AD NO

VE
RT
S!

M
TM

Summe r Issue
The

COMEDY CRABS!
the crab walk Ca n you do
this summer?

TheLittle Mermaid
Hercules and the Lion, Not-So-Silly Sam,
What Katy Did & a fun animal poem!
“Leaping streams and jumping rocks in stripey pink and purple socks”
 tories for summe
ny s r da
un ys!
S
Whatever your plans this summer,
we’ll take you places. Come to ancient
Greece, the beach, under the sea, on a
picnic and to an imagination zoo!
This issue belongs to:

Storytime™ magazine is published every ILLUSTRATORS:

month by Luma Works, Studio 2B18, Zhanna Mendel The Crab Walk
Southbank Technopark, 90 London Rd, Ricardo Fernandez Hercules and the Lion
London, SE1 6LN. Paco Sordo A Feast of Cobwebs
Martuka The Little Mermaid
© Luma Creative Ltd, 2016. All rights Kate Alizadeh In the Summer
reserved. No part of this magazine Francesco Zito Not-So-Silly Sam
may be used or reproduced without Marco Guadalupi What Katy Did
prior written permission of the publisher.
Storytime is a trademark of Luma
Creative Ltd. Printed by Grange.

Luma Creative and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance
with the rules of the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council)®.

www.storytimemagazine.com
 n t h
O o ve re
c Fav
vourite Fairy Tales

20
The Little Mermaid
By H
Hans Christian Andersen. A mermaid
longs to see the world above the sea,
but w
will it be all she hopes for?

Famous FFables Storyteller’s Corner

r

6
alk
The Crab Walk Not-So-Silly Sam
Baby crab discovers that some An underdog proves everyone
advice isn’t worth listening to! wrong with some clever wishes.

Myths and Legends Brilliant Books

Hercules and the Lion
The mega-strong Greek
demigod faces a beastly task.
9 What Katy Did
By Susan Coolidge. The Carr 39
children have the best picnic ever.

Around the World Tales Storytime Playbox

A F ast of Cobwebs
sc ievous pets get in a
tang e in this Italian folk tale.
14 Make a lion puppet, master
our safari word search, create
a mermaid and more! 46
Po s and Rhymes Story Mac

In th Summer
50
Our favourite mermaid books,
a beautiful book of the month,
By T mas Hood d. An
and a new competition!
imagin tive poem for
sleepl s summe er nights.
 VISIT OUR SHOP!
me
M

MAGAZINE
Sti

STORAGE
BOX
It
et gf
f sp
k ng nd
t ng
th b a t
l wo s to
l wh dran
t”

u
Thatt Jack Bu
16 The House ar Son, Odd
The Polar Be Ltd 2015
Creative
© Luma

dd 1

AdvNO
erts
!

Cl im
S
t r
m

© Luma Creative Ltd, 2015.

us
Odysse
!Brave ed giant
HERO
GREEK a one-ey
k s on
You

take
hou
ldn
count
y
ur ch
kens
before
they
hat
h”

ise
The W !
© Luma
Creative
Ltd 2015

oads, Game
and T nd a
iamonds Puzzles a
tha, D PLUS
L
BEAUTIFU
iawa f Gotham

IANT
olk o

BRILL K PRINTS!
BAC !
S
ISSUE

For more story goodies, visit:

WWW.STORYTIMEMAGAZINE.COM/SHOP
PLUS IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GIFT IDEA YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TODAY
FROM ONLY £2 AN ISSUE – IT’S PERFECT FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!
TO SUBSCRIBE, VISIT WWW.STORYTIMEMAGAZINE.COM/HALFPRICE
OR CALL 0844 322 1247
* Half price offer only valid in the UK and Direct Debit subscriptions. You will be charged £8 for your first 4 issues, then your subscription
will continue at a reduced rate of up to 29% off. Subscription offer subject to availability. Your subscription will begin with the next available
issue. Please allow 28 days for delivery. Calls to the number above will cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge.
Famous Fables

The Crab Walk

I t was a clear, sunny day, so a mummy crab decided to allow
her baby crab out of the rock pool for the first time.

Mummy crab perched on a rock with her friend, the seagull, and watched her
baby clamber out through the seaweed and over the rocks, and then scuttle
sideways across the sand. The baby crab was so excited by the new sights and
sounds around her and the sensation of the soft sand beneath her claws, she
whooped for joy. Round and round in circles she went with her speedy sideways
scurry. What an adventure!

“Oh dear!” sighed the mummy crab to the seagull. “How clumsy and awkward
she looks! How embarrassing! Please excuse us.”
The mother shouted to her excited A few hours later, exhausted by the
little baby, “No, no, dear! That’s not effort, she returned to her mother.
how it’s done. Don’t you know the
“Mummy, I’m so sorry, but I just can’t
proper, grown-up way to walk? The
walk forwards like you told me to.
way the seagulls do it? You have to
Perhaps you could show me how to
walk forwards with your toes pointed
do it and I can try to copy you?”
out a little, not sideways like that!”
“Very well,” said mummy crab, and
The little crab was surprised to hear
she made her way over the rocks to
it, as walking sideways felt so normal.
the sand. Once there, she tried to put
“Okay, Mummy, I didn’t know. I’ll try
one claw in front of the other, but it
my hardest.” And she darted away.
was much harder than she realised.
As mummy crab chatted with the Her claws soon got tangled up and,
seagull, the baby crab tried to walk before she knew it, she had fallen
forwards, but her little claws just flat on her face in the sand!
couldn’t manage it. No matter how
hard she tried, she went sideways.

