First published in 1907 and in print ever since, Hilaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tales for Children is a deliciously witty parody of the terribly serious moral tales for children, which were popular in Victorian times. Terrifying and funny at the same time, and with a true sense of the absurd, Belloc brings us the renowned Jim, Who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a Lion and unfortunate Rebecca, who slammed Doors for Fun and Perished Miserably. As well as these stories and many more, this edition includes a selection of mischievous poems from The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts and More Beasts for Worse Children. This volume includes the original illustrations by Basil Temple Blackwood, known as B.T.B.

Known as a central figure in English literature, Hilaire Belloc produced a number of stunning, funny, and clever admonishments for children. The tales in this volume, illustrated by the inimitable Edward Gorey, contain instructive lessons for almost everyone.
For those children prone to wandering off from their caretakers, there is the story of a certain young Jim, "who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion." Those known to stretch the truth will hardly be comforted by the tale of Matilda, "who told lies and was burned to death." And as for those of us--and our children--who tend to the vainglorious, there is the sobering tale of Godolphin Horne, "who was cursed with the sin of pride and became a boot-black."
Witty, brilliant, and strikingly irreverent.

These classic tales of Awful Warnings about the consequences of Bad Behaviour are among the best of comic verse ever written for children. 'Designed for the Admonition of children between the ages of eight and fourteen years', they were first published in 1907; though such eccentricity as Henry King's chewing string may no longer be a common misdemeanour, the humour is perennial and continues to entertained generations of children and their parents. This edition includes New Cautionary Tales, first published in 1930, and illustrated by Nicholas Bentley, who replaced as collaborator the poet's friend Lord Basil Blackwood (B. T. B. ) after his death in World War I.

Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) was one of the most respected men of his day for his learning, insight, wit, and brilliant literary style. Author of over a hundred books and articles, Belloc was a journalist, polemicist, social and political analyst, literary critic, poet, and novelist."The Servile State" has endured as his most important political work. The effect of socialist doctrine on capitalist society, Belloc wrote, is to produce a third thing different from either--the servile state, today commonly called the welfare state.

Award-winning illustrator Mini Grey turns her inimitable hand to Hilaire Belloc's classic cautionary tale of Jim: who ran away from his Nurse and was eaten by a Lion! First published in 1907, Belloc's wickedly funny poem describing the sad end of Jim is fabulously illustrated in a magical picture book edition. This is darkly comic, word of warning about the dangers of being spoiled is the perfect tongue-in-cheek corrective for little ones who have been a little overindulged!