Lion Storyteller Bedtime Book

Bob Hartman

Description

This popular title (originally also available as The Lion Storyteller Book of World Stories) is the second title in the relaunch of the immensely popular Storyteller series in a newly illustrated portrait format.Bob Hartman's retellings of 40 warm and reassuring bedtime stories, taken from around the world and retold especially for reading aloud.This new edition is enhanced by useful storytelling tips to help with reading the stories aloud.As the author says in the introduction: Bedtime stories need to leave the listener with that safe, warm, happily-ever-after feeling'. And that's what this collection does, time and time again' - Manchester Evening News.

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 21 mars 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780745967998
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE LION STORYTELLER BEDTIME BOOK
THE LION STORYTELLER BEDTIME BOOK
Retold by Bob Hartman
For Malachi (again!!) B.H.
Dedicated with love to Bori, Lenke and Andris K.K.N.
Text copyright 1998 and 2009 Bob Hartman This edition copyright 2009 Lion Hudson
The right of Bob Hartman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Lion Children s Books an imprint of Lion Hudson plc Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England www.lionhudson.com/lionchildrens Hardback ISBN 978 0 7459 6094 4 Paperback ISBN 978 0 7459 6494 2 e-ISBN 978 0 7459 6799 5
First edition 1998 This revised and reillustrated edition 2009
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Cover illustration: Krisztina K llai Nagy
Contents

Introduction

The Mouse and the Lion
A Story from Greece

Silly Jack
A Story from England

The Girl Who Played With the Stars
A Story from Scotland

Three Months Night
A Story from North America

Arion and the Dolphin
A Story from Greece

Rabbit and Tiger Save the World
A Story from Puerto Rico

The Shepherd and the Clever Princess
A Story from Finland

Tortoise Brings Food
A Story from Africa

Polly and the Frog
A Story from England

Rabbit and Tiger Go Fishing
A Story from Puerto Rico

The Mouse Deer s Wisdom
A Story from Java

The Four Friends
A Story from India

The Brave Bull Calf
A Story from England

Tiger Gets Stuck
A Story from Puerto Rico

The Clever Mouse
A Story from Wales

The Amazing Pine Cone
A Story from Finland

The Very Strong Sparrow
A Story from Africa

Simple John
A Story from Germany

The Selfish Sand Frog
A Story from Australia

The Mouse s Bride
A Story from India

The Big Wave
A Story from Japan

Tiger and the Storm
A Story from Puerto Rico

The Knee-High Man
A Story from North America

The Clever Baker
A Story from Scotland

How the Kangaroo Got Its Tail
A Story from Australia

The Greedy Farmer
A Story from Wales

The Generous Bird
A Story by Bob Hartman

Tiger Eats a Monkey
A Story from Puerto Rico

Lazy Tom
A Story from Ireland

The Contented Priest
A Story from Spain

Olle and the Troll
A Story from Norway

The Steel Man
A Story from North America

The Crafty Farmer
A Story from Japan

Tiger Tries to Cheat
A Story from Puerto Rico

The Two Brothers
A Story from Brazil

Kayoku and the Crane
A Story from Japan

The Two Sisters
A Story from France

The Selfish Beasts
A Story from Africa

The Determined Frog
A Story from Russia

The Robber and the Monk
A Story from Egypt

Sharing stories with a crowd

A note from the author
Introduction

Bedtime is a special time. It s a time for families to draw close together - a time to share, to talk about the day s events and to tell stories. When my children were small, it was important to find just the right kind of story to send them off to sleep. Sometimes that story climbed out of a book, and sometimes we just pieced it together ourselves - my daughter the princess and my son the prince, winging off on yet another night-time adventure.
Wherever the stories came from, they usually had three traits in common - warmth, wit and wisdom. Bedtime stories, I think, need to have a good heart. They need to leave the listener with that safe, warm, happily-ever-after feeling. But that doesn t mean they have to be soft and sentimental - laughter is the perfect antidote for that. And, if, in the midst of the laughter and adventure a child can discover something about bravery or honesty, kindness or forgiveness, hope or love, then bedtime serves as an opportunity not only to share a story and cement a relationship, but also to shape a life.
In my work as a storyteller I have gathered the stories in this collection from every part of the globe. Some of them may be familiar to you. But I hope that many more will be new - that you will share my delight in discovering them for the first time and also come to appreciate, as I did, how similar our dreams and values are, regardless of culture, nation or race.
So prop up the pillows, let your child crawl under the covers, and let s journey together to faraway places and once upon a times.
Because it s bedtime.
That special time.
Time for the most special kind of story.
The Mouse and the Lion