7
As she pushed herself up again, she saw her baby’s puzzled face and blushed
with embarrassment. “Perhaps sideways walking isn’t so bad, after all,” she
smiled. And, together, they sideways-scuttled their way back to the rock pool.

That day, mummy crab learnt that you shouldn’t tell others what to do until
you’ve tried it for yourself!

Did You Know?

Crabs have 10 legs, including their two
big claws at the front. Their legs don’t
bend the same way as human legs, which
is why they can only walk sideways, and
not forwards or backwards.
8
https://vk.com/readinglecture Myths and Legends

Hercules
and the Lion
H ercules was a very special young man – his mother was human,
but his father was the powerful god Zeus. This made Hercules a
demigod or half-god.

This meant that Hercules had extraordinary strength and, sometimes, a temper to
match. What he didn’t know was that his fits of anger were caused by the goddess
Hera, who was the wife of Zeus and had always been jealous of Hercules. For a
long time, Hera had secretly been using her powers to get Hercules into trouble.

As he grew older, Hercules became so worried by his outbursts of rage that he

visited his local temple for advice. The oracle there told him that he must serve
the cruel and cold-hearted King Eurystheus for twelve years. In that time, if he
could complete the missions set for him by the king, he would put his anger and
strength to good use and win the gift of immortality.

9
 Before Hercules arrived at the king’s This fearsome lion was well known
palace, Hera visited Eurystheus and for preying on families. Many had
secretly devised some terrible tasks tried to kill the lion before and none
for the demigod to complete. She had succeeded. It was thought to be
called the tasks the ‘Twelve Labours’ an impossible task.
and was certain that they would
When Hercules arrived at court, King
finish off Hercules for good.
Eurystheus snarled, “Bring me the
The first labour was to slay a lion skin of the Nemean lion, or there will
that had been terrorising the hills of be consequences...”
Nemea for some time. This wasn’t
just any lion – the Nemean lion had
a golden coat as hard as armour and
claws so sharp they could slice
through the toughest shield.

Think About It!

The reason so many heroes failed to slay the Nemean lion
was that it couldn’t be killed by the weapon of a mortal – it
had to belong to a demigod, like Hercules, or a god. Can
you think of three things as tough as the Nemean lion?
10
Armed with his bow, arrows and a When the lion finally skulked away,
club, Hercules set off for Nemea. Hercules stealthily tracked it until he
saw it withdraw into a cave. Hercules
checked around the cave and found
For several days and nights, he a second entrance. Using his great
followed the deadly beast’s tracks strength, he rolled a gigantic boulder
through the trees. Hercules hardly across the opening to trap the lion
dared go to sleep, for fear that the inside, then he bravely entered the
lion would attack him. dark lair armed with his courage and
with his weapons at the ready.
At last, one evening, he caught sight
of the lion deep in the forest. He let Hercules crept into the depths of the
his arrows fly, but was shocked to see cave and tiptoed right up to the mighty
them bounce off the lion’s tough coat lion, then bashed it over the head with
without even making a mark. The lion his club. The lion was stunned, but not
roared with anger and thrashed about, knocked out, and it leapt to its feet,
looking for its attacker, but Hercules let out a thunderous roar and
stayed well out of sight. pounced at Hercules.

11
 Just in the nick of time, brave Hercules was so tough, no blade could slice
grabbed the lion’s mane and wrapped through it. He was about to give up
his huge, muscular arms around its and carry the enormous beast home,
neck in a powerful stranglehold. He when he saw one of the lion’s claws
held on tightly until he felt the lion’s glint in the light. Hercules grabbed it
body become limp. The vicious beast, and, in no time, he was able to cut
at last, was dead. away the magnificent golden pelt.

He carried the lion’s skin all the way

back to King Eurystheus and, as he
After the dreadful deed was done,
drew nearer to the palace gates,
Hercules tried to cut away the lion’s
Hercules decided to celebrate his
coat for King Eurystheus, but its skin
victory by draping the golden coat
over his shoulders.

12
 When King Eurystheus saw the dreadful
Nemean lion coming towards him, he
thought he was under attack. He was
so terribly frightened, he dashed across
his throne room and leapt into a large
pot to hide!

Hercules the hero had completed

the first of his twelve impossible
labours for this cowardly king, and
he wondered what new challenges
might lie ahead.

When Hercules was a baby, the goddess Hera

sent some snakes to attack him in his cot. He was
so strong, even then, that he crushed the snakes
in his bare hands with ease! In both Greek and
Roman mythology, Hercules is thought to be the
greatest hero who ever existed.
13
Around the World Tales https://vk.com/readinglecture

A Feast of
Cobwebs
O ne Sunday, after a week of hard work, a husband and his wife
decided to treat themselves. “Let’s forget the housework,”
they said. “Let’s have a day off and have a feast!”
So they went to the market in Venice, where they lived, and bought themselves a
big fat chicken. On the way home, they bumped into their neighbour and invited
him to dinner too. “I’ll bring a nice tart for pudding!” said the neighbour. Everyone
was looking forward to it.

14
At home, they took garlic and herbs noisily on the stove. Then the cat
from their garden and put them in a leant into the pot and took a deep
big pot with the chicken, then they sniff, and the dog’s mouth watered.
went out for a nice walk, leaving their
“Do you think you could reach into
cat and dog in the kitchen.
the pot and catch the chicken in your
They had been gone a few minutes, claws?” suggested the dog.
when the dog sidled up to the oven
The cat hooked the juicy chicken on
and said, “Mmmm… that smells good.”
its claws and threw it on the floor. The
The cat miaowed in agreement.
dog yapped with excitement and the
“What a delicious smell it is,” sighed cat purred with pride.
the dog. “Do you think you could push
“Let’s have half each,” said the cat,
the lid off with your claws so we can
and so that’s what they did, and they
enjoy it even more?”
ate until their tummies felt fit to burst!
The cat stalked cautiously up to the
When there was nothing left but bones,
pot and prodded at the lid with its
they lay happily side by side, licking
claws until it slid off and clattered
their lips.

