The Velveteen Rabbit

On Christmas morning, a little boy finds a special surprise in his stocking. It is a velveteen rabbit. The little boy loves the velveteen rabbit. He kisses its soft tummy. He tucks the rabbit under his arm and opens all his other gifts. The little boy puts the rabbit in his bedroom with all his other toys. The little boy has lots of toys. Some are shiny and others make noise. The velveteen rabbit feels very plain next to the other toys. He is nothing but fluff and stitches. Soon, the velveteen rabbit becomes good friends with a shabby old horse. The little boy has played with the horse so much one of his ears hangs on with a pin. "Flashy toys don't last," says the horse. "They don't have anything lovable inside. They will never be real." "What does it mean to be real?" asks the velveteen rabbit. "You become real after someone loves you for a long time. You are old and tattered, but that's okay. When you are real, you are truly beautiful!" The velveteen rabbit wants to be real! That night, the little boy chooses the velveteen rabbit to sleep with him. The velveteen rabbit snuggles close to the boy. The boy wraps his arm around the velveteen rabbit and hugs him. From that night on, the velveteen rabbit always goes where the little boy goes. They go on picnics, play in the garden, or go to the woods. One day, the velveteen rabbit goes with the little boy to pick flowers. The little boy gives the velveteen rabbit a ride in the wheelbarrow.The velveteen rabbit's heart is full of joy.

He loves the boy and feels lucky to spend so much time with him. The velveteen rabbit is so happy on the inside that he does not notice how shabby he is becoming on the outside. His fur is dirty from playing outside with the boy. The space between his ears is beginning to wear thin from all the hugs at bedtime. One afternoon, the little boy and the velveteen rabbit are playing in the garden. Suddenly, lightning flashes in the sky and it begins to rain. The little boy runs straight home and forgets the velveteen rabbit hiding in the garden. The rabbit is all alone in the garden and is very sad. He misses the little boy. At bedtime, the little boy realizes the velveteen rabbit is still outside. He looks up at his mother with big, sad eyes. "Will you please rescue my friend, the velveteen rabbit?" he asks. His mother goes outside in the rain with her flashlight. She searches in the darkness until she stumbles over the rabbit in the grass. The poor rabbit is very wet. She tucks the velveteen rabbit under her arm and hurries back inside to the little boy. She gives the little boy the rabbit and says, "Please be careful where you leave your toys." "My rabbit is not a toy! He is my friend. He is real," the little boy says. The boy hugs the velveteen rabbit and his mother smiles at the two friends. The velveteen rabbit is cold and dripping with water, but he does not mind at all. This has been the happiest night of his life. The little boy loves him! At the end of a perfect summer, the little boy's family goes on a long trip. The velveteen rabbit watches the family pack. He's excited to go on another adventure with the little boy. But then they drive away! The little boy has forgotten to pack the velveteen rabbit. The velveteen rabbit begins to cry. His teardrops roll off his fluffy cheek and fall to the ground. In the same spot a beautiful magical flower grows. The flower holds a fairy who sweetly says to the velveteen rabbit, "Hello, dear rabbit, your love for the boy has earned you the right to become real!" "Wasn't I real already?" asks the rabbit.

"Only to the boy. Now, I will make you real to everyone!" Suddenly the rabbit takes a little hop, then he hops again, and again! He jumps over flowers and rocks. He plays with other rabbits in the woods. He nibbles on sweet lettuce from the garden. When the little boy returns home from his long trip, he runs to the woods to play. He meets a rabbit who looks very familiar. The rabbit is not like all the other little rabbits in the woods who quickly scurry away when they see the little boy.This rabbit hops right up to the boy as if to say hello. The boy kneels down and smiles at the friendly rabbit. "You remind me of my old friend, the velveteen rabbit," says the little boy.

