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BABA YAGA
Pippi Longstocking, The Spider and the Fly,
The Green Children of Woolpit and MORE!
“Ysiad! Ysiad!” they called.
Weird and wond ies!
erful st or
Did you ever hear of green children,
boys inside peaches, girls living with
gazelles, and huts built on chicken legs?
No? Well, find out more inside!
This issue belongs to:

Storytime™ magazine is published ILLUSTRATORS:

every month by Luma Works, Studio Leandro Lassmar The Green Children
2B18, Southbank Technopark, 90 of Woolpit
London Rd, London, SE1 6LN. John Joven Hidden Treasures
Quang Phung Nguyen Momotaro
© Luma Creative Ltd, 2016. All rights the Peach Boy
reserved. No part of this magazine Zoe Persico Baba Yaga
may be used or reproduced without Toby Rampton The Spider and the Fly
prior written permission of the publisher. Marine Gosselin Gazelle Girl
Storytime is a trademark of Luma Ingrid Vang Nyman Pippi Longstocking
Creative Ltd. Printed by Grange.
Extract from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, translated CORRECTION: Heartfelt apologies to the
by Edna Hurup and illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman
(OUP, 1954), copyright © Saltkråkan AB/Astrid Lindgren, 1945.
illustrators we incorrectly credited in Issue 25.
English translation copyright © Oxford University Press 1954. Anniversary excitement got the better of us.
Reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press. All brilliant and all deserving of full credit!
Luma Creative and its paper suppliers Andres Salinas: Ganesha
have been independently certified in Òscar Julve: The Fox and the Cat
accordance with the rules of the FSC® Melanie Matthews: The Reluctant Dragon
(Forest Stewardship Council)®.

www.storytimemagazine.com
 t e appily ever after...
Ocnov
FFavourite Fairy Tales

Baba Yaga
B
T
Two children try to escape from a bony
old witch who lives in a strange hut.
o
20
Story
ry
yteller’s
teller’s Corner Around the World Ta s
The Greeen Children
of Wooolpit
A wild and wacky folk tale
6 Gazelle Girl
A girl finds friendship and
justice in this tale from Morocco.
that’s ov
ver 900 years old!

Famous Fables Brilliant Books

10
Hidden Treasures Pippi Longstocking
Sometimes you find treasure in By Astrid Lindgren. Meet
the m
most unexpected places. Pippi – she’s one of a kind!

My
yths and Legends Storytime Playb x
Momotaro the Peach Boy
13
Whip up some Pippi pancakes,
A Ja
apanese legend which sees go green, find treasures, and
a bo
oy take on fearsome ogres! take on a weird webby maze!

Poeems and Rhymes Story Mac

28
Fun spooky books to read by y
The Spider and the Fly torchlight, plus win our late
estt
By Mary Howitt. Will you step
Book of the Month!
into the parlour?
p Do you dare?
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Storyteller’s Corner

The Green Children

of Woolpit
L ong ago, in a strange and distant place, a little girl and a little
boy were looking after their father’s herd of cattle.

It was a summer’s day like any other – the clouds were purple and the moon
was hanging heavy in the sky. The little girl was entertaining herself with a
song and the boy was sitting back, chewing on a bright green stalk of grass.
Suddenly, one of the cows broke were sparkling with vivid green and
loose and ran towards the mountain. purple crystals. The sight was so
The children didn’t want to get in enchanting, they quite forgot their
trouble with their father, so they ran fears and ran in to investigate.
after the cow, shouting her name.
As they went deeper, they could no
“Ysiad! Ysiad!” they called, but the longer hear their cow, but they could
cow mooed loudly and disappeared hear gently tinkling bells. The sound
into a rocky cave. It looked dark and was so delightful, they couldn’t help
scary in there, and it made the children but follow it, and they were soon in the
nervous, so they clung tightly to each dark depths of the cave. Eventually,
other and shouted after the cow again. the tinkling became a loud jingle and,
before they knew it, the children had
As they ventured further into the cave,
walked out through a cave opening
their eyes got used to the darkness,
and found themselves in a deep pit.
and they could see that the walls

7
 As they stepped outside, the sunlight children at the bottom, they were
was so dazzling, the children could greatly surprised – even more so
barely open their eyes. They squinted when they saw how strange the
and called for their cow, but she was children looked. They wore outfits
nowhere to be seen. Filled with fear, made from leaves and stalks, and
they tried to dash back into the cave, they had the strangest green skin
but the entrance they came through and deep green eyes!
had disappeared! Terribly confused,
“What are you two doing down there?”
the girl and boy hugged each other.
shouted one of the farmhands. But the
children just cowered and cried.

Now, it just so happened that some The farmhands managed to scramble

local farmhands were in the habit of down the side of the pit and rescue
taking their lunch by the edge of the the odd little children, but couldn’t get
pit. When they saw two scared little a word of sense out of them. The boy
and the girl babbled in a strange
language nobody could understand.

Did You
Know? a sed on t
rue
r y is b 12th
This sto ting back to the hildren
da the c
records e y say that the
centur y. T h
n colouring and n.
gree al ma
lost their p to marry a loc today,
u lk
girl grew Woolpit in Suffo ted
it ain
If you vis green children p u
e yo
you’ll se n sign. Why do
w
on the to were green?
ey
think th
Unsure what to do with the green- the children had green skin or what
skinned children, they took them to new language they were speaking.
the home of the local lord, Sir Richard
And so, the children stayed with Sir
de Caine, who was equally astonished.
Richard. In time, they got used to the
At first, the children refused to speak bright light and eating different foods,
and wouldn’t eat for many days. But, and the little girl even learnt to speak
one morning, when a servant came English. When she told Sir Richard how
into the kitchen with freshly harvested she and her brother came to be at the
green beans, the children grabbed bottom of the pit and how they came
them and devoured them, still in their from a land with purple skies, he was
pods! For several weeks, all they stunned. Everyone decided that the
would eat was raw green beans. two children must be from fairyland.

