A Study of Short Stories: Anthology of Wonder, #2

By Melanie Chelpka

A Study of Short Stories: #2 Anthology of Wonder Series fosters moral character from start to finish. Features 28 tantalizing tales from children's literature, fairy tales, and folklore as well as American and British short stories. Cultivates critical thinking and promotes a Christian worldview with carefully crafted study guides tailored for each selection including ancillary readings, poems, and hymns. By studying stories rich in tradition, culture, and history, we are presented with opportunities for self-education in virtue. Fun for the whole family is waiting at a turn of the page. Read together about choices made and consequences experienced without leaving the comfort of your home.

 

This collection is also a complete guide to close reading, critical thinking, and thoughtful writing about literature. It is perfect for young scholars grades 6-12, literature discussions, book clubs, and homeschooling. Immerse your imaginations with tales from diverse voices around the world. Challenge your writing style by studying the masters: Twain, Poe, Chesterton, and Doyle. A Study of Short Stories is an affordable collection of trusted classics from a Christian Biblical perspective.

 

Includes:

Let's Practice: "The Frogs Asking for a King" by Aesop

How To Analyze a Short Story

Elements of A Short Story

Stylistic Techniques: Schemes and Tropes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melanie Chelpka
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736799017

Melanie Chelpka

Melanie Chelpka is a Northern Arizona University alumna and Merit Scholar. Growing up abroad fostered her passion for history. In addition to being a lifelong learner, she is zealous in assisting others in their pursuit of knowledge, truth, beauty, and goodness. She’s a redeemed sister in Christ, a devoted wife, homeschool veteran, voracious reader, and Boston Terrier aficionado. The author resides in Northern Arizona with her husband and daughter.

Book preview

Section 1: How to Analyze a Short Story

AFTER YOU’VE READ A story, consider the following questions below. Highlight passages in the story that connect to your answers and make additional notes in the margins. Your goal is to make an assertion about the author’s main message (theme) in writing the story and determine, if able, the primary stylistic techniques used to convey that message to the reader.

Hopefully, this book will spur you on toward other works: similar stories, additional reading selections, and music. After you’ve read a selection, re-read it a second time. Then, answer the following questions listed below, the open-ended questions (Section 4), or the Investigations. Highlight passages that connect to your answers and make additional notes in the margins. If needed, take additional time by asking for help. Get out your stylus and prepare to mark up the margins, highlight words, and connect patterns.

Does the title fit the story?

What is the predominant element in the story: plot, theme, character, setting? How do you know?

Can you find one sentence in the story that foreshadows the result?

What is the mood? Hint: Look at the figurative and descriptive language. See Section 3 for definitions and examples.

Who is the single main character around whom the story centers? Is there a villain or other dynamic character?

Do different characters meet the fate that they deserve?

Are the characters consistent with what they say and do?

Notice the extent to which description is used and mark its purpose.

What sort of conflict confronts the leading character or characters (internal or external)? Explain. See Section 2.

How is the conflict resolved?

Who tells the story? What point of view is used?

Where does the primary action take place?

What is the time setting for the action? Period of history? Season? Time of day? What was occurring at that same time elsewhere in the world?

How much time does the story cover? How does it maintain its focus?

Are the events or incidents of the plot presented in flashback or in chronological order?

What do you think the main message (theme) of the author was?

Freytag’s Pyramid

How does the story get started? What is the initial incident?

Briefly describe the rising action of the story.

What is the high point, or climax, of the story?

Is the climax comical, tragic, or sensational?

Do the events of the climax move slowly or quickly?

Discuss the falling action and resolution (close) of the story.

Is this story realistic or true to life? Explain.

Section 2: Elements of a Short Story

Plot

PLOT IS A SERIES OF related events or a character’s actions, upon which the short story is comprised. To identify plot, think of the inciting event which alters the life of a character forever. An important aspect of plot is conflict, which is any kind of struggle between opposing forces. There are three kinds of struggles:

Man vs. man: an external struggle between two or more individuals. (Secrets, betrayal, arguments, or even against society as a whole.)

Man vs. himself: an internal struggle concerning emotion and decision. (For the greater good, wrestling with addiction, or doing what is right versus what is easy.)

