NOTE: Be sure to check out the many winter holiday stories at: http://www.story-lovers.com/bareboneswinterstories.html CHRISTMAS STORIES (excerpts from posts) (If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain)

1) Ruth Sawyer's This was the Christmas from an excellent collection: Joy to the World at:
http://www.eldrbarry.net/ - a fine Romanian tale of a blind gypsy child who experiences the prejudice of the village, and then a miraculous appearance of the Christ Child.

2) Ruth Sawyer's This Way to Christmas online at:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sawyer/christmas/christmas.html
(See the fine print bio notes as well.)

3) Links to The Selfish Giant, Wali Dad and The Cat on the Dovrefell, and to David Browne's Christmas story list:
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/christmas.html

On it is Frances Jenkins Olcott's Great Stories for Good Holidays (1914) - which has a couple of German stories listed though his link does not work, try:
http://www.eldrbarry.net/

4) For those of you interested in the real Saint Nicholas, visit eldrbarry's page:
http://www.eldrbarry.net/ for both a story and background info.

5) William Dean Howells' story Christmas Every Day:
http://www.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/wdh/xmaseday.html

6) The Christmas Roast by Margaret Rettich (translated from the German by Elizabeth D. Crawford) in Caroline Feller Bauer's book Celebrations.

7) The Norse myth of Balder, which is all about mistletoe. Adults, especially, seem to enjoy it.

8) From the Black Forest region of Germany comes Silver Pine Cones, found in Margaret Read MacDonald's Celebrate the World. A more elaborate version of this story is found in Ruth Manning-Sanders' book, A Book of Dwarves, but it's called Fir Cones there. I actually think fir cones is the correct name since the German-blown glass ornament that's very common is a fir, not a pine, cone.

9) There's an Austrian tale by Ruth Sawyer called Schnitzle, Schnotzle, and Schnootzle in The Long Christmas.

10) There's a Czech variant on Rubezahl the Mountain Spirit called The Christmas Crab Apples in Ruth Manning-Sanders' Festivals.

11) What The Old Man Does is Always Right
Reference: The Complete Works of Hans Christian Andersen

12) Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present.
John Burningham Candlewick Press, Cambridge Mass. 1993 pbk 1996

13) Title: The Lost Half-Hour, a collection of stories. Illustrated by Enrico Arno.
Author: Ross, Eulalie Steinmetz
Published: New York, Harcourt, Brace & World [1963]
Edition: [1st ed.]
Subject: Children's stories.
KEYWORD SEARCHING Database: MARION
Storytelling.
Material: 191 p. illus. 21 cm.
Note: The lost half-hour -- The swan maiden -- The pumpkin giant -- The little rooster, the diamond button, and the Turkish sultan -- The elephant's child -- Baba Yaga and the little girl with the kind heart -- The golden arm -- Salt -- Molly Whuppie -- The cat and the parrot -- King Stork -- The selfish giant -- Budulinek -- Billy Beg and the bull -- The wolf and the seven kids -- The silver hen -- The Christmas apple -- To tell a story.

14) Santa's Christmas Storybook by "Santa Claus." Published by Turner Publishing, Atlanta. Contains 7 stories, including A Christmas Angel.

15) Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo in The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury.

16) Rubezahl stories: In one of Manning-Sanders' Books (Dwarves??), Andrew Lang's Brown Story Book, Time-Life's book, Fairies and Elves, part of the Enchanted World series, Silesian Folk Tales (the book of Rubezahl) by James Lee and James T. Carey (1915), and Legenden von Rubezahl by Johann Karl Agust Musaus (1735-1785) (German)

17) The Christmas Thief (Tyl Uilenspiegel) by Jay Williams. Found in The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury, selected by Alice Low.

18) Tyl is indeed Till Eulenspiegel (owl mirror), translated into English as Howleglass in the three tales about him in Derek Brewer's Medieval Comic Tales ISBN 0-85991-485-2.

19) There are Pennsylvania Dutch stories of Eileschpijjel from Thomas R. Brendle and William S. Troxell in Pennsylvania German Folk Tales, Legends, Once-Upon-A Time Stories, ETC. This is the "Fool Owlglass" (Till Eulenspiegel) from German and Belgian tradition. His stories were recorded by a Belgian writer Charles de Coster. He is similar to our Appalachian "Jack"...sometimes a fool, sometimes clever.

20) Tyl Ulenspiegel's Merry Pranks by M. Jagendorf. It's a children's book published by Vanguard Press in 1938, too old for ISBN, but the library code is J 398.2J300.

21) Tyl Ulenspiegel by Charles De Coster. It's more of an adult historical novel, also too old for ISBN, published by Pantheon Books in 1943.

22) Till Eulenspiegel, trans Paul Opppenheimer 91,95, in OUP's World Classics series. It says that because it has always been censored, it has never been fully translated into English. This is the first translation of the earliest known complete edition of 1515, with interpolations from previous fragments. It also comes complete with all the original woodcuts - nice! And there's a bibliography, mostly of German books, and detailed contextual notes on every tale. ISBN 0-19-282343-4

23) (URL no longer valid)

24) The Christmas Thief appears in a Cricket Magazine issue from 1974.

25) Version of Southwestern milagro stories: Flower of the Blessed Night (adapted from a story in Walt Garrison's A Treasury of Christmas Stories, and other versions are available, including the one in a Tomie de Paolo picture book)

26) Version of Southwestern milagro stories: The Margil Vine (a fairly well-known tale in Texas, especially around San Antonio. There is a written-down version in a folklore collection made by Reader's Digest or Time-Life.

27) 1) The story and tradition of the Santa Lucia Festival (December 13th) is available at:
http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/lucia.htm

28) A picture of Santa Lucia: http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/joulueng.html#lucia
and more about Finnish Christmas traditions at: http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/xmas.html

29) The First Christmas Gift (also The Night The Animals Talked). This is one of two stories [along with The Holly Tree] collected [and adapted in Appalachian oral language] by Chuck Larkin, Bluegrass Storyteller, in the early '60s from Ms. Cecil Phillips who received the (possibly 4th-century) story varient from her Scottish Highlander ancestry.

30) A Scottish version of The Night the Animals Talked can be found in Tales of the Travelers by Duncan Williamson.

31) A video reference circa 1970 to The Night the Animals Talked: http://www.toonarific.com/n/nightanimalstalked.html

32) (URL no longer valid)

33) Christmas stories for 6th graders: Santa Visits the Moes, from Ready To Tell Tales to a wide variety of audiences, from very young to senior citizens. It runs about 6 minutes and a candle stick and candle can be used as props, also some jingle bells for when Santa approaches. Listeners love trying to blow out the candle as the story moves along. It is also known as The Twist Mouth Family but this version has Santa come to the rescue instead of a policeman.

34) For Christmas songs; words and music go to:
http://www.night.net/christmas/songs12.html-ssi

35) Urban Legends Reference Pages: Christmas (The Twelve Days of Christmas)
http://www.snopes2.com/holidays/christmas/12days.asp

36) The Enchanted World: The Book of Christmas. LeHane, Brendan, Time-Life Books, 1986.

37) A Treasury of Christmas Stories. Hardy, Sian. Kingfisher Books, 1994.

38) A Christmas Companion: Recipes, Traditions and Customs from Around the World. Robbins, Marcia and Jim Charlton. Perigee Books, 1989.

39) The Book of Christmas Folklore. Coffin, Tristram Potter. Seabury Press, 1973.

40) Diane Goode's American Christmas. Goode, Diane. Dutton Children's Books, 1990.

41) The Oxford Christmas Book for Children. Hunt, Roderick. Oxford University Press, 1981, 1982.

42) Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols. Barth, Edna. Clarion Books, 1971 (reprinted in 2000).

43) Hark! A Christmas Sampler. Yolen, Jane and Tomie DePaola. GP Putnam's Sons, 1991.

44) Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and Special Events. Marsh, Valerie. Alleyside Press, 1994.

45) Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth. Morrison, Dorothy. Llewellyn Publications, 2000.

