 section 26 of the junior classics volume 6 old-fashioned tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nima the junior classics volume 6 old-fashioned tales the Bar of Gold by Lillian M. Gask. Long years ago there lived a poor laboring man who never knew what it was to sleep in peace whether the times were good or bad he was haunted by fears for the morrow and this constant worrying caused him to look so thin and warn that the neighboring farmers hesitated to give him work he was steady and frugal and had never been known to waste his time in the village in or indulge in foolish pleasures in fact a worthy or man could not be found when his friends agreed and saying that he certainly deserved success though this never came his way one day as he sat by the roadside with his head on his hands a kindly insurable doctor from the town close by stopped his carriage to ask him what was the matter you seem in trouble my good man he said tell me what I can do to help you encouraged by the sympathy in his voice weeping John as he was called poured out his woes to which the doctor listened with much attention if I should fall sick the poor man finished by saying what would happen to my little children and the wife whom I love more dearly than life itself they would surely starve for even as it is they often go hungry to bed surely a more unfortunate man has never been born I toil early and late and this is my reward and once more he buried his face in his hands all bitter sobs shook his ill clad shoulders come come said the doctor briskly get up at once man and I will do my best for you I can see that if you do not kill worry worry will kill you helping the poor fellow into his carriage he told the coachman to drive straight home and when they arrived at his comfortable mansion he led him into his surgery see here he cried pointing to a shining bar in a glass case that bar of gold was bequeathed to me by my father who was once as poor as you are now by means of the strictest economy and hard work he managed to save sufficient money to purchase the safeguard against want when it came to me I too was poor but by following his example and keeping a brave heart and cloud and storm as well as sunshine I have now amassed a fortune that is more than sufficient for my needs therefore I will now hand over to you the bar of gold since I no longer require it its possession will give you confidence for the future do not break into it if you can avoid it and remember that sighing and weeping should be left to weak women and girls the laborer thanked him with much fervor and hiding the bar of gold beneath his coat sped joyfully homeward as he and his wife said over the fire which they were now no longer afraid to replenish he told her all that the good doctor had said and they agreed that unless the worst came to the worst they would never touch that bar of gold the knowledge that we have it safely hidden in the cellars at his wife will keep from us all anxiety and now John you must do your best to make a fortune so that we may be able to hand it on to our dear children from that day John was a changed man he sang and whistled merrily as he went about his work and bore himself like a prosperous citizen his cheeks filled out and his eye grew bright no longer did he waste his leisure and lamentations but dug and planted his little garden until it yielded him richly of the fruits of the earth and the proceeds helped to swell the silver coins in his good wife's stocking the farmer who had before employed him when short of hands was so impressed with his altered looks that he took him permanently into a service and with regular food and sufficient clothing John's delicate children grew strong and hearty that bar of gold is brought us luck he would sometimes say blithely to his wife who held her tongue like a wise woman although she was tempted to remind him that the luck had come since he had given up weeping and lamentations concerning the future one summer's evening long afterwards as they sat in the wide porch while their grandchildren played in the meadow beyond and the lowing of the cows on their peaceful farm mingled with the little people's merry shouts a stranger came up the pathway and begged for alms though torn and tattered and gaunt with hunger he had an air of gentleness and refinement and full of compassion the worthy couple invited him into rest they set before him the best they had when he tried to express his gratitude John laid his hand on his shoulder my friend he said Providence has been good to us and bless the labor of our hands and times gone by however I was as wretched as you appeared to be when you cross the road and is owing to a stranger's kindness that I am in my present position he went on to tell him of the bar of gold and after a long look at his wife who nodded her head as if well pleased he went and fetched from the cellar where it had laid hidden all these years there he exclaimed I am going to give it to you I shall not want it now and my children are all well settled it is fitting that you should have it since your need is very great now the stranger understood the signs of metals for he was a learned man who had fallen on evil times as he took the gleaming bar in his hands while murmuring his astonish thanks he knew by its weight that it was not gold you have made a mistake my friends he cried this bar is not what you think it though I own that most men would be deceived greatly surprised the old woman took it from him and polished it with her apron in order to show him how brightly it gleamed as she did so an inscription appeared which neither she nor her husband had noticed before both listened with great interest as a stranger read it out for them it is less a matter of actual want it ran then the fear of what the Mara will bring which causes the unhappiness of the poor then tread the path of life with courage for it is clear that at last you will reach the end of your journey when the stranger pause there was a dead silence for the old man and woman were thinking many things and words do not come quickly when one is deeply moved at last John offered the stranger a tremulous apology for the disappointment he must now be suffering through their innocent mistake on the contrary he replied warmly the lesson that bar has taught me is worth far more than any money that you could give me I shall make a new start in life and remembering that we fail through fear will henceforth bear myself as a brave man should so saying he bade them adieu and passed out into the fragrant twilight end of section twenty six section twenty seven of the junior classics volume six old fashion tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Brooke favorite www.alongsidemom.com the junior classics volume six old fashioned tales Uncle David's nonsensical story by Catherine Sinclair in the days of your children were not all such clever good sensible people as they are now lessons were then considered rather a plague sugar plums were still in demand holidays continued yet in fashion and toys were not then made to teach mathematics nor storybooks to give instruction in chemistry and navigation these were very strange times and there existed at that period a very idle greedy naughty boy such as we never hear of in the present day his father and mother were no matter who and he lived no matter where his name was master no book and he seemed to think his eyes were made for nothing but to stare out of the windows and his mouth for no other purpose but to eat this young gentleman hated lessons like mustard both of which brought tears into his eyes and during school hours he sat gazing at his books pretending to be busy while his mind wandered away to wish impatiently for dinner and to consider where he could get the nicest pies pastry ices and jellies while he smacked his lips at the very thought of them whenever master no book spoke it was always to ask for something and you might continually hear him say in a whining tone of voice father may I take this piece of cake and Sarah will you give me an apple mother do send me the whole of that plum pudding indeed very frequently when he did not get permission to this naughty glutton helped himself without leave even his dreams were like his waking hours for he'd often a horrible nightmare about lessons thinking he was smothered with greek lexicons or pelted out of the school with a shower of english grammars while one night he fancied himself sitting down to devour an enormous plum cake and all in a sudden it became transformed into a latin dictionary one afternoon master no book having played truant all day from school was lolling on his mother's best sofa in the drawing room with his leather boots tucked up on the satin cushions and nothing to do but to suck a few oranges and nothing to think of but how much sugar to put upon them when suddenly an event took place which filled him with astonishment a sound of soft music stole into the room becoming louder and louder the longer he listened to let length in a few moments afterwards a large hole burst open in the wall of his room and there stepped into his presence two magnificent fairies just arrived from their castles in the air to pay him a visit they had traveled all the way on purpose to have some conversation with master no book and immediately introduced themselves in a very ceremonious manner the fairy do nothing was gorgeously dressed with a wreath of flaming gas around her head a robe of gold tissue a necklace of rubies and a bouquet in her hand of glittering diamonds her cheeks were rouged to the very eyes her teeth were set in gold and her hair was of a most brilliant purple in short so fine and fashionable looking a fairy was never seen in a drawing room before the fairy teach all who followed next was simply dressed in white muslin with bunches of natural flowers in her light brown hair and she carried in her hand a few neat small volumes which master no book looked at with a shutter of a version the two fairies now informed him that they very often invited large parties of children to spend some time at their palaces but as they lived in quite an opposite direction it was necessary for their young guests to choose which it would be best to visit first therefore they had now come to inquire of master no book whom he thought it would be most agreeable to accompany on the present occasion in my house said the fairy teach all speaking with a very sweet smile and a soft pleasing voice you shall be taught to find pleasure in every sort of exertion for i delight in activity and diligence my young friends rise at seven every morning and amuse themselves with working in a beautiful garden of flowers rearing whatever fruit they wish to eat visiting among the poor associating pleasantly together studying the arts and sciences and learning to know the world in which they live and to fulfill the purposes for which they have been brought into it in short all our amusements tend to some useful object either for our own improvement or the good of others and you will grow wiser better and happier every day you remain in the palace of knowledge but in castle needless or i live interrupted the fairy do nothing rudely pushing her companion aside with an angry contemptuous look we never think of exerting ourselves for anything you may put your head in your pocket and your hands in your sides as long as you choose to stay no one has ever even asked a question that he may be spared the trouble of answering we lead the most fashionable life imaginable where nobody speaks to anybody each of my visitors is quite an exclusive and sits with his back to as many of the company as possible in the most comfortable arm chair that can be contrived there if you're only so good as to take the trouble of wishing for anything it is yours without even turning an eye round to look where it comes from dresses are provided of the most magnificent kind which go on themselves without you having the smallest annoyance with either buttons or strings games which you can play without an effort of thought and dishes dressed by a french cook smoking hot under your nose from morning till night while any rain we have is either made of lemonade or lavender water and in winter it generally snows ice punch for an hour during the forenoon nobody need be told which fairy master no book preferred and quite charmed at his own good fortune in receiving so agreeable an invitation he eagerly gave his hand to the splendid new acquaintance