The Prince then told her why he had left his city, and what he
intended to do when he had found the Princess.
"But where I am going," he said, "I do not know, myself. I must
travel and travel until I succeed in the object of my search."
The Water Sprite reflected for a moment, and then she said:
"If I were you, I would not travel to the north. It is cold and
dreary there, and your Princess would not dwell in such a region. A
little above us, on the other side of this river, there is a stream
which runs sometimes to the east and sometimes to the south, and
which leads to the Land of the Lovely Lakes. This is the most
beautiful country in the world, and you will be much more likely to
find your Princess there than among the desolate mountains of the
north."
"I dare say you are right," said the Prince; "and I will go there, if
you will show me the way."
"The road runs along the bank of the river," said the Water Sprite;
"and we shall soon reach the Land of the Lovely Lakes."
The Prince then mounted his horse, forded the river, and was soon
riding along the bank of the stream, while the Water Sprite gayly
floated upon its dancing ripples.
* * * * *
When the Gryphoness started southward, in pursuit of the Princess,
she kept out of sight among the bushes by the roadside; but sped
swiftly along. The Absolute Fool, however, mounted upon a fine horse,
rode boldly along upon the open road. He was a good-looking youth,
with rosy cheeks, bright eyes, and a handsome figure. As he cantered
gayly along, he felt himself capable of every noble action which the
human mind has ever conceived. The Gryphoness kept near him, and in
the course of the morning they overtook the Princess, who was
allowing her horse to walk in the shade by the roadside. The Absolute
Fool dashed up to her, and, taking off his hat, asked her why she had
left her city, where she was going, and what she intended to do when
she got there.
The Princess looked at him in surprise. "I left my city because I
wanted to," she said. "I am going about my business, and when I get
to the proper place, I shall attend to it."
"Oh," said the Absolute Fool, "you refuse me your confidence, do you?
But allow me to remark that I have a Gryphoness with me who is very
frightful to look at, and whom it was my intention to keep in the
bushes; but if you will not give fair answers to my questions, she
must come out and talk to you, and that is all there is about it."
"If there is a Gryphoness in the bushes," said the Princess, "let her
come out. No matter how frightful she is, I would rather she should
come where I can see her, than to have her hiding near me."
The Gryphoness, who had heard these words, now came out into the
road. The horse of the Princess reared in affright, but his young
rider patted him on the neck, and quieted his fears.
"What do you and this young man want?" said the Princess to the
Gryphoness, "and why do you question me?"
"It is not of our own will that we do it," said the Gryphoness, very
respectfully; "but our master, the Inquisitive Dwarf, has sent us to
obtain information about the points on which the young man questioned
you; and until we have found out these things, it is impossible for
us to return."
"I am opposed to answering impertinent questions," replied the
Princess; "but in order to rid myself of you, I will tell you the
reason of my journey." And she then stated briefly the facts of the
case.
"Ah, me!" said the Gryphoness. "I am very sorry; but you cannot tell
us where you are going, and we cannot return until we know that. But
you need not desire to be rid of us, for it may be that we can assist
you in the object of your journey. This young man is sometimes very
useful, and I shall be glad to do any thing that I can to help you.
If you should think that I would injure you, or willingly annoy you
by my presence, it would grieve me to the heart." And as she spoke, a
tear bedimmed her eye.
The Princess was touched by the emotion of the Gryphoness.
"You may accompany me," she said, "and I will trust you both. You
must know this country better than I do. Have you any advice to give
me in regard to my journey?"
"One thing I would strongly advise," said the Gryphoness, "and that
is, that you do not travel any farther until we know in what
direction it will be best to go. There is an inn close by, kept by a
worthy woman. If you will stop there until to-morrow, this young man
and I will scour the country round about, and try to find some news
of your Prince. The young man will return and report to you to-morrow
morning. And if you should need help, or escort, he will aid and obey
you as your servant. As for me, unless we have found the Prince, I
shall continue searching for him. There is a prince in the city to
the north of my master's tower, and it is not unlikely that it is he
whom you seek."
"You can find out if it is he," answered the Princess, "by asking
about the philopena."
"That will I do," said the Gryphoness, "and I will return hither as
speedily as possible." And, with a respectful salutation, the
Gryphoness and the Absolute Fool departed by different ways.
The Princess then repaired to the inn, where she took lodgings.
The next morning, the Absolute Fool came back to the inn, and seeing
the Princess, said: "I rode until after night-fall, searching for the
Prince, before it occurred to me that, even if I should find him, I
would not know him in the dark. As soon as I thought of that, I rode
straight to the nearest house, and slept until daybreak, when I
remembered that I was to report to you this morning. But as I have
heard no news of the Prince, and as this is a beautiful, clear day, I
think it would be extremely foolish to remain idly here, where there
is nothing of interest going on, and when a single hour's delay may
cause you to miss the object of your search. The Prince may be in one
place this morning, and there is no knowing where he will be in the
afternoon. While the Gryphoness is searching, we should search also.
