Book excerpt: 'And what do you think of it all, Watson?' asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair. 'It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business.' 'Dark enough and sinister enough.' -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' Best Classic Short Stories for Children brings together some of the most well-known and beloved stories by authors like O. Henry, Oscar Wilde and Saki, and extracts from children's classics such as The Railway Children and Little Women. With a mix of genres including science fiction, mystery and ghost stories, and a host of popular characters such as Oliver Twist, Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre and Dracula, this is the perfect introduction to a range of classic literature. Classics for the New Decade is a new anthology series celebrating the most acclaimed and enduring works of literature.