,the ,story ,hour3 ,a ,magazine of ,methods and ,materials for ,story ,tellers 7,vol4 ,i1 ,no4 #b7 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,story ,,hour ,a ,magazine of ,methods and ,materials for ,story ,tellers ---------------------------------------- --- ,,vol4 ,i ,,december1 #aijh ,,no4 #b ---------------------------------------- --- ,published ,monthly 7ten times a year7 at ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,copyright1 #aijh1 by ,m4 ,e4 ,sloane4 ,all rights reserved4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,william ,c4 ,,ruediger1 ,ph4,d41 ,editor ,division of ,education1 ,george ,washington ,university ,,richard ,t4 ,,wyche1 ,consulting ,editor ,president ,national ,story ,tellers' ,league ,,mersene ,e4 ,,sloane1 ,founder and ,publisher ---------------------------------------- --- ,subscription3 ,one ,dollar a year 7ten numbers71 in advance4 ,single and ,sample ,numbers1 ,fifteen ,cents4 ,advertising rates given on application4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,address all communications to ,,the ,,story ,,hour1 #djf ,,fifth ,,street1 ,n4,w41 ,,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,make remittances by money order1 draft or registered letter1 payable to ,mersene ,e4 ,sloane1 ,publisher4 ,sender risks unregistered money4 ,manuscripts on story-telling1 and of stories for telling1 are desired4 ,when ordering change of address be sure to give the former address4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,press ,,of ,,the ,,colonial ,,printing ,,company ,,of ,,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,officers ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,story-,,tellers' ,,league -------------- ,honorary ,president1 ,,hamilton ,,wright ,,mabie ,president1 ,,richard ,t4 ,,wyche1 #eja ,w4 #abjth ,street1 ,new ,york ,secretary1 ,,dr4 ,,richard ,m4 ,,hodge1 ,teachers ,college1 ,columbia ,university1 ,new ,york ,treasurer1 ,,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,keister1 ,harrisonburg1 ,va4 -------------- ,,executive ,,committee ,,dr4 ,p4 ,p4 ,,claxton1 ,knoxville1 ,tenn4 ,professor ,education1 ,university of ,tenn4 ,superintendent ,summer ,school of the ,south ,,miss ,,annie ,,laws1 ,cincinnati1 ,ohio ,president ,ohio ,federation of ,women's ,clubs ,,miss ,,maud ,,summers1 ,cincinnati1 ,ohio ,member of ,faculty1 ,kindergarten ,training ,school ,,miss ,,anna ,c4 ,,tyler1 ,new ,york ,city ,children's ,librarian ,,dr4 ,,richard ,m4 ,,hodge ,,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,keister ,,mr4 ,,richard ,t4 ,,wyche -------------- ,,advisory ,,board ,,dr4 ,g4 ,,stanley ,,hall1 ,president ,clark ,university ,,dr4 ,,henry ,,van ,,dyke1 ,princeton ,university ,,miss ,,elizabeth ,,brown1 ,city ,schools1 ,washington ,,dr4 ,,jennie ,b4 ,,merrill1 ,supervisor ,kindergartens1 ,new ,york ,city ,,dr4 ,a4 ,,fortier1 ,tulane ,university1 ,new ,orleans ,,dr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,,kent1 ,university of ,virginia ,,wharton ,s4 ,,jones1 ,assist4 ,supt4 ,public ,schools1 ,memphis1 ,tenn4 ,,dr4 ,j4 ,e4 ,,mckean1 ,oberlin1 ,ohio ,,supt4 ,b4 ,c4 ,,gregory1 ,supt4 of ,schools1 ,chelsea1 ,mass4 ,,miss ,,elizabeth ,,harrison1 ,pres4 ,chicago ,kindergarten ,college ,,miss ,,marian ,s4 ,,henckle1 ,kindergarten ,training ,school1 ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c4 ,,miss ,,pearl ,,carpenter1 ,covington1 ,ky4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,w4 ,,cooley1 ,university of ,north ,dakota ,,miss ,,elizabeth ,j4 ,,black1 ,greensboro1 ,n4,c4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,story ,,hour ---------------------------------------- --- ,,vol4 ,i ,,december1 #aijh ,,no4 #b ---------------------------------------- --- ,,editor',s ,,and ,,publisher',s ,,notes ,,with this issue ,,the ,,story ,,hour has the pleasant privilege of wishing all its readers a ,merry ,christmas4 ,that the ,christmas spirit may everywhere prevail1 and prevail abundantly1 is its sincerest wish2 and if the stories herein told and retold will contribute their mite in enhancing this spirit1 it will indeed feel that it is fulfilling its mission4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,among the many elements of cheer at ,christmas time is the ,santa ,claus myth4 ,belief in this myth adds greatly to the enjoyment of ,christmas in early childhood4 ,the children who believe in it1 and pass out of the literal belief without a shock to their faith1 are to be congratulated4 ,they never forget looking back to the time when they watched1 waited and listened for ,santa ,claus1 animated by an expectancy tinged with a happy fear4 ,but this belief naturally cannot persist through life4 ,near the beginning of the school period it must be replaced by a knowledge of the literal truth1 which the children get usually from their associates4 ,whether the knowledge of this literal truth is to be more true or less true than the belief in the myth depends upon the parents1 teachers and adult friends in whose care the children are4 ,it rests with them to transform the myth into a symbol filled with meaning4 ,the best things in life are such things as faith1 love1 kindness and generosity4 ,these we cannot touch1 hear or see4 ,they exist primarily as soul experiences1 and in order to make them more palpable and give them a base of reference we symbolize them4 ,now one of these symbols is ,santa ,claus4 ,he stands for the cheer1 good will and love of ,christmas time1 and every feature of his traditional representation symbolizes these qualities4 ,he is as real as ,uncle ,sam1 and his mission is no less important4 ,he is the embodiment of ,christmas love1 and even children of six can appreciate this signification of ,santa ,claus4 ,the fact that they previously believed in the kind saint literally only helps this appreciation4 ,and who would not have a child believe in this kind of a ,santa ,claus1 and believe in him always8 99 99 99 99 99 ,,for several years ,mr4 ,wyche has told his original ,santa ,claus story to audiences in many places4 ,it has been in great demand1 but has never heretofore been published4 ,the version given in this number of ,,the ,,story ,,hour from a stenographic record will be a permanent addition to the ,christmas literature of the country4 ,it will be noted that this and all other articles in the magazine are copyrighted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,readers are requested to write us freely regarding their experiences in story telling1 also to suggest stories they wish to have reproduced1 or stories they have found useful in their own work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,suggestions of principles and methods contained in the notes from local leagues are already becoming one of the most helpful features of this magazine4 ,it was so anticipated by the publisher when he planned the local news department4 ,it is desired to have such notes frequently from all local leagues in the country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,mothers are becoming interested in the new story-telling as a means of home education and even discipline4 ,they are making inquires as to methods and materials4 ,,the ,,story ,,hour will be a helpful counsellor for them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,query ,,page will be useful to many1 especially to those who live remote from the cities and their large libraries4 ,any who desire information of any kind regarding stories1 or the literature of stories1 or anything at all related to the subject of story-telling1 or the ,league movement may feel free to write to ,,the ,,story ,,hour4 ,our best efforts will be made to give suitable and helpful replies4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,story ,,hour invites contributions of articles on story-telling and any topic related to the general subject1 also stories for use in story-telling4 ,both original and retold stories may be submitted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,many expressions of interest in and approval of ,,the ,,story ,,hour magazine have reached us4 ,all say that it will supply a real need--a long-felt want4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,stories ,,for ,,christmas ,,time ,the following selected list of ,christmas stories is given in the hope that it will prove of service to readers of ,,the ,,story ,,hour4 ,the list is suggested by ,mr4 ,charles ,l4 ,spain1 of ,detroit1 ,mich4 ,the ,discontented ,pine ,tree--,anderson4 ,the ,fir ,tree--,anderson4 ,the ,little ,match girl--,anderson4 ,the ,golden ,cobwebs1 ,from 8,how to ,tell ,stories to ,children0--,bryant4 ,fulfilled3 ,a ,legend of ,christmas ,eve1 ,from 8,how to ,tell ,stories to ,children0--,bryant4 ,story of ,christmas1 ,from 8,how to ,tell ,stories to ,children0--,bryant4 ,why ,evergreen ,trees ,keep ,their ,leaves in ,winter1 ,from 8,how