THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OFBENJAMIN FRANKLININTRODUCTORY NOTEBENJAMIN FRANKLIN was born in Milk Street, Boston, on January6, 1706. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a tallow chandler whomarried twice, and of his seventeen children Benjamin was the youngestson. His schooling ended at ten, and at twelve he was bound apprenticeto his brother James, a printer, who published the "New EnglandCourant." To this journal he became a contributor, and later was fora time its nominal editor. But the brothers quarreled, and Benjaminran away, going first to New York, and thence to Philadelphia, wherehe arrived in October, 1723. He soon obtained work as a printer,...　

NOTE TO GENERAL PREFACE, p. 　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE TOP AND BALLby Hans Christian AndersenA WHIPPING TOP and a little ball lay together in a box, amongother toys, and the top said to the ball, "Shall we be married, aswe live in the same box?"But the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thoughtas much of herself as any other young lady, would not evencondescend to reply.The next day came the little boy to whom the playthingsbelonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove abrass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top wasspinning round it looked splendid....　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE TOP AND BALLby Hans Christian AndersenA WHIPPING TOP and a little ball lay together in a box, amongother toys, and the top said to the ball, "Shall we be married, aswe live in the same box?"But the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thoughtas much of herself as any other young lady, would not evencondescend to reply.The next day came the little boy to whom the playthingsbelonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove abrass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top wasspinning round it looked splendid."Look at me," said the top to the ball. "What do you say now?Shall we be engaged to each other? We should suit s　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE LOVELIEST ROSE IN THE WORLDby Hans Christian AndersenTHERE lived once a great queen, in whose garden were found atall seasons the most splendid flowers, and from every land in theworld. She specially loved roses, and therefore she possessed the mostbeautiful varieties of this flower, from the wild hedge-rose, with itsapple-scented leaves, to the splendid Provence rose. They grew nearthe shelter of the walls, wound themselves round columns andwindow-frames, crept along passages and over the ceilings of thehalls. They were of every fragrance and color....　

A SONG ABOUT MYSELFby John KeatsI.There was a naughty boy,A naughty boy was he,He would not stop at home,He could not quiet be-He tookIn his knapsackA bookFull of vowelsAnd a shirtWith some towels,A slight capFor night cap,A hair brush,Comb ditto,New stockingsFor old ones...　

THE BOY AND THE WOLVES, OR THE BROKEN PROMISE[18][18] A North American Indian story.Once upon a time an Indian hunter built himself a house in themiddle of a great forest, far away from all his tribe; for hisheart was gentle and kind, and he was weary of the treachery andcruel deeds of those who had been his friends. So he left them,and took his wife and three children, and they journeyed on untilthey found a spot near to a clear stream, where they began to cutdown trees, and to make ready their wigwam. For many years theylived peacefully and happily in this sheltered place, neverleaving it except to hunt the wild animals, which served them...　

THE CROW[13][13] From the Polish. Kletke.Once upon a time there were three Princesses who were all threeyoung and beautiful; but the youngest, although she was notfairer than the other two, was the most loveable of them all.About half a mile from the palace in which they lived there stooda castle, which was uninhabited and almost a ruin, but the gardenwhich surrounded it was a mass of blooming flowers, and in thisgarden the youngest Princess used often to walk.One day when she was pacing to and fro under the lime trees, ablack crow hopped out of a rose-bush in front of her. The poorbeast was all torn and bleeding, and the kind little Princess was...　

THE FIVE BOONS OF LIFEChapter IIn the morning of life came a good fairy with her basket, and said:"Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary,chose wisely; oh, choose wisely! for only one of them is valuable."The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death.The youth said, eagerly:"There is no need to consider"; and he chose Pleasure.He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youthdelights in. But each in its turn was short-lived and disappointing,vain and empty; and each, departing, mocked him. In the end he said:"These years I have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENIN A THOUSAND YEARSby Hans Christian AndersenYES, in a thousand years people will fly on the wings of steamthrough the air, over the ocean! The young inhabitants of America willbecome visitors of old Europe. They will come over to see themonuments and the great cities, which will then be in ruins, just aswe in our time make pilgrimages to the tottering splendors of SouthernAsia. In a thousand years they will come!The Thames, the Danube, and the Rhine still roll their course,Mont Blanc stands firm with its snow-capped summit, and the Northern...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTWO BROTHERSby Hans Christian AndersenON one of the Danish islands, where old Thingstones, the seatsof justice of our forefathers, still stand in the cornfields, and hugetrees rise in the forests of beech, there lies a little town whose lowhouses are covered with red tiles. In one of these houses strangethings were brewing over the glowing coals on the open hearth; therewas a boiling going on in glasses, and a mixing and distilling,while herbs were being cut up and pounded in mortars. An elderly manlooked after it all."One must only do the right thing," he said; "yes, the right-...　

THE SKETCH BOOKA SUNDAY IN LONDON*by Washington Irving* Part of a sketch omitted in the previous editions.IN A preceding paper I have spoken of an English Sunday in thecountry, and its tranquillizing effect upon the landscape; but whereis its sacred influence more strikingly apparent than in the veryheart of that great Babel, London? On this sacred day, the giganticmonster is charmed into repose. The intolerable din and struggle ofthe week are at an end. The shops are shut. The fires of forges andmanufactories are extinguished; and the sun, no longer obscured by...