who promised him so much pleasure and ease and gladly proceeded in a carriage lined with velvet stuffed with downy pillows and drawn by milk white swans to that magnificent residence castle needless which was lighted by a thousand windows during the day and by a million of lamps every night here master no book enjoyed a constant holiday and a constant feast while a beautiful lady covered with jewels was ready to tell him stories from morning till night and servants waited to pick up his play things if they fell or to draw out his purse or his pocket handkerchief when he wished to use them thus master no book lay dozing for hours and days on rich embroidered cushions never stirring from his place but admiring the view of trees covered with the richest burnt almonds grottos of sugar candy agetto of champagne a wide sea which tasted of sugar instead of salt and a bright clear pond filled with goldfish that let themselves be caught whenever he pleased nothing could be more complete and yet very strange to say master no book did not seem particularly happy this appears exceedingly unreasonable when so much trouble was taken to please him but the truth is that every day he became more fretful and peevish no sweetmeats were worth the trouble of eating nothing was pleasant to play at and in the end he wished it were possible to sleep all day as well as all night not a hundred miles from the fairy do nothing's palace there lived a most cruel monster called the giant snap him up who looked when he stood up like the tall steeple of a great church raising his head so high that he could peep over the loftiest mountains and was obliged to climb up a ladder to comb his own hair every morning regularly this prodigiously great giant walked around the world before breakfast for an appetite after which he made tea in a large lake used the sea as a slot basin and boiled his kettle on Mount Vesuvius he lived in great style and his dinners were most magnificent consisting very often of an elephant roasted whole ostrich patties a tiger smothered in onions stewed lions and whale soup but for a side dish his greatest favorite consisted of little boys as fat as possible fried in crumbs of bread with plenty of pepper and salt no children were so well fed or in such good condition for eating as those in the fairy do nothing's garden who is a very particular friend of the giant snap him up and who sometimes laughingly said she would give him a license and call her own garden his preserve because she always allowed him to help himself whenever he pleased to as many of her visitors as he chose without taking the trouble even to count them and in return for such extreme civility the giant very frequently invited her to dinner snap him up's favorite sport was to see how many brace of little boys he could bag in a morning so in passing along the streets he peeped into all the drawing rooms without having occasion to get up on tiptoe and picked up every young gentleman who is idly looking out of the windows and even a few occasionally who are playing truant from school but busy children seemed always somehow quite out of his reach one day when master no book felt even more lazy more idle and more miserable than ever he lay beside a perfect mountain of toys and cakes wondering what to wish for next and hating the very sight of everything in everybody at last he gave so loud a yawn of weariness and disgust that his jaw very nearly fell out of joint and then he sighed so deeply that the giant snap him up heard the sound as he passed along the road after breakfast and instantly stepped into the garden with his glass at his eye to see what was the matter immediately on observing a large fat overgrown boy as round as a dumpling lying on a bed of roses he gave a cry of delight followed by a gigantic peel of laughter which was heard three miles off and picking up master no book between his finger and thumb with a pinch that very nearly broke his ribs he carried him rapidly towards his own castle while the fairy do nothing laughingly shook her head as he passed saying that little man does me a great credit he's only been fed for a week and is as fat already as a prize ox what a dainty morsel he will be when do you dine today in case i should have time to look in upon you on reaching home the giant immediately hung up master no book by the hair of his head on a prodigious hook in the larder having first taken some large lumps of nasty suit forcing them down his throat to make him become still fatter and then stirring the fire that he might be almost melted with heat to make his liver grow larger on a shelf quite near master no book perceived the bodies of six other boys whom he remembered to have seen fattening in the very do nothing's garden while he recollected how some of them had rejoiced at the thoughts of leading a long useless idle life with no one to please but themselves the enormous cook now seized hold of master no book brandishing her knife with an aspect of horrible determination intending to kill him while he took the trouble of screaming and kicking in the most desperate manner when the giant turned gravely round and said that as pigs were considered a much greater dainty when whipped to death then killed in any other way he meant to see whether children might not be improved by it also therefore she might leave that great hog of a boy till he had time to try the experiment especially as his own appetite would be improved by the exercise this was a dreadful prospect for the unhappy prisoner but meantime it prolonged his life a few hours as he was immediately hung up in the larder and left to himself there in torture of mind and body like a fish upon a hook the wretched boy began at last to reflect seriously upon his former ways and to consider what a happy home he might have had if he could only have been satisfied with business and pleasure succeeding each other like day and night while lessons might have come in as a pleasant sauce to his play hours and his play hours as a sauce to his lessons in the midst of many reflections which were all very sensible though rather too late master no book's attention became attracted by the sound of many voices laughing talking and singing which caused him to turn his eyes in a new direction when for the first time he observed that the fairy teacher's garden lay upon a beautiful sloping bank not far off there a crowd of merry noisy rosy cheeked boys were busily employed and seemed happier than the day was long while poor master no book watched them during his own miserable hours envying the enjoyment with which they raked the flower borders gathered the fruit carried baskets of vegetables to the poor worked with carpenter's tools drew pictures shot with bows and arrows played at cricket and then sat in the sunny arbors learning their tasks or talking agreeably together to let length a dinner bell having been rung the whole party sat merrily down with hearty appetites and cheerful good humor to an entertainment of plain roast meat and pudding where the fairy teacher all presided herself and helped her guests moderately to as much as was good for each large tears roll down the cheeks of master no book while watching this scene and remembering that if he had known what was best for him he might have been as happy as the happiest of these excellent boys instead of suffering on we and weariness as he had done at the fairy do nothing's ending in a miserable death but his attention was soon after most alarmingly roused by hearing the giant snap him up again in conversation with his cook who said that if he wished for a good large dish of scalloped children at dinner it would be necessary to catch a few more as those he had already provided would scarcely be a mouthful as the giant kept very fashionable hours and always waited dinner for himself till nine o'clock there was still plenty of time so with a loud grumble at the trouble he seized a large basket in his hand and set off at a rapid pace toward the fairy teacher all's garden it was very seldom that snap him up ventured to think of foraging in this direction as he never once succeeded in carrying off a single captive from the enclosure it was so well fortified and so bravely defended but on this occasion being desperately hungry he felt as bold as a lion and walked without stretched hands straight towards the fairy teacher all's dinner table taking such prodigious strides that he seemed almost as if he would trample on himself a cry of consternation arose the instant this tremendous giant appeared and as usual on such occasions when he had made the same attempt before a dreadful battle took place 50 active little boys bravely flew upon the enemy armed with their dinner knives and looked like a nest of hornets stinging him in every direction till he roared with pain and he would have run away but the fairy teacher all seeing his intention rushed forward with the carving knife and brandishing it high over her head she most courageously stabbed him to the heart if a great mountain had fallen to the earth it would have seemed like nothing in comparison with the giant snap him up who crushed two or three houses to powder beneath him and upset several fine monuments that were to have made people remembered forever but all this would have seemed scarcely worth mentioning had it not been for a still greater event which occurred on the occasion no less than the death of fairy do nothing who had been indolently looking on at this great battle without taking the trouble to interfere or even to care who was victorious but being also lazy about running away when the giant fell his sword came with so violent a stroke on her head that she instantly expired thus luckily for the whole world the fairy teacher all got possession of immense property which she proceeded without delay to make the best use of in her power in the first place however she lost no time in liberating master no book from his hook in the larder and gave him a lecture on activity moderation and good conduct which he never afterwards forgot and it was astonishing to see the change that took place immediately in his whole thoughts and actions from this very hour master no book became the most diligent active happy boy in the fairy teacher's garden and on returning home a month afterwards he astonished all the masters at school by his extraordinary reformation the most difficult lessons were a pleasure to him he scarcely ever stirred without a book in his hand never lay on a sofa again would scarcely even sit on a chair with a back to it but preferred a three-legged stool detested holidays never thought any exertion a trouble preferred climbing over the top of the hill to creeping round the bottom always ate the plainest food in very small quantities joined a temperance society and never tasted a morsel till he had worked very hard and got an appetite not long after this an old uncle who had formerly been ashamed of master no books indolence and gluttony became so pleased at the wonderful change that on his death he left him a magnificent estate desiring that he should take his name therefore instead of being any longer one of the no book family he is now called sir timothy blue stocking a pattern to the whole country around for the good he does to everyone and especially for his extraordinary activity appearing as if he could do 20 things at once though generally very good-natured and agreeable sir timothy is occasionally observed in a violent passion laying about him with this walking stick in the most terrific manner and beating little boys with an inch of their lives but on inquiry it invariably appears that he has found mount to be lazy idle or greedy and all the industrious boys in the parish are sent to get employment from him while he assures them that they are far happier breaking stones on the road than if they were sitting idly in a drawing room with nothing to do end of section 27 recording by brook favorite www.alongsidemom.com section 28 of the junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by John Holdsworth visit John Holdsworth.com the junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales the grand feast lady Harriet Graham was an extremely thin delicate old lady with a very pale face and a sweet gentle voice which the children delighted to hear for it always spoke kindly to them and sounded like music after the loud rough tones of Mrs. Crabtree she wore her own gray hair which had become almost as white as the widow's cap