Man vs. nature: an external struggle between man and an element of nature beyond his control. (Unexpected illness, death in the family, loss of employment, or a global event.)

Characters

A CHARACTER IS A PERSON, sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action. The key is to make sure that the characters are life-like. The protagonist is the central character to the story who sets a goal for himself and attempts to achieve that goal. The antagonist is the character or force that opposes the protagonist, who attempts to prevent the protagonist from achieving his goal. There must be no sudden and unaccountable changes in the behavior or sentiments of the characters in the story. On the contrary, there must be reason in all they say and do. Unlike a novel where a writer has a long time to create a character, a short story is brief and typically read in one sitting. You can use the following clues to figure out personality traits in the story:

What a character says, what a character does, what others say about characters, what the narrator says about characters, what a character thinks: nicknames, reactions, religious beliefs, work ethics, or attitudes about life.

Setting

THE SETTING IS PROBABLY the most important element since is it what causes the characters to speak and act in certain ways. The environment is comprised of the time, place, and circumstance of the story. The time is the year, month, day, or time of day. The place is the general place (city, country, etc.) and the specific place (a café). The circumstance is the historical period, the season, the weather, or the situation around the story that may have an influence: i.e. World War I. Authors may use descriptions of scenery, landscape, or buildings to provide the reader with a strong sense of setting. The environment strongly impresses the audience. Dark, oppressive alleyways scream for murder. Dilapidated houses demand to be haunted.

Story Focus

COHESION IS CRITICAL. Careful thought of what you wish to communicate should be readily grasped by the reader. Consequently, the author must avoid multiple plots and a plethora of characters. The author must compress the action to one small inciting event or the last straw if you will. If you are choosing to compose a short story as a final project, identify your focus and pursue it.

Narration / Point of View

NARRATION IS A DETAILED account of events, whether real or imaginary. From what perspective is the story seen or told? First person narrative is where a character tells the story directly to the reader in first person using the tell-tale I. The reader, via an inside view, knows exactly how the character thinks and feels. Third person narrative occurs when a story is told from outside the character. Characters are referred to in the third person as he or she. The narrator is limited to knowing the thoughts and feelings of only one character. Omniscient or all knowing narrative tells the story from the knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of more than one, or all the characters.

You can analyze a narrator much the same way you might analyze a character. You might think about: What motivates the narrator? What role the narrator plays in the story? How might the story change if the narration changed? I think one of the best books that teaches narrator analysis is, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1927). A second choice for studying narrative would be Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877).

Mood / Atmosphere

MOOD IS THE DOMINANT feeling that surrounds the story. The mood of a story may change because it may be influenced by the setting or the situation of the story. For example, a story whose setting is a murder investigation could cause the reader feel grim, cautious, suspicious, or anxious.

Theme

THE THEME IS THE MAIN message that the author wants to convey to the reader. The author harmoniously blends the plot, character, setting, and outcome for the theme so that you get the message he or she is sending to you about people or a situation. It could be a simple as love, betrayal, family, fate, death, loneliness, revenge, or coming of age. To determine the theme, ask yourself, what does the story tell me about life, people, or society? The purpose is to intentionally illustrate an aspect of life, reveal the nobility of character, or explore a universal truth. Theme can also be the emotional hook which compels the reader to finish. Sometimes we are lucky in that the author may state the theme. For example, in The Monkey’s Paw, (a cautionary tale of contentment and fate) the sergeant-major informs the White family:

It had a spell put on it by an old fakir, said the sergeant-major, a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. . .

Section 3: Stylistic Techniques

Schemes

SCHEMES PLAY WITH THE way words, phrases, and clauses appear by changing spelling, order, or sound. Ex:

Alliteration, anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epiphora, parallelism, and polysyndeton

Tropes

TROPES TURN OR CHANGE the meaning of words. Ex:

Allegory, hyperbole, irony, litotes, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, paronomasia, personification, simile, and synecdoche

Can you identify examples of stylistic techniques?

