Norman Vallery

In Short

Written by prolific nineteenth-century author W.H.G. Kingston, Norman Vallery tells the story of a wildly indulgent upbringing and its destructive aftermath. Seven-year-old Norman, raised in India to believe his every whim is absolute law, arrives in England as a tyrant to his sister, Fanny, and a trial to his extended family. Through a sequence of ruined gardens, destroyed toys, and perilous outdoor misadventures across England and the Scottish Highlands, Norman learns the limits of self-will. Guided by Christian forbearance, quiet discipline, and a dramatic rescue, he gradually abandons his spiteful habits and transforms into an obedient, affectionate boy.

The Story

The narrative begins with eager anticipation at the English home of Mrs. Leslie. Her sweet-tempered granddaughter, Fanny, longs for the arrival of her parents and her younger brother, Norman, who have been living in India. Fanny has been raised in England under her grandmother's gentle, Christian guidance, growing into an obedient and forgiving child. Norman, however, has been brought up under his father's foolish principle that a child should be allowed to do whatever he pleases. The result is a selfish, ill-mannered boy who habitually mistreats servants, animals, and his sister.

Upon reaching England, Norman's cruel disposition immediately manifests. He violently pulls Fanny's hair while she tries to help him put on his stockings, justifying his behavior by claiming it is how he treated his nurse in India. Soon after, out of pure malice and jealousy, he digs up and tramples Fanny's prized flower garden. Rather than retaliating or exposing him to severe punishment, Fanny constantly shields her brother, taking the blame where she can and begging their elders to forgive his youth.

As the family travels to the Scottish Highlands to stay with family friends, Mr. and Mrs. Maclean of Glen Tulloch, Norman's petulance continues unchecked. When Fanny drags him across the rough moors in a small wheeled carriage, Norman responds to her fatigue by striking her with his stick. He behaves with similar hostility toward local inhabitants, including an old retired sailor named Alec Morrison and his impoverished young grandson, Robby. When Fanny is given a pet bird, Norman’s smoldering jealousy leads him to secretly harm and ultimately kill the creature. He later destroys Fanny's favorite doll, cutting off its head with a knife and accidentally slicing his own finger in the process—a pattern wherein his spite repeatedly recoils upon himself.

The turning point occurs through the influence of the patient Highland community and a terrifying accident. Despite Norman's persistent rudeness to Robby, the poor local boy consistently responds with goodwill and warning. During a picnic at Glen Corpach, Norman, eager to boast and show off his foolish bravery before older children, ignores Robby's explicit warnings about slippery rocks near a roaring waterfall. Norman loses his footing and tumbles into danger, suffering painful injuries. The very child he looked down upon acts as his savior.

Confined during his recovery, Norman finally feels true remorse for his behavior. Touched by Fanny’s unwavering forgiveness and the selfless kindness of those he mistreated, he seeks strength to reform his heart. He uses his own pocket money to buy Fanny a new bird to replace the one he destroyed, and upon returning home, he works diligently under his governess. Ultimately, Norman is sent to a proper boarding school, where his headmaster reports excellent marks for conduct, confirming that the once-intolerable tyrant has become a genuinely altered, considerate boy.

How It Unfolds

Arriving from India Fanny Vallery eagerly awaits her parents and younger brother at her grandmother's house, but seven-year-old Norman arrives thoroughly spoiled and defiant. He immediately shows his cruel temper by pulling Fanny's hair and fighting the servant who tries to dress him.

Vandals in the garden Jealous of Fanny's neat plot of flowers, Norman takes a spade and deliberately uproots and tramples her plants. Fanny breaks into tears but covers for her brother to spare him her grandmother's anger.

Violence in the drawing-room Enraged when he cannot find his football, Norman discovers Fanny's wax doll left in a chair and deliberately decapitates it with a pocketknife. He cuts his own finger in the process and screams in terror, blaming the doll for his injury.

Trouble on the Highland moors While traveling in Scotland, Fanny patiently pulls Norman across the rough terrain in a small handcart. Norman demands she go faster and repeatedly strikes her shoulder with a stick until she snatches it away and breaks it.

The cottage by the burn Fanny carries Norman across a shallow stream to visit the retired sailor Alec Morrison and his grandson Robby. Norman repays their hospitality with contempt, calling Robby a beggar and complaining about the gifts sent to the poor family.

