Дидактическое обеспечения уроков английского языка по теме "HOLIDAYS"

A Christmas Crossword Puzzle

                                                                                                                       

a Christmas tree

                                                                                                                  Santa Claus going down a chimney

                                                                                                                          (Saint Nicholas)

Across

4.   It means ‘gifts.’

7.   Santa puts presents in children's ___.

9.   It means happy.

10.  Santa carries lots of toys in this.

11.  Parents put presents under this.

14.  Santa lives there.

Down

1.   December 25th

2.   They pull Santa's sleigh.

3.   Santa goes down it.

5.   Santa rides in this.

6.   Children play with these.

7.   Children make these when it snows.

8.   Children eat candy ___.

12.  People hang this on their doors.

13.  They help Santa make toys.

a candy cane

       a wreath

an elf making toys

   a Christmas a stocking

      a bag of toys

    singing Christmas carols

                                    reindeer pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh

Christmas Board Game Cards

1.   What colour is Santa's suit?

      red

2.   What is Santa's favourite reindeer called?

      rudolph

3.   What colour are Santa's boots?

      black

4.   What do the reindeer pull for Santa Claus?

      a sleigh

5.   What night does Santa come?

      December 24^th

      – the night before Christmas

6.   How does Santa get into the house?

      down the chimney

7.   What does Santa carry the toys in?

      a bag/a sack

8.   What do children hang up for Santa to put the toys in?

      a stocking (a sock)

9.   If you are bad, what does Santa bring you for Christmas?

      a piece of coal

10. Who helps Santa (to) make toys?

      the elves (one elf)

11. Where does Santa live?

      at the North Pole

12. What is a common four letter abbreviation of Christmas?

      X-mas

13. What bird is cooked for Christmas dinner?

      a turkey or a goose

14. Where does Santa put the presents?

      under the Christmas tree

15. What is hung outside on the door at Christmas?

      a wreath

16. What kind of songs are sung at Christmas?

      Christmas carols

17. What do you kiss under?

      mistletoe

18. What plant with red berries is used for decorations?

      holly

19. What do you call a man made of snow?

      a snowman

Christmas Game Board Cards:       Cut up these cards to use with the Christmas Game.

What colour is Santa's suit? Answer:  red	How does Santa get into the house? Answer:  down the chimney	What is Santa's favourite reindeer called? Answer:  Rudolph
What colour are Santa's boots? Answer:  black	What do children hang up for Santa to put the toys in? Answer:  a stocking (a sock)	If you are bad, what does Santa bring you for Christmas? Answer:  a piece of coal
What do the reindeer pull for Santa Claus? Answer:  a sleigh	How can you spell Christmas with four letters? Answer:  X-mas	What bird do people in Britain and America usually eat for Christmas dinner? Answer:  a turkey or a goose
What are Christmas carols? Answer:  Christmas songs	What plant do you kiss under? Answer:  mistletoe	What plant with red berries are wreaths often made of? Answer:  holly
What night does Santa come? Answer:  December 24th the night before Christmas	What does Santa carry in the sack on his back? Answer:  toys	Where does Santa live? Answer:  at the North Pole
Who helps Santa make toys? Answer:  the elves (one elf)	What do people often hang outside on their doors at Christmas? Answer:  a wreath	Where does Santa put the presents? Answer: under the Christmas tree
What do you call a man made of snow? Answer:  a snowman	What do you want for Christmas?	What do you usually do at Christmas?

START HERE	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Roll again.
Merry Christmas!				? Answer a question.
Roll again.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.
? Answer a question.
Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	FINISH HERE

Merry Christmas!

  singing Christmas songs      

                                                                                                      Reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh

d f e d f e d f e d f e b d f e d f d f e d f e b d f e d f e d f e d f e

a bag of toys

a candy cane

a Christmas stocking

a Christmas tree

a Christmas wreath

a present (a gift)

a snowman

an elf making a toy

Santa Claus going down a chimney

singing Christmas songs (carols)

Christmas Mazes

                                                                                                                                                                Ú

Christmas Icons

       

  

 

             

    

A Christmas Crossword Puzzle

                                                                                                                       

a Christmas tree

                                                                                                                  Santa Claus going down a chimney

                                                                                                                          (Saint Nicholas)

Across

4.   It means ‘gifts.’

7.   Santa puts presents in children's ___.

9.   It means happy.

10.  Santa carries lots of toys in this.

11.  Parents put presents under this.

14.  Santa lives there.

Down

1.   December 25th

2.   They pull Santa's sleigh.

3.   Santa goes down it.

5.   Santa rides in this.

6.   Children play with these.

7.   Children make these when it snows.

8.   Children eat candy ___.

12.  People hang this on their doors.

13.  They help Santa make toys.

a candy cane

       a wreath

an elf making toys

   a Christmas a stocking

      a bag of toys

    singing Christmas carols

                                    reindeer pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh

Christmas Board Game Cards

Christmas Game Board Cards:       Cut up these cards to use with the Christmas Game.

What colour is Santa's suit? Answer:  red	How does Santa get into the house? Answer:  down the chimney	What is Santa's favourite reindeer called? Answer:  Rudolph
What colour are Santa's boots? Answer:  black	What do children hang up for Santa to put the toys in? Answer:  a stocking (a sock)	If you are bad, what does Santa bring you for Christmas? Answer:  a piece of coal
What do the reindeer pull for Santa Claus? Answer:  a sleigh	How can you spell Christmas with four letters? Answer:  X-mas	What bird do people in Britain and America usually eat for Christmas dinner? Answer:  a turkey or a goose
What are Christmas carols? Answer:  Christmas songs	What plant do you kiss under? Answer:  mistletoe	What plant with red berries are wreaths often made of? Answer:  holly
What night does Santa come? Answer:  December 24th the night before Christmas	What does Santa carry in the sack on his back? Answer:  toys	Where does Santa live? Answer:  at the North Pole
Who helps Santa make toys? Answer:  the elves (one elf)	What do people often hang outside on their doors at Christmas? Answer:  a wreath	Where does Santa put the presents? Answer: under the Christmas tree
What do you call a man made of snow? Answer:  a snowman	What do you want for Christmas?	What do you usually do at Christmas?

START HERE	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Roll again.
Merry Christmas!				? Answer a question.
Roll again.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.
? Answer a question.
Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	Ask a question.	? Answer a question.	FINISH HERE

Christmas Jazz Chant

Divide the class into two groups, A and B.

Read the chant aloud to the class.

Have the students read it through.

Introduce clapping as they read it again.

First, have group A read the sentences, and group B the chorus.

Then, reverse the pattern.                                                                         Poinsettia—a common

The chant can be repeated many times as confidence is gained.             Christmas flower in America

                                                                                                                  */pÉIn ’set iә/

A:        Santa comes with presents

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        Wraps them up with ribbons

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        Puts them in a sack

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        The presents with the ribbons, in a sack, on his back!

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A & B:   Ho Ho Ho!

                A Christmas Limerick:

	May’s Sleigh
There was a young lady named May Who was taking a ride in her sleigh. She ran out of snow, Her sleigh wouldn't go. Now her horse pulls an old Chevrolet!*

                                   */’òev rә leI/

Holly—the green leaves and red berries of this evergreen tree are often used for Christmas

            decoration, especially for making wreaths

Christmas Tongue Twisters

Can you say these three times... fast?

Seven Santas sang silly songs.

Santa's sleigh slides on slick snow.

Bobby brings bright bells.

Running reindeer romp 'round red wreaths.

Tiny Timmy trims the tall tree with tinsel.

Chilly chipper children cheerfully chant.

Two trains travel together to Toyland.

Eleven elves licked eleven little licorice lollipops.

Santa's sack sags slightly.

Ten tiny tin trains toot ten times.

Santa stuffs Stephie's striped stocking.

Comet cuddles cute Christmas kittens carefully.

Help Wanted by Timothy Tocher Santa needs new reindeer. The first bunch has grown old. Dasher has arthritis; Comet hates the cold. Prancer's sick of staring at Dancer's big behind. Cupid married Blitzen and Donder lost his mind. Dancer's mad at Vixen for stepping on his toes. Vixen's being thrown out- she laughed at Rudolph's nose. If you are a reindeer we hope you will apply. There is just one tricky part: You must know how to fly. Text © Timothy Tocher, reprinted from Kids Pick the Funniest Poems published by Meadowbrook Press. Illustration © Stephen Carpenter. Any copying or use of this poem or illustration without consent is unlawful.

Pelmanism Games

I.     Pelmanism Definition:

1.      n. A system of training to improve the memory.

2.      (often not cap.)  Also called pairs, (esp. U.S.) concentration.  A memory card game in which a pack of cards is spread out face down and players try to turn up pairs with the same symbol.  [Named after the Pelman Institute, founded in London in 1898]

II.    Pelmanism Games:

Can be used with pictures, text, and phonetic symbols to focus on pronunciation, vocabulary, collocation, derived words, and grammar:

·               to create awareness of new language

·               to provide repetition

·               to cater for tactile, visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and group learning styles

·               for extension

·               for revision

·               for short fillers

·               for warmers

III.   Pelmanism Activities—Basic Instructions:

1.      Give one set of cards to each pair/group.

2.      Have the Ss place the cards face down and mix them up.

3       Have the Ss place the cards in rows and columns.

4.      Have the Ss take turns turning over two cards, leaving the cards in their original   positions.

5.      The S should then say the words, produce the sounds (if there are phonetic symbols)     or name the pictures that are on the cards.

6.      If the cards match (e.g., a picture of Santa Clause and the word ‘Santa Clause’), the S

         keeps both cards.

7.      If they don’t match, the S turns them over again to their blank sides, leaving them in

         exactly the same place on the table.

8.      The Ss need to remember the position of the pictures and the words.

9.      The next S takes a turn.

10.    The winner is the S who has the most cards at the end.

Christmas Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game 1

a Christmas tree	a candy cane	a Christmas stocking	a reindeer
a present (a gift)	a bag of toys a sack of toys	an elf	a Christmas flower
Santa Claus	a Christmas wreath	presents (gifts)	a toy car
a snowman	holly	a candle	a turkey

Christmas Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game 2

Six reindeer are pulling Santa’s sleigh. (Two are missing.)	Two Christmas stockings are hanging by the fire.	She is making a snowman.	These are Christmas decorations.
Santa Clause is waving at you.	Santa Clause is going down the chimney.	They are singing Christmas carols.	He is hanging a Christmas wreath.
The bear is ice skating.	The rabbit is flying a plane.	She is pushing a pram.	There are presents under the Christmas tree.
These are Christmas stockings.	The reindeer is looking at you.	The bear is sitting on a drum.	Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

  singing Christmas songs      

                                                                                                      Reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh

d f e d f e d f e d f e b d f e d f d f e d f e b d f e d f e d f e d f e

a bag of toys

a candy cane

a Christmas stocking

a Christmas tree

a Christmas wreath

a present (a gift)

a snowman

an elf making a toy

Santa Claus going down a chimney

singing Christmas songs (carols)

Christmas Mazes

                                                                                                                                                                Ú

 

 

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

 

 

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

 

 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

 

 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

 

 

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

 

 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

 

 

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

JINGLE BELLS

Dashing through the snow

In a one horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way.

Bells on bobtail ring,

Making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Want to sing another verse?

Now the ground is white

Do it while you're young

Take the girls tonight

And sing this sleighing song.

Just get a bobtailed bay

Two forty for his speed,

Then hitch him to an open sleigh

And crack, you'll take the lead!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

RUDOLPH

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall.........the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it,

You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph with your nose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee:

"Rudolph's the best!" "Rudolph rules!" "He's my hero!"

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

You'll go down in history!"

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

Come they told me pa-rum pum pum pum

A newborn King to see pa-rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum

To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum

When we come.

Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum

I am a poor boy too pa-rum pum pum pum

I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum

That's fit to give our King pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

Shall I play for you pa-rum pum pum pum

On my drum?

Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum

The ox and lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum

I played my best for Him pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

The Twelve Days of Christmas

(Dec. 25 - Jan. 5)

In 16th century England, after the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, the English who remained faithful to the Catholic Church found themselves on the wrong side of the law.  They were forbidden by royal decree to teach the catechism to their children.  So they disguised catechetical teachings in metaphors and put them to a tune.  The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the resulting songs.  The carol veils information about Christ's life and message.  The singer of the carol is an ordinary person who believes in Christ, and his "True Love" is God.  The accumulative pattern of going back each time through all the verses teaches the ongoing abundant blessings of a loving God.

The partridge, a bird reputed to choose death to defend its young, is an ancient Christian symbol of Christ.

The Two Turtle Doves signify the sacrifice offered in the temple by Joseph and Mary at the presentation of Christ in the Temple.

The Three French Hens, priceless poultry in the 16th century England, represented the gifts of the Magi.

The Four Calling Birds are the four Gospel writers.

The Five Golden Rings represent the Torah, that is, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The Six Geese A-Laying signify the six days of creation.

The Seven Swans a Swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Eight Maids A-Milking are the Beatitudes which nourish our spirituality.

The Nine Ladies Dancing refer to the nine choirs of angels.

The Ten Lords A-Leaping are the Ten Commandments.

The Eleven Pipers Piping signify the eleven apostles who proclaimed the Resurrection.

The Twelve Drummers Drumming are the twelve basic beliefs enshrined in the Apostle's Creed, which is an ancient baptismal profession of faith.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

 

On the first day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

Christmas Jazz Chant

Divide the class into two groups, A and B.

Read the chant aloud to the class.

Have the students read it through.

Introduce clapping as they read it again.

First, have group A read the sentences, and group B the chorus.

Then, reverse the pattern.                                                                         Poinsettia—a common

The chant can be repeated many times as confidence is gained.             Christmas flower in America

                                                                                                                  */pÉIn ’set iә/

A:        Santa comes with presents

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        Wraps them up with ribbons

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        Puts them in a sack

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A:        The presents with the ribbons, in a sack, on his back!

B:        Ho Ho Ho

A & B:   Ho Ho Ho!

                A Christmas Limerick:

	May’s Sleigh
There was a young lady named May Who was taking a ride in her sleigh. She ran out of snow, Her sleigh wouldn't go. Now her horse pulls an old Chevrolet!*

                                   */’òev rә leI/

Holly—the green leaves and red berries of this evergreen tree are often used for Christmas

            decoration, especially for making wreaths

Christmas Limericks

	May’s Sleigh
There was a young lady named May Who was taking a ride in her sleigh. She ran out of snow, Her sleigh wouldn't go. Now her horse pulls an old Chevrolet!

	Claus
There was an old fellow named Claus With a case of the mid-winter blahs. He taught his reindeer to fly, So they took to the sky. The taps on your roof may be hooves.

JINGLE BELLS

Dashing through the snow

In a one horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way

Bells on bobtail ring,

Making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

JINGLE BELLS

Dashing through the snow

In a one horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way.

Bells on bobtail ring,

Making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing

A sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Want to sing another verse?

Now the ground is white

Do it while you're young

Take the girls tonight

And sing this sleighing song.

Just get a bobtailed bay

Two forty for his speed,

Then hitch him to an open sleigh

And crack, you'll take the lead!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

RUDOLPH

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall.........the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it,

You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph with your nose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee:

"Rudolph's the best!" "Rudolph rules!" "He's my hero!"

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

You'll go down in history!"

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

Come they told me pa-rum pum pum pum

A newborn King to see pa-rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum

To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum

When we come.

Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum

I am a poor boy too pa-rum pum pum pum

I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum

That's fit to give our King pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

Shall I play for you pa-rum pum pum pum

On my drum?

Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum

The ox and lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum

I played my best for Him pa-rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum; rum pum pum pum

Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

The Twelve Days of Christmas

(Dec. 25 - Jan. 5)

In 16th century England, after the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, the English who remained faithful to the Catholic Church found themselves on the wrong side of the law.  They were forbidden by royal decree to teach the catechism to their children.  So they disguised catechetical teachings in metaphors and put them to a tune.  The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the resulting songs.  The carol veils information about Christ's life and message.  The singer of the carol is an ordinary person who believes in Christ, and his "True Love" is God.  The accumulative pattern of going back each time through all the verses teaches the ongoing abundant blessings of a loving God.

The partridge, a bird reputed to choose death to defend its young, is an ancient Christian symbol of Christ.

The Two Turtle Doves signify the sacrifice offered in the temple by Joseph and Mary at the presentation of Christ in the Temple.

The Three French Hens, priceless poultry in the 16th century England, represented the gifts of the Magi.

The Four Calling Birds are the four Gospel writers.

The Five Golden Rings represent the Torah, that is, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The Six Geese A-Laying signify the six days of creation.

The Seven Swans a Swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Eight Maids A-Milking are the Beatitudes which nourish our spirituality.

The Nine Ladies Dancing refer to the nine choirs of angels.

The Ten Lords A-Leaping are the Ten Commandments.

The Eleven Pipers Piping signify the eleven apostles who proclaimed the Resurrection.

The Twelve Drummers Drumming are the twelve basic beliefs enshrined in the Apostle's Creed, which is an ancient baptismal profession of faith.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

 

On the first day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French Hens,

Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

This works best if you have enough students to fill all of the 'parts' - i.e. 9 ladies dancing, 11 pipers piping.

Write on separate, large pieces of paper each of the 12 days (if you are artistically inclined you could also draw the item on the paper):

1       a partridge in a pear tree

2       turtledoves

3       french hens

4       calling birds

5       gold rings

6       geese a laying

7       swans a swimming

8       maids a milking

9       ladies dancing

10     lords a leaping

11     pipers piping

12     drummers drumming

Then, go over each of the items so that each group knows what they represent.  Next, go through the song by saying, "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . ." and then each group stands up in their turn saying their particular item.  Then, add the words to the tune. Usually, on the last time around, everyone sings together 'and a partridge in a pear tree'.

The Twelve Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas,  my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

...Four calling birds... ...Five golden rings... ...Six geese a-laying... ...Seven swans a-swimming... ...Eight maids a-milking... ...Nine ladies dancing... ...Ten lords a-leaping... ...Eleven pipers piping... ...Twelve drummers drumming...

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

White Christmas

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten,

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

WELCOME

to a

WINTER WONDERLAND

Sleighbells ring, are you listening ?

In the lane, snow is glistening.

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

Walking in a winter wonderland

Gone away is the bluebird;

Here to stay is the new bird.

He sings a love song as we go along

Walking in a winter wonderland

In the meadow we can build a snowman;

Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.

He'll say, "Are you married?," we'll say, "No man

But you can do the job when you're in town."

Later on we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire,

To face unafraid the plans that we made

Walkin' in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow, we can build a snowman

And pretend that he's a circus clown.

We'll have lots of fun with Mr Snowman

Until the other kiddies come around.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling ?

Though your nose gets a chilling.

We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way

Walking in a winter wonderland.

We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way

Walking in a winter wonderland

Walking in a winter wonderland

Walking in a winter wonderland

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/chr/songs/index.html

Christmas Tongue Twisters

Can you say these three times... fast?

Seven Santas sang silly songs.

Santa's sleigh slides on slick snow.

Bobby brings bright bells.

Running reindeer romp 'round red wreaths.

Tiny Timmy trims the tall tree with tinsel.

Chilly chipper children cheerfully chant.

Two trains travel together to Toyland.

Eleven elves licked eleven little licorice lollipops.

Santa's sack sags slightly.

Ten tiny tin trains toot ten times.

Santa stuffs Stephie's striped stocking.

Comet cuddles cute Christmas kittens carefully.

Pelmanism Games

I.     Pelmanism Definition:

1.      n. A system of training to improve the memory.

2.      (often not cap.)  Also called pairs, (esp. U.S.) concentration.  A memory card game in which a pack of cards is spread out face down and players try to turn up pairs with the same symbol.  [Named after the Pelman Institute, founded in London in 1898]

II.    Pelmanism Games:

Can be used with pictures, text, and phonetic symbols to focus on pronunciation, vocabulary, collocation, derived words, and grammar:

·               to create awareness of new language

·               to provide repetition

·               to cater for tactile, visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and group learning styles

·               for extension

·               for revision

·               for short fillers

·               for warmers

III.   Pelmanism Activities—Basic Instructions:

1.      Give one set of cards to each pair/group.

2.      Have the Ss place the cards face down and mix them up.

3       Have the Ss place the cards in rows and columns.

4.      Have the Ss take turns turning over two cards, leaving the cards in their original   positions.

5.      The S should then say the words, produce the sounds (if there are phonetic symbols)     or name the pictures that are on the cards.

6.      If the cards match (e.g., a picture of Santa Clause and the word ‘Santa Clause’), the S

         keeps both cards.

7.      If they don’t match, the S turns them over again to their blank sides, leaving them in

         exactly the same place on the table.

8.      The Ss need to remember the position of the pictures and the words.

9.      The next S takes a turn.

10.    The winner is the S who has the most cards at the end.

Christmas Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game 1

a Christmas tree	a candy cane	a Christmas stocking	a reindeer
a present (a gift)	a bag of toys a sack of toys	an elf	a Christmas flower
Santa Claus	a Christmas wreath	presents (gifts)	a toy car
a snowman	holly	a candle	a turkey

Christmas Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game 2

Six reindeer are pulling Santa’s sleigh. (Two are missing.)	Two Christmas stockings are hanging by the fire.	She is making a snowman.	These are Christmas decorations.
Santa Clause is waving at you.	Santa Clause is going down the chimney.	They are singing Christmas carols.	He is hanging a Christmas wreath.
The bear is ice skating.	The rabbit is flying a plane.	She is pushing a pram.	There are presents under the Christmas tree.
These are Christmas stockings.	The reindeer is looking at you.	The bear is sitting on a drum.	Merry Christmas!

Christmas tree
Decorations
Presents
Turkey
Santa Claus

 

Inside Out

The Night Before Christmas – Glossary

bauble noun [count] a cheap decoration or piece of jewellery

candle noun [count] a stick of wax with a string in it that you burn to give light

Christmas carol noun [count] a song you sing at Christmas carol singing noun [uncount] the activity of singing Christmas carols in the street, especially in order to collect money to help

other people carol singers

Christmas stocking noun [count] a large sock that children hang on their bed the night before Christmas that is filled with presents while they sleep

Christmas tree noun [count] a tree that people cover with lights and other decorations at Christmas

holly noun [count or uncount] a tree with dark green leaves with sharp points and small bright red berries

mistletoe noun [uncount] a plant with small white fruits. It is often used as a Christmas decoration.

mulled wine noun [count or uncount] a hot alcoholic drink made of wine mixed with sugar and spices, traditionally drunk at winter festivals such as Christmas

presents noun [count] something that you give to someone, for example on their birthday: a wedding/birthday/Christmas present

reindeer noun [count] an animal like a deer with large antlers

Santa Claus or Santa an imaginary man with a long white beard and a red suit who brings presents for children at

Christmas

sleigh noun [count] a vehicle that is pulled by animals and used for travelling over snow

star noun [count]

a very large hot ball of gas that appears as a small bright light in the sky at night

tinsel noun [uncount]

long thin pieces of shiny paper that you use as a Christmas decoration

turkey noun [count or uncount] a large bird that is similar to a chicken, or the meat from this bird

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.         

Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004. Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com

Inside Out

The Night Before Christmas             WORKSHEET A

A

unt Joan had already drunk too much hot mulled wine and was trying to pull uncle Phil under the mistletoe, knowing that he would have to kiss her. Poor Phil tried so hard to escape. Then we heard singing from outside and when we went to the front door to listen, we saw about ten carol singers gathered

around the door. Some of them were holding candles so that they could keep warm and read the words of the songs. As I listened to them singing I looked up into the night sky and saw a bright star shining down. We gave them some money and some warm food and they moved to the next house. There were some final preparations we had to make for Christmas Day. We stuck some pieces of holly up on the wall to make the living room look festive. The mixture of green leaves and red berries looked lovely, but sometimes the sharp leaves stuck in our fingers. We had a little bit of tinsel left, so we wrapped it around the Christmas tree, although we had to be careful because I knocked two baubles off the tree and broke them. Finally, we each hung our stocking by the fireplace and hoped that Santa Claus would come and fill it with wonderful presents. I woke in the middle of the night hoping to catch sight of the reindeer pulling the sleigh across the starry sky, but they had already been and gone. I slipped back under the covers and started to dream about roast turkey and cranberry sauce…

1.   The words in bold above are all hidden in this puzzle and may appear in any of these directions ÍÎÏÐÑÒÓÔ. How many can you find?

g

s

r

v

p

r

h

i

c

z

n

s

c

e

s

i

z

u

x

v

g

e

a

m

f

h

h

t

n

t

w

w

f

a

i

p

n

i

u

h

r

q

k

i

o

m

a

c

e

l

d

i

e

n

i

v

j

u

w

c

e

b

l

i

l

c

z

h

s

d

l

a

u

d

k

t

s

v

e

v

o

a

t

x

k

e

j

n

e

i

o

a

s

z

i

k

m

t

z

b

t

e

e

l

n

s

e

t

r

u

a

b

r

n

s

s

o

r

l

g

e

p

r

e

s

e

n

t

s

a

t

t

r

u

l

h

c

y

t

h

o

l

l

y

e

s

w

a

m

e

l

s

r

e

g

n

i

s

l

o

r

a

c

r

s

s

e

s

h

k

i

t

t

r

k

h

c

h

g

n

e

b

e

o

f

r

s

p

j

n

z

l

p

z

i

u

z

j

o

i

i

u

r

s

n

v

j

l

i

t

p

q

z

x

m

u

s

t

b

a

u

b

l

e

s

2.   Complete the crossword on Worksheet B using the same words.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                                                                                       

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004.  

 

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                                                                                       

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004.  

Inside Out

e-lesson

Week starting: 13th December 2004

1. The Night Before Christmas

Here we are again. Another Christmas and a brief break from all of our wonderful students. This week’s lesson focuses on some Christmas vocabulary (in a wordsearch and a crossword) for lower level students. Merry Christmas! See you all in January.

Level

Pre-Intermediate

How to use the lesson

1.  Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet A. Give them a limit of fourminutes to read the story, paying particular attention to the words in bold.

2.  Allow students some time to find the words in bold in the wordsearch grid.

3.  After they have finished reading the story, give each student a copy of Worksheet Band ask them to complete the crossword. The pictures represent each word in bold from Worksheet A. Tell them they can refer back to the story to check for meaning. (On a cultural note, your students may not be aware that it is customary for people in some countries to kiss under a sprig of mistletoe at Christmas).

4.  Check answers in open class.

Option

The wordsearch on Worksheet A can be given as homework.

Wordsearch Answers

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004.

Inside Out

Crossword Answers

1.  mulled wine 2.  presents 3.  carol singers 4.  turkey 5.  Christmas tree

6.      mistletoe 7.      Santa Claus 8.      baubles 9.      star 10.  tinsel

11.  stocking 12.  candles 13.  reindeer 14.  holly 15.  sleigh

2. Related Websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

http://www.christmas.com/worldview/ Christmas around the world

http://www.holidays.net/christmas/ Christmas on the Net

http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas.htm

The complete guide to Christmas traditions

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004.

 

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

(SIMPLIFIED VERSION)

 

 

 

The night before Christmas, all through the house

Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse;

 

 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hope that St. Nicholas would soon be there;

 

 

The children were sleeping, all in their beds,

Visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

From out in the garden there came such a clatter,

I jumped from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the top of the new-fallen snow

Gave the brightness of mid-day to things below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

 

 

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his reindeer they came,

He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

 

 

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

Up to the house-top the reindeer they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas, too.

 

 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I pulled in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney, St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all covered with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys, he had on his back,

He looked like a peddler opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled!  His dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His little mouth was closed up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The end of a pipe, he held tight in his teeth,

And smoke circled his head like a wreath;

He had a wide face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

Laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He jumped in his sleigh, and to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

 

 

 

 

I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

 

 

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

 

 

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

 

 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

 

 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

 

 

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

 

 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

 

 

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Connect the dots by following your ABCs

© 2005 www.bogglesworld.com

When is Easter?

 

Easter 2004

Ash Wednesday is 25 February

Palm Sunday is 4 April

Good Friday is 9 April

(Western) Easter Sunday is 11 April

(Orthodox) Easter Sunday is 11 April

 

Easter 2005

Ash Wednesday is 9 February

Palm Sunday is 20 March

Good Friday is 25 March

(Western) Easter Sunday is 27 March

(Orthodox) Easter Sunday is 1 May

Easter 2006

Ash Wednesday is 01 March

Palm Sunday is 9 April

Good Friday is 14 April

(Western) Easter Sunday is 16 April

(Orthodox) Easter Sunday is 23 April

 

Easter 2007

Ash Wednesday is 21 February

Palm Sunday is 01 April

Good Friday is 06 April

(Western) Easter Sunday is 08 April

(Orthodox) Easter Sunday is 08 April

www.holidays.net/easter/eadate

Easter Calculations

History

Prior to AD325, churches in different regions celebrated Easter on different dates, not always on Sundays.  The Council of Nicea (AD 325) clarified this a bit by stating that Easter would be celebrated on Sundays.  Still a number of methods were used until a method defined by Dionyisius Exiguus was adopted in about AD 532.  This was not widely accepted until it was described and defended by the Venerable Bede in his De temporum ratione (AD 725).

Aloisius Lilius (d. 1576) devised the system that became the basis of the Gregorian Calendar, as well as the tables that are used to determine the date of Easter.  Christoph Clavius modified the tables slightly, and was one of the prime defenders of the Gregorian calendar.  The tables used to determine the date of Easter (in the West) since AD 1583 are these modified tables of Clavius.  All algorithms for calculating the date of Easter since then are based on these tables.

Easter is the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon.  The Paschal Full Moon may occur from March 21 through April 18, inclusive.  Therefore, the date of Easter is from March 22 through April 25, inclusive.  The date of the Paschal full moon is determined from tables, and it may differ from the date of the the actual full moon by up to two days.  This definition, along with tables, may be found in "The Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Ephemeris and American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac."  This definition, which uses tables instead of actual observations of the full moon, is useful and necessary since the the full moon may occur on different local dates depending where you are in the world.  If the date of Easter was based on local observations, then it would be possible for different parts of the world to celebrate Easter on different dates in the same year.

To further confuse the issue, many countries did not start using the Gregorian calendar in October 1582, so Easter in those countries was celebrated at different times until they began using the Gregorian calendar.  And some countries that switched to the Gregorian calendar used a different definition of Easter for some time (parts of Germany and Sweden used tables based on the observations of Tycho Brahe to determine Easter for many years after the Gregorian calendar was adopted in those locations).

An interesting result of the algorithm is that the cycle of Easter dates (in the Gregorian Calendar) repeats every 5,700,000 years - and no sooner!

White House Easter Egg Roll

In 1878 President Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children of the area for egg rolling on Easter Monday. The Egg Roll has been held on the grounds of the Capitol, on the White House South Lawn, and even at the National Zoo.

The eggs, made of wood, have been a keepsake for those children from three to six years of age attending the event. The event is held on Easter Monday on the South Lawn of the White House. The eggs, which have a unique design each year, are offered for sale to the general public.

27th March - Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday marks the end of the 40 days of Lent. Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday are often referred to as the Easter Triduum - (Triduum is a Latin word meaning three). Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus. All three days are "moveable feasts" meaning they do not occur on fixed dates in the Gregorian calendar.

Following the crucifixion, Jesus' body was cut down from the cross and buried in a cave. On Easter Sunday, three women visited the tomb but Jesus' body was not there. Jesus was seen by many people on that day and the days which followed. Followers soon realised God had raised Jesus from the dead.

Religious celebrations to mark the resurrection of Jesus include decorating churches with flowers and singing hymns and songs. Easter celebrations have also extended beyond the church. Commercially, Easter is a significant period in many western countries. Egg races, egg hunts, egg painting and egg eating (chocolate ones!) have become popular ways to celebrate Easter and originate from Pagan traditions which marked the arrival of spring. 

http://www.onestopenglish.com/culture/festivals/march.htm#Easter%20Sunday

Easter Cartoon

An Easter Crossword Puzzle

 

Across:

1.   Easter is in this season.

3.   a baby chicken

5.   another name for a woman's hat

6.   The sun comes up in the morning at             .

9.   a white Easter flower

10.  Children get candy in this at Easter.

11.  a spring holiday

Down:

2.   a small animal with long ears

4.   a kind of candy

7.   People paint these at Easter.

8.   April showers bring May _ _ _ _ _ _ s.

10.  a baby rabbit

 

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.html

Writing practice:  Find as many Easter eggs as you can and then write down their location.

Example:  There is an Easter egg in the wizard’s left hand.

1. ______________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________________

7. ______________________________________________________________

8. ______________________________________________________________

9. ______________________________________________________________

10. _____________________________________________________________

11. _____________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions:

1.  Have you ever coloured Easter eggs? 

________________________________________________________________

2.  Have you ever been on an Easter egg hunt? 

________________________________________________________________

3.  Where is the best place to hide an Easter egg in your flat? 

________________________________________________________________

4.  Do you like chocolate? 

________________________________________________________________

5.  Which do you prefer, white chocolate or dark chocolate? 

________________________________________________________________

www.bogglesworld.com

                                         ANSWER KEY

These are possible answers.  They can be phrased differently and still be correct.

1.       There is an Easter egg in the wizard’s left hand.                                                   

2.      There is an Easter egg on the cloud.                                                                      

3.      There is an Easter egg in the giant’s left hand.                                                      

4.      There is an Easter egg in the cyclops’s left hand.                                                  

5.      There is an Easter egg in the catapalt.                                                                  

6.      There is an Easter egg on the castle wall.                                                              

7.      There is an Easter egg in the dragon’s mouth.                                                        

8.      There is an Easter egg in the princess’s left hand.                                                 

9.      There is an Easter egg under the mushroom (toadstool).                                        

10.    There is an Easter egg behind the king.                                                                

11.    There is an Easter egg on the horse’s blanket.                                                      

Answer the following questions:

1.  Have you ever coloured Easter eggs? 

________________________________________________________________

2.  Have you ever been on an Easter egg hunt? 

________________________________________________________________

3.  Where is the best place to hide an Easter egg in your flat? 

________________________________________________________________

4.  Do you like chocolate? 

________________________________________________________________

5.  Which do you prefer, white chocolate or dark chocolate? 

________________________________________________________________

www.bogglesworld.com

Easter
Information, Origins, Traditions & More

Introduction

The greatest festival of the Christian church commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
It is a movable feast; that is, it is not always held on the same date. In AD 325 the church 
council of Nicaea decided that it should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full 
moon on or after the vernal equinox of March 21. 
Easter can come as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.

Easter

Easter is a time of springtime festivals. In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating 
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God. But the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are 
pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity

Scholars, accepting the derivation proposed by the 8th-century English scholar St. Bede, believe the name Easter is thought
to come from the Scandinavian "Ostra" and the Teutonic "Ostern" or "Eastre," both Goddesses of mythology signifying spring
 and fertility whose festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox

Traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally 
painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts

The Christian celebration of Easter embodies a number of converging traditions with emphasis on the relation of Easter to the 
Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived Pasch, another name used by Europeans for Easter. 
Passover is an important feast in the Jewish calendar, celebrated for 8 days and commemorating the flight and freedom of the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt

The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were brought up in the Hebrew tradition and regarded Easter as a 
new feature of the Passover festival, a commemoration of the advent of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. 

Easter is observed by the churches of the West on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or following the s
pring equinox (March 2I). So Easter became a "movable" feast which can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25

Christian churches in the East which were closer to the birthplace of the new religion and in which old traditions were strong, 
observe Easter according to the date of the Passover festival.

Easter is at the end of the Lenten season, which covers a forty-six-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with 
Easter. The Lenten season itself comprises forty days, as the six Sundays in Lent are not actually a part of Lent. Sundays 
are considered a commemoration of Easter Sunday and have always been excluded from the Lenten fast. The Lenten season
is a period of penitence in preparation for the highest festival of the church year, Easter

Holy Week, the last week of Lent, begins its with the observance of Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday takes its name from Jesus' 
triumphal entry into Jerusalem where the crowds laid palms at his feet. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, which
was held the evening before the Crucifixion. Friday in Holy Week is the anniversary of the Crucifixion, the day that Christ was
crucified and died on the cross

Holy week and the Lenten season end with Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lent

Associated with the observance of Easter is the 40-day penitential season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending
at midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. In many churches Easter is preceded by a season of prayer, 
abstinence, and fasting. This is observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert. In Eastern Orthodox churches
Lent is 50 days. In Western Christendom Lent is observed for six weeks and four days.

Lent may be preceded by a carnival season. The origin of the word carnival is probably from the Latin carne vale, meaning flesh
(meat), farewell. Elaborate pageants often close this season on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning of Lent. This day
is also called by its French name, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, gets its name from the practice, mainly in the Roman Catholic church, of putting ashes
on the foreheads of the faithful to remind them that people are but dust.

Other Important Days

Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Holy Week begins on this day. 
Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, is in memory of the Last Supper of Christ with his disciples. 
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion.

Origin of the Name Easter

The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring
festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. 
Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt. 
The word paschal comes from a Latin word that means belonging to Passover or to Easter. 
Formerly, Easter and the Passover were closely associated.

The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. Christians of the Eastern church initially celebrated both holidays 
together. But the Passover can fall on any day of the week, and Christians of the Western church preferred to celebrate Easter
on Sunday the day of the resurrection.

The Traditions of Easter

As with almost all holidays that have their roots in Christianity, Easter has been secularized and commercialized. 
That aspect of Easter and its symbols, however, is not necessarily a modern fabrication.

Since its conception as a holy celebration in the second century, Easter has had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was
originally a pagan festival.