We can return before sunset, and we will leave word here as to the
direction we have taken, so that when she returns, she can quickly
overtake us. It is my opinion that not a moment should be lost. I
will be your guide. I know this country well."
The Princess thought this sounded like good reasoning, and consented
to set out. There were some beautiful mountains to the south-east;
and among these, the Absolute Fool declared, a prince of good taste
would be very apt to dwell. They, therefore, took this direction. But
when they had travelled an hour or more, the mountains began to look
bare and bleak, and the Absolute Fool declared that he did not
believe any prince would live there. He therefore advised that they
turn into a road that led to the north-east. It was a good road; and
therefore he thought it led to a good place, where a person of good
sense would be likely to reside. Along this road they therefore
travelled. They had ridden but a few miles when they met three men,
well armed and mounted. These men drew up their horses, and
respectfully saluted the Princess.
"High-born Lady," they said, "for by your aspect we know you to be
such, we would inform you that we are the soldiers of the King, the
outskirts of whose dominions you have reached. It is our duty to
question all travellers, and, if their object in coming to our
country is a good one, to give them whatever assistance and
information they may require. Will you tell us why you are come?"
"Impertinent vassals!" cried the Absolute Fool, riding up in a great
passion. "How dare you interfere with a princess who has left her
city because it was so dull and stupid, and is endeavoring to find a
prince, with whom she has eaten a philopena, in order that she may
marry him. Out of my way, or I will draw my sword and cleave you to
the earth, and thus punish your unwarrantable curiosity!"
The soldiers could not repress a smile.
"In order to prevent mischief," they said to the Absolute Fool, "we
shall be obliged to take you into custody."
This they immediately did, and then requested the Princess to
accompany them to the palace of their King, where she would receive
hospitality and aid.
The King welcomed the Princess with great cordiality. He had no son,
and he much wished he had one; for in that case it might be his
Prince for whom the young lady was looking. But there was a prince,
he said, who lived in a city to the north, who was probably the very
man; and he would send and make inquiries. In the mean time, the
Princess would be entertained by himself and his Queen; and, if her
servant would make a suitable apology, his violent language would be
pardoned. But the Absolute Fool positively refused to do this.
"I never apologize," he cried. "No man of spirit would do such a
thing. What I say, I stand by."
"Very well," said the King; "then you shall fight a wild beast." And
he gave orders that the affair should be arranged for the following
day.
In a short time, however, some of his officers came to him and told
him that there were no wild beasts; those on hand having been kept so
long that they had become tame.
"To be sure, there's the old lion, Sardon," they said; "but he is so
dreadfully cross and has had so much experience in these fights, that
for a long time it has not been considered fair to allow any one to
enter the ring with him."
"It is a pity," said the King, "to make the young man fight a tame
beast; but, under the circumstances, the best thing to do will be to
represent the case to him, just as it is. Tell him we are sorry we
have not an ordinary wild beast; but that he can take his choice
between a tame one and the lion Sardon, whose disposition and
experience you will explain to him."
When the matter was stated to the Absolute Fool, he refused with
great scorn to fight a tame beast.
"I will not be degraded in the eyes of the public," he said; "I will
take the old lion."
The next day, the court and the public assembled to see the fight;
but the Queen and our Princess took a ride into the country, not
wishing to witness a combat of this kind, especially one which was so
unequal. The King ordered that every advantage should be given to the
young man, in order that he might have every possible chance of
success in fighting an animal which had been a victor on so many
similar occasions. A large iron cage, furnished with a turnstile,
into which the Absolute Fool could retire for rest and refreshment,
but where the lion could not follow him, was placed in the middle of
the arena, and the youth was supplied with all the weapons he
desired. When every thing was ready, the Absolute Fool took his stand
in the centre of the arena, and the door of the lion's den was
opened. The great beast came out, he looked about for an instant, and
then, with majestic step, advanced toward the young man. When he was
within a few paces of him, he crouched for a spring.
The Absolute Fool had never seen so magnificent a creature, and he
could not restrain his admiration. With folded arms and sparkling
eyes, he gazed with delight upon the lion's massive head, his long
and flowing mane, his magnificent muscles, and his powerful feet and
legs. There was an air of grandeur and strength about him which
completely enraptured the youth. Approaching the lion, he knelt
before him, and gazed with wondering ecstasy into his great, glowing
eyes. "What glorious orbs!" he inwardly exclaimed. "What unfathomable
expression! What possibilities! What reminiscences! And everywhere,
what majesty of curve!"
The lion was a good deal astonished at the conduct of the young man;
and he soon began to suppose that this was not the person he was to
fight, but probably a keeper, who was examining into his condition.
