ბლოგი არის ინფორმაციის კვლევის, ორგანიზების, შეფასებისა და კომუნიკაციის საშუალება .ის აქტიურად მუშაობს და მოიცავს ვრცელ, არსებით ინფორმაციასაც და განსაზღვრებებს საგნის სწავლების მეთოდოლოგიასა და მიდგომებთან დაკავშირებით.აქ არის განთავსებული ტესტები, წიგნიერების კალენდარული გეგმების ნიმუშები,საკონფერენციო თემები და სხვა. ელექტრონული რესურსი საშუალებას აძლევს მოსწავლეებს და კოლეგებს აქტიურად ჩაერთონ სასწავლო პროცესის მიზნების მიღწევაში.
Most children end up finding one or two stories that they love, and end up listening to/reading them over and over again. Short stories with very few characters, a simple setting and theme are the easiest to remember.
In fact, it also helps children enhance their literacy skills. Simple three and four letter words are put together to form such stories. They can be heard, comprehended and read by the child with ease. Here are some short story examples –
Friends Forever – This story is about the friendship between a frog and a mouse and shows how your actions against others can backfire on yourself. This story will teach your child about the African saying “Don’t dig too deep a pit for your enemy, you may fall into it yourself”.
The Prince And The Snake – This story follows the journey of a prince whose body has been invaded by a devilish snake and how he manages to escape from the clutches of the snake.
Lion And The Mouse – This story explains the proverb “Small acts of kindness will be rewarded greatly” and how anyone regardless of their size and appearance, can make a major impact in certain situations. This tale can teach your child to appreciate others and create a helping tendency in their minds.
Hare And The Tortoise – Everyone is aware about this story where the hare is defeated by the tortoise in a race proving the proverb “Slow and steady wins the race”. But the story doesn’t end there as they eventually have another race! And it consists of a number of morals your child should learn about.
Moral Stories For Kids
Children enjoy reading about different characters and story plots. But how often do they learn something from these tales?
What if your child could be taught good manners or habits through these stories, that can be applied in their everyday lives? In fact, the way a child behaves, talks and responds to a situation can be directly influenced by simple, moral stories. Here are some of the most popular and easy to comprehend moral stories –
The Golden Goose – This story is about a farmer who had a goose that was laying one golden egg every day. As the story goes on, it focuses on the themes of greed and how it can ruin anyone’s life.
The Ant And The Grasshopper – This story is based on the concept of working hard in the present for a prosperous future and it features a hardworking ant and a lazy grasshopper. Through this tale, children will understand the need, importance and benefits of hard work.
The Honest Woodcutter – This tale is based on the moral “Honesty is the best policy” and involves a poor woodcutter who loses his axe in a river. It shows children how they will get appreciated and rewarded if they live with honesty.
The Greedy Crocodile – Based on the theme of greed, this story describes an encounter involving a boy, a crocodile, and a rabbit. This tale teaches children about the essence of the proverb – “a bird in hand is worth two in a bush”
The Boy Who Cried Wolf – This story proves that nobody will believe a liar, even when he speaks the truth. The main plot is centered around how the habit of lying affects a shepherd boy.
The Ugly Duckling – This tale deals with the concept of apperance, and emphazizes on the fact that beauty does not mean superority. It portrays the struggles of an ugly duckling and the challenges faced by it due to its appearance.
Vidya Ragu, a psychologist, learning & development expert, tells us about the crucial role that stories play in the lives of our children – and how you can become a great storyteller! Watch the video below for details:
Inspirational Stories For Kids
Stories about great personalities, their struggles and achievements are a wonderful source of encouragement for children. In fact, your child will learn that no barrier is a dead-end and you can achieve any dream the way Malala or Abdul Kalam did!
Reading these stories gives children a chance to learn new things and build a strong character. Moreover, motivational stories can inspire your child to pick up a book and feel excited about reading. Here are some lovely motivational stories for kids –
Anne Frank – Venture into this sad yet inspiring diary of Anne Frank, a jewish victim of the Holocaust in Germany, as she explains her struggles during the Second World War. This will show children how traumatising war can be and why they must strive towards world peace.
Mahatma Gandhi – Take a look at the biography of the Father of our Nation and revisit the struggles he had to endure to help India become Independent. This biography will give children a glimpse of historical events that eventually resulted in our independence.
I Am Malala – This is an inspiring tale of Malala, a young woman activist who fought for the right to education for women in Pakistan. Becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks leaps and bounds of her contributions and achievements and teaches children all over the world that anyone can make a difference.
Copyright – Arun Tiwari/Universities Press
Wings of Fire – Teach your child the motivational ideologies of one of the greatest role models of our country with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s “Wings of Fire”. This book will make children understand about Insipration, Motivation, Partriotism, Knowledge and much more.
Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls – This awe-inspiring collection of tales, chronicles the endearing journeys of some of the greatest women personalities who played a part in empowering women all over the globe.
Bedtime Stories For Kids
Bedtime stories are great to relax the child’s mind! They have simple characters, plots and settings. And additionally, bedtime stories are used to calm the child’s mind and help them sleep peacefully through the night. Research has shown that they dream about the rich characters and recall their actions.
For a parent, in today’s quick world, a nice bedtime story is an excellent way of building a bond with their young ones. In fact, you can push your child to predict the end, to suggest alternate endings, to describe the character and summarize the tale at the end. This will help their memory and creative thinking. Here are some popular bedtime stories –
A City Rat And A Village Rat – This story draws a parallel between the peaceful nature of living in villages versus the stressful nature of city life with rats as central characters. By observing the portrayals of two different lifestyles, children can start to understand about the real world.
Princess And The Pea – This fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, deals with a prince who is in search of a princess and how he gets to meet her.
5-Min Stories– This collection of stories features simple daily-life scenarios and will capture your child’s attention in 300 seconds with its wit and storylines.
Here’s a famous story that Flintobox recreated with colourful illustrations and animations! Your child is sure to love it
Adventure Stories For Kids
There is no better way to get your child to be more curious and intellectually stimulated because adventure stories are generally filled with a thrilling plot, maybe some strong characters and a diverse setting. Moreover, the intricate plot, with twists and turns, act as a stimulus.
It makes the child want to know more, predict the next move, pick up clues, connect the dots and solve problems. Children need to have a good and fully-functional coping system by the age of ten. They need to be strong and independent enough to solve their own problems without a lot of support from peers or parents.
Adventure stories with strong protagonists help children make mature decisions and focus better. Here are some must-read adventure stories:
Copyright – J.K.Rowling/Bloomsbury
The Harry Potter Series – This 7-part book series, by J.K.Rowling chronicles the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. It predominantly features Harry’s struggle against the main antagonist of the series – Lord Voldemort.
The Famous Five– Check out this classic collection of novels from Enid Blyton, featuring various adventure stories that the lead characters Julian, Dick and Anne, George and their dog Timmy face.
The Secret Seven– Enid Blyton brings us the entertaining tale of a secret society of kids looking to solve crimes, led by Peter with his sister Janet and their friends Jack, Colin, George, Pam and Barbara along with their golden spaniel, Scamper.
Tintin– Set in the 20th century, this collection follows the journey of Tintin, a courageous young Belgian reporter and the adventures that he embarks on with his dog Snowy.
Complete Adventures of Feluda– This Fiction series created by Satyajit Ray, features Feluda, a detective from Bengal and the mysteries that he solves. Check out this interesting collection chronicling the journey of the Indian Sherlock Holmes.
PRO TIP: Activity boxes such as Flintobox also provide exciting storybooks based on different themes and concepts. Every month, a box packed with enriching activities and an adventurous story will be packed and shipped to your doorstep! For more information on Flintobox activities, click here >
Funny Stories For Kids
When children watch a funny movie clip or cartoon, they never tend to recall the underlying story behind the clip. They take the amusing anecdote for granted, laugh and move on. But in the case of a story, the valuable lessons hidden inside these funny books are hard to miss.
They bring out values and morals in a fun, entertaining and educational manner. Many parents believe that funny stories are filled with silly pictures and characters, but this is far from the truth. A lot of research goes into putting together a book for a child.
As an adult, we might not notice the learning element in these funny stories, but children often connect well with the images, characters, and anecdotes. Here are some funny stories –
Foolish Imitation– This tale involves the attempts of a foolish crow to imitate every aspect of a hawk. The major theme of this story is the importance of originality and explains to children that it’s better to be yourself than to mimic others.
The Judge Monkey– The crux of this story features two cats fighting over a loaf of bread. This story proves the fact that it is better to share instead of possessive quarrelling.
Funny Bedtime story examples– Check out this interesting collection of stories filled with humour to make sure that your child feels happy and light hearted before bedtime.
Indian Folk Tales
India is a land of rich culture and diversity. And with this rich culture comes some beautiful stories too. Some stories are based on real characters, like kings or famous people.
While some other stories are inspired by different communities and beliefs. Parents can choose from a range of amazing Indian folk tales and get their kids excited about story-time.
