READING COMPREHENSION WRITING SUPPORTS T ENGLISH NATIONAL CURRICULUM

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knew that the chief of
the gods could be cruel
and untrustworthy.

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as rash and absent-minded as his
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brother was clever and cunning.
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Books!
He was overwhelmed by Pandora’s
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marry her straight away. box on a high shelf. They lived happily
together, but one of the ‘gifts’ that the
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Christmas Fairy and A LITTLE POP STAR
 What Christmas
eams are made of!
Dr
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oryti azine is published every month by ILLUSTRATORS:

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www.storytimemagazine.com
Martina Naldi The Long Winter
Nelson Tse The Littlest Pop Star
MEimo Siwaporn The Snowman’s Holiday
Giorgia Broseghini Pinocchio and the
Monster Downstairs
Monica Garofalo The Christmas Fairy
of Strasbourg
Fanny Liem Saint Nicholas and the Children
Gabriele Tafuni The Wolf and the Kid
Clarissa Corradin Pandora’s Box
With stories from Canada,
Austria and Ancient Greece
!
Merry Christmas
to one and all!
Read happily ever afte
Arou d the World Tales Storyteller’s Corneer
The l ng winter Saint Nicholas

6
A gr p of brave animals go
and the Children
on a quest to bring sunlight When twins are in trouble,
ba to the world. it’s Saint Nick to the rescue!

wesome Adventures Famous Fables

T e littlest Pop Star The Wolf and the kid

11
e story of a little boy who A little goat decides to play
loved music and became a in the fields alone, but can
teenn sensation! he outwit a wicked wolf?

Ta
ales from Today Myths and Legends
Thee snowman’s holiday
Two o brothers make a magical
frien
nd and take him on a
16 Pandora’s Box
A lady learns that there
are some presents that
holiday Down Under!
OUR COVER STORY shouldn’t be opened!

Short Stories, Big Dreams Storytime Playbox

Pinocchio and the Can you get the kid through a

22
Mo
onster downstairs maze, work out Mozart’s musical
message, or make a snowman?
It wa
as the night before Christmas,
and Pinocchio heard something
mov ving around downstairs...

Story Mac
Fav
vourite Fairy Tales
5
Enter this month’s contest,
Thee Christmas and discover some great
holiday reading!
fairy of Stras our
A co
ount loses a rin and finds
a fa
fairy bride in this magical Race to decorate SEE
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a Christmas tre e ! PAGE 48!
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 Around the World Tales

tHe lONg WinTEr

M any years ago, before humans walked the land,
there was a long, cold winter that lasted for more
than three years.

Dark clouds covered the sky, chill winds blew, and a thick layer of snow covered
everything. The animals were worried that they were going to freeze or starve.
Food was running out, and the ice and snow chilled them to the bone.

The animals held a great council, and agreed that the bravest among them should
go on a quest to the Upper World above the clouds, where the Great Spirits lived.
There they might find the warmth and sunlight that they desperately needed.

6
The Lynx, the Fox, the Wolverine, the
Wolf, the Mouse, the Dogfish and the
Pike volunteered to go in search of the
sunlight and set off through the snow
and ice. After a long journey, they
found a hidden path to the Upper
World, the beautiful and eternal
land of the spirits.
They travelled through the spirit-land
for a long time until they came to a
tipi on the edge of a beautiful lake.
Outside the tipi, two bear cubs were
playing, and the animals asked them
who they were.
“We are the cubs of the Bear Spirit!”
the cubs replied. “She is away hunting
at the moment…”
The animals looked inside the tipi
curiously and found many great
bags hanging there.
“What is in this bag?” asked the
Mouse, pointing.
“That is where mother keeps the
wind!” the cubs replied.
“And this one?”
“That is where she keeps the rain!”
said the cubs.
Then the Mouse pointed at a very
large sack right at the back of the tent.
“What’s in that one, then?” she asked.
7
The cubs shook their heads and said, The animals ran away from the tipi
“Oh, she said it is a great secret – if before the Bear Spirit spotted them,
we tell you, she will be very angry!” and hid in the nearby woods. There
they held a council to come up with
The cunning Fox smiled at them and
a plan to steal the bag of sunlight.
said, “Don’t worry, we will keep your
secret safe!” “I can go to the far side of the lake and
turn into a deer!” suggested the Lynx.
The bear cubs shrugged and said,
“When the Bear Spirit paddles across
“That bag is where she keeps all
to get me, you can sneak into her tipi
of the sunlight!”
and steal the bag!”
The animals were very excited, but
“That is a great idea!” said the Mouse.
then they heard the heavy footsteps
“I will sneak in and gnaw at her canoe-
of the Bear Spirit returning from the
paddle, so that it will break and leave
hunt. She was grumpy, for she had
her stranded in the middle of the lake!”
not caught anything.
The animals agreed that this was a
good plan. While the Mouse sneaked
up to the canoe and gnawed away at
the paddle, the Lynx went to the far
side of the lake and turned himself
into a graceful deer.
The bear cubs pointed at the deer and
shouted, “Mother! Mother! There is a
deer on the far side of the lake!”
The Bear Spirit peered across the lake
with her little eyes. “Venison would be
just the thing for our dinner!” she said.
She jumped into her canoe and began
paddling across the lake. However,
when she was halfway across, the
paddle the Mouse had gnawed
suddenly snapped. The Bear was
caught off balance and fell out of the
canoe with an almighty splash!
That was just what the animals had
been waiting for. They rushed into the
tent, and seized the great bag full of
sunlight. Carrying the heavy bag
between them, they set off as fast as
their legs could carry them towards
the path back to their own world.
Behind them they could hear a roar
from the Bear Spirit. She had seen
what they were doing, and was
swimming back to shore!
9
The animals ran as fast as they could – but the bag of
sunlight was very heavy, and soon they could hear the
sound of the Bear Spirit chasing behind.

