Henry and the Great Flood

As a zoo keeper, Gary Richmond (the author) learned a lot about God's wonderful animals and in the process learned a lot about God. In this book he tells the reader of a particular grumpy old bear named Henry. Henry was a 200 pound, bushy, black and white sloth bear. He was an unforgettable bear. Henry often threw temper tantrums and anything from not getting a treat to flies buzzing around him would set him off. Well, one day after getting fed and off to bed, it started raining and the water pumps around his cave stopped working and the water in his cage started rising fast. The bear was doing everything possible to keep his head above water all the while throwing a first-class fit.

Henry waited all night for his keep, George to come back, but the zoo didn't open until 8:30am. George came in the morning and became frightened when he saw that it was still raining and Henry's cave was almost filled all the way up. George immediately found a phone and called security for help and had them bring every water pump they could get their hands on. George started praying for Henry's safety. Then the bear's nose disappeared under the water and George knew he had to do something to save the beloved sloth bear. After what seemed like forever, Henry popped out from under the water next to the front of the cave. He had been looking for higher ground and made it.

"Sometimes it seems as if everything is going wrong, doesn't it? It might even seem as if you're alone and no one cares about you. You may feel just as Henry did. Still, Henry kept looking for George to come help him. He never gave up. HEj just kept holding on to keep his nose above water. And that's what you have to do, too, when times are tough. Like George helped Henry, God will help you. Just keep asking him to and never stop hoping. You see, just like Georeg, God may sometimes seem slow, but he's never too late to save you. Isn't that great news?"---- Gary Richmond

----That is the moral at the end of the story. Here's mine: "Henry's adventure shows us not to give up hope. God may seem slow in coming, but he's never too late to help." It's everything the above portion just said, only shorter.

Biography of Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of the English writer and mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, b. Jan. 27, 1832, d. Jan. 14, 1898, known especially for ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (1865) and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (1872), children's books that are also distinguished as satire and as examples of verbal wit. Carroll invented his pen name by translating his first two names into the Latin "Carolus Lodovicus" and then anglicizing it into "Lewis Carroll."

The son of a clergyman and the firstborn of 11 children, Carroll began at an early age to entertain himself and his family with magic tricks, marionette shows, and poems written for homemade newspapers. From 1846 to 1850 he attended Rugby School; he graduated from Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1854. Carroll remained there, lecturing on mathematics and writing treatises and guides for students. Although he took deacon's orders in 1861, Carroll was never ordained a priest, partly because he was afflicted with a stammer that made preaching difficult and partly, perhaps, because he had discovered other interests.

Among Carroll's avocations was photography, at which he became proficient. He excelled especially at photographing children. Alice Liddell, one of the three daughters of Henry George Liddell, the dean of Christ Church, was one of his photographic subjects and the model for the fictional Alice.

Carroll's comic and children's works also include The Hunting of the Snark (1876), two collections of humorous verse, and the two parts of Sylvie and Bruno (1889, 1893), unsuccessful attempts to re-create the Alice fantasies.

As a mathematician, Carroll was conservative and derivative. As a logician, he was more interested in logic as a game than as an instrument for testing reason. In his diversions as a photographer and author of comic fantasy, he is most memorable and original--the man who, for example, contributed, in "Jabberwocky," the word chortle, a portmanteau word that combines "snort" and "chuckle," to the English language. DONALD J. GRAY

**http://www.insite.com.br/rodrigo/text/lewis_carroll.html, Rodrigo A. Siqueira, Universidade de São Paulo

Cinderella in another view... a song.

Many people have started to have their own takes on fairy tales, from new books, movies and even to songs. There is one song in particular that I know for a fact isn't a children's song, but it is a new path that some singers have taken. This song is called It's Midnight Cinderella by Garth Brooks. I remember listening to this song when I was little and loving it, but as a child I didn't understand some of the meanings, I just associated it with the common Cinderella fairy tale. My mom was a big fan of Garth Brooks as I was growing up, which made me one, so when it came on the radio we would all sing it. I think that behind everything written for children there are hidden meanings and jokes for adults, but in the ones written for adults some of the jokes are right up from for children.

p.s. I couldn't find the video, but when I find it I'll be sure to add it.

