Sunday, October 26, 2008

Wait Til' Martin Comes......a spooky tale for Halloween

I tell a similar tale titled "Better Wait Til Martin Comes".
The kids and adults love it!!
This story is from a 1970's record album called "Scary Spooky Stories".
Happy Halloween!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Did You Feed My Cow???




This is a traditional call and response song that is most often associated with singer Ella Jenkins.
It's one of her signature songs.
The song is actually more of a rhythmic chanting than singing.
I've given you two versions.
The first is a more contempary version and the second I found in Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise written by Thomas Washington Talley published in 1922

Leader: Did you feed my cow?
Group: Yes ma'am! (nod head)

Leader: Will you tell me how?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: What did you give her?
Group: Corn and hay.

Leader: What did you give her?
Group: Corn and hay.

Leader: Did you milk her good?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: Did you do like you should?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: How did you milk her?
Group: Swish, swish swish! (pretend you are milking a cow)

Leader: How did you milk her?
Group: Swish, swish swish!

Leader: Did that cow die?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: With a pain in her eye?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: How did she die?
Group: Uh, uh, uh! (shake head 3 times)

Leader: How did she die?
Group: Uh, uh, uh!

Leader: Did the buzzards come?
Group: Yes ma'am.

Leader: Did the buzzards come?
Group: Yes m'am.

Leader: How did they come?
Group: Flap, flap, flap! (Flap arms like wings)

Leader: How did they come?
Group: Flap, flap, flap!



DID YOU FEED MY COW?

Did you feed my cow? Yes, Mam!
Will you tell me how? Yes, Mam!

Oh, w'at did you give her? Cawn and hay.
Oh, w'at did you give her? Cawn and hay.

Did you milk her good? Yes, Mam!
Did you do like you should? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did you milk her? Swish! Swish! Swish!
Oh, how did you milk her? Swish! Swish! Swish!

Did dat cow get sick? Yes, Mam!
Wuz she kivered with tick? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how was she sick? All bloated up!
Oh, how was she sick? All bloated up!

Did dat cow die? Yes, Mam!
Wid a pain in her eye? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did she die? Uh-! Uh-! Uh-!
Oh, how did she die? Uh-! Uh-! Uh-!

Did de buzzards come? Yes, Mam!
Fer to pick her bone? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did they come? Flop! Flop! Flop!
Oh, how did they come? Flop! Flop! Flop!

Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise written by Thomas Washington Talley published in 1922

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A Halloween Classic

Classic Disney Halloween Cartoon!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The Sun and the Wind....a fable by Aesop

This is a very cute and creative version of the story of the Sun and the Wind.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A Birthday Story

It's my birthday!!!!
Yeah...really...it is!

So I decided to put up a fun story about a little girl looking for the perfect birthday gift.




Nikini was a little girl. She lived with her mother and father, in a house near the woods. She was very friendly with the animals in the woods. One evening, Nikini’s father came home with a big gift box.

“What’s that, Thatha?” Nikini asked her father.

“It’s your mother’s birthday tomorrow,” her father said.

“Oh!” Nikini was very upset.

“How could I forget my Amma’s birthday? She would never forget mine. So I should give her a wonderful gift,” Nikini thought.

“But what shall I give her?” She went into her bedroom and thought. She loved her mother so much that she couldn’t think of anything good enough for a gift for her. She thought and thought until nightfall, but she couldn’t think of anything.

Then a firefly, seeing Nikini by the window, flew to her. “Nikini, what are you doing in the dark?” the firefly asked. “Firefly, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She makes me very happy on my birthdays. So I want to make her happy on her birthday. I want to give her the ‘greatest’ gift of all. But I can’t think of anything as great as my Amma,” said Nikini, sadly.

“I think you should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. Something like the sky, or the ocean,” said the firefly.

Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear firefly, the biggest thing in the world is my Amma’s love. So, I would like to find a gift as big as her love. But how can I find it?” said Nikini.

“You are a very good daughter who tries to give the biggest gift to her mother. So, I will help you. Let’s go out and find it,” the firefly said.

Nikini went out in the dark with the firefly. The firefly showed her the way. They went to the woods. They searched and searched, but they couldn’t find anything as big as her mother’s love.

On the way, a mynah bird who was about to go to sleep, saw Nikini. “Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” the mynah bird asked. “Mynah bird, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She cooks and cleans and works hard with no rest. Her love is the biggest thing in the world for me. So, I should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as big as my Amma’s love,” Nikini said sadly.

“No, I think you should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift, something like beautiful flowers, beautiful pearls,” the bluebird said. Nikini thought for a moment.

“Dear mynah bird, the most beautiful thing in the world is my Amma. So, I would like to find a flower or a pearl as beautiful as my Amma. But where can I find it?” asked Nikini. “You are a very good daughter. So I will help you,” said the mynah bird and away they went. They went on and on but couldn’t find anything as beautiful as her mother.

