Mystic Spirit Voice of the Hindoo "Senam," Mysterious, Fascinating, by James Qallan Dixon, 1916.

"Swallowing the dictionary."  For an appetizer, see the dictionary of one-letter words.  From Wide Awake, 1884.

Distaff and Spindle by Mary Ashley Townsend, 1895.

Here is revealed the secret of how we get our very own books (see the list here) to look so fabulous.  From Jugend, 1929.

You've heard of a story within a story.  From Satirikon, 1909.

The Elf That Stayed Behind by Madeline Poole, 1918.  See How to Believe in Your Elf.

The man in the moon rides a brookstick.  Moonbeams from the Larger Lunacy by Stephen Leacock.

For fellow lunatics: my collection of vintage moon imagery is waxing.

Don't miss our video on how to drink the moon and the knowledge of the moon from a magic mirror.

The Corpse is Indignant.  (Thanks, Jonathan Caws-Elwitt!)

Some flowers grow in the shade, and others grow in the shadow of a dream.  From The Shadow of a Dream by William Dean Howells, 1890.

We're honored to have served as editor of the new Webster's Dictionary of Improbable Words, collecting hundreds and hundreds of all-vowel and all-consonant words from literature.  It's a word gamer's secret weapon.  Pioneering lexicographer Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) published his first Compendious Dictionary of the English Language in 1806.  He spent decade after decade expanding his dictionary to make it more comprehensive.  Webster's Dictionary of Improbable Words is a testament to the great wordsmith’s dedication.

The Letter and the Spirit by Cora Maynard, 1898.

Here's a note to the unreal reader in a book that purports not to be real.  From Living Alone by Stella Benson, 1920.

Sparks from the Philosopher's Stone by James Lendall Basford, 1882

The moon has a fingerprint.  From Stories and Interludes by Barry Pain, 1892.