When they got to the secret path down to their own

Amazing
world, the animals looked back to see if the Bear animals!
Spirit was close – but this made them stumble off A pike is a carnivorous
the path and go tumbling down to the earth far below! freshwater fish, a dogfish
is a sort of small shark,
The animals landed safely in a big bank of snow, and a wolverine is a ve
ry
which cushioned their fall. As they were picking strong and dangerous
animal that is related to
themselves up and brushing snow out of their fur,
the weasel – but is as bi
the bag that they had been carrying thudded to g
as a medium-sized dog!
the ground beside them and burst open.

Warm sunlight shone out of it, the clouds parted, and the
snow melted before their eyes. As the animals looked on
in wonder, green shoots sprouted from the bushes and
trees. Spring had returned to the land!

10
 Awesome Adventures

The Littlest
Pop Star
T wo hundred years ago, in
the city of Salzburg, there
lived a boy named Johannes
Chrysostomus Wolfgangus
Theophilus Mozart. His family
just called him Wolfgang –
or ‘Wolferl’ for short!
The house Wolferl grew up in was always
filled with music, because his father Leo
was a music teacher and composer.
For as long as he could remember,
Wolferl had loved music – it made him
feel tingly inside!

Wolferl’s big sister was called Nannerl.

When she was seven and little Wolferl
was three, their dad decided to teach her
how to play music on the clavier (a kind
of piano). While she learned how to find
musical notes on the keys, Wolferl
watched and listened, fascinated!
Once she was finished, he climbed
up onto the piano-bench, and began
to play notes. This note sounded very
nice with that note, and then if he
played this one at the same time,
it sounded amazing!
Wolferl began sneaking in to find
new notes on the clavier and put them
together in new and interesting ways.
Imagine Leopold’s surprise when he
found his little boy playing beautiful
tunes he had come up with on his
own! Leopold realised that his son
had amazing talent and began to
teach him new things to play.
When Leopold discovered that
someone had put dots and lines all
over the paper he used to write down
music, he thought that one of his
children had scribbled on them.
12
But Wolferl had taught himself how
to write music, and had written down
more songs he had come up with!
By the time he was six, he had written
two long pieces of music, called a
minuet and a concerto.
Leopold realised that little Wolferl
was much more talented that he was,
so he gave up composing to teach his
son and daughter. As the family all
loved music, they would often play
together in the evenings – nibbling
on marzipan treats and playing silly
songs they had written. Other fun
games included throwing darts at
targets and telling fart jokes!
One day, Leopold came up to Wolferl stayed in were often smelly. However,
with big news. “Pack your best wigs Wolferl loved being able to see the
and coats, lad – I’m taking you on world – and it was great to share this
tour! Everybody will find out how good experience with his dad and sister.
you are, and we can make lots of
money, too!”
His first really big show was in the
Records, CDs and MP3s hadn’t been
grand old city of Vienna. This city
invented yet, so musicians had to
was one of the hottest places for
travel around and play at the courts
young musicians to play, and was
of kings, queens and fancy lords.
home to the waltz – which was the
Nannerl, Wolferl and their dad packed
big dance craze at the time.
up their luggage, loaded it on a
carriage, and set off on tour! When it was time to play, Wolferl
dressed to impress in his finest wig
Travelling on rough roads in carriages
and coat and was led into a grand
with wooden wheels was very
mirrored room in a huge palace...
uncomfortable, and the inns they

13
It was filled with very important-
looking people in fancy clothes, but
Wolferl didn’t worry – he just sat down
at his clavier and put on an amazing
show! Everybody cheered, and the
palace’s music-master told him,
“You are a real musician!”
The little boy didn’t know it at the time,
but he had just played for the ruler of
the Holy Roman Empire, which would
later become the countries of
Germany and Austria!
This show was such a success that
Leopold took Wolferl and Nannerl
on a long tour ac s E op .
14
18
8
They played for the kings of England
and France, and while he was in
England, Wolferl wrote his first
symphony (a long and complicated
piece of music). It was an unheard-of
achievement for a nine-year-old boy!
Wolferl also heard about a cool new
kind of music that came from Italy:
musical plays called operas. When
the family went back home, the Holy
Roman Emperor told Wolferl, “You
should write an opera of your own!”
It wasn’t long before he had finished his very
first opera. The only problem was, the first
performance was cancelled after other WHAT
jealous composers spread nasty rumours that
Leopold had written it for him! They did not
HAPPENED
believe a twelve-year-old composed it, and NEXT....
they threatened to sabotage the show...

