Children May, Sophie: Fairy Book v1 26 nov 2008

[mtravellerh]

Rebecca Sophia Clarke (1833-1906), also known as Sophie May, was an American author of children's fiction. Using her nieces and nephews as inspiration, she wrote realistic stories about children. She wrote 45 books between 1860 and 1903. The most popular being the Little Prudy books. She lived most of her life in her native town of Norridgewock, Maine, where she lived out her life with her sister, who was also a successful author.

These are fairy tales for children and people who are young at heart. Let our children speak about those tales:

“And ‘Wild Robin,’” said Grace, instructively, “is the only one that has a moral for you, Horace. When our soldiers are starving so, it is really dreadful to see how you dislike corned beef and despise vegetables! Such a dainty boy as you needs to be stolen a while by the fairies.” “Well, Gracie, I reckon you’d run double-quick to pull me off the milk-white steed. couldn’t get along without me two days.

Look here! what story has a moral for you, miss? It’s the ‘Water-kelpie.’ You are like the man that married Moneta: you’re always wanting money.” “But it’s for the soldiers, Horace,” said Grace, with a smile of forbearance toward her brother. “I’m willing to give all my pocket-money; and I mean the other girls shall. If we’re stingy to our country these days, we ought to be shot! ‘Princess Hilda’s’ the best story in the book. I wish Isa Harrington could read it! She wouldn’t make any more mischief between Cassy and me!”

“I like ‘The Lost Sylphid’ the best,” said Prudy; “but was she a great butterfly, do you s’pose? The stories are all just as nice; just like book stories. I shouldn’t think anybody made ’em up. Aunt ’Ria can write as good as the big girls to the grammar-school. I promised not to believe a single word; and I sha’n’t. I’m glad she called it my Fairy Book.”

Fairy tales with some illustrations and a Christmas theme.

Got it from PG, gave it the MTH treatment and added a cover by MTH

Have fun!

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[RWood]

It is great to see others posting fairy stories. I have always had a soft spot for them. If you enjoy them as much as I do, then check out the Andrew Lang collections that I posted some time back. (That was a shameless plug for the Fairy Stories of Many Colors series.)