Good Stories for Great Holidays

by Frances Jenkins Olcott (ed.) from 1916

About

Olcott's holiday anthology — stories for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and other occasions — collects traditional tales, original stories, and adapted myths suited to family reading. The collection represents the Progressive-era tradition of holiday literature as moral and imaginative enrichment, and individual selections work well as single-occasion readings. The Christmas and Thanksgiving sections are particularly strong.

Good Stories for Great Holidays

Words
88.6k
Scenes
10
Duration
~11 hr 5 min

181 sections

88.6k words
#TitleWords
1
AND FOR THE CHILDREN'S OWN READING
70:03
2
TO THE STORY-TELLER
6044:32
3
CONTENTS
260:12
THE MAIL-COACH PASSENGERS
4
THE MAIL-COACH PASSENGERS: Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales
40:02
HE RESCUES THE BIRDS
5
HE RESCUES THE BIRDS: Noah Brooks, Abraham Lincoln
160:07
TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY
6
TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY: Orison Swett Matden, Winning Out
540:24
THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS
7
THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS: Adapted
210:09
SAINT VALENTINE
8
SAINT VALENTINE: Millicent Olmsted
660:30
WASHINGTON'S MODESTY
9
WASHINGTON'S MODESTY: Henry Cabot Lodge, George Washington
590:27
THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS
10
THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS: From the German
240:11
THE FAIRY TULIPS
11
THE FAIRY TULIPS: English Folk-Tale
240:11
THE CANYON FLOWERS
12
THE CANYON FLOWERS: Ralph Connor, The Sky Pilot
80:04
ECHO AND NARCISSUS
13
ECHO AND NARCISSUS: Ovid, Metamorphoses
180:08
CORNELIA S JEWELS
14
CORNELIA S JEWELS: James Baldwin, Fifty Famous Stories Retold
120:05
15
THE WIDOW AND HER THREE SONS
260:12
BETSY ROSS AND THE FLAG
16
BETSY ROSS AND THE FLAG: Harry Pringle Ford
550:25
THE COLONEL OF THE ZOUAVES
17
THE COLONEL OF THE ZOUAVES: Noah Brooks, Abraham Lincoln
190:09
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
18
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Washington Irving, Life of Washington
580:26
WASHINGTON AND THE COWARDS
19
WASHINGTON AND THE COWARDS: Washington Irving, Life of Washington
140:06
THE NAIL
20
THE NAIL: The Brothers Grimm, German Household Tales
450:20
THE CHAMPION STONE CUTTER
21
THE CHAMPION STONE CUTTER: Hugh Miller
610:27
THE OLD WITCH
22
THE OLD WITCH: The Brothers Grimm, German Household Tales
100:05
HANSEL AND GRETHEL
23
HANSEL AND GRETHEL: The Brothers Grimm, German Household Tales
120:05
THE PHANTOM KNIGHT OF THE VANDAL CAMP
24
THE PHANTOM KNIGHT OF THE VANDAL CAMP: Gesta Romanorum
710:32
THE NUTCRACKER DWARF
25
THE NUTCRACKER DWARF: Count Franz Pocci, Fur Frohliche Kinder
130:06
THE HORN OF PLENTY
26
THE HORN OF PLENTY: Ovid, Metamorphoses
40:02
LITTLE PICCOLA
27
LITTLE PICCOLA: Celia Thazter, Stories and Poems for Children
110:05
SAINT CHRISTOPHER
28
SAINT CHRISTOPHER: William Caxton, Golden Legend
100:05
THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO
29
THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO: Frances Browne, Granny's Wonderful Chair
710:32
30
ARBOR DAY
300:14
THE PROUD OAK TREE
31
THE PROUD OAK TREE: Old Fable
