3 h 44 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 44 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 92 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 92 pagesAbout this book
A king forgets the cakes, a boy holds his post, and a wish for gold brings trouble.
In Fifty Famous Stories Retold, James Baldwin gathers short tales from ancient Greece and Rome, English and Scottish history, and old legend. King Alfred hides from invaders. Robert Bruce faces defeat and doubt. Each story turns on a choice, with courage, patience, kindness or honesty at its heart.
Meet Cornelia, a Roman mother asked to show her jewels, and Androclus, a runaway slave who encounters a suffering lion. In Casabianca, a boy stays at his post during a sea battle. Baldwin keeps the words plain and the action direct, giving each person’s decision room to make its mark.
What you’ll discover
- A king brought low Follow Alfred into hiding, where a herdsman’s hut becomes a place to learn humility.
- Courage after defeat Stay with Robert Bruce as he searches for a reason to try once more.
- Friendship put to proof Meet Damon and Pythias, whose trust in each other faces a tyrant’s test.
- A wish gone wrong Discover how King Midas’s love of gold turns a treasured wish into trouble.
- Small choices that matter Consider what a cup of water means to the wounded Sir Philip Sidney.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy legends of kings and heroes, short tales with a clear point, and stories you can share aloud with a child or a friend.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- English kings learn lessons the hard way
- Outlaws, patriots and fools make their stands
- Kindness and courage can change a battle or a life
- Rome and Greece offer lessons in duty and honor
- Tales from many lands teach through sharp little surprises
- Children and small things carry some of the biggest stories
Who’s who
- King AlfredAn English king who hides from the fierce Danes and gathers his scattered army again.
- Robin HoodThe outlaw leader of Sherwood Forest who shares his spoils and helps young lovers.
- Robert BruceA King of Scotland who loses battle after battle and learns to keep trying from a spider.
- HoratiusA Roman guard who stands at a bridge so his city can be saved from an army.
- Grace DarlingA lighthouse keeper's daughter who insists on rowing to a wreck in a storm.
- Dick WhittingtonA poor orphan boy who comes to London hoping for golden streets and owns only a cat.
- Antonio CanovaA frail stonecutter's grandson who shows an astonishing gift for carving.
- MignonA mysterious dancing child who is rescued by Wilhelm and sings of a distant land.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 6 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 92 pages: 6,95 USD when you start free, 13,95 USD on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 92 pages: 15,95 USD when you start free, 21,95 USD on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in, 138 pages: 8,95 USD when you start free, 15,95 USD on its own.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in, 138 pages: 16,95 USD when you start free, 22,95 USD on its own.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Fifty Famous Stories Retold in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin · 1896
A king sits in his chair as the tide rises, and a spider teaches a defeated ruler to try once more.
Easy read2–5 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
What do a burned cake, a rising tide and a spider's thread have in common? Each carries a lesson inside a story.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
English kings learn lessons the hard way
The book opens in England, with rulers who face a test. King Alfred, hiding from the Danes, is asked by a woodcutter's wife to watch her cakes. His mind is full of battle plans, so the cakes burn, and she scolds the ragged stranger without knowing who he is.
The lessons come in many shapes. Canute is tired of flattery, so he has his chair set at the water's edge and orders the tide to stop. William the Conqueror lets his wise men ask his three sons which bird each would choose to be. Their answers hint at the men they will become.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Fifty Famous Stories Retold
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs 13,95 USD on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: 6,95 USD for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Fifty Famous Stories Retold about?
It collects fifty short tales about kings, heroes, brave children and wise or foolish people.
Who is James Baldwin, the author?
James Baldwin is the storyteller behind this collection for children. His preface describes his hope that these tales will bring pleasure and help young readers explore literature.
Are the stories in the book true?
They are a mix. Some are tied to real people such as Alfred, Canute and Napoleon, while others are legends, ballads or folk tales. The preface calls most of them partly legendary stories of heroes and famous people.
More by James Baldwin
All 4 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
