A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys facts for kids
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys (1851) is a classic children's book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this book, he takes famous Greek myths and retells them in a fun and easy-to-understand way for young readers. It was so popular that he later wrote a second book called Tanglewood Tales, which continued the series.
About the Book
The stories in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys are told in a special way. It's like a story-within-a-story. The main story is about a college student named Eustace Bright. He is staying at a place called Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, where Nathaniel Hawthorne himself once lived. Eustace loves to tell stories to a group of children.
Eustace doesn't just repeat the old myths exactly. He changes them a little bit to make them more exciting and suitable for the children he's telling them to. This makes the ancient Greek tales feel fresh and new.
Myths Retold in the Book
Here are some of the amazing Greek myths that Eustace Bright shares with the children:
- The Gorgon's Head: This story is about the brave hero Perseus. He goes on a dangerous quest to defeat the monster Medusa, who has snakes for hair and can turn people to stone with just a look! Perseus must use his cleverness and courage to succeed.
- The Golden Touch: Learn about King Midas, who wished for everything he touched to turn into gold. At first, this seems like an amazing gift. But soon, King Midas realizes that having a "golden touch" can be a terrible curse, especially when he can't eat or even hug his own daughter.
- The Paradise of Children: This tale tells the story of Pandora. She is given a mysterious box and told never to open it. But her curiosity gets the best of her. When she opens the box, all the troubles and difficulties of the world fly out. However, one important thing remains inside.
- The Three Golden Apples: Join the mighty hero Heracles (also known as Hercules) on one of his famous Twelve Labours. He must find and bring back three special golden apples from a magical garden. He even gets help from the giant Atlas to complete this challenging task.
- The Miraculous Pitcher: Discover the heartwarming story of an old couple named Baucis and Philemon. They are very poor but incredibly kind. When two strangers, who are actually the gods Zeus and Hermes (called "Quicksilver" in the story) in disguise, ask for help, Baucis and Philemon welcome them. Their kindness is greatly rewarded by the gods.
- The Chimæra: Follow the adventures of Bellerophon, another brave hero. He manages to tame the magnificent winged horse, Pegasus. Together, they face a terrifying monster called the Chimæra, which has the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a snake for a tail.
Images for kids
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Recreation of the home in Lenox, Massachusetts, where Hawthorne wrote A Wonder-Book
