AM

AGIC NE YEAR!
W
TM

SNOWDROP discovers
the secret of true beauty!

Where the Frost Comes From, Fairies in

the Floor AND A VERY HUNGRY CAT!
 urful tales to
olo
C ht up your day!
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o n d e rf u l N ew
e s t a r t o f aw
It’s t h , w e h ave
t o c e lebr a te
Year – a n d e m e nt
ic an d e x c it
a g ic , m u s
tales of m o f a l l a g e s !
e l i g ht r e a d ers
to d
elong s to:
is i s sue b
Th
SPOT IT!
Wh
ere is th
wooden is red
horse hi
ding?

Storytime™ magazine is published ILLUSTRATORS:

every month by Storytime Magazine Ltd, Helena Yastremska The Boastful Bird
3 Endless Street Salisbury SP1 1DL. Sara Torretta Floorboard Fairies
Katherine Frota Tootles Gets Lost
© Storytime Magazine Ltd, 2023. All rights
Kalakal Young, Gifted and Black
reserved. No part of this magazine may be
Esther Diana The Firefox
used or reproduced without prior written
Weronika Bartczak Snowdrop
permission of the publisher.
Thaís Mesquita A Hungry Cat
Printed by Warner Group.
Elena Iarussi Where the Frost Comes From
Editorial Director: Lulu Skantze
Editor: Sven Wilson
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 Read happily ever after...
Famous Fables Favourite Fairy Tales
The Boastful Bird Snowdrop

6 29
The tale of a crow who thinks A fun new version of a famous
he is as mighty as an eagle! story about a princess, a magic
mirror and seven dwarfs!

Worlds of Wonder Storyteller’s Corner

Floorboard Fairies A hungry cat
By Emmy Clarke
Kate and her friends meet
a magical dragon! 9
Is there anything that this
famished feline won’t eat?
36
Short Stories, Big Dreams Around the World Tales
Tootles gets lost Where the frost
comes from
One of Peter Pan’s pals finds
an unexpected place to spend
the night in Neverland! 14 An enchanting Australian tale
about seven magical maidens. 40
Awesome Adventures Storytime Playbox
Young, Gifted and black Create some snowflakes,

16 44
A young girl discovers her race across the sky, colour
talent for music and stands in a dragon and find things
up for what she believes in! in a giant furball!

Myths and Legends Story Mac

The firefox We have three cool books
A magical animal lights
up the northern sky! 22 to check out in the New
Year – and tips about how
to cope with frustration! 50
OUR COVER ST
ORY
s to SEE
la ke
Make snowf ! PAGE 46!
o u r ro o m
decorate y
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 Famous Fables

The Boastful Bird

T he birds of the air agreed that the eagle
was the most magnificent of them all.

“Look how wide his wings are!” cooed the pigeon as the eagle soared
overhead. “They block out the sun as he passes over!”

“His hooked beak is so classy-looking!” chirped the sparrow. “I wish mine

was half as grand!”

“And his cry is so powerful!” quacked the duck. “Just hearing it sends a
shiver through my feathers!”

Well, not all the birds agreed that the eagle was wonderful.

“You think he’s so special!” croaked the crow as he preened himself.

“I believe that I’m his equal in every way!”

The crow stretched his wings out as far as they would go.

6
“Look!” he cawed in triumph. “They He’s the mightiest hunter of us all!”
are just as wide as the eagle’s!”
Just then, the birds heard the
The pigeon snorted. “In what world? piercing cry of the eagle. He had
The eagle’s are far wider!” spotted a flock of sheep in the fields
– and was diving down at them!
“But surely my profile is as stylish
as his?” said the crow, sticking his He swooped in, snatched up
beak up in the air. a lamb and carried it away.
The shepherd boy watching the
The sparrow just sniggered. “Oh no!
flock could only shake his fist as
Yours is just a plain triangle, not a
the eagle disappeared into the sky.
fashionable hook!”
“See?” chirped the sparrow.
But the crow was not convinced.
“There’s no way you can do that!”
“My cry is far more inspiring than
But the crow disagreed.
his, though!” he exclaimed. “Listen!”
“Oh, I could do that easily!”
The crow let out a cacophony of
he cawed. “I just need to do
cawing that made the other birds
my special stretches!”
put their wings over their ears!
The birds watched as the crow
“You are making a fool of yourself!”
stretched out his wings, fluffed up
the goose honked. “It is not his
his feathers and flexed his talons.
wings or his beak or his cry that
makes the eagle the greatest. “Hurry up!” complained the pigeon.

7
When the crow was ready, he
flapped his way up into the sky
and flew to the field where the
flock of sheep was grazing.
“It can’t be too difficult!” the crow
said to himself.
The bird plummeted towards the
sheep. He landed on the back
of a big ewe and stuck his claws
into her wool.
“That was easy!” thought the crow.
“Now I just have to flap my wings
and carry her off!”
The crow flapped and fluttered as
hard as he could – but there was
no way he could lift the big sheep!
“This might be a bit trickier than I
thought!” he exclaimed. “Perhaps
I should choose a smaller sheep!”
8
The crow tried to fly away, but
found that his claws were tangled
in the sheep’s wool. He began to
caw and flap in a panic!
The commotion caught the attention
of the shepherd boy, who yelled out.
“Hey! Get away from my sheep,
you nasty old crow!”
The boy threw a stone – it missed
the crow but gave him a scare. The
bird flapped even harder and finally
managed to tear himself free!
The unfortunate crow flew away,
feeling humbled.
“Maybe I can’t match the eagle’s
hunting skills,” mused the bird, “but
I’m still special in my own way!”
 Worlds of Wonder

Floorboard

By Emmy Clarke

C an I tell you a secret?

