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The Schoolboy's Story
The Schoolboy's Story is a Christmas short story by Charles Dickens.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1853
About the author
Charles Dickens
13k books32.1k followersCharles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 12, 2026
"The Schoolboy's Story" has themes of forgiveness and generosity. It was part of an 1853 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal "Household Words."
January 13, 2026
Delightful, short little story from Dickens. Worth the quick read.
January 15, 2026
This was the fourth of four Christmas stories that I read with the Dickensians! Group - an enjoyable annual event in the group. This story takes place in one of Charles Dickens’ favorite venues: a boy’s boarding school. The hero is a young boy nicknamed Old Cheeseman by his peers. Where the conditions are not dreadful, poor Cheeseman is often bullied by the other boys. But through it all, Cheeseman remains the same quiet, kind and forgiving young man. This was a beautiful story of forgiveness and grace.
December 4, 2020
I love Dickens, and in his fashion, this too, ends happily. But the story is much based around young boys at a boarding school, bullying a nice teacher, Old Cheeseman. They are perfectly horrible to him. Stopping the bullying movement has come a long way, but I really wonder if it's changed all that much since when I've been in school. It was awful back then and I suspect it is the same now, if maybe not just done in different ways. Other than the meanness of the boys, the story ends nicely, the boys repent, if not gotten their own (which in all honesty, I wouldn't have minded seeing), and the ending is tied up in a nice, neat, pretty bow. Not one of my favorites, but still enjoyable.
December 1, 2020
We've been reading a collection of Christmas short stories by Charles Dickens. This was probably my favorite thus far. Although none of them seem to be what you'd classify as Christmas-y.
All of his stories have a little sadness in them.
This one is about a boy at a boarding school.
All of his stories have a little sadness in them.
This one is about a boy at a boarding school.
January 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ GOOD
Offers a poignant glimpse into the life of a young boy grappling with the challenges of education and self discovery. Unlike his more widely recognised novels, this tale distills the turmoil and triumphs of childhood into a compact narrative that resonates deeply.
From the very beginning, Dickens draws us into the everyday experiences of the protagonist, who navigates the often confusing world of school life. The vivid descriptions of the school environment are filled with detail. Dickens captures the essence of youthful ambition, illustrating how the desire to learn can be overshadowed by the pressures of performance and peer dynamics.
One of the most compelling aspects of this story is its exploration of friendship and rivalry among schoolboys. Dickens paints a rich picture of camaraderie and competition, with moments of laughter juxtaposed against the struggles of insecurity and fear of failure. The relationships formed in this formative stage of life are both tender and tumultuous.
Furthermore, the story adeptly tackles themes of resilience and growth. The protagonist faces various challenges, from dealing with strict teachers to confronting personal doubts, all while forging a path toward self-acceptance and understanding. Dickens illustrates how these early experiences shape character.
While the narrative is light in its tone at times, it carries a profound depth that encourages reflection on the broader implications of education and the impact it has on young minds.
Ultimately, "The Schoolboy's Story" serves not only as a delightful tale for children but also as a nostalgic reminder for adults of the invaluable lessons learned during those formative years.
Offers a poignant glimpse into the life of a young boy grappling with the challenges of education and self discovery. Unlike his more widely recognised novels, this tale distills the turmoil and triumphs of childhood into a compact narrative that resonates deeply.
From the very beginning, Dickens draws us into the everyday experiences of the protagonist, who navigates the often confusing world of school life. The vivid descriptions of the school environment are filled with detail. Dickens captures the essence of youthful ambition, illustrating how the desire to learn can be overshadowed by the pressures of performance and peer dynamics.
One of the most compelling aspects of this story is its exploration of friendship and rivalry among schoolboys. Dickens paints a rich picture of camaraderie and competition, with moments of laughter juxtaposed against the struggles of insecurity and fear of failure. The relationships formed in this formative stage of life are both tender and tumultuous.
Furthermore, the story adeptly tackles themes of resilience and growth. The protagonist faces various challenges, from dealing with strict teachers to confronting personal doubts, all while forging a path toward self-acceptance and understanding. Dickens illustrates how these early experiences shape character.
While the narrative is light in its tone at times, it carries a profound depth that encourages reflection on the broader implications of education and the impact it has on young minds.
