This Norton Critical Edition of Stephen Crane’s classic 1895 Civil War novel is again based on the first published edition, conservatively edited. The Fourth Edition offers a broadened and restructured “Backgrounds and Sources” section that illuminates the social and intellectual climate of the 1890s and includes thought-provoking mat…
An adulteress, a runaway boy, a terrified soldier, and a maltreated sailor-all the heroes of these must-read novels have become part of our American literary heritage….
It takes a lot of courage to be a Free Amazon, but does that mean you absolutely must be a swordswoman?This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology FREE AMAZONS OF DARKOVER, December 1985….
Dana Clarke has always longed for the stability of home and family-her own childhood was not an easy one. Now she has married a man she adores who is from a prominent New England family, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, but no one can help noticing …
Amazon Exclusive: Kristin Hannah Reviews Not My Daughter Kristin Hannah is the New York Times bestselling author of 18 novels, including Firefly Lane, On Mystic Lake, Between Sisters, and True Colors. She is a former lawyer turned writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. Read her exclusive Amazon guest review of Not My Daughter: …
In the idyllic small town of Tucker, Vermont, life flows at a rhythmic pace for thirty-nine-year-old pediatrician Paige Pfeiffer. But when Mara O’Neill, Paige’s best friend and medical partner, inexplicably commits suicide, Paige’s comfortable world is shattered. Temporarily caring for Mara’s newly adopted baby daughter while she comes to grips with her grief, Paige clings to the hope that, in tim…
Into The Land of Dragons and Crocodiles (A short story of war and bravery)
Into The Land of Dragons and Crocodiles
A short story written by Johnnie J. Lim
Background
Sulu is one of the places in the Philippines known for its culture and people. It is also known for its agricultural and marine contributions to the country. Sulu is a great place. It could be considered as a haven of pride because of its fascinating natural beauty. The issues that make Sulu bad to other people in the country and to the world are only caused by small group of people who deviate from the real identity and dignity of the Tausug people. Modesty aside, Sulu is the home for the brave for only the bravest survives in the land. The archipelago is also known for its legendary clans that up to now still emerge as the undisputed families. This is the subject that inspires me to write this story.
I
“Mother! Give me my sword, mother!” The young man requested. Nursiba looked at him. She was reluctant to grant the request of her son. “Give it to me, mother! I said, give it to me!” His voice echoed like a thunder in a misty heavenly bodies where dragons dwell in an eternal mountain of flames. It was the first time he lost resentment to his mother. “Sakur! Stop it!” The eldest brother interfered. “You can’t win the fight with anger. You can’t do it!” Omar explained. He knew that Sakur wanted to defend the land, the dignity and identity of their clan. But he had not yet recovered from the previous encounter with the crocodiles. “Why, Omar? Are you giving up everything to them? To those green-eyed monsters? Don’t you see what they’ve done to our land? Can’t you see what I mean?” Sakur exclaimed in a tempestuous manner. Omar looked at their mother with a slight feeling of embarrassment. “The last blood of the clan must rule the land.” He had it in his mind. He knew the wisdom behind the fiery anger of his brother, the young dragon. The wisdom that forced him to reminisce the history of his journey into the land of the crocodiles. The land of the greedy. The field where the smartest overrules the wisest. The plain where the strongest remains in the limelight of power. The arena where only the bravest survives. Fangs begets fangs, claws begets claws, weapons begets weapons, and goons begets goons.
The scenes continued in his mind. Fair nature twisted into a bloody arena of an endless fight. “We will not give up this fight. If we stop, we will lose. It’s a big shame to our clan. We shall not allow them to defeat us till the last drop of our blood,” Omar declared to his men. That was few years ago.
II
“Father, we need a back up for this plan,” a young man suggested. He was insisting to have the approval of his father. He was Kadil, the second to the eldest son of the unbeatable warrior of a place called Patikul. They were the knights in shining armor in their society. And they must defend this identity. Everybody knew it throughout the entire kingdom of Sulu. The cows, the frogs, the rats, the dogs, and even the venomous serpents knew it. All would run in no directions once the crocodiles attack. And all would follow like a group of humble sheep with just one bare look of the most deceiving reptiles in nature. “I have commanded our clan members from the mountain to come later in the afternoon to join us, Kadil,” Harun exclaimed. “Calm down, Kadil. I won’t let the history repeat. Your brother died when he attempted to face our enemies with his immature behavior,” the father explained. The man was known as ‘Maas Batu’ to all natives in the land. He was noted for his bravery, too. “We should regain our dignity and stop people from believing that we are a threat to this community,” the old man added.