15
Then suddenly the dog leapt up. “Oh stairs and gave a huge, desperate
no! I can hear our owners. They’ll be leap, straight into the cobweb.
so cross when they find out we’ve
“What are you doing?” said the dog.
eaten their dinner. We must hide!”
“I can see your tail sticking out! What
So the dog and the cat ran around a silly place to hide!”
frantically looking for somewhere to
But the cat couldn’t move – it was
hide. They ran under the bed, but it
stuck fast in the cobweb!
was too high and too easy to see
them. They ran behind the curtains, “I’ll come and pull you out,” said the
but the curtains were too short and dog. So it ran up the stairs and leapt
you could see their legs. They ran to at the cobweb, but instead of helping
the sofa, but it was too low and they the cat, it too got stuck! No matter
couldn’t squeeze under it. how much it wriggled, the poor dog
was stranded there with the cat.
Suddenly, the cat spotted a huge
cobweb hanging from the beams
of the ceiling. The cat ran up the Just then, the wife walked in. She had
come home to check on the chicken
and, when she saw the gnawed
 Locate It!
This Italian folk tale is
set in Venice. Can you
find it on a map? Do some
research and write down
five fun facts about this
amazing Italian city.

bones on the floor, she guessed

straight away what had happened.

“Dog! Cat!” she yelled. “When I find

Soon, her husband came home too,
you, you are in big trouble!”
and when he saw the chicken bones
And she ran round the house looking scattered across the kitchen floor and
for them. She looked under the bed, couldn’t find his wife, cat or dog, he
behind the curtain and under the sofa, was very confused.
but they were nowhere to be seen.
He looked around the house. He
But as she came down the stairs, she
searched under the bed, behind the
noticed the dog’s tail and the cat’s tail
curtain and even under the sofa, but
sticking out of a cobweb in the ceiling.
he couldn’t find them anywhere.
“What are you doing up there, you
He was scratching his head, when
naughty animals?” she cried. “Just you
he heard a muffled cry coming from
wait till I get you!”
the ceiling. It was his wife’s voice and,
She stood on the kitchen table and when he looked up, he saw a cat’s
jumped up to grab the cat and the tail, a dog’s tail and his wife’s shoe
dog, but she got stuck too! And the dangling out of a huge cobweb.
more she wriggled, the more she got
“What on earth is going on?” he cried.
wrapped up in the cobweb.
17
The husband climbed up on the table to free his wife and pets, but it wasn’t high
enough, so he jumped up to grab them and he too got stuck in the cobweb! And
no matter how much he wriggled, he couldn’t free himself.

Soon enough their neighbour knocked at the door, all ready for his hearty feast.
When nobody answered, the neighbour cried, “Hey, friends, I’m here for dinner!
I made a delicious tart for you!” He knocked again, but still nobody answered.
He pushed open the door and saw the chicken bones on the floor, but his friends
were nowhere to be seen. Then he heard cries from above and when he saw the
cat’s tail, dog’s tail, wife’s shoe and husband’s knee sticking out of a huge cobweb
in the ceiling, he burst into laughter.

He climbed onto the table and was just tall enough to reach the husband, so he
pulled and he pulled with all his might, until the cat fell onto the dog’s shoulders,
the dog fell onto the wife’s shoulders, the wife fell onto the husband’s shoulders
and the husband fell onto the neighbour’s shoulders – and the huge cobweb fell
over all five of them.

And that is why you should always do your housework!

19
Favourite Fairy Tales

The Little
Mermaid By Hans Christian Andersen

O nce upon a time, there lived a Sea King in a spectacular coral

palace at the bottom of the ocean. He
lived with his six mermaid daughters.

Of his six daughters, the youngest was

the quietest. While her sisters played, she
tended to the special garden she had
planted, which was filled with beautiful
sea flowers. Her favourite part of the
garden was a statue of a man she had
found in a shipwreck. She would sit by
the statue for many hours, dreaming of
the world above the sea and what it
might be like to be human.

Sometimes, her grandmother would

tell her tales of the places she had
seen in her youth – tales of animals,
magnificent buildings and fragrant
blooms; bathing on warm beaches
in the moonlight, and listening to
human voices in the distance.

20
“I wish I could see it,” sighed the little The little mermaid thought she might
mermaid, and her grandmother would explode with curiosity!
always give the same answer: “Soon
At last, the day came when the little
enough, my dear, soon enough.”
mermaid turned fifteen. She could
It was true – in a few years, on her barely wait to swim above the waves,
fifteenth birthday, the little mermaid but her grandmother took her to one
would finally be allowed to swim side. “You deserve to look special
above the surface of the sea. today, my dear.” And she placed a
stunning pearl tiara on the excited
mermaid’s head. “Now off you go!”
The years passed and the little
The little mermaid soared eagerly
mermaid watched with envy as her
towards the surface and, when she
sisters each turned fifteen and were
finally saw the world above, she
allowed to see the human world.
was astounded by its beauty. The sun
They always returned with wide
was setting over a calm sea, turning
smiles and sparkling eyes.
everything vivid orange and hot pink.
“How was it? Is it beautiful? Did you The clouds in the sky seemed to be
see a human?” asked the mermaid, lined with gold and, not too far away,
but her sisters just answered: “Soon there was a splendid ship, its sails
enough, my dear, soon enough.” fluttering gently in a light breeze.