Ultimately, "The Schoolboy's Story" serves not only as a delightful tale for children but also as a nostalgic reminder for adults of the invaluable lessons learned during those formative years.
December 25, 2023
Charles Dickens' "The Schoolboy's Story" is a short story about a neglected school boy who grows up to be a teacher at the school, and teased throughout. I absolutely loved this story mainly for the forgiving nature.
Story in short- How much can a boy/man take when it seems he is always ridiculed and called a spy?
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216406
Being rather young at present — I am getting on in years, but still I am rather young — I have no particular adventures of my own to fall back upon. It wouldn’t much interest anybody here, I suppose, to know what a screw the Reverend is, or what a griffin she is, or how they do stick it into parents — particularly hair-cutting, and medical attendance. One of our fellows was charged in his half’s account twelve and sixpence for two pills — tolerably profitable at six and threepence a-piece, I should think — and he never took them either, but put them up the sleeve of his jacket.
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You can chew regular beef. Besides which, there’s gravy to regular beef, and you never see a drop to ours. Another of our fellows went home ill, and heard the family doctor tell his father that he couldn’t account for his complaint unless it was the beer. Of course it was the beer, and well it might be! However, beef and Old Cheeseman are two different things. So is beer. It was Old Cheeseman I meant to tell about; not the manner in which our fellows get their constitutions destroyed for the sake of profit. Why, look at the pie-crust alone. There’s no flakiness in it. It’s solid — like damp lead. Then our fellows get nightmares, and are bolstered for calling out and waking other fellows. Who can wonder! Old Cheeseman one night walked in his sleep, put his hat on over his night-cap, got hold of a fishing-rod and a cricket-bat, and went down into the parlour, where they naturally thought from his appearance he was a Ghost. Why, he never would
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216420
have done that if his meals had been wholesome. When we all begin to walk in our sleeps, I suppose they’ll be sorry for it. Old Cheeseman wasn’t second Latin Master then; he was a fellow himself. He was first brought there, very small, in a post-chaise, by a woman who was always taking snuff and shaking him — and that was the most he remembered about it. He never went home for the holidays. His accounts (he never learnt any extras) were sent to a Bank, and the Bank paid them; and he had a
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216424
brown suit twice a-year, and went into boots at twelve. They were always too big for him, too. In the Midsummer holidays, some of our fellows who lived within walking distance, used to come back and climb the trees outside the playground wall, on purpose to look at Old Cheeseman reading there by himself. He was always as mild as the tea — and that’s pretty mild, I should hope! — so when they whistled to him, he looked up and nodded; and when they said, “Halloa, Old Cheeseman, what have you
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216428
had for dinner?” he said, “Boiled mutton;” and when they said, “An’t it solitary, Old Cheeseman?” he said, “It is a little dull sometimes:” and then they said, “Well good-bye, Old Cheeseman!” and climbed down again. Of course it was imposing on Old Cheeseman to give him nothing but boiled mutton through a whole Vacation, but that was just like the system. When they didn’t give him boiled mutton, they gave him rice pudding, pretending it was a treat. And saved the butcher.
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So Old Cheeseman went on. The holidays brought him into other trouble besides the loneliness; because when the fellows began to come back, not wanting to, he was always glad to see them; which was aggravating when they were not at all glad to see him, and so he got his head knocked against walls, and that was the way his nose bled. But he was a favourite in general. Once a subscription was raised for him; and, to keep up his spirits, he was presented before the holidays with two white mice, a rabbit, a pigeon,
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216435
and a beautiful puppy. Old Cheeseman cried about it — especially soon afterwards, when they all ate one another.
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At last, Old Cheeseman was made second Latin Master. He was brought in one morning at the beginning of a new half, and presented to the school in that capacity as “Mr. Cheeseman.” Then our fellows all agreed that Old Cheeseman was a spy, and a deserter, who had gone over to the enemy’s camp, and sold himself for gold. It was no excuse for him that he had sold himself for very little gold — two pound ten a quarter and his washing, as was reported.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216444
When it was settled in this strong way that Old Cheeseman was a tremendous traitor, who had wormed himself into our fellows’ secrets on purpose to get himself into favour by giving up everything he knew, all courageous fellows were invited to come forward and enrol themselves in a Society for making a set against him. The President of the Society was First boy, named Bob Tarter. His father was in the West Indies, and he owned, himself, that his father was worth Millions. He had great power among our fellows, and he wrote a parody, beginning — “Who made believe to be so meek That we could hardly hear him speak, Yet turned out an Informing Sneak? Old Cheeseman.”