Panchatantra – This is an ancient collection of stories (originally in Sanskrit). The stories that form the Panchatantra always consist of animal characters and every story comes with a moral. Pancha means Five, and Tantra means principle, and true to its name, there is a learning in every story.
Tenali Raman – Tenali Raman, was the legendary Telugu poet and advisor of the King Krishnadevaraya. All the stories involve the two characters, their adventures together and how cleverly Tenali Raman solves the trickiest of issues. It is a fun and educational read for every child and almost all stories come with a moral too.
Akbar & Birbal – Birbal who was an advisor in the court of the Emperor Akbar, was known for his intellect, wit and sense of humour. In all the stories, Akbar places a problem in front of Birbal, and Birbal cleverly finds a solution. He wins hearts and admiration every day. Children can learn a lot about the Mughal dynasty and Indian rulers too, through these stories.
Fairy Tale Stories
Filled with characters like dwarfs, fairies, gnomes, mermaids and talking animals, fairy tales are some of the most popular stories among kids. These stories help children enter a fantasy world with infinite possibilities, multiple characters and almost always, a happy ending.
Fantasy and fictional stories help develop the creative side of a child’s brain. Children dealing with issues, anxiety and learning disabilities, find comfort in fairy tales. They use their imagination, picture multiple characters and express their thoughts better.
Copyright – Aesop/Barnes and Noble
Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood – These are some of the most popular fairy tales of all time and the best part about these stories is that there are so many different versions which lets you revisit the same story in different manners.
Aesop’s Fables – Aesop’s Fables is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Also known as the Children’s and Household Tales, this is a collection of fairy tales first published in 1812 by the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm.
Horror Stories For Kids
Life isn’t always about rainbows and butterflies. Some children enjoy the occasional scares, ghosts and chills down the spine. The stories are written in a simple and effective manner. If your child is bored of the regular happy ending fairy tales, then this could be a new genre to try.
As children see themselves are protagonists, and later enact out these stories, horror stories teach children to be powerful, face their fears and defeat evil. Here are some good horror stories and books –
Copyright – R.L.Stine/Scholastic
Goosebumps – With scary puppets, werewolves, monsters and so much more inside, this series by R.L. Stine will send a chill down everybody’s spine. This collection of stories will help children understand the fact that the fearless can survive any danger when they make the right decisions.
No Way Out– This story features Mike, who takes up a challenge of going inside a haunted house. It also features additional stories such as “The Price of Friendship” and “Hobgoblin Horror”.
Horror story examples– This collection of stories covers a variety of themes and sub-genres, based on horror from renowned authors. It also features the audio versions of the stories that you can play to your child.
Indian Mythological Stories
Stories from our ancestors have been passed on to us. Stories about good vs evil, demons, gods, bravery, kings, love, sacrifice, friendship and so much more.
Indian mythological stories are a combination of fantasy, fiction and are often based on well-known characters, generally kings and gods.
Mahabharata – It is an age old mythological epic about two clans, the Kauravas and Pandavas. It is an enjoyable read, filled with unique characters, wars, life-lessons and anecdotes.
Ramayana – It is the story of Lord Rama. The story is about his valour, bravery, strength and determination to bring back his kidnapped wife, Sita, from the demon king, Ravana.
Also, you could find multiple mythological books for children – like Ganesha, Prahalad, Shiva, Krishna and friends, Hanuman, Indian festivals and much more. All these stories have a few things in common – the power of good, the destruction of evil, the importance of making good choices and loving, respecting and protecting families and friends at all times.
Storytelling plays a crucial role in the overall development and growth of a child. Narrating a tale or helping a child read a story has been a parent-child fun activity since time immemorial.
A story not only instills virtues in your child, it also helps them confidently enter a world of dreams and endless possibilities. Help your child enhance his/her listening, memory and communication skills through such wonderful stories.
Do you believe that stories are important for children? Drop us a comment with your thoughts.
I'd Love to Be a Fairy's Child
Children born of fairy stock
Never need for shirt or frock,
Never want for food or fire,
Always get their heart's desire:
Jingle pockets full of gold,
Marry when they're seven years old.
Every fairy child may keep
Two strong ponies and ten sheep;
All have houses, each his own,
Built of brick or granite stone;
They live on cherries, they run wild—
I'd love to be a Fairy's child.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Originally published in the Brothers Grimm's fairytale collection, "Kinder- und Hausmärchen," translated as Children's and Household Tales in 1812, Rapunzel has been adapted broadly over countless generations in book, movie, and musical forms.
There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and looked pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, "What aileth thee, dear wife?" "Ah," she replied, "if I can't get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, to eat, I shall die." The man, who loved her, thought, "Sooner than let thy wife die, bring her some of the rampion thyself, let it cost thee what it will." In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish. She, however, liked it so much—-so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. "How canst thou dare," said she with angry look, "to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!" "Ah," answered he, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat." Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, "If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt, only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother." The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me."
Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the King's son rode through the forest and went by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The King's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair."
Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her. "If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I will for once try my fortune," said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair."
Immediately the hair fell down and the King's son climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her; but the King's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought, "He will love me more than old Dame Gothel does;" and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said, "I will willingly go away with thee, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with thee a skein of silk every time that thou comest, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and thou wilt take me on thy horse." They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her, "Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young King's son—-he is with me in a moment." "Ah! thou wicked child," cried the enchantress "What do I hear thee say! I thought I had separated thee from all the world, and yet thou hast deceived me." In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day, however, that she cast out Rapunzel, the enchantress in the evening fastened the braids of hair which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the King's son came and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair,"
she let the hair down. The King's son ascended, but he did not find his dearest Rapunzel above, but the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks. "Aha!" she cried mockingly, "Thou wouldst fetch thy dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out thy eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to thee; thou wilt never see her more." The King's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell, pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did nothing but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.
The wife of a rich man fell sick, and as she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee, and I will look down on thee from heaven and be near thee." Thereupon she closed her eyes and departed. Every day the maiden went out to her mother's grave, and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white sheet over the grave, and when the spring sun had drawn it off again, the man had taken another wife.
The woman had brought two daughters into the house with her, who were beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart. Now began a bad time for the poor step-child. "Is the stupid goose to sit in the parlour with us?" said they. "He who wants to eat bread must earn it; out with the kitchen-wench." They took her pretty clothes away from her, put an old grey bedgown on her, and gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess, how decked out she is!" they cried, and laughed, and led her into the kitchen. There she had to do hard work from morning till night, get up before daybreak, carry water, light fires, cook and wash. Besides this, the sisters did her every imaginable injury — they mocked her and emptied her peas and lentils into the ashes, so that she was forced to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked till she was weary she had no bed to go to, but had to sleep by the fireside in the ashes. And as on that account she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella. It happened that the father was once going to the fair, and he asked his two step-daughters what he should bring back for them. "Beautiful dresses," said one, "Pearls and jewels," said the second. "And thou, Cinderella," said he, "what wilt thou have?" "Father, break off for me the first branch which knocks against your hat on your way home." So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls and jewels for his two step-daughters, and on his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the branch and took it with him. When he reached home he gave his step-daughters the things which they had wished for, and to Cinderella he gave the branch from the hazel-bush. Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave and planted the branch on it, and wept so much that the tears fell down on it and watered it. And it grew, however, and became a handsome tree. Thrice a day Cinderella went and sat beneath it, and wept and prayed, and a little white bird always came on the tree, and if Cinderella expressed a wish, the bird threw down to her what she had wished for.
It happened, however, that the King appointed a festival which was to last three days, and to which all the beautiful young girls in the country were invited, in order that his son might choose himself a bride. When the two step-sisters heard that they too were to appear among the number, they were delighted, called Cinderella and said, "Comb our hair for us, brush our shoes and fasten our buckles, for we are going to the festival at the King's palace." Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go with them to the dance, and begged her step-mother to allow her to do so. "Thou go, Cinderella!" said she; "Thou art dusty and dirty and wouldst go to the festival? Thou hast no clothes and shoes, and yet wouldst dance!" As, however, Cinderella went on asking, the step-mother at last said, "I have emptied a dish of lentils into the ashes for thee, if thou hast picked them out again in two hours, thou shalt go with us." The maiden went through the back-door into the garden, and called, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick
"The good into the pot,
The bad into the crop."
Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen-window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at last all the birds beneath the sky, came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the pigeons nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the rest began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good grains into the dish. Hardly had one hour passed before they had finished, and all flew out again. Then the girl took the dish to her step-mother, and was glad, and believed that now she would be allowed to go with them to the festival. But the step-mother said, "No, Cinderella, thou hast no clothes and thou canst not dance; thou wouldst only be laughed at." And as Cinderella wept at this, the step-mother said, "If thou canst pick two dishes of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour, thou shalt go with us." And she thought to herself, "That she most certainly cannot do." When the step-mother had emptied the two dishes of lentils amongst the ashes, the maiden went through the back-door into the garden and cried, You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds under heaven, come and help me to pick
"The good into the pot,
The bad into the crop."
Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen-window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at length all the birds beneath the sky, came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the doves nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the others began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good seeds into the dishes, and before half an hour was over they had already finished, and all flew out again. Then the maiden carried the dishes to the step-mother and was delighted, and believed that she might now go with them to the festival. But the step-mother said, "All this will not help thee; thou goest not with us, for thou hast no clothes and canst not dance; we should be ashamed of thee!" On this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.
As no one was now at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel-tree, and cried,
"Shiver and quiver, little tree,
Silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She put on the dress with all speed, and went to the festival. Her step-sisters and the step-mother however did not know her, and thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought of Cinderella, and believed that she was sitting at home in the dirt, picking lentils out of the ashes. The prince went to meet her, took her by the hand and danced with her. He would dance with no other maiden, and never left loose of her hand, and if any one else came to invite her, he said, "This is my partner."
She danced till it was evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the King's son said, "I will go with thee and bear thee company," for he wished to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged. She escaped from him, however, and sprang into the pigeon-house. The King's son waited until her father came, and then he told him that the stranger maiden had leapt into the pigeon-house. The old man thought, "Can it be Cinderella?" and they had to bring him an axe and a pickaxe that he might hew the pigeon-house to pieces, but no one was inside it. And when they got home Cinderella lay in her dirty clothes among the ashes, and a dim little oil-lamp was burning on the mantle-piece, for Cinderella had jumped quickly down from the back of the pigeon-house and had run to the little hazel-tree, and there she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again, and then she had placed herself in the kitchen amongst the ashes in her grey gown.
Next day when the festival began afresh, and her parents and the step-sisters had gone once more, Cinderella went to the hazel-tree and said—-
"Shiver and quiver, my little tree,
Silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw down a much more beautiful dress than on the preceding day. And when Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, every one was astonished at her beauty. The King's son had waited until she came, and instantly took her by the hand and danced with no one but her. When others came and invited her, he said, "She is my partner." When evening came she wished to leave, and the King's son followed her and wanted to see into which house she went. But she sprang away from him, and into the garden behind the house. Therein stood a beautiful tall tree on which hung the most magnificent pears. She clambered so nimbly between the branches like a squirrel that the King's son did not know where she was gone. He waited until her father came, and said to him, "The stranger-maiden has escaped from me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear-tree." The father thought, "Can it be Cinderella?" and had an axe brought and cut the tree down, but no one was on it. And when they got into the kitchen, Cinderella lay there amongst the ashes, as usual, for she had jumped down on the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress to the bird on the little hazel-tree, and put on her grey gown.
On the third day, when the parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went once more to her mother's grave and said to the little tree—-
"Shiver and quiver, my little tree,
Silver and gold throw down over me."
And now the bird threw down to her a dress which was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were golden. And when she went to the festival in the dress, no one knew how to speak for astonishment. The King's son danced with her only, and if any one invited her to dance, he said, "She is my partner."
When evening came, Cinderella wished to leave, and the King's son was anxious to go with her, but she escaped from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The King's son had, however, used a strategem, and had caused the whole staircase to be smeared with pitch, and there, when she ran down, had the maiden's left slipper remained sticking. The King's son picked it up, and it was small and dainty, and all golden. Next morning, he went with it to the father, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife but she whose foot this golden slipper fits." Then were the two sisters glad, for they had pretty feet. The eldest went with the shoe into her room and wanted to try it on, and her mother stood by. But she could not get her big toe into it, and the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut the toe off; when thou art Queen thou wilt have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut the toe off, forced the foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the King's son. Then he took her on his his horse as his bride and rode away with her. They were, however, obliged to pass the grave, and there, on the hazel-tree, sat the two pigeons and cried,
"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
There's blood within the shoe,
The shoe it is too small for her,
The true bride waits for you."
Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was streaming from it. He turned his horse round and took the false bride home again, and said she was not the true one, and that the other sister was to put the shoe on. Then this one went into her chamber and got her toes safely into the shoe, but her heel was too large. So her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut a bit off thy heel; when thou art Queen thou wilt have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut a bit off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the King's son. He took her on his horse as his bride, and rode away with her, but when they passed by the hazel-tree, two little pigeons sat on it and cried,
"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
There's blood within the shoe
The shoe it is too small for her,
The true bride waits for you."
He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking. Then he turned his horse and took the false bride home again. "This also is not the right one," said he, "have you no other daughter?" "No," said the man, "There is still a little stunted kitchen-wench which my late wife left behind her, but she cannot possibly be the bride." The King's son said he was to send her up to him; but the mother answered, "Oh, no, she is much too dirty, she cannot show herself!" He absolutely insisted on it, and Cinderella had to be called. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the King's son, who gave her the golden shoe. Then she seated herself on a stool, drew her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, which fitted like a glove. And when she rose up and the King's son looked at her face he recognized the beautiful maiden who had danced with him and cried, "That is the true bride!" The step-mother and the two sisters were terrified and became pale with rage; he, however, took Cinderella on his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the hazel-tree, the two white doves cried—-
"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
No blood is in the shoe,
The shoe is not too small for her,
The true bride rides with you,"
and when they had cried that, the two came flying down and placed themselves on Cinderella's shoulders, one on the right, the other on the left, and remained sitting there.
When the wedding with the King's son had to be celebrated, the two false sisters came and wanted to get into favour with Cinderella and share her good fortune. When the betrothed couple went to church, the elder was at the right side and the younger at the left, and the pigeons pecked out one eye of each of them. Afterwards as they came back, the elder was at the left, and the younger at the right, and then the pigeons pecked out the other eye of each. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were punished with blindness as long as they lived.
The Three Little Pigs
The story of The Three Little Pigs featured here has been adapted from different sources and from childhood memory. The primary sources are English Fairy Tales, retold by Flora Annie Steel (1922) with illustrations by L. Leslie Brooke from the 1904 version. This title is a feature from our Pre-K Read-Aloud Stories.
Once upon a time there was an old mother pig who had three little pigs and not enough food to feed them. So when they were old enough, she sent them out into the world to seek their fortunes.
The first little pig was very lazy. He didn't want to work at all and he built his house out of straw. The second little pig worked a little bit harder but he was somewhat lazy too and he built his house out of sticks. Then, they sang and danced and played together the rest of the day.
The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks. It was a sturdy house complete with a fine fireplace and chimney. It looked like it could withstand the strongest winds.
The next day, a wolf happened to pass by the lane where the three little pigs lived; and he saw the straw house, and he smelled the pig inside. He thought the pig would make a mighty fine meal and his mouth began to water.
So he knocked on the door and said:
"Little pig! Little pig!
Let me in! Let me in!"
But the little pig saw the wolf's big paws through the keyhole, so he answered back:
"No! No! No!
Not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin!"
Then the wolf showed his teeth and said:
"Then I'll huff
and I'll puff
and I'll blow your house down."
So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf opened his jaws very wide and bit down as hard as he could, but the first little pig escaped and ran away to hide with the second little pig.
The wolf continued down the lane and he passed by the second house made of sticks; and he saw the house, and he smelled the pigs inside, and his mouth began to water as he thought about the fine dinner they would make.
So he knocked on the door and said:
"Little pigs! Little pigs!
Let me in! Let me in!"
But the little pigs saw the wolf's pointy ears through the keyhole, so they answered back:
"No! No! No!
Not by the hairs on our chinny chin chin!"
So the wolf showed his teeth and said:
"Then I'll huff
and I'll puff
and I'll blow your house down."
So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf was greedy and he tried to catch both pigs at once, but he was too greedy and got neither! His big jaws clamped down on nothing but air and the two little pigs scrambled away as fast as their little hooves would carry them.
The wolf chased them down the lane and he almost caught them. But they made it to the brick house and slammed the door closed before the wolf could catch them. The three little pigs they were very frightened, they knew the wolf wanted to eat them. And that was very, very true. The wolf hadn't eaten all day and he had worked up a large appetite chasing the pigs around and now he could smell all three of them inside and he knew that the three little pigs would make a lovely feast.
So the wolf knocked on the door and said:
"Little pigs! Little pigs!
Let me in! Let me in!"
But the little pigs saw the wolf's narrow eyes through the keyhole, so they answered back:
"No! No! No!
Not by the hairs on our chinny chin chin!"
So the wolf showed his teeth and said:
"Then I'll huff
and I'll puff
and I'll blow your house down."
Well! he huffed and he puffed. He puffed and he huffed. And he huffed, huffed, and he puffed, puffed; but he could not blow the house down. At last, he was so out of breath that he couldn't huff and he couldn't puff anymore. So he stopped to rest and thought a bit.
But this was too much. The wolf danced about with rage and swore he would come down the chimney and eat up the little pig for his supper. But while he was climbing on to the roof the little pig made up a blazing fire and put on a big pot full of water to boil. Then, just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little piggy pulled off the lid, and plop! in fell the wolf into the scalding water.
So the little piggy put on the cover again, boiled the wolf up, and the three little pigs ate him for supper.