46) The Battle of the Shoe and Stocking.
http://www.dwarfnet.com/christmas/christmasstories/shoeandstockingbattle.shtml

47) This site has all kinds of interesting information of Christmas past, during the Victorian Era. Great fun to read about what was served for dinner (recipes included), the types of toys children received, how the trees were decorated and much more.
http://www.victoriana.com/christmas/default.htm

48) This site is full of information about Christmas, its history, and has many links to stories about Christmas.
http://www.marvelcreations.com/xmas.html

49) Star Trek version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas:
http://www.cs.utah.edu/~scook/html/stxmas.htm
http://www.netcore.ca/~gkillops/twas2.html

50) The Real Story Behind the Christmas Bell by Katy Grant, November 1996.
http://www.hometown.aol.com/cadi48/bell.html

51) Nautical Christmas story: Hallelujah, fom Ten Tales of Christmas, selected by Lynne G. Miller, illustrated by Robert J. Lee, Scholastic, Inc., 1972.
ISBN 0-590-41447-X

52) Nautical Christmas story: Tom Bawcock's Eve--a legend from Mousehole near Cornwall, England that is still celebrated on Dec. 23rd I believe. The legend, a telling of it, used to be on the website for Cornwall. Philip Hosken is credited with the recounting.
Response: I saw in reference to this story the comment "used to be available online." It's a story that I use and first found on the net - but then, as you found, it disappeared. I thought you may be interested to know IT'S BACK. There are two versions of the story and some background information on these two sites.
http://telematics.ex.ac.uk/realcornwall/foodanddrink/mousehole.htm
http://www.an-daras.com/v_drolls_tales_p_tombawcock.asp

53) Nautical Christmas story: The Christmas Tree Ship by Jeanette Winter about the schooner commonly called that name because the captain would annually cross Lake Michigan to bring the trees to the people of Chicago.

Lee Murdock has recorded this story. The ship in the story was thought to be lost during a storm, but appeared on Christmas Eve at the dock with cargo and crew all o.k.

54) More on The Christmas Tree Ship in Bowen--Lore of the Lakes, pp 170-171.

55) More on The Christmas Tree Ship: Clarence Andrews, The Tall Ships of Christmas in Christmas in the Midwest by Midwest Heritage Publishing Co. of Iowa City.

56) More on The Christmas Tree Ship in Pitz, Lake Michigan Disasters, p. 61-63.

57) A Cup of Christmas Tea, a poem by Thomas Hegg.
http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Atrium/6167/xmas4.html

58) Santa Visits The Moe's is a great one for kids and families alike. It is a version of the Twist Mouth Family and can be found in Ready to Tell Tales by Holt and Mooney. Also, The Baker's Dozen, a St. Nicholas Tale, found at Aaron Shepherd's site GOS #7 ~ The Baker's Dozen.

59) I have friends who have successfully used The Noisy House as Santa's Noisy House.

60) There is a story I like to tell called The One and Only Christmas Ghost by Penelope Gladwell. I found it in Playmate Magazine, Dec. 1972. Now you might have a hard time locating this magazine so here are the bones of the tale.
Little ghost wakes up from nap. Time to go out haunting for Halloween. it is exceptionally cold. He doesn't know he has slept through Halloween and Thanksgiving and it is now Christmas! He can't find any of his friends. It is so cold the trick or treaters aren't out. He watches a car pull up (to the Biltmore Hotel?) and some children get out. They are laughing and chattering. The little ghost decides to attend their Halloween party and do some "solo" haunting. He peeks in the window and sees bright colors, lights, tinsel, stars, a decorated tree, bowls of popcorn, plates of cookies--whole room shimmers. He admires the costumes: ghosts with wings and halos, goblins in striped robes with crooked sticks, rich looking fellows with boxes in their hands, a lovely ghost wearing a blue sheet and carrying a baby doll. It is absolutely puzzling! When the hobgoblins sit down beside a green tree, he recognizes his opportunity. He rattles his chains. "Listen to the sleigh bells." children say. This makes him mad. "Nice..." he mutters. "We'll see about that." Taps and scratches on window. "Is it beginning to snow?" He climbs up on roof and stomps feets and rattles chains. "It's him!" "Yes, it's me!" shouts the ghost as he swoops down the chimney. Cloud of soot and ashes. "Boo!" "Happy Halloween!" Shock and surprise. "Well, who did you think it was--Santa Claus?" He tries to get party going again and suggests Halloween games. Nobody plays them at Christmas! Children gather round to convince him it is Christmas, tell him about their Christmas play, popcorn and cookies represent gifts for Jesus. "Oh no, I've made a terrible mistake. Missed my holliday and ruined yours." Children declare this Christmas has been different than any other Christmas. Won't he stay for party. So he does. Now he is very careful to set his alarm for Halloween so he doesn't miss out. Then he sets his alarm for Christmas to join the children. They stay up late and listen for a rattling like sleigh bells and footsteps on the roof. Those are the sounds that always come just before the arrival of the one and only Christmas Ghost.

61) Jan Brett's Winter Books
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4092.html?wtlAC=gsb110201

62) (URL no longer valid)

63) The Gift of the Magi, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Little Match Seller
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-4098.html?wtlAC=gsb110201

64) Two of my favorite children's Christmas books are The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree and The Story of Holly and Ivy (by Rumor Godden).

65) Something fun with audience participation that you might enjoy is The Swedish Twelve Days of Christmas - it is not a take off on the twelve days, but it a cumulative tale in its own right. (To learn it quickly, I made pictures of the animals to help me visualize it.) I'll put the cumulative participation story for Christmas from an Anne Pellowski's book - one I think suggested for preschoolers, but I've used it with mixed ages 5-12. The Swedish Twelve Days of Christmas is a rhyming piece that most youngsters will pick up on by the end of the poem. I made up hand motions to go with each animals' "name" to help the audience clue in.

BELOW IS SUMMARY OF:
The Swedish Twelve Days of Christmas from Anne Pellowski's Book
The hardworking man received gifts from the landowner who had neglected giving him gifts for many years. The 1st day he received a hen; he called his hen Talleri(sp?) Ten.
2nd- rooster - Out of bed booster.
3rd- duck - Just my luck
4th-goose - Longed necked and loose
5th- goat - Trip, trap, shaggy coat
6th-cow - Milk me now
7th-pig - Oh so big
8th-ox - Horns on a box
9th-horse - Trot, of course
10th- cat - Furry and fat
11th- house - Snug as a mouse
12th day he married a wife, he called his wife "Joy of my Life."
Told so that after a new animal is named, you go back through the earlier animals - not mentioning the day, but just the animal and what he called it. At the end you're supposed to repeat them all quickly backwards - I do it frontwards as I mess it up the other way! I add a little rhyme at the end to wish a Merry Christmas. (I learned this by sketching all the animal pictures on an index card with the names. And did the rhyme ad nausea several times a day.)

66) There's a lovely Cornish Christmas story called Tom Bawcock's Eve. This story has also been rewritten as a children's book called The Mousehole Cat.

67) And here's another you may enjoy: Christmas Wrappings, developed into a story by Mabel Kaplan from an excerpt of an address given by Gordon Moyes (1989) in Word Talk, Wesley Central Mission, Sydney.

68) I have been doing Christmas programs at an inner city educational outreach center for the past several years. I have been focusing on St. Stephen's Day celebrations and telling the stories of the wren. St. Stephen proto martyr is a bit gorey but not the wren or the stories of the celebration and experiences....I end with singing a version of the wren song...take your pick....giving kids pots and pans, wren, holly branch decorated with ribbons and a large procession forms going around the room. St. Stephen's Day is the day after Christmas. I have the kids make cut out wrens and give them handouts on how to make bird houses for and not kill the beneficial wrens. The birdhouse is a great Christmas project and can be hung up in the winter ready for spring. Then later when wrens come the kids can study their grand habits. Actually I have wrens in the porch out back which they enter through a carefuly un fixed portion of screen known as Wrens gate by the family..... Go here for St. Stephen and wren stories. Kids have a great time with the procession....lots of pots and pans to bang on-up with the kettle and down with the pan...
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/9314/stevewren.html

69) Not a happy ending but a "never fail" at Christmas time with any age group is O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi. I told it to four classes of 7th graders this week and had them sitting spellbound. The looks on their faces to see people give of themselves for others was amazing. It works just as well for most all adults.

70) For a story that's light and happy, I would suggest Santa Visits the Moes, found in Ready to Tell Tales by Holt and Mooney and The Baker's Dozen, adaptation by Aaron Shepard. For the first I always bring in a candlestick and candle as a prop, which I rarely use, but it works with this story. You can see the children begin to huff and puff to help you blow the candle out. The second tale is an adaptation of an old folktale with a wonderful lesson which can be found under different sources. The one I use can be found here:
GOS #7 ~ The Baker's Dozen
http://www.aaronshep.com/storytelling/GOS07.html

71) You can go to this inspirational site for many other stories.
http://mrmom.amaonline.com/stories/storyroom.htm

72) Inspirational Poems
http://mrmom.amaonline.com/Inspirational.htm

73) THE SOLDIERS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
http://mrmom.amaonline.com/asoldierschristmas.htm
By Major Bruce W. Lovely
(With Apologies to Clement Moore Who First Wrote the Story for His Children in 1822 also credit given to M/Sgt Noah Brazos Ross, RA18033195, a USArmy 18th Field Artillery survivor of Utah Beach, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Battle for the Ardennes, Deutschland wrote Daddy's Christmas (Soldier's Christmas) as a Bonita, Montague County, Texas, high school exercise in 1937)
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
And to see just who in this home did live.
I looked all about a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.
I heard stories about them, I had to see more
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping silent alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home.
His face so gentle, his room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight.
Soon 'round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of soldiers like this one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa don't cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
my life is my God, my country, my Corps."
With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head.
And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.
I didn't want to leave him on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice so clean and pure,
"Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day, all is secure."
One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night!

I wrote this poem for Christmas Eve 1993 while assigned to US Forces Korea Lt Col Bruce Lovely, USAF (Printed in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp, 1995)

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and we should all be aware of where credit for our being able to celebrate these festivities is due. Let's try in this small way to pay back a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed

74) While looking for some ideas in my files, came across suggestions that "regular" stories could be "dressed up" for Christmas. Here were some ideas:
a) Master of All Masters could add a Christmas tree and/or stocking.
b) Old Lady In Vinegar Bottle could need more room for Christmas decorations.
c) Bear Hunt could be Reindeer Hunt.
d) Twistmouth Family could have Santa finding them trying to blow out the candle.
e) Noisy House story as Santa's Noisy House.

73) Aaron Shepard posted the story, The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale. It has the baker's dream of St. Nicholas help him out of his predicament.
http://www.aaronshep.com/storytelling/GOS07.html

74) From Chris Mouse and Other Stories - in the style of the French Canadian Irritating Tales by Papa Joe ISBN:1-889238-07-4 -- available through Clap Books
Chris Mouse Tree
There's a Mouse that lives in my house. His name is Chris. Chris Mouse. (see Papa Joe's site for the rest:

75) Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells.
And ...here it is online for your reading pleasure
http://www.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/wdh/xmaseday.html

76) The Gifts of Wali Dad - A Tale of India and Pakistan. Retold by Aaron Shepard
http://www.aaronshep.com/storytelling/GOS05.html

77) Why Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves. This is a winter story, not really Christmas. But I like it for Christmas programs. I believe it's public domain as I found it on the UVA site that has online text of public domain material.
BY FLORENCE HOLBROOK
WINTER was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the others. It was alone in the cold world of frost and snow. The forest looked warm, and it made its way to the trees as well as it could, to ask for help. First it came to a birch tree. "Beautiful birch tree," it said, "my wing is broken, and my friends have flown away. May I live among your branches till they come back to me?" "No, indeed," answered the birch tree, drawing her fair green leaves away. "We of the great forest have our own birds to help. I can do nothing for you." "The birch is not very strong," said the little bird to itself, "and it might be that she could not hold me easily. I will ask the oak." So the bird said: "Great oak tree, you are so strong, will you not let me live on your boughs till my friends come back in the springtime?" "In the springtime!" cried the oak. "That is a long way off. How do I know what you might do in all that time? Birds are always looking for something to eat, and you might even eat up some of my acorns." "It may be that the willow will be kind to me," thought the bird, and it said: "Gentle willow, my wing is broken, and I could not fly to the south with the other birds. May I live on your branches till the springtime?" The willow did not look gentle then, for she drew herself up proudly and said: "Indeed, I do not know you, and we willows never talk to people whom we do not know. Very likely there are trees somewhere that will take in strange birds. Leave me at once." The poor little bird did not know what to do. Its wing was not yet strong, but it began to fly away as well as it could. Before it had gone far a voice was heard. "Little bird," it said, "where are you going?" "Indeed, I do not know," answered the bird sadly. "I am very cold." "Come right here, then," said the friendly spruce tree, for it was her voice that had called. "You shall live on my warmest branch all winter if you choose." "Will you really let me?" asked the little bird eagerly. "Indeed, I will," answered the kind-hearted spruce tree. "If your friends have flown away, it is time for the trees to help you. Here is the branch where my leaves are thickest and softest." "My branches are not very thick," said the friendly pine tree, "but I am big and strong, and I can keep the North Wind from you and the spruce." "I can help, too," said a little juniper tree. "I can give you berries all winter long, and every bird knows that juniper berries are good." So the spruce gave the lonely little bird a home; the pine kept the cold North Wind away from it; and the juniper gave it berries to eat. The other trees looked on and talked together wisely. "I would not have strange birds on my boughs," said the birch. "I shall not give my acorns away for any one," said the oak. "I never have anything to do with strangers," said the willow, and the three trees drew their leaves closely about them. In the morning all those shining, green leaves lay on the ground, for a cold North Wind had come in the night, and every leaf that it touched fell from the tree. "May I touch every leaf in the forest?" asked the wind in its frolic. "No," said the Frost King. "The trees that have been kind to the little bird with the broken wing may keep their leaves." This is why the leaves of the spruce, the pine, and the juniper are always green.

The website for the story of Why Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves is
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/OlcGood.html
There are a lot of good stories at this site.

78) Christmas Surprise
[I finally had a chance to look for the source of this Christmas story. My version is a good bit different from the original story, but for the sake of accuracy here's the source: Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and Special Events by Valerie Marsh, Alleyside Press, 1994.
ISBN 0-917846-42-7.]
Bones: Take a piece of green paper, and fold it in half lengthwise. On the inside of one half, draw half of a Christmas tree. Decorate both halves of the tree--you can guess about where the second half is---with glued-on sequins, etc. Re-fold the paper so the tree and decorations are inside. When you draw the tree, press hard enough so you can see the outline of the tree on the outside of the paper.
Story: A little boy wanted to get a gift for his family, but didn't have any money. The family went out and he went for a walk. (Make a cut for the tree's trunk, cutting through both halves of the folded paper.) He walked into the woods (make a cut for the bottom branch of the tree) and there he saw it--the perfect Christmas tree! That would be his gift to his family! He ran back home (make the cut back towards the "trunk" of the tree) and got an axe. Then ran back to the tree (cut for next branch). Then thought I could dig it up and then we could replant it. Ran back home for a shovel. (Cut back to trunk). Got the shovel, ran back to tree (another branch cut). Realized he needed a wheelbarrow to haul the tree, so ran back home (cut back to trunk). Got the wheelbarrow, ran back. (another branch cut). Dug up the tree and hauled it home. (back to trunk). When he got home he carried the tree right to the center of the living room and set it up. (Make the last cut to
make the tip of the tree). He decorated it and waited for his family. And when they walked in he cried out "Surprise" and there was the beautiful tree, all decorated. (Open the paper to show the tree).

I hope these directions are clear enough to follow. It's very much fun to tell. The kids all guess that it's a tree you're cutting out, of course, but they are so surprised by the decorations.
Granny Sue

79) Another variation of a folktale I tell is Santa getting his sled stuck in the mud (we have plenty of that around here!) and the reindeer, elves, etc. helping to pull him out. It's based on The Big Turnip, and of course it's the little mouse who provides the final tug that gets him out and on his way again. Steve Otto provided the idea for this with his tale of Santa getting
stuck in the chimney.

80) This website contains some wonderful information on the songs and also has a section on Kwanzaa.
Here are some selections: Christmas, Traditions, Songs, Movies, TV Specials,
Decorations, Letter to Santa, Biblical Roots, Recipes, Rant--Hannukkah,
Dreidel, Songs, Traditions, Recipes, Biblical Roots--Kwanzaa, The 7
Principles, The Symbols, History, Recipes, Schedule
http://www.phillyburbs.com/christmascarols/index.shtml

81) I have recently been working on Eldrbarry's Christmas Pages
http://www.eldrbarry.net/rabb/saint/eldrxmas.htm
which includes a number of my Legendary Saints material.