Leopold then told his kids that he was taking
them on a new tour – south to Italy! The
journey over the icy mountains was cold and
difficult, but Wolferl couldn’t wait to visit the
N owadays, Wolferl is better
known as Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart. He went on
to compose more than 600
wonderful pieces of music,
and most people agree he is
one of the greatest musicians
of all time. Even if you don’t
know it, you have probably
heard and enjoyed his music
in movies or on TV. His most
famous compositions include
‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’,
‘Piano Sonata No. 11’, and
the operas The Marriage of
Figaro and The Magic Flute.

His story has been told

in movies and pop songs,
and he is especially well
etown
remembered in his hometown
of Salzburg. There you ccan
buy delicious chocolatee
and nut treats named
after him, and every
year the city
celebrates
‘Mozart week’
in his honour,
at the time of
his birthday,
January 27th!
Tales from Today

The Snowman’s
Holiday
W hen the first snow fell, Alfie and his little brother
Ike quickly dug out their warmest clothes, pulled
on their gloves, and got down to the important business
of having a snowball fight!
The brothers quickly got tired of throwing snow at each other, though,
so they decided to make a snowman instead!

First, they made a snowball and rolled it around the garden.

It picked up snow as it went, and soon was very big indeed.
That made a fine body for the snowman. They then added
another ball on top for a head, and
two branches for arms.

16
“Hello chaps!” Old Mr Tompkins, their
next-door neighbour, was leaning
on the fence and looking at their
handiwork. “That’s a fine snowman
– but these things will give him the
finishing touch!”
He handed them a carrot and some
pebbles and winked. “I used to use
a carrot and these pebbles to make
snowmen when I was a boy.. There’s
a little bit of magic in them, I reckon!”
He gave them a wink and a wave as
he went indoors.
Alfie put the pebbles on the
snowman’s head to make
eyes and a mouth, then lifted Ike up
so he could give the snowman a
carrot-nose. They then stood back
and admired their work.
However, they were surprised when
the snowman stretched out his twiggy
arms, opened his pebble mouth, and
gave a great yawn!
They were even more surprised when
the snowman spoke with a voice that
sounded like the wind blowing
through bare winter trees.
“My, my, that was a long sleep.
Who are you two,
if I may ask?”
17
 I T !
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YOU made o

Alfie was dumbstruck, so Ike piped up.
“I’m Ike and this is my brother Alfred.
Who are you?”
The snowman smiled and said,
“I’m Mr Fimbulwinter! That nice Timmy
Tompkins used to make me a new
body every winter and we would
play in the snow together!”
Alfie thought he understood.
“Mr. Tompkins is quite old now, so
he gave us the pebbles that brought
you to life. Would you like to play
with us instead?”
After thinking briefly, Mr Fimbulwinter
agreed. The snowman was good
at making snowballs, and he even
helped them build a snow fort!
As the sun dipped towards the horizon
and coloured the snow pink, purple
and orange, the boys told the
snowman that they had to go
inside and finish packing.
“Packing? Where are you going?”
Mr Fimbulwinter asked.
Ike started talking so quickly that Alfie
was worried his brother would run out
of air! “We’re flying all the way to
Australia for Christmas! My dad’s
brother and my cousins live there!
It’s in the bit of the Earth they call the
Southern Hemisphere so it’s summer
at Christmas, if you can believe that!
So we get to swim at the beach and
have barbecued prawns instead of
snowfights and roast turkey!”
 The snowman’s eyes
widened, and he touched
his chin with his twiggy fingers.
“This ‘Australia’ sounds lovely! I wish
I could see it, but I’d melt in the sun!”
Alfie had an idea! He grinned and
said, “I think I might know how we
can take you with us!”
The boys went inside and finished
their packing – they had their bathing
costumes, snorkels and T-shirts. Their
parents were so busy that they didn’t
notice Alfie folding up a carrot and
some pebbles in one of his towels…
The next day, the boys woke up
extra-early, and Mum and Dad hurried
them into the taxi to the airport. Then
there was a lot of waiting in queues in
the big echoey airport, finding their
seats on the plane, and a looooong
flight. Luckily, there were lots of
movies to watch on the little screens
in front of their seats, and the nice
flight attendant brought them as
many drinks as they wanted!
Alfie and Ike stared out of the window
as the plane came in to land in
Australia. The earth was red and tan,
with dark green trees and bushes
around the houses below.
After landing, there was even more
waiting in queues, scrambling to
collect their bags from the conveyor
belts, and finally going through the
automatic doors to where Uncle Dave
was waiting with their cousins – Ruby,
Josh and Claire.
19
It was difficult fitting everybody and
their bags into Uncle Dave’s truck,
but they managed it somehow!
They soon arrived at Uncle Dave’s
house in a suburb near the city. It was
shaded by big trees that smelled like
Mum’s special shampoo.
Uncle Dave clapped his hands.
“So, do you guys want to go to the
beach? Or are you too jet-lagged?”
Ike and Alfie didn’t even bother to
answer – they quickly changed
into their swimming costumes, put
on T-shirts, and were ready to go!
Of course, Alfie had the pebbles
and carrot safely in his towel...
“Don’t forget your thongs!” said
Claire. Alfie looked confused,
so Josh explained that ‘thongs’
was the Australian word
for ‘flip-flops’…
20
When they set off down the tree-lined
street towards the beach, it became
obvious why they needed the thongs
– the sun was so hot that the tar of
the road was melting a bit, and it
shimmered like a mirage!
The beach was more beautiful than
the boys could have imagined, with
yellow sand and a deep blue sea.
Dozens of kids were playing in the
water, and further down the beach
they saw surfers catching waves.
Ike and Alfie put on sunscreen and
dabbed zinc on their noses. Then,
they and their cousins ran over
the hot sand to dive into the sea.
After splashing around for a bit, Alfie
told Ruby, Josh and Claire about the
magical friend he and Ike had made,
and they agreed to help give Mr
Fimbulwinter a summer Christmas!
They took handfuls of wet sand up “So this is your summer Christmas?
the beach, shaped it into two big balls, It is wonderful!”
and rolled one on top of the other.
Ruby, Josh and Claire were very
Claire and Josh found branches to
surprised when the ‘sandman’ began
be the ‘sandman’s’ arms, and Alfie
talking, but they soon started chatting
took the stones and the carrot out
to him. The kids even found a hat and
of his towel.
sunglasses for their new friend and
When he gave the sand figure its dabbed zinc on his nose.
pebble eyes and mouth and carrot
Mr Fimbulwinter liked his new
nose, Mr Fimbulwinter came to life
Australian outfit and gazed
in his new sand body.
contentedly at the beautiful beach
“Well I never!” said the sandy figure as under blue summer skies. He was
he looked out at the sparkling sand, a very lucky snowman indeed!!
the crashing waves and the surfers in
the bright sunshine.
 Short Stories, Big Dreams

