Portuguese Short Stories

Tico the bunny refuses to sleep and sneaks out to see the forest at night. A wise owl reminds him that bunnies need rest to play tomorrow. Tico decides his cozy bed is the best place of all and falls asleep.

Lola the turtle sets out to touch a rainbow. On the slow walk she helps a ladybug, a caterpillar and some ducks. When she reaches the hilltop the rainbow is gone, but the friends she made along the way were the real treasure.

Pedro’s socks keep disappearing at Grandpa’s farm, and Grandpa blames the Saci, a mischievous one-legged boy from Brazilian folklore. Pedro sets a trap and discovers the Saci only takes socks because his single foot gets cold. Pedro gives him his warmest sock and they become friends.

Fifo, a little lighthouse, is afraid of the dark and worries his light is too small. One foggy night he shines with all his might and guides a lost fishing boat safely home. From then on, he is proud of his light.

Ana plants a mysterious seed from her grandfather and is upset when nothing appears right away. She keeps watering it and singing to it, and a week later a sprout appears that grows into a passion-fruit vine with purple flowers. Beautiful things take time.

A tiny ant falls into a river and a dove saves her by dropping a leaf. Days later, the ant sees a hunter about to net the dove and stings his ankle, so the dove escapes. A retelling of the classic Aesop fable.

Fogo the dragon wakes up with hiccups that shoot sparks and smoke, scaring the valley. A brave girl named Clara climbs up, tries every remedy, and finally cures him with a big surprise “BOO!” They become best friends.

On a rainy day, Helena shares her rainbow umbrella with a wet kitten, an elderly woman and her friend Rafael. Her teacher says it must be magic because there’s always room for one more, but Helena knows the magic is in sharing.

Juju the jaguar dreams of joining the Amazon birds’ choir, but her roar scares them away. One night loggers come to cut down the birds’ trees, and Juju’s mighty roar chases them off. The birds write a new song with a special part just for her roar.

Lucas finds a fallen shooting star and keeps it in a jar, but its light fades because it misses the sky. He climbs a hill and sets it free, and every night afterward the star twinkles at him before he sleeps.