"Do you think we could be friends?" the little boy whispers to the rabbit. The rabbit wiggles his pink nose and the little boy laughs. From that day on, the little boy always looks for the rabbit in the woods. The rabbit loves hopping over rocks and flowers. He likes playing with the other rabbits that live in the woods. But he also loves the little boy. The rabbit will never forget the little boy's love and friendship, which made him real. Read the full article

Bedtime Stories

Bedtime stories play an important role in your child’s development. Not only do bedtime stories create an opportunity for parents to bond with their kids, but reading to a little one at the same time night after night can help them establish a healthy sleep routine. Child psychologists also point to the cognitive benefits for young people who are raised with bedtime stories, including higher-than-average literacy rates and an emotional connection to reading. Many parents are in the habit of reading or sharing bedtime stories with their children. They usually take it as a fun activity. The only thing that most parents need to realize that sharing or narrating bedtime stories can be instrumental in building your child’s personality as well. Spending time during bedtime story sessions also have some other benefits that are mentioned below: • Quality time – Reading or narrating stories help parents spend some quality time with children before they end their day. A lot of sharing happens during that time. • Strengthens the family bond – After a long hectic day where children are busy with school, play, television, and parents are busy attending to household chores and professional commitments, bedtime story session gives parents and children a chance to strengthen their relations and bond with each other. • Relaxes the mind – Bedtime stories are a great way of relaxing a child’s mind. The mood is set for a comfortable and sound sleep as children cuddle up in bed and unwind after a long day. • Enhances imagination – Many of the story books have fairy tales, stories of superheroes, some ancient characters, animals, forests and adventures that triggers the imagination of young ones because such scenes are not common in their day-to-day lives. • Creative thinking and problem-solving skills – Bedtime story sessions can become a great tool in developing creative thinking for children as well. Parents can always read or narrate stories with interesting twists. Pause before the end and ask the child to suggest an end to the story or you may narrate a few lines and then ask the child to continue. It will be fun and will help the child to think creatively as well as look out solutions for the possible problem situations. • Improves communication skills – During these story sessions, parents and children get a chance to interact and discuss the characters and the story line. Many new words are read and discussed. This results in improved communication skills and enhanced vocabulary. • Increases attention span – Most children enjoy listening to stories as they find them interesting. It can also be made interesting by narrating it with the help of facial expressions and hand movements. Listening and reading bedtime stories in a routine can improve the attention span and listening skills of children. • Source of inspiration – Most of these stories for children have a good moral at the end, they can be helpful in inculcating life skills like honesty, courage, respect, generosity, etc. Such stories also have inspiring life stories or situations that can motivate the child to be a successful and good human being. Tips for Parents: No child is too young for a bedtime story. Many experts encourage parents to begin reading to their children while they are newborns, and continue throughout their childhood; the 2016 Time to Read Survey noted that bedtime reading can benefit children as old as 11 years of age. Regardless of how old your child is, age-appropriate reading material is crucial. Readings for toddlers and preschoolers should utilize a fairly straightforward vocabulary, and also include pictures or illustrations. As your child advances into elementary school and begins learning to read, chapter books may be more effective. Here are a few more tips for parents who plan to read bedtime stories to their kids: • Read slowly. This is especially important for young listeners and children who have not yet learned to read. If the story contains words the child doesn’t know, take a minute during the initial readings and explain the definitions. • Involve your child in the reading. Swap out character names for your children’s names and allow them to be part of the story. Draw parallels between your child’s life and the world of the story in order to drive home important messages. • Be dramatic. Emphasize emotional moments by reading them in an appropriate tone, and use distinct voices for different characters. This will enhance your child’s personal involvement in the story, and enhance their imagination. • Clearly define the characters’ roles. To help your child develop a sense of right and wrong, you should make sure they understand the difference(s) between the heroes and the villains of each story. • Read each story more than once. Your child probably won’t grasp everything about a story during the first bedtime session, so read it more than once — if possible, on consecutive nights. • Don’t read the same story too often. Your child will most likely favor certain stories to others, but avoid reading the same volume night after night for long periods of time. After a few readings, their imaginative connection to the story will begin to diminish. If your child insists on hearing an old favorite for the twentieth time, then suggest reading something new that night and then switching back to the preferred story the next night. • Don’t be afraid to improvise. Rather than reading from a book, you can make up a story that allows your child to be more involved — and even dictate the narrative a bit. Read the full article

