MOTHER - MOTHERS - MOTHER'S DAY - MOTHERHOOD STORIES |
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MOTHER - MOTHERS - MOTHER'S DAY & MOTHERHOOD |
BOOKS/STORIES ABOUT MOTHERS OR MOTHER'S DAY - FOR CHILDREN
To retell any of these stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
In performance, always credit your sources.
Book titles are in dark blue and underlined.
Click on them for more information about the books and how to buy them.
Ages 4-8
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Ask Mr. Bear
by Marjorie Flack. (1971 - Baby-Preschool) Trying to find the perfect birthday present for his mother isn't easy for Danny. The hen offers eggs, the goose feathers and the sheep wool. But mother already has those things. Then the cow suggests that Danny go ask Mr. Bear. It's from him that Danny gets a special and unique gift for his mother. |
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Barking Mouse (The)
by Antonio Sacre with Alfredo Aguirre (illus). (2003 - Ages 4-8)Mamá, Papá, Sister, and Brother Ratón go for a picnic on a beautiful day. After lunch, Mamá and Papá smooch—eeewww!—and Brother and Sister must find something to do. And what could be more fun than teasing the cat behind the fence? But faster than they can say, "Adios, Gato!" Brother and Sister are racing back to Mamá and Papá with the cat in pursuit... Mamá saves the day! |
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Berenstain Bears (The) and the Mama's Day Surprise (First Time Books(R))
by Stan and Jan Berenstain. (2004 - Ages 4-8)Mother’s Day is coming, and Mama Bear knows that Papa and the cubs are going to surprise her. She also knows that Mother’s Day in the tree house is going to be one big, messy success that she’ll have to clean up. But maybe, just maybe, Papa and the cubs have cooked up a really big surprise for Mama this year! Featuring greeting card gatefold. |
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Clifford's Happy Mother's Day
by Norman Bridwell. (2001 - Ages 4-8)Mother¹s Day is coming, and Emily Elizabeth is preparing a present for her mom, but Clifford inadvertently makes two presents for his own mom in this very funny paperback that features Clifford the Small Red Puppy®! |
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Eloise's Mother's Day Surprise (Eloise Ready-to-Read) by Kay Thompson, Lisa McClatchy and Hilary Knight with Tammie Lyon (illus). (2009 - Ages 4-8)It is Mother's Day, and Eloise is in search of the perfect present for Mother, with help from Nanny and Weenie. |
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Happy Mother's Day, Mami!
by Leslie Valdes with Jason Fruchter (illus). (2003 - Ages 4-8)It's Mother's Day! Dora has decided to make a special cake for her mami, but first she must gather all the ingredients. Join Dora as she gets ready to make her mami's Mother's Day present, and find out what her friends make for their mommies along the way! |
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I Like Noisy Mom Likes Quiet: A Mother's Day Story by Eileen Spinelli with Lydia Halverson (illus). (2006 - Ages 4-8)Little Raccoon likes 'clomping and stomping and romping'. He likes noise. He likes messes. But Mama Raccoon, like most mothers, likes a little peace and quiet. She likes sitting on the porch and sketching the cat. She likes tidy rooms. One day, Little raccoon makes an effort to help his mom and makes Mother's Day a very special day. |
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I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh with Jane Chapman (illus). (2005 - Ages 4-8)Love like this is stomping, stamping, noisy fun. And love like this is quiet, safe and warm. Love like this is all the little things we share. This is a gentle, poetic reflection on the realtionship of a mother and baby elephant. |
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Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino with Ssteven Kellogg (illus). The board book version of this popular recitation of animal characteristics is equally as delightful as other editions, with one key improvement: it's inedible. This robust reissue follows lovable Lloyd the llama on his quest to find out what percentage of the baby animal population has llamas for mamas. The rhymes are original and infectious, and the riddles are sure to have children shouting out the answers. |
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Little Critter: Happy Mother's Day!
