The Old Man's Story: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Old Man's Story: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

The Old Man's Story is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Anonymous.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Old Man's Story" by Anonymous is a cautionary tale written during the 19th century. This short narrative is designed for children and revolves around themes of childhood curiosity and the consequences of disobedience. The story highlights the perils of unsafe play and the importance of adhering to parental guidance. The book narrates the life of a kind-hearted old man referred to as "Uncle John," who shares a poignant story from his youth. As a boy, he was fascinated with gunpowder and one day, while trying to amuse himself and a friend, an unfortunate accident led to a tragedy. Ignoring his friend Henry's mother's warnings, they play with gunpowder, resulting in a catastrophic fire that severely injures Henry. This misadventure not only claims Henry's life but also has lasting repercussions for his family, including the heartache for Henry's mother. Uncle John's heartfelt reflection serves as a grim reminder of the importance of heeding parental advice, underlining the potential dangers that arise from youthful recklessness.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Old Man's Story
- Author credits: Anonymous
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
- Children -- Death -- Juvenile fiction
- Fireworks -- Accidents -- Juvenile fiction
- Gunpowder -- Juvenile fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Children & Young Adult Reading
- Category: Novels
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


