FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
A LITTLE PRINCESS
About the Author
Early Life
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born on 24th November 1849 in Manchester, England. Her father died when she was young. After that, her mother couldn’t manage the family business and they started to have financial problems. In 1865, when Frances was 15, the family moved to Tennessee in the USA. Life was difficult and Frances didn’t have much formal education at school, but she liked reading and nature. She started writing stories for magazines so she was able to earn some money to help the family.
Family Life
In 1873 Frances married Swann Burnett, a doctor, and together they travelled around Europe and lived in Paris, before returning to the USA. They had two sons, Lionel and Vivian, but Lionel sadly died at the age of 15. After the death of her son, Frances was often depressed. In 1898, the couple divorced and Frances returned to England. In 1900, she
married Stephen Townesend, an actor and theatre producer, but the marriage only lasted a couple of years.
Writing
Frances’ first stories were published in parts every week or month in ladies’ magazines. The stories were about the lives of poor, working-class women with romance and love interests. In 1876, she published her first novel, That Lass O’Lowries, about a young girl who worked in a coal mine in the north of England.
In her lifetime, Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote over 40 plays, novels and short stories for both adults and children, but she is most famous for her novels for children, including Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), which was based on her son Vivian, A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911) where one of the characters, a sick child called Colin, was based on her son Lionel who died of tuberculosis. These novels are about children, families and their problems, as well as friendship, kindness and nature.
Later Life
After her second marriage ended, Frances lived in Kent, England, where she continued writing. She then spent several years travelling between the USA and England, before permanently moving to Long Island, New York. She died on 29th October 1924.
Today her books are still popular with children and adults. Many of her novels became successful plays at the theatre and were also made into films. They teach us about the importance of being kind and always continuing to believe, even when life is difficult.
Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess
Retold by Alison Smith Illustrated by Nico189
Chapter 1 A New School
Sara looked out of the carriage* window. It was a winter’s day and they were driving through the foggy streets of London. For Sara, everything looked very strange.
‘Is this the place, Papa?’ she asked when she saw a tall, dark building.
‘Yes, darling,’ answered her father, Captain Crewe. ‘This is your new school.’
Sara sighed*. She thought about their life in India and the long journey by boat to England. ‘It’s all so different here. London’s dark and cold. In India, it’s sunny and beautiful,’ she said.
‘You can't stay in India with me, dearest Sara. You’re seven years old now and you have to go to school here in England.’
‘I know,’ she said, ‘but I don’t want to leave you.’
‘Your school years will go quickly. Then you’ll be old enough to look after me in India.’
Captain Crewe held his daughter’s hand. He felt very sad too. He didn’t want to leave Sara and return to India and his job without her. He loved his daughter very much. His wife, Sara’s mother, died when Sara
was born. They only had each other, and he had to be strong for her.
‘Don't worry. I can stay with you here for a few days. We’re going to go shopping and buy a new doll.’
‘Thank you. I’d like a new, special doll,’ said Sara, trying very hard to smile*.
The carriage stopped, and Sara and Captain Crewe got out. The sign on the wall said, “Miss Minchin’s School for Girls”.
‘It’s a really good school,’ said Captain Crewe, ‘and they say that Miss Minchin is very nice.’
The door opened, and a woman came out. Sara looked at her. She doesn’t look very nice, she thought. Miss Minchin was tall and ugly*, with dark, cold eyes. She certainly didn’t look friendly.
‘Good afternoon, Miss Minchin. I’m Captain Crewe and this is my daughter, Sara.’
‘Welcome to your new school, Sara.’ Miss Minchin smiled, but it was a cold smile.
‘I want Sara to have the best things at your school,’ said Captain Crewe. ‘She likes reading and is very clever.’
This was true. Sara loved books more than anything else. She read books about adventures, history, famous people and lots of other things. She also loved making up beautiful stories, which she told to her father.
‘Money isn’t a problem,’ continued Captain Crewe. ‘She must have the biggest bedroom and the nicest food. You must buy everything she wants: clothes, toys, books, even a pony*.’
Excellent, thought Miss Minchin. Money was very important for her, so she loved rich people. She tried to give a warm smile and said ‘I can see that you’re very clever, Sara, and also very pretty.’
Sara didn’t say a word. Why is she telling a lie*? she thought. I’m not pretty. I’m the ugliest child I’ve ever seen.
This wasn’t true. Perhaps Sara wasn’t the prettiest girl in the world, but she was tall, with long black hair, a sweet face and big, green and grey eyes.
Sara and her father spent the next few days together in an expensive hotel. They went shopping, and Captain Crewe bought Sara lots of new clothes. He bought beautiful dresses and coats, warm hats and gloves, new shoes and boots. They went to lots of toy shops too, but Sara couldn’t find a doll that she liked. On their last day together, they were walking past a small shop when she saw it. The perfect doll. It was quite big, with black eyes and long hair, and it was wearing a beautiful dress. ‘Her name’s Emily,’ said Sara. She can be my friend, she thought. I’ll need a friend in this new place.
That afternoon, Captain Crewe had to leave for India. When he and Sara arrived at the school, Miss Minchin, with her usual cold smile, was waiting for them. Sara was very sad: she held Emily tightly* in one hand and her father’s jacket with the other. Captain Crewe hugged* and kissed his daughter for the last time.
ACTIVITIES
Reading Comprehension
1 Complete the sentences with the name of the person from the box.
Sara Captain Crewe Mr Carrisford Ermengarde
Lavinia Miss Minchin Ram Dass Becky
Miss Minchin doesn’t like all her pupils.
1 __________ lived in India but went to England after he became ill.
2 __________ isn’t very clever, but she’s very kind.
3 __________ invents wonderful stories.
4 __________ died in India because of a fever.
5 __________ takes food and other things to Sara’s attic room.
6 __________ was Miss Minchin's favourite pupil before Sara arrived.
7 __________ works very hard and is usually hungry and tired.
2 Put these events in the correct order they happen in the story.
Chapter 1
A Sara’s father returns to India.
B 1 Sara goes to London with her father.
C The pupils are excited about Captain Crewe’s diamond mines.
D Ermengarde and Sara become friends.
E Captain Crewe buys a new doll for Sara.
F Sara speaks to Becky for the first time.
Sara Crewe, a seven year old girl, arrives in London from India to start school at Miss Minchin’s School for Girls. She’s alone for the first time in her life. Can she make friends with the other pupils? Sara is clever and kind and soon the other girls love her and her exciting stories. But not everyone is nice to Sara, especially when she gets some news that changes her life completely.
EXTENSIVE READING SERIES
LEVEL 1 BEGINNER
(400 HEADWORDS) A1
LEVEL 2 ELEMENTARY (700 HEADWORDS) A2
LEVEL 3 PRE-INTERMEDIATE (100 HEADWORDS) A2/B1
LEVEL 4 INTERMEDIATE (1400 HEADWORDS) B1
LEVEL 5 UPPER INTERMEDIATE (1800 HEADWORDS) B2
LEVEL 6 ADVANCED (2500 HEADWORDS) C1
Classic
To download audio tracks
• Scan the QR code inside your book with your mobile phone or tablet and listen to the recordings.
• With PC or Mac download audio tracks from www.eligradedreaders.com
ELIs.r.l.