to ,tell ,stories to ,children--,bryant40 ,yuletide ,myth1 ,from ,old ,norse ,stories--,brodish4 ,christmas ,truants--,fanciful ,tales4 ,stockton4 ,the ,ruggles' ,christmas ,dinner1 ,from ,brid's ,christmas ,carol--,r4 ,d4 ,wiggin4 ,legend of ,st4 ,christopher ,a ,christmas at ,cafe ,spaander4 ,scribners1 ,dec4 #aijb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,new subscribers who did not begin with the ,november number1 but who desire the special information it contains regarding the new educational story-telling movement1 including the ,constitution of the ,national ,story ,tellers' ,league1 can obtain copies by sending #be cents to the publisher4 -------------- ,,how ,,this ,,magazine ,,got ,,its ,,name ,,explanation ,,by ,,the ,,publisher ,,about the time the ,november number of this magazine was on the press a letter was received from ,houghton ,mifflin ,company saying that ,miss ,nora ,a4 ,smith had complained to them about the title of the forthcoming magazine1 an advance notice of which had come to her attention4 ,it appears that ,miss ,smith and her sister ,mrs4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin1 some years ago published1 through the ,houghton ,mifflin ,company1 a book entitled 8,the ,story ,hour40 ,miss ,smith assumed that this magazine was named in honor of their book1 and resented it4 ,lest others should think likewise to our discredit1 it is fitting to explain that this magazine did not find its name from any book1 print1 writing1 word or advice from anybody1 but was entirely original with the publisher1 who had never seen or heard of any book or other print bearing such title4 ,in the course of the preliminary correspondence regarding a proposed periodical1 ,mr4 ,wyche stated 7last ,august7 that among those interested in such a publication would be the playground workers1 who would find it useful for their story hour1 referring to the practice in some playgrounds of setting apart an hour each day for story-telling4 ,it struck the publisher at once that ,,the ,,story ,,hour would be just the title wanted1 and he was delighted to have hit upon so excellent and appropriate a name4 ,that he was not familiar with the book bearing the same title is not a reflection upon the book1 which is undoubtedly quite excellent in every way1 and is said to have enjoyed a wide circulation1 but it is due to the fact that for several years he has not been in direct touch with educational interests1 hence is not acquainted with current literature along such lines4 ,the publisher has no apology to offer for adopting so excellent a title1 but does disavow any intention1 inclination or necessity for 8borrowing0 for this or any other literary purpose4 ,,the ,,story ,,hour magazine is for the benefit of a worthy educational movement--for the good of children--and there is room for both it and the book of the same name to be a blessing to the rising generation4 ,in doing good1 time and priority are not factors1 but the will and the deed4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,stories ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,them ,,by ,,richard ,,thomas ,,wyche ,,president1 ,,national ,,story ,,tellers' ,,league ,,article ,,number ,,two ,,when our forefathers grappled with theological problems and made dogmatic statements as to their faith1 such as we find in some of our catechisms1 they had in mind the church and theological controversies1 and not the child and his needs4 ,the truth that they had suffered and died for was contained in the catechisms1 their articles of faith1 therefore he who committed to memory the catechism had the truth4 ,but in that reasoning they made a fatal mistake4 ,to make children memorize these dogmatic statements expecting them to grow religiously or morally thereby1 would be like feeding them on bone meal1 expecting therefrom an increase in the bony tissue of the body4 ,the lime that the body needs is there1 but not in an assimilative form4 ,nor is there truth for the child in dry-bone statements of religion4 ,if the child asks for bread will you give him a stone8 ,that is what we do when we make him memorize theological statements1 the language and thought both of which are beyond him4 ,the writer recalls two teachers and two methods of religious instruction in his childhood4 ,one who taught him the catechism and one who told him ,bible stories4 ,the catechism bored and wearied him1 and so far as he can see today was time wasted1 while the stories charmed and uplifted1 and remain even today a pleasant memory4 ,this is not arguing that the child should not memorize some things4 ,there are many selections from ,scripture and other sources that he can memorize both with great pleasure and profit to himself4 8,the ,lord is my ,shepherd ,i shall not want1 ,he maketh me to lie down in green pastures1 ,he leadeth me beside the still waters10 is full of beautiful imagery that appeals to the child4 ,but theological definitions of sin1 justification and the like1 have neither feeling nor imagery and make no appeal to the child4 ,the child is interested in the deeds of man and not in his doctrines4 ,tell him connectedly the life-story of ,moses1 ,buddha1 ,jesus1 ,st4 ,augustine1 ,luther or ,wesley1 and you have given him the spirit and life of the great religious leaders and the institutions which grew out of their work4 ,no catechism could do that4 ,gladly he would hear the life story of a great religious hero and teacher1 but his doctrines do not interest him now4 ,give him the life-story now1 and when he has reached later the philosophic period he will himself raise the theological and philosophical questions1 and knowing the lives of the great religious leaders he will have the historical background whereon to build his faith4 ,anyone can take a catechism and have a class memorize and repeat the answers1 but it takes a teacher to so read the ,bible that he can tell in a creative way the story of its great heroes4 ,that is what we must do if we base our methods on true psychology4 ,and the story should be studied connectedly to the close and not by piecemeal1 beginning as some do with one character and before the life-story is done dropping him and skipping to another1 in order to conform to a certain doctrinal theme which may interest the adult but not the child4 ,that method may account for the fact that ,bible heroes have not always been as popular with children as some others4 ,if the story of ,ulysses and ,hiawatha were taught in a similar way they would lose much of their charm and interest for the child4 ,the day school in its literature courses is incidentally giving the child a comparative course in religion1 greatly to the advantage of the ,sunday ,school worker4 ,in ,hiawatha we have an ,indian ,messiah who worshipped the ,great ,spirit1 and prayed and fasted for his people4 ,in the ,norse we have the worship of ,odin1 and ,balder1 the ,god of ,light1 ,gladsheim and the ,life ,beyond the ,grave4 ,in the ,greek we have the gods in their relations to man1 the upper and lower world1 immortality1 rewards and punishments4 ,saint ,george was a protector of the faith1 while ,king ,arthur had heaped upon him the attributes of a divinity1 until his life-story reminds one of the ,christ story4 ,the heroism and prowess in these stories is the main point of interest to the child1 but none the less does the religious life of the race come out2 and to have religion associated with physical strength as well as moral heroism is an advantage4 ,and none the less are we giving him the great truths that are common to all religions1 making him tolerant and charitable1 and teaching him that religion is as broad as life itself and that it is natural for every human heart to go in quest of the ,eternal4 ,with this broad outlook we can then better help our young people interpret the old truths in terms of modern thought and contribute much toward that larger religious life and thought which must inevitably come4 ,the work of story-telling covers a much larger field than the school4 ,it does not matter whether we are kindergartners1 teachers or preachers1 every adult owes to the rising generation of children something of the culture that has been given to him4 ,the 8,tell me a story0 on the part of the child is his cry for spiritual food1 and to hear stories from the great story-books of the world is1 as ,dr4 ,g4 ,stanley ,hall says1 8one of the most inalienable rights of children40 ,there is no better place in all the world for telling a story than in the home1 that institution which is greater and more important than all other institutions combined4 ,it is in the home that we come into the sweetest and divinest relations with children and with one another4 ,it is here that we find the best conditions for a play of those subtle and delicate psychic influences which enter into the story1 making it both a perfect art