This wonderful story about the true spirit of giving. This classic Christmas story is about forgetting oneself, and focusing on the needs of others. John Weightman is living a misdirected life, he has done much good in the world, but it has all been calculated to be of benefit to himself and his businesses. Fortunately he receives a wake-up call through a beautiful Christmas Eve experience, and receives a privileged preview of his heavenly mansion.

In this allegorical short story, Nathaniel Hawthorne parodies John Bunyan’s famous book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Rather than take the long and arduous road to the Celestial City, Hawthorne’s narrator hops on the express train to paradise. As he gets closer to his destination, however, he realizes that the clever-talking Mr. Smooth-It-Away may not be who he claims. While a caricature of Bunyan’s original tale, “The Celestial Railroad” ultimately drives home a similar point: there is no easy road to Heaven, so tough it out on the straight and narrow.

Spot was a good-looking dog and everyone in the Klondike wanted the canine - except the two men that owned him. They tried selling him, they tried leaving him behind, and Spot seemed content to keep them guessing how he was always able to find them. Adventure, humor, and a good dose of owner frustration populate this story from famed writer Jack London.

This is a story from the The Innocence of Father Brown - Volume 2 collection.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) is the first novel by Charles Dickens. The book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books and other merchandise.

>"The Cop and the Anthem" may be the third most widely read O. Henry story in grammar, middle, and high school. "The Ransom of Red Chief" rates number one, "The Gift of the Magi" number two, and "A Retrieved Reformation" number four. Young readers enjoy this story a lot because of the hilarious plot of Soapy, the only named character, trying to get arrested so he can spend the winter in jail. Adults tend to like the ironic approach of Soapy’s potential victims....

Two more classic Sherlock Holmes tales starring Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud.

This classic of American literature, a dramatic autobiography of the early life of an American slave, was first published in 1845, when its author had just achieved his freedom. It is a story that shocked the world with its first-hand account of the horrors of slavery. The book was an incredible success. It sold over 30,000 copies and was an international best seller.

In January 1956, a tragic story flooded headlines around the world. Five men, spurred by a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ, ventured deep into the jungles of Ecuador. Their goal: to make contact with an isolated tribe whose previous response to the outside world had been to attack all strangers. Through Gates of Splendor, the story of Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Jim Elliot, was first recorded in 1956 by Jim's widow, Elisabeth.

At just 12 years old, Matt must face serious challenges in the Maine wilderness while awaiting his father's return to their cabin. When he is saved from a terrifying bee swarm attack by an Indian chief and his grandson Attean, Matt gains a valuable friend in the young Indian boy.

Kit Tyler must leave behind shimmering Caribbean islands to join the stern Puritan community of her relatives. She soon feels caged, until she meets the old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. But when their friendship is discovered, Kit herself is accused of witchcraft!  

Five tales which range from the jungles of India to the frozen emptiness of the North... In all of them, Kipling's extraordinary powers of description and ability to identify with human aspiration and animal survival are vividly shown. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi must battle with Nag, the cobra, in his territory; Toomai has a unique glimpse of the elephant world, Kotick, the White Seal, searches for sanctuary, while Kotuko has to find food for his starving Eskimo village. Above all, Kipling's love of life in all its variety shines through.

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a short story from the 1894 anthology The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling about the adventures of a valiant young mongoose. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, as the mongoose is named, becomes washed away by a summer flood and is revived by a British family living in India. Rikki-Tikki, taking the role of both a pet and protector of his newly adoptive family, encounters many dangers in his new life.

The Colonel's body is discovered in the blacksmith's yard, the skull smashed like a crushed eggshell. No man for 40 miles around could have struck such a blow, except the giant of a blacksmith... and the blackmith has a cast-iron alibi. Only the reticent catholic priest Father Brown can deduce the extraordinary truth behind this bizarre murder.

Set in the 14th century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.