万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

Битва королев. Том 1
Битва королев. Том 1
Акимори Акахана
¥19.05
Внеобычноммире,которыйсостоитизсовокупностейнародныхсказок, мифовилегендживётдевушкапоимениЛисяИнь-лучшаяученицамастера КунгФу,мечтающаястатьсильнейшиммастеромнасвете. ОднаждыгероинеприходитписьмосприглашениемпоучаствоватьвТысячелетнем турнире-битве,средисамыхвеликолепныхдевушекнавсёмбеломсвете.Но неожиданноподаренныйдругомдревнийартефактпревращаетдевушкувпарня. Чтобыизбавитьсяотпроклятия,онаотправляетсявдлинноепутешествиепо опасномуитаинственномумиру.
Minimanimalisme
Minimanimalisme
Ivan-Ghilia Liana
¥48.97
ngerii i rsu-plnsu reprezint un caleidoscop de proze scurte, diverse ca registru narativ i plasament tipologic, realiste sau misterioase n explorarea unor universuri afective imprevizibile n dezvoltarea ideaiei. n mare, e aici ceea ce s-ar numi Active Fictions Show. Naraiunile sunt de un laconism galo-latin, dar, n anumite pasaje, sintagme, discursuri ceva mai ample, dndu-i drumul“ spre o fantazare lingvistic, verbocreatorie, sau cvasiverbocreatorie, n descrierea existenei uor surdinizate, interiorizate, spre vis, spre supra-realitate a posibilitii noastre de a ne imagina cu ochii nchii, mijii sau chiar larg deschii. n diversitatea textelor s-ar ntmpla parc o multipl deschidere de ui, dar i plasare de antene pentru captarea semnalelor din psihocosmicitatea existenei n fantastic, n basm (intelectual, modern), n vis. E o concomiten (i interaciune) a cercetrii prin art i a intuiiei, a veridicului i a inefabilului. Leo Butnaru este un diavol cu barb care scapr din copite de sidef la mijloc de ru i de bine, adic ntr-o lume din scoar de mr domnesc plutind pe creasta valurilor ce le nal Prutul. Se vrea gladiator de destine, dar nu tie s i-l pzeasc pe al su, ceea ce nseamn c este un poet adevrat.Leo, ridic vslele i las vntul s te poarte spre limanul Nistrului romnesc, spre Delta uimirilor ce le adun Europa lng Ceatalul Ismail, spre misterele Carpailor. (Fnu Neagu) Dei tritor n lumea Prutului de dincolo, Leo aparine organic literaturii romne. Ai spune c triete la Bucureti, Rduti sau Rmnicu Srat... (Mihail Glanu)
Cin? cu langustine
Cin? cu langustine
Giugariu Mihai
¥24.44
ansa jocului i comunicrii cu necuvnttoarele“ – animale, psri, peti i alte lighioane, graie sensibilitii, mrinimiei, intuiiei, aduce copiilor foloase existeniale, recunoscute de psihologi, pedagogi, puericultori, artiti, savani, recent chiar de politicieni europeni verzi“ ce susin importana relaionrii omului cu Natura, calitile ei formative i estetice, aportul ei de vitalitate, echilibru, normalitate. Cartea de fa se refer, prin mijloacele poeziei i desenului – apte adesea a fi nelese mai uor de cei mici, dect de maturi – la bogia subiectelor vizuale i afective naturale, ce nc ne stau la dispoziie, alturi de lumea artificial pe care ne-o completeaz. Poezioare i imagini reformuleaz virtual un univers slbatic diminuat ct s ncap n raftul bibliotecii, n viziunea sever a printelui grijuliu, circumspect fa de orice pericole din planul fizic, dar mai ales n orizontul deschis al legitimei investigaii infantile. Strofele scrise n limbile romn, englez, francez dau un plus de universalitate unui ndemn generic: Admirai i iubii animalele!