and an inspiration to a noble and beautiful character4 ,there are many homes that cannot afford libraries and the rich adornments of art1 but no home is so humble that parents cannot gather the children around the fireside on a winter's evening or about the doorsteps in the twilight of a summer's day and tell them stories4 ,a simple fireside is a greater stimulant to the creative imagination than the wealth of a palace4 ,to enter thus into the child's world and into the joyous companionship of children is one of the highest privileges of parent and teacher4 ,he who fails in this does not form the deepest and most lasting ties with the child1 and he also robs himself of one of the greatest sources of perennial youth4 -------------- ,,junior ,,story ,,tellers' ,,leagues ,,origin ,,and ,,growth ,,one of the most interesting developments of the ,league idea was the organization of ,junior ,leagues4 ,the originators of the ,league thought only of an organization for adults4 ,but where the children have1 under the guidance of a wise teacher1 had a ,league1 the work they have done and the interest shown reveals one of its greatest educational possibilities4 ,as the child likes to build with clay1 sand or wood1 and in doing so educates himself1 so he likes to build with words1 voice and gesture an ideal world1 peopling it with life as he sees it4 ,while we are training children for all sorts of skilled trades1 it is a matter of no small satisfaction to record an experiment that has for its object the revival of the ancient art of telling stories--for it is an art4 ,the children of ,corinth1 ,miss41 under the supervision of ,susie ,e4 ,blitch1 were the first to organize a ,junior ,league4 ,the ,league began with the children of the fifth grade4 ,they had the usual officers1 and a program of stories1 songs and games1 meeting out of doors when possible4 ,those who have had charge of ,junior ,leagues report the following principles for the guidance of those who wish to organize ,leagues among the young people3 7#a7 ,help the children to make the organization thoroughly democratic4 7#b7 ,the supervisor has no right to stop or correct a member in telling a story4 ,the speaker has the floor2 the atmosphere and the spirit he brings with his story is the essential thing1 and not grammar or pronunciation4 7#c7 ,to hear other children tell a story is a better model for a child than the criticism of an older person who cannot tell a story4 7#d7 ,reciting a story is not telling a story4 ,last ,december ,miss ,anna ,c4 ,tyler formed a 8,junior ,story-,tellers' ,league0 in the children's room of ,pratt ,institute ,library1 in ,brooklyn4 ,out of an audience of from forty to sixty children1 two ,junior ,leagues were formed4 ,they all assemble regularly to hear the evening story1 and the leagues meet afterward4 ,each league elects its own officers and conducts its own meetings4 ,the president takes the names of seven or eight of the children present1 most of whom volunteer to have a story ready for the next meeting1 and of those so chosen there have only been a few who have not been ready with a story when called upon4 ,they know they can call upon ,miss ,tyler for help1 but seldom require her services4 ,there has been but little attempt to dictate to them the kind of story that they shall tell1 the director's only request being that they shall not tell silly stories4 ,some of the best ,norse1 ,greek1 and ,indian myths2 animal and nature stories by ,kipling1 ,seton-,thompson1 ,charles ,dudley ,warner1 and ,john ,burroughs2 8,macbeth10 8,evangeline10 8,the ,lady of the ,lake10 8,a ,yankee at ,king ,arthur's ,court20 stories of adventure1 and some of the most famous of the fairy-tales have been told--and nearly always well told--by boys and girls from ten to fifteen years old4 ,the children are learning to read--the careful search through book after book for the story they think will be the best to tell4 ,the final selection is always their own4 8,after the cycle of eighteen stories from ,king ,arthur had been finished10 says ,miss ,tyler1 8the children asked me to tell them ,indian1 detective1 and ghost stories1 and tales from #8,arabian ,nights'--to be told in that order1 and ,i was not to tell stories that they would read for themselves4 ,the ,indian myths were not so difficult to find1 but good detective and ghost stories were another matter2 at last ,i remembered the delicious thrill of those wondrous tales of ,poe4 ,i began with #8,the ,purloined ,letter1' telling it1 as it is written1 in the first person1 but #8skipping' the parts that ,i knew would weary4 ,then followed #8,the ,black ,cat2' then ,stephenson's #8,the ,bottle ,imp4' ,so fascinated were they that they voted to change the evening of fairy-tales for another story by ,poe1 and the story they chose was #8,the ,pit and the ,pendulum4' ,by the children's urgent request these stories were told with the lights turned low1 as the best substitute for fire-light1 and it is hard to say whether the absorbed young listeners or the story-teller enjoyed those hours most40 ,the leagues have voted that their story-teller shall tell them ,indian stories next winter1 and she hopes1 therefore1 by beginning with the ,indian myths and folk-lore1 then telling of their life1 warfare1 and famous battles1 to bring her boys and girls to a vivid interest in reading history as told by ,francis ,parkman4 ,the writer recalls with so much pleasure a visit to a young people's story tellers' league4 ,he happened once upon a time to visit one of our smaller towns1 and was invited to a meeting of the ,junior ,story ,tellers' ,league that met on the day of his visit4 ,he had never heard of the organization among children before1 and was of course interested in seeing what the children were doing with such an organization4 ,the meeting was held out of doors on the lawn4 ,it was in the month of ,may when the weather permitted such a meeting4 ,the ,league was composed of children of the fifth grade1 who sat in a circle on the grass4 ,the teacher of the grade was present1 but the children conducted their own meeting--a program of stories1 songs and games in which all joined4 ,the stories told by the children were their own selections1 and were told in a creative way4 ,one was especially impressive1 being loudly applauded by the children4 ,it was told by a twelve year old girl and was one of her own creation4 ,since then she has written enough stories to make a small volume1 and so popular is she as a story-teller that the children in her neighborhood flock to her home to hear her tell stories4 ,several years after that the writer saw this same girl1 now passing into young womanhood1 stand before a thousand teachers and tell in the same easy1 natural way some of her stories4 ,not seeking this opportunity to appear in public1 only in rare instances would the author allow children to appear in public1 it came to her because she had something to give2 something that she had for several years given every week to her playmates and friends1 as naturally as she would give herself to them in games and play2 something too1 that had made her life a radiant one4 ,miss ,elizabeth ,j4 ,black1 teacher of the sixth grade in one of the public schools of ,greensboro1 ,n4,c41 has been very successful with a ,league among her pupils4 ,through the ,league she got hold of the children as never before1 and is enthusiastic over the results4 ,we give below a program of one ,league meeting4 ,miss ,black has laid special emphasis on ,norse stories4 ,,program4 ,chorus--,carolina1 ,american ,legend--,the ,white ,doe2 ,chorus--8,i'm a ,tar ,heel ,born and a ,tar ,heel ,bred20 ,legend of ,sir ,galahad--8,the ,bright ,boy ,knight20 ,chorus--8,the ,watch on the ,rhine10 8,seigfried20 ,rhine ,legends--8,parsifal20 8,lohengrin10 ,chorus--8,the ,violet10 ,icelandic ,saga--8,burnt ,njal20 ,folklore and ,nonsense1 8,the ,cat and the ,parrot20 ,chorus--8,when ,i'm ,dreaming20 ,impersonation of ,uncle ,remus1 8,miss ,sallie10 8,uncle ,remus10 8,little ,boy10 ,chorus--,dixie4 ,r4 ,t4 ,w4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,boy',s ,,visit ,,to ,,santa ,,claus ,,by ,,richard ,t4 ,,wyche ,,once upon a time there was a little boy who talked a great deal about ,santa ,claus4 ,he talked to his father1 his mother1 his brother and sisters1 until it was ,santa ,claus at the breakfast table1 ,santa ,claus at dinner and ,santa ,claus at supper4 ,this little boy had been told that far away in the ,northland lived ,santa ,claus4 ,he was sitting by the fire one day watching the embers glow1 and seeing castles in the glowing embers4 ,there is ,santa ,claus' house1 he said1 the great building covered with snow4 8,why can't ,i go to see him80 ,the little boy had worked and had saved some money4 ,he took the money and went down to the depot1 bought a ticket and before his father or mother knew about it was