The Play-Day Book: New Stories for Little Folks

A mother and her daughter named Susy sit by the window on a rainy afternoon, and the girl voices a very specific complaint: she hates stories that begin with "Once upon a time." What follows is a collection of tales woven from the fabric of 1850s American childhood, stories about playful pets, schoolyard mishaps, small adventures, and the quiet moments when children learn what it means to be kind, brave, or honest. Fanny Fern writes with a lightness that never talks down to her young readers, letting humor and warmth do the work of moral instruction rather than heavy-handed lessons. The opening dialogue between Susy and her mother establishes the book's gentle philosophy: a good story should feel like a friend, not a lecture.