After submitting to this scrutiny a few minutes, he gave a mighty
yawn, which startled the spectators, but which delighted the Absolute
Fool; for never before had he beheld such a depth of potentiality. He
knelt in silent delight at this exhibition of the beauty of strength.
Old Sardon soon became tired of all this, however, and he turned and
walked back to his den. "When their man is ready," he thought to
himself, "I will come out and fight him."
One tremendous shout now arose from the multitude. "The youth has
conquered!" they cried. "He has actually frightened the lion back
into his den!" Rushing into the arena, they raised the Absolute Fool
upon their shoulders and carried him in triumph to the open square in
front of the palace, that he might be rewarded for his bravery. Here
the King, followed by his court, quickly appeared; for he was as much
delighted as any one at the victory of the young man.
"Noble youth," he exclaimed, "you are the bravest of the brave. You
are the only man I know who is worthy of our royal daughter, and you
shall marry her forthwith. Long since, I vowed that only with the
bravest should she wed."
At this moment, the Queen and the Princess, returning from their
ride, heard with joy the result of the combat; and riding up to the
victor, the Queen declared that she would gladly join with her royal
husband in giving their daughter to so brave a man.
The Absolute Fool stood for a moment in silent thought; then,
addressing the King, he said:
"Was Your Majesty's father a king?"
"He was," was the answer.
"Was his father of royal blood?"
"No; he was not," replied the King. "My grandfather was a man of the
people; but his pre-eminent virtue, his great ability as a statesman,
and the dignity and nobility of his character made him the unanimous
choice of the nation as its sovereign."
"I am sorry to hear that," said the Absolute Fool; "for it makes it
necessary for me to decline the kind offer of your daughter in
marriage. If I marry a princess at all, she must be one who can trace
back her lineage through a long line of royal ancestors." And as he
spoke, his breast swelled with manly pride.
For a moment, the King was dumb with rage. Then loudly he shouted:
"Ho, guards! Annihilate him! Avenge this insult!"
At these words, the sword of every by-stander leaped from its
scabbard; but, before any one could take a step forward, the Princess
seized the Absolute Fool by his long and flowing locks, and put spurs
to her horse. The young man yelled with pain, and shouted to
her to let go; but she held firmly to his hair, and as he was
extraordinarily active and fleet of foot, he kept pace with the
galloping horse. A great crowd of people started in pursuit, but as
none of them were mounted, they were soon left behind.
"Let go my hair! Let go my hair!" shouted the Absolute Fool, as he
bounded along. "You don't know how it hurts. Let go! Let go!"
But the Princess never relinquished her hold until they were out of
the King's domain.
"A little more," cried the indignant youth, when she let him go, "and
you would have pulled out a handful of my hair."
"A little less," said the Princess, contemptuously, "and you would
have been cut to pieces; for you have not sense enough to take care
of yourself. I am sorry I listened to you, and left the inn to which
the Gryphoness took me. It would have been far better to wait there
for her as she told me to do."
"Yes," said the Absolute Fool; "it would have been much better."
"Now," said the Princess, "we will go back there, and see if she has
returned."
"If we can find it," said the other, "which I very much doubt."
There were several roads at this point and, of course, they took the
wrong one. As they went on, the Absolute Fool complained bitterly
that he had left his horse behind him, and was obliged to walk.
Sometimes he stopped, and said he would go back after it; but this
the Princess sternly forbade.
* * * * *
When the Gryphoness reached the city of the Prince, it was night; but
she was not sorry for this. She did not like to show herself much in
the daytime, because so many people were frightened by her. After a
good deal of trouble, she discovered that the Prince had certainly
left the city, although his guardians did not seem to be aware of it.
They were so busy with a new palace, in part of which they were
living, that they could not be expected to keep a constant eye upon
him. In the morning, she met an old man who knew her, and was not
afraid of her, and who told her that the day before, when he was up
the river, he had seen the Prince on his white horse, riding on the
bank of the stream; and that near him, in the water, was something
which now looked like a woman, and again like a puff of mist. The
Gryphoness reflected.
"If this Prince has gone off in that way," she said to herself, "I
believe that he is the very one whom the Princess is looking for, and
that he has set out in search of her; and that creature in the water
must be our Water Sprite, whom our master has probably sent out to
discover where the Prince is going. If he had told me about this, it
would have saved much trouble. From the direction in which they were
going, I feel sure that the Water Sprite was taking the Prince to the
Land of the Lovely Lakes. She never fails to go there, if she can
possibly get an excuse. I will follow them. I suppose the Princess
will be tired, waiting at the inn; but I must know where the Prince
is, and if he is really her Prince, before I go back to her."
When the Gryphoness reached the Land of the Lovely Lakes, she
wandered all that day and the next night; but she saw nothing of
those for whom she was looking.
