Prose

Prose is spoken or written language that follows regular speech patterns. It is made up of sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry which is made up of lines and stanzas. The term “prose” is often used to describe writings such as novels, short stories, and narratives.

The Climb

One sunny day, Marco went outside to play. He looked at the tall tree in his front yard. It was the tallest tree in the neighborhood. The tree was taller than Marco’s parents. It was even taller than his house! Marco tipped his head back to look at the top of the…

The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf

A Shepherd Boy tended his master’s Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd’s pipe. One day as he sat watching…

Henry Knox: First Secretary of War

Henry drew his fist back, ready to let it fly. “Halt!” yelled Constable Evans. “All you do is get into brawls, Henry.” Henry glared at the teen who would have received his punch. “Yeah, fighting is in my blood. One day I will lead men with that fighting spirit.” When…

The Gift of the Magi

O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter, wrote the short story “The Gift of the Magi.” It was published in 1910. Below are the opening paragraphs of the story. ———————- One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved…

A Bike for Ben

“Hey, Ben, let’s go ride to the park,” called Dion. He and Thomas were on their bikes and wanted Ben to come along. Ben shook his head sadly. All of his friends had bicycles. He did not. Ben wished he had one so he could go riding with his friends.…

A Puppy for Poppy

“I’m going to miss you so much, Poppy,” said the tall, gangly teenager. He bent down to hug his old golden retriever farewell. He stood up, hugged his parents, and smiled, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. His parents were not quite able to keep…

The Rescue of the Tin Woodman

Dorothy, a Kansas girl, is carried by a tornado to the distant land of Oz. Dorothy wants to go back home. She travels to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to help her. Along the way, she meets a tin woodman, who tells his story in this…

A Stormy Day

Black Beauty is the story of a black horse in England in the 1800s. It tells the story from the horse’s viewpoint. The book covers Black Beauty’s life from the time he is born until his old age. In this passage, Black Beauty has been harnessed to a cart to…

The First of the Three Spirits

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a successful but tight-fisted English businessman who hates Christmas. Scrooge has been told by the ghost of his dead business partner that three spirits will visit him. These spirits are the last chance Scrooge has to avoid the fate of his…

Swara the Snow White Swan

Swara was a swan. Her feathers were as white as snow. She lived at the lake with her friends, the ducks and turtles.   All the ducks liked to splash and swim. Some even liked to dive head-first into the water and kick their orange feet into the air. The turtles…