★ The Beautiful Side of the Picture Heathen prince Boris I of Bulgaria (r. 852–889) commissioned St Methodius to paint an impressive scene for his palace walls.

For Today • February 10 • The Sunday of the Last Judgment

Polyword: Mere Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted February 21 • Think and Speak

Go to the Ant Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

Posted February 20 • The Copy Book

Chariots of Steam Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Posted February 16 • The Copy Book

Music Video Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Posted February 16

Fragments Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Posted February 15 • Think and Speak

The Moral Case for Family Farms Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

Posted February 14 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Nouns of Number William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha’s Inspiration Henry Longfellow tells us how his tale of a heroic Native American warrior came to him.

Posted February 12 • The Copy Book

Near Synonyms These words have very similar meaning but they are not the same — can you show the difference?

Posted February 12

Music Video Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha: And They Said Farewell Forever

Posted February 12

Music Video Leroy Anderson: Irish Suite: II. The Minstrel Boy

Posted February 11

The Travellers and the Axe Two men find an axe, and then find some trouble, but they aren’t keen on sharing either of them.

Posted February 11 • The Copy Book

Train

Posted February 9 • Think and Speak

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

Posted February 9 • The Copy Book

One Delicious Grinding Snip If little Maggie Tulliver is going to get her hair cut, it’s going to be done on her own terms.

Posted February 8 • The Copy Book

Verbs Make sentences with verbs such as look up, and look behind.

Posted February 8

Artful Lizzy Bennet Elizabeth Bennet stonewalls her way through a disagreeable encounter with Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Posted February 6 • The Copy Book

Jigsaws Combine each group of ideas into one sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can work in one or more of the words suggested.

Posted February 6 • Think and Speak

Film Video William Shakespeare: The Quality of Mercy (from ‘The Merchant of Venice’)

Posted February 5