A Live Dummy
The Meredith family spends autumn at Sablons-sur-mer, a lively seaside town in France. The family consists of three girls, two boys, and two cousins, Bessie and Hugh, who are visiting for the first time. The children are eager to explore the town, particularly the bazaar filled with toys and a tailor's shop featuring wax dummies dressed in various outfits. Lilian, the eldest cousin, instructs Bessie and Hugh to avoid appearing like typical English tourists. Despite their inexperience, the children are excited to discover the local culture. Bessie is particularly fascinated by the tailor's shop, where she admires the dummies, especially one dressed in a red military coat. As the days pass, the children notice the absence of the red-coated dummy. One morning, while returning from their bath, they encounter a regiment of soldiers, which adds to the excitement. Bessie, curious about the dummies, lingers behind to examine a tall figure in a red coat, believing it to be another wax dummy. To her shock, the figure turns out to be a living soldier who greets her with a salute. Embarrassed by her mistake, Bessie is relieved that their maid did not witness the incident. The children agree to keep the encounter a secret from Lilian, fearing her reaction. However, the story is shared with their mother, who reassures Bessie that it was an innocent mistake. The incident becomes a humorous anecdote among the children, highlighting the cultural differences and the innocence of youth.
By Mary Louisa Molesworth · First published 1891 · Genre: Children's Literature, Humor, Fiction · 1,686 words
First lines
The Merediths were spending the autumn on the French coast, at a sea-bathing place called Sablons-sur-mer. It is a nice bright little place. I am afraid the inhabitants would be offended if they heard it called "little," for they think it a very important town! It consists of two long streets -- one facing the sea, one inland, where the shops and the houses of the people who live there all the year round, are. And between these two streets run smaller ones -- so small that they are more passage-ways than streets. The most imposing one is called an "arcade"; in it are the best shops, a bazaar of all sorts of fancy things to delight children's eyes, from tin buckets and spades to dig with in the sands, to rocking-horses, though not of a very expensive kind. At one corner of this arcade is a large, ready-made tailor's establishment; this shop, for reasons I will explain to you, divided the children's attention with the bazaar.
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A Live Dummy is listed on Textopian as a short story by Mary Louisa Molesworth, dated 1891 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Mary Louisa Molesworth
- Date: 1891 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Humor, Fiction, Adventure, Social Commentary
- Length: 1,686 words
- Structure: 1 section, 30 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for A Live Dummy by Mary Louisa Molesworth
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The story revolves around children, their adventures, and their interactions, making it primarily a work for a younger audience.
- Humor — The mistaken identity of the living soldier as a dummy creates a humorous situation that is central to the plot.
- Fiction — The narrative is a fictional account of the Meredith family's experiences during their visit to France.
- Adventure — The children's exploration of a new place and their encounters contribute to an adventurous theme.
Tags
Children's Literature · Fantasy · Adventure · Mystery · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Coming of Age · Self-Discovery · Friendship · Loyalty · Deception