Fun and Frolic — Reading Notes

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In Category - Science Fiction Utopias

Authors: Roe, E. T. [Editor] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2004 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Children's literature; Children's poetry; Children's stories Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 10,425

Reading time 46 min

Text sections 3

This digital edition of Fun and Frolic — Reading Notes is described by source-level measurements including 10,425 words, 46 min estimated reading time, and 3 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 20.0 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Children's literature,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #11374

This anthology, edited by E. T. Roe, collects poems and stories for children, mixing domestic scenes with adventure tales. The excerpts show a range from sentimental verse about grandmothers to narratives of lion hunts and military dogs, with an emphasis on moral lessons and exotic settings.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg11374

Read the Text

What was Elsie's surprise next morning, to find that her picnic dress had been mended "good as new." She did not need to ask who did it, for she felt certain that it was grandmamma's work, and so it proved. Grandmamma remembered that she herself was a little girl once, and that blessed memory brought her into close sympathy with the grief and joy of her little granddaughter. And so Elsie, thanks to her grandmamma's tact and tenderness, went to Dolly Blossom's birthday party.

The evening is coming, The Sun sinks to rest; The rooks are all flying Straight home to their nest. "Caw!" says the rook, as he flies overhead: It's time little people were going to bed!

The flowers are closing, The daisy's asleep; The primrose is buried In slumber so deep. Shut up for the night is the pimpernel red: It's time little people were going to bed!

The butterfly, drowsy, Has folded its wing; The bees are returning, No more the birds sing. Their labor is over, their nestlings are fed: It's time little people were going to bed!

Here comes the pony, His work is all done; Down through the meadow He takes a good run; Up goes his heels, and down goes his head: It's time little people were going to bed!

Good-night, little people, Good-night and good-night; Sweet dreams to your eyelids, Till dawning of light; The evening has come, there's no more to be said: It's time little people were going to bed!

THE CAT AND THE PARROT.

A lady who lived in New York City owned a pet parrot and a large house cat. The parrot was just as full of mischief as could be. One day the cat and parrot had a quarrel. I think the cat had upset Polly's food, or something of that kind. However, they seemed all right again. An hour or so after Polly was on her stand, she called out in a tone of extreme affection, "Pussy! Pussy! come here, Pussy." Pussy went and looked up innocently enough; Polly with her beak seized her tin of food and tipped its contents all over the cat, and then chuckled as poor Puss ran away half frightened to death.

Who is it coos just like a dove? Who is it that we dearly love-- The brightest blessing from above? Our baby.

While silent watch the angels keep, Who smiles so sweetly in his sleep, And oft displays his dimples deep. Our baby.

THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER.

We were crowded in the cabin, Not a soul would dare to sleep,-- It was midnight on the waters, And a storm was on the deep.

'Tis a fearful thing in winter To be shattered by the blast, And to hear the rattling trumpet Thunder, "Cut away the mast!"

So we shuddered there in silence,-- For the stoutest held his breath, While the hungry sea was roaring, And the breakers talked with Death.

And as thus we sat in darkness, Each one busy with his prayers, "We are lost!" the Captain shouted, As he staggered down the stairs.

But his little daughter whispered, As she took his icy hand, "Isn't God upon the ocean, Just the same as on the land?"

Then we kissed the little maiden, And we spoke in better cheer, And we anchored safe in harbor When the morn was smiling clear.

Our cat she had five little ones, As every person knew; Their names were "Flossie," "Snowball," "Smut," With "Kit," and little "Mew."

One day on foraging intent, She leaped upon a cage, But after sniffing round a while Vexed thoughts her mind engage.

"How very sad it is," thought she, "That every single linnet Has been removed before we came! The cage has nothing in it!

"However, I have dined to-day, So now for quiet rest; My children, you may go and play, For frolic suits you best."

With folded paws she laid her down, And meditative look, While every wicked little cat Its own diversion took.

Said Snowball to his brother Kit, "Get out of this--now do; For Smut and I, we live in here, And there's no room for you!

"And Smut feels rather sick to-day, He told me so just now; So off you go, again I say, Or there will be a row.

