Tales

We enjoy an Aesop's fable about how we can destroy all we love by trying to get rich...followed by three lovely poems! 

Our Aesop's fables come from The Aesop for Children by Aesop; by Milo Winter. Poems: The Shortest Month, Adeline Whitney Animal Crackers, Christopher Morley ( Songs for a Little House , 1917)

Frigit temperatures today with a layer of snow upon the world? Let's hear some poems about snow, play a game, and hear about a city mouse and a country mouse! Our Aesop's Fable is taken from:  THE ÆSOP FOR CHILDREN, Copyright, 1919, by Rand McNally & Company

Let's hear from some great minds of the past as they describe what our nation's prosperity is based upon, and as they pray for our nation! 

Today, we read an Aesop's Fable from Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book, and two poems that have you observe nature closely! How would you describe the tail of an animal you see? How would you describe the sound your footsteps make on your next nature walk? 

Let's welcome the New Year with some wonderful poems and an Aesop's Fable about doing what you say you will do! Note: In one of the poems, New Year Snow, by Edith Nesbit,  a winding-sheet is mentioned.  A winding-sheet is a burial cloth.  It is compared to a bridal veil.  One takes away the old and dying and the other welcomes the new! 

Hear the story of Mary Chilton, a girl on the Mayflower, presented by Mrs. Karen Christophersen!  

What a necessary phrase! Let's learn a series and use the question "Who will....?" as we continue in learning The Little Red Hen in Mandarin! 

We have two poems about giving thanks, and an Aesop's fable today!  Enjoy this special week! 

This exciting ancient tale (told by Homer but retold by Andrew Lang, whose version we read today) continues and we find out whether the Greeks give up or stay to fight the Trojans for their stealing of Helen. 

Today we learn about the secret code of Mandarin - verbs don't change into past tense, but instead another word is added to let us know when/how the verb is happening!  How fascinating!  We are working on being able to understand the story of The Little Red Hen in Mandarin, and we are well on our way!  Listen every day and you will truly be able to understand and speak Mandarin! 

The ancient tale continues - these are some of the world's oldest recorded stories! This version comes from Andrew Lang's Tales of Troy and Greece .  

How did the ancient kings and warriors assemble to take the stolen Helen back? Find out in this interesting episode (which is an amazing way to prepare yourself for reading Homer, later =).

"Want" and "Share" are our two main verbs....we learn them in the context of talking about bread!!! Yum!

An excellent Aesop's Fable on staying out of conflict, and an example of ancient Greeks who could not stay out of conflict! 

Grimm's Brothers brings us a story that sounds so familiar - seven kids (goats, that is) are tricked by a wolf!  Be careful to listen to your mother's warning, everyone!

Today we learn the verbs "make, bake, smell and eat" in Mandarin and we use them in a series!  

Should you say things about people when they can't hear you?  Ask the kid who thought he was hiding from the wolf!  Today we have two delightful poems: "On Virtue" by Phillis Wheatley Peters and "October's Party" by George Cooper.   Enjoy these beautiful days!

What a wonderful tale about listening to our parents and staying on the right path! Thank you to Bella for playing Little Red Riding Hood today!  

We are getting so good in Mandarin!  Keep listening to September 18th's podcast episode where we tell the whole story of The Little Red Hen!  Today we learn how to put together using "I" and the names of the animals in sentences!!  Have a blast and find a Mandarin speaker with whom to try out your new sentences!

Happy Monday!  Enjoy Aesop's Fable "The Dog in the Manger" and hear  "The Wooing of Helen of the Fair Hands" - from Andrew Lang's Tales of Troy and Greece!  Find our history podcast at brilliant-mornings.com, where you can also order the history magazine ARTIFACT!

A prince must overcome his fear to free his beloved princess from her imprisonment as a water lily!  Can he and the princess live happily ever after and outwit the witch who has tried to destroy their love?  This tale comes from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. 

Let's get a little deeper in our use of verbs in sentences!  We will learn to say, "Hen picked up the seed, and Hen planted the seed."  We will learn to change the subject so that we can say, "I picked up the seed. I planted the seed."  Listen again and again until you feel confident! 

Enjoy Scarlett W. reading about Sour Grapes and some excellent poems by poet Walter de la Mare!   Remember that this week is Leif Erikson day and you can hear a whole episode about him on the Brilliant Mornings podcast, which focuses on history! 

Parents: Please note that this fairy tale includes violence (murder) and can be scary for some children.  Since all children are different, and only you know your child(ren), please pre-listen so that you may decide whether this fairy tale is right for your family.  We include this fairy tale because it explains a modern-day phrase and gives the origin of "open sesame" and because it is...