Minis
Mini Copy Book

Each post in this section is a short précis (summary) of a passage in The Copy Book. All of them are in modern English. They are intended for students of English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Level.

Lives of the Saints

St Nicholas and the Unjust Judge

Trouble comes to the town of Myra when Imperial soldiers are despatched to put down a revolt.

Length: 114 words

Extracts from Literature

A Confiscation of Property

Arthur Huntingdon discovers that his wife is planning to leave him, and take their little boy with her.

Length: 107 words

Mediaeval History

The Disappearance of Arthur

In April 1203, a royal prince and heir vanished from Rouen at just the right moment for King John.

Length: 110 words

Music and Musicians

A Toast to the Greatest Composer

When violinist Joseph Joachim proposed a toast to the world’s greatest composer, he was cut off in mid flow.

Length: 53 words

Music and Musicians

Lion Hunting in Heidelberg

Composer Johannes Brahms disliked the adulation sometimes heaped on him by fans, and found quite imaginative ways to avoid it.

Length: 101 words

Music and Musicians

Musical Appreciation

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford recalls the very different receptions given by British and German audiences to a little bit of Brahms.

Length: 59 words