The Tale of Brownie Beaver
by Arthur Scott Bailey
In The Tale of Brownie Beaver, Brownie Beaver does everything he can (along with his forest friends) to protect his underwater home from humans, particularly Farmer Green.
Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level 5
Readability levels for passages on Lit2Go are reported as Flesch-Kincaid grade levels which are roughly equivalent to U.S. grade levels.
Books
5.0
5.2
The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motor-Boat
by Ross Kay
The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motor-Boat is an adventure story about boys who enter a boat race.
5.3
Casey at the Bat
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The Mudville Nine's star player is their only hope for winning the game.
5.4
The Light Princess
by George MacDonald
A princess is cursed to have no gravity.
The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms or Lost in the Wilds of Florida
by Laura Lee Hope
The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms or Lost in the Wilds of Florida is a story of adventure following the DeVere girls on a journey through the Florida Swamps while filming a movie.
5.5
The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat
by Thornton W. Burgess
The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat tells the story of Jerry, a young muskrat, and his adventures in escaping the Farmer and his son, and saving the Laughing Brook and his home at the Smiling Pool from drying up. The story also features Grandfather Frog, Joe Otter, Billy Mink, and Paddy the Beaver.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a work of children’s literature by the English mathematician and author, Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, written under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit-hole into a fantasy realm populated by talking playing cards and anthropomorphic creatures. The tale is fraught with satirical allusions to Dodgson’s friends and to the lessons that British schoolchildren were expected to memorize. The Wonderland described in the tale plays with logic in ways that has made the story of lasting popularity with children as well as adults. The book is often referred to by the abbreviated title Alice in Wonderland. This alternate title was popularized by the numerous film and television adaptations of the story produced over the years. Some printings of this title contain both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.
To access artwork from the 1889 Harper's publication, visit the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland collection on ClipArt ETC.
Beyond the City
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In Beyond the City, the desire for money and romance drives the characters beyond the typical boundaries of their middle class Victorian lives. Lust, deceit, and financial scandals rock their placid world.
The Snow Queen
by Hans Christian Andersen
The Snow Queen is a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1845. The story centers on the struggle between good and evil as taken on by a little boy and girl, Gerda and Kay.
5.6
Winesburg, Ohio
by Sherwood Anderson
Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life is a critically acclaimed work of fiction by the American author Sherwood Anderson. The book, published in 1919, is a collection of related short stories, which could be loosely defined as a novel. The stories are centered on the protagonist George Willard and the fictional inhabitants of the town of Winesburg, Ohio.
5.9
The Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane
The Red Badge of Courage is an impressionistic novel by Stephen Crane about the meaning of courage, as it is narrated by Henry Fleming, a recruit in the American Civil War. It is one of the most influential American war stories ever written even though the author was born after the war and had never seen battle himself. Crane met and spoke with a number of veterans as a student and he created what is widely regarded as an unusually realistic depiction of a young man in battle.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The book was first published in 1905 and was the first Holmes collection since 1893, when Holmes had "died" in "The Final Problem". Having published The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901–1902, which was set before Holmes' "death", Doyle came under intense pressure to revive his famous character. The first story is set in 1894 and has Holmes returning in London and explaining the period from 1891–1894, a period called "The Great Hiatus" by Sherlockian enthusiasts. Also of note is Watson's statement in the last story of the cycle that Holmes has retired, and forbids him to publish any more stories.
Passages
5.0
“Avaricious and Envious”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
Two neighbors were in constant competition with each other, so Jupiter granted them a wish to teach them a lesson.
“The Fox and the Grapes”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A Fox wants a bunch of Grapes to quench his thirst. He jumps to reach them several times. He is not able to reach them. As he leaves he decideds the grapes are probably sour and he wouldn’t like them anyway.
“The Man and the Lion”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A Man and a Lion each boast of their strength. Upon seeing a statue of a Man strangling a Lion the Man points out how strong man is. The Lion replies that if the statue had been made by Lions Man would be under the Lion’s paw.
“The Man and the Serpent”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A man takes revenge on a serpent that killed his son by cutting his tail. The serpent takes revenge on the man by killing his cattle. When both are satisfied with their revenge, the man tries to be friends with the serpent, but the serpent cannot forgive the loss of his tail. Moral: Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.
