CurrentTexas Time
No Matter What Time It Is Where YOU Live...It's Story Time in Texas!
ææææææææææææææææææææææææææææææææææ
Scarlet Ribbons
All the stores were closed and shuttered,
Through the night my heart was aching,
If I live to be two hundred,
ççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççç
Little Bo Peep
******************************************
The Bringing Of Fire
A Native American Story
A long time ago, in a far away land, there lived a young boy named Awiyeh. Awiyeh, was a very good little boy, and had a Coyote for his best friend and pet. The Coyote was VERY smart.
Every year the winters seemed to grow colder and colder. A lot of the people would freeze during the hard cold weather, even if they wrapped themselves in their blankets and stayed inside they would still freeze and die.
One day Coyote told Awiyeh that it was time for them to do something. He said that the other coyotes had sang to him the night before about a mountain where it was always warm. That there was Fire in the mountain that would keep them warm all winter long.
Awiyeh and the Coyote talked for a long time, then Awiyeh went to the Chief and told him that they needed to get the fire from the mountain.
The chief agreed, and they made a plan. They would send a hundred of their fastest runners to run to the mountain with a clay pot to put some of the fire in, then to bring it back to the village. The coyote had told them that the other coyotes had said that they could keep the fire alive if they fed it small sticks all winter.
The next morning Awiyeh and the Coyote and a hundred of the fastest runners left for Fire Mountain. They ran and ran and ran as fast as they could. Each day, some of the runners would tire out and have to stop, but Awiyeh and the Coyote continued onwards. Finally they got to Fire Mountain. The Coyote took the clay pot in his mouth and RAN to the fire, and scooped up some of the fire in the clay pot, and ran away from the mountain as fast as he could go.
The Fire Spirits awoke and were very angry that some of their fire had been stolen. They began to chase Coyote, but he ran faster and faster..so fast that the heat from the fire blew back over his back, towards his tail. When he began to tire, he met Awiyeh, who had been resting while he was gone.
He gave the clay pot to Awiyeh and Awiyeh ran to where the snow was on the mountain. The Fires Spirits couldn't chase Awiyeh there, so they turned to go back to Fire Mountain.
Soon Awiyeh and the Coyote were back in the Village, where they fed the fire small sticks and then fed it larger and larger sticks until the fire completely warmed the whole village.
All the tribe was very happy that Awiyeh had brought Fire, and gave him a new name..."Fire Bringer". The Coyote had a yellow area on his back from where the heat from the fire had blown over his coat.
And that's the reason that coyotes still today have a yellowish area on their backs.
þþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþþ
Old Mother Hubbard
Here's a much better version of this story.....
You have to admit that sounds a WHOLE LOT better, now doesn't it?
******************************************
The Spider Web
It was cold in the house -- but not up in the warm corner where the spider had chosen to make his nest. The little spider lived all alone, and had a beautiful web he had created.
Then the family who lived there put a tree next to his web. At first he was very angry that they had chosen his corner of the room to put this tree in. With all the rooms in the house, and all the corners in the rooms he didn't think they should have put it in his corner.
And then that night the family gathered around the tree. Dad began speaking quietly, softly...and he told about the Saviour. About the Lord who was born at this time of the year. This tree was to celebrate His birthday!!
The little spider was so excited. The family began to put nice things on the tree. They covered it with beautiful lights, and put a star on the top of it. But not one person noticed the little spider.
"But what can I put on the tree?" thought the spider. "What can I give to celebrate the baby Jesus' birth?"
He thought and thought and thought, but could come up with only one thing. All the tree was covered, but he knew he could still find a way to put his beautiful web over the whole tree -- he could just fill in parts where there was nothing.
He spun and spun and spun his web all nite long. It went around and around the tree. From top to bottom, it covered the tree! With beautiful silky thread he wove his web!
And then he heard a voice -- it was the voice of God!! "Because you have spun such a beautiful web, it will be forever on all the Christmas trees in the world," God said.
And He turned the web to gold! So from that day until this, when you see a tree with the golden ropes wrapped around it, think about the little spider. The golden garland on the tree is all because the little spider wanted to give his gift to God so much; because he worked so hard all night long weaving to make a gift for the baby Jesus.
******************************************
WHY THE EVERGREEN TREES KEEP THEIR LEAVES IN WINTER1
One day, a long, long time ago, it was very cold; winter was coming. And all the birds flew away to the warm south, to wait for the spring. But one little bird had a broken wing and could not fly. He did not know what to do. He looked all round, to see if there was any place where he could keep warm. And he saw the trees of the great forest.
``Perhaps the trees will keep me warm through the winter,'' he said.
So he went to the edge of the forest, hopping and fluttering with his broken wing. The first tree he came to was a slim silver birch.
``Beautiful birch-tree,'' he said, ``will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes?''
``Dear me!'' said the birch-tree, ``what a thing to ask! I have to take care of my own leaves through the winter; that is enough for me. Go away.''
The little bird hopped and fluttered with his broken wing until he came to the next tree. It was a great, big oak-tree.
``O big oak-tree,'' said the little bird, ``will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes?''
``Dear me,'' said the oak-tree, ``what a thing to ask! If you stay in my branches all winter you will be eating my acorns. Go away.''
So the little bird hopped and fluttered with his broken wing till he came to the willow-tree by the edge of the brook.
``O beautiful willow-tree,'' said the little bird, ``will you let me live in your warm branches until the springtime comes?''
``No, indeed,'' said the willow-tree; ``I never speak to strangers. Go away.''
The poor little bird did not know where to go; but he hopped and fluttered along with his broken wing. Presently the spruce-tree saw him, and said, ``Where are you going, little bird?''