IT was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt from his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midst of which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep river, and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so high, that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright. The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks, and sit under a burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her. At length one shell cracked, and then another, and from each egg came a living creature that lifted its head and cried, "Peep, peep." "Quack, quack," said the mother, and then they all quacked as well as they could, and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves. Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes. "How large the world is," said the young ducks, when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell. "Do you imagine this is the whole world?" asked the mother; "Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that to the parson's field, but I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all out?" she continued, rising; "No, I declare, the largest egg lies there still. I wonder how long this is to last, I am quite tired of it;" and she seated herself again on the nest.
"Well, how are you getting on?" asked an old duck, who paid her a visit.
"One egg is not hatched yet," said the duck, "it will not break. But just look at all the others, are they not the prettiest little ducklings you ever saw? They are the image of their father, who is so unkind, he never comes to see."
"Let me see the egg that will not break," said the duck; "I have no doubt it is a turkey's egg. I was persuaded to hatch some once, and after all my care and trouble with the young ones, they were afraid of the water. I quacked and clucked, but all to no purpose. I could not get them to venture in. Let me look at the egg. Yes, that is a turkey's egg; take my advice, leave it where it is and teach the other children to swim."
"I think I will sit on it a little while longer," said the duck; "as I have sat so long already, a few days will be nothing."
"Please yourself," said the old duck, and she went away.
At last the large egg broke, and a young one crept forth crying, "Peep, peep." It was very large and ugly. The duck stared at it and exclaimed, "It is very large and not at all like the others. I wonder if it really is a turkey. We shall soon find it out, however when we go to the water. It must go in, if I have to push it myself."
On the next day the weather was delightful, and the sun shone brightly on the green burdock leaves, so the mother duck took her young brood down to the water, and jumped in with a splash. "Quack, quack," cried she, and one after another the little ducklings jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but they came up again in an instant, and swam about quite prettily with their legs paddling under them as easily as possible, and the ugly duckling was also in the water swimming with them.
"Oh," said the mother, "that is not a turkey; how well he uses his legs, and how upright he holds himself! He is my own child, and he is not so very ugly after all if you look at him properly. Quack, quack! come with me now, I will take you into grand society, and introduce you to the farmyard, but you must keep close to me or you may be trodden upon; and, above all, beware of the cat."
When they reached the farmyard, there was a great disturbance, two families were fighting for an eel's head, which, after all, was carried off by the cat. "See, children, that is the way of the world," said the mother duck, whetting her beak, for she would have liked the eel's head herself. "Come, now, use your legs, and let me see how well you can behave. You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder; she is the highest born of them all, and has Spanish blood, therefore, she is well off. Don't you see she has a red flag tied to her leg, which is something very grand, and a great honor for a duck; it shows that every one is anxious not to lose her, as she can be recognized both by man and beast. Come, now, don't turn your toes, a well-bred duckling spreads his feet wide apart, just like his father and mother, in this way; now bend your neck, and say 'quack.'"
The ducklings did as they were bid, but the other duck stared, and said, "Look, here comes another brood, as if there were not enough of us already! and what a queer looking object one of them is; we don't want him here," and then one flew out and bit him in the neck.
"Let him alone," said the mother; "he is not doing any harm."
"Yes, but he is so big and ugly," said the spiteful duck "and therefore he must be turned out."
"The others are very pretty children," said the old duck, with the rag on her leg, "all but that one; I wish his mother could improve him a little."
"That is impossible, your grace," replied the mother; "he is not pretty; but he has a very good disposition, and swims as well or even better than the others. I think he will grow up pretty, and perhaps be smaller; he has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his figure is not properly formed;" and then she stroked his neck and smoothed the feathers, saying, "It is a drake, and therefore not of so much consequence. I think he will grow up strong, and able to take care of himself."
"The other ducklings are graceful enough," said the old duck. "Now make yourself at home, and if you can find an eel's head, you can bring it to me."
And so they made themselves comfortable; but the poor duckling, who had crept out of his shell last of all, and looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and made fun of, not only by the ducks, but by all the poultry. "He is too big," they all said, and the turkey cock, who had been born into the world with spurs, and fancied himself really an emperor, puffed himself out like a vessel in full sail, and flew at the duckling, and became quite red in the head with passion, so that the poor little thing did not know where to go, and was quite miserable because he was so ugly and laughed at by the whole farmyard. So it went on from day to day till it got worse and worse. The poor duckling was driven about by every one; even his brothers and sisters were unkind to him, and would say, "Ah, you ugly creature, I wish the cat would get you," and his mother said she wished he had never been born. The ducks pecked him, the chickens beat him, and the girl who fed the poultry kicked him with her feet. So at last he ran away, frightening the little birds in the hedge as he flew over the palings.
"They are afraid of me because I am ugly," he said. So he closed his eyes, and flew still farther, until he came out on a large moor, inhabited by wild ducks. Here he remained the whole night, feeling very tired and sorrowful.
In the morning, when the wild ducks rose in the air, they stared at their new comrade. "What sort of a duck are you?" they all said, coming round him.
He bowed to them, and was as polite as he could be, but he did not reply to their question. "You are exceedingly ugly," said the wild ducks, "but that will not matter if you do not want to marry one of our family."
Poor thing! he had no thoughts of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among the rushes, and drink some of the water on the moor. After he had been on the moor two days, there came two wild geese, or rather goslings, for they had not been out of the egg long, and were very saucy. "Listen, friend," said one of them to the duckling, "you are so ugly, that we like you very well. Will you go with us, and become a bird of passage? Not far from here is another moor, in which there are some pretty wild geese, all unmarried. It is a chance for you to get a wife; you may be lucky, ugly as you are."
"Pop, pop," sounded in the air, and the two wild geese fell dead among the rushes, and the water was tinged with blood. "Pop, pop," echoed far and wide in the distance, and whole flocks of wild geese rose up from the rushes. The sound continued from every direction, for the sportsmen surrounded the moor, and some were even seated on branches of trees, overlooking the rushes. The blue smoke from the guns rose like clouds over the dark trees, and as it floated away across the water, a number of sporting dogs bounded in among the rushes, which bent beneath them wherever they went. How they terrified the poor duckling! He turned away his head to hide it under his wing, and at the same moment a large terrible dog passed quite near him. His jaws were open, his tongue hung from his mouth, and his eyes glared fearfully. He thrust his nose close to the duckling, showing his sharp teeth, and then, "splash, splash," he went into the water without touching him, "Oh," sighed the duckling, "how thankful I am for being so ugly; even a dog will not bite me." And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him. It was late in the day before all became quiet, but even then the poor young thing did not dare to move. He waited quietly for several hours, and then, after looking carefully around him, hastened away from the moor as fast as he could. He ran over field and meadow till a storm arose, and he could hardly struggle against it. Towards evening, he reached a poor little cottage that seemed ready to fall, and only remained standing because it could not decide on which side to fall first. The storm continued so violent, that the duckling could go no farther; he sat down by the cottage, and then he noticed that the door was not quite closed in consequence of one of the hinges having given way. There was therefore a narrow opening near the bottom large enough for him to slip through, which he did very quietly, and got a shelter for the night. A woman, a tom cat, and a hen lived in this cottage. The tom cat, whom the mistress called, "My little son," was a great favorite; he could raise his back, and purr, and could even throw out sparks from his fur if it were stroked the wrong way. The hen had very short legs, so she was called "Chickie short legs." She laid good eggs, and her mistress loved her as if she had been her own child. In the morning, the strange visitor was discovered, and the tom cat began to purr, and the hen to cluck.
"What is that noise about?" said the old woman, looking round the room, but her sight was not very good; therefore, when she saw the duckling she thought it must be a fat duck, that had strayed from home. "Oh what a prize!" she exclaimed, "I hope it is not a drake, for then I shall have some duck's eggs. I must wait and see." So the duckling was allowed to remain on trial for three weeks, but there were no eggs. Now the tom cat was the master of the house, and the hen was mistress, and they always said, "We and the world," for they believed themselves to be half the world, and the better half too. The duckling thought that others might hold a different opinion on the subject, but the hen would not listen to such doubts. "Can you lay eggs?" she asked. "No." "Then have the goodness to hold your tongue." "Can you raise your back, or purr, or throw out sparks?" said the tom cat. "No." "Then you have no right to express an opinion when sensible people are speaking." So the duckling sat in a corner, feeling very low spirited, till the sunshine and the fresh air came into the room through the open door, and then he began to feel such a great longing for a swim on the water, that he could not help telling the hen.
"What an absurd idea," said the hen. "You have nothing else to do, therefore you have foolish fancies. If you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away."
"But it is so delightful to swim about on the water," said the duckling, "and so refreshing to feel it close over your head, while you dive down to the bottom."
"Delightful, indeed!" said the hen, "why you must be crazy! Ask the cat, he is the cleverest animal I know, ask him how he would like to swim about on the water, or to dive under it, for I will not speak of my own opinion; ask our mistress, the old woman- there is no one in the world more clever than she is. Do you think she would like to swim, or to let the water close over her head?"
"You don't understand me," said the duckling.