“The Mole and His Mother”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
The Mole, naturally blind from birth, believes he can see with his eyes. His mother provides him with a lesson involving more than his eyesight.
“The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
Every thing would like to be thought of as greater in the world than it is, and it first thinks itself so.
“The Tree and the Reed”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A boastful tree makes fun of a lowly reed but is blown to the ground by a hurricane. The reed is flexible in the wind and survives. Moral: obscurity often brings safety.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
The Blue Fairy Book
by Traditional
An impoverished young man named Aladdin is recruited by a sorcerer to retrieve a lamp from a booby-trapped magic cave. After the sorcerer attempts to double-cross him, Aladdin keeps the lamp for himself, and discovers that it summons a surly djinn that is bound to do the bidding of the person holding the lamp. With the aid of the djinn, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful and marries princess Badroulbadour. The sorcerer returns and is able to get his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdin’s wife, who is unaware of the lamp’s importance. Aladdin discovers a lesser, polite djinn is summoned by a ring loaned to him by the sorcerer but forgotten during the double-cross. Assisted by the lesser djinn, Aladdin recovers his wife and the lamp.
“Nature’s Violet Children”
Buttercup Gold and Other Stories
by Ellen Robena Field
A short story about violets who were picked from their home in the forest and brought to little girl’s house. With the help of sunlight and a caged canary, the violets thought positively and blossomed.
The Florida Beach
Florida: Essays and Poems
by Constance Fenimore Woolson
The speaker describes and reflects upon the scenery of a Florida beach.
Story 1: "The Little Lost Fox"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. This story specifically focuses on the children saving a little fox named Reddy from the redcoats.
Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach
Japanese Fairy Tales
by Yei Theodora Ozaki
An old woman finds a large peach in a river, and when she and her husband cut it open to eat it, they find a child inside. They are overjoyed to now have a son to ease their lonely days. When the boy is fifteen, he goes off to rid the land of devils who live on an island, and takes a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant with him. He is victorious over the devils and returns home to live happily with his parents.
“Ginger and Pickles”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
This book tells the story of shopkeepers Ginger, a tom-cat, and Pickles, a Terrier. They allow their customers credit and are unable to collect enough to pay the bills and subsequently go out of business. Their competition, Tabitha Twitchit, raises her prices once customers are forced to shop there and a few try to compensate by selling some specialized goods with limited success. Eventually, Henny Penny, a hen, reopens the shop.
“The Roly-Poly Pudding”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
The hero is the young Tom Kitten; other main characters are the rat Mr Samuel Whiskers and his wife Anna Maria, who catch Tom Kitten and almost use him to make a roly-poly pudding.
“The Tailor of Gloucester”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
This book tells the story of a poor tailor, his cat, and the mice that live in his shop. He has many scraps of cloth and ribbons left over that are too small for any practical use. The mice take these and make fine clothes for themselves. The tailor sends his cat Simpkin to buy food and a twist of cherry-colored silk for a coat the mayor has commissioned for his wedding. While the cat is gone, he frees the mice from teacups where Simpkin has imprisoned them. When Simpkin returns and finds his mice gone, he hides the twist in anger. When the tailor falls ill, the mice save the day by completing the coat.
“The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
This book tells the story of Jemima Puddle-Duck, introduced in the The Tale of Tom Kitten), who seeks out a nesting place away from the farm. A charming fox (who looks not unlike Mr. Tod talks her into nesting at his house on a mysteriously ample supply of feathers. He sends the naive Jemima out to collect traditional herbs for stuffing a duck, saying it is for an omelette. The farm collie, Kep, hears about this, realizes what the fox is really up to and intervenes.
“The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
This book tells the story of a frog who decides to go fishing for minnows for supper. After several misadventures he gives up and has a dinner of roasted grasshopper and salad with his friends.
“The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
A little girl loses her handkerchiefs and goes on a search for them. She sees some white cloths on the grass high up a hill and climbs up to discover a a little hedgehog washerwoman, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, with her handerchiefs freshly laundered, along with many other interesting articles such as stockings for a hen.
“The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
When Benjamin Bunny and his children, the “Flopsy Bunnies,” go to Mr. McGregor’s rubbish heap, they are pleasantly surprised to find it filled with overgrown lettuces. They eat their fill, and then fall asleep. When they are found by Mr. McGregor and put in a bag, Thomasina Tittlemouse comes to their rescue.