82) Tradition has it that when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown (1781) the British played the melody "The World Turned Upside Down." There is some debate as to whether that is myth or fact. The ballad wa s first published on a broadside in 1643 to be sung to the tune When the King Enjoys His Own Again. It was a protest against the ending of all the favorite English Christmas traditions which he feels were destroyed by Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Naseby (1645)
The text of this ballad is drawn from the Thomason Tracts (669. f. 10 (47)), where it is dated 8 April 1646. In it, the author decries the passing of all the favorite English Christmas traditions which he feels were killed at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
The World Turned Upside Down
To the Tune of, When the King enioys his own again.
Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year:
Since Herod, Caesar, and many more, you never heard the like before.
Holy-dayes are despis'd, new fashions are devis'd.
Old Christmas is kickt out of Town.
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.
The wise men did rejoyce to see our Savior Christs Nativity:
The Angels did good tidings bring, the Sheepheards did rejoyce and sing.
Let all honest men, take example by them.
Why should we from good Laws be bound?
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.
Command is given, we must obey, and quite forget old Christmas day:
Kill a thousand men, or a Town regain, we will give thanks and praise amain.
The wine pot shall clinke, we will feast and drinke.
And then strange motions will abound.
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down..
Our Lords and Knights, and Gentry too, doe mean old fashions to forgoe:
They set a porter at the gate, that none must enter in thereat.
They count it a sin, when poor people come in.
Hospitality it selfe is drown'd.
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down..
The serving men doe sit and whine, and thinke it long ere dinner time:
The Butler's still out of the way, or else my Lady keeps the key,
The poor old cook, in the larder doth look,
Where is no goodnesse to be found,
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.
To conclude, I'le tell you news that's right, Christmas was kil'd at Naseby fight:
Charity was slain at that same time, Jack Tell troth too, a friend of mine,
Likewise then did die, rost beef and shred pie,
Pig, Goose and Capon no quarter found.
Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down.

83) Since St. Stephen's Day is December 26, almost fast upon us, I thought I would send this link along. There are stories, and information on this folk tradition as well as.
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/9314/stevewren.html#Wren%20Stories

84) Icelandic Yulemen
http://www.jolahusid.com/engl/yulemen.htm
According to this website, there are 13 Icelandic Yulemen who were once very terrible but now are much softened. They have different names and come down the mountains one at a time to leave gifts. They are loud and are pranksters.

85) Cornish Christmas
Here are two sites from Tim Sheppard.
http://www.gandolf.com/cornwall/index.shtml
http://www.connexions.co.uk/culture/index.htm

86) The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas run from December 25-January 5. January 6, is the Epiphany, a feast celebrating the revelation of Jesus to the whole world. (The magi are traditionally believed to be one African, one Oriental, and one Caucasian. Scripture does not enumerate the number of magi, but there were three gifts, so most think of the magi as three.) Tomorrow, December 6, 2002, is the Feast of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who died around 342. It is from this person that Saint Claus came into being.

87) The Advent Season is always the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas ... from Christ the King Sunday and ends with the Feast of Christmas. The Christmas Season of course begins ends with Baptism of the Lord Jan 12 ... not Epiphany. This feast day often falls during the week, therefore not a Sunday celebration... which may lead to some thinking Christmas Season ends with the feast of Epiphany... Jan 6.

88) The Feast of Christ the King is the last Sunday before the first Sunday in Advent. This year, November 24 was The Feast of Christ the King. Advent began on December 1. Sunday, December 8, is the second Sunday in Advent. There are four Sundays in Advent. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 25, and end on January 5, which is Twelfth Night. January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany. The Epiphany season is celebrated up until Ash Wednesday, in some denominations. The first Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated as the Feast of the Lord's Baptism. It is a day considered very appropriate for baptisms to take place in many churches, especially baptisms of children. This year this Sunday will be January 12. The Book of Common Prayer provides these collects for Epiphany and the first Sunday after Epiphany: The Epiphany: January 6 O God, by the leading of a star, you manifested your only Son to the people of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The First Sunday After the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. ~BCP, page 214

89) There's a story where a family looses almost everything in a fire just before Xmas, only things saved, other than themselves, are antique glass Xmas ornaments. Those are sold so the family can start over. But on Xmas eve, after the bare tree is in their cottage, the spiders spin webs over the tree. It glistens in the sunlight the next morning. It's on an Odds Bodkin tape (called Winter Cherries, I think).

Two Xmas spider stories are at the bottom of this page
http://www.christmas.com/pe/1325

Here's another version
http://www.frenchspot.com/Holidays/Christmas/Spiders/spiders.html

90) Brer Rabbit's Christmas (Traditional American Tale) Diane Goode's American Christmas; Scholastic; 1990. ISBN: 0-590-45446-3
One winter morning, when he knew Brer Rabbit wasn't home, Brer Fox stole into Brer Rabbit's garden. He helped himself to every last one of Brer Rabbit's carrots and left with his bag so full it was bursting at the seams. When Brer Rabbit got home and saw his garden with nothing much left to admire, he was mighty angry. He sped off directly to Brer Fox's house. The door was bolted and the shutters were closed tight. Brer Rabbit couldn't hear anything except the sound of his own stomach grumbling. But all around was the sweet smell of soup cooking. Brer Rabbit knocked on the door. Bam Bam Bam. No answer. "I know you're there, Brer Fox," called Brer Rabbit. "Now you open this door." No answer. He knocked harder. Bam Bamity Bam. "I know those are my carrots in your soup," said Brer Rabbit, "and I want them back. Now open this door!" Finally there was an answer from inside. "Too bad," said Brer Fox. "I ain't opening this door. I'm making enough soup in here to keep me till spring comes." Brer Rabbit tried knocking the door in. He kicked at it and hammered on it, but that door didn't budge. Finally he gave up. He was hoppin mad. Now you know that Brer Rabbit was the best at trickety tricking, and when he was mad, watch out. But he could never stay mad long. And the next thing you know Brer Rabbit was chuckling. It hadn't taken him long to think of a plan to get his carrots back and make Brer Fox mad too. On Christmas Eve, Brer Rabbit heaved a sackful of stones on his shoulder and climbed up on Brer Fox's roof. He clattered around making plenty of noise. "Who's that up there?" called Brer Fox. "It's Santa Claus," said Brer Rabbit in a gruff voice he hoped sounded like Santa Claus. "And I got a sackful of presents for you." "Oh, you got presents for me?" said Brer Fox. "Well, you're most welcome here, Santa Claus. But ain't you supposed to come down the chimney?" "Sure am," said Brer Rabbit in his Santa Claus voice. "But I can't. I'm stuck in the chimney. You want to see?" Brer Fox unbolted the door and peered outside. "Well, don't come down then," he hollered up at the roof. "Just drop the presents down the chimney and I'll catch them." "Can't," answered Brer Rabbit. "The sack is stuck too. But if you do what I say, I'd be mighty grateful. Climb up into the chimney. Then catch hold of this piece of string and pull the sack down yourself." Brer Fox was only too happy to help. "That's easy," he said. "Here I come up the chimney." He started clawing his way up. Like lightning, Brer Rabbit leaped off that roof and into the doorway. There were his carrots in a pile, and on the stove was a big old pot of soup, all fragrant and bubbling, and on the table were some biscuits and mince pie, and there in the middle was the biggest, fattest Christmas pudding he'd ever seen. Brer Rabbit's mouth began to water at the sight of all that food. But he didn't waste much time. He grabbed as much as he could, stuffed it into his sack and took off running. Meantime, Brer Fox was struggling to get up the chimney. He couldn't see any string, but he felt it hanging down. So he gave a pull. The sack opened and out tumbled all the stones right on Brer Fox's head. My goodness, he went down that chimney fast. That rascally Brer Rabbit laughed at how he'd taken care of Brer Fox. But he kept out of Brer Fox's way all that Christmas day and for some time afterward.

91) How about The Goblin and the Huckster by Hans Christian Andersen? Complete text is here: http://hca.gilead.org.il/goblin.html
And this
http://hca.gilead.org.il/#list
shows a chronological list of all his stories, with a link to the text for most of them.

92) VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS
I am looking for Victorian Christmas stories for an event in December. I remember reading a short story as a child about a girl and birds, but that's all I can remember. I'd be interested in any stories of this era. Also, I am writing an original piece about a fictional woman who was the midwife at the nativity and am having a hard time finding historical information about what life was like for women during this time period. Any suggestions?
Response: The first thing that came to mind is Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
http://www.stormfax.com/virginia.htm
written in 1897 during the Victorian Era. Of course there is also The Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens but that is so long. There is also the works of Beatrix Potter. She has one story titled The Rabbits Christmas Party, but I don't know the length. It is found in Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales: The 23 Original Peter Rabbit Books & 4 Unpublished Works._ Of course, I am assuming your venue is for children but I could be wrong. I will keep thinking about your request. You might also want to intersperse your stories with Christmas traditions of the Victorian Era. Here are two sites that might give you a few ideas.
Victorian Christmas Traditions
http://www.northpolesantaclaus.com/victorian_christmas_traditions.htm
A Victorian Christmas - christmas celebrations and traditions
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/VictorianChristmas.htm

Response: You're probably thinking of The Bird's Christmas Carol, which is a real Victorian weepie, with an impossibly good child who dies at the end, mourned by all who knew her. My mom read it to my sister when she was little and made her cry. She told mom, "I don't think you should have read me that story. I'm too little to listen to a story like that."

Response: I was asked to do a Victorian Christmas program once and found it very challenging to locate material. (The Victorians were rather sentimental and definitely longwinded.) However, there is one Victorian tale that is terrific. It's by William Dean Howells and called Christmas Every Day. A little girl gets her wish to have Christmas every day and, of course, it turns out to be a disaster. It's longish, but definitely tellable, and it's funny for a wide age range. I believe it was made into TV movie not too long ago. I have it in an old library reject, Treasury of Christmas Stories edited by Ann McGovern, but I think I have seen it in other sources.
Response: Isn't the web grand?
Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells
http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/wdh/xmaseday.html

Resonse: I love to do The Gift of the Magi for Christmas programs. It is a wonderful story that draws tears and applause every time, has great writing and is fun to do. Another one I use is Charles Dickens The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton. This is a ghost story written years before A Christmas Carol but it is the exact same story. Dickens just rewrote the thing using different characters. It is fun to find someone who degrades ghost stories and then do this and ask them if the story sounds familiar. It was a tradition of the Victorian era to tell ghost stories at Christmas, and the Christmas Carol is nothing but a ghost story with a moral. Same as "Goblins."

Response: The Victorian Christmas Revival. A number of stories referenced on this website, most available online through the Gutenberg project...
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/History/The_Victorian_Christmas_Revival.htm

And of course, The Night Before Christmas. Although it was published before Queen Victoria came onto the throne.... Browsing a little through Christmas Victoriana, I was surprised to see that most of the Christmas customs we practice now were created or revived during the Victorian era - including decorating Christmas trees, sending cards, singing carols, and Santa himself......(who came from an illustration for The Night Before Christmas...)

Response: This is not a story, but you might want to stretch it to including a dramatic monologue like It was Christmas Day in the Workhouse - a great piece of Victoriana:
http://www.monologues.co.uk/Dramatic/Christmas_Day_in_the_Workhouse.htm
I did it a few years ago in a theatre Christmas show - very enjoyable!
Response: Eldrbarry, formerly of this parish but seemingly offlist for a long time, has a useful page on Christmas stories at
http://www.eldrbarry.net/rabb/folk/sawychrm.htm
He gives the whole text (on a linked page) of the great Ruth Sawyer's first book, which was on Christmas stories, and gives a number of web resources - including other collections of links to Christmas story sites. These aren't all Victorian, but some may be.

93) Here is a lovely holiday tale that might fit for some of your upcoming programs. I have mentioned this website before, it is a keeper. They redesigned the site a while ago (much to my dismay) but you can still find the stories by using the calendar to the left of the screen. The days on the monthly calendars which are highlighted in yellow are the days in which stories are shared. Just click on the date and it will take you to the story. Their adaptations are wonderful.
Click here: Welcome to uExpress featuring Tell Me A Story -- The Best Advice and Opinions In The Universe!
Response: This site does have one story of the day, but it's out of date and you can't access any others.
http://www.uexpress.com/tellmeastory/

94) I don't know if this newsletter came through Storytell or not, and the Santa Express story is too good to miss --
http://www.themoonlitroad.com/featurestories001.asp

95) The Way to Christmas by Ruth Sawyer
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sawyer/christmas/christmas.html
Full text of seven stories:
1) The Locked-Out Fairy
2) Barney's Tale of the Wee Red Cap
3) David Goes Seeking the Way to Christmas and Finds the Flagman
4) The Pathway to Uncle Joab and a New Santa Claus
5) The Locked-Out Fairy Again Leads the Way and David Hears of a Christmas Promist
6) The Trapper's Tale of the First Birthday
7) The Christmas That Was Nearly Lost

96) The Death of Balder (Norse myth involving gods and winter mistletoe)
Balder was the most glorious god alive, handsome and pure in spirit, the son of Odin and Frigga. Every living creature loved him. Yet Odin knew his son was doomed to an early death. To protect him Frigga traveled far and wide, exacting promises from all objects and beings not to harm him. Believing she had done everything possible, Frigga neglected the lowly mistletoe. The gods rejoiced to know that Balder was invulnerable and invented a game in which everyone threw things at him.

Loki was intensely jealous of Balder and resolved to destroy him. While all the gods hurled things at Balder, Balder's blind brother Hoder sat by himself, unable to join the fun. Loki, having learned the secret of the mistletoe and having obtained a sprig, offered to guide the blind Hoder's hand. The mistletoe was thrown and it pierced Balder's heart, killing him. The gods grieved, but Odin and Frigga sent another son as an envoy to the underworld, Niflheim, to see if Balder could be ransomed. In the meantime Balder's funeral ship was prepared, set fire to, and sent out to sea.

The goddess Hel agreed to release Balder from her kingdom of death only if the whole creation and everything in it wept for the slain god. Messengers were sent everywhere, and all things cried over Balder's death until one messenger came upon a Giantess who refused to weep. This of course was Loki in disguise. So Balder was condemned to remain in the netherworld. But the gods revenged themselves on Loki by binding him in a deep cave and causing a poisonous serpent to drip venom in his face, causing the wicked being intolerable pain. Loki's wife caught much of this venom in a cup, but whenever she emptied the cup Loki writhed in agony, creating earthquakes.

This was the beginning of the end, for Loki then allied himself with the Giants and demons, who would bring ruin on the Aesir.
•••••
Text from:
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-83,pageNum-104.html
More information about mistletoe:
http://www.bartleby.com/196/165.html

97) A Norwegian Quilted Christmas
Customs and traditions as depicted in quilts.
http://www.quiltwoman.com/QW_Nor/QW_Nor_xmas_01.htm

98) Christmas in Australia; also the U.K. and Italy
http://goaustralia.about.com/od/eventsandfestivals/a/aussiechristmas.htm

99) The Christmas Crocodile
By Bonny Becker
Illustrated by: David Small
Review by: Yvonne Gaudet

Alice Jayne found a Christmas Crocodile under her tree. He was wrapped with a red bow around his neck, but he ate it! He ate a couple of presents and decorations, and ran off with the Christmas roast. He was eating Christmas and no one knew what to do! He was bad! Uncle Theodore said to send him to Africa. Aunt Figgy said to put him in an orphanage. Poor Crocodile! Alice sent him to the back room of the house and locked the door, but when she hears him sniffling she sneaks him a pineapple upside down cake and a pumpkin pie! As her relatives were still contemplating what to do, Alice Jayne cried out that they should keep him, that he needed a real home to live in. That night the Christmas Crocodile ate through the door of the back room. He didn’t mean to be bad, but that Christmas Crocodile went on an eating spree all through the house, which only stopped when he took a little nibble of Aunt Figgy’s toe! Alice Jayne was told to lock Christmas Crocodile in the basement, but when she returned to her own bed, she felt bad and it didn’t feel like Christmas Eve at all! So she went down to the cold dark basement and gave Christmas Crocodile her blanket and shared an old candy cane with him. Suddenly, all of Alice Jayne’s relatives made there way to the basement, each with their own reasons why they should keep Christmas Crocodile! When everyone had fallen asleep in the basement, Christmas Crocodile awoke and again ate through the door! He didn’t mean to be bad, but he ate all of the Christmas things! Christmas was gone! Just then Alice Jayne noticed a small gift that the crocodile had missed. She carefully opened it and found a note inside from Uncle Carbuncle. "Dear family," it said "I hope you like Crocodiles!!!" "Love, Uncle Carbuncle"
     Up to this point it sounded wonderful to the whole family, but as Alice Jayne pointed out, they didn’t have an Uncle Carbuncle! What happens after this is not only Hilarious but surprising too! I recommend this story to children between the ages of 4-10. Your sure to get a chuckle out of them!
•••••
How to buy this book:
http://www.preschooleducation.com/br211.shtml