by Mercer Mayer. (2009 - Ages 4-8)Mother's Day is almost here, and Little Critter has a special surprise in store for Mom. Join in the fun as he plans the big day. Lift the flaps and discover what Mother's Day wonders are in store! |
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Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!) (Gilbert and Friends) by Diane Degroat. (2008 - Ages 4-8) It's Mother's Day, and Gilbert wants to show his mother that she's the best! But nothing he does seems to work out quite right. To make matters worse, his little sister always manages to be in the way! Can Gilbert ever have his mother all to himself today? But more importantly, can he make this Mother's Day truly special? |
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Mother's Day
by Anne Rockwell with Lizzy Rockwelll (illus). (2004 - Ages 4-8)Each child in Mrs. Madoff's class knows just how to celebrate Mother's Day. Jessica and her mom go hiking together. Sam helps pick out a new kitchen table. Sarah and her dad take Grandma to her favorite restaurant. And when a surprise visitor comes to class, the kids learn how to make a handmade gift that's straight from the heart. Here's a loving tribute to all the mothers, grandmothers, and mothers-to-be everywhere. |
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Mother's Day Mice (The)
by Eve Bunting with Jan Brett (illus). (1988 - Ages 4-8)Early in the morning, three young mice - Biggest, Middle and Little - set off to find Mother's Day presents. Biggest has chosen a "wish" flower, Middle a strawberry and Little would like to bring home some honeysuckle. But Catstarkly, portrayed from a mouse's point of view, stands in the way of the honeysuckle, and Little Mouse must head home without his present. On the way, he finds a new gift that can be shared by the whole family. |
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Someday
by Alison McGhee with Peter H. Reynolds (illus). (2007 - Ages 4-8)A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, this is the book you'll want to share with someone else...today. The perfect gift for Mother's Day, Graduation Day or Any Day - share a copy with every special person in your life. |
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T. Rex and the Mother's Day Hug
by Lois G. Grambling with Jack E. Davis (illus). (2008 - Ages 4-8)It's Mother's Day, and T. Rex wants to plan something really special for his mama. He wants to DO something, not just give something. This year, T. Rex has the perfect gift idea that he knows Mama Rex is going to love sooo much. At least, he thinks she will... |
Ages 9-12
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Day Mom Finally Snapped (The) (Graphic Sparks) by Bob Temple with Steve Harpster (illus). (2006 - Ages 9-12)Willy, Tom, and Grace want to surprise Mom by helping her out. But why is there smoke coming from Mom's ears? |
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Gem of a Mom (Wild Thornberrys Chapter Book) by Kim Ostrow with Aristides Ruiz (illus). (2002 - Ages 9-12)It's Mother's Day, and Eliza and Debbie forgot to get their mom a present. To make matters worse, Eliza accidentally challenges Debbie to find the best present. But where will they find the perfect present in the mountains of Pakistan? Rumor has it that precious gemstones can be found there -- so the race is on! But when the girls run into a rocky surprise along the way, will they make it out before it's too late? |
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Gift for Mama (A) (Puffin Chapters)
by Esther Hautzig. (1997 - Ages 9-12)Sick and tired of making presents for various holidays and occasions, Sara decides that for this Mother's Day she will do something different. |
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Happy Mother's Day, Dear Dragon by Margaret Hillert. (2005 - Ages 9-12)The story of a boy and his pet dragon, written to encourage reading fluency by using a controlled, limited vocabulary of high-frequency words. This title is part of the Starfall "I’m Reading!" Hardcover Book Set 1. |
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Mother's Day
by Ann Heinrichs with R.W. Alley (illus). (2006 - Ages 9-12)Holidays, festivals and celebrations for Mother's Day. Includes Happy Mother's Day! -- Celebrating motherhood -- A Sunday for mothers -- How did Mother's Day begin? -- How do we celebrate? -- Presidents and their mothers -- Mother's Day around the world -- The poets' corner -- Showing our love on Mother's Day. |
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Mother's Day Crafts (Fun Holiday Crafts Kids Can Do)
by Arlene Erlbach and Herb Erlbach. (2005 - Ages 9-12)Projects in Mother's Day include bath salts, cupcake magnets, a jigsaw photo frame, and a paper-plate tulip sun catcher. While similar crafts can be found in a variety of other resources, librarians looking for ideas specifically for Mother's Day might consider this book as a supplementary purchase. |
BOOKS/STORIES ABOUT MOTHERS OR MOTHER'S DAY - FOR YA/ADULTS - REFERENCE
To retell any of these stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
In performance, always credit your sources.
Book titles are in dark blue and underlined.
Click on them for more information about the books and how to buy them.
