The Sixpenny Calico by Anonymous
The Sixpenny Calico is a heartwarming story about a young girl named Mary who lives in a small village in England. She is the daughter of a poor cobbler and her family is struggling to make ends meet. One day, Mary finds a sixpenny calico cloth in the market and decides to buy it. She takes it home and makes a beautiful dress for herself. When Mary wears her new dress to church, she is the envy of all the other girls in the village. But her newfound popularity comes with a price. Mary soon finds out that the cloth was stolen from a wealthy family and she is accused of being a thief. With the help of her family and friends, Mary is able to prove her innocence and the truth is revealed. In the end, Mary learns an important lesson about honesty and the value of friendship.
By Anonymous · First published 1881 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery · 1,259 words
First lines
One day a new scholar appeared in school, and as usual was the mark of public gaze. She was gentle and modest-looking, and never ventured to lift her eyes from her books. At recess, to the inquiries, "Who is she?" "What's her name?" nobody could satisfactorily answer. None of us ever saw or heard of her before.
"I know she's not much," said one of the girls.
What this Textopian page supports
The Sixpenny Calico is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anonymous, dated 1881 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Anonymous
- Date: 1881 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery
- Length: 1,259 words
- Structure: 1 section, 38 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Sixpenny Calico by Anonymous
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Sixpenny Calico?
- How does this short story by Anonymous fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The title suggests a story set in a past era, likely the 19th century, when sixpenny calicos were a popular fabric.
- Romance — Anonymous is a common pseudonym for authors of romantic fiction, suggesting that this book may contain a romantic plot.
- Mystery — The title is vague and mysterious, suggesting that the book may contain a mystery or suspenseful plot.
Tags
historical fiction · 19th century · American literature · women's rights · social issues · family dynamics · romance · class struggle · identity · coming of age · cultural heritage · community