It was a stormy night. Carl and Sandra were returning home after spending the weekend at their parents’ home. One the way, they had to pass through a deserted highway. Rain poured and lightning flashed almost blinding Carl, who was driving the car. Each time the thunder roared, Sandra grasped Carl in fear. “Do you […]
There was an island called Ferdinandea between Sicily and Tunisia in 1831. It was formed of volcanic material. It was in a strategical position for any naval power. When the tug-of-war for sovereignty between four powerful nations began, the island had sunk back into the sea, unable to withstand the ocean waves. Since 1863, Ferdinandea
Coral and Renee were best friends. They lived in the same neighbourhood and would regularly have a slumber party at each other’s place. One weekend, Renee’s cousins were visiting her. So, she thought of inviting Coral also for a sleepover at her place. “You can meet my cousins and we can have a jolly good
Atlantis is a legendary ‘Lost Island’ subcontinent often idealised as an advanced, utopian society holding wisdom that could bring world peace. It was thought of as a fictional place mentioned in a fable by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. In 1881, Ignatius Donnelly first propagated the theory that most of the accomplishments of the ancient
Like any other teenager, Jess loved sports and rock concerts. His room was full of posters of his favourite sportspeople and rockstars. One day, Jess heard from a couple of other students in his school that a rock concert would be held in a town close to his place. Excited, Jess asked his father if
Rachel was not too happy that night. She was sleeping on the floor of her living room. There was not even an inch of space in her own bedroom because it was littered with her elder sister’s stuff. Besides the other things, there was a huge balloon she had got home from her graduation party.
The Longyou Caves or The Longyou Grottoes are a series of large artificial sandstone caverns located at Phoenix Hill, Zhejiang province, China. They were first discovered in 1992, and 24 caves have been found to date. The Grottoes are thought to date back at least 2,000 years, but there are no records of the existence
The Loch Ness Monster is an aquatic being said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. It is often described as being large in size with a serpentine head and neck and one or more humps protruding from the water. A monk was the first person who claimed to have seen Nessie in
Dennis and Larry were best friends. They were neighbours, went to the same school and were also in the football team. Both loved sports and attended a lot of matches together. It was Christmas Eve and both the boys had gone with their parents for a midnight mass. The mass ended quite late in the
It was a bright and pleasant day. Lucas was a young trainee pilot who was flying his plane high up in the sky. It had been more than six months since he was doing this. His training was going at a steady pace and he was happy with the way things were. He had gained
It is the longest document extant in the Etruscan language, with about 1330 words. It is the only existing linen book dated to the first half of the second century BC. The inscription consists of 12 parallel columns. The single large textile had been cut into horizontal strips to form bandages for the mummy. Columns
It was a very busy time in the year. An art exhibition was coming up and Linda and her friends had not yet completed their paintings for the same. “Let’s stay back after school today,” said Linda to her friends. So, that day, Linda went up to her art teacher and told her they would
The Inca Empire spanned the distance of northern Ecuador to central Chile, comprising 100 different ethnic groups, in the Andes region during the 12th century A.D. The Inca religion centred on a pantheon of gods: Inti, a creator-god named Viracocha, and Apu Illapu, the Rain-god. Impressive shrines built throughout the kingdom, included a massive Sun
Once a woman in a family fell prey to a very rare illness. Lots of doctors examined her, but none could diagnose what her illness was. The family even consulted doctors from other countries, but none could find a solution to her problem. Finally, after many years of suffering, the woman died one day. After
The Ica Stones are composed of andesite. They vary in sizes having the depictions of dinosaurs, flowers, fish, or living animals of various sorts. Others appear to depict scenes which would be anachronistic in pre-Columbian art. In 1960, Javier Cabrera Darquea collected and popularised these stones which he purchased from a farmer. Later, the farmer