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Fair Is Fair by Sharon Creeden. (1996 - YA)A lawyer and storyteller presents an international collection of folklore--from ancient Greece, Morocco, Germany, China, and Ireland--that provides revealing insights into our conception of justice, crime and punishment, and other legal issues. See "Ooka and the Wasted Wisdom," which deals with motherhood. |
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Grandmother Book (The): A Book About You for Your Grandchild by Andy Hilford and Susan Hilford. (2008)For the fifteen million grandmothers who are keepers of family history and memories, this book is a lively and timely way to record your story for future generations. includes spaces for special photographs, report cards, family tree, and other cherished memorabilia and keepsakes, along with thoughtful, amusing, memory-nudging prompts to kick-start grandmother's storytelling. |
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Ideals Mother's Day 2008 (Ideals Mother's Day) by Melinda Rathjen (editor). (2008) For more than sixty years Ideals has celebrated the holidays with beautiful images and stirring words. In today's busy world, it's good to stop and remember mother. "Ideals Mother's Day 2008" is a celebration of motherhood in stories, poems, photographs and beautiful artwork. Readers will be reminded of mother's kitchen, gentle touch and her wise words. |
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Just Moms: A Mother by any Other Squawk, Cheep, Yip or Mew Is Still as Sweet by Bonnie Louise Kuchler (editor). (2006)"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born." (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) What is motherhood all about? This book has it covered, with 50 animal mother-and-young images from top wildlife photographers, paired with insightful, funny, famous, and fresh quotations on the topic. The images bring engaging new perspectives to both ancient and modern observations on parenting. |
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Mirror, Mirror : Forty Folktales for Mothers & Daughters to Share by Jane and Heidi E.Y. Stemple (editors) with Jane Yolen. (2000)Yolen teams up with her daughter to present 40 folk tales for mothers and daughters to share--from the famous "Snow White" to lesser-known tales from Sudan, Palestine, and Africa. Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-254) and index. |
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New Yorker Book of Mom Cartoons (The) by The New Yorker Magazine and The w Magazine. (2008)Since 1925, The New Yorker has cultivated the creme de la creme of cartooning elite, a vanguard of sketching artists with astute wit and clever perceptions of life and living. This special collection offers 100 black-and-white single-panel cartoons in tribute to a diverse array of moms, ranging from football and CEO moms to tattooed and jack-in-the-box moms. |
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Prayer Starters for Busy Moms: How to Pray All Day and Still Put the Laundry Away by Tracy Klehn. (2006) When Tracy Klehn’s two children were under two years old, she began to pray. Now she shares with other moms what she learned, including the power of praying for their children, families, friends, and themselves. Each of the twelve sections focuses on a different aspect of prayer along with creative ways to strengthen a mother’s faith.This book helps women focus on prayer—still leaving them time to get the laundry put away! |
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Someday, I'll Ask You by P.J. Cloud. (2007)From the author: When I presented this book to my Mother, she was so excited! Mothers, so often, are not thanked for their tireless and unconditional love that only they can give us. This book not only shows you are interested in who she is, but that you care to take a moment and give back to her. |
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Some Day You'll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies' Guide to Being a "Perfect" Mother by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. (2009) A hilarious treatise—complete with appropriate recipes from those finicky, demanding moms—on the joys, trials, and tribulations of being the daughter of a Southern mother. Including sections such as A Crown in Heaven, Grande Dames, Toasting the Southern Mother, and why grandmothers prefer their "precious angel baby" grandchildren to their own "bad" children. |
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Stories for the Heart: The Original Collection by Alice Gray. (1996)A picture is worth a thousand words, and a good story spans the generations. Now the same story treasury that has touched readers' souls since 1996 has gotten even better! Adorned with an updated cover to match later collections and journals, and elegantly typeset within, the new book offers over 100 encouraging story selections from some of America's best-loved communicators. See "When You Thought I Wasn't Looking." |
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312 Best Things About Being a Stepmom (The): For those days when you can only come up with one or two on your own
by Cynthia L. Copeland. (2006)Forget Cinderella and the hundreds of other fairy tales about wicked stepmothers. Here is the truth—a warm, bright, positive, yet frankly honest and realistic celebration of the most challenging role any woman will face. Think of it as the joy of stepmomming, and the perfect Mother’s Day gift of encouragement and support. |
ONLINE LINKS TO STORIES AND INFORMATION ABOUT MOTHERS AND MOTHER'S DAY
Online links are in dark blue and underlined. Click on them for more stories/information.
Story titles are in quotation marks.
Includes short descriptions for your convenience and to save you research time.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day
History and description of Mother's Day and how it is celebrated around the world from Wikipedia.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_%28United_States%29
More information about Mother's Day from Wikipedia.