Icarus and Daedalus

Long ago in ancient Greece there lived a very clever man named Daedalus. He was a great inventor and a skillful engineer and architect. Daedalus planned magnificent buildings that even had running water in the bathrooms. He was very proud of his skill. Daedalus left Athens, the city of his birth, and went to the island of Crete in the blue Aegean Sea. He took with him his young son, Icarus. King Minos of Crete commanded Daedalus to build a labyrinth, or maze, to imprison a fearful monster called the Minotaur. The Minotaur is a monster that is half-man and half-bull. Daedalus built the huge labyrinth underneath the king's stone palace. The labyrinth had so many false turns and dead-ends that no one who entered it could ever find a way out.

When the labyrinth was finished, the angry Minotaur was sealed inside it. When the Minotaur roared, the palace shook. The king was satisfied that the monster was safely locked away. Daedalus had been on Crete for a long time. He wanted to return home. So he went to King Minos and said, "Great King, with your permission, I shall take my leave. My work is done, and I wish to return to Athens with my son." "You will do no such thing," said King Minos. "You know the secret of the labyrinth. How do I know you won't tell somebody how to find the way through the twisting passageways?" "I pledge that I will do no such thing!" protested Daedalus.

But the king ordered his guards to seize Daedalus and Icarus. The father and son were locked in a tall tower at the very edge of the palace grounds.Despite all of the good Daedalus had done for the king, Daedalus and Icarus were kept under close guard in the prison tower. It would have done them no good to escape the tower, because King Minos also ruled the surrounding seas. The king's soldiers inspected every ship that left the shores of Crete. And if they were caught escaping, they would be sent to the labyrinth. "Father, are we going to be locked in this tower forever?" asked Icarus.

"I am a great inventor, Icarus," replied Daedalus. "This certainly is a difficult problem, but I shall think of a solution." After days of being locked in the tower, Daedalus and Icarus needed fresh air. Daedalus climbed the stairway and led Icarus to the rooftop of the tower. Its great height made Daedalus fearful for Icarus' safety. From the rooftop, Daedalus and Icarus watched the gulls and eagles soaring and gliding through the air. The birds flew very close to the tower. Daedalus studied with fascination the birds' wings as they flew. "Icarus, my son, I have an idea," said Daedalus. "King Minos may rule the land and the sea, but he does not rule the air!" "What do you mean?" asked Icarus. "Only birds can fly through the air." "That is because they have wings!" said Daedalus. "I want you to help me catch some birds. We need many feathers of all sizes." Daedalus watched closely the way birds use their wings to take off and fly. He studied the way feathers fit together to cover the birds' wings. He noted the weight and the size of the wings in proportion to their bodies.

Icarus watched his father intently as he laid out a row of long feathers. Then his father laid a row of smaller feathers below that. He sewed them together with linen thread and a needle that he carried in his pouch. Daedalus laid down many more rows of feathers which Icarus held in place for him. Finally, Daedalus softened some beeswax and fastened the rows of feathers together with the wax. At last Daedalus was finished. He held up a beautiful pair of wings! Daedalus tied the wings to his arms and shoulders with thin strips of leather. Cautiously, he fluttered the wings. Daedalus then moved the wings up and down with strong beats. As the wings moved, he could feel himself lifting from the roof of the tower!"Stop, Father! Make my wings now!" Icarus begged.

Daedalus took his wings off and made a smaller set of wings for his son. Again he used wax to fasten many of the feathers. Then he tied the wings to Icarus. "Just watch me first," said Daedalus to his son. "I'll try out the wings. If they work well, we'll both practice flying together." Daedalus spread his wings, flapped them once, and caught the wind. Out he soared from the tower, lifting and falling on the air currents like a bird. Icarus thought his father looked like a god as he flew through the air. The boy couldn't wait any longer to fly himself. Icarus stood on tiptoe at the edge of the tower, flapped his wings, and took off. He swooped and soared, like his father. As he flew, he shouted for joy. "I'm a bird! I'm a god!" he cried.