Pinocchio and the

Monster Downstairs
It was the night before Christmas, and all through the
house, not a creature was stirring – except for whatever
was making a faint scratching noise downstairs!
When Pinocchio woke up in his snug bedroom in the
attic of Gepetto’s house, he was sure he could
hear something moving about downstairs.
Was it Cinderella’s mice, coming in to
borrow some cheddar?

He slipped out of his cosy bed, crept over to the

top of the stairs, and listened. From down below
he could hear Geppetto’s snoring, which sounded
like a squeaky old saw cutting a log… but not the
scratching sound.

He tiptoed carefully down the stairs to the

living room. The Christmas tree was there,
decorated with brightly painted wooden
ornaments, and a pile of presents was
ready to be opened in the morning.

The door to the kitchen was partly

open, and through it Pinocchio
could hear a scrabbling noise.
Just then, he saw a shadow on the wall
of the living-room, made by something
in the kitchen. It made Pinocchio’s hair
stand on end! The shadow looked very
big, with pointy ears and a tail!
Pinocchio yelped in surprise! Geppetto
got out of bed and came downstairs to
see what was going on. “What are you
doing up, son?” He looked at Pinocchio
with a twinkle in his eye. “Did you
come down to peek at your presents?
Don’t tell a fib or your nose will grow,
you know!”
Pinocchio shook his head and
pointed at the kitchen door.
“No! I heard something –
and I think there’s a monster
in the kitchen!”
Geppetto gave him a look
over his spectacles and
chuckled. “Don’t worry,
Pinocchio – that ‘monster’
is a special Christmas
surprise for you!”
Geppetto gave a little whistle, and
there was a scrabbling noise as a little
furry shape ran through the door and
leaped at Pinocchio. The boy fell
backwards in surprise, and a wet
tongue licked his face. It was a scruffy
little puppy who was very happy to
meet his new master!
“A real boy should have a real dog to
accompany him on his adventures –
so I got little Biscotti here for you!
I was going to give him to you
tomorrow morning, but the little chap
decided to explore his new home!”
Pinocchio began to laugh and patted
Biscotti on the head. He took his new
friend upstairs, where the puppy went
to sleep on a cushion by his bed.
This was the best Christmas Eve ever!
Woof,
woof!
23
 Favourite Fairy Tales

The Christmas Fairy

of Strasbourg
I n the beautiful city of Strasbourg, beside
the great river Rhine, there once lived a
nobleman named Count Otto.

Otto was young and handsome. He was

much admired by the ladies of the city,
but he paid no attention to them and
said he never wanted to get married.
That was why the people of Strasbourg
called him ‘Count Stoneheart’.

One frosty winter’s day, Otto held

a great hunt for the city’s nobles.
Wearing fine furs and riding their most
magnificent horses, they set out from
the count’s castle and into the forest.

