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LET’S DISCUSS THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Community, Good Manners, Independent Thinking

1. Do you think Crunch should have taken one of Sherry’s delicious figs? Why or why not?

2. What is another way Crunch might have found a way to eat one of the figs, while respecting Sherry’s rules?

3. When we try to find a way for more than one person to be happy, it is sometimes called a ‘compromise’, because each person gives up a little bit to make sure both are happy. In this story, why do you think Sherry decided to find a compromise with Crunch?

Bedtime Story written by Anu Madhavan

Illustrated by Yesim Serce

Edited by Jade Maitre

Music Video by “Casa Bossa Nova” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Del Rio Bravo” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Two Finger Johnny” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Hyperfun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “DarxieLand” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Vivacity” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The post Crunch and the Figs first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2022

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LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Good Manners

1. Why do you think it’s important to say “please” and “thank you”?

2. Have you ever had someone not say “please” or “thank you” to you? How did it make you feel?

3. Can you think of some other ways that we show others respect when we use good manners?

Short Story for Kids written by Prarthana Guru and Anu Madhavan

Illustrations by Sabrina Cristina

Music Video from zapsplat.com

About the Authors

Prarthana Gururaj works as a physical therapist by day and writes poems and stories for kids every chance she gets. Her teenage son inspires her more than he knows. Her hope is to light up a child’s imagination the same way her mother and grandfather did for her as a child. She lives in the US and writes more poems and stories on https://storysprouts.wixsite.com/storysprouts

Anuradha (Anu) Madhavan is a sometime physical therapist and an eternal student. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and treasures writing stories for children and grown-ups. She hopes to have many more stories and thoughts to share in the future. For now, she has stories in word documents, abundant chocolate and many hopes and dreams!

The post ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ Simha! first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “A great man is always willing to be little.” He was referring to humility, the quality or condition of being humble, and of having a modest opinion or estimate of one’s importance, rank, etc. Humility is a really valuable for children to learn as it helps them to face challenges with compassion and strength.

In humility comes strength

A humble child can appreciate their strengths without boasting about them, and can recognize their limitations without feeling inferior. Humility enables us to respect others without ceasing to respect ourselves. It carries an inner conviction that we do not need to be perfect to be valuable. This understanding protects us from expecting perfection in ourselves or in others.

Is humility the same as inferiority, or unworthiness?

No. Some people think humility means acting as if we were worth less than others, as if we were not important, or as if our achievements were without merit. From this perspective there is a tendency to reject applause and recognition. Low self-esteem, or a sense of social unworthiness, can lead to compliments feeling undeserved; praise and recognition can be hard for a person with low self esteem to hear and take in. Added to this, the word humble can be used to mean poor or lowly, so humility is often negatively construed to mean inferiority.

Genuine self-confidence

The type of humility we want to encourage is the virtue of being modest, of being quietly and realistically confident. People with a positive sense of humility don’t boast about what they know or who they are. They don’t feel the need to compare themselves to others, or to rank people as superior or inferior. They also don’t pretend to be something they’re not, because, quite simply, they know that it’s not necessary.

“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; and to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” Criss Jami.

https://tinybuddha.com/wisdom-quotes/share-weakness-make-vulnerable-make-vulnerable-show-strength/

How do I nurture a sense of humility?

Please read on…Storyberries offers free children’s books, and tips for parents, to guide children towards a sense of humility.

Listening with genuine interest

Every human being has a story to tell; teaching children to both open up and tell their own stories, and to listen respectfully to others, encourages the growth of wisdom, compassion, empathy and humility.

Showing respect

We can encourage our children to be tolerant and to accept people just as they are, by using a positive mantra such as “I respect myself, I respect you.” A genuinely humble person recognises that all people deserve respect. We can also help our children by appreciating the lifestyles of children from other countries or cultural backgrounds, and help our own kids to see that although their lives may be different, they are all children facing similar issues and equally worthy of respect.

Results are not everything

In sports and group games, we can celebrate winning without ridiculing or laughing at those who lose. The best sportspeople learn to accept defeat calmly. Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say that we need to learn to accept contradictions and criticism cheerfully, and to be kind and gentle even under provocation.

We learn through making mistakes

We are all human beings, and as such make many mistakes. Sometimes we overprotect our children, not wanting them to feel any pain or sorrow: Instead, it is more helpful to support children through their pain so they can build strong coping skills. When children aren’t fearful of making mistakes or of being compared unfavourably with others, they enjoy their activities and being sociable much more.