The Princess and the Absolute Fool journeyed on until near the close
of the afternoon, when the sky began to be overcast, and it looked
like rain. They were then not far from a large piece of water; and at
a little distance, they saw a ship moored near the shore.
"I shall seek shelter on board that ship," said the Princess.
"It is going to storm," remarked the Absolute Fool. "I should prefer
to be on dry land."
"As the land is not likely to be very dry when it rains," said the
Princess, "I prefer a shelter, even if it is upon wet water."
"Women will always have their own way," muttered the Absolute Fool.
The ship belonged to a crew of Amazon sailors, who gave the Princess
a hearty welcome.
"You may go on board if you choose," said the Absolute Fool to the
Princess, "but I shall not risk my life in a ship manned by women."
"It is well that you are of that opinion," said the Captain of the
Amazons, who had heard this remark; "for you would not be allowed to
come on board if you wished to. But we will give you a tent to
protect you and the horse in case it should rain, and will send you
something to eat."
"While the Princess was taking tea with the Amazon Captain, she told
her about the Prince, and how she was trying to find him.
"Good!" cried the Captain. "I will join in the search, and take you
in my ship. Some of my crew told me that yesterday they saw a young
man, who looked like a prince, riding along the shore of a lake which
adjoins the one we are on. In the morning we will sail after him. We
shall keep near the shore, and your servant can mount your horse and
ride along the edge of the lake. From what I know of the speed of
this vessel, I think he can easily keep up with us."
Early in the morning, the Amazon Captain called her crew together.
"Hurrah, my brave girls!" she said. "We have an object. I never sail
without an object, and it lights me to get one. The purpose of our
present cruise is to find the Prince of whom this Princess is in
search; and we must spare no pains to bring him to her, dead or
alive."
Luckily for her peace of mind, the Princess did not hear this speech.
The day was a fine one, and before long the sun became very hot. The
ship was sailing quite near the land, when the Absolute Fool rode
down to the water's edge, and called out that he had something very
important to communicate to the Princess. As he was not allowed to
come on board, she was obliged to go on shore, to which she was rowed
in a small boat.
"I have been thinking," said the Absolute Fool, "that it is perfectly
ridiculous, and very uncomfortable, to continue this search any
longer. I would go back, but my master would not suffer me to return
without knowing where you are going. I have, therefore, a plan to
propose. Give up your useless search for this Prince, who is probably
not nearly so handsome and intellectual as I am, and marry me. We
will then return, and I will assume the reins of government in your
domain."
"Follow the vessel," said the Princess, "as you have been doing; for
I wish some one to take care of my horse." And without another word,
she returned to the ship.
"I should like to sail as far as possible from shore during the rest
of the trip," said she to the Captain.
"Put the helm bias!" shouted the Amazon Captain to the steers-woman;
"and keep him well out from land."
When they had sailed through a small stream into the lake adjoining,
the out-look, who was swinging in a hammock hung between the tops of
the two masts, sang out, "Prince ahead!" Instantly all was activity
on board the vessel. Story books were tucked under coils of rope,
hem-stitching and embroidery were laid aside, and every woman was at
her post.
"The Princess is taking a nap," said the Captain, "and we will not
awaken her. It will be so nice to surprise her by bringing the Prince
to her. We will run our vessel ashore, and then steal quietly upon
him. But do not let him get away. Cut him down, if he resists!"
The Prince, who was plainly visible only a short distance ahead, was
so pleasantly employed that he had not noticed the approach of the
ship. He was sitting upon a low, moss-covered rock, close to the
water's edge; and with a small hand-net, which he had found on the
shore, he was scooping the most beautiful fishes from the lake,
holding them up in the sunlight to admire their brilliant colors and
graceful forms, and then returning them uninjured to the water. The
Water Sprite was swimming near him, and calling to the fish to come
up and be caught; for the gentle Prince would not hurt them. It was
very delightful and rare sport, and it is not surprising that it
entirely engrossed the attention of the Prince. The Amazons silently
landed, and softly stole along the shore, a little back from the
water. Then, at their Captain's command, they rushed upon the Prince.
It was just about this time that the Gryphoness, who had been
searching for the Prince, caught her first sight of him. Perceiving
that he was about to be attacked, she rushed to his aid. The Amazon
sailors reached him before she did, and seizing upon him they began
to pull him away. The Prince resisted stoutly; but seeing that his
assailants were women, he would not draw his sword. The Amazon
Captain and mate, who were armed with broad knives, now raised their
weapons, and called upon the Prince to surrender or die. But at this
moment, the Gryphoness reached the spot, and catching the Captain and
mate, each by an arm, she dragged them back from the Prince. The
other Amazons, however, continued the combat; and the Prince defended
himself by pushing them into the shallow water, where the Water
Sprite nearly stifled them by throwing over them showers of spray.
And now came riding up the Absolute Fool. Seeing a youth engaged in
combat with the Amazon sailors, his blood boiled with indignation.