The hunters chased a deer through the

trees, across streams and down into
narrow ravines. Count Otto galloped
ahead, but even he could not keep
up with the deer, and it escaped.
When he looked around, the young
man noticed that he had lost the rest
of the hunting-party!
22
He found a small spring in the forest, “Tomorrow I will get to the bottom
so he got off his horse and bent down of this mystery!” he thought.
to wash his hands and drink. “I will send my servants to drain
the pond and find my ring!”

Otto then went to bed, but could not

Otto expected the water to be icy-cold,
sleep. He kept thinking about the
and was surprised that it was warm!
strange hand in the pool that had
He dipped his hands in deeper,
stolen his favourite ring!
enjoying the feeling of the warmth on
his skin – but then he felt a small hand Just as he was about to fall asleep,
gently touch him and slip his fancy however, Otto was awoken by the
golden ring off his finger! sound of music and dancing in the next
room. Curious, he opened the door
Otto jumped back in surprise. Who
and peeked in. The room was filled
or what had taken his ring? When he
with little fairy folk, who were playing
peered into the water, he couldn’t see
music and dancing a merry jig. But that
anything, so he got on his horse and
was not what caught his eye.
found his way back to the castle.

25
He saw
a tree decorated with jewels, and

HIDDEN
TREASURES
Can you spot wher
all of these items arre
hidden in the room?
 queen!
fairy
utifu l
beside it stood a bea

How many
fairies can
you count in
this scene?
Write your
answer here!
fa . .
fa
fairie rere
ea
are An wer: t
She was the loveliest woman he had The fairy queen then took his hand
ever seen, with hair the colour of and led him in a beautiful dance
ebony and a gown of cream and rose. around the tree that shone with
jewels, while the fairy-folk laughed
The queen saw him and beckoned for
and played around them.
him to come to her. As if in a dream,
he walked through the dancing fairies. Otto had no time for the ladies of
Strasbourg, but he was enchanted by
The queen spoke. “Dear Count!
the queen. He dropped to his knees
My name is Ernestine, Queen of the
and said, “My lady, you are the most
Fairies, and I have come to return
wonderful woman in all the world –
something that you have lost!”
will you please marry me?”
She handed him a small box
decorated with gold, and inside he
found the ring he had lost in the forest.
Ernestine looked at him seriously,
and said, “I will – but you must
promise never to mention darkness
in my presence. I am a being of light,
and if you say that word, I will have to
leave you forever!”
Otto was overjoyed, and quickly
agreed. A month later, the city of
Strasbourg celebrated the wedding of
Count Otto and Queen Ernestine, and
they lived together happily for a year.
The next winter, Otto held another
hunt. The local nobles had all
gathered in their fur cloaks and the
horses were saddled, but Queen
Ernestine was not ready. Impatient,
Otto entered the chamber where
she was still choosing her clothes.
He declared, “You are so slow, the
darkness will come before you
are dressed!”
 Ernestine looked at him in shock and disappeared. Grief-stricken, Otto looked
everywhere for her, but he could only find the mark of her small fairy hand in
the stone above the castle gate. He never saw her again, but he had the
people of the town put up Christmas trees in honour of her.

The mark of Ernestine’s hand can be seen above the castle-gate to this
day, and the people of the city say that the tree the fairy-folk set up in
Otto’s rooms was the inspiration for the Christmas tree tradition.

DID YO
U
kNOW?
Strasbou
rg holds
Christma an amaz
s Market ing
– and the every yea
main attr r
is a beau action
tiful 30-m
Christma etre-tall
s tree. Th
was first e market
held way
1570, 450 back in
years ag
o!

30
 Storyteller’s Corner

Saint Nicholas
and the Children
O nce upon a time, two children named Pierre and
Estelle lived with their grandmother in the forests
of northern Canada. They were twins and looked alike –
but Pierre had brown hair, while Estelle was blonde.
In the darkest part of winter, their grandmother got ill and had
to stay in bed. She told them, “My dears, the only thing that will
make me healthy again is meat broth. Can you go out and get
some nice meat so we can make some?”

Pierre and Estelle agreed. They put on their

warmest clothes and set off into the snowy
wilderness. After trudging through the snow
for an hour, they saw smoke rising from a
little cabin, and went towards it.
Outside the cabin, they saw a Pierre was excited at this news.
kindly looking man who was “Thank you, sir!” he said.
carving wooden whistles. The
The old man gave them a serious
children looked on in wonder as
look, and told them, “If you go to the
his knife shaped the maple-wood.
butcher, be careful! They say he is a
The man said, “Hello, children! mean man, and not to be trusted.”
What are you doing in these
He then handed them two of the
woods on such a frosty day?”
whistles that he had carved.
Estelle replied, “We are looking for
“I make these whistles for Saint
meat with which to make broth for
Nicholas, who gives them as gifts
our grandmother. She is terribly ill!”
to children at Christmas. If you are
The old man told them, “If I had in danger, blow your whistle, and
some meat, I would give it to you – help will come to you!”
but I am vegetarian! Further down
Pierre and Estelle thanked him most
the path there is a butcher – you
kindly, and set off down the path
can get meat from him.”
towards the butcher’s shop.

