Yankee Doodle Donkey
Dolly Dittlemore put her harmonica into her pocket and said: “I am going to march in the Fourth of July parade. Don’t get into any trouble, Yankee Doodle.”
Children’s Stories
Freddy’s Fabulous Frogs
Fabian Frogmorton stole Freddy’s frog Fats on the Friday of the town of Flowerpot’s Fabulous Frogs Contest. Freddy was furious. Fabian Frogmorton had cheated Freddy out of the Fabulous Frog Award last year. Fabian had fed Freddy’s frog flies just before the Fast Frog Frolic, the final race in Flowerpot’s Fabulous Frogs Contest. Freddy’s frog had been too full to frolic, so Fabian’s frog had finished first.
Mrs. Peter’s Pens
“Oh pooh,” said Mrs. Polly Peters to her pet parrot Petey. “Where did I put that pen?”
“Petey’s pens,” said Petey Peters, bobbing his green head up and down inside his cage…
Allison’s Alligator
Alex alligator arrived at Allison Arthur’s apple farm in April, when the apple trees were covered with blossoms.
“Whatever am I to do with an alligator?” Allison asked…
The Center of the Tire
We were all sitting around enjoying another beautiful day of sunshine and warm weather outside our Rat Lake cabin when Tim was struck with an idea. “Why don’t we go for a boat ride this afternoon on Lake Bitabee?” he asked the general populace – which consisted of his fiancé Arlene, myself (his older sister), two little sisters, and our parents. This idea met with general approval from Arlene and myself, but Mom and the younger crowd elected to stay at the lake and Dad wanted to spend the afternoon fishing.
Bakery Bear
Brenda was busy baking a batch of blueberry muffins in the kitchen of Butler’s Bakery when the bell rang.
“Be with you in a bit,” Brenda called, brushing her blond braid over her shoulder.
The Box Song
We know its unorthodox, but we really love our lox,
And better still we love to box, and gift-wrap too.
Woodbox and workbox and toolbox and tinderbox
Bobby Fox collects socks, so why don’t you?
The Tooth War…and its aftermath
Not too long ago my niece lost another tooth. Being an enterprising child who is not afraid to believe in the tooth fairy if it means receiving money, she stuck it under her pillow. Obedient to custom, her father — Tooth-fairy Tim — did his job well, and in the morning she was richer by one dollar.
Fire! Fire! Fire!
It had been one heckuva day. By the time I got home I was practically crawling on my hands and knees, fatigued in mind, body, and spirit. All I wanted was food, a hot bubble bath, and sleep, in that order. I was determined that I would have all three tonight no matter what I had to push off to do it.
Xing-Xing Sings
The Xenos family lived in a rambling old house called Xanadu. Xavier was a xylographer, which meant that he worked all day engraving words on wood. His wife Xenia made lovely xenogardens which were gardens in which all of the plants – like cactus and sage brush – thrive in dry weather.
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Mighty and the Troll
Mighty the black Labrador lived on a small farm. Every day she inspected the vegetable garden, looked for intruders and watched the horse. She took good care of the farm for the Hadleys.
One day, Mighty was walking in the pasture where Dixie, the Hadley’s horse was grazing. To Mighty’s surprise, Dixie refused to go near the stream to get a drink of water. Mighty decided to investigate. She ran down to the bridge.
Mighty and the Beanstalk
Mighty the black Labrador watched the Hadley’s mount their horses. All their equipment was packed on their saddles.
“Take good care of the farm, Mighty,” said Mrs. Hadley as they rode away. The Hadleys were going on an overnight camping trip.
Tall Ted’s Turtles
Tall Ted Thompson parked his traveling turtle tank on Tenth Street in front of Tonawanda Town Hall. Tall Ted’s traveling Turtle Aquarium was a big attraction in Tonawanda. Timmie Torlish and his twin sister Trish ran to push their noses against the tanks windows to take a look at the turtles as Tall Ted walked up Tenth Street to talk to the mayor.
Sally Slither’s Snakes
Sally Slithers moved to South Hall in September.
“Oh dear, there are too many mice here,” she said. So Sally went to the pet store and bought a great big boa constrictor. She named her snake Sammy Slithers. Sammy’s favorite place to sleep was in the bathroom.
Where does Cat go at noon?
At breakfast, Cat sits on the deck of the pool, outside the glass doors to the kitchen. Bang, bang. She hits the door with her paw. This means “Johnny, feed me” in Cat’s special language. I get up from my chair and feed Cat.
The Package
The package was sitting on the porch when she got home from class, even though she had repeatedly told Aunt Katy not to send it this year.
Harry’s Hair
Harry Horse loved to watch television. He loved the cartoons and the sitcoms. He watched the movies and listened intently to the talk shows as the sounds drifted through the open window in the kitchen…
The Pig That Went to Church
In the nineteen-thirties and early forties, when my grandmother Mildred was a young woman, she settled in New Jersey with her husband Loyd. They lived in an old green farmhouse surrounded by fields, with few neighbors, and a large white church with a revival-style campground just up the block from their home.