Cautionary Tales for Children

by Hilaire Belloc

"Cautionary Tales for Children" by Hilaire Belloc is a children's book published in 1907. This darkly humorous collection parodies the Victorian-era moral tales that warned children against bad behavior. Written in rhyming couplets, eleven tales follow unfortunate children who meet exaggerated, often fatal consequences for their misdeeds—from Jim, eaten by a lion, to Matilda, burned for lying. The poems satirize upper-class Victorian society while delighting readers with their wickedly entertaining mix of macabre humor and moral instruction.