“The Tale of Tom Kitten”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
Three kittens are dressed up for a tea-party and set out to play cleanly, but end up losing their clothes to the ducks, which started with Tom Kitten losing his buttons. Mother cat finds them w/o clothes and sends them upstairs so as not disturb her tea-party, but they keep playing and make noise. The ducks eventually lose the clothes, which fall off for lack of buttons and sink into the pond.
“The Tale of Two Bad Mice”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
While the dolls are away, two curious, naughty mice explore the dolls’ house and steal their furniture.
"Puzzles from Wonderland"
Poems, Puzzles, and Stories of Lewis Carroll
by Lewis Carroll
A collection of seven nonsensical riddles written as poems.
"Solutions to Puzzles from Wonderland"
Poems, Puzzles, and Stories of Lewis Carroll
by Lewis Carroll
A set of seven poems.
When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer
Selected American and British Poems
by Walt Whitman
The speaker reacts to hearing the facts and figures of astronomy by escaping to view the night sky alone.
The Tinder-Box
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A soldier of unworthy morals becomes king by nefarious means.
5.1
“The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
The Town Mouse visits the Country Mouse. The food was different from what the Town Mouse was used to. He complained and invited the Country Mouse to visit him in the city. During the Country Mouse’s visit he was frightened by his experiences. He decided it was better to eat poorly and be comfortably safe than eat richly and be afraid for one’s life.
“The Wolf and the Lamb”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A Wolf looks for an excuse to justify eating a lamb. The lamb wouldn’t give the Wolf satisfaction, so the wolf ate the lamb anyway.
“Motiratika”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A woman is sent by her husband to fetch water and runs into an ogre that threatens to eat her. She offers her magical baby in her place, but the baby is able to outsmart the ogre and he eats the husband (his father) instead. Therefore, justice prevails for the husband ordered her to fetch the water.
“The Rogue and the Herdsman”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A lazy farm boy is able to steal sheep, pigs, and oxen from the greatest herdsman of the king. He is rewarded handsomely for his cleverness.
“Sleeping Beauty”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by Grimm Brothers
An angry fairy casts a spell on a lovely princess. The spell is made less frightening by another fairy. In spite of all efforts to avoid the spell, the princess falls prey to its power. The spell can only be broken by the kiss of a handsome prince charming.
The Rat Princess
Stories from Around the World
by Frank Rinder
The Rat King searches for the most powerful being for his daughter to marry and after he searches from the sun to the cloud to the wind, he finds the strongest being is the Grey Rat that the Princess wanted to marry.
The Nightingale
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
The Emperor learns to appreciate the nightingale.
The Steadfast Tin-Soldier
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
The life of a one-legged tin soldier and his paper love, a Dancer.
5.2
“The Swallow and the Other Birds”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A country man sows hemp seeds and a swallow warns the birds to eat all the seeds up, the birds did not take the swallow’s advice and the seeds grew into a net of cords that caught the birds. Moral: destroy evil before it destroys you.
“The Two Crabs”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A mother crab was teaching her young one how to walk when he told her to follow her own plan and show him. Why would he say that?
“Lovely Ilonka”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A prince sets out on a quest to find a bride. He searched for and acquired three bulrushes that contained three beautiful maidens, however when he broke the first two he has no water to offer them, so he saves the third until he is near a well. The prince is swindled by the swineherder and is instead married to his daughter rather than the beautiful maiden. The prince is able to claim the crown and when the maiden is discovered by the prince’s servant, she is brought to the castle as a servant and put under the tricks of the new queen. However, the king discovers his true love and has the swineherder and his family executed.
"Tobin's Palm"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A palmist's predictions come true.
"The Gift of The Magi"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A couple makes personal sacrifices to give each other gifts for Christmas.
"A Cosmopolite in a Café"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A tale about world travel.
"Between Rounds"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
An act of kindness interrupts a couple's violent pastime.
"The Skylight Room"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
The tale of young woman stricken by poverty and society's shortcomings.
"A Service of Love"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A couple unknowingly makes sacrifices for one another.
"The Coming-Out of Maggie"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
For a young woman, sudden popularity follows an invite to a dance.
"Man About Town"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
The author's search for a "man about town" yields surprising results.
"The Cop and the Anthem"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A vagrant attempts in vain to be arrested.