Sir Richard summoned doctors and To this day, who the green children
language experts from all over the of Woolpit were, and where they came
land, but nobody could work out why from, remains a great mystery!

9
Famous Fables

Hidden Treasures
here was once an old farmer who had three sons. The farmer

T had worked hard all his life and, because of this, his farm was
the biggest and best for miles around.

One day, when the farmer was old and weary, he fell ill. Certain that his life
was soon going to come to an end, he called his three sons to his bedside.

“Dear sons, I fear I won’t live much longer, so you must listen to this advice
I have for you,” he whispered.

“Don’t say that, Father!” cried his sons, but the farmer struggled on.

“Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to sell any of the land on this farm. It has
been in our family for generations and it is hiding a huge treasure.”

10
His sons gasped and drew nearer The farmer died peacefully a few days
to the farmer to hear him better. later and, as soon as his funeral had
passed, the three sons began digging.
“I don’t know where it is exactly, but
I know that it is there and I am sure They started in the corner of one field
that, together, the three of you will and they dug and turned and dug and
find it. When I am gone and you are in turned the soil until their hands were
charge, put all your effort and energy sore and blistered, and their bodies
into it. Leave no patch of soil unturned ached. When they found no treasure
in your search for it.” in that field, they moved on to the next
one, and then the next one, and then
The old farmer closed his eyes, and
the next one – and so it went on for
the three sons looked at each other
several months.
with astonishment. There had been
hidden treasure on the farm all this
time and they’d never known about it!

Spot It!
The sons dug up some
interesting finds in the
field. See if you c t
these three ‘tre ures’
i t pic re.
 When they had dug and turned the soil in every field and found nothing, they
began again – this time, digging deeper in their determination to unearth treasure.

At last, when every field had been dug twice and the three sons were far too
exhausted to continue with their treasure hunt, they looked around at the farm
and realised that this year’s crops were taller, healthier and more bountiful than
they had ever been before. The fields looked lush and green.

And, at harvest time, when the sons sold their crops for a handsome profit –
making far more money than any other farm in the county – they realised that
this was the hidden treasure their father had been talking about. Hard work,
they discovered, brings rich rewards!

12
 Myths and Legends

Momotaro
the Peach Boy
n a small village by a large river in Japan, there lived an old man

I and woman. One day, the old woman was tending her garden
when she saw a giant peach bobbing along on the river.
She pulled it out of the water and rolled it all the way to their little house.

“What a find!” said her husband. “Let’s eat it now.” And he took out a knife to cut
it in half, but as he was cutting he heard a little voice shout, “Please don’t hurt me!”
What a surprise – curled up in the middle of the peach was a little boy!

The old couple named the boy Momotaro, which means Peach Boy, and raised
him as if he was their own child. With their love and
support, Momotaro grew up to be big and strong,
and he became famous for his courage. When he
turned fifteen, he went to his parents and said,

13
 “You have been most kind to me, but dumplings. He walked along the dusty
I would like your permission to go on road until he met a small dog. The
a quest. I have heard of an island dog growled and bared its teeth. It
ruled by cruel ogres. They keep was getting ready to pounce.
kidnapping innocent people and
“You don’t want to bite me,” laughed
stealing their treasures, and I would
Momotaro. “I’m Momotaro and I am
like to stop them. Will you let me go?”
far stronger than you!”
His father’s eyes shone with pride
The dog pricked up its ears. “You’re
and his mother’s welled with tears.
the famous Peach Boy?” it said. “I
“Of course you can go, son,” said his have heard of your strength. Forgive
father. “But take my sword with you.” me; I’m grumpy because I’m hungry.”

Meanwhile, the old woman busied “So sit and share a dumpling with
herself in the kitchen, making fresh me,” said Momotaro, “and
dumplings. “And take these for your you’ll soon feel better.”
journey,” she said. “They will give
you strength, my brave Momotaro!”

So Momotaro set off with his father’s

old sword and a big pot of steamed

14
The two shared a dumpling and it was “Could it be the mighty Momotaro?”
the best thing the dog had ever eaten. asked the monkey. “What brings you
It made him full of energy. to the forest, Peach Boy?”

“Where are you going, Momotaro?” “I am indeed Momotaro,” said the boy.
asked the dog. “And this dog is my friend. We are
heading for the island of the ogres to
“To the island of the cruel ogres. It’s
get rid of them once and for all.”
about time somebody stopped them.
You can join me if you like.” “And you choose to go with a dog?”
asked the monkey. “To fight a battle
And so Momotaro and the dog set off
like this, you need an intelligent
down the road and through the valley
partner like me!”
until they reached the forest. As they
entered, they heard rustling in the The dog snarled and leapt at the
trees above, then a monkey swung monkey, and the two began to fight.
down and landed before them.
“Break it up now!” cried Momotaro.
“Perhaps we can all go together. Let’s
sit down and share a dumpling and
put aside our differences.”

