Cautionary Tales for Children

"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.

Cautionary Tales for Children, by Hilaire Belloc. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #27424.