The Wayward Wind - Folktales for March

  

The Wind's Tale: Picking Flowers and Herbs
by Edmund Dulac, 1911

"A light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine." ~ Anne Bronte

The calendar tells us it is spring, yet snow continues to fall in New England. The strong March winds blow through the trees, breaking their boughs and reminding us that Mother Nature is still in charge.

Patiently we wait for spring to appear. The old saying goes,"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So until then, we will entertain ourselves with stories of the wind.



The Wind’s Tale
by Hans Christian Andersen

When the wind sweeps across a field of grass it makes little ripples in it like a lake; in a field of corn it makes great waves like the sea itself: this is the wind's frolic. Then listen to the stories it tells; it sings them aloud, one kind of song among the trees of the forest, and a very different one when it is pent up within walls with all their cracks and crannies. Do you see how the wind chases the white fleecy clouds as if they were a flock of sheep? Do you hear the wind down there, howling in the open doorway like a watchman winding his horn? Then, too, how he whistles in the chimneys, making the fire crackle and sparkle. How cosy it is to sit in the warm glow of the fire listening to the tales it has to tell! Let the wind tell its own story! It can tell you more adventures than all of us put together. Listen now:—

'Whew!—Whew!—Fare away!' That was the refrain of his song.

'Close to the Great Belt stands an old mansion with thick red walls,' says the wind. 'I know every stone of it; I knew them before when they formed part of Marsk Stig's Castle on the Ness. It had to come down. The stones were used again, and made a new wall of a new castle in another place—Borreby Hall as it now stands.

'I have watched the highborn men and women of all the various races who have lived there, and now I am going to tell you about Waldemar Daa and his daughters!For the rest of the story go to
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17860/17860-h/17860-h.htm#THE_WINDS_TALE

MORE STORIES

Angry Wind – West Africa
https://www.theafricangourmet.com/2018/09/angry-wind-african-folktale-story.html

The Boy Who Went to the North Wind – Norway
http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales13.html#northwind

Chinook Wind – Native American/Yakima
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Chinook-Wind-Yakima.html

Fearing the Wind
http://spiritoftrees.org/fearing-the-wind

Michigan Winds - United States
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/michigan_winds.html

Origin of the Winds – Inuit/Native American
https://www.worldoftales.com/Native_American_folktales/Eskimo_folktale_29.html#gsc.tab=0

The Lad Who Went to the North Wind - Norway
https://www.storyberries.com/fairy-tales-the-lad-who-went-to-the-north-wind-by-asbjornsen-and-moe/

The Story of the Wind – Hans Christian Andersen
http://hca.gilead.org.il/the_wind.html 

Sun, Moon and Wind Go Out to Dinner – India
http://worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Indian_folktale_27.html

The Warm Wind Brothers vs. The Cold Wind Brothers – Native American
https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TheWarmWindBrothersvsTheColdWindBrothers-Unknown.html  

The Wind and the Moon - India
http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/jataka-tales/wind-and-moon.html

The Wind Demon – Turkey - The story is on 112 in this public domain book.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64807/64807-0.txt

The Wind and the Sun - Greece/Aesop
https://fairytalez.com/the-wind-and-the-sun/

Yaponcha the Wind God – Native American/Hopi
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Yaponcha_The_Wind_God-Hopi.html

CURRICULUM

Traditional Stories About the Wind – Stories and lesson plans for grades K-4.  Unfortunately, this site is no longer active but you may still access it via the Wayback Machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20120905035353/http://www.arcticclimatemodeling.com/lessons/acmp/acmp_k4_Wind_TraditionalStoriesAboutWind.pdf

U.S. Department of Energy – Wind Energy Curricula and Teaching Materials - “This page provides a list of wind energy curricula and teaching materials for elementary, middle school, and high school students that can bring wind energy into the classroom, even for students at schools without a wind turbine installation.

https://windexchange.energy.gov/education-workforce

WINDExchange - Lessons plans, curriculum, books, videos, and more.
https://windexchange.energy.gov/k12

Wonders of Wind Teacher’s Resource Guide – Students learn about the wind through reading and activities; for grades K-8.

http://www.need.org/Files/curriculum/guides/Wonders%20of%20Wind%20Teacher%20Guide.pdf   

CRAFTS

Ladybug Wind Chime 
http://tinyurl.com/5uzvhpu

Wind Sock
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2012/03/wind-sock-craft-2.html

