From a woman who turned neighbourhood gossip into a million-dollar career to a teenager who spent years living in a pond, these unusual stories are as surprising as they are fascinating.
Elsewhere, a cat is winning hearts as a “police officer”, Dubai has created a street where it rains even in summer, and a 24-year-old friendship has inspired a man to travel 3,000 km to find his long-lost pen pal.
Here are five soft stories that show how real life can sometimes be stranger and more heartwarming than fiction.