The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and
of springtime, Eastre. When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan
celebrations, they attempted to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a clandestine manner.

It would have been suicide for the very early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide
with celebrations that already existed. To save lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly
throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.

As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection
of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over.
The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.

Symbols Associated with Easter

Many Easter customs come from the Old World. The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower. 
Rabbits and colored eggs have come from pagan antiquity as symbols of new life. The Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in 
colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests
or given as gifts. Easter Monday egg rolling, a custom of European origin, has become a tradition on the lawn of the White House
in Washington, D.C. During the Octave of Easter in early Christian times, the newly baptized wore white garments, white being
the liturgical color of Easter and signifying light, purity, and joy.

The Cross

The Cross is the symbol of the Crucifixion, as opposed to the Resurrection. However, at the Council of Nicaea, in A.D. 325, 
Constantine decreed that the Cross was the official symbol of Christianity. 
The Cross is not only a symbol of Easter, but it is more widely used, especially by the Catholic Church, as a year-round symbol
of faith.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. 
The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

"Here comes Petter Cottontail
 hoppin' down the bunny trail
 Hippity hoppity
                          Easter's on its way!"

The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and 
they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season.

The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the
1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. And were made of pastry and sugar

The Easter bunny was introduced to North American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch
country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from
Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. 
The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.

The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls
their bonnets to make the nests . The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny
spread through out the country.

The Easter Egg

The egg is nature's perfect package. It has, during the span of history, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food 
and omen. It is the universal symbol of Easter celebrations throughout the world and has been dyed, painted, adorned
and embellished in the celebration of its special symbolism.

Before the egg became closely entwined with the Christian Easter, it was honored during many rite-of-Spring festivals. 
The Romans, Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians all cherished the egg as a symbol of the universe. 
From ancient times eggs were dyed, exchanged and shown reverence.

In Pagan times the egg represented the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn
just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers. 
It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil. Pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to
foretell the sex of their unborn children and French brides stepped upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.

With the advent of Christianity the symbolism of the egg changed to represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of all humankind.  Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose.

Old Polish legends blended folklore and Christian beliefs and firmly attached the egg to the Easter celebration.

One legend concerns the Virgin Mary. It tells of the time Mary gave eggs to the soldiers at the cross. She entreated them to be less cruel and she wept. The tears of Mary fell upon the eggs, spotting them with dots of brilliant color.

Another Polish legend tells of when Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus. She had with her a basket of eggs to serve as a meal. When she arrived at the sepulchre and uncovered the eggs, the pure white shells had miraculously taken on a rainbow of colors.

Decorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the middle ages.  The household accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Easter gifts.

The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge.

In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.

The first Faberge egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal
a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown.

This special Faberge egg so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter.  In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom.  Fifty-seven eggs were made in all.

Ornamental egg designers believe in the symbolism of the egg and celebrate the egg by decorating it with superb artistry.

Some use flowers and leaves from greeting cards, tiny cherubs, jewels and elegant fabrics, braids and trims, to adorn the eggs.

They are separated, delicately hinged and glued with epoxy and transparent cement, then when completed, they are covered with a glossy resin finish.

Although the omens and the mystery of the egg have disappeared today, the symbolism remains, and artists continue in the old world tradition of adorning eggs.

Easter Parade

Sung by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire

Never saw you look quite so pretty before,

Never saw you dress quite so handsome, what's more

I could hardly wait to keep our date, this lovely Easter morning,

And my heart beat fast as I came through the door.

For...

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, 

You'd be the grandest fellow in the Easter parade,

I'll be all in clover and when they look us over,

We'll be the proudest couple in the Easter parade.

On the avenue, 5th Avenue,

The photographers will snap us,

And you'll find that you're in the Rotogravure.

Oh, I could write a sonnet, about your Easter bonnet,

And of the guy I'm taking to the Easter Parade.

On the avenue, 5th Avenue,

The photographers will snap us,

And you'll find that you're in the *Rotogravure.

Oh, I could write a sonnet,

About your Easter bonnet,

And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade.

*Rotogravure:  noun:  using photography to produce a plate for printing

Michael Row the Boat Ashore

Sung by Pete Seeger

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah

Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Jordan’s river is deep and wide, hallelujah

Meet my mother on the other side, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Jordan's river is chilly and cold, hallelujah

Chills my body, but not the soul, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Extra verses:

The river is deep and the river is wide, hallelujah

Milk and honey on the other side, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

My brothers and sisters are all aboard, hallelujah

My brothers and sisters are all aboard, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Jordan’s river is deep and wide, hallelujah

Milk and honey on the other side, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah

Background Information:

"Michael Row the Boat Ashore" is a rowing song.  That's not as obvious as it sounds.  "Michael" is the only rowing song we know about that's actually about boats.  It was first mentioned in 1863 as a song sung by black slaves in the Georgia Sea Islands.  Pete Seeger, in The Incompleat Folksinger, mentions that slaves from Africa spent their lives on these small islands, out of touch with mainland life.  "The only transportation was small boats and strong arms to row them," he writes.  The boat crews from different plantations would have their own rowing songs, each song exclusive to the plantation.  "Michael" is mentioned in the letters of some teachers who went to the islands in 1862-63.

Like many spirituals, "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" combines religious expression ("hallelujah") with detail ("row the boat ashore").  The boat is a musical boat—the slaves often expressed themselves creatively by starting with their musical instrument ("Little David play on your harp") and the boat was the "instrument" of the rowers.  Note other religious images (the Jordan River, chills the body but not the soul, milk and honey).  Historians of spirituals classify the song as both a spiritual and a work song, and some argue that it is more properly a sea chanty.

Who is Michael and why is he rowing?  We've covered the rowing part—to get to the mainland.  There are two main theories on who Michael is.  The least likely (in my amateur opinion) is that Michael was the name of the oarsman from a particular plantation.  The more popular theory is that Michael is the archangel Michael, who is being called on to help when the rowing was tough. Regardless of the origins of the song, I suspect the latter interpretation is why the song became widespread.

The song's popularity soared in the late 50s and early 60s, due partly to its having been sung by Harry Belafonte, and partly to being so easily singable in large groups.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmichaelrow.html

Peter Cottontail

Sung by Fern

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hopping down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way.

Bringing all the girls and boys

Lots of fun and Easter toys

All to make their Easter bright and gay!

He's got jellybeans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

An orchid for their mommy

And an Easter bonnet, too!

Oh, here comes Peter Cottontail

Hopping down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way.

He's got jellybeans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

An orchid for their mommy

And an Easter bonnet, too!

Oh, here comes Peter Cottontail

Hopping down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way.

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way.

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way.

Yeah!!

One thing I love about Easter are those great big chocolate bunnies.  They taste so yummy.

~Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins

Puff the Magic Dragon

Sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,

and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.  

Oh!  Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail

Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail,

Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came,

Pirate ships would lower their flag when Puff roared out his name.  

Oh!  Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys

Painted wings and giant’s rings make way for other toys.

One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more

And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,

Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.

Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,

So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.  

Oh!  Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Easters Poems, Songs, and Rhymes

Five Little Rabbits (TPR)

Five little rabbits (hold up five fingers)

Sitting by the door,

One hopped away, and then there were four.

(bend down one finger)

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

See how they run!

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

They think it is great fun!

Four little rabbits (hold up four fingers)

Under a tree,

One hopped away, and then there were three.

(bend down one finger)

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

See how they run!

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

They think it is great fun!

Three little rabbits (hold up three fingers)

Looking at you,

One hopped away, and then there were two.

(bend down one finger)

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

See how they run!

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

They think it is great fun!

Two little rabbits (hold up two fingers)

Resting in the sun,

One hopped away, and there was one.

(bend down one finger)

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

See how they run!

Hop, hop, hop, hop, (clap on each hop)

They think it is great fun!

One little rabbit (hold up one finger)

Left all alone,

He hopped away, and there there were none.

(put hand behind back)

Hop, hop, hop, hop! (clap on each hop)

All gone away!

Hop, hop, hop, hop! (clap on each hop)

They'll come back some day.

~ Author Unknown

Bunnies are...

Bunnies are brown.

Bunnies are white.

Bunnies are always

An Easter delight.

Bunnies are cuddly

The large and the small.

But I like chocolate ones

The best of them all.

~ Author Unknown

Five Brown Eggs

Five brown eggs in a nest of hay,

One yellow chick popped out to play.

Four brown eggs in a nest of hay,

Another yellow chick cheep-cheeped ‘Good Day.’

Three brown eggs in a nest of hay,

Crack went another one, Hip hooray.

Two brown eggs in a nest of hay,

One more chick pecked his shell away.

One brown egg in a nest of hay,

The last yellow chick popped out to say,

Happy Easter!

Mr. Bunny, Mr. Bunny,

Won't you stop, stop, stop?

"No,"said Mr. Bunny,

I must hop, hop, hop.

Easter is coming, and there is lots to do.

Eggs must be colored green, pink, and blue.

I'll tie each basket with a pretty bow.

Children are waiting so I must go!"

Some Things That Easter Brings

Easter duck and Easter chick,

Easter eggs with chocolate thick.

Easter bonnets for one and all,

Easter Bunny makes a call!

Happy Easter always brings

Such a lot of pleasant things.

Elsie Parrish

Secret Information

Would you like to know a secret?

Well, I'll tell you one I know:

The Easter's Bunny's coming,

My mama told me so.

He'll bring a basket filled with eggs

And leave it in my yard,

And I will find it Easter morn,

If I look very hard.

I shouldn't tell my secret,

But I think it should be shared.

You ought to know that Bunny's coming,

So you can be prepared!

Easter Bunny

Easter bunny soft and white

Hopping quickly out of sight.

Thank you for the eggs you bring

At Easter time to welcome spring.

Yellow eggs and blue and red

In the grass and flower bed

We will hunt them everywhere

Is it really you who put them there?

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems15.html

Five Little Easter Eggs

Five little Easter eggs, lovely colors wore;

(hold up five fingers)

Mother ate the blue one, then there were four.

(bend down one finger)

Four little Easter eggs, two and two, you see;

Daddy ate the red one, then there were three.

(bend down the next finger)

Three little Easter eggs, before I knew,

Sister ate the yellow one, then there were two.

(bend down the next finger)

Two little Easter eggs; oh, what fun,

Brother ate the purple one, then there was one.

(bend down the next finger)

One little Easter egg; see me run!

I ate the very last one, and then there were none.

(bend down the last finger)

I Had an Easter Bunny

I had an Easter bunny,

One day she ran away.

I looked for her by moonlight,

I looked for her by day.

I found her in the meadow

With her babies 1, 2, 3.

So now I have four rabbit pets

To run and jump with me.

Some Things That Easter Brings

Easter duck and Easter chick,

Easter eggs with chocolate thick,

Easter hats for one and all,

Easter bunny makes a call!

Happy Easter always brings

Such a lot of pleasant things!

Easter Bunny

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Easter Bunny, soft and white

Hopping quickly out of sight,

Thank you for the eggs you bring,
At Eastertime we welcome spring,

Easter Bunny, soft and white,

Hopping quickly out of sight.

An Austrian children’s Easter song:

We sing, we sing the Easter song:

God keep you healthy, sane and strong.

Sickness and storms and all other harm

Be far from folks and beast and farm.

Now give us eggs, green, blue and red;

If not, your chicks will all drop dead.

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/eas/eastpoem.html

Easter Quiz

1. Easter is a religious holiday that is celebrated in:

summer.

winter.

spring.

fall.

2. Easter is always celebrated on the first ______ following the first full moon that appears on or after the spring equinox.

Monday

Sunday

Saturday

Friday

3. Historians believe that the legend of the Easter Bunny originated in _______.

United States

Germany

Mexico

Sweden

4. The Easter ______ holds eggs or candy left by the Easter Bunny.

nest

cap

bonnet

basket

5. In the Western church, Easter is the celebration of the ___________ of Jesus Christ.

death

birth

life

resurrection

6. Good ______ is the anniversary of the Crucifixion, the day Christ was crucified and died on the cross

Monday

Sunday

Friday

Tuesday

7. Children find Easter eggs during an Easter ___ ____ .

egg hunt

egg roll

egg dye

egg toss

8. Easter this year is on:

March 22

April 18

March 30

April 11

9. The White House Egg Roll is held on the White House lawn on Easter ______.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

10. The eggs at the White House Egg Roll are made of ____.

plastic

syrofoam

wood

candy

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/eas/easquiz.html

Easter Symbols

Easter:              The name Easter comes from the name of the Saxon Goddess of Spring, Eastre or Eostre.

Rabbits:           Bunnies, baby rabbits, may have been the first symbols of spring in Western Europe.  They are very fertile animals, so they symbolize abundance and new life in the spring season.  The Germans were the first to connect bunnies to Easter.  German children believed the Oschter Haws (Easter Bunny) would lay a nest of coloured eggs for them if they were good.

Eggs:                Eggs represent fertility, and are a symbol of new life.  Eggs were brightly painted to reflect the sunlight in spring.  Eggs are the focus of Easter events.  Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are popular.

Baskets

      of Candy:  Baskets of food for Easter dinner used to be taken to churches to be blessed.  Over time, they became baskets of candy for children left behind by the Easter Bunny.

Chicks:             Chicks are a symbol of life.  Chicks, and ducklings, are considered symbols of Easter since they are born at this time of year.  They represent rebirth and renewal of life.

White lilies:     The white lily is a symbol of purity and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The shape of the lily is also significant.  Its bell-shaped flower looks like a trumpet announcing victory.

Sunrise:           Sunrise is celebrated at Easter because Mary Magdalene entered the garden and met the Lord at sunrise.

The Cross:      Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross.

Easter

      Bonnets:    Wearing new clothes represents new life and the beginning of spring.  In the past, people walked to and from church to show off their new clothes.  Women often wore new Easter bonnets (hats).

http://homeschooling.about.com

Easter eggs

The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races. To our pre-Christian ancestors it was a most startling event to see a new and live creature emerge from a seemingly dead object. The egg to them became a symbol of spring. Long ago in Persia people used to present each other with eggs at the spring equinox, which for them also marked the beginning of a new year.[58]

In Christian times the egg had bestowed upon it a religious interpretation, becoming a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged to the new life of His Resurrection. There was in addition a very practical reason for making the egg a special sign of Easter joy since it used to be one of the foods that was forbidden in Lent. The faithful from early times painted Easter eggs in gay colors, had them blessed, ate them, and gave them to friends as Easter gifts.

The custom of using Easter eggs developed among the nations of northern Europe and Christian Asia soon after their conversion to Christianity. In countries of southern Europe, and consequently in South America, however, the tradition of Easter eggs never became popular.

http://www.intermirifica.org/easter/eastsymbol.htm

In medieval times eggs were traditionally given at Easter to all servants. It is reported that King Edward I of England (1307) had 450 eggs boiled before Easter, dyed or covered with gold leaf, which he distributed to the members of the royal household on Easter Day.

The eggs were usually given to children as Easter presents along with other gifts. This practice was so firmly rooted in Germany that the eggs were called "Dingeier" (eggs that are "owed"). The children were not slow in demanding what was "owed" to them, and thus developed the many rhymes in France, Germany, Austria, and England, wherein youngsters even today request Easter eggs for presents. In England this custom is called "pace-egging," the word "pace" being a corrupted form of Pasch. Here is a little Austrian song of this kind:

We sing, we sing the Easter song:
God keep you healthy, sane and strong.
Sickness and storms and all other harm
Be far from folks and beast and farm.
Now give us eggs, green, blue and red;
If not, your chicks will all drop dead.

In some parts of Ireland children collect goose and duck eggs during Holy Week, offering them as presents on Easter Sunday. Two weeks previous, on Palm Sunday, they make little nests of stones, and during Holy Week collect as many eggs as possible, storing them away in these hidden nests. On Easter Sunday, they eat them all, sharing with those who are too small to have their own collection.

The grownups, too, give eggs as presents in Ireland. The number of eggs to be given away is regulated by this ancient saying among Irish country folk: "One egg for the true gentleman; two eggs for the gentleman; three eggs for the churl [have-not]; four eggs for the lowest churl [tramp]."

In most countries the eggs are stained in plain vegetable dye colors. Among the Chaldeans, Syrians, and Greeks, the faithful present each other with crimson eggs in honor of the blood of Christ. In parts of Germany and Austria, green eggs alone are used on Maundy Thursday, but various colors are the vogue at Easter. Some Slavic peoples make special patterns of gold and silver. In Austria artists design striking patterns by fastening ferns and tiny plants around the eggs, which show a white pattern after the eggs are boiled. The Poles and Ukrainians decorate eggs with plain colors or simple designs and call them krasanki. Also a number of their eggs are made every year in a most distinctive manner with unusual ornamentation. These eggs are called pysanki (from pysac: to write, to design); each is a masterpiece of patient labor, native skill, and exquisite workmanship. Melted beeswax is applied with a stylus to the fresh white eggs, which are then dipped in successive baths of dye. After each dipping, wax is painted over the area where the preceding color is to remain. Gradually the whole complex pattern of lines and colors emerges into something fit for a jeweler's window. No two pysanki are identical. Although the same symbols are repeated, each egg is designed with great originality. The symbols used most are the sun (good fortune), rooster or hen

(fulfillment of wishes), stag or deer (good health), flowers (love and charity). As decorative patterns the artists use rhombic and square checkerboards, dots, wave lines, and intersecting ribbons. The pysanki are mainly made by girls and women in painstaking work during the long evenings of Lent. At Easter they are first blessed by the priest and then distributed among relatives, friends, and benefactors. These special eggs are saved from year to year like symbolic heirlooms, and can be seen seasonally in Ukrainian settlements and shops in this country.

In Germany and other countries of central Europe eggs for cooking Easter eggs are not broken but pierced with a needle on both ends, and the contents to be used are blown into a bowl. The empty eggshells are given to the children for various Easter games. In parts of Germany such hollow eggs are suspended from shrubs and trees during Easter Week much like a Christmas tree. The Armenians decorate empty eggs with pictures of the Risen Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and other religious designs, to give to children as Easter presents.

Easter is the season for games with eggs all over Europe. The sport of egg-pecking is practiced in many forms, in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, as well. In Norway it is called knekke (knock). In Germany, Austria, and France, hard-boiled eggs are rolled against each other on the lawn or down a hill; the egg that remains uncracked to the end is called the "victory egg." This game has attained national fame in America through the annual egg-rolling party on the lawn of the White House in Washington.

Here is a description by a visitor to Washington of such a contest several generations ago, when this Easter sport took place on the terraces below the Capitol, and not as in later years on the White House lawn:

"At first the children sit sedately in long rows; each has brought a basket of gay-colored, hard-boiled eggs, and those on the upper terraces send them rolling to the line on the next below, and these pass on the ribbon-like-streams to other hundreds at the foot, who scramble for the hopping eggs and hurry panting to the top to start them down again. And, as the sport warms, those on the top who have rolled all the eggs they brought finally roll themselves, shrieking with laughter. Now comes a swirl of curls and ribbons and furbelows, somebody's dainty maid indifferent to bumps and grass-stains. Over yonder a queer eight-limbed creature, yelling, gasping, laughing, all at once shakes itself apart into two slender boys racing toward the top to come down again. Another set of boys who started in a line of six with joined hands are trying to come down in somersaults without breaking the chain. On all sides the older folk stand by to watch the games of this infant Carnival which comes to an end only when the children are forced away by fatigue to the point of exhaustion, or by parental order. No one seems to know how the custom began. The observation is also made that "when the games proved too hard a test for the grass on the Capitol terraces, Congress stopped the practice, and the President opened the slope back of the White House”  In recent years, it might be added, the grass there has received the same sort of treatment as the Capitol terraces a few generations ago. The custom of egg-rolling in Washington is traced back to Sunday School picnics and parades at Easter in the years before the Civil War.  At these picnics the children amused themselves with various games, and egg-rolling was one of them.

Another universal custom among children is the egg hunting in house and garden on Easter Sunday morning.  In France children are told that the Easter eggs are dropped by the church bells on their return from Rome.  In Germany and Austria little nests containing eggs, pastry, and candy are placed in hidden spots, and the children believe that the Easter bunny so popular in this country, too, has laid the eggs and brought the candy.

In Russia and among the Ukrainians and Poles people start their joyful Easter meals after the long Lenten fast with a blessed egg on Easter Sunday.  Before sitting down to breakfast, the father solemnly distributes small pieces cut from an Easter egg to members of the family and guests, wishing them one and all a holy and happy feast.  Not until they have eaten this morsel in silence, do they sit down to the first meal of the Easter season.

The Easter bunny had its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore.  Hare and rabbit were the most fertile animals our forefathers knew, serving as symbols of abundant new life in the spring season. The Easter bunny has never had a religious symbolism bestowed on its festive usage, though its white meat is sometimes said to suggest purity and innocence. The Church has never performed special blessings for rabbits or hares, and neither in the liturgy nor in folklore do we find these animals linked with the spiritual meanings of the sacred season. However, the bunny has acquired a cherished role in the celebration of Easter as the legendary producer of Easter eggs for children in many countries.

What seems to be the first mention of the Easter bunny and his eggs is a short admonition in a German book of 1572: "Do not worry if the bunny escapes you; should we miss his eggs, then we shall cook the nest." In a German book of the seventeenth century the story that the Easter bunny lays eggs and hides them in the garden, is called "an old fable."[61]

In many sections of Germany the Easter bunny was believed to lay red eggs on Maundy Thursday and eggs of other colors the night before Easter Sunday. The first Easter bunnies made of pastry and sugar were popular in southern Germany at the beginning of the last century. They are now a favorite delicacy for children in many lands.

Let us not forget the pig, which offers its meat as a traditional Easter dish. This animal has always been a symbol of good luck and prosperity among the Indo-Europeans. Many traces of this ancient symbolism are still alive in our time. In some German popular expressions the word "pig" is synonymous with "good luck" (Schwein haben). In Hungary the highest card (ace) in card games is called "pig" (diszno). Not too long ago it was fashionable for men to wear little figures of pigs as good luck charms on their watch chains. More recently charm bracelets for teen-agers contained dangling pigs. Savings boxes for children in the figure of a pig (piggy banks) carry out the ancient symbolism of good luck and prosperity

Christians in the United States celebrated Easter last Sunday, March thirty-first. Christians believe Easter is the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead about two thousand years ago. Most Christians believe Jesus was sent to Earth to save humans from wrongdoing, and to give them everlasting life.

Thousands of American churches held services outside on Easter morning.  This tradition is very old. It probably was started by Moravian Christians in the eastern state of Pennsylvania in Seventeen-Forty-Three.  This Moravian service of praise is still held today.

Sunrise services in the United States are usually planned to include members of many Christian religious groups.  One of the most famous takes place at the Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor center in Los Angeles, California.  People arrive the night before to try to attend this event.

Many Americans also observe Easter customs not directly linked to religious tradition.  People in many cities walk through the streets on Easter morning after attending church.  Each year, thousands of people in New York City wear new clothes to take part in this Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue.

Some families color eggs and hide them for their children to find. Parents say a rabbit leaves the Easter eggs. The rabbit is known as the Easter Bunny.

Here in Washington, a big celebration takes place each year on the Monday after Easter. The President of the United States invites children to play a game rolling colored Easter eggs on the grounds behind the White House. President Rutherford Hayes and his wife Lucy started this American tradition in 1878.

		How many words can you make out of EASTER EGG HUNT?
		E A S T E R  E G G  H U N T
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
			___________					___________
Did you find?
	A color.			The opposite of this.
	A number.			The opposite of here.
	A planet.			The opposite of those.
	A weapon.			The opposite of messy.
	A rodent.			The opposite of love.
	Something you drink.			The opposite of west.
	Something you wear.			The opening in a fence.
	What you chew with.			Very, very good!
	What a squirrel eats.			Another word for begin.
	A game kids play.			Another word for country.
Difficult:	A place to act.			Three of your senses.
	A place to drive.			A verb, both past and present.
	Dirty old torn clothes.			To look at for a long time.

www.bogglesworld.com

Easter Religious Hidden Message Wordsearch

J E S U S I S Y R I R S C S S

N S O U L E N A A E M B R U A

Z O H C R U H C T D S Y O S V

J K I H O L Y S W L N C S E I

G M F T D C A C M H R U S J O

O L B G C E E Y Y W O U S Y U

D U O T N E L L F R I D A Y R

M O G Y Q I R N E M L A P L T

D J A B L U D R N B J Q I Z I

F P J Q V J R L U B R Q I R A

M M N T Q E F M D S M A O L R

A I D Q U H U I Y B E A T U I

N O I X I F I C U R C R L E S

U T R F R T U R H Z C D W O E

CELEBRATE

CHURCH

CROSS

CRUCIFIXION

EASTER

FRIDAY GOD GOOD HOLY

RESURRECTION RISEN SAVIOUR SOUL SUNDAY

__ __ __ __ __   __ __   __ __ __ __ __

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

 Easter Wordsearch

R Z E T B G B V H H E D Y C R X V V O U R J J U A X Z K K S B V G D T J E B U N N Y L T O M G K P T L K T Y G A J I Q T A G Q O E B T G S O X D Q X K C W I D R A R J F A C A U O I R O D D F T Y L R W E A U I Y Y A Q J L C O T C D I N N O A C G E P Y W T E K S A B Y D C H M K M E V G K M V J A J C Y I U F R T G N Q P Y D N P Y J C D S J S C I V J N C X T S X K G O V J T R Q U H G M R S J F L W W V H P S J R Z M F D W K A A K G E S T U R K U X B L

Find all the Easter Words hidden in the Wordsearch

BASKET

BUNNY

BUTTERFLY

CANDY

CHICK

EASTER

EGGS

FLOWERS

SPRING

SUNDAY

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

L M K E U V C M C Y Q E X Q E D I S E T M H X L T G T B N B B Q Q D X A A F X G U A A J C M C B G N I R P S S S L K H T E K I Z P E E B J K M O I T Y N T R E T S A E E V N C L P U Y I R T U D T T B L K O Y N S C B U N N Y A O D Z E H Y E I U B D I P R M Y D N A C C W G U A F L O W E R S S A R G K O Y   R S C G V V L N Q R E Z R N Z   O E G E F N Q Q K Q O L L N D D F A L T J I Z R G E J H G V T G I W W J Y R Z X W I Y K P A Q E T H R Q Z Y C O V T T

      Easter Wordsearch

Find all the Easter Words hidden in the Wordsearch

BASKET BUNNY BUTTERFLY CANDY CELEBRATE CHICK CHOCOLATE DECORATE DYE

EASTER EGGS FIND FLOWERS GRASS RABBIT SPRING SUNDAY TULIPS

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

Easter Wordsearch - Religious

W C Q V N K D I H W T N V F Y

C V T Z P P Y G B S O N K M L

Y E V X O D H T O I L P E J O

R   S L J E S U S T D A T K L H

S   K A E I G N C I X M G N L I

A Y W X B P E G M M B L X M J

V E A C C R U C I F I X I O N

I H C D R C A C R L L S D B U

O Y K U N K H T Y I S R T T A

U X S A H U W J E O S Q K Y Q

R E Y R R L S L R Y P E E A B

R Z D C L T B C M L A P N D Z

E U H U Q J Z V F P Q A Q I A

T T O K V J F R E T S A E R J

F S H I O G O O D D J U D F V

CHURCH CROSS CRUCIFIXION EASTER FRIDAY GOD GOOD

LAMB LENT LILY PALM RESURRECTION RISEN SAVIOUR

                                          CELEBRATE                            JESUS

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

Easy Easter Word Search Word List basket bunny candy chocolate color dye Easter egg fun hunt roll Copyright © 1997-2000, Kate.net.

http://www.kate.net/holidays/easter/wordsearch.html

Peter Rabbit

The Easter Bunny is famous, no doubt, but probably the most famous bunny is Peter Rabbit! He is known in many countries around the world. He was created almost 100 years ago by an English woman named Beatrix Potter.

He first appeared in a letter that she wrote to a young friend. Eight years later, she turned it into a book. There were many publishers that turned her down before it was finally published in 1902. For another 10 years she wrote and illustrated many children's books. After that, she became interested in the farm that she and her husband worked, and had little time for writing or drawing.

Peter Cottontail

The song "Peter Cottontail" was written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins about 46 years ago. These two men also wrote the popular "Frosty the Snowman".

Bugs Bunny

The Bugs Bunny cartoon character was created in the late 1930's. He got his name from the person who created him, Ben Hardawary, whose nickname was "Bugs". Bugs Bunny has starred in over 160 animated cartoons. Do you know his famous saying?

Brer Rabbit

Most Americans know the story about Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby and Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch. The folk hero of these tales was Brer Rabbit. He outsmarted all the other animals, especially Brer Fox. Joel Chandler was the first person to write folk tales about Brer Rabbit. Uncle Remus was an old storyteller he created to tell the stories in his books.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is an ancient symbol of the joy of new life that spring brings.

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/eas/eastfam.html

Easter Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game

A rabbit is holding two Easter eggs.	two bunnies a chick and some flowers	an Easter bonnet	Easter lilies
	an Easter egg	A duckling is carrying an Easter egg.	a basket of Easter eggs
A rabbit is painting Easter eggs.	A rabbit and an egg are dancing.	A girl is holding an Easter egg.	a chocolate Easter bunnie
Two children are painting Easter eggs.	A rabbit is sitting in an Easter basket.	A boy is eating a chocolate rabbit.	The sun is rising behind a cross.

Beatrix Potter first wrote the story of Peter Rabbit in a letter to a little boy named Noel Moore.  She illustrated each incident with beautifully detailed sketches.  A few years later, in 1902, Peter Rabbit was published in book form.  Since then the story has delighted countless children, for in it Beatrix Potter created a miniature world which children could readily enter.

http://www.thevirtualvine.com/peterrabbit.html

THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT BY BEATRIX POTTER

ONCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

'Now, my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.'

'Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.'

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries:

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!

First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes;

And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.

But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!

Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, 'Stop thief!'

Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate. He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.

Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.

And rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not so much water in it.

Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each. Presently Peter sneezed - 'Kertyschoo!' Mr. McGregor was after him in no time.

And tried to put a foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.

Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can. After a time he began to wander about, going lippity - lippity - not very fast, and looking all around.

He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath. An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish, she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.

He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe - scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheel-barrow and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!

Peter got down very quietly off the wheel-barrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes. Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.

Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.

Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree. He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight.

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter! 'One tablespoon to be taken at bed-time.'

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper. THE END.

A PRESENTATION OF THE OHIO UNIVERSITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER ATHENS, OHIO

http://wiredforbooks.org/kids.htm

Spring Hidden Message Wordsearch

A B I R D S U N H A P S P Y S Y P P R A I N G I L K D E W W H S R G K I I N S E C T S E B T M I I L U N U X S S H U U B E D T A L Q D X U R U W G I H T X V Z D H P C K J Q S F P N C K T D I S X Y S M Y U E I F U B G V I R Y N W H Q Y L G T S X S F F A V T G C H P H R A S R E W O L F I P O C A A E Z Q R E X X S C A R E M Q P N L Y O H T O T R L W T H W P K F U Y A T S G Q B I K H P Y P H G O S Q Q A O J N S P R I N G Z Z L X V G E O D F C X J T D

Find all the words and you will uncover the hidden message!

BIRDS BUGS DAISY EASTER

RAIN SPRING SUN WIND

APRILFLOWERS BEESINSECTS

   __ __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ __ __

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

Spring Hidden Message Wordsearch

S E P R I G U N A W G I S T I H T E R E N A M A P T L A U N B I R D S I S R B H R O A L S S K T X F N M E Y R C I F I E N P E A S T E R E N E R L P C P I L S Z H S S I D Y L A E T Y Q A P G G I A R S S P L M S U P Z R Y I R M I E N U S A B Q L G I Z L O A D S W U W U B W A G N E S D I R H N O G T E I N O G S M R O W O U S L J E N T N O L V L E H W B E F F S D S L Q T H U N D E R I D R A X B S E L D D U P R A U N N S M W M I H R O Z X S M K Z B X

Find all the words and uncover the Hidden Message!

APRILPUDDLES

BLOSSOM BUGS

ROBIN SEEDS

BEESRAIN

BIRDSRAINCOAT

                                                DAISY                                                       SHOWERS

                                                EASTER                                                   SPRING

                                                FLOWERS                                               SUN

                                           INSECTS                                                  THUNDER

                                                KITE                                                           TULIP

                                                LIGHTNING                                             UMBRELLA

MARCH MUD PLANTS

WARM WIND WORMS

__ __ __ __ __ __   __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __   __ __ __ __

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

           Spring Wordsearch

R A A W G N U S R E W O L F B

Z L Y A S H O W E R S I I I H

Q L B L O S S O M L G E R V I

S E E D S T F L L H D D P W B

X R A I N C O A T E S D A E M

V B S A R E D N U H T A U V V

C M T P S S I I S P R I I P S

M U E M R N X E L P U S K J V

T D R L G I M A R C H Y E L S

B O O T B O N U B A M X N E N

W L B R I T X G C Q Y Q N T B

A I I Q S G U B Q P S L R L O

R B N I Z T K L V A C A K N H

M W U D T M P Z I L E S F G K

F I I C K D R S A P L T B M R

Can you find all the words hidden in the Spring Wordsearch Puzzle?

APRIL BEES BIRDS BLOSSOM BUGS DAISY EASTER FLOWERS            INSECTS KITE LIGHTNING MARCH MUD PLANTS

PUDDLES RAIN RAINCOAT ROBIN SEEDS SHOWERS SPRING SUN THUNDER TULIP UMBRELLA WARM WIND WORMS

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

  Spring Wordsearch

L     S K S U G M C P R W B E E SL X D G R N K I S A I T N A I D S U R F L L Y Z I G P V S D L J Z X I U X D M N E W Z T U C C O S T B L C J J O H H E H C F L D I N N U Q Y K A U R E R O J E B N U S F Q P N W Z X M F F E M U F D J T G I A J X N F X S F Q G L Y J N Z T Z L L I R P A S M S O D H O I D K B M B Z P S T W D W W S C E K B B P R T J H L Q Z E F V K E D U I S U Z M C R J G R B X N O N J V S L M M A W K L S D W G R R J J Q U J S X K L X F Z

Can you find all the Spring words hidden in the Wordsearch Puzzle?

APRIL BEES BIRDS BUGS EASTER     FLOWERS

RAIN SEEDS SPRING SUN TULIP WIND

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

 

 

It's Hallowe'en

By Mrs. E. Robb

(The "Shhhhhhh!" part below

should be whispered, not sung.)

It's Hallowe'en,
The lamp is lit,
And 'round the fire
Is where we sit,
A-telling ghost tales
Bit by bit,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

We will not go
To bed 'til morn,
We're drinking cocoa,
Popping corn,
And laughing 'til our
Sides are torn,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

The doorbell rings,
A witch I see,
And with her, black cats,
One, two, three,
And one of them says
"Boo!" to me,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

Halloween Crossword Puzzle

 

                                                                                    Across:

                                                                                    1.   A              makes webs to catch insects.

                                                                                    3.   It’s on October 31st.

                                                                                    4.   a bird that makes scary noises at night

                                                                                    8.   At Halloween, children say this when they ask for candy.

                                                                                    12.  a dried dead body wrapped in cloth

                                                                                    13.  a wolfman

                                                                                    15.  pumkins with scary faces and candles inside

                                                                                    16.  a box for dead people

Down:

1.   all of the bones of the body together

2.   It means ‘Rest in Peace.’

5.   They fly around on brooms.

6.   a small mammal that flies around at night

7.   He’s a vampire.

9.   They live in haunted houses and say “Boo!”

10.  He’s also called Satan.

11.  grave markers

14.  Dr.                       ’s Monster

Word List:

Halloween

ghosts

Dracula

a coffin

a bat

Frankenstein

a werewolf

a skeleton

a mummy

a spider

the Devil

jack-o’-lanterns

witches

tombstones

RIP

Trick or treat!

an owl

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/chooseapuzzle.html

Halloween Haiku

C. Muckley

Orange moon rising
Casts black-cat shadows along
the dimly lit path

---

Marie Senn

Summer leaves are gone
Frightening ghosts will appear
Where will you hide now?

---

Katje Hansen

wind cries eerily
wrapping around cold headstones
calling up the dead

---

Betty Sheldon

Heaven's fog shroud cloaks
spirits gathered attending
festive earthly games

---

David Oberpriller

Sweet, yet wretched stench
drifting on tongues of the breeze
as they lick the corpse

http://www.startribune.com/stonline/html/fungames/halloween/

Halloween is a festival celebrated on October 31st.  The word halloween actually means hallowed or holy evening.

People have been celebrating holidays and festivals at the end of October for thousands of years.  The Celts called their celebration Samhain /sa¬haön/.  Samhain, All Hallowtide or the Feast of All Souls, was the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times.  It was also a harvest festival.  Faeries were imagined as particularly active at this season.

The Celts believed that every year on the last day of October the souls of the dead visited the earth.  On October 31, the Celts wore scary costumes because they believed that evil spirits wouldn't recognize them as humans.  This is probably where the tradition of dressing up in costumes on Halloween came from.

When the Romans conquered the Celts in the first century A.D., they added parts of their festivals, Feralia and Pomona to the tradition.  Feralia was a festival to honor the dead and Pomona was a harvest festival named after the goddess of fruit (apples) and trees.  This is where apples (as in bobbing for apples) came into the celebration.