32
The children were nervous about
going there after what they had been
told about the butcher, but when they
saw the shop, they were amazed. In
the window were great hams, piles of
smoked sausages, roast turkeys, and
delicious cakes with berries on top.
They did not know what to expect
when they timidly opened the door,
but the butcher turned out to be a tall
red-cheeked man, and he was very
pleased to see them.
h tb
“Oh my, what i
brings littl h ld
little children
to my shop on such a chilly day?
Sit by the fire and warm yourselves!”
He gave them sweet tea and cakes
and asked them what they wanted.
“We are looking for some
meat to make broth for
our sick grandmother!”
said Estelle.
He took Estelle and Pierre over to
the great barrel by the counter and
then lifted them up so they could look
inside. However, the children saw that
the barrel was empty!
The butcher gave an evil laugh and
dropped them in before slamming
the lid shut.
“How lucky it was that you two visited
my shop today. I get my meat from
a wicked ogre who hunts in these
woods. He will give me many pounds
of juicy meat if I can get him a child to
keep as a servant. Think
how much he will give
me for twins!”
Este e an Pierre were
rrifi – h n Pi rr
remembered the whistles
the kindly man had given
th m earlier.

“Oh, what good children

you are, to care for your
granny!” boomed the butcher.
“I keep my finest cuts in that
barrel over there – you must
take your ick!”
By wriggling around in the barrel, he
was able to get his whistle out of his
pocket and blow on it. The only sound
he could make was a little peep.
The butcher laughed when he heard it.
“Whistle as hard as you can, my little
darlings – nobody will hear you!”
“I fancy a nice pickle from that barrel
over there!”
The butcher went over to a big pickle-
barrel in the corner and fished one out,
but the old man said, “Not that one!
The biggest and juiciest pickles are
right at the bottom!”

Just then, they heard the door of the
shop swing open, and there was a
heavy stomping sound. Estelle was
frightened that it was the ogre, come
to collect them. However, when she
peeked out of a knothole, she saw
that it was a big man who was
stamping his feet to get the snow off
his snowshoes. He had a hooked nose
and a bushy white beard, and wore a
great scarlet coat trimmed with fur.
When the butcher leaned down into
the barrel, the old man gave him a
sudden shove. The butcher found
himself stuck upside down in the
barrel, quite unable to escape! While
he kicked and struggled, the old man
went over to the barrel holding the
children and quickly pried the lid
off with a knife.

“What can I get you,

sir?” boomed the
butcher. “Ham?
Fruit cake? Or a
pie, perhaps?”

“None of those!”
said the mysterious
bearded man.
The old man said, “Dear children, I
heard your whistle! I am Saint Nicholas,
and I have come to help you escape!”
He got them out of the barrel and
hurried them into the snowy night –
but Pierre grabbed some bacon on
the way out! The sun was setting, and
snow was whipping through the woods.
Behind them, they heard a deep roar
and saw a monstrous figure loom out of
the darkness. It must be the ogre, come
to visit the butcher! The ogre gave a
roar and charged after them.
Saint Nicholas put the children on his
back and began running through the
woods on his big snowshoes – but the
ogre was close behind.
Saint Nicholas then ran across a frozen
stream. The ogre followed them, but its
heavy footsteps caused the ice to
crack and it fell into the stream with
a great splash!
Saint Nicholas took Pierre and Estelle
home to their grandmother. He gave
them all gifts and treats from the great
bag he carried, and they celebrated
their narrow escape!
35
 Colour in
Saint Nicholas!
Saint Nicholas is
the inspiration for
Santa Claus, who
is said to bring
gifts at Christmas.
Colour in this Santa
and all the gifts
around him!
 Famous Fables

The Wolf
and the Kid
A very long time ago, there was a baby goat (called a
kid), and he lived with his mother. They were part of
a flock that was cared for by a goatherd, and they spent
their days eating grass in the mountain meadows.

When little horns began to sprout from

the kid’s head, he was very proud of
them, and started to think that he
was a big strong billy-goat!

When the flock moved to another

pasture and his mother bleated for him
to follow, the kid decided to stay
behind and nibble more grass.

However, when the sun began

to go down and a chill wind
began to blow, the kid
realised that he was quite
alone. He felt scared, because
he knew wolves liked to hunt little
lost animals.
37
Just then, a great grey wolf stepped out from behind a rock.

“What have we here? A little billy-goat, all alone? I think I will have
you for my dinner!”

The kid was terrified, but managed to bleat out, “Before you have your
dinner, could you play a quick tune so I might dance one last time?”

This amused the wolf, so he took out his penny-whistle and began to play.
The kid danced around in time to the music.