The Jewish State
The Jewish State
Theodor Herzl
¥9.48
"Der Judenstaat" (German, literally "The Jew State", commonly translated as "The Jewish State") is a pamphlet written by Theodor Herzl and published in February 1896 in Leipzig and Vienna by M. Breitenstein's Verlags-Buchhandlung. It is subtitled with "Versuch einer modernen L?sung der Judenfrage", "Proposal of a modern solution for the Jewish question", and originally called "Address to the Rothschilds" referring to the Rothschild family banking dynasty.It is considered one of the most important texts of early Zionism. As expressed in this book, Herzl envisioned the founding of a future independent Jewish state during the 20th century. He argued that the best way to avoid antisemitism in Europe was to create this independent Jewish state. Herzl, who had lived as a secular, largely assimilated Jew, was fluent in neither Hebrew nor Yiddish. His lack of contact with Jewish culture and intellectual currents, and his limited contact with Jews less assimilated than he was probably the reason he abandoned fundamental Jewish principles and rekindled Zionism with this text. The book was used to encourage Jews from all across Europe to purchase land in Palestine. In Der Judenstaat, Herzl noted the possibility of a Jewish state in Argentina.Herzl popularized the term "Zionism", which was coined by Nathan Birnbaum. The nationalist movement culminated in the birth of the State of Israel in 1948, though Zionism continues to be connected with political support of the State of Israel.
Apaosuri
Apaosuri
Ștefan Cătălin-Mihai
¥24.44
Pentru Sanda S?ntimbreanu a venit vremea rememor?rii, vremea c?nd amintirile caut? o alt? exprimare, respira?ia eternit??ii. A dorit s? semneze pactul cu literatura, ?i i-a reu?it, mai ales – prin repetarea unor elemente de via??, prin asem?narea caracterelor unor personaje, printr-o anume continuitate ?ntre unele povestiri, prin obsesia unor teme – cel autobiografic. Autoarea vrea prin aceste povestiri de via?? s? se ?mpace cu trecutul s?u, unul pe care nu l-a acceptat, nu l-a ?n?eles poate destul ?n momentul tr?irii. (Nicoleta Dabija)
Rom?nia - ?ocul viitorului
Rom?nia - ?ocul viitorului
Cojocaru Eugen
¥48.97
Abia atept s ajung… S vd, n sfrsit, New York-ul! Ultima dat cnd mi-a fost fric de moarte… De fapt nu de ea, ci de teroarea i schingiuirea fizic din sistemul nostru aberant! De ce s m-ngrozeasc moartea O simpl prelungire a vieii. O banal fa a imparitii. Moartea! O nedeplin via a singurtii...“ O istorie palpitant despre via i despre moarte.
Star Maker: "A Prodigious Novel"
Star Maker: "A Prodigious Novel"
William Olaf Stapledon
¥18.88
“Star Maker”, regarded as one of the true classics of science fiction, Star Maker is a poetic and deeply philosophical work. The story details the mental journey of an unnamed narrator who is transported not only to other worlds but also other galaxies and parallel universes, until he eventually becomes part of the "cosmic mind." First published in 1937, Olaf Stapledon's descriptions of alien life are a political commentary on human life in the turbulent inter-war years. The book challenges preconceived notions of intelligence and awareness, and ultimately argues for a broadened perspective that would free us from culturally ingrained thought and our inevitable anthropomorphism. This is the first scholarly edition of a book that influenced such writers as C.S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke and which Jorge Luis Borges called "a prodigious novel."? Some Books of Stapledon: Last and First Men (1930) Sirius: A Fantasy of Love and Discord (1944) Odd John: A Story Between Jest and Earnest (1935) Last Men in London (1932) A Modern Magician (1979) Death into Life (1946) Darkness and the Light (1942) A World of Sound (1936) A Man Divided (1950) The Seed and the Flower (1916)
Tales of Space and Time
Tales of Space and Time
H. G. Wells
¥18.80
Tales of Space and Time, A collection of short stories: "The Crystal Egg", "The Star", "A Story of the Stone Age", "A Story of the Days to Come" & "The Man who could Work Miracles" ? Some Books of Wells: The War of the Worlds (1898) The Time Machine (1895) A Modern Utopia (1905) The Invisible Man (1897) The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth (1904) The Sleeper Awakes (1910) The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost (1902) The First Men in the Moon (1901) A Dream of Armageddon (1901)
The Blazing World
The Blazing World
Margaret Cavendish
¥28.37
“The Blazing World”, is a Description of a New World, Called The Blazing-World, better known as The Blazing World, is a 1666 work of prose fiction by English writer Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle. It has been described as an early fore-runner of science fiction.??Here on this Figure Cast a Glance.?But so as if it were by Chance,?Your eyes not fixt, they must not Stay,?Since this like Shadowes to the Day?It only represent's; for Still,?Her Beauty's found beyond the Skill?Of the best Paynter, to Imbrace?These lovely Lines within her face.?View her Soul's Picture, Judgment, witt,?Then read those Lines which Shee hath writt,?By Phancy's Pencill drawne alone?Which Peces but Shee, can justly owne.??To The Duchesse of Newcastle, ?On Her New Blazing-World.??Our Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts,?Could but divide the World into three Parts:?Columbus, then for Navigation fam'd,?Found a new World, America 'tis nam'd;?Now this new World was found, it was not made,?Onely discovered, lying in Time's shade.?Then what are You, having no Chaos found?To make a World, or any such least ground??But your Creating Fancy, thought it fit?To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit.?Your Blazing-World, beyond the Stars mounts higher,?Enlightens all with a C?lestial Fier.??William Newcastle.
