The Old Nurses Stocking-Basket
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First published by Oxford University Press 1931

Published by Jonathan Cape 2015

Reissued in this edition 2016

Text copyright © The Miss E. Farjeon Will Trust, 1931

Illustrations copyright © Edward Ardizzone, 1965

The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted

Cover illustration by Edward Ardizzone

ISBN: 978–0–141–37552–6

Contents

  1. The Old Nurse

  2. Bertha Goldfoot

  3. The Blue Lotus

  4. The Proud Infanta

  5. Can Men Be Such Fools As All That?

  6. The Veil of Irazade

  7. Lipp the Lapp

  8. The Roof-tree

  9. You Can’t Darn That Hole

10. The Princess of China

11. The Golden Eagle

12. The Two Brothers

13. The Sea-Baby

Read On

ELEANOR FARJEON (1881–1965) was a British author of children’s stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. She lived much of her life among the literary and theatrical circles of London, and her friends included D. H. Lawrence, Walter de la Mare and Robert Frost. One of England’s most notable writers for children, Eleanor Farjeon received many honours during her long and distinguished career, including the Regina Medal, the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Carnegie Medal. The highly prestigious Eleanor Farjeon Award for children’s literature is presented annually in her memory by the Children’s Book Circle.

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Puffin is over seventy years old. Sounds ancient, doesn’t it? But Puffin has never been so lively. We’re always on the lookout for the next big idea, which is how it began all those years ago.
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Penguin Books was a big idea from the mind of a man called Allen Lane, who in 1935 invented the quality paperback and changed the world. And from great Penguins, great Puffins grew, changing the face of children’s books forever.
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The first four Puffin Picture Books were hatched in 1940 and the first Puffin story book featured a man with broomstick arms called Worzel Gummidge. In 1967 Kaye Webb, Puffin Editor, started the Puffin Club, promising to ‘make children into readers’. She kept that promise and over 200,000 children became devoted Puffineers through their quarterly instalments of Puffin Post.
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Many years from now, we hope you’ll look back and remember Puffin with a smile. No matter what your age or what you’re into, there’s a Puffin for everyone. The possibilities are endless, but one thing is for sure: whether it’s a picture book or a paperback, a sticker book or a hardback, if it’s got that little Puffin on it – it’s bound to be good.
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Also by Eleanor Farjeon

KINGS AND QUEENS

(with Herbert Farjeon)