The Poky Little Puppy

I just couldn't resist this book when I found it in the top of my closet at grandparent's house and few weeks ago. I remember reading this story when I was little. Most of the books they use to buy my brother and I were meant to develope language and reading skills, but this was always my favorite. It's the story of 5 little puppies who dig a hole under a fence to explore the world, but end up going on a quest for the rice pudding that they smell. When they got home their mother was displeased and sent the four that came home to bed without any pudding, but the fifth came home late and ate it all. The next day they did it all over again, but this time they were sent to bed without any chocolate custard, and what happened? The first four got in trouble and the fifth ate it all when they went to bed. They did it again the next day, this time it was strawberry shortcake. The mother was so happy the four listened to her when they went to bed, she gave to shortcake and fifth came home late again and got nothing. This story always made me think that if I got home in time for dinner I'd get some kind of yummy dessert, but not always. The poky little puppy was always poking his little puppy nose where it didn't belong and in the end it got the best of him. If he had actually listened to his mother he would have gotten to share the shortcake with his brothers and sisters. Now I ask you a question, why are many of the books that we read when we were little mostly about obeying your parents for a special treat? I did when I could and never got any strawberry shortcake, he he.

Gail Carson Levine biography

Gail Carson Levine was born September 17, 1947 in New York, New York. This American born writer's first published novel was Ella Enchanted in 1997, which is now a major motion picture. Levine’s hallmark was telling fairy tales with a twist. For example her Princess Tales was set in the Kingdom of Biddle, which is a collection of stories about light-heart and sassy heroines. She based her story Dave At Night on her father, David. David owned a commercial art studio and her mother, Sylvia, was a teacher who wrote plays for her students to perform. Her sister, Rani, teaches painting and exhibits her art in the US and in Jamaica. Levine used to love to draw and paint, but once she took a course on writing, she found that it was her true passion. She once said, "I had always been the hardest on myself when I drew and painted. I am not hard on myself when I write. I like what I write, so it is a much happier process."

Disney's Cinderella - the movie

Well, I just finished downloading and watching Cinderella, the Disney version. It was exactly like I remembered it, but not really anything like any of the stories. In the beginning it said that it was adapted from Charles Perrault. There was only one ball and it never made any mention of the biological mother. The father dies within the first minute of the movie, too. The step-mother, though, totally looked the part of evil and the step-sisters were extremely dense. This version also shows the fairy godmother and all her magic.

Either I wasn't paying attention or I just missed it, but none of the stories make mention of the glass slipper, that is until you read the online readings with George Cruikshank's Cinderella and the Glass Slipper. The grand duke, durng the ball, made mention of how them at the ball was "real life" and that the prince finding and falling in love with one of the girls was a "fairy tale". It was kinda like they knew they were in one. I think the addition of the animals, the music and the real fairy godmother with her wand, was Disney's idea, to make it a little more, oh I don't know, disneyish, lol.

Hiawatha the Brave Hunter

My second book was a story that my grandmother used to read my older brother and I all the time. It was his favorite. It's Hiawatha the Brave Hunter. Hiawatha's grandmother used to teach him about the nature, how to find the north star and that you should always be kind to the animals, but Hiawatha always dream of becoming a hunter. One day an old brave gave him a bow and arrow that he had made him. Hiawatha took it and showed it to his animal pals who grew frightened, but he promised he would never shoot them, for they were his friends.

Well, a few days later Hiawatha wanted to try out his new bow and arrow on the little island in the middle of the lake. His animal friends tried to warn him not to go because it was too dangerous, but he didn't listen. He sped up his canoe, again against the advice of the animals followiung him, he promptly slammed into the bank and fell out. Everone laughed except Hiawatha. It didn't take too long before he found some strange tracks that he decided to follow. It turned out to be a giant grasshopper, who jumped, startled him and caused him to fall into a thron berry bush. His friends laughed again, but this time he chased after the rabbit who laughed the hardest. He ran after him all over the island until they reached the bank where the rabbit apologized and Hiawatha forgave him. He then broke his bow and arrow and decided to become a scout.

As he started to scout the island, he came upon some small tracks and started to follow them until they came to a little cave where he saw a littlebear cub go in. Hiawatha tried to coax the cub back out, but ended being chased by the cub's father. Hiawatha and his little animal friends ran all across the island trying to get away from the monstrous papa bear. They ran past two beavers who detoured him so they could gnaw on tree until it fel crashing down on the bears head. They had all gotten away, but not too far, because Hiawatha couldn't find his canoe on the bank. It had floated away. The beavers again helped by retrieving it and once everyone was in the canoe, they paddled it back home.

When they reached shore, they were greetedby his grandmother. Hiawatha told her of his many adventures that day and that he had decided to become a scout instead of a mighty hunter.. She was happy for him and lulled him to sleep in his hammok as he dreamed of all his adventures that day.