
A gentle carriage rolls through a sun‑dappled village, carrying Mr. and Mrs. Curtis and their bright‑eyed children, Bertie and Winnie. As they pause beside a tranquil lake, the family imagines a home perched on a grassy hill, surrounded by ancient oaks and the soft murmur of water. The opening scene blends warm family interaction with vivid countryside description, inviting listeners into a world where curiosity and kindness guide every step.
From this hopeful beginning, the series follows Bertie’s adventures as he discovers the many trades needed to turn a dream house into reality. Each volume focuses on a different craft—carpenters, masons, plumbers, painters, gardeners—offering simple explanations of the work and the values of diligence, cooperation, and community. Young listeners will enjoy the charming narrative while quietly learning how homes are built, one helpful trade at a time.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (64K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by D. Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2007-12-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1815–1893
A prolific 19th-century American writer for children, she published hundreds of stories and books filled with moral lessons, domestic scenes, and lively adventures. Writing under the name Madeline Leslie, she became a familiar presence in young readers’ lives across the Victorian era.
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