III
On the next morning, the wrath of the two legendary clans burst into the air. Thousands of bullets flew into the atmosphere like showers of meteor coming from the outer space. With curiosity, I occasionally looked up the sky to enjoy the sight while everyone began to flee in fear. I was alone in the house since the other night. Everybody had left to the mountain when the rumor about the fight spread in the neighborhood a day before. So no one was there to drag me out of the place. By and by, the awesome sound of the M-79 and B-40 came from the two opposite directions with no exact calculation of the estimated target distance. From east to the west, and from west to the east. Truly when evil dominates the mind, fear is forgotten. That was the idea I conceived amidst that deadly field where houses vanished in no time being destroyed by the blazing fire.
So the crocodiles attacked. Hundreds of them rushed into the battlefield and were determined to win over the legendary dragons of Sulu. But then, my curiosity to feast on the sound and the impact of the bullets and bombs was disturbed when a tank of a cylinder burst inside one of the burning houses about 100 meters away from the building where I positioned myself. And the presence of few residents, mostly men, who didn’t abandon their houses, gave me enough courage to continuously witness the fight between the prehistoric reptiles and the legendary flying reptiles that breathe dangerous fire and smoke.
IV
At that moment, Omar didn’t notice his brother. Sakur was as swift as the wind. He jumped out of the window and flew into the air. He knew that even without the sword, he could defeat his enemies. His wings were strong. His body was as vigorous as that of a god’s. So into the air he spread them. He flew swiftly over the golden valleys up into the clouds. He flew higher and higher to exert more energy from the glittering light of the sun. He was never afraid to die. A dragon is a dragon.
“Mother!” Omar shouted. “Sakur is gone! He didn’t listen to me. But I can’t let him go alone” he concluded. “What do you mean?” The mother investigated. But Omar didn’t say anything. Like what his brother did, he too, ran out of the house. He gathered his men and together they flew into the air. They flew higher and higher that no one could see what mystery they had. They were heading towards the danger, the unfinished battle of the century. And they had nothing in their mind but to win the fight.
V
It was uncomfortable to hide in a place where the air was polluted by smoke. The atmosphere turned hotter due to the conflagration. But I dismissed it in my mind. I was terribly interested to see more……and learned more about the feud between the two undisputed clans in the kingdom of Sulu. And before my very eyes, I eyed how frightening was the fight. Reptiles versus reptiles…fangs versus fangs… weapons versus weapons.
“The dragons are wise. But when anger strikes, they never choose their enemies. They don’t even care to give a second thought of killing whoever stands before them especially those who challenge them.” This was the belief I learned and had kept in my mind which became true that day. I saw them, the real dragons. And in that day, they fought to the last minute of their lives. Their eyes were fiery. Their voice was like an awesome sound of the thunder. And from their mouth, came the never ceasing flame of death and the eye-tearing poisonous smoke.
Sakur was a brilliant fighter, and so was Kadil. For me, it seemed to be the encounter between the titans. The battle between the powerful warriors. And the war continued. Dragons versus crocodiles. Crocodiles versus dragons. The ground almost broke into halves. It shook like it was hit by an Earthquake. Omar together with his men was also there fighting against the army of Kadil. From a distant place, I heard the roaring thunder of their temperament. The amazing sound of their high-tech weapons. I could even hear them saying, “TO HELL WITH THE LOSERS, THE STRONGEST MUST WIN!” However, none of them was proclaimed as a winner in that all-day long fight. Yet, none was considered as a loser either. No one dared to stop them. No one tried to interfere. Even the military was at lost for a command.
VI
A week after, the residents returned to their homes. But to their surprise, nothing was left to be seen, not even debris of a structure. I knew I was one of those who witnessed the fight. But even my eyes could not tell where the exact location of our house was. It was not easy to trace. The residential place completely turned into a dead field. It was over. Everything was over, but not the war between the two clans. And the endless nightmare of the fearful encounter between them will remain as mysterious as a sleeping volcano that lives for a century like a legend in the land of the dragons and crocodiles.
The End
About the Author
Johnnie J. Lim is a graduate of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Philippines with Master of Arts in English. He was an Editor-in-Chief during his college at Mindanao State University where he finished his Bachelor of Science in Education major in English and graduated as journalist of the year.
In 2008-2009, he worked as an English teacher in Non-Destructive Testing Technology Institute, 2nd Industrial City of Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he taught General English to college students. In 1998-2008, He worked as an English teacher and later became the Language Coordinator in Notre Dame of Jolo College, Jolo, Sulu, Philippines. He also served as one of the representatives of the American Studies Program Committee through the initiative of the Thomas Jefferson Information Center of US Embassy Manila in putting up American Studies Resource Centers in some of the colleges/universities in the Philippines. In 1994-1996, he worked as a high school English teacher and adviser of the school paper in Luuk National High School, Luuk, Sulu, Philippines.
Mr. Lim has conducted a research entitled “Students’ Reactions on Code Switching among Teachers”. He is also conducting studies about mysticism. He loves writing.
This unique old time radio DVD collectible features 28 digitized reels of classic Jack Webb as Detective Pat Novak radio broadcasts and over 13 Hours 18 Minutes of total running time on 1 DVD. Take a journey back through radio broadcasting history with this large audio library of OTR memorabilia. The golden age of old time radio has been rescued, digitized, and packaged into a gift set that any cl…
This unique old time radio DVD collectible features 5 digitized reels of classic Murder at Midnight radio broadcasts and over 2 Hours 5 Minutes of total running time on 1 DVD. Take a journey back through radio broadcasting history with this large audio library of OTR memorabilia. The golden age of old time radio has been rescued, digitized, and packaged into a gift set that any classic radio lover…
Whether testing their own sleuthing abilities by working against the clock or enjoying the intrigue of unraveling each case, readers will delight in the spine-tingling puzzlers in each of these short but thrilling mysteries….
The third and most explosive installment of the groundbreaking True to the Game trilogy will take you on a marathon race through the mean streets of Philly. Starting off where the second installment’s dramatic cliffhanger left us, True III will finally reveal Gena’s mysterious stalker and savior, as well as introduce a new killer so vicious, so cunning, so ruthless, he’ll have you looking over you…
It’s the late 1980s, and Gena, a young girl from the projects, meets Quadir, a millionaire drug dealer, and falls madly in love. Quadir builds a massive empire while fighting his rivals and enemies. Gena faces the challenges of holding onto her man, her house, her car, and the cash. Both of them find themselves caught up in a vicious yet seductive world, and learn that success in this game is no e…
The Midlands claims to be the real core of the country, the place where you find what makes England tick. Much of the industrial wealth of the country is generated here. But it also has a fascinating history, and has many fine castles such as Warwick and beautiful country towns like Ludlow. The Royal Shakespeare theatre company is based at Stratford-on-Avon and the Peak District National Park are world-class attractions Here are the entries of three of our favourite hotels in the Midlands…
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Rutland
‘Nothing much changes here, thank goodness,’ say trusted Guide reporters returning this year to Tim and Stefa Hart’s ‘splendid’ country house hotel (Relais & Châteaux). The setting is ‘memorable’, on a peninsula jutting into Rutland Water. ‘The staff balance professionalism with relaxed friendliness. The decor, which some might find a little traditional, is sumptuous and comfortable.’ Other praise in 2009: ‘Simply a league above the competition: service, cooking, wine list, ambience, value are exceptional.’ Stefa Hart designed the classic interiors (fine fabrics, antiques, good paintings, open fires, flowers) with Nina Campbell. ‘Excellent’ bedrooms have ‘nice small touches like a Roberts radio’. The Croquet Pavilion suite is good for a family (children are welcomed; the very young get an early supper). In the dining room, chef Aaron Patterson has long held a Michelin star for his seasonal cooking (‘it never disappoints’), eg, sautéed scallops with onions and lemon grass sauce; loin of rabbit with pearl barley risotto. Continental breakfast, included in the price, is ‘generous: a cornucopia of fruits and cereals; hot toast and croissants just when you want them’. The bread comes from Mr Hart’s new bakery. ‘The gardens have matured and are suitably manicured, the views down to the water are superb.’ Tim Hart also owns Hart’s Hotel, Nottingham (qv). (Kate and David Wooff, Robert Gower)
