Charles' Journey to France, and Other Tales   By: Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743-1825)

CHARLES' JOURNEY TO FRANCE, AND OTHER TALES.

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BY MRS. BARBAULD.

Worcester: Edward Livermore. 1847.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, By Edward Livermore, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

Greenfield: Merriam and Mirick, Printers.

INTRODUCTION.

Uncle Thomas' Stories for Good Children.

The design of this Series of unpretending little books, is, to give to the Young, information, joined with amusement.

They are prepared for young children, and if, from the reading of these stories, they acquire a love for good books, the compiler's object will be accomplished.

Contents.

CHARLES' JOURNEY TO FRANCE, 9

THE BALL PLAYERS, 32

THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS A COWARD, 39

MY MOTHER, 44

STORIES OF DOGS, 49

A NAUGHTY BOY, 59

THE SILLY LAMB, 63

LUCY AND HER LAMB, 71

STORY OF A JOURNEY TO FRANCE.

Well, Charles, we will take a journey. We will go to France. We will see some of the world besides home.

Bring your hat. Good bye, Papa. Farewell, Billy, and Harry, and every body. We are going a great way off. And we shall go down the lane, and through the church yard and by the corner house, and over the stile, till we have got quite into the fields. How pretty the fields will look! for it will be summer days again before we go. And there will be yellow flowers, and white flowers, and grass, and trees, and hedges; and the grasshoppers, will chirp, chirp, under our feet. Do not try to catch them; it will only hinder us, and we have a great way to go.

Pray what are those pretty creatures that look so meek and good natured, and have soft thick white wool upon their backs, like a greatcoat, and make a noise like the little baby when it cries? Those are sheep and lambs. And what are those creatures with horns, that are bigger than the sheep? Some of them are black, and some red: they make a loud noise, but they do not look as if they would hurt any body. Those are cows that give milk. Stroke them. Poor cows! stand still and look back. Now we cannot see papa's house at all; and we can see only the top of the church steeple. Let us go a little farther. Now look back. Now we cannot see the church at all. Farewell! We are going a great way. Shall we ever come back again? Yes, we shall come back again; but we must go on now. Come, make haste.

What is that tall thing that has four great arms which move very fast? I believe, if I was near it, they would strike me down. It is a wind mill. Those arms are the sails. The wind turns them round. And what is a wind mill for? It is to grind corn. You could have no bread if the corn were not ground. Well, but here is a river; how shall we do to get over it? Why, do you not see how those ducks do? they swim over. But I cannot swim. Then you must learn to swim, I believe: it is too wide to jump over. O, here is a Bridge! Somebody has made a bridge for us quite over the river. That somebody was very good, for I do not know what we should have done without it; and he was very clever too. I wonder how he made it. I am sure I could not make such a bridge.

[Illustration: Well, but here is a river. Page 12. ]

Well, we must go on, on, on; and we shall see more rivers, and more fields, and towns bigger than our town a great deal large towns, and fine churches, streets, and people more than there is at the fair. And we shall have a great many high hills to climb. I believe I must get somebody to carry the little boy up those high hills. And sometimes we shall go through dusty sandy roads; and sometimes through green lanes, where we shall hear the birds sing.

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