E-text prepared by D Alexander, Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan, and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net)
IN STORY-LAND.
by
ELIZABETH HARRISON,
Principal of the Chicago Kindergarten College.
Fifth Edition.
The Sigma Publishing Co.10 Van Buren St.,Chicago, Ill.
210 Pine St.,St. Louis, Mo.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the 1895, by ELIZABETHHARRISON, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Press of Nixon-Jones Printing Co., 215 Pine St., St. Louis.
Binders: Becktold & Co., St. Louis.
I LOVINGLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY FRIEND, Kate Tiffany Richardson,_who, from childhood, through girlhood, far into womanhood, illumined mylife with a radiant love and sympathy that made every ideal seempossible, and with whose four little children I have many a timejourneyed into STORY-LAND_.
ELIZABETH HARRISON.
Chicago, Ill.
PREFACE.
_It is not expected that the stories in this book will be told in theirpresent form to Kindergarten children, as experience has shown that eachKindergartner must modify her story to suit the needs and capacities ofher children, and must learn to take from any story just so much as maybe helpful to her in creating a fresh story for the occasion. It ishoped, however, that they may serve the mother in her home reading withher group of children, and also that my colaborers in primary and secondgrade schools may sometimes use them for Friday afternoon readings._
* * * * *
NOTE TO SECOND EDITION.
_A friendly critic has suggested that I add "One story a day is enoughfor a child." This is certainly the case if the story is to make anydeep or lasting impression._
_E. H._
_CONTENTS._
LITTLE BETA AND THE LAME GIANT
THE LINE OF GOLDEN LIGHT; OR, THE LITTLE BLIND SISTER
PRINCE HARWEDA AND THE MAGIC PRISON
THE LITTLE GRAY GRANDMOTER; OR, THE ENCHANTED MIRROR
LITTLE BLESSED-EYES; OR, THE FAIRY'S BIRTHDAY GIFT
THE FAIR WHITE CITY; OR, A STORY OF THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
THE LOVING CUP WHICH WAS MADE OF IRON
HANS AND THE FOUR BIG GIANTS
STORY OF THE SMALL GREEN CATERPILLER AND THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE BUTTERFLY
THE DISCONTENTED MILL WINDOW
THE STRANGE STORY OF A WONDERFUL SEA-GOD
THE VISION OF DANTE
_STORIES OF HEROES._
HOW LITTLE CEDRIC BECAME A KNIGHT
STORY OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN
A STORY OF DECORATION DAY FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF TO-DAY
_LITTLE BETA AND THE LAME GIANT._
Near the top of a high, high mountain there lived a great giant. He wasa very wonderful giant indeed. From the door of his rocky cave he couldlook into the distance and see for miles and miles over the surroundingcountry, even to the point where the land touched the great ocean, yetso clearly that he could observe the smile or the frown on a child'sface three miles away. More wonderful still, he could look through thedarkest cloud which ever covered the sky and see the sun still shiningbeyond and above it. And then his hands! Oh how I wish you could haveseen his hands! They were so large and strong. Such wonderful hands,too! With them he could lift up a rock as big as this room and set it toone side. Sometimes his fingers could make the sweetest kind of musiccome from a crude violin which he had fashioned for himself.
Then, too, he knew so much, and he knew it well. I don't believe thatten of the wisest men that our universities ever sent out could havetold you such extraordinary things. He knew all about every plant whichgrew on the mountain, and just where the rich mines of gold and silverwere hidden inside the mountain. He could have pointed out to you whichpebbles could be polished into emeralds and topazes and sapphires andwhich were worthless. Had you asked him he could have taken you to thesecret spring from which flowed the sparkling stream of healing waters,sought by all the sick folks in the country round. He was such awonderful giant that it would take me the whole day to tell you of allthe things which he could do--but--_he was lame_ and somehow could neverget down the mountain to where the ordinary mortal lived. So for ages hehad been alone upon his mountain top, seeing all the people below him,loving them with all his heart, and knowing just what would help them,yet never being able to come near to them.
