Taking Tales: Instructive and Entertaining Reading

by William Henry Giles Kingston

"Taking Tales: Instructive and Entertaining Reading" by William Henry Giles Kingston is a collection of short stories written in the mid-19th century. This compilation features six engaging tales aimed at family reading, covering themes of adventure, morality, and life lessons. Among the stories, readers will encounter an English country miller, a boy who dreams of seafaring, a family relocating to Canada, a young soldier in major conflicts, an Australian shepherd, and a child laboring in a coal mine. The opening of the first story introduces us to Mark Page, the miller of Hillbrook, who grapples with the challenges of running a windmill in variable weather. Despite his material comforts, he is dissatisfied and grumpy, often envying his neighbor, Farmer Grey, whose innovative farming practices bring prosperity. While Mark is critical of Farmer Grey’s success, his kind-hearted daughter, Mary, secretly admires the farmer. Discontent surrounds Mark's family dynamics: his son, Ben, is a wayward youth influenced by bad company, leading to a troubling family legacy. As the story unfolds, readers will see how these characters interact, setting the stage for moral lessons about community, kindness, personal growth, and the consequences of one's actions.