Stories Written by Children's (Reading for Children )

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You are about to read some short stories. The computer will listen while you read, so that it can learn what your voice sounds like.

Students at Provo High School wrote these stories for you to read. Michael Rutter and Karl Barksdale edited them. We hope you enjoy the stories!

Suzi, The Singing Swine by J.E. Rockwood

Once upon a time there was a pig. But this wasn't any ordinary pig. This pig could talk! Oh, it sounds crazy, but it's true! She could say all the words you and I can, and even some we can't.

Farmer Bill used to come out every day and talk with that pig. It was quite a sight to see. Farmer Bill sat on a tree stump with the pig right by him. They talked as though it was the most natural thing in the world for a farmer and his pig to speak with one another.

It had never occurred to Bill that most pigs can't talk. It was quite a shock when it dawned on him. He was talking to his wife, Lucille, during dinner. Bill mentioned something his pig had said. Lucille looked up from her plate and stared at Bill.

"Pigs can't talk! They're stupid," she said as she took another bite.
Bill thoughtfully chewed his carrots. Obviously not all pigs were too stupid to talk. His pig could talk!

Then he thought that if his pig could talk just like people can, maybe she could do other things people can do, too. Maybe she could cough, hum, or maybe she could sing! What an idea! The thought kept churning over in Bill's mind as he finished his supper. He calmly walked out to the pasture and knelt by Suzi, the pig.

"I have a question," he said. "Can you sing?"
The pig smiled as well as a pig can smile and said, "Of course I can sing!"
She started singing the most amazing song, Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." It was the best song Bill had ever heard!

"That's amazing!" he said. "Can you sing anything else?"
Suzi pranced around Farmer Bill singing Mozart.

"I've never heard anyone sing like you before!"
Bill patted the pig's head and smiled warmly before walking back to the house.

Once inside, Bill picked up the phone and called an old friend of his from school. This friend happened to run Carnegie Hall. It was the very same Carnegie Hall that all the great musical people have performed in! They had a pleasant conversation before Bill went to bed.

A week later, a huge crowd gathered at Carnegie Hall. Nobody knew what was going on. They heard that some special performer was out to sing, someone fantastic. But not a single person knew who it was! The mystery only added to the excitement.

The crowd became quiet as the orchestra warmed up. They were still as the lights dimmed. There was a long silence as the crowd leaned forward in their chairs and listened to the announcer.
"Carnegie Hall is proud to present... Suzi!"

Farmer Bill walked onto the stage in a suit. Following him on a leash came his amazing pig. She wore a bright pink dress with tiny white polka dots and trimmed in lace. Around her head was a white bow.

The crowd sat in surprised silence. They didn't know if they were supposed to cheer or laugh!

Bill removed the leash as Suzi sat herself down in front of the orchestra. Bill walked off the stage, leaving Suzi alone.

Suzi cleared her throat, and somehow, the crowd got even quieter. From the orchestra came the sounds of the opening of the song, "Ave Maria."

Suzi began to sing.
The crowd sat with their jaws wide open.

It took a full thirty seconds after Suzi's voice faded from the hall for a single person to begin clapping. Then came another, and another, until the entire crowd cheered, begging for more! "Sing! We love you, sing some more!" Suzi sang until her voice was hoarse and cracking.

And so it was that Suzi, The Singing Swine, became a household name. People will talk about her for generations. Scientists will always wonder what could have produced an opera singing pig, and music lovers everywhere will never forget those first few notes of "Ave Maria."

The Howl of the Wolf by Linsey Duncan

Everyone knows what a wolf howl sounds like. It is deep, beautiful and eerie all at the same time. But why does a wolf howl? Some people think that wolves howl at the moon, but they don't. The howl is a way that wolves talk to each other. Wolves feel no need to talk to the moon.

Wolves can say many things through a howl. If a wolf is by himself, he can howl to tell his pack where he is. He might also howl if a bird or something startles him, but he is not scared enough to run away.