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert
I loved that Cheeseman was not bitter but wanted to help the boys in the school when he gained his wealth after his grandfather died, and had a happy family life though he was an orphan growing up.
Story in short- How much can a boy/man take when it seems he is always ridiculed and called a spy?
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216406
Being rather young at present — I am getting on in years, but still I am rather young — I have no particular adventures of my own to fall back upon. It wouldn’t much interest anybody here, I suppose, to know what a screw the Reverend is, or what a griffin she is, or how they do stick it into parents — particularly hair-cutting, and medical attendance. One of our fellows was charged in his half’s account twelve and sixpence for two pills — tolerably profitable at six and threepence a-piece, I should think — and he never took them either, but put them up the sleeve of his jacket.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216412
You can chew regular beef. Besides which, there’s gravy to regular beef, and you never see a drop to ours. Another of our fellows went home ill, and heard the family doctor tell his father that he couldn’t account for his complaint unless it was the beer. Of course it was the beer, and well it might be! However, beef and Old Cheeseman are two different things. So is beer. It was Old Cheeseman I meant to tell about; not the manner in which our fellows get their constitutions destroyed for the sake of profit. Why, look at the pie-crust alone. There’s no flakiness in it. It’s solid — like damp lead. Then our fellows get nightmares, and are bolstered for calling out and waking other fellows. Who can wonder! Old Cheeseman one night walked in his sleep, put his hat on over his night-cap, got hold of a fishing-rod and a cricket-bat, and went down into the parlour, where they naturally thought from his appearance he was a Ghost. Why, he never would
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216420
have done that if his meals had been wholesome. When we all begin to walk in our sleeps, I suppose they’ll be sorry for it. Old Cheeseman wasn’t second Latin Master then; he was a fellow himself. He was first brought there, very small, in a post-chaise, by a woman who was always taking snuff and shaking him — and that was the most he remembered about it. He never went home for the holidays. His accounts (he never learnt any extras) were sent to a Bank, and the Bank paid them; and he had a
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216424
brown suit twice a-year, and went into boots at twelve. They were always too big for him, too. In the Midsummer holidays, some of our fellows who lived within walking distance, used to come back and climb the trees outside the playground wall, on purpose to look at Old Cheeseman reading there by himself. He was always as mild as the tea — and that’s pretty mild, I should hope! — so when they whistled to him, he looked up and nodded; and when they said, “Halloa, Old Cheeseman, what have you
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216428
had for dinner?” he said, “Boiled mutton;” and when they said, “An’t it solitary, Old Cheeseman?” he said, “It is a little dull sometimes:” and then they said, “Well good-bye, Old Cheeseman!” and climbed down again. Of course it was imposing on Old Cheeseman to give him nothing but boiled mutton through a whole Vacation, but that was just like the system. When they didn’t give him boiled mutton, they gave him rice pudding, pretending it was a treat. And saved the butcher.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216432
So Old Cheeseman went on. The holidays brought him into other trouble besides the loneliness; because when the fellows began to come back, not wanting to, he was always glad to see them; which was aggravating when they were not at all glad to see him, and so he got his head knocked against walls, and that was the way his nose bled. But he was a favourite in general. Once a subscription was raised for him; and, to keep up his spirits, he was presented before the holidays with two white mice, a rabbit, a pigeon,
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216435
and a beautiful puppy. Old Cheeseman cried about it — especially soon afterwards, when they all ate one another.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216439
At last, Old Cheeseman was made second Latin Master. He was brought in one morning at the beginning of a new half, and presented to the school in that capacity as “Mr. Cheeseman.” Then our fellows all agreed that Old Cheeseman was a spy, and a deserter, who had gone over to the enemy’s camp, and sold himself for gold. It was no excuse for him that he had sold himself for very little gold — two pound ten a quarter and his washing, as was reported.
