Good Stories for Great Holidays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own ReadingOlcott, Frances Jenkins
General
Good Stories for Great Holidays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading
Olcott, Frances Jenkins
Children's literature; Holidays; Short stories; Storytelling
“Sit down, Mr. Washington, your modesty equals your valor, and that
surpasses the power of any language I possess.”
WASHINGTON AT YORKTOWN
BY HENRY CABOT LODGE
During the assault Washington stood in an embrasure of the grand
battery, watching the advance of the men. He was always given to
exposing himself recklessly when there was fighting to be done, but not
when he was only an observer.
This night, however, he was much exposed to the enemy's fire. One of his
aides, anxious and disturbed for his safety, told him that the place was
perilous.
“If you think so,” was the quiet answer, “you are at liberty to step
back.”
The moment was too exciting, too fraught with meaning, to think of
peril. The old fighting spirit of Braddock's field was unchained for the
last time. He would have liked to head the American assault, sword in
hand, and as he could not do that, he stood as near his troops as he
could, utterly regardless of the bullets whistling in the air about him.
Who can wonder at his intense excitement at that moment?
Others saw a brilliant storming of two out-works, but to Washington the
whole Revolution and all the labor and thought and conflict of six years
were culminating in the smoke and din on those redoubts, while out of
the dust and heat of the sharp, quick fight success was coming.
He had waited long, and worked hard, and his whole soul went out as he
watched the troops cross the abatis and scale the works. He could have
no thought of danger then, and when all was over, he turned to Knox and
said:--
“The work is done, and well done. Bring me my horse.”
RESURRECTION DAY (EASTER)
(MARCH OR APRIL)
A LESSON OF FAITH
BY MRS. ALFRED GATTY (ADAPTED)
“Let me hire you as a nurse for my poor children,” said a butterfly to
a quiet caterpillar, who was strolling along a cabbage-leaf in her odd,
lumbering fashion.
“See these little eggs,” continued the butterfly; “I do not know how
long it will be before they come to life, and I feel very sick. If I
should die, who will take care of my baby butterflies when I am gone?
Will you, kind, mild, green caterpillar? They cannot, of course, live
on your rough food. You must give them early dew, and honey from the
flowers, and you must let them fly about only a little way at first.
Dear me! it is a sad pity that you cannot fly yourself. Dear, dear! I
cannot think what made me come and lay my eggs on a cabbage-leaf! What
a place for young butterflies to be bore upon! Here, take this gold-dust
from my wings as a reward. Oh, how dizzy I am! Caterpillar! you will
remember about the food--”
And with these words the butterfly drooped her wings and died. The green
caterpillar, who had not had the opportunity of even saying “yes”
or “no” to the request, was left standing alone by the side of the
butterfly's eggs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account