"An Adjustment of Nature"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A young man deceives a rich fellow in order to prevent him from marrying a waitress.
"Memoirs of a Yellow Dog" The Four Million
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A dog despises the masters coddling treatment.
"The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A pharmacist conspires to diminish the capacity of a rival suitor.
"Mammon and the Archer"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
An idealist believes money cannot help him acquire the things he truly desires.
"Springtime Á La Carte"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A woman fears she has been forgotten.
"The Green Door"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A man's sense of adventure helps a girl in need.
"From the Cabby's Seat"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A cab driver's apathy affects every aspect of his life.
"An Unfinished Story"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A poor working girl's tale.
"The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A Prince in disguise provides assistance to a stranger.
"Sisters of the Golden Circle"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
One bride helps another.
"The Romance of a Busy Broker"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A broker makes a request of his stenographer, having forgot his previous request.
"After Twenty Years"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A long planned meeting between old friends has unexpected consequences.
"Lost on Dress Parade"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
An architect intends to deceive a young woman, unaware of her own deception.
"By Courier"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A couple employs the services of a unreliable messenger.
"The Furnished Room"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
A man rents a room, unaware of the identity of the previous tenant.
"The Brief Début of Tildy"
The Four Million
by O. Henry
Tildy finally receives the attention she has long desired.
Story 2: "The Big Bobsled"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. In this story the Toyman that is a friend to the three children has a mysterious secret in his workshop that keep the boys guessing and therefore, entertained.
Story 4: "The Blue Croaker, the Bright Agate, and the Little Gray Mig"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. The Toyman brings the three children marbles to play with and the story explains the many seasons of the fictional Boyland.
Lullaby
Selected American and British Poems
by Christina Rossetti
A nursery rhyme that is a lullaby to a baby.
To the River
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe
by Edgar Allan Poe
"Fair river! in thy bright, clear flow"
5.3
“The Goose with the Golden Eggs”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A countryman found an egg in a Goose nest which proved to be solid gold. The countryman became weathy selling the continuous supply of golden eggs the Goose laid. Soon he grew greedy and thinking to get all the gold at once, he killed the Goose. He found nothing inside the Goose.
“A Child’s Dream of a Star”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by Charles Dickens
A folk tale about the connection between death and the afterlife, in this case, heaven.
Piping Down the Valleys Wild
Selected American and British Poems
by William Blake
A poem about the speaker as a piper who writes his songs down so that every child may enjoy them.
The Iron Stove
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A princess frees a prince trapped by magic in an iron stove, then has to travel far to find him and reclaim him.
5.4
“The Swallow and the Crow”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A swallow and a crow argue about the value of their feathers.
How Some Wild Animals Became Tame Ones
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
The miller’s wedding was to be a big event, therefore he invited men and animals alike. Various animals go on their way to the wedding until a young boy warns them of the cruelty of man. Those that don’t heed his advice never return from the wedding and remain the servants of man.
The Turtle and His Bride
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A turtle asks a girl to marry him, and she consents, not taking him seriously. He then tries to force her to be his, and she finally gets revenge on him.
“Lucky Luck”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A fairy tale about a prince who longs for a bride, but his father tries to keep him from his goal for that would mean the end of his reign. When the prince gets his bride, his servant overhears the perilous plans of the king and helps the prince to avoid imminent death. The servant is turned to stone for spoiling the king’s plan and the prince is set on a quest to find Lucky Luck to figure out how to bring his faithful servant back to life.
“The Story of the Seven Simons”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A king searches for a bride as handsome and clever as himself. There was one Princess Helena, however it would take ten years to find her and by that time she would be old and unbeautiful. The king meets seven Simons, all masters of their respective trades, and all are useful to him in his quest. They retrieve the princess and the king marries her.
“The Lion and the Gnat”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by Rev. Albert E. Sims
The story of a gnat that was able to overcome a lion despite his small size. However, as the gnat gloats about his victory he is beaten by a spider’s web.
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit”
Peter Rabbit and Other Stories
by Beatrix Potter
Peter Rabbit defies his mother’s instructions and goes into Mr. McGregor’s garden, where he has to run and hide for his life.
“The Case of Lady Sannox”
Tales of Terror and Mystery
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The husband of Lady Sannox develops a sinister plot when he finds out that his wife is seeing another man.