Allegory

AN ALLEGORY IS A FIGURATIVE description of real facts in which symbols teach lessons, explain moral concepts, and imply something else. An allegory is a story, novel, poem, or painting in which characters, images, and/or events can be interpreted to have a broader meaning. Aesop’s Fables often are examples of allegory because the stories help children understand complex concepts. In the Bible, Psalm 80 uses an allegory to compare the children of Israel to a vineyard. C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an example of an allegorical tale in which the lion, Aslan, represents Christ. Ex:

Louisa May Alcott’s Flower Fables, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Celestial Railroad, Henry James’s The Middle Years, Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, and Spencer Holst’s On Hope.

Alliteration

REPEATED CONSONANT sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. It is also based on the sound of consonants rather than spelling. Ex: fast and furious or keen and car.

Lanky Lawrence lost his Lass and Lobster:

Did Lanky Lawrence lose his Lass and Lobster?

If Lanky Lawrence lost his Lass and Lobster,

Where are the Lass and Lobster Lanky Lawrence lost? — Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation

Anaphora

REPETITION OF A WORD, phrase, or expression during the opening lines. This can also be used in conjunction with parallelism. Ex: Monkey see, monkey do.

I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I have heard much about the sexes being equal. . . — Sojourner Truth, Ain’t I a Woman

Anthropomorphism

LITERALLY HUMANIZES the animal or object. Personification creates visual imagery whereas anthropomorphism allows the animal or object to act like a human. Ex: The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper or The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing. My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as wondering how she got so much education. — Mark Twain, A Dog’s Tale

Antithesis

IS PLACING THINGS IN opposition to heighten their contrast and contains two ideas within one statement. Ex:

He would whip her to make her scream, and whip her to make her hush. — Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

...

If you seek to make one rich, study not to increase his stores, but to diminish his desires. — Seneca, (qtd in Vandenhoff)

Asyndeton

A DELIBERATE OMISSION of a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, by, yet, so) between words or phrases. It creates a sense of impact due to an accelerated or slowed rhythm, emotional distress or excitement. It is important to note that polysyndeton and asyndeton are not necessarily indicative of a run-on sentence. Ex:

These griefs, these woes, these sorrows make me old. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

...

This is the villain among you who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant to betray you completely. . . — Aristotle, Rhetoric

...

But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. . . — Luke 14:13-14

Epiphora

ALSO KNOWN AS EPISTROPHE, occurs when a phrase or word is repeated at the end of a sentence or clause, which creates a sense of rhythm. This can also be used in conjunction with parallelism. Ex: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. . . — William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Epithet

IS AN ADJECTIVE EXPRESSING some real quality of the thing to which it is applied. Ex: an honest man or verdant hillside.

Death lies on her like an untimely frost. Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. . . — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Foreshadowing

THE USE OF TEXTUAL tools that gives an indication or a warning of a future event. Ex:

There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind. — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

...

My life were better ended by their hate,

Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Hyperbole

A DELIBERATE EXAGGERATION for the use of emphasis, humor, or effect not to be taken literally. It can also be used to magnify passions, injuries, and dangers. Ex: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!

I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and I could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far. — Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

Imagery

IMAGERY APPEALS TO the senses while painting a visual picture. However, imagery often relies upon other stylistic techniques such as metaphor, simile, and personification to appeal to our physical senses (taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch). The author uses imagery to communicate and engage the reader. Ex:

Its [dromedary’s] colour and height; its breadth of foot; its bulk of body, not fat, but overlaid with muscle; its long, slender neck, of swanlike curvature; the head, wide between the eyes, and tapering to a muzzle which a lady’s bracelet might have almost clasped; its motion, step long and elastic, tread sure and soundless — all certified its Syrian blood, old as the days of Cyrus, and absolutely priceless. — Lew Wallace, Ben Hur

Irony

A HUMOR, SARCASM, OR ridicule of sorts where the meaning of words is contrary to the literal sense of the words. In a story or play, it occurs when a character or narrator offers information that contradicts what the reader knows. Dramatic irony involves a contrast between reality and a character’s ideals. Ex: During a thunderstorm, a character states what lovely weather they are having.

She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me. — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

...

‘You say that you bought a diamond necklace to replace mine?’

‘Yes; you did not notice it, then? They were just alike.’

And she smiled with a proud and naïve pleasure.

