''William the Pirate'' is the fourteenth book in the ''Just William'' series by Richmal Crompton. It was first published in 1932. It contains eleven short-stories, one of which (''Aunt Arabelle in Charge'') features the odious "Anthony Martin" who is often cited as a parody of

A.A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne (; 18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winni ...

Christopher Robin Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, based on his son Christopher Robin Milne. The character appears in the author's popular books of poetry and ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' stories, and has subsequently appeared in various Disney a ...

The Stories

*''William and the Musician'' William helps an Italian puppeteer to return to his native land and accidentally supports Mrs Bott's house party. *''William Holds the Stage'' William is determined to play the part of

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in a school theatrical performance to win Dorinda Lane's praise. *''The Outlaws and the Triplets'' Henry is forced to look after his baby sister and when the Outlaws lose her, things get complicated.. *''William and the Eastern Curse'' William helps a girl to choose her ideal husband between two men. *''The New Neighbour'' William takes ingenious revenge on his aggressive next-door neighbour. *''Mrs Bott's Hat'' Bizarre circumstances force William to pose as a female circus dwarf to return a flamboyant hat to Mrs Bott. *''William and the Princess Goldilocks'' William falls in love with an actress he sees in a stage play. He sets out to find her but she is not all she seems. *''Their Good Resolution'' Wanting a more exciting New Year's Resolution, the Outlaws decide to start "rescuing people". *''William's Invention'' Mrs. Bott tries to convince a journalist that her house is haunted, and with William's accidental help succeeds. *''Aunt Arabelle in Charge'' With absent-minded Aunt Arabelle in charge, the Outlaws have the run of Ginger's family home. However, this leads to unexpected problems when a child star stays in the village. (This story is notable for featuring "Anthony Martin", a thinly disguised parody of

Christopher Robin Milne Christopher Robin Milne (21 August 1920 – 20 April 1996) was an English author and bookseller and the only child of author A. A. Milne. As a child, he was the basis of the character Christopher Robin in his father's Winnie-the-Pooh stories a ...

, son of

.) *''A Little Affair of Rivalry'' Robert is infatuated with a newly arrived beauty, but he soon finds he has a rival! 1932 short story collections Just William Short story collections by Richmal Crompton Children's short story collections 1932 children's books George Newnes Ltd books {{1930s-child-novel-stub