browse back button
The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • The Cremation of Sam McGee

  • Robert W. Service

    There are strange things done in the midnight sun

    Profile Picture of Robert W. Service in The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • By the men who moil for gold;

  • The Arctic trails have their secret tales

  • That would make your blood run cold;

  • The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

  • But the queerest they ever did see

  • Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

  • I cremated Sam McGee.

  • *

  • Robert W. Service

    Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows.

    Profile Picture of Robert W. Service in The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • Why he left his home in the South to roam 'round the Pole, God only knows.

  • Robert W. Service

    He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;

    Profile Picture of Robert W. Service in The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • Though he'd often say in his homely way that

  • “he'd sooner live in hell.”

  • *

  • Robert W. Service

    On a Christmas Day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail.

    Profile Picture of Robert W. Service in The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • Talk of your cold! through the parka's fold it stabbed like a driven nail.

  • Robert W. Service

    If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn't see;

    Profile Picture of Robert W. Service in The Cremation of Sam McGee
  • It wasn't much fun, but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee.

Welcome! Here is a quick tutorial to get you started

four icons

There are four ways to read and scroll through text on Literal.

1. Scroll

swipe up and down image

Swipe up and down in the middle of the reading panel to scroll through the book.

Tip: Use your fingers, trackpad, or mouse, depending on your screen.

2. Drag

drap left to right image

Drag the dot on the progress bar to the left or to the right.

Tip: Click or tap anywhere on the progress bar to jump ahead or to go back.

3. Press Next

press next image

Press the Next icon to jump to the next line in the book.

Tip: Click Next several times to jump ahead quickly.

4. Press Play

press play image

Press the Play icon to turn on automatic scrolling.

Tip: This takes a few minutes to get used to but it is our most popular way to read!

One more thing

click speech bubble image

Narration and character dialogue on Literal are presented in speech bubbles rather than plain text.

Tip: Click on any speech bubble to unlock helpful tools like notes, translation, and a dictionary.