"A man fighting women!" he exclaimed. "What a coward! My arm shall
ever assist the weaker sex."
Jumping from the horse, he drew his sword, and rushed upon the
Prince. The Gryphoness saw the danger of the latter, and she would
have gone to his assistance, but she was afraid to loosen her hold of
the Amazon Captain and mate.
Spreading her wings she flew to the top of a tree where she deposited
the two warlike women upon a lofty branch, from which she knew it
would take them a long time to get down to the ground. When she
descended she found that the Absolute Fool had reached the Prince.
The latter, being a brave fellow, although of so gentle a
disposition, had been glad to find a man among his assailants, and
had drawn his sword to defend himself. The two had just begun to
fight when the Gryphoness seized the Absolute Fool by the waist and
hurled him backward into some bushes.
"You must not fight him!" she cried to the Prince. "He is beneath
your rank! And as you will not draw your sword against these Amazons
you must fly from them. If you run fast they cannot overtake you."
The Prince followed her advice, and sheathing his sword he rapidly
ran along the bank, followed by some of the Amazons who had succeeded
in getting the water out of their eyes and mouths.
"Run from women!" contemptuously remarked the Absolute Fool. "If you
had not interfered with me," he said to the Gryphoness, "I should
soon have put an end to such a coward."
The Prince had nearly reached the place opposite to which the ship
was moored, when the Princess, who had been awakened by the noise of
the combat, appeared upon the deck of the vessel. The moment she saw
the Prince, she felt convinced that he was certainly the one for whom
she was looking. Fearing that the pursuing Amazons might kill him,
she sprang from the vessel to his assistance; but her foot caught in
a rope, and instead of reaching the shore, she fell into the water,
which was here quite deep, and immediately sank out of sight. The
Prince, who had noticed her just as she sprang, and who felt equally
convinced that she was the one for whom he was searching, stopped his
flight and rushed to the edge of the bank. Just as the Princess rose
to the surface, he reached out his hand to her, and she took it.
"Philopena!" cried the Prince.
"You have won," said the Princess, gayly shaking the water from her
curls, as he drew her ashore.
At the request of the Princess, the pursuing Amazons forbore to
assail the Prince, and when the Captain and the Mate had descended
from the tree, every thing was explained.
Within an hour, the Prince and Princess, after taking kind leave of
the Gryphoness, and Water Sprite, and of the Amazon sailors, who
cheered them loudly, rode away to the city of the Princess; while the
three servants of the Inquisitive Dwarf returned to their master to
report what had happened.
The Absolute Fool was in a very bad humor; for he was obliged to go
back on foot, having left his horse in the kingdom where he had so
narrowly escaped being killed; and, besides this, he had had his hair
pulled; and had not been treated with proper respect by either the
Princess or the Gryphoness. He felt himself deeply injured. When he
reached home, he determined that he would not remain in a position
where his great abilities were so little appreciated. "I will do
something," he said, "which shall prove to the world that I deserve
to stand among the truly great. I will reform my fellow beings, and I
will begin by reforming the Inquisitive Dwarf." Thereupon he went to
his master, and said:
"Sir, it is foolish and absurd for you to be meddling thus with the
affairs of your neighbors. Give up your inquisitive habits, and learn
some useful business. While you are doing this, I will consent to
manage your affairs."
The Inquisitive Dwarf turned to him, and said: "I have a great desire
to know the exact appearance of the North Pole. Go and discover it
for me."
The Absolute Fool departed on this mission, and has not yet returned.
When the Princess, with her Prince, reached her city, her uncles were
very much amazed; for they had not known she had gone away. "If you
are going to get married," they said, "we are very glad; for then you
will not need our care, and we shall be free from the great
responsibility which is bearing us down."
In a short time the wedding took place, and then the question arose
in which city should the young couple dwell. The Princess decided it.
"In the winter," she said to the Prince, "We will live in your city,
where all is life and activity; and where the houses are so well
built with all the latest improvements. In the summer, we will come
to my city, where everything is old, and shady, and serene." This
they did, and were very happy.
The Gryphoness would have been glad to go and live with the Princess,
for she had taken a great fancy to her; but she did not think it
worth her while to ask permission to do this.
"My impulses, I know, are good," she said; "but my appearance is
against me."
As for the Water Sprite, she was in a truly disconsolate mood,
because she had left so soon the Land of the Lovely Lakes, where she
had been so happy. The more she thought about it, the more she
grieved; and one morning, unable to bear her sorrow longer, she
sprang into the great jet of the fountain. High into the bright air
the fountain threw her, scattering her into a thousand drops of
glittering water; but not one drop fell back into the basin. The
great, warm sun drew them up; and, in a little white cloud, they
floated away across the bright blue sky.
SCRIBNER'S BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.
THIRTIETH THOUSAND.