They went on until Nikini stumbled upon a rabbit who was fast asleep. “Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” asked the rabbit, rubbing his eyes.

“Rabbit, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She feeds me, cuddles me and holds me close until I fall asleep. She is the most beautiful thing in the world. So I should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as beautiful as my Amma,” said Nikini sadly.
“No, I think you should give her the ‘most precious’ gift in the world, something as precious as the moon and the stars,” said the rabbit.

Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear rabbit, the most precious thing in the world is my Amma. Even if I hang the moon on a necklace, even if I make stars into earrings, they are not as precious as she is. I want to find something as precious as my Amma. But how can I find it?” asked Nikini sadly.

“You are a very good daughter. I will help you find it.” The rabbit went along with the firefly, the mynah bird and Nikini. They went on and on, but they couldn’t find anything as precious as her mother.

On their way, she got entangled in a huge cobweb. Then the spider, who was having a sweet dream in the middle of the night, got up. “Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” the spider asked.

“Spider, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. When I am sick she cries and looks after me without sleep until I get well. She is the most precious thing in the world for me. So I should give her the ‘most precious’ gift. But I can’t find anything as precious as my Amma,” Nikini said sadly.

“No, I think you should give her the gift that would make her ‘the happiest’,” said the spider.
.
“Oh, what would make her happiest?” Nikini thought and thought.

“Something like a delicious cake, a lovely birthday card, a nice pair of shoes, a colorful dress…?” Nikini thought for a while.

“Oh, a beautiful sari!! I think she would like a beautiful sari most. I want to give her the most beautiful sari in the world. I want to find the most beautiful sari for her. And I want to give it to her as she wakes up in the morning and say, “Happy birthday!” But how can I find it? There’s only a little time left, until morning,” Nikini said, impatiently.

“Nikini, you are a great daughter who thinks so much about her mother. Some children don’t even care about their mother’s birthday. They remember about their own birthdays and gifts only. So I will weave a very beautiful sari for you,” said the spider and she started weaving a beautiful sari.

Nikini was very tired after walking all over the woods and not sleeping the whole night. But she was so happy that she didn’t feel sleepy at all. She helped the spider weave the most beautiful sari for her mother.

The firefly flew far away and brought back beautiful flowers to decorate it. The rabbit ran around the woods and brought beautiful colors from flowers, to paint the sari with. The mynah bird shook the branches of trees and they shed dewdrops on it.

Finally, they had made the most beautiful sari in the world. The flowers looked lovely on it, the colors were the prettiest shades, and the dewdrops glittered like gems and pearls.

“This is very beautiful…the most beautiful sari I have ever seen. Amma would surely love this,” Nikini yelled with excitement. They were all happy.

“Let’s go…let’s give this to Amma and wish her a happy birthday,” said Nikini. She hurried towards home with her friends.

As they got halfway, a strong wind blew across the woods and it started to rain heavily. They tried their best to protect the sari from the rain and the wind. But they failed. The sari was torn into pieces.

“Oh, noooooooo!” Nikini screamed. She was so sad that she cried and cried, while getting soaked in the rain.

The dawn arrived, and the sun rose. She heard a voice calling out. “Nikini…Nikini!” someone was shouting.

It was Nikini’s mother, who was searching for her missing daughter. Just then, she saw Nikini crying under a tree. She came running to Nikini.

“Oh, my darling, where have you been? Why are you crying?” she asked.

“Amma, I went searching for a birthday gift for you. I searched for the greatest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the biggest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most beautiful gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most precious gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. So finally, my friends made me a gift which you would like most. It was a very beautiful sari. But it got caught by the wind and was torn into pieces. I’m so sad that I couldn’t give it to you and make you happy,” Nikini said, still sobbing.

“My darling, do you know what is the most beautiful, most precious and the greatest thing to me? That is my little daughter. What I like most is her love. The love I felt from you today is the greatest, biggest, most precious and the most beautiful gift I’ve ever had in my life,” said her mother and she hugged her.

Nikini was very happy and so were her friends.

All of them went home with her, to celebrate the birthday.

Story found at 4to40.com

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Fun Pumpkin Songs and Poems for the Little Ones



Five little pumpkins
Sitting on a gate.

The first one said,
"Oh, my it's getting late!"

The second one said,
"There are witches in the air!"

The third one said,
"Well, I don't care!"

The fourth one said,
"Let's run and run and run!"

The fifth one said,
"I'm ready for some fun!"

Ooooo went the wind
And out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins
Rolled out of sight.




How Pumpkins Grow
(sung to the tune of The Muffin Man)

Do you know how pumpkins grow,
Pumpkins grow, pumpkins grow,
Do you know how pumpkins grow?
In my garden?

First I plant some pumpkin seeds,
some pumpkin seeds, some pumpkins seeds,
First I plant some pumpkin seeds
In my garden.