Wilton Court, Ross-on-Wye
‘Good room, excellent food, helpful owners.’ An endorsement this year for this small hotel on the banks of the River Wye, facing the pretty market town on the Welsh borders. The pink stone part-Elizabethan building was once a magistrates’ court (the bar is the former courthouse). It has ancient beams, leaded windows, uneven floors, a huge fireplace with its original iron grate. The owners, Helen and Roger Wynn, have filled it with curios and objets d’art from their time working (in hotels) in the Far East. Three of the traditionally furnished bedrooms face the river; others overlook the garden. An earlier visitor had an ‘enchantingly pretty’ room decorated in blue: ‘crisp cotton sheets, striped duvet; kimonos in the wardrobe’. In the eaves is a family suite with two bedrooms. The conservatory-style Mulberry restaurant has beige Lloyd Loom tables and chairs. Michael Fowler is now the chef, and we would welcome reports on his British/European cooking (eg, carpaccio of Herefordshire beef, pickled chicory; seared tuna, Provençal vegetables). Manager Jason Davies leads a ‘helpful’ staff. Wilton Court has been given a gold award by Visit Wales (a rare accolade for a hotel five miles inside the English border). (Jamie and Wendy Woods, MW)
Peacock at Rowsley
Visitors this year ‘almost had to beat off offers to carry our bags’ into this former dower house for Haddon Hall. ‘Arriving late on a freezing afternoon, we were soothed by the cosiness and the warm welcome.’ The attractive building, with a stone exterior, stands in grounds that run down to the River Derwent. Owned by Lord Edward Manners, managed by Ian and Jenni MacKenzie, it is a ‘wonderful mixture of ancient building with modern, classy interior’, says another report. ‘Our standard double bedroom, and our daughter’s single, were a blend of traditional and antique furniture with some colourful design-led pieces. Bathrooms were tiny but luxuriously appointed.’ The quietest rooms are at the rear; front ones face the busy A6 but have double-glazed windows. The evening turn-down service includes next day’s weather forecast. In the two dining rooms, which have ‘wonderful Mouseman furniture’, food was ‘stunning’. Chef Dan Smith serves modern dishes, perhaps Dorset crab, blood orange and radish salad; assiette of lamb, aubergine, chickpeas, moussaka. Traditional lunches and suppers are served in the bar. Breakfast has a good buffet: ‘plenty of cereals, good toast, croissants, pastries, waffles’; cooked costs extra. Guests can shoot on the estate, and visit Haddon Hall (50% discount). (Jenny Buckley, Celia and Peter Gregory)
About the Author
Adam Raphael – owner of theGood Hotel Guide – the travel guide to best hotels in UK! See independent selection of best hotels in Midlands and all other regions.
When Jack Mullen sets out to unravel the truth about his brother’s drowning death, he confronts legal interference as he discovers that his brother had been making money catering to the sexual needs of East Hampton’s wealthiest citizens.
Title: The Beach House
Author: Patterson, James/ Jonge, Peter De/ De Jonge, Peter
Publisher: Grand Central Pub
Publication Date: 2003/04/01
Number of Pages: 372
B…
J Men Forever, framed black metal, white matte. Beautiful Highest Quality Frame, Solid Finish, LOW SHIPPING!!! Price includes price of print Poster. Framing includes dry mounting, acrylic glazing. Comes ready to hang. and is a better quality then your local framing store Guaranteed….
J Men Forever, framed black wood, white matte. Beautiful Highest Quality Frame, Solid Finish, LOW SHIPPING!!! Price includes price of print Poster. Framing includes dry mounting, acrylic glazing. Comes ready to hang. and is a better quality then your local framing store Guaranteed….
MEG, JOSEPHINE, AMY AND BETH ARE THE LITTLE WOMEN WHO, TOGETHER WITH THEIR MOTHER, KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING WHILE THEIRPREACHER FATHER SERVES WITH THE UNION ARMY DURING THE CIVIL WAR….
Short stories have not always found their place in great literature. Thanks to great writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Anton Chekhov and others, short stories have received great notoriety.
Short story writing is a unique art and vastly different than novel writing in form and purpose. Where novel writing is complicated, has many things going on and creates a world of possibilities, short story writing focuses on a quick, powerful impact.