which covered her head the rest of her dress was generally black velvet and she usually sat in a comfortable armchair by the fireside watching her grandchildren at play with a large work bag by her side and a prodigious bible open on the table before her lady Harriet often said that it made her young again to see the joyous gambles of Harry and Laura and when unable any longer to bear their noise she sometimes kept them quiet by telling them the most delightful stories about what happened to herself when she was young once upon a time however lady Harriet suddenly became so very ill that Dr. Bell said she must spend a few days in the country for a change and accordingly she determined on passing a quiet week at holiday house with her relations Lord and Lady Rockville meanwhile Harry and Laura were to be left under the sole care of Mrs. Crabtree so it might have been expected that they would feel more frightened of her now that she was reigning monarch of the house than ever Harry would obey those he loved if they only held up a little finger but all the terrors of Mrs. Crabtree and her cat and nine tails were generally forgotten soon after she left the room therefore he thought little at first about the many threats she held out if he behaved ill but he listened most seriously when his dear sick grandma told him in a faint weak voice on the day of her departure from home how very well he ought to behave in her absence as no one remained but the maids to keep him in order and that she hoped Mrs. Crabtree would write her a letter full of good news about his excellent conduct Harry felt as if he would gladly sit still without stirring till his grandma came back if that could only please her and there was never any one more determined to be a good boy than he at the moment when Lady Harriet's carriage came round to the door Laura Frank and Harry helped to carry all the pillows boxes books and baskets which were necessary for the journey of which there seemed to be about 50 then they arranged the cushions as comfortably as possible and watched very sorrowfully when their grandmother after kindly embracing them both was carefully supported by Major Graham and her own maid Harrison into the chariot Uncle David gave each of the children a pretty picture book before taking leave and said as he was stepping into the carriage now children i have only one piece of serious important advice to give you all so attend to me never crack nuts with your teeth when the carriage had driven off Mrs. Crabtree became so busy scolding Betty and storming at Jack the foot boy for not cleaning her shoes well enough that she left Harry and Laura standing in the passage not knowing exactly what they ought to do first and Frank seeing them looking rather melancholy and bewildered at the loss of their grandmama stopped a moment as he passed on the way to school and said in a very kind affectionate voice now Harry and Laura listen both of you here is a grand opportunity to show everybody that we can be trusted to ourselves without getting into any scrapes so that if grandmama is ever ill again and obliged to go away she need not feel so sad and anxious as she did today i mean to become nine times more attentive to my lessons than usual this morning to show how trustworthy we are and if you are wise pray march straight up to the nursery yourselves i have arranged a gown and cap of Mrs. Crabtree's on the large arm chair to look as like herself as possible that you may be reminded how soon she will come back and you must not behave like the mice when the cat is out goodbye say the alphabet backwards and count your fingers for half an hour but when mrs. Crabtree appears again pray do not jump out of the window for joy Harry and Laura were proceeding directly towards the nursery as Frank had recommended when unluckily they observed in passing the drawing room door that it was wide open so Harry peeped in and they began idly wandering round the tables and cabinets not 10 minutes elapsed before they both commenced racing about as if they were mad perfectly screaming with joy and laughing so loudly at their own funny tricks that an old gentleman who lived next door very nearly sent in a message to ask what the joke was presently harry and Laura ran up and downstairs till the housemaid was quite fatigued with running after them they jumped upon the fine damask sofas in the drawing room stirred the fire till it was in a blaze and rushed out on the balcony upsetting one or two geraniums and a myrtle they spilt lady harry its perfumes over their handkerchiefs they looked into all the beautiful books of pictures they tumbled many of the pretty Dresden china figures on the floor they wound up the little french clock till it was broken they made the musical work box play its tunes and set the chinese mandarins a nodding till they very nearly knotted their heads off in short so much mischief has seldom been done in so short a time till at last harry perfectly worn out with laughing and running threw himself into a large armchair and Laura with her ringlets tumbling in a frightful confusion over her face and the beads of her coral necklace rolling on the floor tossed herself into a sofa beside him oh what fun cried harry in an ecstasy of delight i wish frank had been here and crowds of little boys and girls to play with us all day it would be a good joke flora to write and ask all our little cousins and companions to drink tea here tomorrow evening their mamas could never guess we had not leave from grand mama to invite everybody so i dare say we might gather quite a large party oh how enchanting laura laughed heartily when she heard this proposal of harry's and without hesitating a moment about it she joyously placed herself before lady harry it's writing table and scribbled a multitude of little notes in large text to more than 20 young friends all of whom had at other times been asked by lady harry it to spend the evening with her laura felt very much puzzled to know what was usually said in a card of invitation but after many consultations she and harry thought it last that it was very nicely expressed for they wrote these words upon a large sheet of paper to each of their friends master harry graham and miss laura wish you to have the honor of drinking tea with us tomorrow at six o'clock signed harry and laura laura afterwards singed a whole in her muslin frock while lighting one of the vesta matches to seal these numerous notes and harry dropped some burning sealing wax on his hand in the hurry of assisting her but he thought that little accident no matter and ran away to see if the cards could be sent off immediately now they're lived in the house a very old foot man called andrew who remembered harry and laura since they were quite little babies and he often looked exceedingly sad and sorry when they suffered punishment from mrs crabtree he was ready to do anything in the world when it pleased the children and would have carried a message to the moon if they had only shown him the way many odd jobs and private messages he had already been employed in by harry who now called andrew upstairs and treating him to carry out all those absurd notes as fast as possible and to deliver them immediately as they were of the greatest consequence upon hearing this old andrew lost not a moment but threw on his hat and instantly started off looking like the two penny postman he carried such a prodigious parcel of invitations while harry and laura stood at the drawing window almost screaming with joy when they saw him set out and when they observed that to oblige them he actually ran along the street at a sort of trot which was as fast as he could possibly go presently however he certainly did stop for a single minute and laura saw that it was in order to take a peep into one of the notes that he might ascertain what they were all about but as he never carried any letters without doing so she thought that quite natural and was only very glad when he had finished and rapidly pursued his way again next morning mrs crabtree and beddy became very much surprised to observe what a number of smart livery servants knocked at the street door and gave in cards but their estrangement became still greater when old andrew brought up a whole parcel of them to harry and laura who immediately broke the seals and read the contents in a corner together what are you about there mr graham cried mrs crabtree angrily how dare anybody venture to touch your grandmama's letters they are not for grandmama they are all for us every one of them answered harry dancing about the room with joy and waving the notes over his head look at this direction for master and miss graham put on your spectacles and read it yourself mrs crabtree what delightful fun the house will be as full as an egg mrs crabtree seems completely puzzled what to think of all this and looks so much as if she did not know exactly what to be angry at and so ready to be in a passion if possible that harry burst out a laughing while he said only think mrs crabtree here is everybody coming to tea with us all my cousins besides peter gray john stewart charles forrester and a person diana wentworth john fordice edmund ashford frank Abercrombie net russell and tom the boy is distracted exclaimed beddy staring with astonishment what does all this mean master harry and who gave you leave to invite company into your grandmama's house cried mrs crabtree snatching up all the notes and angrily thrusting them into the fire i never heard of such doings in all my life before master harry but as sure as eggs or eggs you shall repent of this for not one morsel of cake or anything else shall you have to give any of the party no not so much as a crust of bread or a thimble full of tea harry and laura had never thought of such a catastrophe as this before they always saw a great table covered with everything that could be named for tea whenever the little friends came to visit them and whether it rose out of the floor or was brought by a laden's lamp they never considered it possible that the table would not be provided as usual on such occasions so this terrible speech of mrs crabtree's frightened them out of their wits what was to be done they both knew by experience that she always did what she threatened or something a great deal worse so they began by bursting into tears and begging mrs crabtree for this once to excuse them and to give some cakes and tea to their little visitors but they might as well have spoken to one of the chinese mandarins first she only shook her head with a positive look declaring over and over again that nothing should appear on the table except what was always brought up for their own supper two biscuits and two cups of milk therefore say no more about it added she sternly i am your best friend master harry trying to teach you and miss laura your duty so save your breath to cool your porridge poor harry and laura looked perfectly ill with fright and vexation when they thought of what was to happen next while mrs crabtree sat down to her knitting grumbling to herself and dropping her stitches every minute with rage and irritation old andrew felt exceedingly sorry after he heard what distress and difficulty harry was in and when the hour of the party approached he very good naturally spread out a large table in the dining room where he put down as many cups saucers plates and spoons as laura chose to direct but in spite of all his trouble though it looked very grand there was nothing whatever to eat or drink except the two dry biscuits and the two miserable cups of milk which seemed to become smaller every time that harry looked at them presently the clock struck six and harry listened to the hour very much as a prisoner would do in the condemned cell in newgate feeling that the dreaded time was at last arrived soon afterwards several handsome carriages drove up to the door filled with little masters and mrs who hurried joyfully into the house talking and laughing all the way upstairs while poor harry and laura almost wished the floor would open and swallow them up so they shrunk into a distant corner of the room quite ashamed to show their faces the young ladies were all dressed in their best frocks with pink sashes and pink shoes while the little boys appeared in their holiday clothes with their hair newly brushed and their faces washed the whole party had dined at two o'clock so they were as hungry as hawks looking eagerly round whenever they entered to see what was on the tea