Abbie Farwell Brown

In the Days of Giants By Abbie Farwell Brown

Compiled by American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer Hamilton Wright Mabie, here is a fantastic collection of classic legends from ancient mythology, The classical work of Hawthorne has been generously drawn upon. Included are "Three Golden Apples"; "Pomegranate Seeds"; "Chimera"; "Golden Touch"; "Gorgon's Head"; "Dragon's Teeth"; "Miraculous Pitcher"; "Paradise of Children"; "Cyclops"; "Argonauts"; "Giant Builder"; "How Odin Lost His Eye"; "Quest of the Hammer"; "Apples of Idun"; "Death of Balder"; and "Star and the Lily".

This book is made of the stories told by the Northern folk, -the people who live in the land of the midnight sun, where summer is green and pleasant, but winter is a terrible time of cold and gloom; where rocky mountains tower like huge giants, over whose heads the thunder rolls and crashes, and under whose feet are mines of precious metals. Therefore you will find the tales full of giants and dwarfs, -spirits of the cold mountains and dark caverns. You will find the hero to be Thor, with his thunderbolt hammer, who dwells in the happy heaven of Asgard, where All-Father Odin is king, and where Balder the beautiful makes springtime with his smile. In the north countries, winter, cold, and frost are very real and terrible enemies; while spring, sunshine, and warmth are near and dear friends. So the story of the Beginning of Things is a story of cold and heat, of the wicked giants who loved the cold, and of the good sir, who basked in pleasant warmth.

The "Old-School-Stories" series is bringing back stories that will entertain and delight today's readers. Story Summary: During a storm on Christmas Eve, a little boy named Pierre set out for the church in the next village. Along the way he strayed from the road and became lost. Fighting the storm, he became very cold and then a white dove flew into him. The bird was also cold. Pierre put the bird into his shirt to try to keep it warm and trudged on until he became so very cold that he had to stop. Laying in the snow while the storm raged on, a child appeared before Pierre and said he wanted his dove back. Pierre noticed strange things about this child such as the snow flakes did not touch him. Who is the child stranger? Will he help Pierre? What happens to the dove?

The "Old-School-Stories" series is bringing back stories that will entertain and delight today's readers. Story Summary: Many princes visit the beautiful Princess Fleurette in hopes of winning her hand in marriage. But each time one shows up, she tells them to go into her beautiful flower garden and pick her favorite flower. If he can do that, he will win her hand. Not one prince has been able to do it until the day that two princes' arrive. However, one is a real prince and one is not. Who will be the one to correctly pick the princess' favorite flower and win her hand in marriage?

The "Old-School-Stories" series is bringing back stories that will entertain and delight today's readers. Story Summary: A human-boy wishes for a baby brother while a mer-baby wishes for a family that will love him. A wise old stork hears them both and arranges for the mer-baby to become part of the human-boy's family as long as the identity of the mer-baby is kept a secret by the human-boy. Everything goes good for awhile, then the mermaid begins searching for her baby. Will the mer-baby's mother find him and bring him home to the sea? Or will the human-boy keep his little brother's secret to keep him on land?

The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown Twenty legends of saints who have been befriended by birds and beasts. "Delightful.... Here is an unworked mine of moral tales of great beauty and delicate charm. Many of the medieval saints were so simple and childlike, like Saint Francis and his school, others were so sensible and efficient, like Saint Theresa and Saint Elizabeth, and still others, like the Irish Saints, had so much quaint poetry in their natures." -The Homiletic Review "Entertaining and attractive...legends of man and beast, joining the fanciful charm of the fairy tale with the practical zest of reality, and a pleasant spirituality, purity, and peace with the ruder phases of mediaeval times. Written ostensibly for children it must appeal to many older readers, and its tender dedication 'in loving memory of a friendly beast' will give it a sure place in many a heart." -The Literary World "From the many quaint and beautiful legends which blossomed during the Christian Age of Credulity, Miss Brown has selected twenty tales of beasts, birds and fishes that were fortunate in having a patron saint. The stories are told simply and directly. The writer reflects well the delightful mingling of naivete, severity and gentleness which characterized one phase of medieval thought. Many books of recent date express the growing sympathy of the modern mind with animal life. These stories will in their own quite different way reinforce that feeling. Miraculous and incredible tho they be, taken literally, they are nevertheless true at the core.... We must own to a strong feeling of sympathy for the vegetarian lion who for love of Gerasimus learns to eat porridge and greens." -The Kindergarten for Teachers and Parents "In this book Miss Brown tells in story or in ballad of the Saints who have had beasts and birds for attendants or helpers. They are very attractive stories, bordering closely on the tales of Fairyland; and Miss Brown tells them in a simple style which cannot fail to win the heart of childhood.... Altogether, it is a singularly attractive book for children, and parents will enjoy it perhaps just as much." -Publishers Weekly "A group of old legends retold for the young.... The idea of the book is a good one, and well carried out." -The Critic "Most delightful.... Has given a world of pleasure to hosts of young people." -The Christian Work and the Evangelist "Told in the simplest and most charming manner." -The Journal of American Folklore We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.