Charles May wrote, “If the novel creates the illusion of reality by presenting a literal authenticity to the material facts of the external world, as Ian Watt suggests, the short story attempts to be authentic to the immaterial reality of the inner world of the self in its relation to eternal rather than temporal reality.
“If the novel’s quest for extensional reality takes place in the social world and the material of its analyses are manners as the indication of one’s soul, as Lionel Trilling says, the field of research for the short story is the primitive, antisocial world of the unconscious, and the material of its analysis are not manners, but dreams.
“The results of this distinction are that whereas the novel is primarily a social and public form, the short story is mythic and spiritual. While the novel is primarily structured on a conceptual and philosophical framework, the short story is intuitive and lyrical. The novel exists to reaffirm the world of ‘everyday’ reality; the short story exists to ‘defamiliarize’ the everyday.
“Storytelling does not spring from one’s confrontation with the everyday world, but rather from one’s encounter with the sacred (in which true reality is revealed in all its plenitude) or with the absurd (in which true reality is revealed in all its vacuity).”
Thus writers of short stories take a different approach and use different techniques than that of novel writers. Rather than looking at the outward world for familiar like the novel, the short story looks at the inward world of the individual and tries to defamiliarize the outside world. By doing so the short story is a powerful way to point out individual and social misunderstandings.
As a result the reader of short stories can focus on the pivotal climax of the short story as the peak of what the author is trying to get across. The art is to see the short scenes before the climax and how the make the pivotal moment happen in such a short amount of time.
Being that the short story is short, authors need not concern themselves with unnecessary details that will distract from the authors goal. When writing short stories it may be appropriate to write and write and write, then cross out half of what has been written. This will help eliminate unnecessary, distracting details.
Short stories are not novellas either. Novellas are simply short novels and they strive for a similar effect of a novel. Some longer short stories may resemble a novella because of length but; the intent, design and focus is different.
The short story gives glimpses of lives and events; whereas, the novel or novella encapsulate entire lives and multiple events. Some short stories span whole lives, showing different glimpses of a life. This is different than a novel or novella because, the short story will show certain events that work toward its aim and focus.
About the Author
Christopher Anderson is owner and founder of Heliand Publishing. He is currently accepting short story submissions in five genres: Literary Fantasy, Modern Mythology, Religious/Spiritual Literature, Medieval Literature and Psychological Literature.
The CD features the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits such as “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Human Nature,” and “Thriller” arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of “This Is It,” the original and an orchestral version. “This Is It” is featured in the film’s closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael’s brothe…
This collection highlights Michael Jackson’s young career with Jackson 5 favorites like “ABC” and “Never Can Say Goodbye,” and early solo hits such as “Ben” and “Dear Michael.”
Track listing:
1. ABC (Jackson 5)
2. I’ll Be There (Jackson 5)
3. Little Bitty Pretty One (Jackson 5)
4. Mama’s Pearl (Jackson 5)
5. I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
6. Never Can Say Goodbye (Jackson 5)
7. Ben
8. Just A Little B…
This unique old time radio DVD collectible features 231 digitized reels of classic Spooky Stories radio broadcasts and over 97 hours 24 minutes of total running time on 1 DVD. Take a journey back through radio broadcasting history with this large audio library of OTR memorabilia. The golden age of old time radio has been rescued, digitized, and packaged into a gift set that any classic radio lover…
This unique old time radio DVD collectible features 18 digitized reels of classic Black Mass radio broadcasts and over 8 Hours 6 Minutes of total running time on 1 DVD. Take a journey back through radio broadcasting history with this large audio library of OTR memorabilia. The golden age of old time radio has been rescued, digitized, and packaged into a gift set that any classic radio lover can ap…
This anthology features 16 stories about individuals who find themselves in situations that test their strength of character. They are called upon to make moral choices, face the consequences of their actions, and consider what it means to “do the right thing”. From computer blackmail, peer pressure, and gang violence to drug use, unwanted pregnancy, guilt and atonement, these characters face deci…
Kindle edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic story.The story begins at sunset in the late 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, with the young Goodman Brown leaving his home and Faith, his wife of three months, to meet with a mysterious figure deep in the forest. As he and this mysterious figure meet and proceed further into the dark forest, it is broadly hinted that Goodman Brown’s traveling comp…
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In these 14 authentic short stories, young people growing up in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and elsewhere contend with city realities….
