Browse Stories

A scholar named Kong Yiji, a regular at a tavern in Luchen, is ridiculed for his pedantry and tattered long gown, symbols of a bygone era. Despite his learning, he's impoverished and resorts to petty theft, ultimately facing a tragic end that reflects the societal changes and the plight of intellectuals in early 20th century China.

A fruit seller from Kabul forms an unlikely bond with a young Bengali girl in Calcutta, reminding him of his own daughter back home, until circumstances separate them for years.

The story follows the unwavering loyalty of Tennessee's Partner, who stands by his friend through hardship and ultimately sacrifices himself.

A poor young girl experiences beautiful visions through her matches as she freezes to death on New Year's Eve.

Two bitter enemies, trapped together by a fallen tree in a disputed forest, find a moment of reconciliation before an unexpected and grim fate intervenes.

A young man inherits $1,000 with the stipulation that he must account for its expenditure, leading him on a series of encounters before he makes a surprising, selfless decision that ultimately costs him a larger inheritance.

A young woman, gravely ill with pneumonia, believes she will die when the last ivy leaf falls, but an old artist's final masterpiece, a painted leaf, gives her the will to live, though it costs him his own life.

First Mrs. Parker would show you the double parlours.

A young Pittsburgh man, Paul, discontented with his middle-class life, steals money and escapes to New York for a brief, glamorous spree before his actions lead to a tragic end.

A young, impoverished couple secretly sacrifices their most prized possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts.

The story depicts the harsh realities of life for a woman and her children in the Australian outback while her husband is away droving.

Louisa Ellis, a woman content with her solitary, orderly life, must decide whether to marry her long-absent fiancé, Joe Dagget, or maintain her cherished independence when he finally returns.