21
“The w beaut i fu l t h a n I ever
orld is more

Count It!
How many fish
can you find in this
picture? Write your
answer in this box.
 the l i t t le mermaid
mil e d .
imagined!” s

Answer: There are 17 fish.

She heard music drifting across the The sea began to churn and gloomy
water and swam towards the ship to clouds gathered in the sky. Lightning
get a better look. As she drew closer, was fast approaching and ear-splitting
she saw that it was decorated with thunder startled the little mermaid. The
colourful bunting and lanterns. ship began to rock back and forth, and
soon the waves seemed as high as
She spied through a window a
mountains. They crashed into the deck
ballroom filled with smartly dressed
so that the mermaid could no longer
people, all dancing, laughing and
see the prince. Moments later, the ship
talking. They were celebrating the
was smashed to pieces and the little
sixteenth birthday of a young prince.
mermaid had to dodge the planks that
When the little mermaid caught sight showered down around her.
of the prince, she was enchanted and
Just then, a flash of lightning lit up the
couldn’t take her eyes away. She
scene and the little mermaid saw the
stayed for many hours watching him,
prince plunge into the depths. She
as he smiled and talked to his guests.
dived down and, when she found him,
his body was limp and his eyes were
closed – he was on the edge of life.
It was very late when the sea became
restless. Most of the guests had gone The little mermaid lifted him to the
to bed, but the prince was still on the surface and let the waves carry them
deck, gazing at the stars. to a distant shore.

Spot It!
There s a crab hiding on every
double page of this sto
ory. Can
ou spot it? Tick this box
when you’ve found d it.

24
She laid the prince on the sparkling For the next few weeks, the little
sands of a small bay and kissed him mermaid was so unhappy, her sisters
gently on the cheek. Then, she left began to worry about her. Eventually,
him there and hid behind a rock, she told them her secret.
hoping that someone would find him.
“I know where your prince lives!” said
Later in the morning, a pretty girl her eldest sister. “I’ve seen his palace.
came down to the beach and found I’ll take you there.”
him lying there. The prince woke up
So the six sisters swam to the prince’s
and smiled at the girl, thanking her
palace, which stood white and shining
for saving him. The little mermaid was
by the sea. The little mermaid was so
happy that he was safe, but sad that
happy to see him. From that day, she
he didn’t know who had really saved
swam outside his palace every night
his life. She swam back to her father’s
so she could catch a glimpse of the
palace feeling tired and troubled –
prince standing on his balcony.
she had fallen in love with the prince,
and he didn’t even know she existed.

25
 Her heart beating wildly, she swam
through bubbling whirlpools and eerie
kelp forests, dodging venomous sea
Though she was overjoyed to see
serpents and electric eels. When
him, it wasn’t enough – deep down,
she finally reached the entrance
she yearned with all her heart to be
to the cavern, the Sea Witch was
human, just like him.
already waiting for her.
One day, she asked her grandmother
“I’ve been expecting you,” she
whether it was possible. “Only if a
said in a cold voice. “What you want
human falls in love with you,” she
will bring you only sorrow, but I will
replied. “But that has never happened.
give it to you if you will give me a
They find our tails quite ugly, you see.”
little something in return.”
A tear rolled down the little mermaid’s
“What do you need?” asked the little
cheek. She knew she could never be
mermaid, trembling.
happy if she didn’t try to win the heart
of her prince. “Your voice!” cackled the Sea Witch.

“But how will I tell the prince that it

was I who saved him?”
That night, she secretly travelled to
the most fearsome place of all – the “Not my problem!” said the Sea Witch.
cavernous home of the Sea Witch. “You’ll think of something.”

26
And so the deal was done. The Sea He laid her down and asked who she
Witch gave the little mermaid a potion was, but the poor mermaid couldn’t
and, in return, she gave her voice to reply – she had the human legs she
the old crone. longed for, but no voice. She looked
at the prince with pleading eyes, but
“When you reach land,” said the witch,
he didn’t recognise her.
“drink the potion and you will have
human legs. But be warned – it hurts!” When she had recovered, she walked
and danced so elegantly that the king
The little mermaid swam away as fast
and queen were sure that this mystery
as she could and, when she reached
girl must be of royal blood. They sent
the shore by the prince’s palace, she
messengers far and wide to discover
swallowed the foul-tasting potion. The
the identity of the missing wordless
transformation into a human was very
princess, but they had no luck.
painful, so painful that she passed out.
The little mermaid was treated well
and became the prince’s constant
When she woke, she found that she companion, but as she was unable
was being carried by the prince into to talk, she could never tell anyone
the palace. Her heart skipped a beat. her story – or truly win his heart.
 A year went by and the little mermaid The princess was beautiful and looked
was still a mystery. With no proof that strangely familiar. The little mermaid
she was royal, the king and queen quickly realised that she was the girl
would never consider her a suitable who had found the prince washed up
bride for the prince, so they set out on the beach. The prince gasped, “It’s
to find a love match for him. The little you! You’re the one who saved me!”
mermaid despaired to hear the news.
The little mermaid wanted to cry out,
They soon set off on a voyage to meet “No! I saved you, dear prince!” But
the daughter of a nearby king. “She not a sound passed through her lips.
could never be as dear to me as you,”
She saw how the prince looked at the
said the prince to the little mermaid,
princess and knew that she saw true
and her heart swelled with hope again.
love in his eyes. The prince would
When they reached the harbour of that never be hers. Her heart truly broken,
faraway city, the king and his daughter she turned away to look at the sea.
stood waiting for them.
At that moment, her five sisters popped
up above the waves and beckoned
her towards them. The little mermaid
knew then where she truly belonged,
and she gracefully dived off the edge
of the harbour into the ocean, never to
be seen by the prince again.

