Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin (best contemporary novels .txt) 📖
- Author: James Baldwin
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There was once a kind man whose name was Oliver Gold-smith. He wrote many de-light-ful books, some of which you will read when you are older.
He had a gentle heart. He was always ready to help others and to share with them anything that he had. He gave away so much to the poor that he was always poor himself.
He was some-times called Doctor Goldsmith; for he had studied to be a phy-si-cian.
One day a poor woman asked Doctor Goldsmith to go and see her husband, who was sick and could not eat.
Goldsmith did so. He found that the family was in great need. The man had not had work for a long time. He was not sick, but in distress; and, as for eating, there was no food in the house.
"Call at my room this evening," said Goldsmith to the woman, "and I will give you some med-i-cine for your husband."
In the evening the woman called. Goldsmith gave her a little paper box that was very heavy.
"Here is the med-i-cine," he said. "Use it faith-ful-ly, and I think it will do your husband a great deal of good. But don't open the box until you reach home."
"What are the di-rec-tions for taking it?" asked the woman.
"You will find them inside of the box," he answered.
When the woman reached her home, she sat down by her husband's side, and they opened the box; What do you think they found in it?
It was full of pieces of money. And on the top were the di-rec-tions:—
"TO BE TAKEN AS OFTEN AS NE-CES-SI-TY REQUIRES."
Goldsmith had given them all the ready money that he had.
THE KINGDOMS.There was once a king of Prussia whose name was Frederick William.
On a fine morning in June he went out alone to walk in the green woods. He was tired of the noise of the city, and he was glad to get away from it.
So, as he walked among the trees, he often stopped to listen to the singing birds, or to look at the wild flowers that grew on every side. Now and then he stooped to pluck a violet, or a primrose, or a yellow but-ter-cup. Soon his hands were full of pretty blossoms.
After a while he came to a little meadow in the midst of the wood. Some children were playing there. They were running here and there, and gathering the cow-slips that were blooming among the grass.
It made the king glad to see the happy children, and hear their merry voices. He stood still for some time, and watched them as they played.
Then he called them around him, and all sat down to-geth-er in the pleasant shade. The children did not know who the strange gentleman was; but they liked his kind face and gentle manners.
"Now, my little folks," said the king, "I want to ask you some ques-tions, and the child who gives the best answer shall have a prize."
Then he held up an orange so that all the children could see.
"You know that we all live in the king-dom of Prussia," he said; "but tell me, to what king-dom does this orange belong?"
The children were puz-zled. They looked at one another, and sat very still for a little while. Then a brave, bright boy spoke up and said,—
"It belongs to the veg-e-ta-ble kingdom, sir."
"Why so, my lad?" asked the king.
"It is the fruit of a plant, and all plants belong to that kingdom," said the boy.
The king was pleased. "You are quite right," he said; "and you shall have the orange for your prize."
He tossed it gayly to the boy. "Catch it if you can!" he said.
Then he took a yellow gold piece from his pocket, and held it up so that it glit-tered in the sunlight.
"Now to what kingdom does this belong?" he asked.
Another bright boy answered quick-ly, "To the min-er-al kingdom, sir! All metals belong to that kingdom."
"That is a good answer," said the king. "The gold piece is your prize."
The children were de-light-ed. With eager faces they waited to hear what the stranger would say next.
"I will ask you only one more question," said the king, "and it is an easy one." Then he stood up, and said, "Tell me, my little folks, to what kingdom do I belong?"
The bright boys were puz-zled now. Some thought of saying, "To the kingdom of Prussia." Some wanted to say, "To the animal kingdom." But they were a little afraid, and all kept still.
At last a tiny blue-eyed child looked up into the king's smiling face, and said in her simple way,—
"I think to the kingdom of heaven."
King Frederick William stooped down and lifted the little maiden in his arms. Tears were in his eyes as he kissed her, and said, "So be it, my child! So be it."
THE BARMECIDE FEAST.There was once a rich old man who was called the Bar-me-cide. He lived in a beautiful palace in the midst of flowery gardens. He had every-thing that heart could wish.
In the same land there was a poor man whose name was Schac-a-bac. His clothing was rags, and his food was the scraps which other people had thrown away. But he had a light heart, and was as happy as a king.
Once when Schac-a-bac had not had anything to eat for a long time, he thought that he would go and ask the Bar-me-cide to help him.
The servant at the door said, "Come in and talk with our master. He will not send you away hungry."
Schacabac went in, and passed through many beautiful rooms, looking for the Barmecide. At last he came to a grand hall where there were soft carpets on the floor, and fine pictures on the walls, and pleasant couches to lie down upon.
