True Stories about Dogs and Cats

"True Stories about Dogs and Cats" by Eliza Lee Cabot Follen is a collection of engaging anecdotes and moral lessons centered around the relationships between humans and their pets, specifically dogs and cats. Written in the early to mid-19th century, a time reflecting the values of Romanticism, the stories aim to highlight the intelligence, loyalty, and emotional capacity of these animals, encouraging kindness and respect towards all creatures. Throughout the book, the author shares various heartwarming tales about dogs and cats, often narrated through the evening conversations of a mother and her two young sons. These stories range from the cleverness of a dog who saves his master from a dangerous situation to a cat that shows unexpected affection and compassion. Each narrative is designed to not only entertain but also instill values of empathy, love, and understanding towards animals. The overarching theme emphasizes the idea that animals, like humans, can exhibit profound emotional bonds and the capability for kindness, urging readers, especially children, to treat them with care and compassion. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Eliza Lee Cabot Follen was an American writer, editor, and abolitionist. In her early life, she contributed various pieces of prose and poetry to papers and magazines. In 1828, she married Prof. Charles Follen, who died on board the Lexington in 1840. During her married life, she published a variety of popular and useful books, all of which were characterized by her Christian piety. Among the works she gave to the press are, Selections from Fénelon, The Well-spent Hour, Words of Truth, The Sceptic, Married Life, Little Songs, Poems, Life of Charles Follen, Twilight Stories, Second Series of Little Songs, as well as a compilation of Home Dramas, and German Fairy Tales. Holding an interest in the religious instruction of the young, she edited, in 1829, the Christian Teacher's Manual, and, from 1843 to 1850, the Child's Friend. She died in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1860.