If he sees or smells a wolf of another pack or a human, he will howl to tell his friends that an intruder is coming. Howls are also used when a pack is hunting, or even after a really fun playtime.

Wolves like to sing together, even when they are not hunting. But they don't like to sing the same note. Instead, they sing in chords, like a choir. Not only does this sound like a wolf choir, it can fool people into thinking that there are more wolves than there really are. After a long howling song, the pack will be quiet for a while, maybe to listen for other wolves.

Wolf howls can be heard ten miles away in good weather. They can last up to eleven seconds each, or be as short as half a second. Wolves will respond to howls, even those made by humans, or tapes made of wolf howls.

The most likely wolf to answer a howl is the leader, or head, wolf. Like the coach of a sports team, the head wolf speaks for his pack and directs them with howls, barks or growls.

But some wolves do not howl much at all. Wolves in southern Asia howl very rarely. We don't know why they don't howl often. Some think it is because these wolves were hunted a lot by people. These wolves learned to be quiet so they can hide easier.

Even when he is lying down, a wolf can howl. Wolves like to howl so much that they will run to sing with their pack. They will sing alone too, maybe to tell the world they are lonely. In any case, no matter what the howl is for, or how many wolves are lifting their voices, the howl is a beautiful and thrilling thing to hear.

Owls by Renee Underwood

Have you ever walked out on a summer night and seen a big bird flying by? Chances are that bird was an owl. They are birds, but they are quite different from the little songbirds you see flying around during the day. These are fascinating animals that live in a world of night.

There are many types of owls. They can be as different from one another as people are.

Owls vary in size. The Great Grey owl is about as big as a fat cat. The Elf owl, however, is about the size of a small guinea pig. Owls are very different from each other because they have adapted to where they live.

The Snowy owl is white. This bird lives in Northern Canada where it is often snowy and always cold. The Snowy owl can hide in the snow, making it easier for it to sneak up on the small rodents it eats.

The Spotted owl is brown and white spotted. Have you ever seen sunlight fall through the leaves of trees? It makes spots on the tree trunks. Since these owls live in the forests of Oregon and Washington, their spots help them hide from the rodents and fish found in the forest.

Another owl that is uniquely colored is the Burrowing owl. It is dark brown. It does not live in trees like most owls do. This interesting night bird digs holes in the dirt in open fields and lives there. This owl eats the rodents and small critters that make their homes on the prairie.

There are many different kinds of owls. Most have yellow eyes, sharp talons, and meat tearing beaks. Owls are nocturnal, meaning they hunt and are awake at night, and sleep during the day.

Owls, like most other birds, fly to other places in the winter. This is called migration. They sometimes fly very long distances just so that they can be warm all year round. Along the migration, they communicate with other owls by their calls.

Most people can recognize owl calls right off. If you have ever heard a low call that sounds like HOO HU HU HOO HOO, then you have heard the call of the Great Horned owl. Some owls use high pitched squeals or clicks, while others use humming or chirping.

Owls all have exciting weapons to help them hunt better. As you know, most owls hunt at night, so seeing a tiny mouse from a high tree branch is quite hard. But owls can do it by using sounds.

They send sound down to the forest floor, and measure how far away a critter is by how quickly the sound bounces back. This is how an owl can silently swoop down and pluck a rat from the ground with no effort at all.

Owls are amazing creatures. We have much to learn about them still. Scientists are only scratching the surface in what they know about owls. But sadly, some species are disappearing from the earth. People who cut down trees destroy owl homes. Careless people who litter and pollute the earth are killing the homes and food for these birds.

It is up to us to save the owls. We must work hard to protect owls for years to come.

Molly's Dream by Linsey Duncan

Molly pet her dog quietly as she looked into the fire. She was bored, but warm and comfortable. She didn't want to get up from the couch. It was soft and fluffy like a pillow right out of the dryer. She kept sinking down into it, and it got more warm and comfortable with each passing moment. Eyelids drooping, her hand kept stroking the rough dog fur until she finally fell asleep.