After a few minutes, the wolf put down his pipe and said,
“Playing music is fine, but it does give me a big appetite…”
The kid feared that his time had come, but the sound of the wolf’s music had
attracted the attention of the goatherd’s dog! He charged over the hill towards
the wolf, who ran away in terror. The wolf did manage to escape, but not before
the fierce hound had given him a painful nip on the tail!

The wolf learned that you should never be distracted from your purpose –
and the kid learned that it is good to listen to your mother!

39
Myths and Legends

Pandora’s Box
M any years ago, when the world was still
young, the Greek gods of Mount Olympus
defeated a group of giants called the Titans
and became the rulers of the world.
The gods of Olympus demanded that humans should worship
them. At this time, people did not suffer from old age or disease,
but lived like wild animals. They ate their food raw, and when
night came, they had no way to make light or keep warm.
They would huddle together in the dark and pray to the
gods for protection.

One Titan, named Prometheus, had not taken part in the war
against the gods. He took pity on the poor humans who were
afraid of the cold and the dark, and decided to get them
something that would make their lives better.

So Prometheus climbed the heights of Mount Olympus

and stole the secret of fire from the gods. He gave it
to the humans, and this incredible gift changed their
lives forever.

Now, they could cook their food, keep

warm at night, and make metal into tools
and weapons that could protect
them from wild animals.
The secret of fire helped humans
to develop civilization. Over the
centuries, they also discovered
writing, mathematics, science and
other things that make our lives better.
Now, Zeus, the chief of the gods, was
proud and often cruel. He was furious
at Prometheus for stealing fire from
Olympus, and also was angry at
humanity for accepting a gift that
they should not have been given.
Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock
for a while, and came up with a
sneaky plan to punish humanity and
teach them a lesson for accepting
the gift of fire.
Zeus went to Hephaestus, the
blacksmith-god, who could make
almost anything in his forge. The
chief of the gods asked him to shape
a beautiful woman out of clay.
The gods gave her many gifts and
used their powers to bring her to life.
Wise Athena taught her weaving and
sewing, Aphrodite the goddess of love
gave her beauty, and Hermes the
messenger gave her the gift of
speech. They called her ‘Pandora’,
which means ‘all-gifted’ in Greek.
Prometheus had a brother called
Epimetheus, and Zeus went
to him and offered
him Pandora as
his wife.
41
 JA R ? s,
OR myth
BOXiginal Greek trapped
or re
In the spirits we nglish
the e
vil
b u t an E u s ed
ar – n ly
in a j n mistake ad,
la t i o in s t e
trans r d ‘ b ox’ r y is
o s t o
the w why the o ut
h i s a b
whic a s being ’.
n x
know dora’s Bo
‘Pan

Prometheus had
warned Epimetheus
not to accept any gifts
from Zeus, because he
knew that the chief of
the gods could be cruel
and untrustworthy.

However, Epimetheus was

as rash and absent-minded as his
brother was clever and cunning.
He was overwhelmed by Pandora’s
beauty and charm, and agreed to
marry her straight away.
This was just what Zeus had hoped for.
After declaring the couple married, he
gave them a mysterious box as a
wedding present. “I wish you long life
and happiness!” the wily god said.
“I offer you this box as a gift – but you
must never open it!”
The happy couple agreed, and put the
box on a high shelf. They lived happily
together, but one of the ‘gifts’ that the
gods had given Pandora was curiosity.
“I wonder what is in that box?” she
thought. “Surely it cannot hurt to take
a peek. There might be jewels inside!”
While her husband was sleeping,
Pandora took the box from the shelf
and pried open the lid.
When she did, many terrible things
came out, buzzing and chittering like
insects. They were spirits of disease
and old age and misery, which still
affect humanity to this day. Terrified
by what she had done, she slammed
the box shut – but it was too late.
Epimetheus awoke to find Pandora
crying in the corner, holding the box.
He asked her what was wrong, and
she replied, “So many terrible things
came out of this box. I can feel that
one thing is still trapped inside.
I don’t know what it is – but it must
be truly terrible!”
However, Epimetheus convinced her
to let the last thing out. When she
opened the box, a small glowing
light gently flew out. It warmed
Pandora and Epimetheus and made
them feel better, despite the horrible
thing that had just happened. The
last thing to come out of the box
was the spirit of hope, which is the
gift that helps people to overcome
despair and makes the world a
better place.
43
 Storytime
lay o
Make a snowman from a sock, take our tricky true-

EXIT
or-false quiz and race to decorate a Christmas tree!

ESCAPE
The ra
ash kid has to escape START
from tthe hungry wolf and get
back to his mother – can you
a]ej abg Ƅh\ abm qXs through
the rocks and bushes?

2 SCARY Pinocchio has spotted

more scary shadows 3 COUNT IT!
SHADOWS on the wall!
?Xhsioqildion Oh no! So
me evil sp
from Pand irits
A B qab[aXhbgXe[Xmn
]X[[a maX\iqҶ have esca
ora’s Box
ped onto
these puzz
le pages!
Can you fi
nd them a
Write how ll?
C many you
found here
.

