Public-domain ebook
by Maud Lindsay
Language: en2,576 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Short Stories·Children & Young Adult Reading·Mythology, Legends & Folklore
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #23735.
The Story‑teller is a collection of fairy‑tale‑like narratives aimed at children, framed by a warm domestic scene in which a group of youngsters, Gilbert, Jocelyn, Giles, and Rosalind, listen as the titular storyteller begins, “Once upon a time.” The opening vignette sets a tone of moral instruction, suggesting that through laughter and tears the listeners will learn to share both joy and sorrow. From this gentle prelude the book launches into a series of self‑contained tales, the first of which follows two brothers who choose divergent paths, one to a royal court, the other to a blacksmith’s forge, and whose lives intersect again through acts of kindness and duty. The stories are linked by recurring motifs of music, craft, and the simple magic of everyday deeds, promising a blend of adventure and ethical reflection without revealing any plot twists.
Written in a lyrical, almost oral‑storytelling voice, the prose reflects late‑19th‑century American folk tradition, with straightforward sentences punctuated by rhythmic refrains like “Cling, clang, cling.” The language is plain yet evocative, and the illustrations hinted at in the front matter reinforce the nostalgic atmosphere. Readers who enjoy gentle moral fables, classic children’s literature, or anyone looking for a modestly paced, heart‑warming reading experience will find this volume appealing.
The opening · free to read
All the children gathered around him, sturdy Gilbert and rosy Jocelyn, roguish Giles and slender Rosalind, eager for a story. Mother and father drew near, and in the background stood the servants, smiling but silent. Oh, everything was still as the house at midnight as the Story-Teller began his magic words: "Once upon a time."
Perhaps the story brought with it laughter, or perhaps a tear, but Life, said the Story-Teller, is made up of smiles and tears; and the little ones, listening to him, learned to rejoice with those whose joy was great, and to mourn with the sorrowful; and were the better and not the worse for it. And so in due time grew into noble men and good women.
It is many and many a year since they lived and died; but still--knock, knock, knock--the Story-Teller comes with his harp and his story to every child's heart to-day.
Open the door and let him come in, give him a seat by the fire and gather close about him. And then you shall hear!
MAUD LINDSAY.
Sheffield, Alabama.
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