One day, French mason Jerome Barberin finds an abandoned baby boy. As the boy is wearing fine clothes, Barberin hopes that he is the son of rich parents who will reclaim him soon and offer a reward to Barberin for taking care of him. He therefore brings the boy home to his wife, and gives him the name Remi.
'However, no rich parents ever turn up to reclaim Remi. Instead, the family falls on hard times and Barberin wants to get rid of the boy. When Remi is eight years old, Barberin sees his chance in the travelling artist Signor Vitalis, who is travelling through France with his three dogs and a monkey. Vitalis offers to take care of Remi, and they travel on together. While Vitalis is a kind master and teaches Remi lots of useful skills, the two also suffer poverty, and Remi still lacks knowledge of his true heritage.
By : Hector Malot (1830 - 1907), translated by Florence Crewe-Jones (1880 - )
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"Nobody's Boy," published in France under the title "Sans Famille," has become justly famous as one of the supreme juvenile stories of the world. In the midst of its early popularity, it was crowned by the Academy as one of the masterpieces of French literature. A few years later, it was followed by "En Famille," which is published by us as a companion story under the title "Nobody's Girl."
"Nobody's Boy" is a human document of child experiences that is fascinating reading for young and old. Parents, teachers and others, who are careful to have children read inspiring books, will welcome this beautiful story of Hector Malot, as among the best for them to recommend.
Such digressions in the original, as do not belong to the heart of the story, have been eliminated, so that the lost boy's experiences continue as the undisturbed interest, on through to the happy conclusion.
Loyal friendship and honest conduct are the vital ideals of this story, and the heart interest is eloquent with noble character.
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