There’s a family of fairies
in my house! They live under
my bedroom floorboards...
If you’re thinking, ‘Kate’s nuts!’ right
now, you wouldn’t be the first. But I
promise – it’s true! At night, I peel back
the rug, lie on the floor and have a nice
chat with my tiny friends.

They tell me about all the fairies in

the world: the dryads and the nymphs,
the ones that live in trees and streams
or float in the air like dandelion fluff.
They warn me to be wary of wisps and
redcaps, and to always ask permission
before picking flowers. They even tell
me tales about the water dragon who
lives in the rainwater pond in the woods
nearby. He is very shy and has a foamy
head, eyes like great bubbles and
long, flowing whiskers.

9
I save some food for the fairies each
evening. Crumbled biscuits, chicken
bones and various other delicacies
are their favourites! In exchange,
they put presents under my pillow
while I sleep – dried flowers, fairy
fruits, bracelets woven from blades
of grass, and even a tiny painted
portrait of myself. I keep these
gifts in my yellow jewellery box.
(Except the fruits, which I eat
immediately – otherwise they
spoil within an hour of me touching
them. They’re sweeter than any
fruits that exist in our world!)
Once, I had a few friends come
for a sleepover: Rosie, Felix and
my best friend Leah. It was brilliant!
We gossiped, streamed movies,
talked about cute boys and cute
girls, and painted each other’s
nails with glitter.
10
But as soon as I sat cross-legged
on the floor and began my nightly
conversation with my floorboard-
dwelling fairy friends, Leah burst
out laughing.
“What are you doing, Kate?”
she asked.
“Talking to the fairies,” I said.
“Don’t be daft. Fairies don’t exist!”
The others laughed, which
made me feel cross.
“They do!” I insisted. “Come over
here – I’ll show you.”
“No way! I’m not kneeling on the
dirty floor!” replied Leah.
So I clicked open my jewellery box
and showed her the contents.
“What a load of junk!” said Leah,
wrinkling her nose.
“Why did you paint such a super-
small picture of yourself?” asked
Rosie with a giggle.
I was feeling most upset – but then
I had a brilliant idea.
I grabbed my green hoodie from
the hook on my bedroom door.
“Where are you going?” asked Felix.
“To visit the dragon in the woods!”
I replied.
“Don’t be crazy,” said Leah. “It’s half
past ten. You can’t go out alone!”
I shrugged. “Then come with me.”
They all exchanged glances.
“Fine!” said Leah with a sigh.
We crept downstairs carefully, so
as not to wake Mum. I unlocked
the front door and let the others out.
Then, I shut it after us and popped
the keys in my hoodie pocket.
Rosie and Felix were a bit scared
of being out in the dark, but Leah
looked unimpressed. She crossed
her arms and raised an eyebrow
at me in an annoying way.
She seemed so smug and sure
of herself. I wanted to prove her
wrong so badly!
“Go on, then,” she said.
Using my phone’s light, I led them
along the street, across the road
and into the woods. It was dark
among the trees, so we all held
hands. Me with Leah, Leah with
Felix, Felix with Rosie.
For a moment, any tension between
us was forgotten as we held on
tight to make sure none of us
got lost in the dark.
11
When we reached the pond, I shone
my phone’s light into the water.
“Well?” said Leah.
“Shush,” I said. “He’s shy.”
Though I wasn’t looking at her,
I could practically feel her eyes
rolling in disbelief.
Rosie piped up. “Tell us about
the dragon, Kate.”
“Yeah, tell us!” said Felix.
They both sounded genuinely
interested, which encouraged me.
“He has a partner,” I said, “and lots
of little dragonlings.”
I crouched in the mud, and Rosie
and Felix crouched too. After a
pause, so did Leah.
I scanned the water – and
saw something glittery.
“There!” I said.
“Where?” Leah whispered.
I smiled to myself. Even Leah
wanted to see the dragon! I leaned
out over the pond to point at the
light in the water. Rosie and Felix
crowded in. They didn’t mean to –
they really didn’t – but their sudden
jostling made me lose my balance.
I fell into the pond.
Water gushed into my open mouth.
I began to kick my legs, but I’ve
never been a strong swimmer.
Suddenly I saw them, paddling in
the water in front of my eyes.
First one tiny dragonling, then
another. They came towards me,
blowing little bubbles as they went!

Then, two adult dragons rose from

the bottom of the pond. They had
long, pale bodies and pondweed
whiskers. One nudged me with his
great big head, and I reached for
his horns. He twisted elegantly in
the water and carried me upwards.

The dragon broke through the

surface, thoroughly drenching
Leah, Rosie and Felix. They
squealed in shock!

The dragon carried me up, up,

up, and I peered down to see
my friends gawping in disbelief.
The creature and I were silhouetted
against the moon before he
swooped back down to hover
just above the pond’s surface. “Can we pet him?” Rosie and Felix
Rosie and Felix whooped. begged in unison. “Can we come
for a ride, too?”
I grinned at Leah. Her eyes were
wide with wonder. The dragon huffed shyly and
lowered his muzzle so they
could stroke his scales.

I held my hand out to Leah.

“What d’you say?” I asked
with a grin. “Want to come?”

She blinked at me, then grinned

as well. She took my hand, and
away we flew!
13
 Short Stories, Big Dreams

Tootles Gets Lost

T hings were a bit boring in Neverland when Peter
Pan was away. He had flown off to a magical
city called ‘London’, leaving the Lost Boys to fend
for themselves.
They didn’t know what to do without their leader, so they spent most of
their time snoozing and squabbling in their underground den. Nibs kept
dancing around, Pickle played silly pranks and Slightly wouldn’t stop
blowing his wooden whistle!

