This coming-of-age story by Camille Acker initially comes across as yet another “too good to be true” tale about a young African-American girl from a working-class family overcoming the odds. (In this case to win a piano competition against privileged white kids from a wealthy neighborhood.) The narrative takes a turn after the competition as her family’s lower socio-economic status becomes clear. Provoked by the rude, condescending attitude of another competitor, she attacks the other girl’s chauffeur-driven car with the only weapon available… cast off cicada shells! Themes include poverty, social class, parental love, success, pride, identity. More…
My Lord, the Baby / The Child’s Return
Major themes of this story by Rabindranath Tagore are duty, love and sacrifice. A young magistrate places the faithful servant who raised him in charge of his own son. After the boy disappears in a flood, the servant is discharged. Miraculously, he has a son of his own who he comes to believe is the lost boy reincarnate. He spends everything he has raising his son to the same standard as the dead boy and, when he becomes too old to work, “returns” the boy to the magistrate. Other themes include loss, guilt and redemption, ingratitude. More…
The Higgler
In this story by A. E. Coppard, a higgler (peddler) faces a difficult choice. Although not formally engaged, he has been “keeping company” with a girl everyone expects him to marry. Life gets complicated when one of his suppliers, a wealthy widow in poor health, asks him to marry her beautiful, well-educated daughter. Though strongly attracted to the girl, she has shown little interest in him. He makes his decision thinking the mother’s offer must have a hidden catch. When she dies, he learns something that may have changed his mind. Themes include struggle, choices and consequences, suspicion, unconsummated love. More…
The Invention of Morel
This story by Adolfo Bioy Casares is in the form a diary by a Venezuelan fugitive who, after a hundred days hiding on a deserted Pacific island, is disturbed by what appear to be a group of tourists. He watches them for several days and becomes infatuated with a “gypsy-like” woman in the group. When he approaches her, she (and later the other tourists) act as if he doesn’t exist. In reality, it is she (and they) who don’t exist and his dying wish is to join them. Themes include isolation, love, obsession, metaphysics (illusion vs. reality), scientific hubris, immortality. More…
The Three Wonderful Beggars
In this Serbian folktale, a young girl stops her rich but cruel father from setting his dogs on three old men who come begging to his door. The old men are not really beggars, but fairies. They foretell that a baby boy in a nearby village will one day own all the rich man’s money and land. The rich man learns this and tries several times to kill the boy. However, he boy survives and the fairies’ prophesy comes true. As a final punishment, the rich man must work forever in a job that is much worse than begging. More…