In the eighth century, the Christian church made November 1^st All Saints' Day to honor all of the saints that didn't have a special day of their own.  As Christianity spread, the church combined the non-Christian celebration with their own celebration of All Saints' Day.  The mass held on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmas (the mass of all Hallows—saintly people).  The night before was known as All Hallows Eve.  Eventually this name became Halloween.  To celebrate All Saints' Day, young men went door-to-door asking for food for the poor.  This is one of the origins of ‘Trick-or-Treating.’

In the 1800s, as people emigrated to the U.S., the holidays and traditions of different cultures merged.  The custom of carving jack-o’-lanterns came to America with the Irish.  Well, before there were flashlights, Irish people used to carve out turnips and put a candle in them for a lantern.  When they came to America, there weren't many turnips, so they used pumpkins instead.

Halloween was not always a happy time.  October 31, or the night before took on other names.  Some called it Devil's or Hell night, to others it was mischief night.  In Vermont, it’s called cabbage night.  For some people, this became a time to play tricks on others.  Some of these tricks were not fun at all.  Community groups and individuals took action and started to change Halloween into a family event.  Dressing up in costumes and going "trick or treating," costume parades, community parties, and fall festivals are some of the ways that Halloween is celebrated today.

Other countries have different fall festivals to honor the dead.  In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.  Although celebrated in all Catholic countries as All Saints' and All Souls' Days, surely no other peoples have embraced the festival of The Day of the Dead to the extent that the Mexicans have.  The celebration begins on the evening of October 31, so the name Los Dias de los Muertos is also often used.  This festival is considered by many to be the most important holiday of the year in Mexico.

Adapted from:     http://www.benjerry.com/fun_stuff/holidays/halloween/history/index.cfm

                                    http://www.zeeks.com/423.html

                                    http://holidays.johnsesl.com/php/hween.php

Halloween is Coming Soon

Written by Marcella Mendel

Hallowe'en is coming soon,
Pumpkins we must buy.
Make a Jack-o'Lantern,
Bake a pumpkin pie.

Hallowe'en is coming soon,
Feel it in the air.
Witches ride on broomsticks,
Ghosts hide everywhere.

Hallowe'en is coming soon,
Goblins chasing you!
As you round the corner,
One of them says, "Boo!"

Halloween Jokes

What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?           frostbite

Why doesn't Dracula have any friends?                                                  because he's a pain in the neck

Why did the mummy call the doctor?                                                       because he was coffin (coughing)

Why did the ghost go to the doctor?                                                         to get his boo-ster shot?

Why are there fences around cemeteries?                                             because people are dying to get in

Who did Frankenstein take to the prom?                                                 his ghoul friend (girl friend)

Where does Dracula water ski?                                                                on Lake Erie

Where does Count Dracula make his withdrawals?                              at the blood bank.

When does a ghost need a license?                                                        during "haunting" (hunting) season

Why do witches use brooms to fly on?                                                    because vacuum cleaners are too heavy

How do witches keep their hair in place while flying?                           with scare spray

What do you get when you cross a werewolf and a vampire?             a fur coat that fangs (hangs) around your neck

Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?                                            No, they eat the fingers separately.

Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town?                                       because they don't have any body to go out with

What time was the Vampire's dentist appointment?                              tooth-hurty (2:30)

What do you say to a ghost with three heads?                                      Hello, hello, hello.

What kind of street does a ghost like best?                                             a dead-end street

What do you get when you cross a werewolf with a drip-dry suit?      a wash-and-werewolf.

What did the papa ghost say to the baby ghost?                                   fasten your sheet belt

What is a witch with poison ivy called?                                                    an itchy witchy.

Where do vampires live?                                                                            in the Vampire State Building

Who are some of the werewolves cousins?                                           the whatwolves and the whenwolves

What is a vampires favorite mode of transportation?                            a blood vessel

Halloween Monsters

and Symbols

(Halloween is on October 31^st.)

a ghost: Ghosts live in haunted houses and say “Boo!”

Dracula:

Dracula is a vampire. He has fangs, and drinks blood.

a coffin:  Dead people are buried in coffins.  Dracula sleeps in a coffin.

a bat:  Dracula can change into a bat and fly away when he wants to.

Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster:

Dr. Frankenstein made him from pieces of dead bodies.

a werewolf:  A werewolf is a wolfman.  If a wolf bites you, you’ll turn into a werewolf when there is a full moon.

a skeleton:  Skeletons are a bit scary.

a mummy:  Mummies are very scary.

    

a spider & a spider web:  Spiders are creepy. Spiders make webs to catch insects.

a skull and crossbones:

This is a pirate flag and a warning for poisons.

the Devil:  He’s also called Satan.

jack-o’-lanterns:  People carve scary faces on pumkins and put candles inside at Halloween.

a witch:  Witches make magic potions in cauldrons, and fly around on brooms.

black cats: 

They’re unlucky.  Witches like black cats.

tombstones:  Tombstones are found in cemeteries.  They’re grave markers.  RIP means ‘Rest in Peace.’

Trick or treat!:  At Halloween, children dress in costumes, knock on people’s doors and say “Trick or treat!”  It means give us some candy or we’ll play a trick on you.

an owl:  Owls make scary noises at night.

Coconut

Sung by Harry Nilsson

Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime

His sister had another one, she paid it for the lime

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them all up

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them all up

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them all up

She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up, and said

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said, 

Doctor!  To relieve this bellyache, I said,

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said,

Doctor!  To relieve this bellyache

Now let me get this straight

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank it all up

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank it all up

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank it all up

Put the lime in the coconut, you called the Doctor, woke him up, Said,

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said,

Doctor!  To relieve this bellyache, I said,

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said,

Doctor!  To relieve this bellyache

You put the lime in the coconut, you drink them both together

Put the lime in the coconut, then you’ll feel better

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them all up

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning

Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime

His sister had another one, she paid it for the lime

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them all up

She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up, and said

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said, 

Doctor!  To relieve this bellyache, I said,

Doctor!  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said,

Doctor!  

Now, let me get this straight

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them all up

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them all up

You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them all up

You put the lime in the coconut, You’re such a silly woman

Put a lime in the coconut, and drink them both together

Put the lime in the coconut, then you’ll feel better

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both down

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning

Woo, woo, ain't there nothing you can take, I said

Woo, woo, to relieve your bellyache, you said

Woo, woo, ain't there nothing I can take, I said

Woo, woo, to relieve your bellyache, I said

Yah, yah, ain't there nothing I can take, I said

Wah, wah, to relieve this bellyache, I said

Doctor!,  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said

Doctor!,  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said

Doctor!,  Ain't there nothing I can take, I said

Doctor!, 

You’re such a silly woman

Put the lime in the coconut, and drink them both 

      together

Put the lime in the coconut, then you’ll feel better

Put the lime in the coconut, and drink them all up

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning

Yes, call me in the morning

If you call me in the morning, I’ll tell you what to do

If you call me in the morning, I’ll tell you what to do

If you call me in the morning, I’ll tell you what to do

If you call me in the morning, I’ll tell you what to do

Devil With the Blues Dress On

Sung by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels

Written by William Stevenson & Fredeick Long

Hey, hey, all right, jump up, get it

Hey, Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress,

Devil with the blue dress on.

Yeah, Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress,

Devil with the blue dress on,

Fe fe fi fi fo fo fum,

Looking mighty nice here she comes,

Wearing a wig hat and shades to match,

And her high heeled shoes and an alligator hat,

Wearing her pearls and a diamond ring,

Got bracelets on her fingers now and everything,

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on

She's the devil with the blue dress on,

Oh, have mercy now , Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on,

Devil with the blue dress on

Hey, Wearing her perfume, Chanel Number Five,

Got to be the finest girl alive.

Walks real cool, catches everybody's eye,

The cats are too nervous, they can’t say "Hi,"

Not too skinny, she's not too fat,

She's a real humdinger, and I like them like that.

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on

She's the devil with the blue dress on,

Hey, sing it now

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on,

Yeah, the Devil with the blue dress on

Good golly, Miss Molly

You sure like to ball

Good golly, Miss Molly

You sure like to ball

While you're rocking and reeling

Can't you hear your mama call

From the early, early morning 'til the early, early night

See Miss Molly rocking at the House of Blue Lights

Good golly, Miss Molly (Good golly, Miss Molly)

You sure like to ball

While you're rocking and a rolling

Can't you hear your mama call

Hey, hey

Fee, fee, fi, fi, fo-fo, fum

Look out once again, now, here she comes

Wearing her wig hat and shades to match

Got her high-heeled sneakers and an alligator hat

Wearing her pearls and her diamond rings

Got bracelets on her fingers, now, and everything

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on,

She's the Devil with the blue dress on

Devil with the blue dress,

All right, Oh, sock it to me, now

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress,

Devil with the blue dress on

Written and sung by Vic Mizzy

They're creepy and they're kookey.

Mysterious and spookey.

They're altogether together ookey. (ookey – a nonsense word)

The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum.

When people come to see them.

They really are a scream.

The Addams Family.

Neat

Sweet

Petite

So get a witch's shawl on.

A broomstick you can crawl on.

We're going to pay a call on.

The Addams Family.

Charles Addams

Charles Addams’ cartoons first appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 1932.  He quickly became a regular, and by 1935 his cartoons had evolved into his immediately recognizable style.  His darkly comedic visions of death and the macabre were carried by the magazine until 1989, and spawned The Addams Family television show [1964-1966] and more recently two movies, in 1991 and 1993.  Charles Addams believed: '...if the cartoon needed a caption, he felt he had failed in some way, even if the caption was brilliant.'

Charles Addams was born in Jan. 6, 1912 and died Sept. 29, 1988.  He passed away in an appropriately strange way.  He was an enthusiast of fast sports cars.  After coming back from a trip to visit some friends in Connecticut, he parked his Audi 4000 in front of his Manhattan apartment building and died of a fatal heart attack while sitting behind the wheel of the car.  A wake was held, as was his request, where he wished to be remembered as a "good cartoonist."

http://www.addamsfamily.com/addams02.html

The Monster Mash

sung by Bobby Picket

I was working in the lab late one night

When my eyes beheld an eerie sight

For my monster from its slab began to rise

And suddenly to my surprise

He did the mash  (the mash = a dance)

He did the monster mash

The monster mash

It was a graveyard smash

He did the mash

It caught on in a flash

He did the mash

He did the monster mash

From my laboratory in the castle east

To the master bedroom where the vampires feast

The ghouls all came from their humble abodes

To get a jolt from my electrodes

They did the mash

They did the monster mash

The monster mash

It was a graveyard smash

They did the mash

It caught on in a flash

They did the mash

They did the monster mash

The zombies were having fun

The party had just begun

The guests included Wolfman

Dracula and his son

The scene was rocking, all were digging the

Sounds (to dig = enjoy/like)

Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds

The coffin-bangers were about to arrive

With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"

They played the mash

They played the monster mash

The monster mash

It was a graveyard smash

They played the mash

It caught on in a flash

They played the mash

They played the monster mash

Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring

Seems he was troubled by just one thing

He opened the lid and shook his fist

And said, "Whatever happened to my

Transylvania twist?"

It's now the mash

It's now the monster mash

The monster mash

And it's a graveyard smash

It's now the mash

It's caught on in a flash

It's now the mash

It's now the monster mash

Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the

band

And my monster mash is the hit of the land

For you, the living, this mash was meant, too

When you get to my door, tell them Boris

sent you

Then you can mash

Then you can monster mash

The monster mash

And do my graveyard smash

Then you can mash

You'll catch on in a flash

Then you can mash

The Worms Crawl In

NOTE: This isn't my idea of a 'children's song', but the demand for it has been so high that it obviously is, somewhere out there. (Maybe at teen sing-alongs?) Be forewarned -- this is NOT a nice song, as far as I'm concerned. <Terry>

Words and Music By: Unknown
Adapted By: Terry Kluytmans
Adaptation Copyright © 1999 Terry Kluytmans

Did you ever think
As the hearse rolls by,
That sooner or later
You're goin' to die,
With your boots a-swingin'
From the back of a roan,
And the undertaking
Inscribin' your stone?

The men with shovels
All stand around
They shovel you in
To that cold, wet ground
They shovel in dirt
Then they throw in rocks
They don't give a hoot
If they break the box.

Oh, the worms crawl in,
And the worms crawl out,
They give a little squirm
And they turn about;
Then each one takes
A bite or two
Of an arm or a leg
Or another part of you!

Oh, your eyes drop out,
And your teeth fall in,
And the worms crawl over
Your mouth and chin;
They bring all their friends,
And their friends' friends, too,
And you're chewed all to bits
When they're through with you!

This is Halloween

From the movie:  The Nightmare Before Christmas

Written by Danny Elfman

Shadow:

Boys and girls of every age

Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Siamese Shadow:

Come with us and you will see

This, our town of Halloween

Pumpkin Patch Chorus:

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Pumpkins scream in the dead of night

Ghosts:

This is Halloween, everybody make a scene

Trick of treat till the neighbours (are) going to die of fright

It's our town, everybody scream

In this town of Halloween

Creature Under Bed:

I am the one hiding under your bed

Teeth ground sharp, and eyes glowing red

Man Under the Stairs:

I am the one hiding under your stairs

Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair

Corpse Chorus:

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Vampires:

Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!

In this town we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song

Mayor:

In this town, don't we love it, now?

Everybody's waiting for the next surprise

Corpse Chorus:

Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can

Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll

Harlequin Demon, Werewolf, and Melting Man:

Scream!  This is Halloween

Red 'n' black, and slimy green

Werewolf:

Aren't you scared?

Witches:

Well, that's just fine

Say it once, say it twice

Take a chance and roll the dice

Ride with the moon in the dead of night

Hanging Tree:

Everybody scream, everybody scream

Hanged Men:

In our town of Halloween

Clown:

I am the clown with the tear-away face

Here in a flash, and gone without a trace

Second Ghoul:

I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"

I am the wind blowing through your hair

Oogie Boogie Shadow:

I am the shadow on the moon at night

Filling your dreams to the brim with fright

Corpse Chorus:

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!

Halloween!  Halloween!

Child Corpse Trio:

Tender lumplings everywhere

Life's no fun without a good scare

Parent Corpses:

That's our job, but we're not mean

In our town of Halloween

Corpse Chorus:

In this town

Mayor:

Don't we love it now?

Mayor with Corpse Chorus:

Everyone's waiting for the next surprise

Corpse Chorus:

Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back

And scream like a banshee

Make you jump out of your skin

This is Halloween, everybody scream

Won't you please make way for a very special guy

Our man Jack is King of the Pumpkin patch

Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King, now

Everyone:

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!

Child Corpse Trio:

In this town, we call home

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

Everyone:

La la, la, la, Halloween!

La la, la, la , Halloween!

La la, la, la , Halloween!

Werewolves Of London

Written and sung by Warren Zevon

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand

Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain

He was looking for the place called Yee Ho Fook's

Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door

You better not let him in

A little old lady got mutilated late last night

Werewolves of London again

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent

Lately, he's been overheard in Mayfair

You’d better stay away from him

He'll rip your lungs out, Jim

Huh, I'd like to meet his tailor

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

Ahoo, Werewolves of London, Ahoo,

Well, I saw ¹Lon Chaney walking with the Queen

Doing the Werewolves of London

I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen

Doing the Werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf drinking a ²pina colada at ³Trader Vic's

His hair was perfect

Ahoo, Werewolves of London

Draw blood,

Ahoo, Werewolves of London

¹Lon Chaney starred in many monster movies.

²a cocktail

³a bar/restaurant in London that was trendy in the 1980s

Adams Family - Victor Mizzy

Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare

Bo Diddley - Bo Meets The Monster

David Seville (the music of...) - Witch Doctor

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo -

Dr. John

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group -

Frankenstein - Overkill -

Frenzy - Screamin' Jay Hawkins -

Halloween - MX-80 Sound

Halloween Spooks - Jendrick Ross & Lambert

Haunted House - Jumpin' Gene Simmons -

Haunted House - Roy Buchanan -

I Walked With A Zombie - R.E.M. -

Jimmy Cross - I Want My Baby Back

John Zacherle - Dinner With Drac

Little Demon - Screamin' Jay Hawkins -

Little Devil - Neil Sedaka -

Monster Mash - (Live) Beach Boys -

Monster Mash Bobby "Boris" Pickett & Crypt-Kickers -

Pet Sematary - Ramones -

Redbone - Witch Queen Of New Orleans

Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack - Time Warp

Spooky - Classics IV -

The Addams Family - Joey Gaynor

The Munsters - Comateens

The Munsters - Dick Jacobs -

The Munsters - Jack Marshall

They're Coming To Take Me Away - Napoleon XIV -

Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon

 

Halloween Vocabulary

To caste a magic spell on someone           to cause someone to be affected by magic

(cast/cast/cast) /kŒÉst, k¾st/

a cemetery /ÇsemWtri/                               a place where dead people are buried

a coffin /Çkfön/                                          a box in which a dead person is buried

a costume /ÇkstjuÉm/                             clothing which is used to hide your identity for a party

to be creepy /ÇkriÉpi/                                someone or something that makes you feel uneasy or frightened

to be eerie /ÇöWri/                                       strange and frightening

to be evil /ÇiÉvWl/                                     used to refer to wicked and bad things

a ghost /ýW¬st/                                          the spirit of a dead person

a ghoul /ýuÉl/                                              an evil spirit which is said to steal bodies from graves and eat them

a grave /Çýreöv/                                          a hole in the ground where a dead person is buried

a graveyard /ÇýreövjŒÉd/                         a cemetery

to be gruesome /ÇýruÉsWm/                     something that is extremely unpleasant and shocking, usually connected with death or injury

to be haunted /Çh¿Éntöd/                          a place that is regularly visited by ghosts

a monster /ÇmnstW/                                  a large ugly frightening creature

a nightmare /ÇnaötmeW/                              a bad dream

to be scary /ÇskeWri/                                 frightening

a skeleton /ÇskelötWn/                              the framework of bones in a body

a vampire /Çv¾mpaöW/                              a creature who cannot die and who sucks the blood from people and only comes out at night

a werewolf /ÇweWw¬lf/                            a man who has changed into a wolf after being bitten

a witch /wöt§/                                               a woman who is believed to have evil magical powers

witchcraft /Çwöt§krŒÉft/                          the use of evil magic powers

a witch doctor                                               a shaman; a person in a primitive society who is said to have magic powers to heal people

a zombie /Çzmbi/                                        in folklore, the living dead; people who show no feeling or understanding of what is going on around them

Idioms:

to go on a witch-hunt                                   an attempt to find and punish a particular group of people who are being blamed for something, often because they have different opinions or behave differently

to whistle past the cemetery                       to try to pretend that you are not afraid

to give someone the evil eye                       to look at someone in an unpleasant and hostile way

the lesser of two evils                                  the less bad of two bad choices (the lesser evil)

to look like a skeleton                                  to be very thin

the witching hour                                          at or after midnight

to be a nail in the coffin of something       a thing that will help cause the end of something

                                                                                                (Cigarettes are coffin nails.)

to have one foot in the grave

      and the other on a banana peel            to be near death or in great danger

to say that someone won’t live

      to see the next potato harvest              to be in very bad health (an Irish expression)

Halloween

N R E T N A L O K C A J S N D Y         BAT

T I W E R E W O L F H S E B R L         COFFIN

S R E T S O H G O C L E N A A I         DEVIL

Q K E T F R O L T L W Y O T C V         DRACULA

C X E A S Y Y I H O R K T B U E         FRANKENSTEIN

H B Q L T N W M L S C Q S F L D         GHOST

Q L K L E P E L M O P Z B V A O         HALLOWEEN

T R I C K T A K F U Y R M R L J         JACK-O’-LANTERN

K O N Y Q H O F N N M X O B N I         MUMMY

L D M B R H I N T A G G T I N T         SKELETON

O Z Y J K N Q S H G R T T B J F         TOMBSTONES

E V P J I M B R P Q H F J R E N         TRICK

N X P H K E J F U P Q F X C V S         TREAT

J J G D M D A Y R M A R L U S C         WEREWOLF

C L E X H C K G X N H V Q D J F         WITCH

C Q W H Q T F D O Y B N S P B A         

Halloween

N R E T N A L O K C A J S N D Y         BAT

T I W E R E W O L F H S E B R L         COFFIN

S R E T S O H G O C L E N A A I         DEVIL

Q K E T F R O L T L W Y O T C V         DRACULA

C X E A S Y Y I H O R K T B U E         FRANKENSTEIN

H B Q L T N W M L S C Q S F L D         GHOST

Q L K L E P E L M O P Z B V A O         HALLOWEEN

T R I C K T A K F U Y R M R L J         JACK-O’-LANTERN

K O N Y Q H O F N N M X O B N I         MUMMY

L D M B R H I N T A G G T I N T         SKELETON

O Z Y J K N Q S H G R T T B J F         TOMBSTONES

E V P J I M B R P Q H F J R E N         TRICK

N X P H K E J F U P Q F X C V S         TREAT

J J G D M D A Y R M A R L U S C         WEREWOLF

C L E X H C K G X N H V Q D J F         WITCH

C Q W H Q T F D O Y B N S P B A         

Halloween

N R E T N A L O K C A J S N D Y         BAT

T I W E R E W O L F H S E B R L         COFFIN

S R E T S O H G O C L E N A A I         DEVIL

Q K E T F R O L T L W Y O T C V         DRACULA

C X E A S Y Y I H O R K T B U E         FRANKENSTEIN

H B Q L T N W M L S C Q S F L D         GHOST

Q L K L E P E L M O P Z B V A O         HALLOWEEN

T R I C K T A K F U Y R M R L J         JACK-O’-LANTERN

K O N Y Q H O F N N M X O B N I         MUMMY

L D M B R H I N T A G G T I N T         SKELETON

O Z Y J K N Q S H G R T T B J F         TOMBSTONES

E V P J I M B R P Q H F J R E N         TRICK

N X P H K E J F U P Q F X C V S         TREAT

J J G D M D A Y R M A R L U S C         WEREWOLF

C L E X H C K G X N H V Q D J F         WITCH

C Q W H Q T F D O Y B N S P B A         

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/chooseapuzzle.html

Haunting

by Tom Shadley

Witches, goblins, ghosts, and ghouls creep into the night.

Headless riders gallop by; a truly haunting sight.

From the nearby woods you hear a wolfman's eerie howl.

Bogeymen and skeletons and vampires on the prowl.

If these creatures frighten you, I pray you'll heed my warning.

Avoid the scariest sight of all:  my sister in the morning.

Text © Tom Shadley, reprinted from Rolling in the Aisles published by Meadowbrook Press.  Illustration © Stephen Carpenter

Fast Food

by Robert Scotellaro

Some witches by the roadside

are selling fast-food snacks,

big bubbling warthog pizzas

and dumplings filled with tacks.

They stir things in a caldron,

and slap them on a dish,

hot pimple-breaded lizards,

and moldy cactus fish,

Some gooey red-eyed fritters

all rolled in spider dough,

some slippery dragon molars,

and boiled fish bones to go.

They're cooking up some freckles,

and bats they plucked from caves.

They're using giant caldrons.

They're using microwaves.

They're giving plastic chopsticks,

and you don't have to wait.

They're serving green slime gravy

on worms that palpitate.

And if you're really lucky,

they'll serve you some dessert.

It's something cold and oozy,

on squirming bug-filled dirt.

Jack-O-Lanterns

Written By: Grace Budd

 In the moonlight glowing,
Jack-o-lanterns sit;
Eerie shadows throwing
As the moonbeams flit;
Black cats up on fences
Howl at the night;
Witches riding broomsticks,
What a scary sight!

Jack-O-Lanterns We!

Written by Meta Olmes

See us fiercely stare at you,
Flash our eyes of fiery hue;
Jack-o-lanterns we!
Our mouths are grinning widely so,
And ghostly bright our faces glow.
Boo-oo-oo!

Baked in pies we're very nice,
Everyone will have a slice;
Jack-o-lanterns we!
But if they see us out at night
They're sure to have an awful fright.
Boo-oo-oo!

It's Hallowe'en

By Mrs. E. Robb

(The "Shhhhhhh!" part below

should be whispered, not sung.)

It's Hallowe'en,
The lamp is lit,
And 'round the fire
Is where we sit,
A-telling ghost tales
Bit by bit,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

We will not go
To bed 'til morn,
We're drinking cocoa,
Popping corn,
And laughing 'til our
Sides are torn,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

The doorbell rings,
A witch I see,
And with her, black cats,
One, two, three,
And one of them says
"Boo!" to me,
'Til somebody says "Shhhhhhh!"
What's that a-peeping
'Round the kitchen door?
What's that a-creeping
'Cross the bedroom floor?
What's that a-sweeping
Down the corridor?
Oooooh! It's a ghost!

Halloween Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game

a black cat	a Halloween costume	a jack-o’-lantern	a werewolf
	a bat	a devil	Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster
a haunted house	a tombstone	A witch flying on a broom.	a skeleton
a ghost	a mummy	Dracula	a cauldron

Washington Irving

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon

---

 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Found Among the Papers of the Late Diedrich Knickerbocker

 

A pleasing land of drowsy head it was,

Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye;

And of gay castles in the clouds that pass,

For ever flushing round a summer sky.

Castle of Indolence.

IN THE bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail, and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed, there lies a small market-town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town.  This name was given, we are told, in former days, by the good housewives of the adjacent country, from the inveterate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days.  Be that as it may, I do not vouch for the fact, but merely advert to it, for the sake of being precise and authentic.  Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley, or rather lap of land, among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world.  A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail, or tapping of a woodpecker, is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquillity.

I recollect that, when a stripling, my first exploit in squirrel-shooting was in a grove of tall walnut-trees that shades one side of the valley.  I had wandered into it at noon time, when all nature is peculiarly quiet, and was startled by the roar of my own gun, as it broke the Sabbath stillness around, and was prolonged and reverberated by the angry echoes.  If ever I should wish for a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley.

From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country.  A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.  Some say that the place was bewitched by a high German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson.  Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie.  They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air.  The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions; stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols.

The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head.  It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the revolutionary war; and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk, hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind.  His haunts are not confined to the valley, but extend at times to the adjacent roads, and especially to the vicinity of a church at no great distance.  Indeed, certain of the most authentic historians of those parts, who have been careful in collecting and collating the floating facts concerning this spectre, allege that the body of the trooper, having been buried in the church-yard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head; and that the rushing speed with which he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is owing to his being belated, and in a hurry to get back to the church-yard before daybreak.

Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition, which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region of shadows; and the spectre is known, at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

It is remarkable that the visionary propensity I have mentioned is not confined to the native inhabitants of the valley, but is unconsciously imbibed by every one who resides there for a time.  However wide awake they may have been before they entered that sleepy region, they are sure, in a little time, to inhale the witching influence of the air, and begin to grow imaginative—to dream dreams, and see apparitions.

I mention this peaceful spot with all possible laud; for it is in such little retired Dutch valleys, found here and there embosomed in the great State of New York, that population, manners, and customs, remain fixed; while the great torrent of migration and improvement, which is making such incessant changes in other parts of this restless country, sweeps by them unobserved.  They are like those little nooks of still water which border a rapid stream; where we may see the straw and bubble riding quietly at anchor, or slowly revolving in their mimic harbor, undisturbed by the rush of the passing current. Though many years have elapsed since I trod the drowsy shades of Sleepy Hollow, yet I question whether I should not still find the same trees and the same families vegetating in its sheltered bosom.

In this by-place of nature, there abode, in a remote period of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy wight of the name of Ichabod Crane; who sojourned, or, as he expressed it, “tarried,” in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity.  He was a native of Connecticut; a State which supplies the Union with pioneers for the mind as well as for the forest, and sends forth yearly its legions of frontier woodsmen and country schoolmasters.  The cognomen of Crane was not inapplicable to his person.  He was tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, long arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that might have served for shovels, and his whole frame most loosely hung together.  His head was small, and flat at top, with huge ears, large green glassy eyes, and a long snipe nose, so that it looked like a weather-cock, perched upon his spindle neck, to tell which way the wind blew.  To see him striding along the profile of a hill on a windy day, with his clothes bagging and fluttering about him, one might have mistaken him for the genius of famine descending upon the earth, or some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield.

His school-house was a low building of one large room, rudely constructed of logs; the windows partly glazed, and partly patched with leaves of old copy-books.  It was most ingeniously secured at vacant hours, by a withe twisted in the handle of the door, and stakes set against the window shutters; so that, though a thief might get in with perfect ease, he would find some embarrassment in getting out; an idea most probably borrowed by the architect, Yost Van Houten, from the mystery of an eel-pot.  The school-house stood in a rather lonely but pleasant situation, just at the foot of a woody hill, with a brook running close by, and a formidable birch tree growing at one end of it.  From hence the low murmur of his pupils’ voices, conning over their lessons, might be heard of a drowsy summer’s day, like the hum of a beehive; interrupted now and then by the authoritative voice of the master, in the tone of menace or command; or, peradventure, by the appalling sound of the birch, as he urged some tardy loiterer along the flowery path of knowledge.  Truth to say, he was a conscientious man, and ever bore in mind the golden maxim, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”—Ichabod Crane’s scholars certainly were not spoiled.

I would not have it imagined, however, that he was one of those cruel potentates of the school, who joy in the smart of their subjects; on the contrary, he administered justice with discrimination rather than severity; taking the burden off the backs of the weak, and laying it on those of the strong.  Your mere puny stripling, that winced at the least flourish of the rod, was passed by with indulgence; but the claims of justice were satisfied by inflicting a double portion on some little, tough, wrong-headed, broad-skirted Dutch urchin, who sulked and swelled and grew dogged and sullen beneath the birch.  All this he called “doing his duty by their parents;” and he never inflicted a chastisement without following it by the assurance, so consolatory to the smarting urchin, that “he would remember it, and thank him for it the longest day he had to live.”

When school hours were over, he was even the companion and playmate of the larger boys; and on holiday afternoons would convoy some of the smaller ones home, who happened to have pretty sisters, or good housewives for mothers, noted for the comforts of the cupboard.  Indeed it behooved him to keep on good terms with his pupils.  The revenue arising from his school was small, and would have been scarcely sufficient to furnish him with daily bread, for he was a huge feeder, and though lank, had the dilating powers of an anaconda; but to help out his maintenance, he was, according to country custom in those parts, boarded and lodged at the houses of the farmers, whose children he instructed.  With these he lived successively a week at a time; thus going the rounds of the neighborhood, with all his worldly effects tied up in a cotton handkerchief.

That all this might not be too onerous on the purses of his rustic patrons, who are apt to consider the costs of schooling a grievous burden, and schoolmasters as mere drones, he had various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable.  He assisted the farmers occasionally in the lighter labors of their farms; helped to make hay; mended the fences; took the horses to water; drove the cows from pasture; and cut wood for the winter fire.  He laid aside, too, all the dominant dignity and absolute sway with which he lorded it in his little empire, the school, and became wonderfully gentle and ingratiating.  He found favor in the eyes of the mothers, by petting the children, particularly the youngest; and like the lion bold, which whilom so magnanimously the lamb did hold, he would sit with a child on one knee, and rock a cradle with his foot for whole hours together.

In addition to his other vocations, he was the singing-master of the neighborhood, and picked up many bright shillings by instructing the young folks in psalmody.  It was a matter of no little vanity to him, on Sundays, to take his station in front of the church gallery, with a band of chosen singers; where, in his own mind, he completely carried away the palm from the parson.  Certain it is, his voice resounded far above all the rest of the congregation; and there are peculiar quavers still to be heard in that church, and which may even be heard half a mile off, quite to the opposite side of the mill-pond, on a still Sunday morning, which are said to be legitimately descended from the nose of Ichabod Crane.  Thus, by divers little make-shifts in that ingenious way which is commonly denominated “by hook and by crook,” the worthy pedagogue got on tolerably enough, and was thought, by all who understood nothing of the labor of headwork, to have a wonderfully easy life of it.

The schoolmaster is generally a man of some importance in the female circle of a rural neighborhood; being considered a kind of idle gentlemanlike personage, of vastly superior taste and accomplishments to the rough country swains, and, indeed, inferior in learning only to the parson.  His appearance, therefore, is apt to occasion some little stir at the tea-table of a farmhouse, and the addition of a supernumerary dish of cakes or sweetmeats, or, peradventure, the parade of a silver tea-pot.  Our man of letters, therefore, was peculiarly happy in the smiles of all the country damsels.  How he would figure among them in the church-yard, between services on Sundays! gathering grapes for them from the wild vines that overrun the surrounding trees; reciting for their amusement all the epitaphs on the tombstones; or sauntering, with a whole bevy of them, along the banks of the adjacent mill-pond; while the more bashful country bumpkins hung sheepishly back, envying his superior elegance and address.

From his half itinerant life, also, he was a kind of travelling gazette, carrying the whole budget of local gossip from house to house; so that his appearance was always greeted with satisfaction.  He was, moreover, esteemed by the women as a man of great erudition, for he had read several books quite through, and was a perfect master of Cotton Mather’s history of New England Witchcraft, in which, by the way, he most firmly and potently believed.

He was, in fact, an odd mixture of small shrewdness and simple credulity.  His appetite for the marvellous, and his powers of digesting it, were equally extraordinary; and both had been increased by his residence in this spellbound region.  No tale was too gross or monstrous for his capacious swallow.  It was often his delight, after his school was dismissed in the afternoon, to stretch himself on the rich bed of clover, bordering the little brook that whimpered by his school-house, and there con over old Mather’s direful tales, until the gathering dusk of the evening made the printed page a mere mist before his eyes.  Then, as he wended his way, by swamp and stream and awful woodland, to the farmhouse where he happened to be quartered, every sound of nature, at that witching hour, fluttered his excited imagination: the moan of the whip-poor-will⁵⁴ from the hillside; the boding cry of the tree-toad, that harbinger of storm; the dreary hooting of the screech-owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds

⁵⁴ The whip-poor-will is a bird which is only heard at night.  It receives its name from its note, which is thought to resemble those words.

frightened from their roost.  The fire-flies, too, which sparkled most vividly in the darkest places, now and then startled him, as one of uncommon brightness would stream across his path; and if, by chance, a huge blockhead of a beetle came winging his blundering flight against him, the poor varlet was ready to give up the ghost, with the idea that he was struck with a witch’s token.  His only resource on such occasions, either to drown thought, or drive away evil spirits, was to sing psalm tunes;—and the good people of Sleepy Hollow, as they sat by their doors of an evening, were often filled with awe, at hearing his nasal melody, “in linked sweetness long drawn out,” floating from the distant hill, or along the dusky road.

Another of his sources of fearful pleasure was, to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and spluttering along the hearth, and listen to their marvellous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him.  He would delight them equally by his anecdotes of witchcraft, and of the direful omens and portentous sights and sounds in the air, which prevailed in the earlier times of Connecticut; and would frighten them woefully with speculations upon comets and shooting stars; and with the alarming fact that the world did absolutely turn round, and that they were half the time topsy-turvy!

But if there was a pleasure in all this, while snugly cuddling in the chimney corner of a chamber that was all of a ruddy glow from the crackling wood fire, and where, of course, no spectre dared to show his face, it was dearly purchased by the terrors of his subsequent walk homewards.  What fearful shapes and shadows beset his path amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a snowy night!—With what wistful look did he eye every trembling ray of light streaming across the waste fields from some distant window!—How often was he appalled by some shrub covered with snow, which, like a sheeted spectre, beset his very path!—How often did he shrink with curdling awe at the sound of his own steps on the frosty crust beneath his feet; and dread to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping close behind him!—and how often was he thrown into complete dismay by some rushing blast, howling among the trees, in the idea that it was the Galloping Hessian on one of his nightly scourings!

All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phantoms of the mind that walk in darkness; and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in divers shapes, in his lonely perambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in despite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was—a woman.

Among the musical disciples who assembled, one evening in each week, to receive his instructions in psalmody, was Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of a substantial Dutch farmer.  She was a blooming lass of fresh eighteen; plump as a partridge; ripe and melting and rosy cheeked as one of her father’s peaches, and universally famed, not merely for her beauty, but her vast expectations.  She was withal a little of a coquette, as might be perceived even in her dress, which was a mixture of ancient and modern fashions, as most suited to set off her charms.  She wore the ornaments of pure yellow gold, which her great-great-grandmother had brought over from Saardam; the tempting stomacher of the olden time; and withal a provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle in the country round.

Ichabod Crane had a soft and foolish heart towards the sex; and it is not to be wondered at, that so tempting a morsel soon found favor in his eyes; more especially after he had visited her in her paternal mansion.  Old Baltus Van Tassel was a perfect picture of a thriving, contented, liberal-hearted farmer.  He seldom, it is true, sent either his eyes or his thoughts beyond the boundaries of his own farm; but within those every thing was snug, happy, and well-conditioned.  He was satisfied with his wealth, but not proud of it; and piqued himself upon the hearty abundance, rather than the style in which he lived.—His stronghold was situated on the banks of the Hudson, in one of those green, sheltered, fertile nooks in which the Dutch farmers are so fond of nestling.  A great elm-tree spread its broad branches over it; at the foot of which bubbled up a spring of the softest and sweetest water, in a little well, formed of a barrel; and then stole sparkling away through the grass, to a neighboring brook, that bubbled along among alders and dwarf willows.  Hard by the farm-house was a vast barn, that might have served for a church; every window and crevice of which seemed bursting forth with the treasures of the farm; the flail was busily resounding within it from morning to night; swallows and martins skimmed twittering about the eaves; and rows of pigeons, some with one eye turned up, as if watching the weather, some with their heads under their wings, or buried in their bosoms, and others swelling, and cooing, and bowing about their dames, were enjoying the sunshine on the roof.  Sleek unwieldy porkers were grunting in the repose and abundance of their pens; whence sallied forth, now and then, troops of suckling pigs, as if to snuff the air.  A stately squadron of snowy geese were riding in an adjoining pond, convoying whole fleets of ducks; regiments of turkeys were gobbling through the farm-yard, and guinea fowls fretting about it, like ill-tempered housewives, with their peevish discontented cry.  Before the barn door strutted the gallant cock, that pattern of a husband, a warrior, and a fine gentleman, clapping his burnished wings, and crowing in the pride and gladness of his heart—sometimes tearing up the earth with his feet, and then generously calling his ever-hungry family of wives and children to enjoy the rich morsel which he had discovered.

