This book contains eighteen beautiful children's short stories by Frances Hodgson Burnett including Mere Giraud's Little Daughter, Esmeralda and Little Saint Elizabeth In Mere Giraud's Little Daughter, Laure is the favoured child, young and stunningly beautiful she is the pride and joy of her mother, and is envied by all in her small village in France. The kind but unattractive son is ignored by his mother who dreams of fairytale futures for Laure. When the children seek a new life in Paris they are ill-equipped for the dangers, deception and evil that they encounter. The story unfolds contrasting the simplicity and innocence of country life with the cunning required in the city. In Esmeralda, the story is told by a French Tutor who paints the picture of an American family who are have recently become very rich indeed due to success in iron. The tale centres on the daughter Esmeralda and her mother's scheming to progress the family into Parisian high society. In Little Saint Elizabeth, the heroine is brought up very strictly by a religious aunt in France. On the aunt's death she moves to live with a very wealthy uncle in the USA. Elizabeth desperately wants to help the poor people in her neighbourhood, but finds that her naivety brings her into danger. The other fifteen short stories are: Le Monsieur De La Petite Dame Seth "Surly Tim" A Lancashire Story Behind the White Brick In the Closed Room Land of the Blue Flower, The Little Hunchback Zia, The Lodusky My Robin One Day At Arle Pretty Sister Of Jose, The Proud Little Grain of Wheat, The Racketty-Packetty House Sara Crewe, or What happened at Miss Minchin's The Story of Prince Fairyfoot