Tootles soon got tired of it.

“There must be better things to do in a wonderful place like Neverland!”

he thought. So he pulled on his furry hood and scrambled out of their
lair beneath the Hangman’s Tree.

He mooched over to Pegleg Point, where Captain Hook’s ship was

anchored by the shore.

“Perhaps those rascally pirates are getting up to some mischief?”

Tootles said to himself.
But Captain Hook’s men were all in
their hammocks. When Peter Pan
wasn’t around to stir up trouble,
they liked to take it easy!
“Perhaps I will listen to the mermaids
singing in their lagoon, then?” Tootles
thought. But the water there was
still, and the bay was silent. The
mermaids were in their secret
hiding places, resting their voices.
Tootles spent a lazy afternoon
by the seashore, watching the
pink flamingos wade through
the water. A turtle came up
onto the beach and buried
her eggs in the warm sand.
“I’m sure the path was over here!”
Tootles muttered.
He spotted something moving in
the bushes. Two large yellow eyes
opened and stared at him – and
then six smaller ones!
“What creature has eight eyes?”
he thought nervously. “Wait!
It must be four creatures and not
one. A she-wolf and her three cubs!”
Tootles felt his hair stand on end!
What would happen to him?
He was expecting a growl or a howl,
but the mother wolf gave a gentle
whine, as if welcoming him.

“How wonderful!” Tootles thought. Tootles crawled towards the wolf

den, and the cubs made room for
He was so interested in what the
him. The Lost Boy curled up among
turtle was doing that he lost track
their warm furry bodies and was
of time. Soon, the sun was setting
soon fast asleep!
in the west.

Tootles hurried into the forest, hoping

to get back to the Lost Boys’ lair
before night fell. But the forest was
getting darker, and he lost his way...

15
 Awesome Adventures

Young, gifted
and black
E unice had loved music for as long as she could
remember. When her parents took her to church as
a baby, she would clap and sing along to the hymns!
As far as Eunice was concerned, music was the most
magical thing in the world.
Her family was African-American, and in the 1930s they lived in a town called
Tryon in the USA. Their home was always filled with music – her mother sang,
her father played the guitar and harmonica, and her seven siblings would
argue about who would play on the organ next! There was music when she
woke up, music all day, and more music when she went to bed.

16
When she was still a baby, Eunice
saw some musical notes written in
a magazine and she sang them
all. Her parents were amazed
that she could read music at
such a young age.
“I think our daughter is special!” said
her father, his eyes wide. “We should
get her a piano to play!”
The family was excited when the
piano was hauled into the house
by Eunice’s father and brothers.
Everybody had a go on it – but it
was obvious that little Eunice was
the best of them all!
Eunice’s mum was a very religious
lady. She would preach at church
and travel to other towns to give
sermons. She took Eunice along
so she could play and sing religious
songs. The girl played so well that
people would come to her mum’s
church services just to hear her!
Her mother was very pleased –
but she told her daughter not to
play other kinds of music.
“Jazz and blues and boogie-woogie
are wicked and lead to things like
dancing!” her mum would say with
a serious look on her face.
As she grew up, though, Eunice
heard songs from radios and record
players and musicians practising
on their front steps. There was the
sad twang of old blues tunes,
the soulful voice of Ella Fitzgerald,
and the soaring trumpet of Louis
Armstrong. It all sounded amazing,
and how could something so
wonderful possibly be wicked?
17
Her father agreed! When Eunice’s
mother was out, he would grin at
her and say, “Why don’t you play
some of that boogie-woogie music
that you love?”
So she would climb up on the piano
stool and play tunes that bounced
and jangled and made her feel like
tapping her feet.
Her father kept watch out of the
front window to see if her mother
was coming back.
“Here she comes! Stop playing!”
he would tell her when her mum
came down the path. Playing this
music became their special secret!
When Eunice was six, she played
piano for a choir performance at
18
the theatre in Tryon. Lots of people
had heard about her amazing skills,
so the place was packed! She was
a bit nervous about performing in
front of so many people, but she
needn’t have worried. The crowd
loved it! They cheered and clapped
loudly when she played.
After the show, Eunice’s mum came
up to her with two women that she
had never met before.
“Hello, young lady!” said one of
them. “My name is Mrs Miller – your
mother cleans my house. And this is
Miss Mazzy. She’s a piano teacher!”
The other lady nodded and said,
“How do you do? I must say, I’ve
never seen a talent like yours!”
Miss Mazzy’s accent sounded a
bit strange to Eunice – that was
because she was from England
and had a British accent.
The lady smiled at her. “If you like,
I will give you music lessons!”
The next Saturday, Eunice arrived
at Miss Mazzy’s house. She felt a bit
anxious! She had never had music
lessons before and hadn’t been to
that part of town, either.
Miss Mazzy welcomed her into a
huge room with a beautiful piano
in it. The teacher seemed so
serious, and the little girl felt
dwarfed by the size of the room!
But Eunice soon discovered that
Miss Mazzy was a kind and caring
lady. She taught her about music
she had never heard before.
Eunice learned about Johann
Sebastian Bach, who created grand
cathedrals of sound using musical
notes, and Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, who wrote sweet melodies
that touched her heart.
After four years of giving Eunice
lessons, her teacher began
collecting donations from the
people of the town to continue
the girl’s musical education. The
townsfolk gave her lots of money,
and to say ‘thank you’, Miss Mazzy
arranged for Eunice to play a
special show in the library.
The girl was very anxious before
her recital, because it was the first
time she would be playing classical
music in front of a big audience.
Eunice was wearing a new white
dress that had been bought
specially for that day!
19
She could see her parents watching
from their seats in the front row,
which made her feel better.
But as Eunice watched, two
white people came in and told
her parents to move to the back
of the hall.
Eunice ran over to her mother and
father – she wanted to find out
what was going on.
“Where are you going? You won’t
be able to see me properly if you
sit all the way back there!”
Her father patted her hand gently.
20
“Don’t worry, my dear! Those
white people wanted our seats
so they could see your hands
when you play. They told us to
go and sit at the back…”
At that time in the United States,
white people had more rights than
African-Americans and were used
to bossing them about. However,
Eunice knew deep in her heart that
it was not right for white people to
tell her parents to move away from
the stage at their own daughter’s
concert! Despite being only ten
years old, she decided to stand
up for herself.
“NO!” she declared. “I will NOT play
unless my parents can sit at the front!”
This caused a great disturbance, but she
refused to give in. Finally, her parents
were allowed to go back to the front row,
and Eunice sat down at the piano.
She played an amazing show while her
parents looked on with pride. From that
moment onwards, she decided that she
would never compromise her beliefs,
but would always stand up for what
she knew was right.
WHAT
HAPPENED
NEXT...
E unice continued playing
music! When she was in her
teens, she applied to go to a top
music school in Philadelphia.
Her application was rejected,
so she got a job at a bar to pay
for music lessons instead. She
didn’t want her mother to find
out that she was playing non-
religious music, so she called
herself ‘Nina Simone’ when
she played at the bar.
She soon got a record deal and
released a series of popular
albums. In the mid-1960s, Nina
also became involved in the
Civil Rights movement, which
fought against racism and
injustice in the USA. She
released songs about the
way black people were
being treated and talked
about Civil Rights at her
concerts. Her voice was
heard by millions of people.
In the mid-1970s, Nina left the
United States and moved to a
few different countries before
settling in France. She became
one of the most influential
musicians of the 20th century,
won four Grammy Awards,
and never stopped speaking
out against injustice and
racial discrimination.
 Myths and Legends