100) Holiday Traditions
http://www.msichicago.org/temp_exhibit/catw2004/traditions/
Karen

101) Merry Christmas in over 100 languages
http://www.flw.com/holiday.htm
Karen

102) I would suggest The Christmas Tree Lamb. The text can be found in The Animals' Merry Christmas, a giant Golden Book, Kathryn Jackson, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1950.
Bones of story
Once was a white Christmas Tree Lamb - belonged to grandmother when she was little. Was new, snowy white. 2 black eyes, 4 black hooves. Looked like he was dancing from branch to branch. Tiny gold bell on collar tinkled when tree was brushed. Christmas that year was wonderful. "He is the best and prettiest thing on tree." Many Christmas's passed. Lamb danced on every tree. Grandmother grew up. Lamb was given to mother. She loved the little lamb. Played with him before putting him on the tree each year. Over years he became shabby. Eye popped off, one leg broke, tiny gold bell was lost. Looked very sad and shabby by time Mother grew up and had a little girl. Gray, had 1 eye, 2 legs, no collar, no bell. Still Christmas lamb in box of decorations, waiting to be on Christmas tree, waiting to dance from branch to branch. Grandmother - said "He is too shabby for Christmas tree." Remembers how he looked when she was little. Mother agreed and remembered how she loved playing with him. Little girl asked how he looked. Listened. Could picture Christmas tree lamb in her mind. Took lamb to room. Brushed fleece til dust was gone. Found black bead and glued it in place. Made 2 new legs from matchstick and painted them black and glued them in place. Tied red ribbon and bell around neck. Christmas Eve - crept down, lamb behind back. Waited until no one was looking. Climbed on chair, put lamb on tree, up near top under shining star. Grandmother saw lamb, "Looks just like he did when I was a little girl." Mother saw lamb "Looks prettier than he did when I was a girl." Little girls didn't say a word. "She was too busy loving the lamb and thinking he was the prettiest thing on the tree." Christmas tree lamb - eyes shone with joy and excitement, feet seemed to dance from branch to branch, "And his new golden bell jingled more merrily than the old one ever had. Perhaps that was because the samll, white Christmas tree lamb was happier than he had ever been in all his white cotton years on all the Christmas trees!"

[Could he have been that happy because all 3 of the little girls he had loved were there to share the Christmas joy with him? .... just a thought.. . ]

You could then give each child a Christmas tree lamb to hang on their tree--a start of their very own Christmas tradition. I like this story because it links the generations and is about giving of oneself--not simply buying a gift! I think it is the perfect story for a family Christmas party!

One more thought: To tie this story to the Christmas Story, the Grandmother and the Mother or the Little Girl could tell the story of the Shepherds and their sheep and how they saw the angels and visited the Christ Child to the Christmas Tree Lamb. The Lamb could seem to remember the story as it seemed to dance from branch to branch, looking at the star, the symbol of Christ's birth. The lamb could be so happy at the end because it was a gift from the heart--which is the kind of gift that Christ would have us give--gifts of love and service.
Rose the story lady 9/23/05
•••••
It's me again. As I was peeling apples to make applesauce, I was thinking about the Christmas Tree Lamb and how to include more of the Christmas story and here are my thoughts:

As the little girl brushed the lamb, she said, "On a long ago night, there were shepherds taking care of their flocks. It was night and everything was quiet and peaceful. By the light of the moon and stars, the little shepherd girl could see her little lamb and knew that all was well." The Little Girl picked up the small black bead she had found and glued it in place so the Christmas lamb would have two eyes. "Suddenly," said the Little Girl, "the little shepherdess and the lamb heard beautiful music. The sky became light. They looked up and saw an angel and the angel was brighter than the stars, brighter than the moon. And the angel said, 'Fear. . . .' And after the angels were gone, the shepherds decided to go see this baby--the Christ Child. The little girl glued the first leg in place. "The little shepherdess took her little lamb and walked all the way to Bethlehem with her father to see the Christ child." She glued in the second leg. "It was a long way but she was too excited to be tired." The Little Girl threaded a tiny gold bell on a red ribbon and tied it around the lamb's neck. "The shepherds gave gifts and the little shepherdess gave her lamb as a gift. It was all she had to give. If I had lived when Jesus was born, I would have given you to be His Christmas lamb." The little girl tucked the lamb into her pocket. "But I didn't live back then but you can still be my Christmas gift to Jesus. Because He wants us to give gifts of love and service that come from the heart. Shh now, don't baa or make a sound. I will hold my hand on your bell so it doesn't ring." And the Little Girl tiptoed down the stairs and stood before the Christmas tree. When her Grandmother wasn't looking, when her Mother wasn't looking, she got a chair and put the little Christmas lamb on a high branch. It looked like it was dancing up, up, up toward the star at the top of the tree that was the symbol of Christ's birth.

Then the story continues as outlined.

Isn't Storytell wonderful? Because Karen's cousin needed a Christmas story and because I shared, the story has come back to me richer and more wonderful! I can hardly wait for the opportunity to tell this new version of one of my favorite Christmas stories.
Rose the Story Lady 9/23/05
•••••

103) I have told The Gingerbread Boy ..into the North Pole setting. Mrs.Claus makes the gingerbread boy. She chases him. Santa chases him as do a polar bear, a visiting penguin, a snowman, the reindeer, the elves and a seal. The Gingerbread doubles back, jumps into a sack in Santa's sleigh just as he takes off. Santa puts him in a stocking. So if you ever find a Gingerbread Boy in your stocking, you'll know where it came from! And don't thank me. I got the idea from Storytell! Happy to pass it along.

Sing Nine Reindeer to the tune of Three Blind Mice
Nine reindeer, nine reindeer (hold up 9 fingers and then hold hands to head for antlers)
See how they fly. See how they fly. (Hold hand over eyebrows and "see" and wave arms for fly.)
They all help Santa deliver the toys (Hold hands over shoulder for sack)
To all the good girls and all the good boys. (Tuck hands under head and pantomime sleep.)
Did you ever see such a sight in your life (Hand over eyebrows)
As nine reindeer? (Nine fingers, hands to head for antlers.)

I adapted this for cub scouts years ago and it works great!

Sing "Frosty the Snowman. . . . melted!"
Adapt "Hey My Name is Joe and I Work in a Button Factory" to an elf working in the toy factory and Santa comes along. . . . You can find it in Crazy Gibberish and Other Story Hour Stretches by Naomi Baltuck
The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle can be adapted to be a Christmas story since she is decorating for Christmas and doesn't have enough room for a tree, and then doesn't have enough room for more decorations, presents, etc. Christmas fairy keeps giving her a bigger house and a bigger house, etc. At the end of the story she wants to be the queen and live in the White House. The kids love to tell me that the President lives in the White House and the Queen lives in England.

This is an audience participation story and can be found in one of Margaret Read MacDonald's Story-Teller's Start-Up book.

Here are some past contributions to Storytell:
From Papa Joe
The following story is participatory. Each telling uniquely created by the group. Please adapt this tale as much or as little as you please. No recognition required. The style is common throughout the world.

From 'Chris Mouse and Other Stories' - in the style of the French Canadian Irritating Tales by Papa Joe - available through Clap Books

Chris Mouse Tree
There's a Mouse that lives in my house.
His name is Chris. Chris Mouse.
I was telling him about all the Winter holidays people celebrate;
Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Yule, Christmas...
<Ask about celebrations they are planning. Weave the events into your story. If someone says "Christmas" early, ask them to hold onto
that answer. It really doesn't matter how many folks give the answer. When you are ready to go on - you can have everyone say it.>

"Chris Mouse! I wanna celebrate Chris Mouse!"
I said, "It's not Chris Mouse, Chris. It's Christmas, silly."
"That's what I said, Chris Mouse. I wanna celebrate Chris Mouse. How do you celebrate Chris Mouse?"
So I told him about the Christmas tree.
<Ask about ways to celebrate. Use the same technique to get to "Chrismas Tree".