"In 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' we gain another charming child to add to
our gallery of juvenile heroes and heroines; one who teaches a great
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* * * * *
LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.
By FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT.
Beautifully illustrated by R. B. Birch. One volume, square 8vo,
handsomely bound. $2.00.
In "Little Lord Fauntleroy" the author of "That Lass o' Lowrie's" has
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"Little Lord Fauntleroy," though a book for children, is certainly
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A NEW EDITION OF AN OLD FAVORITE.
* * * * *
HANS BRINKER; or, The Silver Skates.
A STORY OF LIFE IN HOLLAND
By MARY MAPES DODGE.
One volume, 12mo, with sixty beautiful illustrations. $1.50.
The cordial appreciation with which "Hans Brinker" was first received
has increased from year to year, until the original plates have
become badly worn from constant use. The publishers have therefore
reissued at half its original price their beautiful Holiday Edition,
of which on its first appearance the Nation said: "We some time ago
expressed our opinion that Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge's delightful
children's story called 'Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates'
deserved an entirely new dress, with illustrations made in Holland
instead of America. The publishers have just issued an edition in
accordance with this suggestion. The pictures are admirable, and the
whole volume, in appearance and contents, need not fear comparison
with any juvenile publication of the year or of many years."
AMONG THE LAW-MAKERS.
By EDMUND ALTON.
With many illustrations of the Government Buildings, Halls of
Congress, etc., etc.
One volume, square 8vo. $2.50.
The author of this book was for four years connected with the
legislative branch of our Government, in the capacity of a Senatorial
page. His record of the memorable scenes and events which came under
his observation is enlivened by anecdotes of public men, humorous and
exciting episodes at the national capitol, and a great variety of
stirring incidents.
THE MAKING OF NEW ENGLAND.
1580--1643.
By SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE.
With many illustrations and maps. One volume, 12mo. $1.50.
In his preface the author says: "To enhance the interest of this
story, emphasis has been given to everything that went to make up the
home-life of the pioneer settlers, or that relates to their various
avocations." In all history no better examples of manliness, energy,
and conscientiousness could be found, to be read about and studied by
a child whose character is just forming. The story is told in such a
vivid way that it is as interesting and absorbing as a romance.
THE OLD-FASHIONED FAIRY BOOK.
By MRS. BURTON HARRISON.
With many quaint illustrations by MISS ROSINA EMMET.
One volume, square 16mo. $1.00.
"The little ones, who so willingly go back with us to 'Jack the
Giant-Killer,' 'Blue-beard,' and the kindred stories of our
childhood, will gladly welcome Mrs. Burton Harrison's 'Old-Fashioned
Fairy Tales,' where the giant, the dwarf, the fairy, the wicked
princess, the ogre, the metamorphosed prince, and all the heroes of
that line come into play and action. ...The graceful pencil of Miss
Rosina Emmet has given a pictorial interest to the book, and the many
pictures scattered through its pages accord well with the good
old-fashioned character of the tales."--Frank R. Stockton.
BRIC-A-BRAC STORIES.
By MRS. BURTON HARRISON.
Illustrated and Cover designed by WALTER CRANE. One volume, 12mo.
$2.00.
"Upon the whole it is to be wished that every boy and girl in
America, or anywhere else, might become intimately acquainted with
the contents of this book. There is more virtue in one of
these stories than in the entire library of modern juvenile
literature."--Julian Hawthorne.
THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD,
Of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire.
Written and Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE.
One volume, quarto, $3.00.
"The Prince of Story-Tellers."--London Times.
* * * * *
THE WORKS OF JULES VERNE.
Uniform illustrated edition. Nine vols., 8vo, extra cloth, with over
750 full-page illustrations. Price, per set, in a box, $17.50. Sold
also in separate volumes.
The most impossible stories of this imaginative writer are told in
such a realistic manner and with so much scientific knowledge
ingeniously wrought into them that they possess a fascination that is
all their own. Their great and continued popularity, among both old
and young, has led to the publication of this new edition in which
all the numerous illustrations of the French edition are retained,
and the volumes are issued in a uniform and attractive binding.
Michael Strogoff; or, The Courier of the Czar..................$2 00
A Floating City and the Blockade Runners....................... 2 00
Hector Servadac................................................ 2 00
Dick Sands..................................................... 2 00
A Journey to the Center of the Earth........................... 2 00
From the Earth to the Moon Direct in Ninety-seven Hours, Twenty
Minutes; and a Journey Around It............................ 2 00
The Steam House. Part I.--The Demon of Cawnpore.
Part II.--Tigers and Traitors. Complete in one volume....... 2 00
The Giant Raft. Part I.--Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon.
Part II.--The Cryptogram. Complete in one volume............ 2 00
The Mysterious Island. Part I.--Dropped from the Clouds.
Part II.--Abandoned. Part III.--The Secret of the Island.