28
 Poems and Rhymes

In the Summer By Thomas Hood

I
n the summer when I go to bed,
The sun still streaming overhead,
My bed becomes so small and hot
With sheets and pillow in a knot,
And then I lie and try to see
The things I’d really like to be.

I think I’d be a glossy cat,

A little plump, but not too fat.
I’d never touch a bird or mouse,
I’m much too busy round the house.

29
 And then a fierce and hungry hound,
The king of dogs for miles around;
I’d chase the postman just for fun
To see how quickly he could run.

Perhaps I’d be a crocodile

Within the marshes of the Nile
And paddle in the river-bed
With dripping mud-caps on my head.

An Indian lion then I’d be

And lounge about on my settee;
I’d feed on nothing but bananas
And spend all day in my pyjamas.

30
And then I’d be a foxy fox
Streaking through the hollyhocks,
Horse or hound would ne’er catch me
I’m a master of disguise, you see.

Or maybe next a mountain goat

With shaggy whiskers at my throat,
Leaping streams and jumping rocks
In stripey pink and purple socks.

I’d like to be a tall giraffe,

Making lots of people laugh,
I’d do a tap dance in the street
With little bells upon my feet.

31
 I think I’d be a chimpanzee
Rhyme It!
With musical ability, What anim
al will yo
I’d play a silver clarinet to be in b u pretend
ed tonigh
your spec t? W
ial skill? W hat’s
Or form a Monkey String Quartet. you wear h at will
? Why no
up your o t m ake
wn extra
for this p verse
oem? Ma
ke
But then before I really know sure it’s fu
nny!
Just what I’d be or where I’d go,
My bed becomes so wide and deep
And all my thoughts are fast asleep.

32
 Storyteller’s Corner

Not-So-SillySam
T here was once a king and a queen who had an only child –
a princess – who they both doted on.
They loved her so much, they barely let her out of their sight and she rarely left
the castle, so it was a great surprise when the princess suddenly had a baby. The
king was outraged and demanded to know who the father was, but the princess
just answered, “I don’t know, Father. The baby just appeared – like a gift!”

33
But the king wouldn’t rest until he had discovered the true identity of the father.
He consulted the wisest minds in the land, and then summoned the wealthiest
suitors to the castle. He also told the princess to come along with her new baby.

When everybody was there, the king announced, “Now I will present this child
with an enchanted lemon, given to me by a wise old wizard. Whoever the child
gives it to is his father and I will know once and for all!”

What nobody realised was that Silly Sam had managed to sneak into the castle
grounds, unnoticed. Now, Silly Sam was so called because he was very shy and
would stoop over so that people didn’t look at him. Also, he wasn’t very good at
making conversation. Because of his shyness everybody thought he was stupid
and they called him names. But today, when Sam passed the new baby’s crib,
the little baby giggled and immediately handed him the enchanted lemon.

34
The king gasped, the queen wailed and the princess turned pale. The king was
so angry that someone like Silly Sam could be the father of the baby, he marched
the princess, her baby and Silly Sam to the town quay, forced them into a large
barrel and pushed them out to sea, completely ignoring the princess’s pleas. The
barrel bobbed away on the tide and soon they were far from land.

The princess began to sob. “You stupid man!” she wept. “You’ve ruined my life!
You have nothing to do with my baby!”

“But I do,” said Sam calmly. “One day, I wished that you would have a child – and
my wish came true.”

The princess didn’t believe him. “Well, wish us some food, then. I’m hungry!”
Silly Sam had simple tastes, so he As they stepped onto the shore, Sam
wished for a plate of hot buttered said, “I wish for a castle.” And, quick
potatoes. The princess was used as a flash, a splendid castle appeared
to finer fare, but she was so hungry, with pearl-encrusted turrets. Servants
she shared the plate with Sam and came out and led Sam, the princess
the potatoes tasted delicious. She and her baby inside.
thanked him and smiled.
When they stepped into the great
“Now,” said Sam, “I wish for a fine hall, Sam said quietly, “Now I wish
ship to carry us safely to shore!” for you to see me as the man I really
And, in a moment, they were both am!” And nothing happened at all,
standing aboard a grand ship, fully except that Sam straightened up
crewed and laden with supplies. The a little and smiled warmly at the
princess looked at Sam in disbelief princess, with a sparkle in his eyes.
and the baby gurgled with delight. He gently took her hand in his.

They travelled across the sea, until

they came to an uninhabited land.

36
 Try It!
utes to see
Why not take ten min
Hold a funny
how silly you can be?
jokes, see who
face competition, tell
t noises or
can make the stranges
, or do animal
craziest dance moves
re that the
impressions! Make su
The silliest
grown-ups join in too!
...
person gets a silly prize
like a lemon!

Far from home and th he cruel bullies princess’s father. The princess knew
who had always said mean things to it was him at once, but he didn’t
him, the princess realised what a good recognise his daughter or Sam, as
man Sam was. He had bright, alert he thought they had both drowned
eyes, which showed he had a quick at sea years earlier.
mind, a generous smile, and he had
They were fine hosts to the king and
been so kind on their journey together.
they treated him to a big banquet, but
In that instant, she fell in love with him.
as he got ready to leave, Sam secretly
There was no need for Sam to make placed a golden goblet in his pocket.
his next wish – the two were married
When the king was about to board his
the next day and they lived together
ship, Sam sent some guards to arrest
in harmony for several years.
him. The king was dragged back to
the palace, all the time swearing his
innocence. “I didn’t steal it, I swear! It
Then, one day, an unexpected visitor
just appeared – like a gift!”
arrived at their castle. It was the
37
“Perhaps we should believe you,” said the princess,
smiling at her father. “You see, I know how horrible it
is to be accused of something you haven’t done.”