table and evidently surprised that nothing had yet been put down laura and harry soon afterwards heard their visitors whispering to each other about norwich buns rice cakes sponge biscuits and macaroons while peter gray was loud in praise of a party at george lorraine's the night before where an immense plum cake had been sugared over like a snowstorm and covered with crowds of beautiful amusing mottos not to mention a quantity of noisy crackers that exploded like pistols besides which a glass of hot jelly had been handed to each little guest before he was sent home every time the door opened all eyes were anxiously turned around expecting a grand feast to be brought in but quite the contrary it was only andrew showing up more hungry visitors while harry felt so unspeakably wretched that if some kind fairy could only have turned him into a norwich bun at that moment he would gladly have consented to be cut in pieces that his ravenous guests might be satisfied charles forester was a particularly good natured boy so harry at last took courage and beckoned him into a remote corner of the room where he confessed in whispers the real state of affairs about tea and how sadly distressed he and laura felt because they had nothing whatever to give among so many visitors seeing that mrs crabtree kept her determination of affording them no provisions what is to be done said charles very anxiously as he felt extremely sorry for his little friends if mama had been at home she would gladly have sent whatever you liked for tea but luckily she is dining out i saw a loaf of bread lying on a table at home this evening which she would make you quite welcome to shall i run home as fast as possible to fetch it that would at any rate be better than nothing poor charles forester was very lame therefore while he talked of running he could hardly walk but lady forester's house stood so near that he soon reached home when snatching up the loaf he hurried back towards the street with his prize quite delighted to see how large and substantial it looked scarcely had he reached the door however before the housekeeper ran hastily out saying stop master charles stop sure you are not running away with the loaf for my tea and the parrot must have her supper too what do you want with that their bread never mind mrs comfitt answered charles hastening on faster than ever while he grasped the freshest loaf more firmly in his hand and limped along at a prodigious rate poly is getting too fat so she will be the better of fasting for one day mrs comfitt being enormously fat herself became very angry at this remark so she seemed quite desperate to recover the loaf and hurried forward to overtake charles but the old housekeeper was so heavy and breathless while the young gentleman was so lame that it seemed an even chance which won the race harry stood at his own door impatiently hoping to receive the prize and eagerly stretched out his arms to encourage his friend while it was impossible to say which of the runners might arrive first harry had sometimes heard of a race between two old women tied up in sacks and he thought they could scarcely move with more difficulty but at the very moment when charles had reached the door he stumbled over a stone and fell on the ground mrs comfitt then instantly rushed up and seizing the loaf she carried it off in a triumph leaving the two little friends ready to cry with vexation and quite had a loss what plan to attempt next meantime a sad riot had arisen in the dining room where the boys called loudly for their tea and the young ladies drew their chairs all around the table to wait till it was ready still nothing appeared so everybody wondered more and more how long they were to wait for all the nice cakes and sweet meats which must of course becoming for the longer they were delayed the more was expected the last at a feast and the first at a fray was generally peter gray who now lost his patience and seized one of the two biscuits which he was in the middle of greedily devouring when laura returned with harry to the dining room and observed what he had done peter gray said she holding up her head and trying to look very dignified you are an exceedingly naughty boy to help yourself as a punishment for being so rude you shall have nothing more to eat all this evening if i do not help myself nobody else seems likely to give me any supper i appear to be the only person who is to taste anything tonight answered peter laughing while the impudent boy took a cup of milk and drunk it off saying here's to you very good health miss laura and an excellent appetite to everybody upon hearing this absurd speech all the other boys began laughing and made signs as if they were eating their fingers off with hunger then peter called lady harry at's house famine castle and pretended he would swallow the knives like an indian juggler we must learn to live upon air and here are some spoons to eat it with said john fordice harry shall i help you to a mouthful of moonshine peter would you like a roasted fly asked frank abercrombie catching one on the window i dare say it is excellent for hungry people or a slice of buttered wall or a stewed spider asked peter shall we all be cannibals and eat one another what is the use of all those forks when there's nothing to stick upon them asked george maxwell throwing them about on the floor no buns no fruit no cakes no nothing what are we to do with those tea cups when there's no tea cried frank abercrombie pulling the tablecloth to the whole affair fell prostrate on the floor after this these riotous boys tossed the plates in the air and caught them becoming at last so outrageous that poor old andrew called them a meal mob never was there so much broken china seen in a dining room before it all lays scattered on the floor and countless fragments looking as if there had been a bull in a china shop when suddenly mrs crab tree herself opened the door and walked in with an aspect of rage enough to petrify a milestone now old andrew had long been trying in all his power to render the boys quiet and contented he had made them a speech he had chased the ring leaders all around the room and he had thrown his stick at peter who seemed the most riotous but all in vain they became worse and worse laughing into fits and calling andrew the police officer and the bailiff it was a very different story however when mrs crab tree appeared so flaming with fury she might have blown up a powder mill nobody could help being afraid of her even peter himself stood stuck still and seemed withering away to nothing when she looked at him and when she began to scold in her most furious manner not a boy ventured to look off the ground a large pair of tars then became visible in her hand so every heart sunk with fright and the riotous visitors began to get behind each other and to huddle out of sight as much as possible whispering and pushing and fighting in a desperate scuffle to escape what is all this cried she at the full pitch of her voice has bedlam broke loose who smashed these cups i'll break his head for him let me tell you that master peter you should be hissed out of the world for your misconduct but i shall certainly whip you round the room like a whipping top at this moment peter observed that the dining room window which was only about six feet from the ground had been left wide open so instantly seizing the opportunity he threw himself out with a single bound and ran laughing away all the other boys immediately followed his example and disappeared by the same road after which mrs crabtree leaned far out of the window and scolded loudly as long as they remained in sight till her face became red and her voice perfectly hoarse meantime the little mrs sat soberly down before the empty table and talked in whispers to each other waiting till their maids came to take them home after which they all hurried away as fast as possible hardly waiting to say goodbye and intending to ask for some supper at home during that night long after harry and laura had been scolded whipped and put to bed they were each heard in different rooms sobbing and crying as if their very hearts would break while mrs crabtree grumbled and scolded to herself saying she must do her duty and make them good children though she were to flay them alive first when lady harry had returned home some days afterwards she heard an account of harry and laura's misconduct for mrs crabtree and the whole story was such a terrible case against them that their poor grandma ma became perfectly astonished and shocked while even uncle david was preparing to be very angry but before the culprits appeared frank most kindly stepped forward and begged that they might be pardoned for this once adding all in his power to excuse harry and laura by describing how very penitent they had become and how very severely they had already been punished frank then mentioned that harry had told him about the starving party which he related with so much humor and drawlery that lady harry it could not help laughing so then he saw that a victory had been gained and ran to the nursery for the two little prisoners uncle david shook his walking stick at them and made a terrible face when they entered but harry jumped upon his knee with joy at seeing them again while laura forgot all her distress and rushed up to lady harry it who fold in her in her arms and kissed her most affectionately not a word was said that day about the tea party but next morning major graham asked harry very gravely if he had read in the newspaper the melancholy accounts about several of his little companions who were ill and confined to bed from having eaten too much at a certain tea party on saturday last poor peter gray has been given over and charles forester it is feared may not be able to eat another loaf of bread for a fortnight oh uncle david it makes me ill whenever i think of that tea party said harry coloring perfectly scarlet that was the most miserable evening of my life i must say it was not quite fair in mrs crab tree to starve all the strange little boys and girls who came as visitors to my house without knowing who had invited them observed lady harry it probably those unlucky children will never forget as long as they live that scanty supper in our dining room and it turned out exactly as lady harry had predicted for though they were all asked to tea and proper form the very next saturday when major grams showered torrents of sugar plums on the table while the children scrambled to pick them up and the sideboard almost broke down afterwards under the weight of buns cakes cheesecakes biscuits fruit and preserves which were heaped upon each other yet for years afterwards peter gray whenever he ate a particularly enormous dinner always observed that he must make up for having once been starved at harry grams and whenever any one of those little boys or girls again happened to meet harry or laura they were sure to laugh and say when are you going to give us another grand feast end of section 28 recording by john holdsworth visit john holdsworth dot com section 29 of the junior classics volume six old fashion tales this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org recording by brook favorite www dot alongside mom dot com the junior classics volume six old fashioned tales the story of fairy foot by frances brown once upon a time there stood far away in the west country a town called stumping him it contained seven windmills a royal palace a marketplace and a prison with every other convenience befitting the capital of a kingdom a capital city was stumping him and its inhabitants thought it the only one in the world it stood in the midst of a great plane which for three leagues round its walls was covered with corn flax and orchards beyond that lay a great circle of pasture land seven leagues in breadth and it was bounded on all sides by a forest so thick and old that no man in stumping him knew its extent whether it was the nature of the place or the people I cannot tell but great feet had been the fashion their time immemorial and the higher the family the larger were they it was therefore the aim of everybody above the degree of shepherds and such like rustics to swell out and enlarge their feet by way of gentility and so successful were they in these undertakings that on a pinch respectable people's slippers would have served for panniers stumping him had a king of its own and his name was stiff step his family was very ancient and large-footed his