Madame Forestier, deeply moved, took both her hands.

‘Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth five hundred francs at most.’ — Guy de Maupassant, The Diamond Necklace

Litotes

IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH where a negative statement affirms a positive like in algebra, when a negative times a negative equals a positive! Ex: not half bad, never failed to afford, or no small feat.

‘You saw me dance at Meryton, I believe sir.’

‘Yes, indeed, and received no inconsiderable pleasure from the sight.’ — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

...

"Not a bad day’s work on the whole,’ he muttered, as he quietly took off his mask, and his pale, fox-like eyes glittered in the red glow of the fire. ‘Not a bad day’s work.’ — Baroness Emmuska Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel

Metaphor

A DIRECT COMPARISON between two things without using like or as. Ex:

‘Life’ wrote a friend of mine, ‘is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.’ — E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

Parallelism

AN EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE used to heighten relationships between ideas. It contains similar construction or meaning of clauses side by side expressing the same sentiment with slight modification within the verbs, clauses, or sentences. It is a stylistic technique all in itself but others fall under the parallel umbrella such as anaphora, epiphora, antithesis, and asyndeton. Ex: no pain, no gain or in for a penny, in for a pound.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. . . — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

...

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. — Prov 10:12

Paronomasia

A FORM OF WORDPLAY that takes advantage of words that have similar pronunciations or multiple meanings. Ex:

Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this son of York; — William Shakespeare, Richard III

...

‘If he be Mr. Hyde,’ he had thought, ‘I shall be Mr. Seek.’ — Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Personification

ASSIGNS LIVING QUALITIES or traits to something nonhuman. This is a figurative use generally to represent an abstract concept in human form whereas anthropomorphism is a literal use. Ex: Justice is blind, whistling wind, or raging storm.

These are the lips of the lake, on which no beard grows. It licks its chops from time to time. — Henry David Thoreau, Walden

...

For now sits Expectation in the air

And hides a sword, from hilts unto the point

With crowns imperial, crowns and coronets

Promised to Harry and his followers — William Shakespeare, Henry V

Polysyndeton

LIKE ASYNDETON, IT too creates a sense of gravity or excitement in addition to a sense of rhythm. However, polysyndeton uses conjunctions repeatedly and in quick succession, often with no commas. It is important to note that polysyndeton and asyndeton are not necessarily indicative of a run-on sentence. Ex:

Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so—but still they admired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they would not object to know more of. — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

...

Jerry stood: aiming at the prisoner the beery breath of a whet he had taken as he came along, and discharging it to mingle with the waves of other beer, and gin, and tea, and coffee, and what not, that flowed at him, and already broke upon the great windows behind him in an impure mist and rain. — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

...

I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? — Sojourner Truth, Ain’t I a Woman

Simile

A COMPARISON OF TWO unlike things using like or as. Generally, the more dissimilar the comparison the more powerful the simile. Ex:

. . .and snow lay here and there in patches in the hollow of the banks, like a lady’s gloves forgotten. — R.D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor

...

Her father had inherited that temper; and at times, like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope, his people fled from his red rages. — Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage

Synecdoche

A LITERARY DEVICE THAT uses one part to refer to the whole. Ex: Boots on the ground (i.e. soldiers), referring to a car as wheels, or a businessman as a suit.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. — Rom 10:10

...

As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! — Rom 10:15

Section 4: Open-Ended Questions

Where and when does the story take place? How do you know? If the story took place somewhere else or in a different time, how would it be changed?

What incident, problem, conflict, or situation does the author use to get the story started?

What does the author do to create suspense, to make you want to find out what happens next?

Trace the main events of the story. Could you change their order or leave any of them out? Why or why not?

Think of a different ending to the story. How would the rest of the story have to be changed to fit the new ending?

Did the story end the way you expected it to? What clues did the author offer to prepare you to expect this ending? Did you recognize these clues as important to the story as you were first reading it?

Who is the main character of the story? What kind of person is the character? How do you know? What words would you use to describe the character?

Are there any characters that changed in some way during the story? If they changed, how are they different? What event triggered the change? Did the change seem genuine?

Some characters play small yet important roles in a story. Name such a character. How is the character vital to the story?

