The Magic World

The Magic World is an influential collection of twelve short stories by E. Nesbit. It was first published in book form in 1912 by Macmillan and Co. Ltd., with illustrations by H. R. Millar and Gerald Spencer Pryse. The stories, previously printed in magazines (like Blackie's Children's Annual), are typical of Nesbit's arch, ironic, clever fantasies for children. Some of the twelve stories in the collection are: ""The Cat-hood of Maurice"" - a boy abuses the family cat, and learns to see things from the feline point of view. ""The Mixed Mine"" - two boys find a magic spyglass, and use it to make their fortunes. ""Accidental Magic"" - Quentin falls asleep on the altarstone at Stonehenge, and wakes in Atlantis. ""The Princess and the Hedge-pig"" - King Ozymandias and Queen Eliza plan a secret christening for their Princess Ozyliza, to avoid a wicked fairy's curse. Things go awry.