Other editions of book The Animal Story Book: Complete and Unabridged

Children who have read our Fairy Books may have noticed that there are not so very many fairies in the stories after all. The most common characters are birds, beasts, and fishes, who talk and act like Christians. The reason of this is that the first people who told the stories were not very clever, or, if they were clever, they had never been taught to read and write, or to distinguish between Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral. They took it that all things were ‘much of a muchness:’ they were not proud, and held that beast and bird could talk like themselves, only, of course, in a different language.

There ought to be a moral; if so, it probably is that we should be kind to all sorts of animals, and, above all, knock trout on the head when they are caught, and don’t let the poor things jump about till they die. A chapter of a very learned sort was written about the cleverness of beasts, proving that there must have been great inventive geniuses among beasts long ago, and that now they have rather got into a habit (which I think a very good one) of being content with the discoveries of their ancestors. This led naturally to some observations on Instinct and Reason; but there may be children who are glad that there was no room for this chapter.

*This Book is annotated (it contains a detailed biography of the author). *An active Table of Contents has been added by the publisher for a better customer experience. *This book has been checked and corrected for spelling errors.This publication contains original illustrations by H. J. Ford.From the noted Scottish author and scholar: 66 illustrated tales about creatures of land, sea, and air. Adapted from stories originally told by Alexandre Dumas, Théophile Gautier, Pliny, and others, they include "The Adventures of Pyramus," "Two Highland Dogs," "The Ship of the Desert," "The Otter Who was Reared by a Cat," and many more. Contents'Tom': an adventure in the life of a bear in Paris -- Saï the panther -- The buzzard and the priest -- Cowper and his hares -- A rat tale -- Snake stories -- What elephants can do -- The dog of Montargis -- How a beaver builds his house -- The war horse of Alexander -- Stories about bears -- Stories about ants -- The taming of an otter -- The story of Androcles and the lion -- Monsieur Dumas and his beasts -- The adventures of Pyramus -- The story of a weasel -- Stories about wolves -- Two highland dogs -- Monkey tricks and Sally at the zoo -- How the cayman was killed -- The story of Fido -- Beasts besieged -- Mr. Gully -- Stories from Pliny -- The strange history of Cagnotte -- Still waters run deep; or, the dancing dog -- Theo and his horses: Jane, Betsy, and Blanche -- Madame Théophile and the parrot -- The battle of the mullets and the dolphins -- Monkey stories -- Eccentric bird builders -- The ship of the desert -- Hame, hame, hame, where I fain wad be -- Nests for dinner -- Fire-eating Djijam -- The story of the dog Oscar -- Dolphins at play -- The starling of Segringen -- Grateful dogs -- Gazelle -- Cockatoo stories -- The otter who was reared by a cat -- Stories about lions -- Builders and weavers -- More faithful than favoured -- Dolphins, turtles, and cod -- More about elephants -- Bungey -- Lions and their ways -- The history of Jacko I. -- Signora and Lori -- Of the linnet, popinjay, or parrot, and other birds that can speak -- Patch and the chickens -- The fierce falcon -- Mr. Bolt, the scotch terrier -- A raven's funeral -- A strange tiger -- Halcyons and their biographers -- The story of a frog.

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If anyone believes that style does not appeal to the young readers, let him open Mr. Andrew Langs "The Animal Story Book" (Jazzybee Publishing), and read to any intelligent child of nine years Dumas' description of Mysouf I., Mysouf II., and Pritchard, and note how soon Dumas becomes a living personality to the child. Then let him turn and read, out of the same book, the account of " Cowper and his Hares." Bess and Puss and Tiney were doubtless as interesting in their way as the dogs and cats and monkeys owned by Dumas; but the child does not care for them - he begs you to read more from Dumas. Young as the child is, Dumas has cast a spell around him - the spell of a sparkling and animated style. Mr. Lang's " Animal Story Book " ought to delight both old and young, as one may find therein pen-portraits of most of the remarkable animals that have interested the world since primitive times. And because authors are, as a class, peculiarly fond of animals, the reader of this charming book is brought into intimate relations with Pliny, Théophile Gautier, and many other remarkable men.This book is annotated with a rare extensive biographical sketch of the author, Andrew Lang, written by Sir Edmund Gosse, CB, a contemporary poet and writer.