15
So Momotaro, the dog and the “We don’t need this stupid bird’s help!”
monkey shared a mouthwatering cried the monkey.
dumpling. It was the best thing the
“No, we don’t!” barked the dog.
dog and the monkey had ever eaten.
But Momotaro made them sit together.
They set off together through the
forest, and Momotaro made the dog “Listen, I need all the help I can get,
walk in front of him and the monkey but you are of no use to me if we can’t
walk behind him so they wouldn’t agree to work in harmony. Let’s share
argue again. They walked through a dumpling and be friends.”
the trees and over the hills until they
came to a grassy field. He split a dumpling into four and they
shared it. It was the best thing the
dog, the monkey and the pheasant
had ever eaten. Filled with energy,
Soon a large, beautiful pheasant
off they went again, through the fields
fluttered onto their path. The dog
until they reached the endless sea.
pounced at the pheasant and the two
began to fight. “Get out of our way,”
yapped the dog. “We are on a very
important quest with Momotaro.” Momotaro saw a sailing boat by the
shore and he beckoned the animals
“Momotaro!’ gasped the pheasant. towards it, but they all looked scared.
“Forgive me, Peach Boy. I have heard
of your great strength. I didn’t mean “Are you afraid of the sea?” he asked.
to delay you. What is your quest?” “Would you like to go back?”

“We are heading to the island of the None of the animals wanted to be
ogres,” explained Momotaro. “It is time cowardly, so they leapt aboard the
to put an end to their reign of terror.” boat to show him how brave they
were. Momotaro climbed in and a
“Can I help?” asked the pheasant. brisk wind swept them out to sea.

Momotaro is a legendary hero in Japan. In Okayama, outside

the railway station, there is a statue of Momotaro with his
animal friends and a Momotaro-themed postbox.
17
18
They travelled for a day and a night The pheasant pecked at the ogres’
until at last they saw the ogres’ island. eyes, the monkey clawed their ugly
faces, and the dog bit their thick legs,
“Now you can be of help,” Momotaro
while Momotaro swung his father’s
said to the pheasant. “Fly ahead to
sword so fiercely and powerfully, the
the ogres’ stronghold and tell them
ogres were soon forced to surrender.
that I am coming to defeat them.”
They fell to their knees and begged
So the pheasant flew to the ogres’ for mercy. Momotaro and his animal
castle and screeched, “Momotaro – friends were victorious!
the mighty Peach Boy – is coming to
Momotaro made the ogres promise
fight you. Surrender while you can!”
they would never attack innocent
The ogres sneered, “Are we supposed people again. He forced them to give
to be scared of a pheasant?” But the back their stolen treasures, and he
pheasant went on screeching and the freed their many prisoners. Then
ogres grew so angry that they threw Momotaro, the dog, the monkey and
their iron clubs at the bird. the pheasant took the prisoners and
their precious belongings back to their
boat and they set off for home again.
Meanwhile, Momotaro was running When all the prisoners were safely
towards the castle with the dog and home, Momotaro returned to his
the monkey. When they reached the parents with a sack of jewels he had
castle, the gates were locked. been given as a reward by the people
“It’s your turn now, Monkey,’ said of Japan. The old man and his wife
Momotaro. “Can you climb the walls were overjoyed to see their brave
and open the gates for us?” Peach Boy, and Momotaro’s reward
allowed them all to live in peace and
The monkey scaled the walls, swung wealth for the rest of their lives, along
itself over the top and unlocked the with their good friends – the dog, the
gates, then Momotaro and the dog monkey and the pheasant.
stormed into the castle courtyard,
where a great battle began.

19
Favourite Fairy Tales

Baba Yaga
O
nce upon a time, a little boy called Dmitri and his older sister
Irina lived with their mother and father in the shadow of a
deep, dark forest.
Their home was a sweet cottage with roses around the door, and their garden
was filled with trees for climbing and good places to play hide and seek. They
were doing just that one morning when their father rushed out and shouted,
“Children, quickly, come in! Baba Yaga’s black geese have been spotted!”

The children scrambled out of their hiding places and dashed as quickly as they
could into the house, slamming the door behind them.

20
Baba Yaga was a witch who lived in at their bright, sunny garden. After ten
the forest. She was a little round thing minutes or so, they were restless.
with a big nose, and she had three
“Maybe we could play by the door?”
black geese, which were well known
said Dmitri. “Then if we see the black
for swooping down and catching little
geese we can run inside easily!”
children in their beaks. Nobody knew
what happened to the children, but Irina thought this was a brilliant idea,
some said Baba Yaga ate them all up! so they cautiously stepped outside.
The black geese were nowhere to be
seen and the two children soon forgot
Later that day, Dmitri and Irina’s their worries and began to run about
parents had to go out to the local the garden, playing.
market to buy some food.
They didn’t hear the flap of wings
“Be good and stay inside,” warned soaring down towards them, and it
their mother. “And if you behave, we’ll wasn’t until the black geese were
bring you some gingerbread!” level with them that Irina leapt behind
a thorny rose bush and cried out,
Their parents waved goodbye, and
“Run, Dmitri, run!”
Dmitri and Irina sat looking longingly

21
 Draw It!
Baba Yaga is a
famous witch in
Russian fairy tales,
and she flies around
using a mortar and
pestle. Find out
what that is and
draw Baba Yaga
flying in one!

When she looked out to see if he was The fish sighed with relief.
safe, she gasped in horror – one of
“Thank you, Irina. Please take this shell
the black geese had him in its claws.
as a gift. If you are ever in danger,
“Bring back my little brother!” she throw it over your shoulder. It will help!”
yelled, but the geese just honked a
Irina thanked the fish, put the shell in
horrible noise that echoed eerily and
her pocket and off she ran, following
sounded like “Baba Yaga”.
the distant honking of the geese.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Irina
chased after them, determined to
rescue her brother. She ran as fast She hadn’t gone far when she saw a
as she could, deep into the forest. She squirrel with its paw caught in a trap.
soon came to a trickling stream and
was about to leap over it when she “Irina, Irina,” it wailed. “Please help me,
saw a silver fish lying on its banks. I am injured.”

