Theme
Animals
Whether a dog, a bee, or a moose with its own name: animals bring something to stories that people alone cannot. On Fireside you'll find stories about animals and our bond with them, by real authors. Read the latest stories about animals for free.
What Forty Years of Engineering Never Taught Me About Deciding Things
by Nikolai
Retired engineer and amateur beekeeper Nikolai explains how a honeybee swarm, with no central authority, reaches better decisions than most committees of his career — through waggle dances, independent verification, and quorum sensing. A nonfiction essay on swarm intelligence.
Felix
by Thomas
Minus eight degrees, wrong presentation, two vets asleep. Thomas calls his father. The calf stands after nineteen minutes. It's called Felix now. He looks at Thomas like he remembers nothing.
Dear Bees
by Nikolai
The tradition of telling the bees — at significant events you go to the hives. Nikolai is an engineer and doesn't believe in bad luck. He tells them anyway. Report: insulation correct, hive not opened. Then: he wishes his wife could have seen the hives. That's how she was.
The First Winter
by Nikolai
Nikolai's first winter as a beekeeper: a chronological list of all his mistakes. Opened in October, wrong fondant, late mite treatment, gap at the roof, opened again in March and nearly ruined everything. They all survived. He considers it a gift he didn't earn.
What They Know
by Nikolai
Bees decide by consensus — scouts dance for options until the strongest wins. Nikolai compares this to 35 years of engineering in hierarchies. The system works because every bee has to live there too. He's worked in organisations where that wasn't the case.
The Dog on the Corner
by Hannelore
Since 1989 there has always been a dog sitting at the same corner in Lübeck. Biologically impossible. Hannelore has been greeting him for thirty years. He greets back in his way. That's enough for her.
Things About Sheep
by FionaMacAllister
Fiona lists things about sheep — their blind persistence, their absurd fears, their unexpected devotion as mothers. Ends with: I still can't tell you if I like them. I'm not sure that's the point.
Gerald
by ErikL
An elk has been ignoring all deterrents in Erik's territory for three years. Erik names him Gerald. The last sentence explains the resolution.
Night Call
by Catherine
2:17am, difficult labour, wrong presentation. Forty minutes working, 3am, torch on head, farmer saying "she doesn't usually do this." Calf alive. Cow recovered. Home at five, sun coming up. Catherine: I didn't know I could do that. Now I do. That's useful to know.
A Bit Off
by Catherine
"He seems a bit off" means different things from different people. Experienced farmer: medical emergency, described like it isn't. Catherine asks: how long? "Not that long" = since Tuesday, it's Saturday. She doesn't say any of this. Gets in the car.
Bernard
by Catherine
Bernard, a 17-year-old quarter horse, has bitten Catherine three times — shoulder, arm, back of the head. Owner Pat says he does it because he likes her. Catherine chooses to believe this — the alternative is worse. Bernard is otherwise reasonable. Once actively co-operated — practically sainthood. Pat reserves judgement.
More on Fireside
Fireside is a place for stories worth telling. You can not only read, but also write your own, follow authors, and leave a resonance to show that a story reached you.
Discover all stories