"Icarus! Go back!" shouted Daedalus. "Go back to the tower!" Daedalus landed on the rooftop and called again to Icarus, "Come back!" The boy circled around the tower twice and did a somersault in the air, before he came back to where his father stood. "Son, we have much to learn about flying. And you have much to learn about obeying your father!" said Daedalus. "We will have to practice to become strong and skillful enough to fly all the way across the Aegean," Daedalus explained. Daedalus and Icarus practiced flying every day. Their muscles became strong. When Daedalus judged that he and Icarus were ready to make the long trip over the sea, he sat Icarus down. "Son, it is important that you heed my words. If you fly too low, too close to the waves," Daedalus explained, "your feathers will get wet. Then, your wings will be too heavy to fly." "And if you fly too high," Daedalus went on, "the heat of the sun will melt the wax that holds your wings together." "I understand, Father," said Icarus, but he was barely listening.

No sooner had his father finished telling Icarus not to fly too low or too high, than the boy ran to the very edge of the rooftop and leapt off. He flapped his outspread wings and headed for the sea with Daedalus close behind him. When the two reached the blue Aegean, Daedalus shouted a reminder to his son. The father and son rode the rising currents of air like birds. They made long, slow turns, first one way and then the other in the brilliant blue sky. After flying contentedly side by side, Daedalus took the lead. Icarus did a somersault in the air, then caught up to his father. Daedalus gestured for Icarus to stay at a safe middle level.

Icarus, however, wanted to fly higher, up to where the gods lived. While Daedalus flew on in front, unaware, Icarus beat his wings hard and rose up and up. The warmth of the sun felt good on his back, and Icarus rose still higher. The same warm sun melted the wax on Icarus' wings. First only a few feathers and then many slipped off of the wings as the wax turned to liquid. Suddenly, Icarus dropped straight down, down into the cold sea. When Daedalus looked back, he could no longer see his son. Alarmed, Daedalus flew about in circles looking for the boy. At last, Daedalus flew close enough to the water to see the feathers floating on the sea. He knew then that his son had drowned. Daedalus wept as he flew alone. If only his son had listened to him, then they would be flying to freedom together. Read the full article

Cinderella

Cinderella Story Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Cinderella. She was as sweet as sugar, as kind as a mother's kiss, and as pretty as the sun setting in the sky. She had a very mean stepmother and two stepsisters who made her life miserable. They all treated Cinderella like a servant. "Scrub the floors," one would order. "When you're done, clean these dishes," the other would say. "Hurry up!" they yelled together. Cinderella scrubbed, cleaned, and ironed while her stepmother and stepsisters spent their days preening in front of the mirror. After Cinderella had spent all day cleaning and ironing, she would spend the evening alone in front of the warm fire. This was her favorite part of the day. She dreamed of what her life would be like if she were a princess. Every day was the same for Cinderella. In the ­morning, she woke up early and made her stepmother and stepsisters breakfast.

"My tea is a little too warm," one stepsister said. "My tea is a little too cool," the other would say. After they were done eating their breakfast, the stepsisters would sit in front of the mirror and argue about who was more beautiful. Cinderella would spend the rest of the day sewing and ironing. But her heart was so pure, she did not even mind. It gave her time to dream about the handsome prince. Cinderella's stepmother hoped that one of her daughters would someday marry the prince. Once they saw the prince in the royal parade. The stepsisters were sure he smiled at them. "He looked at me," the short one said happily. "He looked at me," the tall one said. "You are both beautiful," their mother said to them. They all agreed. Cinderella secretly thought the prince smiled at her. One day, something very exciting arrived. It was an invitation to the prince's fancy ball! "You, my darling daughters, are going to the prince's ball!" Cinderella's stepmother exclaimed. "What will I wear?" one stepsister cried. "I hope I can dance with the prince," the other said dreamily.

