A Small Book of Short Stories - The Best of Lucy Clifford

By Lucy Clifford

This volume contains a brand-new collection of classic short stories for children written by Lucy Clifford (1846–1929). Clifford, also known under the pseudonym Mrs. W. K. Clifford, was an English journalist, novelist, and wife of notable philosopher and mathematician William Kingdon Clifford. Contents include: “On the Way to the Sun”, “For Money - For Love”, “The Sandy Cat”, “The New Mother”, “Writing a Book”, “Over the Porridge”, “Wooden Tony”, “In the Moonlight”, “Tommy”, “The Donkey on Wheels”, “The Boy and Little Great Lady”, “Good-Day, Gentle Folk”, and “Bibliography”. A timeless collection of classic children's stories that would make for perfect bedtime reading and is not to be missed by fans and collectors of Clifford's delightful work. Other works by this author include: “Mrs. Keith's Crime” (1885), “The Anyhow Stories, Moral and Otherwise” (1882), and “Aunt Anne” (1892). Read & Co. Children's is proudly republishing this brand new collection of classic children's short stories now for the enjoyment of a new generation of young readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read & Co. Children's
• Release date: Sep 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781528769969

Book preview

1.png

A SMALL BOOK

OF SHORT STORIES

THE BEST OF

LUCY CLIFFORD

By

LUCY CLIFFORD

Copyright © 2020 Read & Co. Children's

This edition is published by Read & Co. Children's,

an imprint of Read & Co.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available

from the British Library.

Read & Co. is part of Read Books Ltd.

For more information visit

www.readandcobooks.co.uk

Contents

ON THE WAY TO THE SUN

FOR MONEY - FOR LOVE

THE SANDY CAT

THE NEW MOTHER

WRITING A BOOK

OVER THE PORRIDGE

WOODEN TONY

IN THE MOONLIGHT

TOMMY

THE DONKEY ON WHEELS

THE BOY AND LITTLE GREAT LADY

GOOD-DAY, GENTLE FOLK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.

—

O. Henry

A SMALL BOOK

OF SHORT STORIES

THE BEST OF LUCY CLIFFORD

ON THE

WAY TO THE SUN

He had journeyed a long way, and was very tired. It seemed like a dream when he stood up after a sleep in the field, and looked over the wall, and saw the garden, and the flowers, and the children playing all about. He looked at the long road behind him, at the dark wood and the barren hills; it was the world to which he belonged. He looked at the garden before him, at the big house, and the terrace, and the steps that led down to the smooth lawn—it was the world which belonged to the children.

Poor boy, said the elder child, I will get you something to eat.

But where did he come from? the gardener asked.

We do not know, the child answered; but he is very hungry, and mother says we may give him some food.

I will take him some milk, said the little one; in one hand she carried a mug and with the other she pulled along her little broken cart.

But what is he called? asked the gardener.

We do not know, the little one answered; but he is very thirsty, and mother says we may give him some milk.

Where is he going? asked the gardener.

We do not know, the children said; but he is very tired.

When the boy had rested well, he got up saying, I must not stay any longer, and turned to go on his way.

What have you to do? the children asked.

I am one of the crew, and must help to make the world go round, he answered.

Why do we not help too?

You are the passengers.

How far have you to go? they asked.

Oh, a long way! he answered. On and on until I can touch the sun.

Will you really touch it? they said, awestruck.

I dare say I shall tire long before I get there, he answered sadly. Perhaps without knowing it, though, I shall reach it in my sleep, he added. But they hardly heard the last words, for he was already far off.

Why did you talk to him? the gardener said. He is just a working boy.

And we do nothing! It was very good of him to notice us, they said, humbly.

Good! said the gardener in despair. Why, between you and him there is a great difference.

There was only a wall, they answered. Who set it up? they asked curiously.

Why, the builders, of course. Men set it up.

And who will pull it down?

It will not want any pulling down, the man answered grimly. Time will do that.

As the children went back to their play, they looked up at the light towards which the boy was journeying.

Perhaps we too shall reach it some day, they said.

FOR MONEY

FOR LOVE

It was just like a fairy story come to life, and I will tell you all about it, fairy-story fashion, and then you can judge for yourselves. Once upon a time, but not long ago, there were two sisters living with their grandmama and their maiden aunt down at Chislehurst. The one was called Mary, and the other was called Etta, and they were both very pretty and so on. Mary was quiet and sympathetic, and always did all she could to help everyone, and was rather put upon in consequence, but didn’t know it, and would not have minded if she had. Etta was very lively and thoughtless, and had a way of getting other people to do all manner of things which she ought to have done herself; and she used to long for fine dresses and pretty trinkets, and all the pomps and vanities of this wicked world. And the young men who went to the house to talk to the grandmother, and from admiration of the maiden aunt, used to like Etta better than Mary, for they thought there was more go in her, and never realised that there was also much less heart. And among the young men who went, there was one who had been in the habit of going from his youth up. His name was Wilfred Martin, but for some unknown reason, and probably because his name was not William, he was always called Will. He was a very nice young man and very handsome, but unfortunately he had only one hundred and twenty pounds a year, which was the magnificent salary paid to