The mouse skittered left.
The mouse skittered right.
The mouse skittered round a rock and under a leaf and past the dark, wide mouth of a cave.
And then the little mouse stopped.
Something had grabbed his tail.
The mouse wrinkled his nose and twitched his whiskers and turned around. The something was a lion!
You re not even a snack, the lion yawned, as he picked up the mouse and dangled him over his mouth. But you ll be tasty, nonetheless.
I m much more than a snack! the little mouse squeaked. I m brave and I m clever and I m stronger than you think. And I m sure that if you let me go I will be useful to you one day. Much more useful than a bit of bone and fur that you will gobble up and then forget.
The lion roared with laughter, and the little mouse was blown about by his hot breath.
Useful? To me? the lion chuckled. I doubt it. But you are brave, I ll give you that. And cheeky, to boot. So I ll let you go. But watch your tail. I may not be so generous again.
The mouse skittered left.
The mouse skittered right.
The mouse skittered away as quickly as he could, and disappeared into the woods.
Hardly a week had passed when the lion wandered out of his cave in search of food.
The lion looked left.
The lion looked right.
But when the lion leaped forwards, he fell into a hunter s snare!
The ropes wrapped themselves around him. He was trapped.
Just then the little mouse came by.
I told you I could be useful, the little mouse squeaked. Now I shall prove it to you.
The lion was in no mood for jokes. He could hear the hunter s footsteps. How? he whispered. how can you help me, now?
Be still, said the mouse. And let me do my work.
The mouse began to gnaw. And to nibble. And to chew. And soon the ropes were weak enough for the lion to snap them with a shrug of his powerful shoulders.
So, just as the hunter appeared in the clearing, the lion leaped away into the forest, with his new friend clinging to his curly mane.
They returned to the cave as the sun fell behind the hills.
Thank you, my friend, said the lion to the mouse. You are indeed clever and brave, and you have been more useful than I could ever have imagined. From now on, you have nothing to fear from me.
The little mouse smiled.
Then he skittered left.
And he skittered right.
And he skittered off into the night.
Silly Jack

On Monday morning, Jack s mother sent him off to work for the carpenter. Jack worked hard, and at the end of the day the carpenter gave him a shiny new penny.
Jack carried the penny home, tossing it in the air as he went. But as he crossed the little bridge over the narrow brook, he dropped the penny and lost it in the water below.
When he told her, Jack s mother shook her head. You silly boy, she sighed, you should have put the penny in your pocket. You must remember that tomorrow.
On Tuesday morning, Jack s mother sent him off to work for the farmer. Jack worked very hard, and at the end of the day the farmer gave him a jug of milk.
Jack remembered his mother s words, and carefully slipped the jug of milk into his big coat pocket. But as he walked home, the milk splashed and splooshed and spilled out of the jug and all over Jack s fine coat.
When he told her, Jack s mother shook her head. You silly boy, she sighed, you should have carried the jug on your head. You must remember that tomorrow.
On Wednesday morning, Jack s mother sent him off to work for the baker. Jack worked very hard, and at the end of the day, the baker gave him a beautiful black cat.
Jack remembered his mother s words, and carefully sat the cat on his head. But on the way home, the cat was frightened, leaped from Jack s head into a nearby tree, and refused to come down.
When he told her, Jack s mother shook her head. You silly boy, she sighed, you should have tied a string around the cat s collar and pulled it home behind you. You must remember that tomorrow.
On Thursday morning, Jack s mother sent him off to work for the butcher. Jack worked very hard, and at the end of the day, the butcher gave him a huge leg of lamb.
Jack remembered his mother s words, tied a string around the meat, and pulled it home behind him. But by the time he got home, the meat was covered with dirt, and good for nothing but to be thrown away.
When he told her, Jack s mother shook her head. You silly, silly boy, she sighed. Don t you know you should have carried it home on your shoulder? Promise me you will remember that tomorrow.
Jack promised, and on Friday morning, his mother sent him off to work for the man who ran the stables. Jack worked very hard, and at the end of the day, the man gave him a donkey!
Jack looked at the donkey. Jack remembered his promise. Then he swallowed hard, picked that donkey up, and hoisted it onto his shoulders!
On the way home, Jack passed by the house of a rich man - a rich man whose beautiful daughter had never laughed in all her life.
But when she saw poor, silly Jack giving that donkey a ride, she giggled, she chuckled, then she burst out laughing, right there and then.
The rich man was delighted, and gave Jack his daughter s hand in marriage, and a huge fortune besides.
When he told her, Jack s mother didn t shake her head. No, she hugged him and she kissed him and she shouted, Hooray! and sh