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The History of Whittington

From The Blue Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang

This story comes from The Blue Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang and first published in 1889, drawing on an old English legend about a real Lord Mayor of London. The tale of Dick Whittington has been told for centuries—a poor boy, a lucky cat, and the promise of the Bow bells. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. It reminds young readers that kindness, hope and hard work can change a life, and that good fortune is best when it is shared with others.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readersTypical starting range: ages 6–8

Length

medium · about 591 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

The Blue Fairy Book, Andrew Lang

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (8 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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