Showing results by publisher "Dreamscape Media, LLC" in Anthologies & Short Stories

In "Mrs. Podger's Teapot", an old woman and her boarder take in an orphan on a cold winter's night. The child's natural spirit of generosity moves Mrs. Podger, and helps her find true happiness at Christmas.

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Kidnapped Prime Minister,” Poirot investigates the mysterious disappearance of the British Prime Minister during wartime. Apparently carjacked on the way to a peace conference, Poirot must overcome subterfuge and misdirection to solve the mystery. This short story originally appeared in the April 25, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

"The Chimes" focuses on Trotty, a poor elderly messenger who is filled with gloom over reports of crime and immorality in the newspapers. After losing faith in society, Trotty follows a call to the church bell tower, where he encounters goblins that teach him - and listeners - lessons in the form of visions about the mistreatment of the lower class in society. This story of social awakening inspires listeners to treat everyone with fair kindness.

This short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald is included in the collection entitled Tales of the Jazz Age. It follows a 16-year-old boy from an affluent family in Mississippi on his way to the most exclusive preparatory school in the world. It is at this school that the boy, named John, meets Peter, a boy whose father is the richest man in the world. John is invited to stay in their home in the west on a break. As John learns more and more about the wealthy family, he discovers their dark, haunting secrets and finds himself running for his life.

In "A Christmas Turkey", a poor family works hard to figure out how they can celebrate Christmas. When the father is unable to provide a turkey, the children venture out into the world, working to earn enough money to pool their resources and purchase one for the Christmas table.

This collection of short stories by Achmed Abdullah perfectly captures the feeling of fear and the mistakes of men who are caught up in the search for the things that appear in their wildest dreams. Experience the following short stories in this eerie collection: "Fear", "The Incubus", "Pro Patria", "Pell Street Blues", "Mystery of the Talking Idols", "The Charmed Life", and "A Simple Act of Piety."

Two frightening psychological thrillers, as only Willow Rose can deliver it. Better Watch Out: Some kids are scared of the dark, others of monsters living under their beds. Some are even afraid of clowns. None of those things scare Sara. But she is terrified of one man who comes to her house every year in the middle of the night. The Bird: When five-year-old Winnie finds a little bird that is hurt, she wants to take it in and take care of it. Her mother is reluctant. She is terrified of birds. As she rightfully should be.

First published in an 1843 edition of the Saturday Evening Post, "The Black Cat" tells the story of a man and his increasingly antagonistic relationship with his cat. Akin to "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Black Cat" investigates the psychological effects of guilt as well as the potentially destructive and violent consequences of alcoholism.

When Cousin Myra comes to visit for Christmas at the Osbornes' she finds her young cousins Frankie and Ida are bored with Christmas. Deciding that they have had too much of it, Cousing Myra suggests that the cousins share Christmas with some of the more unfortunate children in their community. Will Frankie and Ida give up their presents and sweets to make a merry Christmas for thir neighbors?

Written after the completion of the first draft of his second novel, this short story featured in Tales of the Jazz Age was written by Fitzgerald and features a man who settled in his love life and the daring, interesting woman who could have been his future.

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Plymouth Express,” a rich young American woman is found murdered on the train from Bristol to Plymouth and her valuable jewelry missing. Poirot’s suspects include her indebted gambler husband, her french adventurer lover, and her maid. But where is the murder weapon? This short story originally appeared in the April 4, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

In "A Hospital Christmas" a Civil War-era hospital is the setting for a Christmas story about caring for others, thinking positively, and how sharing can make Christmas meaningful for those who have little.

In "Gwen's Adventures in the Snow", Gwen and her siblings set out on a winter evening's sleigh ride only to encounter bad weather. Taking shelter in their country house to wait out the snowstorm, the group builds a fire, makes a picnic from the house's reserves, and shares stories to allay each other's fears.

Prissy's Uncle Richard and her father haven't exchanged words in eight years since a property dispute created hard feelings. When Prissy overhears Uncle Richard saying he has to travel for work on New Years' day, she resolves to sneak into his house and cook him a proper holiday dinner. Uncle Richard returns early and catches Prissy in the act. Can Prissy's kind gesture be the beginning of a reconciliation between the brothers?

A short Southern story, Fitzgerald takes the listener on a trip to Lily of Tarleton, Georgia. "The Jelly-Bean", published in The Metropolitan, was written under strange circumstances shortly after his first novel was published, and, moreover, it was the first story in which he had a collaborator. Fitzgerald's wife, who was a Southern girl, acted as his expert on the topic.

This short story is included in Tales of the Jazz Age, a collection written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald says, "I suppose that of all the stories I have ever written this one cost me the least travail and perhaps gave me the most amusement...it was written during one day in the city of New Orleans.... My amusement was derived from the fact that the camel part of the story is literally true; in fact, I have a standing engagement with the gentleman involved to attend the next fancy-dress party to which we are mutually invited, attired as the latter part of the camel"....

Originally published in Harte's 1875 short-story collection The Tales of the Argonauts, "How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar" is set in California in the early 1860s and, like the rest of the tales in that collection, features the gold-seeking Argonauts. In this tale, like many of Harte's others, the folly and grit of human existence balance any good intentions, good cheer, or hope, resulting in a more complicated and somewhat bleak ending than is commonly found in most Christmas tales.

Written in a decade when American music and literature were exploding in new directions, F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tales of the Jazz Age (1922) is a collection of 11 short stories that capture the spirit of the times. The author of The Great Gatsby divided this collection into three parts: My Last Flappers, Fantasies, and Unclassified Masterpieces. Among these beloved short works is the classic "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which describes a man who grows younger in appearance as he ages.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, originally published in Colliers Magazine on May 27, 1922. The story follows Benjamin's life from his birth in 1860. However he is no ordinary child, as he has the appearance of a 70-year-old man, already capable of speech. His family soon realizes that Benjamin is aging in reverse, becoming younger as the years go by. The fascinating story looks at his triumphs and struggles as he slowly gains his youth.

"A New Way to Spend Christmas" describes a Christmas visit to Randall's Island in the East River, where orphaned and sick children are looked after. A charitable woman brings gifts and spreads "sunshine in that shady place" to the unfortunate children who live there.