Cloud Wind Puppet
http://tinyurl.com/5tu9m7m

Pinwheels 
http://tinyurl.com/6a8vbdd

SONGS

Music and Songs About Weather 
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sweather.shtml

The Wind Blows High – Jump Rope Song
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1321&c=51

Wind – Song for Teaching Rhyming Words
http://www.songsforteaching.com/avni/wind.htm

BOOKS

A Bed for the Wind by Roger B. Goodman – This was one of my son’s favorite books when he was little.
https://www.amazon.com/Bed-Wind-Goodman-root/dp/0671661175  

Listen to the Wind
http://tinyurl.com/4752uln

Willa and the Wind
http://www.amazon.com/Notable-Childrens-Books-Younger-Readers/dp/076145232X

Where Does the Wind Blow
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Does-Sharing-Nature-Children/dp/1584690410

Carol Hurst - Wind in Children’s Books
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/wind.html

And if you are seeking some additional stories to celebrate the windy month of March, head over to the blog below.

March Comes In Like a Lion – Folktales That Roar!
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-comes-in-like-lionfolktales-that.html

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace  2011 ©
This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Tales of Japan-Sharing Their Stories



Kitagawa Utmaro (Japan 1752 – 1806)


I know our hearts are heavy with grief and worry for the people of Japan. With so many miles between us it seems the only things we can offer are prayers and donations for their recover. But perhaps we can also offer stories, in our programs, libraries and classrooms. Let’s bring their tales into the world and maybe our words will travel and help sustain their spirits during these challenging times.

I have faith that the Japanese people will survive but until they are ready, let us carry their stories for them.

“When love is deep, much can be accomplished.” ~ Shinichi Suzuki



The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Flower

Long, long ago there lived an old man and his wife who supported themselves by cultivating a small plot of land. Their life had been a very happy and peaceful one save for one great sorrow, and this was they had no child. Their only pet was a dog named Shiro, and on him they lavished all the affection of their old age. Indeed, they loved him so much that whenever they had anything nice to eat they denied themselves to give it to Shiro. The word Shiro means "white," and he was so called because of his color. He was a Japanese dog, and very like a small wolf in appearance.

The happiest hour of the day both for the old man and his dog was when the man returned from his work in the field, and having finished his frugal supper of rice and vegetables, would take what he had saved from the meal out to the little veranda that ran round the cottage. Sure enough, Shiro was waiting for his master and the evening tit-bit. Then the old man said "Chin, chin!" and Shiro sat up and begged, and his master gave him the food... For the rest of the story go to
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4018/4018-h/4018-h.htm#trees


More stories from the Land of the Rising Sun: All of the books are in the public domain.

Fairy Tales of Old Japan by William E. Griffis, 1923 – From the Baldwin Project
http://tinyurl.com/6de2ano

Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales by Grace James, 1912 – Free, downloadable book from Google Books.
http://tinyurl.com/6kzywql

Hundred Verses from Old Japan (The Hyakunin-isshu) translated by William N. Porter, 1909
http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/hvj/index.htm

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki, 1908
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4018

Japanese Fairy Tales by Teresa Peirce Williston, 1911
http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/jft2/index.htm

Old-world Japan : legends of the land of the gods by Frank Rinder, 1895
http://www.archive.org/details/oldworldjapanleg00rind

Tales of Old Japan by A.B. Mitford, 1910
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13015/13015-h/13015-h.htm

Additional Resources

Storybug.net - These two blogs posts offer additional stories, curriculum and craft resources on Japan.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2010/12/folding-cranes-finding-peace.html
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/04/fools-tricksters-festivals-and-spring.html


BOOKS

Folktales from the Japanese Countryside - A collection of 46 of Hiroko Fujita's traditional stories edited by Fran Stallings. The book includes a brief summary of Japanese history by emeritus professor Harold Wright, an overview of Japanese storytelling by Miki Sakurai, and a section of games, recipes, and crafts as well as facinating background notes on the stories.
http://www.abc-clio.com/product.aspx?isbn=9781591584889

Children’s Books on Japan K-8
http://www.ceas.ku.edu/outreach/documents/children-lit-review-japan.pdf 


Karen Chace  2011 ©
This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Tales and Transformations

 

Athene and Arachne
Jacopo Tintoretto, c. 1475-85



The Story of Arachne

Athena, goddess of wisdom, was a proud and talented, young goddess. In times of peace, Athena taught Grecians about the arts. She herself was a skillful weaver and potter and always took pride in her pupils' work, as long as they respected her.

