Fairly recently in this column, I’ve offered you two quizzes about opening lines in literature: first about the opening lines of novels; then, about the opening lines of poems. How about a quiz now about the opening lines of children’s books? Can you name the book and the author?

“I am Sam. Sam I am.”

“The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another his mother called him ‘WILD THING!’”

“This is George. He lived in Africa. He was very happy. But he had one fault: he was too curious.”

“One cold rainy day when my father was a little boy, he met an old alley cat on his street. The cat was very drippy and uncomfortable so my father said, ‘Wouldn’t you like to come home with me?’ This surprised the cat — she had never before met anyone who cared about old alley cats…”

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.”

“A man of my acquaintance once wrote a poem called ‘The Road Less Traveled,’ describing a journey he took through the woods along a path most travelers never used. The poet found that the road less traveled was peaceful but quite lonely, and he was probably a bit nervous as he went along, because if anything happened on the road less traveled, the other travelers would be on the road more frequently traveled and so couldn’t hear him as he cried for help. Sure enough, that poet is now dead.”

“There was once upon a time…‘A king!’ my little readers will instantly exclaim. No, children you are wrong. There was once upon a time a piece of wood.”

“These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket. Their names are Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine.”

“I was born in the year 1632 in the city of York. My father designed me for the law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea, and against all the entreaties of my parents, took ship from the Humber on the 1st of September, 1651.”

“The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.”

“‘Where’s Papa going with that ax?’ said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. ‘Out to the hoghouse,’ replied Mrs. Arable. ‘Some pigs were born last night.’”

“I’m Emily Elizabeth, and I have a dog.”

“In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of — the cow jumping over the moon…”

“From the old and pleasantly situated town of Mayenfeld a path leads through green, shady meadows to the foot of the mountains which look down from their majestic heights upon the valley below. As the footpath begins to slope gently upwards, the fragrance of the nearby heath, with its short grass and vigorous mountain plants, fills the air; then the way becomes more rugged and the path rises steeply toward the Alps.”

“The first place I can well remember, was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a ploughed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master’s house, which stood by the roadside…”

“Bâtard was a devil. This was recognized throughout the Northland. ‘Hell’s Spawn’ he was called by many men, but his master, Black Leclère, chose for him the shameful name ‘Bâtard.’”