How does [Character X] draw others closer to God?

What might prevent [Character X] from using his/her God given talents and abilities?

What is good, beautiful, enticing, wondrous, etc. about that quality or action?

Can you relate to the predicament of the characters? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?

Think about the characters in the story. Do any of them relate to characters that you have read about in other stories?

Every writer creates a make-believe world and peoples it with characters. Even when the world is far different from your own, how does the author make the story seem possible or probable?

What is the perspective of the story? How would the story change if someone else in the story narrated it?

What idea does this story make you think about? How does the author get you to think about this?

Does the story as a whole create a certain mood or feeling? What is the mood? How is it created?

Did you have strong feelings as you read the story? What makes you think of them as you read the story?

Do any particular feelings come across in this story? Does the story actually make you think about what it’s like to feel that way? How does the author do this?

Is there anything that seems to make this particular author’s work unique and different? If so, what?

Did you notice any particular patterns? If you are reading this story in more than one sitting, are there natural points at which to break off your reading? If so, what are these points?

Does the story language seem natural for the intent of the story and the various speakers?

What questions would you ask if the author were here? Which would be the most important question? How do you think the author might answer it?

What was unique about the setting of the story and how did it enhance or take away from the story?

If the story is from the historical fiction genre, what would be the advantages or disadvantages of living during this time period? Would you like living in this time period? Why or why not?

In what ways do the events reveal evidence of the author’s worldview?

How is the story a product of its era? What does it reveal about society, customs, and culture? How does the era compare to now?

Did certain parts of the story make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?

How would you react if you were in the same situation? How would you resolve the situation? What would you do differently?

Did the storyline change your opinion of an event, place, or time period? How?

If the author were to write a sequel to this story, what do you think would happen to the characters?

Section 5: How to Use This Book

THIS IS NOT A RULE book. A story was penned because the author simply had a story to tell and desired to please his audience. Use this book as a supplement to your curriculum of choice. This book is intended to introduce short stories by various short story elements. Consider spending a month or semester studying short stories. Aim for a weekly study. Each week, select a short story element i.e. theme or setting and read a selection of the corresponding titles.

Consider writing your own short story! Incorporate the elements learned along with stylistic techniques and remember to show the reader rather tell. Be yourself. Write about what you know or what interests you. For more information on composing a short story consult the Composition Section in the second book of this series or How to Write a Story by Lee Roddy available for purchase from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

The short story is imaginative by nature and therefore must be read differently than expository works. Imaginative literature tugs on our heartstrings and as a result we either like or dislike it. The more difficult challenge lies in articulating the why behind your inclination (Adler 199). To properly understand imaginative works, you must first appreciate the experience the author created in his work by reading attentively and summarizing the text in a brief sentence or two, which proves whether you fully understood the text. After you’ve read a selection, re-read it a second time, and consider answering the questions from Section 1 or Section 4. Finally, answer the Investigation questions. Above all, have fun.

The following list contains the complete selection of titles from both books in this short story series.

Theme

THE SNOW QUEEN | GOD Can Never Die | The Bet | The Selfish Giant | The Aged Mother | The Invisible Man | The Little Match Girl | God Sees the Truth, but Waits | Minerva

Story Focus

RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Pyramus and Thisbe | The Christmas Goblins | Snow-white and Rose-red

Setting

THE MANSION | ARABY | The Signal-Man | To Build a Fire | The Masque of the Red Death

Characters

THAT SPOT | THE RED-Headed League | The Schoolboy’s Story | The Adventure of the Speckled Band | Rip Van Winkle | A Second Trip to the Moon

Plot

THE CELESTIAL RAILROAD | A White Heron | A Scandal in Bohemia | The Troll’s Daughter | How the Widow Won the Deacon | An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Plot Twists and Surprise Endings

A MAN AND A SNAKE | The Cop and the Anthem | The Diamond Necklace | The Blue Cross | The Three Strangers

Point of View

THE HAMMER OF GOD | The Tell-Tale Heart | The Man with Two Left Feet | The Gift of the Magi

Dialogue

THE CELEBRATED JUMPING Frog of Calaveras County | The Bird on Its Journey | Surly Joe | The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story