One of Athena's pupils was a maiden whose name was Arachne. Arachne was a poor, simple girl who lived in the country. Her father was a quiet man of humble birth. He dyed sheep's wool to earn money for a living. Arachne wove beautiful fabrics of delicate designs, and people began to comment to her that surely she had been taught by the goddess Athena. Arachne denied this and stated that she was certainly better than Athena and that she had learned little or nothing from Athena's teachings. She even went as far as to say that she was a better weaver than Athena! For the rest of the story go to http://www.hipark.austin.isd.tenet.edu/mythology/arachne.html


This past week I've been in coaching mode, helping my third grade storytelling students fine tune their tales. They have already been through the peer coaching process during class time, helping each other by listening, then offering Compliments and "I wonder if..." suggestions. They know what to look for, eye contact, pacing of the story, gestures, etc. in others, but sometimes it is more difficult to see the process in themselves.

Later, each student or tandem team receives two separate half hour sessions with me. The first is a straight telling for me where I take notes. Then we talk about what worked, what they might wish to change, suggestions of things to try and then they tell it again, incorporating the changes.

On Wednesday, just like Arachne, one student transformed right before my eyes! Victoria is telling the Greek myth of Arachne and I suspected she was memorizing the story, although they are cautioned to put their stories in their own words. When Victoria arrived for her coaching session I asked for a copy of her story. As she told the tale I glanced down at her story a few times. Yes, she was reciting it verbatim; not a good idea.

When she finished and sat down to chat I asked, "How was your eye contact with the audience (me). She truthfully stated, "I kept looking up." When I asked her why, even though I already knew the answer, she said, "Because I was trying to remember the words on the paper." Bingo!!

I pulled out parts of the story and read them to her exactly as they appeared and modeled changing the words while retaining the meaning. I then asked her to try and she got it. I also asked, "Do you have any gestures to go with the story?"  Again, "Yes, but I was too nervous trying to remember the words." Such an honest young lady!

I reiterated that as storytellers we are artists, painting pictures with our words and asked her to think about some images she could offer the audience as she traveled through the story. Those images would naturally call up gestures for her as well. Now it was time to try the story again. What followed was so strikingly different from her first attempt it actually gave me goosebumps.

Victoria began the story once more about Arachne and the beautiful weavings she designed then added "Her work was lovelier than the roses in her mother's garden."  Such a gorgeous image and it was all her own!  She continued the story and on the spot was able to step away from the written text and tell the story in her own words. The gestures began to flow; I saw her physically relax and step into the story, taking us back to ancient times with Arachne and Athena. When she finished, she was glowing and smiling from ear to ear...and so was I!

In the nine years I have been teaching storytelling I have never witnessed a student make such wide spread changes in their story in such a short span of time.  For the next session I will bring a video camera, tape their telling, roll it back and then they will critique themselves. Who knows what will be captured then? I can't wait to find out!

There's Magic In Fairy Tales!

Undine in the Wind by Arthur Rackham, 1909

The birthday of Harry Houdini, the famous magician, is March 24 and so of course that led me to think about the magic in fairy tales. Before jumping into the land of “Happily ever after…” I did a bit of research on this famous man.

Did you know that for many years he was the highest paid entertainer in American Vaudeville? It is also said that he was one of the first to use mass tie-in marketing by prearranging his stunts with local merchants. A man ahead of his time!

Magic has always been part of fairy tales and the name "fairy tale" was first ascribed to them by Madame d'Aulnoy in the late 17th century.

• In French the phrase is conte de fée
• In Spanish cuento de hadas
• In Portuguese conto de fadas
• In German Märchen
• In Greek παραμύθι (paramithi)
• In Italian fiaba
• In Polish baśń
• In Swedish saga http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tale

It is said that the oldest known written fairy tales stem from ancient Egypt, c. 1300 BC; The Two Brothers. You can read the the Brothers Grimm version of this tale at http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/grimm-brothers/558/  

The story the Undine, published in 1909 was said to be “the most beautiful of all” fairy stories by George Macdonald, Scottish author and poet. No matter how old or new, fairy tales always contain a touch of magic!

To celebrate the birthday of Houdini I offer you these magical tales.