"We don't understand you? Who can understand you, I wonder? Do you consider yourself more clever than the cat, or the old woman? I will say nothing of myself. Don't imagine such nonsense, child, and thank your good fortune that you have been received here. Are you not in a warm room, and in society from which you may learn something. But you are a chatterer, and your company is not very agreeable. Believe me, I speak only for your own good. I may tell you unpleasant truths, but that is a proof of my friendship. I advise you, therefore, to lay eggs, and learn to purr as quickly as possible."
"I believe I must go out into the world again," said the duckling.
"Yes, do," said the hen. So the duckling left the cottage, and soon found water on which it could swim and dive, but was avoided by all other animals, because of its ugly appearance. Autumn came, and the leaves in the forest turned to orange and gold. then, as winter approached, the wind caught them as they fell and whirled them in the cold air. The clouds, heavy with hail and snow-flakes, hung low in the sky, and the raven stood on the ferns crying, "Croak, croak." It made one shiver with cold to look at him. All this was very sad for the poor little duckling. One evening, just as the sun set amid radiant clouds, there came a large flock of beautiful birds out of the bushes. The duckling had never seen any like them before. They were swans, and they curved their graceful necks, while their soft plumage shown with dazzling whiteness. They uttered a singular cry, as they spread their glorious wings and flew away from those cold regions to warmer countries across the sea. As they mounted higher and higher in the air, the ugly little duckling felt quite a strange sensation as he watched them. He whirled himself in the water like a wheel, stretched out his neck towards them, and uttered a cry so strange that it frightened himself. Could he ever forget those beautiful, happy birds; and when at last they were out of his sight, he dived under the water, and rose again almost beside himself with excitement. He knew not the names of these birds, nor where they had flown, but he felt towards them as he had never felt for any other bird in the world. He was not envious of these beautiful creatures, but wished to be as lovely as they. Poor ugly creature, how gladly he would have lived even with the ducks had they only given him encouragement. The winter grew colder and colder; he was obliged to swim about on the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the space on which he swam became smaller and smaller. At length it froze so hard that the ice in the water crackled as he moved, and the duckling had to paddle with his legs as well as he could, to keep the space from closing up. He became exhausted at last, and lay still and helpless, frozen fast in the ice.
Early in the morning, a peasant, who was passing by, saw what had happened. He broke the ice in pieces with his wooden shoe, and carried the duckling home to his wife. The warmth revived the poor little creature; but when the children wanted to play with him, the duckling thought they would do him some harm; so he started up in terror, fluttered into the milk-pan, and splashed the milk about the room. Then the woman clapped her hands, which frightened him still more. He flew first into the butter-cask, then into the meal-tub, and out again. What a condition he was in! The woman screamed, and struck at him with the tongs; the children laughed and screamed, and tumbled over each other, in their efforts to catch him; but luckily he escaped. The door stood open; the poor creature could just manage to slip out among the bushes, and lie down quite exhausted in the newly fallen snow.
It would be very sad, were I to relate all the misery and privations which the poor little duckling endured during the hard winter; but when it had passed, he found himself lying one morning in a moor, amongst the rushes. He felt the warm sun shining, and heard the lark singing, and saw that all around was beautiful spring. Then the young bird felt that his wings were strong, as he flapped them against his sides, and rose high into the air. They bore him onwards, until he found himself in a large garden, before he well knew how it had happened. The apple-trees were in full blossom, and the fragrant elders bent their long green branches down to the stream which wound round a smooth lawn. Everything looked beautiful, in the freshness of early spring. From a thicket close by came three beautiful white swans, rustling their feathers, and swimming lightly over the smooth water. The duckling remembered the lovely birds, and felt more strangely unhappy than ever.
"I will fly to those royal birds," he exclaimed, "and they will kill me, because I am so ugly, and dare to approach them; but it does not matter: better be killed by them than pecked by the ducks, beaten by the hens, pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger in the winter."
Then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans. The moment they espied the stranger, they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings.
"Kill me," said the poor bird; and he bent his head down to the surface of the water, and awaited death.
But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. To be born in a duck's nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg. He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him; for the great swans swam round the new-comer, and stroked his neck with their beaks, as a welcome.
Into the garden presently came some little children, and threw bread and cake into the water.
"See," cried the youngest, "there is a new one;" and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands, and shouting joyously, "There is another swan come; a new one has arrived."
Then they threw more bread and cake into the water, and said, "The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty." And the old swans bowed their heads before him.
Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud. He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds. Even the elder-tree bent down its bows into the water before him, and the sun shone warm and bright. Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, "I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling." - -
The Disloyal Friend is a moral story that involves Tenali Rama, the court jester of Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagar emperor. The story is centered around four friends from Vijaynagar.
The four friends were poor and was in search of better job opportunities. So they decided to go to the city in search of work. Since they didn't know for how long they would be gone they wondered what to do with their valuables. One of the friends suggested that they leave their valuables in the custody of an old washer woman who lived near his house. All the friends agreed to this and so they went to the washerwoman and handed over their valuables for safe keeping in her house.
The old woman told them that she would guard their valuables with her life. The friends further instructed her to return the valuables only when the four of them returned together.
One of them became a successful cloth merchant, the second set up an oil business and the third sold food grains and they all made lots of money. The fourth friend was not successful, and after a few days he returned to the village and went to see the old washerwoman. What did he tell the old woman? What happened to the rest of the three friends? Where does Tenali Rama's wit and humour come to the rescue?
Watch the full story to know what happened next. The colourful animated story is complete with dialogues and is interesting to watch.
THE GINGERBREAD MAN
MAKING GINGERBREAD IN THE SHAPE OF HUMAN FIGURES BEGAN IN THE 16TH CENTURY. QUEEN ELIZABETH I OF ENGLAND USED TO GET HER GINGERBREAD FIGURE-SHAPED TO LOOK LIKE SOME OF HER IMPORTANT GUESTS. FOLLOWING THIS, MAKING 'GINGERBREAD-MEN' BECAME A TREND AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE.
THE GINGER BREAD MAN IS A FAIRY TALE ABOUT A GINGER BREAD MAN'S ESCAPE FROM BEING EATEN BY MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND WHERE HE FINALLY ENDS UP WHEN THE TALE IS DONE. THE STORY BEGINS IN THE HOUSE OF AN OLD COUPLE WHO HAD NO CHILDREN. THEY WERE VERY LONELY AND PRETTY SAD AT TIMES. TO KILL THE BOREDOM THE OLD LADY DECIDES TO MAKE SOME GINGER BREAD. WHILE KNEADING THE DOUGH FOR THE BREAD, SHE HAD AN IDEA. SHE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FUN SO SHE DECIDED TO CUT THE DOUGH IN THE SHAPE OF A MAN TO AMUSE HER HUSBAND. SHE ROLLED OUT THE DOUGH AND CUT OUT THE BREAD IN THE SHAPE OF A SMALL MAN AND PUT IT IN THE OVER TO BAKE.
SHE WAITED ON HER CHAIR KNITTING AWAY TO PASS THE TIME. THEN, AS SHE SMELLED A LOVELY BAKED SMELL SHE GOT UP AND WENT TO CHECK ON THE GINGER BREAD. WHEN SHE OPENED THE OVER DOOR THE GINGER BREAD GOT UP FROM THE BAKING TRAY AND JUMPED OUT OF THE OVEN. BEFORE SHE REALIZED WHAT WAS GOING ON THE GINGER BREAD MAN HAD ALREADY RUN OUT THE DOOR. THE OLD LADY RAN AFTER THE GINGER BREAD MAN AND ASKED HIM TO BACK.
HE KEPT RUNNING AND CALLED OUT TO THE WOMAN, 'NO NO NO, I AM NOT YOUR DINNER, FOR YOU CAN’T LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME. RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, YOU CAN’T CATCH ME, I AM THE GINGER BREAD MAN!!' AND SO HE KEPT RUNNING. THE OLD LADY CALLED HER HUSBAND TO RUN AFTER THE GINGER BREAD MAN AND CATCH HOLD OF HIM, HE WAS THEIR DINNER! BUT THE GINGER BREAD MAN KEPT RUNNING FASTER. WATCH THE REST OF THE STORY TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GINGER BREAD MAN AS HE KEPT RUNNING THROUGH THE TOWN MOCKING EVERYBODY WHO WANTED TO EAT HIM.
NIGHTY NIGHT CIRCUS
Nighty Night Circus is a bedtime story for little children that will delight them and get them to sleep as they watch each character prepare to sleep and switch off their lights one after the other.