Then she revealed her true identity to the king, who

fell to his knees and begged for her forgiveness. He
Wish It!
Not-So-Silly S
am has the p
had missed his daughter terribly and had regretted to make wish ower
es come true
his actions ever since he had banished her. If you had on .
e wish, what
would you w
ish for?
The princess and Sam forgave him and, from that
day on, the king treated Sam like one of the family.
And when the king died, Not-So-Silly Sam ruled over
the land, and nobody called him names ever again
– other than ‘Your Majesty’, of course!

38
 Brilliant Books

What Katy Did By Susan Coolidge

K aty’s name was Katy Carr. The house she lived in stood on the
edge of the town of Burnet.

It was a large square house, white, with green blinds, and had a porch in front,
over which roses and clematis grew. On one side of the house was an orchard;
on the other side were woodpiles and barns, and an icehouse. Behind was a
kitchen garden and a pasture with a brook and four cows.

There were six Carr children – four girls and two boys. Katy, the oldest, was
twelve years old; little Phil, the youngest, was four, and the rest fitted in between.

Dr Carr, their Papa, was a dear, kind, busy man, who was away from home
all day, and sometimes all night, taking care of
sick people. The children hadn’t any Mamma.
She had died when Phil was a baby, four
years before my story began. Katy could
remember her pretty well; to the rest
she was but a sad, sweet name.

In place of Mamma, there was Aunt

Izzie, Papa’s sister, who came to
take care of them.
 “Aunt Izzie was
a small woman,
sharp-faced and thin,
rather old-looking
and very particular
about everything.”
Aunt Izzie was a small woman, sharp- I want to show you the Carrs, and I
faced and thin, rather old-looking, and don’t know that I could ever have a
very particular about everything. better chance than when five out of
the six were perched on top of the
She meant to be kind to the children,
icehouse, like chickens on a roost.
but they puzzled her much, because
This icehouse was one of their
they were not a bit like herself when
favourite places. It was only a low
she was a child. Aunt Izzie had been
roof set over a hole in the ground.
a gentle, tidy little thing, who loved to
sit and sew, and to be told that she Clover, next in age to Katy, sat in the
was a good girl; whereas Katy tore middle. She was a sweet dumpling of
her dress every day, hated sewing, a girl, with thick pigtails of light brown
and didn’t care a button about being hair, and blue eyes, which seemed
called ‘good’. It was very perplexing to hold tears, just ready to fall from
to Aunt Izzie. under the blue. Everybody loved her,
and she loved everybody, especially
“Clover, go up stairs and wash your
Katy, whom she looked up to as one
hands! Dorry, pick your hat off the
of the wisest people in the world.
floor and hang it on the nail! Not that
nail – the third nail from the corner!” Pretty little Phil sat next on the roof to
These were the kind of things Aunt Clover, and she held him tight with her
Izzie was saying all day long. arm. Then came Elsie, a thin, brown
40
child of eight, with beautiful dark eyes, Joanna, whom the children called
and crisp, short curls covering her ‘John’ and ‘Johnnie’, was a square,
small head. Poor little Elsie didn’t splendid child, a year younger than
seem to belong to either the older Dorry; she had big brave eyes, and
or the younger children. Her great a wide rosy mouth, which always
ambition was to be allowed to go looked ready to laugh. These two
about with Katy and Clover and Cecy were great friends, though Dorry
Hall, and to be permitted to put notes seemed like a girl in boy’s clothes,
into the little post offices they were and Johnnie like a boy who, in a fit
forever establishing in hidden places. of fun, had borrowed his sister’s frock.
But they used to tell her to “run away And now, as they all sat chattering
and play with the children”, which hurt and giggling, the window above
her feelings very much. opened and Katy’s head appeared.

Dorry and Joanna sat on the two ends. “Hurray!” she cried. “Aunt Izzie says
Dorry was six years old: a pale, pudgy we may go. Hurry up, Clover, and get
boy, with rather a solemn face, and the things! Cecy and I will be down in
smears on the sleeve of his jacket. a minute.”
 The children jumped up gladly. Clover Whenever she stopped to think about
fetched a couple of baskets from the her height she felt as if she were all
shed. Elsie ran for her kitten. Dorry legs and elbows, and angles. Happily,
and John loaded themselves with two her head was so full of plans and
sticks. Just as they were ready, Katy schemes of all sorts that she didn’t
and Cecy Hall came into the yard. often remember how tall she was.

I must tell you about Cecy. She was She was a dear, loving child, for all
a great friend of the children’s, and her careless habits, and made good
lived next door. Cecy spent two-thirds resolutions every week, only unluckily
of her time at Dr. Carr’s, and was like she never kept any of them. She had
one of the family. She was a neat, fits of responsibility about the other
pink-and-white girl, modest and prim children, and longed to set them a
in manner, with light shiny hair, which good example, but when the chance
always kept smooth, and slim hands, came, she generally forgot.
which never looked dirty.

How different from my poor Katy!

The place to which the children were
Katy’s hair was forever in a snarl; her
going was a marshy thicket at the
gowns were always catching on nails
bottom of the field. In winter the
and tearing; and she was the longest
ground was boggy, but in summer,
girl that was ever seen. What she did
it was all fresh and green, and
to make herself grow, nobody could
full of wild roses and birds’ nests.
tell; but there she was – half a head
taller than poor Aunt Izzie!