Three Sundays in a Week
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe
by Edgar Allan Poe
Captain Pratt sets off on an adventure circling the globe.
5.5
“The Fox and the Crow”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
After telling Mistress Crow how much he admires her, Master Fox is able to trick her into dropping her meal. Master Fox snaps it up and eats it. Mistress Crow learns a hard lesson about insincere compliments.
The Florida Pioneers
Florida: Essays and Poems
by Will Wallace Harney
The speaker looks back over family history, while placing their own struggles in the larger context of American progress.
Story 11: "Ole Man Pumpkin"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. The story focuses on the three children celebrating the Halloween traditions, including the carving of a pumpkin, bobbing for apples, and other festivities.
Story 12: "The Norway Spruce"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. This story describes the excitement of the children in their anticipation for Christmas and the gathering of their special tree.
The Adventures of Kintaro, the Golden Boy
Japanese Fairy Tales
by Yei Theodora Ozaki
The heroic adventures of Kintaro.
"The Beginning of the Armadillos"
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling
Tortoise and Painted Jaguar come across a new kind of creature in the woods and try to decide what it is with the help of Mother Jaguar.
“When Little Bear Bragged”
Little Bear at Work and at Play
by Frances Margaret Fox
After his mother told him the story about the tortoise and the hare, Little Bear became boastful. His father challenged him to race Grandpa Tortoise and after becoming distracted, Little Bear lost the race.
“When Mother Skunk Helped Little Bear”
Little Bear at Work and at Play
by Frances Margaret Fox
On his way home, Little Bear saw two hunters with guns and was frightened. Mother Skunk saw him and walked him along the path near the two hunters causing the two men to stay motionless. Little Bear was able to run home safely.
“Three Bears Come to Breakfast”
Little Bear at Work and at Play
by Frances Margaret Fox
Little Bear suggests that the three bears go out for a morning walk before breakfast. While walking, they find a campsite and try the food left in the pot. They discover a new love for prunes and sing a cheerful song about it.
How Six Men Traveled through the Wide World
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
How six men with extraordinary powers win a treasure from a king.
5.6
“The Crow and the Pitcher”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A thirsty Crow found a pitcher with very little water which he could not reach. He was able to quench his thirst and save his life in an innovative way.
“The Two Fellows and the Bear”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
Two Fellows were traveling through a wood. A Bear rushed out upon them. One traveler hid himself among the leaves of a branch from a tree. The other threw himself on the ground. The Bear after much sniffing walked away. The fellow in the tree asked what Master Bruin whispered. His friend answered, “Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch.”
The Knights of the Fish
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A fairy tale about two boys born to a man who catches a magical fish. They go their separate ways and have their separate adventures. Both end in success.
“The Dun Horse”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by George Bird Grinnell
A lame and sad-looking dun horse brings good luck to a poor Indian boy.
“The Story of Wylie”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by John Brown
A story about a sheepdog named Wylie that helped farmers in the market with her expert herding skills.
Evening Song
Florida: Essays and Poems
by Sidney Lanier
The author describes a sunset on the coast.
Stanzas
Florida: Essays and Poems
by Richard Henry Wilde
The author contemplates the cyclical and temporary nature of life.
Story 10: "When Jehosophat Forgot His Piece"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. For Commencement all the children have to memorize pieces of poetry. Jehosophat works very hard to try to memorize his, but his nerves get the best of him due to the teasing of his friends and he suddenly forgets it.
“The Greedy Youngster”
Stories from Around the World
by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
An unusually strong and hungry youngster makes his way in the world.
The Flying Ship
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A simpleton gains friends and a wife.
5.7
“The Donkey in the Lion’s Skin”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A donkey disguised himself as a lion and was found out when he brayed.
“The Fox and the Cat”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A Fox was boasting to a Cat of his hundred ways of excaping enemies. When they heard a pack of houds coming the Cat ran up a tree and hid. The Fox though of many ways to escape, and while he debated the hounds caught him and the hungers killed him.
“The Man and His Two Wives”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A man’s two wives each want his hair a different way.
“Glories”
Buttercup Gold and Other Stories
by Ellen Robena Field
A short story about noticing the beauty around you. Laura and baby Donald never noticed the beautiful glories growing in their backyard until Laura heard them speak to her. She and Donald played with them all afternoon. Laura learned the lesson well.