The story begins with a little owl is sleepy and flies to a branch to get ready for bed. The owl is startled by a noise and flies down to find out. There is a circus outside town and the animals are getting ready to call it a night. First we see the bear who makes shapes with balloons. He is very sleepy. The bear blows out his candle and goes to bed. Then we see a sleepy bunny rabbit with his magic wand who dozes off while practicing magic tricks, he soon goes to bed and we wish him goodnight. We go to the elephant’s den next, the elephant is practicing on his stool. He too goes to sleep as we say goodbye. In a kettle shaped home, the snake rattles his tail, does tricks with the balls on the shelf using his tail and then finally slithers into his basket for a good night’s sleep. The seal is in his room playing with a ball and flapping his tail. Soon he too lies down to sleep and we move on to the fleas who live in a shoe. The three fleas take turns playing in their little match box beds and when when the lights go off they too yawn and go to sleep as well. The Lion prances about in his room and does a balancing act by standing on a small ball. He roars and runs about and then comes back in to lie down and slips into sleep. Now all the circus animals are asleep. When we go back to take a look at the little owl, we find her sound asleep too, dreaming about circus probably! ‘Now it is your turn to sleep! Don't forget to turn off the lights!’ Says the storyteller in his soothing voice as the story comes to an end.
This animated story is beautifully detailed and the animals and their voices add to the features. Have fun watching it with your little kid and put them to sleep with beautiful moments to dream about right before bed with you.
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE STORY OF THE SUN AND THE NORTH WIND? IT IS A STORY FROM AESOP’S FABLES (PERRY INDEX 46). DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS FABLE ARE TAUGHT TO CHILDREN ALL AROUND THE WORLD TO TEACH AN IMPORTANT LESSON ON PERSUASION AND POWER.
THE WIND WAS VERY PROUD OF ITS POWER AND THINK’S HE IS THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD. THE WIND CHALLENGES THE SUN WITH A BET. THE CHALLENGE WAS TO GET A TRAVELLER, WHO WAS WALKING THROUGH THE FIELD BELOW, TO TAKE HIS COAT OFF. THE FIRST ONE TO GET THE MAN’S COAT OFF WOULD BE DECLARED THE WINNER.
THE WIND TOOK THE FIRST TRY AND STARTED BLOWING ON THE MAN, BUT THE MAN HELD ON TO HIS JACKET TIGHTLY AND KEPT WALKING FORWARD. THE WIND WOULDN’T GIVE UP; HE BLEW EVEN HARDER AND KEPT TRYING TO BLOW THE JACKET OFF HIM. BUT THE STRONGER THE WIND BLEW, THE TIGHTER THE MAN HELD HIS COAT. AFTER A WHILE THE WIND WAS TOO TIRED THAT HE COULDN’T BLOW ANYMORE. AS SOON AS HE GAVE UP THE SUN CAME FORWARD SHINED BRIGHTLY OVER THE MAN. THE TRAVELLER WAS SUDDENLY FEELING HOT; SO HE UNDID HIS BUTTONS ONE BY ONE. THE SUN KEPT SHINING. THE MAN FELT TOO HOT THAT HE TOOK OFF HIS JACKET AND THREW IT ASIDE.
THE WIND WAS SO EMBARRASSED, BUT HE LEARNT AN IMPORTANT LESSON. WHEN YOU ARE GIFTED WITH A TALENT OR POWER IT MUST NOT MAKE YOU ARROGANT AND PROUD. THE STORY TEACHES US THAT SOMETIMES PERSUASION IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN FORCE, IN WHICH CASE PERSUASION IS PREFERABLE, SINCE IT ALLOWS THE ONE PERSUADED TO EXERT FREE WILL.
DID YOU LIKE THIS STORY? WATCH THE ANIMATED VERSION OF THE STORY BY CLICKING ON THE LINK PROVIDED. THE ANIMATED VIDEO BRINGS THE STORY TO LIFE WITH VIVID COLORFUL CHARACTERS AND DIALOGUES.
THE NUMBERS SONG
LET US LEARN THE NUMBERS
WE ARE GONNA
LEARN TILL TEN
LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES IT FUN
YOU CAN READ FROM ONE TO TEN
SHOW THE NUMBERS ON YOUR HAND
WRITE THE NUMBERS ON THE SAND
WRITE THE NUMBERS ON THE WALL
PICK THE NUMBERS FROM THE BALL
DON'T YOU WANNA TO SING ALONG?
LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES YOU STRONG
SAY IT....ONE AND TWO...
SHOW THE NUMBERS ON THE DOOR
WRITE THE NUMBERS ON THE SHORE
SEE THE NUMBERS ON THE FLOOR
MARK THE NUMBERS ON THE FLOOR
DON'T YOU WANNA TO SING ALONG?
LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES YOU STRONG
SAY IT....THREE AND FOUR
SHOW THE NUMBERS ON THE BRICKS
PICK THE NUMBERS FROM THE BRICKS
SEE THE NUMBERS ON A STICK
PICK YOUR NUMBER FROM THE STICK
DON'T YOU WANNA TO SING ALONG?
LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES YOU STRONG
SAY IT....FIVE AND SIX
SEE THE NUMBERS ON A CRATE
PICK YOUR NUMBER FROM THE CRATE
SEE THE NUMBERS ON A PLATE
WRITE THE NUMBERS ON A SLATE
DON'T YOU WANNA TO SING ALONG?
LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES YOU STRONG
SAY IT....SEVEN AND EIGHT
SAY THE NUMBERS ONE BY ONE
WRITE THE NUMBERS WITH A PEN
SHOUT THE NUMBERS ON THE RUN
SHOOT THE NUMBERS WITH A GUN
DON'T YOU WANNA TO SING ALONG? LEARNING NUMBERS MAKES YOU STRONG SAY IT....NINE AND TEN
DO YOU LOVE RAIN? RAIN MAKES THE ENVIRONMENT COOL. IN THIS ANIMATED STORY, MUSTI BECAME A RAINMAKER! HOW? LET US SEE. IT WAS A HOT DAY. MUSTI STAYED IN THE HOUSE. HE LOOKED AT HIS GARDEN FROM HIS HOUSE. SINCE IT WAS TOO HOT, HE COULD NOT GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
HE SUDDENLY HEARD A MILD AND STRANGE NOISE IN THE GARDEN. HE RUSHED TO GARDEN AND NOTICED IT WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE TORTOISE. TORTOISE HAD A STRONG AND PROTECTIVE SHELL TO COVER FROM CLIMATE CHANGES AND ENEMIES. TORTOISES REMAINED LIKE A STONE WHEN THEY SUSPECT SOMETHING STRANGE.
SADLY, THE TORTOISE COULD NOT TOLERATE THE HEAT. MUSTI PITIED ON TORTOISE. HE TOLD HER HE COULD SPRAY SOME WATER ON HER SO THAT CAN GET RID OF THE HEAT. TORTOISE WAS SO HAPPY HEARING THE KIND WORDS FROM MUSTI!
MUSTI SPRAYED WATER ON TORTOISE THROUGH A HOSE FROM HIS GARDEN. TORTOISE WAS SO HAPPY AND RELIEVED. SHE THANKED MUSTI! WHILE THEY WERE HAVING A CHIT CHAT, THEIR FRIEND RABBIT CAME TO THE GARDEN.
RABBIT WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE SHOWER BATH OFFERED BY MUSTI TO THE TORTOISE. TORTOISE CALLED HIM RAINMAKER. EVEN RABBIT FELT EXTREMELY HOT AND EXPRESSED HIS GRIEF OVER THE CLIMATE. WHEN MUSTI DECIDED TO HELP RABBIT BY SPRAYING WATER ON HIM, THERE WAS NO WATER! MUSTI AND RABBIT WAS SHOCKED! WHAT CAN THEY DO? WATCH THE ANIMATED STORY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE STORIES WITH A NICE MORAL FOR KIDS. DON’T FORGET TO OFFER HELP WHEN SOME REALLY NEEDS IT. IT COULD BE VERY SMALL THING. YET, IF YOU CAN HELP SOMEONE, DO NOT HESITATE.
FOR INSTANCE, OFFERING A GLASS OF WATER, JUST AS MUSTI DID!
AND KIDS CAN LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN CLIMATE; HOW THEY RESPOND TO DIFFERENT CLIMATE; ETC.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHILDREN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHILDREN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
JINGLE BELL
DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW
IN A ONE-HORSE OPEN SLEIGH
O'ER THE FIELDS WE GO
LAUGHING ALL THE WAY
BELLS ON BOBTAIL RING'
MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE AND SING
A SLEIGHING SONG TONIGHT!
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS,
JINGLE ALL THE WAY.
OH! WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A ONE-HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS,
JINGLE ALL THE WAY;
OH! WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A ONE-HORSE OPEN SLEIGH.
MORE ABOUT “MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB”
"MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB" IS A FAMOUS NURSERY RHYME OF AMERICAN ORIGIN.
IT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED BY MARSH, CAPEN & LYON, A BOSTON PUBLISHING FIRM, AS AN ORIGINAL POEM BY SARAH JOSEPHA HALE ON MAY 24, 1830, AND WAS INSPIRED BY AN ACTUAL INCIDENT.
