Mike Marble

His Crotchets and Oddities

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Pages: 51

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About this book

An unusual neighbor gives Uncle Frank a reason to defend people whose habits puzzle everyone around them. Francis C. Woodworth introduces Mike Marble as an elderly friend of children, then draws on anecdotes from his younger days to show what lies behind his odd ways. The narrator begins by explaining his interest in whims and peculiarities, arguing that a person can be good company even when others find him strange.

These stories of country life turn questions of conduct into encounters between boys, families and neighbors. In one episode, Mike cares tenderly for Jacob after an injury, although Jacob had previously struck him. Their conversation presents forgiveness as a response to an old grievance. The book offers readers a sample of older children's storytelling, where a talkative narrator mixes humor, personal observations and direct moral teaching.