Good Stories for Holidays

Frances Jenkins Olcott

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• Publié par: ankya
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 54
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Good Stories For Great Holidays, by Frances Jenkins Olcott

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Good Stories For Great Holidays  Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the  Children's Own Reading

Author: Frances Jenkins Olcott

Release Date: July 11, 2008 [EBook #359]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS ***

Produced by Mike Lough, and David Widger

GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS

ARRANGED FOR STORY-TELLING AND READING ALOUD AND FOR THE CHILDREN'S OWN READING

By Frances Jenkins Olcott

Index according to reading level is appended.

TO THE STORY-TELLER

This volume, though intended also for the children's own reading and for reading aloud, is especially planned for story-telling. The latter is a delightful way of arousing a gladsome holiday spirit, and of showing the inner meanings of different holidays. As stories used for this purpose are scattered through many volumes, and as they are not always in the concrete form required for story-telling, I have endeavored to bring together myths, legends, tales, and historical stories suitable to holiday occasions.

There are here collected one hundred and twenty sto ries for seventeen holidays—stories grave, gay, humorous, or fanciful; also some that are spiritual in feeling, and others that give the delicious thrill of horror so craved by boys and girls at Hal loween time. The range of selection is wide, and touches all sides of wholesome boy and girl nature, and the tales have the power to ar ouse an appropriate holiday spirit.

As far as possible the stories are presented in their original form. When, however, they are too long for inclusion, or too loose in structure for story-telling purposes, they are adapted.

Adapted stories are of two sorts. Condensed: in whi ch case a piece of literature is shortened, scarcely any changes being made in the original language. Rewritten: here the plot, imagery, language, and style of the original are retained as far as possible, while the whole is moulded into form suitable for story-telli ng. Some few stories are built up on a slight framework of original matter.

Thus it may be seen that the tales in this volume have not been reduced to the necessarily limited vocabulary and uniform style of one editor, but that they are varied in treatment and language, and are the products of many minds.

A glance at the table of contents will show that no t only have selections been made from modern authors and from the folklore of different races, but that some quaint old literary sources have been drawn on. Among the men and books contributing to these pages are the Gesta Romanorum, Il Libro d'Oro, Xenophon, Ovid, Lucian, the Venerable Bede, William of Malmesbury. John of Hildesheim, William Caxton, and the more modern Washington Irvi ng, Hugh Miller, Charles Dickens, and Henry Cabot Lodge; als o those immortals, Hans Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Horace E. Scudder, and others.

The stories are arranged to meet the needs of story-telling in the graded schools. Reading-lists, showing where to fin d additional material for story-telling and collateral reading, are added. Grades in which the recommended stories are useful are indicated.

The number of selections in the volume, as well as the references to other books, is limited by the amount and character of available material. For instance, there is little to be found for Saint Valentine's Day, while there is an overwhelming abundance of fi ne stories for

the Christmas season. Stories like Dickens's "Christmas Carol," Ouida's "Dog of Flanders," and Hawthorne's tales, w hich are too long for inclusion and would lose their literary beauty if condensed, are referred to in the lists. Volumes containing these stories may be procured at the public library.

A subject index is appended. This indicates the ethical, historical, and other subject-matter of interest to the teacher, thus making the volume serviceable for other occasions besides holidays.

In learning her tale the story-teller is advised not to commit it to memory. Such a method is apt to produce a wooden or glib manner of presentation. It is better for her to read the story over and over again until its plot, imagery, style, and vocabulary become her own, and then to retell it, as Miss Bryant says, "simply, vitally, joyously."

