It was a winter night, and the ground around Paris was covered with snow, although the flakes had ceased to fall since some hours.?Spite of the cold and the darkness, a young man, wrapped in a mantle so voluminous as to hide a babe in his arms, strode over the white fields out of the town of Villers Cotterets, in the woods, eighteen leagues from the capital, which he had reached by the stage-coach, towards a hamlet called Haramont. His assured step seemed to indicate that he had previously gone this road.?Soon above him streaked the leafless boughs upon the grey sky. The sharp air, the odor of the oaks, the icicles and beads on the tips of branches, all appealed to the poetry in the wanderer.??Through the clumps he looked for the village spire and the blue smoke of the chimneys, filtering from the cottages through the natural trellis of the limbs.?It was dawn when he crossed a brook, bordered with yellow cress and frozen vines, and at the first hovel asked for the laborer's boy to take him to Madeline Pi-tou's home.??Mute and attentive, not so dull as most of their kind, the children sprang up and staring at the stranger, led him by the hand to a rather large and good-looking cottage, on the bank of the rivulet running by most of the dwellings.?A plank served as a bridge.?"There," said one of the guides nodding his head to-wards it.?Gilbert gave them a coin, which made their eyes open still more widely, and crossed the board to the door which he pushed open, while the children, taking one another's hand, started with all their might at the handsome gentleman in a brown cloth coat, buckled shoes and large cloak, who wanted to find Madeline Pitou.?Apart from them, Gilbert, for such was the young man's name, simply so for he had no other, saw no liv-ing things: Haramont was the deserted village he was seeking.??As soon as the door was open, his sight was struck by a scene full of charm, for almost anybody, and par-ticularly for a young philosopher like our roamer.?A robust peasant woman was suckling a baby, while another child, a sturdy boy of four or five, was saying a prayer in a loud voice.?In the chimney corner, near a window or rather a hole in the wall in which was stuck a pane of glass, an-other woman, going on for thirty-five or six, was spin-ning, with a stool under her feet, and a fat poodle on an end of this stool.?Catching sight of the visitor the dog barked in a civil and hospitable manner just to show that he had not been caught napping. The praying boy turned, cutting the devotional phrase in two, and both females uttered an exclamation between joy and surprise.?"I greet you, good mother Madeline," said Gilbert with a smile.

This is not a book about writing or innovation, arts or craft but a guide to being more creative and to applying the creative process to everything. Orna Ross, award-winning and best-selling novelist, and founder of the global non-profit self-publishing association, the Alliance of Independent Authors, has gathered extracts from a selection of her books -- novels, poems and the Go Creative! series into this anthology of inspirations, aimed at helping you to be more creative in everything you do. Ranging widely across her work, this anthology is at once a memoir, a meditation on the creative process, and an eloquent companion to living life as a conscious creator: a creativist. At its core is the concept of creativism, the art of creating more of what you truly want in your life and less of what you don’t. Through a blend of stories from lore and literature, from science and psychology, from her students and from her own life, Orna offers enduring wisdoms about creative practice as it applies to life, love and the pursuit of happiness -- including how to foster flow, overcome self-sabotage and enjoy true creative living. Chapters include: "The Seven Stages of The Creative Process"; "How To Create Anything" and "Where The Law of Attraction Goes Wrong” but what makes this volume unique is the stories and poems. Extracts from Orna's novels illustrate creative principles in action in the lives of her characters. And inspirational poems ignite the state of creative presence as you read. The combination of ancient wisdoms and up-to-date creative research equips you for the creative age in which we now live. Guaranteed to inspire and ignite your own creative spark, this compendium is also an excellent introduction to the Go Creative! series, as well as a practical guide to being more creative at work, at home and in everything you do.

The Great Train Robbery is one of the most well documented crimes of all time but how much do you really know about what happened on that fateful day in 1963 and in the years beyond? This new quiz book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the Great Train Robbery and the people involved.How many train robbers escaped from prison? What was the robbers' hideout called? Who was the first '30-year sentence' train robber to be released? The answers to these brain teasers and more can all be found inside The Great Train Robbery Quiz Book.With 100 questions all about the people involved in the robbery, where they are now, the detectives, Judge, books, films and TV programmes, this is a comprehensive guide to the most talked about UK heist in history.With 2013 marking the 50th anniversary, there is still a great deal of interest in the Great Train Robbery and if you would like to know more, this book is all you need.

A fascinating look at some of the greatest German composers in history, including Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and many more.

The A-Z of Atari 2600 Games: Volume 1 features reviews of three different games for each letter of the alphabet. The games range from the very earliest releases in the 70s to the modern homebrew games of today. This book shows you just how diverse the library of titles is for the Atari 2600 and how it became one of the best-selling consoles of all time.

For those who just can't get enough of the Kardashians and the Jenners, this is the perfect book for you! With over one hundred facts about not just Kendall and Kylie but the rest of the Klan as well - including their father Bruce's transition into a woman - this is a great read which you can pick up and put down at your leisure. If you enjoy spending time reading the latest celebrity gossip, you'll love finding out even more about the legendary sisters, their family, fashion, fun facts and shocking moments! Easily organised into sections so you can find the information you want fast, this is an unmissable addition to any fan's bookshelf.