At the upper end of the room he saw a noble man with a long white beard. It was the Barmecide; and poor Schacabac bowed low before him, as was the custom in that country.
The Barmecide spoke very kindly, and asked what was wanted.
Schacabac told him about all his troubles, and said that it was now two days since he had tasted bread.
"Is it possible?" said the Barmecide. "You must be almost dead with hunger; and here I have plenty and to spare!"
Then he turned and called, "Ho, boy! Bring in the water to wash our hands, and then order the cook to hurry the supper."
Schacabac had not expected to be treated so kindly. He began to thank the rich man.
"Say not a word," said the Barmecide, "but let us get ready for the feast."
Then the rich man began to rub his hands as though some one was pouring water on them. "Come and wash with me," he said.
Schacabac saw no boy, nor basin, nor water. But he thought that he ought to do as he was bidden; and so, like the Barmecide, he made a pretense of washing.
"Come now," said the Barmecide, "let us have supper."
He sat down, as if to a table, and pre-tend-ed to be carving a roast. Then he said, "Help yourself, my good friend. You said you were hungry: so, now, don't be afraid of the food."
Schacabac thought that he un-der-stood the joke, and he made pretense of taking food, and passing it to his mouth. Then he began to chew, and said, "You see, sir, I lose no time."
"Boy," said the old man, "bring on the roast goose.—Now, my good friend, try this choice piece from the breast. And here are sweet sauce, honey, raisins, green peas, and dry figs. Help yourself, and remember that other good things are coming."
Schacabac was almost dead with hunger, but he was too polite not to do as he was bidden.
"Come," said the Barmecide, "have another piece of the roast lamb. Did you ever eat anything so de-li-cious?"
"Never in my life," said Schacabac. "Your table is full of good things."
"Then eat heartily," said the Barmecide. "You cannot please me better."
After this came the des-sert. The Barmecide spoke of sweet-meats and fruits; and Schacabac made believe that he was eating them.
"Now is there anything else that you would like?" asked the host.
"Ah, no!" said poor Schacabac. "I have indeed had great plenty."
"Let us drink, then," said the Barmecide. "Boy, bring on the wine!"
"Excuse me, my lord," said Schacabac, "I will drink no wine, for it is for-bid-den."
The Barmecide seized him by the hand. "I have long wished to find a man like you," he said. "But come, now we will sup in earnest."
He clapped his hands. Servants came, and he ordered supper. Soon they sat down to a table loaded with the very dishes of which they had pre-tend-ed to eat.
Poor Schacabac had never had so good a meal in all his life. When they had fin-ished, and the table had been cleared away, the Barmecide said,—
"I have found you to be a man of good un-der-stand-ing. Your wits are quick, and you are ready always to make the best of everything. Come and live with me, and manage my house."
And so Schacabac lived with the Barmecide many years, and never again knew what it was to be hungry.
THE ENDLESS TALE.In the Far East there was a great king who had no work to do. Every day, and all day long, he sat on soft cush-ions and lis-tened to stories. And no matter what the story was about, he never grew tired of hearing it, even though it was very long.
"There is only one fault that I find with your story," he often said: "it is too short."
All the story-tellers in the world were in-vit-ed to his palace; and some of them told tales that were very long indeed. But the king was always sad when a story was ended.
At last he sent word into every city and town and country place, offering a prize to any one who should tell him an endless tale. He said,—
"To the man that will tell me a story which shall last forever, I will give my fairest daugh-ter for his wife; and I will make him my heir, and he shall be king after me."
But this was not all. He added a very hard con-di-tion. "If any man shall try to tell such a story and then fail, he shall have his head cut off."
The king's daughter was very pretty, and there were many young men in that country who were willing to do anything to win her. But none of them wanted to lose their heads, and so only a few tried for the prize.
One young man invented a story that lasted three months; but at the end of that time, he could think of nothing more. His fate was a warning to others, and it was a long time before another story-teller was so rash as to try the king's patience.
But one day a stran-ger from the South came into the palace.
"Great king," he said, "is it true that you offer a prize to the man who can tell a story that has no end?"
"It is true," said the king.
"And shall this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and shall he be your heir?"
"Yes, if he suc-ceeds," said the king. "But if he fails, he shall lose his head."
"Very well, then," said the stran-ger. "I have a pleasant story about locusts which I would like to relate."
"Tell it," said the king. "I will listen to you."
The story-teller began his tale.
"Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all the corn in his country, and stored it away in a strong gran-a-ry. But a swarm of locusts came over the land and saw where the grain had been put. After search-ing for many days they found on the east side of the
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