The Land of the Blue Flower

By Frances Hodgson Burnett

Classic short story for children. According to Wikipedia: "Frances Hodgson Burnett, ( 1849 -1924) was an English–American playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. Born Frances Eliza Hodgson in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, her father died in 1854, and the family had to endure poverty and squalor in the Victorian slums of Manchester. Following the death of her mother in 1867, an 18-year-old Frances was now the head of a family of four younger siblings. She turned to writing to support them all, with a first story published in Godey's Lady's Book in 1868. Soon after she was being published regularly in Godey's, Scribner's Monthly, Peterson's Ladies' Magazine and Harper's Bazaar. Her main writing talent was combining realistic detail of working-class life with a romantic plot. Her first novel was published in 1877; That Lass o' Lowrie's was a story of Lancashire life. After moving with her husband to Washington, D.C., Burnett wrote the novels Haworth's (1879), Louisiana (1880), A Fair Barbarian (1881), and Through One Administration (1883), as well as a play, Esmeralda (1881), written with William Gillette...Her later works include Sara Crewe (1888) - later rewritten as A Little Princess (1905); The Lady of Quality (1896) - considered one of the best of her plays; and The Secret Garden (1909), the children's novel for which she is probably best known today. The Lost Prince was published in 1915..."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seltzer Books
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781455359134

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was an English-American author and playwright. She is best known for her incredibly popular novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.

Book preview

THE LAND OF THE BLUE FLOWER BY FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT

Published by Seltzer Books

established in 1974, now offering over 14,000  books

feedback welcome: [e-mail]

Children's Books by Frances Hodgson Burnett available from Seltzer Books:

The Secret Garden

A Little Princess

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Emily Fox-Seton

Robin

A Fair Barbarian

The Head of the House of Coombe

His Grace of Osmonde

In the Closed Room

A Lady of Quality

The Land of the Blue Flower

The Little Hunchback Zia

Little Saint Elizabeth

The Lost Prince

Racketty-Packetty House

Sarah Crewe

The Shuttle

T. Tembarom

The White People

Part One

The Land of the Blue Flower was not called by that name until the tall, strong, beautiful King Amor came down from his castle on the mountain crag and began to reign. Before that time it was called King Mordreth's Land, and as the first King Mordreth had been a fierce and cruel king this seemed a gloomy name.

A few weeks before Amor was born, his weak, selfish boy-father--whose name was King Mordreth also--had been killed while hunting, and his fair mother with the clear eyes died when he was but a few hours old. But early in that day she sent for her venerable friend and teacher, who was said to be the oldest and wisest man in the world, and who long ago had fled to a cave in the mountains, that he might see no more of the famine and disorder and hatred in the country spread out on the plains below.

He was a marvelous old man, almost a giant in size, and having great blue eyes like deep sea-water. They, too, were clear eyes like the fair Queen's--they seemed to see all things and to hold in their depths no single thought which was not fine and great. The people were a little afraid of him when they saw him go striding majestically through their streets. They had no name for him but The Ancient One. The lovely Queen drew aside the embroidered coverlet of her gold and ivory bed and showed him the tiny baby sleeping by her side.

He was born a King, she said. No one can help him but you.

The Ancient One looked down at him.

"He has long limbs and

Reviews for The Land of the Blue Flower

[Hannah Mešić · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Literally one of my favourite stories of all time. I think EVERY person should read this story at least once in their life. I live by what the story teaches. Absolutely beautiful. Yet another another masterpiece by Frances Hodgson Burnett.