“Irina, Irina,” it called. “Please help me, Irina truly didn’t want to stop. She
I am dying.” wanted to chase after the geese and
save her brother from Baba Yaga, but
Irina really didn’t want to stop. She the squirrel looked in great pain. She
wanted to chase after the geese and opened up the trap and released it.
save her brother from Baba Yaga, but
she felt sorry for the fish. She crouched It limped away to a nearby oak tree,
down, scooped it up in her hand and disappeared into a hole and came out
placed it back in the gurgling stream. holding an acorn in its little paws.
“Thank you, Irina. Please take this She bent down, rolled a few rocks out
acorn as a gift. If you are ever in of the way and revealed the entrance
danger, throw it over your shoulder. to the mouse’s hole. It scurried inside
It will help!” and brought out a smooth pebble.

Irina thanked the squirrel, popped the “Thank you, Irina. Please take this
acorn in her pocket and off she ran, pebble as a gift. If you are ever in
even faster this time. danger, throw it over your shoulder.
It will help!”

Irina thanked the mouse, placed the

Before long, she saw a little mouse
pebble in her pocket with her other
weeping. It was standing beside a
gifts and off she ran again, hoping to
mossy bank, where lots of rocks had
catch up with the geese.
tumbled down.
She ran as fast as her legs could
“Irina, Irina,” it sobbed. “Please help
carry her until, at last, she came to
me, I am homeless.”
a clearing with Baba Yaga’s house
Irina desperately didn’t want to stop. in it. She knew it must be Baba Yaga’s
She wanted to chase after the geese house as she had heard so many
and save her brother from Baba Yaga, stories about it.
but the mouse looked so upset.

23
It was a round w o o d e n h ut,
ood o n g i a nt
which st
en le g s!
chick
 Witch Hunt!
Can you see the witch Baba
Yaga in this picture? Tick this
box when you find her.
The hut could even walk around, but children and Baba Yaga. The witch was
now, it was quite still. The three black furious! Irina ran as fast as she could,
geese were lying asleep by the house, while Baba Yaga drank up the lake,
so Irina tiptoed up the steps and crept gulping it down at great speed!
into the hut. There was Baba Yaga the
witch, snoring loudly in a chair. She was
as small and round as Irina had heard When the lake was empty, the
tell, and her nose was indeed very big. crafty old witch gave chase
again and quickly caught up.

Irina saw Baba Yaga’s bony

Irina’s little brother Dmitri was sitting at
arms reaching for her, so she
the witch’s feet and, when he saw Irina,
pulled out the squirrel’s gift –
he grinned. The brave little girl leapt
the acorn. She threw it
forward, grabbed Dmitri in her arms
over her shoulder and
and darted out of the hut. However,
a dense wood sprang
her noisy footsteps woke the black
up between the two
geese, who started to honk and flap
children and Baba Yaga.
their wings violently. The commotion
It was impossible to run
soon stirred Baba Yaga, who jumped
through it, but Baba Yaga
up, ran to the door of her hut, and saw
could not be stopped.
Irina and Dmitri sprinting away.
She gobbled up the
“Bring back that boy!” squealed Baba trees, clearing a path
Yaga, but Irina had no intention of in no time at all!
stopping. Baba Yaga gave chase
and, though her legs were little and
thin, she started to gain on Irina, who
was struggling to carry her brother.

Irina saw Baba Yaga’s bony arms

reaching out for her, so she put her
hand in her pocket and pulled out
the fish’s gift – the shell. She threw it
over her shoulder and a huge lake
miraculously appeared between the
When the cunning witch had eaten her way through the trees, she chased after
the two children again. Irina saw her bony arms reaching for her, so she
pulled out her final gift – the mouse’s pebble. She threw it over her
shoulder and up sprang a mountain, blocking Baba Yaga’s path!

The little witch moaned and wailed with frustration. Her belly
was so groaningly full of lake water and woody trees, it was
impossible for her to eat her way through a mountain, too!
Baba Yaga had no choice but to return to her strange
hut, while Irina and Dmitri ran all the way home.

They hadn’t been back for long, when their parents

returned from the market. “Dmitri! Irina!” they
called. “We have delicious gingerbread for you!”

The two children flung their arms around their

parents’ necks, happier to see them than ever
before. Needless to say, neither of them said
a word about their adventure with Baba Yaga!

27
Poems and Rhymes

The Spider
and the Fly by Mary Howitt

“W
ill you walk into my parlour?” said the spider to the fly;
“It’s the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show when you are there.”
“Oh no, no,” said the little fly; “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair never comes down again.”

28
“I’m sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high.
Will you rest upon my little bed?” said the spider to the fly.
“There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest a while, I’ll snugly tuck you in!”
“Oh no, no,” said the little fly, “for I’ve often heard it said,
They never, never wake again who sleep upon your bed!”

“Sweet creature!” said the spider, “you’re witty and you’re wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings; how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf;
If you’d step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.”
“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said, “for what you’re pleased to say,
And, bidding you good morning now, I’ll call another day.”

The spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly fly would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready to dine upon the fly...

29
Then came out to his door again, and merrily did sing:
“Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple; there’s a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!”

Alas, alas! How very soon this silly little fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue,
Thinking only of her crested head. Poor, foolish thing! At last
Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into the dismal den –
Within his little parlour – but she never came out again!

And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you never heed!

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For
 Around the World Tales

Gazelle Girl
n a village in the Atlas Mountains

I in Morocco, there lived a man called

Karim who had a son and a daughter.
The two children were very close to
their father.

One day, when the children were

old enough, Karim announced that
he was going away on business. He
decided to take his son, Nabil, with him,
but his daughter, Naima, was to stay
behind and look after the house.

