The Little Tea Book

An incredible tribute to tea and its origins. Includes:

The Origin Of Tea

Little Cups Of Chinese And Japanese Tea

Some English Tea History

Tea Leaves

Wit, Wisdom, And Humor Of Tea

Tea Making And Taking In Japan And China

Tea-drinking In Other Lands

Ladies, Literature, And Tea

Earliest Mention Of Tea

Australian Tea

Five-o'clock Tea

Tea In Ladies' Novels

Through a compilation of stories, this charming and illustrious 1903 volume traces the history, culture, and manners that tea, and the ceremonies surrounding tea, have inspired in various parts of the world.

"Matrons who toss the cup, and see The grounds of Fate in grounds of tea." --Churchill

"Darma, third son of Koyuwo, King of India, a religions high priest from Siaka (the author of that Eastern paganism about a thousand years before the Christian era), coming to China, to teach the way of happiness, lived a most austere life, passing his days in continual mortification, and retiring by night to solitudes, in which he fed only upon the leaves of trees and other vegetable productions. After several years passed in this manner, in fasting and watching, it happened that, contrary to his vows, the pious Darma fell asleep! When he awoke, he was so much enraged at himself, that, to prevent the offence to his vows for the future, he got rid of his eyelids and placed them on the ground. On the following day, returning to his accustomed devotions, he beheld, with amazement, springing up from his eyelids, two small shrubs of an unusual appearance, such as he had never before seen, and of whose qualities he was, of course, entirely ignorant. The saint, however, not being wholly devoid of curiosity--or, perhaps, being unusually hungry--was prompted to eat of the leaves, and immediately felt within him a wonderful elevation of mind, and a vehement desire of divine contemplation, with which he acquainted his disciples, who were eager to follow the example of their instructor, and they readily received into common use the fragrant plant which has been the theme of so many poetical and literary pens in succeeding ages."