, as the serene world of The Place is disturbed by unwelcome guests. The first sign of trouble emerges when a pig from neighboring land trespasses through a gap in the fence, rooting and tearing through the garden with destructive enthusiasm. Though not new to the sight of stray creatures, Lad regards pigs with specific disdain, rooted in past encounters that left scars both physical and emotional. Despite his advancing age, Lad’s instinct to…
    • Chapter I: Dream Life and Real Life; A Little African Story Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I: Dream Life and Real Life; A Little African Story introduces young Jannita, whose quiet existence is tethered to the harsh routine of tending goats under the unforgiving African sun. Her life, shaped by the rigid demands of her Boer employers, offers little warmth or affection. Seeking shelter beneath the spindly shade of a milk-bush, Jannita falls asleep, and her world transforms. In the cocoon of her dream, the plain turns to a gentle meadow, and the people around her speak with kindness and…
      Fable • Novel
    • Chapter II: The Woman’s Rose Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II: The Woman’s Rose begins with a quiet moment of reflection, as the narrator opens an aged wooden box tied with a simple cord. Inside, among trinkets faded by time, rests a rose—withered yet intact, its form preserved with unusual care. Unlike other flowers once pressed between pages or left to dry, this one has endured, kept not for its beauty but for its meaning. The narrator associates it not with romance or celebration, but with strength and a pivotal memory from her youth. It is a symbol…
      Fable • Novel
    • Chapter III: “The Policy in Favour of Protection” Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter III: "The Policy in Favour of Protection" opens not with economics, but with an intimate encounter that reveals the tension between personal desire and moral restraint. In the glow of a firelit room, an older woman’s solitude is broken by the sudden arrival of a young visitor, cloaked not in winter’s cold, but in the anguish of love unreturned. The younger woman, refined in dress yet raw in emotion, implores her elder to intercede on her behalf—her affections aimed toward a well-known man, a…
      Fable • Novel
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