Short Stories for Young People
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Pretty Roman Beggar (1892) - A charismatic "professional beggar" reminds Mrs. Burnett of her own sons.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Barty Crusoe and His Man Saturday (1909)
This story was originally published in Children's Magazine (edited by Mrs. Burnett's son Vivian) in 1909. It is based on a "hair-curling story" that Mrs. Burnett told her sons while curling their hair.
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This story was originally published in Children's Magazine (edited by Mrs. Burnett's son Vivian) in 1909. It is based on a "hair-curling story" that Mrs. Burnett told her sons while curling their hair.
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Behind the White Brick (1879) - A girl finds a secret house behind a brick in her chimney, where she meets a storybook character, Santa Claus, and other pleasant curiosities.
This story appears in the book Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories. It was originally published in St. Nicholas Magazine in January 1879.
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This story appears in the book Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories. It was originally published in St. Nicholas Magazine in January 1879.
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Birdie (1892) - Mrs. Burnett earns the trust and friendship of a sweet and imaginative young girl as they make-believe about fairies.
Later, Mrs. Burnett wrote Behind the White Brick for a paper that Birdie and her siblings published. This story first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer under the title “Birdie—The Story of a Little Girl Who Believed in Fairies,” December 6th, 1891, but is more widely known from the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe. Researcher and author Paul F. Brown's extensive 2021 article for the Knoxville History Project reveals the identity of Birdie as Rebecca Nicholson Howe and traces her life history from Knoxville to California.
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Later, Mrs. Burnett wrote Behind the White Brick for a paper that Birdie and her siblings published. This story first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer under the title “Birdie—The Story of a Little Girl Who Believed in Fairies,” December 6th, 1891, but is more widely known from the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe. Researcher and author Paul F. Brown's extensive 2021 article for the Knoxville History Project reveals the identity of Birdie as Rebecca Nicholson Howe and traces her life history from Knoxville to California.
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Editha's Burglar (1888)
This story was also dramatized as a play under the title Nixie.
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Eight Little Princes (1892) - Through observing photographs, Mrs. Burnett comes to know the lives and personalities of young European royalty.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Giovanni and The Other (1892) - Mrs. Burnett travels to Italy to restore her health while grieving the loss of her son, and she serves as both a benefactor for a talented boy who sings in the streets, and a comforter to a poor woman whose impassioned son has also passed away.
In this story, Mrs. Burnett is represented as the mourning "lady in black," her son Lionel as "Leo," and her son Vivian as "Geof." Her traveling companion is author Gertrude "Kitty" Hall Brownell. This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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How Fauntleroy Occurred - see Piccino and Other Child Stories
"Illustrissimo Signor Bébé" (1892) - An outgoing young boy amuses the adults with his enthusiasm to become a solider.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Little Betty's Kitten Tells Her Story (1894) - see Piccino and Other Child Stories
This story originally appeared in The Outlook in September 1894, followed by The English Illustrated Magazine in December 1894, and was later published as part of a book.
Little Saint Elizabeth (1888) - A devout girl unknowingly puts herself in danger on the streets of New York while faithfully serving the poor.
This story appears in the book Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories. It was originally serialized in St. Nicholas Magazine beginning in December 1888.
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Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories (1888)
This book includes the following short stories: Little Saint Elizabeth, The Story of Prince Fairyfoot, The Proud Little Grain of Wheat, and Behind the White Brick.
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One Who Lived Long, Long Ago (1892) - Moved by the figure of a young girl in a museum, Mrs. Burnett imagines the last day of the girl's life while touring the ruins of Pompeii.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Piccino and Other Child Stories (1897)
This book includes the following short stories: Two Days in the Life of Piccino, The Captian's Youngest, Little Betty's Kitten Tells Her Story, and How Fauntleroy Occurred.
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The Boy Who Became a Socialist (1892) - Mrs. Burnett's son Vivian takes an interest in socialism after reading Bellamy's "Looking Backward," and she gently encourages him to direct his newfound idealism toward first cleaning up after his own things in the house.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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The Captain's Youngest (1877) - see Piccino and Other Child Stories
This story originally appeared in Peterson's Magazine and was later published as part of a book.
The Daughter of the Custodian (1892) - The pleasant young daughter of a cemetery caretaker guides Mrs. Burnett and her friends to the graves of Shelley and Keats in Rome.
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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The First Knife in the World (1909) - In the time before language, reasoning, and civilization, a boy has the first thought in the world and recognizes: "I am Man!"
This may be the most exceptional and awe-inspiring ode to the human mind I have ever read. It was published in the December 1909 edition of St. Nicholas Magazine.
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The Land of the Blue Flower (1909) - A young king, raised since infancy by a wise elder, brings peace and hope to the neglected kingdom by inspiring the residents to focus on tending to a blue flower; there is no time for darkness or anger!
This story is written in a fairytale style that is unique among Mrs. Burnett's writing. It was serialized in Little Folks beginning in June 1909, followed by publication in book form.
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The Little Faun (1892) - A toddler who lives on the same street as Mrs. Burnett in Washington, D.C., is filled with joy, wonder, and unselfish delight at life and the natural world.
I speculate that this boy may have partly inspired the character of Dickon in The Secret Garden. This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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The Quite True Story of an Old Hawthorn Tree (1892) - A rector revives a withering hawthorn tree and creates a People's Garden in a dirty and crime-infested area of East London.
This story is told from the perspective of the tree. It appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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The Proud Little Grain of Wheat (1880) - From seed to blade to ear to flour to cake, a self-important grain of wheat fancies herself to be the finest-- yet her fate is no different from that of a common grain!
This story appears in the book Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories. It was originally published in St. Nicholas Magazine in January 1880. The magazine attributes its copyright to Scribner's, 1879, though I have not been able to find any other record of that publication.
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The Story of Prince Fairyfoot (1886) - A kindly young prince, banished from his home kingdom and abused by his adoptive family, finds friendship and happiness amongst the fairies of the forest.
This story is Mrs. Burnett's re-telling of a story she remembered from childhood, in a book called Granny's Wonderful Chair and the Tales it Told. It appears in the book Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories. It was originally serialized in St. Nicholas Magazine beginning in December 1886.
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The Tinker's Tom (1892) - Mrs. Burnett encounters a tinker family and makes the friendly acquaintance of one of the boys, revealing to her the sharp contrast between his life and that of the "gentry."
This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Two Days in the Life of Piccino - see Piccino and Other Child Stories
"What Use Is a Poet?" (1892) - Mrs. Burnett responds to her son Vivian's inquiry by expressing that poetry enriches human life with meaning, truth, and beauty, even in the utility-focused "telephone century."
Among the poems mentioned is "A Psalm of Life" by Longfellow. This story appears in the book Giovanni and The Other: Children Who Have Made Stories, a collection of short stories based on the real experiences of Mrs. Burnett's own children and those she met while traveling Europe.
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Coming soon: The Good Wolf, the Queen Crosspatch series, and The Way to the House of Santa Claus