The Blind Men and the Elephant

This childhood tale can be read on many levels and understood under a multitude of circumstances. I hope that you enjoy this poem written by John Godfrey Saxe.

The Blind Men and the Elephant

Mr. Saxe was born in the mid 1816 in Vermont. The following link will take you to a short biography and several different ways of looking at this well-known story. It also has some of his other works listed so be sure to scroll through the whole site for detailed information on this whimsical gentleman.John Godfrey Saxe.

Beauty and the Beast

Popularized by Disney movies, "Beauty and the Beast" was first written by Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in France. As noted in Wikipedia, this story is written in a writing style known as précieuse. This style of writing arose from the desire of the women of Paris to escape the political intrigues of the day. Ladies of the day would gather in various salons throughout the city of Paris. To escape the political intrigue of the day, they would engage in lively conversations and word plays. This was the basis of "Beauty and the Beast". The first version of the story was more than 100 pages in length but it was later revised and published by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. This is the version that is read most commonly.

This fairy tale is available in its completeness online. The following link will take you to the text version of the story. On this page you will be given the option of reading it online or downloading it to your computer. Beauty and the Beast


A short biography of Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve can be found at the following link: Villeneuve author bio


The following link will take you to a picture of Ms Villeneuve. picture

This is a link for a short biography of the publishing author: Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont

"Old Ironsides"

So many times we discard that which is no longer of value to us with a casualness that is inappropriate. "Old Ironsides" had served in the U.S. Navy during some of the greatest sea battles that the U.S. had known. However, she was now out-dated and many could not decide what to do with her. In the midst of the public debate, Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote this poem to commemorate her past. I enjoy it because it acknowledges her service and gives her the respect that she had earned. It is that way with people, too. The link will also give you further information on this grand old lady. I hope you enjoy this link.

"Old Ironsides

Man with a Hoe

When I was in high school, this was one of my favorite poems. It spoke graphically of what happens when we destroy the idealism of youth. There must come a time where idealism and realism can coincide in peace one with another but it must be done without destroying the hopes and dreams of the population. The poem was inspired by the painting in this post. It was painted by Jean-François Millet(1814-1875)

Twain/Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

Mark Twain, author of "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc"-- his last finished novel---considered it to be his best and most important work, a view not shared by critics then or since. Author George Bernard Shaw, accuses Twain of being "infatuated" with Joan of Arc. Shaw says that Twain "romanticizes" the story of Joan, reproducing a legend that the English conducted a trial deliberately rigged to find Joan guilty of witchcraft and heresy. Recent scholarship of the trial transcripts, however, suggests that Twain's belief may have been closer to the truth than Shaw was willing to accept. ("Joan of Arc: Her Story," by Regine Pérnoud and Marie-Véronique Clin, translated by Jeremy Duquesnay Adams, published by St. Martin's Griffin (New York, 1999) ISBN 0-312-22730-2)


Speaking of his own work, Twain is reported to have said "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing."

Mr. Twain has an official website that can be found at the following link: Mark Twain

Read the book in its entirety at the following link:
Joan of Arc


I hope you enjoy this work.

Anderson's Fairy Tales

In a book for children, Anderson's Fairy Tales brings to life the stories that older generations remember grandmothers and mothers reading before bedtime. In this PDF-formatted book, you can read the text either on your computer or print each story as you need it or would like to read it.

For teacher or more scholarly researchers, you can find a scholarly essay on Mr. Anderson at
Anderson

King, Martin Luther, Jr.

Leader of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. is known for "civil disobedience" as opposed to open rebellion. He is one of three "pillars" of the peaceful resistance movement. The following link compares him to Ghandi and Thoreau. THREE PRINCIPLES OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
The next link will take you to an official link that has many of Dr. King's speeches available online:Martin Luther King, Jr

This last link will take you to a short biography of Dr. King's life: King Biography

Aesop's Fables

Tradition holds that Aesop wrote his original fables in Greek while being held as a slave. You can find his biography at Aesop
His fables can be found at Aesop's Fables

These delightful stories are a great way to teach moral lessons as you entertain young children. Please enjoy time with your child at this delightful site.

Children's Story Hour

There is a great link for those looking for story content for children. It can be found at IPL Story Hour. IPL stands for "Internet Public Library" and has some great resources for adults, too. I hope you enjoy this link!

Bronte, Charlotte/ Jane Eyre

Born in 1816, Charlotee Bronte was the third daughter of the Rev. Patrick Brontë and his wife Maria. Her brother Patrick Branwell was born in 1817, and her sisters Emily and Anne in 1818 and 1820. A biography of her life can be found at the following link. Charlotote Bronte Biography

Her best known work, "Jane Eyre" can be found in its entirety at the following link: Jane Eyre