“Naima, you must listen to me,” said her

father. “Do not go to the market on your
own and don’t let anyone in the house.
I have asked the prayer master to check
on you, but he will just knock at the door.”

Karim was a little worried about leaving

Naima alone, but the prayer master
was well respected and trusted.

The father hadn’t been gone long,

when the prayer master knocked on
the door. He had brought a basket
of food and asked if he might come
in. Naima remembered her father’s
words and politely said no to him.

31
However, the prayer master returned The prayer master was so outraged,
the following day and asked to come he rode out to meet Karim and told him
in again, and Naima said no. Every that his daughter had behaved badly.
day, he came back and, every day, Karim could hardly believe it, but the
Naima refused him. The prayer master prayer master would surely never tell
became more and more insistent until, a lie. Karim went red with shame.
on the day her father was due to
“Son, ride ahead and take your sister
return, he threatened her.
into the desert. She has disgraced our
“If you don’t let me in, I will tell your family and it is the law that she must
father that you went to the market and be banished there.” Karim felt his heart
allowed strange men into your home.” break as he said it.

Naima was horrified. She didn’t want Nabil rode home with tears in his eyes.
to bring shame on her family, but she He loved his sister very much.
was sure her father wouldn’t believe
“How could you have shamed us like
his ridiculous lies so, for the last time,
this?” he asked Naima. “The prayer
she refused him.
master has told us everything!”
“He lies!” cried Naima. “I wouldn’t let kept her warm at night. She even
him into the house, so he is punishing learnt to run as gracefully as a gazelle.
me. Please believe me!”

Her brother looked unsure. “I cannot

One day, a handsome young king was
go against the word of the prayer
out hunting in the desert when he saw
master or our father. I must take you
the strangest sight – a beautiful young
into the desert. If you are speaking
woman running with the gazelles.
the truth, Allah will protect you.”
“I must be dreaming!” he said to his
So poor Naima was abandoned in the
servant. “Do you see what I see?”
desert. Left all alone there, she sank
to the ground and sobbed. Eventually, The servant also saw the gazelle girl.
she curled up and fell asleep and,
when she woke the next morning, she “There is one way to know,” said the
found that a herd of gazelles had servant. “Let us offer them two bowls
huddled around her to keep her warm. of couscous – one plain and one with
spices. If she is human, she will surely
Naima stayed with the gazelles and prefer the spiced couscous.”
they treated her kindly. They shared
their food with her, gave her milk and

33
And so the servant approached the When he asked her to marry him, she
herd of gazelles with two bowls. The happily accepted. Their wedding day
king was astounded to see an elegant was joyful and, soon, they had a
young woman emerge from the herd beautiful baby boy.
and dine on the spiced couscous.

The young king stepped out and

All seemed well, but Naima and the
introduced himself. “Please don’t be
king were unaware that the king’s
scared,” he said. “I want to help you.”
closest advisor was scheming to
He lifted Naima onto his horse and overthrow him. He had decided that
took her to his palace. the best way to do this was to destroy
the king’s happiness. So, one night,
In time, the king and Naima got to
he crept into their sleeping baby’s
know each other better, but she would
room and kidnapped him.
never reveal to him how she came to
live among the gazelles. This made When Naima found her baby missing
no difference to the king, who had the following morning, she was grief-
fallen desperately in love with her. stricken. As she searched for the king
to tell him, she bumped into the wicked
advisor and told him the terrible news.

34
“You must run away, Queen Naima,” One night, a large group came in for
he said slyly. “Everyone knows that dinner. Naima recognised them at
if a child goes missing, the mother is once as the king, his advisor, the
to blame. If you leave now, perhaps prayer master and, much to her
you will be able to find your baby.” surprise, her father and brother.

Naima was horrified by his words, She served them all, but was so dusty
so she ran away from the palace, and tattered, nobody recognised her.
never looking back, and spent the When they had eaten, they asked to
next few months searching every be entertained, so Naima came out
village far and wide for her missing from the kitchen, where she was
son, but never with any success. washing dishes, and sat before them
and told them the story of her life.

As the story unfolded, one by one

At last, out of luck, money and hope,
the men recognised their storyteller.
she settled in a village not far from
Her father, brother and the king ran
the castle and got a job working in
up to Naima and embraced her, while
the kitchen of a restaurant.
the prayer master and the scheming
advisor tried to sneak away.

35
 They didn’t get very far before the king ordered his guards to arrest them both.
Before they were thrown into the palace dungeon, the advisor revealed where
he had hidden their baby, so Naima and the king were reunited with their son.

To celebrate their happy reunion, the king passed an important law in memory
of the animals who had saved his gazelle girl, Queen Naima. From that day
forward, he decreed that no man could hunt or kill a gazelle.

Write It!
Can you find out five
facts about graceful
gazelles? Can you find
some pictures too?

36
 Brilliant Books

Pippi Longstocking
By Astrid Lindgren

A t the end of a little Swedish town lay an old, overgrown

orchard. In the orchard was a cottage, and in this cottage
lived Pippi Longstocking.

She was nine years old, and she lived all alone. She had neither mother nor
father, which was really rather nice, for in this way there was no one to tell her
to go to bed when she was having most fun, and no one to make her take
cod liver oil when she felt like eating peppermints.

There was a time when Pippi had had a

father, and she had been very fond of
him. Of course, she had had a mother
too, but that was long ago.

Pippi’s mother had died when

Pippi was just a tiny baby laying in
her cradle and howling so dreadfully
that no one could come near. Pippi
believed that her mother now lived
somewhere up in Heaven and looked
down on her little girl through a hole in
it. Pippi often used to wave up to her and
say, “Don’t worry, I can look after myself!”

