Public-domain ebook
Cautionary Tales for Children
Language: en7,903 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Children & Young Adult Reading·Poetry·Humour
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #27424.
About this book
Cautionary Tales for Children is a collection of moral verses aimed at youngsters between eight and fourteen, presented as a series of short, cautionary episodes. The book opens with a whimsical dedication and a playful preface that declares the poems are “not true” and therefore harmless, before launching into a parade of vivid, almost theatrical vignettes. Each tale follows a child who commits a single mis‑step, running away from a nurse, chewing string, telling lies, playing with mud, or handling a loaded gun, and suffers an exaggerated, often grotesque consequence. The verses are punctuated by brisk narration, exaggerated dialogue, and a concluding moral that directly addresses the reader, urging them to avoid the same folly.
The voice is unmistakably early‑twentieth‑century British, blending Belloc’s characteristic wit with a didactic tone that mirrors the era’s schoolroom instruction. The rhymed couplets are lively, the language occasionally archaic, and the humor darkly comic, making the work appealing to readers who enjoy tongue‑in‑cheek moralism, Victorian‑style cautionary poetry, or anyone interested in the quirky side of Edwardian children’s literature. It will especially resonate with those who appreciate a satirical take on the “behave or suffer” genre.
Who appears in Cautionary Tales for Children
- BobbyYoung British boy, about eight, sandy hair, round cheeks, school uniform with blazer
- JohnnyBoy around nine, dark curls, freckled face, knickerbockers and cap, mischievous grin
- Eddie SomersetPre‑teen boy, tidy brown hair, crisp white shirt, waistcoat, slightly solemn expression
The opening · free to read
read him Stories through and through, And even took him to the Zoo-- But there it was the dreadful Fate Befell him, which I now relate.
You know--at least you ought to know. For I have often told you so-- That Children never are allowed To leave their Nurses in a Crowd;
Now this was Jim's especial Foible, He ran away when he was able, And on this inauspicious day He slipped his hand and ran away! He hadn't gone a yard when--
Bang! With open Jaws, a Lion sprang, And hungrily began to eat The Boy: beginning at his feet.
Now just imagine how it feels When first your toes and then your heels, And then by gradual degrees, Your shins and ankles, calves and knees, Are slowly eaten, bit by bit.
No wonder Jim detested it! No wonder that he shouted "Hi!" The Honest Keeper heard his cry, Though very fat
he almost ran To help the little gentleman. "Ponto!" he ordered as he came (For Ponto was the Lion's name), "Ponto!" he cried,
with angry Frown. "Let go, Sir! Down, Sir! Put it down!"
The Lion made a sudden Stop, He let the Dainty Morsel drop, And slunk reluctant to his Cage, Snarling with Disappointed Rage But when he bent him over Jim, The Honest Keeper's
Eyes were dim. The Lion having reached his Head, The Miserable Boy was dead!
When Nurse informed his Parents, they Were more Concerned than I can say:-- His Mother, as She dried her eyes, Said, "Well--it gives me no surprise, He would not do as he was told!" His Father, who was self-controlled, Bade all the children round attend To James' miserable end, And always keep a-hold of Nurse For fear of finding something worse.
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