• http://www.dayformothers.com/
Crafts, gifts, party suggestions, books, famous mothers, mother's zodiac, quotes, poems, songs, and more.
• http://www.holidays.net/mother/
Celebrating all mothers: includes stories, recipes, coloring pictures, craft ideas, and more.
• http://holidays.kaboose.com/mothers-day/
Gifts, cards, crafts, recipes, flowers, poems, and more.
• http://www.theholidayspot.com/mothersday/stories/
Stories about Mother's Day, including "Queen Margaret and the Robbers," "An inspirational short story for Mother's Day," "The Lark and Its Young Ones," "The Story of a Mother, " and many more.
• http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/mothers-day/short-stories/
Mother's Day short stories for kids - Children's Mother's Day Literature, including "Coming and Going," "Cornelia S. Jewels," "Fleet Wing and Sweet Voice," "How the Moon was Kind to Her Mother," "Mrs. Tabby Gray," "The Closing Door," and many more.
• http://www.garvick.com/annual/mothers_day/mothers-day-stories.htm
Mother's Day Poems and Stories.
• http://freebiesandstuff.freeyellow.com/mothers_day/poems/
Mother's Day Poems and Funny Stories.
• http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html#mirror
"The Mirror of Matsuyama" from Japan. Full text.
• http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Mother_s_Day/index.shtml
Mother's Day Crafts, Poems, Books, Beads, Gifts, Printables, and more.
• http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/mothersday.htm
Extensive and interesting Mother's Day online links from Mrs. Jackson's Class.
• http://www.crosby-lundin.com/tibet/culture/folktales/rooster.html
"The White Rooster" - full text story from Tibet.
• http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/056.html
"The Magic Brocade" - a tale of China. Retold by Aaron Shepard.
• http://www.thailandlife.com/folktales_phikulthong.htm
"Phikul Thong" - full text story from Thailand about a stepmother.
• http://www.activated-storytellers.com/folktales/Vasalisa_and_Baba_Yaga.html
"Vasalisa and Baba Yaga" - a folktale from Russia for reading out loud from Act!vated Storytellers.
• http://hubpages.com/hub/Mothers-Day-A-Darker-Tale
"Mother's Day: A Darker Tale" from hubpages.com.
• http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Family-Lifestyle/Parenting/Momfidence-Bring-on-the-Fairy-Tales.html
Article: "Momfidence: Bring on the Fiary Tales" from Woman's Day.
• http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/
Mother's Day Central - how this day is celebrated around the world with gift and party ideas.
SOS - SEARCHING OUT STORIES ABOUT MOTHERS - MOTHER'S DAY
Advice, Discussion and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians
(excerpts from Storytell posts plus original research)
To retell these stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
Book titles and online links are in dark blue and underlined. Click on them for more stories/information.
Story titles are in quotation marks.
Attributions and entry dates are not included prior to 2005.
1) This is a Portuguese folktale I found last month, perfect for Mother's Day. It is found in Folk tales from Portugal
Bones: Once upon a time there lived a remarkable woman who was known as Mae. She was so remarkable that everyone she worked for expected her to do everything they asked of her without the slightest hesitation or complaint. And she did. The story goes through a string of tasks...The father of the family calls fror more butter more bread. The little brother cries "Mae, Mae, I can't find my socks," And she would rush to get him what he wanted. The big sister would call "Mae, there's a button missing from my coat," Come sew it on for me please or I'll be late for school." And she would. With a complaint or frown Mae would do everything asked of her. Help the father take the tools to the field, clean the house, make the beds, dust, mend, make lunch for the father. Help him weed the garden. She never complained. When the children came home form school she greeted them with a smile and prepared dinner and helped them with their homework. After dinner she cleared the table, washed the dished, finished the mending and read the little brother a bed time story. "Now, it may seem that everybody in this house expected a great deal from Mae and were even inclined to take advantage of her. This is quite true. But it is also happens that they all loved her very much. In fact the thought there was no one else in the world as wonderful as her. But, you see, almost every family in Portugal had a Mae of their own who did practically everything that had to be done for them too. And each family felt there was nobody else in the word as wonderful as their own Mae. Now, of course, they couldn't all be right. But, the again, no one could really call them wrong either. For Mae is the word in Portuguese for Mother.
2) Sayings of Famous Mothers
PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young man. Midnight is past your curfew!"
HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER: "Humpty, If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me?"
COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, Christopher. You still could have written!"
MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Why can't you draw on the walls like the other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"
NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, Napoleon. Take your hand out of there and let me see what you're hiding!"
MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"
ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair?"
BATMAN'S MOTHER: "It's a very nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to cost?"
GOLDILOCKS' MOTHER: "I've got a bill here for a broken chair from the Bear family. Do you know anything about this, Goldie?"
LITTLE MISS MUFFET'S MOTHER: "All I've got to say is, if you don't get off your tuffet and start cleaning your room, there'll be a lot more spiders around here!"
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money across the river, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"
JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story, Jonah. Now tell me where you've really been for the last three
days."
3) http://www.zensufi.com/story.htm
Here is a site where you may find such stories. I would suggest in the stories "An Eastern Queen" and "The Two Lights." This site is full of great stories.
4) http://home.nycap.rr.com/dudding/newyear.htm
There's a story on Kate Dudding's site, called "A New Year's Story," which is very tellable, and very much about motherhood.
5) The joke about the mother who rubs salve on her pregnant abdomen for 70 years and says "Be Nice, Be Nice." They are born when mother is in her nineties - two old men arguing about who should "go first."
Response:
A wave of nostalgia hit me as I read that "Be Polite" has morphed into a joke. Floating Eagle Feather used to tell this. He always said he'd learned it from a Chinese teller (or was it IN China - ah, memory) and that there was cultural information embedded, i.e., that with Chinese twins, the first born was considered the more aggressive, the second the more considerate and polite. In his telling, a wise man told the pregnant woman (whose husband had a sharp tongue) to hold the baby in her arms twice a day and tell it lovingly, "Be polite, be polite, be polite." She protested that the baby was in her womb, to which the wise man replied, "Do your best."
It sounds as if the rest of the story follows a similar path - nine months, no baby; 10 months, a year.... Death, autopsy, two small, grey-bearded men, each bowing to the other and saying very politely, "Please, you go first." "No, no, you go first." It's one of those small stories that works with many audiences. Always makes pregnant friends queasy. Eagle Feather did, indeed, float. He was a member of Mensa and would often contact Mensa groups as he traveled, relying on the generosity of that community and the storytelling community to support his work. He died of AIDS, but his stories live on in the many people who tell them still.
6) Stories for the Heart: The Original Collection
(If you like "Bits & Pieces" and the "Chicken Soup" books, you'll LOVE this one.)
Subject: "When You Thought I Wasn't Looking"
By Mary Rita Schilke Korzan
When you thought I wasn't looking you hung my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another.
When you thought I wasn't looking you fed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking you baked a birthday cake just for me, and I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking you said a prayer, and I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking you kissed me good-night, and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt--but that it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking you smiled, and it made me want to look that pretty, too.
When you thought I wasn't looking you cared, and I wanted to be everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking--I looked . . . and wanted to say thanks for all those things you did when you thought I wasn't looking.
7) The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm All-New Third Edition
Bones: Once there was a feeble old woman whose husband died and left her all alone, so she went to live with her son and his wife and their own little daughter. Every day the old woman's sight dimmed and her hearing grew worse, and sometimes at dinner her hands trembled so badly that the peas rolled off her spoon or the soup ran from her cup. The son and his wife could not help but be annoyed at the way she spilled her meal all over the table. One day, after she knocked over a glass of milk, they told each other that enough was enough. They set up a small table for her in the corner next to the broom closet and made the old woman eat her meals there. She sat all alone, looking with tear-filled eyes across the room at the others. Sometimes they spoke to her while they ate, but usually it was to scold her for dropping a spoon or a fork. One evening, just before dinner, the little girl was busy playing on the floor with her building blocks. Her father asked her what she was making. "I'm building a little table for you and mother," she said, smiling, "so you can eat by yourselves in the corner when I get big." Her parents sat staring at her for some time, and then suddenly both began to cry. That night, they led the old woman back to her place at the big table. From then on, she ate with the rest of the family, and her son and his wife never seemed to mind a bit when she spilled something every now and then.
8) Vassilisa the Beautiful
9) Found this in my files, and it might be a great Mother's Day story - "The Prince and The Tailor," because the mother's faith in her son is what made the difference.
