THE OLD TOBACCO SHOP - A Story about a Boy who sought Adventure

The Old Tobacco Shop: A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure. It is a children's fantasy novel by William Bowen that was named a Newbery Honor book. The novel, published by MacMillan in 1921, is illustrated by Reginald Birch.
Five-year-old Freddie meets the owner of a nearby tobacco shop, Mr. Toby Littleback; his old-maid aunt, Aunt Amanda; and Mr. Punch, a hunchbacked man who sits outside the shop holding cigars. Toby warns young Freddie never to touch the jar shaped like a Chinese man's head because it is filled with magic tobacco. Freddie can't resist, and after smoking the tobacco he finds himself and his friends on The Sieve, a leaky ship on the Spanish Main. They are first captured by pirates, then escape with the pirate treasure. Later they meet a Persian rug merchant who gives each of them their heart's desire. In the end Freddie falls ill, and goes into a coma. When he awakens he finds himself at home, recovered from the tobacco-induced dream.
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KEYWORDS/TAGS: Old Tobacco Shop, little boy, adventure, action, fantasy story, novel, Newbery Honor Book, Freddie, Toby Littleback, old-maid aunt, aunt Amanda, Mr Punch, hunchback, cigars, jar, Chinese mans head, magic tobacco, resistance, smoke, The Sieve, leaky ship, Spanish Main, pirates, capture, escape, treasure, Persian rug merchant, hearts desire, ill, coma, tobacco-induced, dream, folklore, fairy tales, myths, legends, childrens story, stories, fables, Children's Books, European Tales & Myths for Children, Middle Eastern Tales & Myths for Children, Multicultural Tales & Myths for Children,