Helping others

We can enjoy participating in activities that help others, such as picking up litter at a park, a beach or an area of roadside; volunteering in a school or hospital; or mowing a neighbour’s lawn. We can help our kids to explore their interests and get a real sense of what they love, so they can develop skills to help others in ways they most enjoy.

 

Some Free Books About Humility At Storyberries

Kidnapped to Planet G!

In this exciting comic-style adventure story, Archie is kidnapped by an alien to save Planet G. Instead of being boastful about being specially chosen, Archie acts with real humility, and in doing so makes some super new friends!

The Fairy Garden

A beautiful story about a young girl who discovers fairies at the bottom of her garden, and leaves gifts for them to show her appreciation. A super book for discussing ways in which humility and appreciation for others go hand-in-hand.

The Fair With Golden Hair

A wonderful fairy tale for discussing the themes of humility and service to others, through discussion of the different characters in the story.

 

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Teaching Kids Humility first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Greed is the excessive desire to acquire, consume or possess. It is related to envy – feeling hostility towards someone else who is seen to have more advantage. Envy can carry feelings of sadness, anger, jealousy or resentment. It is usually felt most in children who find it hard to get their needs met; and therefore feel frustrated or insecure, and is often connected to low self esteem. 

Accepting that greed and envy are a natural tendency.

Even from a very young age we can see envy playing out in children. They might  express it in the form of squabbles and tantrums, when they can’t have something they want.  If unchecked; feelings of greed, jealousy or envy can grow and intensify over time.

Why do kids find it so hard to share?

It is not easy for young children to understand the concept of property or to distinguish what is theirs, and what belongs to someone else. If something catches their attention, they take it as if it were their own. They can also find it hard to lend their belongings to others. Forcing children to share is unhelpful – children may see the forced act as a form of punishment; it can spark resentment instead of generosity, thus causing the opposite of what was intended.

Helping kids to express what they need.

Children need to learn to ask for what they want, and also to be helped to understand that at times their requests will be refused. In this article, Storyberries offers free books and practical suggestions for encouraging sharing and co-operation.

Talking about sharing in an age-appropriate way

Young children will not understand the concept of sharing or its implications. Just tell them it’s good and encourage them  to share. With older children we can encourage empathy and compassion for the child who doesn’t have what they have, thus delving deeper into the implications of sharing. By helping our children understand the feelings and realities of those around them, we can naturally foster the value of sharing.

Try not to worry – it takes time to learn to share!

Learning to share is a long process, with normal setbacks. Most of us learn best when we are feeling relaxed, so it helps if, as adults, we can let go of our own worries and frustration.

Notice when kids are sharing well

Telling children they are selfish does not help them to share. Labels, far from helping, make situations worse. If a child hears repeatedly they are selfish, they will end up believing it, and that of course is what we want to avoid! Instead, you might say “I love seeing you being generous with your toys!” or “Look how happy your friend Charlie is when you share with him!”

Encourage kids to play together

Children learn best when learning is playful and practical. Arrange for your child to play as much as possible with more children (if there are older children who already know how to share, even better).

Being a role model ourselves

We can set a positive example, and be a mirror for our children, by being generous ourselves.

Share your gifts with the world!

Participating in community activities that promote solidarity and generosity, and inviting the children to participate as much as possible. In this way we can help them to recognise the privileges, strengths and resources they have, and give them confidence that their sharing is making a positive difference to their own and other people’s lives. 

 

Some Free Books About Greed and Sharing at Storyberries

Muncha Buncha Luncha

Kids will love this poem about a child with the nickname of Luncha Buncha who can’t help eating everyone else’s lunches! The minute their backs are turned, Muncha Buncha eats everything, in all sorts of funny combinations! A great poem for talking about greed, personal belongings and sharing.

Numpurrs

Come and see how twenty adorable cats work together to create a wonderful feast. A super book to encourage sharing and co-operation. It’s also a brilliant book for young readers who are learning to count.