Mood and Style

THE NIGHTINGALE AND the Rose | A King in Disguise | The Pit and the Pendulum | The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | The Final Problem | The Story of Aladdin: Or, The Wonderful Lamp | The Story of Ali Baba | The Story of Sinbad the Voyager

Moral Application

THE RED SHOES | THE Last Class | The Startling Painting | The Monkey’s Paw | Where Love Is, There God Is Also | The Frogs Asking for a King | Blue Beard

More Short Stories

THE GOBLIN AND THE Grocer & Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen

The Great Stone Face & The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O. Henry

The Inconsiderate Waiter by James M. Barrie

The Other Wise Man & A Lover of Music by Henry Van Dyke

The Gold Bug & The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

An Heiress from Red Horse by Ambrose Bierce

The Rose of the Alhambra by Washington Irving

The Outcasts of Poker Flat & The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte

The Man Without a Country by E.E. Hale

The God of His Fathers by Jack London

A Passion in the Desert by Honoré de Balzac

The Safety Match by Anton Chekhoff

A Piece of String by Guy de Maupassant

The Sire de Maletroit’s Door by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Madonna of the Future & The Middle Years by Henry James

The Million Pound Bank Note by Mark Twain

The Chocolate Box by Agatha Christie

Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing

Section 6: Let’s Practice

Let’s Practice: The Frogs Asking for a King

AESOP

TIME WAS WHEN THE FROGS were discontented because they had no one to rule over them: so they sent a deputation to Jupiter to ask him to give them a King. Jupiter, despising the folly of their request, cast a log into the pool where they lived, and said that that should be their King. The Frogs were terrified at first by the splash, and scuttled away into the deepest parts of the pool; but by and by, when they saw that the log remained motionless, one by one they ventured to the surface again, and before long, growing bolder, they began to feel such contempt for it that they even took to sitting upon it. Thinking that a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity, they sent to Jupiter a second time, and begged him to take away the sluggish King he had given them, and to give them another and a better one. Jupiter, annoyed at being pestered in this way, sent a Stork to rule over them, who no sooner arrived among them than he began to catch and eat the Frogs as fast as he could.

(After each story there will be questions to help you dig deeper into the text.)

Investigation Practice

Where does the story take place?

Define contentment. Bolded words are defined in the glossary. There may be times where you will be asked to define a word that is not included in the glossary. (To access the Glossary while reading, I would suggest making a bookmark first. Next, visit the table of contents and click Glossary. After looking up the definition, access your saved bookmarks and resume reading.)

What was the conflict in this story? Were the frogs content? What did they want?

How did the frogs react when they got what they wanted?

Analyze the quote: Thinking that a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity. . . What sort of king was the log? Did it rule with an iron fist? What purpose did the log serve? How can frogs have dignity?

What is the life lesson to be learned?

Read: 1 Sam 8:1-18. How do the frogs compare to Israel?

Read: Contentment by William Cowper below. (Cowper is pronounced Cooper.) Compare and contrast it to the fable.

Contentment

(Phillipians, iv.11)

Fierce passions discompose the mind,

As tempests vex the sea,

But calm, content and peace we find,

When, Lord, we turn to Thee.

In vain by reason and by rule

We try to bend the will;

For none but in the Saviour’s school

Can learn the heavenly skill.

Since at His feet my soul has sate,

His gracious words to hear,

Contented with my present state,

I cast on Him my care.

Art thou a sinner, soul? He said,

"Then how canst thou complain?

How light thy troubles here, if weigh'd

With everlasting pain!

"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,

Compare thy griefs with mine!

Think what my love for thee endured,

And thou wilt not repine.

"’Tis I appoint thy daily lot,

And I do all things well;

Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,

And rise with me to dwell.

"In life my grace shall strength supply,

Proportion’d to thy day;

At death thou still shalt find me nigh,

To wipe thy tears away."

Thus I, who once my wretched days

In vain repinings spent,

Taught in my Saviour’s school of grace,

Have learnt to be content.

Further reading: "Contentment" by Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Chapter 1: God Can Never Die

ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN

A translation of Den gamle Gud lever endnu by Jean Hersholt.

IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING. The sun shone brightly and warmly into the room, as the air, mild and refreshing, flowed through the open window. And out under God's blue heaven, where fields and meadows were covered with greens and flowers, all the little birds rejoiced. While joy and contentment were everywhere outside, in the house lived sorrow and misery. Even the wife, who otherwise always was in good spirits, sat that morning at the breakfast table with a downcast expression; finally she arose, without having touched a bite of her food, dried her eyes, and walked toward the door.

It really seemed as if there were a curse hanging over this house. The cost of living was high, the food supply low; taxes had become heavier and heavier; year after year the household belongings had depreciated more and more, and now at last there was nothing to look forward to but poverty and misery. For a long time all this had depressed the husband, who always had been a hard-working and law-abiding citizen; now the thought of the future filled him with despair; yes, many times he even threatened to end his miserable and hopeless existence. Neither the comforting words of his good-humored wife nor the worldly or spiritual counsel of his friends had helped him; these had only made him more silent and sorrowful. It is easy to understand that his poor wife finally should lose her courage, too. However, there was quite another reason for her sadness, which we soon shall hear.

When the husband saw that his wife also grieved and wanted to leave the room, he stopped her and said, I won't let you go until you have told me what is wrong with you!

After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, Oh, my dear husband, I dreamed last night that God was dead, and that all the angels followed Him to His grave!

How can you believe or think such foolish stuff! answered the husband.

You know, of course, that God can never die!

The good wife's face sparkled with happiness, and as she affectionately squeezed both her husband's hands, she exclaimed, Then our dear God is still alive!

Why, of course, said the husband. How could you ever doubt it!

Then she embraced him, and looked at him with loving eyes, expressing confidence, peace, and happiness, as she said, But, my dear husband, if God is still alive, why do we not believe and trust in Him! He has counted every hair on our heads; not a single one is lost without His knowledge. He clothes the lilies in the field; He feeds the sparrows and the ravens.

It was as if a veil lifted from his eyes and as if a heavy load fell from his heart when she spoke these words. He smiled for the first time in a long while, and thanked his dear, pious wife for the trick she had played on him, through which she had revived his belief in God and restored his trust. And in the room the sun shone even more friendly on the happy people's faces; a gentle breeze caressed their smiling cheeks, and the birds sang even louder their heartfelt thanks to God.

The End

Investigation 1

Identify the theme. Ask yourself, What does the story tell me about life, people, or society?

Describe the wife’s dream. Was it a lie, trick, or a parable? Explain.

Is it easier to give thanks to God when all is well: plenty of food, steady employment, being healthy, working vehicles, etc.?

Read: Deut 8:10-18. Does wealth bring its own set of problems? Who is our true source of wealth? Are riches limited to physical blessings?

Analyze the quote: It was as if a veil lifted from his eyes. . . What is being said? What stylistic technique is used?

Read: Matt 6:25-33. Find a quiet place to sit outside and observe nature. Watch how birds gather food or how an insect forages on a plant. Record a drawing in a notebook or journal. Now, think about what God has done for you, whether large or small.

Listen: "Sparrows" song by Jason Gray on the album titled, Where the Light Gets In. What thoughts or emotions come to mind as you listen?

Chapter 2: The Little Match Girl

ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN

MOST TERRIBLY COLD it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening—the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.

One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.

She crept along trembling with cold and hunger—a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!

The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year's Eve; yes, of that she thought.

In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. Rischt! how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but—the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.

She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when—the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.

Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when—the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.

Someone is just dead! said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.

She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.

Grandmother! cried the little one. Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree! And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety—they were with God.

But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall—frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. She wanted to warm herself, people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

The End

Investigation 2

Identify the theme. Ask yourself, What does the story tell me about life, people, or society?

How did the maiden earn her livelihood? What awaited her at home? In what way was she, a very picture of sorrow?

Analyze the quote: transparent like a veil. What is being said? What stylistic techniques is used?

How would the story have changed if she had asked for shelter or aide?

Read: Matt 6:1-3. How should we serve those in need? Is meeting their need enabling or an act of love? Explain.

Analyze the quote: that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God. Explain its significance. What stylistic technique is used?