As the night of the ball drew closer and closer, Cinderella had more and more work to do. "Cinderella, hem my favorite pink dress," one yelled. "Cinderella, get my favorite blue shoes," the other yelled. Cinderella sewed and ironed for days. But she was not allowed to go to the ball herself. She was only a servant. Besides, she did not have a ball gown. Below is the second part of "Cinderella." Finally, the night of the ball arrived. As Cinderella helped her younger stepsister into her gown, the cruel girl asked, "Cinderella, why don't you come with us to the ball and dance with the prince?" The stepmother and her daughters laughed at the thought of dirty, barefoot Cinderella dancing with the handsome prince. "No, she can't come," the stepmother said. "She has to sweep the hearth." Cinderella held back her tears. "Don't forget to scrub the floor," the stepmother said. "Clean the dishes," the younger stepsister said. "And fluff my pillow," the other one said. As the stepmother and her daughters climbed into their coach and rode off to the ball, Cinderella began to cry. Cinderella never complained, but the day of the fancy ball was too disappointing for her to bear. "Why must I stay at home and sweep up the hearth while everyone else goes to the ball? Am I not as good and kind as everyone else?" cried Cinderella to herself. She wanted to wear a fancy dress with pretty ribbons and bows. Most of all, she wanted to catch another glimpse of the handsome prince. Maybe he would ask her to dance with him! Suddenly, a beautiful fairy magically appeared. It was Cinderella's fairy godmother!

"What is wrong, dear Cinderella?" asked the fairy ­godmother. Even though she had secretly watched over Cinderella's hard life, this was the first time she had ever seen the girl cry. Cinderella wiped away her tears and said, "I'm sorry to cry. But I just wanted to go to the ball. I've never even worn a fancy dress, or danced, or been to the castle. I guess I'm just being silly." "You have always been good and kind," the fairy godmother said sweetly. "And tonight you shall go to the prince's ball." Cinderella's heart was so happy she thought it was going to burst. Then she was sad again. "I have no coach to take me there," Cinderella said, beginning to cry again. "Oh, dear," the fairy godmother said. She thought for a moment, then clapped her hands. "I can turn that pumpkin into a coach." With a wave of her sparkly wand, she turned the hollow orange pumpkin into a coach decorated with gold and velvet. "But who will drive the coach?" Cinderella asked. Just then, a family of six white mice wandered through the garden. Poof! They were suddenly strong white horses. The fairy godmother looked around the garden for a driver. She spied a plump rat nibbling on a bit of cheese under a flower. Poof! The rat was suddenly a handsome driver. "Now, sweet girl, you can go to the ball!" said the fairy godmother proudly. "But my clothes," whispered Cinderella. "I cannot go to the fancy ball in dirty rags!"