The pedagogue’s mouth watered, as he looked upon this sumptuous promise of luxurious winter fare.  In his devouring mind’s eye, he pictured to himself every roasting-pig running about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his mouth; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, and tucked in with a coverlet of crust; the geese were swimming in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like snug married couples, with a decent competency of onion sauce.  In the porkers he saw carved out the future sleek side of bacon, and juicy relishing ham; not a turkey but he beheld daintily trussed up, with its gizzard under its wing, and, peradventure, a necklace of savory sausages; and even bright chanticleer himself lay sprawling on his back, in a side-dish, with uplifted claws, as if craving that quarter which his chivalrous spirit disdained to ask while living.

As the enraptured Ichabod fancied all this, and as he rolled his great green eyes over the fat meadow-lands, the rich fields of wheat, of rye, of buckwheat, and Indian corn, and the orchards burdened with ruddy fruit, which surrounded the warm tenement of Van Tassel, his heart yearned after the damsel who was to inherit these domains, and his imagination expanded with the idea, how they might be readily turned into cash, and the money invested in immense tracts of wild land, and shingle palaces in the wilderness.  Nay, his busy fancy already realized his hopes, and presented to him the blooming Katrina, with a whole family of children, mounted on the top of a wagon loaded with household trumpery, with pots and kettles dangling beneath; and he beheld himself bestriding a pacing mare, with a colt at her heels, setting out for Kentucky, Tennessee, or the Lord knows where.

When he entered the house the conquest of his heart was complete.  It was one of those spacious farmhouses, with high-ridged, but lowly-sloping roofs, built in the style handed down from the first Dutch settlers; the low projecting eaves forming a piazza along the front, capable of being closed up in bad weather.  Under this were hung flails, harness, various utensils of husbandry, and nets for fishing in the neighboring river.  Benches were built along the sides for summer use; and a great spinning-wheel at one end, and a churn at the other, showed the various uses to which this important porch might be devoted.  From this piazza the wondering Ichabod entered the hall, which formed the centre of the mansion and the place of usual residence.  Here, rows of resplendent pewter, ranged on a long dresser, dazzled his eyes.  In one corner stood a huge bag of wool ready to be spun; in another a quantity of linsey-woolsey just from the loom; ears of Indian corn, and strings of dried apples and peaches, hung in gay festoons along the walls, mingled with the gaud of red peppers; and a door left ajar gave him a peep into the best parlor, where the claw-footed chairs, and dark mahogany tables, shone like mirrors; andirons, with their accompanying shovel and tongs, glistened from their covert of asparagus tops; mock-oranges and conch-shells decorated the mantel-piece; strings of various colored birds’ eggs were suspended above it: a great ostrich egg was hung from the centre of the room, and a corner cupboard, knowingly left open, displayed immense treasures of old silver and well-mended china.

From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van Tassel.  In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who seldom had any thing but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such like easily-conquered adversaries, to contend with; and had to make his way merely through gates of iron and brass, and walls of adamant, to the castle keep, where the lady of his heart was confined; all which he achieved as easily as a man would carve his way to the centre of a Christmas pie; and then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course.  Ichabod, on the contrary, had to win his way to the heart of a country coquette, beset with a labyrinth of whims and caprices, which were for ever presenting new difficulties and impediments; and he had to encounter a host of fearful adversaries of real flesh and blood, the numerous rustic admirers, who beset every portal to her heart; keeping a watchful and angry eye upon each other, but ready to fly out in the common cause against any new competitor.

Among these the most formidable was a burly, roaring, roystering blade, of the name of Abraham, or, according to the Dutch abbreviation, Brom Van Brunt, the hero of the country round, which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood.  He was broad-shouldered and double-jointed, with short curly black hair, and a bluff, but not unpleasant countenance, having a mingled air of fun and arrogance.  From his Herculean frame and great powers of limb, he had received the nickname of BROM BONES, by which he was universally known.  He was famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship, being as dexterous on horseback as a Tartar.  He was foremost at all races and cock-fights; and, with the ascendancy which bodily strength acquires in rustic life, was the umpire in all disputes, setting his hat on one side, and giving his decisions with an air and tone admitting of no gainsay or appeal.  He was always ready for either a fight or a frolic; but had more mischief than ill-will in his composition; and, with all his overbearing roughness, there was a strong dash of waggish good humor at bottom.  He had three or four boon companions, who regarded him as their model, and at the head of whom he scoured the country, attending every scene of feud or merriment for miles round.  In cold weather he was distinguished by a fur cap, surmounted with a flaunting fox’s tail; and when the folks at a country gathering descried this well-known crest at a distance, whisking about among a squad of hard riders, they always stood by for a squall.  Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing along past the farmhouses at midnight, with whoop and halloo, like a troop of Don Cossacks; and the old dames, startled out of their sleep, would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry had clattered by, and then exclaim, “Ay, there goes Brom Bones and his gang!”  The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture of awe, admiration, and good will; and when any madcap prank, or rustic brawl, occurred in the vicinity, always shook their heads, and warranted Brom Bones was at the bottom of it.

This rantipole hero had for some time singled out the blooming Katrina for the object of his uncouth gallantries, and though his amorous toyings were something like the gentle caresses and endearments of a bear, yet it was whispered that she did not altogether discourage his hopes.  Certain it is, his advances were signals for rival candidates to retire, who felt no inclination to cross a lion in his amours; insomuch, that when his horse was seen tied to Van Tassel’s paling, on a Sunday night, a sure sign that his master was courting, or, as it is termed, “sparking,” within, all other suitors passed by in despair, and carried the war into other quarters.

Such was the formidable rival with whom Ichabod Crane had to contend, and, considering all things, a stouter man than he would have shrunk from the competition, and a wiser man would have despaired. He had, however, a happy mixture of pliability and perseverance in his nature; he was in form and spirit like a supple-jack—yielding, but tough; though he bent, he never broke; and though he bowed beneath the slightest pressure, yet, the moment it was away—jerk! he was as erect, and carried his head as high as ever.

To have taken the field openly against his rival would have been madness; for he was not a man to be thwarted in his amours, any more than that stormy lover, Achilles.  Ichabod, therefore, made his advances in a quiet and gently-insinuating manner.  Under cover of his character of singing-master, he made frequent visits at the farmhouse; not that he had any thing to apprehend from the meddlesome interference of parents, which is so often a stumbling-block in the path of lovers.  Balt Van Tassel was an easy indulgent soul; he loved his daughter better even than his pipe, and, like a reasonable man and an excellent father, let her have her way in everything.  His notable little wife, too, had enough to do to attend to her housekeeping and manage her poultry; for, as she sagely observed, ducks and geese are foolish things, and must be looked after, but girls can take care of themselves.  Thus while the busy dame bustled about the house, or plied her spinning-wheel at one end of the piazza, honest Balt would sit smoking his evening pipe at the other, watching the achievements of a little wooden warrior, who, armed with a sword in each hand, was most valiantly fighting the wind on the pinnacle of the barn.  In the meantime, Ichabod would carry on his suit with the daughter by the side of the spring under the great elm, or sauntering along in the twilight, that hour so favorable to the lover’s eloquence.

I profess not to know how women’s hearts are wooed and won.  To me they have always been matters of riddle and admiration.  Some seem to have but one vulnerable point, or door of access; while others have a thousand avenues, and may be captured in a thousand different ways.  It is a great triumph of skill to gain the former, but a still greater proof of generalship to maintain possession of the latter, for the man must battle for his fortress at every door and window.  He who wins a thousand common hearts is therefore entitled to some renown; but he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette, is indeed a hero.  Certain it is, this was not the case with the redoubtable Brom Bones; and from the moment Ichabod Crane made his advances, the interests of the former evidently declined; his horse was no longer seen tied at the palings on Sunday nights, and a deadly feud gradually arose between him and the preceptor of Sleepy Hollow.

Brom, who had a degree of rough chivalry in his nature, would fain have carried matters to open warfare, and have settled their pretensions to the lady, according to the mode of those most concise and simple reasoners, the knights-errant of yore—by single combat; but Ichabod was too conscious of the superior might of his adversary to enter the lists against him:  he had overheard a boast of Bones, that he would “double the schoolmaster up, and lay him on a shelf of his own school-house;” and he was too wary to give him an opportunity.  There was something extremely provoking in this obstinately pacific system; it left Brom no alternative but to draw upon the funds of rustic waggery in his disposition, and to play off boorish practical jokes upon his rival.  Ichabod became the object of whimsical persecution to Bones, and his gang of rough riders.  They harried his hitherto peaceful domains; smoked out his singing school, by stopping up the chimney; broke into the school-house at night, in spite of its formidable fastenings of withe and window stakes, and turned every thing topsy-turvy:  so that the poor schoolmaster began to think all the witches in the country held their meetings there.  But what was still more annoying, Brom took all opportunities of turning him into ridicule in presence of his mistress, and had a scoundrel dog whom he taught to whine in the most ludicrous manner, and introduced as a rival of Ichabod’s to instruct her in psalmody.

In this way matters went on for some time, without producing any material effect on the relative situation of the contending powers.  On a fine autumnal afternoon, Ichabod, in pensive mood, sat enthroned on the lofty stool whence he usually watched all the concerns of his little literary realm.  In his hand he swayed a ferrule, that sceptre of despotic power; the birch of justice reposed on three nails, behind the throne, a constant terror to evil doers; while on the desk before him might be seen sundry contraband articles and prohibited weapons, detected upon the persons of idle urchins; such as half-munched apples, popguns, whirligigs, fly-cages, and whole legions of rampant little paper gamecocks. Apparently there had been some appalling act of justice recently inflicted, for his scholars were all busily intent upon their books, or slyly whispering behind them with one eye kept upon the master; and a kind of buzzing stillness reigned throughout the school-room.  It was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a negro, in tow-cloth jacket and trowsers, a round-crowned fragment of a hat, like the cap of Mercury, and mounted on the back of a ragged, wild, half-broken colt, which he managed with a rope by way of halter.  He came clattering up to the school door with an invitation to Ichabod to attend a merry-making or “quilting frolic,” to be held that evening at Mynheer Van Tassel’s; and having delivered his message with that air of importance, and effort at fine language, which a negro is apt to display on petty embassies of the kind, he dashed over the brook, and was seen scampering away up the hollow, full of the importance and hurry of his mission.

All was now bustle and hubbub in the late quiet school-room.  The scholars were hurried through their lessons, without stopping at trifles; those who were nimble skipped over half with impunity, and those who were tardy, had a smart application now and then in the rear, to quicken their speed, or help them over a tall word.  Books were flung aside without being put away on the shelves, inkstands were overturned, benches thrown down, and the whole school was turned loose an hour before the usual time, bursting forth like a legion of young imps, yelping and racketing about the green, in joy at their early emancipation.

The gallant Ichabod now spent at least an extra half hour at his toilet, brushing and furbishing up his best, and indeed only suit of rusty black, and arranging his looks by a bit of broken looking-glass, that hung up in the school-house.  That he might make his appearance before his mistress in the true style of a cavalier, he borrowed a horse from the farmer with whom he was domiciliated, a choleric old Dutchman, of the name of Hans Van Ripper, and, thus gallantly mounted, issued forth, like a knight-errant in quest of adventures.  But it is meet I should, in the true spirit of romantic story, give some account of the looks and equipments of my hero and his steed.  The animal he bestrode was a broken-down plough-horse, that had outlived almost every thing but his viciousness.  He was gaunt and shagged, with a ewe neck and a head like a hammer; his rusty mane and tail were tangled and knotted with burrs; one eye had lost its pupil, and was glaring and spectral; but the other had the gleam of a genuine devil in it.  Still he must have had fire and mettle in his day, if we may judge from the name he bore of Gunpowder.  He had, in fact, been a favorite steed of his master’s, the choleric Van Ripper, who was a furious rider, and had infused, very probably, some of his own spirit into the animal; for, old and broken-down as he looked, there was more of the lurking devil in him than in any young filly in the country.

Ichabod was a suitable figure for such a steed.  He rode with short stirrups, which brought his knees nearly up to the pommel of the saddle; his sharp elbows stuck out like grasshoppers’; he carried his whip perpendicularly in his hand, like a sceptre, and, as his horse jogged on, the motion of his arms was not unlike the flapping of a pair of wings.  A small wool hat rested on the top of his nose, for so his scanty strip of forehead might be called; and the skirts of his black coat fluttered out almost to the horse’s tail.  Such was the appearance of Ichabod and his steed, as they shambled out of the gate of Hans Van Ripper, and it was altogether such an apparition as is seldom to be met with in broad daylight.

It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day, the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance.  The forests had put on their sober brown and yellow, while some trees of the tenderer kind had been nipped by the frosts into brilliant dyes of orange, purple, and scarlet.  Streaming files of wild ducks began to make their appearance high in the air; the bark of the squirrel might be heard from the groves of beech and hickory nuts, and the pensive whistle of the quail at intervals from the neighboring stubble-field.

The small birds were taking their farewell banquets.  In the fullness of their revelry, they fluttered, chirping and frolicking, from bush to bush, and tree to tree, capricious from the very profusion and variety around them.  There was the honest cock-robin, the favorite game of stripling sportsmen, with its loud querulous note; and the twittering blackbirds flying in sable clouds; and the golden-winged woodpecker, with his crimson crest, his broad black gorget, and splendid plumage; and the cedar bird, with its red-tipt wings and yellow-tipt tail, and its little monteiro cap of feathers; and the blue jay, that noisy coxcomb, in his gay light-blue coat and white underclothes; screaming and chattering, nodding and bobbing and bowing, and pretending to be on good terms with every songster of the grove.

As Ichabod jogged slowly on his way, his eye, ever open to every symptom of culinary abundance, ranged with delight over the treasures of jolly autumn.  On all sides he beheld vast stores of apples; some hanging in oppressive opulence on the trees; some gathered into baskets and barrels for the market; others heaped up in rich piles for the cider-press.  Farther on he beheld great fields of Indian corn, with its golden ears peeping from their leafy coverts, and holding out the promise of cakes and hasty pudding; and the yellow pumpkins lying beneath them, turning up their fair round bellies to the sun, and giving ample prospects of the most luxurious of pies; and anon he passed the fragrant buckwheat fields, breathing the odor of the bee-hive, and as he beheld them, soft anticipations stole over his mind of dainty slapjacks, well buttered, and garnished with honey or treacle, by the delicate little dimpled hand of Katrina Van Tassel.

Thus feeding his mind with many sweet thoughts and “sugared suppositions,” he journeyed along the sides of a range of hills which look out upon some of the goodliest scenes of the mighty Hudson.  The sun gradually wheeled his broad disk down into the west.  The wide bosom of the Tappan Zee lay motionless and glassy, excepting that here and there a gentle undulation waved and prolonged the blue shadow of the distant mountain.  A few amber clouds floated in the sky, without a breath of air to move them. The horizon was of a fine golden tint, changing gradually into a pure apple green, and from that into the deep blue of the mid-heaven.  A slanting ray lingered on the woody crests of the precipices that overhung some parts of the river, giving greater depth to the dark-gray and purple of their rocky sides. A sloop was loitering in the distance, dropping slowly down with the tide, her sail hanging uselessly against the mast; and as the reflection of the sky gleamed along the still water, it seemed as if the vessel was suspended in the air.

It was toward evening that Ichabod arrived at the castle of the Herr Van Tassel, which he found thronged with the pride and flower of the adjacent country.  Old farmers, a spare leathern-faced race, in homespun coats and breeches, blue stockings, huge shoes, and magnificent pewter buckles.  Their brisk withered little dames, in close crimped caps, long-waisted shortgowns, homespun petticoats, with scissors and pincushions, and gay calico pockets hanging on the outside.  Buxom lasses, almost as antiquated as their mothers, excepting where a straw hat, a fine ribbon, or perhaps a white frock, gave symptoms of city innovation.  The sons, in short square-skirted coats with rows of stupendous brass buttons, and their hair generally queued in the fashion of the times, especially if they could procure an eel-skin for the purpose, it being esteemed, throughout the country, as a potent nourisher and strengthener of the hair.

Brom Bones, however, was the hero of the scene, having come to the gathering on his favorite steed Daredevil, a creature, like himself, full of mettle and mischief, and which no one but himself could manage.  He was, in fact, noted for preferring vicious animals, given to all kinds of tricks, which kept the rider in constant risk of his neck, for he held a tractable well-broken horse as unworthy of a lad of spirit.

Fain would I pause to dwell upon the world of charms that burst upon the enraptured gaze of my hero, as he entered the state parlor of Van Tassel’s mansion.  Not those of the bevy of buxom lasses, with their luxurious display of red and white; but the ample charms of a genuine Dutch country tea-table, in the sumptuous time of autumn.  Such heaped-up platters of cakes of various and almost indescribable kinds, known only to experienced Dutch housewives!  There was the doughty doughnut, the tender oly koek, and the crisp and crumbling cruller; sweet cakes and short cakes, ginger cakes and honey cakes, and the whole family of cakes.  And then there were apple pies and peach pies and pumpkin pies; besides slices of ham and smoked beef; and moreover delectable dishes of preserved plums, and peaches, and pears, and quinces; not to mention broiled shad and roasted chickens; together with bowls of milk and cream, all mingled higgledy-piggledy, pretty much as I have enumerated them, with the motherly tea-pot sending up its clouds of vapor from the midst—Heaven bless the mark!  I want breath and time to discuss this banquet as it deserves, and am too eager to get on with my story.  Happily, Ichabod Crane was not in so great a hurry as his historian, but did ample justice to every dainty.

He was a kind and thankful creature, whose heart dilated in proportion as his skin was filled with good cheer; and whose spirits rose with eating as some men’s do with drink.  He could not help, too, rolling his large eyes round him as he ate, and chuckling with the possibility that he might one day be lord of all this scene of almost unimaginable luxury and splendor.  Then, he thought, how soon he’d turn his back upon the old school-house; snap his fingers in the face of Hans Van Ripper, and every other niggardly patron, and kick any itinerant pedagogue out of doors that should dare to call him comrade!

Old Baltus Van Tassel moved about among his guests with a face dilated with content and good humor, round and jolly as the harvest moon.  His hospitable attentions were brief, but expressive, being confined to a shake of the hand, a slap on the shoulder, a loud laugh, and a pressing invitation to “fall to, and help themselves.”

And now the sound of the music from the common room, or hall, summoned to the dance.  The musician was an old gray-headed negro, who had been the itinerant orchestra of the neighborhood for more than half a century.  His instrument was as old and battered as himself.  The greater part of the time he scraped on two or three strings, accompanying every movement of the bow with a motion of the head; bowing almost to the ground, and stamping with his foot whenever a fresh couple were to start.

Ichabod prided himself upon his dancing as much as upon his vocal powers.  Not a limb, not a fibre about him was idle; and to have seen his loosely hung frame in full motion, and clattering about the room, you would have thought Saint Vitus himself, that blessed patron of the dance, was figuring before you in person.  He was the admiration of all the negroes; who, having gathered, of all ages and sizes, from the farm and the neighborhood, stood forming a pyramid of shining black faces at every door and window, gazing with delight at the scene, rolling their white eye-balls, and showing grinning rows of ivory from ear to ear.  How could the flogger of urchins be otherwise than animated and joyous? the lady of his heart was his partner in the dance, and smiling graciously in reply to all his amorous oglings; while Brom Bones, sorely smitten with love and jealousy, sat brooding by himself in one corner.

When the dance was at an end, Ichabod was attracted to a knot of the sager folks, who, with old Van Tassel, sat smoking at one end of the piazza, gossiping over former times, and drawing out long stories about the war.

This neighborhood, at the time of which I am speaking, was one of those highly-favored places which abound with chronicle and great men.  The British and American line had run near it during the war; it had, therefore, been the scene of marauding, and infested with refugees, cow-boys, and all kinds of border chivalry.  Just sufficient time had elapsed to enable each story-teller to dress up his tale with a little becoming fiction, and, in the indistinctness of his recollection, to make himself the hero of every exploit.

There was the story of Doffue Martling, a large blue-bearded Dutchman, who had nearly taken a British frigate with an old iron nine-pounder from a mud breastwork, only that his gun burst at the sixth discharge.  And there was an old gentleman who shall be nameless, being too rich a mynheer to be lightly mentioned, who, in the battle of Whiteplains, being an excellent master of defence, parried a musket ball with a small sword, insomuch that he absolutely felt it whiz round the blade, and glance off at the hilt: in proof of which, he was ready at any time to show the sword, with the hilt a little bent. There were several more that had been equally great in the field, not one of whom but was persuaded that he had a considerable hand in bringing the war to a happy termination.

But all these were nothing to the tales of ghosts and apparitions that succeeded.  The neighborhood is rich in legendary treasures of the kind.  Local tales and superstitions thrive best in these sheltered long-settled retreats; but are trampled under foot by the shifting throng that forms the population of most of our country places.  Besides, there is no encouragement for ghosts in most of our villages, for they have scarcely had time to finish their first nap, and turn themselves in their graves, before their surviving friends have travelled away from the neighborhood; so that when they turn out at night to walk their rounds, they have no acquaintance left to call upon.  This is perhaps the reason why we so seldom hear of ghosts except in our long-established Dutch communities.

The immediate cause, however, of the prevalence of supernatural stories in these parts, was doubtless owing to the vicinity of Sleepy Hollow.  There was a contagion in the very air that blew from that haunted region; it breathed forth an atmosphere of dreams and fancies infecting all the land.  Several of the Sleepy Hollow people were present at Van Tassel’s, and, as usual, were doling out their wild and wonderful legends.  Many dismal tales were told about funeral trains, and mourning cries and wailings heard and seen about the great tree where the unfortunate Major Andre was taken, and which stood in the neighborhood. Some mention was made also of the woman in white, that haunted the dark glen at Raven Rock, and was often heard to shriek on winter nights before a storm, having perished there in the snow. The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the church-yard.

The sequestered situation of this church seems always to have made it a favorite haunt of troubled spirits.  It stands on a knoll, surrounded by locust-trees and lofty elms, from among which its decent whitewashed walls shine modestly forth, like Christian purity beaming through the shades of retirement. A gentle slope descends from it to a silver sheet of water, bordered by high trees, between which, peeps may be caught at the blue hills of the Hudson.  To look upon its grass-grown yard, where the sunbeams seem to sleep so quietly, one would think that there at least the dead might rest in peace.  On one side of the church extends a wide woody dell, along which raves a large brook among broken rocks and trunks of fallen trees.  Over a deep black part of the stream, not far from the church, was formerly thrown a wooden bridge; the road that led to it, and the bridge itself, were thickly shaded by overhanging trees, which cast a gloom about it, even in the daytime; but occasioned a fearful darkness at night.  This was one of the favorite haunts of the headless horseman; and the place where he was most frequently encountered.  The tale was told of old Brouwer, a most heretical disbeliever in ghosts, how he met the horseman returning from his foray into Sleepy Hollow, and was obliged to get up behind him; how they galloped over bush and brake, over hill and swamp, until they reached the bridge; when the horseman suddenly turned into a skeleton, threw old Brouwer into the brook, and sprang away over the tree-tops with a clap of thunder.

This story was immediately matched by a thrice marvellous adventure of Brom Bones, who made light of the galloping Hessian as an arrant jockey.  He affirmed that, on returning one night from the neighboring village of Sing Sing, he had been overtaken by this midnight trooper; that he had offered to race with him for a bowl of punch, and should have won it too, for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but, just as they came to the church bridge, the Hessian bolted, and vanished in a flash of fire.

All these tales, told in that drowsy undertone with which men talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe, sank deep in the mind of Ichabod.  He repaid them in kind with large extracts from his invaluable author, Cotton Mather, and added many marvellous events that had taken place in his native State of Connecticut, and fearful sights which he had seen in his nightly walks about Sleepy Hollow.

The revel now gradually broke up.  The old farmers gathered together their families in their wagons, and were heard for some time rattling along the hollow roads, and over the distant hills.  Some of the damsels mounted on pillions behind their favorite swains, and their light-hearted laughter, mingling with the clatter of hoofs, echoed along the silent woodlands, sounding fainter and fainter until they gradually died away—and the late scene of noise and frolic was all silent and deserted.  Ichabod only lingered behind, according to the custom of country lovers, to have a tete-a-tete with the heiress, fully convinced that he was now on the high road to success.  What passed at this interview, I will not pretend to say, for in fact I do not know.  Something, however, I fear me, must have gone wrong, for he certainly sallied forth, after no very great interval, with an air quite desolate and chapfallen.—Oh these women! these women! Could that girl have been playing off any of her coquettish tricks?—Was her encouragement of the poor pedagogue all a mere sham to secure her conquest of his rival?—Heaven only knows, not I!—Let it suffice to say, Ichabod stole forth with the air of one who had been sacking a henroost, rather than a fair lady’s heart.  Without looking to the right or left to notice the scene of rural wealth, on which he had so often gloated, he went straight to the stable, and with several hearty cuffs and kicks, roused his steed most uncourteously from the comfortable quarters in which he was soundly sleeping, dreaming of mountains of corn and oats, and whole valleys of timothy and clover.

It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crest-fallen, pursued his travel homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above Tarry Town, and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon.  The hour was as dismal as himself.  Far below him, the Tappan Zee spread its dusky and indistinct waste of waters, with here and there the tall mast of a sloop, riding quietly at anchor under the land.  In the dead hush of midnight, he could even hear the barking of the watch dog from the opposite shore of the Hudson; but it was so vague and faint as only to give an idea of his distance from this faithful companion of man.  Now and then, too, the long-drawn crowing of a cock, accidentally awakened, would sound far, far off, from some farm-house away among the hills—but it was like a dreaming sound in his ear.  No signs of life occurred near him, but occasionally the melancholy chirp of a cricket, or perhaps the guttural twang of a bullfrog, from a neighboring marsh, as if sleeping uncomfortably, and turning suddenly in his bed.

All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard in the afternoon, now came crowding upon his recollection. The night grew darker and darker; the stars seemed to sink deeper in the sky, and driving clouds occasionally hid them from his sight. He had never felt so lonely and dismayed.  He was, moreover, approaching the very place where many of the scenes of the ghost stories had been laid.  In the centre of the road stood an enormous tulip-tree, which towered like a giant above all the other trees of the neighborhood, and formed a kind of landmark.  Its limbs were gnarled, and fantastic, large enough to form trunks for ordinary trees, twisting down almost to the earth, and rising again into the air. It was connected with the tragical story of the unfortunate Andre, who had been taken prisoner hard by; and was universally known by the name of Major Andre’s tree.  The common people regarded it with a mixture of respect and superstition, partly out of sympathy for the fate of its ill-starred namesake, and partly from the tales of strange sights and doleful lamentations told concerning it.

As Ichabod approached this fearful tree, he began to whistle:  he thought his whistle was answered—it was but a blast sweeping sharply through the dry branches.  As he approached a little nearer, he thought he saw something white, hanging in the midst of the tree—he paused and ceased whistling; but on looking more narrowly, perceived that it was a place where the tree had been scathed by lightning, and the white wood laid bare.  Suddenly he heard a groan—his teeth chattered and his knees smote against the saddle: it was but the rubbing of one huge bough upon another, as they were swayed about by the breeze.  He passed the tree in safety, but new perils lay before him.

About two hundred yards from the tree a small brook crossed the road, and ran into a marshy and thickly-wooded glen, known by the name of Wiley’s swamp.  A few rough logs, laid side by side, served for a bridge over this stream.  On that side of the road where the brook entered the wood, a group of oaks and chestnuts, matted thick with wild grape-vines, threw a cavernous gloom over it.  To pass this bridge was the severest trial.  It was at this identical spot that the unfortunate Andre was captured, and under the covert of those chestnuts and vines were the sturdy yeomen concealed who surprised him. This has ever since been considered a haunted stream, and fearful are the feelings of the schoolboy who has to pass it alone after dark.

As he approached the stream his heart began to thump; he summoned up, however, all his resolution, gave his horse half a score of kicks in the ribs, and attempted to dash briskly across the bridge; but instead of starting forward, the perverse old animal made a lateral movement, and ran broadside against the fence.  Ichabod, whose fears increased with the delay, jerked the reins on the other side, and kicked lustily with the contrary foot: it was all in vain; his steed started, it is true, but it was only to plunge to the opposite side of the road into a thicket of brambles and alder bushes.  The schoolmaster now bestowed both whip and heel upon the starveling ribs of old Gunpowder, who dashed forward, snuffling and snorting, but came to a stand just by the bridge, with a suddenness that had nearly sent his rider sprawling over his head.  Just at this moment a splashy tramp by the side of the bridge caught the sensitive ear of Ichabod.  In the dark shadow of the grove, on the margin of the brook, he beheld something huge, misshapen, black and towering.  It stirred not, but seemed gathered up in the gloom, like some gigantic monster ready to spring upon the traveller.

The hair of the affrighted pedagogue rose upon his head with terror.  What was to be done?  To turn and fly was now too late; and besides, what chance was there of escaping ghost or goblin, if such it was, which could ride upon the wings of the wind? Summoning up, therefore, a show of courage, he demanded in stammering accents—“Who are you?”  He received no reply.  He repeated his demand in a still more agitated voice.  Still there was no answer.  Once more he cudgelled the sides of the inflexible Gunpowder, and, shutting his eyes, broke forth with involuntary fervor into a psalm tune.  Just then the shadowy object of alarm put itself in motion, and, with a scramble and a bound, stood at once in the middle of the road.  Though the night was dark and dismal, yet the form of the unknown might now in some degree be ascertained.  He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame.  He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder, who had now got over his fright and waywardness.

Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving him behind.  The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace.  Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind—the other did the same.  His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave.  There was something in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion, that was mysterious and appalling.  It was soon fearfully accounted for.  On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck, on perceiving that he was headless!—but his horror was still more increased, on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of the saddle:  his terror rose to desperation; he rained a shower of kicks and blows upon Gunpowder, hoping by a sudden movement, to give his companion the slip—but the spectre started full jump with him.  Away then they dashed, through thick and thin; stones flying, and sparks flashing at every bound. Ichabod’s flimsy garments fluttered in the air, as he stretched his long lank body away over his horse’s head, in the eagerness of his flight.

They had now reached the road which turns off to Sleepy Hollow; but Gunpowder, who seemed possessed with a demon, instead of keeping up it, made an opposite turn, and plunged headlong down hill to the left.  This road leads through a sandy hollow, shaded by trees for about a quarter of a mile, where it crosses the bridge famous in goblin story, and just beyond swells the green knoll on which stands the whitewashed church.

As yet the panic of the steed had given his unskillful rider an apparent advantage in the chase; but just as he had got half way through the hollow, the girths of the saddle gave way, and he felt it slipping from under him. He seized it by the pommel, and endeavored to hold it firm, but in vain; and had just time to save himself by clasping old Gunpowder round the neck, when the saddle fell to the earth, and he heard it trampled under foot by his pursuer. For a moment the terror of Hans Van Ripper’s wrath passed across his mind—for it was his Sunday saddle; but this was no time for petty fears; the goblin was hard on his haunches; and (unskillful rider that he was!) he had much ado to maintain his seat; sometimes slipping on one side, sometimes on another, and sometimes jolted on the high ridge of his horse’s backbone, with a violence that he verily feared would cleave him asunder.

An opening in the trees now cheered him with the hopes that the church bridge was at hand.  The wavering reflection of a silver star in the bosom of the brook told him that he was not mistaken.  He saw the walls of the church dimly glaring under the trees beyond.  He recollected the place where Brom Bones’s ghostly competitor had disappeared.  “If I can but reach that bridge,” thought Ichabod, “I am safe.”  Just then he heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; he even fancied that he felt his hot breath.  Another convulsive kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; he thundered over the resounding planks; he gained the opposite side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind to see if his pursuer should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone.  Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the very act of hurling his head at him.  Ichabod endeavored to dodge the horrible missile, but too late.  It encountered his cranium with a tremendous crash—he was tumbled headlong into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin rider, passed by like a whirlwind.

The next morning the old horse was found without his saddle, and with the bridle under his feet, soberly cropping the grass at his master’s gate.  Ichabod did not make his appearance at breakfast—dinner-hour came, but no Ichabod.  The boys assembled at the school-house and strolled idly about the banks of the brook; but no schoolmaster.  Hans Van Ripper now began to feel some uneasiness about the fate of poor Ichabod, and his saddle.  An inquiry was set on foot, and after diligent investigation they came upon his traces.  In one part of the road leading to the church was found the saddle trampled in the dirt; the tracks of horses’ hoofs deeply dented in the road, and evidently at furious speed, were traced to the bridge, beyond which, on the bank of a broad part of the brook, where the water ran deep and black, was found the hat of the unfortunate Ichabod, and close beside it a shattered pumpkin.

The brook was searched, but the body of the schoolmaster was not to be discovered.  Hans Van Ripper, as executor of his estate, examined the bundle which contained all his worldly effects.  They consisted of two shirts and a half; two stocks for the neck; a pair or two of worsted stockings; an old pair of corduroy small-clothes; a rusty razor; a book of psalm tunes, full of dogs’ ears; and a broken pitchpipe.  As to the books and furniture of the school-house, they belonged to the community, excepting Cotton Mather’s History of Witchcraft, a New England Almanac, and a book of dreams and fortune-telling; in which last was a sheet of foolscap much scribbled and blotted in several fruitless attempts to make a copy of verses in honor of the heiress of Van Tassel.  These magic books and the poetic scrawl were forthwith consigned to the flames by Hans Van Ripper; who from that time forward determined to send his children no more to school; observing, that he never knew any good come of this same reading and writing.  Whatever money the schoolmaster possessed, and he had received his quarter’s pay but a day or two before, he must have had about his person at the time of his disappearance.

The mysterious event caused much speculation at the church on the following Sunday.  Knots of gazers and gossips were collected in the church-yard, at the bridge, and at the spot where the hat and pumpkin had been found.  The stories of Brouwer, of Bones, and a whole budget of others, were called to mind; and when they had diligently considered them all, and compared them with the symptoms of the present case, they shook their heads, and came to the conclusion that Ichabod had been carried off by the galloping Hessian.  As he was a bachelor, and in nobody’s debt, nobody troubled his head any more about him.  The school was removed to a different quarter of the hollow, and another pedagogue reigned in his stead.

It is true, an old farmer, who had been down to New York on a visit several years after, and from whom this account of the ghostly adventure was received, brought home the intelligence that Ichabod Crane was still alive; that he had left the neighborhood, partly through fear of the goblin and Hans Van Ripper, and partly in mortification at having been suddenly dismissed by the heiress; that he had changed his quarters to a distant part of the country; had kept school and studied law at the same time, had been admitted to the bar, turned politician, electioneered, written for the newspapers, and finally had been made a justice of the Ten Pound Court.  Brom Bones too, who shortly after his rival’s disappearance conducted the blooming Katrina in triumph to the altar, was observed to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related, and always burst into a hearty laugh at the mention of the pumpkin; which led some to suspect that he knew more about the matter than he chose to tell.

The old country wives, however, who are the best judges of these matters, maintain to this day that Ichabod was spirited away by supernatural means; and it is a favorite story often told about the neighborhood round the winter evening fire.  The bridge became more than ever an object of superstitious awe, and that may be the reason why the road has been altered of late years, so as to approach the church by the border of the mill-pond.  The school-house being deserted, soon fell to decay, and was reported to be haunted by the ghost of the unfortunate pedagogue; and the ploughboy, loitering homeward of a still summer evening, has often fancied his voice at a distance, chanting a melancholy psalm tune among the tranquil solitudes of Sleepy Hollow.

http://library.adelaide.edu.au/etext/i/i72s/s_hollow.html

W. W. JACOBS - 1902

(simplified)

“Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.”—Anonymous

Part I

            Outside, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlor of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly.  Father and son were playing chess; the former, thought the game should involve radical chances and put his king into such unnecessary danger that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting quietly by the fire.

            “Listen to that wind,” said Mr. White, seeing a mistake after it was too late, and trying to prevent his son from seeing it.

            “I’m listening,” said the latter grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand.  “Check.”

            “I hardly think he’s coming tonight,” said his father, with his hand over the board.

            “Mate,” replied the son.

            “That’s the worst part of living so far out in the country,” shouted Mr. White with sudden and unexpected violence.  “Of all the nasty, out of the way places to live in, this is the worst.  The road’s always muddy.  I don’t know what people are thinking about.  I suppose it’s that way because only two houses in the road are rented.  They think it doesn’t matter.”

            “Never mind, dear,” said his wife soothingly, “perhaps you’ll win the next one.”

            Mr. White looked up, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son.  The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin gray beard. 

“There he is,” said Herbert White as the gate banged loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.

            The old man rose hastily and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival.  Mr. White entered the room followed by a tall, burly man with beady eyes and a red face.

            “Sergeant-Major Morris,” he said, introducing himself.

            The Sergeant-Major shook hands, and taking a seat by the fire, watched contentedly as his host got out whiskey and glasses, and put a small copper kettle on the fire.

            After the third glass his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk.  The little family looked at this visitor from distant places with eager interest, as he spoke of wild experiences and brave deeds and wars and plagues and strange peoples.