From "The Yellow Book of Fairy Tales" (shared by Leslie Slape) (not to be confused with Lang's The Yellow Fairy Book
"The Prince and the Tailor"
A prince is raised from infancy by his father's friend because a soothsayer had predicted that misfortune would befall him if he and his father saw each other before the prince's 21st birthday. The long-awaited day drew nigh, and the prince was on his way to greet his father at a pre-arranged rendezvous, exchange passwords and show a jeweled dagger. All these things - including the passwords - the naive prince told to a tailor he had met on the way. The tailor was finely dressed (having stolen a nobleman's clothes he was supposed to be mending and quitting the town that, in his opinion, didn't appreciate him.) While the prince slept, the tailor took the dagger and the prince's noble horse, leaving his slow nag for the prince, and went to the rendezvous point. There he greeted the king with the dagger and password, and they embraced. Just then, the real prince rode in, very upset. The tailor told the king that this was only a mad tailor, and at that the prince flew into a frenzy, convincing the king that he was indeed mad. He ordered him brought along, to be seen by the royal physicians. Back at the palace, the queen awaited her son. When she saw the tailor, she told her husband this was not her son. The king cited the evidence of the dagger and the password. She said that she had seen her son in her dreams all his life, and this was not the one. Just then the "mad tailor" burst in claiming he was the prince, and the queen recognized him. Nevertheless, the "pretender," as the king called him, was hauled off. But after she had calmed down, the queen thought of a plan. She told the king she wanted her son to make her a caftan. He laughed at what he called "women's foolishness," but he wanted to make her happy after upsetting her earlier. The tailor, whom the king called "the prince," was delighted with the assignment and made a gorgeous caftan. "The pretender" never touched the precious silk. "I was taught to use a sword and a spear, not a thread and needle!" The queen smiled at the king. "Is it not apparent which is the prince and which is the tailor?" But the king didn't want to admit he was wrong. He consulted a fairy, who gave him two boxes and said each man should choose one. The choice would determine the true identities. The boxes were identical except for their inscriptions. One was labeled "Wealth and Happiness," the other "Honor and Glory." The king called the tailor first and explained the purpose of the boxes. "My son, choose wisely." The tailor studied the boxes for a long time. Finally he laid his hand on the one labeled "Wealth and Happiness." "Oh my father, what can be greater than the wealth of your affection for me, or my happiness at seeing you again?" "Very well," said the king. "Soon we shall see if you have made the right choice." He ordered the prince brought before him and told him to choose a box. The prince did not hesitate, but placed his hand upon the one labeled "Honor and Glory." "Oh my father, these past few days have shown me how transient is happiness, how useless is wealth. Though it cost me a kingdom, I choose honor and glory!" The king ordered the boxes opened, but before anyone could move they flew open of their own accord. In the prince's box was a tiny crown and scepter. In the tailor's box was a needle and thread. The king took the crown out of the box and it began to grow. He placed it on his son's head, embraced him and asked forgiveness. As he embraced his father, the prince smiled at his mother, for he owed everything to her steadfast belief in him. As for the tailor, he slipped out of the city, glad to have escaped with his life.
10) The Lion's Whiskers and Other Ethiopian Tales: Revised Edition
a) Peace Tales
11) Some motherhood stories
• Old Scottish folktale about a mother, searching for her baby, who the trolls have stolen and taken inside a mountain called Sidh. She travels all around; she lives with an old gypsy, she lives with fishermen, she makes a cloak from feathers and a golden harp from her hair, she comes into Sidh, she tries to bargain about the child with the king of the trolls... In the end she sends the trolls into trance by music from her harp and can fly out with her child, finally.
• The judgment of King Solomon.
• All the evil stepmothers.
• Loki in the northern tradition, who gave birth to the monsters of death and destruction, and to the eight-footed horse Sleipner. And other divinities in other mythologies, giving birth.
• Parvati and her son Ganesha.
• Old folktale about a proud rat-mother who wanted to marry her daughter to the most powerful man in the world. She asks the sun, but the cloud is more powerful; then the wind, the stonewall, the ox, the rope, the rat.