subjects called him lord of the world and he made a speech to them every year concerning the grandeur of his mighty empire his queen hammer heel was the greatest beauty in stumping him her majesty's shoe was not much less than a fishing boat their six children promised to be quite as handsome and all went well till the birth of their seventh son for a long time nobody about the palace could understand what was the matter the ladies in waiting looked so astonished and the king so vexed but at last it was whispered through the city that the queen's seventh child had been born with such miserably small feet that they resembled nothing ever seen or heard of in stumping him except the feet of fairies the chronicles furnished no example of such an affliction ever before happening in the royal family the common people thought it portended some great calamity to the city the learned men began to write books about it and all the relations of the king and queen assembled at the palace to mourn with them over their singular misfortune the whole court and most of the citizens helped in this morning but when it had lasted seven days they all found out it was of no use so the relations went to their homes and the people took to their work if the learned men's books were written nobody ever read them and to cheer up the queen's spirits the young prince was sent privately out to the pasturelands to be nursed among the shepherds the chief man there was called fleece fold and his wife's name was rough ruddy they lived in a snug cottage with their son blackthorn and their daughter brownberry and were thought great people because they kept the king's sheep moreover fleece fold's family were known to be ancient and rough ruddy boasted that she had the largest feet in all the pastures the shepherds held them in high respect and it grew still higher when the news spread that the king's seventh son had been sent to their cottage people came from all quarters to see the young prince and great were the lamentations over his misfortune in having such small feet the king and queen had given him fourteen names beginning with augustus such being the fashion in that royal family but the honest country people could not remember so many besides his feet were the most remarkable thing about the child so with one accord they called him fairy foot at first it was feared this might be high treason but when no notice was taken by the king or his ministers the shepherds concluded it was no harm and the boy never had another name throughout the pastures at court it was not thought polite to speak of him at all they did not keep his birthday and he was never sent for at christmas because the queen and her ladies could not bear the sight once a year the undermost scullion was sent to see how he did with a bundle of his next brother's cast off clothes and as the king grew old and cross it was said he had thoughts of disowning him so fairy foot grew in fleece fold's cottage perhaps the country air made him fair and rosy for all agreed that he would have been a handsome boy but for his small feet with which nevertheless he learned to walk and in time to run and to jump thereby amazing everybody for such doings were not known among the children of stumping him the news of court however traveled to the shepherds and fairy foot was despised among them the old people thought him unlucky the children refused to play with him fleece fold was ashamed to have him in his cottage but he durst not disobey the king's orders moreover black thorn wore most of the clothes brought by the scullion at last rough ruddy found out that the sight of such horrid jumping would make her children vulgar and as soon as he was old enough she sent fairy foot every day to watch some sickly sheep that grazed on a wild weedy pasture hard by the forest poor fairy foot was often lonely and sorrowful many a time he wished his feet would grow larger or that people wouldn't notice them so much and all the comfort he had was running and jumping by himself in the wild pasture and thinking that none of the shepherds children could do the like for all their pride of their great feet tired of this sport he was lying in the shadow of a mossy rock one warm summer's noon with the sheep feeding around when a robin pursued by a great hawk flew into the old velvet cap which lay on the ground beside him fairy foot covered it up and the hawk frightened by his shout flew away now you may go poor robin he said opening the cap but instead of the bird out spraying a little man dressed in russet brown and looking as if he were an hundred years old fairy foot could not speak for astonishment but the little man said thank you for your shelter and be sure I will do as much for you call on me if you're ever in trouble my name is robin good fellow and darting off he was out of sight in an instant for days the boy wondered who that little man could be but he told nobody for the little man's feet were as small as his own and it was clear he would be no favorite in stumping him fairy foot kept the story to himself and at last midsummer came that evening was a feast among the shepherds there were bonfires on the hills and fun in the villages but fairy foot sat alone beside his sheepfold for the children of his village had refused to let him dance with them about the bonfire and he had gone there to bewail the size of his feet which came between him and so many good things fairy foot had never felt so lonely in all his life and remembering the little man he plucked up spirit and cried ho robin good fellow here I am said a shrill voice at his elbow and there stood the little man himself I am very lonely and no one will play with me because my feet are not large enough said fairy foot come then and play with us said the little man we lead the merriest lives in the world and care for nobody's feet but all companies have their own manners and there are two things you must mind among us first do as you see the rest doing and secondly never speak of anything you may hear or see for we and the people of this country have had no friendship ever since large feet came in fashion I will do that and anything more you like said fairy foot and the little man taking his hand led him over the pasture into the forest and along a mossy path among old trees wreathed with ivy he never knew how far till they heard the sound of music and came upon a meadow where the moon shown as bright as day and all the flowers of the year snow drops violets prim roses and cow slips bloomed together in the thick grass there were a crowd of little men and women some clad in russet color but far more in green dancing round a little well as clear as crystal and under great rose trees which grew here and there in the meadow companies were sitting round low tables covered with cups of milk dishes of honey and carved wooden flagans filled with clear red wine the little man led fairy foot up to the nearest table handed him one of the flagans and said drink to the good company wine was not very common among the shepherds of stumping him and the boy had never tasted such drink as that before for scarcely had it gone down when he forgot all his troubles how blackthorn and brownberry wore his clothes how rough ruddy sent him to keep the sickly sheep and the children would not dance with him in short he forgot the whole misfortunes of his feet and it seemed to his mind that he was a king's son and all was well with him all the little people about the well cried welcome welcome and everyone said come and dance with me so fairy foot was as happy as a prince and drank milk and ate honey till the moon was low in the sky next morning fairy foot was not tired for all his dancing nobody in the cottage had missed him and he went out with the sheep as usual but every night all that summer when the shepherds were safe in bed the little man came and took him away to dance in the forest now he did not care to play with the shepherds children nor grieve that his father and mother had forgotten him but watched the sheep all day singing to himself or plating brushes the wonder was that he was never tired nor sleepy as people are apt to be who dance all night but before the summer was ended fairy foot found out the reason one night when the moon was full and the last of the ripe corn rustling in the fields robin good fellow came for him as usual and away they went to the flowery green the fun there was high and robin was in haste so he only pointed to the carved cup from which fairy foot every night drank the clear red wine i'm not thirsty and there's no use losing time thought the boy to himself and he joined the dance but never in all his life did fairy foot find such hard work as to keep pace with the company their feet seemed to move like a lightning the swallows did not fly so fast or turn so quickly fairy foot did his best for he never gave in easily but at length his breath and strength being spent the boy was glad to steal away and sit down behind a mossy oak where his eyes closed for very weariness when he awoke the dance was nearly over but two little ladies clad and green talked close beside him what a beautiful boy said one of them he is worthy to be a king's son only see what handsome feet he has yes said the other with a laugh that sounded spiteful they are just like the feet princess may bloom had before she washed them in the growing well her father has sent far and wide throughout the whole country searching for a doctor to make them small again but nothing in this world can do it except the water of the fair fountain and none but I in the nightingales know where it is one would not care to let the like be known said the first little lady there would come such crowds of these great coarse creatures of mankind nobody would have peace for leagues round but you will surely send word to the sweet princess she was so kind to our birds and butterflies and danced so like one of ourselves not I indeed said the spiteful fairy her old skinflint of a father cut down the cedar which I loved best in the whole forest and made a chest of it to hold his money in besides I never liked the princess everybody praised her so but come we shall be too late for the last dance when they were gone fairy foot could sleep no more with astonishment he did not wonder at the fairies admiring his feet because their own were much the same but it amazed him that princess may blooms father should be troubled at hers growing large moreover he wished to see that same princess and her country since there were really other places in the world than stumping him when Robin Goodfellow came to take him home as usual he durst not let him know that he had overheard anything but never was the boy so unwilling to get up as on that morning and all day he was so weary that in the afternoon fairy foot fell asleep with his head on a clump of rushes it was seldom that anyone thought of looking after him in the sickly sheep but it so happened that towards evening the old shepherd fleece fold thought he would see how things went on in the pastures the shepherd had a bad temper and a thick staff and no sooner did he catch sight of fairy foot sleeping and his flock straying away then shouting all the ill names he could remember in a voice which woke up the boy he ran after him as fast as his great feet would allow while fairy foot seeing no other shelter from his fury fled into the forest and never stopped nor stayed till he reached the banks of a little stream thinking it might lead him to the fairies dancing ground he followed that stream for many an hour but it wound away into the heart of the forest flowing through dels falling over mossy rocks and at last leading fairy foot when he was tired and the night had fallen to a grove of great rose trees and the moon shining on it as bright as day and thousands of nightingales singing in the branches in the midst of that grove was a clear spring bordered with banks of lilies and fairy foot sat down by it to rest himself and listen the singing was so sweet he could have listened forever but as he sat the nightingales left off their songs and began to talk together in the silence of the night what boy is that said one on a branch above him who sits so lonely by the fair fountain he cannot have come from stumping him with such small and handsome feet no I'll warrant you said another he has come from the west country how in the world did he find the way how simple you are said a third nightingale what had he to do but follow the ground