Alfie the Pirate and Other Stories

By Maxine Barry

This selection of 4 new and classic fairy tales showcases of the best-loved stories for children, including Cinderella, The Frog Prince and Little Red Riding Hood as well as the utterly charming Alfie the Pirate. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations by up-and-coming artists from around the world, this enchanting collection is the perfect introduction to these timeless tales for readers aged 4 and up.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
• Release date: Jan 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781788883573

Maxine Barry

After many years of working in publishing, keen to encourage even more children to fall in love with reading, Maxine Barry was one of the founders of Storytime - a magazine which celebrates all kinds of stories from all around the world. Maxine has a real talent for making traditional tales relevant to today's children. She lives on an island in the River Thames in a small house with a lot of bookshelves, where she spends her days collecting, reading and writing short stories.

Book preview

Alfie the Pirate

The day I became a pirate, Rufus the Wretched ate my eye patch. By the time I’d pried it from his extra-strong grip, there was a hole in the middle, and the skull and crossbones part was missing.

Avast! I cried, as I wiggled my finger through the hole. But Rufus just snarled at me menacingly and flashed his sharp teeth. How was I supposed to be a professional pirate with a holey eye patch?

Then, to make matters worse, Rufus high-tailed it with my pirate bandana that I used as a hat.

Rufus the Wretched! I cried. I’ve had enough of ye and yer wicked ways! It’s time for a new king of the high seas and it’s a-going to be me—Captain Alfie! I challenge ye to a duel!

But Rufus the Wretched had already bolted, so I hoisted the Jolly Roger, swung my ship around and gave chase, with my loyal crew at my side.

All morning, I sailed the seven seas through crashing waves and howling winds, but I couldn’t find the fiendish foe anywhere.

At lunch time, I dropped anchor at the Isle of Treats for a quick bite to eat, and, well, shiver me timbers if I didn’t find a bona fide treasure map tucked under my sandwich!