MARY SAWYER (LATER MARY TYLER) KEPT A PET LAMB THAT SHE TOOK TO SCHOOL ONE DAY AT THE SUGGESTION OF HER BROTHER. AS COULD BE EXPECTED, THERE WAS A COMMOTION. MARY RECALLED:
"VISITING SCHOOL THAT MORNING WAS A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF JOHN ROULSTONE, A NEPHEW OF THE REVEREND LEMUEL CAPEN, WHO WAS THEN SETTLED IN STERLING. IT WAS THE CUSTOM THEN FOR STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE WITH MINISTERS, AND FOR THIS PURPOSE ROULSTONE WAS STUDYING WITH HIS UNCLE. THE YOUNG MAN WAS VERY MUCH PLEASED WITH THE INCIDENT OF THE LAMB; AND THE NEXT DAY HE RODE ACROSS THE FIELDS ON HORSEBACK TO THE LITTLE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE AND HANDED ME A SLIP OF PAPER WHICH HAD WRITTEN UPON IT THE THREE ORIGINAL STANZAS OF THE POEM..."
THERE ARE TWO THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE POEM. ACCORDING TO ONE, ROULSTONE WROTE THE FIRST FOUR LINES, AND THE FINAL TWELVE LINES, LESS CHILDLIKE THAN THE FIRST, WERE COMPOSED BY SARAH JOSEPHA HALE. THE OTHER THEORY IS THAT HALE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE POEM.
MARY SAWYER'S HOUSE, LOCATED IN STERLING, MASSACHUSETTS, WAS DESTROYED ON AUGUST 12, 2007 BY ARSON. A STATUE REPRESENTING MARY'S LITTLE LAMB STANDS IN THE TOWN CENTER. THE SCHOOL HOUSE, REDSTONE SCHOOL, WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT IN 1798, WAS PURCHASED BY HENRY FORD AND RELOCATED TO A CHURCHYARD IN SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS ON THE PROPERTY OF LONGFELLOW'S WAYSIDE INN. THE RHYME IS ALSO FAMOUS FOR BEING THE FIRST RECORDING BY THOMAS EDISON ON HIS NEWLY INVENTED PHONOGRAPH IN 1877.
IN THE 1830S, LOWELL MASON STYLIZED THE NURSERY RHYME TO A MELODY ADDING REPETITION IN THE VERSES:
“MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, LITTLE LAMB,
LITTLE LAMB, MARRY HAD A LITTLE LAMB
WHOSE FLEECE WAS WHITE AS SNOW.
AND EVERYWHERE THAT MARY WENT
MARY WENT, MARY WENT, EVERYWHERE
THAT MARY WENT
THE LAMB WAS SURE TO GO.
HE FOLLOWED HER TO SCHOOL ONE DAY,
SCHOOL ONE DAY, SCHOOL ONE DAY,
HE FOLLOWED HER TO SCHOOL ONE DAY,
WHICH WAS AGAINST THE RULES,
IT MADE THE CHILDREN LAUGH AND PLAY,
LAUGH AND PLAY, LAUGH AND PLAY,
IT MADE THE CHILDREN LAUGH AND PLAY,
TO SEE A LAMB AT SCHOOL.
AND SO THE TEACHER TURNED IT OUT,
TURNED IT OUT,TURNED IT OUT,
AND SO THE TEACHER TURNED IT OUT,
BUT STILL IT LINGERED NEAR,
HE WAITED PATIENTLY ABOUT,
LY ABOUT,LY ABOUT,
HE WAITED PATIENTLY ABOUT,
TILL MARY DID APPEAR.
"WHY DOES THE LAMB LOVE MARY SO?"
LOVE MARY SO?" LOVE MARY SO?"
"WHY DOES THE LAMB LOVE MARY SO?"
THE EAGER CHILDREN CRIED.
"WHY, MARY LOVES THE LAMB, YOU KNOW,"
LAMB, YOU KNOW," LAMB, YOU KNOW,"
"WHY, MARY LOVES THE LAMB, YOU KNOW,"
THE TEACHER DID REPLY.”
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V
W X Y AND Z.
NOW I KNOW MY ABCS;
NEXT TIME WON'T YOU SING WITH ME.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE ALPHABET SONG, LET US ANSWER A QUIZ ON THE ENGLISH ALPHABET. THE QUIZ IS FOLLOWED BY BRAINTEASERS ON THE ENGLISH ALPHABET.
ENGLISH ALPHABET QUIZ
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS THE MOST USED? E
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS THE LEAST USED? Z
WHAT IS THE DOT OVER THE LETTER I CALLED? TITLE
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON WORD IN ENGLISH? THE
WHAT IS A PANGRAM? A SENTENCE THAT CONTAINS ALL 26 LETTERS OF THE ENGLISH ALPHABET.
GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A PANGRAM. “THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG.”
WHAT IS THE LONGEST WORD IN ENGLISH WITHOUT A VOWEL? RHYTHM
FROM WHICH LANGUAGE DOES THE WORD ALPHABET ORIGINATE? GREEK (ALPHABET IS A COMBINATION OF ALPHA AND BETA)
WHAT IS THE LONGEST WORD IN ENGLISH THAT DOES NOT USE THE LETTER E ? FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION (IT MEANS THE ACT OF ESTIMATING SOMETHING AS WORTHLESS)
HOW MANY (APPROXIMATELY) LANGUAGES USE THE ENGLISH ALPHABET? AROUND 100
ALPHABET BRAINTEASERS
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS THE MOST WATERY? C (SEA)
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS ALWAYS BUZZING AROUND? B (BEE)
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS VERY LONG? Q (QUEUE)
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD? T (TEA)
WHAT LETTER COMES ONCE IN A MINUTE, TWICE IN A MOMENT AND NEVER IN A THOUSAND YEARS? M
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET WIDENS A ROAD? B (ADD A B TO ROAD, IT BECOMES BROAD)
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS THE SILENT MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT? I (WE DO NOT PRONOUNCE I WHEN WE SAY PARLIAMENT.)
WHAT LETTER OF THE ALPHABET ALWAYS SAYS YES TO EVERYTHING? K (K IS SHORT FORM FOR OK)
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET MAKES A PEAR PRECIOUS? L (ADD L TO PEAR TO GET PEARL)
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS ALWAYS IN THE TOILET? P (PEE)
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS ALWAYS THE PERSON YOU ARE TALKING TO? U (YOU)
WHICH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET IS ALWAYS ASKING A QUESTION? Y (WHY)
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O,
AND ON HIS FARM HE HAD A COW, E I E I O.
WITH A MOO MOO HERE AND A MOO MOO THERE,
HERE A MOO, THERE A MOO, EVERYWHERE A MOO MOO.
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O.
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O,
AND ON HIS FARM HE HAD A PIG, E I E I O.
WITH AN OINK OINK HERE AND AN OINK OINK THERE,
HERE AN OINK, THERE AN OINK, EVERYWHERE AN OINK OINK.
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O.
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O,
AND ON HIS FARM HE HAD A DUCK, E I E I O.
WITH A QUACK QUACK HERE AND A QUACK QUACK THERE,
HERE A QUACK, THERE A QUACK, EVERYWHERE A QUACK QUACK.
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM, E I E I O.
Short Stories » In Far-Away Bohemia
NOT MANY MONTHS AGO SOMETHING WAS SHOWN AND TOLD TO ME OF A YOUTH WHOM I HAD KNOWN IN HIS IN-FANCY. TIME FLIES SWIFTLY, AND I COULD HARDLY REALIZE THAT THE LOVELY BOY I HAD ONCE HELD IN MY ARMS WAS ALREADY A MAN AND A HERO.
I WAS VISITING A LADY WHEN ANOTHER ENTERED THE ROOM WITH SOMETHING CAREFULLY FOLDED IN HER HANDS, AND SAID, "I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS, BECAUSE YOU WILL APPRECIATE IT AND UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS." WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS? A DARK BLUE APRON, MADE TO COME UP ACROSS THE BREAST AND DOWN BELOW THE KNEES, LIKE A BUTCHER'S APRON. THEN SHE TOLD ME ITS STORY. HER SON HAD BEEN CALLED TO GO AND PREACH THE GOSPEL IN BOHEMIA. HE WAS VERY YOUNG, AND MUST HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS MISSION TO GO CHEERFULLY SO FAR AWAY ACROSS THE WORLD AMONG A STRANGE PEOPLE, HE WHO HAD NEVER BEFORE BEEN SEPARATED FROM HIS OWN KINDRED AND MOUNTAIN HOME.
THE COUNTRY TO WHICH HE WENT WAS A MARKED SPOT UPON THE EARTH FOR THE GREAT SCENES WHICH HAD BEEN ENACTED THERE, AND MUST BE DEAR TO THE LORD FOR THE SAKE OF THE GREAT AND GOOD MEN WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR LOVE OF HIS WORD.
MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, MANY OF THAT PEOPLE WERE SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH WITH SUCH EARNESTNESS THAT THEY CHEERFULLY DEVOTED THEIR FORTUNES AND THEIR LIVES TO THAT END. THEY LIVED ONE LONG-CONTINUED WARFARE IN ITS PURSUIT, AND MANY AT LAST PERISHED IN THE FLAMES OR BY THE SWORD, BUT BOHEMIA WAS THE PLACE TO WHICH STILL CAME THE LOVERS OF THE BIBLE TO SPEAK TOGETHER IN SECRET, AND FROM THERE THE TRUTH SPREAD INTO OTHER COUNTRIES, WHILE THE FAITHFUL AT HOME HID AND PRESERVED THE HOLY BIBLE FROM COMPLETE DESTRUCTION, THROUGH CENTURY AFTER CENTURY. NATION AFTER NATION MADE WAR UPON THESE RELIGIONISTS, AND THEY WERE DEPRIVED OF THEIR RIGHTS ONE BY ONE, UNTIL NEITHER THEIR PROPERTY NOR LIVES WERE SAFE.
SO TO THAT COUNTRY STAINED WITH THE BLOOD, HER STREAMS CLOUDED WITH THE ASHES, OF MARTYRS, WENT LOUIS, TO TELL THEM A NEW MEANING OF THE SCRIPTURES, TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, THE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL, AND THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR TO REIGN UPON THE EARTH, SURROUNDED BY THE PURE, THE NOBLE, AND ALL WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND DIED FOR HIS CAUSE.
BUT THE LAWS OF THAT COUNTRY ARE STILL VERY STRICT, AND LOUIS WAS COMPELLED TO ADOPT A DISGUISE BY WHICH HE COULD ENTER THE HOUSES AND LEAVE A FEW PRINTED PAGES TO OPEN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE TO FURTHER INQUIRY. SO HE, WITH A COMPANION, TRAVELED TOGETHER AS TINKERS, WITH AN OUTFIT FOR MENDING KITCHEN UTENSILS, AND THIS WAS THE APRON HE WORE.
OH, WHAT HUMILITY ! THUS TO DESCEND TO FULFILL THE MISSION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE ANXIETY, THE HOPES AND PRAYERS, OF HIS FATHER, HIS LOVING MOTHER, AND ALL THE KINDRED WHO HAD KNOWN HIM FROM INFANCY TO MANHOOD, WHILE HE WANDERED THROUGH THAT LAND WHOSE RECORD WAS VOLUME AFTER VOLUME OF RELIGIOUS DISCUSSIONS AND PERSECUTIONS ?
BUT HE WHO CALLED HIM TO GO, BROUGHT HIM BACK IN SAFETY AND HONOR. JOY AND PEACE ARE THEIRS FOR FAITH THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN, AND WORK WELL DONE. THERE ARE MANY NATIONS YET TO BE VISITED AND INVITED TO THE TRUTH, AND THE MISSIONARY CAN TRULY SEE THAT " THE HARVEST IS GREAT BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW," AND THE HEARTS OF MEN ARE INCLINED MORE TO SEEKING AFTER RICHES AND PLEASURE THAN GIVING THEIR SERVICE UNTO THE LORD.
ALL HONOR TO THE YOUNG MISSIONARY WHO WORE THE GARB OF HUMILITY AND BORE HIS MASTER'S MESSAGE. SUCH ARE BUILDERS IN HIS KINGDOM, AND HE WILL DELIGHT TO OWN AND BLESS THEM.
THE CHILD WHO IS POSSESSED OF THE FIVE SENSES, SEEING, HEARING, TASTING, SMELLING, AND SPEECH, AND HAS A WELL-FORMED BODY, IS GREATLY BLESSED, THOUGH LOWLY AND POOR, WHETHER HE KNOWS IT OR NOT. TO BE A CRIPPLE IS AN AFFLICTION; TO INHERIT A SICKLY BODY IS A SERIOUS BARRIER TO ENJOYMENT. THEN HOW THANKFUL CHILDREN SHOULD BE WHO HAVE SOUND BODIES AND ALL THEIR FACULTIES! IMAGINE A WATCH OR A SEWING-MACHINE WITH ONE OR MORE PARTS MISSING ! THERE ARE SO FEW CASES AMONG THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS OF .PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DEFICIENCY THAT OUR CHILDREN CANNOT REALIZE HOW IT IS OUT IN THE WORLD. IF WE PLACED A PROPER VALUE UPON THESE GIFTS OF GOD, WE WOULD NEVER USE THEM UNWISELY.
WE WOULD NOT LEND OUR EYES TO GAZE UPON FORBIDDEN PLEASURES (GAMBLING, HORSE-RACING, EVIL COMPANY) OR BOOKS, SUCH AS BY FALSE TEACHING OR FASCINATING STORIES LEAD THE MIND ASTRAY; OUR EARS TO LISTEN TO CALUMNIES, PROFANITY, OR IMPURE CONVERSATION; OUR. TONGUES TO SPEAK FALSELY, OR TASTE INTOXICATING DRINKS, OR TOBACCO, OR IN SAYING ANYTHING WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF.
IN RESISTING THESE TEMPTATIONS LIES THE CHIEF TRIAL OF LIFE. "WHAT!" ASKS ONE, "DO THE CHIEF EVILS OF LIFE COME THROUGH THE USE OF EYES, EARS, AND TONGUE ? I THOUGHT IT WAS WHAT WE DID." YES, BUT YOUR EYES, EARS, AND TONGUE LEAD YOU INTO THE ACTS. THE SOULS OF THE BLIND ARE UNSULLIED BY SIGHTS OF SIN. THE HEARTS OF THE DEAF HAVE NEVER ACHED IN RESPONSE TO ANGRY TONES. THE TONGUES OF THE DUMB HAVE NEVER UTTERED PROFANITY.
WHEN I HAVE HEARD AND SEEN CHILDREN QUARRELING, WITH DISCORDANT VOICES, AND DARTING ANGRY LOOKS AS CHALLENGES OR RESENTMENT, I HAVE WISHED THAT I MIGHT TAKE THEM TO AN INSTITUTION WHERE THE DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND RESIDE. I THINK THEIR HEARTS WOULD BE TOUCHED WITH PITY AND SORROW.
LOOK UPON THE EYES THAT HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THIS WORLD, THE EARS THAT HAVE NEVER HEARD MUSIC OR A LOVING VOICE THAT EXIST IN ETERNAL BLANK. THINK OF THE TONGUES LIKE FROZEN BROOKS, FETTERED PRISONERS THAT CANNOT UTTER ONE SOUND, THOUGH IN PERIL OR THE PAINS OF DEATH. TRY TO REALIZE SUCH A LIFE AS THIS WOULD BE, OR ALL OF THESE COMBINED, AND THEN ASK YOURSELF IF GOD HAS SLIGHTED YOU.
BUT THE FORTUNATE POSSESSOR OF ALL THESE GIFTS MUST NOT BE TOO SURE THAT THEY ARE HIS, OR HIS TO KEEP ; THEY ARE NOT; GOD HAS LENT THEM TO US, AND REQUIRES US TO MAKE A WISE USE OF THEM.
SOME HAVE KEPT THESE BLESSINGS ALL THEIR LIVES, BUT I HAVE KNOWN OF INSTANCES TO THE CONTRARY. IN TWO CASES, WHERE FALSEHOOD AND ABUSE HAD BEEN EXERCISED, THE PARTIES WERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE DEATH UNABLE TO SPEAK. TEARS AND ANGUISH OF THE COUNTENANCE TOLD PLAINLY OF THE SOUL'S PUNISHMENT, BUT THE WORDS OF REPENTANCE COULD NOT THEN BE SPOKEN ; IT WAS TOO LATE ! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INSTANCES OF GOD'S VISITATION AND JUDGMENT. O CHILDREN OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS, YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT OF THE WATCH THAT IS OVER YOU BY DAY AND BY NIGHT! SHUN SUCH DANGERS, AND LIVE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT YOU MAY FEEL A RIGHT TO CLAIM THE BLESSING AND PROTECTION OF THE HEAVENLY PARENT.
Once upon a time there was an old mother pig who had three little pigs and not enough food to feed them. So when they were old enough, she sent them out into the world to seek their fortunes.
The first little pig was very lazy. He didn't want to work at all and he built his house out of straw. The second little pig worked a little bit harder but he was somewhat lazy too and he built his house out of sticks. Then, they sang and danced and played together the rest of the day.
The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks. It was a sturdy house complete with a fine fireplace and chimney. It looked like it could withstand the strongest winds.
The next day, a wolf happened to pass by the lane where the three little pigs lived; and he saw the straw house, and he smelled the pig inside. He thought the pig would make a mighty fine meal and his mouth began to water.
So he knocked on the door and said:
Then the wolf showed his teeth and said:
So the wolf knocked on the door and said:
DO YOU LOVE RAIN? RAIN MAKES THE ENVIRONMENT COOL. IN THIS ANIMATED STORY, MUSTI BECAME A RAINMAKER! HOW? LET US SEE. IT WAS A HOT DAY. MUSTI STAYED IN THE HOUSE. HE LOOKED AT HIS GARDEN FROM HIS HOUSE. SINCE IT WAS TOO HOT, HE COULD NOT GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE ALPHABET SONG, LET US ANSWER A QUIZ ON THE ENGLISH ALPHABET. THE QUIZ IS FOLLOWED BY BRAINTEASERS ON THE ENGLISH ALPHABET.
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