110:05
THE UNFRUITFUL TREE
32
THE UNFRUITFUL TREE: Friedrich Adolph Krummacher, Parables
650:29
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
33
THE MAGPIE'S NEST: Joseph Jacobs, English Fairy Tales
640:29
34
BY EMILIE POULSSON (ADAPTED)
5974:29
35
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (TRANSLATED)
9467:06
36
BY ALEXANDER CHODZKO (ADAPTED)
1.9k14:33
37
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (ADAPTED)
1.4k10:31
38
BY NOAH BROOKS (ADAPTED)
1100:50
39
BY CHARLES W. MOORES
1341:00
40
BY ORISON SWETT MARDEN
3922:56
41
BY NOAH BROOKS
4233:10
42
BY CHARLES W. MOORES
2341:45
43
BY CHARLES W. MOORES
2481:52
44
BY Z. A. MUDGE (ADAPTED)
3772:50
45
BY Z. A. MUDGE (ADAPTED)
1421:04
46
HIS SPRINGFIELD FAREWELL ADDRESS
2261:42
47
SAINT VALENTINE
2101:35
48
BY MILLICENT OLMSTED (ADAPTED)
1160:52
49
AS TOLD BY HERSELF
1711:17
50
MR. PEPYS HIS VALENTINE
1801:21
51
THE ENCHANTED PALACE
1.6k11:53
THE TRIAL OF PSYCHE
52
THE TRIAL OF PSYCHE:
1.2k8:51
53
I. THE CHERRY TREE
2631:58
54
II. THE APPLE ORCHARD
2591:57
55
III. THE GARDEN-BED
1701:17
56
BY HORACE E. SCUDDER
3993:00
57
BY ALBERT F. BLAISDELL AND FRANCIS E. BALL
2992:15
58
BY HENRY CABOT LODGE (ADAPTED)
1931:27
59
BY HENRY CABOT LODGE
2641:59
60
BY MRS. ALFRED GATTY (ADAPTED)
1.3k9:41
61
BY CHARLES DICKENS
1.2k9:13
62
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (ADAPTED)
7015:15
63
MAY DAY
30:01
64
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (ADAPTED)
3442:35
65
THE THREE LITTLE BUTTERFLY BROTHERS
1.2k9:03
66
BY HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT (ADAPTED)
5053:47
67
ENGLISH FOLK-TALE
3342:30
68
BY MARY AUSTIN (ADAPTED)
1.5k11:01
69
BY HARRIET MAXWELL CONVERSE (ADAPTED)
5724:17
70
BY RALPH CONNOR (ADAPTED)
3682:46
71
BY OVID (ADAPTED)
2621:58
72
BY OVID (ADAPTED)
3962:58
73
BY OVID (ADAPTED)
1k7:32
74
BY P. V. RAMASWAMI RAJU (ADAPTED)
1911:26
75
CORNELIA'S JEWELS
5073:48
76
BY ALBERT F. BLAISDELL (ADAPTED)
6434:49
77
BY CHARLES MORRIS (ADAPTED)
1.4k10:22
78
BY HARRY PRINGLE FORD (ADAPTED)
3232:25
79
BY EVA MARCH TAPPAN (ADAPTED)
6294:43
80
BY ALBERT BUSHNELL HART (ADAPTED)
1.1k8:18
81
BY M. M. THOMAS (ADAPTED)
2862:09
82
I. BRAVERY HONORED BY A FOE
4723:32
83
II. THE BRAVERY OF RICHARD KIRTLAND
3972:59
84
BY Z. A. MUDGE (ADAPTED)
3242:26
85
BY NOAH BROOKS (ADAPTED)
4173:08
86
BY E. D. TOWNSEND (ADAPTED)
2271:42
87
BY WASHINGTON IRVING
3012:15
88
THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
1290:58
89
A BRAVE GIRL
5544:09
90
THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY
6144:36
91
BY JOHN ESTEN COOKE (ADAPTED)
9006:45
92
BY WASHINGTON IRVING (ADAPTED)
6304:44
93
BY WASHINGTON IRVING (ADAPTED)
3122:20
94
BY P. V. RAMASWAMI RAJU (ADAPTED)
780:35
95
THE NAIL
2471:51
96
BY HORACE E. SCUDDER
6604:57
97
BY JULIANA HORATIA EWING (ADAPTED)
5173:53
98
FROM THE RIVERSIDE THIRD READER (ADAPTED)
6855:08
99
BY JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY
1.6k11:49
100
BY XENOPHON (ADAPTED)
9367:01
101
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
7605:42
102
BY HUGH MILLER
6364:46
103
BY CLEVELAND MOFFETT
6064:33
104
COLUMBUS AND THE EGG
2321:44
105
BY WASHINGTON IRVING (ADAPTED)
1.4k10:13
106
BY A. DE LAMARTINE (ADAPTED)
1.7k13:07
107
BY WASHINGTON IRVING (ADAPTED)
