Charlotte Brontë's powerful writing in Jane Eyre and Villette had its beginnings in tales created during her childhood. These stories were part of an epic created by the Brontë children that was inspired by a gift of twelve toy soldiers given to Branwell Brontë. Charlotte's early efforts, such as the stories "The Secret" and "Lily Hart," are crudely conceived. The value of such tales lies in the revelation of the impulse of genius and the casting of long shadows toward Charlotte's adult work. The young writer was destined to leave behind much of her indulgence for dreams and fantasy, achieving artistic and moral control in her later works. A high-quality facsimile of the entire manuscript illustrates the minute size, microscopic handwriting, scarcity of punctuation, and inconsistency in spelling characteristic of all the Brontë juvenilia. The two tales are written on notepaper folded into a miniature book measuring 3 5/8 x 4 1/2 inches, with thousands of words contained in thirteen pages. In an afterword the editor provides the reader with sufficient background to allow an informed appreciation of the tales. This well-produced, reasonably priced edition will be an invaluable classroom aid for this important period of English literature.