The Gifts of the Magician – Finnish

http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/246.htm
The Magician’s Horse – Culture Unknown
http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/211.htm
The Magic Bear – Native American/Inuit
http://learningtogive.org/resources/folktales/MagicBear.asp

The Magic Book - Danish 

http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/121.htm
The Magic Brocade - China
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/056.html

The Magic Kettle – Japan

http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/222.htm
The Magic Mirror - Spain
http://www.storiestogrowby.com/stories/magic_mirror_frame.html

The Magic Mirror - Africa

http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/152.htm
The Magic Moneybag - Korea
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html#moneybag
The Magic Orange Tree - Haiti
http://www.spiritoftrees.org/folktales/wolkstein/magic_orange_tree.html
The Magic Rocks and the Beggar – Brittany/France
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/ftb/ftb14.htm

Magic Ring – Russia 

http://russian-crafts.com/russian-folk-tales/magic-ring-rusian-tale.html  
The Magic Swan - European
http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/370.htm
The Magic White Swan - Laos
http://hubpages.com/hub/Lao-Folktales--The-Magic-White-Swan
The Magic Wild Geese – Russian
http://russian-crafts.com/tales/geese.html
Mohamed and the Magic Finger - Africa
http://mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/205.htm

  

CURRICULUM

Brothers Grimm - Magic figures predominately in their fairy tales. Here is a lesson plan to complement a story from their work. http://tinyurl.com/64a6wqw
Reading Rainbow – Classroom extensions for Liang and the Magic Paintbrush http://www.shopgpn.com/guides/rr/7.pdf

A Magic Seed - English Language Arts Grade 2.
http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/act/grade2/act2.asp?ID=554
Teacher Resource for The Magic Paintbrush – From Australia, a very useful resource with classroom extension to complement the tale. http://www.cambridge.edu.au/education/resource/sample_2_728317.pdf

Multicultural Fairy Tales –The Stuff of Magic – Curriculum Unit http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/2/04.02.01.x.html

Fairy Tale Printables - http://abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/literature/fairy_tales/

CRAFTS

Magic Wand
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/magic-wand.shtml  

Sorcerers Glitter Globe
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/sorcerers-glitter-globe-665514/
Wizard Toilet Paper Roll Craft
http://www.dltk-kids.com/fantasy/mwizard.htm

Wizard Hat Craft
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/costumeacces/a/wizardhat.htm
Paper Bag Princess
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/princessandfrog/mprincessbag.htm

Castle Coloring Page
http://tinyurl.com/47oybpc


BOOKS

  

Leading Kids to Books through MAGIC by Caroline Feller Bauer

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=207

Strega Nona by Tommie De Paola (A version of the The Magic Pot)

http://tinyurl.com/4h2o64r
Anno’s Magic Seeds by M. Anno
http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/unified.cfm?bookid=1580  

The Magic Fan by Keith Baker
http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/bookdetails.cfm?TopicID=413  

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/unified.cfm?bookid=1539

FINGERPLAYS/STORY STRETCH

  

Magic Fairytale Stew – Story Stretch

© Karen Chace 2011

(I based this on the song Witches Brew by Hap Palmer)

Dragons, giant, billy goats, too. (clap hands)

Stir them in my magic fairytale stew. (stirring motion)

I’ve got magic (point to self)

Alakazoo! (arms up, wave hands in the air, fingers spread)
Mmmm mmm my fairytale stew. (rub stomach)

Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty too. (clap hands)

Stir them in my magic fairytale stew. (stirring motion)

I've got magic (point to self)

Alakazoo! (arms up, wave hands in the air, fingers spread) 

Mmmm mmm my fairytale stew. (rub stomach)

Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, too. (clap hands)

Stir them in my fairytale brew. (stirring motion)

I’ve got magic (point to self)

Alakazoo! (arms up, wave hands in the air, fingers spread)

Mmmm mmm my fairytale stew. (rub stomach)

 

Charming Princes, Three Bears, Goldilocks too! (clap hands)

Stir them in my fairytale stew.

I’ve got magic (point to self)

Alakazoo!!!!! (arms up, wave hands in the air, fingers spread)

Here Is The Prince

Here is the prince with his feathered cap,

(take off hat, bow)

Here are his boots which go tap, tap, tap.

(tap toes)

Here is the princess with her golden crown,

(put four fingers up over head)

Here is her lovely beaded gown.(curtsy)

Here is their castle tall and wide,

(stretch arms up to the sky)

Where the prince and princess play safely inside.

(jump up and down)

Tapping the Trees - It's Maple Sugaring Time!