"Chris Mouse Tree! I wanna Chris Mouse Tree!"
So off he went to get a Chris Mouse Tree.
Do you think he used a chain saw? Do you think he used a bow saw? Do you think he used an ax? He used his teeth. Chewed it down. Set it up on his Chris Mouse Tree Stand.
<Ask for the actions a mouse might take to get a tree. This part of the tale can be as simple or extravagant as you and your group wish.>

I gave him a box of tinsel.
<I usually describe tinsel and talk about how it needs to be put on a tree.
You don't want it in clumps. It must be put on one piece at a time.
Sometimes we talk about cats getting it caught in their throats, so be careful. You've got the listeners - figure out what to say.>

Chris Mouse.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
Then he said, "This is getting boring."

So I gave him a string of lights. He strung the tiny lights on the tiny Chris Mouse Tree.
<Ask for items to hang on the tree. These can be anything. One at a time in the beginning, but you can speed it up by doing more near the end. Have fun.>

Chris Mouse.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
Then he said, "This is getting boring."

So I gave him a bell. He hung the tiny bell on the tiny Chris Mouse Tree.

Chris Mouse.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
Then he said, "This is getting boring."

So I gave him a boat, lamb, gelt, star. He tapped the tiny star atop the tiny Chris Mouse Tree.
<and when you are ready to finish>

Chris Mouse.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
He took the tiny tinsel and he trimmed the tiny tree.
<I generally sign for silence and say the next line alone.>

Then he said, "It took a ton of tinsel to trim this tiny tree!"
That's the story of Chris Mouse. I hope you enjoyed it
<or "The End.">

Pax & Amicitia,
Papa Joe
Oak-n-Ivy Cottage, Turtle Island
(16 Sunny Lane, Fremont, NH, USA)

Judy Nichols contributed:
I've been doing a Christmas version of the "bear hunt" participation story for almost 15 years and the kids love it!
Instead of looking for a bear, we go looking for Santa Claus. We (children do the actions as I tell the story) wade through deep
snow, slip on icy patches, swim cold seas, climb snow hills and slide down the other side. When we get to Santa's house, he asks why we are at the North Pole when we should be home in bed... so we turn around and hurry home, repeating all the actions in reverse very fast. This works particularly well if you are in a situation that a Santa has been hired to give presents to the children. I tell it last in my program and time it (with the help of the program planners) so that just as we jump into bed... Santa appears! The looks on the kids' faces is priceless!

Ina Doyle contributed:
I'd suggest looking through all of Chuck Larkin's XMAS posts. A favorite of mine is MS. HORSE, MS. MULE AND MS. COW I've used it with Kindergarten youngsters. (I'll put Chuck's version at the end of this post.) Children love imitating Ms. Mule and never fail to be impressed that Ms. Cow was allowed to baby-sit the Baby Jesus.

Another participation type tale is from an Anne Pellowski's book - one I think suggested for preschoolers, but I've used it with mixed ages 5-12. It's called the Swedish(?) Twelve Days of Christmas. It's not a song, but a cumulative, rhyming piece that most youngsters will pick up on by the end of the poem. I made up hand motions to go with each animals' "name." Tell in cumulative manner so that each time after a new animal is named, you go back through the earlier animals - not mentioning the day, but just the animal and what he called it.

The hardworking man received gifts from the landowner - who had neglected giving him gifts for many years.
The 1st day he received a hen; he called his hen Talleri(sp?) Ten.
2nd- rooster - Out of bed booster.
3rd- duck - Just my luck
4th-goose - Longed necked and loose
5th- goat - Trip, trap, shaggy coat
6th-cow-Milk me now
7th-pig- Oh so big
8th-ox- Horns on a box
9th-horse- Trot, of course
10th- cat- Furry and fat
11th- house - Snug as a mouse
12th day he married a wife, he called his wife "Joy of my Life."

Then you're supposed to repeat them all quickly backwards - I do it frontward as I mess it up the other way! I add a little rhyme at the end to wish a Merry Christmas.
(I know you wanted easy to learn. And this one did come quickly after I sketched all the animal pictures on an index card with the names. And said did the rhyme ad nauseum several times a day.)

Christine McNew added these suggestions:
http://www.yahooligans.com
has a variety of Christmas children's stories in their "Holiday" links. Many are readily tellable. Click on "Around the World", "Holidays", "Christmas", and then "Stories.

Here are some ideas for the preschoolers.
Here is a warm-up rhyme. Children can copy your motions the first time through, and then say them with you the second time. It is short enough for the children and parents to learn easily.

Santa Claus is a bit fat man (hold arms out as if resting on a large tummy)
And I love him as much as I can (hug yourself)
Because he gives me all the presents I can hold in my hand. (Hold your hands out in front of you.)

Here's one to end with.
When Santa comes down the chimney (move hands in downward motion)
I should like to peek. (peek through fingers.)
But he'll never come, no never (wave finger, shake head)
Until I'm fast asleep. (lay head on hands).

Since your time is short, here are a couple of traditional stories you can adapt to Christmas which work well with preschoolers.

"The Enormous Package" is an adaptation of "The Enormous Turnip."
Choose one child to be each character, and you are Santa. You mime picking up a heavy package and the chldren hold on to first your waist and pull, and then each other's as the "train" grows. You lead in the refrain.

Here is a brief synopsis of "The Enormous Package."
Santa is loading his sleigh with toys and the last package is so large that he cannot lift it.
He looks around and sees various characters, including an Mrs. Claus, an elf, reindeer, etc, who try to help him pick up the package. Each attempt is accompanied by an audience participation refrain such as "Snowflakes and candy canes, ho, ho, ho. I pulled the package but the package wouldn't go."
The last creature to help is tiny, such as a tiny elf. They succeed in lifting the package into the sleigh and Santa invites the elf to help him deliver the toys on Christmas eve. You can end this by singing "Jingle Bells". I usually distribute a few bells for children to ring while singing. Merry Christmas and Happy Telling!
Rose, the Story Lady

10/9/01 -0500, Lucia (Dr.D.Light) wrote:
Dear Storytell Community, Amtrak has asked me to tell stories on their Santa Express carrying Santa from Milwaukee to Chicago on Nov 17 to make his grand debut in the Windy City. My challenges are the noise and movement of the train, the children's excitement which will be off the charts and trying to keep their attention with Santa near by.
Mary Lee Sweet
MLSweet@backintyme.com
http://www.backintyme.com

103) Legend of the Christmas Rose
http://www.noelnoelnoel.com/trad/rose.html

Christmas Legends
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/xlegend.htm

104) The Children's Book of Christmas Stories 
Classic tales dating back to 1926.
http://www.blackmask.com/books72c/cbcst.htm

Christmas Potpourri            
An amazing array of holiday stories hearkening all the way back to 1819.
http://www.elliemik.com/christmasetexts3.html
Karen C. 8/21/05
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Query: I wish to tell folktale type holiday stories/ stories about light/ other cultures celebrations/but not religious stories.
Doris 11/27/05
•••••

Response: One story that I tell at Christmas is one that I call "Halvor and the Trolls" - it also goes by another name (which, of course I cannot remember right at the moment), you can find it in a good book of Norwegian tales. One of the reasons I use it is that it can be participatory with children. There is one point in the story where trolls break into Halvor's house and begin to trash it (since that is what trolls do). At that point in the story I always stop and ask the kids what would they do if they were trolls and trashing a house. The answers never fail to amuse not only me but the rest of the audience. At one performance when I asked a bunch of 4th graders this question, one blond-haired cutie raised her hand and said she would break a lamp. I had seen this munchkin enter with her mother, and by the startled look on Mom's face, this moppet just confessed!
Melanie P. 11/27/05
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Response: One of my favorite stories is to take "The Turnip" and change it into Santa stuck in the chimney. It works really well with 1st and 2nd graders and it does get them up and involved in the story. It is an easy conversion and gets the kids into the mode of being able to see different versions of the story. I sometimes will get them to write their own version that they can tell.
Steve O. 11/27/05
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Response: I am also doing a holiday story program that is not religious. I am telling a short version of The Ramayana as a Divali story from India, the Hannukah story (to let non-Jewish children know the origin of this holiday), the bi-lingual story of "El Milagro de la Flor de Nochebuena" or "The Miracle of the Poinsettia" as a Christmas story. (I guess it is sort of religious.) This is about a 45 minute program. If I tell for an hour, I include a story from Kwanzaa--usually one having to do with "unity." I start my program out singing "Hey Ho Nobody Home" and "Soul Cake" and talk a little about Halloween and All Soul's Day and festivals that bring light into our lives in the darkest time of the year. All of the stories and festivals I tell about have to do with lighting candles. I end with "This Little Light of Mine" (the song).
Judith W. 11/28/05
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Response: To answer your question, I did a holiday program about light last year. I most of it was aimed more at kids about 10 and older, but I got in a bind when so many wanted pre-school programming, so I threw in a couple of other stories.

I sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. (He DOES have a guiding light after all!) I also do a paper cutting story about finding a Christmas.( I think that one is on SOS, and if not I'll send it to you.) Also, anything with fire will work for the Winter Solstice and the Yule Log. I love the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She was surrounded by light when she appeared to the Mexican people on the 12th of December.
Mags S. 11/29/05
•••••

Response: Hugh Waterhouse from the U.K. once published the outline of two versions of this story on the list - back around 2000, I think. Here's the version I fleshed out from Hugh's outline - plus part of his original post.

Filling the Barn
Once there was a farmer who had three fine sons. His boys were strong, polite, hard working and honest and he loved them all very much. But lucky as he was to have such a good family, the farmer had a problem.

He had worked hard all his life on his farm, but it was not a big farm. If he divided it up and gave one portion to each of his three sons, none of them would have enough land to earn a living. So, he was determined to leave his farm to only one of his sons. He thought for a long time before coming up with an unusual way of deciding which son would inherit the farm.

He called all three of his sons to him and showed them an empty barn. “Boys," he said, “I am giving each of you the same amount of money and two days to figure out how to fill up this barn. Whoever succeeds in filling the barn, will inherit the farm.” The boys each went off in their separate directions.

Two days later they returned. The oldest son had used his money to buy an enormous wagonload of hay. But when he stacked it in the barn, it didn’t even fill up half of the space. The middle son had used his money to hire children from the village to help him fill up a huge wagon with fallen leaves, which they put into sacks. But when he unloaded the sacks of leaves, they took up even less space in the barn than the hay.

Finally, it was the third son’s turn. When his father asked him how he intended to fill up the barn, he did not answer. Instead, he walked to the center of the barn and took a candle and a match out of his pocket. He lit the candle and its light filled the barn. Then he opened his mouth and began to sing, and his song could be heard in every corner of the barn.

The father said, “My son, I am leaving the farm to you, since you have filled the barn three times over. You have filled the barn with light and light is knowledge. You have filled the barn with song and that is joy. Knowledge and joy together make wisdom and now I know that you will manage your inheritance wisely.”

From Hugh in Sheffield, England:
I have a story I love telling to children. It has the format of the three children and the inheritance. Father decides to set the test of who can fill the large barn in two days with a given sum of money. One buys straw, another bracken but the youngest seems to arrive with nothing. On the morning of the test one corner of the barn is filled with straw, another is filled with bracken. The youngest son stands in the middle. Father questions each...... The youngest asks for the doors to be closed, lights a candle and fills the barn with light...

I heard a version of this told by Pomme Clayton on BBC radio on Christmas Eve. In her version, the youngest child, a daughter, lights a candle, and as it is burning, sings a song. Her father tells her that she has filled the room three times
over. She has filled it with light, and light is knowledge. She has filled it with song and song is joy. And knowledge and joy together make wisdom.
Hugh in Sheffield, England
Judy S. 11/29/05
•••••

Response: This may have already been posted to ignore me if that is the case. A version of the story can be found in More Ready to Tell Tales by Holt and Mooney. This version is by Taffy Thomas and it is called The Farmer's Fun Loving Daughter. You can find it on page 124.
Karen C. 11/29/05
•••••

105) The story told in our community is Mary, a little Catholic girl, Robert, a little protestant boy and Levi, a little Jewish boy. Teacher asks Mary and Robert how they celebrate Christmas. Mary tells how they gather for midnight mass then return home to a feast, open presents and celebrate the birth. Robert tells how his family attends evening service, then returns home and, after a good night's sleep, wakes up and opens all the presents brought by Santa. Levi, announces that his family, too, celebrates Christmas. "How?" asks the teacher. "Well, teacher, on December 24 my dad takes the family down to the store, we all stand around the cash register and we sing "What a Friend We have
in Jesus".
Dale P. 12/3/05
•••••

106) The links below are some of the websites and synopsis' in the Nov/Dec column in Storytelling Magazine. However, it occurred to me that many of you might not receive the magazine until it was too late to be useful. There are links for Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, with a few other tidbits thrown in. I hope you find them useful.

The Children's Book of Christmas Stories
Classic tales dating back to 1926.
http://www.blackmask.com/books72c/cbcst.htm

Christmas Potpourri
An amazing array of holiday stories hearkening all the way back to 1819.
http://www.elliemik.com/christmasetexts3.html

How is Christmas Celebrated Around the World? Add some interesting facts to your holiday folktales. Visit eight countries and learn about their celebrations, food, music and customs.
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/denise/HowChristmasIsCelebrated.htm

How To Say "Merry Christmas!" Planning on hosting a holiday party? From Afrikaner to Welsh, you will be able to greet your guests in their native tongue.
http://www.infostarbase.com/tnr/xmas/merry.html

Mything Links - Yuletide Around the World
An annotated & illustrated collection with links to Mythologies, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sacred Arts & Sacred Traditions around the globe.
http://www.mythinglinks.org/wintersolstice~YuleLinks.html
Karen C. 12/5/05
•••••

Planetpals.com
Spice up your holiday stories with two easy to do origami folds; a star
http://www.planetpals.com/ppcraft2.html
and a Christmas tree
http://www.tammyyee.com/origamitree.html
Karen C. 12/5/05
•••••

107) The Man Who Was Willing To Risk Wishing by Wayfarer Tomm
Some time is like other time but no other time is like Christmas time.
One time just before Christmas Howard was sitting at the kitchen table of his home in a quiet country town. The little house seemed so much bigger to him now that Rose was no longer with him. Rose would have known what to do with the Santa outfit that the school had sent him.. Howard didn't mind storytelling in costume, but the outfit the school had sent to him didn't even have real boots. There was only plastic imitation boot tops and if he was going to appear as Santa He wanted at least to look real. Howard hated the look of disappointment n the eyes of the little ones when they found that Santa was really only another one of "Santa's helpers", when they had hoped to see the real one. He knew how easy it was for children to grow up and let life's disappointments cause them to grow out of wishing.. He knew that not all wishes came true, but as Rose would say "If you don't wish, none of your wishes will ever come true." Howard did not want to be one more disappointment on the children's road to adulthood.

Howard wished that he could be the real Santa the children needed to see. Howard knew that if Rose were here she would knew what to do with the outfit and Rose would know what to do with him. He could see her now with a comb and brush, a needle and thread. A nip here and a tuck there, the wig combed the beard brushed, all the while telling him that if he believed in himself other people would believe in him also. Rose might no longer be there to help him, but Howard knew that he would never be without her love. Rose would have asked "What do you wish to happen?" and when he told her, she would say "Well, let's work on it like we believe that wishes come true and Howard remembered his wish that he could be the real Santa that the children needed to see. He had only four hours left before he would ride on top of the town's shining old fire truck to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the school yard and as he rode into that circle of light that evening with the cold air flowing through his hair and beard he was beginning to feel as Santa would feel at the helm of his grand old sled.

There was the smell of snow soon to be coming and a ring around the moon. The people who had come to the town's tree lighting ceremony had been singing carols and enjoying the warmth of being together. Mac the driver tooted the horn and sounded the siren and Santa was arriving right on schedule.

As he stepped from the truck he was greeted by Ms. Amanda Lee, the school's official greeter and unofficial guard against sixth grade boys who might seek to show their bravery and challenge the reality of their world by tugging on Santa's beard. All went well as he moved through the crowd, giving gentle waves to the smallest ones and hardy waves to the old timers. Into the auditorium he went, on to the stage to be seated on a throne made of hay bales fresh from a barn. As he waited for the town's people to be seated he looked into the eyes of those looking at him. In some eyes he saw wonder and in others he saw memories and in the smaller ones he saw the hint of awe.

When everyone had been seated and Ms. Amanda Lee had led every one in singing "Jingle Bells" and quiet reigned while breaths were regained. Howard raised both hands in the air and asked "What do you want enough that you would be willing to risk wishing for it?". Howard watched the question sink in and in some eyes he saw sadness and in others wonder and in some joy. Howard said "I wish to tell you a story of a young man who was willing to risk wishing" with that as an introduction he started into his story.

"In a time"***He said,*** "not unlike this time" In the land where the forest meets the open plains and there are no trees from the forest edge to the snow lands to the north. In this land li