Hidden Treasure: The Story of a Chore Boy Who Made the Old Farm Pay

Simpson, John ThomasProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8
Word count
395K words
Chapters
40

Tags

English Originals Country LifeFarm Girl RiseInspirationReward of IndustryComing of AgeGrowing UpSelf ImprovementWealth StoriesAmerican CountrysideAmerican Dream

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Hidden Treasure: The Story of a Chore Boy Who Made the Old Farm Pay by SimpsonAuthor: Simpson, John Thomas,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jun 1, 2004

Editor's review

This work follows the growth of a farm chore boy as he sets out to make an old farm pay again, a narrative that intertwines a boy's coming-of-age with the running of a rural homestead. Its value lies not in offering specific farming techniques but in presenting a plain business sense and a path of self-education: through observation, trial and error, and diligence, the boy changes his circumstances, and readers can see how responsibility, patience, and practicality turn into visible results. As a public-domain e-book, the text carries the rhythm of early juvenile literature, and the plot moves along in a relatively plain manner, making it a good sample for understanding early twentieth-century Anglophone juvenile reading. While reading, note the changing relationships between the protagonist and the land, his employer, and family members, and what the title “hidden treasure” specifically refers to in the story. It suits chapter-by-chapter reading in leisure time and also serves as material for parent-child reading and discussion about work and growth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read through the whole book first to grasp the main line of the boy changing the farm, then revisit the key turning-point chapters.
  2. For parent-child reading, discuss one specific question per chapter, such as why he made a certain decision.
  3. When reading in English, read a chapter summary before the original text to reduce the resistance posed by early language.
  4. Jot down the difficulties the protagonist encounters and how he solves them, then review the trajectory of his changes after finishing.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40

FAQ

Is this book mainly about farming techniques or character growth? The focus is on character growth and the cultivation of business sense, not systematic farming techniques. Through the boy's observation, trial and error, and persistence on the farm, the story shows how he gradually improves the farm's conditions. Readers can draw inspiration about responsibility and practicality, but should not treat it as an agricultural operations guide.
Can I read this book if my English is only so-so? You can try, but some preparation is needed. The text belongs to early English juvenile literature, and its sentence patterns and vocabulary are distant from modern reading materials. It is advisable to first get the gist of each chapter, then read the original chapter by chapter; when encountering unfamiliar words, guess from context rather than looking up every word, so as to maintain reading rhythm.
Is it suitable for children? It suits children with some reading patience, and is especially good for parent-child reading. The book touches on topics such as work, responsibility, and family relationships, and parents can use specific plot points to discuss choices and consequences with their children. If a child prefers adventure or fantasy stories, some interest guidance may be needed first.
What should I pay attention to when reading this public-domain e-book? This is a public-domain e-book provided by Project Gutenberg; the text preserves the language of an early edition and may contain expressions that differ from modern usage. When reading, prioritize understanding the main line and do not get stuck on individual archaic usages; if you need to cite it, check the original edition information.

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About the author

Simpson, John Thomas Author

John Thomas Simpson is an author about whom little public information is available; only one of his works is currently held in the collection, Hidden Treasure: The Story of a Chore Boy Who Made the Old Farm Pay. Judging by the title and subject matter, the book tells of a farm chore boy who turns an old, failing farm into a paying venture. It is an inspirational story of farm management that emphasizes hard work, practicality and business sense, aimed at general readers, especially young people. Since his dates of birth and death, nationality and common classification cannot be confirmed, it would be inappropriate to infer more about his life; readers may learn about his narrative approach and writing style from the work itself.