Permission to share this original painting
is through the generosity of artist
Oneida Hammond.
Please visit her website at
http://www.oneidahammond.com/

 

"A sap run is the sweet good-bye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and the frosts."
~ John Burroughs, Signs and Seasons, 1886

Spring is just around the corner and the warmer temperatures bring sugar mapling time! Can you imagine a stack of fluffy, fresh pancakes, cinnamon French toast or Belgian Waffles without a generous swirl of hot maple syrup? I know I can’t! We have the Native American’s to thank for this delicious discovery. Maple syrup was first recorded as being produced in 1540 by Native Americans using the sugar maple’s sap.

They set up "sugar camps" in the early spring when sap flows from tree roots into trunks. The Chippewa, Menominee, and Winnebago tribes of the Great Lakes region all waited for this time of year because it meant the harvest of an important and tasty resource. They would move their tribe's people to the sugar camp to harvest the sap.

You don't need to know all of the facts below to enjoy this delicious treat but it just might help you appreciate it a little bit more.

• The Chippewa used the sap as a tasty sweet drink, syrup, and candy.
• The Menominee made maple sugar and used the syrup as a seasoning much like we use salt.
• Winnebago’s sweetened their food with syrup and used the sap as sugar. Maple sugar and syrup were used for barter by Indians living along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
• The sugar maple tree is the state tree of Vermont.
• Sugar maple trees are unique to North America and grow naturally only in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
• Sugar maples have the greatest amount of sugar in the sap to make syrup out of, but you can also tap red and silver maples, box elders, and birch trees.
• An average maple will produce about 20 gallons of sap in the spring, which only amounts to 2 quarts of syrup.

  

STORIES

Gluskabe Changes Maple Syrup - Abenaki 

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/GluskabeChangesMapleSyrup-Abenaki.html

How Maple Syrup May Have Been Discovered – An Iroquois Legend

http://sugarmakerstimes.blogspot.com/2007/10/native-americans-and-legend-of-maple.html

Mikku and the Trees 

http://spiritoftrees.org/mikku-and-the-trees

Iroquois Legend http://www.d.umn.edu/~tbates/curricularesources/MapleSyruping/CheifWoksisStory.pdf

The Legend of Maple Syrup 
http://www.thatcherssugarhouse.com/the%20Legend.htm

Sugaring Off at the Camp, Fryeburg, Maine
Eastman Johnson 1881-85


SONGS
 



Oh Maple Syrup – Sung to the tune of Oh Christmas Tree
http://kateschosen.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/syrup-song-sing-along/

 

Love and Maple Syrup - Lyrics by Gordon Lightfoot
http://www.mp3lyrics.org/g/gordon-lightfoot/love/

Maple Sugar Time 
http://www.songsforteaching.com/canada/maplesugartime.htm

Maple Syrup Song 

http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiMAPLSYRP.html

 

CURRICULUM

School of Forest Resources – Lesson Plan for Kindergarten classes.
http://sfr.psu.edu/youth/sftrc/lesson-plans/forestry/k-5/maplesyrup

Maple Sugar Days – Teacher Guide Unit for grades 4 – 6.  

http://www.agclassroom.org/ny/resources/pdf/activities/sugar.pdf

Maple Syrup Classroom Activities – Word search, coloring pages, crossword puzzle, vocabulary and more.
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/freeprintables/ss/maplesyrupprint.

Maple Syrup Lesson Plan – Grade 3
http://www.uwsp.edu/education/pcook/unitplans/syrup.htm

Teach Children About Maple Sugaring 
http://www.suite101.com/content/teach-children-about-maple-sugaring-a103814
 

CRAFT ACTIVITY

Fun Projects - Easy to do; make your own maple syrup candy.
http://funprojectsforpreschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/01/maple-syrup-candy.html

How Stuff Works – Tree crafts for children.
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/tree-crafts-for-kids.htm


STORY STRETCH

I couldn't locate any specific story stretches or fingerplays about maple sugaring but you can take one about trees and give it a little twist. The song below was originally called Underneath the Monkey Tree and didn’t include the movements. I added them to turn it into a story stretch.

Underneath the Maple Tree
(Tune: The Muffin Man) © Karen Chace

Come and play awhile with me (wave hello)
Underneath the maple tree (point and look up)
Monkey see (hand over eyes as if in a salute)
And monkey do (tap one fist into other palm as if  tapping the maple tree for the sap)
Just like monkeys in the zoo! (hands on hips, bend slightly from side to side)

Swing your tail one two three (sway body back and forth)
Underneath the maple tree (point and look up)
Monkey see (hand over eyes as if in a salute)
And monkey do (tap one fist into other palm as if tapping the maple tree for sap)
Just like monkeys in the zoo! (hands on hips, bend slightly from side to side)

Jump around and smile like me (hop up and down while smiling)
Underneath the maple tree (point and look up)
Monkey see do (hand over eyes as if in a salute)
And monkey do (tap one fist into other palm as if tapping the maple tree for sap)
Just like monkeys in the zoo! (hands on hips, bend slightly from side to side)

BOOKS

Burns, Diane. Sugaring Season: Making Maple Syrup. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1990.