Pippi hadn’t forgotten her father. He had

been a ship’s captain, and sailed on the
great ocean. Pippi had sailed with him
on his boat, at least until the time he had
blown into the sea during a storm and
disappeared. But Pippi was quite seas no longer. But then he had
sure that one day he would come unfortunately been blown into the
back, for she never believed that he sea, and as Pippi expected him to
had drowned. She was certain that he return she went straight home to
had come ashore on a desert island, Villekulla Cottage, as their house
one with lots and lots of cannibals, was called. It stood there furnished
and that her father had become king and ready and waiting for her. One
of them all and went about all day fine summer’s evening she had said
with a gold crown on his head. goodbye to all the sailors on her
father’s boat. They liked Pippi very
“My father is a Cannibal King; there
much, and Pippi liked them.
aren’t many children with so fine a
father!” said Pippi, really pleased with “Goodbye, boys!” said Pippi, kissing
herself. “And when my father has built each in turn on the forehead. “Don’t
himself a boat he’ll come to fetch me, worry. I can take care of myself!”
and then I shall become a Cannibal
She took two things from the boat: a
Princess. What a life it will be.”
little monkey whose name was Mr
Nelson (he had been a present from
her father) and a big suitcase full of
Her father had bought the old cottage
gold pieces. The sailors stood by the
in the orchard many years ago. He
rail and watched Pippi until she was
had wanted to live there with Pippi
out of sight. She kept on walking
when he grew old and sailed the
without turning round once, with Mr
38
Nelson on her shoulder and the tea there, she simply lifted him out into
suitcase firmly in her hand. the orchard without further ado.

“A remarkable child,” said one of the

sailors, wiping a tear from his eye
Next to Villekulla Cottage lay another
when Pippi disappeared from view.
orchard and another house. In that
He was right. Pippi was a very house lived a mother and a father with
remarkable child, and the most their two nice little children, a boy and
remarkable thing about her was her a girl. The boy’s name was Tommy
strength. She was so strong that in all and the girl’s Annika. They were both
the world there was no policeman as very good and well-brought-up and
strong as she. She could have lifted a obedient children. Tommy never bit his
whole horse if she had wanted to. And nails, and always did what his mother
there were times when she did want asked. Annika never fussed when she
to. Pippi had bought a horse of her didn’t get her own way, and she was
very own with one of her gold pieces always very properly dressed in
the day she came to Villekulla freshly ironed cotton.
Cottage. She had always longed to
Tommy and Annika played nicely
have her own horse, and now there
together in their orchard, but they
was one living on her front porch.
had often wished for a playmate.
When Pippi wanted to take afternoon
At the time when Pippi always sailed they stood and wondered what they
the seas with her father, they would should do, and if possibly anything
sometimes hang on the fence and say special would happen that day or if it
to each other, “What a pity no one would be just one of those dull days
moves into that house! Someone ought when one couldn’t think of anything in
to live there; someone with children.” particular to do, why, just then the gate
to Villekulla Cottage opened and a
little girl appeared. She was the most
The beautiful summer’s day that Pippi curious child Tommy and Annika had
first crossed the threshold of Villekulla ever seen. It was Pippi Longstocking
Cottage, Tommy and Annika weren’t going for a morning walk.
at home. They were spending the
This is what she looked like:
week with their grandmother, and so
had no idea that someone had moved Her hair was the same colour as a
into the house next to theirs. The first carrot, and was braided in two stiff
day after their arrival home, they stood pigtails that stood straight out from her
by the gate and looked out on the head. Her nose was the shape of a
street, and they still didn’t know that very small potato, and was dotted with
there was a playmate so near. Just as freckles. Under the nose was a really
very large mouth, with healthy white the monkey which sat on the strange
teeth. Her dress was curious indeed. girl’s shoulder. It was little and long-
Pippi had made it herself. It was tailed, and dressed in blue trousers,
supposed to have been blue, but as yellow jacket and a white straw hat.
there hadn’t been quite enough blue
Pippi went on down the street, walking
cloth, Pippi had decided to add little
with one foot on the pavement and
red patches here and there. On her
the other in the gutter. Tommy and
long thin legs she wore long stockings,
Annika watched her until she was out
one brown and the other black. And
of sight. In a moment she returned,
she had a pair of black shoes which
walking backwards. This was so she
were just twice as long as her feet.
shouldn’t have to take the trouble
Her father had bought them in South
to turn round when she went home.
America so she would have something
When she came level with Tommy
to grow into, and Pippi never wanted
and Annika’s gate, she stopped.
any others.
The children looked at each other
The thing that made Tommy and in silence. At last Tommy said, “Why
Annika open their eyes widest was are you walking backwards?”