Write It!
r ite a
n of
descriptio e
w
Can you e the ones for th
lik ? Use
yourself n in our story !
d re
Carr chil o me adjec
tives
f a w e s
lots o

42
Narrow winding paths ran here and However, Katy, as usual, had her way.
there. The children called it ‘Paradise’, It was agreed that they should try
and to them it seemed as full of Pilgrim’s Path, then make a thorough
adventure as any forest or fairyland. exploration of the whole of their little
kingdom. So in they marched, Katy
“Which path shall we take?” asked
and Cecy heading the procession.
Clover.

“Suppose we vote,” said Katy. “I say

the Pilgrim’s Path and Hill of Difficulty.” “Oh, there is the dear Rosary, all safe!”
cried the children, as they reached the
“So do I!” chimed in Clover, who
top of the Hill of Difficulty and came
always agreed with Katy.
upon a wild rosebush. To them, this
“The Path of Peace?” suggested Cecy. ‘Rosary’ was a fascinating thing. They
were always inventing stories about it.
“No, no! We want to go by Sassafras
Path!” cried John and Dorry.

43
The Path of Peace got its name the largest basket, while all the rest
because of its darkness and coolness. peeped to see what was inside.
A white flower grew there, which the
First came ginger cakes, then slices
children called Pollypods, because
of cold lamb, and last of all, a dozen
they didn’t know the real name. They
hard-boiled eggs with thick bread and
stayed a long while picking flowers,
butter. Aunt Izzie had made lunches
so when they had explored Toadstool
for Paradise before, you see.
Avenue, Rabbit Hollow, and the rest,
the sun was over their heads, and it Oh, how good everything tasted in
was already noon. that bower, with the fresh wind rustling,
sunshine and sweet smells about
them, and the birds singing overhead!
“I’m getting hungry,” said Dorry.
Each mouthful was a pleasure, and
“Oh, no, Dorry, you mustn’t be hungry when the last crumb had vanished,
till the bower is ready!” cried the little Katy produced the second basket,
girls, and they hastily built a bower.
When it was done they all cuddled in
underneath, and Katy lifted the lid of

To see WHAT KAT Y

next, turn to page 5DID
0!
and there – oh, delightful surprise! “and then you could all come and
– were seven little pies, which tasted live with me, and we would play in the
like toffee and lemon peel, and all garden. And we’d never sew or knit, or
sorts of good things. Seven sets of do anything we didn’t want to. That’s
teeth went to work and, in no time, what I’d like to be. But now I’ll tell you
every bit of pie had disappeared. what I mean to do.”

“What shall we do now?” said Clover. “Isn’t it the same thing?” asked Cecy.

“Let’s play we’re grown up,” said “Oh, no!” replied Katy, “quite different;
Cecy, “and tell what we mean to do.” for you see I mean to do something
grand. I don’t know what, yet, but
“I’d like to have a large house and a
when I’m grown up I shall find out...”
splendiferous garden,” said Katy,

45
 S
layb x
Hunt f rfect picnic, create a mythical
lion, and play our mermaid maker game!

1 SLEEPY SAFARI See if you can track down all the

animals from this issue’s poem.

T G N T A O G I Z R Y G
Q I F A N D N H D O K I
2 Quick
S
Quiz
C R U X Y H S Q C V R What does Not-So-Silly
D O B F L Q N Q G L E A Sam wish for on his

C
voyage? Circle it!
H I M P A N Z E E L F
R T Y J K N R T Y N I F
F L A E F X A B Q O D E
A
Potatoes
O U P Z O P U Q E H O P
X Z S C H A O G B A C O
D C T A F M Y G J M O P B
M A A S J L I O N Y R Barrel
T
C R J B R E Y D B X C L
CAT GOAT C
DOG
FOX
LION
GIRAFFE
CROCODILE
CHIMPANZEE Lemon
3 PERFECT Can you fill up this picnic basket with
all your favourite treats, just like the one

PICNIC Katy and the rest of the Carr children had?

Draw them and colour them in!

crisps
 4 SAND PRINTS Which footprints belong to the crab?
Draw a line between the footprints
and the animals who made them.

3 C
B
A
A
gro sk a
wn-up
5 MAKE A CUPCAKE CASE LION !
Transform a white paper fairy cake case or cupcake liner
into a lion puppet and use it to act out our Hercules story.
:æçddW^ è_eb Ue`Uç\W UçcW ç^V VZ` Zd Z^ èWææ_g å__V
U_æ_ebZ^X _b `çZ^d Zd èWææ_g" ?Wd Zd Vbè _ed"
JYW^ Zd¼c Vbè ecW ç TæçU\ ]çb\Wb `W^ `W^UZæ _b
Ubçè_^ d_ Vbçg dYW æZ_^¼c åçUW Z^ dYW UW^dbW" FdZU\
_^ dg_ X__Xæè WèWc"
CçZ^d ç æ_ææZ`_` cdZU\ _bç^XW _b èWææ_g ç^V cdZU\ dYW
Ue`Uç\W UçcW d_ dYW d_` _å dYW cdZU\ ecZ^X XæeW _b
V_eTæW!cZVWV cdZU\è dç`W"
A_g è_e Uç^ ecW Zd çc ç cZ]`æW cd_bè `e``Wd

TIP! Why not make two lions – one with a happy face and
one with an angry face – so you can act out the story properly?
D C C
L I O N R A
G O
T
C X
O O
E D F
F I
F H I M P A N Z E E L C
A E ANSWERS: 1. Sleepy Safari – see right; 2. Quick Quiz – A, Potatoes; 4. Sand Prints – 1B, 2C, 3A.
R
I
G T A O G
LIT T LE M E R M A I D M A K E R
m aid so sh e ca n visit her family at
l back into a mer nd shell bikini!
Can you turn this gir er a b ea utifu l tail a
an? Help give h
the bottom of the oce

How to Play
All you need to play is a dice
and some colouring pencils –
or print out our free Mermaid
Maker printable from
storytimemagazine.com/free.
To get started, just roll the dice.
Each number on the dice
matches a missing numbered
section on the mermaid. If you
roll a 1, colour in or stick on the
first piece of shell bikini. Keep
playing until you’ve rolled all
six numbers and finished your 1 2
mermaid. How quickly can you
complete it? Time yourself!