``I do not know,'' said the bird; ``the trees will not let me live with them, and my wing is broken so that I cannot fly.''
``You may live on one of my branches,'' said the spruce; ``here is the warmest one of all.''
``But may I stay all winter?''
``Yes,'' said the spruce; ``I shall like to have you.''
The pine-tree stood beside the spruce, and when he saw the little bird hopping and fluttering with his broken wing, he said, ``My branches are not very warm, but I can keep the wind off because I am big and strong.''
So the little bird fluttered up into the warm branch of the spruce, and the pine-tree kept the wind off his house; then the juniper-tree saw what was going on, and said that she would give the little bird his dinner all the winter, from her branches. Juniper berries are very good for little birds.
The little bird was very comfortable in his warm nest sheltered from the wind, with juniper berries to eat.
The trees at the edge of the forest remarked upon it to each other:
``I wouldn't take care of a strange bird,'' said the birch.
``I wouldn't risk my acorns,'' said the oak.
``I would not speak to strangers,'' said the willow. And the three trees stood up very tall and proud.
That night the North Wind came to the woods to play. He puffed at the leaves with his icy breath, and every leaf he touched fell to the ground. He wanted to touch every leaf in the forest, for he loved to see the trees bare.
``May I touch every leaf?'' he said to his father, the Frost King.
``No,'' said the Frost King, ``the trees which were kind to the bird with the broken wing may keep their leaves.''
So North Wind had to leave them alone, and the spruce, the pine, and the juniper-tree kept their leaves through all the winter. And they have done so ever since.
******************************************
HOW WE CAME TO HAVE PINK ROSES
Once, ever and ever so long ago, we didn't have any pink roses. All the roses in the world were white. There weren't any red ones at all, any yellow ones, or any pink ones, -- only white roses.
And one morning, very early, a little white rosebud woke up, and saw the sun looking at her. He stared so hard that the little white rosebud did not know what to do; so she looked up at him and said, "Why are you looking at me so hard?''
"Because you are so pretty!'' said the big round sun. And the little white rosebud blushed! She blushed pink. And all her children after her were little pink roses!
******************************************
Responsibility
Each thought I think, each little word I say,
******************************************
Click Here for More Stories and Poems
A few of my favorite children's poems and stories
Dedicated to some VERY SPECIAL kids -- wherever you are!
*This one first of all for the real Pooh-Bear!
I peeked in to say goodnight,
And then I heard my child in prayer:
"And for me some scarlet ribbons,
Scarlet ribbons for my hair . . ."
All the streets were dark and bare . . .
In our town, no scarlet ribbons,
Not one ribbon for her hair . . .
Just before the dawn was breaking,
I peeked in and on her bed,
In gay profusion lying there,
Lovely ribbons, scarlet ribbons,
Scarlet ribbons for her hair . . .
I will never know from where,
Came those lovely scarlet ribbons,
Scarlet ribbons, for her hair!
Little Bo Peep
Has Lost Her Sheep
And Doesn't Know WHERE to Find Them
(Now doesn't that make sense?? I'm asking you...if she's Lost Her Sheep, then she OBVIOUSLY doesn't know where to find them!! If she knew where to find them, why, then, they wouldn't be lost. How careless of her anyway. Wasn't she supposed to be WATCHING her sheep? How could she let them get lost that way. Oh, well, on with the story....)
Leave Them Alone
(Wait a minute..wait a minute....Hold On...if she's Lost Her Sheep, then what else, pray tell, can she do but to leave them alone. She certainly can't correct them for their bad behaviour to wander off if she can't find them. This sort of seems dumb to me, but...on with the story....)
And They'll Come Home...
(Why..so she can dilly-dally again, and not watch them? Who said they will come home. I'll bet they are off eating green grass somewhere, or that the Mean Old Wicked Old Wolf has already eaten them alllllll up!!)
Wagging Their Tails Behind Them
(And where, pray tell, ELSE would they wag their tails...in front of them? On their sides? That would look pretty stupid, having a tail on their sides. The ONLY possible place that a sheep could wag his tail would be behind them. Not that they have all that much of a little tail anway. Wouldn't even make a good fly-swatter. Now if they had a tail like Tigger....oh, well...that's another story...)
Old Mother Hubbard
Wait just a minute here! Doesn't that sound awfully rude!! If she were overweight, you wouldn't say "Fat Mother Hubbard"..if she were black, you wouldn't say "Black Mother Hubbard"..why do we think it's okay and that she wouldn't mind it if you said "Old Mother Hubbard"? And...whose Mother is she anyway?? Would you say of YOUR Mother that she was OLD? Okay...let's go on some more.
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone
She keeps bones in her cupboard? Oh come on...don't you think they would spoil and start stinking? They'd probably turn black and rot! This sounds yucky...is this poor lady senile? Does she have deep-seated mental problems? Why do we not try to help this poor lady? Anyway.....
And when she got there
The cupboard was bare..
Where was she living?? Don't they have food supplement programs? Does she get Old Age Assistance? How about Social Security? Why was this poor lady living in a house that had NOTHING AT ALL in her cupboard? If she would only call me I'd bring her something to eat, even if it was just macaroni and fish ears.
And so the poor dog had none.
This sounds like animal cruelty to me. I think maybe the PETA or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals need to be notified!
Ms. Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get "man's best friend" a dog biscuit
And when she got there
She found that they were temporarily out..
So she gave her dog a sandwich made from Government Surplus cheese and Saltine Crackers.
Goes travelling outwards far and far away,
And like a bottle drifting on the sea,
None knows where its landing-place will be.