RAPUNZELONCE upon a time there lived a man and his wife who were veryunhappy because they had no children. These good peoplehad a little window at the back of their house, which looked intothe most lovely garden, full of all manner of beautiful flowers andvegetables; but the garden was surrounded by a high wall, and noone dared to enter it, for it belonged to a witch of great power, whowas feared by the whole world. One day the woman stood at thewindow overlooking the garden, and saw there a bed full of thefinest rampion: the leaves looked so fresh and green that she longed...
The Man Who Was Thursdayby G. K. ChestertonA WILD, MAD, HILARIOUS AND PROFOUNDLY MOVING TALEIt is very difficult to classify THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY. It is possible to say that it is a gripping adventure story of murderous criminals and brilliant policemen; but it was to be expected that the author of the Father Brown stories should tell a detective story like no-one else. On this level, therefore, THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY succeeds superbly; if nothing else, it is a magnificent tour-de-force of suspense-writing.However, the reader will soon discover that it is much more than that. Carried al
THE MAIDEN WITH THE WOODEN HELMETIn a little village in the country of Japan there lived long,long ago a man and his wife. For many years they were happy andprosperous, but bad times came, and at last nothing was left thembut their daughter, who was as beautiful as the morning. Theneighbours were very kind, and would have done anything theycould to help their poor friends, but the old couple felt thatsince everything had changed they would rather go elsewhere, soone day they set off to bury themselves in the country, takingtheir daughter with them.Now the mother and daughter had plenty to d
STAGE-LANDby Jerome K. JeromeTOTHAT HIGHLY RESPECTABLE BUT UNNECESSARILYRETIRING INDIVIDUAL,OF WHOMWE HEAR SO MUCHBUTSEE SO LITTLE,"THE EARNEST STUDENT OF THE DRAMA,"THIS(COMPARATIVELY) TRUTHFUL LITTLE BOOKIS LOVINGLY DEDICATED.CONTENTS.THE HEROTHE VILLAINTHE HEROINETHE COMIC MANTHE LAWYERTHE ADVENTURESSTHE SERVANT GIRLTHE CHILDTHE COMIC LOVERSTHE PEASANTSTHE GOOD OLD MANTHE IRISHMANTHE DETECTIVETHE SAILORSTAGE-LAND.THE HERO.His name is George, generally speaking. "Call me George!" he says to...
A Prince of Bohemiaby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Clara Bell and othersDEDICATIONTo Henri Heine.I inscribe this to you, my dear Heine, to you that represent inParis the ideas and poetry of Germany, in Germany the lively andwitty criticism of France; for you better than any other will knowwhatsoever this Study may contain of criticism and of jest, oflove and truth.DE BALZAC.A PRINCE OF BOHEMIA"My dear friend," said Mme. de la Baudraye, drawing a pile ofmanuscript from beneath her sofa cushion, "will you pardon me in our...
DRAKESTAILDRAKESTAIL was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail;but tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what hewas about, for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing ahundred crowns. Now the King of the country, who was veryextravagant and never kept any money, having heard that Drakestailhad some, went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard, and,my word, in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of havinglent money to the King. But after the first and second year, seeingthat they never even dreamed of paying the interest, he became...
Bel Amiby Henri Rene Guy De MaupassantTABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER I. POVERTYCHAPTER II. MADAME FORESTIERCHAPTER III. FIRST ATTEMPTSCHAPTER IV. DUROY LEARNS SOMETHINGCHAPTER V. THE FIRST INTRIGUECHAPTER VI. A STEP UPWARDCHAPTER VII. A DUEL WITH AN ENDCHAPTER VIII. DEATH AND A PROPOSALCHAPTER IX. MARRIAGECHAPTER X. JEALOUSYCHAPTER XI. MADAME WALTER TAKES A HANDCHAPTER XII. A MEETING AND THE RESULTCHAPTER XIII. MADAME MARELLECHAPTER XIV. THE WILL...