3472:36
108
BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM (TRANSLATED)
3102:20
A JAPANESE FOLK-TALE
109
A JAPANESE FOLK-TALE:
1k7:48
110
BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM (ADAPTED)
2.7k19:53
111
BY ELIZABETH W. GRIERSON (ADAPTED)
1.3k9:29
112
BY ERNEST RHYS
4793:36
113
BY JOSEPH JACOBS
5113:50
114
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
2651:59
115
FROM GESTA ROMANORUM (ADAPTED)
5414:03
116
BY W. DE LOSS LOVE, JR (ADAPTED)
6074:33
117
BY MRS. ALFRED GATTY (ADAPTED)
1.4k10:24
118
BY THE VENERABLE BEDE (ADAPED)
3152:22
119
BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM (TRANSLATED)
2161:37
120
BY HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT (ADAPTED)
1.1k7:53
121
BY COUNT FRANZ POCCI (TRANSLATED)
4983:44
122
BY ALFRED J. CHURCH (ADAPTED)
5534:09
123
BY HARRIET MAXWELL CONVERSE (ADAPTED)
5023:46
124
BY OVID (ADAPTED)
7655:44
125
AFTER CELIA THAXTER
5704:17
126
BY COUNT FRANZ POCCI (TRANSLATED)
5474:06
127
night I will leave with you my blessing.”
1371:02
128
ENGLISHED BY WILLIAM CAXTON (ADAPTED)
1.1k8:04
129
BY LIZZIE DEAS (ADAPTED)
1641:14
130
BY FRANCOIS COPPEE (ADAPTED)
1.4k10:52
131
I. WHEN IT WAS LITTLE
5874:24
132
II. CHRISTMAS IN THE WOODS
8156:07
133
III. CHRISTMAS IN THE HOUSE
5644:14
134
IV. IN THE ATTIC
8506:23
135
V. OUT OF DOORS AGAIN
4553:25
136
BY FRANCES BROWNE (ADAPTED)
2.6k19:44
137
BY J. STIRLING COYNE (ADAPTED)
1k7:52
138
BY WILLIAM S. WALSH (ADAPTED)
4213:09
139
WILLIAM S. WALSH AND OTHER SOURCES
5424:04
140
ADAPTED FROM WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY AND OTHER SOURCES
5734:18
141
THE STAR
5814:21
142
THE CHILD
9106:50
143
HOW THEY CAME TO COLOGNE
4173:08
144
BY FRIEDRICH RUCHERT (TRANSLATED)
5023:46
145
BY FLORENCE HOLBROOK
6775:05
146
OLD LEGEND
1891:25
147
BY FRIEDRICH ADOLPH KRUMMACHER (ADAPTED)
6044:32
148
ADAPTED FROM H. P. MASKEL'S RENDERING OF THE GREEK MYTH
7845:53
149
BY FRIEDRICH ADOLPH KRUMMACHER
3442:35
150
BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL (ADAPTED)
6875:09
151
BY OVID (ADAPTED)
6564:55
152
BY PHOEBE CARY (ADAPTED)
3472:36
153
BY HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT (ADAPTED)
6895:10
154
BY A. B. MITFORD (ADAPTED)
7325:29
155
FROM THE RIVERSIDE FOURTH READER
4203:09
156
BY JOSEPH JACOBS
3832:52
157
FROM IL LIBRO D'ORO (ADAPTED)
7105:20
158
BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM (TRANSLATED)
6835:07
159
BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN
8946:42
160
BY OLIVE THORNE MILLER (ADAPTED)
7845:53
161
II
5754:19
162
BY JOHN BURROUGHS
1k7:45
163
BY HARRY M. KIEFFER (ADAPTED)
5784:20
164
BY DALLAS LORE SHARP
1.2k8:47
165
REFERENCE LISTS FOR STORY-TELLING AND COLLATERAL READING
220:10
166
NEW YEAR'S DAY
770:35
167
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
1681:16
168
SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY
1571:11
169
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
1551:10
170
RESURRECTION DAY (EASTER)
830:37
171
MAY DAY
2101:35
172
MOTHERS' DAY
1701:17
173
MEMORIAL AND FLAG DAYS
1601:12
174
INDEPENDENCE DAY
2331:45
175
LABOR DAY
3993:00
176
COLUMBUS DAY
650:29
177
HALLOWEEN
1711:17
178
THANKSGIVING DAY
1791:21
179
CHRISTMAS DAY
4253:11
180
ARBOR DAY
2682:01
181
BIRD DAY
4723:32