"The Three Bears"
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by Robert Southey
The story of the three bears and a girl named Silver-hair who breaks into their house.
Story 8: "The Animals' Birthday Party"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. On Marmaduke’s birthday he holds a birthday party for the various barnyard animals and persuades them with their favorite types of food. However, the animals misbehave and Marmaduke has to figure out what to do.
Story 9: "Dr. Philemon Pipp, the Patent Medicine Man"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. The three children went to a market and watched a peddler/street performer sell his wares with magic tricks to awe the customers. The Toyman tells them to beware of such scams.
The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar
Japanese Fairy Tales
by Yei Theodora Ozaki
An old monkey is to be sent to the butcher by his master, since his age has caused him to stop performing as well as he used to. The monkey overhears this plan and goes to a boar for advice. The boar comes up with a plan: The boar will steal the couple’s child, and the monkey will run after him and rescue the child, thus earning the family’s love and respect for the rest of his days. The plan works.
“First Night: The Three Happy Children”
Seven O’Clock Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
An introduction to the family in the story, which focuses on the three children Jehosophat, Marmaduke, and Hepzebiah.
“Long, Broad, and Sharpsight”
Stories from Around the World
by A. H. Wratislaw, M.A.
How three characters, Long, Broad, and Sharpsight, help a prince find his bride.
“The Peasant Story of Napoleon”
Stories from Around the World
by Honoré de Balzac
A story about Napoleon doing all he did because he was immortal, a chosen man of God.
“Why the Sea Is Salt”
Stories from Around the World
by Traditional
How a magical quern ended up at the bottom of the sea, grinding out salt.
Thumbelina
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
The many travels of Thumbelina.
5.8
“The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey”
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
A Man and his son were going to market with their Donkey. One countryman who saw them told them a donkey was to ride upon, another countryman said the father ought to ride not the son, some women thought the boy shouldn’t have to walk, and then passerbys jeered at them for overloading the Donkey so. After thinking hard the Man and his son tied the Donkey to a pole and began to carry him. The Donkey ended up falling over a bridge and drowning. An old man who had seen all of this pointed out that in trying to please everyone they had pleased no one.
“The Death of Abu Nowas and of His Wife”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
Abu Nowas went to the Sultan telling of his dead wife. The Sultan got him a new wife and a decent dowry, which was spent almost immediately. Abu Nowas is able to trick both the Sultan and the Sultana and gets more money for his cunning.
Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, Richmond, Virginia March 23, 1775
Historic American Documents
by Patrick Henry
A transcription of Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech made before the Virginia House of Burgesses.
The Rivulet
Selected American and British Poems
by Lucy Larcom
A poem in which the speaker describes a rivulet in his/her commands to it.
Ananzi and the Lion
Stories from Around the World
by Traditional
A fellow gets the better of a lion.
The Story of King Frost
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A step-daughter’s kind ways saves her and earns her riches, and a step-mother’s wicked ways kills her daughter and herself.
5.9
Father Grumbler
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A fairy tale about Father Grumbler’’s hardships and the Holy Man’s attempts to help him. However, Father Grumbler does not heed the Holy Man’s directions and gets what he deserves.
The Fox and the Lapp
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A fox tricks a merchant and steals his fish. He meets all sorts of clever creatures that he must outsmart on his journey back.
The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A fairy tale about a girl rejected by her father. She falls in love with the son of an ogre and has a girl that is to be eaten by him. Instead the mother gives her to an old woman who raises her at the bottom of the lake. She is able to return to her family as a woman.
“Eisenkopf ”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
How Peter outwits Eisenkopf and finds love.
“To Your Good Health!”
The Crimson Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
A young shepherd refuses to abide by the laws of the kingdom when the king sneezes. The shepherd survives three perilous trials and refused three magnificent gifts for the hand of the princess in marriage, which he eventually gets out of the king’s frustration.
“Why Brother Bear Has No Tail”
Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories
by Joel Chandler Harris
Uncle Remus tells a story about Brer Bear.
Story 16: "He That Took the City"
Half-Past Seven Stories
by Robert Gordon Anderson
A part of a collection of short stories about three children in the revolutionary times. The Toyman is in bad humor and Marmaduke is able to cheer him up his friendship.
The Six Swans
The Yellow Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
How a sister is ready to sacrifice everything to save her brothers from a curse.