Issumboshi was a one-inch boy, and he was so small that he could not do any useful work on the family farm. His grandfather became tired of feeding such a useless man and sent him away to the city.

    “Learn to become a warrior(武士),”he told his grandson.“Then perhaps you will grow into a man of normal height.”

    To help the little man on his way, his grandfather gave him a cup to use as a boat on the river, his mother gave him two long grains of rice to use as oars and his father gave him a pin to use as a sword.

    Issumboshi's journey was long and dangerous. However, because he was so brave and clever, he at last reached the city safely.

    To his surprise, the streets were empty. The people of the city were hiding in their houses from a powerful giant.

    Immediately, brave Issumboshi went out to meet the giant. The giant tried to pick him up and eat him, but Issumboshi was so small and quick that the giant could not get hold of him.

    Issumboshi struck again and again at the giant with his sword. Before long, the giant fell to the ground and died from a thousand wounds.

    “Oh, what a great warrior he is!”the people of the city shouted as they came out of their houses.“What a great hero this young man is!”Hearing this, Issumboshi felt so proud that he stood up straight. He told himself, “I am already taller than I was. How wise my grandfather was to send me to the city!

    I was walking around in a store. I saw a cashier (收银员) hand a little boy his money back, saying, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll." I walked towards him and asked him who the doll was for.

    "It's the doll that my sister wanted most for Christmas," he said. I told him that maybe Santa Claus will bring it to her and that he shouldn't worry. He sadly replied, "No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her. I have to give the doll to my mom so that she can give it to my sister when she joins her."

    His eyes were so sad while saying this." My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mom is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister."

    My heart nearly stopped. I quickly reached for my wallet and suggested that we count the money again. "Okay," he said." I hope that I have enough." I added some of my money to his without letting him see and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money left." Thank you, God, for giving me enough money!" the little boy said.

    I left the store, feeling as if my life had been changed forever.

Dale has a new baseball hat. It is from his sister Helen. The hat is blue and it is beautiful. Dale loves it. He wears(戴) it every day. When he doesn't wear it, he always puts it on his desk. This morning Dale wants to go and play baseball with his friends. He wants to wear the hat, but the hat is not on the desk. Where is it? Dale looks for it under the sofa, under the chair, in his schoolbag, just everywhere. But he can't find it.

" Do you see my hat?" Dale asks his family. No one sees it.

Dale is not happy. He thinks his hat is lost. At that time, his dog Puppy comes. And the hat is on his head! He loves the hat, too.

Dale is very happy. He gets the hat and leaves(离开) home.

Zhang Xiping is from Xi'an. In August 2022, the 58-year-old man {#blank#}1{#/blank#}one of the 2022 Chinese Final Piety figures (中华慈孝人物).

Zhang had an {#blank#}2{#/blank#}problem at birth and he couldn't see things. When he was young, his father died. It was difficult for his mother to raise (养育) him by {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. To help his mother live comfortably, Zhang started to {#blank#}4{#/blank#}eggs. Every night, Zhang {#blank#}5{#/blank#} about 3 hours preparing eggs for sale. Every morning, he{#blank#}6{#/blank#} up at 5 a. m. and takes a bus for two hours to sell his eggs. "It was very difficult in {#blank#}7{#/blank#} past. Luckily, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}many kind people's help, I solved these problems later," Zhang said.

Through hard work, Zhang now lives a much {#blank#}9{#/blank#} life with his mother. He always faces life with a smile{#blank#}10{#/blank#} he still has difficulties now and then. "Many people want to buy eggs from me only to support (支持) me. Because of my eyes, there are many things I can't do in my life. But I always try to live it to the full," he said.

Can 13-year-olds do something to change the world? Cris Kesz Valdez, 13, from the Philippines believes so.

At the age of 7, Valdez set up an organization to give homeless kids things like slippers and toothbrushes. So far he has helped more than 10,000 children improve their lives in his hometown.

Valdez won the 2012 International Children's Peace Prize on September 19, 2012.

"My motto is ‘we can change the world one heart at a time,' " Valdez said at the award ceremony.

In fact, Valdez is a homeless kid himself. He looked for food from trash, lived on the streets and slept in a public cemetery for most of his childhood. His parents didn't care about him and often beat him. Valdez said he felt he was living in "darkness" at that time.

But this "darkness" didn't turn him into a dark person. Valdez got help from community workers. On his first birthday party, at the age of 7, Valdez decided what he wanted most was to help other children who were still living on the streets.

"I didn't have a lot of money, but I had a lot of love to give," Valdez explained.

That day was the birth of the organization, Championing Community Children. Since then, Valdez and his friends visit homeless children and hand out bags with slippers, toys and even candy. They nurse their wounds, teach them about their rights and offer them hope.

"I want children on the streets to get the same chance as I have," he said.