The fairy godmother thought for a moment, then waved her wand around Cinderella. Hundreds of sparkles shot out of the wand, then suddenly Cinderella's old dress turned into a lovely silk gown. "Just beautiful," said the fairy godmother. "Now for the most important part, your shoes!" With another wave of the wand, delicate glass slippers suddenly appeared on Cinderella's bare feet. "Oh, thank you, fairy godmother!" cried Cinderella. "This will be the most wonderful night of my life!" With the help of her handsome footman, Cinderella stepped into the magical pumpkin coach. A shiver of excitement ran through her. Just as the coach was about to pull away, Cinderella's fairy godmother called to her. "You must be home before the stroke of midnight, Cinderella," she warned. "At midnight, the coach will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice, the driver into a rat. You must not be late!" "I won't be late, fairy godmother. Thank you!" Cinderella waved out the window of her coach, pretending to be a real princess. The fairy godmother watched as Cinderella disappeared down the road. "I hope she meets her prince tonight," the fairy godmother said to herself. The whole way to the castle, Cinderella's heart pounded with anticipation. When the coach arrived at the castle, Cinderella took a deep breath and waited for her driver to open the door for her. Cinderella stepped out of her coach and gracefully climbed the stairs to the palace. She was so nervous, her knees were shaking. When she appeared in the doorway of the ballroom, everyone turned to stare at her. Cinderella was far more beautiful than any of the princesses, duchesses, and noble ladies in attendance. The other guests hushed as Cinderella walked down the staircase. The prince was busy greeting his guests when he looked up to see Cinderella. He took one look at her and suddenly his heart began to race. He fell in love with the beautiful girl. All he could think about was dancing with the mysterious lady. Everyone at the ball fell in love with Cinderella, too. Aside from being lovely, Cinderella was also charming and sweet. As the prince and Cinderella danced, all the people smiled and watched. No one recognized her, not even her stepsisters and stepmother. The prince asked Cinderella to dance every dance. As they glided across the dance floor, Cinderella discovered that not only was the prince very handsome, but he was also very kind. Cinderella was so happy, she forgot the time. The clock sounded the ninth stroke of midnight when Cinderella remembered the promise she had made to her fairy godmother. On the tenth stroke, Cinderella dashed out of the ballroom without ­another word to the prince, leaving him and the rest of the guests astonished! On the eleventh stroke, she flew down the palace steps in such a hurry that she left one of her glass slippers behind. On the twelfth stroke, Cinderella's dress was transformed back into tattered rags. She ran as fast as she could from the palace so that no one would recognize her. The prince ran after Cinderella, but it was too late. She was already gone. He wanted to call out to her, but he realized that she had never told him her name! The prince spied the glass slipper on the palace steps. It must belong to her, he thought. He vowed to find the slipper's mysterious owner. Cinderella ran all the way home dressed in her rags. Her coach had turned back into a pumpkin, and the mice and the rat had all run away. All she had left of her beautiful evening at the ball was the other glass slipper. The next day, everyone in the land could talk of nothing but the ball and the beautiful stranger who had stolen the prince's heart. The prince was determined to find the girl he loved. He could not sleep or eat. He only dreamed of her. This tiny glass slipper is all that I have, he thought. I must use it to try to find her. That very day he began to search all over the land, trying to find the maiden who could wear the delicate glass slipper. Finally, Cinderella heard a tap, tap, tap at her door. "It's the prince!" her older stepsister said gleefully. "Cinderella, he won't want to see you." "Oh, how is my hair?" the other one wanted to know. Cinderella heard another tap, tap, tap at the door. "Open the door, Mother! Open the door," the older one said. "He's going to want to marry me," the younger one whispered. "No, me," the other hissed. Cinderella knew the slipper belonged to her. The stepsisters both tried to fit their large feet into the slipper. They pulled and tugged and pushed, but it was plain to see that their feet were just too big. Cinderella had been watching from another room. She asked softly, "May I please try?" Her stepmother and stepsisters laughed and told her not to waste the prince's precious time. The prince knelt and held out the glass slipper for Cinderella. Her foot slipped into it with ease! Cinderella pulled the other glass slipper from her apron pocket and put it on, too. "It fits!" shrieked the stepmother. "It fits!" howled the stepsisters. "It fits!" whispered the prince. He looked deep into Cinderella's eyes and instantly knew she was the woman he was going to marry.

"There must be a mistake," the older stepsister cried. "Mother, tell the prince he cannot marry Cinderella!" the other one sobbed. "Please, Prince," the stepmother begged. "Let my daughters try on the shoe again. Perhaps this time it will fit." The prince could not take his eyes off Cinderella. "I believe I have found my princess," he said. Then he suddenly fell to one knee. "My dear Cinderella," he said. "Will you please marry me?" "Yes!" Cinderella cried. With that, her stepmother fainted. The prince took Cinderella's hand and escorted her to his royal carriage. Suddenly, six gray mice and a fat rat climbed on top of the carriage. "What are they doing?" the prince wanted to know. "They are my friends," Cinderella said joyously. "Then they too shall be royalty," the prince said. He was so overcome with love and joy that he married Cinderella that very day! They lived happily ever after. As for her stepmother and stepsisters, they too lived a long and happy life. Cinderella did not punish them. But they did have to learn how to do their own cooking, cleaning, and ironing. And that was punishment enough. Read the full article