Are you the world's biggest Blink-182 fan? Do you know everything there is to know about pop-punk's greatest band? Or are you new to the scene and want to become an instant expert on the band everyone is talking about? Then this is the book for you. Contained within are 101 amazing facts covering everything from the band's early days through the more difficult times (including the infamous plane crash) right up to their 2016 comeback - although WE all know they never really went away! Amaze yourself and your friends with these handily-packaged facts which are easily organised into relevant categories for maximum enjoyment.

The A-Z of Sega Master System Games: Volume 1 features reviews of three different games for each letter of the alphabet. The games range from the very earliest releases in the mid-eighties to the modern homebrew games of today. This book shows you just how diverse the library of titles is for the Sega Master System and how it put Sega on the path to success.

The A-Z of Atari 2600 Games: Volume 2 features reviews of three different games for each letter of the alphabet. The games range from the very earliest releases in the 70s to the modern homebrew games of today. This book shows you just how diverse the library of titles is for the Atari 2600 and how it became one of the best selling consoles of all time.

The A-Z of Nintendo Game Boy Games: Volume 1 features reviews of three different games for each letter of the alphabet. The games range from the very earliest releases in 1989 to the modern homebrew games of today. This book shows you just how diverse the library of titles is for the Nintendo Game Boy and how it became one of the most popular consoles of all-time.

How is it possible that despite the destruction of its infrastructure during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, Bosnian cinema rapidly rose to claim many of the most prestigious awards in world cinema during the 2000s? Were Bosnian films simply 'better' than those from neighbouring post-Yugoslav countries? Perhaps not. This work proposes that the international success of Bosnian films since the turn of the millennium has been due to how they enact Western prejudices concerning the war and its consequences. Delivering films with national narratives which associate the country with primitiveness and victimhood, Western audiences have engaged in dark tourism of the Bosnian screen.

Did you know that you're almost two thousand times more likely to die from an asteroid hitting the earth than you are from a terrorist attack? Would you be shocked to learn that almost half of pilots surveyed admitted to falling asleep during a flight? Do you think world population growth is increasing or declining? And does a regular social drinker earn more or less than their alcohol-free counterpart? This fascinating book contains over one hundred statistics that will surprise, shock and amaze you. With sections covering life, death, crime, education, the environment and much more, this is a great quick read for readers of any age.

The A-Z of Sega Mega Drive Games: Volume 1 features reviews of three different games for each letter of the alphabet. The games range from the very earliest releases in the mid-eighties to the modern homebrew games of today. This book shows you just how diverse the library of titles is for the Sega Mega Drive and how it became one of the most popular consoles of all-time.

Pointless conversations: a selection of daft, ridiculous and utterly pointless meanderings from the mind of Scott Tierney. If you've ever wanted to know the answers to why Superman is a coward; why Spiderman should technically be deformed; and if Superdog caused the death of Krypton, then these bite-sized comics will reveal all. The discussions may be insane, and most of what is said is rambling, but despite this, you may find yourself agreeing with most of what is said. It's a fair point: where does Spiderman store all that web?

How well do you know your 2000's Pop Music? This Quiz book will test even the most avid fan, with questions that span the 2000's bands and songs! Test yourself and your friends with this 2000's Pop Music Quiz Book.

A wonderfully comprehensive look at the subject of crime, written by American lawyer Clarence Darrow. Looks at everything from the reasons people commit crimes, to the effects and ethics of punishment, to the role of the police, to the criminal mindset and underworld, to the concept of war crimes, and much more besides.

A comprehensive guide to one of the greatest composers in history, Franz Joseph Haydn. This book covers the whole of Haydn's life and works.

Are you the world's biggest One Direction fan? Do you know everything there is to know about the world's best-loved boy band? Then this is the book for you! In this easy-to-digest eBook are 101 facts about your favourite group - do you know all of them?This is the second book in Jack Goldstein's One Direction series, featuring even more fantastic facts about your favourite band - Get the complete set!Test yourself and your friends with these handily-packaged facts easily organised into categories for maximum enjoyment. Show everyone that you are the master of One Direction mania!

This excellent quiz book contains 150 questions (and answers!) to test the knowledge of any Sex and the City fan. From questions a casual viewer should know all the way through to trivia that would test Carrie herself, this is a fantastic way to enjoy the high-class, high-fashion world of the much-loved foursome even more.

From her days as Hermione in the Harry Potter series to her emergence as one of the finest actressess of her generation, Emma Watson has become a favourite across the world. This book tells you everything you need to know about Emma from her first tentative steps in school plays to behind-the-scenes information from her recent films and her career as a model. If you're an Emma Watson fan, this is the perfect book for you!

Do you know what all 50 states in the USA are? Do you know facts such as the capital of each state? Do you know the state flower or bird? All this and many more facts are inside this interesting quick fact book of 300 interesting USA State facts.