Good Stories for Great Holidays / Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading
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 stories 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 Halloween time. The range of selection is wide, and touches all sides of wholesome boy and girl nature, and the tales have the power to arouse 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 which 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-telling. 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 not 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 Irving, Hugh Miller, Charles Dickens, and Henry Cabot Lodge; also those immortals, Hans Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Horace E. Scudder, and others.
Frances Jenkins Olcott
GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS
Index according to reading level is appended.
TO THE STORY-TELLER
GOOD STORIES FOR GREAT HOLIDAYS
THE FAIRY'S NEW YEAR GIFT
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
THE TWELVE MONTHS
A SLAV LEGEND
THE MAIL-COACH PASSENGERS
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
(FEBRUARY 12)
HE RESCUES THE BIRDS
LINCOLN AND THE LITTLE GIRL
TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY
WHY LINCOLN WAS CALLED “HONEST ABE”
A STRANGER AT FIVE-POINTS
(ADAPTED)
A SOLOMON COME TO JUDGMENT
GEORGE PICKETT'S FRIEND
LINCOLN THE LAWYER
THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS
(ADAPTED)
MR. LINCOLN AND THE BIBLE
HIS SPRINGFIELD FAREWELL ADDRESS
SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY
(FEBRUARY 14)
A PRISONER'S VALENTINE
A GIRL'S VALENTINE CHARM
AS TOLD BY HERSELF
MR. PEPYS HIS VALENTINE
AS RELATED BY HIMSELF IN 1666
CUPID AND PSYCHE
THE TRIAL OF PSYCHE:
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
(FEBRUARY 22)
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)
(MARCH OR APRIL)
A LESSON OF FAITH
A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR
THE LOVELIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD
MAY DAY
(MAY 1)
THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS
THE WATER-DROP
THE SPRING BEAUTY
AN OJIBBEWAY LEGEND
THE FAIRY TULIPS
ENGLISH FOLK-TALE
THE STREAM THAT RAN AWAY
THE ELVES
AN IROQUOIS LEGEND
THE CANYON FLOWERS
CLYTIE, THE HELIOTROPE
HYACINTHUS
ECHO AND NARCISSUS
MOTHERS' DAY
(SECOND SUNDAY IN MAY)
CORNELIA'S JEWELS
QUEEN MARGARET AND THE ROBBERS
THE REVENGE OF CORIOLANUS
THE WIDOW AND HER THREE SONS
(ADAPTED)
MEMORIAL DAY
(APRIL OR MAY)
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
(JULY 4)
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
(FIRST MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER)
THE SMITHY
A HINDU FABLE
THE NAIL
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE
HOFUS THE STONE-CUTTER
A JAPANESE LEGEND
ARACHNE
THE METAL KING
A GERMAN FOLE-TALE
THE CHOICE OF HERCULES
THE SPEAKING STATUE
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
THE CHAMPION STONE-CUTTER
BILL BROWN'S TEST
COLUMBUS DAY
(OCTOBER 12)
COLUMBUS AND THE EGG
COLUMBUS AT LA RABIDA
THE MUTINY
THE FIRST LANDING OF COLUMBUS IN THE NEW WORLD
HALLOWEEN
(OCTOBER 31)
SHIPPEITARO
A JAPANESE FOLK-TALE:
HANSEL AND GRETHEL
BURG HILL'S ON FIRE
A CELTIC FAIRY TALE
THE KING OF THE CATS
AN ENGLISH FOLK-TALE
THE STRANGE VISITOR
AN ENGLISH FOLK-TALE
THE BENEVOLENT GOBLIN
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
THE PHANTOM KNIGHT OF THE VANDAL CAMP
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
THANKSGIVING DAY
(LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER)
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
AN OJIBBEWAY LEGEND
THE NUTCRACKER DWARF
THE PUMPKIN PIRATES
A TALE FROM LUCIAN
THE SPIRIT OF THE CORN
AN IROQUOIS LEGEND
THE HORN OF PLENTY
CHRISTMAS DAY
(DECEMBER 25)
THE STRANGER CHILD
A LEGEND
SAINT CHRISTOPHER
A GOLDEN LEGEND
THE CHRISTMAS ROSE
AN OLD LEGEND
THE WOODEN SHOES OF LITTLE WOLFF
THE PINE TREE
THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO
THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY OF STRASBURG
A GERMAN FOLK-TALE
THE THREE PURSES
A LEGEND
THE THUNDER OAK
A SCANDINAVIAN LEGEND
THE CHRISTMAS THORN OF GLASTONBURY
A LEGEND OF ANCIENT BRITAIN
THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE
A LEGEND OF THE MIDDLE AGES
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
OLD LEGEND
THE WONDER TREE
THE PROUD OAK TREE
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON
ADAPTED FROM H. P. MASKEL'S RENDERING OF THE GREEK MYTH
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
AN OJIBBEWAY LEGEND
THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW
THE QUAILS—A LEGEND OF THE JATAKA
FROM THE RIVERSIDE FOURTH READER
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
THE GREEDY GEESE
FROM IL LIBRO D'ORO (ADAPTED)
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
For grades 1-4.
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
For grades 1-4.
SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY
For grades 1-4.
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
For grades 1-4.
RESURRECTION DAY (EASTER)
For grades 1-4.
MAY DAY
For grades 1-4.
MOTHERS' DAY
For grades 1-4.
MEMORIAL AND FLAG DAYS
For grades 3-6.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
For grades S-6.
LABOR DAY
For grades 1-4.
COLUMBUS DAY
For grades 4-8.
HALLOWEEN
For grades 1-4.
THANKSGIVING DAY
For grades 1-4
CHRISTMAS DAY
For grades 1-4.
ARBOR DAY
For grades 1-4.
BIRD DAY
For grades 1-4.