The First Little Pet Book with Ten Short Stories in Words of Three and Four Letters

Many and many a time mothers have come to the author with the piteous plaint: O Aunt Fanny! we are perfectly worn out with your 'Nightcaps,' 'Mittens,' and 'Socks;' we have read them to our little children, who have not yet conquered the compound mysteries of the alphabet, until we know them by heart; do, do write some books in words of one syllable, which they can read for themselves.
Now, I wonder if these good mothers can conceive what it is to write a story in words of one syllable, and make it interesting, sensible, and grammatical? If they can not, I entreat them to try a page or two of this utterly distracting style of composition; they will very soon have a realizing sense of the pleasing emotions of a lunatic confined in a strait-jacket. Above all, let them try a tale of joy or woe, all in words of three letters and less. Mother Goose could never have made her precious high-diddle-diddle nonsense in this way. I have tried frantically to spell jolly in three letters and darling in one syllable. How I have succeeded the books are submitted to show.
The mothers have wanted them, and I have written them—begging pardon of Mother Goose and Mr. Murray—and entreating that all short-comings, which in this case will mean all words too long, will be set down to want of power, not want of will, to delight and amuse the dear little darlings, the writing for whom is so rare a comfort to their loving
AUNT FANNY.



ne day Ned got a pie to eat. It was too hot, so he put it out in the air, on the lid of a big tin pot.
And now he ran off to see his dog who had a pup, and his cat who had a kit.