            “Twenty-one years of it,” said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son.  “When he went away he was a young man in the warehouse.  Now look at him.”

            “He doesn’t look to have suffered much harm,” said Mrs. White politely.

            “I’d like to go to India myself,” said the old man, “just to look around a bit, you know.”

            “Better where you are,” said the Sergeant-Major, shaking his head.  He put down the empty glass, and sighed softly.

            “I would like to see those old temples and other strange things,” said the old man.  “What was that that you started telling me the other day about a monkey’s paw or something, Morris?”

            “Nothing,” said the soldier hastily.  “Anyway, nothing worth hearing.”

“Monkey’s paw?” said Mrs. White curiously.

            “Well, it’s just a bit of what you might call magic,” said the Sergeant-Major.

            His three listeners leaned forward eagerly.  The visitor absent-mindedly put his empty glass to his lips, and then set it down again.  His host filled it for him again.

            “The Sergeant-Major, fumbling in his pocket, said, “It looks like just an ordinary little monkey’s paw, dried like a mummy.”

            He took something out of his pocket and offered it.  Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, examined it curiously.

            “And what is special about it?” inquired Mr. White as he took it from his son, examined it, and placed it on the table.

            “It had a magic spell put on it by an old Fakir,” said the Sergeant-Major, “a very holy man.  He wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with fate did so to their sorrow.  He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it.”

            “Well, why don’t you have three, sir?” said Herbert White cleverly.

            The soldier regarded him the way that middle aged look at impertinent young people.  “I have,” he said quietly, and his red face whitened.

            “And did you really have the three wishes granted?” asked Mrs. White.

            “I did,” said the Sergeant-Major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth.

            “And has anybody else wished?” persisted the old lady.

            “Yes, the first man had his three wishes,” was the reply.  “I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death.  That’s how I got the paw.”

            His tone was so grave that a hush fell upon the group.

            “If you’ve had your three wishes it’s no good to you now then Morris,” said the old man at last.  “What do you keep it for?”

            The soldier shook his head and said slowly,  “I did have some idea of selling it, but I don’t think I will.  It has caused me enough trouble already.  Besides, people won’t buy it.  Most think it’s a fairy tale.  Those who do believe it want to try it first and pay me afterward.”

            “If you could have another three wishes,” said the old man, eyeing him keenly, “would you have them?”

            “I don’t know,” said the other.  “I don’t know.”

            He took the paw, and holding it between his forefinger and thumb, suddenly threw it on the fire.  White, with a slight cry, bent down and snatched it off.

            “Better let it burn,” said the soldier gravely.

            “If you don’t want it Morris,” said White, “give it to me.”

“I won’t,” said his friend.  “I threw it on the fire.  If you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens.  Throw it on the fire like a sensible man.”

            The other shook his head and examined his possession closely.  “How do you do it?” he inquired.

            “Hold it up in your right hand, and wish aloud,” said the Sergeant-Major, “but I warn you of the consequences.”

            “Sounds like the Arabian Nights,” said Mrs. White, as she rose and began to set the table for supper.  “Don’t you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me.”

            Her husband drew the paw from his pocket, and all three burst into laughter as the Sergeant-Major, with a look of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.

            “If you must wish,” he said, “wish for something sensible.”

Mr. White dropped it back into his pocket, and motioned his friend to the table.  During supper, the paw was partly forgotten, and afterward the three sat listening to a second installment of the soldier’s adventures in India.

            “If the tale about the monkey’s paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us,” said Herbert, as the door closed behind their guest, “we won’t get much out of it.”

            “Did you give anything for it, father?” inquired Mrs. White, regarding her husband closely.

            “Not much,” said he, reddening slightly.  “He didn’t want it, but I made him take it.  And he pressed me again to throw it away.”

            “Likely,” said Herbert, with pretended horror.  “Why, we’re going to be rich and famous and happy.”

            Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it doubtfully.  “I don’t know what to wish for,” he said slowly.  It seems to me I’ve got all I want.”

            “If you paid for the house, you’d be quite happy, wouldn’t you!” said Herbert, with his hand on his shoulder.  “Well, wish for two hundred pounds.  Then, you can pay it off.”

            His father, smiling shamefacedly, held up the paw.  “I wish for two hundred pounds,” said the old man.

            The old man cried out and his wife and son ran toward him.

            “It moved,” he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor.  “As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake.”

            “Well, I don’t see the money,” said his son, as he picked it up and placed it on the table, “and I’m sure I never will.”

            They sat down by the fire again while the two men, father and son, finished their pipes.  Outside, the wind was higher than ever as the old man sat nervously.  An unusual silence settled on all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to go to bed.

            “I expect you’ll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of your bed,” said Herbert, as he said goodnight.”

            He sat alone in the darkness, looking at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it.  The last was so horrible and so simian (monkey-like) that he gazed at it in amazement.  It got so life-like that, with a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little water to throw over it.  His hand touched the monkey’s paw, and with a little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and went up to bed.

Part II

            In the brightness of the wintry sun next morning at the breakfast table, he laughed at his fears.  The dirty little paw was still on the table.

            “I suppose all old soldiers are the same,” said Mrs. White.  “We shouldn’t have listened to such nonsense!  How could wishes be granted like that?  And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?”

            “It might drop on his head from the sky,” said Herbert.

            “Morris said the things happened so naturally,” said his father, “that you might think it was coincidence.”

            “Well, I have to be going,” said Herbert as he rose from the table.

            His mother followed him to the door, watched him go down the road, and then returned to the breakfast table.  She went back to the door at the postman’s knock, where she found that the postman had brought a tailor’s bill.

----------

            “Herbert will have some more of his funny comments, I expect, when he comes home,” she said as they sat at dinner.

            “I’m sure,” said Mr. White, pouring himself some beer; “but the thing moved in my hand.  I swear it’s true.”

            “You thought it did,” said the old lady.

            “I say it did,” replied Mr. White.  “I have no doubt about it; I had just...  What’s the matter?”

            His wife made no reply.  She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside, who appeared to be trying to make up his mind to enter.  Thinking about the two hundred pounds, she noticed that the stranger was well dressed, and wore a new silk hat.  Three times he paused at the gate, and then walked on again.  The fourth time he stood with his hand on it, and then suddenly opened it and walked up to the house. 

            Mrs. White went to the door and brought the stranger, who seemed nervous, into the room.  He stared at her for a moment.  She waited patiently for him to state his business, but he was at first strangely silent.

            “I was asked to call,” he said at last.  “I come from Maw and Meggins, your son’s company.”

            “Is anything the matter?” the old lady asked.  “Has anything happened to Herbert?  What is it?  What is it?

            Her husband interrupted.  “You’ve not brought bad news, I’m sure sir,” and eyed the other nervously.

            “I’m sorry,” began the visitor.

            “Is he hurt?” demanded the mother.

            The visitor quietly said, “Badly hurt, but he is not in any pain.”

            “Oh thank God!” said the old woman, clasping her hands.  “Thank God for that!”

            “He was caught in the machinery,” said the visitor in a low voice.

            “Caught in the machinery,” repeated Mr. White, who sat staring out the window, and took his wife’s hand between his own. 

            “He was the only one left to us,” he said, turning gently to the visitor.  “It is hard.”

            The visitor coughed, and rising , walked slowly to the window.  “The company wishes me to express our sincere sympathy to you in your great loss,” he said, without looking round.

            There was no reply; the old woman’s face was white, her eyes staring.  On the husband’s face was a grave look.

            “I was told to say that Maw and Meggins reject all responsibility,” continued the visitor.  “They admit no responsibility at all, but in consideration of your son’s services, they wish to present you with a certain sum of money as compensation.”

            Mr. White dropped his wife’s hand, and rising to his feet, stared with a look of horror at his visitor.  His dry lips shaped the words, “How much?”

            “Two hundred pounds,” was the answer.

            The old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped to the floor.

Part III

            In the huge new cemetery, some two miles distant, the old people buried their son, and came back to the house in silence.  It was all over so quickly that at first they could hardly realize it, and remained in a state of expectation as though something else would happen to lighten this load, too heavy for old hearts to bear.

            But the days passed, and they lost hope.  Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were long and tiring.

            It was a about a week after that the old man, waking suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and found himself alone in bed.  The room was in darkness, and the sound of weeping came from the window.  He raised himself in bed and listened.

            “Come back,” he said. “You will be cold.”

            “It is colder for my son,” said the old woman, and wept afresh.

The sounds of her crying stopped.  The bed was warm, and his eyes were heavy with sleep.  He slept fitfully until a sudden wild cry from his wife awoke him.

            “THE PAW!” she cried wildly. “THE MONKEY’S PAW!”

            “Where?  Where is it?  What’s the matter?”

            She came stumbling across the room toward him.  “I want it,” she said quietly. “You haven’t destroyed it?”

            “It’s in the parlor,” he replied wondering.  “Why?”

            She cried and laughed together, and bending over, kissed his cheek.

            “I’ve only just thought of it,” she said.  “Why didn’t I think of it before?  Why didn’t you think of it?”

            “Think of what?” he questioned.

            “The other two wishes,” she replied rapidly.  “We’ve only had one.”

            “Wasn’t that enough?” he demanded.

            “No,” she cried.  “We’ll have one more.  Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again.”

            The man sat in bed and flung the bedclothes from his quaking limbs.  “Good God, you are mad!” he cried.

            “Get it,” she shouted; “get it quickly, and wish.  Oh my boy, my boy!”

            Her husband struck a match and lit the candle.  “Get back to bed,” he said.  “You don’t know what you are saying.”

            “We had the first wish granted,” said the old woman.  “Why not the second?”

            “A coincidence,” said the old man.

            “Go get it and wish,” cried his wife, with excitement.

The old man turned, and his voice shook.  “He has been dead ten days, and besides I could only recognize him by his clothing.  If he was too terrible for you to see...?”

            “Bring him back,” cried the old woman, and dragged him towards the door.  “Do you think I fear the child I have nursed?”

            He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the parlor, and then to the mantelpiece.  The paw was in its place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him came upon him.  His brow cold with sweat, he felt his way round the table, and along the wall until he found himself in the small hallway with the awful thing in his hand.

            Even his wife’s face seemed changed as he entered the room.  He was afraid.

            “WISH!” she cried in a strong voice.

            “It is foolish and wicked,” he faltered.

            “WISH!” repeated his wife.

            He raised his hand and said, “I wish my son alive again.”

            The paw fell to the floor, and he looked at it fearfully.  Then, he sank trembling into a chair.  The old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.

            He sat until he was chilled with the cold, glancing occasionally at the figure of the old woman looking through the window.  The candle, which had burned below the rim of the candlestick, was throwing shadows on the ceiling and walls until it went out.  The old

man, with a sense of relief at the failure of the paw, went back to his bed, and a minute afterward the old woman came silently and lay beside him.

            Neither spoke, but lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock.  The darkness was oppressive.  After lying for some time gathering his courage, he took the box of matches, and striking one, went downstairs for a candle.

            At the bottom of the stairs the match went out, and he paused to strike another.  At the same moment, a quiet knock sounded on the front door.

            The matches fell from his hand and spilled in the hallway.  He stood motionless and breathless until the knock was repeated.  He then turned and ran quickly back to his room, and closed the door behind him.  A third knock sounded through the house.

            “WHAT’S THAT?” cried the old woman, sitting up.

            “A rat,” said the old man shaking.  “It passed me on the stairs.”

            His wife sat up in bed listening.  Another loud knock sounded through the house.

            “It’s Herbert!”

            She ran to the door, but her husband was before her, and caught her by the arm, and held her tightly.

            “What are you going to do?” he whispered.

“It’s my boy.  It’s Herbert!” she cried, struggling.  “I forgot the cemetery was two miles away.  What are you holding me for?  Let go.  I must open the door.”

            “For God’s sake don’t let it in,” cried the old man, trembling.

            “You’re afraid of your own son,” she cried struggling.  “Let me go.  I’m coming, Herbert.  I’m coming.”

            There was another knock, and another.  The old woman broke free and ran from the room.  Her husband followed, and called after her as she hurried downstairs.  He heard the chain rattle back.  Then the old woman’s voice, strained and panting.

            “The bolt,” she cried loudly.  “Come down.  I can’t reach it.”

            But her husband was on his hands and knees searching wildly on the floor for the paw.  If only he could find it before the thing outside got in.  A series of knocks sounded through the house, and he heard the scraping of a chair as his wife put it down against the door. he heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey’s paw, and breathed his third and last wish.

            The knocking stopped suddenly.  He heard the chair drawn back, and the door opened.  A cold wind rushed up the stairs, carrying a long, loud cry of disappointment from his wife.  He ran down to her side, and then to the gate beyond.  The streetlamp opposite the house shone on a quiet and deserted road.

-THE END-

 Some Gaelic & Irish English Loan Words:

I. Matching:

1.   _____ a donnybrook –n.  /'dnibrˆk/

2.   _____ boycott – v./n. /'bƒö kt/

3.   _____ smashed/blown to

                              smithereens –n.

                  (always plural)  / ¤smö¶\'rinz/

4.   _____ a banshee –n. /'b¾n ‰i/

5.   _____ a brogue –n. /broˆg/

6.   _____ stout –n. /staˆt/

7.   _____ blarney –n. /'blŒrni/

8.   _____ a leprechaun –n. /'lep rW kŒ:n/

9.   _____ a shillelagh –n. /‰W'leö li/

10. _____ a limerick –n. /'löm\rök/

11. _____ Saint Patrick –n. /seönt'p¾trök/

12. _____ a shamrock –n. /'‰¾m rk/

13. _____ to shilly-shally –v. /'‰öli ‰¾li/

                  (may come from: ‘Shall I or shall I not?’)

14. _____ stew –v./n.  /stu/

15. _____ wee –adj.  /wi/ Scottish/Irish Eng.

a.   the Patron Saint of Ireland

b.   a type of humorous poem

c.   a formidable club or walking stick

d.   a small elf of Irish folklore

e.   misleading nonsense or flattery

      (He’s full of blarney.)

f.    a strong dark beer

g.   an Irish accent

      (She has a nice Irish brogue.)

h.   a thick soup made with meat and

      vegetables

i.    small pieces; bits

      (It was smashed to smithereens.)

j.    to refuse to deal with (usually buy or sell)

        (We’re boycotting that company’s products

                because they cause so much pollution.)

k.   a rough fight or brawl; a free-for-all

      (That fight was a real donnybrook.)

l.    a national symbol of Ireland

m.  a female spirit who wails to warn that

      someone in your family is going to die

      (He was screaming like a banshee.)

o.   tiny, very small

        (I’m a wee bit tired.)

p.   to hesitate, waste time

      (Stop shilly-shallying and get on with it.)

II. Idioms with green

·         “the wearing of the green”—wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day

·         the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence—what we don’t have seems better than what we have

·         the green-eyed monster—jealousy

·         to be green around the gills— to look very sick

·         to be green with envy—to be very envious

·         to be green—to be inexperienced at something

·         to give the green light—give permission to go ahead with something

·         to have a green thumb—to be good at growing plants

Possible activities:

1.   Have Ss guess the meanings.

2.   Have Ss draw pictures to show the meanings.

3.   Make a matching or multiple choice exercise.

Vocab:  luck, parade, rainbow, March 17-St. Patrick’s Day, shamrock, leprechaun, green

W  

Leprechaun Logic Problem

Five Leprechauns (Joshua, Hunter, Cameron, Owen, and Cody) are each different heights (2 feet and 10 inches, 2 feet, 3 feet and 9 inches, 2 feet and 5 inches, and 3 feet and 5 inches).

Directions:  Read the information below and figure out how tall each Leprechaun is.

1.  Cody is shorter than Cameron and shorter than Hunter.

2.  Hunter is taller than both Owen and Cameron.

3.  Joshua is the tallest Leprechaun.

4.  Cody is not taller than Owen

5.  Cameron is taller than Owen.

http://www.edhelper.com/StPatricks_Day_Logic49.htm

St. Patrick’s Day Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game

		GREEN
	an Irish Flag (green, white, & orange)	a leprechaun sitting on a shamrock	two leprechauns dancing
three men singing and drinking beer	an Irish harp	a snake	St. Patrick
a leprechaun sitting under a mushroom	a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow	GREEN	a shamrock
a map of Ireland	a leprechaun smoking a pipe	A leprechaun is waving at you.	a pot of gold

Irish Blessings/Toasts, Poems, Chants, Limericks, Jokes, and Riddles

Irish Blessings and Toasts:

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back,

The sun shine warm upon your face,

The rain fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

--An Irish Blessing

May you always have

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire,

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire!

--An Irish Blessing

May you be in

Heaven a half hour before the

Devil knows you're dead!

--An Irish Blessing

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

--An Irish Blessing

May the best day of your past

Be the worst day of your future.

--An Irish Blessing

May your neighbors respect you,

Troubles neglect you,

The angels protect you,

And Heaven accept you.

--An Irish Blessing

Here's to a long life and a merry one

A quick death and an easy one

A pretty girl and an honest one

A cold beer and another one!

--An Irish Blessing

May your pockets be heavy

and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you

each morning and night,

--An Irish Blessing

May your home always be

too small to hold all your friends.

--An Irish Blessing

May you live as long as you want,

And never want as long as you live.

--An Irish Blessing

If you're lucky enough to be Irish...

You're lucky enough!

--an Irish Saying

Dance as if no one were watching,

Sing as if no one were listening,

And live every day as if it were your last.

--Irish Advice

Poems and Chants (for St. Patrick’s Day-Probably not Irish):

Leprechaun, Leprauchan (TPR Rhyme)

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Reach up high.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Touch the sky.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Turn around.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Touch the ground.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Show your shoe.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

That will do. (=That’s enough./

That’s good enough.)

I'm a Little Shamrock (TPR Song)

(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a little shamrock, (Hold fingers close

 together to represent something tiny.)

See my leaves. (Close one eye, and pretend

 to look through magnifying glass.)

Count my petals, (count on fingers)

If you please.

If you give me water and lots of sun,

(Pretend to pour water.)

I'll bring you good luck and lots of fun!

(Smile.)

Have You Seen a Leprechaun?

Oh, have you seen a leprechaun,

A leprechaun, a leprechaun?

Oh, have you seen a leprechaun

That came from Ireland?

Oh, yes I've seen a leprechaun,

A leprechaun, a leprechaun!

Oh, yes I've seen a leprechaun

That came from Ireland!

Where did you see a leprechaun,

A leprechaun, a leprechaun?

Where did you see a leprechaun

That came from Ireland?

I spied him in the forest green,

The forest green, the forest green.

I spied him in the forest green,

The tiniest man I've seen.

I'm a Little Leprechaun

(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a little leprechaun

Dressed in green,

The tiniest man

You've ever seen.

If you ever catch me, so it's told,

I will give you my pot of gold!

Leprechaun Dancing

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the right.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the right.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the right.

Dance to the right,

My green friend.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the left.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the left.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance to the left.

Dance to the left,

My green friend.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance all around.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance all around.

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

Dance all around.

Dance all around,

My green friend.

St. Patrick's Day

Let's wear green and dance a jig,

Let's wear green and dance a jig,

Let's wear green and dance a jig,

On St. Patrick's Day.

Let's find a clover with four leaves,

Let's find a clover with four leaves,

Let's find a clover with four leaves,

On St. Patrick's Day.

Let's look for leprechauns on their way,

Let's look for leprechauns on their way,

Let's look for leprechauns on their way,

On St. Patrick's Day.

Let's search for gold at the rainbow's end,

Let's search for gold at the rainbow's end,

Let's search for gold at the rainbow's end,

On St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Jokes:

Finnegan’s wife

Finnegan’s wife had been killed in an accident and the police were questioning him:

Police Officer:     "Did she say anything before she died?"

Finnegan:            "She spoke without interruption for about forty years."

The Three-legged Pet Pig

A young man went into a bar with his pet pig and asked for a couple of drinks.  

The bartender said "Sorry, no animals are allowed in the bar. "  

The man replied, "Ah, but this is a very special pig.  Just last week there was a fire in my house and that pig came into the house and woke us all up.  Then, a few days later my son fell into the pond and that pig jumped into the pond and saved him."

"Well," said the bartender, "I guess this pig is very special, so I'll get him a drink.  By the way, I noticed that he only has three legs, what happened?"

"Well said the young man, when you have got a pig this good you don't eat him all at once!"

Mr. Mahoney’s Problem

Dr. Kelley (puzzled):       "I'm very sorry but I can't diagnose your trouble, Mr. Mahoney.  I       think it must be drink."

Mr. Mahoney:                   "Don't worry about it Dr. Kelley, I'll come back when you're sober."

Mike on his deathbed:

Mike lay dying on his bed when his wife Brigid came to him, and asked if there was anything he wanted.

Mike said, "Brigid, what is that delicious smell coming from the kitchen?"

Brigid replied, "Oh Mike, that’s a ham I am baking."

Mike said, "Brigid, as my dying wish I would love to have some of that ham you're baking."

Then Brigid said, "Oh Mike, I'm saving that for the wake!"

http://theholidayspot.com/patrick/irish_jokes.htm

A Kerryman (a man from Kerry) went to London and found himself in the Underground late one night.  Seeing a notice "DOGS MUST BE CARRIED ON THE ESCALATOR," he moaned to himself, "And where am I going to find a dog at this hour of the night?"

Two Kerryman went on a holiday to France and stayed at a country farmhouse.  They were disgusted to find that everybody in France, even the kids, spoke French.

One morning they were awakened by a cock crowing.

"You know," said the one Kerryman to the other, "That's the first word of English we've heard spoken since we arrived!"

A Kerryman rang Aer Lingus (the Irish national airline) and asked how long it took to fly from Dublin to London.

"Just a minute sir," said the girl on the desk.

"Thank you," said the Kerryman and hung up.

A fellow walked into a bar in Dublin and asked the barman if he had heard the latest Kerryman joke,

"I'm warning you," said the barman, "I'm a Kerryman myself."

"That's OK," said the fellow, "I'll tell it slowly."

A man hired a Kerryman as an assistant to take phone calls.  One day the phone rang, and when the Kerryman answered, he hung up immediately.

"Who was that?" asked his boss.

"Some fool saying it was a long distance from New York.  I told him everybody knew that."

How do you recognise a Kerryman on an oil rig?

He's the one throwing crusts of bread to the helicopters...

Why do Tipperarymen (men from Tipperary) always carry a little rubbish in their pockets?

Identification

What's the difference between a Clareman (a man from Clare) and a bucket of fertiliser?

The bucket.

A Donegalman rushed into a barber's shop with a pig under his arm.

"Where did you get that?" asked the barber.

"I won him in a raffle," said the pig.

A Thought Problem:

Three Irish guys go into a pub, have a few pints, and are ready to leave and pay their tab.  The bartender brings them a bill for exactly £30.00.  Each guy gives him a tenner, and they leave.

When the bartender hands the £30.00 to the cashier, he is told a mistake was made.  The bill was only £25.00, not £30.00.  The cashier gives the bartender five £1.00 notes, and tells him to take it back to the 3 Irish guys.

On his way out of the pub, the bartender has a thought:  these guys did not give him a tip.  (Editor's note: yes, I know they do not generally tip in Ireland, please just play along.)  He figures that since there is no way to split £5.00 evenly three ways anyhow, he will keep two pounds for himself and give them back three pounds.

OK!  So far so good!

He taps one of the guys on the shoulder and explains about a mix up in the bill, and hands the guy the three pounds, then departs with his two-pound tip in his pocket.

Now the fun begins!

Remember £30 - £25 = £5.  Right?  £5 - £3 = £2.  Right?

So what's the problem?

All is well, right?

Not quite… Answer this:

Each of the three guys originally gave £10.00 each.

They each got back £1.00 in change.

That means they paid £9.00 each, which times three is £27.00.

The bartender kept £2.00 for a tip.

£27.00 plus £2.00 equals £29.00.

Where is the other pound??????????

Riddles (about St. Patrick’s Day, but not Irish):

What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?                      a sham rock

Why do frogs like St. Patrick's Day?                             because they’re always wearing green

When is an Irish Potato not an Irish Potato?                  when it’s a French fry

What does it mean when you find a horseshoe?             Some poor horse is going barefoot.

Why did the elephant wear his green sneakers

                   instead of his red ones?                          His red ones were dirty.

Why is a river rich?                                                   It has two banks.

Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?    He couldn’t afford plane fare.

What happens when a leprechaun falls into a river?        He gets wet.

What is a nuahcerpel?                                               Leprechaun spelled backwards.

Limericks:

A limerick is a particular style of humorous verse which originated in Ireland (Limerick is a town's name).  Limericks always have 5 lines.  The first, second and fifth lines should rhyme, and so should the third and fourth lines (which are shorter).  The longer three lines normally each have between 7 and 9 syllables.  The shorter two lines normally each have 5 or 6 syllables.  

However, strict rules are not followed.  The word order can be changed and some unusual grammar or pronunciations are sometimes used.  The most important thing about a good limerick is that it should be clever or funny.

A limerick usually describes a person.  It often starts with a line such as "There was a young man from Peru."  "Young" could be replaced by any other adjective (for example: old, big, tall, wise), "man" could be any noun used to describe someone or an animal (for example: girl, boy, woman, bear), and "Peru" could be any town or country's name, or it could be anything else used to describe the person.  Here are some examples:

There was a young lady so bright

She travelled much faster than light

So she started one day

Running far, far away

And returned on the previous night

There was an old man of Kilkenny

Who never had more than a penny;

He spent all his money

On onions and honey;

That wayward old man of Kilkenny.

Hickory, dickory, dock,

The mouse ran up the clock,

The clock struck one,

The mouse ran down,

Hickory, dickory, dock.

Adapted from:

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/English/Reading/Poetry.htm#Limericks

S _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ T _ _ _ _ _ _

P _ _ _ _ _

_ A _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ T _

_ R _ _ _

I _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ C _ _ _ _

                            _ _ _ K                    e_.netSL

St. Patrick’s Day Puzzle

Fill in the blanks using the words around the shamrock:

                                       POT OF                                                          SHAMROCK

GOLD

1.          The color of a shamrock is ___________.

2.          St. Patrick’s Day is on _________________.

3.          This is what a Leprechaun is looking for ______________.

4.          A plant with three leaves is a ______________.

5.          A small, funny man is a __________________.

6.          Shamrocks bring good ___________.eSL

.net

Billy Boy

Written By:  Unknown

 

Oh, where have you been,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Oh, where have you been,

Charming Billy?

I have been to seek a wife,

She's the joy of my life.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Where does she live,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Oh, where does she live?

Charming Billy?

She lives on the hill,

Forty miles from the mill.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Did she bid you to come in,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Did she bid you to come in,

Charming Billy?

Yes, she bid me to come in,

And to kiss her on the chin.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Did she take your hat,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Did she take your hat,

Charming Billy?

Yes, she took my hat,

And she threw it at the cat.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Did she offer you a chair,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Did she offer you a chair,

Charming Billy?

Yes, she offered me a chair,

But the bottom wasn't there.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Can she bake a cherry pie,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Can she bake a cherry pie,

Charming Billy?

She can bake a cherry pie,

Quick's (as) a cat can wink its eye.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Can she make a feather bed,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Can she make a feather bed,

Charming Billy?

She can make a feather bed,

That will rise above your head.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Can she milk a heifer calf,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Can she milk a heifer calf,

Charming Billy?

Yes, she can, and not miss

The bucket more than half.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Is she often seen at church,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Is she often seen at church,

Charming Billy?

Yes, she's often seen at church,

With a bonnet white as birch.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

And is she very tall,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

And is she very tall,

Charming Billy?

She's as tall as any pine,

And as straight as a pumpkin vine.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Are her eyes very bright,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Are her eyes very bright,

Charming Billy?

Yes, her eyes are very bright,

But, alas, they're minus sight.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Can she sing a pretty song,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Can she sing a pretty song,

Charming Billy?

She can sing a pretty song,

But she often sings it wrong.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

How old may she be,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

How old may she be,

Charming Billy?

Three times six and four times seven,

Twenty eight and eleven,

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Billy Boy

Written By: Unknown

Sung by Paul Austin Kelly

 

Oh, where have you been,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Where have you been,

Charming Billy?

I have been to seek a wife,

She's the joy of my life.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Did she bid you to come in,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Did she bid you to come in,

Charming Billy?

Oh, she bid me to come in,

(She’s) Got a dimple on her chin.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Did she offer you a chair,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Did she offer you a chair,

Charming Billy?

Oh, she offered me a chair,

But the bottom wasn't there.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Can she bake a cherry pie,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Can she bake a cherry pie,

Charming Billy?

She can bake a cherry pie,

Quick's (as) a cat can wink its eye.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Was her kiss sweat and fair,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Was her kiss sweat and fair,

Charming Billy?

Oh, her kiss was sweat and fair,

A blue ribbon in her hair.

She's a young thing,

And cannot leave her mother.

Ah, please do not go,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy!

Please do not go,

Charming Billy!

Oh, please do not go!

I would miss my Billy so,

You’re a young thing,

And cannot leave your mother.

BOLD O'DONOGHUE

Well, here I am from Paddy's land, a land of high renown

I've broke the hearts of all the girls for miles round Keady town

And when they hear that I'm awa' they'll raise a hullabaloo

When they hear about that handsome lad they call O'Donoghue!

     Chorus:

     For I'm the boy to squeeze her, and I'm the boy to tease her

     I'm the boy that can please her, ach, an' I'll tell you what I'll do

     I'll court her like an Irishman

     Wi' me brogue and blarney too is me plan

     With the holligan, rolligan, swolligan, molligan bold O'Donoghue!

I wish my love was a red. red rose growing on yon garden wall

And me to be a dewdrop and upon her brow I'd fall!

Perhaps now she might think of me as a rather heavy dew

And no more she'd love that handsome lad they call O'Donoghue!

Well I hear that Queen Victoria has a daughter fine and grand

Perhaps she'd take it into her head for to marry an Irishman

And if I could only get the chance to have a word or two

I'm sure she'd take a notion to the bold O'Donoghue!

Bridget Flynn

Sung by the Irish Rovers

I've a nice little house and a cow yard too with grass.

I've a plant garden running by the door.

I've a shelter for the hens and a stable for the ass

Now, what could a man want more?

I don't know, maybe so,

But a bachelor is easy, and he's free.

But I've lots to look after, though I'm living all alone.

Sure nobody's looking after me.

My father often tells me I should go and have a try

To find a girl that owns a bit of land.

And I know, the way he says it, that there's someone on his mind.

And my mother has the whole thing planned.

I don't know, maybe so,

But t'would mollify them greatly to agree.

Now, there's little Bridget Flynn, sure it's her I'd love to win,

But she never has an eye for me.

Now there's a little girl who's worth her weight in gold.

And that's a decent dowry, don't you see?

And I mean to go and ask her just as soon as I get bold,

If she'll come and have an eye for me.

Will she go?  I don't know.

But I'd love to have her sitting on my knee.

And I'll sing like a thrush in a hawthorn bush

If she'll come and have an eye for me.

DIRTY OLD TOWN

Writtten by Ewan McColl

I met my love by the gas works croft 

Dreamed a dream by the old canal 

I kissed my girl by the factory wall 

Dirty old town, dirty old town

Clouds are drifting across the moon 

Cats are prowling on their beat 

Springs a girl  in the street at night 

Dirty old town, dirty old town 

Heard a siren from the docks 

Saw a train set the night on fire 

Smelled the spring in the smokey wind 

Dirty old town, dirty old town 

I'm going to make a good sharp axe 

Shining steel tempered in the fire 

I'll chop you down like an old dead tree 

Dirty old town, dirty old town 

Dirty old town, dirty old town 

I'm Looking Over a Four-leaf Clover

I'm looking over a four-leaf clover

That I overlooked before

One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain,

Third is the roses that grow in the lane.

No need explaining, the one remaining

Is somebody I adore.

I'm looking over a four leaf clover

That I overlooked before.

LOVING HANNAH (Thanks to Uwe for this one!)

I went to church on sunday my love she passed me by

And I knew her mind was changing by the roving of her eyes

By the roving of her eyes, by the roving of her eyes

I knew her mind was changing by die roving of her eyes

My love is fair and proper her waist is neat and small

And she Is quite good looking and that's the best of all

And that's the best of all, and that's the best of all

And she is quite good looking and that's the best of all

Oh, Hannah, loving Hannah come give to me your hand

You said if you would marry that I would be the one

That I would be the one, that I would he the one

You said if you would marry that I would be the one

I will go down by the river when everyone's asleep

And think of loving Hannah and then sit down and weep

And then sit down and weep, and then sit down and weep

And think of loving Hannah, and then sit down and weep

I went to church on sunday my love she passed me by

I knew her mind was changing by the roving of her eyes

By the roving of her eyes, by the roving of her eyes

I knew her mind was changing by the roving of her eyes

Molly Maguires

(Bill Martin / Phil Coulter)

Make way for the Molly Maguires

They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men

Make way for the Molly Maguires

You'll never see the likes of them again

Down the mines no sunlight shines

Those pits they're black as hell

In mud and slime they do their time

It's Paddy's prison cell

And they curse the day they travelled far

And drown their tears with a jar

So Make way for the Molly Maguires

They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men

Make way for the Molly Maguires

You'll never see the likes of them again

Backs will break and muscles ache

Down there there's no time to dream

Of fields and farms, of womans arms

Just dig that bloody seam

Though they drain their bodies underground

Who'll dare to push them around

So Make way for the Molly Maguires

They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men

Make way for the Molly Maguires

You'll never see the likes of them again

So Make way for the Molly Maguires

They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men

Make way for the Molly Maguires

You'll never see the likes of them again

ON THE ONE ROAD

Written by F. O'Donnevan

Chorus:

We're on the one road, sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one Road, it may be the wrong road

But we're together now who cares

Northman, Southmen, comrades all,

Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal

We're on the one road, swinging along

Singing a Celtic song.

Though we've had our troubles now and then

Now is the time to make them up again

Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow

Now is the time to step together now.

(Chorus)

Tinker, tailor, every watchers son

Butcher, bakers shoulder by his son

Rich man, poor man, every man in line

All together just like Auld Lang Syne.

(Chorus)

Night is darkness just before the down

From this entrance Ireland is reborn

Soon we'll all unite as Irishmen

Pronounce this land our Nation once again.

(Chorus)

Pigs Can’t Fly

by the Irish Rovers

I once had a pig that loved me,

I lived in a shed that with a

Pigs can’t swim and Pigs can’t fly,

But pigs can see the wind go by,

Pigs make lovely household friends

When winter comes and summer ends.

Pigs can’t swim and Pigs can’t fly,

But pigs can see the wind go by,

Pigs make lovely household friends

When winter comes and summer ends.

Reilly's Daughter

As I was sitting by the fire, Talkin' to Old Reilly's daughter

Suddenly a thought came into my mind I'd like to marry Old Reilly's daughter

(Chorus )

Giddy I-ay Giddy I-ay Giddy I-ay

For the one eyed Reilly

Giddy I-ay ( Bang Bang Bang )

Play it on your old Bass drum

Reilly played on the big bass drum, Reilly had a mind for murder and slaughter

Reilly had a bright red glittering eye, Kept that eye on his lovely daughter

( Chorus )

Her hair was black and her eyes were blue, The colonel, the major and the captain sought her

The sergeant, the private and the drummer boy to, but they never had a chance with old Reilly's daughter

( Chorus )

I got me a ring and a parson too, got me a scratch in a married quarter

Settled me down to a peaceful life, Happy as a king with old Reilly's daughter

( Chorus )

Suddenly a footstep on the stairs, who should it be but Reilly out for slaughter

With two pistols in his hands, looking' for the man who married his daughter

( Chorus )

I caught old Reilly by the hair, Rammed his head into a pail of water

Fired his pistols into the air, an damned sight quicker then I married hi=

s daughter

( Chorus )

THE IRISH ROVER

On the fourth of July eighteen hundred and six

We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork

We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks

For the grand city hall in New York

'Twas an elegant craft, she was rigged fore and aft

And how the wild wind drove her

She could stand a great blast in her twenty seven masts

And we called her the Irish Rover

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags

We had two million barrels of stones

We had three million sides of old blind horses hides

We had four million barrels of bone

We had five million hogs, six million dogs

Seven million barrels of porter

We had eight million bales of old nanny goats tails

In the hold of the Irish Rover

There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee

There was Hogan from County Tyrone

There was Johnny McGuirk who was scared stiff of work

And a chap from Westmeath called Malone

There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule

And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover

There was Dolan from Clare, just as strong as a bear

All aboard on the Irish Rover

We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out

And our ship lost it's way in the fog

Then the whole of the crew was reduced down to two

Just myself and the captain's old dog

The ship struck a rock, Lord what a shock

The boat it flipped right over

Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned

I'm the last of the Irish Rover

Irish Rover       Return To List Of Songs

In the year of our lord eighteen hundred and six

We set sail from the coal quay of Cork

We were sailing away with a cargo of brick

For the grand city hall in New York

We'd an elegant craft that was rigged fore and aft

And how the trade winds they drove her =

She had twenty three masts and she stood several blasts

And they called her the Irish Rover

There was Barney Magee from the banks of the Lee

There was Hogan from county Tyrone

There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work

And a chap from Westmeath named Malone

There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule

And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover

And your man Mick McCann from the banks of the Bann

Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

We had one million bags of the best silo rags

We had two million barrels of bone

We had three million bales of old nanny goat tails

We had four million barrels of stone

We had five million hogs and six million dogs

And seven million barrels of Porter

We had eight million sides of old blind horse's hides

In the hold of the Irish Rover

We had sailed several years when the measles broke out

And our ship lost her way in the fog

And the whole crew was reduced down to two

Twas myself and the captain's old dog

Then the ship struck a rock , O'Lord what a shock

And nearly tumbled over

Turned nine time around , then the old dog was drowned

I'm the last of the Irish Rover

THE OLD ALARM CLOCK

When first I came to London in the year of fourty-nine,

The city looked so wonderful and the girls were so divine,

But the coppers got suspicious and they soon gave me the knock:

I was charged with being the owner of an old alarm clock.

