Three Stories for Children E-Book

Susan Fenimore Cooper

• Herausgeber: Bauer Books
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Susan Fenimore Cooper was an american writer, daughter of the novelist James Fenimore Cooper.

In 1873, she founded an orphanage in Cooperstown, New York, and under her superintendence it became in a few years a prosperous charitable institution. It was begun in a modest house in a small way with five pupils; in 1900 the building, which was erected in 1883, sheltered ninety boys and girls. The orphans were taken when quite young, were fed, clothed, and given a basic education, and when old enough positions were found for them in “good Christian families.” Some of them before leaving were taught to earn their own living.

Leseprobe

Susan

UUID: c7e29a6c-ba40-11e8-8e48-17532927e555

This ebook was created with StreetLib Writehttp://write.streetlib.com

Table of contents

THE ADVENTURES OF COCQUELICOT

Originally published in St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks, Vol. VIII, Part II, pp. 942-946 (October 1881), with illustrations by L. Hopkins

THE adventures of Cocquelicot, which I am about to relate, are strictly true. Cocquelicot was an Angora cat, belonging to the children of an American family, living in Paris.His mother was a splendid creature in her way. I have never seen such a puss in America; her fur, dark lead-color, and silvery white, was very fine and silky, and must have been several inches long on her breast, back, and feather-like tail. This distinguished cat, called “Gros Minet“ belonged to a French family, who very kindly gave one of her kittens to their young American friends. The kitten was very handsomely marked in stripes, like his illustrious mother, “Gros Minet,“ but his fur was not so long and silky. He was a very saucy, playful kitten in his baby days.

In France, school-girls wear long black aprons. completely covering the whole dress; for the first two months of his life this amusing little rogue passed much of his time in the large apron-pocket of one of the American school-girls; his saucy face and bright eyes peeping curiously out at the little world about him. Very early in life, while still in the pocket, he received the name of “Cocquelicot,“ an original idea of his young mistress, the name translated meaning “Poppy,“ the wild red poppy growing in the wheatfields of France. The three syllables, and the grand sound, were the charm of this name when applied to so small a creature, and then was he not the flower of kittens? Very soon, however, his name was abridged to “Cocque,“ by which title, at a later day, he became known in two hemispheres.

Yes, Cocque became a traveler; dogs follow their masters over the world, but it is seldom that cats move about much. In his pleasant home in the Rue St. Dominique, Cocquelicot led a very happy life; he grew rapidly, becoming more active and more saucy every day, to the great delight of his young friends; and really, partiality aside, his capers were even more graceful and more clever than those of other kittens.

He had a charming French manner. He was much admired by visitors, and some personages of worldwide reputation amused themselves with his gambols. He has been known to turn General Lafayette out of an arm-chair.

To a few friends he did not object, but anything like a gathering for company he disliked extremely; on such occasions the guests were no sooner departed than Maître Cocquelicot would march into the center of the room, and stretching himself out at full length, he would look about, with an absurdly important expression pervading his whole person, from the tip of his nose to the end of his long tail, as much as to say, “I resume my rights; I am once more lord of the manor; l“Etat, — c“est moi!“

COCQUELICOT EXPRESSES HIS OPINION Whenever his young friends appeared, dressed for an evening party, Maître Cocque would scrutinize them in the most critical way, walking around them, sitting down before them, studying intently the details of their costume.

“Why have you changed your fur? It was brown this morning; what is the meaning of this blue or pink fur, these sashes and ribbons? I disapprove of these proceedings!“ he seemed to say. And his ears were as sharp as his eyes; he could distinguish sounds which puzzled the rest of the family.

COCQUELICOT FEELS HIS IMPORTANCE Three or four years of happy cat-life passed away, now in gamboling about the house, now in sleeping on the writing-table of the author of “The Prairie,“ or, perchance, perched on his shoulder; now sunning himself in the garden; listening to the nightingales which peopled that park-like region, or possibly looking up at the windows of that illustrious Christian lady, Madame Swetchine, close at hand.

Then came a change. It was decided that the American family should return to their own country. Of course Maître Cocque was to go with them. It was a pleasant summer evening when the party left Paris, in the diligence, for Havre. But oh, what a night it was! Cocque was in a perfect frenzy. He had never been in a carriage before. and the wheels were no sooner in motion than he began to dash wildly from one window to the other, frantic to escape.

Then came the steam-boat trip across the Channel, a trial even to human beings, in a miserable boat, pitching among the short waves. Poor Cocque was desperate; he was utterly terrified by the motion and the creaking of the engine. When landed at Southampton, it was little better. Cocque evidently disapproved of England — the fine coach, the excellent roads, the handsome horses, were not at all to his taste.

“Sago!“ cried the author of “The Pioneers,“ waving his hand to the stranger. COCQUE LEAVES THE STAGE-COACH “Sago!“ replied the dark-faced man on foot. “Oneida?“ inquired the gentleman. “Oneida,“ replied the stranger, in a low, mournful voice. Yes, Cocque was restored to us, and became once more a happy cat. THE CHERRY-COLORED PURSE (A True Story) “Perhaps it is only for a female friend?“ said the old gentleman again. “May I have a penny“s worth of this ribbon!“ asked Kitty very timidly, and her heart beating with anxiety. “If you“ll pay for it! “ said the clerk, looking cross, and speaking in a rough, gruff voice. “Is this one penny or two pennies?“ asked Kitty, with some anxiety. “Is it mine?“ she asked. “And the penholder, too?“ “Please, Mama, don“t let the children come into my room to disturb me. I am going to label my presents!“ which this text is taken], which was in turn reprinted in Chicago in 1895. THE LITTLE GOOSE QUEEN ON HER THRONE “The King and all his court and his army were coming into the goose-country for a frolic!“ All the villages for miles around had to be cleaned, and all the geese had to be fattened. After this the kings and all the great people went to dine in the palace of green and gold. The Cookie ! ! ! CHANGED INTO FAIRY-LAND