Stories jolly: stories new: stories strange & stories true

In Short

This anthology is a curated assembly of short stories written by several prominent 19th-century authors, including R. M. Ballantyne, G. A. Henty, and Charlotte M. Yonge. First published in 1889, the volume provides a window into the era’s pedagogical approach to storytelling, blending tales of daring rescues, quiet domestic dramas, and whimsical fables. While the settings range from Russian villages to the rugged American frontier, the collection remains tied together by a consistent focus on the "conduct of life," urging young readers toward courage, self-reliance, and kindness.

The Story

The collection opens with the delicate atmosphere of an "Orange Garden" and a marble fountain, quickly shifting into the pulse-pounding reality of a lifeboat rescue. In "A Gallant Rescue," a young boy named Edwin Boyne accidentally stows away on a lifeboat during a storm, enduring the freezing sea spray and the rough handling of a crew that mistakes him for a sea monster before discovering his identity. From this high-stakes maritime drama, the narrative shifts to the varied, smaller-scale trials of childhood.

In "Jackie’s New Dodge," curiosity turns dangerous when a young boy experiments with chloroform on his sister, May, while the children of Winchester Crescent learn the hard lessons of loss and class difference. The moral landscapes become even more varied as the book progresses. We encounter Carlo, a young musician in Nancy who, after an accidental sojourn in a bear pit, finds salvation through the kindness of a mayor and eventually rises to become a royal chorister. Meanwhile, in the "Giant Fishers of Hertzenberg," a village faces the threat of invading monkeys and giants, ultimately finding a hero in the courageous Kaspar.

The domestic sphere is equally fraught with tension. In "Hughie’s Mistake," a well-meaning but perpetually scattered boy constantly disrupts his family’s peace, while "The Fox Family" anthropomorphizes a group of foxes living in a hollow tree, capturing their struggles with the "Herr Forester" and their desperate quest for a birthday feast. The theme of loss continues in "The Story of a Silver Padlock," which observes the decline of a family through the eyes of a neighbor, noting the cold reality of bailiffs and mounting debts.

The collection ventures into the cold, stark realities of life, such as in "Peter," where a young Russian boy’s quiet faith and devotion to his foster father, Ivan, are tested by the threat of exile to Siberia. The gypsies who aid their escape provide a brief, colorful respite, but the shadow of the Cossacks lingers. Finally, in "Wattie and the Wolves," a young boy and his sister are left alone on the frontier, defending their cabin against a pack of wolves using only their wits and a makeshift scarecrow. The volume concludes with these vignettes of resilience, emphasizing the triumph of small, determined figures over the overwhelming forces of nature, misfortune, and the unknown.

How It Unfolds

The call to action Each story initiates its arc through an immediate, often sudden disruption of the status quo. Whether it is a boy stumbling into a lifeboat, a family facing a bailiff, or a child lost in a toy shop, the characters are forced out of their comfort zones.

The rising tension The narrative focus shifts to the internal and external conflicts generated by these intrusions. Characters must navigate their own mistakes, such as Jackie’s dangerous curiosity or Hughie’s habitual carelessness, while contending with forces like wolves, giants, or the elements.

The moral pivot At the heart of every narrative lies a moment of choice where the protagonist must prioritize others or demonstrate integrity. This is the stage where the "conduct of life" is put to the test, often rewarded by divine providence or the kindness of strangers.

The final resolution Each tale closes with a formal restoration of order, often accompanied by a life lesson or a transformation in status. The ending is rarely ambiguous; characters find security, earn respect, or settle into a lasting peace that rewards their previous trials.

The People

The protagonists are defined by their specific roles within their respective domestic or wild environments. Edwin Boyne is the quintessential stowaway, whose recklessness is redeemed by his sheer presence in a moment of crisis. Jackie, in contrast, embodies the dangers of an "inquisitive mind," serving as a cautionary figure whose "dodge" nearly leads to tragedy. Carlo, the small musician, represents the archetype of the wandering orphan whose innate goodness draws the benevolence of powerful figures like the Mayor of Nancy. Kaspar stands as the definitive hero; his transformation from a simple villager to "Sir Kaspar of the Fearless Heart" serves as the collection’s most explicit study in nobility. Wattie and his sister, Hetty, occupy the role of the frontier survivors, their bravery defined by their protectiveness of one another in the face of the wolves. Finally, Peter stands apart as a figure of deep, quiet faith, whose primary motivation is the preservation of his foster father, Ivan, and his own moral purity in a harsh, cold world.

In Its Own Voice

"In his energy the man who sat on the thwart just above Edwin drew back his foot and kicked the poor boy on the chest with his great heel—a blow which would have broken his delicate ribs but for the cork jacket."

This line highlights the perilous, often bruising reality of a lifeboat rescue as experienced by the stowaway, Edwin.

"He knew that chloroform was given to people by doctors to make them unconscious, when something very painful had to be done."

Jackie’s internal justification for his dangerous game reveals the thin line between childhood curiosity and genuine negligence.

"There is little more to tell of Carlo, only this: when the King heard of Carlo's marvellous escape, he sent for him to his Court."

This passage summarizes the rapid transition from a life of hardship to royal recognition, typical of the collection’s sense of poetic justice.

What It's Really About

The collection functions as a Victorian manual for character formation. The underlying argument suggests that the world is a place of unpredictable dangers—be they wolves, financial ruin, or physical peril—and that one’s survival is contingent upon a disciplined, moral interior. The "conduct of life" is not an abstract concept here; it is the concrete habit of remembering a message, protecting a sister, or saying a prayer in the cold. The book implicitly asks how a child can remain good when their environment is either hostile or confusing. It posits that while external circumstances are often outside of one's control, internal integrity serves as the only reliable anchor in a shifting, often indifferent world.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, earnest pacing of 19th-century juvenile fiction will find much to admire here. There is a distinct, warm clarity to the prose that feels like a vestige of a time when stories were expected to instruct as much as they entertained. It is a rewarding read for those interested in the history of childhood and the evolution of the "conduct" genre.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes embedded in the narratives. Some depictions of cultural "others"—particularly the gypsies or the villagers in foreign lands—are filtered through the lens of late-Victorian assumptions about class and national character. The prose occasionally demands patience with archaic sentence structures and a moralizing tone that may feel distant from modern sensibilities. Yet, the emotional stakes remain universal. The sense of vulnerability felt by a child lost in a city or the quiet, shivering bravery of a boy facing the wilderness still resonates with a sharp, immediate clarity. What stays with you is the sincere, unironic belief in the power of the individual to overcome the "strange and true" challenges of life through simple, steadfast action.