The Wig and the Shoulder of Mutton; or, The Folly of Juvenile Fears

"The Wig and the Shoulder of Mutton; or, The Folly of Juvenile Fears" by Anonymous is a story from the 1800s that teaches kids about being scared and having too much imagination. The story follows Mr. Friendly and his kids as they face funny and scary situations made worse by their fear of what they don't know. It starts with the children flipping out over a strange noise that turns out to be a wig getting found by the barber’s boy. Their dad uses this to teach them about facing fears and knowing what's real and what's not. There's also a story inside the story about a kid who gets really hurt because someone played a scary trick on them, showing why it's bad to scare people with rational thoughts. The book is fun to read and also teaches kids an important lesson: it's all about not letting your fears control you and using your head.