The Four Musicians

The Four Musicians Story One day a donkey was walking along the fence by the barn, singing softly to himself. He stopped when he heard his owner talking with another farmer. The donkey leaned in closer so he could better hear what the two were discussing. "I know what you mean," the one farmer said. "Sometimes it's easier to just get a younger one." The donkey wondered what they could be talking about. His owner continued, "I just can't find many reasons to keep the tired bag of bones around much longer. He is very old and cannot pull the plow anymore. It's time to put that old donkey out to pasture." The donkey couldn't believe his ears! They were talking about him! He was very hurt to hear these words. "Hee-haw!" said the donkey. "I won't be sent out to pasture. I'll go to the town of Bremen and become a musician." The donkey had just started on his way when he saw a sad dog sitting by the road. The donkey asked what was bothering the dog. "My owner says I am too old to hunt," howled the dog. "He wants to get a younger dog who keeps quiet." "I have a thought that may interest you. Why don't you come with me to Bremen, and we will work as musicians," said the donkey. "We'll be quite a team." "Woof!" said the dog. "I really like that idea!" The two new pals had not gone far before they crossed paths with a gloomy cat. They asked what was wrong.

"My owner says I am too old to catch mice," he cried. "She is going to get a younger cat." They invited the cat to come to Bremen to sing with them. "Mee-ow!" answered the cat, and the three were on their way. The dog, cat, and donkey were walking along when suddenly a very upset rooster flew right into the middle of the road. "Cock-a-doodle-day!" the rooster squawked. "What a strong voice you have!" the dog said. "My owners say there is no point in having a strong voice if you don't use it every day," crowed the rooster. "I cannot get up early enough to wake up the workers anymore. My owners plan to serve me for Sunday dinner!" "Join us on our trip," said the dog. "We are going to work as musicians. We could really use your strong voice to make our band complete."

"Cock-a-doodle-day!" said the rooster. "Let's be on our way!" The four new friends practiced singing as they walked toward Bremen.Nighttime came. The donkey, dog, cat, and rooster had been singing and walking all day. Just when the four musicians found a nice tree to camp under, the rooster began to squawk. "I think I see a light shining from inside a house!" he said. "It doesn't seem far away." "They might have some food to share," said the dog. "A big, juicy bone sounds mighty good right about now." "Mmmm. I think a big bowl of milk would be absolutely purr-fect," purred the cat. "A plate of corn certainly would hit the spot," crowed the rooster. The donkey thought it all sounded good, so the four set out for the house.

The four musicians walked up to the house. The donkey, being the tallest of the group, peered inside the window. After the donkey had looked through the glass for a few moments, the cat's curiosity got the better of him. "What do you see?" he asked as he tried to get a glimpse."Well, there are four men sitting at a table that is covered with food," the donkey said. "They must eat like kings every night. There are stacks of gold everywhere."

"What do we do now?" asked the rooster. "Do we just knock on the door and ask for food?" The donkey shook his head. "Remember we are going to be musicians," he said. "We should practice singing for our supper." The others thought this was a grand idea, so they very carefully planned their first concert. The four musicians decided to stand one on top of the other so everyone could be heard. First the donkey took his place near the bottom of the window. Then the dog jumped on his back. The cat made his way up to the dog's back. Finally the rooster flew to the top. Even though the four friends had practiced their singing all day, they were still a little bit nervous. This was their first concert, after all. They wished each other good luck, turned to face the window, and cleared their throats.

Finally their big moment had arrived. It was time to perform. The donkey gave the signal, and they began to sing. Never has there been a louder or mightier group effort! The four friends tried to sing better than they ever had before. What they didn't know is that it didn't sound like singing. It sounded like, "Hee-haw! Woof! Mee-ow! Cock-a-doodle-day!"The four friends also did not know that the men they were singing for inside the house were robbers. They were hiding out and counting gold they had stolen. When they heard the loud noise of the musicians' singing, they looked out the window. They saw what looked like a four-headed beast. "Run! Run! Run!" one robber yelled. "Run before the four-headed beast gets us!"