Oh next morning down by Barber street I caused no little stir,

The IRA were busy and the telephones did burr,

Said the judge "I'm going to charge you with the possession of this machine

And I'm also going to charge you with the wearing of the green."

Now says I to him "Your honor, if you'll give me half a chance,

I'll show you how me small machine can make the peelers dance:

It ticks away politely till you get an awful shock

And it ticks away the gelignite in me old alarm clock."

Said the judge "Now listen here, my man, and I'll tell you of our plan,

For you and all your countrymen I do not give a damn

The only time you'll take is mine ten years in Dartmoor dock-

And you can count it by the ticking of your old alarm clock.

Now this lonely Dartmoor city would put many in the jigs,

The cell it isn't pretty and it isn't very big.

Sure I'd long ago have left the place if I had only got

Ah, me couple of sticks of gelignite and me old alarm clock

THE ORANGE AND THE GREEN

Sung by the Irish Rovers

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange, and my mother, she was Green

Oh, my father was an Ulsterman, proud Protestant was he

My mother was a Catholic girl, from county Cork, was she

They were married in two churches, lived happily enough

Until the day that I was born, and things got rather tough

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange, and my mother, she was Green

Baptized by father Reilly, I was rushed away by car

To be made a little Orangeman, my father's shining star

I was christened David Anthony, but still in spite of that

To my father, I was William, while my mother called me Pat

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange and my mother, she was Green

With Mother, every Sunday, to Mass, I'd proudly stroll

Then, after that the Orange lot would try to save my soul

Well, both sides tried to claim me, but I was smart because

I'd play the flute or play the harp depending where I was

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange, and my mother, she was Green

One day me (my) ma's relations came round to visit me

Just as my father's kinfolk were all sitting down to tea

We tried to smooth things over, but they all began to fight

And me being strictly neutral, I bashed everyone in sight

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange, and my mother, she was Green

Now, my parents never could agree about my kind of school

My learning was all done at home, that’s why I'm such a fool

They've both passed on, God rest them, but left me caught between

That awful color problem of the Orange and the Green

Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange and my mother, she was Green

Yes, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen

My father, he was Orange and my mother, she was Green

 

The Unicorn

Written by Shel Silverstein

Sung by the Irish Rovers

A long time ago when the earth was green,

There were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen,

They'd run around free while the earth was being born,

But the loveliest of them all was the Unicorn.

There were green alligators and long-necked geese,

Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees,

Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,

The loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

Now God saw some sinning, and it gave Him pain,

And He said "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain."

He said "Hey brother Noah, I'll tell you what to do,

Build me a floating zoo.  And take some of those...

Green alligators and long-necked geese,

Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees,

Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,

Don't you forget My Unicorn."

Old Noah was there to answer the call,

He finished up making the ark just as the rain started falling.

He marched in the animals two by two,

And he called out as they went through, "Hey Lord, I got your..."

Green alligators and long-necked geese,

Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees,

Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord I’m so forlorn,

I just can't see no Unicorn (any unicorns)."

Then, Noah looked out through the driving rain,

Those Unicorns were hiding, playing silly games,

Kicking and splashing while the rain was pouring,

Oh those silly Unicorns.

There were green alligators and long-necked geese,

Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees,

Noah cried "Close the door, (be)cause the rain is pouring,

And we just can't wait for no Unicorn (any unicorns)."

The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide.

Those Unicorns looked up from the rocks, and they cried,

And the waters came down, and sort of floated them away,

And that's why you've never seen a Unicorn to this very day.

You'll see green alligators and long necked geese,

Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees,

Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,

You're never gonna (going to) see no Unicorn (any unicorns).

WASN'T THAT A PARTY?

Written by Tom Paxton 

Sung by Scooter Lee

Could've been the whiskey

Might've been the gin

Could've been the three or four six-packs, 

               I don't know

But look at the mess I'm in

My head is like a football

I think I'm going to die

Tell me, me oh, me oh my

Wasn't that a party

Someone took a grapefruit

Wore it like a hat

I saw someone under my kitchen table

Talking to my old tom cat

They were talking about hockey

The cat was talking back

Along about then, everything went black

Wasn't that a party?

I'm sure it's just my memory

Playing tricks on me

But I think I saw my buddy

Cutting down my neighbour's tree

It could've been the whiskey

Might've been the gin

Could've been the three or four six-packs, 

               I don't know

But look at the mess I'm in

My head is like a football

I think I'm going to die

Tell me, me oh, me oh my

Wasn't that a party

Billy, Sue, and Tommy

Well, they went a little far

They were sitting in the back yard, 

               blowing on a siren

From somebody's police car

So you see, Your Honour

It was all in fun

That little bitty track meet down 

               on main street

Was just to see if the cops could run

Well, they run us in to see you

In an alcoholic haze

I sure can use those thirty days

To recover from the party

It could've been the whiskey

Might've been the gin

Could've been the three or 

               four six-packs, I don't know

But look at the mess I'm in

My head is like a football

I think I'm going to die

Tell me, me oh, me oh my

Wasn't that a party?

It could've been the whiskey

Might've been the gin

Could've been the three or 

               four six-packs, I don't know

But look at the mess I'm in

My head is like a football

I think I'm going to die

Tell me, me oh, me oh my

Wasn't that a party?

Wasn't that a party?

Wasn't that a party?

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions:

The Shamrock:

The three-leaf clover (seamóg) is a symbol of Ireland.  According to tradition, St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity.  When wearing shamrocks became a symbol of rebellion, Queen Victoria outlawed it, and made it punishable by hanging.  Wearing a shamrock was referred to as the ‘Wearing of the Green.’  Green clothes are often worn in the United States on St. Patrick’s Day, but not in Ireland.

Leprechauns:

In Irish legends, Leprechauns are little old men who make shoes for the fairies.  If you catch one, you can force him to tell you where he hides his gold.  Of course, all leprechauns have a pot of gold, but it’s very difficult to catch a Leprechaun.  They’re very tricky.  Treasure hunters can find a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer.

The Harp:  The Irish harp (clarsach) is a symbol of Ireland.  It is small, held on the knee, and carved from a single piece of wood.  Ancient Irish stone carvings show people playing harps.  In early Christian times, noblemen gathered to hear harp players.  Men came to Ireland from distant places to learn harp playing.

In 1283, when King Edward I of England ordered the killing of the harpists of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, much of the music was lost.  More was lost when the harp again became a symbol of rebellion, and Queen Elizabeth I gave the order to “hang the harpers wheverever found.”

The Blarney Stone:

The Blarney stone is in the southern tower wall of Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland.  Legend has it, a witch cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning.  Kissing the stone gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.  In order to kiss the stone, it is necessary to lie on one’s back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support.  If you kiss the Blarney Stone, you might become an eloquent speaker.  Today, ‘blarney’ means flattery.

The Luck of the Irish:

If you want to be lucky on St. Patrick's Day, follow this advice:

1.  Find a four-leaf clover.  2. Wear green.  3. Kiss the blarney stone.  4. Catch a Leprechaun.

Alecia Dixon http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/history.html  

St. Patrick

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385.  His given name was Maewyn.

When he was 16, Maewyn was sold into slavery by a group of Irishmen who had attacked his village in Wales.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul (France) where he studied for twelve years to become a Catholic priest.  During his training, he decided to return to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity.  Two years later, he was appointed second bishop to Ireland.

St. Patrick (Maewyn) spent thirty years in Ireland, building monasteries, schools, and churches.  He died on March 17 in AD 461.  That day is now celebrated as St. Patrick's Day.

A lot of folklore surrounds St. Patrick.  There is little or no evidence for it.

One of the most famous folktales about St. Patrick is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland.  However, no snakes were ever native to Ireland.  Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has become a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of St. Patrick's Day is the shamrock, a three-leaf clover.  This comes from an Irish tale about St. Patrick using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.  He used it to explain how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.  His followers began the custom of wearing a shamrock on his holiday.  In America, most people think the shamrock is a four-leaf clover.

The St. Patrick's Day custom in America began in 1737.  St. Patrick's Day was first publicly celebrated in the U.S. in Boston, Massachusetts.

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/sphist.html

St. Patrick’s Day

Vocabulary

March 17^th

a map of Ireland

an Irish flag

(The Irish Tricolour is green for Irish Catholics and independence, white for peace and orange for Irish Protestants.)

an Irish harp

(a symbol of Ireland)

St. Patrick

(the patron saint of Ireland)

a leprechuan  /'lep  rW  kŒ:n/

(a little old man in Irish folktales)

a pot of gold

(Every leprechuan has one.)

a shamrock

(A shamrock is a clover leaf with three leaflets that brings good luck, and it is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day)

a rainbow and a pot of gold

(In Irish folktales, there is a pot

of gold at the end of a rainbow.)

GREEN

the color of Ireland

a snake

(There are no snakes in Ireland. 

In Irish folktales, St. Patrick drove

the snakes from Ireland.)

 

St. Patrick's Day

Crossword Puzzle

Across:

2.  a symbol of Ireland

4.  what leprechuans have in their pots

6.  You can find a pot of gold at the end of this.

8.  a little old man from Irish folktales

9.  St. Patrick drove them out of Ireland.

Down:

1.   a clover leaf with three leaflets

3.  If you catch a leprechuan, he has to give you this. (three words)

5.  the color of Ireland

7.  the people who live in Ireland

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/ 

Don't Pinch!

by Bruce Lansky

When I got on the school bus,

I was in for a surprise.

My friends all stared and pointed.

There was mischief in their eyes.

A kid who sat in front of me

reached out and pinched my knee.

My friends all started laughing,

but the joke was lost on me.

And then I got a second pinch.

I felt it on my ear.

And then I felt a third and fourth.

You guessed it-on my rear.

I asked, "Why are you pinching me?

I think it's very mean!"

They said, "Today's St. Patrick's Day

and you're not wearing green."

St. Patrick’s Day Puzzle

Directions:  Fill in the blanks using the words around the shamrock.

1.   The colour of a shamrock is                                        .

2.  St. Patrick’s Day is on                                                 .

3.  If you catch a Leprechaun, he has to give you

     his                                      .

4.  A lucky clover leaf is called a                                     .

5.  A small, funny man is a                                                .

6.  Shamrocks bring good                                                 .

http://www.everythingesl.net/downloads/shamrock_puzzle

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/word/search2.gif

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/word/search1.gif

St. Patrick's Day Unscramble

Name:__________________

Unscramble the following words:

1) BLNAYER	__________________________
2) FEL	__________________________
3) ENGER	__________________________
4) ODALYHI	__________________________
5) RNLIAED	__________________________
6) SHIRI	__________________________
7) LUCK	__________________________
8) ACMRH	__________________________
9) DERAAP	__________________________
10) KTCARIP	__________________________
11) RASKOHMC	__________________________

Answer Key:

1) BLARNEY

2) ELF

3) GREEN

4) HOLIDAY

5) IRELAND

6) IRISH

7) LUCK

8) MARCH

9) PARADE

10) PATRICK

11) SHAMROCK

http://www.songs4teachers.com/stpatunscramb.htm

Worksheet A

Saint Patrick’s Day

Across

2. What is the official colour of Ireland? (4)

4.    Where did Ireland's original settlers comefrom? (8)

5.    Which animal did 18 across banish fromIreland? (5)

10.     What is the population of Ireland, inmillions? (4)

11.     What is the predominant religion in Ireland? (8)

14. What is the profession of 21 across? (9)

16. What was the original name for Ireland? (4)

18.     Who is the patron saint of Ireland? (7)

19.     In which country did 18 across spend 12 years? (6)

20.     See 13 down.

21.    

What do we call a little person who lives inthe woodlands of Ireland? (10)

22.     How many shades of green are there in theDown

1. What is the capital city of Ireland? (6)

3.    What is the oldest official symbol of Ireland? (4)

4.    How many US presidents have had Irishancestry? (9)

6.    What is the good-luck symbol of Ireland? (8)

7.    What does every 21 across have a pot of? (4)

8.    Which Irish author wrote Dracula? (4,6)

9.    Which Irish drink was invented almost 250 years ago? (8)

12.     How many leaves are there on a shamrock? (5)

13.     and 20 across. What is another name forIreland? (7,4)

15. What was once banned between the English and Irish? (8)

17. What is the family name of Irish actor

Liam? (6)

Irish countryside? (5)

Worksheet B

Saint Patrick’s Day

St Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in Britain at the end of the 4th century. When he was 16, he was sold as a slave in Ireland and worked as a shepherd. He escaped and spent twelve years at a monastery in France. Later, he returned to Ireland to teach people about Christianity. It is said that Saint Patrick banished all the snakes from the country. He became Bishop of Ireland in 431 and died on 17th March 461.

Irish symbols

The harp is the oldest official symbol of Ireland, but the shamrock, a symbol of good luck, is perhaps the most famous. When Saint Patrick first came to Ireland, he used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle and it is said that the Irish countryside contains forty shades of green. Surprisingly, the official colour of Ireland is blue.

The legend of the leprechaun

When you are in Ireland, you might be lucky enough to see one of the little elf-like shoemakers who inhabit the woodlands of the Emerald Isle. According to legend, each leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere. If you catch him, he must give you his treasure. You have to be quick, though, because he will try to make you look the other way and escape into the forest.

Famous people

Writers         Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), Bram Stoker, (Dracula), James Joyce, Oscar Wilde

Actors            Peter O'Toole, Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan (the current James Bond)

Pop stars     U2, Boyzone and Enya

Seventeen US presidents have had Irish ancestry.

In 1759 Arthur Guinness gave the world one of its most famous drinks.

3. Does your country have a patron saint? What is his/her name? What did he/she do? Do you have a special day when you celebrate him/her? How is this day celebrated?

Teacher’s Notes

Task

To read a text about Ireland and find answers to complete a crossword.

To discuss the patron saint of the student's own country.

Preparation

Make one copy of the two worksheets for each student.

Procedure

1.      Tell the students that today (or whatever day it was/is) is Saint Patrick's Day. Explain that Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

2.      Give each student a copy of the two worksheets. Ask one student to read out the statement in (1) and then ask the students, in pairs or small groups, to discuss the question. Conduct a feedback session with the whole class and brainstorm as much as you can about Ireland.

3.      Ask the students to do the crossword in (2) individually or in pairs. Explain that all the answers can be found in the reading text on the second worksheet.

4.      Check the answers with the whole class. You could then ask a few more questions to check understanding and to give further reading practice. For example, What did Saint Patrick do when he was a slave? Why is the shamrock an official symbol of Ireland?

5.      Ask the students to discuss, in pairs or small groups, the questions in (3) about their own country's patron saint.

Follow up

The students could prepare a presentation or poster about the patron saint of their country, doing research as necessary.

You might also like to show your students a few phrases in Irish:

Dia duit (pron. dee-a huitch) = Hello (lit. ‘May God be with you.’)

Dia is Muire duit (pron. dee-a shmura huitch) = Hello

(to answer someone who says Dia duit) (lit. ‘May God and Mary be with you.’)

Conas atá tú? (pron. konas atA too) = How are you?

Tá mé go maith (pron. taw may gumA) = I'm fine

Go neiri an bothar leat (pron. gu ny-eye-ri un voehur lat) = Good luck (lit. ‘May the road rise up to meet you.’)

Websites

For more information about Ireland and Saint Patrick, visit the following sites:

www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/main.html www.wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm

Inside Out

St Patrick’s Day – Glossary

achievement noun [count] a particular thing that someone has achieved: Winning the gold medal was a remarkable achievement.

alluring adjective attractive in an exciting way

beyond adverb

past a place further away than something else or outside a particular area: The empire extended to the River Danube and beyond.

bishop noun [count] a senior Christian priest who is responsible for all the churches in a particular area

capture verb [transitive] to catch a person or animal and stop them from escaping: Most of the men had been either killed or captured.

celebrate verb [intransitive or transitive] to do something enjoyable in order to show that an occasion or event is special: Let's have a party to celebrate.

chase verb [transitive] to follow someone or something quickly in order to make them go away:

We chased the cat out of the house.

claim verb [transitive] to say that something is true, even though there is no definite proof: claim (that): He claims he is innocent.

committed adjective loyal to a belief, organization, or group, and willing to work hard for it

convert verb [intransitive or transitive] to change your religious or political beliefs, or to persuade someone to change their beliefs

dye (present participle dyeing; past tense and past participle dyed) verb [transitive] to change the colour of something such as cloth or hair using dye

evil noun [uncount] a power that makes people do very bad and cruel things

fact noun [uncount] things that are true or that really happened, rather than things that are imaginary or not true: Children soon learn the difference between fact and fiction.

fiction noun [count or uncount] a report, story, or explanation that is not true: His account of what happened was pure fiction.

impression noun [count] an opinion, feeling, or idea about someone or something that is not based on much information, or that is only based on the way that they look, sound, or behave: He gave me the impression that he really didn't care.

latter-day adjective existing now as a modern example of someone or something from the past: a latter-day Robinson Crusoe

legend noun [count] an old story about imaginary people and events in the past: Greek myths and legends

manage verb [intransitive or transitive] to succeed in doing or dealing with something, especially something difficult or something that needs a lot of effort:

I don't think I can manage a long walk today.

myth noun [count] something that people wrongly believe to be true

pagan adjective

relating to any religion that is not one of the main religions of the world paganism noun

parade noun [count] a public celebration in which a large group of people moves through an area, often with decorated vehicles and bands playing music

patron saint noun [count] a saint (=a dead holy person) who is believed to

protect a particular place, activity, or group of people

separate verb [intransitive or transitive] to divide something, or to become divided, into different parts: The two issues need to be separated to discuss them fairly.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.

Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com

Inside Out

several adjective a number of people or things that is more than two or three, but not many:

Several of the passengers were badly injured.

shamrock noun [count]

a small plant with three round green leaves on each stem. The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland.

slave noun [count] someone who belongs by law to another person and who has to obey them and work for them

snake noun [count] a long thin animal with no legs and a smooth skin

substitute noun [count] something that is used instead of something else

superhero noun [count]

a character in a comic strip, film etc who has special powers that can be used for saving people and fighting against evil

surround verb [transitive] to be closely connected with a situation or an event:

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the industry.

three-leaved adjective having three leaves

take place to happen: The Olympics take place every four years.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.

Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com

Saint Patrick’s Day

For Irish communities all over the world 17th March each year is the perfect excuse to get together and have a party to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.

1.   What do you know about Saint Patrick, Ireland and the Irish?

2.   Try to answer these questions.

a. When did Ireland become a fully independent republic?

a) 1909                         b) 1949 b. What is the capital city of Ireland?	c) 1989
a) Dublin                     b) Belfast c. What is the main religion in Ireland	c) Cork
a) Catholicism               b) Protestantism	c) Buddhism

d.    What was Saint Patrick before he turned to religion?

a)  a king b) a slave          c) a warrior

e.     Which animal did he banish from Ireland?

a)  the snake       b) the spider     c) the eagle

f.     Which of the following is a symbol of Ireland?

a)  the thistle       b) the rose        c) the shamrock

g.    What is another name for Ireland

a)  the Diamond Isle        b) the Golden Isle         c) the Emerald Isle

h.    What is a leprechaun?

a)  a drink           b) a dance        c) a little person

i.      Which of the following pop groups is from Ireland?

a)  Bon Jovi        b) U2   c) Queen

3.   Read the text on worksheet B and check your answers.

Saint Patrick’s Day

St Patrick

Born in Britain at the end of the 4th century, Saint Patrick was sold as a slave in Ireland when he was 16 and forced to work as a shepherd. After escaping captivity, he spent twelve years at a monastery in France before returning to Ireland to convert people to Christianity. It is said that Saint Patrick was able to raise the dead and that he banished all the snakes from the country. He became Bishop of Ireland in 431 and died on 17th March 461.

Irish symbols

The harp is the oldest official symbol of Ireland, but the shamrock is perhaps the best known. When Saint Patrick first came to Ireland he used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The shamrock has been considered a good-luck symbol ever since. Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle and it is said that the Irish countryside contains forty shades of green. Surprisingly, the official colour of Ireland is blue.

The legend of the leprechaun

If you are walking along a wooded path, you might be lucky enough to see one of the little elf-like shoemakers who inhabit the woodlands of the Emerald Isle. According to legend, each leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere and he must give his treasure to any human who catches him. You'll have to be quick though because he will trick you into looking the other way while he escapes into the forest.

Famous people

Ireland has produced many famous figures from the literary world. Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels, Bram Stoker, creator of Dracula, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde are just a few of the great Irish writers. The country has given us such actors as Peter O'Toole, Liam Neeson and the current James Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Pop stars U2, Boyzone and Enya all come from Ireland and seventeen US presidents can trace Irish ancestry. Finally, we mustn't forget the man who has probably done more than anyone to help millions enjoy Saint Patrick's Day: Arthur Guinness, who, in 1759, gave the world one of its most famous drinks.

4. Does your country have a patron saint? What is his/her name? What did he/she do? Do you have a special day when you celebrate him/her? How is this day celebrated?

Saint Patrick’s Day Crossword

Across

2. Official colour of Ireland. (4)

4.    Where Ireland's original settlers came from. (8)  

5.    Animal driven out of Ireland by Saint Patrick. (5)

10.     Population of Ireland, in millions. (4)

11.     Predominant religion in Ireland. (8)

14. Profession of 21 across. (9)

16. Original name for Ireland. (4)

18. Patron saint of Ireland. (7) 19. Country where 18 across spent 12 years. (6)

20.     See 13 down.

21.     Little person who lives in the woodlands ofIreland. (10)

22.     Number of shades of green in the Irishcountryside. (5)

Down

1. Capital city of Ireland. (6)

3.    Oldest official symbol of Ireland. (4)

4.    Number of US presidents with Irish ancestry. (9)

6.    Good-luck symbol of Ireland. (8)

7.    Every 21 across has a pot of this. (4)

8.    Irish author whose most famous work isDracula. (4,6)

9.    Famous Irish drink. (8)

12.     Number of leaves on a shamrock. (5)

13.     and 20 across. Ireland is also known as this. (7,4)

15. This was once banned between the English and Irish. (8)

17. Family name of actor Liam. (6)

Teacher’s Notes

Task

To read a text about Ireland and find answers to questions.

To discuss the patron saint of the student's own country.

To consolidate the reading by doing a crossword.

Preparation

Make one copy of the three worksheets for each student.

Procedure

1.      Tell the students that today (or whatever day it was/is) is Saint Patrick's Day. Explain that Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Give each student a copy of worksheet Aand ask one student to read out the introductory sentence.

2.      Divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss question (1). Ask the students to tell the class anything interesting from their discussions.

3.      Ask the students to discuss the questions in (2) in pairs or small groups. Then ask them to readthe text on worksheet B to check their answers.

4.      Check the answers with the whole class. You could then ask a few more questions to check understanding and to give further reading practice. For example, What was Saint Patrick forced to do when he was a slave? Why is the shamrock an official symbol of Ireland?

5.      Ask the students to discuss the questions in (4) about their own country's patron saint.

6.      Give each student a copy of worksheet C and ask them to do the crossword (or set as home work).

Follow up

The students could prepare a presentation or poster about the patron saint of their country, doing research as necessary.

You might also like to show your students a few phrases in Irish:

Dia duit (pron. dee-a huitch) = Hello (lit. 'May God be with you.') Dia is Muire duit (pron. dee-a shmura huitch) = Hello (to answer someone who says Dia duit) (lit. 'May God and Mary be with you.')

Conas atá tú? (pron. konas atA too) = How are you?

Tá mé go maith (pron. taw may gumA) = I'm fine

Go neiri an bothar leat (pron. gu ny-eye-ri un voehur lat) = Good luck (lit. 'May the road rise up to meet you.')

Websites

For more information about Ireland and Saint Patrick, vist the following sites:

www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/main.html www.wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm

Worksheet A

Saint Patrick’s Day

For Irish communities all over the world 17th March each year is the perfect excuse to get together and have a party to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. 

1.   How much do you know about Ireland and the Irish? Discuss this in small groups.

2.   Before you read the article, think of how the items in the box might be connected with Ireland.Then read the text below and on worksheet B to find out.

English/Irish marriages     1949     four million    Dracula      blue       forty shades of green      six counties     shepherd     snakes      shamrock      Holy Trinity      leprechaun       pot of gold     James Bond       U2     seventeen US presidents        1759

Worksheet B

Saint Patrick’s Day

St Patrick, the shamrock and other symbols

Born in Britain at the end of the 4th century, Saint Patrick was sold into slavery in Ireland when he was 16 and forced to work as a shepherd. After escaping captivity, he spent twelve years at a monastery in France before returning to Ireland as a missionary, determined to convert the largely pagan population to Christianity. Saint Patrick is reputed to have been able to raise the dead and it is said that it was he who drove all the snakes from the country. He was ordained Bishop of Ireland in 431 and died on 17th March 461.

Even though the harp is the oldest official symbol of Ireland, the shamrock is perhaps the best known. When Saint Patrick, then a bishop, first came to Ireland he used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain how the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit could all exist as the same entity. The shamrock has been revered and considered a good-luck symbol ever since.

Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle because of its expanses of open green fields. It is said that there are forty shades of green in the Irish countryside. Surprisingly, the official colour of Ireland is blue.

The legend of the leprechaun

If you are walking along a wooded path and should happen to hear the faint tapping of a tiny hammer, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of the little elf-like shoemakers who inhabit the woodlands of the Emerald Isle. According to legend, each leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere and he must give up his treasure to any human who catches him. You'll have to have your wits about you and think quickly to capture a leprechaun's gold, though, because the clever little fellow will fool you into looking the other way for an instant while he escapes into the forest. It is thought that the name leprechaun is derived from the Irish leath brogan, meaning shoemaker.

Famous Irish people

Ireland has a distinguished literary and arts tradition. Jonathan Swift, writer of Gulliver's Travels, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Dracula creator Bram Stoker, Samuel Beckett and George Bernhard Shaw are but a few of the great Irish writers. The country has given the acting world the likes of Peter O'Toole, Maureen O'Hara, Liam Neeson and the current James Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Pop stars U2, Boyzone and Enya – one of the world's biggest selling female singers – all come from Ireland. As testamony to Ireland's influence in the world, no fewer than seventeen US presidents can trace Irish ancestry. And finally, let's not forget the man who has probably done more than anyone to help millions enjoy Saint Patrick's Day: Arthur Guinness, who, in 1759, gave the world one of its most famous drinks.

3. Does your country have a patron saint? What is his/her name? What did he/she do? Do you have a special day when you celebrate him/her? How is this day celebrated?

Saint Patrick’s Day Crossword

Across

2. Official colour of Ireland. (4)

4.    Where Ireland's original settlers came from. (8)  

5.    Animal driven out of Ireland by Saint Patrick. (5)

10.     Population of Ireland, in millions. (4)

11.     Predominant religion in Ireland. (8)

14. Profession of 21 across. (9)

16. Original name for Ireland. (4)

18. Patron saint of Ireland. (7) 19. Country where 18 across spent 12 years. (6)

20.     See 13 down.

21.     Little person who lives in the woodlands ofIreland. (10)

22.     Number of shades of green in the Irishcountryside. (5)

Down

1. Capital city of Ireland. (6)

3.    Oldest official symbol of Ireland. (4)

4.    Number of US presidents with Irish ancestry. (9)

6.    Good-luck symbol of Ireland. (8)

7.    Every 21 across has a pot of this. (4)

8.    Irish author whose most famous work isDracula. (4,6)

9.    Famous Irish drink. (8)

12.     Number of leaves on a shamrock. (5)

13.     and 20 across. Ireland is also known as this. (7,4)

15. This was once banned between the English and Irish.

17. Family name of actor Liam. (6)

Teacher’s Notes

Task

To find out information about Ireland by reading a text.

To discuss the patron saint of the student's own country.

To use the information contained in the text to complete a crossword.

Preparation

Make one copy of the three worksheets for each student.

Procedure

1.      Tell the students that today (or whatever day it was/is) is Saint Patrick's Day. Explain that SaintPatrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Give each student a copy of worksheets Aand B and ask one student to read out the introductory sentence.

2.      Divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss question (1). Ask the students to tell the class anything interesting from their discussions.

3.      Ask the students, working in pairs or small groups, to look at the items in the box and guesswhat their connection is with Ireland. Then ask them to read the text to check their answers. (Alternatively, ask the students to work in groups of three and read one extract each. The students then pool the information to answer the questions.) Check the answers with the whole class.

4.      Ask the students to discuss the questions in (3) about the patron saint of their country.

5.      Give each student a copy of worksheet C and ask them to do the crossword (or set ashomework).

Follow up

The students could prepare a presentation or poster about the patron saint of their country, doing research as necessary.

You might also like to show your students a few phrases in Irish:

Dia duit (pron. dee-a huitch) = Hello (lit. 'May God be with you.'

Dia is Muire duit (pron. dee-a shmura huitch) = Hello

(to answer someone who says Dia duit) (lit. 'May

God and Mary be with you.')

Conas atá tú? (pron. konas atA too) = How are you? Tá mé go maith (pron. taw may gumA) = I'm fine Go neiri an bothar leat (pron. gu ny-eye-ri un voehur lat) = Good luck (lit. 'May the road rise up to meet you.')

Websites

For more information about Ireland and Saint Patrick, visit the following sites:

www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/main.html www.wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm

Inside Out

St. Patrick’s Day                                                                                      WORKSHEET A

Complete the questions at the bottom of the page. Then ask your partner the questions and complete the text.

O

n March 17^th, Irish people all over the world celebrate 1) ________________ . Although this day is a religious and national holiday for the patron saint of Ireland, it has become a popular festival for many more people than the Irish alone. It is said that

everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and 3) ________________ turns green on the 17^th. This is particularly true in many of the larger cities in the USA; the river in Chicago is dyed green for the day and partygoers enjoy drinking 5) ________________ .

Separating fact and fiction in the life of St. Patrick is difficult. He is believed to have been born around 390AD in 7) ________________ . When he was 16, he was captured and taken to Ireland to be a slave. During the six years he spent as a slave, he found God and became a committed Christian. After managing to escape from Ireland and captivity, he first travelled to 9) ________________ , then further into Europe and probably beyond.

Little is known of exactly where he went during his years of travelling but some years later he returned to Ireland as a bishop, sent by Pope Celestine. From this moment on, he helped to convert many thousands of pagan Irish to Christianity.

Many of the myths and legends surrounding the man have been added to his achievements over the years, giving us the impression that St. Patrick was a latter-day superhero. The truth, as always, is less alluring. It is claimed he chased 11) ________________ out of Ireland. However, there have never been snakes in Ireland, so the image of the snake is most probably a substitute for paganism and evil.

He is also famous for having used the 13) ________________ , the three-leaved plant and symbol of Ireland, to explain the Holy Trinity (of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one God) to his followers.

The first of the St. Patrick’s Day parades, which are so popular today, took place in

15) ________________ in Boston, USA. The St. Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland didn’t take place until several years later.

1) What  _________________________________________________________________ ?

3) What  _________________________________________________________________ ?

5) What  _________________________________________________________________ ?

7) Where  ________________________________________________________________ ?

9) Where  ________________________________________________________________ ?

11) Who or what ___________________________________________________________ ?

13) What  ________________________________________________________________ ?

15) When ________________________________________________________________ ?

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Inside Out

St. Patrick’s Day                                                                                           WORKSHEET B

Complete the questions at the bottom of the page. Then ask your partner the questions and complete the text.

O

n March 17^th, Irish people all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Although this day is a religious and national holiday for 2) ________________ , it has become a popular festival for many more people than the Irish alone. It is said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and the world turns green on the 17^th. This is particularly true in many of the larger cities in the USA; the river in 4) ________________ is dyed green for the day and partygoers enjoy drinking green beer.

Separating fact and fiction in the life of St. Patrick is difficult. He is believed to have been born 6) ________________ in Wales. When he was 16, he was captured and taken to 8) ________________ to be a slave. During the six years he spent as a slave, he found God and became a committed Christian. After managing to escape from Ireland and captivity, he first travelled to France, then further into Europe and probably beyond.

Little is known of exactly where he went during his years of travelling but some years later he returned to Ireland as a bishop, sent by 10) ________________ . From this moment on, he helped to convert many thousands of pagan Irish to Christianity.

Many of the myths and legends surrounding the man have been added to his achievements over the years, giving us the impression that St. Patrick was a latter-day superhero. The truth, as always, is less alluring. It is claimed he chased all the snakes out of Ireland. However, there have never been snakes in Ireland, so the image of the snake is most probably a substitute for 12) ________________ .

He is also famous for having used the shamrock, the three-leaved plant and symbol of Ireland, to explain the Holy Trinity (of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one God) to 14) ________________ .

The first of the St. Patrick’s Day parades, which are so popular today, took place in 1737 in 16) ________________ . The St. Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland didn’t take place until several years later.

2) Who __________________________________________________________________ ?

4) Where  ________________________________________________________________ ?

6) When _________________________________________________________________ ?

8) Where  ________________________________________________________________ ?

10) Who _________________________________________________________________ ?

12) What  ________________________________________________________________ ?

14) Who _________________________________________________________________ ?

16) Where  _______________________________________________________________ ?

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Inside Out

e-lesson

Week starting: 14th March 2005

1. St. Patrick’s Day

On March 17^th it’s St Patrick’s Day. But who was he and what made him such a famous saint? This week’s worksheet answers the questions with an A/B ‘wh’ questions gapfill.

Level

Intermediate and upwards

How to use the lesson

1.  Divide the class into two groups, A and B.

2.  Give one copy of Worksheet A to each student in Group A and one copy of WorksheetB to each student in Group B.

3.  Tell the students they have the same story but there is some missing information ineach worksheet. They will need to ask a person from the other group for the missing information but first they need to write the questions.

4.  Ask the members of each group to work together to write the questions. Make sure allmembers of the group write the same questions. Be on hand to help the students to create the questions. Some of the questions end in a preposition; tell your students that the use of whom (as in For whom and To whom) is good use of English but sounds rather formal.

5.  When they have finished preparing the questions, ask one member of Group A to workwith one member of Group B. They should take it in turns to ask and answer the questions.

6.  Ask a few questions at the end to check comprehension (e.g. Where/When was St Patrick born? What famous things did he do? What’s a shamrock? etc)

Answers

1.What do Irish people all over the world celebrate on March 17^th?

2.      Who is March 17^th a religious and national holiday for?

3.      What turns green on March 17^th?

4.      Where is the river dyed green?

5.      What do partygoers enjoy drinking?

6.      When was St. Patrick born?

7.      Where was St. Patrick born?

8.      Where was he taken to be a slave?

9.      Where did he first travel to?

10.  Who was he sent to Ireland as a bishop by?

11.  Who or what did St. Patrick chase out of Ireland?

12.  What is the image of the snake most probably a substitute for?

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Inside Out

13.  What did he use to explain the Holy Trinity?

14.  Who did he use the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to?

15.  When did the first of the St. Patrick’s Day parades take place?

16.  Where did the first of the St. Patrick’s Day parades take place?

Follow up

As a follow up to the lesson, you may want to ask your students to prepare some questions for each other. Suggest they take a look at the following websites.

2  Related websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself .

http://www.stpatricksday.ie/cms/index.html All about this year’s festival

http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/ A little bit of everything

http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm Short history followed by loads of links

http://www.geocities.com/wildmushroom123/index.html All sorts of fun and games

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/index.jsp

You can read about St. Patrick or simply watch the video

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

      St. Patrick's Day Wordsearch

N E Z Q Z S O P X A Q O J L B

I U I E L K G A T H P D I G B

B N A C J C N R A I N B O W J

H T T H V I B A E A R L J N Q

X Z Z R C R L D L E D D M Q G

G D O Z V E A E U N N I P L K

P I S H A M R O C K S A W C Y

W D U B L I N P K T T C Q A Z

Z C T I S L E M E R A L D L F

Q L S W P L Y G I L H O L H H

T P E D F T G C B M V V N S E

W B P B R O K A E X A E I T Q

O F I A K P E Y P B X R S P D

K P P T D B T F K O I K C C M

G A G B P W J D R G S T X H J

Can you find all the St. Patrick's Day  Words?

BLARNEY CLOVER DAY DUBLIN ELF ELVES EMERALD

LEPRECHAUN LIMERICKS LUCK MARCH MIST PARADE PARTY

GOLDPATRICK

GREENPIPE

HATSPOT

IRELANDRAINBOW

IRISHSHAMROCK

ISLE

Courtesy of Songs 4 Teachers©   www.songs4teachers.com

Feel free to share this Wordsearc h Puzzle with your c olleagues Mary - [e-mail]

Songs 4 Teac hers© Songbook features 101 theme-related songs

Vocabulary

cabbage	Irish	rainbow
corned beef	leprechaun	shamrock
gold	luck	St Patrick
green	parade	Ireland

pot                                                                                           e_.netSL

 

 

 

The History of Ireland - an overview

by Rick Steves

One surprising aspect of Ireland is the richness of its history. While the island is not particularly well-endowed with historic monuments, it is soaked in history.  Here's a thumbnail overview:

The story of Ireland can be broken into four sections:  500 BC-500 AD (Iron Age), 500-900 (age of "Saints and Scholars"), 900-1900 (age of invasions and colonization), and the 20th century (independence and the question of one Ireland).

