Short Stories

“Big Boots and Fairies” by Donald Wehmeyer is a heartwarming, reflective story about a grandfather who shares quiet wisdom with his grandson Johnny, teaching him that “fairies” are not mythical creatures, but the special, meaningful moments in life that guide us. As Johnny grows older, he comes to understand that these moments—memories, decisions, and inner knowing—are the real magic passed down through generations. The story is a gentle meditation on legacy, memory, and the unseen guidance we carry with us.

Two travelers strike up a conversation while waiting for a bus, and one meets a man named Rascal, who challenges conventional ways of seeing and understanding the world. Through playful dialogue and simple drawings, Rascal reveals how imagination can transcend physical limits—allowing one to “see without eyes” and “touch the infinite.” Using mental exercises and symbolic sketches of a dot and a circle, he guides the other traveler to perceive vast concepts like infinity and the boundless nature of reality. Their brief encounter transforms the mundane bus terminal into a gateway to wonder, reminding them both that they live in the middle of infinity.

After a frustrating day at school, a boy complains to his grandfather about his low history grade and questions the value of learning about the past. Through a warm and imaginative conversation over milk and cookies, the grandfather gently reshapes the boy’s view—explaining that history isn’t just about dates and facts, but about understanding where things come from, making sense of the past, and even remembering what we love, like zombies. With clever analogies—cookies as history you can chew and closets as storage for stories—the boy begins to see that history is more alive and useful than he thought. By the end, he’s ready for another bite of “historical oatmeal cookies.”

In this heartwarming tale, Zero struggles with feeling insignificant and questions its worth among the other numbers. While one and the others try to include and reassure Zero, it still feels empty—until a wise comma helps Zero understand a powerful truth: the absence of something isn’t nothing—it’s potential. Zero realizes it plays a vital role in making numbers bigger, holding space, and representing possibility. Embracing its true value, Zero transforms from feeling like “nothing” to proudly declaring, “I’m full of endless potential”—a message it joyfully shares with everyone.

In this playful reflection, an inchworm muses about its curious name, wondering why it’s called an “inchworm” when it can crawl much farther—shouldn’t it be a foot-worm or even a mile-worm? It also considers the word “worm” itself, comparing it to more popular-sounding words like “warm” and “word,” but ultimately embraces its identity. Though small and simple, the inchworm finds pride in its abilities—crawling, eating, and living quietly out of sight to stay safe. Content with its life and purpose, the inchworm concludes with a cheerful acceptance of who it is, inching forward with confidence.