?n fiecare zi moare un celebru
?n fiecare zi moare un celebru
Alex Petre Popescu
¥35.15
Dinu are 25 de ani, o carier? ?n presa de scandal ?i nemul?umiri pe toate planurile: e convins c? iubita ?l ?n?al?, a scris o carte pe care nu reu?e?te s-o publice, iar jobul s?u, de a scoate senza?ionalul din necazurile altora, nu-i aduce nici o satisfac?ie. ?n loc s?-?i accepte cu demnitate condi?ia de t?n?r intelectual rom?n, e decis s?-?i rezolve toate problemele, ?n doar o s?pt?m?n?. ?ntr-o astfel de situa?ie, de o gravitate medie, c?teva sfaturi ra?ionale ar putea fi exact ce are nevoie. Din p?cate, persoanele din jurul s?u nu se obosesc cu a?a ceva. Luca, prietenul s?u cel mai bun ?i fost coleg de facultate, ?l ?mpinge, de fiecare dat?, spre cea mai simpl? sau imoral? solu?ie. De cealalt? parte, fratele s?u Andrei ?ncearc? s?-l transforme ?ntr-un bun cre?tin, precum ceilal?i membrii ai sectei. Obsesia fa?? de starul hip-hop Ty Julius, impus? de cerin?ele publicului de tabloid, e singurul lucru care reu?e?te s?-i mai st?rneasc? sentimente puternice. Asta p?n? c?nd o ?nt?lne?te pe Simona, care i-ar putea schimba via?a complet, ?n bine, sau ?n r?u, sau poate chiar deloc.
The Double
The Double
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
¥18.80
-THE DOUBLE- centers on a government clerk who goes mad. It deals with the internal psychological struggle of its main character, Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, who repeatedly encounters someone who is his exact double in appearance but confident, aggressive, and extroverted, characteristics that are the polar opposites to those of the toadying "pushover" protagonist. ??The motif of the novella is a doppelganger (Russian "dvoynik"), known throughout the world in various guises such as the fetch. * * *? It was a little before eight o’clock in the morning when Yakov Petrovitch Golyadkin, a titular councillor, woke up from a long sleep. He yawned, stretched, and at last opened his eyes completely.?For two minutes, however, he lay in his bed without moving, as though he were not yet quite certain whether he were awake or still asleep, whether all that was going on around him were real and actual, or the continuation of his confused dreams. ??Very soon, however, Mr. Golyadkin’s senses began more clearly and more distinctly to receive their habitual and everyday impressions. The dirty green, smoke-begrimed, dusty walls of his little room, with the mahogany chest of drawers and chairs, the table painted red, the sofa covered with American leather of a reddish colour with little green flowers on it, and the clothes taken off in haste overnight and flung in a crumpled heap on the sofa, looked at him familiarly. At last the damp autumn day, muggy and dirty, peeped into the room through the dingy window pane with such a hostile, sour grimace that Mr. Golyadkin could not possibly doubt that he was not in the land of Nod, but in the city of Petersburg, in his own flat on the fourth storey of a huge block of buildings in Shestilavotchny Street.
