Why is 11 eleven and not oneteen, and 12 twelve and not twoteen? Why of all bases, has this strange number 2.718… been chosen as the natural logarithm base called e? Why does the computer use such a strange notation as F29 to denote 3881? These are questions that may have arisen in the curious minds of young learners. Here, by answering a few of these questions, the author brings out the innately fascinating quality of mathematics and its astonishing ability to explain many mysterious phenomena of nature.

The material for Short Stories of Numbers has been collected by the author over years of adventuring in mathematics, motivated only by his love and passion for numbers and with the hope that it will serve as a friendly encouraging guiding post for other young adventurers.