a selection from the Prelude to the First Tale: 'AND now,' said Martin Pippin, 'what exactly do you require of me?' 'If you please,' said little Joan, 'you are to tell us a love-story that has never been told before.' 'But we have reason to fear,' added Jane, 'that there is no such story left in all the world.' 'There you are wrong,' said Martin, 'for on the contrary no love-story has ever been told twice. I never heard any tale of lovers that did not seem to me as new as the world on its first morning. I am glad you have a taste for love-stories.' 'We have not,' said Joscelyn, very quickly. 'No, indeed!' cried her five fellows. 'Then shall it be some other kind of tale?' 'No other kind will do,' said Joscelyn, still more quickly. 'We must all bear our burdens,' said Martin; 'so let us make ourselves as happy as we can in an apple-tree, and when the tale becomes too little to your taste you shall munch apples and forget it.' 'Will you sit in the swing?' asked Jennifer, pointing to the midmost apple-tree, which was the largest in the orchard, and had a little swing hanging from a long upper limb. Close to the apple-tree, a branch of which indeed brushed its mossed pent-roof, stood the well-house. It had a round wall of old red bricks growing green with time, and a pillar of oak rose up at each point of the compass to support the pent. Between the south and west pillars was a green door, held by a rusty chain and a padlock with six keyholes. The little circular court within was flagged, and three rings of worn steps led to the well-head and the green wooden bucket inverted on the coping. Between the cracks of the flags sprang grass, and pink-starred centaury, and even a trail of mallow sprawled over the steps where Gillian lay in tears, as though to wreathe her head with its striped blooms. 'What luck you have,' said Martin, 'not only to live in an orchard, but to have a swing to swing in.' 'It is our one diversion,' said Joyce, 'except when you come to play to us.' 'It is delightful to swing,' said little Joan invitingly. 'So it is,' agreed Martin, 'and I beg you to sit in the swing while I sit on this bough, and when I see your eyelids growing heavy with my tale I will start the rope and rouse you–thus!' So saying, he lifted the littlest milkmaid lightly into her perch and gave her so vigorous a push that she cried out with delight, as at one moment the point of her shoe cleared the door of the well-house, and at the next her heels were up among the apples. Then Martin ensconced himself upon the lower limb of the tree, which had a mossy cushion against the trunk as though nature or time had designed it for a teller of tales. The milkmaids sprang quickly into other branches around him, shaking a hail of sweet apples about his head. What he could he caught, and dropped into the swinger's lap, whence from time to time he helped himself; and she did likewise. 'Begin,' said Joscelyn. 'A thought has occurred to me,' said Martin Pippin, 'and it is that my tale may disturb your master's daughter.' 'We desire it to,' said Joscelyn looking down on the well-house and the yellow head of Gillian. 'The fear is rather that you may not arouse her attention, so I hope that when you speak you will speak clearly. For to tell you the truth we have heard that nothing but six love tales will wash from her mind the image of–' 'Of whom?' inquired Martin as she paused. 'It does not matter whom,' said Joscelyn, 'but I think the time is ripe to confess to you that the silly damsel is in love.' 'The world is so full of wonders,' said Martin Pippin, 'that one ceases to be surprised at almost anything.' 'Is love then,' said little Joan, 'so rare a thing in the world?' 'The rarest of all things,' answered Martin....

In her haste to flee the palace before the fairy godmother's magic loses effect, Cinderella leaves behind a glass slipper

Product Description: First published in 1935, Eleanor Farjeon's "A Nursery in the Nineties" is one of the most striking accounts of childhood ever written: a testament to a happy and creative upbringing from an author rightly renowned for her powerfully imaginative books for children...read more

Product Description: First published in 1952, Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon’s Kings and Queens is a children’s classic. The charming poems, each one dedicated to a different king or queen, tell the story of the forty-one English monarchs from William I to Elizabeth II in a humorous and charming way that has delighted generations of children and their parents...read more

Product Description: This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience...read more

Product Description: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work...read more

Product Description: Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Product Description: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work...read more

Collects twenty-seven of Eleanor Farjeon's stories, which include kings, princesses, servants, a mysterious flower, orphans, enchanted woods, an organ-grinder, giants, a little dressmaker, fairies, and a kindly farmer.

Product Description: Eleanor Farjeon was born in 1881, and wrote many stories and poems, including Morning has Broken, which became a popular hymn. By the time she died in 1965, she had published over 80 books and won many prizes. This is a selection of her poetry for children.

Product Description: First published in 1952, Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon’s Kings and Queens is a children’s classic. The charming poems, each one dedicated to a different king or queen, tell the story of the forty-one English monarchs from William I to Elizabeth II in a humorous and charming way that has delighted generations of children and their parents...read more

Product Description: "A classic tale of tyranny overcome. . . . Voake makes this neglected gem — an unforgettable read-aloud — look new." — KIRKUS REVIEWS (STARRED REVIEW)Elsie Piddock is a born skipper. By the time she’s seven, the tireless girl can even outskip the fairies and is rewarded with a gift of rare and lasting value...read more

Cats sleep on tables, chairs, sofas, in closets, in shoeboxes--all around the house

An illustrated collection of poems about nature.

An illustrated version of the song which celebrates the beauty and elation of the newly breaking morning

In her haste to flee the palace before the fairy godmother's magic loses effect, Cinderella leaves behind a glass slipper

Derry listens as Jim, now too old to sail the seas, sits at the corner on his orange box and tells of his adventures on the good ship 'Rocking-horse'

Describes the many places in a house where cats like to sleep

Tells the stories of kings, princesses, servants, a mysterious flower, orphans, enchanted woods, an organ-grinder, giants, a little dressmaker, fairies, and a kindly farmer

A collection of over 250 of Eleanor Farjeon's poems for children about holidays, the country, the city, animals, and fairyland