The Fairy Ring
The Fairy Ring
Kate Douglas Wiggin
¥37.85
"THERE was once upon a time a king who had a garden; in that garden was an apple tree, and on that apple tree grew a golden apple every year."?These stories are the golden apples that grew on the tree in the king's garden; grew and grew and grew as the golden years went by; and being apples of gold they could never wither nor shrink nor change, so that they are as beautiful and precious for you to pluck today as when first they ripened long, long ago.??Perhaps you do not care for the sort of golden apples that grew in the king's garden; perhaps you prefer plain russets or green pippins? Well, these are not to be despised, for they also are wholesome food for growing boys and girls; but unless you can taste the flavor and feel the magic that lies in the golden apples of the king's garden you will lose one of the joys of youth.??No one can help respecting apples (or stories) that gleam as brightly today as they did hundreds and thousands of years ago, when first the tiny blossoms ripened into precious fruit.??"Should you ask me whence these stories,?Whence these legends and traditions?With the odors of the forest,?With the dew and damp of meadows?"—??I can say only that the people were telling fairy tales in Egypt, in Joseph's time, more than three thousand years ago; and that grand old Homer told them in the famous "Odyssey," with its witches and giants, its cap of darkness, and shoes of swiftness. Old nurses and village crones have repeated them by the fireside and in the chimney corner; shep-herds and cowherds have recounted them by the brookside, until the children of the world have all learned them by heart, bequeathing them, generation after generation, as a priceless legacy to their own children. Nor must you fancy that they have been told in your own tongue only. Long, long before the art of printing was known, men and women of all nations recited these and similar tales to one another, never thinking that the day would come when they would be regarded as the peculiar property of youth and childhood. ?
The Wonder-Book of Horses
The Wonder-Book of Horses
James Baldwin
¥28.29
SINCE the publication of my larger book, "The Horse Fair," many letters have been received from teachers and their scholars telling of the pleasure derived from the reading of it, and incidentally suggesting that much of its contents is directly in line with the courses of literary instruction pursued in our elementary schools. This suggestion has led me to col-lect certain of the stories into a smaller volume especially adapted for use as a school reading-book.? The eighteen stories in this volume have been chosen with a thought to their educative value as well as for the intrinsic charm of the original narratives, which in various forms have delighted many generations of readers. All have a literary interest connecting them with subjects with which every educated person is supposed to be familiar. In the first four, you will be introduced to the sun myths and season myths of the Greeks and of our Norse ancestors. Following these, the tale of song-inspiring Pegasus is presented in contrast with that of Griffen, the base imitation invented by the romancing poets of the Middle Ages. ? Then in "The Ship of the Plains," you may read of the mythical founding of Athens; and in the sketch that follows, you may enjoy a brief glimpse of Arabic imagery in the story of one of the most interesting episodes in the life of the prophet Mohammed. The story of the twin brethren will acquaint you with the thought of some of the old Latin writers, while the tale of Rakush will give you a taste of Persian literature as it is found in the great epic written by Firdusi. The romances of Charlemagne and his peers are represented by the story of Broiefort and his indomitable master; and the world-famous Don Quixote is introduced by his sorry but scarcely less famous steed, Rozinante.
A Hellinger- Madonna
A Hellinger- Madonna
Mörk Leonóra
¥57.31
Scrum este cel de-al doilea roman al lui Augustin Nacu ?i reprezint? istoria unei evad?ri e?uate, un joc periculos, dar ?i frumos, disperat de frumos al unui grup de prieteni, mai ?nt?i, elevi, apoi, studen?i, din Uniunea Sovietic?, afla?i ?ntr-o goan? perpetu? dup? visul lor. Cu mici excep?ii, ac?iunea se desf??oar? la Chi?in?u, capitala Republicii Sovietice Socialiste Moldovene?ti, la ?nceputul anilor optzeci ai secolului XX, constituind sf?r?itul a?a-zisei epoci de stagnare a lui Brejnev ?i acel intermezzo dinaintea perestroik?i lui Gorbaciov, av?nd mai multe ie?iri ?ntr-un viitor nu doar imaginar pentru tot at?tea ?ntoarceri ?ntr-un trecut teribil de real, chiar ?i ?n unul mai ?ndep?rtat, cel de la mijlocul secolului men?ionat, o perioad? dramatic? pentru Basarabia ?i oamenii ei, bunici ?i p?rin?i, a c?ror remanent? disperare s-a transmis printr-o ?memorie a genelor“ copiilor ?i nepo?ilor, aliment?ndu-le mereu acestora din urm? dorin?a nest?vilit? de libertate, din care s-a iscat acel vis ?i, implicit, acel joc al lor...
