Showing results for "Happy Family" in Classics

Penguin presents Happy Families: The Audio Collection by Allan Ahlberg, read by Alexander Armstrong. Families come in all shapes and sizes, big ones, small ones, funny ones and even silly ones. In this first ever audio collection you can discover the story of Mrs Wobble the Waitress, Mr Biff the...

The next audio collection from Allan Ahlberg stars more of his best loved characters, including Master Salt the Sailor's Son, Ms Cliff the Climber and Mrs Plug the Plumber. Features 9 classic stories brought to life with music and dazzling sound effects.

In The Happy Family, a pair of snails live inside a burdock forest near an old manor house. They remember the old days when their kinfolk were served on platters in the old house and suspect the house has since been abandoned. Deciding to grow their family, they adopt a common snail and must arrange a marriage for their new child.

This is the tale of two distinguished snails whose adopted son is in need of a wife. The mother and father snail believe they know more about life than any creature, but accept the help of ant and gnat to find a wife for their son. A short tale of whimsy and delight from the pen of Hans Christian Andersen.

The largest green leaf in this country is certainly the burdock-leaf. If you hold it in front of you, it is large enough for an apron; and if you hold it over your head, it is almost as good as an umbrella, it is so wonderfully large. A burdock never grows alone; where it grows, there are many more, and it is a splendid sight; and all this splendor is good for snails. The great white snails, which grand people in olden times used to have made into fricassees; and when they had eaten them, they would say, "O, what a delicious dish!", for these people really thought them good.