You read stories to be entertained, or to learn information.
A short attention span is a good reason to read a short story.
To be entertained
You're probably thinking of a "short story".
is a short story can be read in one setting
The Monkey's Paw is a short horror story written by W. W. Jacobs. It's a story about 3 wishes pretty much gone wrong. It's a good story. You should read it.
A piece of prose that can be read in one setting is called a short story. Short stories are typically brief narratives that can be read in one sitting, offering a complete story arc within a limited word count.
Frank Peretti's - Tombs of Anak! Exciting and excellent read.
because they are short and easier to read
I just read a great mystery short story.
WikiAnswers cannot copy an entire short story - that would be plagiarism. However, HEREis a good website where you can read all sorts of short stories for free. Once you read one, just pretend you're telling a friend what it's about - that's how you summarize. Tell who the characters are, where the story is set, and what happens.
The full "Cinderella Girl" short story can be read at the Related Link.
if you want to add atmosphere to the story, and make the reader want to read on to understand it and to know what has actually happened to the characters if it is a dramatic prologue, then i think a prolougue is a good idea. You can write a prologue for any length of story - long or short.
Just type "read short stories online" into your search engine and see how many different sites pop up!