gone to see ,santa ,claus4 ,he traveled a long time on the train and by and by reached the end of the railroad4 ,he could go no farther on the train for there was a great wide ocean1 but people cross the ocean and so must the little boy1 or at least a part of it1 in order to reach ,santa ,claus' land4 ,there was a great ship lying in port soon to sail over the seas1 and along with many people who went aboard the ship1 went the little boy4 ,soon every sail was spread and out from the port went the ship leaving far behind them the town4 ,the ship sailed and sailed a long time1 and finally land came in sight4 ,they had reached an island lying somewhere far out in the mid-seas4 ,some of the people went ashore and so did the little boy4 ,but what a funny land it was to the little boy1 all the people were little people4 ,the grown men were not taller than the little boy1 and they rode little ponies that were not larger than dogs4 ,then the little boy asked1 8,what land is this1 does ,santa ,claus live here80 ,and they said--8,no40 8,this is the land that lies east of the sun ,and west of the moon4 ,you have not come too soon4 ,northward you must go ,to the land of ice and snow40 ,and so one day the little boy found a ship that was going to sail to the ,northland and in this ship he went4 ,the ship sailed and sailed a long time until it finally came to where the sea was all frozen over1 to the land of icebergs and snow fields4 ,the ship could go no farther1 so what do you suppose the little boy did then8 ,he was in the land of the reindeer1 and over the snow fields he went in search of ,santa ,claus4 ,one day1 as he was traveling over the snow fields to find ,santa ,claus' house1 he saw not far away what at first seemed to be a hill1 but soon he saw that it was not a hill1 but a house covered with ice and snow4 8,that must be ,santa ,claus' house10 he said4 ,soon the little boy was standing in front of the great building whose towers seemed to reach the sky4 ,up the shining steps he went and soon he was standing in front of the door4 ,the little boy saw no door bell and so he knocked on the door4 ,no one answered and then louder he knocked again4 ,still no one answered4 ,he began to feel afraid1 perhaps this was the house of a giant4 ,if ,santa ,claus lived there1 he might be angry with him for coming1 but once more he knocked4 ,and then he heard a noise far down at the other end of the hall4 ,some one was coming4 ,then suddenly the latch went 8click10 and the door stood wide open1 and who do you suppose was there8 ,santa ,claus8 ,no2 a little boy with blue eyes and a bright sweet face4 ,then the little boy said1 8,good morning4 ,does ,santa ,claus live here80 ,and the other little boy said1 8,yes4 ,come in1 come in4 ,i am ,santa ,claus' little boy40 ,he took him by the hand and said1 8,i am very glad to see you40 ,then the two little boys walked down the long hallway1 doors on this side and doors on that1 until they came to the last door on the left-hand side4 ,on this door ,santa ,claus' little boy knocked1 and a great voice said1 8,,come ,,in40 ,he opened the door and walked in1 and who do you suppose was there8 ,santa ,claus8 ,yes1 there was ,santa ,claus himself2 a great1 big fat man sitting by the fire1 with long white beard1 blue eyes and the merriest1 cheeriest face you ever saw4 ,then ,santa ,claus' little boy said1 8,father1 here is a little boy who has come to see you40 ,santa ,claus looked down over his spectacles and said1 8,well1 how are you8 ,i am mighty glad to see you4 ,yes1 yes1 ,i know him4 ,i have been to his house on many a night and filled up his stocking4 ,how are ,elizabeth and ,louise and ,katherine80 ,over on the other side of the fireplace sat ,mrs4 ,santa ,claus4 ,she was a grandmother-looking woman1 with white hair and gold-rimmed spectacles4 ,she was sitting by the fire knitting2 she put her arms around the little boy and kissed him4 ,then the two little boys sat down in front of the fire and talked together4 ,by and by1 ,santa ,claus' little boy said to the other little boy1 8,don't you want to go over the building and see what we have in the different rooms8 ,this building has a thousand rooms40 ,and the little boy said1 8who-o-o-o-e40 ,and ,santa ,claus' little boy said1 8,yes1 and something different in every room40 ,then they went in a large room and what do you suppose was in there8 ,nothing but doll babies2 some with long dresses and some with short2 some with black eyes and some with blue4 ,then into another room they went1 and it was full of toys1 wagons and horses2 another room was full of story books2 another room was a candy kitchen where ,santa ,claus made candy2 another room was a workshop where ,santa ,claus made toys for the children4 ,then they went in a long1 large room1 the largest of them all1 and in this room were a great many tables4 ,on these tables were suits1 cloaks and hats and shoes and stockings for the children4 ,the little boy wanted to know what they did with so many clothes1 and ,santa ,claus' little boy said1 8,we take these to the little children who have no father or mother to make them clothes40 ,and so they went through all the rooms of the great building1 except one1 which was away upstairs in the corner4 ,what was in this room no one would tell the little boy1 nor would they take him into the room4 ,and the little boy wondered what was in the room4 ,the little boy stayed at ,santa ,claus' house several days and he had a splendid time4 ,some days the two little boys would slide down the hill on a sled1 some days they would hitch up the reindeer and go sleighing1 some days they would go into the candy kitchen and help ,santa ,claus make candy1 or into the workshop and help him make toys4 ,but one day something happened4 ,santa ,claus came to the little boy and said1 8,i am going away today for a little while2 my wife and my little boy are going with me4 ,now10 he said1 8you can go with us or you can stay here and keep house for us while we are gone40 ,the little boy thought to himself that ,santa ,claus had been so good to him that he would stay and keep house while ,santa ,claus was away4 ,so he said he would stay and then ,santa ,claus gave him a great bunch of keys and said1 8,now you can go in all the rooms and play1 but you must not go in that room upstairs in the corner40 ,the little boy said1 8,alright10 and with that ,santa ,claus1 his wife and his little boy went down the steps1 got into the sleigh1 wrapped themselves up in furs1 popped the whip and away they went6 ,the little boy stood and watched them until they disappeared behind the snow hills4 ,then he turned and went back into the house4 ,he felt like a little man in that great house all by himself4 ,from room to room he went4 ,he went into the game room and rolled the balls4 ,some of the balls were so large that they were as high as the little boy's head4 ,they were of rubber1 and if you would drop one from the top of the house it would bounce clear back to the top4 ,the little boy went into the candy kitchen and ate some of the candy4 ,he went into the workshop and worked on some toys1 then into the library and read some of the books1 then into the parlor and banged on the piano4 ,but after a while1 the little boy was tired1 and he said1 8,i wish ,santa ,claus would hurry and come back40 ,he was lonely4 ,and so he thought he would go up on the housetop and look out to see if he could see ,santa ,claus coming home4 ,up the steps he went4 ,when he reached the top1 there was another flight4 ,up these he went and still another flight2 up1 up1 he went until it seemed he had gone a thousand steps4 ,but1 finally1 he came out on top4 ,the little boy stood there with his hands on the railing and looked out1 but all he could see were the snow fields1 white and glistening4 ,santa ,claus was not in sight4 ,he could see the track over the snow that the sleigh had made1 but that was all4 ,then down the steps he came1 and it just happened that he came by the room that ,santa ,claus told him he must not go in4 ,as he passed1 he stopped in front of the door and said to himself1 8,i wonder what they have in that room and why they did not want me to go in80 ,he took hold of the knob and gave it a turn1 but the door was locked4 ,then he shut one eye and peeped through the keyhole1 but he could see nothing2 it was all dark4 ,then he put his mouth at the keyhole and blew through it1 but he could hear nothing4 ,then he put his nose there and smelled1 but he could smell nothing4 8,i wonder what they have in the room80 he said1 8,i believe ,i will see just for fun which one of these keys will fit in the lock40 ,the little boy had in his hand the great bunch of keys4 ,he tried one key and that would not fit1 then he tried another and another and another1 and kept on until he came to the last key4 ,now1 he said to himself1 8,if this key does not fit ,i am going40 ,he tried it and it was the only key on the bunch that would fit4 8,now10 he said1 8,i shall not go into the room1 but ,i will just turn the key and see if it will unlock the lock4 ,it may fit in the lock and then not unlock the lock40 ,he turned the key slowly and the latch went 8click10 8click10 and the door flew wide open4 ,what do you suppose was in the room8 ,it was all dark2 the little boy could see nothing4 ,he had his hand on the knob and it seemed to him that his hand was caught between the knob and key1 and somehow1 as the door opened1 it pulled him in4 ,when he stepped into the room1 he felt a breeze blowing and1 more than that1 as he stepped down1 he found the room did not have any bottom2 just a dark hole4 ,well1 as the little boy stepped over into the room1 he felt himself falling1 away down1 down1 down yonder4 ,he shut his eyes1 expecting every moment to strike something and be killed4 ,but1 before he did1 some one caught him by the shoulders and shook him and said1 8,wake up60 8,wake up40 ,he opened his eyes and where do you suppose the little boy was8 ,at home4 ,it was ,christmas morning and his father was calling him to get up4 ,the sun was shining across his little bed4 ,he looked towards the fireplace and there all the stockings were hanging full4 ,the little boy had been to see ,santa ,claus1 but he went by that beautiful route we call 8,,dreamland04 ,illustration ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,harald',s ,,christmas ,,tree ,,by ,,anna ,,bogenholm ,,sloane ,,in a little log hut at the edge of a forest in far-away ,sweden lived ,harald and his widowed mother4 ,the winter snows crept in through the window cracks and the biting winds found their way between the decaying logs4 ,all the fuel they had was the dry sticks that ,harald gathered in the woods1 and1 indeed1 nearly all the money used in their humble home was earned by his hands4 ,but1 notwithstanding the poverty and uncomfortable habitation1 ,harald was as happy as though he lived in a palace2 for he loved the fading beauty of his mother's tender face and the whitening hair under her stiff cap4 ,and for playmates he had all the elves and fairies about whom his mother had told him so many wonderful tales4 ,harald had never seen a ,bible or heard about the ,saviour1 but he knew the ,eddas by heart and he prayed to ,odin and ,thor with as devout reverence as a ,christian boy prays to the ,lord ,jesus1 and he had firmly resolved to live the noble life of a brave hero so as to be worthy to die on the battlefield1 and by kind ,valkyrias be borne to the fair gardens of ,valhall4 ,one ,december evening1 when the wind howled dismally among the forest trees and piled up snow in great drifts across the roadway1 little ,harald1 chilled and shivering1 returned home from a hard day's work4 ,to keep up a brave heart he whistled as he walked1 looking earnestly at the flashing flames of light which people now call the 8,northern ,lights10 but which1 to him1 was the flickering of the helmets and shields and spears of ,odin's maidens2 for so had he been taught4 ,just as he turned into the dark forest he heard a faint moan1 as of a human being in distress4 ,hastening to the spot whence it came1 he found an ugly ,dwarf lying in the snow nearly frozen4 ,although ,harald was quite numb himself from cold1 he began briskly to rub the ,dwarf's hands and face1 and after a little while helped him to his feet1 and ,harald then asked the ,dwarf to go home with him where he might get warm and have some supper4 8,why should you befriend a poor wretch such as ,i am1 who cannot repay you80 whined the ,dwarf as he leaned heavily on ,harald's young shoulders4 8,i don't ask to be repaid10 replied ,harald4 8,have you not heard the proverb1 #8,do good and throw it into the sea4 ,if the fishes don't know it1 ,odin will4'0 8,yes2 ,odin shall know about this1 you may be sure of that1 and although ,i am only a poor deformed wretch1 ,i know how to be grateful1 and would like to do you a favor10 replied the ,dwarf4 8,i wonder if you have happened to notice a little green ash tree somewhere near here40 8,a green ash tree in winter60 exclaimed ,harald4 8,it is an unusual sight1 indeed10 said the ,dwarf1 8but in one of my rambles1 the other night1 ,i saw one in this vicinity4 ,oh1 here it is1 right before our eyes60 ,there1 sheltered by a cluster of evergreen trees1 was a small ash sapling1 with green leaves on its branches as in summer1 while the other forest trees stood about nodding in their slumber1 their leaves all gone and their hearts frozen within them4 ,when ,harald went and touched its branches1 the little tree came right up out of the ground4 8,take home the little ash and plant it beside your window10 said the ,dwarf1 and when ,harald turned about to thank him he was gone out of sight4 ,then ,harald started to run home with the little ash tree1 but had gone only a few steps when he struck his foot against something4 ,stooping to see what it was1 he found a bag1 glistening with brightness and full of something heavy4 ,upon opening the bag1 he found it to be full of pieces of gold money4 8,i must go to town and ask who has lost a bag filled with gold10 thought the boy4 8,oh1 ,i do wish ,i might keep it and buy mother a nice warm coat40 ,but the next instant he loosened his tightening grip on the bag4 8,it is not my gold1 and stolen money is worse than a mill-stone about one's neck1 says mother1 so ,i think it would be too heavy for me40 8,keep the purse1 little boy10 said a sweet voice at his elbow4 ,turning1 he saw a little girl as radiant as a sunbeam1 dressed in shining gold4 8,i am your friend1 little boy1 and ,i tell you that a lady who wears a fine cloak and a long veil1 and who has more gold than she needs1 dropped that purse1 and if she asks for it ,i will say it fell into a hole in the ground40 8,poor misguided ,angel10 said ,harald1 8you are a beautiful temptress1 but ,i must go to town and try to find the lady you speak of1 who wears a fur cloak and a long veil40 8,well1 if you are determined to be so foolish1 ,i will go with you to show you the way10 replied the ,fairy1 for such was the beautiful little girl4 ,so ,harald wrapped his jacket about the little ash tree1 to protect the tender roots from the cold1 and tucking it under his arm1 ran to town in the footsteps of his guide4 ,the beautiful fairy led him to the doorsteps of a great mansion and then vanished from sight4 ,the lady of the house was glad to get her purse back1 and offered ,harald one of the gold pieces as reward for bringing it to her4 ,but1 much as he wished to have it1 he shook his head1 saying1 8,my mother taught me not to take pay for not being a thief1 and she always tells me to be honest without hope of reward40 ,then ,harald ran home with all speed to tell his mother of his wonderful adventures1 and while they were talking together about the strange little ash tree they discovered a soft1 unfrozen spot of earth near a southern window1 and there planted the green sapling4 ,harald cared for it tenderly and prayed ,odin to shield it from frost and wind4 ,next morning was the twenty-fifth of ,december1 and was a holy day then as now1 though it was not called ,christmas and was not celebrated in memory of the birth of ,christ1 but to commemorate the death and cremation of the pure and loving ,balder1 who was the ,saviour of the old ,northmen's religion4 ,contrary to our ,christian custom1 the old pagans of ,sweden celebrated the birth of their ,redeemer at ,easter1 when all nature becomes imbued with renewed life4 ,at the winter solstice1 when nature slumbers1 they kept fires burning on the mountain tops1 in memory of his death and funeral pyre4 ,early on ,christmas morning1 when ,harald went out to see the ,balder fires1 he met three armed men in the forest4 ,one of them asked gruffly if he knew what had become of a little green ash tree that ,loki1 the giant1 had planted there4 ,harald became very much frightened4 ,he knew the men must be looking for the green sapling he took home the night before1 for there was no other such green bush in the forest4 ,he also knew that ,loki was a fierce and terrible god to offend4 8,i will not tell10 he first thought1 8but run home and pull up the bush and burn it4 ,then they will never know what became of it40 ,but1 notwithstanding his fears1 he could not forget his mother's counsel3 8,speak always the truth1 my son1 even though a sword should be swinging over your head40 ,indeed1 a sword was just now hanging over his head1 but he would speak the truth4 ,as soon as he could control his trembling voice ,harald confessed that he had removed a little green ash tree the night before4 ,he begged for mercy1 for he did not know that it belonged to the fearful giant4 ,the men told ,harald to lead the way to his mother's dwelling4 ,arriving there1 they at once recognized the little green ash as the