"I'm hungry," her dog said in her dream, looking at her with large brown eyes. "I'm hungry. You forgot to feed me again."

"I'm sorry, Tessie."
Molly searched for the big bag of dog food, but she was in the middle of a green field. If the bag was there, the grass hid it.
"I'm sorry, Tessie. I don't have any food right now."

"But I'm hungry! Do you have any beef steak in your pockets?" Tessie grinned, her tongue hanging out.
"No, I don't have any beef steak, funny dog. All I have is a couple of peanuts left over from my snack."

"That's okay. Can I have them?"
Tessie's tail wagged excitedly and she trotted right up to Molly, still grinning.

Molly dug the peanuts out of her pocket, cracked them, and gave them to Tessie. Tessie had to tilt her head to get the peanuts under her back teeth. She crunched loudly, and then the peanuts were gone. The tail wagged again and Tessie winked up at Molly.

"I'm still hungry, but thanks anyway. I liked the peanuts."
"I'm glad you liked them."
Molly reached down and scratched behind Tessie's ear.

The dog panted happily and her leg started twitching. Soon her leg was twitching so hard that Molly had to stop. She laughed and gave Tessie a little pat on the head. Then she looked around the field.

It was a very quiet field with waves of grass and some scattered white flowers. A black and bright blue butterfly fluttered a few feet away. It landed, slowly opening and closing its colorful wings. Molly watched it silently, wanting to touch it, but she was afraid it would fly away if she came too close.

Then a beautiful song caught her attention. She turned toward the sound and saw a fallen log with a craggy branch sticking up out of it. On the branch was a small bird with a yellow throat. Its mouth was wide open. It didn't mind that she was listening.

Tessie nudged her leg and Molly sat down to pet her. She wanted to keep watching the bird. Then Tessie started licking her hand and Molly had a hard time concentrating on the bird. The whole field started to flicker out. "Stop it, Tessie," Molly murmured. Her voice sounded funny.

One more lick and the whole field disappeared. Instead Molly was back on the couch, the fire slowly dying. The dog was licking her hand as hard as she could, wanting Molly to wake up and pet her.

"I'm awake," Molly said, a little louder this time.
Then, remembering her dream, she sat up groggily.
"Are you hungry, Tessie?"
Tessie opened her mouth in a grin and wagged her tail, backing up a couple of steps.

"Okay then ...I'll get you something."
She got up and walked downstairs to get the dog food, Tessie trailing eagerly behind.

They're Really Not There by Charlotte McKinlay

We all grew up on fairy tale stories about beautiful princesses, handsome princes, and magical fairies. But the dragons, goblins and witches were always more exciting.

Of course we've always known that these things are just make believe (at least there was always an adult around to tell us that they were), but there was a time when people really believed in magic and witches. In fact, people were so convinced that there were witches in their town that they put people on trial for witchcraft and hanged them.

In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, when people had just started coming to America from England, there was a witch scare. It was started by the little girls of the town.

There really wasn't much for children to do in those days, so the girls would get together at the reverend's house in the kitchen to tell stories and talk. The reverend's name was Samuel Parris. He had a black slave woman named Tituba. Tituba was from the Barbados islands, and she knew fascinating stories about witches from home.

The girls would listen to Tituba talk about her home, even though they knew that they weren't supposed to be listening to stories like that. They knew if their parents found out, they would be badly punished.

Soon the stories got scary enough that the girls started doing strange things. They had nightmares, and they would twitch and have fainting fits. Their parents wanted to know what was going on.

The girls couldn't tell their parents they had been listening to stories about witches. They would be publicly whipped for it.

To keep herself from being whipped, Elizabeth Parris, the reverend's daughter, was the first to accuse someone as a witch. She said that Tituba was bewitching her and making her do strange things.

Soon after, two other women were accused by other girls. Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were arrested and questioned for bewitching the girls. The townspeople told them that they could either confess to being witches or be hanged. Tituba was frightened and confessed to being a witch. She also said that Sarah Good and Sara Osborne were witches too.

