Product Description

No book is better for introducing children ages 6 to 9 to legendary historical figures than this collection of stories admirably retold by James Baldwin at the beginning of the last century. Selecting the best of our literary heritage, Baldwin cast it into a form that delights children of all ages. Beginning with stories of heroes from British history, including King Alfred and the Cakes, King Canute on the Seashore, and Bruce and the Spider, the book moves on to tales of other lands. From Ancient Greece come stories of The Brave Three Hundred, Alexander and Bucepahlus, and Diogenes the Wise Man. Introducing the history of Rome are the Story of Cincinnatus, Horatius at the Bridge, and Julius Caesar. The stories of William Tell, Arnold Winkelried, and Robin Hood impart a bit of the flavor of the Middle Ages. Rounding out the collection are a number of timeless tales that show heroes in action: Damon and Pythias, The Sword of Damocles, Picciola, and The King and His Hawk. Children naturally take a deep interest in such stories. The reading of them will not only give pleasure but will help to lay the foundation for broader literary studies since nearly all are the subjects of frequent allusions in poetry and prose. Young children will enjoy having these stories read to them, while older children will delight in reading them to themselves.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21444 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

About the Author
Born in 1841 in a small Quaker settlement in the backwoods of Indiana, James Baldwin rose to become a highly-respected author and textbook editor. Largely self-educated, Baldwin became a teacher at 24, then served as superintendent of the graded schools of Indiana for 18 years before moving into the publishing world. As an editor of school books, first with Harper and Brothers and later with the American Book Company, he selected the best of our literary heritage and cast it into a form that delighted children of all ages. His influence in the first decades of the twentieth century was broad because of all the grammar school books in use in the United States at that time over half had been written or edited by him. He is remembered most for the books of introductory historical sketches he wrote for younger students and his retellings of the legends of the heroes for older students.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES

MANY years ago there lived in England a wise and good king whose name was Alfred. No other man ever did so much for his country as he; and people now, all over the world, speak of him as Alfred the Great.

In those days a king did not have a very easy life. There was war almost all the time, and no one else could lead his army into battle so well as he. And so, between ruling and fighting, he had a busy time of it indeed.

A fierce, rude people, called the Danes, had come from over the sea, and were fighting the English. There were so many of them, and they were so bold and strong, that for a long time they gained every battle. If they kept on, they would soon be the masters of the whole country.

At last, after a great battle, the English army was broken up and scattered. Every man had to save himself in the best way he could. King Alfred fled alone, in great haste, through the woods and swamps.

Late in the day the king came to the hut of a woodcutter. He was very tired and hungry, and he begged the woodcutter’s wife to give him something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut.

The woman was baking some cakes upon the hearth, and she looked with pity upon the poor, ragged fellow who seemed so hungry. She had no thought that he was the king.

"Yes," she said, "I will give you some supper if you will watch these cakes. I want to go out and milk the cow; and you must see that they do not burn while I am gone."

King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes, but he had far greater things to think about. How was he going to get his army together again? And how was he going to drive the fierce Danes out of the land? He forgot his hunger; he forgot the cakes; he forgot that he was in the woodcutter’s hut. His mind was busy making plans for to-morrow.

In a little while the woman came back. The cakes were smoking on the hearth. They were burned to a crisp. Ah, how angry she was!

"You lazy fellow!" she cried. "See what you have done! You want something to eat, but you do not want to work!"

I have been told that she even struck the king with a stick; but I can hardly believe that she was so ill-natured.

The king must have laughed to himself at the thought of being scolded in this way; and he was so hungry that he did not mind the woman’s angry words half so much as the loss of the cakes.

I do not know whether he had anything to eat that night, or whether he had to go to bed without his supper. But it was not many days until he had gathered his men together again, and had beaten the Danes in a great battle.

Customer Reviews

My girls love this book
This is a great book to read aloud to your children. My girls (age 8 and 6) love this book. They took it with them for their vacation at Grandma's and made Grandma read nearly the whole book in the week they were there.

The fifty stories are short 2 or 3 page stories of famous persons, mostly real, a few fiction.

This book is a GREAT way to introduce important historical figures and a love of history to your children. This would be a great book for a dad to read to his child that would keep them all (dad included) interested.

An important book
This wonderful little book was first published in 1896 (at least that's the one I have). It contains fifty short stories that were originally considered indispensable for the education of truly literate and well-rounded children. The fifty stories are classics of American culture, and as such are almost completely forgotten in today's America.

The stories teach such lessons as perseverance, self-sacrifice, compassion, diligence, and much more. And they star such once-well-known people as King Alfred of Britain, Pocahontas, Sir Walter Raleigh, Leonidas and the 300 Spartans, and Socrates.

So, if you have a young person who you would like to read truly educational stories to, then you really should consider getting this book. It was an important book then, and it is an important book now. I give it my highest recommendations!

Fifty Famous Stories Retold
I have been reading these stories to my preschooler. She has such a adventurous spirit and loves stories of "heroes". This is a perfect collection to inspire true heroism while opening her mind to beautiful stories of Julius Caesar, King Alfred and others. Each story is short, but well told. I am very happy I bought this book.