Old King Cole by L. Frank Baum

The story revolves around a king who has been overthrown and must reclaim his throne with the help of a group of loyal subjects. Along the way, he faces various obstacles and challenges that test his leadership and resolve. The narrative explores themes of power, loyalty, and redemption as the king navigates his journey to restore order and justice to his kingdom.

By L. Frank Baum · First published 1902 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fable · 2,340 words

First lines

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he; He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl And he called for his fiddlers three.

OLD KING COLE was not always a king, nor was he born a member of any royal family. It was only chance -- "hard luck" he used to call it -- that made him a king at all.

What this Textopian page supports

Old King Cole is listed on Textopian as a novella by L. Frank Baum, dated 1902 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novella
• Author: L. Frank Baum
• Date: 1902 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fable, Humor, Adventure
• Length: 2,340 words
• Structure: 1 section, 40 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Old King Cole by L. Frank Baum
• 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 Old King Cole?
• How does this novella by L. Frank Baum fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?

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Genres

• Children's Literature — The narrative is simple, whimsical, and designed to entertain and teach moral lessons to children.
• Fantasy — The story features fantastical elements such as a talking donkey and a whimsical king, set in an imaginary kingdom.
• Fable — The story conveys moral lessons through the character's experiences and decisions, typical of fables.
• Humor — The character's antics and the absurdity of his rise to kingship provide comedic elements throughout the narrative.

Tags

Fiction · Children's Literature · Fantasy · Adventure · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Nonsense Verse · Poetry · Rhyme · Storytelling · Imagination

More by L. Frank Baum

• The Enchanted Buffalo (1919)
• The Tigers Eye: A Jungle Fairy Tale (1902)
• A Kidnapped Santa Claus (1902)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
• Tip Manufactures a Pumpkinhead (1906)
• The Marvelous Powder of Life (1905)
• The Flight of the Fugitives (1907)
• Tip Makes an Experiment in Magic (1903)
• All works by L. Frank Baum