Highlight (Yellow) | Location 216444
When it was settled in this strong way that Old Cheeseman was a tremendous traitor, who had wormed himself into our fellows’ secrets on purpose to get himself into favour by giving up everything he knew, all courageous fellows were invited to come forward and enrol themselves in a Society for making a set against him. The President of the Society was First boy, named Bob Tarter. His father was in the West Indies, and he owned, himself, that his father was worth Millions. He had great power among our fellows, and he wrote a parody, beginning — “Who made believe to be so meek That we could hardly hear him speak, Yet turned out an Informing Sneak? Old Cheeseman.”
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert
I loved that Cheeseman was not bitter but wanted to help the boys in the school when he gained his wealth after his grandfather died, and had a happy family life though he was an orphan growing up.
June 30, 2016
Satu kisah pendek dari sang pujangga (^..^) tentang sekolah asrama & bullying di era Queen Victoria~
Aku lemah sama cerita anak-anak, apalagi—biarpun penuh ketidakadilan dan manusia menyebalkan—ceritanya penuh aurakasih kocak-sedih khas Mr. Dickens, yang bikin bacanya selang-seling antara senyum + ngekek + mangkel~
Ending-nya yang mungkin ga memuaskan bagi penggemar cerpen modern(?), tapi memuaskan buatku (^ ^ )> terutama karena di tengah kehepian itu masih bisa terlihat manusia-manusia yang hanya memandang sesamanya lewat kacamata harta dan tahta...
Aku lemah sama cerita anak-anak, apalagi—biarpun penuh ketidakadilan dan manusia menyebalkan—ceritanya penuh aura
Ending-nya yang mungkin ga memuaskan bagi penggemar cerpen modern(?), tapi memuaskan buatku (^ ^ )> terutama karena di tengah kehepian itu masih bisa terlihat manusia-manusia yang hanya memandang sesamanya lewat kacamata harta dan tahta...
December 8, 2015
Read in A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Classics.
This is a humorous account of what happens when one of the boys at a school suddenly becomes an instructor and the other boys revolt against him for selling out. The spirit of forgiveness serves as the moral, but it's the misunderstandings, plans, and shenanigans of the classmates that make this tale worth a read. Kids are such shits.
This is a humorous account of what happens when one of the boys at a school suddenly becomes an instructor and the other boys revolt against him for selling out. The spirit of forgiveness serves as the moral, but it's the misunderstandings, plans, and shenanigans of the classmates that make this tale worth a read. Kids are such shits.
January 2, 2016
Cute little story about childish mistakes. Bullying has apparently been around forever. I'm not sure why this was put in the category of Christmas tales. It mentions holidays, but that's all.
April 17, 2021
Wow.
A light-hearted story with humour and such a cute character "Old Cheeseman". Sometimes I don't like the characters who are geez but I loved this character.
Dickens to phir Dickens hai na....
A light-hearted story with humour and such a cute character "Old Cheeseman". Sometimes I don't like the characters who are geez but I loved this character.
Dickens to phir Dickens hai na....
December 13, 2022
Sometime I wish that Dickens didn't believe that charismas was a time of forgiveness quite as much as he did, because there are a few people that I would like to see get repercussions for there behavior. It's mostly because I'm not very forgiving that it irks me (I do get that that more on me then the story) but I still find it a little irksome.
January 19, 2026
A Dicken’s Christmas story from his magazine, Household Words, published in 1853. This is a perfect Christmas Story to me, embodying all that is good and generous in the world into a character that might well have resented life and gone the other way.
Read
August 20, 2021writing was rather tedious; i couldn't finish it :(
September 16, 2021
4.5 out of 5
December 8, 2021
Well, it’s barely a Christmas story. It is a nice story about a good man who gets the good fortune he deserves.
December 20, 2021
Librivox audiobook. Well told tale.
Read
December 22, 2021Couldn’t get into this. The name Old Cheeseman over and over.
December 27, 2024
I barely remember anything about this one. Honestly, I probably could not have cared less about this story if I had tried.
Overall, if you're in the mood for something wintery and you're still in the holiday spirit, this is a quick story that can help you get closer to your reading goals before the end of the year. Otherwise, it's just an average story that could easily be skipped.
Overall, if you're in the mood for something wintery and you're still in the holiday spirit, this is a quick story that can help you get closer to your reading goals before the end of the year. Otherwise, it's just an average story that could easily be skipped.
December 23, 2016
Es una bonita historia para niños.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews