The Adventures of Pinocchioby C. Collodi[Pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini]CHAPTER 1How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter, found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a childCenturies ago there lived"A king!" my little readers will say immediately.No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, 　

BenitaAn African Romanceby H. Rider HaggardNOTESIt may interest readers of this story to know that its authorbelieves it to have a certain foundation in fact.It was said about five-and-twenty or thirty years ago that anadventurous trader, hearing from some natives in the territorythat lies at the back of Quilimane, the legend of a great treasureburied in or about the sixteenth century by a party of Portuguesewho were afterwards massacred, as a last resource attempted itsdiscovery by the help of a mesmerist. According to this historythe child who was used as a subject in the experiment, when in a...　

Modern Customs and Ancient Laws of Russiaby Maxime KovalevskyLecture IIThe State of the Modern Russian Family, and Particularly that ofthe Joint or Household Community of Great RussiaWe believe that the theory of the matriarchate finds a solidbasis in the past history of the Russian family. The presentcondition of the latter seems to prove that the next stage in itsevolution was the household community, composed of persons unitedby descent from a common forefather and accompanied by thatworship of ancestors which usually resulted from it. The completesubjection of the wife to the husband, and of the children to thefather; community of goods and the common enjoyment of their...　

OF TRAGEDYDavid Hume1757It seems an unaccountable pleasure, which the spectators ofa well-written tragedy receive from sorrow, terror, anxiety, andother passions, that are in themselves disagreeable and uneasy.The more they are touched and affected, the more are theydelighted with the spectacle; and as soon as the uneasy passionscease to operate, the piece is at an end. One scene of full joy...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE OLD STREET LAMPby Hans Christian AndersenDID you ever hear the story of the old street lamp? It is notremarkably interesting, but for once in a way you may as well listento it. It was a most respectable old lamp, which had seen many, manyyears of service, and now was to retire with a pension. It was thisevening at its post for the last time, giving light to the street. Hisfeelings were something like those of an old dancer at the theatre,who is dancing for the last time, and knows that on the morrow shewill be in her garret, alone and forgotten. The lamp had very great...　

Legend of the Rose of the Alhambra.FOR SOME time after the surrender of Granada by the Moors, thatdelightful city was a frequent and favorite residence of the Spanishsovereigns, until they were frightened away by successive shocks ofearthquakes, which toppled down various houses, and made the oldMoslem towers rock to their foundation.Many, many years then rolled away, during which Granada was rarelyhonored by a royal guest. The palaces of the nobility remainedsilent and shut up; and the Alhambra, like a slighted beauty, sat inmournful desolation, among her neglected gardens. The tower of theInfantas, once the residence of the three beautiful Moorish...　

Songs of Travel and Other Versesby Robert Louis StevensonCONTENTSI. THE VAGABOND - Give to me the life I loveII. YOUTH AND LOVE: I. - Once only by the garden gateIII. YOUTH AND LOVE: II. - To the heart of youth the world isa highwaysideIV. In dreams, unhappy, I behold you standV. She rested by the Broken BrookVI. The infinite shining heavensVII. Plain as the glistering planets shineVIII. To you, let snows and rosesIX. Let Beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreamsX. I know not how it is with youXI. I will make you brooches and toys for your delight...　

The History of Caliph Vathekby William BeckfordINTRODUCTIONWilliam Beckford, born in 1759, the year before the accession of King George the Third, was the son of an Alderman who became twice Lord Mayor of London. His family, originally of Gloucestershire, had thriven by the plantations in Jamaica; and his father, sent to school in England, and forming a school friendship at Westminster with Lord Mansfield, began the world in this country as a merchant, with inheritance of an enormous West India fortune. William Beckford the elder became Magistrate, Member of Parliament, Alderman. Four years before the birth of William Beckford the younger he became one of the Sheriffs of London, and thre　

440 BCANTIGONEby Sophoclestranslated by R. C. JebbCHARACTERS IN THE PLAYdaughters of Oedipus:ANTIGONEISMENECREON, King of ThebesEURYDICE, his wifeHAEMON, his sonTEIRESIAS, the blind prophetGUARD, set to watch the corpse of PolyneicesFIRST MESSENGERSECOND MESSENGER, from the houseCHORUS OF THEBAN ELDERSANTIGONEANTIGONEANTIGONE(SCENE:-The same as in the Oedipus the King, an open space beforethe royal palace, once that of Oedipus, at Thebes. The backscene...　

The Trees of Prideby G.K. ChestertonTHE TREES OF PRIDE:I. THE TALE OF THE PEACOCK TREESII. THE WAGER OF SQUIRE VANEIII. THE MYSTERY OF THE WELLIV. THE CHASE AFTER THE TRUTHTHE TREES OF PRIDEI. THE TALE OF THE PEACOCK TREESSquire Vane was an elderly schoolboy of English education and Irish extraction. His English education, at one of the great public schools, had preserved his intellect perfectly and permanently at the stage of boyhood. But his Irish extraction subconsciously upset in him the proper solemnity of an old boy, and sometimes gave him back the brighter outlook of a naughty boy. He had a bodily impatience which played tricks upon him almost against his will, and had already rend　

Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood,and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and abottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger orthirst.When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man whobade him good-day, and said, do give me a piece of cake out of yourpocket, and let me have a draught of your wine, I am so hungry andthirsty. But the clever son answered, if I give you my cake andwine, I shall have none for myself, be off with you, and he left thelittle man standing and went on.But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before 　

The Circulation of the Bloodby Thomas H. HuxleyI DESIRE this evening to give you some account of the life and laboursof a very noble EnglishmanWilliam Harvey.William Harvey was born in the year 1578, and as he lived until the year1657, he very nearly attained the age of 80. He was the son of a smalllandowner in Kent, who was sufficiently wealthy to send this, hiseldest son, to the University of Cambridge; while he embarked theothers in mercantile pursuits, in which they all, as time passed on,attained riches.William Harvey, after pursuing his education at Cambridge, and takinghis degree there, thought it was advisableand justly thought so, in...