A white tail bobbed in the bushes and Samantha’s ice-skate skidded to a messy stop. The girl made no sudden moves. Slowly, she lifted her head and took a cautious step towards the edge of the pond, which lay in the center of the pasture. The animal before her, a cinnamon-colored stag, stood motionless. She wished to gape openly, to move towards him and stroke his flawless coat, fondle his large ears, touch his immense antlers and follow him wherever…
Search Results for: winter
Grandpa’s Memories
One day my grandpa gathered me in his arms and said, “Come, sweety, let me tell you something.” And he got a faraway look in his eyes as he told me of life with Hitler in power. He told me of being rounded up and separated from his family when he was still young; to the left, or to the right; to death, or to life. He told of working hard, every day, getting only a crust of bread and…
Maddie’s Little Miracle
The movie droned on: ” . . . though today some of the canyons hold man-made lakes. This played an important role in the discovery of . . . ” I slumped down in my seat and let out a deep yawn, despite my efforts at fighting it. How could they expect anyone to be alert and focused in the last class of the last day before winter break? Crinkled notebook paper lay scattered across desks, smeared in gray smudges…
Happiness in the Johnson Family
I smell butter cookies, hot chocolate and the stickiness of sleep As we gallop up the stairs to the family room My brother jumping up and down beside me Like a monkey in his tree-green plaid pajamas The tree is glowing like a pyramid of radium And the presents, mysterious cubes and ovals wrapped in slippery wax wrapping paper The color of fluffy foamy whipped cream I hope to get a new skateboard or a surfboard Or any kind of…
Morning of the Horses
A mysterious quietness filled the misty morning air as Sadie stepped into her slippers and tiptoed out to the garden. The cold morning air slipped beneath her flannel nightgown and made her shiver. Here in Toronto, Canada, the winter mornings were cold and Sadie disliked them. But she ignored the chilly weather and headed toward the back of her garden. When Sadie reached the tangling green vines that grew up and over the red brick wall that separated her garden…
Children’s Art from Switzerland
These paintings from children in Switzerland were created in the 1960s. We particularly love the old fashioned zoo scenes where children ride elephants. Two street scenes from the city of Basel show a clear winter day and grey winter day. Both are wonderfully evocative of a city in winter in Northern climates. Note the fabulous old black convertible in the grey scene. These paintings are all available as poster-size prints from our Stone Soup Store. Building, artist unknown, Switzerland Roasting Chestnuts in…
Scarlet Spring
Kanuna stood silently in the soft, grassy meadow, taking in deep gulps of the fresh spring air. The winter had been timeless and bitter, but now spring was here. It was only a few weeks ago when Kanuna had noticed the first little shoot of grass shyly peek its head through the silent blanket of snow. Now, there was not a single patch of ice or snow left. The rivers were teeming with snowmelt, and the meadows were as vibrant…
Writing Activity: writing sequels, and increasing contrast, with “A Ride With Fate” by Robert Katzman, 12
Introduction to this Stone Soup Writing Activity “A Ride With Fate” is an emotionally powerful story about a boy who makes a couple of wrong decisions. The mistakes he makes lead to an accident in which he and someone he cares about are physically hurt, and an elderly man, a friend of Billy’s, is made very sad. Project 1: Write a Sequel I care about Billy, and I care about Mr. Reed. One reason I care about Billy is that…
Z
The sun gently warmed the earth. The squirrels were hopeful waking up. Peeking out, softly, just enough to see snow, always snow. The cold cracked their dry noses harder than a bad nut. Slowly, reluctantly, shades went up in houses. Pulled up by invisible hands. People, chained to their beds by the relentless cold. Ice-lined windows stared out defiantly, still believing that spring would come. Then their inhabitants would, once again, take pleasure in looking out of them at the…
Drifting
Anxiously I waited with fingers intertwined in my thick, curly hair and my foot tapping out a rhythm on my icy driveway. Puffs of air escaped from my cracked lips. I felt as if someone were slamming my heart against my chest. My eyes swept across the neighborhood. A quick glance behind my shoulder told me that Eliza was in the kitchen watching television. On my left was the mailman who was delivering letters to my neighbor. His shiny black…