41
“Why am I walking backwards?” said at last had found her tongue.
Pippi. “This is a free country, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s very wicked,” said Pippi, even
Can’t I walk as I please? Why, let me
more sadly. “But I forget once in a
tell you that in Egypt everyone walks
while, you see. How can you expect a
that way, and no one thinks it the
child whose mother is an angel and
least bit odd.”
whose father is a Cannibal King and
“How do you know that?” asked who has spent her life sailing the seas
Tommy. “You haven’t been in Egypt, to tell the truth always? And for that
have you?” matter,” she said, a smile spreading
over her whole freckled face, “I can
“Have I been to Egypt! You can bet
tell you that in the Belgian Congo
your boots I have. I’ve been all over
there isn’t a single person who tells the
the world and seen odder things
truth. They tell fibs all day and every
than people who walk backwards.
day, begin at seven in the morning and
I wonder what you would have said
keep it up until sunset. So if I should
if I’d walked on my hands like the
happen to tell a fib sometimes, you
people in Indo-China?”
must try to forgive me and remember
“That can’t be true,” protested Tommy. that it’s only because I’ve been a little
too long in the Belgian Congo. We
Pippi considered this for a moment. can still be friends, can’t we?”
“Yes, you’re right,” she said sadly.
“I wasn’t telling the truth.” “Of course,” said Tommy, realising
suddenly that this wouldn’t be one
“It’s wicked to lie,” said Annika, who of those dull days.
“Why not have breakfast at my house, Pippi had forgotten to turn out the
for that matter?” Pippi wondered. rooms that week. Tommy and Annika
looked carefully about in case that
“Well, yes,” said Tommy, “why not?
Cannibal King should be in a corner.
Come on, let’s!”
They’d never seen a Cannibal King
“Yes,” said Annika. “Right away!”
in all their lives. But no father was to
“But first let me introduce you to Mr be seen, nor any mother, and Annika
Nelson,” said Pippi. The monkey asked anxiously, “Do you live here
raised his hat to them politely. all alone?”

“Of course not,” said Pippi. “Mr Nelson

lives here too.”
And so they went through Villekulla
Cottage’s tumble-down orchard gate “Yes, but haven’t you a mother and
and up the path between rows of father here?”
mossy trees (trees lovely for climbing,
“No, none at all,” said Pippi cheerfully.
they noticed) to the house and on to
the porch. There stood the horse,
munching oats from a soup tureen.

“Why on earth have you

a horse on the front
porch?” asked
Tommy. All the
horses he knew
lived in stables.

“Well,” said Pippi after

thinking it over, “he’d be in the way
in the kitchen, and he doesn’t thrive
in the parlour.”

Tommy and Annika patted the horse,

and then went on into the house.
There was a kitchen and a parlour
and a bedroom. But it looked as if
43
“But who tells you when to go to Meanwhile, they had come into the
bed at night, and that sort of thing?” kitchen, and Pippi whooped:
asked Annika.
“Here pancakes will be baked now,
“I do,” said Pippi. “The first time I say it, Here pancakes will be baked now,
I say it in a friendly sort of way, and if I Here pancakes will be fried now!”
don’t listen I say it again more sharply,
At which she took out three eggs and
and if I still don’t listen, then there’s a
flung them into the air…
thrashing to be had, believe me!”

Tommy and Annika didn’t quite Extract from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, translated
by Edna Hurup and illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman (OUP, 1954),
understand all this, but they thought copyright © Saltkråkan AB/Astrid Lindgren, 1945.
perhaps it was a good arrangement. English translation copyright © Oxford University Press 1954.
Reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press.

N !
WI
Win a beautiful edition
of Pippi Longstocking
to treasure forever! Find
out how to enter our
competition on page 50.

44
 tor y t i m e
Playb x
Escape the spider’s spooky parlour, solve our puzzles, and
cook up a feast of Pippi Longstocking-inspired pancakes!

1 ODD ONE OUT 2 HIDDEN

One of the gazelles in this herd
is different to the others. Circle WORDS
it when you find it.
How many words are hidden inside the
word TREASURE? Write them here and
b c score a point for each word you find.

f h TREASURE
d
g
e

k
j
i

m
l s
10 bonuif you
points words
get 25 e!
or mor

Score:-------------------------45
 3 GREEN Colour in the Green Children of Woolpit.
How many shades of green can you use?

IS GOOD! Colour the sky in purple too!

4
QUICK
How many dumplings does Momotaro share in total on
his journey to the ogres’ island?
b 8 c 3
QUIZ! a 4
 Caan you remember
whhat Irina used to
ock Baba Yaga’s
blo A Mountain B Forest C Lake
pa
ath? See if you can
pair up the gifts with
their obstacles.

1 Shell 2 Pebble 3 Acorn

Ask
6 MAKE PIPPI PANCAKES!
Make pancakes just like Pippi Longstocking. This recipe makes 12
grow a
n-up
pancakes, so there’s plenty to share with your friends!

YOU NEED:  FZåddYWô_ebZ^d_çæçbXWT_gæç^VUbçU\Z^dYWdg_

%)$X `æçZ^ ô_eb WXXc bW]_fZ^Xç^èTZdc_åcYWææ"
& ]WVZe] WXXc  HcWç^WæWUdbZU]ZhWb_bå_b\d_TWçddYWô_ebç^V
WXXcZ^d_çc]__dY]ZhdebW"
')$]æcW]Z!c\Z]]WV
_b gY_æW ]Zæ\  5VV dYW ]Zæ\ æZddæW Tè æZddæW TWçdZ^X Zd Z^d_ dYW ]ZhdebW"
<d¼c bWçVè gYW^ dYWbW çbW^¼d ç^è æe]`c Z^ dYW TçddWb"
Fe^ô_gWb_Zæ
 C_eb dYW ce^ô_gWb _Zæ Z^d_ ç åbèZ^X `ç^ ç^V `ed Zd _^
ç ]WVZe] YWçd" 5c\ ç^ çVeæd d_ YWæ` è_e gZdY dYZc TZd"
 C_eb ç æçVæWåeæ _b æçbXW c`__^åeæ _å `ç^Uç\W TçddWb Z^d_ 
dYW YWçdWV `ç^" L_e ]ZXYd ^WWV d_ dZæd dYW `ç^ d_ ]ç\W
dYW ]ZhdebW c`bWçV _ed WfW^æè"
 JYW^ Zd¼c ç æZXYd X_æVW^ U_æ_eb _^ dYW e^VWbcZVW ôZ` _b
deb^ è_eb `ç^Uç\W d_ U__\ dYW _dYWb cZVW dYW^ cdçU\ Zd
_^ ç `æçdW bWçVè å_b ç `ç^Uç\W `ZæW!e`

TIP! Sprinkle hundreds and thousands on your batter to make a rainbow pancake!