Jealousy and the songbird When Fanny receives a pet bird named Pecksy, Norman harbors deep resentment over her happiness. He secretly harasses the creature day after day until the bird dies, leaving Fanny heartbroken while Norman wrestles with a guilty conscience.

The fall at Glen Corpach During a picnic near a roaring waterfall, Norman ignores Robby's warnings and climbs dangerous, slippery rocks to prove his bravery. He loses his footing, falls, and suffers severe injuries, requiring a painful recovery.

Reformation and school Humbled by his rescue and Fanny's persistent love, Norman repents his malicious ways and uses his own pocket money to buy his sister a new bird. He later departs for boarding school, where he earns high praise for his excellent behavior.

The People

• Norman Vallery is a seven-year-old boy whose indulgence by his father has turned him into a vengeful tyrant. He wants absolute freedom to satisfy his whims without opposition, but his unchecked self-will leaves him perpetually angry, isolated, and miserable. Through severe injuries, gentle reproofs, and genuine remorse, he undergoes a total moral reformation.
• Fanny Vallery is Norman's elder sister, raised in England by her loving grandmother. She wants peace, family harmony, and her brother's affection, but she is constantly subjected to his physical cruelty and spite. Grounded in deep religious faith, she consistently forgives Norman's misdeeds and shields him from punishment.
• Mrs. Leslie is Fanny's wise, devout grandmother. She seeks to rear her grandchildren according to biblical principles of discipline and love, providing the moral foundation that Fanny embodies and that Norman eventually adopts.
• Robby Morrison is the young, impoverished grandson of an old Highland sailor. Despite being insulted and dismissed as a "stupid little brat" by Norman, Robby repeatedly offers kindness and ultimately saves Norman from his reckless folly among the rocks.
• Mrs. Vallery is Norman and Fanny's mother, who regrets the permissive upbringing Norman received in India and relies on Mrs. Leslie's example to help correct his severe character flaws.

In Its Own Voice

When Norman's tyrant habits clash with household discipline, his sister's patience is tested to its absolute limit:

"I know I am, and I intend to do so. I want to show you the way I treated my ayah when she dared to do anything I did not like, and I do not choose to let you meddle with my feet."

As Norman's behavior continues to hurt those around him, a sensible servant identifies the fundamental contrast in the household:

"If you are not ashamed you ought to be, your sweet sister is an angel, and I should like you just to ask yourself what you are."

When Norman's jealousy turns toward Fanny's simple pleasures, his spite explodes into deliberate destruction:

"It was all your fault, you nasty thing, I wish that I had let you alone. What business had Fanny to leave you in the chair, looking so impudently at me, and if you had your head on, you would be laughing at me still?"

What It's Really About

At its core, Norman Vallery is a mid-nineteenth-century moral tract on the dangers of permissive parenting and the necessity of spiritual regeneration. The book argues that allowing a child unbridled freedom does not produce independence; instead, it yields a cruel, self-absorbed tyrant who inflicts misery on everyone around him. Kingston contrasts two distinct educational philosophies: the father's secular indulgence, which breeds selfishness, and the grandmother's firm, Scripture-based discipline, which fosters empathy and self-control. The story asserts that moral reformation cannot occur through external force alone, but requires a genuine change of heart brought about by Christian love, patient forgiveness, and divine grace.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in Victorian social history and juvenile literature will find Norman Vallery a fascinating artifact of its period. It offers an unvarnished look at 19th-century educational ideals, the British colonial practice of separating children from parents living in India, and the heavy-handed moral didacticism typical of the era. The writing style is direct and uncluttered, though contemporary readers may find the story's absolute moral starkness—where children are explicitly labeled as "angels" or "young tyrants"—unfamiliar compared to modern fiction.

The narrative moves at a brisk pace through specific, concrete incidents of childhood conflict, making Norman's psychological cruelty feel surprisingly vivid despite the book's brief length. While its heavy religious messaging and clear intent to instruct young readers on conduct may feel dated, the book remains a sharp, compelling portrait of childhood selfishness overcome by patient affection. It leaves the reader with a clear glimpse into how Victorian writers attempted to shape the moral instincts of their youngest audience.