ivy which grows over height and hollow bank and bush from the lowest gate of the king's kitchen garden to the root of this rose tree he looks a wise boy and I hope he will keep the secret or we shall have all the west country here dabbling in our fountain and leaving us no rest to either talk or sing fairy foot sat in great astonishment at this discourse but by and by when the talk ceased and the songs began he thought it might be as well for him to follow the ground ivy and see the princess may bloom not to speak of getting rid of rough ruddy the sickly sheep and the crusty old shepherd it was a long journey but he went on eating wild berries by day sleeping in the hollows of old trees by night and never losing sight of the ground ivy which led him over height and hollow bank and bush out of the forest and along a noble high road with fields and villages on every side to a great city and a low old fashioned gate of the king's kitchen garden which was thought to mean for the Skullians and had not been opened for seven years there was no use knocking the gate was overgrown with tall weeds and moss so being an active boy he climbed over and walked through the garden till a white fawn came frisking by and he heard a soft voice saying sorrowfully come back come back my fawn I cannot run and play with you now my feet have grown so heavy and looking round he saw the loveliest young princess in the world dressed in snow white and wearing a wreath of roses on her golden hair but walking slowly as the great people did in Stumpingham for her feet were as large as the best of them after her came six young ladies dressed in white and walking slowly for they could not go before the princess but Fairyfoot was amazed to see that their feet were as small as his own at once he guessed that this must be the Princess Maybloom and made her an umbil bow saying royal princess I have heard of your trouble because your feet have grown large in my country that's all the fashion for seven years past I have been wondering what would make mine grow to no purpose but I know of a certain fountain that will make yours smaller and finer than ever they were if the king your father gives you leave to come with me accompanied by two of your maids that are the least given to talking and the most prudent officer in all his household for it would grievously offend the fairies and the nightingales to make that fountain known when the princess heard that she danced for joy in spite of her large feet and she and her six maids brought Fairyfoot before the king and queen where they sat in their palace hall with all the courtiers paying their morning compliments the lords were very much astonished to see a ragged barefooted boy brought in among them and the ladies thought Princess Maybloom must have gone mad but Fairyfoot making an umbil reverence told his message to the king and queen and offered to set out with the princess that very day at first the king would not believe that there could be any use in his offer because so many great physicians had failed to give any relief the courtiers laughed Fairyfoot to scorn the pages wanted to turn him out for an impudent imposter and the prime minister said he ought to be put to death for high treason Fairyfoot wished himself safe in the forest again or even keeping the sickly sheep but the queen being a prudent woman said I pray your majesty to notice what fine feet this boy has there may be some truth in his story for the sake of our only daughter I will choose two maids who talk the least of all our train and my chamberlain who is the most discreet officer in our household let them go with the princess who knows but our sorrow may be lessened after some persuasion the king consented though all his counselors advised the contrary so the two silent maids the discreet chamberlain and her fawn which would not stay behind were sent with Princess Maybloom and they all set out after dinner Fairyfoot had hard work guiding them along the track of the ground ivy the maids in the chamberlain did not like the brambles and rough roots of the forest they thought it hard to eat berries and sleep in hollow trees but the princess went on with good courage and at last they reached the grove of rose trees and the spring bordered with lilies the chamberlain washed and though his hair had been gray and his face wrinkled the young courtiers envied his beauty for years after the maids washed and from that day they were esteemed the fairest in all the palace lastly the princess washed also it could make her no fairer but the moment her feet touched the water they grew less and when she had washed and dried them three times they were as small and finely shaped as Fairyfoot's own there was great joy among them but the boy said sorrowfully oh if there had been a well in the world to make my feet large my father and mother would not have cast me off nor sent me to live among the shepherds cheer up your heart said the princess may bloom if you want large feet there is a well in this forest that will do it last summer time i came with my father and his foresters to see a great cedar cut down of which he meant to make a money chest while they were busy with the cedar i saw a bramble branch covered with berries some were ripe and some were green but it was the longest bramble that ever grew for the sake of the berries i went on and on to its root which grew hard by a muddy looking well with banks of dark green moss in the deepest part of the forest the day was warm and dry and my feet were sore with the rough ground so i took off my scarlet shoes and washed my feet in the well but as i washed they grew larger every minute and nothing could ever make them less again i have seen the bramble this day it is not far off and as you've shown me the fair fountain i will show you the growing well up rose fairy foot and princess may bloom and went together till they found the bramble and came to where its root grew hard by the muddy looking well with banks of dark green moss in the deepest dell of the forest fairy foot sat down to wash but at that minute he heard a sound of music and knew it was the fairies going to their dancing ground if my feet grow large said the boy to himself how shall i dance with them so rising quickly he took the princess may bloom by the hand the fawn followed them the maids and the chamberlain followed it and all followed the music through the forest at last they came to the flowery green robin goodfellow welcomed the company for fairy foot's sake and gave everyone a drink of the fairies wine so they danced there from sunset till the gray morning and nobody was tired but before the lark sang robin goodfellow took them all safe home as he used to take fairy foot there was great joy that day in the palace because princess may bloom's feet were made small again the king gave fairy foot all manner of fine clothes and rich jewels and when they heard his wonderful story he and the queen asked him to live with them and be their son in process of time fairy foot and princess may bloom were married and still live happily when they go to visit at stumping them they always wash their feet in the growing well lest the royal family might think them a disgrace but when they come back they make haste to the fair fountain and the fairies and the nightingales are great friends to them as well as to the maids and the chamberlain because they have told nobody about it and there is peace and quiet yet in the grove of rose trees end of section 29 recording by brook favorite www.alongsidemom.com section 30 of the junior classics volume 6 old-fashioned tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org junior classics volume 6 old-fashioned tales Alice in Wonderland few books have given more real pleasure to young people than Alice in Wonderland by Charles L. Dodgson a professor of mathematics and Oxford University who signed his stories Lewis Carroll he was always a great favorite with the children from the time he began acting little plays in a little theater for his nine brothers and sisters and up to the time of his death in 1898 there were hundreds of happy boys and girls but mostly girls who delighted to call him friend through the looking glass is a continuation of Alice in Wonderland down the rabbit hole by Lewis Carroll Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and of having nothing to do once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading but it had no pictures or conversations in it and what is the use of a book thought Alice without pictures or conversations so she was considering in her own mind as well as she could for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid whether the pleasure of making a daisy chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies when suddenly a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her there was nothing so very remarkable in that nor did Alice think it's so very much out of the way to hear the rabbit say to itself oh dear oh dear I should be too late when she thought it over afterwards it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this but at the time it all seemed quite natural but when the rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat pocket and looked at it and then hurried on Alice started to a feat for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat pocket or a watch to take out of it and burning with curiosity she ran across the field after it and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit hole under the hedge in another moment down went Alice after it never once considering how in the world she was to get out again the rabbit hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way and then dipped suddenly down so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well either the well was very deep or she fell very slowly for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next first she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to but it was too dark to see anything then she looked at the sides of the well and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and bookshelves here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs she took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed it was labeled orange marmalade but to her great disappointment it was empty she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody underneath so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it well thought Alice to herself after such a fall as this I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs how brave they'll all think me at home why I wouldn't say anything about it even if I fell off the top of the house which was very likely true down down down would the fall never come to an end I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time she said aloud I must be getting somewhere near the center of the earth let me see that would be four thousand miles down I think for you see Alice had learned several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge as there was no one to listen to her still it was good practice to say it over yes that's about the right distance but then I wonder what latitude or longitude I've got to do Alice had not the slightest idea what latitude was or longitude either but she thought they were nice grand words to say presently she began again I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth how funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward the antipathy is I think she was rather glad there was no one listening this time as it didn't sound at all the right word but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is you know please mom is this New Zealand or Australia and she tried to curtsy as she spoke fancy curtsying as you're falling through the air do you think you could manage it and what an ignorant little girl shall think me for asking no it'll never do to ask perhaps I shall see it ridden up somewhere down down down there was nothing else to do so Alice soon began talking again Dino'll miss me very much tonight I should think Dino was the cat I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea time Dino my dear I wish you were down here with me there are no mice in the air I'm afraid but you might catch a bat and that's very like a mouse you know but do cats eat bats I wonder and here Alice began to get rather sleepy and went on saying to herself in a dreamy sort of way do cats eat bats do cats eat bats and sometimes do bats eat cats for you see as she