The animals were confused. Why had the men run away? The donkey said, "I believe I know what is happening. No doubt our audience enjoyed our singing so much that they must be going to get more people to hear our concert." "It may be some time before they return. I say we go inside and have some dinner as a reward for our splendid singing," the rooster said. "Indeed!" agreed the donkey. "That is a grand idea!" The four musicians went into the house. The four musicians were so hungry that they ate every last bite! It didn't take long to decide that the life of a musician was going to suit them very well indeed. Soon after the meal, they were very sleepy. Because they were already inside the house, they agreed it would be best to spend the night there. After all, they didn't want to miss the people who were going to come hear them perform.

There was plenty of room for everyone in the house. The donkey lay in the middle of the room. The dog stretched out by the door. The cat curled up near the fireplace, and the rooster flew to a ceiling beam. Soon their sleepy heads began nodding. It didn't take long for their tired eyes to close. They were all sound asleep when the door knob slowly began to turn. They were still asleep when someone tiptoed into the room. One robber had come back to see if he could get at least some of the gold. It was quite dark, and he needed some light in order to find his way around. He thought he saw a glow from the coals in the fireplace.

But the glow wasn't from the coals. It was the cat's eyes. When he lit a match to start a fire, the cat jumped up. The robber tripped over the dog. The dog bit his leg, causing the robber to stumble over the donkey. The donkey kicked the robber. The noise woke the rooster, and he began crowing, "Cock-a-doodle-day! Leave without delay!" The robber ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He told the others to stay away forever or the four-headed beast would get them. The four musicians lived in the house for the rest of their days. They were quite happy giving free concerts and using the gold to buy food. Read the full article

A Frog and two Fishes

A Frog and two Fishes Story Once upon a time, there lived three friends, which were two fishes and one frog. They lived in a lake in the middle of a forest. One day the frog was out of the lake for sunbathing. While lying on the grass, the frog overheard the conversation of two boys. They were talking about fishing. The frog immediately jumped into the lake and went to his fish friends. He mentioned them about the intention of the boys. He told them he would leave the lake and move somewhere else and told them to do so to save their lives, but the fishes were arrogant and told him they could fool the fishers. Next day, the frog and his wife said goodbye to their friends and left the lake. After a while, two boys came to the lake with their nets. They threw their nets into the water and caught the fishes easily. Moral: When there is a danger, we should think of our safety. Overconfidence and arrogance are useless. Read the full article

The Cat and the Fox

The Cat and the Fox Story Once a Cat and a Fox were traveling together. As they went along, picking up provisions on the way—a stray mouse here, a fat chicken there—they began an argument to while away the time between bites. And, as usually happens when comrades argue, the talk began to get personal. "You think you are extremely clever, don't you?" said the Fox. "Do you pretend to know more than I? Why, I know a whole sackful of tricks!" "Well," retorted the Cat, "I admit I know one trick only, but that one, let me tell you, is worth a thousand of yours!" Just then, close by, they heard a hunter's horn and the yelping of a pack of hounds. In an instant the Cat was up a tree, hiding among the leaves. "This is my trick," he called to the Fox. "Now let me see what yours are worth." But the Fox had so many plans for escape he could not decide which one to try first. He dodged here and there with the hounds at his heels. He doubled on his tracks, he ran at top speed, he entered a dozen burrows,—but all in vain. The hounds caught him, and soon put an end to the boaster and all his tricks. Common sense is always worth more than cunning. Read the full article

The Old Lion

The Old Lion Story A Lion had grown very old. His teeth were worn away. His limbs could no longer bear him, and the King of Beasts was very pitiful indeed as he lay gasping on the ground, about to die. Where now his strength and his former graceful beauty? Now a Boar spied him, and rushing at him, gored him with his yellow tusk. A Bull trampled him with his heavy hoofs. Even a contemptible Ass let fly his heels and brayed his insults in the face of the Lion. It is cowardly to attack the defenseless, though he be an enemy. Read the full article

Goat Kids Story. Animal stories for kids read online.

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The Princess and the Pea STORY