Chapter I: Front Matter

Johnny Blossom

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TELLEF’S GRANDMOTHER
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JOHNNY BLOSSOM

From the Norwegian of
DIKKEN ZWILGMEYER

TRANSLATED BY
EMILIE POULSSON

Illustrations by
F. LILEY YOUNG

_THE PILGRIM PRESS_

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO

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_COPYRIGHT, 1912
BY LUTHER H. CARY_
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Published, September, 1912

_THE·PLIMPTON·PRESS
[W·D·O]
NORWOOD·MASS·U·S·A_

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Preface

HAVING made acquaintance with Johnny Blossom in his native land of Norway through the stories about him by Miss Dikken Zwilgmeyer, the desire to introduce the amusing, sound-natured boy to American children has resulted in this translation.

Some liberty has been taken with the original text, chiefly to eliminate circumstances or incidents which would not be clear to child readers in a different environment; but I have taken pains to keep the translation faithful to the original in spirit and expression, appreciating that in these lies much of the wholesome power of the book.

Johnny Blossom is not local but universal. Interest in him is not even limited to boys. When the book first appeared, a Norwegian reviewer wrote:

“Our most popular author of books for little girls has this year forsaken them, and apparently gone over to the boys, since her book is about a boy; ... but I have yet to see the little girl who would not be glad to read of such a boy as Johnny Blossom.... Although a genuine boy, he is a right-minded little fellow with earnest childlike spirit; and he can never be thoroughly content until he has had his mother’s full forgiveness when he has been naughty, or, if he has wronged any one, until he has made restitution.”

With confidence that such a child will be a good story-book friend for our children, and a favorite with them as he is among his little compatriots, I send Johnny Blossom forth to meet his welcome.

EMILIE POULSSON

HOPKINTON, MASS., 1912

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CONTENTS

PAGE

I. JOHNNY BLOSSOM’S 3
FIGHTING

II. CRAB-FISHING 22

III. A CREDIT TO THE 33
SCHOOL

IV. AUNT GRENERTSEN’S 43
APPLES

V. THE RED BUOY 61

VI. JOHNNY BLOSSOM’S 74
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

VII. A PRESENT FROM UNCLE 86
ISAAC

VIII. UNCLE ISAAC’S WILL 97

IX. ONE DAY IN VACATION 108

X. TELLEF’S GRANDMOTHER 120

XI. THE PET HORSE 130

XII. THE UMBRELLA 141
ADVENTURE

XIII. JOHNNY BLOSSOM’S 150
BIRTHDAY PARTY

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Illustrations

Tellef’s Grandmother Frontispiece

Johnny Blossom’s 78
Christmas Presents

A Present from Uncle 90
Isaac

One Day in Vacation 114

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JOHNNY BLOSSOM

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