Book details
The Old Tobacco Shop / A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure
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Stored record
Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- 26977
- Title
- The Old Tobacco Shop / A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Project Gutenberg
- Description max 80 words
-
A whimsical adventure tale where a curious boy named Freddie enters the mysterious Old Tobacco Shop and encounters a wooden hunchback, Mr. Punch, and a cast of eccentric characters. Blending fantasy with reality, the story follows Freddie through enchanted forests, pirate caves, and clock towers, ultimately revealing that the shop's magic is a comforting illusion that allows him to escape the dangers of the real world.
- Summary up to 500 words
-
In William Bowen's *The Old Tobacco Shop*, a whimsical tale of adventure and fantasy, young Freddie becomes captivated by a wooden hunchback figure named Mr. Punch standing outside the Old Tobacco Shop on the Patapsco River. Mr. Punch warns Freddie of a sinister ritual involving his father, who abducts boys when the clock tower hands align. Intrigued and frightened, Freddie enters the shop, where he is greeted by the eccentric owner, Mr. Toby, and his aunt, Amanda. Upon crossing the threshold, the mundane shop transforms into a surreal landscape. Freddie and his companions find themselves in a cavern filled with pirate treasure guarded by seven men led by the cruel Captain Lingo. Despite the danger, the group discovers the treasure is merely an illusion. They eventually escape the cavern, finding themselves in a church, and finally back on the street. The narrative reveals that the entire adventure was a fantasy experienced by Freddie while he was ill in bed. His parents discuss his long absence, and he returns to the shop, finding the wooden figures unchanged. Aunt Amanda expresses her contentment with the shop, admitting she misses her real children but finds happiness in the magical world of the tobacco shop. The story concludes with Freddie accepting the shop as a safe haven where he can be himself, free from the constraints of a palace or the dangers of the outside world.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26977.epub.noimages
- Local file path
-
data/epubs/pg26977.epub - Downloaded at
- 2026-07-04 14:26 UTC
People
Authors
- William Bowen
Classification
Categories
- Adventure
- Fantasy