The beautifull Cassandra

The Beautifull Cassandra is a short story written by Jane Austen when she was aged 12 or 13. It’s a short, funny tale following a teenage girl on an adventure through London. See what she gets up to!

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dedicated by permission to Miss Austen.

Dedication.

Madam

You are a Phoenix. Your taste is refined, your Sentiments are noble, & your Virtues innumerable. Your Person is lovely, your Figure, elegant, & your Form, magestic. Your manners, are polished, your Conversation is rational & your appearance singular. If therefore the following Tale will afford one moment’s amusement to you, every wish will be gratified of

Your most obediant

humble Servant

The Author

The beautifull Cassandra.

a novel, in twelve Chapters.

Chapter the first

Cassandra was the Daughter and the only Daughter of a celebrated Millener in Bond Street. Her father was of noble Birth, being the near relation of the Dutchess of ——’s Butler.

Chapter the 2^d

When Cassandra had attained her 16^th year, she was lovely & amiable & chancing to fall in love with an elegant Bonnet, her Mother had just compleated bespoke by the Countess of —— she placed it on her gentle Head & walked from her Mother’s shop to make her Fortune.

Chapter the 3^d

The first person she met, was the Viscount of——a young Man, no less celebrated for his Accomplishments & Virtues, than for his Elegance & Beauty. She curtseyed & walked on.

Chapter the 4^th

She then proceeded to a Pastry-cooks where she devoured six ices, refused to pay for them, knocked down the Pastry Cook & walked away.

Chapter the 5^th

She next ascended a Hackney Coach & ordered it to Hampstead, where She was no sooner arrived than she ordered the Coachman to turn round & drive her back again.

Chapter the 6^th

Being returned to the same spot of the same Street she had sate out from, the Coachman demanded his Pay.

Chapter the 7^th

She searched her pockets over again & again; but every search was unsuccessfull. No money could she find. The man grew peremptory. She placed her bonnet on his head & ran away.

Chapter the 8^th

Thro’ many a Street she then proceeded & met in none the least Adventure till on turning a Corner of Bloomsbury Square, she met Maria.

Chapter the 9^th

Cassandra started & Maria seemed surprised; they trembled, blushed, turned pale & passed each other in a mutual silence.

Chapter the 10^th

Cassandra was next accosted by her freind the Widow, who squeezing out her little Head thro’ her less window, asked her how she did? Cassandra curtseyed & went on.

Chapter the 11^th

A quarter of a mile brought her to her paternal roof in Bond Street from which she had now been absent nearly 7 hours.

Chapter the 12^th

She entered it & was pressed to her Mother’s bosom by that worthy Woman. Cassandra smiled & whispered to herself ‘This is a day well spent.’

Finis

Watch the video of the story, performed by Carlyss Peer.

Teacher resources:

This document contains a large bank of tasks, intended to bring the enjoyment of Jane Austen’s works into your classroom. We suggest a pick-n-mix approach: choose the activities that will best suit your students and remove the rest! Some of the GCSE resources may suit more ambitious KS3 students and, in turn, some GCSE students may relish the challenge of tasks in the A Level section.

Download the document below: