© 2024 Storyberries

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

Empathy, Kindness

1. The villagers in this story were frightened of the bear. But Breeze was not. Why wasn’t she frightened of the bear?

2. In this story, Breeze imagines how the bear must feel. This is called “empathy”. How do you think having empathy might help us live together?

Independent Thinking

1. Do you think it is always a good idea to trust wild animals? Why or why not?

2. Why was Breeze not frightened of this particular bear?

3. Do you think she took enough care for her safety when she approached the bear? Why or why not?

Credits:

Bedtime Story written by Lale Sanem Şekercioğlu

Illustrated by Halina Prakapenka

Music Video by “Morning” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Thinking Music” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Casa Bossa Nova” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Hidden Agenda” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Dreamy Flashback” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Goblin Tinker Soldier Spy” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Scheming Weasel (slower version)” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Fireflies and Stardust” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Bushwick Tarantella” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The post Bear of the Woods first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Читайте українською – Read in Ukrainian

© Storyberries 2022

Читайте українською – Read in Ukrainian

Ukrainian Space Hotel will be available for international readers to purchase through the Noosphere Store – check back in at this page for more details in the coming days.

Bedtime Story for Kids written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by the children of Ukraine in the Noosphere Space Art Challenges 2019-2022

Book design by Jade Maitre

Music Video by “Swimmey Texture” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Transition One” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Adding the Sun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) , “Enchanted Valley” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) , “Frost Waltz (Alternate)” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The post Ukrainian Space Hotel first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2022

Visit Storyberries Bookstore

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

Growth Mindset, Motivation, Trying, Emotions

1. When Flynn couldn’t fly the first time, he ran home crying. Why do you think he did that?

2. What made Flynn want to try again at flying?

3. What did Flynn do, to try and achieve his goal? Which of those things do you think was the most important to him succeeding? Why?

4. What do you think would have happened if Flynn had given up? Do you think this was a good option? 5. When do you think is the best time to give up?

Short bedtime story written by Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

Illustrated by Yesim Serce

Book Design by Jade Maitre

Music Video by Mana Two – Part 1 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Silver Blue Light Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Screen Saver Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Ascending the Vale Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The post Flynn first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

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

Independent Thinking

1. Can you think of some ways that you can use less fuel in your daily life?

Creativity

1. Invent a new kind of fuel. How would it work?

Bedtime Story written by C.G. Salamander and illustrated by Aindri C.

Other Credits:

Music Video by Blippy Trance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Getting it Done Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Cruising for Goblins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Dordles Go Home (Books 1,2 and 3) (English), written by C G Salamander, illustrated by Aindri C, supported by Sofina Covid Solidarity Fund, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2021) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in

* THE STORIES ‘THE DORDLES FIND FUEL’, ‘THE DORDLES SAVE FUEL’ AND ‘THE DORDLES GO HOME’ WERE CREATED BY PRATHAM BOOKS AND ARE LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS -BY-4.0 LICENSE. FORMATTING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORIGINAL WORKS FOR EASE OF READING ON OUR WEBSITE.

The post The Dordles Find Fuel first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

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

Environment, Responsibility, Independent Thinking

1. Do you think humans have a responsibility to take care of the planet Earth? Why or why not?

2. What are some of the things you could do, yourself and in your family, to help combat climate change?

Bedtime Story written by Bibek Bhattacharya

Bedtime Story illustrated by Joanna Davala

Other Credits:

Music Video by “Adding the Sun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Tempting Secrets” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heart of Nowhere” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Arcadia” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Jerry Five” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Ominous Intro” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Fearless First” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Chase Pulse Faster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Bicycle” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heart of Nowhere” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Our Beautiful World (English), written by Bibek Bhattacharya, illustrated by Joanna Davala, supported by Oracle, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2021) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in

* THE STORY ‘OUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD’ WAS CREATED BY PRATHAM BOOKS AND IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS -BY-4.0 LICENSE. FORMATTING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORIGINAL WORK FOR EASE OF READING ON OUR WEBSITE.

The post Our Beautiful World first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

CHAPTER ONE 

A long time ago, in a place not a million miles from here, there lived a man. There was something very, very special about this man.

This man was very rich. But that’s not what made him special. Since the world began – well, almost – there have been lots of very rich men.

But the man that we’re talking about was also very, very kind. And that is what is special.

Very, very, very special.

The very rich and very, very kind man loved nothing more than to give presents, in secret, to the people around him. It made him happy. Very, very happy. But, one day, he heard a story that made him sad.

Very, very sad.

CHAPTER TWO

A long time ago, in a place not a million miles from here, there weren’t the same opportunities for girls that there were for boys. Some might say that not much has changed. But that’s a story for another day. And, anyway, it wasn’t this that made the very rich and very, very kind man sad. Not just that, anyway. It was this.

One of his neighbours – a very old and very poor man – had three daughters. A long time ago, in a place not a million miles from here, no matter how poor a family might be, they were expected to pay for their daughters’ weddings. But this man couldn’t afford to pay for one daughter’s wedding, never mind three. And he was proud. Very, very proud. So, although his three daughters had all found husbands-to-be who loved them and wanted them to follow their dreams and didn’t care a jot about money, the entire family was stuck.

And it was that that made the very rich and very, very kind man sad. Because life is far too precious to waste a single day of it being stuck. And so the very rich and very, very kind man came up with a plan.

CHAPTER THREE

On the first night, the very rich and very, very kind…
Do you know what? Let’s call him Nicholas.

On the first night, Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of the very, very old and very poor…
Do you know what? Let’s call him Ned.

On the first night, Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down Ned’s chimney. The bag of gold fell into a stocking that Ned’s eldest daughter had hung beside the fire to dry. In the bag was just enough gold to pay for her wedding. And so, she got married that very day. A long time ago, in a place not a million miles from here, people weren’t really into lengthy engagements.

On the second night, Nicholas dropped another bag of gold down Ned’s chimney. This time, the bag of gold fell into a stocking that Ned’s middle daughter had hung beside the fire to dry. In the bag was just enough gold to pay for her wedding. And so, she got married that very day.

On the third night, Ned wondered if the family’s secret benefactor would return. He thought the very least he could do was say, “Thank you!” So, he sat in a chair beside the fire and waited. But after two days of wedding celebrations, Ned was feeling tired. Very, very tired. And his eyes were beginning to close when he heard a noise on the roof. Ned dashed outside and spotted Nicholas dropping a third bag of gold down his chimney. No prizes for guessing that, this time, the bag contained just enough gold to pay for a wedding for Ned’s youngest daughter.

“You’ve brought such happiness to my family!” Ned shouted up, “How can I ever repay you? Bearing in mind that I’m very, very old and very p…”

“Yep, I get it,” replied Nicholas. “But there are lots of things that you can share with other people. Presents are lovely. But a kind word is, too. A loving hug, a genuine smile, a helping hand. And it’s sharing gifts like these that make our world a better – and happier – place.”

CHAPTER FOUR 

Nicholas spent the rest of his life being very, very kind. So much so that, when his life was over, he was made a Saint. Saint Nicholas. Or Santa Claus as he is now more commonly known.

Of course, all of this happened a long time ago. A very, very long time ago. But you never know. Christmas is a magical time of year. And maybe, just maybe, if you hang up a stocking on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus will find a way to leave a special little something, just for you!

But remember: you don’t need to wait until Christmastime to be very, very kind yourself!

© Isla McGuckin 2021

Short Story for kids written by Isla McGuckin

Let’s Chat About the Story – Ideas for Talking With Kids

Kindness

1. Why do you think being kind feels so good for the person who is being kind?

2. Do you think it also feels good to receive kindness? Why?

3. What are some ways you can think of, to spread joy and kindness amongst people at Christmas?

The post Santa Claus: The Almost 100% True Story  first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Sunshine is a girl. Always barefoot, with long brown hair stretching down her back; highlighted with the colours of autumn: rich golds and fiery reds. Her slanted cat eyes are strikingly deep purple. She glows with happiness and adventure; this is what makes her beautiful, shining from the inside out.

It’s late afternoon in the Australian bush. Sunshine swings her basket as she skips past the familiar gumtrees; which are covered in long green strands of leaves softly flowing in the wind, like hair. Gentle dusk light is filtering through the trees and lighting up the grass like a fluorescent carpet. Sunshine promised her best friends they would have a feast of all their favourite foods at sunset.

Sunshine bounces and skips through the bush and greets nature as it’s beginning to wind down. Good afternoon to the magpies who are starting to sing, G’day to the grumbling wombat beginning to wake up and Hello to Mr. Moon, beginning to peek through the crisp blue sky.

Sunshine arrives at her favourite clearing just as the sun is beginning to set and unpacks her food onto a big, cracked tree stump. A blueberry pie, carrot and pine nut noodles, sweet rhubarb brownies, pumpkin rice with fluffy cream and strawberry, orange and mint juice. Sunshine sits down crossed-legged and patiently waits, feeling the sunset gently warming her skin.

One by one her friends arrive: Ruby the Rabbit. Honey the Platypus. Atlas the Possum. Bouncy the Baby Kangaroo. And Electric the Echidna. Sunshine greets her friends with a friendly “Good Morning!”. Being nocturnal animals, Sunshine’s friends have just awoken after happily sleeping all day. They all gather around the tree stump and fill their tummies with the goodness of food, the rainbow of tastes pulling them into a blissful half-sleep. They fall back onto the soft, long grass and watch the fluffy clouds float past above them.

Sunshine sees a dragon breathing fire and a handsome man with a kind smile. Ruby sees a bunch of big, crunchy carrots. Honey sees lots of silvery fish swimming. Atlas sees a baby possum just like her. Bouncy sees a giant kangaroo fighting evil. And Electric sees an Echidna, but instead of spikes, she is covered in fluffy cloud.

The sky starts to turn pink, making the clouds look like cotton candy, then turning a soft violet. Her friends start to hop, scuttle and waddle home with full bellies and smiles on their little faces. Sunshine feels an immense happiness wash over her, sending her into a deep slumber.

Sunshine opens her eyes and sees that the sun has gone and Mr. Moon is up, shining brightly like a giant glowing cream pie. Her surroundings have changed; everything is tinted a periwinkle blue and there are dark shadows swaying around her. The soft light from the moon and stars gently bathe her skin in light. She hears crickets chirping and the flutter of birds who are finding their way to bed. The smell of jasmine and honeysuckle hangs softly in the air, pulling Sunshine out of her sleep. She slowly rises, stretching like a long lanky cat, and packs up her basket.

There are glowing white flowers covering the clearing; they look like small ladies, dancing in the breeze. Gracefully fluttering in the air are butterflies as big as her hands, with wings patterned with gold, orange and fuchsia, glowing brightly.

Sunshine is grateful for this extra light, which will help her find her way home. She exits the clearing and starts to walk through the dream-like bush. It is very quiet; she can hear the wind rustling through the leaves and the soft sounds of the night-time animals. Amongst the branches are lots of beady gold eyes watching her. Sunshine knows they belong to the very kind owls and cheeky fruit bats.

After some time walking, Sunshine suddenly realises she isn’t sure which way her home is. She starts to head back the way she came, so she can go back to the clearing and retrace her steps, but she seems to be getting deeper and deeper into unknown trees. Sunshine closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and continues walking. Working out a plan with each step. She has lots of friends in the forest, she will ask them for help. She stops and looks up at the shining moon through the trees.

“Gentle Mr. Moon, will you help me find my way home?,” Sunshine whispers.

“To be like the Moon, always see the big picture,” the Moon replied in a deep, chuckling voice.

Sunshine stares up in silence and waits for some more information.

“Thank you, Mr. Moon,” she finally says, continuing on her way.

Through the trees, Sunshine spots a patch of dark sky filled with stars, blinking down at her. The big picture, Sunshine thinks.

“How about you little baby stars, can you help me?” she says.

“Even though we may be small, we have so much light to give. With lots of us and determination, we can light up the world. Even within darkness, keep shining your light,” all the stars chime.

“Thank you, baby stars,” Sunshine says.

Sunshine continues on through the trees with assurance and brightness. Keep shining through the darkness, Sunshine thinks. As she thinks this thought, the scenery begins to change, the trees becoming more sparse. Sunshine can hear the soft trickling of water in the distance. She follows the light of the moon to an opening where she finds a large river. It is sparkling dark blue like it’s filled with sharply cut sapphires, with the moon and stars dancing in the reflection. The banks of the river are covered with soft green grass and mossy rocks. It’s cooler here; the fresh breeze brushes through Sunshine’s long hair and cools down her hot cheeks.

Sunshine looks out across the river.

“Hello, Miss. River, it’s nice to meet you,” Sunshine says.

“Good evening,” says The River, in a soothing, relaxed voice.

“I’m not sure which way my home is, could you help me?”

“With persistence, water can break through anything, even stone,”

“Oh…”

“That is all I have for you,” says The River.

“Ok, well, thank you very much, Miss. River.”

Sunshine sits on the banks of the river for a little while longer, swirling her feet around in the cold water to help relieve the soreness from her journey. She gets up and continues walking along the river bank.

If I keep trying I can do anything, Sunshine says to herself. She has now entered back into the bush, further upstream. She stops to listen. She can hear the familiar humming whisper of Grandmother Tree in the distance!

Sunshine follows the whisper song through the trees until she reaches the giant grey gumtree. There are clusters of branches with long greyish-green strands of leaves hanging down around the tree like a curtain. Sunshine gently moves through the leaves to find Granny’s silver tree trunk, which is covered in a maze of deep lines and thick green moss.

Sunshine has been coming here since she was very little, finding comfort in the worn wrinkly bark and the fresh eucalyptus smell of her leaves. Sometimes she would fall asleep cradled in her thick branches, after playing with the rainbow beetles, laughing along with the kookaburras and talking to the possums that live among her. Grandmother Tree is so big, Sunshine knows she couldn’t fit her arms across her in a hug, but she tries anyway, lying flat against her and embracing the tree like a long-lost family member.

If Sunshine had a real family, Granny would be it.

“Oh hello, little one. How lovely to see you!” Grandmother Tree says in a warm crackly voice.

“I’m afraid I’m lost Granny, will you help me?” says Sunshine, her face pressed against the cool bark.

“My child, learn to be strong and hold yourself tall like me. Always be connected to the ground but freely moving in the breeze.”

Sunshine takes this wisdom into her heart, like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. She thanks Grandmother Tree and continues on. The dark is closing around the forest like a blanket.

Sunshine is determined to get back. She takes a big breath, straightens her spine and holds her head up. If she has found Grandmother Tree, then she mustn’t be too far from home. Sunshine is learning to trust her instincts, so she exits the clearing the way her body pulls her, towards a familiar tree and into the dark forest once again.

I am tall just like a tree, Sunshine thinks, stretching up on her tippy toes as she walks. She is starting to feel a lot more confident in the way she is traveling, imagining that her warm, tiny cottage is not too far from here. She built it herself (with some help from her forest friends) out of wood, mud and leaves. They painted the front door a bright turquoise colour and the window frames a lemon yellow. Out the back is a small veggie patch filled with giant tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplant and pumpkins. In this meadow where her home is lives Sunshine’s cow, Barna-Bella and her little calf, Patch. Barna-Bella is big, soft and brown with sparkling blue eyes, while Patch is small with long legs and matching to his mother. Barna-Bella helps to keep the grass short in the meadow and keeps Sunshine company. Every morning, Sunshine collects Barna-Bella’s extra milk, which she drinks down while it is still warm, and then churns it into butter and makes big wheels of cheese.

Sunshine’s mouth is watering at the thought of all that food; she didn’t realise how long it had been since she ate. As she’s walking, Sunshine spots a sleepy Koala perched in the nook of a gum tree, slowly munching on some leaves. She walks to the tree, climbs up with her picnic basket and sits on a branch next to the Koala, her legs dangling down. Sunshine opens the basket on her lap and snacks on the leftover food from the picnic.

“I think I’m nearly home Mr. Koala,” she says.

The Koala slowly blinks up at Sunshine.

“Remember that it is always okay to take things slow, just like me,” he says in a slow, sleepy voice.

“Thank you very much,” said Sunshine.

Sunshine finishes her snacks and carefully climbs back down the gumtree and continues walking through the dark bush.

Finally, Sunshine starts to recognise where she is, and knows her beautiful home is not far away at all! She starts to walk faster in order to quickly break through to the familiar meadow. She runs through the trees and sees the shining sun peeking over the hill above her cottage. Sunshine sees Barna-Bella and Patch asleep further down in the meadow, and her beautiful home perched on the hill above them. Sunshine says Hello to the sun which is lifting its frosty blanket to reveal a crisp light blue sky. Hello to her cottage, her flowers, her meadow and the beautiful trees. As Sunshine slowly walks through the long grass she silently thanks all her friends for helping her make her way home.

Sunshine enters her cottage, lights a fire, toasts some marshmallows, curls up on her cloud of a pillow and falls asleep with leaves in her hair and Sunshine in her heart.

Bedtime Story for Kids by Katie Simmonds

Let’s Talk About the Story – Ideas for Talking With Kids

Courage, Community

1. In this story, Sunshine uses the wisdom of her friends to find her way through the forest. What other ways in life might we use the wisdom of our friends and loved ones to help us?

2. When Sunshine is lost, she doesn’t lose hope, even when she doesn’t know how she will find her way home. What does she do instead?

3. What do you think this story might say about listening to our own voice inside?

The post Sunshine first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Lilly, Libby, Scarlett and George begged to finish Trick-or-Treating on their own, in their street.

Lilly the green witch with spiders and a pointy hat, Libby the vampire with scary teeth and a blood red cape, Scarlett the pumpkin, her face bright orange, and George the white creepy ghost with a ripped bedsheet.

Mom said yes. All the neighbors wanted to see their costumes, and most of them had plenty of treats…

“Just our neighbors in our street, though. I’ll get the hotdogs ready, so don’t be too long…” Mom called.

And the four children went off to see what their neighbors had ready for them.

The last house was Mrs. Simms, and she had plenty. As they left, George looked along to the end of their road.

“Why not try the old house at the edge of the wood? It’s creepy enough for Halloween.”

“A waste of time. Nobody lives there… it has been empty for years…” Libby shook her Vampire head.

Ghostly George didn’t give up. “But tonight, I can see a light in the front window. Maybe somebody moved in.”

The four children all looked down the road to the big dark old house just outside the little wood at the end of their road.

Lilly squinted. “Yes, there is a light in the window.” She laughed. “OK George, we’ll give the new people a little ‘Halloween welcome’ to our street…”

Why did they feel a bit nervous as they opened the old iron gate, the gate creaked, and they almost turned back?

Sure enough, there was a light – a candle in a dirty jam jar, in the dusty old downstairs window.

“Just moved in… Maybe the electricity isn’t on yet…” Scarlett sounded braver than she felt.

The four Trick-or-Treaters stood close together at the front door. There was no bell, just a rusty old knocker covered in spiderwebs.

Lilly knocked, the sound was hollow and scary.

A face appeared at the window. A thin old lady with straggly white hair. The candle in the jar made her look a little yellow, and very old.

“Happy Halloween,” the children mumbled, in voices that now were no longer so sure that this was a good idea.

But the old lady smiled a crooked smile and asked,

“Who are you? Tell me your names…”

The children were polite and told their names. Wishing the old lady a Happy Halloween, all they wanted to do was to run. Apart from the pale-yellow candle in the window, all around was pitch black. The trees in the garden looked twisted and strange, and the house even older and more broken down than it seemed from the street…

“I have something for you children.” The old lady spoke slowly, and the candle flickered.

Lilly and Libby were holding hands tight. Scarlett and George were gripping each other’s elbows.

“I have so many apple trees in my garden,” the old lady smiled. But it seemed kind of twisted in the candle light.

“Today, I picked a basketful of the best and freshest apples…” Her eyes fixed on each one of the children; her eyes looked right through them. “I hoped some children might come to visit me.”

The children nodded. “Thank you very much…” Libby managed to squeak.

“In front of the door.” The old lady lifted a bony finger, and pointed out of the window.

“Yes, thank you, it’s very kind of you…” Scarlett hardly knew what she was saying. She just wanted to grab that basket and run.

“We’ll bring back the basket, we promise,” George added, but the other three glared at him.

Lilly spotted the basket, quite near her feet on the stone doorstep, where they had just knocked. She hadn’t noticed it before.

“Funny we didn’t see them before,” she mumbled, as she picked up the basket of apples, and the four children turned and ran for the gate.

Only George turned around for a moment – the house was dark again; the candle had gone out.

Back home, Lilly quickly dumped the basket of apples on the kitchen table, then the children went to the counter for the delicious smelling hot-dogs.

“I hope you got plenty of treats,” Mum smiled.

“Loads,” Scarlett grinned.

“And the old lady in the big house at the end of the road gave us a basket of apples…” George told her.

“But nobody lives in that old house. It has been empty for years…” Mom shook her head, and they went out onto the patio to toast marshmallows on a small fire and share out their candy.

The next morning Mom called the children for breakfast.

“What on earth were you thinking, leaving that basket of apples on the table…”

“Why?” Lilly looked hard at the basket.

“Those apples are rotten…” Mum pointed at the basket. “Full of worms, and they look pretty rotten. The basket crumbles as soon as you even touch it, it’s so old…”

“But it wasn’t like that last night,” George frowned. “The apples looked fresh; red and green…”

George stared at the basket. The apples were brown and rotting, moldy with worms and maggots crawling all over, flies buzzing…

“They stink.” Libby held her nose.

“In the bin.” Mum scooped up the basket and threw it away.

“How did that happen?” Scarlett wondered. “Last night they seemed OK”

George couldn’t let it go. “I have to find out. You can come if you like…”

He walked to the end of the road. The others followed behind him.

The big sign said – ‘Keep Out- Dangerous Building!’

A man with a yellow hard hat leaned over the fence.

“That sign has been there for weeks. Those walls are dangerous, the stones are unsafe…”

“And what about the old lady who lives here?” George asked.

“Nobody lives here, little boy.” The man picked up his electric saw and switched it on with a buzz. “We are here to chop down all those old bent and broken old apple trees. They are dangerous and rotten, too. You won’t find any apples in this garden…”

George sniffed, and wondered why he could smell the sweet fruity smell of fresh apples…..

© Storyberries 2021

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

Conversation

1. Have you ever had something spooky happen to you that you couldn’t explain? Tell a scary story about it, this Halloween!

Short Story for Kids written by Andrea Kaczmarek

The post A Candle In The Window first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Matthew and Jessica came rushing down the hallway and stopped just shy of the front door. They were filled with energy and excitement while they watched their parents walk towards them. Halloween had finally arrived and trick or treating was all that was on their mind. Once their front door was opened, they ran outside and disappeared.

Jessica wanted to be Red Riding Hood that year, so she dressed up as the character, complete with a red hood and a basket. She also carried around her Scooby Doo stuffed toy as a stand-in for the big bad wolf. Meanwhile, Matthew dressed up as the fastest man alive. The Flash had been one of his favorites ever since he saw the Justice League cartoon on television.

The roads in the neighborhood were filled with children in colorful costumes bringing baskets and plastic bags. There were older children as well. Most of them were chaperones for their little brothers and sisters. Jessica and Matthew even bumped into a few of their friends. They showed off their costumes and gave much deserved complements to one another.

As the evening progressed, Jessica and Matthew visited more and more houses until they reached the more deserted parts of their neighborhood. None of them had been able to walk that far from their house the night before. While they were strolling, Jessica saw something that made her stop abruptly. The sweet delicacies rustled inside when the basket shook at the sudden halt in motion. She grabbed Matthew by the arm to get his attention. When she had his attention, she pointed to a house that seemed empty and said,

“Was there always a house here?”

Matthew saw the house and began to question whether or not he had seen the house before. They passed by that street on their way to school, so surely he would’ve noticed. But that night, he wasn’t sure if it was.

The house in front of them looked old and time-weary. Instead of clean cut grass, weeds had sprouted in its place. The lack of light inside made it seem like the house was empty. Both of them felt curious but equally scared. They both shared a look which telegraphed that they thought of the same thing, without saying a word. They gave each other a nod and approached the house together.

The wooden floors creaked as they stepped onto the front porch. The door was full of cobwebs and Matthew had to pull some away from the doorknob. He turned the knob and found that it was unlocked. The door creaked as it slowly opened. Before they could enter the house, something appeared in front of them and said “Hello”.

They immediately ran away from the house screaming!

They both stopped when they were far enough from their house to catch their breath. Jessica felt her heart beat so fast, she thought it would leap out of her chest. Matthew looked at his little sister and asked her if she was okay. She nodded and told him that they needed to go home. He noticed something was missing and asked Jessica where Scooby was. Jessica gasped in horror when she realized that she had dropped Scooby back at the creepy old house. Both of them knew that they were going to have to go back there and get it.

They tiptoed their way across the front lawn, making sure they weren’t making any noise that would alert whoever was inside the house. They looked around the front porch for the toy but were unable to find it. Then someone behind them said,

“Are you looking for this?”

They turned around and were left speechless when they saw him. He was a small boy. He wore a plaid shirt and pants with suspenders. He appeared normal, except that he had a pumpkin for a head.

Matthew grabbed the chair on the front porch and was ready to use it as a weapon, while Jessica hid behind her older brother. 

“G-Give us Scooby back or I’ll hit you with this chair. I’m not kidding,” he said shakily. Despite the clear conviction in his threat, it did nothing to hide his fear.

“No-No. I mean you no harm. Here, I’ll give you your toy back,” the boy said. He had his arms stretched out in front just to assure them that he truly meant no harm. He walked closer to them and left the toy on the steps of the porch.

The pumpkin-headed boy backed away slowly. Matthew took that chance and picked up Scooby from the steps. He handed it to Jessica, which she hugged tightly, and then lifted the chair again for protection.

Now that they had Scooby back, Matthew and Jessica were ready to leave. They slowly moved forward with Matthew still holding the chair for protection. He stopped just as he was about to reach the sidewalk. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but curiosity had a hold of him and he couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s wrong with your head?” he asked.

The pumpkin-headed boy looked at him, puzzled, as if he had failed to understand the question.

There was a moment of silence before Matthew said,

“Why is your head a pumpkin?”

“Oh yes. I guess my head is a bit strange to some. Why don’t you come inside and I’ll tell you all about it. We can have some cookies and some chocolate milk,” the boy said. He casually walked to the door. He looked back and said “My name is Carlson, by the way.”

Matthew wanted to ignore his invitation but Jessica also had the same curiosity he had. She was already making her way to the door. Matthew tried to call her back but it was too late. He sighed and followed her inside.

The house, despite how it looked outside, was surprisingly clean on the inside. The lights illuminated the cozy living room. They sat on the couch, which was soft and comfortable. It had a fireplace, which kept the room warm.

Carlson, who disappeared into the kitchen, reappeared with a tray filled with a plate of cookies and two glasses of chocolate milk. He placed the tray on the table in front of Jessica and Matthew. He told them to eat as much as they wanted.

While Jessica and Matthew ate, Carlson began the interesting story of how he came to be.

Carlson had been brought to life by the wishes of a boy name Jack. He and his family lived in the house they were currently in a long time ago. Jack had no friends and was lonely. On Halloween night, he wanted to go trick or treating but had no-one to go with. So he took a pumpkin which was supposed to be made into a Jack o’ Lantern and made a wish to the stars above. The stars heard his plea and brought to life a boy with a pumpkin head, who he named Carlson.

Both of them had fun trick-or-treating that night. Carlson had so much fun with Jack that he made Halloween his favorite day. However, the next morning when he woke up, Jack and his parents were gone, and the house was completely empty. Carlson had been waiting for Jack to come back ever since.

Matthew and Jessica felt sorry for Carlson. Matthew especially felt bad for threatening to hit Carlson with a chair. He wasn’t a scary threat. He was just sad and lonely.

Carlson saw the gloomy look they both had on their faces and decided that wasn’t in tune with the Halloween spirit. He got up off his seat and made his way to the radio. “Why don’t we have some fun on Halloween?” he said.

Carlson turned on the radio and started dancing. He urged Jessica and Matthew to join him. They were hesitant at first, but seeing Carlson dance made it seem fun. So they got up and joined in. They danced until they couldn’t dance anymore.

Time went by quickly, and much to Jessica and Matthew’s disappointment, it was already getting late and they had to go home. Their parents might worry about them if they stayed out too late. Carlson saw them out the door and they said their goodbyes. Before they left, they shared some of their candy with Carlson, which he graciously accepted. They waved Carlson goodbye one last time before finally making their way back home.

The next morning, Jessica and Matthew came back to Carlson’s house. They knocked on the door but no one came to answer. They called out to Carlson but he still wasn’t there. They tried turning the doorknob and found that it was open. They entered the house and found a lone pumpkin on the table. On top of it was a note. Matthew picked up the note. On the note, the words “Until next Halloween!” were written on it.

Jessica and Matthew left the house feeling sad that they didn’t get to see Carlson again. They kept Carlson’s note and treated it as a promise. They came home that day looking forward to next Halloween, when they could spend another night with Carlson, the living pumpkin.

© Storyberries/ Glenn Francis Faelnar 2021

Short bedtime story written by Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

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

Empathy

1. Were Jessica and Matthew right to run away screaming when they first saw Carlson? Why or why not? What do you think you would have done?

2. How do you think it feels to be Carlson, a boy with a pumpkin head? Can you imagine some things that would be difficult for him?

3. What do you think would be some good things about being Carlson?  

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