Laura Rountree Smith
The Gingerbread Boy and Joyful Jingle Play Stories
Children’s Christmas Tales (Illustrated Edition)
Illustrator: Mildred Lyon Hetherington
e-artnow, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
EAN: 4064066386627
Table of Contents
Bobby Bright Eyes’ Birthday Party
Old Mother Bear’s Christmas Stocking
Old Mother Bear’s Happy New Year
Jack and Jill’s Tooth-Pick Circus
Preface
All the stories are wholesome and have good influence upon the little readers. In Danny Do-Little, work is made delightful through play. In Old Mother Bear’s Christmas Stocking, the selfishness of the animals is dwelt upon, but also their kindness of heart, and the saying brought out that, “One good turn deserves another.” The little Birthday story will be interesting to read at school and children’s parties, for who among the little ones does not occasionally have a birthday?
Catchy little jingles run throughout the stories. An enthusiastic parent in Massachusetts said: “My children are very much pleased with Laura Rountree Smith’s Jingle Books, and must have a story before bed-time each night. I think her books mighty clever.”
The book contains stories which can easily be read by the children themselves.
Little Fairy Help-You-Out
Does not come when children pout;
You will see her by and by,
If to do your best you try.
THE GINGERBREAD BOY AND OTHER JINGLE PLAY STORIES
Polly Makes Gingerbread Cookies
The Gingerbread Boy
Polly and Peter had to stay home one Saturday when mother was ill.
Mother said, “Polly, take my place in the kitchen, please, and, Peter, you must amuse the baby.”
Polly went down stairs, put on her little all-over apron, and sat down on the kitchen stool.
She sighed: “Oh dear, something always happens on a sunny Saturday—when I want to play! We have to miss the school picnic to-day; but I will smile, and smile, and something nice will surely happen.”
With that, the dimples began to play hide and seek upon her face, and she heard an airy, fairy voice calling:
“Little Fairy Help-You-Out,
Blithe and gay beyond a doubt,
I’ll introduce you with much joy,
To the dear little, queer little Gingerbread Boy!”
“Who are you?” cried Polly.
She looked high and low, but no one was to be seen.
Polly smiled again, and said: “I have a new apron that I was going to wear to the picnic.”
“The better to cook with my dear,” said a sugary voice.
Polly looked about, but could not see the Gingerbread Boy, though she felt sure he had spoken.
Polly said: “I will make some gingerbread cookies, and see what comes of it.”
As Polly mixed the cookies a sugary voice cried:
“More sugar, more spice,
Make everything nice.”
Then the most wonderful thing happened!
The little rolling-pin that Polly was using turned to gold; and how it did roll out those gingerbread cookies! Then the cutter turned to gold, and cut them out into queer shapes and sizes.
The currants jumped upon the cookies making funny faces upon them.
They leaped into the pans, and all Polly had to do was to set them into the oven to bake.
She was so happy, she swept the kitchen and washed the dishes, and would have forgotten the cookies, I am sure, if she had not heard a voice calling:
“Try to think what you’re about,
Better take the cookies out;
Someone’s tapping at the door
Of the oven, as before!”
Sure enough, Polly heard a rapping, tapping, and when she opened the oven door she heard the cookies call in a happy chorus:
“We’re brown and pretty as any toy,
Hurrah, hurrah for the Gingerbread Boy!”
As Polly took the cookies out of the pan, she saw one was shaped like a regular boy, and before she could say a word, out he jumped and sat down on the ice box, fanning himself with a geranium leaf.
Polly said, “I must go and call Peter. I must introduce him to the Gingerbread Boy!”
Peter had been thinking about the picnic, but he tried to amuse the baby by playing ball, and at this very minute in came Polly to tell about the Gingerbread Boy.
To their surprise the Gingerbread Boy said,
“If you will eat my hands and feet
You’ll find you’ve something very sweet.”
“Oh, oh,” cried the children, “It would not be polite to eat you!” But all this time they crept nearer and nearer.
The