Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från Storytime

Edgar peered through the gap between the curtains. The sun was setting, but he could see mysterious figures moving around outside the house across the street. That old building had been boarded-up and empty ever since he could remember. Its paint had peeled, and weeds and ivy had taken over the garden. But now… he could see strangers carrying furniture, suitcases and strangely shaped boxes out of a truck and into the house. Edgar kept an eye on the place across the street for the next few days. The new neighbours hardly ever went out – at least in daylight. Well, one of them did. She was a new student at his school. In fact, she was in his class! The teacher asked her to stand up on her first…

1 PICK THE PACKAGE! Edgar’s new neighbours are unpacking the things they have collected from around the world. Can you tell what is in each parcel? 2 WHERE’S TULSI? A beautiful tulsi plant has sprouted up somewhere on the Playbox pages. See if you can sniff it out! Colour in Ganesha when you find it! 3 IT’S GREEK TO ME! Odysseus, Philoctetes and Hercules are talking to each other, but three of their words are mixed up! Can you work out what they are saying? 4 MAKE A GOOD LITTLE MOUSE Create a cute puppet that you can put on your finger… or your pencil! Just follow these easy instructions. • You will need the finger puppet template from storytimemagazine.com/free, some heavy paper or light card to print it out…

He loved the costumes, and the treats, and the excited kids – not to mention the jack-o’- lanterns everywhere! It gave him a warm feeling when he saw jolly orange faces lit with candles on every doorstep. Jack got invited to lots of Halloween parties, and everyone liked to see his scarecrow body boogie! But now that Halloween night was over and all the trick-or-treat sweets were eaten, Jack felt sad. Everyone was getting ready for Christmas, and the jack-o’-lanterns were left outside with their candles extinguished. Jack saw a big one sitting on a front step, its toothy grin lopsided. He sighed sadly – that jack-o’-lantern had to go in the food waste bin soon. That was when he heard a meow! What could that be? He peered curiously…

Norway is famous for its hunters – and perhaps the greatest of them all was Per Gynt. Many hunters snared deer or elk, but Per was famous for hunting trolls! Trolls were mischievous monsters who lived in the mountains and often caused trouble. Per Gynt was a clever man who loved to play tricks. He particularly liked to play tricks on trolls! One winter, after the first snowfall, Per Gynt was standing by the side of the road. He sighed and spoke to his pet bear, whose name was Yrsa. “It will be especially cold this year!” he said to the big furry beast. “I think we should find a nice, snug place to stay!” Just then, he saw a family walking along the road. They wore thick winter clothes,…

How to Play All you need is two or more players and a set of Halloween Memory cards! Cut out the cards on these pages with scissors – or print them out from storytimemagazine.com/free. You can stick the card sheet onto a piece of thin cardboard with a glue stick before cutting the cards out. This makes them stronger! Place all 20 cards face down on a table and shuffle them around. Arrange them in four rows. Players take turns picking two cards and turning them over. The youngest player goes first, and the player to their right goes next. If the two cards match, the player gets to keep them. If the cards don’t match, they have to be put back in place on the table, face-down. Keep taking…

Many long centuries ago, in the age of heroes, the mighty Greek king Agamemnon declared war on the city of Troy. He called for all the other kings of Greece to join him in this great battle. Cunning Odysseus and young Philoctetes were two of the Greek warrior-kings who answered the call to war. They sailed for Troy in a fleet of seven black ships. Odysseus was impatient to get the war over with quickly so he could go home to his wife, but Philoctetes was keen to take part in his first battle. He carried a powerful weapon: a bow that he had inherited from his friend Hercules. Hercules was a mighty hero – when he died, the Greek gods made him into a god too, and took him…

Once upon a time, there was a land called the Kingdom of Joy. It was called that because it was ruled by a king and a queen who were always happy, and wanted their subjects to be happy, too. One day, the king and queen were happier than ever, because the queen had given birth to a baby girl. They thought she was the most delightful child in the world, so they called her Delicia. The neighbouring kingdom was ruled by a cruel and angry king named Gaston. He had no joy in his heart, and punished his subjects if they smiled. His land was called the Kingdom of Tears. He hated the laughter of the folk from the kingdom next door, and the happiness of its king and queen.…

In India, when the rainy monsoon season ends, the marriage season begins. Hindus celebrate this time with a festival called Tulsi Vivah, when the tulsi plant is offered to the god Vishnu. The plant and the festival are named after a legendary girl called Tulsi. She was a very kind and peaceful young lady who worshipped the god Vishnu. Vishnu was one of the three great gods, and his job was to preserve and protect the universe. One day, Tulsi met a fierce warrior named Jalandhara. He had been created from the fury of Shiva, the god of destruction. Jalandhara was the ruler of a race of warlike beings called the Asuras. Jalandhara was impressed by Tulsi’s wisdom, kindness and strength. Although they could not have been more different, the…