The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

1051

© David Dixon, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Bishop and the Chatterbox Clay Lane

One week into a Lenten retreat with the Bishop of Hexham, a boy’s miserable life is turned right around.

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1052

© José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Michaelmas

A celebration of St Michael, captain of heaven’s angel host, courteous warrior, and healer.

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1053

© Roswitha Budde, Cattery vom Hohen Timp, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Wolf, the Bear and Cat Ivanovitch Clay Lane

A faithful but unprepossessing pet is turned out of hearth and home.

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1054

Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Japan’s First Railway Clay Lane

As Japan’s ruling shoguns resist the tide of progress, a Nagasaki-based Scottish entrepreneur steps in.

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1055

By Henry Summer Watson, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Free-Wheeler Ethel Smyth

Composer Ethel Smyth buys a new-fangled ladies’ bicycle, and scandalises the neighbours.

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1056

© Cogdogblog, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Alice gets an English Lesson Lewis Carroll

Alice meets Humpty Dumpty, and it turns out that she has been using words wrong all her life.

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