Freddy's Football. Die Cut rugby & sports book.
London/New York: Ernest Nister/E. P. Dutton & Co, 1899. Scarce early book for children die cut in the shape of a ball, with front cover ingeniously illustrated to resemble a ball, complete with laces and ribs, and a scene of boys playing in teams with red and white striped and solid blue jerseys, with rugby posts behind. In all there are 4 separate stories.
Illustrated with 4 (small) chromolithograph illustrations of rugby, to accompany the story entitled 'The Prize'.
The leading story, 'Freddy's Football', inside the front cover, reads:
When school is over and work is done,
Then don't we have some splendid fun,
We begin in wintry weather
To inflate the ball of leather
Then we skate and pile the snow
Till our cheeks are all aglow
Then we shall fish till sunny June
Makes the birdies sing in tune
And we stand against a wicket
To enjoy a game of cricket,
Fly Kites, spin tops, run races,
Play at leap frog in strange places,
Till you hear the old folks say,
As they watch us at our play,
"Ah! it's fun to be young and gay,
Enjoy life while you may!"
Additional stories include, 'Our Athletic Sports', with chromolithograph illustrations; 'A Queer Bite' (a fishing tale); 'An Hour's Holiday' with chromolithograph illustration of children playing in the snow; 'Johnny's Kite'; 'The Day They Played at Cricket'; and 'A White World'.
An early inscription dated Christmas 1899 at the first page is to "John Edward Breithaupt, from Grandparents Anthes". Measures 10 x 10"; [12] pp, chromolithograph illustrations.
OCLC: 697277101 records only one copy, at Brigham Young University. Fine condition. Item #25725
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