>>> YOU ARE VIEWING A 200 LINE SAMPLE OF EBOOK# E01959 <<< TITLE: FIFTY FAMOUS PEOPLE AUTHOR: JAMES BALDWIN EBOOK: E01959 (O'Briens Book Cellar) FIFTY FAMOUS PEOPLE A BOOK OF SHORT STORIES BY JAMES BALDWIN PREFATORY NOTE One of the best things to be said of the stories in this volume is that, although they are not biographical, they are about real persons who actually lived and performed their parts in the great drama of the world's history. Some of these persons were more famous than others, yet all have left enduring "footprints on the sands of time" and their names will not cease to be remembered. In each of the stories there is a basis of truth and an ethical lesson which cannot fail to have a wholesome influence; and each possesses elements of interest which, it is believed, will go far towards proving the fallibility of the doctrine that children find delight only in tales of the imaginative and unreal. The fact that there are a few more than fifty famous people mentioned in the volume may be credited to the author's wish to give good measure. CONTENTS SAVING THE BIRDS ANOTHER BIRD STORY SPEAKING A PIECE WRITING A COMPOSITION THE WHISTLE THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD THE CALIPH AND THE POET "BECOS! BECOS! BECOS!" A LESSON IN HUMILITY THE MIDNIGHT RIDE THE BOY AND THE WOLF ANOTHER WOLF STORY THE HORSESHOE NAILS THE LANDLORD'S MISTAKE A LESSON IN MANNERS GOING TO SEA THE SHEPHERD-BOY PAINTER TWO GREAT PAINTERS THE KING AND THE BEES OUR FIRST GREAT PAINTER THE YOUNG SCOUT THE LAD WHO RODE SIDESADDLE THE WHISPERERS HOW A PRINCE LEARNED TO READ "READ AND YOU WILL KNOW" THE YOUNG CUPBEARER THE SONS OF THE CALIPH THE BOY AND THE ROBBERS A LESSON IN JUSTICE THE GENERAL AND THE FOX THE BOMB A STORY OF OLD ROME SAVED BY A DOLPHIN "LITTLE BROTHERS OF THE AIR" A CLEVER SLAVE THE DARK DAY THE SURLY GUEST THE STORY OF A GREAT STORY THE KING AND THE PAGE THE HUNTED KING "TRY, TRY AGAIN!" WHY HE CARRIED THE TURKEY THE PADDLE-WHEEL BOAT THE CALIPH AND THE GARDENER THE COWHERD WHO BECAME A POET THE LOVER OF MEN THE CHARCOAL MAN AND THE KING WHICH WAS THE KING? THE GOLDEN TRIPOD SAVING THE BIRDS One day in spring four men were riding on horseback along a country road. These men were lawyers, and they were going to the next town to attend court. There had been a rain, and the ground was very soft. Water was dripping from the trees, and the grass was wet. The four lawyers rode along, one behind another; for the pathway was narrow, and the mud on each side of it was deep. They rode slowly, and talked and laughed and were very jolly. As they were passing through a grove of small trees, they heard a great fluttering over their heads and a feeble chirping in the grass by the roadside. "Stith! stith! stith!" came from the leafy branches above them. "Cheep! cheep! cheep!" came from the wet grass. "What is the matter here?" asked the first lawyer, whose name was Speed. "Oh, it's only some old robins!" said the second lawyer, whose name was Hardin. "The storm has blown two of the little ones out of the nest. They are too young to fly, and the mother bird is making a great fuss about it." "What a pity! They'll die down there in the grass," said the third lawyer, whose name I forget. "Oh, well! They're nothing but birds," said Mr. Hardin. "Why should we bother?" "Yes, why should we?" said Mr. Speed. The three men, as they passed, looked down and saw the little birds fluttering in the cold, wet grass. They saw the mother robin flying about, and crying to her mate. Then they rode on, talking and laughing as before. In a few minutes they had forgotten about the birds. But the fourth lawyer, whose name was Abraham Lincoln, stopped. He got down from his horse and very gently took the little ones up in his big warm hands. They did not seem frightened, but chirped softly, as if they knew they were safe. "Never mind, my little fellows," said Mr. Lincoln "I will put you in your own cozy little bed." [Illustration] Then he looked up to find the nest from which they had fallen. It was high, much higher than he could reach. But Mr. Lincoln could climb. He had climbed many a tree when he was a boy. He put the birds softly, one by one, into their warm little home. Two other baby birds were there, that had not fallen out. All cuddled down together and were very happy. Soon the three lawyers who had ridden ahead stopped at a spring to give their horses water. "Where is Lincoln?" asked one. All were surprised to find that he was not with them. "Do you remember those birds?" said Mr. Speed. "Very likely he has stopped to take care of them." In a few minutes Mr. Lincoln joined them. His shoes were covered with mud; he had torn his coat on the thorny tree. <<< END OF SAMPLE... (THE FULL EBOOK HAS 176363 TOTAL CHARACTERS) >>>