Dr. Scudder's Tales for Little Readers, About the Heathen.

"Dr. Scudder's Tales for Little Readers, About the Heathen" by John Scudder is a series of stories from the 1800s intended to teach kids about Hinduism and its followers. The book points out how different Christianity is from Hindu traditions, trying to make children feel responsible for praying for and supporting missionaries. The stories try to teach about culture and give moral lessons at the same time, hoping to get young people interested in spreading the word about Christianity. The author starts by talking to the kids reading the book, sharing a prayer he learned when he was young and comparing what Christian kids learn to the idol worship he saw with Hindu kids. He talks about how bad things can happen because of this idol worship, and tells a sad story about a young girl in the hospital who has never been taught about Christian virtues. By showing how much she's hurting and how little kindness she gets from her community, Scudder shows how important it is for Christians to show love and help those he calls "heathens." This beginning leads into talks about Hindu culture, like how they dress, their customs, and their religious practices.