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.

Aesop of Samos

Dog Collar

A scrawny wolf listens enviously as a well-fed dog describes the comforts of home, but a flat patch of fur on the dog’s neck worries him.

Length: 58 words

Liberty and Prosperity

Democracy in Europe

Events in Italy and Austria seemed to be bringing the day ever closer when a European democracy would vote herself into oblivion.

Length: 113 words

Liberty and Prosperity

A Backward Step

As William Lecky watched the rapid spread of socialism across the European Continent, he was struck by a powerful sense of déjà vu.

Length: 116 words

The Spanish Armada (1588)

The Spanish Armada

At the height of the Inquisition, King Philip II of Spain sent a glorious fleet against England to bring the nation back to his Church.

Length: 169 words

Scottish History

‘Ah! Freedom is a Noble Thing’

John Balliol had to decide whether his first loyalty was to the throne of Scotland or to the man who put him there.

Length: 112 words

Scottish History

A Simple Folk Without Guile

What were the Scots thinking back in 1290, when they asked King Edward I of England, of all people, to choose them a king?

Length: 116 words