O nni loved spending time with his grandfather.

He often stayed with him in winter, and they had a
great time playing games, telling stories and drinking
hot cocoa in his grandad’s snug apartment.
His grandfather taught him how to ski,
and they sometimes went for trips
in the nearby woods.

When Onni turned ten, his grandad told

him he was old enough to go with him
into the Finnish wilderness.

“There’s nothing like skiing through

the forests in the deep winter!” the old
man told him with a twinkle in his eye.
“It really is magical!”

Onni packed his little rucksack with woolly

clothing – long johns and jumpers and
gloves. He also had a waterproof parka,
sturdy snow boots and his booble hat on.

Grandad checked Onni’s gear carefully

and nodded. The old man had a sleigh
that held all the other supplies they
would need. It was time to go on their
adventure! They put on their skis and set
off into the forest near Grandad’s village.

22
Snow hissed beneath Onni’s skis as
he followed his grandfather through
the pines. They travelled for several
kilometres while the sky turned
dark above them. Night comes
very quickly in winter when you
are close to the North Pole!
Onni’s arms and legs soon got tired,
and the cold air made his lungs feel
as if they were burning with an icy
fire. When were they going to stop?
At last, his grandfather slid to a halt
in a shower of powdery snow.
“Here we are!” he said with a gentle
smile. “My brothers and I used to
stay here years ago!”
Onni saw a wooden cabin in a
clearing. The windows were dark,
and there was snow on the roof.
It was a silent and beautiful place,
and felt very special.
They took off their wooden skis
and stuck them upright in the
snow. Grandad tried the door –
it jammed at first, but he
managed to push it open.
Inside, it was icy-cold and
smelled damp and musty.
“Now we need a fire!” said
Grandad. He pointed at the
pot-belly stove in the corner.
Onni collected armfuls of logs
from the woodpile behind the
cabin and his grandfather chopped
up some kindling. Before long,
a fire was flickering in the
stove. It lit up the cabin with
a golden light! The old man
pulled out a pan and began
frying some sausages.
23
Onni stared out of the window into
the snowy night. “What animals live
out here?“ he asked
“Oh, the forest is full of life!” his
grandfather answered. “My brothers
and I have seen snow hares, stags,
bears and snowy owls. There was
only one creature we never
managed to see…”
“What was that?” asked Onni.
He was intrigued!
“The tulikettu, or Firefox! They say
that during the day, his fur is inky-
black. But at night, it shines with the
most amazing colours! The light of
24
his fur is supposed to brighten
up the night sky at midwinter –
creating the wonderful glow that
we call the Northern Lights.”
The old man sighed. “My
brothers and I always wanted
to see this beast! The hunter who
caught him would become rich
and famous beyond belief…
but no one has ever done it!”
Grandad turned the sausages
over as they sizzled in the pan.
“Why don’t you get some
more firewood, Onni?”
he suggested.
Onni pulled on his parka and
ventured out again. As the boy
was gathering more logs from
the woodpile, he thought he
heard a sound in the trees.
“Is it a snow hare – or a
stag?” he wondered.
Overcome by curiosity, Onni
followed the sound. He ventured
into the woods, looking for any sign
of the mysterious creature. He was
so intent on his hunt that he soon
lost sight of the cabin...
Oh no! Was he lost?
There it was again!
A sound… like paws
on soft snow.
Suddenly, a creature darted out
from between the trees. It looked
like a fox – but his fur flickered like
a many-coloured flame!
The Firefox glanced at him and
began zigging and zagging across
the landscape, as if daring the boy
to chase him.
Onni began running after the
creature, his boots thudding in
the snow. Ahead, he could see
where the Firefox was leading
him: back to his grandfather’s
little cabin in the woods!
Then, the fiery-furred fox leaped
high into the air and whipped his
tail in a great arc.
25
 mes of many colou rs blazed across
Fla

SPOT IT!
Tick off these
animals when
you find them!
Answer: There are 6 pine cones!
the heavens and hung in the sky!