one belonging to ,loki1 and commanded ,harald to pluck it up and follow them with it to the giant's castle4 ,stiff and white as though the frost giant had breathed upon him1 ,harald reached out his hand and touched the tree4 ,instantly it came from the ground of its own accord4 ,for a moment it stood quivering and shaking its branches1 which gradually became arms1 and in another moment it was no longer a green sapling1 but a dazzling1 beautiful girl4 8,poor men6 ,i pity you for being in ,loki's service10 she said in a sweet voice4 8,go1 tell your cruel master that his plotting against me has failed and that my enchantment is over4 ,this little boy has saved me10 she continued1 pointing to ,harald4 8,the merciless ,loki1 enraged at the love ,i bore humanity1 changed me into an ash tree1 but he had no power to keep me so forever1 and was obliged to make a condition4 ,he made the hardest he could think of4 ,said he3 #8,since you so love mankind1 none but the child of man shall free you from your enchantment4 ,you shall remain a tree until you feel the touch of a child who is generous enough to share his last loaf with a stranger2 honest enough to give back a reward for honesty1 and brave enough to speak the truth when a lie might save his life4 ,long shall you wait for such a deliverer4'0 ,then the soldiers left1 glad the little brave boy had escaped the threatened doom4 ,harald1 looking at the beautiful child1 thought she looked very much like the one he had met the evening before1 and spoke of it4 8,that little elf was my sister10 replied the fairy1 8and the brown dwarf who pointed me out to you was my dear friend4 ,he had heard of the little ,harald1 who was said to be so generous and brave and true1 and he tried you1 as also did my little sister1 who was greatly delighted when she found you could not be tempted to steal40 ,harald's mother1 who had been standing near unnerved and speechless1 now came up4 ,clasping her boy to her heart1 she said3 8,i am prouder today than ,i would have been if my son had slain a hundred men on the battlefield40 ,the little grateful elf always remained ,harald's true friend4 ,she whispered into the ear of the old ,king about the generosity1 bravery1 honesty and truthfulness of the boy who lived in the forest4 ,the ,king sent his men to bring ,harald and his mother to the palace4 ,for his noble virtues he became so well loved by everybody in the land that when the old ,king1 who had no children1 died1 ,harald was chosen ,king4 ,for many years he ruled1 constantly widening his country's domain and for his victorious sword was called ,harald ,hildetand1 which means 8,harald1 the ,biting ,tooth40 ---------------------------------------- --- ,this story incorporates some fragmentary elements of certain old ,swedish legends1 and the following explanations will be useful to the unfamiliar ,american reader4 ,the ,eddas1 mentioned in the story1 are books containing the sacred lore of the old ,scandinavians4 ,in the old ,norse mythology the first human beings were represented as having sprung from the ash tree2 hence the use made of the ash in this story4 ,a continual state of warfare existed among the tribes of the ancient ,scandinavians1 and valor in war was regarded the supreme virtue1 and prowess in battle the supreme achievement of men4 ,valhall was the heaven of sword-fallen heroes1 called ,enherjar1 who forever lived there in the enjoyment of fighting each other daily1 drinking mead from beakers1 and eating the flesh of a hog that was slaughtered each day1 but each night became alive and whole again4 ,in ,norse mythology the ,valkyrias made contests on the ,vidar ,plains 7at the ,north ,pole7 to determine which favorites should enter ,valhall first4 ,in the course of these events1 the spears and shields of the contestants gleamed and flashed until the northern heavens were illuminated--the 8,northern ,lights40 ,at the winter solstice was held a great sacrificial feast in memory of ,balder1 the second son of ,odin1 the god of heaven1 and ,frigga1 the goddess of earth4 ,he was of heaven and earth1 like the ,christ1 and1 like ,him1 was pure and loving4 ,at the instigation of the evil ,loki1 the son of ,surtur 7,satan7 he was killed by blind ,hoder1 as ,christ was killed by the truth-blind people4 ,the ,scandinavian pagans believed in a ,god-,power so holy and great that they dared not even give a name4 ,the three head representatives of this ,power were ,odin1 ,vele and ,ve1 who overcame the evil giants4 ,these giants strove to injure men1 while the gods fostered them4 ,thor was ,odin's son1 the strong-arm of retribution1 punishing evil doing among men and giants4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,first ,,christmas4 ,,by ,w4 ,j4 ,,morrison4 ,,one ,december1 years and years before people had rail-roads or street cars1 crowds of men1 women and children were traveling on the roads and paths that led to a little town1 called by the ,jews1 ,house of ,bread4 ,the dark-skinned ,arabs1 who lived out in the desert1 called this town the ,house of ,meat1 but all children know it by the ,bible name1 ,bethlehem1 in the country of ,judea4 ,some of these people were riding1 and some were walking1 toward this town of ,bethlehem4 ,among them1 seated on a donkey1 was a beautiful young woman by the name of ,mary1 the donkey being led by her husband1 a ,jew1 named ,joseph1 who1 though a poor carpenter1 was related to ,king ,david1 and belonged to what was called the royal family4 ,mary and ,joseph lived at ,nazareth1 and it was a long walk of three or four days from their home to the city of ,bethlehem4 ,the way wound in and out1 and over hills and mountains1 which made it a hard road to travel4 ,bethlehem was built on the top of these mountains4 ,in the summertime it was a delightful place to visit4 ,from the city one could see the beautiful gardens in the valley1 together with the fig1 olive and almond orchards4 ,the far-away hillsides were covered with rows of grape vines1 that changed their hues and shades as the wind tossed their leaves up and down1 or from side to side4 ,but1 as this was ,december1 all these people were not going to ,bethlehem for pleasure1 or to buy ,christmas things4 ,they did not even know it was ,christmas-eve4 ,these people were crowding into ,bethlehem1 because the ,roman law required that1 at this time1 every one should go to his old home1 or the place where he was born1 and pay his taxes4 ,that the ,roman ,emperor might know how many people there were in the world1 they were also required to have their names written on long rolls1 or sheets1 of dried sheep skin1 for in those days they did not have paper4 ,mary and ,joseph could not climb up the mountain to the city as fast as some of the others and so were the last to arrive4 ,when they got to the town1 they found that the only hotel or inn1 in those days called a 8,caravansary10 was full of people and there was no room for them4 ,they went from house to house1 to get a place to stay1 but found that the people who had arrived before them had taken every room in the place4 ,joseph must have known something of the country about the town1 for1 when he could find no room in any of the houses1 he began to hunt for one of the many grottoes1 or caves1 that are under the sides of the mountains in and around ,bethlehem4 ,when he found a cave that ran away under the ground1 with rooms1 one opening into the other1 they decided to use this place for a home until he could find something better4 ,now1 children1 should any of you ever go to ,bethlehem1 you can see this very cave4 ,in those days1 these caves were used as stables to shelter sheep and other stock in cold1 bad and stormy weather4 ,although it was the last of ,december1 it is said ,mary and ,joseph found only an ox and an ass in this cave4 ,the weather could not have been so very cold1 as ,bethlehem is about as far ,south as the northern part of ,florida1 and the shepherds had their sheep out in the open country eating grass4 ,that the sheep might not wander away at any time1 or be stolen during the dark hours1 these shepherds divided the night into what was called ,watches4 ,in other words1 some of the men stood guard over their flocks for three or four hours1 while the others slept2 then they would awaken their friends to look after the sheep4 ,the men who came off watch would then go to sleep by the camp fire1 for the ,bible says1 8,and there were in the same country shepherds watching and keeping the night watches over their flocks40 ,it was while some of these men were watching the sheep that they were greatly startled1 because a beautiful angel1 who shone with the brightness of ,god1 came and stood by them4 ,the angel saw that these poor men were scared1 so1 in a kind and gentle voice1 he told the shepherds not to be afraid1 for he had brought them good news1 that would be of great joy to all the people4 ,the