LITTLE RED RIDING HOODONCE upon a time there lived in a certain village alittle country girl, the prettiest creature was ever seen.Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmotherdoted on her still more. This good woman hadmade for her a little red riding-hood; which became the girlso extremely well that everybody called her Little RedRiding-Hood.One day her mother, having made some custards, saidto her:"Go, my dear, and see how thy grandmamma does, forI hear she has been very ill; carry her a custard, and thislittle pot of butter."...　

Cousin Bettyby Honore de BalzacTranslated by James WaringDEDICATIONTo Don Michele Angelo Cajetani, Prince of Teano.It is neither to the Roman Prince, nor to the representative ofthe illustrious house of Cajetani, which has given more than onePope to the Christian Church, that I dedicate this short portionof a long history; it is to the learned commentator of Dante.It was you who led me to understand the marvelous framework ofideas on which the great Italian poet built his poem, the onlywork which the moderns can place by that of Homer. Till I heard...　

A Simpletonby Charles ReadePREFACE.It has lately been objected to me, in studiously courteous terms ofcourse, that I borrow from other books, and am a plagiarist. Tothis I reply that I borrow facts from every accessible source, andam not a plagiarist. The plagiarist is one who borrows from ahomogeneous work: for such a man borrows not ideas only, but theirtreatment. He who borrows only from heterogeneous works is not aplagiarist. All fiction, worth a button, is founded on facts; andit does not matter one straw whether the facts are taken frompersonal experience, hearsay, or printed books;　

The National System of Political Economyby Friedrich Listtranslated by Sampson S. Lloyd, 1885First Book: The HistoryChapter 1The ItaliansAt the revival of civilisation in Europe, no county was in sofavourable a position as Italy in respect to commerce and industry.Barbarism had not been able entirely to eradicate the culture andcivilisation of ancient Rome. A genial climate and a fertile soil,notwithstanding an unskilful system of cultivation, yielded...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE SOLITARY CYCLISTby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleFrom the years 1894 to 1901 inclusive, Mr. Sherlock Holmes was avery busy man. It is safe to say that there was no public case ofany difficulty in which he was not consulted during those eight years,and there were hundreds of private cases, some of them of the mostintricate and extraordinary character, in which he played aprominent part. Many startling successes and a few unavoidablefailures were the outcome of this long period of continuous work. As I...　

The Magic Skinby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Ellen MarriageTo Monsieur Savary, Member of Le Academie des Sciences.ITHE TALISMANTowards the end of the month of October 1829 a young man entered thePalais-Royal just as the gaming-houses opened, agreeably to the lawwhich protects a passion by its very nature easily excisable. Hemounted the staircase of one of the gambling hells distinguished bythe number 36, without too much deliberation."Your hat, sir, if you please?" a thin, querulous voice called out. Alittle old man, crouching in the darkness behind a railing, suddenly...　

Sartor Resartusby Thomas CarlyleSARTOR RESARTUS: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdrockh By Thomas Carlyle. [1831]BOOK I.CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY.Considering our present advanced state of culture, and how the Torch of Science has now been brandished and borne about, with more or less effect, for five thousand years and upwards; how, in these times especially, not only the Torch still burns, and perhaps more fiercely than ever, but innumerable Rushlights, and Sulphur-matches, kindled thereat, are also glancing in every direction, so that not the smallest cranny or dog-hole in Nature or Art 　

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANATHE DISCOVERY OFGUIANABy Sir Walter Raleigh1- Page 2-THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANAINTRODUCTORY NOTESir Walter Raleigh may be taken as the great typical figure of the ageof Elizabeth. Courtier and statesman, soldier and sailor, scientist and manof letters, he engaged in almost all the main lines of public activity in histime, and was distinguished in them all....　

The Dark Flowerby John Galsworthy"Take the flower from my breast, I pray thee,Take the flower too from out my tresses;And then go hence, for see, the night is fair,The stars rejoice to watch thee on thy way."From "The Bard of the Dimbovitza."THE DARK FLOWERPart ISpringIHe walked along Holywell that afternoon of early June with hisshort gown drooping down his arms, and no cap on his thick darkhair. A youth of middle height, and built as if he had come of twovery different strains, one sturdy, the other wiry and light. Hisface, too, was a curious blend, for, though it was strongly formed,...　

Sketches New and Oldby Mark TwainSKETCHES NEW AND OLDCONTENTS:PREFACEMY WATCHPOLITICAL ECONOMYTHE JUMPING FROGJOURNALISM IN TENNESSEETHE STORY OF THE BAD LITTLE BOYTHE STORY OF THE GOOD LITTLE BOYA COUPLE OF POEMS BY TWAIN AND MOORENIAGARAANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTSTO RAISE POULTRYEXPERIENCE OF THE MCWILLIAMSES WITH MEMBRANOUS CROUPMY FIRST LITERARY VENTUREHOW THE AUTHOR WAS SOLD IN NEWARKTHE OFFICE BOREJOHNNY GREERTHE FACTS IN THE CASE OF THE GREAT BEEF CONTRACTTHE CASE OF GEORGE FISHERDISGRACEFUL PERSECUTION OF A BOYTHE JUDGES "SPIRITED WOMAN"...　

1861REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTby John Stuart MillPREFACE.THOSE who have done me the honour of reading my previous writings will probably receive no strong impression of novelty from the present volume; for the principles are those to which I have been working up during the greater part of my life, and most of the practical suggestions have been anticipated by others or by myself. There is novelty, however, in the fact of bringing them together, and exhibiting them in their connection; and also, I believe, in much that is brought forward in their support. Several of the opinions at all events, 　

THE DEVOTED FRIENDOne morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He hadbright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like along bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimmingabout in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, andtheir mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was trying toteach them how to stand on their heads in the water."You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on yourheads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showedthem how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to...　

　　　　It was humid inside the small laboratory in spite of the window which was open contrary to all regulations. Outside the sun shone and, but for the absence of foliage on the trees surrounding the squat grey stone buildings which prised the Midlands Biological Research Centre, one would have been forgiven for assuming that summer had already begun. Small birds twittered incessantly as they busied themselves searching for twigs and dry grass with .which to plete the building of their nests. Rooks circled and cawed noisily above a line of tall elms. Another cycle of life had begun.　　...　

THE RATCATCHERA VERY long time ago the town of Hamel in Germany wasinvaded by bands of rats, the like of which had never been seenbefore nor will ever be again.They were great black creatures that ran boldly in broaddaylight through the streets, and swarmed so, all over the houses, thatpeople at last could not put their hand or foot down anywhere withouttouching one. When dressing in the morning they found themin their breeches and petticoats, in their pockets and in their boots;and when they wanted a morsel to eat, the voracious horde had...　

The Divine Comedytranslated by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowPARADISOParadiso: Canto IThe glory of Him who moveth everythingDoth penetrate the universe, and shineIn one part more and in another less.Within that heaven which most his light receivesWas I, and things beheld which to repeatNor knows, nor can, who from above descends;Because in drawing near to its desireOur intellect ingulphs itself so far,That after it the memory cannot go.Truly whatever of the holy realmI had the power to treasure in my mindShall now become the subject of my song....　

Of Taxesby David HumeThere is a prevailing maxim, among some reasoners, that everynew tax creates a new ability in the subject to bear it, and thateach encrease of public burdens encreases proportionably theindustry of the people. This maxim is of such a nature as is mostlikely to be abused; and is so much the more dangerous, as itstruth cannot be altogether denied: but it must be owned, whenkept within certain bounds, to have some foundation in reason andexperience.When a tax is laid upon commodities, which are consumed bythe common people, the necessary consequence may seem to be,...