Innehållsförteckning för January 2020 från Storytime

My age is three hundred and seventy-two,And I think, with the deepest regret,How I used to pick up and voraciously chewThe dear little boys whom I met. I’ve eaten them raw in their holiday suits,I’ve eaten them curried with rice,I’ve eaten them baked in their jackets and boots,And found them exceedingly nice.But now that my jaws are too weak for such fare,I think it exceedingly rudeTo do such a thing, when I’m quite well awareLittle boys do not like to be chewed. And so I contentedly live upon eels,And try to do nothing amiss.And I pass all the time I can spare from my mealsIn innocent slumber like this.…

Carys Williams was the best baker in Wales. The aroma of her freshly baked bread wafted from her kitchen and made mouths water for miles around. As Carys loved baking, she had every piece of equipment you could ever wish for – every tin, pan, mould and bowl in every shape and size. She was proud of her skills and her well-stocked kitchen, but she soon came to regret them. You see, her cottage was by the hill where the fairy folk lived and they were constantly troubling her for one thing or another. “Can we borrow a tray?” “Can we use a pan?” “Can we borrow a tin?” “We’ll bring them back!” It got so confusing that Carys barely knew whether her precious baking equipment was coming or going.…

High above the city, on a column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was covered with fine gold leaves, had two bright sapphires for his eyes, and a large red ruby on his sword hilt. He was very much admired. “He is beautiful,” said a town councillor. “Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince? He never cries,” a mother asked her little boy. “He looks like an angel,” said the school children. One night, a little swallow flew over the city on its way to Egypt. “Where shall I sleep?” he wondered. Then he saw the statue. “I’ll stay here,” he cried. “It is a fine position. I will have a golden bedroom.” He landed between the feet of the Happy Prince, but just as he was…

“Oh, my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!” White Rabbit was running late for a meeting in Wonderland and he had to reach his rabbit hole as quickly as possible. “Oh, my dear paws!” cried the rabbit, checking his golden pocket watch for the umpteenth time. He popped it back in his waistcoat and frowned. “I’ll never get to Wonderland on time if I have to go over Troll Bridge.” Troll Bridge was White Rabbit’s usual route across the river. In fact, it was the route every animal in Storyland took when they wanted to reach the Magic Meadows – even if it did take longer to reach their destination. That’s because it was much safer to bump into the troll than the sly fox who operated the ferry.…

In ancient Mesopotamia, the goddess Inanna was angry with her father, Enki. He had given powers to everyone – except her. One day, she came up with a plan to convince Enki to give her some powers of her own. She left the city of Uruk, which she ruled, and set off for her father’s temple in the great city of Eridu. She sailed there in her special ship, the ‘boat of heaven’, with her loyal friend, the female warrior Ninshubur. When they reached Eridu, Ninshubur stayed to guard the boat, while Inanna made her way to her father’s temple. Enki’s messenger, Isimud, greeted her warmly. “Take a seat at Enki’s table,” said Isimud, offering her cake and a bronze goblet filled with the finest wine. “He will be here…

How to Play To get started, you need two or more players, a pen and paper to k eep your scores, and our Giant Food Counters from storytimemagazine.com/free . Cut them out, then follow our instructions. Place the Giant Food Counters face down on a flat surface and mix them up . Each player tak es it in turns to pick up a counter and place it in the giant’ s mouth. – If you pick up a S weet T reats counter, you score 1 – If you pick up a Healthy Snacks counter, score 2 – If you pick up a Brussels Sprouts counter , the giant spits it out: score 0 . Place it face down and mix up the counters again – If you pick up an…

Once in the Czech Republic there was a widow with two daughters – her own child, Helena, whom she loved dearly, and her stepdaughter, Maruska, whom she disliked. The widow was so jealous of Maruska’s beauty and kindness, she gave her all the housework to do and hardly anything to eat. Meanwhile, lazy Helena bullied Maruska and ate cakes all day. She wished she could get rid of her. One bleak January day, the widow was talking about how she longed to smell sweet spring violets again. This gave Helena an idea. Smiling slyly, she said, “Maruska, go into the forest and pick some violets for Mother.” “But, dear sister, violets can’t grow under the snow,” said Maruska. “How dare you question me? Do as I say or my mother…

Connor grinned all the way home from the Space Centre. He’d seen actual rockets and a lunar lander. He’d stepped inside a space module and he’d mined through moon rock. He’d even taken the trainee astronaut challenge – and he did so well, the man at the museum gave him a special badge with ‘NASA’ printed on it! As a treat, when they got home, Dad dished up freeze-dried ice cream in a packet, just like real astronauts eat! “Delicious!” said Connor. They were finishing it off when there was a knock at the door. It was a serious-looking woman wearing a dark suit. “Can I come in, please, Mr Bennett?” “Who are you?” asked Dad. “Commander Morgan. I’m with the European Space Agency. I have an urgent matter to…

1 MONTH MATCH!  Draw lines to match the month to the harvest it brings for Maruska. A March B JUne C september What does January bring in The Twelve Months? Circle the correct answer. 2 SPOT IT! The swallow has dropped the Happy Prince’s ruby and his sapphire eyes on our puzzle pages. Tick this box when you find them. 4 LOTS OF POTS How many pots and pans have the fairies borrowed from Carys the baker? Write your answer in the box. 5 TELL THE TIME The White Rabbit’s pocket watch is broken. Fill in the missing hands so he can reach Wonderland on time. 6 BE AN ASTRONAUT! Follow our easy craft and go on a mission to the moon with Connor. ASK A GROWN-UP! •…