How many
pine cones are
there in this scene?
Write your answer
in this circle!
The creature disappeared, but the lights in the
sky continued to glow.

“Grandfather! Come out here!” Onni called.

The old man came out and stared at the colours

that cascaded down from above.

“The Northern Lights!” he exclaimed. “Well, my

boy, it looks as if the tulikettu has blessed us with
his magic tonight!”

Onni hugged him, and together they gazed in

wonder at the strange cold fire burning far above.
The boy knew in his heart that he would treasure
the memory of this winter for years to come!

The Northern Lights (or

Aurora Borealis) are caused
by the solar wind from the
Sun striking the Earth’s
magnetic field. In Finnish,
the
word for ‘aurora’ is revontu
let,
which translates as ‘fox’s fir
es’.
In Finnish folklore, the auro
ra
is said to be caused by sp
arks
from the mythical Firefox’s
tail.
The Sámi people of Lapland
believed that the lights ca
me
from a whale’s water spou
t!

28
 Favourite Fairy Tales

O nce upon a time, there was a kingdom that was ruled

by a kindly king and queen. When the news came that
they were going to have a baby, everyone was happy!

One snowy morning, the queen

was sewing by a window, which
was made of ebony wood. The
needle pricked her finger and a
drop of blood fell onto the snow.

“How pretty it looks!” thought

the queen. “I hope that my
daughter will be as white as
snow, as red as blood, and
as dark as ebony!”

A few months later, the princess

was born. Her skin was as white
as snow, her lips were as red as
blood, and her hair was as dark
as ebony. The king and queen
named her ‘Snowdrop’, after a little
flower that blossoms in the winter.

Sadly, the queen passed on soon

after the baby was born. The king
took good care of Snowdrop, and
she was a great comfort to him.

29
After a few years, the king felt
lonely and decided to marry a
noblewoman from another kingdom.
She moved into his castle and
became his new queen.
Snowdrop’s stepmother, Edira,
was proud of her beauty and
often stared at herself in her mirror.
Her mirror was her most prized
possession, for it was magical and
could answer any question. The
queen always asked it the same
thing: “Tell me, glass, tell me true!
In all the land, who is fairest, who?”
The mirror would answer, “My
queen, as far as I can see, the
fairest in the land is thee!”
Meanwhile, Snowdrop grew up
to become a kind and happy child.
30
One afternoon, the queen went
to her mirror and asked, “Tell me,
glass, tell me true! In all the land,
who is fairest, who?”
This time, the mirror replied, “My
queen, you are beautiful to see.
But Snowdrop is prettier than thee!”
This made Edira furious. She
summoned a servant and said,
“Take Snowdrop into the forest
and leave her there. I never want
to see her again!”
With a heavy heart, the servant
took little Snowdrop out into the
woods. The princess had a lovely
time picking flowers, splashing in
the stream and chasing squirrels!
When evening came, the servant
told her, “You must never return to
the castle, dear girl, for the queen
does not want you there!”
He then left her in the forest all
alone, with a loaf of bread for dinner
and a blanket to keep her warm.
Snowdrop felt scared when it
got dark. She wandered through
the woods until she saw a light in the
distance. It came from a tiny cottage!
Snowdrop rapped on the door. There
was no answer, so she went in.
“I know It’s rude to enter
a stranger’s house uninvited,”
she thought, “but I need shelter!”
Inside, she found a table with seven
tiny plates on it, and in the loft were
seven little beds. The house was
a bit of a mess – there were dirty
dishes, sewing tools, bobbins of
thread and rolls of cloth everywhere!
Snowdrop sat down on a little
stool and helped herself to a
slice of toast and butter. To
wash it down, she drank some
berry juice from a little glass.
The princess felt tired.
“I think I will have a nap in one
of those beds!” she murmured,
and she was soon fast asleep.
While Snowdrop was snoozing,
seven tiny ladies came into
the cottage. They had long,
braided hair and wore
heavy work clothes.
“Who’s been nibbling my toast
from this morning?” said one.
“Who was sitting on my velvet
stool?” said another.
31
“Who is snoring in my little bed?”
said the third.
Snowdrop woke up when she
heard their voices. The seven
dwarf ladies were surprised to
find a stranger in their house!
“How did you get in here?”
they demanded gruffly.
“I’m terribly sorry!” Snowdrop
replied. “The door was open,
and I was very chilly after being
left alone in the woods!”
When they heard this, the ladies
felt sorry for her.
“Oh!” they said. “You must be
that princess that the wicked
queen hates. We have heard
about you, and the king has
been miserable since you
left. You will be safe here!”
32
“Thank you very much!” said
Snowdrop. “But if I am to stay
here, you really have to tidy
up – it’s a mess!”
The dwarfs were embarrassed!
With Snowdrop’s help, they
scrubbed and dusted and soon
had the cottage spick and span.
In the morning, when the dwarfs
went off to work at the cotton mill,
they told Snowdrop to be careful.
“Stay safely indoors, and do not
let in any strangers!” they said.
Back in the castle, Edira was sure
that she had got rid of Snowdrop
forever. She went to the mirror and
said, “Tell me, glass, tell me true!
In all the land, who is fairest, who?”
The mirror replied, “My dear queen,
you are lovely to see. But Snowdrop
is still prettier than thee!”
“I can’t stand not being the fairest
of them al!” she told the mirror.
“I’m going to find that Snowdrop…
and make sure that nobody will
think she is pretty ever again!”
Edira made a special magical potion
in her cauldron. Then, she took a
green apple and carefully dipped
it halfway into the bubbling liquid…
The next day, the queen dressed
up in a grey wig and an old
gown and put on a fake nose.
In this disguise, she visited all
the houses in the kingdom,
looking for Snowdrop.
At last, she came to the dwarfs’
cottage in the woods. When she
knocked on the door, Snowdrop
peeked out of the window.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
Edira made her voice sound
kind and gentle.
“Oh, I’m just a humble apple
seller!” she said. “Would you
like to try one of my fruit?”
She pulled out the bright green
apple she had poisoned.
The apple did look very tasty,
but Snowdrop was cautious.
33
 “It looks nice, but the ladies told “Now little Snowdrop won’t be
me to be wary of strangers!” so pretty!” she cackled.