couldn't answer either question it didn't much matter which way she put it she felt that she was dozing off and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dino and was saying to her very earnestly now Dino tell me the truth did you ever eat a bat when suddenly down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves and the fall was over Alice was not a bit hurt and she jumped up onto her feet in a moment and she looked up but it was all dark overhead before her was another long passage and the white rabbit was still in sight hurrying down it there was not a moment to be lost away went Alice like the wind and was just in time to hear it say as it turned a corner oh my ears and whiskers how late it's getting she was close behind it when she turned the corner but the rabbit was no longer to be seen she found herself in a long low hall which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof there were doors all round the hall but they were all locked and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other trying every door she walked sadly down the middle wondering how she was ever to get out again suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table all made of solid glass there was nothing on it but a tiny golden key and Alice's first idea was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall but alas either the locks were too large or the key was too small but at any rate it would not open any of them however on the second time round she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before and behind it was a little door about 15 inches high she tried the little golden key in the lock and to her great delight it fitted Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage not much larger than a rat-hole she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw how she longed to get out of that dark hall and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains but she could not even get her head through the doorway and even if my head would go through thought poor Alice it would be of very little use without my shoulders oh how I wish I could shut up like a telescope I think I could if I only knew how to begin for you see so many out of the way things had happened lately that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible there seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door so she went back to the table half hoping she might find another key on it or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes this time she found a little bottle on it which certainly was not here before said Alice and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label with the words drink me beautifully printed on it in large letters it was all very well to say drink me but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry no I'll look first she said and see whether it's marked poison or not for she had read several nice little stories about children who had got burned and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them such as that a red hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long and that if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife it usually bleeds and she had never forgotten that if you drink much from a bottle marked poison it is almost certain to disagree with you sooner or later however this bottle was not marked poison so Alice ventured to taste it and finding it very nice it had in fact a sort of mixed flavour of cherry tart custard pineapple roast turkey toffee and hot buttered toast she very soon finished it off what a curious feeling said Alice I must be shutting up like a telescope and so it was indeed she was now only 10 inches high and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden first however she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further she felt a little nervous about this for it might end you know said Alice to herself in my going out altogether like a candle I wonder what I should be like then and she tried to fancy what the flame of the candle looks like after the candle has blown out for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing after a while finding that nothing more happened she decided on going into the garden at once but alas for poor Alice when she got to the door she found she had forgotten the little golden key and when she went back to the table for it she found she could not possibly reach it she could see it quite plainly through the glass and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table but it was too slippery and when she had tired herself out with trying the poor little thing sat down and cried come there's no use in crying like that said Alice to herself rather sharply I advise you to leave off this minute she generally gave herself very good advice though she very seldom followed it and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people but it's no use now thought poor Alice to pretend to be two people why there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table she opened it and found in it a very small cake on which the words eat me were beautifully marked in currents well I'll eat it said Alice and if it makes me grow larger I can reach the key and if it makes me grow smaller I can creep under the door so either way I'll get into the garden and I don't care which happens she ate a little bit and said anxiously to herself which way which way holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size to be sure this is what generally happens when one eats cake but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out of the way things to happen that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way so she set to work and very soon finished off the cake end of section 30 read by the story girl section 31 of the junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales Alice in Wonderland The Pool of Tears by Lewis Carroll curiouser and curiouser cried Alice she was so much surprised that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was goodbye feet for when she looked down at her feet they seemed to be almost out of sight they were getting so far off oh my poor little feet I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now dears I'm sure I shan't be able I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you you must manage the best way you can but I must be kind to them thought Alice or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go let me see I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas and she went on planning to herself how she would manage it they must go by the carrier she thought and how funny it'll seem sending presents to one's own feet and how odd the directions will lock Alice's right foot Esquire her throg near the fender with Alice's love oh dear what nonsense I'm talking just at this moment her head struck against the roof of the hall in fact she was now rather more than nine feet high and she had once took up the little golden key and hurried off to the garden door poor Alice it was as much as she could do lying down on one side to look through into the garden with one eye but to get through was more hopeless than ever she sat down and began to cry again you ought to be ashamed of yourself said Alice a great girl like you she might well say this to go on crying in this way stop this moment I tell you but she went on all the same shedding gallons of tears until there was a large pool all round her about four inches deep and reaching half down the hall after a time she had a little pattering of feet in the distance and she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming it was the white rabbit returning splendidly dressed with a pair of white kid gloves and one hand and a large fan in the other he came trotting along in a great hurry muttering to himself as he came oh the Duchess the Duchess oh won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting Alice felt so desperate that she was ready to ask help of anyone so when the rabbit came near her she began in a low timid voice if you please sir the rabbit started violently dropped the white kid gloves and the fan and scurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go Alice took up the fan and gloves and as the hall was very hot she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking dear dear how queer everything is today and yesterday things went on just as usual I wonder if I've been changed in the night let me think was I the same when I got up this morning I almost think I can remember feeling a little different but if I'm not the same the next question is who in the world am I that's the great puzzle and she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself to see if she could have been changed for any of them I'm sure I'm not Ada she said for her hair goes in such long ringlets and mine doesn't go in ringlets at all and I'm sure I can't be Mabel for I know all sorts of things and she she knows such a very little besides she's she and I'm I and oh dear how puzzling it all is I'll try if I know all the things I used to know let me see four times five is 12 and four times six is 13 and four times seven is oh dear I shall never get to 20 at that rate however the multiplication table doesn't signify let's try geography London is the capital of Paris and Paris is the capital of Rome and Rome no that's all wrong I'm certain I must have been changed from Mabel I'll try and say how doth the little and she crossed her hands on her lap as if she were saying lessons and began to repeat it but her voice sounded hoarse and strange and the words did not come the same as they used to do how doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail and pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale how cheerfully he seems to grin how neatly spreads his claws and welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws I'm sure those are not the right words said poor Alice and her eyes filled with tears again as she went on I must be Mabel after all and I shall have to go and live in that pokey little house and have next to no toys to play with and however so many lessons to learn no I've made up my mind about it if I'm Mabel I'll stay down here it'll be no use there putting their heads down and saying come up again dear I shall only look up and say who am I then tell me that first and then if I like being that person I'll come up if not I'll stay down here till I am somebody else but oh dear cried Alice with a sudden burst of tears I do wish they would put their heads down I'm so very tired of being all alone here as she said this she looked down at her hands and was surprised to see that she had put on one of the rabbit's little white kid gloves while she was talking how can I have done that she thought I must be growing small again she got up and went to the table to measure herself by it and found that as nearly as she could guess she was now about two feet high and was going on shrinking rapidly she soon found out that the cause of this was the fan she was holding and she dropped it hastily just in time to save herself from shrinking away altogether that was a narrow escape said Alice a good deal frightened at the sudden change but very glad to find herself still in existence and now for the garden and she ran with all speed back to the little door but alas the little door was shut again and the little golden key was lying on the glass table as before and things are worse than ever thought the poor child for I never was so small as this before never and I declare it's too bad that it is as she said these words her foot slipped and in another moment splash she was up to a chin in salt water her first idea was that she had somehow fallen into the sea and in that case I can go back by railway she said to herself Alice had been to the seaside once in her life and had come to the general conclusion that wherever you go to on the English coast you find a number of bathing machines in the sea some children digging in the sand with wooden spades then a row of lodging houses and behind them a railway station however she soon made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she was nine feet high I wish I hadn't cried so much said Alice as she swam about trying to find her way out I shall be punished for it now I suppose by being drowned in my own tears that will be a queer thing to be sure however everything is queer today just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way off and she swam nearer to make out