The Magic City: (Illustrated)
The Magic City: (Illustrated)
Edith Nesbit
¥18.80
Philip Haldane and his sister lived in a little red-roofed house in a little redroofed town. They had a little garden and a little balcony, and a little stable with a little pony in it—and a little cart for the pony to draw; a little canary hung in a little cage in the little bow-window, and the neat little servant kept everything as bright and clean as a little new pin. Philip had no one but his sister, and she had no one but Philip. Their parents were dead, and Helen, who was twenty years older than Philip and was really his half-sister, was all the mother he had ever known. And he had never envied other boys their mothers, because Helen was so kind and clever and dear. She gave up almost all her time to him; she taught him all the lessons he learned; she played with him, inventing the most wonderful new games and adventures. ABOUT AUTHOR: Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 1858 – 1924) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later connected to the Labour Party.
The Man Without a Country: (Illustrated)
The Man Without a Country: (Illustrated)
Edward E. Hale
¥12.18
"The Man Without a Country" first appeared in the Atlantic Monthlyfor December, 1863. It was the author's wish that it be published anonymously, in the hope that it might be ascribed to some officer of the Navy; but unfortunately, the man who compiled the year's index for the magazine, which was mailed with the December number, recognized Dr. Hale's handwriting, and gave him credit for it in the index. The story was written during the darkest period of the Civil War, and this war is perhaps the gloomiest period in the history of our great republic in the history of our great Republic; it was written at a time when one-half of the people in the United States were burning with patriotism, and were ready to lay down their lives to preserve the Union, while the other half were striving to disrupt what to them was merely a confederation of States, in no wise binding, and were damning the United States, even as did Philip Nolan; at at time when the President was bending low under the weight of sorrow for the loss of thousands of noble men who were falling in battle, and was enduring in pitiful silence the villification that was heaped upon him by the "copper-head" opposition; at a time when patriotism was preached in the pulpit, sung by our poets, and exhaled with every breath. The story launched in such an atmosphere, met with immediate favor. It was reprinted everywhere without regard for copyright, and was translated into several foreign languages. It was accepted by many as a narrative of actual facts, and provoked many discussions as to whether Philip Nolan was a real person; some even went so far as to identify him.
Japi?a
Japi?a
Banu Constantin
¥32.62
Prin volumul Istorie ?i sacralitate, Const. Miu ne poart? prin lumea cuv?ntului spus ori scris, de la ?nceputuri ?i p?n? ?n prezent. Autorul, ?n acest volum, atrage aten?ia, al?turi de al?i autori dedica?i adev?rului, pe care domnia sa ?i citeaz?, c? lingvi?tii no?tri din motive de ne?n?eles au l?sat a se ?n?elege c? limba rom?n? ar fi una de ?mprumut. Nu putem ?ti ce anume i-a determinat pe ace?tia s? conchid? ?n privin?a unor cuvinte din dic?ionarul limbii rom?ne c? ar avea r?d?cini turcice, slave ori din limba latin?. Se pare c? au uitat c? aceast? limb? este vorbit? pe ?ntreg arealul ??rii, spre deosebire de limba italian?, ce are mai multe dialecte ?i idiomuri care difer? de la o provincie la alta.