angel then said1 8,this day is born to you a ,saviour1 who is ,christ1 the ,lord4 ,you shall find this infant ,saviour wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger40 ,when he had finished speaking1 an army of angels came around him1 praising ,god and saying1 8,glory to ,god in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will40 ,then all of the angels ascended into heaven4 ,the shepherds who beheld this glorious and beautiful sight woke those who were asleep and told them what they had seen4 ,when the other men heard the wonderful news that the angel had brought1 they all went at once to ,bethlehem as fast as they could4 ,they soon found the cave where ,mary and ,joseph were4 ,here they saw the sweetest little baby who had for his bed a manger1 or horse trough1 filled with straw4 ,this little baby did not have on long clothes1 made of lace1 embroidery and fine linen1 like the little babies have these days and times4 ,he had only a cloth wrapped around his body1 in such a way that it made for him swaddling clothes4 ,as soon as the shepherds saw the child lying in the manger1 wrapped in swaddling clothes1 they knew that this was the infant ,saviour of whom the angel had told them2 that this ,child was ,christ1 ,son of ,god1 and that ,mary was ,his ,mother4 ,the day on which the infant ,saviour was born has ever since been known as ,,the ,,first ,,christmas4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,golden ,,cobwebs ,a ,,story ,,to ,,tell ,,by ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree#a ,footnote #a3 ,from ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,stories ,,to ,,children1 by ,sara ,cone ,bryant4 ,copyright #aije4 ,printed by special permission of the publishers1 ,houghton ,mifflin ,company4 ,i ,,am going to tell you a story about something wonderful that happened to a ,christmas tree like this1 ever and ever so long ago1 when it was once upon a time4 ,it was before ,christmas1 and the tree was all trimmed with pop-corn and silver nuts and name the trimmings of the tree before you1 and stood safely out of sight in a room where the doors were locked1 so that the children should not see it before it was time4 ,but ever so many other little house-people had seen it4 ,the big black pussy saw it with her great green eyes2 the little gray kitty saw it with her little blue eyes2 the kind house-dog saw it with his steady brown eyes2 the yellow canary saw it with his wise1 bright eyes4 ,even the wee1 wee mice that were so afraid of the cat had peeped one peep when no one was by4 ,but there was some one who hadn't seen the ,christmas tree4 ,it was the little gray spider6 ,you see1 the spiders lived in the corners1--the warm corners of the sunny attic and the dark corners of the nice cellar4 ,and they were expecting to see the ,christmas ,tree as much as anybody4 ,but just before ,christmas a great cleaning-up began in the house4 ,the house-mother came sweeping and dusting and wiping and scrubbing1 to make everything grand and clean for the ,christ-child's birthday4 ,her broom went into all the corners1 poke1 poke1--and of course the spiders had to run4 ,dear1 dear1 how the spiders had to run6 ,not one could stay in the house while the ,christmas cleanness lasted4 ,so1 you see1 they couldn't see the ,christmas ,tree4 ,spiders like to know all about everything1 and all there is to see1 and they were very sad4 ,so at last they went to the ,christ-child and told him all about it4 8,all the others see the ,christmas ,tree1 dear ,christ-child10 they said2 8but we1 who are so domestic and so fond of beautiful things1 we are cleaned up6 ,we cannot see it1 at all40 ,the ,christ-child was sorry for the little spiders when he heard this1 and he said they should see the ,christmas ,tree4 ,the day before ,christmas1 when no body was noticing1 he let them all go in1 to look as long as ever they liked4 ,they came creepy1 creepy1 down the attic stairs1 creepy1 creepy1 up the cellar stairs1 creepy1 creepy1 along the halls1--and into the beautiful room4 ,the fat mother spiders and the old papa spiders were there1 all the little teenty1 tonty1 curly spiders1 the baby ones4 ,and then they looked6 ,round and round the tree they crawled1 and looked and looked4 ,oh1 what a good time they had6 ,they thought it was perfectly beautiful4 ,and when they had looked at everything they could see from the floor1 they started up the tree to see more4 ,all over the tree they ran1 creepy1 crawly1 looking at every single thing4 ,up and down1 in and out1 over every branch and twig1 the little spiders ran1 and saw every one of the pretty things right up close4 ,they stayed till they had seen all there was to see1 you may be sure1 and then they went away at last1 quite happy4 ,then1 in the still1 dark night before ,christmas ,day1 the dear ,christ-child came to bless the tree for the children4 ,but when he looked at it--what do you suppose8--it was covered with cobwebs6 ,everywhere the little spiders had been they had left a spider-web2 and you know they had been just everywhere4 ,so the tree was covered from its trunk to its tip with spider-webs1 all hanging from the branches and looped around the twigs2 it was a strange sight4 ,what could the ,christ-child do8 ,he knew that house-mothers do not like cobwebs2 it would never1 never do to have a ,christmas ,tree covered with those4 ,no1 indeed4 ,so the dear ,christ-child touched the spiders' webs1 and turned them all to gold6 ,wasn't that a lovely trimming8 ,they shone and shone1 all over the beautiful tree4 ,and that is the way the ,christmas ,tree came to have golden cobwebs on it4 ,this story was told me in the mother-tongue of a ,german friend1 at the kindly instance of a common friend of both2 the narrator had heard it at home from the lips of a father of story-loving children for whom he often invented such little tales4 ,the present adaptation has passed by hearsay through so many minds that it is perhaps little like the original1 but ,i venture to hope it has a touch of the original fancy1 at least4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,local ,,league ,,work -------------- ,,memphis ,,league ,the program for the current year embraces a study of the stories of ,ancient ,greece1 ,rome and ,italy1 ,germany1 ,france1 ,russia1 and ,japan1 interspersed with meetings devoted to the study of stories of ,christmas and other holidays4 ,one of the ,october meetings was devoted to ,thanksgiving stories4 ,the topic for the ,second meeting in ,november was 8,xerxes and ,prehistoric ,stories40 ,the meetings of this league are conducted primarily for the benefit of teachers to prepare them for telling stories to their classes4 ,,tuscumbia1 ,,alabama ,two flourishing junior leagues are maintained in the ,tuscumbia public schools4 ,one is made up from pupils of the fifth and sixth grades2 the other from pupils of the third and fourth grades4 ,they meet every ,friday afternoon for story-telling4 ,the children are greatly interested and are eager for some new stories4 ,it is the purpose of ,,the ,,story ,,hour to supply just such needs1 both by the stories it reproduces and by directing to good books of stories4 ,,blue ,,mountain1 ,,miss4 ,excellent work is reported from the leagues in ,blue ,mountain ,college1 at ,mississippi ,heights4 ,these three leagues are among the first to have been organized in the ,state4 ,one league is for the teacher girls of the school and two are for the boys and girls respectively4 ,mrs4 ,jennie ,m4 ,hardy1 who organized these leagues1 more recently organized work at some of the ,state ,summer ,schools4 ,she also organized the league at the ,sherman ,state ,normal1 in ,july1 this year4 ,,cincinnati1 ,,ohio4 ,the ,cincinnati ,story ,tellers' ,league was organized ,sept4 #bc1 #aijf1 at the ,kindergarten ,training ,school on ,linton ,street1 and has conducted two successful series of meetings4 ,the last annual report shows a membership of sixty4 ,meetings have been held once a month1 on the fourth ,tuesday1 at #g3ae p4m41 sometimes in ,school houses and at other times at the homes of members4 ,a variety of interesting subjects have been profitably considered1 as indicated in the following schedules of meetings3-- ,nov4 #aijf1 8,historical ,stories20 ,feb4 #e1 #aijg1 8,bible ,stories20 ,march1 #aijg1 8,parables1 ,fables and ,allegories20 ,april1 #aijg1 8,fairy ,stories and ,myths20 ,jan1 #aijh1 8,legends of the ,american ,indians20 ,feb4 #aijh1 8,norse ,legends20 ,march1 #aijh1 8,east ,india and ,art20 ,april1 #aijh1 8,japan40 ,at the ,may1 #aijh1 meeting a program of miscellaneous stories was given1 including 8,an ,adaptation of the ,story #8,cinderella'10 by ,miss ,lillian ,southgate2 8,a ,mother's ,love10 by ,mrs4 ,h4 ,dickore2 8,the ,camel and the ,jackal10 by ,miss ,pearl ,carpenter2 8,a ,story of ,great ,love10 by ,rabbi ,grossmann2 8,a ,hindoo ,tale20 by ,miss ,reta ,m4 ,lockhart4 ,the program was enlivened with songs by ,mrs4 ,m4 ,t4 ,williams4 ,the ,june meeting was held out under the trees of ,eden ,park1 when many enjoyable stories were told4 ,,des ,,moines1 ,,iowa ,the graduates of the ,primary ,training ,department of ,drake ,university who are teaching in ,des ,moines met during the ,summer of #aijh and organized a ,story ,tellers' ,league1 with ,mrs4 ,ella ,ford ,miller1 of ,drake ,university1 as president4 ,the first meeting was held early in ,november at the ,university4 ,it is proposed to make a special study of stories and ,story-telling for primary grades4 ,the girls of the ,primary ,training ,department of ,drake ,university have also organized a club to meet twice a month1 taking up practically the same work4 ,,covington1 ,,ky41 ,,teachers' ,,league ,a number of teachers in the ,public ,schools of ,covington1 ,ky41 who believe in the value of constructive literature1 particularly in the primary and grammar grades1 organized themselves into a ,story ,tellers' ,league in ,october1 #aijh4 ,these teachers represent all the grades of the ,public ,schools and every school in the city4 ,their purpose is to cultivate the art of story-telling so that they may make use of it in the school-room for ethical instruction1 as an aid to composition1 both oral and written1 to enliven the teaching of history and geography1 and to stimulate nature-study4 ,there is filed with the editor of this league the source1 the outline1 the purpose of each story told1 so that the members who may have use for it in their work may have ready access to it4 ,by the interchange of their experiences with their stories in the school-room1 the teachers hope to develop a plan by which the pupils in their charge may be made acquainted1 in a systematic and natural way1 with the great stories every child should know4 ,,covington1 ,,ky41 ,,junior ,,league ,in ,november1 #aijf1 some forty students in the ,high ,school at ,covington1 ,ky41 were organized into a ,junior ,story ,tellers' ,league4 ,they met in the school on alternate ,fridays1 immediately after dismissal4 ,from the beginning1 the meetings were interesting1 profitable and instructive4 ,so enjoyable were they1 that members of the faculty were pleased to come in1 not occasionally1 but regularly1 to listen1 and to contribute their share to the pleasure of the meeting4 ,the programs were definitely planned1 and a variety of stories was told at each meeting4 ,these included myths1 fairy-tales1 folk-tales1 fables1 festival-stories1 ,bible-stories1 and an occasional good anecdote4 ,during the first year1 also1 there was a systematic presentation of the ,king ,arthur legends in story form2 and during the second year the story of ,ulysses was developed in the same manner4 ,at the close of the regular program1 volunteer stories were called for1 and there was always a response4 ,many excellent story-tellers were developed1 and one genius was discovered4 ,the latter was a girl1 who1 at fifteen1 gave promise of becoming a rival to ,uncle ,remus1 himself1 in telling1 in dialect1 the folk-tales of the ,south4 ,our ,national ,president1 after hearing her1 saw fit to invite her to tell stories before the ,knoxville ,convention of #aijg4 ,in ,may1 #aijh1 a public meeting was held1 to which the parents1 teachers1 and friends of the story-tellers were invited4 ,no successful evening's entertainment was ever so easily prepared4 ,seven students1 whose stories1 told at the regular meetings1 had been so well selected and so charmingly presented that their companions desired to hear them again1 were elected to tell them in public4 ,this1 with some musical selections furnished by the school glee-clubs1 formed the program of the evening1 which an enthusiastic audience voted a success4 ,the outcome of that meeting was a demand for two more leagues1 one of which has recently been organized4 ,,mankato1 ,,minn4 ,our organization is very simple4 ,the club membership changes from term to term of our school year4 ,three times a year a group of from fifteen to twenty-five comes to me as student teachers4 ,we then organize a ,story ,club which meets once in two weeks4 ,we elect an ,executive ,committee4 ,this ,committee1 a group of three1 prepare the programs4 ,we have our meetings in different homes and serve very simple refreshments4 ,those not on the program bring their needle work4 ,i have had in mind these ends in keeping up the organization1--,first1 ,a good time together2--,second1 ,a better knowledge of ,story material2 and ,third1 ,an opportunity to tell stories4 ,we have as yet no ,junior organization4 ,i have thought of it1 but am not quite sure whether it is the best thing for us4 ,all teachers should feel indebted to the ,national ,league4 ,i have this year for the first time told stories to 8grown-ups0 and am amazed at their delight in them4 ,,helen ,m4 ,,reynolds4 ,,oxford1 ,,ohio4 ,among the lecturers in the summer term of the ,ohio ,state ,normal ,college of ,miami ,university at ,oxford1 ,ohio1 during the summer of #aijh1 was ,mr4 ,richard ,wyche1 who has done so much to advance the great movement known as the ,story ,tellers' ,league4 ,through his inspiration there gathered at twilight every ,wednesday evening under the magnificent trees of the campus a group of students and faculty members to tell stories4 ,realizing the possibilities for a greater field of work1 a permanent organization was effected known as the ,story ,telling ,league of the ,ohio ,state ,normal ,college of ,miami ,university4 ,the constitution was a very flexible one1 the main condition being for each member to pledge himself on his return home to organize a branch league4 ,one hundred and fifty-six members promised service4 ,in various ,county ,teachers' ,institutes held in the ,state during the month of ,august1 branch leagues were formed1 meeting in church1 school house1 library1 village park or courthouse4 ,everywhere the harvest fields were ripe and workers ready and eager4 ,from all parts of the country1 even as remote as the state of ,washington1 came inquiries for help in the movement of such promising influence4 ,,annie ,e4 ,,logan4 -------------- ,,national ,,league ,,notes ,on ,november #ai1 at #b3de p4m41 the ,detroit ,university ,school held an invitation gathering in honor of ,richard ,t4 ,wyche1 ,president of the ,national ,story ,tellers' ,league4 ,mr4 ,wyche made an address on story telling to children4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,henry ,van ,dyke1 ,princeton ,university1 who is a member of the ,advisory ,board of the ,national ,story ,tellers' ,league1 has accepted the ,american ,lectureship in the ,university of ,paris for the current year4 ,he writes to express interest in the ,league work1 but regrets that1 on account of absence1 he will not be able to take any active part this year4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,prof4 ,a4 ,e4 ,frye1 ,author of the well-known ,school ,geographies1 says3 8,i have been greatly interested in examining your ,geography and ,history games4 ,while the minds of children are keenly alert in the rivalry of games1 important facts are easily and firmly fixed in memory4 99 99 99 ,the products of happy work carry farthest in our lives40 ,the 8,,new ,,games0 ,graded ,educational ,series ,,now ,,ready ,,american ,,history ,,to #aghc1 ,intermediate ,,life ,,of ,,christ 7for ,sunday71 ,special ,,world ,,geography1 ,advanced -------------- ,,price ,,for ,,this ,,sale1 ,,only #ae4 ,,each -------------- 8,,others0 ,,in ,,preparation -------------- ,the ,fidelity ,publishing ,company #djf ,fifth ,street ,n4,w4 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,hugh ,cork1 ,sec'y ,international ,sunday ,school ,ass'n1 ,chicago1 says3 8,i have tried it 7the ,bible 8,,new ,,game07 with my five children on ,sunday afternoons and find it most interesting1 profitable1 and in line with what should be the spirit of the day4 ,i believe it will solve the question as to what to do with children on ,sunday40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,story-,telling to ,children ,,by ,,miss ,,susan ,,holton at ,clubs1 ,churches1 ,schools1 ,libraries1 and ,private ,houses4 ,send for circular4 #cg ,concord ,avenue1 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 or #caa ,n4 #ccrd ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,penna4 ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,,school ,,printing ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,,we ,can ,save ,you ,money on this class of work4 ,our plant is equipped with the best modern machinery1 we employ only the most skilled workmen1 and give the same attention to all jobs1 large or small4 ,mail orders given prompt attention4 ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,the ,colonial ,printing ,company #djf ,fifth ,street ,n4,w4 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74