tiny tales

This week wonder | wander | world picks Laura Gibbs' Tiny Tales. 100-word stories inspired by traditional folktales. So far Gibbs has completed ten books of Tiny Tales, each containing 200 stories - not so little a compilation after all.

Here is a sweet sample: "Sita Rewards Hanuman"

Hanuman watercolor

After Rama's coronation, Sita honored Hanuman with a pearl necklace.

Hanuman started biting the pearls, cracking them open and looking inside.

"What are you looking for?" Sita asked, laughing, and all the people in attendance laughed too.

"I am looking for you," said Hanuman, "and for Rama. Without you inside, these pearls are useless."

"Rama and Sita are on their thrones!" the people shouted. "How could they be in the pearls?"

"In the same way they are in my heart," Hanuman replied, tearing open his chest; everyone could see Rama and Sita there. "Are they not in your hearts also?"

There's also an audio version to listen to - available on SoundCloud.