CONTENTS

Contents

GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS

THE FAIRY'S NEW YEAR GIFT

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

THE TWELVE MONTHS

THE MAIL-COACH PASSENGERS

LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

HE RESCUES THE BIRDS

LINCOLN AND THE LITTLE GIRL

TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY

WHY LINCOLN WAS CALLED "HONEST ABE"

A STRANGER AT FIVE-POINTS

A SOLOMON COME TO JUDGMENT

GEORGE PICKETT'S FRIEND

LINCOLN THE LAWYER

THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS

MR. LINCOLN AND THE BIBLE

HIS SPRINGFIELD FAREWELL ADDRESS

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY

A PRISONER'S VALENTINE

A GIRL'S VALENTINE CHARM

MR. PEPYS HIS VALENTINE

CUPID AND PSYCHE

THE TRIAL OF PSYCHE:

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

I. THE CHERRY TREE

II. THE APPLE ORCHARD

III. THE GARDEN-BED

YOUNG GEORGE AND THE COLT

WASHINGTON THE ATHLETE

WASHINGTON'S MODESTY

WASHINGTON AT YORKTOWN

RESURRECTION DAY (EASTER)

A LESSON OF FAITH

A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR

THE LOVELIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD

MAY DAY

THE SNOWDROP [1]

THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS

THE WATER-DROP

THE SPRING BEAUTY

THE FAIRY TULIPS

THE STREAM THAT RAN AWAY

THE ELVES

THE CANYON FLOWERS

CLYTIE, THE HELIOTROPE

HYACINTHUS

ECHO AND NARCISSUS

MOTHERS' DAY

CORNELIA'S JEWELS

QUEEN MARGARET AND THE ROBBERS

THE REVENGE OF CORIOLANUS

THE WIDOW AND HER THREE SONS

MEMORIAL DAY

BETSY ROSS AND THE FLAG

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

THE LITTLE DRUMMER-BOY

A FLAG INCIDENT

TWO HERO-STORIES OF THE CIVIL WAR

II. THE BRAVERY OF RICHARD KIRTLAND

THE YOUNG SENTINEL

THE COLONEL OF THE ZOUAVES

GENERAL SCOTT AND THE STARS AND STRIPES

INDEPENDENCE DAY

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY

A GUNPOWDER STORY

THE CAPTURE OF FORT TICONDEROGA

WASHINGTON AND THE COWARDS

LABOR DAY

THE SMITHY

THE NAIL

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE

HOFUS THE STONE-CUTTER

ARACHNE

THE METAL KING

THE CHOICE OF HERCULES

THE SPEAKING STATUE

THE CHAMPION STONE-CUTTER

BILL BROWN'S TEST

COLUMBUS DAY

COLUMBUS AND THE EGG

COLUMBUS AT LA RABIDA

THE MUTINY

THE FIRST LANDING OF COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD

HALLOWEEN

SHIPPEITARO

HANSEL AND GRETHEL

BURG HILL'S ON FIRE

THE KING OF THE CATS

THE STRANGE VISITOR

THE BENEVOLENT GOBLIN

THE PHANTOM KNIGHT OF THE VANDAL CAMP

THANKSGIVING DAY

THE FIRST HARVEST-HOME IN PLYMOUTH

THE MASTER OF THE HARVEST

SAINT CUTHBERT'S EAGLE

THE EARS OF WHEAT

HOW INDIAN CORN CAME INTO THE WORLD

THE NUTCRACKER DWARF

THE PUMPKIN PIRATES

THE SPIRIT OF THE CORN

THE HORN OF PLENTY

CHRISTMAS DAY

THE STRANGER CHILD

SAINT CHRISTOPHER

THE CHRISTMAS ROSE

THE WOODEN SHOES OF LITTLE WOLFF

THE PINE TREE

THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO

THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY OF STRASBURG

THE THREE PURSES

THE THUNDER OAK

THE CHRISTMAS THORN OF GLASTONBURY

THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE

THE CHILD

HOW THEY CAME TO COLOGNE

ARBOR DAY

THE LITTLE TREE THAT LONGED FOR OTHER LEAVES

WHY THE EVERGREEN TREES NEVER LOSE THEIR LEAVES

WHY THE ASPEN QUIVERS

THE WONDER TREE

THE PROUD OAK TREE

BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

THE UNFRUITFUL TREE

THE DRYAD OF THE OLD OAK

DAPHNE

BIRD DAY

THE OLD WOMAN WHO BECAME A WOODPECKER

THE BOY WHO BECAME A ROBIN

THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW

THE QUAILS—A LEGEND OF THE JATAKA

THE MAGPIE'S NEST

THE GREEDY GEESE

THE KING OF THE BIRDS

THE DOVE WHO SPOKE TRUTH

THE BUSY BLUE JAY

BABES IN THE WOODS

THE PRIDE OF THE REGIMENT

THE MOTHER MURRE

THE END

REFERENCE LISTS FOR STORY-TELLING AND COLLATERAL READING

REFERENCE LISTS FOR STORY-TELLING AND COLLATERAL READING

NEW YEAR'S DAY

LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

RESURRECTION DAY (EASTER)

MAY DAY

MOTHERS' DAY

MEMORIAL AND FLAG DAYS

INDEPENDENCE DAY

LABOR DAY

COLUMBUS DAY

HALLOWEEN

THANKSGIVING DAY

CHRISTMAS DAY

ARBOR DAY

BIRD DAY

GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS

THE FAIRY'S NEW YEAR GIFT

BY EMILIE POULSSON (ADAPTED)

Two little boys were at play one day when a Fairy s uddenly appeared before them and said: "I have been sent to give you New Year presents."

She handed to each child a package, and in an instant was gone.

Carl and Philip opened the packages and found in th em two beautiful books, with pages as pure and white as the snow when it first falls.

Many months passed and the Fairy came again to the boys. "I have brought you each another book?" said she, "and will take the first ones back to Father Time who sent them to you."

"May I not keep mine a little longer?" asked Philip. "I have hardly thought about it lately. I'd like to paint something on the last leaf that lies open."

"No," said the Fairy; "I must take it just as it is."

"I wish that I could look through mine just once," said Carl; "I have only seen one page at a time, for when the leaf turns over it sticks fast, and I can never open the book at more than one place each day."

"You shall look at your book," said the Fairy, "and Philip, at his." And she lit for them two little silver lamps, by the light of which they saw the pages as she turned them.

The boys looked in wonder. Could it be that these were the same fair books she had given them a year ago? Where were the clean, white pages, as pure and beautiful as the snow when it first falls? Here was a page with ugly, black spots and scratches upon it; while the very next page showed a lovely little picture. Some pages were decorated with gold and silver and gorgeous colors, others with beautiful flowers, and still others with a rainbow of softest, most delicate brightness. Yet even on the most beautiful of the pages there were ugly blots and scratches.

Carl and Philip looked up at the Fairy at last.

"Who did this?" they asked. "Every page was white and fair as we opened to it; yet now there is not a single blank place in the whole book!"

"Shall I explain some of the pictures to you?" said the Fairy, smiling at the two little boys.

"See, Philip, the spray of roses blossomed on this page when you let the baby have your playthings; and this pretty bird, that looks as if it were singing with all its might, would never have been on this page if you had not tried to be kind and pleasant the other day, instead of quarreling."

"But what makes this blot?" asked Philip.

"That," said the Fairy sadly; "that came when you told an untruth one day, and this when you did not mind mamma. All these blots and scratches that look so ugly, both in your book and in Carl's, were made whenyou were naughty. Eachprettythinginyour books

came on its page when you were good."

"Oh, if we could only have the books again!" said Carl and Philip.

"That cannot be," said the Fairy. "See! they are dated for this year, and they must now go back into Father Time's bookcase, but I have brought you each a new one. Perhaps you can make these more beautiful than the others."

So saying, she vanished, and the boys were left alone, but each held in his hand a new book open at the first page.

And on the back of this book was written in letters of gold, "For the New Year."

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (TRANSLATED)

It was very, very cold; it snowed and it grew dark; it was the last evening of the year, New Year's Eve. In the cold and dark a poor little girl, with bare head and bare feet, was walking through the streets. When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on; but what could they do? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy ran away with the other. He said he could use i t for a cradle when he had children of his own.