Carney, Margaret and Janet Wilson. At Grandpa’s Sugar Bush. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press, 1998.

Chall, Marsha Wilson. Sugarbush Spring. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, 2000.

Crook, Connie and Scott Cameron. Maple Moon. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited, 1999.

Ehlert, Lois. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich Publishers, 1991.

Gibbons, Gail. The Missing Maple Syrup Sap Mystery: Or, How Maple Syrup Is Made. Penguin Young Readers Group, 1979.

Haas, Jessie. Sugaring. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1996.

Lasky, Kathryn. Sugaring Time. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.

Linton, Marilyn. The Maple Syrup Book. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1983.

London, Jonathan. The Sugaring- Off Party. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1995.

Reynolds, Cynthia Furlong. M is For Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet. Chealsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2002.

Ring, Susan. From Tree to Table. Coughlan Publishing, 2002.

Rossiter, Nan Parson. Sugar on Snow. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2003.

Waterman Wittstock, Laura. Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 1993.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Sugar Snow. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1999.
List found at http://vt.audubon.org/PDFs/Sugaring_expect_resources.pdf


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Wendjidu Zinzibahkwud - Real Sugar (Maple) - Step back into time and read a firsthand account about sugaring in the old days. Nodinens (Little Wind), a Mille Lacs Band Ojibwe from central Minnesota, was 74 in 1910 or so when she told Frances Densmore about sugaring in the old days.
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/maple.html

From the Woods - Maple Syrup, A Taste of Nature – From Penn State a guide to the maple syrup process with pictures and information.
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh130.pdf

Maple Museum - Indians and the Early Maple Sugaring Press 

http://www.maplemuseum.com/indians-and-early-maple-sugaring-process

Adopt a Maple Tree
http://www.adirondackvic.org/Maple-Sugaring-at-the-VIC-Adopt-a-Maple.html

RECIPES

Maple Syrup Recipes
http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/recipes.htm

Karen Chace  2011 ©
This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

May the road rise up to meet you...Celebrating St. Patrick's Day



Illustration courtesy of Karen's Whimsy  

My favorite holiday, next to Thanksgiving, is of course St. Patrick’s Day. Both of my maternal grandparents made the trip from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo long ago. My grandmother was “lace curtain Irish” while my grandfather was “shanty Irish.” They did not meet and marry until they were both in the United States. Together, they raised a family of 12 and like many others, lost everything during the Great Depression.

In 2008 I wrote a blog post dedicated to them. If you would like to step back in time with me visit http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008/02/step-back-in-time.html .

On St. Patrick’s Day I get together with my family and cousins to celebrate, a day when everyone is just a wee bit Irish. Below are some stories, music, proverbs and more to help you understand a bit more about this celebration and the history of the wonderful people of Ireland. 

• There are 36.5 million U.S. residents with Irish roots. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (more than four million).Irish ranks among the top five ancestries in every state except Hawaii and New Mexico. It is the leading ancestry group in Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
• The Irish have observed St. Patrick’s Day, a religious holiday for over a thousand years.
• The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762.
• St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada and Australia. It is also celebrated in Japan, Singapore and Russia.
• Chicago is famous dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day.
• More than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
• The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs. After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language. The Irish turned to music hold on to their heritage and history
• The original Irish name for leprechaun’s is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow." Minor figures in Celtic folklore they are known for their trickery, often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day.  
• The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.
  
   The above information was found at: http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day  

  

STORIES
Many of us will be “wearing the green” soon in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day so here’s a head start on finding some of the faerie folk!

Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland - From 1902 a wonderful antique book full of tales and information by Lady Wilde, mother of Oscar Wilde.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/ali/

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, 1892.
http://tinyurl.com/332obbr

Fairy Tales and Folktales of the Irish Peasantry - Edited by W. B. Yeats and published in 1888 the stories are here to enjoy, courtesy of Sacred Texts. Revel in tales of the Merrow, Changelings, Pookas, Fairies and Banshees, Saints, Priests, Giants and Devils, Kings, Queens, Earls and Robbers; Yeats covers them all!
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/yeats/fip/

The Fireside Stories of Ireland by Patrick Kennedy, 1870.
https://archive.org/details/firesidestories00kenngoog 

The Irish Storyteller - Did you ever wonder how Eire got its name? Come read this Celtic legend, meet Irish Chieftains, Queens and more!
http://tinyurl.com/c7oxe3

Storybug.net – For a list of Celtic websites I have collected through the years go to: http://www.storybug.net/links/cultures.html#celtic

The Welsh Fairy Book - Eighty-four stories published in 1907 by Jenkyn Thomas, along with a page of pronunciation notes.
http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/wjthomas/bl-wjthomas-welsh-complete.htm

The four sites below are books spanning from 1893 to 1920 and were all found via Google Books. They are in the public domain and can be downloaded for free.

The Celtic Twilight - Offered by William Butler Yeats and published in 1893, he writes in the forward, “I have invented nothing but my own comments and one or two deceitful sentences that may keep some poor storytellers discourse with the devils and the angels….” 
http://tinyurl.com/2bngdk

Folk-Lore and Legends: Legends, Myths and Fairy Tales by Cathryn Wallace, 1910. http://tinyurl.com/3y4kuj4

Irish Fairy Tales - Brought to you by James Stephens all the way from 1920; beginning with The Story of Tuan Mac Cairill and ending with Mongan’s Frenzy.
http://tinyurl.com/2y5kcd

Irish Fairy Tales, Folklore and Legend - Illustrated by Geoffrey Strahan and published in 1904 this book offers a variety of English, Scottish and Irish folk-lore.
http://tinyurl.com/69rmy9q

BOOKS

Apples for the Teacher - A nice selection of children's books perfect for St. Patrick's Day. http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/kids-books/


CRAFTS

Leprechaun Crafts - http://tinyurl.com/yl3rmq9
St. Patrick’s Day Wreaths – http://tinyurl.com/yz4bw29  
St. Patrick’s Day Word Jumble - http://tinyurl.com/ykjhtf8
St. Patrick’s Day Word Search - http://tinyurl.com/ylx8537
St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages - http://tinyurl.com/yz7guar
St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Printables - http://tinyurl.com/cxfe9a
St. Patrick's Day Coloring Pages - http://tinyurl.com/cy9pwd

SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS

Mama Lisa – Children’s Songs from Ireland
http://www.mamalisa.com/?p=417&t=ec&c=68

Perpetual School House
http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/holiday_themes/stpat_songs.html

Love to Learn – A great new site I just stumbled upon. Lots of fingerplays here for a variety of holidays. This link will take you to those for St. Patrick’s Day. http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/StPattys/Parodies.html#anchor1433410


CURRICULUM

Mifflin County School District – This is like find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Wonderful links, including the history of Ireland, activities, stories and more.

http://www.mcsdk12.org/curr/Holidays_and_Occasions/Holidays_and_Occasions_St_Patricks_Day.html

Read, Write, Think – For grades 1 – 12.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/today-patrick-20451.html

 

SOMETHING EXTRA

Irish Blessings, Curses, Proverbs and Quotations
http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/irish.html

Sláinte mhaith! (Good health) – Another of my blog post for St. Patrick’s Day from 2010. Additional, stories, crafts and more.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2010/02/slainte-mhaith-good-health.html


Karen Chace  2011 ©
This blog post was painstakingly researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my newsletter via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful...

Yuki-onna - The Snow  Maiden

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...It seems as if we are becoming a living tribute to the song, Let It Snow, composed by lyricist Sammy Cahn in 1945.  Today we greet February with a familiar sight this winter, snow! It continues to fall today here in snow-weary New England and more is on the way. I am remembering the old saying, "If you can't beat em, join em!" So with that in mind I offer you some winter tales to warm your spirit.

(If you would like to listen to a modern version of this great song, here is a link to Michael Buble's version.  It is certain to add a smile to your face and a spring (no pun intended) to your step!)


"Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the withered air
Hides hills and woods, the river, and to heaven,
And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.
The sled and traveler stopped, the courier's feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, and housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed
In a tumultuous privacy of storm."
                                                 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yuki-onna (雪女, ゆきおんな, Yuki-onna snow woman)
Some legends say the Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is the spirit of someone who perished in the snow She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as more human, emphasizing her ghost-like like nature and ephemeral beauty.In some stories:

• Yuki-onna appears to travelers trapped in snowstorms and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses
• Yuki-onna leads them astray so they simply die of exposure.
• She manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, they are frozen in place.]
• Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she invades homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind to kill residents in their sleep. Some legends require her to be invited inside first. From Wikipedia. Click here for more on Yuki-onna.

STORIES

Yuki-onna– The Woman of the Snow - Japanese Folktale
In a village of Musashi Province, there lived two woodcutters: Mosaku and Minokichi. At the time of which I am speaking, Mosaku was an old man; and Minokichi, his apprentice, was a lad of eighteen years. Every day they went together to a forest situated about five miles from their village. On the way to that forest there is a wide river to cross; and there is a ferry-boat. Several times a bridge was built where the ferry is; but the bridge was each time carried away by a flood. No common bridge can resist the current there when the river rises.

Mosaku and Minokichi were on their way home, one very cold evening, when a great snowstorm overtook them. They reached the ferry; and they found that the boatman had gone away, leaving his boat on the other side of the river. It was no day for swimming; and the woodcutters took shelter in the ferryman's hut,--thinking themselves lucky to find any shelter at all. There was no brazier in the hut, nor any place in which to make a fire: it was only a two-mat hut, with a single door, but no window. Mosaku and Minokichi fastened the door, and lay down to rest, with their straw rain-coats over them. At first they did not feel very cold; and they thought that the storm would soon be over.

The old man almost immediately fell asleep; but the boy, Minokichi, lay awake a long time, listening to the awful wind, and the continual slashing of the snow against the door. The river was roaring; and the hut swayed and creaked like a junk at sea. It was a terrible storm; and the air was every moment becoming colder; and Minokichi shivered under his rain-coat. But at last, in spite of the cold, he too fell asleep.

He was awakened by a showering of snow in his face. The door of the hut had been forced open; and, by the snow-light (yuki-akari), he saw a woman in the room,--a woman all in white. She was bending above Mosaku, and blowing her breath upon him;--and her breath was like a bright white smoke. For the rest of the story click here.

One of my favorite winter stories; a Cinderella variant.

The Twelve Month Brothers - Ukrainian folktale
There was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by her dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife. She loved Helen, but hated the poor orphan because she was far prettier than her own daughter.

The Twelve Months

Marouckla did not think about her good looks, and could not understand why her stepmother should be angry at the sight of her. The hardest work fell to her share. She cleaned out the rooms, cooked, washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay, milked the cow, and all this without any help.

Helen, meanwhile, did nothing but dress herself in her best clothes and go to one amusement after another.

But Marouckla never complained. She bore the scoldings and bad temper of mother and sister with a smile on her lips, and the patience of a lamb. But this angelic behavior did not soften them. They became even more tyrannical and grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily more beautiful, while Helen's ugliness increased. So the stepmother determined to get rid of Marouckla, for she knew that while she remained, her own daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every kind of privation, abuse, every means was used to make the girl's life miserable. But in spite of it all Marouckla grew ever sweeter and more charming.

One day in the middle of winter Helen wanted some wood-violets.

"Listen," cried she to Marouckla, "you must go up the mountain and find me violets. I want some to put in my gown. They must be fresh and sweet-scented-do you hear?"

"But, my dear sister, whoever heard of violets blooming in the snow?" said the poor orphan. For the rest of the story click here.


The Winter Spirit and His Visitor – Native American Folktale
http://tinyurl.com/4nq52xc

Winter Melon Boy (Hmong)  

http://tinyurl.com/6cy59hm

BOOKS

Winter and Children’s Literature
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/winter.html

CRAFTS

Winter Snowman Crafts
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/winter/crafts-snowmen.htm  

  

CURRICULUM

Snow Flake Crystals

See how amazing snowflakes really are with close up photographs that will amaze your students!  

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/photos.htm

Snowman Bulletin Board Ideas 
https://www.supplyme.com/collections/snowman-bulletin-board-ideas

Snowy Weather Resources  - Here's a lesson on where snow comes from:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/weather/resource/3827.html

How do animals spend the winter? Help your students find out! 

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/animals.html

Winter Activities Work Sheets – Crossword Puzzles, Anagrams and more.
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/winter/worksheets.htm


MUSIC

Perpetual Preschool - Winter Animal Songs
https://perpetualpreschool.com/winter-animal-songs/ 

SOMETHING EXTRA

 

Celebrating Snow with the Small Ones – Fingerplays, songs and more to delight the children in your winter lapsit program.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/11/celebrating-snow-with-small-ones.html

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2011 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.