The queen chuckled. When the seven dwarf ladies came

back to the cottage that evening,
“Oh, don’t worry. I will share it
they heard the sound of sobbing
with you. That way, you will
coming from Snowdrop’s bed. She
know it’s not poisoned!”
had the covers over her head.
Edira cut the fruit in two. She kept
“What’s wrong?” they asked.
the unpoisoned half for herself and
passed the other half to Snowdrop. “That wicked queen tricked me
and gave me a poisoned apple!”
Snowdrop took a bite.
she wailed. “Now I look hideous!”
“It tastes strange!” she said. “I feel
She pulled back the covers, and
ill… perhaps I should lie down!”
the dwarfs saw that her face was
When she heard this, Edira smirked covered with red pimples!
and hurried back to her castle.
They smiled at her.

34
“Don’t worry!” said one.

“Everybody gets pimples!” said another.

“Use this special soap we make – your skin will soon clear up!” said a third.

“You’re beautiful on the inside, and that’s what’s important!” they all agreed.

Meanwhile, Edira was feeling very pleased with herself.

“Now that the princess is all pimply, I must surely be the most beautiful
person in the kingdom!” she said. “Tell me, glass, tell me true! In all the
land, who is fairest, who?”

The mirror replied, “My dear queen, I have never lied! Snowdrop is
the prettiest – because she’s beautiful inside!”

When she heard this, Edira lost her temper and smashed the magic mirror.
Breaking a mirror is bad luck, and breaking a magic mirror is extra-bad.
There was a flash of green flame – and she disappeared forever!

A MIrrOr MESSAGE!
What would you like a magic mirror to tell you? Download and colour
in the mirror frame from storytimemagazine.com/free. Then, write a
positive message to yourself on it and put it up in your room!
 Storyteller’s Corner

A hungry cat
I n far-off Norway, there once lived a big grey cat.
He was the hungriest animal in the whole world,
and his appetite was never satisfied!

One morning, he came down to the kitchen and

meowed for his breakfast. His owner told him,
“I have only a little mush and a pot of fat for
your meal – you have eaten everything else
in the house!”

The cat gobbled up the plate of mush and

the pot of fat in seconds and licked his chops.

“Good morning, cat!” said a mouse as

it peeked out from behind the stove.
“Have you eaten your breakfast?

“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the big grey

cat. “I have only eaten a plate of mush and a
pot of fat, and I think I should eat you as well!”

With that, the greedy grey cat swallowed the

mouse in a single gulp and went outside.

In the barn, he found a dog who was

scratching his fur.

“Good day, cat!” said the dog. “Have you

eaten your breakfast?”

36
“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
a mouse in the house, and I think
I should eat you as well!”
With that, the greedy grey cat
swallowed the dog in a single
gulp and walked out of the barn.
In the farmyard, he saw a dairy
cow chewing her cud.
“Hello, cat!” mooed the dairy cow.
“Have you eaten your breakfast?”
“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
the mouse in the house and the dog
in the barn, and I think I should eat
you as well!”
With that, the greedy grey cat
swallowed the dairy cow in a single
gulp and trotted out onto the road.
The road went through the
town, and the cat spotted
a bus at the bus stop.
“Nice to see you, cat!” rumbled
the bus. “Have you eaten
your breakfast?”
“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
the mouse in the house and the dog
in the barn and the cow in the yard,
and I think I should eat you as well!”
With that, the greedy grey cat
swallowed the bus in a single gulp
and kept walking down the road.
37
By this time, it was nearly midday “Dear cat!” said the moon as
and the sun was high overhead. it floated through the dark.
“Have you eaten your breakfast?”
“Greetings, cat!” said the sun as it
looked down on him. “Have you “Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
eaten your breakfast?” big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
the mouse in the house and the dog
big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
in the barn and the cow in the yard
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
and the bus in the town and the sun
the mouse in the house and the dog
in the sky, and I think I should eat
in the barn and the cow in the yard
you as well!”
and the bus in the town, and I think
I should eat you as well!” With that, the greedy grey cat
swallowed the moon in a single
With that, the greedy grey cat
gulp. The cat waddled on down
swallowed the sun in a single gulp.
the road, which was now lit only
This made the day as dark as night,
by starlight.
and the moon sailed across the sky.
Soon, the big grey cat came to a
bridge across a river. On the bridge
stood a billy goat with curly horns.
“How are you, cat?” asked the
billy goat. “Have you eaten
your breakfast?”
“Yes, but I am still hungry!” said the
big grey cat. “I have only eaten a
plate of mush and a pot of fat and
the mouse in the house and the dog
in the barn and the cow in the yard
and the bus in the town and the sun
in the sky and the moon in the dark,
and I think I should eat you as well!”
But the billy goat did not want to be
eaten! He charged at the big grey
cat and butted him with his horns.
This made the big grey cat feel
queasy! He coughed up the biggest
furball in the world – and in it were
the mouse from the house and the
dog from the barn and the cow from
the yard and the bus from the town
and the sun and the moon as well!
The darkness ended as the sun
returned to the sky, and everybody
celebrated their escape from the
belly of the hungry cat!
39
 Around the World Tales

