Bill the Minder

"Bill the Minder" by W. Heath Robinson is a funny children's story from the early 1900s about a man named Bill, who unexpectedly becomes a caregiver for a rambunctious group of kids. The story starts with Crispin, a man who loves collecting mushrooms, and his ten kids, with most of the kids being cranky, except for the kind Boadicea. When Crispin gets sick, his wife Chloe brings in Bill to watch the children. The story follows Bill's journey as a minder through a series of funny and wild situations. Bill shows he is a great minder and soon wins a Minding Tournament, earning the respect of everyone around and becoming the main minder for all the children in the area, all while presenting a world of imagination and laugh-out-loud moments.