The Moon Poolby A. MerrittForewordThe publication of the following narrative of Dr. WalterT. Goodwin has been authorized by the Executive Councilof the International Association of Science.First:To end officially what is beginning to be called theThrockmartin Mystery and to kill the innuendo and scan-dalous suspicions which have threatened to stain the repu-tations of Dr. David Throckmartin, his youthful wife, andequally youthful associate Dr. Charles Stanton ever sincea tardy despatch from Melbourne, Australia, reported the...
Sally Dowsby Bret HarteCONTENTSSALLY DOWSTHE CONSPIRACY OF MRS. BUNKERTHE TRANSFORMATION OF BUCKEYE CAMPTHEIR UNCLE FROM CALIFORNIASALLY DOWS.PROLOGUE.THE LAST GUN AT SNAKE RIVER.What had been in the cool gray of that summer morning a dewycountry lane, marked only by a few wagon tracks that neverencroached upon its grassy border, and indented only by the faintfootprints of a crossing fox or coon, was now, before high noon,already crushed, beaten down, and trampled out of all semblance ofits former graciousness. The heavy springless jolt of gun-carriage...
The Lady of LyonsorLove and Prideby Edward Bulwer LyttonTo the author of "Ion."Whose genius and example have alike contributed towards the regenerationof The National Drama,This play is inscribed.PREFACE.An indistinct recollection of the very pretty little tale,called "The Bellows-Mender," suggested the plot of this Drama.The incidents are, however, greatly altered from those in the tale,and the characters entirely re-cast.Having long had a wish to illustrate certain periods of the French...
It was hot. The shallow place where I lay atop the desert ridge was like an oven, the rocks like burning coals. Out on the flat below, where the Apaches waited, the heat waves shimmered and danced. Only the far-off mountains looked cool. When I tried to push out my tongue to touch my cracked lips it was like a dry stick in my mouth, and the dark splashes on the rock were blood ... my blood. The round thing lying yonder with a bullet hole in it was my canteen, but there might be a smidgen of water left in the bottom - enough to keep me alive if I could get to it. Down on the flat lay my sorr
Disclaimer There is more than one reason why the Crown finds this overimaginative work most unacceptable. First and foremost, of course, is that it purports to be about a planet called "Earth" and no such planet exists under that name or its pretended astrographic designation of Blito-P3. Admittedly, it has been cleverly created down to characters and locations. That is the precise danger for the unsuspecting reader. It is also claimed that "Earth" is on the Invasion Timetable and thus scheduled for capture. The Timetable bequeathed by our ancestors has the status of Divine mand. It
OWL POSTHarry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard.It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning
JESPER WHO HERDED THE HARESThere was once a king who ruled over a kingdom somewhere betweensunrise and sunset. It was as small as kingdoms usually were inold times, and when the king went up to the roof of his palaceand took a look round he could see to the ends of it in everydirection. But as it was all his own, he was very proud of it,and often wondered how it would get along without him. He hadonly one child, and that was a daughter, so he foresaw that shemust be provided with a husband who would be fit to be king afterhim. Where to find one rich enough and clever enough to be a...
Bruceby Albert Payson TerhuneTO MY TEN BEST FRIENDS:Who are far wiser in their way and far better in every way, thanI; and yet who have not the wisdom to know itWho do not merely think I am perfect, but who are calmly andpermanently convinced of my perfection;and this in spite offifty disillusions a dayWho are frantically happy at my coming and bitterly woebegone inmy absenceWho never bore me and never are bored by meWho never talk about themselves and who always listen withrapturous interest to anything I may say...
The Mansionby Henry van DykeThere was an air of calm and reserved opulence aboutthe Weightman mansion that spoke not of money squandered,but of wealth prudently applied. Standing on a corner ofthe Avenue no longer fashionable for residence, it looked uponthe swelling tide of business with an expression of complacencyand half-disdain.The house was not beautiful. There was nothing in its straightfront ofchocolate-colored stone, its heavy cornices, its broad, staringwindows ofplate glass, its carved and bronze-bedecked mahogany doors at the...