Minis
Mini Copy Book

Scandinavian History

The Wooing of Olaf Tryggvason

An aristocratic widow advertises for a husband, and among the line-up of natty and noble suitors is a rough-and-ready Olaf Tryggvason.

Length: 111 words

Lives of the Saints

Dear Elizabeth

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, but to one ordinary Russian she was simply ‘dear Elizabeth’.

Length: 60 words

Aesopica

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

A wily predator dons a sheepskin so he can help himself to the whole flock.

Length: 54 words

Discovery and Invention

The Birth of the Telephone

Alexander Graham Bell was heading for a dead end when a broken component showed him the way.

Length: 115 words

Samuel Johnson

Keeping In With Hodge

Dr Johnson’s cat left James Boswell cold, but the great man himself would do anything to avoid hurting the little fellow’s feelings.

Length: 60 words

Russian History

Peter and Fevronia

Beneath a clutter of mediaeval legend lies a heartwarming tale of a Russian Prince and his peasant bride.

Length: 58 words