FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE PORTUGUESE DUCKby Hans Christian AndersenA DUCK once arrived from Portugal, but there were some who saidshe came from Spain, which is almost the same thing. At all events,she was called the "Portuguese," and she laid eggs, was killed, andcooked, and there was an end of her. But the ducklings which creptforth from the eggs were also called "Portuguese," and about thatthere may be some question. But of all the family one only remained inthe duckyard, which may be called a farmyard, as the chickens wereadmitted, and the cock strutted about in a very hostile manner. "He...　

THE UNKNOWN GUESTTHE UNKNOWNGUESTMAURICE MAETERLINCKTranslated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos1- Page 2-THE UNKNOWN GUESTINTRODUCTION1My Essay on Death[1] led me to make a conscientious enquiry into thepresent position of the great mystery, an enquiry which I haveendeavoured to render as complete as possible. I had hoped that a singlevolume would be able to contain the result of these investigations, which, I...　

THE SKETCH BOOKRIP VAN WINKLEA POSTHUMOUS WRITING OF DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKERby Washington IrvingBy Woden, God of Saxons,From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday.Truth is a thing that ever I will keepUnto thylke day in which I creep intoMy sepulchre-CARTWRIGHT.[The following Tale was found among the papers of the lateDiedrich Knickerbocker, an old gentleman of New York, who was verycurious in the Dutch history of the province, and the manners of the...　

A Smaller History of Greeceby William SmithCONTENTS.CHAPTER I . . Geography of Greece.CHAPTER II . . Origin of the Greeks, and the Heroic Age.CHAPTER III . . General Survey of the Greek People.National Institutions.CHAPTER IV . . Early History of Peloponnesus and Sparta tothe end of the Messenian Wars, B.C. 668.CHAPTER V . . Early History of Athens down to theEstablishment of Democracy by Clisthenes,B.C. 510.CHAPTER VI . . The Greek Colonies.CHAPTER VII . . The Persian Wars.From the Ionic Revolt tothe Battle of Marathon, B.C. 500-490....　

Chapter IX of Volume II (Chap. 32)ELIZABETH was sitting by herself the next morning, and writing to Jane, while Mrs. Collins and Maria were gone on business into the village, when she was startled by a ring at the door, the certain signal of a visitor. As she had heard no carriage, she thought it not unlikely to be Lady Catherine, and under that apprehension was putting away her half-finished letter that she might escape all impertinent questions, when the door opened, and to her very great surprise, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Darcy only, entered the room.He seemed astonished too on finding her alone, and apologised for his intrusion by letting her know that he had understood all the ladies to be w　

THE FORGED COUPONPART FIRSTIFEDOR MIHAILOVICH SMOKOVNIKOV, the presi-dent of the local Income Tax Department, a manof unswerving honestyand proud of it, tooa gloomy Liberal, a free-thinker, and an enemyto every manifestation of religious feeling, whichhe thought a relic of superstition, came home fromhis office feeling very much annoyed. The Gov-ernor of the province had sent him an extraordi-narily stupid minute, almost assuming that hisdealings had been dishonest.Fedor Mihailovich felt embittered, and wroteat once a sharp answer. On his return homeeverything seemed to go contrary to his wishes.It was five minutes to five, and he expected the...　

Falkby Joseph ConradA REMINISCENCESeveral of us, all more or less connected with thesea, were dining in a small river-hostelry not morethan thirty miles from London, and less than twentyfrom that shallow and dangerous puddle to whichour coasting men give the grandiose name of "Ger-man Ocean." And through the wide windows wehad a view of the Thames; an enfilading view downthe Lower Hope Reach. But the dinner was exe-crable, and all the feast was for the eyes.That flavour of salt-water which for so many ofus had been the very water of life permeated ourtalk. He who hath known the bitterness of theOcean shall have its taste forever in his mouth. But...　

THAISTHAISby ANATOLE FRANCETranslated By Robert B. Douglas1- Page 2-THAISPART THE FIRSTTHE LOTUSIn those days there were many hermits living in the desert. On bothbanks of the Nile numerous huts, built by these solitary dwellers, ofbranches held together by clay, were scattered at a little distance from eachother, so that the inhabitants could live alone, and yet help one another in...　

The Silverado Squattersby Robert Louis StevensonTHE scene of this little book is on a high mountain. Thereare, indeed, many higher; there are many of a nobler outline.It is no place of pilgrimage for the summary globe-trotter;but to one who lives upon its sides, Mount Saint Helena soonbecomes a centre of interest. It is the Mont Blanc of onesection of the Californian Coast Range, none of its nearneighbours rising to one-half its altitude. It looks down onmuch green, intricate country. It feeds in the spring-timemany splashing brooks. From its summit you must have anexcellent lesson of geography: seeing, to the south, San...　

TANGLEWOOD TALESTANGLEWOOD TALESby NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE1- Page 2-TANGLEWOOD TALESTHE WAYSIDE.INTRODUCTORY.A short time ago, I was favored with a flying visit from my youngfriend Eustace Bright, whom I had not before met with since quitting thebreezy mountains of Berkshire. It being the winter vacation at his college,Eustace was allowing himself a little relaxation, in the hope, he told me, ofrepairing the inroads which severe application to study had made upon his...　

The Nature Fakerby Richard Harding DavisRichard Herrick was a young man with a gentle disposition, muchmoney, and no sense of humor. His object in life was to marry MissCatherweight. For three years she had tried to persuade him thiscould not be, and finally, in order to convince him, married someone else. When the woman he loves marries another man, the rejectedone is popularly supposed to take to drink or to foreign travel.Statistics show that, instead, he instantly falls in love with thebest friend of the girl who refused him. But, as Herrick trulyloved Miss Catherweight, he could not worship any other woman, andso he became a lover of nature. Nature, he assured his men friends,...　

Zanoniby Edward Bulwer LyttonDEDICATORY EPISTLEFirst prefixed to the Edition of 1845TOJOHN GIBSON, R.A., SCULPTOR.In looking round the wide and luminous circle of our great livingEnglishmen, to select one to whom I might fitly dedicate thiswork,one who, in his life as in his genius, might illustratethe principle I have sought to convey; elevated by the idealwhich he exalts, and serenely dwelling in a glorious existencewith the images born of his imagination,in looking round forsome such man, my thoughts rested upon you. Afar from ourturbulent cabals; from the ignoble jealousy and the sordid strife...