So now the little girl went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron s he carried a number of matches, and a bundle of them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day; no one had given he r a copper. Hungry and cold she went, and drew herself together, poor little thing! The snowflakes fell on her long yellow hair, which curled prettily over her neck; but she did not think of that now. In all the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious smell of roast goose out there in the street; it was no doubt New Year's Eve. Yes, she thought of that!

In a corner formed by two houses, one of which was a little farther from the street than the other, she sat down and crept close. She had drawn up her little feet, but she was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, and she had not a single cent; her father would beat her; and besides, it was cold at home, for they had nothing over the them but a roof through which the wind whistled, though straw and rags stopped the largest holes.

Her small hands were quite numb with the cold. Ah! a little match might do her good if she only dared draw one from the bundle, and strike it against the wall, and warm her fingers at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch! how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. The fire burned so nicely; it warmed her so well,—the little girl was just putting out her feet to warm these, too,—when out went the flame; the stove was gone;—she sat with only the end of the burned match in her hand.

She struck another; it burned; it gave a light; and where it shone on the wall, the wall became thin like a veil, and she could see through it into the room where a table stood, spread with a white cloth, and with china on it; and the roast goose smoked gloriously, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was s till more splendid to behold, the goose hopped down from the dish, and waddled along the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast; straight to the little girl he came. Then the match went out, and only the thick, damp, cold wall was before her.

She lighted another. Then she was sitting under a b eautiful Christmas tree; it was greater and finer than the one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant's. Thousands of candles burned upon the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the shop windows looked down upon them. The little girl stretched forth both hands toward them; then the match went o ut. The Christmas lights went higher and higher. She saw th at now they were stars in the sky: one of them fell and made a long line of fire.

"Now some one is dying," said the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had been good to her, but who was now dead, had said: "When a star falls a soul mounts up to God."

She rubbed another match against the wall; it became bright again, and in the light there stood the old grandmother clear and shining, mild and lovely.

"Grandmother!" cried the child. "Oh, take me with you! I know you will go when the match is burned out. You will go a way like the warm stove, the nice roast goose, and the great glorious Christmas tree!"

And she hastily rubbed the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to hold her grandmother fast. And the matches burned with such a glow that it became brighter than in the middle of the day; grandmother had never been so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl up in her arms, and both flew in the li ght and the joy so high, so high! and up there was no cold, nor hunger, nor care—they were with God.

But in the corner by the house sat the little girl, with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the Old Year. The New Year's sun rose upon the little body, that sat there with the matches, of which one bundle was burned. She wanted to warm herself, the people said. No one knew what fine things she had seen, and in what glory she had gone in with her grandmother to the New Year's Day.

THE TWELVE MONTHS

A SLAV LEGEND

BY ALEXANDER CHODZKO (ADAPTED)

There was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by her dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife. She loved Helen, but hated the poor orphan because she was far prettier than her own daughter.

Marouckla did not think about her good looks, and c ould not understand why her stepmother should be angry at the sight of her. The hardest work fell to her share. She cleaned out the rooms, cooked, washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay, milked the cow, and all this without any help.

Helen, meanwhile, did nothing but dress herself in her best clothes and go to one amusement after another.

But Marouckla never complained. She bore the scoldi ngs and bad temper of mother and sister with a smile on her lips, and the patience of a lamb. But this angelic behavior did not soften them. They became even more tyrannical and grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily more beautiful, while Helen's ugliness increa sed. So the stepmother determined to get rid of Marouckla, for she knew that while she remained, her own daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every kind of privation, abuse, every means was used to make the girl's life miserable. But in spite of it all Marouckla grew ever sweeter and more charming.

One day in the middle of winter Helen wanted some wood-violets.

"Listen," cried she to Marouckla, "you must go up the mountain and find me violets. I want some to put in my gown. They must be fresh and sweet-scented-do you hear?"

"But, my dear sister, whoever heard of violets bloo ming in the snow?" said the poor orphan.

"You wretched creature! Doyou dare to disobeyme?" said Helen.