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This sad story is about an old woman who is forced to move out of the home she has shared with her husband all her life because of the ambition of her young nephew. (1,960 words)

Sherlock Holmes is asked to solve a mystery that saves a dead man’s reputation and shows that his son is innocent of the terrible murder of a drunken old sea captain. But what secret do the lives of a ruined banker and a retired sailor share? (5,490 words)

In this story of honour and revenge, Merimée tells us about a farmer in Italy who lives by certain rules about what is right and wrong. When he leaves his son alone at home one day, the boy behaves in a way that breaks all the rules that his father believes in. (2,350 words)

Andrei Chikatilo murdered more than fifty young girls and boys all over the Soviet Union. The police arrested him once but had to let him go. How did he escape justice for so long and what made this man kill so often and so many? (1,550 words)

A foreign doctor makes himself very popular with the local people because of his skill and kindness but suddenly disappears, leaving behind the lady he is going to marry. (3,620 words)

In Britain, people live for Saturday and Sunday, the weekend. But in Saudi Arabia, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. How did this happen and why? Here we explore where the names of the days of the week come from and how they differ across the world. (965 words)

Europe is on the verge of war because of a document written by an impulsive head of state, which has been stolen from the home of the British Foreign Minister. The highest politicians in the land visit Sherlock Holmes to see if the great detective can pull the continent back from a pointless conflict. (5,650 words)

Katherine Mansfield often wrote about the ugliness of middle-class beliefs and lifestyles, but here she tells us about the hard life of an old working grandmother, a good and strong woman, who has lost her grandson but must still carry on… alone. (1,940 words)

This ghost story frightens us by what we suspect, rather than what the author actually tells us. There is a sense of horror that never leaves us, as Bierce leads to his mysterious climax. (2,000 words)

Set in an unhappy home which, although upper-class, always faces financial difficulties. This story is about the unexpected and exciting way that the eldest child, just a young boy, takes it on himself to rescue his family. (4,925 words)

Bruno Sammartino was born just before the Second World War in a mountain village in Italy. As a child he was weak because his mother could not get enough food for him to eat but he went on to become the world champion of wrestling. He is one of the most famous and best loved wrestlers of all time. (870 words)

In this classic story of Cossack life in the nineteenth century, Chekhov paints a picture of women and men living wild and carefree lives, while the anti-hero of the story looks on with fear and envy, even while he knows he can never be part of the danger they live and love. (4,860 words)

Since time began, disease has worried and killed huge numbers of people. The Black Death killed nearly half the population of Europe six hundred years ago and malaria takes the lives of 300 million every year. People used to think that disease was God’s punishment for human wrongdoing but now we think about viruses and bacteria. (910 words)

John Haycraft was a pioneer in the field of teaching English to non-native students of the language. He believed that communication between nations makes the world a more interesting and safer place. He is not a very well-known figure: he did not win wars; govern countries or star in films. If you are learning English though, he has probably had an effect on your life. (1,385 words)

Kipling's tale of two working-class adventurers in nineteenth century British India must rank as one of his greatest works. Even the vast continent of India was hardly big enough for their imaginations and so they set out to become kings. But …. (7,660 words)