The girls went wild. They saw an opportunity to get rid of their enemies. The whole town was at their command. All they had to do was point a finger at any person who made them mad, and that person would be whisked off to jail.

Ann Putnam was one of the "afflicted" girls. Her family had been in a fight with the Nurse family for years over a piece of land that both families claimed. Anne accused Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft to get back at their family. Rebecca refused to say that she was a witch. She was hung, along with Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Good and Sarah Wildes.

Dorcus Good, Sarah Good's daughter, was also accused of witchcraft and sent to jail even though she was only four years old.

Seventeen women and two men were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem. One man was pressed to death, and thirteen people died in jail for witchcraft. Finally, the Mayor's wife was accused, and that made the town realize that they had gone too far. Forty-nine people accused of witchcraft were given apologies and released from jail.

Nothing was done to punish the girls who had made a whole town go crazy enough to kill more than twenty people. Some of the girls apologized to the town. Others never admitted to lying.

Ellen Mae and the Well by Renee Underwood

One fine spring day, when the birds were chirping and the sun was shining, Ellen Mae stopped milking the old brown cow. She stopped, set her hands on her lap, and said right out loud that she wished she was a critter in the forest who never had to look at a milk cow if it didn't want to.

She decided then and there that she was done milking, and ran out into the sun-drenched meadow yonder. She started picking flowers and singing snatches of her favorite songs.

Now who should walk into the barn but Ellen Mae's very angry Mama. Ellen Mae heard a loud, "Ellen Mae Jefferson, what done happen to you?!"

Ellen Mae got real scared, and since nothing else came to mind, she ran. She ran and ran and ran until suddenly everything went dark. Ellen Mae felt herself fall and land with a great big thud.

"Ouch!" she said.
"Ouch yourself," said a voice in the darkness.
Ellen Mae whirled about.

"Who said that, and what are you doing down here?" she demanded.
"Who are you and what are you doing down here?" said the voice.
"I'm Ellen Mae Jefferson and I just fell into this here well."
"My name is Bush and I live down here."

Ellen Mae said quietly, "I am a bit frightened. You aren't a troll ...are you?"
Bush laughed. "No, but close. I'm a mole."
"That's nice," said Ellen Mae, a bit relieved. "I wish I were a mole. I wouldn't ever have to go back up there again. I'd just stay down here where it's cool and dark and never work again."

"It isn't all as grand as you think Ellen Mae Jefferson," said Bush.
Ellen Mae was puzzled and a bit put out.
"Of course it is. What is there not to like?" she asked.

"Well, it gets awful lonely down here. I don't have no swell Mama like you do."
Ellen Mae pondered a bit.
"I guess my Mama is kind of swell," she said.

Then she was quiet, thinking about those warm and sweet strawberry pies Mama Jefferson made on Saturday mornings. Bush went on.
"Lots of folks think it's easy down here. Well no ma'am. Let me tell you Ellen Mae Jefferson, all I ever do is dig and dig. No parties for me at the weeks end."

Ellen Mae was quiet again. She was thinking of the bright, musical barn raisings they had on Saturday nights over in McAbby's green field. Ellen Mae started thinking about a lot of things.

Suddenly the sound of voices filled the well. It so happened that the whole town had come out to find lost Ellen Mae Jefferson. Ellen Mae stood and cried out to Bush.

"Do you hear? They've come for me!"
Bush smiled.
"Well now Ellen Mae Jefferson, I thought you wanted to stay down here forever?"

Ellen Mae laughed and looked up to see Mayor Jones who was waving from the top of the well, lowering down a lamp with a long piece of strong rope for Ellen Mae.

She turned to say goodbye and to thank Bush. He was gone. Ellen Mae frowned, but in her heart she knew he was happy for her. Ellen Mae grabbed a hold on the rope and was tugged up.

Her Mama was there, a little wet eyed, and she gave Ellen Mae a big hug. The whole town cheered. Then they went on over to McAbby's field for Jefferson strawberry pie and the best barn raising they'd had in 15 years. They still talk about it to this day.