Hans Brinker; Or, The Silver Skates

Originally published in 1865, this classic has been adopted into the canon of children's literature. In the tale, young protagonist Hans Brinker wants more than anything to win a local speed-skating race — and to get his hands on the beautiful silver skates awarded to the winner. Faced with a series of tragedies and tribulations, Hans makes sacrifices for the benefit of those around him and inspires others to virtue in the process. A must-read for fans of Aesop's Fables, Hans Christian Anderson stories, and O. Henry's short fiction.