When Daniel Webster was a young lawyer, he was going home one night. There was snow on the ground. It was very cold. It was late, and there was nobody to be seen. But after a while he saw a poor woman. She was ahead of him. He wondered what had brought her out on…

Daniel Webster was a great statesman. As a little boy, he was called “Little Black Dan.” When he grew larger, he was thin and sickly-looking. But he had large, dark eyes. People called him “All Eyes.” He was very fond of his brother Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a little older than Daniel. Both the boys had…

William Cullen Bryant was the first great poet in this country. He was a small man. When he was a baby, his head was too big for his body. His father used to send the baby to be dipped in a cold spring every day. The father thought that putting his head into cold water…

Audubon was traveling in the woods in Mississippi. He found the little cabin of a settler. He stayed there for the night. The settler told him that there was a panther in the swamp near his house. A panther is a very large and fierce animal. It is large enough to kill a man. This…

When Audubon was making his great book about birds, he had to live much in the woods. Sometimes he lived among the Indians. He once saw an Indian go into a hollow tree. There was a bear in the tree. The Indian had a knife in his hand. He fought with the bear in the…

John James Audubon knew more about the birds of this country than any man had ever known before. He was born in the State of Louisiana. His father took him to France when he was a boy. He went to school in France. The little John James was fond of studying about wild animals. But…

Everybody in the United States has heard the song about the star-spangled banner. Nearly everybody has sung it. It was written by Francis Scott Key. Key was a young lawyer. In the War of 1812 he fought with the American army. The British landed soldiers in Maryland. At Bladensburg, they fought and beat the Americans.…

Fred was talking to his sister one day. He said, “Alice, what makes people say, ‘Don’t give up the ship’?” Alice said, “I don’t know. That’s what the teacher said to me yesterday when I thought that I could not get my lesson.” “Yes,” said Fred, “and that’s what father said to me. I told…

The Revolution was about over. Americans were very happy. Their country was to be free. At this time, a little boy was born in New York. His family was named Irving. What should this little boy be named? His mother said, “Washington’s work is done. Let us name the baby Washington.” So he was called…