what it was at first she thought it must be a walrus or hippopotamus but then she remembered how small she was now and she soon made out that it was only a mouse that had slipped in like herself would it be of any use now thought Alice to speak to this mouse everything is so out of the way down here that I should think very likely it can talk at any rate there's no harm in trying so she began oh mouse do you know the way out of this pool I'm very tired of swimming about here oh mouse Alice thought this must be the right way of speaking to a mouse she had never done such a thing before but she remembered having seen in her brother's Latin grammar a mouse of a mouse to a mouse a mouse oh mouse the mouse looked at her rather inquisitively and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes but it said nothing perhaps it doesn't understand English thought Alice I dare say it's a French mouse come over with William the Conqueror for with all her knowledge of history Alice had no very clear notion how long ago anything had happened so she began again which was the first sentence in her French lesson book the mouse gave a sudden leap out of the water and seemed to quiver all over with fright oh I beg your pardon cried Alice hastily afraid that she had hurt the poor animal's feelings I quite forgot you didn't like cats not like cats cried the mouse in a shrill passionate voice would you like cats if you were me well perhaps not said Alice in a soothing tone don't be angry about it and yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah I think you'd take a fancy to cats if you could only see her she is such a dear quiet thing Alice went on half to herself as she swam lazily about in the pool and she sits purring so nicely by the fire licking her paws and washing her face and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse and she's such a capital one for catching mice oh I beg your pardon cried Alice again for this time the mouse was bristling all over and she felt certain it must be really offended we won't talk about her anymore if you'd rather not we indeed cried the mouse who was trembling down to the end of its tail as if I would talk on such a subject our family always hated cats nasty low vulgar things don't let me hear the name again I won't indeed said Alice in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation are you are you fond of of dogs the mouse did not answer so Alice went on eagerly there is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you a little bright eye terrier you know with oh such long curly brown hair and it'll fetch things when you throw them and it'll sit up and beg for its dinner and all sorts of things I can't remember half of them and it belongs to a farmer you know and he says it's so useful it's worth a hundred pounds he says it kills all the rats and oh dear cried Alice in a sorrowful tone I'm afraid I've offended it again for the mouse was swimming away from her as hard as it could go and making quite a commotion in the pool as it went so she called softly after it mouse dear oh do come back again and we won't talk about cats or dogs either if you don't like them when the mouse heard this it turned round and swam slowly back to her its face was quite pale with passion Alice thought and it said in a low trembling voice let us get to the shore and then I'll tell you my history and you'll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs it was high time to go for the pool was getting quite crowded with the birds and animals that had fallen into it there was a duck and a dodo a lorry and an eaglet and several other curious creatures Alice led the way and the whole party swam to the shore end of section 31 read by the story girl section 32 of the junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nan Dodge the junior classics volume six old-fashioned tales Alice in Wonderland a caucus race and a long tale by Lewis Carroll they were indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on the bank the birds with draggled feathers the animals with their fur clinging close to them and all dripping wet cross and uncomfortable the first question of course was how to get dry again they had a consultation about this and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them as if she had known them all her life indeed she had quite a long argument with the lorry who at last turned sulky and would only say I'm older than you and must know better and this Alice would not allow without knowing how old it was and as the lorry positively refused to tell its age there was no more to be said at last the mouse who seemed to be a person of some authority among them called out sit down all of you and listen to me I'll soon make you dry enough they all sat down at once in a large ring with the mouse in the middle Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it for she felt sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon a hem said the mouse with an important air are you all ready this is the driest thing I know silence all round if you please William the Conqueror whose cause was favored by the Pope was soon submitted to by the English who wanted leaders and had been of late much accustomed to usurpation and conquest Edwin and Morcar the Earls of Mercia and Northumbria oh said the lorry with a shiver I beg your pardon said the mouse frowning but very politely did you speak not I said the lorry hastily I thought you did said the mouse I proceed Edwin and Morcar the Earls of Mercia and Northumbria declared for him and even Stygans the patriotic Archbishop of Canterbury found it advisable found what said the duck found it the mouse replied rather crossly of course you know what it means I know what it means well enough when I find a thing said the duck it's generally a frog or a worm the question is what did the Archbishop find the mouse did not notice this question but hurriedly went on found it advisable to go with Edgar affalling to meet William and offer him the crown William's conduct at first was moderate but the insolence of his Normans how are you getting on now my dear it continued turning to Alice as it spoke as wet as ever said Alice in a melancholy tone it doesn't seem to dry me at all in that case said the dodo solemnly rising to its feet I moved at the meeting adjourn for the immediate adoption of more energetic remedies speak English said Eaglet I don't know the meaning of half those long words and what's more I don't believe you do either and the Eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile some of the other birds tittered audibly what I was going to say said the dodo in an offended tone was that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucasus race what is a Caucasus race said Alice not that you much wanted to know but the dodo had paused as if it thought that somebody ought to speak and no one else seemed inclined to say anything why said the dodo the best way to explain it is to do it and as you might like to try the thing yourself some winter day I will tell you how the dodo managed it first it marked out a race course in a sort of circle the exact shape doesn't matter it said and then all the party were placed along the course here and there there was no one two three and away but they began running when they liked and left off when they liked so that it was not easy to know when the race was over however when they had been running half an hour or so and were quite dry again the dodo suddenly called out the race is over and they all crowded round it panting and asked but who has won this question the dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought and it stood for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead the position in which you usually see Shakespeare in pictures of him while the rest waited in silence at last the dodo said everybody has won and all must have prizes but who is to give the prizes quite a chorus of voices asked why she of course said the dodo pointing to Alice with one finger and the whole party at once crowded round her calling out in a confused way prizes prizes Alice had no idea what to do and in despair she put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a box of comforts luckily the salt water had not got into it and handed them round as prizes there was exactly one a piece all round but she must have a prize herself you know said the mouse of course the dodo replied very gravely what else have you gotten your pocket it went on turning to Alice only a thimble said Alice sadly handed over here said the dodo then they all crowded round her once more while the dodo solemnly presented the thimble saying we beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble and when it had finished this short speech they all cheered Alice thought the whole thing very absurd but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh and as she could not think of anything to say she simply bowed and took the thimble looking as solemn as she could the next thing was to eat the comforts this caused some noise and confusion as the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs and the small ones choked and had to be patted on the back however it was over at last and they sat down again in a ring and begged the mouse to tell them something more you promised to tell me your history you know said Alice and why it is you hate c and d she added in a whisper half afraid that it would be offended again mine is a long and a sad tale said the mouse turning to Alice and sighing it is a long tale certainly said Alice looking down with wonder at the mouse's tail but why do you call it sad and she kept on puzzling about it while the mouse was speaking so that her idea of the tail was something like this fury said to a mouse that he met in the house let us both go to law I will prose cute you come I'll take no denial we must have a trial for really this morning I've nothing to do said the mouse to the cur such a trial dear sir with no jury or judge would be wasting our breath I'll be judge I'll be jury said cunning old fury I'll try the whole cause and condemn you to death you are not attending said the mouse to Alice severely what are you thinking of I beg your pardon said Alice very humbly you had got to the fifth bend I think I had not cried the mouse sharply and very angrily on not said Alice always ready to make herself useful and looking anxiously about her oh do let me help to undo it I shall do nothing of the sort said the mouse getting up and walking away you insult me by talking such nonsense I didn't mean it pleaded poor Alice but you're so easily offended you know the mouse only growled and reply please come back and finish your story Alice called after it and the others all joined in chorus yes please do but the mouse only shook its head impatiently and walked a little quicker what a pity it wouldn't stay side the lorry as soon as it was quite out of sight and an old crab took the opportunity of saying to her daughter ah my dear let this be a lesson to you never to lose your temper hold your tongue ma said the little crab a little snappishly you're enough to try the patience of an oyster I wish I had our dine I hear I know I do said Alice aloud addressing nobody in particular she'd soon fetch it back and who is dine if I might venture to ask the question said the lorry Alice replied eagerly for she was always ready to talk about her pet dinas are cat and she's such a capital one for catching mice you can't think and oh I wish you could see her after the birds why she'll eat a little bird as soon as look at it this speech caused a remarkable sensation among the party some of the birds hurried off at once one old magpie began wrapping itself up very carefully remarking I really must be getting home the night air doesn't suit my throat and a canary called out in a trembling voice to its children come away my dears it's high time you were all in bed on various pretexts they all moved off and Alice was soon left alone I wish I hadn't mentioned dinas she said to herself in a melancholy tone nobody seems to like her down here and I'm sure she's the best cat in the world oh my dear dina I wonder if I shall ever see you any more and here poor Alice began to cry again where she felt very lonely and low-spirited in a little while however she again heard a little pattering of footsteps in the distance and she looked up eagerly half hoping that the mouse had changed his mind and was coming back to finish his story end of section 32