Do Things Keep Getting Better?

“There sat the dog, with eyes as large as tea-cups.”

He opened the first door. Yes, there sat the dog, with eyes as large as tea-cups, staring at him.

“There’s a good dog!” said the soldier, as he spread the witch’s apron on the floor, and lifted the beast on to it. He then filled his pockets with the copper coins in the chest, shut the lid, put the dog back into his place, and passed on into the second room.

There sat the second dog, with eyes as large as mill-stones.

“You had really better not stare at me so,” said the soldier; “it will hurt your eyes!” As he said this he set the dog down on the witch’s apron and lifted the lid of the chest. No sooner did he catch sight of all the silver it held than he threw away his copper coins, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with the shining silver.

He now passed on into the third room. What a start he got! A dog in this room had a pair of eyes each as large as a big round tower, and they kept rolling round and round in his head like wheels.

.

From the story “The Tinder-Box.”

Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

By William Woodburn.

Illustrated by Gordon Robinson.

W. & R. Chambers, Limited: London & Edinburgh. 1917.

The Devil In The Graveyard!

“Stupid Devil,” cried the soldier, “it won’t do!. . .”

THE GRAVE-MOUND.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Translated from the German By Margaret Hunt.

Illustrated By John B. Gruelle.

Cupples and Leon Company: New York. Ca 1914.

Turn Back, Turn Back!

THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM.

“Turn back, turn back, young maiden dear,

‘Tis a murderer’s house you enter here.”

.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Translated from the German By Margaret Hunt.

Illustrated By John B. Gruelle.

Cupples and Leon Company: New York. Ca 1914.

Robbers!

SIMELI MOUNTAIN.

In the evening the mountain opened, and the twelve robbers came in, and when they saw him they laughed, and cried out, “Bird, have we caught thee at last!”

Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Translated from the German By Margaret Hunt.

Illustrated By John B. Gruelle.

Cupples and Leon Company: New York. Ca 1914.

Peeking Is A Serious Crime!

“On each side of him were growing six crimson and gold tulips”

The Chief Justice sat on the throne, and on each side of him were growing six crimson and gold tulips with their blossoms tightly closed.

“Let the prisoner be brought in,” said the Chief Justice; and as he spoke the twelve tulips slowly opened and in each sat a little man. These were the jury-men, who had never seen the light of day until the tulips opened, so they made excellent jury-men, as they knew absolutely nothing.

Then there was a great whirr-rr-rr—and the Great White Stork flew in, carrying in his bill a little girl who looked very scared.

“What has this child done?” asked the Chief Justice.

“She was playing hide-and-seek, and she peeked,” said the Stork.

“That is a dreadful thing. Can you bring any witnesses that saw her peek?” said the Chief Justice.

 

In The Miz.

Written by Grace E. Ward.

Illustrations by Clara E. Atwood.

Little, Brown, & Co.: Boston. 1904.

 

 

Patricide – His Son the Burglar!

“THEN I STOOD OFF AND TOLD HIM TO HOLD UP HIS HANDS.”

I told my chum Pa was a coward, and we fixed up like burglars, with masks on, and I had Pa’s long hunting boots on, and we pulled caps down over our eyes, and looked fit to frighten a policeman . . . I put the cold muzzle of the ice revolver to Pa’s temple, and when he woke up I told him if he moved a muscle or said a word I would splatter the wall and the counterpane with his brains.

Peck’s Bad Boy and His Pa.

Written by George W. Peck.

Illustrated by True Williams.

W. B. Conkey Company. 1900.