In one of the valleys of the great mountain lived a little maiden calledBeta. She was so small that most people thought her a young child and soweak that she could not even carry a bucket of water from the well tothe house. Then too, she was a very plain looking little girl, not atall pretty. Her mother used to say to her: "My dear daughter, you areneither rich, nor clever, nor beautiful, therefore you must learn to beuseful to others if you would be loved."
The little maiden often wondered how she was to be of any use to thepeople about her. She would say to herself, "I have no money to give tothem; my hands are not skilled enough to do much work for them and mybrain is not quick, therefore I can not give them beautiful thoughtswhich will help them." Still she was a loving-hearted little girl, andlove, you know, always finds a way to be helpful.
One day it occurred to her that she could gather some wild flowers andtake them to the old woman who lived all alone at the end of the villageand who was so deaf that nobody ever tried to talk to her.
With this thought in mind she started out in search of the brightestflowers she could find. She climbed the mountain side and gathered a_whole armful_ of beautiful yellow golden-rod and purple asters and redIndian pinks. These she carried joyfully to the little house at the endof the village. They made the dingy old room take on a look of warmthand happiness. Gay as they were, however, the face of the old deafwoman was brighter still as she said, "Bless you, my child, bless you!Who but little Beta would ever have thought of bringing flowers to me."
The next day Beta thought she would take some flowers to the blindweaver who made all the carpets that the villagers used. "This time,"she said to herself, "I must hunt for the flowers which have a sweetodor, as he cannot see their gay colors." So she gathered some wildroses and some sweet scented violets and some witch hazel. As sheentered his small shop he lifted his head from his work and said, "Ahme, what is this I smell? It has been many a day since I have been nearenough to the mountain's own flowers to breathe in their perfume." Betaplaced them in a mug near his loom and as she ran home she was veryhappy, yet she hardly knew why.
After this she went daily to the mountain to gather flowers for somedear soul who could not go out to get them. Sometimes they were taken tothe gentle mother who had so many children that she never found time toleave her home. Sometimes they went to the village church and made theSunday seem more beautiful than other days. Each time she climbed higherand higher as she had soon learned that the rarer and more beautifulflowers could only be found far up the mountain. At last one day, whenshe had climbed farther than she had ever ventured before, she suddenlycame upon the lame giant sitting on a large stump in front of his cave.In his hand was his violin, but he was not playing; his face wore athoughtful, almost a sad look.
Beta was so frightened that the flowers dropped from her hands and shenearly stopped breathing. She had never before in all her life, seen a_real, live giant_. He was so big that she could hardly believe her owneyes as she looked at him. Her first impulse was to run down themountain as quickly as possible, but somehow, the very sight of such awonderful being held her spell-bound, so she stood motionless, gazing athim from behind a huge rock.
Soon he put his violin in position under his chin and taking up his bowbegan to play. He played so
softly and sweetly that little Beta feltsure he could not be wicked and cruel as were the giants she had readabout. Little by little she came shyly toward him. As soon as he saw herhe laid down his violin and held out his hand, smiling as he did so."Come near to me, child," he said, "I will not hurt you," Beta thusencouraged, came slowly forward.
"Tell me, little one," said he gently, "from whence came you, and howdid you find your way so far up the mountain side? None but strongmountain guides have ever before come near my cave." "I was gatheringflowers," answered little Beta, "and I thought I might find some blueforget-me-nots among these rocks." "So you have learned already, haveyou, that forget-me-nots can best be found near the mountain tops." Withthat he laughed softly to himself. His laugh was such a kindly laughthat it took away all fear and made Beta feel quite at home with him."What is your name?" said she, "and why do you live up here? Do you notsometimes get lonesome?" The great giant did not answer her, but begantalking about something else. In a short time he had led the littlemaiden into telling him all about herself and the people of the villageand the flower gathering. It was not until he rose to point out to herwhere forget-me-nots could be found in abundance, that she noticed hewas lame. She had soon gathered a whole apron full of the beautifulflowers and bidding him good-bye she climbed down the mountain,sometimes slipping and sliding, but always holding fast to the hem ofher apron that the flowers might not be lost.
Many times after that she climbed the mountain to the cave of the giantand sat on a little stone at his feet while he told her stories ofthings which had happened in the village long before any of the peoplewho lived in it were born. She loved best to listen to the tales of godsand heroes of the olden times. Then when she was tired of stories hewould show her where the flowers grew most profusely. Little by littlehe taught her to know the herbs which were good for sick people.Oftentimes they were very humble looking plants which she would havepassed by unnoticed. She soon learned how to brew these into drinks andmedicines for the feeble and sick folks of the village. Sometimes,though not often, he would play on his violin for her. He always playedsuch strange, weird music that it made her think of Siegfried, and ofLohengrin and the white swan, or of other beautiful beings whom she hadnever seen, but of whom she had heard.
Each day when she returned to her home she told the people of thevillage about the wonderful giant who lived so high up the mountainthat its top could be seen from his cave door, but they only laughed andsaid, "Little Beta has been dreaming." Even after they had learned tocall upon her for herbs with which to poultice bruised limbs andstrengthen weak stomachs or quiet restless fevers, they gave no heed towhat she said about the giant.
Years passed by and the little maiden still continued to climb themountain to learn of the lame giant more and more of what was wonderfuland beautiful in the world about her. Much climbing in the open air hadmade her strong and well. As time wore on, she unconsciously made a pathup the mountain side, which of course caused the climbing to be mucheasier than in the days when she had to scramble over the rocks and pushaside the underbrush to make her way up. The path too, was firm andsmooth now, with no stones suddenly slipping from beneath her feet andcausing painful falls.
At last one day Beta persuaded two or three of her companions to go withher to the cave. Now that there was a respectable path, the undertakingdid not seem so foolish as in the days when Beta had gone scrambling upthe rocks, nobody knew whither. So they laughingly consented to go, moreto please Beta, whom they had learned to love, than with anyexpectation of seeing a real giant at the end of the journey. Thereforethey were greatly astonished when, after much climbing, a sudden turn inthe road brought them face to face with a being five times as large asan ordinary man, whose strong hands looked as if they might easily crushany one of them, yet whose kindly face re-assured them.
The great giant received them pleasantly, as they were little Beta'sfriends, and soon they were eagerly plying him with all sorts ofquestions. "Did he know those strange creatures, the centaurs, whosebodies were half man and half horse? They had heard that these centaurslived somewhere among the mountains, and that they could teach any boyhow to become a great hero. Had he ever ridden on the back of Pegasus,the flying horse, whom none but giants could ride without tumbling off?Did he ever drink from the fountain of youth which had the power to keepmortals from growing old? Was it true that he could change the dirtbeneath their feet into golden money?" All these and many otherquestions they asked him and to each he gave an answer.
That night, when they returned to the village, they could talk ofnothing else but the wonderful giant whose home was near the mountaintop. Next day a larger number of the villagers climbed the mountain tothe cave, and each succeeding day more were persuaded to make thejourney, until everybody in the little valley, that is, everybody whocould climb, had visited the lame giant. Then they began to discuss howthey could open a road up the mountain to the cave. Finally they decidedto unite together and build a broad, winding road, one wide enough tolet horses and vehicles pass each other. "Then," said they, "we can takeour dear old grandsires and granddames and even our little children upto the good giant that he may teach them also."
Soon the whole village was humming with the sound of pickaxe and spade.Everybody worked and everybody was eager and happy in the work. It tooka long time, several years, in fact, before the road was completed, butit was done at last and it proved a greater blessing than they hadanticipated, for not only could they now drive up the mountain to thelame giant's cave, but _he_ was able to come down to them! This was athing of which they had never dreamed, and great was the rejoicing onthe occasion of his first visit to them.
Years passed by and the little valley became the most famous spot on thewhole earth, so rich was its soil, so remarkable the products it sentout. People came from all over the land now to visit the lame giant andlearn of him some of the wonderful secrets which had been hidden forcenturies, and all loved him and revered him.
My story would not be complete if I did not tell you that he too becameless lame, since the journeys up and down the mountain helped to makehim much stronger.
Perhaps some day you may go to this valley yourselves and learn how todo many wonderful things, which now seem impossible to you.