Family Life Classics

In this classic Hawthorne short story set in the late 18th century, the ambitious young scientist Aylmer cannot bear the fact that his otherwise flawlessly beautiful wife Georgiana bears a tiny birthmark on her cheek, an imperfection that he believes his scientific methods can cure. Devoted wholeheartedly to her husband, Georgiana allows Aylmer to work his scientific wonders upon her, so that the blemish no may no longer torment him. But tampering with nature can prove a fearful business....

This short story might well have been called, "All I Even Needed to Know About Humanity I Learned From Chickens". At times humorous, at times sympathetic, the author reveals the inadequacies of chickens and then points to our own inadequacies. As much as we hate chickens we can despise the things we believe are lacking in our own lives. That’s the philosophy of the story, perhaps it is equally enjoyable as a story about a family that just can’t seem to move far enough away from demented fowl.

Although best known for such long novels as Our Mutual Friend and The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens also wrote many wonderful short stories with both a supernatural and a humorous twist. This is one of his best.

"Local color" author Frances Gilchrist Wood wrote this powerful tale of a young wife who proves better able to succeed on the homestead frontier than does her husband.

After receiving a rose covered sweater from Grandma, Harry is determined to lose it. He tries leaving it all over town, but it is always returned - until a bird catches sight of a loose thread and Harry's luck finally changes.

Read by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti, this short story written in 1850 by Charles Dickens is beautiful in its simplicity. A boy grows to a man with the memory of him and his now dead sister gazing upon the evening star, imagining it as a gate to heaven.

Willa Cather is considered to be one of the best chroniclers of pioneer life in the 20th century. She had a long and distinguished career writing essays, poems, short stories, and novels. This story is a powerful example of a frequent theme: the haunting, sometimes painful, contrast between city and country life.

A wonderful holiday excerpt from the classic Little Women features all of your favorite characters as they prepare to celebrate Christmas in their enthusiastic, optimistic, take-no-prisoners fashion.

An upper-middle class peasant inherits his father's farm, which he hopes to pass on to his children. When the twin boys are born, there is joy in the family until they realize that they are severely retarded - to use the term of the day, idiots. And then another son is born, also an idiot. In desperation, Jean Pierre joins the church, which he has no use for, and a daughter is born. Another idiot. Jean Pierre becomes even more angry and abusive to his wife, whom he blames for producing four idiots.

A timeless story of breathtaking enchantment and fairy-tale romance. To save her beloved father, a beautiful young girl agrees to become the companion of a brutish and very unhappy beast. But as time passes, love works a miraculous change on both their lives.Beautifully narrated by Mia Farrow, and accompanied by an original classical score with 12-piece orchestra.

On a dark and stormy night, three strangers seek shelter at a young girl's christening party. Thomas Hardy was an English poet, novelist, and short story writer. He is famous for his depictions of Wessex, an imaginary county. Many of his stories also reflected his sense of the tragedy in human life.

This title shows children the beauty of nature and how it relates to God. This short, little book will help your child pay attention to the most important things in life. Family and being in nature can be a child's entire world growing up. Where Is God, Grandfather? is a wonderful story about teaching children how to relate to God in nature and daily family life. The superb storytelling of Candy O'Donnell makes this book a jewel for all children.

One of the earliest creative approaches to feminist literature, this sinister horror story tells of a woman's mental anguish and unconscious struggle with conformity in a society that generally viewed women as weak and hysterical creatures unable to think for themselves. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a prominent American feminist, paved the way for other authors like Sylvia Plath and Alice Walker. She suffered mental illness during her life and ultimately committed suicide.

Michel aus Lönneberga ist fünf Jahre alt und stark wie ein kleiner Ochse. Wenn er schläft, kann man ihn fast für einen Engel halten...

Sylvester is a rock collector. One day he finds a magic pebble that makes wishes come true. He rushes home to share his good fortune with his parents. On the way, he’s frightened by a hungry lion and quickly asks the pebble to turn him into a rock, so the lion can’t eat him. It works - but there sits Sylvester on Strawberry Hill with no way to hold the pebble to wish himself back into a donkey. Seasons come and go as Sylvester’s parents desperately search for him....

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is considered one of the greatest Russian writers. His works have had a profound and lasting effect on 20th-century literature. His psychological penetration into the human soul had, in novels like Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, a profound influence on the 20th century novel. He also wrote a number of brilliant short stories along these same lines. "The Wedding" is one of his best.

A sentry falls asleep at his post, leading to dire consequences. This is a classic tale about the terrible cost of the Civil War, which divided entire families.

¿Abrazar la vida moderna o salvar su matrimonio? En la sociedad cambiante de principios del siglo XX no hay tiempo para dilemas sentimentales. De regreso a la casa de campo para pasar el fin de semana, William imagina el cálido recibimiento de su familia. Pero la realidad es muy diferente: sus hijos solo esperan con impaciencia sus regalos y su esposa ha instalado en la casa a sus nuevos amigos bohemios, con los que prefiere pasar el rato antes que con su marido.

Basil Duke Lee cerró la puerta de la calle a sus espaldas y encendió la luz del comedor. La voz de su madre le llegó soñolienta a través de las escaleras. "Basil, ¿eres tú?" "No, mamá, es un ladrón." "No creo que las doce sean horas de volver a casa para un chico de quince años." "Hemos ido a Smith, a tomar un refresco." Cuando una nueva responsabilidad recaía sobre Basil, entonces era "un chico de casi dieciséis años", pero, cuando se le discutía algún privilegio, sólo era "un chico de quince años".

Une vieille femme décide de préparer la friandise préférée de son mari : du pain d'épices, mais quand elle le sort du four, le bonhomme de pain d'épices s'échappe en chantonnant : "Cours cours aussi vite que tu peux, tu ne peux pas m'attraper! Je suis le bonhomme de pain d'épices." Les contes se transmettant de bouche à bouche, l'auteur originel de ce conte n'est pas connu.