Have you ever thought about what fiction is? Probably, such a question may seem surprising: and so everything is clear. Every person throughout his life has to repeatedly create the works he needs for specific purposes - statements, autobiographies, dictations - using not gypsum or clay, not musical notes, not paints, but just a word. At the same time, almost every person will be very surprised if he is told that he thereby created a work of fiction, which is very different from visual art, music and sculpture making. However, everyone understands that a student's essay or dictation is fundamentally different from novels, short stories, news that are created by professional writers. In the works of professionals there is the most important difference - excogitation. But, oddly enough, in a school literature course, you don’t realize the full power of fiction. So using our website in your free time discover fiction for yourself. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain (sneezy the snowman read aloud .TXT) 📖
- Author: Mark Twain
Book online «A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain (sneezy the snowman read aloud .TXT) 📖». Author Mark Twain
CHAPTER XXVI. THE FIRST NEWSPAPER
CHAPTER XXVII. THE YANKEE AND THE KING TRAVEL INCOGNITO
CHAPTER XXVIII. DRILLING THE KING
CHAPTER XXIX. THE SMALL-POX HUT
CHAPTER XXX. THE TRAGEDY OF THE MANOR-HOUSE
CHAPTER XXXI. MARCO
CHAPTER XXXII. DOWLEY’S HUMILIATION
CHAPTER XXXIII. SIXTH CENTURY POLITICAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER XXXIV. THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES
CHAPTER XXXV. A PITIFUL INCIDENT
CHAPTER XXXVI. AN ENCOUNTER IN THE DARK
CHAPTER XXXVII. AN AWFUL PREDICAMENT
CHAPTER XXXVIII. SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE
CHAPTER XXXIX. THE YANKEE’S FIGHT WITH THE KNIGHTS
CHAPTER XL. THREE YEARS LATER
CHAPTER XLI. THE INTERDICT
CHAPTER XLII. WAR!
CHAPTER XLIII. THE BATTLE OF THE SAND-BELT
CHAPTER XLIV. A POSTSCRIPT BY CLARENCE
The ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also historical. It is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in England in the sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch as they existed in the English and other civilizations of far later times, it is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to suppose them to have been in practice in that day also. One is quite justified in inferring that whatever one of these laws or customs was lacking in that remote time, its place was competently filled by a worse one.
The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right of kings is not settled in this book. It was found too difficult. That the executive head of a nation should be a person of lofty character and extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable; that none but the Deity could select that head unerringly, was also manifest and indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that selection, then, was likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He does make it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction. I mean, until the author of this book encountered the Pompadour, and Lady Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind; these were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it was judged better to take the other tack in this book (which must be issued this fall), and then go into training and settle the question in another book. It is, of course, a thing which ought to be settled, and I am not going to have anything particular to do next winter anyway.
MARK TWAIN
HARTFORD, July 21, 1889
Comments (0)