Greedy Pig

Everyone in the Guts family loves spaghetti night! Peter Guts is so excited, and so keen to eat lots, that he doesn’t notice that something very unusual is happening! His brothers do, and between them they learn the valuable lesson of sharing.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Managing greed and encouraging kids to share first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Andrea Kaczmarek/ Storyberries 2020

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Gratitude

1. Why do you think it might be good to not be too greedy at Christmas?

2. Do you think Christmas is about receiving presents, or giving presents? What is the difference?

3. Why do you think people give gifts at Christmas?

Short Story for Kids written by Andrea Kaczmarek

Illustrations by Sabrina Cristina

The post The Looong Christmas Stocking first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2020

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Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Good Manners, Obedience, Independent Thinking

1. Why do you think we have rules of behaviour?

2. If everyone living together on Earth agrees on rules together, do you think they should be followed? Why or why not?

Creativity

1. If you had your own planet, what rules would you make on it?

Bedtime story written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Mihailo Tatic

Music Video: Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ and Sound Effects: zapsplat.com

The post On What Planet Is That Okay ?! first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2020

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Learn-to-read phonics book written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Anastasia Yaroshenko

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Independent Thinking

1. Why do you think Jack and George’s parents turned into monsters?

Helping, Family

1. How do you help around the house?

2. Do you think everyone who lives in a house should help each other to keep it tidy? Why or why not?

The post The Day Mum Became A Monster ! first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

This is a vintage fairy tale, and contains violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand  if your child is sensitive to such themes.

At Dalton, near Thirsk, in Yorkshire, there is a mill. It has quite recently been rebuilt; but when I was at Dalton, six years ago, the old building stood. In front of the house was a long mound which went by the name of “the giant’s grave,” and in the mill you can see a long blade of iron something like a scythe-blade, but not curved, which was called “the giant’s knife,” because of a very curious story which is told of this knife. Would you like to hear it? Well, it isn’t very long.

There once lived a giant at this mill who had only one eye in the middle of his forehead, and he ground men’s bones to make his bread. One day he captured on Pilmoor a lad named Jack, and instead of grinding him in the mill he kept him grinding as his servant, and never let him get away. Jack served the giant seven years, and never was allowed a holiday the whole time. At last he could bear it no longer. Topcliffe fair was coming on, and Jack begged that he might be allowed to go there.

“No, no,” said the giant, “stop at home and mind your grinding.”

“I’ve been grinding and grinding these seven years,” said Jack, “and not a holiday have I had. I’ll have one now, whatever you say.”

“We’ll see about that,” said the giant.

Well, the day was hot, and after dinner the giant lay down in the mill with his head on a sack and dozed. He had been eating in the mill, and had laid down a great loaf of bone bread by his side, and the knife I told you about was in his hand, but his fingers relaxed their hold of it in sleep. Jack seized the knife, and holding it with both his hands drove the blade into the single eye of the giant, who woke with a howl of agony, and starting up, barred the door. Jack was again in difficulties, for he couldn’t get out, but he soon found a way out of them. The giant had a favourite coat, which had also been on the ground when his master was blinded. So Jack threw the hide over his back which looked like the giant’s dog, although his dog was asleep outside in the sun.

“Bow, wow,” says Jack.

“At him, Truncheon,” said the giant; “at the little wretch that I’ve fed these seven years, and now has blinded me.”

“Bow, wow,” says Jack, and ran between the giant’s legs on all-fours, barking till he got to the door. He unlatched it and was off, and never more was seen at Dalton Mill.

ENGLISH FAIRY TALES EDITED BY JOSEPH JACOBS.

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Bullying, Fairness

1. In the story the giant was a bully and made Jack work for 7 long years without a holiday, which made Jack very angry. Do you think the giant was fair to do this? Why or why not?
2. Do you think the giant was a bully towards Jack? Why or why not?
3. Do you think there is a difference between being a bully, and being unfair? What might some differences be?

Independent Thinking

1. Jack was sick of being treated unfairly and made a successful escape from the giant. However, he was violent towards the giant in escaping him. Can you think of some other ways that Jack might have escaped from the giant without being violent?

The post The Blinded Giant first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

This is a vintage fairy tale, and may contain violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand  if your child is sensitive to such themes.

A very long time ago the town of Hamel in Germany was invaded by bands of rats, the like of which had never been seen before nor will ever be again.

They were great black creatures that ran boldly in broad daylight through the streets, and swarmed so, all over the houses, that people at last could not put their hand or foot down anywhere without touching one. When dressing in the morning they found them in their breeches and petticoats, in their pockets and in their boots; and when they wanted a morsel to eat, the voracious horde had swept away everything from cellar to garret. The night was even worse. As soon as the lights were out, these untiring nibblers set to work. And everywhere, in the ceilings, in the floors, in the cupboards, at the doors, there was a chase and a rummage, and so furious a noise of gimlets, pincers, and saws, that a deaf man could not have rested for one hour together.