Where the Frost

Comes From
L ong ago, in the time of legends, there were seven sisters
called the Meamei. They were stars who lived high in
the sky – but one day, they decided to find out what life
was like on Earth.
The sisters took on human form and explored the land, roaming far and
wide across Australia.

Because they came from the heavens, the Meamei were cold to the touch
and were always covered in icicles. The humans who dwelt on Earth had
never seen anyone like the Meamei. They thought the sparkling maidens
were very beautiful, and often asked to marry them.

40
The Meamei girls always refused.
“We do not need humans!” they
would insist. “We like our freedom!”
In the wildest part of the Outback,
there lived seven brothers who
were called the Berai-Berai.
They were great hunters and
skilled at surviving in the desert.
The Berai-Berai thought that the
Meamei were wonderful and
would often follow them about.
The Berai-Berai were particularly
skilled at finding wild honey in the
bush. They would capture a bee
and then stick a white feather to
it with tree gum. Then, they would
follow the bee to its nest and help
themselves to the honey inside!
Wild honey was the most delicious
thing in the bush, so the boys would
take honeycombs and leave them
as gifts near the camp of the
Meamei. The Meamei would eat
the delicious honey, but they were
never able to thank the Berai-Berai
because the boys were too shy to
come near them.
One day, a troublemaker called
Wurrunnah arrived from a far-off
land. He spotted the camp of the
Meamei and spied on them from
a distance. He noticed that their
huts were well-built and clean, and
saw that the maidens were good
at finding food in the bush.
41
“I need servants to work for me in my camp!”
he thought to himself. “I think I’ll grab some
of these girls to do my chores!”

Cunning Wurrunnah stole the yam-digging sticks

that belonged to the Meamei and hid them in a
thicket. Two of the sisters went looking for them –
and when they left the campsite, Wurrunnah
snatched them and took them away to his hut.

The other five Meamei girls were most

upset when they realised that their
sisters had disappeared.

“We cannot stay on Earth without them, for we

are too sad!” they said to one other. They held
each other’s hands and returned to the heavens,
where they became the constellation of stars
known as the Pleiades.

Wurrunnah kept the two other Meamei as prisoners

in his camp. He tried to warm them by his campfire,
but the icicles on their skin would not melt –
in fact, their coldness put out the flames!

One day, Wurrunnah told the two sisters to cut

bark from a tree so he could make a hut. The
sisters began striking the tree with their tools
– but with each blow, the tree grew taller!

Up and up it grew, carrying the two

sisters with it. They were lifted up so
high that they were able to grab the
hands of their sisters in the sky
and join them in the heavens!

42
 DID YOU
kNOW? ut
e s h a v e tales abo
ur
Other cult s o f t h e Pleiades
sta r
the seven b eing siste
rs!
ll a t io n
conste n be found
in
o r ie s c a
Similar st d N o rth Americ
an
dian a n
Greek, In A b o r ig in al legend
he
folklore. T be the old
est
e v e d t o
is beli hough!
version, t

When the Berai-Berai heard that the Meamei had left the Earth for good,
they were overwhelmed by sadness. But the spirits of the sky took pity
on them and transformed them into stars as well. They became the belt
and sword of the constellation Orion.

Up in the sky, the Berai-Berai now dance while the Meamei sing to them.

At the coldest time of the year, the Meamei give the Berai-Berai a special
gift in return for the honey they left for them. The sisters brush the icicles
from their skin, making a shower of ice fall onto the Berai-Berai and
then onto the Earth below. It covers the ground with white – and that
is why we are blessed with frost on winter mornings!
 Storytime

Can you solve a mirror puzzle, colour in a dragon,

create snowflakes or make words out of musical notes?

1 FURBALL
CAT-ASTROPHE
The hungry cat has gobbled up
a lot of things from this issue –
and coughed them up in a
HUGE furball! Tick off the
objects that you can spot in it!

QUICK
2 Q U I Z !
A. An eagle Shepherds must protect their
B. A dinosaur sheep from predators of all kinds!
But do you know which of these
C. A wolf creatures they would NOT have
to worry about?
 3 NIGHTS!
NEVERLAND

Lots of creatures are

staring at Tootles in the
dark forest! How many
animals are in the cave?
Work it out by counting
the pairs of eyes, and
write your answer here!

PIANRO
4 WIZA D!
Eunice knows where all the notes
are on her piano! How many
words can you come up with,
using the letters on the piano
keys below? You can use each
letter more than once in each word.
Write them all down and see if you
are a word wizard!

CDE FGAB
5 RIDDLE REFLECTION

The magic mirror has a message

for the wicked queen – but it is back
to fron
front! Use a mirror to find out
what it says and write it below!
TON OD
KAERB
!EM
MAKE HANGING SNOWFLAKES G ASK A
6 M
Learn to create colourful hanging Meamei
snowflakes to decorate your room with!
ROWN
-UP!