Through the Iron Age, the Celtic people left the countryside peppered with thousands of ancient sights.  While most of what you'll see are little more than rock piles and take a vigorous imagination to reconstruct (ring forts, wedge tombs, monumental stones, and so on), just standing next to a megalith that pre-dates the pharaohs while surrounded by lush Ireland is evocative.  The finest gold, bronze, and iron work of this period is in the National Museum in Dublin.

The Romans called Ireland Hibernia, "Land of Winter"--apparently too cold and bleak to merit an attempt to take over and colonize.  The biggest non-event in Irish history was the Romans never invading.  While the mix of Celtic and Roman contributes to what makes the French French and the English English, the Irish are purely Celtic.  If France is "boules" and England is cricket, Ireland is hurling.  This wild Irish national pastime (like airborne hockey with no injury timeouts) goes back to Celtic days, 2000 years ago.

Celts worshipped the sun.  Perhaps St. Patrick had an easy time converting the locals because they had so little sun to worship.  Whatever the case, a former Roman slave boy, Patrick, helped Christianize Ireland in the 5th century.  From this period on, monks established monastic centers of learning which produced great Christian teachers and community-builders.  They traveled, establishing monastic communities all over Ireland, Britain and Europe.  One of them, St. Brendan, may have even sailed to America.

While the collapse of Rome left Europe a mess, it meant nothing to Ireland.  Ireland was and remained a relatively cohesive society based on monastic settlements rather than cities.  While Europe was rutting in the Dark Age mud, the light of civilization shined brightly in Ireland through a golden age lasting from the 5th through the 9th centuries.  Irish monks--such as those imported by Charlemagne to help run his Frankish kingdom in 800 AD--actually carried the torch of civilization back to Europe.  Perhaps the greatest art of "Dark Age" Europe are the manuscripts (such as the 8th century Book of Kells, which you'll see in Dublin) "illuminated"--or richly illustrated--by Irish monks.  Impressive round towers dot the Irish landscape--silent reminders of this impressive age.

The Viking invasions of the 9th century wreaked repeated havoc on the monasteries and shook Irish civilization.  Vikings established towns (such as Dublin) where, before, there had been only Celtic settlements and monasteries.

The Normans, who invaded and conquered England after the Battle of Hastings (1066), were Ireland's next uninvited guests.  In 1169, the Anglo-Normans invaded Ireland.  These invaders, big-time organizers, ushered in a new age where society (government, cities, and religious organizations) was organized on a grander scale.  Individual monastic settlements (the basis of Irish society in the "Age of Saints and Scholars") were eclipsed by monastic orders just in from the Continent such as the Franciscans, Augustinians and Cistercians.

The English made a concentrated effort to colonize Ireland in the 17th century.  Settlers were planted and Irish society was split between an English-speaking landed gentry and the local Irish-speaking, landless or nearly landless peasantry.  During the 18th century, English Ireland thrived.  Dublin was Britain's second city.

Over time, greed on the top and dissent on the bottom require colonial policies to become more repressive.  The Enlightenment provided ideas of freedom and the Revolutionary age emboldened the Irish masses.  (Even the non-Catholic Dubliner, Jonathan Swift, dean of St. Patrick's cathedral in the early 18th century, declared "burn all that's British, except its coal.")  To counter this Irish feistiness, English legislation became an out-and-out attack on the indiginous Gaelic Culture.  The harp was outlawed.  Written and unwritten laws made life for Catholics and speakers of Irish very difficult.

The potato famine of 1845 to 1849 was a pivotal event in Irish history.  The stature of Ireland and its language never recovered.  In a few years, Ireland's population dropped from 8 million to 5 million (3 million either starved or emigrated).  Ireland's population has not changed since.  Britain's population, on the other hand, has grown from 12 million in 1845 to around 60 million today.  (During this period, Ireland's population, as a percent of England's, dropped from 65% to 8%.)

While the English are likely to blame the famine on overpopulation (Ireland's population doubled in the 40 years leading up to the famine) many Irish say there actually was no famine--just a calculated attempt to starve down the local population.  In fact, there was plenty of food grown on the island for export.  It was only the potato crop which failed, and that happened to be what the Irish subsisted on.

The average farmer grew fancier export products for his landlord and was paid in potatoes which, in good years, he grew on the side.

The famine was a turning point in Irish history.  Before the famine, land was subdivided--all the boys got a piece of the family estate (which grew smaller and smaller with each generation).  After the famine the oldest son got the estate and the younger siblings, with no way to stay in Ireland, emigrated to the USA, Canada, Australia and Britain.  Today, there are 40 million Irish-Americans.

After the famine, Irish became the language of the peasant.  English was for the upwardly mobile.  Because of the huge emigration to the USA, Ireland faced west and American influence increased. (Even in 1996, as negotiations between the North and the Republic got going, American involvement in the talks was welcomed and considered essential by nearly all parties.)

The tragedy of the famine inflamed the nationalist movement.  Uprising after uprising made it clear that Ireland was ready to close this thousand-year chapter of invasions and colonialism.  Finally, in 1919, Ireland declared its independence.  While the northern six counties (the only ones without a Catholic majority) voted to stay with Britain, the independent Republic of Ireland was born.

Excerpted from "Rick Steves' Great Britain & Ireland"

The Blarney Stone

Blarney is celebrated the world over for a stone on the parapet that is said to endow whoever kisses it with the eternal gift of eloquence - the 'Gift of the Gab'.  The origin of this custom is unknown, though the word "blarney", meaning to placate with soft talk or to deceive without offending, probably derives from the stream of unfulfilled promises of Cormac MacDermot MacCarthy to the Lord President of Munster in the late sixteenth century.  Having seemingly agreed to deliver his castle to the Crown, he continuously delayed doing so with soft words, which came to be known as "Blarney talk".

The massive castle, which looks even larger because of its picturesque situation on the edge of a cliff, was supposedly built in 1446 by Cormac MacCarthy "the Strong", probably on the site of a castle occupied by the Lombards, whom the MacCarthys had displaced.  It has an L-shaped plan with five storeys, the lower two being under a pointed vault with walls 12 feet thick; higher up the walls get thinner and the rooms bigger.  The building sequence is a little puzzling, but the slender tower containing the main stair and a tier of small rooms evidently predates the main block.  The whole is crowned with high stepped battlements, projecting more than 2 feet beyond the walls and carried by long inverted pyramid corbels.

The MacCarthys held onto the castle with a few interruptions until the Williamite wars, when Donagh MacCarthy, the fourth Earl of Clancarty, supported the losing side and had his estates forfeited.  It is said that before leaving he cast the family silver into the lake.  The property was acquired by Sir John Jefferys, who built a Gothic-style house onto the castle with pointed windows and curvilinear pinnacled battements.  This was burnt c. 1820, but a semi circular staircase tower still remains.  Nearby the family made a megalithic garden folly and in 1874 they built a Scottish Baronial-style house overlooking the lake in the park.

Kissing the Blarney Stone

The world famous Blarney Stone is situated high up in the battlements of the castle.  Follow one of the several long, stone spiral staircases up to the top and enjoy the spectacular views of the lush green Irish countryside, Blarney House and The Village of Blarney.

The stone is believed to be half of the Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland.  Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers.  The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.  Queen Elizabeth I wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own lands under title from her.  Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled every Royal request with subtle diplomacy, promising loyalty to the Queen without "giving in".  Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "a lot of Blarney", thus giving rise to the legend.

The Legend of the Leprechaun

If you should be walking along a wooded path some moonlit night in Spring and hear the faint tap-tapping of a tiny hammer, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an Irish leprechaun, the elfin shoemaker, whose roguish tricks are the delight of Irish story-telling.

According to legend, the leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere, and he must give up his treasure to the one who catches him.  You'll have to step lively and think quickly to capture a leprechaun's gold though, because this sly little fellow will fool you into looking away for an instant while he escapes into the forest.  A story is told of the man who compelled a leprechaun to take him to the bush where the gold was buried.  The man tied a red handkerchief to the bush in order to recognize the spot again and ran home for a spade.  He was gone only three minutes, but when he returned to dig, there was a red handkerchief on every bush in the field.

As long as there are Irishmen to believe in the "little folk," there will be leprechauns to reflect the wonderful Irish sense of fun, and many a new story of leprechaun shenanigans will be added to Irish folklore each year.

The Legend of the Shamrock

Long ago, When Ireland was the land of Druids, there was a great Bishop, Patrick by name, who came to teach the word of God throughout the county.  This saint, for he was indeed a saint, was well loved everywhere.  One day, however, a group of his followers came to him and admitted that it was difficult for them to believe in the Catholic doctrine of the Holy Trinity, three persons in one God.

Saint Patrick reflected a moment and then, stooping down, he plucked a leaf from the shamrock and held it before them, bidding then to behold the living example of the "Three-in-One." The simple beauty of this explanation convinced these skeptics, and from that day the shamrock has been revered throughout Ireland and is a symbol of the Trinity, a cornerstone of Catholicism.

The Life of Saint Patrick

The Patron Saint of Ireland was born into either a Scottish or English family in the fourth century.  He was captured as a teenager by Niall of the Nine Hostages who was to become a King of all Ireland.  He was sold into slavery in Ireland and put to work as a shepherd.  He worked in terrible conditions for six years drawing comfort in the Christian faith that so many of his people had abandoned under Roman rule.  Patrick had a dream that encouraged him to flee his captivity and to head South where a ship was to be waiting for him.  He traveled over 200 miles from his Northern captivity to Wexford town where, sure enough, a ship was waiting to enable his escape.  Upon arrival in England he was captured by brigands and returned to slavery.  He escaped after two months and spent the next seven years traveling Europe seeking his destiny.  During this time he furthered his education and studied Christianity in the Lerin Monastery in France.  He returned to England as a priest.  Again a dream greatly influenced him when he became convinced that the Irish people were calling out to him to return to the land of his servitude.

He went to the Monastery in Auxerre where it was decided that a mission should be sent to Ireland.  Patrick was not selected for this task to his great disappointment.  The monk that was selected was called Paladius, but he died before he could reach Ireland and a second mission was decided upon.

Patrick was made a Bishop by Pope Celestine in the year 432 and, together with a small band of followers, traveled to Ireland to commence the conversion.

Patrick confronted the most powerful man in Ireland Laoghaire, The High King of Tara as he knew that if he could gain his support that he would be safe to spread the word throughout Ireland.  To get his attention Patrick and his followers lit a huge fire to mark the commencement of Spring.  Tradition had it that no fire was to be lit until the Kings fire was complete, but Patrick defied this rule and courted the confrontation with the King.  The King rushed into action and travelled with the intention of making war on the holy delegation.  Patrick calmed the King and with quiet composure impressed the King that he had no other intention than that of spreading the word of the Gospel.  The King accepted the missionary, to the dismay of the Druids who feared for their own power and position in the face of this new threat.  They commanded that he make snow fall.  Patrick declined to do so stating that this was Gods work.  Immediately it began to snow, only stopping when Patrick blessed himself.  Still trying to convince the King of his religion Patrick grasped at some Shamrock growing on the ground. He explained that there was but one stem on the plant, but three branches of the leaf, representing the Belssed Trinity. The King was impressed with his sincerity and granted him permission to spread the word of his faith, although he did not convert to Christianity himself.  Patrick and his followers were free to spread their faith throughout Ireland and did so to great effect.  He drove paganism (symbolized by the snake) from the lands of Eireann.  Patrick was tempted by the Devil whilst on a pilgrimage at Croagh Patrick.  For his refusal to be tempted, God rewarded him with a wish.  Patrick asked that the Irish be spared the horror of Judgment Day and that he himself be allowed to judge his flock.  Thus, the legend that Ireland will disappear under a sea of water seven years before the final judgment, was born.

Patrick died on March 17th in the year 461 at the age of 76.  It is not known for sure where his remains were laid although Downpatrick in County Down in the North of Ireland is thought to be his final resting place.

His influence is still felt to this day as Nations the world over commemorate him on March 17th of every year.

History of the Claddagh Ring

The Claddagh Ring originated in the Claddagh fishing village near Galway City in the West of Ireland.  The ring shows two hands (representing friendship) presenting a heart (representing love) adorned by a crown (representing loyalty) and it is thus the traditional Irish wedding band.  

The motto associated with the ring is 'Let love and friendship reign'.

http://www.songs4teachers.com/irelandinfo.htm

The Irish Flag

Green, White and Gold

http://www.songs4teachers.com/irishflag.htm

Map of Ireland

http://www.songs4teachers.com/mapofireland.htm

IRISH NATIONAL ANTHEM

The Soldier's Song

Written by P. Kearney, circa 1907

English translation:

 

Soldier's Song

We'll sing a song, a soldier's song,
With cheering rousing chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng,
The starry heavens o'er us;
Impatient for the coming fight,
And as we wait the morning's light,
Here in the silence of the night,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Chorus 

Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a soldier's song

In valley green, on towering crag,
Our fathers fought before us,
And conquered 'neath the same old flag
That's proudly floating o'er us.
We're children of a fighting race,
That never yet has known disgrace,
And as we march, the foe to face,
We'll chant a soldier's song

Chorus

Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale!
The long watched day is breaking;
The serried ranks of Inisfail
Shall set the Tyrant quaking.
Our camp fires now are burning low;
See in the east a silv'ry glow,
Out yonder waits the Saxon foe,
So chant a soldier's song.

http://www.songs4teachers.com/irishnationalanthem.htm

TO A CHILD DANCING IN THE WIND Dance there upon the shore; What need have you to care For wind or water’s roar? And tumble out your hair That the salt drops have wet; Being young you have not known The fool’s triumph, nor yet Love lost as soon as won, Nor the best laborer dead And all the sheaves to bind. What need have you to dread The monstrous crying of the wind? Has no one said those daring Kind eyes should be more learn’d? Or warned you how despairing The moths are when they are burned, I could have warned you, but you are young, So we speak a different tongue. You will take whatever’s offered And dream that all the world’s a friend, Suffer as your mother suffered, Be as broken in the end. But I am old and you are young, And I speak a barbarous tongue. W.B. Yeats

http://www.irishstoryteller.com/dancer.html

Mayflower Passenger List

Carver's unnamed maidservant

Dorothy, married passenger Francis Eaton as his second wife.

John Alden

He was hired as ship’s cooper in Southampton, England. He married fellow passenger Priscilla Mullins.

Isaac Allerton

He was a first assistant governor for Plymouth Colony

Mary (wife)

Bartholomew (son)

Remember (daughter)

Mary (daughter)

John Allerton

He died the first winter.

John Billington

He did not like Governor Bradford.

Elinor (wife)

John (son)

Francis (son)

William Bradford

He was the author of "Of Plimmouth Plantation" and governor of Plymouth Colony.

Dorothy (wife)

William Brewster

He was Plymouth Colony’s spiritual leader for many years.

Mary (wife)
Love (son)
Wrestling (son)

Richard Britteridge

He died the first winter

Peter Browne

He married Martha Ford after her husband’s death.

William Button

Servant of Samuel Fuller and the only passenger to die during the voyage.

Robert Carter

Servant of William Mullins.

John Carver

He was the Colony’s first governor.

Catherine (wife)

James Chilton

He died the first winter.

Susanna(wife)
Mary (daughter) She married John Winslow.

Richard Clarke

He died the first winter.

Francis Cooke

Came over on the Mayflower with only one of his children, his wife and other children came over in 1623.

John (son)

Humility Cooper

A young daughter of a member of the Leiden Separatist congregation. She did not stay in America, but returned to England.

John Crackstone

He died the first winter.

John (son)

Edward Doty

He was a servant of Stephen Hopkins.

Francis Eaton

He remarried twice; first to John Carver’s maidservant and second time to Christian Penn

Sarah (first wife)
Samuel (son)

?? Ely

A seaman hired to stay one year in the colony. (first name is unknown)

Thomas English

He died the first winter

Moses Fletcher

He died the first winter

Edward Fuller

He died the first winter

?? (wife ... name unknown)
Samuel (son)

Samuel Fuller

He was the colony’s surgeon as well as deacon of Plymouth Colony’s church.

Richard Gardener

He became a seaman and died at sea

John Goodman

He died the first winter

William Holbeck

He died the first winter

John Hooker

Servant who died the first winter

Stephen Hopkins

He may of been the Stephen Hopkins who died at sea in 1609

Elizabeth (wife)
Constance (daughter) She married Nicholas Snow.
Gyles (son)
Damaris (daughter)
Oceanus (son) He was born during the voyage across the Atlantic, but died young.

John Howland

Servant of John Carver, married fellow Elizabeth Tilley

John Langmore

Servant of Christopher Martin

William Latham

Servant of John Carver

Edward Lester

Servant of Stephen Hopkins

Edmund Margesson

Died the first winter

Christopher Martin

Governor of the Mayflower

Marie (wife)
Solomon Prower (son)

Ellen Moore

A child who was assigned to Edward Winslow and died the first winter.

Jasper Moore

A child who was assigned to John Carver and died the first winter.

Mary Moore

A child who was assigned to William Brewster and died the first winter.

Richard Moore

A child who was assigned to William Brewster. He became a sea captain.

William Mullins

He died the first winter

Alice (wife)
Priscilla (daughter) She married John Alden.
Joseph (son)

Digory Priest

He died the first winter. His wife came over with their two daughters as the wife of Godbert Godbertson in 1623

John Rigsdale

Died the first winter

Alice (wife)

Thomas Rogers

Died the first winter

Joseph (son)

Henry Sampson

Cousin of Edward and Ann Tilley and Humilty Cooper.

George Soule

Servant of Edward Winslow, he married Mary Buckett

Myles Standish

Miltary leader of the colony.

Rose (first wife)
Barbara (second wife)

Elias Story

Servant of Edward Winslow

Edward Thompson

Servant of William White

Edward Tilley

Died the first winter

Agnes (wife) She died the first winter

John Tilley

Died the first winter

Joan (wife)
Elizabeth (daughter) She married John Howland.

Thomas Tinker

Died the first winter

Jane (wife)
??(son) name unknown

William Trevore

He was seaman hired to stay a year in the colony.

John Turner

Died the first winter

??(son) name unknown.
?? (son) name unknown.

Richard Warren

Came to America alone, his wife and daughters arrived in Plymouth in 1623

William White

Died the first winter

Susanna (wife)Remarried to Edward Winslow, the first marriage in the new colony.
Resolved (son)
Peregrine (son)

Roger Wilder

Servant of John Carver

Thomas Williams

Died the first winter

Edward Winslow

He was assistant governor and governor of Plymouth Colony

Elizabeth (wife)

Gilbert Winslow

Brother of Edward

http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/8112/thanks/pass.html

Thanksgiving Day Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game

This turkey is wearing a hat.	a cornucopia	an ear of Indian corn	Pilgrim hats
	a Native American boy, a Pilgrim boy, and a turkey	This turkey is running away.	a big dog balloon in a Thanksgiving Day parade
a Pilgrim couple	This turkey is waving at you.	This Pilgrim is going to carve a turkey.	the Mayflower
a Native American	three pumpkins	a thanksgiving feast	a boy, a pumpkin, & a piece of pumpkin pie

Thanksgiving Riddles and Tongue Twisters

Riddles:

1.   Q. Why can't you take a turkey to church?   A.  because it uses such fowl language

2.  Q. What are unhappy cranberries called?     A.  blueberries

3.  Q. What's blue and covered with feathers?  A.  a turkey holding its breath

4.  Q. If April showers bring May flowers,        

          what do May flowers bring?                   A.  Pilgrims

5.  Q. What do you get when you cross             

          a turkey with a centipede?                     A.  lots of drumsticks

6.  Q. Why didn't the turkey eat dessert?        A.  He was stuffed!

7.  Q. What's the best thing to put

           into a pumpkin pie?                               A.  your teeth

8.  Q. Why did they let the turkey

          join the band?                                      A.  He had the drumsticks!

9.  Q. What would you get if you crossed

          a turkey with an octopus?                      A.  eight feather dusters

10. Q. What kind of vegetables would you like

          for Thanksgiving dinner?                       A.  beets me

11. Q. What's round, red, and wears a diaper?   A.  a baby cranberry

12. Q. What smells the best

          at a Thanksgiving dinner?                       A.  your nose

13. Q. Why did the turkey sit

          on a tomahawk (a hatchet)?                   A.  to hatchet (sounds like “to hatch it”)

14. Q. Why did the Pilgrim eat a candle?           A.  He wanted a light snack!

15. Q. What kind of music did

          the Pilgrims listen to?                           A.  Plymouth Rock

16. Q. Why do turkeys gobble, gobble?             A.  They never learned good table manners!

          (“Gobble” is the sound that turkeys make.)

17. Q. What always comes

          at the end of Thanksgiving?                   A.  The letter "g"!

Tongue Twisters:

Ten tricky two-toed turkeys trotted to the table.

Greedy gobblers grabbed the gravy.  (gobble – the sound turkeys make, gobblers – turkeys)

Floyd flipped five fine flapjacks!  (flapjacks – pancakes)

Six sick swans slurped soup slowly.

Chef chopped cheese chunks cheerfully.

Betty baked a buttery batch of buttered biscuits.

Eleven leaping lizards licked lovely lemon lollipops.

Peter Pilgrim picked pretty plump pumpkins!

        Thanksgiving Day

The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrims in the year 1621.  The Pilgrims sailed to the New World from Plymouth, England, in a ship called the Mayflower.  They landed at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts, in the winter of 1620 after being at sea for several weeks.

The Pilgrims were Puritans, members of the Church of England who wanted to “purify” their religious observance.  The Puritans who travelled to America to avoid religious persecution were called Pilgrims. 

When the Pilgrims landed in America, they discovered that the grain they had brought from England would not grow.  The first winter was very hard, and many died because of sickness and starvation.  At one point, there were only seven people who were able to fetch wood, make fires, and care for the sick.  By the spring, they had lost 46 of the original 102.

Native Americans (Indians) taught the Pilgrims about life in the New World.  They taught them how to hunt and fish, cultivate new vegetables, and build Indian-style houses.  They educated them about poisonous plants, medicine, and other skills needed for survival.

The Pilgrims had a bumper harvest in the fall of 1621, and held a feast to give thanks.  They invited the Native Americans to share this first Thanksgiving feast.

The event occurred at some point between September 21 and November 11, 1621, with the most likely time being around Michaelmas (September 29), the traditional time for English harvest festivals.  The settlers invited the leaders of the Native Americans and their families.  They had no idea how large Indian families were, and were joined by 90 guests.  The feast lasted for three days.  The Pilgrims and Indians ate outdoors at large tables.

The feast probably consisted of the following items:

Boiled Lobster

Roasted Goose

Boiled Turkey

Pudding of Indian Corn Meal with dried Whortleberries

Boiled Cod

Roasted Duck

Stewed Pumpkin

Roasted Venison with Mustard Sauce

Hominy Pudding

Fruit and Holland Cheese

A generation later, the Indian and White children of that first Thanksgiving were striving to kill each other in the conflict known as King Philip's War.  The settlers won and in June of 1676 another Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed.  The governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the victories in "Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land."  By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving

The custom of Thanksgiving Day spread from Plymouth to other New England colonies. During the Revolutionary War, eight special days of thanks were observed for victories and for being saved from dangers.  In 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation naming November 26 a day of national thanksgiving. 

For many years, the country had no regular national Thanksgiving Day.  Thanksgiving Day was made a national holiday by Congress in 1941.  Since then, Thanksgiving Day in America has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

Adapted from:

http://www.annieshomepage.com/thanksgivinghistory.html   

http://www.2020tech.com/thanks/temp.html#story

http://www.thanksgiving.org/2us.html 

Thanksgiving Clipart and icons

 

Thanksgiving Day

Crossword Puzzle

Across:                                                                                              Down:

1.   It means to gather crops.                                                              2.   the American harvest festival 

4.   After dinner, many Americans watch this on TV.                               (two words)

5.   The Pilgrims sailed on this ship.                                                   3.   This vegetable is used to make pies.

6.   This bird is eaten on Thanksgiving Day.                                      7.   Before Thanksgiving dinner, many 

9.   Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how                                        Americans watch these on TV.

      to grow this. (two words)                                                              8.   These people went to America 

10. a horn of plenty                                                                                   in 1620.

12. Thanksgiving is in this month.                                                      11. a large meal to celebrate 

13. Thanksgiving is on this day of the week.                                           a special occasion

                                                                                                            12. American Indians (two words)

Word list:

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday

November

Pilgrims

a turkey

the Mayflower

Native Americans

Indian corn

a pumpkin

football

to harvest

a feast

a cornucopia

parades

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.html

Word Search Puzzle

S T L M G T K B K B P J S Z T      CORNUCOPIA

M A S X E U A R O R M J N H P      FEAST

I M N A C F N B R N H L A A D      FOOTBALL

R E B M E V O N R A L N C R M      HARVEST

G T E I A F P O I A K G I V A      INDIAN CORN

L D V J T A C T B S T R R E Y      MAYFLOWER

I X C E R N H T G J C A E S F      NATIVE AMERICANS

P B V A A U O I T N T U M T L      NOVEMBER

Z K D I R O V O F T N M A K O      PARADES

C E D S F I Y E K R U T E A W      PILGRIMS

S N D Q N P U M P K I N V J E      PUMPKIN

I A E G C O R N U C O P I A R      THANKSGIVING DAY

Y Z D N R S F P L R W C T O P      THURSDAY

L A N G G S G P N C W S A N G      TURKEY

Y D U A Z Q O B C P Z Y N Z U      

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/WordSearchSetupForm.html

Word Search Puzzle

S T L M G T K B K B P J S Z T      CORNUCOPIA

M A S X E U A R O R M J N H P      FEAST

I M N A C F N B R N H L A A D      FOOTBALL

R E B M E V O N R A L N C R M      HARVEST

G T E I A F P O I A K G I V A      INDIAN CORN

L D V J T A C T B S T R R E Y      MAYFLOWER

I X C E R N H T G J C A E S F      NATIVE AMERICANS

P B V A A U O I T N T U M T L      NOVEMBER

Z K D I R O V O F T N M A K O      PARADES

C E D S F I Y E K R U T E A W      PILGRIMS

S N D Q N P U M P K I N V J E      PUMPKIN

I A E G C O R N U C O P I A R      THANKSGIVING DAY

Y Z D N R S F P L R W C T O P      THURSDAY

L A N G G S G P N C W S A N G      TURKEY

Y D U A Z Q O B C P Z Y N Z U      

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/WordSearchSetupForm.html

Word Search Puzzle

S T L M G T K B K B P J S Z T      CORNUCOPIA

M A S X E U A R O R M J N H P      FEAST

I M N A C F N B R N H L A A D      FOOTBALL

R E B M E V O N R A L N C R M      HARVEST

G T E I A F P O I A K G I V A      INDIAN CORN

L D V J T A C T B S T R R E Y      MAYFLOWER

I X C E R N H T G J C A E S F      NATIVE AMERICANS

P B V A A U O I T N T U M T L      NOVEMBER

Z K D I R O V O F T N M A K O      PARADES

C E D S F I Y E K R U T E A W      PILGRIMS

S N D Q N P U M P K I N V J E      PUMPKIN

I A E G C O R N U C O P I A R      THANKSGIVING DAY

Y Z D N R S F P L R W C T O P      THURSDAY

L A N G G S G P N C W S A N G      TURKEY

Y D U A Z Q O B C P Z Y N Z U      

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/WordSearchSetupForm.html 

Thanksgiving Day

(the fourth Thursday in November)

the Pilgrims:  /Çpöl ýrömz/ In 1620 they went from Plymouth,England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Mayflower:  The Pilgrims sailed on this ship.

Native Americans (American Indians):  They were already living in America when the Pilgrims came.

The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to survive in America.

Indian corn and pumpkins:  The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to grow American crops.

a turkey:  Native Americans also taught the Pilgrims how to hunt.

a feast:  At the end of their first summer in America, the Pilgrims had a bumper harvest.  To celebrate, they had a feast and invited their Native American neighbours.

a roasted turkey:  They ate turkeys, deer, pumkins and other local products.

a cornucopia (a horn of plenty):  A cornucopia /Èk¿Énj¬ Ç kW¬piW/ is a symbol of nature's gifts.  In Greek mythology, it was one of the horns of Amalthaea, the goat who nursed the god Zeus when he was a baby.

Thanksgiving is a family holiday.  Celebrations mainly involve eating.  In addition to turkey, pies, especially pumpkin pies, are popular.

Thanksgiving Day Parades:  Before dinner, many Americans watch parades on TV.

American football:  After dinner, many Americans like to watch football games on TV.

Inside Out

Thanksgiving Day – Glossary

celebrate verb [intransitive or transitive] to do something enjoyable in order to show that an occasion or event is special: They're celebrating the end of their exams.

celebration noun 

corn noun [uncount] AMERICAN

maize plants, or their seeds when they are cooked and eaten

cranberry noun [count] a small sour red fruit: a glass of cranberry juice 

harvest noun [count] the activity of collecting a crop, or the time when crops are collected:

the corn/potato/grape harvest

medicinal adjective capable of treating an illness:

medicinal herbs

Native American noun [count] a member of one of the groups of people who lived

in America before Europeans arrived

Pilgrim noun [count] one of the people who left England and went to live in what is now the US in the early 17th century

poisonous adjective containing poison: poisonous gases/plants

settler noun [count] someone who goes to live in a place where not many people live

syrup noun [uncount]

thick sweet liquid

Thanksgiving Day noun [count or uncount] in the US and Canada, a holiday in the autumn

when families have a special meal together

tribe noun [count] a large group of related families who live in the same area and share a common language, religion, and customs: Native American tribes

turkey noun [count or uncount] a large bird that is similar to a chicken, or the meat from this bird

Inside Out

Thanksgiving Day                                                                      WORKSHEET A

1. Match each picture to a paragraph.

1.                  On September 16^th, 1620, the ship the Mayflower left Plymouth Harbour in England with 110 passengers. The passengers called themselves the ‘Pilgrims’. The Mayflower arrived in America 65 days later, on November 10^th, 1620.

2.                  The winter of 1620 was very cold and the snow made it difficult for the Pilgrims to build houses. In the spring of 1621 there were less than 50 Pilgrims left alive.

3.                  On March 16^th, 1621, a native American (Indian) from the Patuxet tribe visited the Pilgrims. He was named Samoset. Soon afterwards, he visited them again with a friend called Squanto, who spoke English well.

4.                  Squanto taught the settlers how to plant Indian corn, how to get syrup from the maple trees and how to tell the difference between poisonous and medicinal plants. 

5.                  In October the Pilgrims had a lot of food from the fields after the harvest. They invited Squanto and the other Indians to join them for a thanksgiving celebration. 

6.                  For the next 200 years, thanksgiving was celebrated after the harvest. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln said there would be a national day of thanksgiving. Since then Americans have officially celebrated Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November. 

7.                  This year (2004) on November 25^th, people all over the USA will be getting together with their families to enjoy roast turkey and cranberry sauce. 

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                                                                                       

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004. 

Inside Out

Thanksgiving Day                                                                      WORKSHEET B

2. Answer the questions. Write your answers in the crossword puzzle to reveal the name of a famous Thanksgiving Day dish.

1.      Which tribe did the native Americans come from?

2.      This native American spoke English well.

3.      What was the name of the ship that the settlers used?

4.      Which harbour in England did the settlers leave from?

5.      Which bird is eaten on Thanksgiving Day?

6.      This is another name used for ‘native American’.

7.      The surname of the President who started the national day of thanksgiving.

8.      What did the settlers learn to get from the maple tree?

9.      What did the passengers on the ship call themselves?

10.  The time of year when all the food is collected from the fields.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                                                                                       

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004. 

Inside Out

e-lesson

Week starting: 22nd November 2004

1. Thanksgiving Day

This Thursday (25^th), Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The opportunity to have a huge meal with all the family, but when did it all start? This week's worksheet is ideal for elementary level learners. First they match some pictures to a paragraph of text. Then they answer some questions in a crossword to find the name of a popular Thanksgiving Day dish. 

Level

Elementary and upwards

How to use the lesson

1.  Ask students what they know about Thanksgiving Day and its origins in America. 

2.  Give each student a copy of Worksheet A and ask them to work in pairs. Ask students to match a picture (a-g) to a paragraph of text (1-7) which refers to it. 

3.  Check answers in open class. 

Answers to 1: 

1b,  2c,  3g,  4e, 5f,  6a,  7d

4.  Give each student a copy of Worksheet B and ask them to work in pairs. The first pair to answer all of the questions and reveal the hidden answer (Pumpkin pie) is the winner.

Answers to 2:

1) Patuxet     2) Squanto     3) Mayflower     4) Plymouth     5) turkey     6) Indian      7) Lincoln     8) syrup     9) Pilgrims     10) harvest

Follow up

As a follow up to the lesson, you may want to ask your students to find some more information about thanksgiving celebrations in other countries. The first website below features thanksgiving as celebrated by the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Hebrews and Egyptians. Go to the site and click on The Story of Thanksgiving. Students, in pairs/groups, can make a quiz from the information they find for the others to do.

2. Related Websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving for historical information about Thanksgiving

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/thanks/word.html for some fun Thanksgiving word searches and crosswords

http://rats2u.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving_index.htm  

All about Thanksgiving plus animations, cyber greetings, recipes and much more

http://www.workersforjesus.com/f25-14.htm Read about Squanto

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2004.

The Mayflower Compact

In y^e name of God, Amen.  We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James by y^e grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of y^e faith, & c.

Haveing undertaken, for y^e glorie of God, and advancemente of y^e Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant y^e first colonie in y^e Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in y^e presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick; for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of y^e ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte, constitute, and frame shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for y^e generall good of y^e Colonie: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.  In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd y^e 11. of November, in y^e year of the raigne of our soveraigne lord King James of England, France, & Ireland y^e eighteenth, and of Scotland y^e fiftie fourth. An. Dom. 1620.

---

The above is an exact transcription of the Mayflower Compact made by Caleb Johnson from a photo-scan of the original page of William Bradford's History Of Plymouth Plantation in his own handwriting.

---

IN The Name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honor of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. In WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620

---

The above interpretation © 1995 on the HTML-version by Dep. Alfa-Informatica University of Groningen. Copying for non-commercial purposes allowed, if proper citation is given.

Subscribers of the Mayflower Compact

John Alden Isaac Allerton John Allerton John Billington William Bradford William Brewster Richard Britteridge Peter Brown John Carver James Chilton Richard Clarke Francis Cooke John Craxton Edward Doten

Francis Eaton Thomas English Moses Fletcher Edward Fuller Samuel Fuller Richard Gardiner John Goodman Stephen Hopkins John Howland Edward Leister Edmund Margeson Christopher Martin William Mullins Digery Priest

John Ridgdale Thomas Rogers George Soule Miles Standish Edward Tilly John Tilly Thomas Tinker John Turner Richard Warren William White Thomas Williams Edward Winslow Gilbert Winslow

URL: http://www.night.net/thanksgiving/mayflower.html 

Creative Writing/Craft:  Cinquain Poems

St. Valentine’s Day Poety

Objective:  to teach learners how to write a cinquain poem and create a valentine

Steps:

1.   have the learners draw lines on a piece of paper as in the example below:

2.   Have the Ss follow the steps below:

Write a Title: 

Line 1:    Write a noun

Line 2:    Write two adjectives describing the noun on Line 1

Line 3:    Write 3 words ending with -ing (action words) that describe what the noun

               on Line 1 might do

Line 4:    Write a phrase describing the noun on Line 1

Line 5:    Write a synonym of the word on Line 1

Example:

My Wonderful Valentine

Mother

kind, helpful

caring, loving, sharing

a special person in my life

friend

3.   To make a Valentine card, have the Ss cut out a red-construction paper heart.  Then write the cinquain on white-lined paper and cut it out in the shape of a heart a little smaller than the red construction paper heart.

4.   Have the Ss glue the white-lined paper, with the poem on it, onto the red-construction paper heart.

5.   To make the valentine fancier, have the Ss glue on a white, paper doily onto the back of the red-construction paper heart.

6.   On the back, have the Ss write the date, a closing remark, and their signatures.

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAValentineCinquainPoems34.htm

CUPID

  Cupid is the most famous Valentine symbol.  Everyone knows the mischievous winged boy who pierces hearts with his bow and arrows.  The arrows signify desires and emotions of love.  Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love.  In ancient Greece, he was known as Eros the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.  To the Romans, he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.

  In Roman mythology, there is a story about Cupid and his mortal bride Psyche.  Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal.  But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her.  He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.

  Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid.  As soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, he punished her by leaving her.  Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too.  Psyche found herself alone in an open field.  As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus.  Venus, the goddess of love wished to destroy Psyche, and gave her a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous than the last.

  For her last task, Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld.  She was ordered to obtain some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in that box.  During her trip she was given information about how to avoid the dangers of the realm of the dead.  She was also warned not to open the box.  But temptation overcame Psyche, and she opened the box.  Instead of finding beauty, she found deadly sleep.

  Cupid found Psyche lifeless, and lying on the ground.  He gathered the deadly sleep from her body, and put it back in the box.  Cupid forgave her, as did Venus.  The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid, bestowed upon her the title of goddess.

  Cupid, armed with his bow and arrow, is the most popular of love signs today.  Love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow ~ Cupid's arrow.

http://www.songs4teachers.com/valinformation.htm

Name: ______________

Find the Valentine’s Day words below in the grid:

		Arrow Be mine Card Chocolates Cupid Date Flowers Gift Heart	Kiss Love Poem Red Ring Romantic Roses Saint Valentine
www.bogglesworld.com

http://bogglesworld.com/valentines_day_worksheets.htm

Every February, across America, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.  But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?