Further reading: "A Dog of Flanders" by Louisa De La Ramê, who was also known as Ouida. Free download on Project Gutenberg’s website.

Read the poetic aphorism composed by Friedrich Von Logau but translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow below. What is being said in the aphorism? Are we sometimes blind to those in need? What can you do to help? How can you serve better?

Poverty and Blindness

A BLIND man is a poor man, and blind a poor man is;

For the former seeth no man, and the latter no man sees.

Chapter 3: The Red Shoes

ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE was little girl, pretty and dainty. But in summer time she was obliged to go barefooted because she was poor, and in winter she had to wear large wooden shoes, so that her little instep grew quite red.

In the middle of the village lived an old shoemaker's wife; she sat down and made, as well as she could, a pair of little shoes out of some old pieces of red cloth. They were clumsy, but she meant well, for they were intended for the little girl, whose name was Karen.

Karen received the shoes and wore them for the first time on the day of her mother's funeral. They were certainly not suitable for mourning; but she had no others, and so she put her bare feet into them and walked behind the humble coffin.

Just then a large old carriage came by, and in it sat an old lady; she looked at the little girl, and taking pity on her, said to the clergyman, Look here, if you will give me the little girl, I will take care of her.

Karen believed that this was all on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought them hideous, and so they were burnt. Karen herself was dressed very neatly and cleanly; she was taught to read and to sew, and people said that she was pretty. But the mirror told her, You are more than pretty—you are beautiful.

One day the Queen was traveling through that part of the country, and had her little daughter, who was a princess, with her. All the people, amongst them Karen too, streamed towards the castle, where the little princess, in fine white clothes, stood before the window and allowed herself to be stared at. She wore neither a train nor a golden crown, but beautiful red morocco shoes; they were indeed much finer than those which the shoemaker's wife had sewn for little Karen. There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!

Karen was now old enough to be confirmed; she received some new clothes, and she was also to have some new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the measure of her little foot in his own room, in which there stood great glass cases full of pretty shoes and white slippers. It all looked very lovely, but the old lady could not see very well, and therefore did not get much pleasure out of it. Amongst the shoes stood a pair of red ones, like those which the princess had worn. How beautiful they were! and the shoemaker said that they had been made for a count's daughter, but that they had not fitted her.

I suppose they are of shiny leather? asked the old lady. They shine so.

Yes, they do shine, said Karen. They fitted her, and were bought. But the old lady knew nothing of their being red, for she would never have allowed Karen to be confirmed in red shoes, as she was now to be.

Everybody looked at her feet, and the whole of the way from the church door to the choir it seemed to her as if even the ancient figures on the monuments, in their stiff collars and long black robes, had their eyes fixed on her red shoes. It was only of these that she thought when the clergyman laid his hand upon her head and spoke of the holy baptism, of the covenant with God, and told her that she was now to be a grown-up Christian. The organ pealed forth solemnly, and the sweet children's voices mingled with that of their old leader; but Karen thought only of her red shoes. In the afternoon the old lady heard from everybody that Karen had worn red shoes. She said that it was a shocking thing to do, that it was very improper, and that Karen was always to go to church in future in black shoes, even if they were old.

On the following Sunday there was Communion. Karen looked first at the black shoes, then at the red ones—looked at the red ones again, and put them on.

The sun was shining gloriously, so Karen and the old lady went along the footpath through the corn, where it was rather dusty.

At the church door stood an old crippled soldier leaning on a crutch; he had a wonderfully long beard, more red than white, and he bowed down to the ground and asked the old lady whether he might wipe her shoes. Then Karen put out her little foot too.

Dear me, what pretty dancing-shoes! said the soldier. Sit fast, when you dance, said he, addressing the shoes, and slapping the soles with his hand.

The old lady gave the soldier some money and then went with Karen into the church.

And all the people inside looked at Karen's red shoes, and all the figures gazed at them; when Karen knelt before the altar and put the golden goblet to her mouth, she thought only of the red shoes. It seemed to her as though they were swimming about in the goblet, and she forgot to sing the psalm, forgot to say the Lord's Prayer.

Now every one came out of church, and the old lady stepped into