"And Kit, just leave that stick alone; Come, drop it now at once; Of all the cats I ever knew You are the greatest dunce."

Cried little Smut, "Quick, Snowball, quick! Or you will be too late; Here's sister Flossie pushing in; Come quick, and shut the gate."

"How strange it seems, when you and I, Dear Snowball, are so good, That other cats should be so pert, Inquisitive and rude!"

Continue Reading →

The contents of Fun and Frolic range from sentimental domestic verse to accounts of lion hunts and military dogs, a juxtaposition that may surprise readers expecting only light amusement. The opening poem, “Grandmother’s Chair,” dwells on mortality and heavenly reward, while later prose pieces describe Persian princes and African hunters. This variety suggests the editor aimed to combine moral instruction with excitement, a common aim in 19th-century children’s literature.

The catalog subjects list “Children’s literature; Children’s poetry; Children’s stories,” but the excerpts include material that seems aimed at older children or even adults, such as the story of Omar and Harmozan. The book’s title promises frolic, yet many selections emphasize duty, obedience, and the consequences of deceit.

Domestic Piety and the Figure of the Grandmother

The volume opens with “Grandmother’s Chair,” a poem that presents the grandmother as patiently awaiting death and reunion with her family in heaven. Lines such as “Grandmother never repines at her fate” and “patiently, hopefully, bides the time” establish a tone of religious resignation. The poem’s imagery—the “easy chair,” the “fire-light flickers,” the “pendulum tireless swings”—creates a static, interior setting. This contrasts sharply with later adventure pieces.

The prose story “How Grandma Surprised Elsie” also centers on a grandmother, but here she is a practical problem-solver. When Elsie tears her dress before a party, the grandmother “made light of it” and presumably mends it. The excerpt breaks off before the resolution, but the grandmother’s role shifts from the poem’s symbol of mortality to an active helper. Both selections, however, reinforce the grandmother as a moral and emotional anchor.

Exotic Adventures and Moral Lessons

Several selections transport readers to distant times and places. “True to His Word” recounts an episode from the Islamic conquest of Susa, in which the Persian prince Harmozan tricks Caliph Omar into sparing his life. The story emphasizes the sacredness of a promise, even to an “infidel.” The language is formal and the setting richly described: “gorgeous apparel,” “crown,” “embroidered silk robe.”

“Hunting a Lion” describes a hunt near the Cape of Good Hope, where a hunter escapes by playing dead while the lion sits on him. The narrative is brisk and violent: “pepper him with slugs and bullets,” “the lion bounded forward.” The moral is less explicit, but the hunter’s “prudence” in lying still is praised. These pieces, alongside “Military Dogs” and “The Jaguar,” offer a vision of courage, cunning, and the dangers of the natural world.

The Role of Animals in the Collection

Animals appear throughout Fun and Frolic in varied roles: as pets, prey, and military assets. “The Cat and the Parrot,” “Fun for the Kittens,” and “Fond of Cats” suggest domestic animals are a source of amusement. In contrast, “Military Dogs” describes the training of dogs for the French and German armies, emphasizing their “individual merit” and the difficulty of teaching them silence. The dogs are “never allowed to associate with civilians,” a detail that anthropomorphizes them as soldiers.

“Clever Goats” and “The Jaguar” present animals as either intelligent or dangerous. The jaguar is a “savage” predator that devastates livestock, while goats are presumably clever. This range—from playful kittens to disciplined war dogs—reflects the anthology’s mixed tone. The animal pieces often carry implicit lessons about human behavior: loyalty, obedience, or the need for caution.

Readers should approach Fun and Frolic as a sampler of 19th-century children’s reading, not a unified work. The excerpts suggest that the editor valued variety over consistency, mixing genres and moral tones. Pay attention to how the domestic and exotic pieces speak to each other—the grandmother’s patience and the hunter’s daring may be two sides of the same didactic coin. The book rewards browsing rather than sequential reading.

That rainy afternoon, nestled between lion hunts and grandmother verses in Fun and Frolic, I lingered on a quiet line about porch light—and somehow my hand wandered to a different shelf, pulling down Sketches of Southern life — Edition Insights instead. Same warm hush, different doors. One book simply let me into another, like a room leading onward.