The history of Valentine's Day—and its patron saint —is shrouded in mystery, but we do know that February has long been a month of romance.  

St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?  Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.  One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.  When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men—his group of potential soldiers.  Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.  When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.  Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself.  While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl—who may have been his jailor's daughter—who visited him during his confinement.  Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.  Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure.  It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial—which probably occurred around 270 A.D—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival.  In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification.  Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors.  Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of

agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.  To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa.  The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.  The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood, and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips.  Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year.  Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn.  The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn, and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D.  The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed.  Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February—Valentine's Day—should be a day for romance.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.  The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London.  Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century.  By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes.  By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology.  Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions at a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged.  Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings.  Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s.  In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year in America, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.  (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)  Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women.  In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Top Ten List of Flirting Tips

by Fran Greene

1.   Smile:  It is contagious.  It will make you much more approachable.  A smile lights up your face and draws people to you.  You will be a people magnet.  Try it!

2.   Compliment:  Compliment your flirting partner.  The best compliments have the element of surprise.  The "flirtee" will know that you really noticed them.  Remember, your compliments must be honest, sincere and genuine.  When you receive a compliment the best response is merely, ‘Thank You!’

3.   Eye contact:  Make eye contact, but please look your partner in the eye gently (no more than 2-4 seconds) and then glance away.  Don't stare—it’s a turn off.

4.   Listen:  You have two ears and one mouth because you should listen twice as much as you speak.  Listening is a true art.  Your flirting partner will be drawn to you.  Everyone loves to be heard.

5.   Make the first move:  Move closer to the person you want to meet.  Say hello!

6.   Be the host:  Change your behavior from the role of guest to host.  You are not the passive person in waiting, but rather the welcome committee.

7.   Use props:  Never leave home without a prop.  Props are natural conversation starters.  They encourage conversation and others will be compelled to start talking to you.  Great props include:  dogs, kids, unusual jewelry, a fabulous scent, a sweatshirt with your favorite passion (with a logo or phrase), interesting ties and hats, or an interesting book or newspaper.

8.   Have fun:  Be playful, light-hearted and spontaneous.  Show your vulnerability.

9.   Start a conversation:  The best opening line is saying hello.  Talk about the surroundings, ask a question, ask for help, state an opinion.

10. Flirting is an attitude:  A good flirt is self-confident and not afraid to take risks.  Be enthusiastic and positive.  It works!

Teaching tips:

1.   Drama:  You could present these flirting tips, then have the Ss develop a little skit where the pursuer is using these tips and the pursued is not at all interested.

2.   Judge the tips:  Have the Ss choose the best ones and add some new ones.

Online articles about romance:

http://iserver.saddleback.cc.ca.us/faculty/jfritsen/articles.html#mystery

http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-19930301-000030.html

Idioms with "Heart"

 

·         from the bottom of your heart:  to sincerely mean something

·         to be cold-hearted:  to lack sympathy

·         to be soft-hearted:  to be sympathetic

·         to cross your heart and hope to die:  to promise

·         to cry your heart out:  to cry a lot and feel bad about something

·         to eat your heart out:  to be jealous of someone

·         to have a big heart:  to be a caring person

·         to have a change of heart:  to change your mind

·         to have a heart of gold:  to be a caring person

·         to have a heart:  to be compassionate, to care about other people

·         to have your heart in your mouth:  to be scared or nervous

·         to have your heart set on something:  to want something badly

·         to set your heart at ease:  stop worrying about something

·         to take something to heart:  to have your feelings hurt by something someone says or does

·         to wear your heart on your sleeve:  to let everyone know how you feel about something/someone

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/valentine_hearts.php

 

 

 

 

 

Idioms with "Heart"

 

·         from the bottom of your heart:  to sincerely mean something

·         to be cold-hearted:  to lack sympathy

·         to be soft-hearted:  to be sympathetic

·         to cross your heart and hope to die:  to promise

·         to cry your heart out:  to cry a lot and feel bad about something

·         to eat your heart out:  to be jealous of someone

·         to have a big heart:  to be a caring person

·         to have a change of heart:  to change your mind

·         to have a heart of gold:  to be a caring person

·         to have a heart:  to be compassionate, to care about other people

·         to have your heart in your mouth:  to be scared or nervous

·         to have your heart set on something:  to want something badly

·         to set your heart at ease:  stop worrying about something

·         to take something to heart:  to have your feelings hurt by something someone says or does

·         to wear your heart on your sleeve:  to let everyone know how you feel about something/someone

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/valentine_hearts.php

Mend these broken hearts to figure out the hidden message:

__

__ 4

__

__ 14

__ 9

__

__ 5

__

__

__

__ 17

__

__

__ 13

__ 18

__

__ 1

__

__ 21

__

__ 8

__

__ 6

__

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __          20   10

__

__

__ 15

__ 16

__

__

__

__

__ 11

__

__

__

__ 2

__ 3

__

__

__ 7

__

__ 19

__

__ 12

Valentine’s Day Riddle: Use the numbers above to fill in the riddle. Why did the dog and cat fall in love?

__

__

__

__

__

’

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

(c) 2004 www.bogglesworld.com

http://bogglesworld.com/files3/broken_hearts.doc

The Origin of Valentines

As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite of passage to the god Lupercus.  The names of teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men.  Thus, a man was assigned a woman companion, for their mutual entertainment and pleasure (often sexual), for the duration of a year, after which another lottery was staged.

Determined to put an end to this 800-year-old practice, the early church fathers sought a "lovers" saint to replace the deity Lupercus.  They found a likely candidate in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some 200 years earlier.

Traditionally, mid-February was a time for Romans to meet and court prospective mates.  Young men offered women they admired and wished to court handwritten greetings of affection on February 14.  The cards acquired St. Valentine's name.

As Christianity spread, so did the Valentine's Day card.  The earliest one was sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London.  It is now in the British Museum.

The first American publisher of Valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland.  Her elaborate lace cards of the 1870s cost from five to ten dollars, with some selling for as much as thirty-five dollars.  Since that time, the Valentine card business has flourished.  Except for Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine's Day than at any other time of the year.

Valentine’s Day Vocabulary – Pelmanism Game

			The teacher loves her students.
She loves them.	Mary loves David.	She loves him.	John loves chocolate.
He loves it.	Ann and Linda love Enrique Iglesias.	They love him.	David loves Mary.
He loves her.	Snoopy is carrying Valetines.	Cupid with a heart	a Valentine’s Day card
lovers kissing	Cupid with a bow and arrow	two broken hearts	a bird with a Valentine
a postman delivering Valentines	a box of chocolates	four hearts	a rose

St Valentine’s Game     <<<

START	-1- Have you ever written a love letter?	-2- What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?	-3-  ϕ Loves me! (Go forward 3 squares)	-4- What qualities are most important to you in a partner?
-9- What’s your idea of a perfect romantic evening?	-8- Would you be willing to move to a different city/country to be with the person you loved?	-7- ϕ Loves me not! (Go back 3 squares)	-6- Have you ever met someone over the Internet? Do you think that this type of  relationships can be successful?	-5- Today many marriages end in divorce. What do you think are some of the reasons for this?
-10- How would you react if your son/daughter told you that s/he was engaged to someone of a different religion?	-11- From your point of view, is it better to marry someone of the same social and educational background?	-12- What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting married? Don’t you think it’s better to   stay single?	-13- ϕ Loves me! (Go forward 3 squares)	-14- At what age do most people in your country  get married? In your opinion, is there an ideal age to get married?
-19- Do you want to have children? If so, how many?	-18- Have your parents ever disapproved of any of your relationships?	-17- ϕ Loves me not! (Go back 3 squares)	-16- What makes a happy marriage?	-15- In your country, do women usually work after getting married?
-20- Can you remember your first date? Where did you go? What did  you do?	-21- ϕ Loves me! (Go forward 3  squares)	-22- Do you think that your personality will change if you ever get married?	-23- What do you do with your old Valentine cards and presents?	-24- Did you use to / Do you fall in love easily?
FINISH	-28- Are you a romantic person?	-27- If you could to spend a romantic evening with anyone you wanted to, who would it be?	-26- Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Valentine’s Day is just another commercial event.	-25- ϕ Loves me not! (Go back 3 squares)

 <<<     St Valentine’s Game     

www.onestopenglish.com                                                                                                  Lessonshare competition

St Valentine’s Game

Carme Roig-Papiol

Teacher’s notes

LEVEL:		intermediate and upper-intermediate
STUDENTS:		young adults and adults
TYPE OF ACTIVITY:		board game
AIM:		to improve the students’ fluency by speaking in small groups and to build their vocabulary
VOCABULARY:		words connected with love, relationships and marriage
TIMING:		30 minutes
PROCEDURE:		1. Students get into groups of three or four. Each student will need a counter and each group will need a game board and a dice.
		2. All the counters are put on the square marked START and the first player to throw a six starts the game.
		3. The students take turns to roll the dice and move along the board according to the number on the dice. When a student lands on a square, s/he will have to talk for two minutes without stopping about the question on the square. When a student lands on a square with a daisy (a “Loves me” or “Loves me not” square) s/he will have to follow the instructions on the square and go forward or go back three spaces.
		4. The game continues until one of the players reaches the FINISH square.
COMMENTS:		This game should ideally be played on or around February the 14th, St Valentine’s Day. For those teachers who teach in a country where this tradition does not exist, this game might be a nice way to bring a little culture into their classrooms.
www.onestopenglish.com		Lessonshare competition

The Story of Valentine's Day

 

  The holiday of Valentine's Day probably derives its origins from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia.  In the early days of Rome, fierce wolves roamed the woods nearby.  The Romans called upon one of their gods, Lupercus, to keep the wolves away.  A festival held in honor of Lupercus was celebrated on February 15th.  The festival was celebrated as a spring festival.  Their calendar was different at that time, with February falling in early springtime.

  One of the customs of the young people was name-drawing.  On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars.  Each young man drew a slip.  The girl whose name was chosen was to be his sweetheart for the year.

  Legend has it that the holiday became Valentine's Day after a priest named Valentine.  Valentine was a priest in Rome at the time Christianity was a new religion.  The Emperor at that time, Claudius II, ordered the Roman soldiers NOT to marry or become engaged.  Claudius believed that as married men, his soldiers would want to stay home with their families rather than fight his wars.  Valentine defied the Emperor's decree and secretly married the young couples who wanted to marry.  He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and put to death.

  Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, the eve of the Roman holiday Lupercalia.  After his death, Valentine was named a saint.  Gradually, as Rome became more Christian, the priests moved the spring holiday from the 15th of February to the 14th - Valentine's Day.  Now the holiday honored Saint Valentine instead of Lupercus.

The Origin of the Valentine's Day Card

  While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his guard, who had a blind daughter.  The guard requested him to heal his daughter.  Through his faith, he restored the sight of the guard’s daughter.  Just before his execution, he asked for pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after.

  Valentine became a Patron Saint with an annual festival.  The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14th.  The greeting cards came to be called Valentines (Valentine's Day Cards).

  The Valentine's Day Card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world.  One of the earliest cards was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London.  The card is now preserved in the British Museum.

The Meanings of Different Colored Roses

This widely depends on culture.  These are the formal meanings in English speaking cultures.  Each of these meanings is still used in society today.

Traditional meanings:

·         White roses are for peace and war true love.

·         Red roses are for passion.

·         Yellow roses are for friendship.

·         Black roses mean farewell.

Modern meanings:

·         Red roses mean love.

·         Yellow roses mean friendship.

·         Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart.

·         White roses mean purity of the mind.

·         Black roses mean hatred and death.

Cupid:  Cupid was a a mischievous, winged child, whose arrows would pierce the hearts of his victims causing them to fall deeply in love. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother Venus.

http://www.songs4teachers.com/valinformation.htm

Valentine Word Scramble

Directions:      Look at the letters in the list below.  Use them to make a word connected to Valentine’s Day. 

1.   der                                               

2.  icpud                                            

3.  ndayc                                            

4.  laocehcot                                      

5.  dcars                                            

6.  risdled                                          

7.  eossr                                            

8.  kpin                                              

9.  areht                                            

10. avetienln                                       

Write five sentences using the above words.

1.________________________________________

2.________________________________________

3.________________________________________

4.________________________________________

5.________________________________________

Answers:  heart, cupid, candy, chocolate, cards, riddles, roses, pink, red, valentine

Fill in the blanks to make Valentine Words

Need some help?  Check the Word Box. They are not in order.

candy, red, card, Valentine, love, heart, cupid

Valentine’s Icons

           

Valentine's Day Crossword Puzzle

Across

3. the person who delivers valentines

4. the color for Valentine's Day

5. the Roman god of love

6. the symbol of Valentine's Day

7. a kind of flower

8. not sour, the taste of sugar

Down

1. the opposite of hate

2. a card sent on Valentine's Day

5. a kind of candy

8. lover

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com

Valentine's Day

1. Valentine's Day is___ on February 14th.

 a. rehearsed

b. celebrated

c. held

2. This is a popular day for___ to get engaged.

a. enemies

b. spouses

c. sweethearts

3. Flowers and chocolates are___ popular presents to give.

a. neither

b. either

c. both

4. It is also a custom to send greeting cards___ valentines.

a. called

b. named

c. labelled

5. Many cards are anonymous. This means you don't know who they are___.

a. to

b. for

c. from

6. People used to believe that birds met on this day to find their mate for___.

a. winter

b. spring

c. summer

7. A modern tradition is to write a personal message in the personal___ of a newspaper.

a. columns

b. lines

c. blocks

8. A popular___ is a Cupid carrying a bow and arrow.

a. symbol

b. sign

c. diagram

9. Sending valentines used to be more___ than sending Christmas cards.

a. traditional

b. popular

c. prestigious

10. St. Valentine's Day is named___ one of two possible saints.

a. with

b. after

c. from

Cupid

by Sam Cook

Cupid, draw back your bow,

And let your arrow go

Straight to my lover's heart for me, for me.

Cupid, please hear my cry,

And let your arrow fly

Straight to my lover's heart for me.

Now,

I don't mean to bother you, but I’m in distress.

There's danger of me losing all of my happiness

For I love a girl who doesn't know I exist,

And this you can fix.

So,

Cupid, draw back your bow,

And let your arrow go

Straight to my lover's heart for me,

Nobody, but me.

Cupid, please hear my cry,

And let your arrow fly

Straight to my lover's heart for me.

Now,

Cupid, if your arrow make(s) a love strong for me.

I promise I will love her until eternity.

I know between the two of us

Her heart we can steal.

Help me if you will!

So,

Cupid, draw back your bow,

And let your arrow go

Straight to my lover's heart for me,

Nobody, but me.

Cupid, please hear my cry,

And let your arrow fly

Straight to my lover's heart for me.

Now,

Cupid, don’t your hear me,

Calling you?

I need you.

Cupid, help me.

I need you.

Cupid.

Cupid’s Arrow

by Dave Fletcher

Cupid shot an arrow

Way up in the sky

Cupid shot an arrow

Hit me right between the eyes,

I’m in love with you

On Valentine’s Day,

I hope you love me, too.

Cupid shot an arrow

Cupid shot an arrow

Way up in the sky

Way up in the sky

Cupid shot an arrow

Cupid shot an arrow

Hit me right between the eyes,

Hit me right between the eyes.

I’m in love with you

On Valentine’s Day,

I hope you love me, too.

Cupid shot an arrow

Cupid shot an arrow

Way up in the sky

Way up in the sky

Cupid shot an arrow

Cupid shot an arrow

Hit me right between the eyes,

Hit me right between the eyes.

I’m in love with you

On Valentine’s Day,

I hope you love me, too.

Cupid shot an arrow

Cupid shot an arrow

Way up in the sky

Way up in the sky

Cupid shot an arrow

You know it hit me right smack between the eyes,

I’m in love with you

On Valentine’s Day,

I hope you love me, too.

Oh yes,

On Valentine’s Day,

I hope you love me, too.

Yes, I said,

On Valentine’s Day

I hope you love me, too.

Love Potion #9

by The Searchers

I took my troubles down to Madame Rue

You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth

She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine

Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine

I told her that I was a flop with chics

I've been this way since 1956

She looked at my palm, and she made a magic sign

She said "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine"

She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink

She said "I'm gonna make it up right here in the sink"

It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink

I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink

I didn't know if it was day or night

I started kissin' everything in sight

But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine

He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine

I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink

I didn't know if it was day or night

I started kissin' everything in sight

But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine

He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine

Love Potion Number Nine

Love Potion Number Nine

Love Potion Number Nine

STUPID CUPID

By Connie Francis              26/09/1958

Stupid Cupid you're a real mean guy

I'd like to clip your wings so you can't fly

I'm in love and it's a crying shame

And I know that you're the one to blame

Hey, hey set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

I can't do my homework and I can't think straight

I meet him every morning about a half past eight

I'm acting like a lovesick fool

You've even got me carrying his books to school

Hey, hey set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

You mixed me up but good right from the very start

Hey, go play Robin Hood

With somebody else's heart

You got me jumping like a crazy clown

And I don't feature what your putting down

Since I kissed his loving lips of wine

The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine

Hey, hey set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

You got me jumping like a crazy clown

And I don't feature what your putting down

Since I kissed his loving lips of wine

The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine

Hey, hey set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

Hey, hey set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

Stupid Cupid

Stupid Cupid

Valentine/Romantic Verses

Seynte Valentine. Of Custome yeere by yeere

Men have an usaunce, in this regioun,

To loke and serche

Cupides kalendere,

And chose theyr choyse, by grete affeccioun;

Such as ben move with

Cupides mocioun,

Takyng thyre choyse as theyr sort doth falle;

But I love oon whiche excellith alle.

Monk John Lydgate

Muse, bid the moon awake,

Sad winter now declines,

Each bird doth choose a mate,

This day's Saint Valentine's

Michael Drayton

Hail, Bishop Valentine! whose day this is:

All the air is thy diocese,

And all the chirping choristers

And other birds are thy parishioners:

Thou marryest every year

The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove;

The sparrow that neglects his life for love,

The household bird with the red stomacher;

Thou mak'st the blackbird speed as soon

As doth the goldfinch or the halcyon-

This day more cheerfully than ever shine,

This day which might inflame thyself, old Valentine!

John Donne

Saint Valentine, thou art full high on loft,

Which driveth away the long nightes back,

Thus singen smalle foules for thy sake,

Will have they cause for to gladden oft,

Since each of them recovered hath his Make:

Full blissful may they sing,

when they awake.

Geoffrey Chaucer

Tomorrow is St Valentine's Day

All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your valentine!

Shakespeare:  Hamlet

This morning comes in W. Bowyer

who was my wife's Valentine...

Samuel Pepys’ Diary

Go, little gloves, salute my Valentine

Which was, which is, which must and shall be mine.

Love to thee I send these gloves

If you love me, leave out the "g"

And make a pair of loves.

17th Century verse on a card

JOKES

Q:   What is the difference between a girl who is sick

      of her boyfriend and a sailor who falls into the

      ocean?

A:   One is bored over a man the other is a man

      overboard.

Q:   What happens when you fall in love with a

      french chef?

A:   You get buttered up.

What do I think of computer dating?  

It's terrific if you're a computer.

Rita Mae Brown

Pickup Line Return:

Man:       Is this seat empty?

Woman: Yes and this one will be too if you

               sit down!

Quotes:

I claim there ain't Another Saint As great as Valentine.  Ogden Nash

A lovely heart-shaped box of chocolates was received on Valentine's Day by a coed from her newest date.  On the enclosed card was the inscription, "To Helen - with all my allowance."

Never sign a Valentine with your own name.  Charles Dickens:  Pickwick Papers

The course of true love never did run smooth. - William Shakespeare

No man at one time can be wise and love. - Robert Herrick

Then, must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well; of one not easily jealous, but being wrong perplex'd in the extreme. - William Shakespeare

'Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. - Tennyson

A man in love schemes more than a hundred lawyers.- Spain

We always return to our first loves. - America

The eyes have one language everywhere. - Romania

Love those who love you. - Voltaire

You are always new., The last of your kisses was ever the sweetest... - John Keats

Love is blind, and lovers cannot see, The pretty follies that themselves commit. - William Shakespeare

Love is like the measles; we all have to go through it. - Jerome K. Jerome

Who so loves believes the impossible. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise. - Samuel Johnson

Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better. - William Shakespeare

O, my Luve's like a red red rose, That's newly sprung in June., O, my Luve's like the melodie,

That's sweetly play'd in tune. - Robert Burns

There can be no peace of mind in love, since the advantage one has secured is never anything but a fresh starting-point for further desires. - Marcel Proust

For news of the heart ask the face. - Cambodian proverb

Love and a cough cannot be hid. - George Herbert

A life without love is like a year without summer. - Swedish proverb

If thou must love me, let it be for naught, Except for love's sake only. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Tell me whom you love, and I'll tell you who you are. - African-American proverb

True love's the gift which, God has given, To man alone beneath the heaven. - Sir Walter Scott

I hold it true, whate'er befall:  I feel it when I sorrow most:  'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all. - Alfred. Lord Tennyson

Love can vanquish Death. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. - Victor Hugo

Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight! - Christopher Marlowe

Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking. - Portuguese proverb

He who finds not love finds nothing. - Chilean proverb

Alas! the love of a women! it is known, To be a lovely and a fearful thing. - George Gordon, Lord Byron

All mankind love a lover. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."- Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862.

"Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence."- H. L. Mencken 1880-1956.

"If thou remember'st not the slightest folly, That ever love did make thee run into, Thou hast not loved."

- William Shakespeare 1564-1616 from "As You Like It"

"Love works miracle every day: such as weakening the strong, and strengthening the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favoring the passions, destroying reason, and, in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy." - Marguerite De Valois

"Romantic love 'happens'; it is not brought about; one falls in love. The person is obsessed with the loved one and is unable to concentrate on anything else. The person loses all desire to remain independent, and instead desires to merge and subsume... into the other." - Margaret Horton

"Love is like fever; it comes and goes without the will having any part in the process."

- Henry Beyle Stendahl 1783-1842

"Love must be learned, and learned again; there is no end to it."- Katherine Anne Porter 1890-1980

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."- Helen Keller 1880-1968

"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”- Franklin P. Jones

"The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end."- Benjamin Disraeli 1804-1881

"You can remember the second and the third and the fourth time, but there's no time like the first.  It's always there."- Shelagh Delaney b. 1939

"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly."- Louis Ginsberg

"Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and border and salute each other."

- Rainer Maria Rilke 1875-1926 from "Letters to a Young Poet"

"To love is to place our happiness in the happiness of another."- G. W. Von Leibnitz 1646-1716

"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outwards together in the same direction."- Antoine De Saint-Exupery 1900-1944 from "Airman's Odyssey

"Love is an egotism of two."- Antoine De Salle

"Love is a game that two can play and win."- Eva Gabor

"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."

- Alexander Smith 1830-1867 from "Dreamthorp"

"Love is a grave mental disease."- Plato 427-347 BC

"It is overdoing the thing to die of love."- French Proverb

"Age does not protect you from love.  But love, to some extent, protects you from age."- Jeanne Moreau 1929

Good morrow, 'Tis Saint Valentine's Day, All in the morn betime,

And I a maid at your window, To be your valentine. - William Shakespeare Ophelia to Hamlet

Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.- William Congreve 1670-1729

Love comes in at the window and goes out through the door.- Camden 1614

All is fair in love and war.- Proverb 17th century

Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.- Fuller 1732

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.- Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

What men call gallantry, and gods adultery,

Is much more common where the climate's sultry.- Lord Byron 1788-1824

Do you think your mother and I should have liv'd comfortably so long together, if ever we had been married?

- John Gay from The Beggar's Opera 1685-1732

Love makes the world go round.- Proverb 17th century

Love is blind.- Proverb 14th century

My heart still hovering sound about you,

I thought I could not live without you;

Now we have lived three months asunder

How I lived with you is the wonder.- Robert, Earl Nugent

Valentine's Day Vocabulary

1.  White:  The absence of color.

2.  chocolate:  A sweet flavored substance made from cacao seeds, used to make candy and beverages.

3.  candy:  an edible substance made with sugar, syrup, and other ingredients.

4.  sweet:  have the taste of sugar or honey, not sour or rancid.

5.  sweetheart:  a person who is loved, a lover.  Sometimes used as a term of endearment.

6.  Cupid:  the Roman god of love.

7.  valentine:  a sentimental card or gift sent by one person to another on Valentine's Day.

8.  red:  a color resembling the color of blood.

9.  rose: a type of flower with thorny stems; usually given as a sign of love and affection.

10.  love:  a profoundly tender, passionate affection.

Valentine's Day

M Y Y T E E W S E L D D I R X
Y A D E R O S N X N J B N K R
V Z N N P R I H Y L G J W N M
U K A H E T A L O C O H C I M
X G C W N I R Y I L I V H P Q
C U O E M U R A F T I D E A W
L L L N Q T B F E M H D L R C
F A S M E O P J P H J I A T X
V C A O V I S U M T K P K Y N
H E P R P S L D G E Y U Y V J
Z N V G D Q D Z P O Y C B I W
U J T Y D M O M M J A O I T A
R A N A F R K Q T R I V D D Y
N K P F A A B R D Z M Y W I A

Candy Card Chocolate Cupid Flowers

Friend Heart Holiday Lace Like

Love Party Pink Poems Poetry

Red Riddles Sweet Valentine White

http://www.abcteach.com/valentine/valentine1.htm

Valentine's Day Poems and Chants

TPR:

My Valentine Heart

When I say I love you

(Point to your lips)

It comes from my heart

(Hand on your heart)

You hear it in your ear

(Point to your ear)

And it sounds very smart

(Point to your head)

I love it when you're proud of me

(Stand very tall)

You say it all day long

(Stretch your arms wide)

And when I hear you say it

(Point to your ear)

My heart sings a merry song

(Hand on your heart)

A Special Package

I'm going to wrap

myself in paper.

I'm going to dab

myself with glue.

I’m going to put some

stamps on top of my head.

I'm going to post myself to you!

Love is a Circle

Love is a circle,

Round and round,

Love goes up,

And love comes down,

Love is on the inside,

Trying to get out.

Love is whirling and twirling about!

Chants/Poems:

A Valentine

A Valentine, a Valentine

Red, white and blue

I'll make a nice one

And send it to you.

I'm A Little Valentine

I'm a little valentine

Red and White

With ribbons and lace

I'm a beautiful sight

I can say, "I Love You"

On Valentine's Day

Just put me in an envelope

And give me away

Valentine

Here is a valentine.

I made it just for you

With paper and ribbons

And lots of messy glue!

I cut it with my scissors,

And signed it with my paint.

If I tell you that I love you,

Do you promise not to faint?

Valentine's Day

If I could be the postman

For just one single time,

I'd choose to carry Valentines

So lovely and so fine.

I would not mind the heavy load,

Or mind my tired feet.

If I could send happiness

All up and down the street.

For Valentine's Day

Out of a snow cloud on this very day,

Something fell an awfully long way,

Floating and falling, shiny and light,

Like a tiny round dove all clean and white,

I guess that heaven was sending it down,

This beautiful Valentine, to the children in town.

Valentine Verse

Now St. Valentine is here.

We greet his birthday with a cheer

For happiness from friend to friend

Flies with the Valentines we send.

Today as Valentines go out

To people near and far,

I'm sending this one right to you

To say how nice you are.

Songs:

Valentine's Day Song

(can be sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)

You're a special friend of mine,

Friend of mine, friend of mine,

You're a special friend of mine,

Won’t you be my Valentine.

Three Valentines

(to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Three valentines I have for you,

Have for you, have for you,

Three valentines I have for you,

Pink and red and blue.

I’ll put them in the mail for you,

Mail for you, mail for you,

I’ll put them in the mail for you,

Pink and red and blue.

Numbers and Colors:

Counting Valentines

Valentines, valentines, how many do I see?

Valentines, valentines, count them with me.

I have red ones, and orange ones,

      and yellow ones, too.

I have green ones, and purple ones,

      and some that are blue.

Valentines, valentines, how many do I see?

Count them with me!  1-2-3...

5 Little Valentines

Five little valentines were having a race

The first little valentine was silly with lace.

The second little valentine had a funny face.

The third little valentine said, "I love you."

The fourth little valentine said, "I do too."

The fifth little valentine was sly as a fox.

He ran the fastest to the valentine box.

Five Big Valentines

Five big valentines from the corner drug store

I mailed one to a friend—then there were four

Four big valentines, lovely ones to see

I mailed one to Mommy—then there were three

Three big valentines, red, shiny, and new

I mailed one to Daddy—then there were two

Two big valentines, the best is yet to come

I mailed one to Grandma—Then there was one

One big valentine, the giving is almost done

I mailed it to Grandpa—and now there is none

Valentine Fingerplay

Let's count valentines

One, two, three

Let's count valentines

All for me!

Let's count valentines

Four, five, six

Let's count valentines

Match and mix

Let's count valentines

Seven, eight, nine

Let's count valentines

I'm glad you're mine

Valentine Poem

5 little valentines just for you

The first one says, "My love is true."

The second one says, "You have my heart."

The third one says, "Let us never part."

The fourth one says, "Won't you please

be mine?"

The fifth one says, "’Til the end of time."

Five Little Valentines

One little valentine said, "I love you."

Tommy made another; then there were two

Two little valentines, one for me;

Mary made another; then there were three.

Three little valentines said, "We need more."

Johnny made another; then there were four

Four little valentines, one more to arrive;

Susan made another; then there were five.

Five little valentines, all ready to say.

"Be my valentine on this happy day."

Five Valentines

Five cheerful valentines from the department store-

I sent one to ____________; now I have four.

Four cheerful valentines, pretty ones to see-

I gave one to ____________; now I have three.

Three cheerful valentines with flowers pink and blue-

I gave one to ____________; now I have two.

Two cheerful valentines-my story's almost done.

I gave one to ______________; now I have one.

One cheerful valentine-one and only one-

I gave it to _______________; now I have none.

(Insert a child's name in each blank space.)

Inside Out

♥ Valentine’s Day ♥                      WORKSHEET _A

On February 14^th, lovers all around the world send their partners a message of their love. Although the tradition is similar in most countries, there are some slight differences.

1.      What do you know about Valentine’s celebrations in these countries? Discuss in pairs or small groups.

United States of America        China        France       Germany        Korea Denmark         Great Britain         Italy        Japan

2.      Read Worksheet B and answer these questions:

a)     Which countries have more than one Valentine’s Day?

b)     Which country has a Valentine’s Day for people without a partner?

c)     Which country offers people an opportunity to end their relationship on this day?

d)     In which country did young women use to dream about their future husband the night before Valentine’s Day?

e)     Which country celebrates Valentine’s Day on the seventh day of the seventh month?

f)      In which country is the Valentine’s card signed in code?

g)     In which country is the Valentine’s card unsigned?

h)     Would a German woman be happy to receive six red roses on Valentine’s Day?

i)       In which country is it the custom for young couples to get engaged on Valentine’s Day?

j)       Where could you see young women throwing images of their Valentines in the fire a long time ago?

k)     Where would you expect to eat black food if you are single?

l)       In which country do women give chocolates to more than one man on Valentine’s Day?

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                   Intermediate and above It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Inside Out

Valentine’s Day around the world     _{WORKSHEET B}

China

The Chinese celebrate Valentine’s Day on February

14^th, but they also celebrate a special Valentine’s Day on July 7^th of the Chinese lunar calendar. This celebration comes from a Chinese fairy tale from a long time ago. It is the only night in the year when two stars meet in the skies above. One star represents a shepherd boy and the other is his love, a weaver.

Great Britain

In Great Britain on the eve of St. Valentine’s Day, women used to pin four bay leaves to the corner of their pillow and then eat boiled eggs with salt. They believed they would dream of their future husbands. Another custom was to write the names of eligible young men on pieces of paper and stick them to balls of clay. They would then drop them into water and watch and wait. The first name to rise would, they believed, be their future husband.

These days it is more customary to send your secret love an unsigned greetings card, in the hope that he or she will know who sent it and send a card in return.

Japan

In Japan there are two Valentine’s Days. The first is on February 14^th and the other is on March 14^th. On February 14^th women give chocolates not only to their boyfriends but also to their bosses and to boys who are friends. The men don’t have to give anything. On March 14^th, which is called ‘White Day’, the men must buy chocolates (or other sweets) for their girlfriends or wives.

United States of America

Most people in the United States treat Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to express their feelings towards their loved one or to offer the hand of friendship to others. However, a popular trend these days is to send an ‘anti-Valentine’ card. These cards either contain an insulting message (to your enemy) or say goodbye (to your existing partner). If you receive a card with the message C-Ya! (See you!), it means your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to end your relationship.

Denmark

In Denmark, people swap poems and sweets. Some people also send joke cards, which are called gaekkbrev, and instead of writing their name, they sign it in dots. If the person who receives the card correctly guesses the identity of the sender, they will get a candy egg from the sender at Easter time.

Italy

There is a custom in Italy for young couples to get engaged on Valentine’s Day. Some shops sell china baskets and cups which are filled with sweets and tied with ribbons. The young romantics offer these to each

other as a token of their love.

France

A long time ago, the French custom for

Valentine’s Day involved young women going into one house and young men going

into another house, opposite the first house.

They would then call out of the windows to each other. If, in the end, the man was not attracted to

his partner, he would desert her. Later on in the day, a bonfire would be lit and the women would insult and burn images of the young men who had deserted them.

Korea

The Valentine’s Day tradition in Korea is similar to that of Japan. On February 14^th many young women give candies to their boyfriend, and on March 14^th their boyfriends buy them chocolate. However, the young people who didn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend in February or March get to celebrate their own day on April 14^th. On this special day, called ‘Black Day’, young singles sit with their friends, who are the same situation, and eat jajang noodles, which are black. This ensures that everyone has a day to celebrate.

Germany

Young German men present their loved ones with a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s Day, along with a message of love. They must remember, though, to give an odd number (1, 3, 5 etc.) and not an even number (2, 4, 6 etc.), otherwise it could bring them bad luck.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.                                   Intermediate and above It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Inside Out

Valentine’s Day – Glossary

fairy tale or fairy story noun [count]

a traditional children's story in which magic things happen

bonfire noun [count] a large fire built outside for burning rubbish or for a celebration

candy noun [count or uncount] AMERICAN a sweet, or sweets

clay noun [uncount] a type of heavy wet soil used for making cups, plates, and other objects

custom noun [count or uncount] something that people do that is traditional or usual: local customs and traditions

desert verb [transitive] to leave a person or place and not come back

dot noun [count] a very small spot of ink or colour eligible adjective considered to be a good marriage partner

engaged adjective if two people are engaged, they have formally agreed to get married: We got engaged about this time last year.

insult verb [transitive] to say or do something that is offensive:

She has no right to insult us like that. insulting  adjective

pillow noun [count] a soft object on which you rest your head in bed

relationship noun [count] a situation in which two people are sexual or romantic partners:

I was already in a relationship when I met Ben.

singles [plural] people who are not married, or who are not in a romantic relationship

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.

Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com

Inside Out

e-lesson

Week starting: 14th February 2005

1. Valentine's Day

Get your candles and your smoochy CDs at the ready  – here comes Valentine's Day. But do we all celebrate it in the same way around the world? No, we don't. If you're curious and want to find out more, you've come to the right place.

Level

Intermediate and above

How to use the lesson

1.  The first stage of this activity will depend very much on whether you have a multilingual or monolingual class. For a class of multi-nationals, give your students enough time to tell each other what the customs are in their country regarding Valentine's Day. For a monolingual class it's probably best to get straight on with activity 2.

2.  Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet A and ask them to read thequestions in 2. See if anyone can answer any of the questions before they read the text, but do not check answers at this stage.

3. 

Give each student a copy of Worksheet B and ask them to scan the text to find theanswers to the questions.

4.  Allowing any time for discussion, check the answers in open class.

Answers:

a. China, Japan, Korea	e. China	i. Italy
b. Korea	f. Denmark	j. France
c. USA	g. GB	k. Korea
d. GB	h. No	l. Japan

As a follow up, why not get your students to send each other Valentine's cards. See the websites below.

2. Related Websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

http://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/ Valentine recipes, message board and lots more

http://www.mydearvalentine.com/

send a card, try out some romantic messages, check your horoscope etc

http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/holidays/2_melissa.html some customs around the world and lots of links to other sites

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

Valentine’s Day Vocabulary

a rose (It should be red for love.)

four hearts

a box of chocolates

a postman delivering

Valentines (Valentine’s Day cards)

a bird with a Valentine

two broken hearts

Cupid with a bow and arrow

lovers kissing (Lovers are also called sweetheats.)

Snoopy carrying Valentines

Cupid with a heart

a Valentine’s Day card

(a Valentine)

a piece of chocolate candy

Valentine’s Day Word Search

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
		How many words can you make out of HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY?
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
			___________			___________
Did you find?
	Someone from another planet.
	Very small.
	A cat, a dog, or a goldfish.
	A primate.
	Momma’s partner.
	The opposite of like.
	The opposite of early.
	The opposite of sit.
	Something to put food on.
	A fruit.
	A tragedy or a comedy.
	Write on a keyboard.
Difficult:	Less than a nickel.
	Jump forward.
	Another word for can.

Some words (including the 'Did you Find?' words) are:

leap, tin, plate, penny, apple, play, ape, eat, stand, late, date, type, van, tiny, alien, data, handy, pet, ale, lap, tail, the, a, lent, papa, hand, lead,

www.bogglesworld.com