The complete work in one volume, with 150 illustrations..... 2 50
A NEW AND REVISED EDITION OF THE
ILLUSTRATED LIBRARY OF WONDERS.
* * * * *
THE WONDERS OF MAN AND NATURE.
Intelligence of Animals--Mountain Adventures--Bodily Strength and
Skill--Wonderful Escapes--Thunder and Lightning--Adventures on the
Great Hunting Grounds--Wonders of the Human Body--The Sublime in
Nature.
THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE.
Wonders of Heat--Wonders of the Heavens--Wonders of Optics--The
Sun--Wonders of Acoustics--Wonders of Water--Wonders of the
Moon--Meteors, Aerolites, Storms, and Atmospheric Phenomena.
THE WONDERS OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY.
Egypt 3,300 Years Ago--Wonders of Sculpture--Wonders of Glass
Making--Wonders of European Art--Wonders of Pompeii--Wonders of
Architecture--The Wonders of Italian Art--The Wonders of Engraving.
Twenty-four volumes, containing aver a thousand valuable
illustrations.
Each set, 8 volumes, in a box, $8.00.
Each volume, 12mo, complete in itself. Sold separately at $1.00 per
volume.
CHILDREN'S STORIES OF AMERICAN PROGRESS.
By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.
With twelve full-page illustrations from drawings by J. STEEPLE
DAVIS. One volume, 12mo. $1.50.
"The 'Stories of American Progress' contain a series of pictures of
events of the first half of the present century, and the scope of the
book comprehends all the prominent steps by which we have reached our
present position both as regards extent of country and industrial
prosperity. They include an account of the first Steamboat, the
Railroad, and the Telegraph, as well as of the Purchase of Florida,
the War of 1812, and the Discovery of Gold. It will be found that no
event of importance has been omitted, and any child fond of
story-telling will gain from this book an amount of knowledge which
may far exceed that which is usually acquired from the rigid
instruction of the school-room."
CHILDREN'S STORIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.
With twelve full-page illustrations from drawings by J. STEEPLE
DAVIS. One volume, 12mo. $1.50.
* * * * *
THE IVORY KING.
A Popular History of the Elephant and Its Allies.
By CHARLES F. HOLDER.
Square 8vo, with twenty-four full-page illustrations. $2.00.
The wonderfully interesting array of facts which Mr. Holder brought
together in his "Marvels of Animal Life" was the fruit very largely
of his personal observations. It forms one of the most stimulating
and delightful contributions to the class of Natural History books
for the young that has ever been made, and was a fitting forerunner
to "The Ivory King," which is devoted entirely to the Elephant, and
has even a more vivid fascination than the first named volume. The
summary of its contents includes the Natural History of the Elephant,
its habits and ways and its intelligence, the Mammoth Three and Four
Tusked Elephants, Hunting and Capturing Wild Elephants, the Elephant
in Captivity, Rogue Elephants, the White Elephant, Trained Elephants,
Show Elephants, Ivory, War Elephants, etc., etc. The numerous
illustrations are especially excellent, being drawn from a great
variety of sources.
It would be hard to name a book which would be a more welcome and
valued addition to the library of the average boy or girl just
beginning to cultivate a love of reading and an interest in the world
around them.
MARVELS OF ANIMAL LIFE.
By CHARLES F. HOLDER.
Square 8vo, with thirty-two full-page illustrations. $2.00.
* * * * *
SCRIBNER'S STANDARD JUVENILE BOOKS.
THE BOY'S
Library of Legend and Chivalry.
EDITED BY SIDNEY LANIER,
And richly illustrated by FREDERICKS, BENSELL, and KAPPES.
* * * * *
THE BOY'S KING ARTHUR. THE BOY'S FROISSART.
KNIGHTLY LEGENDS OF WALES. THE BOY'S PERCY.
Four volumes, cloth, uniform binding. Price per set $7.00. Sold
separately. Price per volume $2.00.
* * * * *
"Amid all the strange and fanciful scenery of these stories,
character and the ideals of character remain at the simplest and the
purest. The romantic history transpires in the healthy atmosphere of
the open air, on the green earth beneath the open sky.... The figures
of Right, Truth, Justice, Honor, Purity, Courage, Reverence for Law,
are always in the background; and the grand passion inspired by the
book is for strength to do well and nobly in the world."--The
Independent.
* * * * *
THE BOY'S
Library of Pluck and Action.
A JOLLY FELLOWSHIP, By Frank R. Stockton.
HANS BRINKER; OR, THE SILVER SKATES. A story of life in Holland. By
Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge.
THE BOY EMIGRANTS, By Noah Brooks.
PHAETON ROGERS, By Rossiter Johnson.
Four volumes, 12mo, in a box, illustrated, $5.00. Sold separately,
price per volume $1.50.
