Auld Licht Idylls

"Auld Licht Idylls" by J. M. Barrie is a collection of sketches and tales written in the late 19th century. The work explores life in a small Scottish community, particularly through the eyes of a schoolmaster who observes and interacts with the colorful inhabitants of the town of Thrums. The stories delve into local customs, the struggles of the working class, and the eccentricities of the community's characters. The beginning of "Auld Licht Idylls" introduces readers to the schoolhouse in the glen of Quharity, where a solitary schoolmaster navigates the challenges of a harsh winter. Starvation looms as animals struggle to find food, and he laments over his frozen bantam cock. The narrative captures a vivid imagery of the wintry landscape and provides insights into his loneliness, punctuated by interactions with animals and reflections on his life outside the glen. He anticipates the arrival of children back to school despite the snow, embodying a mix of charm and melancholy as he recounts the daily realities of life in Thrums. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays. There he met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who inspired him to write about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens, then to write Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a 1904 West End "fairy play" about an ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland.