The history of the little tramp from Victorian London, who experienced all the hardships of wandering life: poverty, fear and loneliness. James Greenwood is not the usual children's author, entertaining children with carefree cheerful stories. In the story “The true history of a little ragamuffin” he shows a different childhood—a bleak existence of a defenseless child, neither having a roof over his head, nor bread for his meals. He has lost his mother early. Fleeing from his stepmother, the boy left the house and lived on the street. There he was forced to scrape for his own food, wandering with other children and spending the nights underground.