In the "Boy's Library of Pluck and Action," the design was to bring
together the representative and most popular books of four of the
best known writers for young people. The names of Mary Mapes Dodge,
Frank R. Stockton, Noah Brooks, and Rossiter Johnson are familiar
ones in every household, and a set of books, to which each has
contributed one, forms a present that will delight the heart of every
boy who likes manly, spirited, and amusing tales. The volumes are
beautifully illustrated and uniformly bound in a most attractive
form.
SCRIBNER'S LIST OF JUVENILE BOOKS.
* * * * *
The great legend of the Nibelungen told to boys and girls.
* * * * *
THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED.
By JAMES BALDWIN.
With a series of superb illustrations by Howard Pyle. One volume,
square 12mo. $2.00.
Mr. Baldwin has at last given "The Story of Siegfried" in the way in
which it most appeals to the boy-reader,--simply and strongly told,
with all its fire and action, yet without losing any of that strange
charm of the myth, and that heroic pathos, which every previous
attempt at a version, even for adult readers, has failed to catch.
THE STORY OF ROLAND.
By JAMES BALDWIN.
With a series of illustrations by R.B. Birch. One volume, square
12mo. $2.00.
This volume is intended as a companion to "The Story of Siegfried."
As Siegfried was an adaptation of Northern myths and romances to the
wants and the understanding of young readers, so is this story a
similar adaptation of the middle-age romances relating to Charlemagne
and his paladins. As Siegfried was the greatest of the heroes of the
North, so, too, was Roland the most famous among the knights of the
Middle Ages.
"We congratulate the boys of the land upon the appearance of this
book. We commend it to parents who are selecting literature for their
children, assured, as we are, that it will convince them that books
may be found which will engage the attention, and stimulate the
imagination, of the young, without dissipating the mind, or blunting
the moral sensibilities."--Philadelphia Messenger.
THE FIRST REALLY PRACTICAL BOY'S BOOK.
* * * * *
THE AMERICAN BOY'S HANDY BOOK;
Or, WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT.
By DANIEL C. BEARD.
With three hundred illustrations by the author. One volume, 8vo.
$2.00.
Mr. Beard's book is the first to tell the active, inventive, and
practical American boy the things he really wants to know, the
thousand things he wants to do, and the ten thousand ways in which he
can do them, with the helps and ingenious contrivances which every
boy can either procure or make.
The author divides the book among the sports of the four seasons; and
he has made an almost exhaustive collection of the cleverest modern
devices, besides himself inventing an immense number of capital and
practical ideas.
FRANK R. STOCKTON'S POPULAR STORIES.
* * * * *
THE STORY OF VITEAU.
With sixteen full-page illustrations by R.B. Birch.
One volume, 12mo, extra cloth. $1.50.
In "The Story of Viteau," Mr. Stockton has opened a new vein, and one
that he has shown all his well-known skill and ability in working.
While describing the life and surroundings of Raymond, Louis, and
Agnes at Viteau at the Castle of De Barran, or in the woods among the
Cotereaux, he gives a picture of France in the age of chivalry, and
tells, at the same time, a romantic and absorbing story of adventure
and knightly daring. Mr. Birch's spirited illustrations add much to
the attraction of the book.
A JOLLY FELLOWSHIP.
Illustrated. One volume, 12mo, extra cloth. $1.50.
"'A Jolly Fellowship,' by Mr. Frank Stockton, is a worthy successor
to his 'Rudder Grange.' Although written for lads, it is full of
delicious nonsense that will be enjoyed by men and women.... The less
serious parts are described with a mock gravity that is the
perfection of harmless burlesque, while all the nonsense has a vein
of good sense running through it, so that really useful information
is conveyed to the young and untravelled reader's mind."--Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin.
THE FLOATING PRINCE, AND OTHER FAIRY TALES.
With illustrations by Bensell and others. One volume, quarto, boards.
$1.50.
"Stockton has the knack, perhaps genius would be a better word, of
writing in the easiest of colloquial English, without descending to
the plane of the vulgar or commonplace. The very perfection of his
work hinders the reader from perceiving at once how good of its kind
it is.... With the added charm of a most delicate humor,--a real
humor, mellow, tender, and informed by a singularly quaint and racy
fancy,--his stories become irresistibly attractive."--Philadelphia
Times.
NEW EDITIONS OF OLD FAVORITES.
* * * * *
ROUNDABOUT RAMBLES IN LANDS OF FACT AND FICTION.
One volume, quarto, boards, with very attractive lithographed cover,
three hundred and seventy pages, two hundred illustrations. A new
edition. Price reduced from $3.00 to $1.50.
TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
One volume, quarto, boards, with handsome lithographed cover, three
hundred and fifty pages, nearly two hundred illustrations. A new
edition. Price reduced from $3.00 to $1.50.
* * * * *
Charles Scribner's Sons, Publishers, 743 and 745 Broadway, New York.