Idolii pe?terii
Idolii pe?terii
Logan Genoveva
¥24.44
Aceste povestiri au fost scrise ?n perioada 2010?2014 ?i publicate, ?n parte, ?n periodice. Le?am numit parabole, av?nd o anumit? inten?ionalitate, ?i am aplicat ?n realizarea lor aceea?i structur? (cvadripartit?) ?i acela?i registru can?titativ (aproximativ o mie de cuvinte).Pe cele din C?l?uzitorul de suflete (cea dint?i sec?iune) le consider europene, ac?iunea lor petrec?ndu?se ?n loca?ii diferite de pe b?tr?nul continent ?i majoritatea ideilor pe care se bazeaz? n?sc?ndu?se ?n timpul unor peregrin?ri (iubirile, c?r?ile, muzica ?i c?l?toriile sunt, dup? umila?mi p?rere, cele mai frumoase lucruri care ni se pot ?nt?mpla ?ntr?o via??). Cu excep?ia primei ?i a ultimei lucr?ri care schi?eaz? un posibil cadru, ordinea povestirilor este alfabetic?. De?i g?ndite ca fantastice, ele au ?i o dimensiune experien?ial?, ?n acela?i timp put?nd fi citite ?i ca poeme ?n proz?: ale ora??elor prin care am trecut, ale oamenilor pe care i?am cunos?cut ?i, desigur, ale sufletului meu, undeva, ?n str?fundurile mele consider?ndu?m?, ca mul?i semeni de?ai mei, oarecum poet… (Ladislau Daradici)
Through Russia: [Illustrated Edition]
Through Russia: [Illustrated Edition]
Maxim Gorky
¥23.14
This Book, is a collection of short stories about Russia. Book contains many collections of short stories by the popular and influential Russian author, a founder of the socialist realism literary method and arguably the greatest Russian literary figure of the 20th century. Maxim Gorky also wrote about stories, plays, memoirs and novels which touched the imagination of the Russian people, and was the first Russian author to write sympathetically of such characters as tramps and thieves, emphasizing their daily struggles against overwhelming odds..Some Other Books Maxim Gorky: Mother (1907) Creatures That Once Were Men (1918) Twenty-six and One and Other Stories (1902) The Man Who Was Afraid (1901)
Bok B?ce?i: "Andersen'den"
Bok B?ce?i: "Andersen'den"
Yalçın Ceylanoğlu
¥18.56
Güne, onun üzerinde parlyor ve ok güzel ldyordu. Bok bcei, “Dünya, henüz o kadar akln karmam.”, dedi ve unu syledi: “Sadece ona katlanmann yolunu yordamn bilmeniz gerekiyor.” Dünya güzeldi: mparatorun süvari atna, nallar verilmiti ünkü binicisi, “Bok Bcei” olacakt. Bok bcei unu syledi: “imdi ineceim ve dier bok bceklerine, uruma ne kadar fazla ey yapldn anlatacam. Dardaki yolculuumda tiryakisi olduum tüm zevklerden bahsedeceim ve artk at, nallarn eskitene kadar yuvamda kalacam syleyeceim!” Yazar Hakknda: “1972 ylnda Adana'da dodu. lk, orta ve lise eitimini Adana'da tamamlad. ukurova niversitesi Biyoloji Blümü'nden 1994 ylnda mezun oldu. eviri iiyle urat. 2004 ylndan bu yana, zel bir irkette muhasebe eleman olarak alyor. Hobi olarak, blog yazarl, editrlük (Adana Blog Yazarlar Facebook sayfas) ve eviri yapyor. Yabanc dil olarak, ngilizce biliyor. Mitoloji ve simgecilik konularyla ilgileniyor."
Cinderilla: "Or, the Little Glass Slipper"
Cinderilla: "Or, the Little Glass Slipper"
Charles Perrault
¥9.24
Cinderella, or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances, that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The oldest documented version comes from China, and the oldest European version from Italy. The most popular version was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, and later by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales. Although the story's title and main character's name change in different languages, in English-language folklore "Cinderella" is the archetypal name. The word "Cinderella" has, by analogy, come to mean one whose attributes were unrecognized, or one who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. The still-popular story of "Cinderella" continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions, and tropes to a wide variety of media. ONCE there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a former husband, two daughters of her own humour and they were indeed exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world. No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over, but the stepmother began to shew herself in her colours. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl; and the less, because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She employed her in the meanest work of the house; she scoured the dishes, tables, &c. and rubbed Madam's chamber, and those of Misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw-bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large, that they might see themselves at their full length, from head to foot.