ANSWERS: 1. Odd One Out – g; 4. Quick Quiz – C.3; 5. Magic Match – A2, B3, C1.
47
STORY MAGIC
There’s more to Halloween books than Room on the Broom
(though we love that too). Get some recommendations here!

Halloween Reads
Spooky storytimes, under a blanket, by torchlight
BOOK OF THE MONTH
A modern classic and family favour
or candlelight are some of the best – and they ite,
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by
don’t have to be scary, they can be enormous
Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Childre
fun. Here are three of our favourite books... n’s
Books) celebrates its 10th anniversa
Jampires by Sarah Macintyre and David ry
this month with a gorgeous specia
O’Connell A picture book that’s original, full of l
edition, complete with a stunning
wit (and jam), and not at all scary. Follow it with red
cover. Lucky readers,
a plate of jammy doughnuts and you’ll win the we have five copies
best-grown-up-ever award! (David Fickling Books) up for grabs! Enter
The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen our competition at
A brave little boy overcomes his fear of the dark storytimemagazine.
– and this book might just help your own child com/win
do the same. With stunning illustrations by Jon
Klassen. (Orchard Books)
The Big Monster Snoreybook by Leigh
Hodgkinson Little monster lovers will adore this
vibrant and imaginative picture book, which you
can read out with wacky sound effects. Kids will
love the clever twist at the end. (Nosy Crow)
WIN PIPPI!
Inspiring Resources! If you enjoyed this issue’s Brilliant
Book extract, then you’ll love the
Did you know that we have loads of rest of Pippi Longstocking’s exciting
fun and free printable downloads escapades. To win a copy of this
for you? From masks, finger puppets wonderful book from Oxford
and colouring to resource packs you niversity Press, visit our website:
Un
can use in school or at home, visit sttorytimemagazine.com/win
storytimeforschools.com/teaching-
resources and storytimemagazine.
com/free and start downloading!

W I N !
 ADVENTUROUS?
ARE YOU FEELING master returned
The prayer master
was so outraged,
Karim and told him
“He lies!” cried Naima
him into the house,
“I wouldn’t let
so he is punishing
me!”
kept her warm at night
She even

learnt to run as gracefull

y as a gazelle
PippiLongstocking
Brilliant Books

By Astrid Lindgren
Storyteller’s Corner However, the prayer he rode out to meet me Please believe

The Green Children

asked to come behaved badly
the following day and that his daughter had unsure “I cannot e young king was
said no Every Her brother looked One day, a handsom an old, overgrown
in again, and Naima believe it, but the when he saw Swedish town lay
Karim could hardly of the prayer out hunting in the desert t the end of a little
day, he came back
Naima refused him
and, every day,
The prayer master
prayer master would
surely never tell
with shame
go against the word
master or our father
I must take you the strangest sight
a beautiful young

A orchard. In the orchard

was a cottage, and
in this cottage

of Woolpit
a lie Karim went red are speaking woman running with
the gazelles cking.
more insistent until, into the desert If you lived Pippi Longsto
became more and take your sister protect you ” mother nor
was due to “Son, ride ahead and the truth, Allah will !” he said to his alone She had neither
on the day her father “I must be dreaming old, and she lived all
has disgraced our what I see?” She was nine years way there was no one
to tell her
return, he threatene
d her into the desert She abandoned in the servant “Do you see rather nice, for in this
law that she must So poor Naima was
family and it is the there, she sank father, which was really fun, and no one to make
her take
in, I will tell your Karim felt his heart desert Left all alone the gazelle girl she was having most
“If you don’t let me
be banished there ” Eventually, The servant also saw to go to bed when ints
to the market and to the ground and sobbed felt like eating pepperm
a little girl and a little father that you went as he said it
fell asleep and, know,” said the cod liver oil when she
and distant place, into your home ”
break
she curled up and “There is one way to
ong ago, in a strange allowed strange men had a

L boy were looking after

their father’s herd

like any other the

of cattle.

clouds were purple

and the moon
Naima was horrified
to bring shame on her
She didn’t want
family, but she
Nabil rode home with
tears in his eyes

He loved his sister very

much
when she woke
found that a
the
herd
huddled around her
of
next morning, she
gazelles had
to keep her warm
servant “Let us
of couscous one
offer

spices If she is human,

them two bowls
plain and one with
she will surely
There was a time
father, and she had
when Pippi
been v
had

herself with a shamed us like

It was a summer’s day girl was entertaining was sure her father
wouldn’t believe “How could you have prefer the spiced couscou
s”
in the sky The little “The prayer the gazelles and
was hanging heavy of grass for the last time, this?” he asked Naima Naima stayed with
on a bright green stalk his ridiculous lies so, They shared
sitting back, chewing master has told us
everything!” they treated her kindly
song and the boy was she refused him
her milk and
their food with her, gave

often used

33
HE
ST
SUE!
Flip pancakes
Girl or gaz
Meet mysterious stern tale
magical Mi dle Ea
green children
The Nutcrac
A Christmas Carol, St
Nicholas
The Red Mitten, Chri
INS

Never Com
.s o ry ti m e m a g a zine.com
w w w in is ing
WIN t sue
Brillian 27
Books!

Extract from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, translated by Edna Hurup

and illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman (OUP, 1954), copyright © Saltkråkan AB/
Astrid Lindgren, 1945. English translation copyright © Oxford University Press 1954.
Reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press.