Neither cats nor dogs, nor poison nor traps, nor prayers nor candles burnt to all the saints—nothing would do anything. The more they killed the more came. And the inhabitants of Hamel began to go to the dogs (not that THEY were of much use), when one Friday there arrived in the town a man with a queer face, who played the bagpipes and sang this refrain:

‘Qui vivra verra:
Le voila,
Le preneur des rats.’

He was a great gawky fellow, dry and bronzed, with a crooked nose, a long rat-tail moustache, two great yellow piercing and mocking eyes, under a large felt hat set off by a scarlet cock’s feather. He was dressed in a green jacket with a leather belt and red breeches, and on his feet were sandals fastened by thongs passed round his legs in the gipsy fashion.

That is how he may be seen to this day, painted on a window of the cathedral of Hamel.

He stopped on the great market-place before the town hall, turned his back on the church and went on with his music, singing:

‘Who lives shall see:
This is he,
The ratcatcher.’

The town council had just assembled to consider once more this plague of Egypt, from which no one could save the town.

The stranger sent word to the counsellors that, if they would make it worth his while, he would rid them of all their rats before night, down to the very last.

‘Then he is a sorcerer!’ cried the citizens with one voice; ‘we must beware of him.’

The Town Counsellor, who was considered clever, reassured them.

He said: ‘Sorcerer or no, if this bagpiper speaks the truth, it was he who sent us this horrible vermin that he wants to rid us of to-day for money. Well, we must learn to catch the devil in his own snares. You leave it to me.’

‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor,’ said the citizens one to another.

And the stranger was brought before them.

‘Before night,’ said he, ‘I shall have despatched all the rats in Hamel if you will but pay me a gros a head.’

‘A gros a head!’ cried the citizens, ‘but that will come to millions of florins!’

The Town Counsellor simply shrugged his shoulders and said to the stranger:

‘A bargain! To work; the rats will be paid one gros a head as you ask.’

The bagpiper announced that he would operate that very evening when the moon rose. He added that the inhabitants should at that hour leave the streets free, and content themselves with looking out of their windows at what was passing, and that it would be a pleasant spectacle.

When the people of Hamel heard of the bargain, they too exclaimed: ‘A gros a head! but this will cost us a deal of money!’

‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor,’ said the town council with a malicious air. And the good people of Hamel repeated with their counsellors, ‘Leave it to the Town Counsellor.’

Towards nine at night the bagpiper re-appeared on the market place. He turned, as at first, his back to the church, and the moment the moon rose on the horizon, ‘Trarira, trari!’ the bagpipes resounded.

It was first a slow, caressing sound, then more and more lively and urgent, and so sonorous and piercing that it penetrated as far as the farthest alleys and retreats of the town.

Soon from the bottom of the cellars, the top of the garrets, from under all the furniture, from all the nooks and corners of the houses, out come the rats, search for the door, fling themselves into the street, and trip, trip, trip, begin to run in file towards the front of the town hall, so squeezed together that they covered the pavement like the waves of flooded torrent.

When the square was quite full the bagpiper faced about, and, still playing briskly, turned towards the river that runs at the foot of the walls of Hamel.

Arrived there he turned round; the rats were following.

‘Hop! hop!’ he cried, pointing with his finger to the middle of the stream, where the water whirled and was drawn down as if through a funnel. And hop! hop! without hesitating, the rats took the leap, swam straight to the funnel, plunged in head foremost and disappeared.

The plunging continued thus without ceasing till midnight.

At last, dragging himself with difficulty, came a big rat, white with age, and stopped on the bank.

It was the king of the band.

‘Are they all there, friend Blanchet?’ asked the bagpiper.

‘They are all there,’ replied friend Blanchet.

‘And how many were they?’

‘Nine hundred and ninety thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.’

‘Well reckoned?’

‘Well reckoned.’

‘Then go and join them, old sire, and au revoir.’

Then the old white rat sprang in his turn into the river, swam to the whirlpool and disappeared.

When the bagpiper had thus concluded his business he went to bed at his inn. And for the first time during three months the people of Hamel slept quietly through the night.

The next morning, at nine o’clock, the bagpiper repaired to the town hall, where the town council awaited him.

