3. Dino Buzzati-Traverso (16 October 1906 – 28 January 1972) was an Italian novelist, short story writer, painter and poet, as well as a journalist. His worldwide fame is mostly due to his novel translated into English as The Tartar Steppe, but he is also known for his well received collections of short stories.

4. It is often said that his journalistic background informs his writing, lending even the most fantastic tales an aura of realism. Buzzati himself commented on the connection: “It seems to me, fantasy should be as close as possible to journalism. The right word is not "banalizing", although in fact a little of this is involved. Rather, I mean that the effectiveness of a fantastic story will depend on its being told in the most simple and practical terms. ”

5. Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic and magical creatures are common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three, all of which are subgenres of speculative fiction.

7. Directions: On a line like the one below, place an “x” to determine the degree to which you agree with the following statements. Always Never Our lives are predetermined by fate. How we meet life’s obstacles determines our level of happiness. We are the masters of our own fate. It is better to meet challenges head on than to try to avoid them.

8. As we read, consider the following question: How do our reactions to challenges shape our lives?