In this charming series of short stories from Victorian author nonpareil Charles Dickens, four pairs of lovebirds offer up a detailed account of their courtships. There's just one catch — none of the besotted have yet reached the ripe old age of 10. Displaying his usual knack for uncannily accurate characterization, Dickens gives readers a glimpse into the triumphs and trials of schoolyard romance.
Again, how would you support us?' The pirate-colonel replied in a courageous voice, 'By rapine!' But his bride retorted, 'Suppose the grown-up people wouldn't be rapined?' 'Then,' said the colonel, 'they should pay the penalty in blood.' - 'But suppose they should object,' retorted his bride,
With a look of scorn, she put into my hand a bit of paper, and took another partner. On the paper was pencilled, 'Heavens! Can I write the word? Is my husband a cow?' In the first bewilderment of my heated brain, I tried to think what slanderer could have traced my family to the ignoble animal mentioned above. Vain were my endeavours. At the end of that dance I whispered the colonel to come into the cloak-room, and I showed him the note. 'There is a syllable wanting,' said he, with a gloomy brow. 'Hah! What syllable?' was my inquiry. 'She asks, can she write the word? And no; you see she couldn't,' said the colonel, pointing out the passage. 'And the word was?' said I. 'Cow - cow - coward,' hissed the pirate-colonel in my ear, and gave me back the note.