12) What I fondly refer to as "The Sneeze Story." A man's first wife dies, leaving him with a young son. She makes him promise three things: to marry the weaver he's been eyeing and has been eyeing him, to be sure their son is well looked after despite the stepmom, and to never consult the schenachie (1000 spellings). He marries again, but things get bad financially. They have two children together, his first son the only red-head in a table of dark-haired children. And when the factor comes twice for the rent he doesn't have, he plans to sell his cow, but it takes sick. Desperate, he goes to the island he promised not to go to, and the strange, horrible conversation with the shenachie results in his choosing who will die at his house. He chooses his first son. At the table that night, the child sneezes, he doesn't bless him, sneezes again, no blessing, and he knows the third time, the child will die and his cow live. But the boy's stepmother blesses him quite cheerfully, all unknowing. Then at the window the shade of his first wife appears, saying "God Bless You, Morag McCray for the care you show to another woman's child." And the man looks up, straight into the blazing blue eyes of his first wife. It is a brilliant, subtle story. I learned it from Kate Corkery, an Irish woman trapped in London by employment. I tell it quite differently from her, though, so if you want to get back toward the source, you would need to hear her version or check the collection she got it from.
13) "The Mountain" by Jim Stovall.
There were two warring tribes in the Andes Mountains in South America; one group lived high up in the mountains while the other group lived at the base of the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day. They carried off much of the lowlanders' property. As part of their plundering they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up the mountain. The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the highlanders used and they didn't know where to find the highlanders or how to track them in the steep terrain. Even so the sent out best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home. The men tried first one method of climbing and then another, but where the mountains weren't rocky they were covered in dense vegetation. They tried one trail and then another, but they could not hack their way through the tangle of vines and underbrush. After many day of effort, they had managed to climb only several hundred feet. Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men gave up and prepared to return to their village below. As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb. And as she got closer they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be? The warrior leader greeted her with, "We couldn't climb this mountain. How could you do it when we, the strongest and wisest men in the village, couldn't do it?" She shrugged her shoulders and said, "It wasn't your baby."
14) Story Sources and Notes
Sidh is pronounced She. Their kingdom, Sidhean, is pronounced She-an.
Different versions of "The Stolen Child" can be found in:
a) Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World
b) Thistle and Thyme - Tales and Legends from Scotland
c) The Moon in the Well: Wisdom Tales to Transform Your Life, Family, and Community
15) Mother's Day tale: Here are the bare bones of a tale I heard years ago and have adapted for any occasion, I call it "The Gift" - the person who told it to me didn't know the source.
Bones: Little girl looking for Mother's Day gift - has to be something special. Talks to Chicken who offers an egg. Girl says no, she gets eggs all the time, gift has to be special. Girl and Chicken talk to Goat - goat offers goat's milk for Goat's Milk Fudge, Girl says no, Mom makes fudge all the time, has to be something special. Chicken hops on Goat's back and the three go to pond to talk to Goose - Goose offers goose down for pillows. Girl says no, Mom has all the down she needs, has to be something special. They decide to go see Owl. Chicken and Goose ride on Goat's back. Find Owl asleep in tree (Owl is nocturnal) Opens one eye very slowly. Girl explains dilemma. Owl can't help but knows someone who can - Bear. Will fly ahead and take Girl to Bear's den. Goat, chicken and goose decide they don't need to go along. Owl flies ahead and into Bear's den to wake him - he hasn't quite gotten into the rhythm of Spring yet. Bear grumpy but comes out and Little Girl repeats dilemma (who can make this part short or long by describing the three other offerings). Bear has idea, bends down and whispers in Little Girl's ear. Girl excited. Goes home and makes Mother a card. Puts it on kitchen table. Makes Mother guess what it is - Mother guesses: eggs, goat's milk, goose down. Little Girl excited but says no to all three. Mother opens card. Gift is . . . a bear hug! (I usually pick out someone in the front row of the audience and borrow them for a quick bear hug).
16) My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World: A Russian Folk Tale
17) MOTHER'S SURVIVAL KIT
Keep these "necessary objects" in your purse or pocket or your imagination:
A toothpick: To remind you to pick out the good qualities in other people
A rubber band: To remind you to be flexible, things might not always go as planned
A band aid: To remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's
A pencil: To remind you to list your blessings
An eraser: To remind you that everyone makes mistakes and its ok
A mint: To remind you you're worth a mint
A candy kiss: To remind you that everyone needs a hug or a kiss everyday
A tea bag: To remind you to take time for yourself, you've earned it.
18) Love Quotes
The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light between the heart and the heavenly Father.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
19) Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Mothers
Mother is always there when you need her. She helps, protects, listens, advises and nurtures physically
and morally. She makes sure that her family is loved 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. At least that's how I remember my mother, for the few precious years I was blessed to have her. But no words
can describe the sacrifice she made out of love for me, her young son. I was 19 years old, and I was taken to a concentration camp with a large group of other Jews. It was clear that we were destined to die. Suddenly my mother stepped in and traded places with me. And although it was more than 50 years ago, I will never forget her last words to me and her good-bye look. "I have lived long enough. You have to survive because you are so young," she said. Most kids are born only once. I was given birth twice - by the same mother.
