1 Readings in Children’s Literature Compiled from Copyright-Cleared Materials Available on Project Gutenberg or the Web 11/3/19 Edited by Joshua Dickinson [email protected] Figure 1 The Swing (Illustration from A Child’s Garden of Verses) 2 Contents LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. ........................................................................................... 11 CAT,...................................................................................................................................... 11 STORY OF SIR WILLIAM THOMPSON. ......................................................................... 12 Dream Days, by Kenneth Grahame .......................................................................................... 30 The Reluctant Dragon ........................................................................................................... 30 THE LIGHT PRINCESS .............................................................................................................. 49 by........................................................................................................................................... 49 GEORGE MACDONALD ....................................................................................................... 49 Contents .................................................................................................................................... 49 1. What! No Children? .......................................................................................................... 49 2. Won't I, Just? ..................................................................................................................... 50 3. She Can't Be Ours. ............................................................................................................ 51 4. Where Is She? ................................................................................................................... 52 5. What Is to Be Done? ......................................................................................................... 53 6. She Laughs Too Much. ..................................................................................................... 56 7. Try Metaphysics................................................................................................................ 57 8. Try a Drop of Water. ......................................................................................................... 60 9. Put Me in Again. ............................................................................................................... 62 10. Look at the Moon. ........................................................................................................... 66 11. Hiss! ................................................................................................................................ 68 12. Where Is the Prince? ....................................................................................................... 71 13. Here I Am. ...................................................................................................................... 72 14. This Is Very Kind of You. .............................................................................................. 74 15. Look at the Rain! ............................................................................................................ 79 “On Fairy Stories”......................................................................................................................... 81 The Happy Prince, ................................................................................................................ 111 by Oscar Wilde ....................................................................................................................... 111 HAENSEL AND GRETHEL ................................................................................................. 118 THE SEVEN RAVENS .......................................................................................................... 124 ASH-MAIDEN ....................................................................................................................... 127 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER ............................................................................... 133 THE THREE BROTHERS ..................................................................................................... 136 3 THE GOBLIN AND THE HUCKSTER ................................................................................ 138 EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE ................................................................................ 141 THE REAL PRINCESS .......................................................................................................... 146 THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES ..................................................................................... 147 THE BLUE JAR. ..................................................................................................................... 151 Maria Edgworth .................................................................................................................. 151 THE BASKET-WOMAN .......................................................................................................... 156 THE SEA VOYAGE. ................................................................................................................ 168 CHARLES LAMB. ............................................................................................................. 168 THE CHANGELING. .............................................................................................................. 172 THE INQUISITIVE GIRL. ...................................................................................................... 182 ANON. ................................................................................................................................ 182 THE LITTLE BLUE BAG........................................................................................................ 187 Alicia Catharine Mant ......................................................................................................... 187 III. Each In His Own Tongue .............................................................................................. 202 WINDY NIGHTS ................................................................................................................... 218 TRAVEL ................................................................................................................................. 219 SINGING ................................................................................................................................ 221 LOOKING FORWARD ......................................................................................................... 222 A GOOD PLAY ...................................................................................................................... 222 WHERE GO THE BOATS? ................................................................................................... 223 AUNTIE'S SKIRTS ................................................................................................................ 224 THE LAND OF COUNTERPANE ........................................................................................ 224 THE LAND OF NOD ............................................................................................................. 225 MY SHADOW........................................................................................................................ 227 SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................. 228 A GOOD BOY ........................................................................................................................ 229 ESCAPE AT BEDTIME......................................................................................................... 229 MARCHING SONG ............................................................................................................... 230 THE COW .............................................................................................................................. 231 HAPPY THOUGHT ............................................................................................................... 232 THE WIND ............................................................................................................................. 232 KEEPSAKE MILL ................................................................................................................. 233 GOOD AND BAD CHILDREN ............................................................................................. 234 4 FOREIGN CHILDREN .......................................................................................................... 235 THE SUN TRAVELS ............................................................................................................. 237 THE LAMPLIGHTER............................................................................................................ 237 MY BED IS A BOAT ............................................................................................................. 239 THE MOON............................................................................................................................ 240 THE SWING ..........................................................................................................................