Andrew Lang's Fairy Books are a series of twenty-five collections of true and fictional stories for children, published between 1889 and 1913. The best known books of the series are the twelve collections of fairy tales, known as Andrew Lang's "Coloured" Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's Fairy Books of Many Colors. In all, the volumes feature 798 stories, besides the 153 poems in The Blue Poetry Book. The Animal Story Book contains sixty-five stories about animals. Some of them are simple accounts of how animals live in the wild. Others are stories about pets, or remarkable wild animals, or about hunting expeditions. Many are taken from Alexandre Dumas. Stories Included Within This Book: 'Tom': an Adventure in the Life of a Bear in Paris Saï the Panther The Buzzard and the Priest Cowper and his Hares A Rat Tale Snake Stories What Elephants can Do The Dog of Montargis How a Beaver builds his House The War Horse of Alexander Stories about Bears Stories about Ants The Taming of an Otter The Story of Androcles and the Lion Monsieur Dumas and his Beasts The Adventures of Pyramus The Story of a Weasel Stories about Wolves Two Highland Dogs Monkey Tricks and Sally at the Zoo How the Cayman was killed The Story of Fido Beasts Besieged Mr. Gully Stories from Pliny The Strange History of Cagnotte Still Waters Run Deep; or, the Dancing Dog Theo and his Horses: Jane, Betsy, and Blanche Madame Théophile and the Parrot The Battle of the Mullets and the Dolphins Monkey Stories Eccentric Bird Builders The Ship of the Desert Hame, hame, hame, where I fain wad be Nests for Dinner Fire-eating Djijam The Story of the Dog Oscar Dolphins at Play The Starling of Segringen Grateful Dogs Gazelle Cockatoo Stories The Otter who was reared by a Cat Stories about Lions Builders and Weavers More Faithful than Favoured Dolphins, Turtles, and Cod More about Elephants Bungey Lions and their Ways The History of Jacko I Signora and Lori Of the Linnet, Popinjay, or Parrot, and other Birds that can Speak Patch and the Chickens The Fierce Falcon Mr. Bolt, the Scotch Terrier A Raven's Funeral A Strange Tiger Halcyons and their Biographers The Story of a Frog The Woodpecker Tapping on the Hollow Oak Tree Dogs Over the Water The Capocier and his Mate Owls and Marmots Eagles' Nests

The Animal Story Book edited by Andrew Lang who was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor. This book was published in 1896. And now republish in ebook format. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy reading this book.

Children who have read our Fairy Books may have noticed that there are not so very many fairies in the stories after all. The most common characters are birds, beasts, and fishes, who talk and act like Christians. The reason of this is that the first people who told the stories were not very clever, or, if they were clever, they had never been taught to read and write, or to distinguish between Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral. They took it that all things were ‘much of a muchness:’ they were not proud, and held that beast and bird could talk like themselves, only, of course, in a different language. After offering, then, so many Fairy Books (though the stories are not all told yet), we now present you (in return for a coin or two) with a book about the friends of children and of fairies—the beasts. The stories are all true, more or less, but it is possible that Monsieur Dumas and Monsieur Théophile Gautier rather improved upon their tales. I own that I have my doubts about the bears and serpents in the tales by the Baron Wogan. This gentleman’s ancestors were famous Irish people. One of them held Cromwell’s soldiers back when they were pursuing Charles II. after Worcester fight. He also led a troop of horse from Dover to the Highlands, where he died of a wound, after fighting for the King. The next Wogan was a friend of Pope and Swift; he escaped from prison after Preston fight, in 1715, and, later, rescued Prince Charlie’s mother from confinement in Austria, and took her to marry King James. He next became Governor of Don Quixote’s province, La Mancha, in Spain, and was still alive and merry in 1752. Baron Wogan, descended from these heroes, saw no longer any king to fight for, so he went to America and fought bears. No doubt he was as brave as his ancestors, but whether all his stories of serpents are absolutely correct I am not so certain. People have also been heard to express doubts about Mr. Waterton and the Cayman. The terrible tale of Mr. Gully and his deeds of war I know to be accurate, and the story of Oscar, the sentimental tyke, is believed in firmly by the lady who wrote it. As for the stories about Greek and Roman beasts, Pliny, who tells them, is a most respectable author. On the whole, then, this is more or less of a true story-book. There ought to be a moral; if so, it probably is that we should be kind to all sorts of animals, and, above all, knock trout on the head when they are caught, and don’t let the poor things jump about till they die. A chapter of a very learned sort was written about the cleverness of beasts, proving that there must have been great inventive geniuses among beasts long ago, and that now they have rather got into a habit (which I think a very good one) of being content with the discoveries of their ancestors. This led naturally to some observations on Instinct and Reason; but there may be children who are glad that there was no room for this chapter. The longer stories from Monsieur Dumas were translated from the French by Miss Cheape

If anyone believes that style does not appeal to the young readers, let him open Mr. Andrew Langs"The Animal Story Book"(Jazzybee Publishing), and read to any intelligent child of nine years Dumas description of Mysouf I., Mysouf II., and Pritchard, and note how soon Dumas becomes a living personality to the child. Then let him turn and read, out of the same book, the account of"Cowper and his Hares."Bess and Puss and Tiney were doubtless as interesting in their way as the dogs and cats and monkeys owned by Dumas; but the child does not care for them - he begs you to read more from Dumas. Young as the child is, Dumas has cast a spell around him - the spell of a sparkling and animated style. Mr. Langs"Animal Story Book"ought to delight both old and young, as one may find therein pen-portraits of most of the remarkable animals that have interested the world since primitive times. And because authors are, as a class, peculiarly fond of animals, the reader of this charming book is brought into intimate relations with Pliny, Théophile Gautier, and many other remarkable men.This book is annotated with a rare extensive biographical sketch of the author, Andrew Lang, written by Sir Edmund Gosse, CB, a contemporary poet and writer