WINGS by Fedor Sologub A peasant girl was feeding geese, and she wept. The farmer's daughter came by and asked, "what are you blubbering about?" "I haven't got any wings," cried the peasant girl. "Oh, I wish I could grow some wings." "You stupid!" said the farmer's daughter. "Of course you haven't got wings. What do you want wings for?" "I want to fly up into the sky and sing my little songs there," answered the little peasant girl. (Click here to continue reading.) From The Sweet-Scented Name and Other Fairy Tales, Fables, and Stories [1915], by Fedor Sologub, edited by Stephen Graham. Translated from the Russian. Illustration: unattributed illustration from Profits in Poultry: Useful and Ornamental Breeds and Their Profitable Management [1898]. · · · · · · · · · · · · · A NEW ARABIAN NIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT by Horace Walpole At the foot of the great mountain Hirgonqúu was anciently situated the kingdom of Larbidel. Geographers, who are not apt to make such just comparisons, said, it resembled a football just going to be kicked away; and so it happened; for the mountain kicked the kingdom into the ocean, and it has never been heard of since. (Click here to continue reading.) "A New Arabian Night's Entertainment" from Hieroglyphic Tales [1785] , by Horace Walpole. · · · · · · · · · · · · · FURBALL (unattributed) Once upon a time there was a Princess whose hair was of pure gold. She was the most beautiful maiden on earth and as good as she was beautiful. But she was often sad because her mother had died. Her father, the King, promised her hand to an Ogre, who in return agreed to give the King fifty wagons of silver. (Click here to continue reading.) "Furball" (unattributed) from Once Upon a Time: A Book of Old-Time Fairy Tales, [1921] , edited , with introduction by Katherine Lee Bates, Professor of English Literature, Wellesley College; illustrations by Margaret Evans Price. · · · · · · · · · · · · · ODIN GOES TO MIMIR'S WELL: His Sacrifice for Wisdom by Padriac Colum And so Odin, no longer riding on Sleipner, his eight-legged steed; no longer wearing his golden armour and his eagle-helmet, and without even his spear in his hand, travelled through Midgard, the World of Men, and made his way towards Jötunheim, the Realm of the Giants. No longer was he called Odin All-Father, but Vegtam the Wanderer. He wore a cloak of dark blue and he carried a traveller's staff in his hands. And now, as he went towards Mimir's Well, which was near to Jötunheim, he came upon a Giant riding on a great Stag. (Click here to continue reading.) From The Children of Odin [1920] by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Willy Pogany. · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

FICTION Furball edited by Katherine Lee Bates Odin Goes to Mimir's Well by Padriac Colum Wings by Fedor Sologub A New Arabian Night's Entertainment by Horace Walpole POETRY The Little Elf by John Kendrick Bangs Answer to a Child's Question by Samuel Taylor Coleridge At Night (unattributed) NONSENSE To Miss Georgiana Shipley, On the Loss of Her American Sqirrel, who, Escaping from His Cage, Was Killed by a Shepherd's Dog, from Benjamin Franklin Limericks by David Starr Jordan Carolyn Wells Gelett Burgess Cosmo Monkhouse JOKES & RIDDLES Cartoon by E. Warde Blaisdell From Chance Hits by Norman H. Chance A Fish Story Modern Romance Old Sayings FASCINATING FACTS Weird Words! READER'S QUIZ OLD SAYINGS by Norman H. Chance As poor as a churchmouse, As thin as a rail, As fat as a porpoise, As rough as a gale, As brave as a lion, As spry as a cat, As bright as a sixpence, As weak as a rat. (Click here to continue reading.) "From Chance Hits [1915] by Norman H. Chance. · · · · · · · · · · · · · TO MISS GEORGIANA SHIPLEY... from Benjamin Franklin LONDON, September 26, 1772. DEAR MISS: I lament with you most sincerely the unfortunate end of poor Mungo. Few squirrels were better accomplished; for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world. As he had the honor of being, for his virtues, your favorite, he should not go, like common skuggs, without an elegy or an epitaph. (Click here to continue reading.) From American Wit and Humor [1907]. Illustration by P. J. Lemos, from Uncle Ben's Cobblestones [1904] by W. H. B Miller. · · · · · · · · · · · · · email: editor@wonderbook.com Publisher, Editor & Web Designer Kathryn Cramer Consulting Editor David G. Hartwell SUBSCRIBE and receive a new issue of WONDERBOOKsm on floppy disks every month! · · · · · · · · · · · · · Copyright © 1997 by Kathryn Cramer. Wonderbooksm is a service mark of Black Mark Productions, Ltd.

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