Then the vines and leaves will grow,
leaves will grow, leaves will grow,
Then the vines and leaves will grow,
In my garden.

Then the buds will turn to blossoms,
turn to blossoms, turn to blossoms,
Then the buds will turn to blossoms,
In my garden.

Then green pumpkins will grow,
will grow, will grow,
Then green pumpkins will grow,
In my garden.

At last the pumpkins turn to orange,
turn to orange, turn to orange,
At last the pumpkins turn to orange,
In my garden.

Now I'll have some jack-o-lanterns,
jack-o-lanterns, jack-o-lanterns,
Now I'll have some jack-o-lanterns,
In my garden.




What a funny seed I found,
I wondered what would grow?
So I planted it in the ground,
And now I know!

Little leaves were first to sprout,
Growing in a line,
Then golden blossoms opened out
Along the vine.

And then something grew-and grew and grew!
The biggest ever seen!
And now I have a pumpkin-
Just in time for HALLOWEEN!

Monday, October 6, 2008

The Two Bags or The Alms Bag......an Aesop Fable




Every person, according to an ancient legend, is born into the world with two bags suspended from their neck.

One bag hangs down our back and one bag hangs in the front.

The bag in front is full of our neighbors' faults.

The bag hanging down our back is a large bag filled with our own faults.

That is why people are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are often blind to their own failings.


*Alms Bag or Besace - A Beggars Bag. A cylindrical bag with an opening
in centre, forming two pouches. It was usually carried over
a shoulder.


**(the purse shown at the top of the blog is known as a miser's, or beggar's, bag and came into fashion at the end of the 18th century; it was used by men and women until the early part of the 20th century to hold money. The two silver rings, or sliders, cover the center opening and can be moved to hold the coins in the bag.)

Friday, October 3, 2008

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too! --- a poem by Shel Silverstien---Oh! and a recipe too!


As I am sure I have mentioned before, or at least I should have, I love poems and poetry. And I have quite a few favorite poems and poets. One of my favorite writer's of children's poetry is Shel Silverstein.

Born Sheldon Alan Silverstein, September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, "Shel" Silverstein was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He wrote 3 books of poetry for children Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974), A Light in the Attic (1981)and Falling Up (1996).

Just an interesting aside, Shel Silverstein also wrote the music and the lyrics for the following songs: "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash, "The Unicorn" which is popular in Irish pubs all over the world, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" a song performed by Dr. Hook.

The following poem can be found in his book "Where the Sidewalk Ends". "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too" is a wonderful poem. It's fun to say, the children love the rhyme and the images that it creates. It is also a marvelous poem to act out. There are so many places for the children use their imagination.

If you have the time and the facilities, why not go a step further and have the kids make Mulligan Stew!(It's mentioned in the poem :)


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Went for a ride in a flying shoe,
"Hooray!"
"What fun!"
"It's time we flew!"
Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, Pickle was crew,
And Tickle served coffee and mulligan stew
As higher
And higher
And higher they flew,
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,
Over the sun and beyond the blue.
"Hold on!"
"Stay in!"
"I hope we do!"
Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.


Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too
Never returned to the world they knew,
And nobody
knows what's
happened to
Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Written by Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)



I know from experience that your average child will ask you what mulligan stew is as soon as you finish the poem, if not sooner. So here is your answer (just in case you did not know, I didn't.)

Mulligan stew is a kind of dish said to have been prepared by hobos in camps in the early 1900s. Usually, it includes meat, potatoes, vegetables, and whatever else can be found. The hobo who put it together was known as the "mulligan mixer". A stew is generally difined as being made, literally, of "whatever is on hand" including meat, potatoes and vegetables in any combination.

I have included 2 different stew recipes. Enjoy!

Campfire Mulligan Stew
Ingredients :
Method :
In small amount of hot fat in heavy frying pan, brown: 1 pound stew meat, cut in small pieces Add: 1 tsp. salt Stir in: 1 can condensed tomato soup 1 can water Cover tightly and let cook slowly until tender (about 1-1/2 hours). If fire gets too hot, take from heat occasionally to keep at a simmer. When the meat is tender, add: 3 carrots, cut in thick slices
3 potatoes, quartered
3 onions, halved Continue cooking slowly about 30 minutes. If there is not enough juice, add water during cooking. If too thin take off lid and cook sauce until thickened. 4 to 6 servings
Recipe from the Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls


Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 each potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 each onion, chopped
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- pound stew meat
- 1 can tomato soup
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 package stew seasoning

Directions
Cut the vegetables and meat into bite sized pieces. Mix the stew seasoning with the water. Place the meat on the bottom of the crock, cover with vegetables. Pour the soup and stew seasoning mixture over all. Cook in the crock pot on high for 6 hours or low 10 hours.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 6 or more hours
Servings: 6
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/u--3732/easy-crock-pot-beef-stew.asp