20) Motherhood: If it were going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor.
Barbara Johnson
21) Motherhood is... the biggest on-the-job training program in existence today.
Emma Bombeck
22) A Rose for Mother
Another Mother's Day is here,
Bringing joy and pleasure new.
On this special day, Mother dear,
I want to remember you.
I cannot give you costly gifts,
And I've told you this before,
No matter what I give you,
You give back much, much more.
I'm giving you a pure, sweet rose,
Gathered in the early morn,
This rose you planted in my heart,
The day that I was born.
In kindly, loving thoughts of you,
And with the faith you still impart, The
rose I give to you today
Is the love that's in my heart.
Cleo M. Shoffstall
23) IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous".. more "I'm sorrys"... but mostly, given another shot at life,
I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it... live it...and never give it back.
Be willing to give up all that you now are to be all that you can become.
by Erma Bombeck
24) You Know You're A Mom When...
1. You count the sprinkles on each kid's cupcake to make sure they're equal.
2. You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child's favorite toy and made him/her cry.
3. You have time to shave only one leg at a time.
4. You hide in the bathroom to be alone.
5. You child throws up, and you catch it.
6. Someone else's kid throws up at a party, and you keep eating.
7. You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.
8. You mastered the art of placing large quantities of pancakes and eggs on a plate without anything touching.
9. Your child insists that you read Once Upon a Potty out loud in the lobby of the doctor's office, or, better yet, in the lobby of a Grand Central Station... and you do it.
10. You hire a sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night talking about and checking on the kids.
11. You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it's the only one your child eats.
12. You cling to the high moral ground on toy weapons, while your child chews his toast into the shape of a gun.
13. You can't bear the thought of your son's first girlfriend.
14. You hate the thought of his wife even more.
15. You donate to charities in the hope that your child won't get that disease.
16. You find yourself cutting your husband's sandwiches into unusual shapes.
17. You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi's mother.
18. You use your own saliva to clean your child's face.
19. You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then obsess when he skips in without looking back the second time.
20. You can't bear to give away baby clothes--it's so final.
21. You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "Not in your good clothes!"
22. You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.
23. You read that the average five year old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is above average.
24. You say at least once a day, I'm not cut out for this job, but you know you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
25) My Forgetter
My forgetter's getting better
But my rememberer is broke
to you that may seem funny
but, to me, that is no joke
For when I'm "here" I'm wondering
If I really should be "there"
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!
Oft times I walk into a room,
Say "what am I here for?"
I wrack my brain, but all in vain
A zero, is my score.
At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but, Gee!
The person it is safest from
Is, generally, me!
When shopping I may see someone,
Say "Hi" and have a chat,
Then, when the person walks away
I ask myself, "who's that?"
Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
And that isn't any joke.
CAN YOU RELATE???
~Author Unknown
26) Taken from papers written by a class of 8 year olds. A grandmother is a lady who has no little children of her own. She likes other people's. A grandfather is a man grandmother. Grandmothers don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters for us. When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also don't step on "cracks." They don't say, "Hurry up." Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes. They wear glasses and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and gums out. Grandmothers don't have to be smart. They have to answer questions like "Why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?" When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again. Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown-ups who like to spend time with us. They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
27) The story of when Jack bought a Pottle of Brains comes to mind--the wise woman tells him to bring the heart of the thing he loves best, but he can't bring himself to cut up his dear mama when she dies...he doesn't end up getting much smarter, but he does end up with some brains to do the thinking for him.
A great story for weddings, too.
28) Here is a story my mother used to tell. It isn’t a heart vs head story, but I think it would do well at weddings, as well. Maybe for the mother of groom...
Bones: A beautiful but cold princess gave her lover, a handsome prince, one quest before she would agree to marry him, “You must bring me your mother’s heart.” The prince was horrified, but reluctantly agreed. He had one of his servants kill his mother and place her heart in a small box. As he was returning to the princess, he slipped and fell on the stair leading to her room. The box flew from his hands, fell open and the heart rolled out. And from the heart came the question, “Did you hurt yourself, dear?”
(This web page updated 5/6/03; 4/28/09)
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