Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ [Illustration: MALI BOWED RESPECTFULLY TO HIM.] TALES OUT OF SCHOOL BY FRANK R. STOCKTON _NEW EDITION._ NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS, 1916 COPYRIGHT 1875 BY SCRIBNER, ARMSTRONG & CO. COPYRIGHT 1903 BY MARIAN E. STOCKTON [Illustration: Decoration] PREFACE. It is not generally considered proper to tell tales out of school, but I shall venture it in this book. And if any of the Arabs, or tigers, or Cabordmen, that I tell tales about, do not like it, they can come to me and find as much fault as they please. I shall be glad to hear what they have to say. But I shall not tell all the tales myself. The lady who in “Round-about Rambles,” took you to Pompeii and many strange and interesting places, will tell you some of these stories. CONTENTS. COLONEL MYLES’ ADVENTURES IN AFRICA AND INDIA 1 A SUGAR CAMP 31 SILVER PLATING 34 VERY ANCIENT ANIMALS 37 ITURIM AND HIS FORTUNES 42 LARGE HOUSES FOR SMALL TENANTS 54 THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF GUTEFUNDUS 61 SOME BIG GUNS 70 TOM REYNOLDS AND MORIYAMA 74 LUMINOUS INSECTS 93 OWLS ON A FROLIC 96 COMMON AND UNCOMMON SPONGES 98 MAGHAR’S LEAP 101 THE SEA COW 120 TWO EXTREMES 123 A SNOW STORM IN THE TROPICS 130 HOW THREE MEN WENT TO THE MOON 140 TARTAR HORSES AND HORSEMEN 153 TWO HAPPY MEN 156 THE WONDERFUL ASH TREE 162 WORK AND WATER 174 THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT 178 CURIOSITIES OF VEGETABLE LIFE 183 BRON AND KRUGE 203 THE MIRAGE 222 CORAL 225 THE GREAT EASTERN 232 KANGAROOS 238