‘All your rats took a jump into the river yesterday,’ said he to the counsellors, ‘and I guarantee that not one of them comes back. They were nine hundred and ninety thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, at one gros a head. Reckon!’

‘Let us reckon the heads first. One gros a head is one head the gros. Where are the heads?’

The ratcatcher did not expect this treacherous stroke. He paled with anger and his eyes flashed fire.

‘The heads!’ cried he, ‘if you care about them, go and find them in the river.’

‘So,’ replied the Town Counsellor, ‘you refuse to hold to the terms of your agreement? We ourselves could refuse you all payment. But you have been of use to us, and we will not let you go without a recompense,’ and he offered him fifty crowns.

‘Keep your recompense for yourself,’ replied the ratcatcher proudly. ‘If you do not pay me I will be paid by your heirs.’

Thereupon he pulled his hat down over his eyes, went hastily out of the hall, and left the town without speaking to a soul.

When the Hamel people heard how the affair had ended they rubbed their hands, and with no more scruple than their Town Counsellor, they laughed over the ratcatcher, who, they said, was caught in his own trap. But what made them laugh above all was his threat of getting himself paid by their heirs. Ha! they wished that they only had such creditors for the rest of their lives.

Next day, which was a Sunday, they all went gaily to church, thinking that after Mass they would at last be able to eat some good thing that the rats had not tasted before them.

They never suspected the terrible surprise that awaited them on their return home. No children anywhere, they had all disappeared!

‘Our children! where are our poor children?’ was the cry that was soon heard in all the streets.

Then through the east door of the town came three little boys, who cried and wept, and this is what they told:

While the parents were at church a wonderful music had resounded. Soon all the little boys and all the little girls that had been left at home had gone out, attracted by the magic sounds, and had rushed to the great market-place. There they found the ratcatcher playing his bagpipes at the same spot as the evening before. Then the stranger had begun to walk quickly, and they had followed, running, singing and dancing to the sound of the music, as far as the foot of the mountain which one sees on entering Hamel. At their approach the mountain had opened a little, and the bagpiper had gone in with them, after which it had closed again. Only the three little ones who told the adventure had remained outside, as if by a miracle. One was bandy-legged and could not run fast enough; the other, who had left the house in haste, one foot shod the other bare, had hurt himself against a big stone and could not walk without difficulty; the third had arrived in time, but in harrying to go in with the others had struck so violently against the wall of the mountain that he fell backwards at the moment it closed upon his comrades.

At this story the parents redoubled their lamentations. They ran with pikes and mattocks to the mountain, and searched till evening to find the opening by which their children had disappeared, without being able to find it. At last, the night falling, they returned desolate to Hamel.

But the most unhappy of all was the Town Counsellor, for he lost three little boys and two pretty little girls, and to crown all, the people of Hamel overwhelmed him with reproaches, forgetting that the evening before they had all agreed with him.

What had become of all these unfortunate children?

The parents always hoped they were not dead, and that the rat-catcher, who certainly must have come out of the mountain, would have taken them with him to his country. That is why for several years they sent in search of them to different countries, but no one ever came on the trace of the poor little ones.

It was not till much later that anything was to be heard of them.

About one hundred and fifty years after the event, when there was no longer one left of the fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters of that day, there arrived one evening in Hamel some merchants of Bremen returning from the East, who asked to speak with the citizens. They told that they, in crossing Hungary, had sojourned in a mountainous country called Transylvania, where the inhabitants only spoke German, while all around them nothing was spoken but Hungarian. These people also declared that they came from Germany, but they did not know how they chanced to be in this strange country.

‘Now,’ said the merchants of Bremen, ‘these Germans cannot be other than the descendants of the lost children of Hamel.’

The people of Hamel did not doubt it; and since that day they regard it as certain that the Transylvanians of Hungary are their country folk, whose ancestors, as children, were brought there by the ratcatcher. There are more difficult things to believe than that.

FAIRY TALE EDITED BY ANDREW LANG

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Responsibility

1. In the story, the ratcatcher had the big responsibility of getting rid of the rats that had overtook the town. Do you think he did his job well? Why or why not?

Fairness, Independent Thinking

1. The ratcatcher was not happy that the councillors of the town cheated him of his payment. Do you think they behaved fairly?

2. If the councillors behaved unfairly, do you think it was right that the ratcatcher took away their children to teach them a lesson? Why or why not?

3. What are some other things the ratchatcher could have done?

The post The Ratcatcher first appeared on Bedtime Stories.