THE author of this work makes no pretense of originality in the telling of these stories of olden times. They have been gleaned from many sources, and are the common heritage of all who love to write them anew and hear them again. Only the words belong to the story teller; the story itself is as old as the race. In the lapse of years and with the much telling of these stories there is no longer a line between fact and fiction. How much is true and how much is false does not matter; the story itself is the thing, and one need not worry whether it really happened or not. Much of it is palpable fiction, but much of it is true. Let us not be too critical of a story when it is a few hundred years old. At any rate, the stories herein contained are a part of the great inheritance that the boys and girls of this day have received from the past, and to which they are entitled in all fullness and freedom. If the reading of them shall add anything to the enjoyment or to the information of those who are always young in heart because they always thrill at romance and adventure, the writer of these old time tales will be amply repaid. LAWTON B. EVANS JEROME AND THE LION THE SAINT WHO STOOD ON A PILLAR THE SCOURGE OF GOD THE VANDAL HORDE KING CLOVIS BECOMES A CHRISTIAN A CAMEL DRIVER BECOMES A PROPHET WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A KNIGHT BERTHA WITH THE BIG FOOT STORIES OF CHARLEMAGNE CHARLEMAGNE AND THE MAGIC RING CHARLEMAGNE AND THE ROBBER ROLAND BECOMES A KNIGHT THE DEATH OF ROLAND HOW NORMANDY CAME BY ITS NAME OLAF, THE BOY VIKING OF NORWAY THE CID WINS HIS NAME THE LAST DAYS OF THE CID THE LORELEI THE MOUSE TOWER THE DEVIL'S LADDER GERDA'S RIDE TO HER WEDDING PETER THE HERMIT THE WIVES OF WEINSBERG THE MEETING OF KING RICHARD AND SALADIN ADVENTURES OF RICHARD, THE LION HEART THE PRINCE OF TRAVELERS WILLIAM TELL, THE SWISS PATRIOT EDWARD, THE BLACK PRINCE BIG FERRE KEEPS THE FORT THE LEGEND OF THE STRASSBURG CLOCK THE BURGHERS OF GHENT REFUSE TO BE HANGED THE SACRIFICE OF ARNOLD WINKELRIED THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC BAYARD, THE KNIGHT WITHOUT FEAR AND WITHOUT REPROACH THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD DMITRI, THE PRETENDER THE MAN WITH THE IRON MASK STORIES OF PETER THE GREAT MAZEPPA, THE CHIEF OF THE COSSACKS THE CRIME OF CHARLOTTE CORDAY

THE author of this work makes no pretense of originality in the telling of these stories of olden times. They have been gleaned from many sources, and are the common heritage of all who love to write them anew and hear them again. Only the words belong to the story teller; the story itself is as old as the race.    In the lapse of years and with the much telling of these stories there is no longer a line between fact and fiction. How much is true and how much is false does not matter; the story itself is the thing, and one need not worry whether it really happened or not. Much of it is palpable fiction, but much of it is true. Let us not be too critical of a story when it is a few hundred years old.    At any rate, the stories herein contained are a part of the great inheritance that the boys and girls of this day have received from the past, and to which they are entitled in all fullness and freedom. If the reading of them shall add anything to the enjoyment or to the information of those who are always young in heart because they always thrill at romance and adventure, the writer of these old time tales will be amply repaid.  LAWTON B. EVANS    1. JEROME AND THE LION  2. THE SAINT WHO STOOD ON A PILLAR  3. THE SCOURGE OF GOD  4. THE VANDAL HORDE  5. KING CLOVIS BECOMES A CHRISTIAN  6. A CAMEL DRIVER BECOMES A PROPHET  7. WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A KNIGHT  8. BERTHA WITH THE BIG FOOT  9. STORIES OF CHARLEMAGNE  10. CHARLEMAGNE AND THE MAGIC RING  11. CHARLEMAGNE AND THE ROBBER  12. ROLAND BECOMES A KNIGHT  13. THE DEATH OF ROLAND  14. HOW NORMANDY CAME BY ITS NAME  15. OLAF, THE BOY VIKING OF NORWAY  16. THE CID WINS HIS NAME  17. THE LAST DAYS OF THE CID  18. THE LORELEI  19. THE MOUSE TOWER  20. THE DEVIL'S LADDER  21. GERDA'S RIDE TO HER WEDDING  22. PETER THE HERMIT  23. THE WIVES OF WEINSBERG  24. THE MEETING OF KING RICHARD AND SALADIN  25. ADVENTURES OF RICHARD, THE LION HEART  26. THE PRINCE OF TRAVELERS  27. WILLIAM TELL, THE SWISS PATRIOT  28. EDWARD, THE BLACK PRINCE  29. BIG FERRE KEEPS THE FORT  30. THE LEGEND OF THE STRASSBURG CLOCK  31. THE BURGHERS OF GHENT REFUSE TO BE HANGED  32. THE SACRIFICE OF ARNOLD WINKELRIED  33. THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC  34. BAYARD, THE KNIGHT WITHOUT FEAR AND WITHOUT REPROACH  35. THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD  36. DMITRI, THE PRETENDER  37. THE MAN WITH THE IRON MASK  38. STORIES OF PETER THE GREAT  39. MAZEPPA, THE CHIEF OF THE COSSACKS  40. THE CRIME OF CHARLOTTE CORDAY