NLB eReads

A Blessing from the Kitchen God

Once there was a hardworking girl called Rou. She lived with her miserly uncle. Rou’s parents passed away when she was a young child, and her uncle had adopted her reluctantly.

A Girl, an Imp, and a Memory Tree

Once upon a memory, the village elders would always begin, as they told their stories under the old tree. It was their tradition, for as long as the elders could remember, to tell stories under that tree.

A Glimpse into the Life of a Rhythmic Gymnast

I am a rhythmic gymnast. I train four hours a day, six days a week. Sleeping at around 11 at night and waking up at four in the morning, my normal schedule is set up as such mainly for the sake of finishing my homework. As you can see, it’s a hard tasking juggling between my studies and sports training. I feel that I am constantly rushing everywhere, from school to the training centre to then back home. Sometimes I do wonder though: why am I doing this? Why should my parents sacrifice so much? They certainly have better things to do other than being “chauffer” day in, day out. My giving parents have always regarded this as supporting me in my passion and love for the sport.

A Mother Like Her

A couple anticipated the birth of their first child and hoped that they could raise him to be a model citizen. However the father, the sole breadwinner of the family, passed away suddenly. The burden was placed on the young uneducated widow to raise her child alone. Determined to fulfill her husband’s dream, she worked day and night. Her continued absence from home had an adverse effect on her son. He took a deadly path that shattered the mother. She made a bold decision to save her only child.

A Pair of Red Clogs, the Bed and a Grain of Sand

It all started with a pair of red clogs. Maybe not just the red clogs but also the bed as well as a grain of sand. In the 1960s, when many people in Singapore made their living as hawkers selling anything from clogs to tasty snacks, Jade Li remembered the very first pair of clogs that she owned when she was six.

A Ruling Passion

The first silvers of daylight from the dawning sun flitted through the crack in the heavy velvet curtains, encasing the mahogany cabinet in a sublime radiance. Encircling me were ornaments and jewellery that glistened with an imposing sheen, encrusted in the glory of the morning sun. Even the cabinet I was standing on gave off a warm, ambient glow that shone from the polished, ornate wood. Yet I remained as I was – drab, dismal, and foreign, as always.

Against All Odds

Thud! Thud! The steady rhythm of a basketball being bounced on the highly polished, hardwood flooring resounded throughout the entire court. It was the only sound to be heard, with the only exception of squeaking sneakers and ear-piercing whistles from the coach signaling a timeout. A practice match occupied centre, which was obviously the reason why the court was jam-packed with a loud cheering crowd

Air Sebelanga

Apabila Nalini hanya mampu mendapatkan sebelanga air untuk hari itu, dia bimbang akan leteran ibu mentuanya. Sedang dia sibuk menyelesaikan masalahnya, tidak ramai yang sedia membantu.

An Ageing Tree

With strong emphasis on metaphors, the beauty of this short story lies in the symbolic comparison between an old tree with an old man. Ideally to be chopped off and discarded, the old tree symbolizes the strength of the main character, Haji Bakri, who shares strong sentiments with the nostalgic events associated with the growth of this tree. Planted when Haji Bakri was eight years old, he and the old tree had seen many changes associated with the development of his neighbourhood.

An Ode to Darkness

The protagonist's thumb was stung by a bee and even after she pulled out the bee stinger, the overwhelming pain caused him to lose sleep. She woke up trying to relieve the pain using various methods like rinsing the thumb under cold running water, applying toothpaste on it, etc. However, the pain did not go away. Out of desperation, she drew the curtains and looked out of the window, pleading to Heaven for help. It was then she realised the beauty of the darkness.

As Good As New

The protagonist and her nephew witnessed how the exhumers dug out her late mother’s grave to retrieve her disinterred remains for cremation. The jade bangle that had been on Mother’s wrist when she was buried, was still intact and had not lost its shine. The jade bangle rekindled fond memories of Mother.

Baby Surprise!

I am a baby...Waiting, To see the world, When my Mummy is ready.

Badang The Strongman of Singapura

Badang is a poor, young slave who is given superhuman strength that makes him the strongest man in Singapura. When word of his strength gets out, he receives invitations to challenges from the strongest men in the region. Is Badang the strongest of them all?

Bagaimana Harimau Mendapat Jalur-jalurnya

Cerita rakyat Vietnam ini mengisarkan seorang petani yang bijak dan seekor harimau yang bongkak namun mengidamkan kebijaksanaan. Harimau diberi ajaran, lantas mendapat jalur-jalurnya.

Before There Were Animals and People

A long time ago, before people walked the earth and animals roamed the lands, there were only trees, grass and flowers. The trees could move around like animals, going where they pleased. The grass danced freely in the sky like butterflies. The flowers were like birds, cooing beautifully all day.

Bond

This is a tale that explores human relationships. Raised by a widowed mother, the protagonist struggles to appease his mother and wife. Things turn ugly and the mother leaves home to fend for herself. The man discovers the true meaning of the bond between a mother and child after witnessing his son’s birth.

Brothers

Cold. The sensation bombards me as I first step onto the slippery blue swimming pool block nearest my feet. It’s hard to imagine that it’s just another midsummer day. My bathing suit feels damn and clings to my skin. A bead of water escapes for my hair cap, the tiny rivulet tracing down my left cheek like a teardrop. The air around me “is charged with excitement, the crowd buzzing like bees in the stands. Everyone is excited about this meet. After all, today’s winner would be the one representing our country in the next Olympics.

Butterland

Mrs Gopal was going to bake the creamiest chocolate cake ever for dessert that night.

Cannonball

Rakesh Padmanabhan Parmeshwar. A suitably large name for a rather large person. We used to call him Cannonball – a suitably rotund nickname for a rather rotund person. He was generally the kind of person other people generally avoided treating to lunch – they might not be able to foot the bill afterwards.

Cassette Tapes

This is a concise and charming story of a young girl who had a lot of fun listening to and singing her favourite Chinese songs with her group of friends. At a time when compact discs were still rare, the girls relied on the cassette tape to record their futile attempts in imitating established singers. Little would we expect the young amateur singer would one day grow up to pursue a successful career in pop music and showbiz. The road to fame began with a stack of cassette tapes and a trusty cassette recorder.

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