• You will need a ruler, a pencil, several sheets of coloured paper, the cutout
templates downloaded from storytimemagazine.com/free, scissors,
a glue stick, and thread to hang your snowflakes with.
• First, you will need to cut your paper into squares that measure 10cm
by 10cm. Use your ruler and pencil to measure out the squares, then
cut them out with scissors.
• Fold each square in half diagonally to make a triangle. Fold that
triangle in half so that the pointed corners meet. Then, fold the triangle
in half again!
• Trace the design from one of the templates onto the top fold of
the triangle. You will use it as a guideline to cut out the snowflake.
Then, carefully cut out the design with the scissors.
• Unfold the triangle gently. Don’t worry if your snowflake isn’t perfect –
no two snowflakes are ever alike!
• Cut a long piece of thread and stick the snowflakes onto it. They should
be spaced out so they look like real snowflakes falling.
• You can put them up to decorate your room – why not hang them from
the door frame, the curtain rail or a lampshade?

You can decorate your snowflakes with glitter glue,

TIP!
gems and holographic stickers to add a bit of sparkle!
ANSWERS: 2. Quick Quiz! – B – because dinosaurs are extinct! 3. Neverland Nights! –
There are 11 creatures. 5. Reflection Riddle – The message is ‘DO NOT BREAK ME!’
her friends met the water dragon! Can you colour it in for her?
Kate drew this picture to remind her of the night when she and
COLOUR A WATER DRAGON
7
 E F I R E F OX
TH I L !
S K Y T R A d h is a n im a l friends
h a s challenge
Th e F ir e fox
s k y , w h ic h is glowing
oss the
to a race acr t h e N o r t h e rn Lights.
urs of
with the colo n e r t o fi n d the way!
ur spin
Use the colo

Ho w t o P l a y
print
la y th is g a m e , you will need to n
To p
n te rs a n d sp in n er which you ca
out the cou ti m emagazine.com
/free.
d fr o m st o ry
downloa d put together th
e
t th e p ie ce s a n
Cut ou
n e r, fo ll o w in g the instructions.
spin
ore
n p la y th is g a me with two or m
You ca eir
e rs . E a ch p la y e r should place th
play
u n te r o n th e S TART hexagon.
co
n g e st p la y e r sp ins the spinner
The you oint
W h e n th e sp in n er stops, it will p
first! ust
o n e o f si x co lo u rs. The player m
at that
ter onto a space
move their coun n d is next to the
s th a t co lo u r a
matche ’t
th e ir co u n te r is on! If there isn
space
a ce o f th a t co lour next to the
a sp .
they miss a turn
one they are on,
th e n ta ke tu rn s spinning the
Playe rs
n e r a n d m o vi n g their counters.
spin
ays
cross the sky, alw
Work your way a ur your spinner
g o n to th e co lo
movin mp
ts to . R e m e m b er, you cannot ju
poin
over spaces!
p la y e r to re a ch the stars at the
The first
wins!
top of the board

START
 STORY MAGIC
ALL THE BrILLIANT BOOkS!
DARWIN’S SUPER-POOPING
WORM SPECTACULAR by Polly
Owen, illustrated by Gwen Millward
(Wide Eyed). You might have read
about Charles Darwin’s childhood
in Storytime issue 74 – but this fun
and colourfully illustrated book is
about his study of worms – and how
they change the world with their poo! It’s
sure to appeal to curious kids and lovers
of science, poop or creepy-crawlies!
TAKE A BITE by Aleksandra and
Daniel Mizielinski (Big Picture Press) will
whisk you off you on a tasty trip around
the globe! It’s packed with fascinating
facts, delicious recipes and eye-
WIN!
catching graphics about foods from all
over the world. The only problem is,
you will be very hungry by the time
you finish reading it!
CURTAIN UP! illustrated by
Lauren O’Hara (Thames & Hudson)
is a guidebook to a place where
people create a very special kind
of magic – the Royal Opera House!
Figaro the cat introduces us to all
the different parts of the Opera
House and the talented artists
that work there. It’s packed with
fascinating facts, but the lovely
art and approachable text make
it read like a wonderful storybook. * All books given as prizes are
provided by the publishers. If a

book is not available, they

Do you know which story the wooden horse on page 3 is from? might send an alternative title
to the winner.
Tell us and you could win the three books reviewed on this page!
To enter the draw, just go to: storytimemagazine.com/win

LET’S TALk ABOUT... FRUSTRATION

IT’S A PERFECTLY
NORMAL FEELING!
When we can’t do something or things
don’t go as we planned, we can feel
frustrated. Frustration creates energy and
tension in our body. It’s not a nice feeling,
but remember that it is normal and will
pass! We can’t control everything in our
lives – but we can learn some tricks to
help deal with frustration.
TrY THIS!
Give yourself some time and space away from
the source of your frustration. If you’re trying to
achieve something and it’s just not working,
then take a break and do something different
for a while – something that makes you feel
good. Throwing and catching a ball or dancing
to your favourite song can make a difference!
It’s also good to share your feelings with
someone you trust.

THINk DEEPEr! There are some things we cannot control in our lives. Try not to worry
about things that you can’t do anything about! You might like to read our self care and
breathing topics again for more tools to help with letting go of frustrations!
Jessica Bowers is our expert consultant for the My Mind Matters! section. She is a wellbeing writer,
counsellor and psychotherapist. Visit her website for more information: www.jessicabowers.co.uk