44
 4 MUSICAL b
c
d
e

MESSAGE f
g
a

Little Wolferl has written a message –

but has used music as a code to hide
some of the words. Can you work
out what he meant to say? You have
Musical notes are named after letters

on your
and are written on lines called ‘staves’.
You can tell what note is marked on a
stave b
by whe
here it is placed! !

5 MAKE A SOCk SNOWMAN! ASK A

Here’s how to make a snowman like the one in
‘The Snowman’s Holiday’ – using an old sock!
GROWN-UP!
• You will need an old white sock, scissors, string, uncooked rice, rubber
band, bits of rags, drawing pins, the hat and sunglasses template
downloaded from www.storytimemagazine.com/free, and two twigs.
• Cut the ‘foot’ section off the sock with scissors.
• Tie string around one end of the leg section of sock to close it off.
• Turn the sock inside out, so the tied end is on the inside.
• Put bits of rag in the sock until it is round and almost filled.
• Put a rubber band around the sock to divide it into a large
body and a smaller head (where the open end of the sock is).
• Tie string tightly around the open end of the sock at the top of
the head to stop the stuffing from getting out!
• Use black drawing pins for the snowman’s eyes and mouth.
Use an orange drawing pin for its nose.
• Print out and assemble the sunglasses and hat –
use drawing pins to keep them in place.
• Stick the twigs into the snowman’s body to make arms.

Snowmen like this are great decorations

TIP! to put around your home at Christmas!

 6 DRAW A FOX! Don’t
f
Follow these steps to draw a furry fox add t orget to
he ta
in the frame – and then colour it in! il!

1 2 3

w
You can also follo
H A H
When do you have
these steps to
draw a wolf!
Q. ?
to dance like a fox
di ; 4. Musical Message – EGG and FACE.
squirr l, C. cat; 3. Count It! – there are 7 spirits

A. When you’re doing

ERS: 2. Scary Shadows – A. rabbit, B.

the foxtrot!
 ERR Y
CHr IS TMAS
swe r all the questio
An sto
this m onth’s
about

Ike an
nd Alfie take
Mr Fim
mbulwinter 2 Little Wolf
wrote his
erl
3 In ‘Short Stories,
Big Dreams”,
Pinocchio’s
along on their trip first
symphony secret present
to New
w Zealand. when
he was ni was a kitten.
ne.

FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE

In ‘The C Christmas Fairy
of Strasb bourg’, the Fairy
Queen warns Otto
6 In ‘The L
Winter’, a
ong
pike is
The kid is saved
5
ay the word a kind of
not to sa duck.
da
‘d kn
arrk esss’ to her.
ne from the wolf by
a shepherd. TRUE FAL
SE
TRUE FALSE FALSE
TRUE

7 Pandora was taught

the art of weaving.
8
Saint N ic
inside th
h
e
o
b
la
a
s
rr
fo
el
u
b
n
e
d
ca
th
u
e children
se they
blew a whistle.
TRUE FALSE
TRUE FALS
ANSWERS: 1. FALSE, 2. TRUE, 3. FALSE, 4. TRUE, 5. FALSE, 6. FALSE, 7. TRUE, 8. TRUE.
A
THE
The fairies are racing to decorate the Christmas t ee
for the Fairy Queen! See if you can get to the to first
and put up the star decoration! Up to four can p ay.

Ho w t o P l a y
e c o ra ti o n p ie c and the star
counters, the d
Print out the game in e .c o m /f re e . Yo can also
torytimemagz
piece from www.s
u like!
colour them in if yo
h fa ir y c o u n te r y o u want to use!
Choose whic
e s fa ce -u p in a p il e ext to the
ration piec
Put all of the deco
can reach it.
board, so everyone
ir c o u n te rs o n th e START spa e.
e an move their
All players place th th e y ro ll th e d ic e
h e y o u n g e s t p la y er goes first – th e n ta ke urns rolling
T e p la y e rs
o u n te r th a t n u m b er of spaces. Th ro u n d th e t ble in a
c g o in g a
e d ic e a n d m o v in g their counters,
th
.
clockwise direction
a p e d s p a c e , y o u have to fol ow
cle-sh
If you land on a cir e t to d e c o ra te th e pace.
o ns o n it ! After that, you g
the in s tru c ti
p ie c e fr o m th e p il e and put it on!
on
Choose a decorati c o ra ti o n n it, you
y h a s a d e
y o u la n d o n a s p ace that alread u D O h a ve to follow
If – b u t y o
g e t to p u t o n a n o ther decoration
don’t
the space!
the special rule on r- s h a p e d s ace a
h th e s ta
w in n e r is th e fi rs t player to reac coration n top
The p la c e th e s ta r d e
! They get to
the top of the board
of the tree.
 SING A
19 CHRISTMAS 17
CAROL

MOVE
ROLL
BACK 1 15 14 AGAIN
SPACE

MOVE
12 11 FORWARD 9
2 SPACES

MOVE MOVE
8 FORWARD BACK 2
1 SPACE
6 SPACES

MISS
NEXT
TURN
3 2 1 START
 STORY MAGIC
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