3
6
4
5
49
Download our Mermaid Maker printable from: storytimemagazine.com/free
 STORY MAGIC
Summer’s here and that means dreaming of the seaside, splashing
about with mermaids and visiting mystical midnight zoos!

BOOK OF THE MO
More Magical
Mermaids!
Want a gorgeous book
to get totally lost in this
summer? Then Midnight
ore at the Zoo by Faye Hanson
d by th is is su e’s fairy tale to read m is the perfect choice. Max
Inspire les we
m ai d st or ie s? H er e are three fishy ta and Mia discover what the
mer
highly recommend! animals get up to at night
aid by Julia D onaldson in the zoo – and it involves
Fay e Ha nso
n

The Singing Merm ns by Lydia Monks,

this
flouncing flamingoes, prancing ing
us gl itter illus tratio
With gorgeo aid who
ym ing stor y fe at ur es a talented merm pandas and more! Each illustration is
lovely rh cape his
ed by a cr ue l ci rcus owner. Can she es bursting with so much detail, you can
is trapp s)
il clutches ? (M ac m illan Children’s Book honestly look at this book for hours
ev pbell and still not see all there is to marvel
the Shoe by K.G. Cam
The Mermaid and ite fit in with at. A wonder! (Templar Books)
maid who doesn’t qu
Minnow is a lit tle m er
ed si st er s. She wonders wha
t her
We have a copy of this amazing WI
her beautif
own tale nt
ul
is
, ta
un
le
til
nt
sh e co m es across a strange
ad. (Kids Can Press)
object. picture book to give away! Enter
at storytimemagazine.com/win
N
A perfect summer re r
inds nap by Liz Kessle

WIN BOOKS!
The Tail of Emily W ar ring a girl who discover
s
8 an d up , st
A series for ages st adventure, she sets
out
erm aid. In he r fir
she is half-m in total –
r mer m an fa ther. There are six books
to find he Books)
r the su m m er br ea k! (Orion Children’s Win a copy of What Katy Did by
great fo
Susan Coolidge and discover what
her grand plans were and what
mischief she gets up to! To enter,
COLLECT THEM ALL! visit: storytimemagazine.com/win
Another magic mermaid tale is The
Mermaid of Zennor, which we featured in
Storytime Issue 4. Did you miss it? We still
have a limited amount of Storytime issues
on sale in our Storytime Shop, along with
back-issue bundles. Get them while you
WIN
can from storytimemagazine.com/shop
 ays shines in Storyti
The sun alw was well known
Armed with his bow,
arrows and a
off for Nemea
When the lion finally
Hercules stealthily
skulked away,
tracked it until he
a cave Hercules
2 ND anniversary issue!

M
This fearsome lion club, Hercules set saw it withdraw into
at the king’s Many had cave and found
Before Hercules arrived for preying on families checked around the
nzee Imagine It! palace, Hera visited
Eurystheus and
tried to kill the lion
before and none a second entrance
Using his great
TM
I think I’d be a chimpa terrible tasks was thought to be nights, he a gigantic boulder
What animal will you
pretend
secretly devised some had succeeded It For several days and strength, he rolled
the floor, but his friends With musical ability, complete She beast’s tracks to trap the lion
chicken bones on
to be in bed tonight?
What’s for the demigod to an impossible task followed the deadly across the opening
door and saw the when he saw the t your special skill? ‘Twelve Labours’ Hercules hardly entered the
He pushed open the cries from above and I’d play a silver clarine What will called the tasks the at court, King through the trees inside, then he bravely
seen Then he heard of a huge cobweb y String Quartet.
you wear? Why not
and was certain that
they would When Hercules arrived for fear that the his courage and
were nowhere to be
make
’s knee sticking out Or form a Monke up your own fun extra “Bring me the dared go to sleep, dark lair with only
wife’s shoe and husband verse
finish off Hercules
for good Eurystheus snarled, him
weapons to help him
cat’s tail, dog’s tail, r
for this poem?
lion, or there will lion would attack
burst into laughte skin of the Nemean
in the ceiling, he , so he to slay a lion , he caught sight the depths of the
to reach the husband really know The first labour was be consequences
” At last, one evening Hercules crept into
just tall enough But then before I g the hills of the forest He let up to the mighty
table and was the dog’s shoulde
rs, that had been terrorisin of the lion deep in cave and tiptoed right
He climbed onto the until the cat fell onto where I’d go,
with all his might, ’s shoulders Just what I’d be or Nemea for some time
This wasn’t was shocked to see it over the head with
pulled and he pulled his arrows fly, but lion, then bashed
wife fell onto the husband so wide and deep Nemean lion had the lion’s tough coat stunned, but not
wife’s shoulders, the fell My bed becomes just any lion the bounce off his club The lion was
the dog fell onto the rs and the huge cobweb . as armour and
them
a mark The lion
the neighbour’s shoulde ts are fast asleep a golden coat as hard it leapt to its feet,
and the husband fell onto And all my though without even making knocked out, and
could slice and thrashed about, us roar and
claws so sharp they roared with anger let out a thundero
over all five of them
work! t shield , but Hercules pounced at Hercule
s
d always do your house through the toughes looking for its attacker
And that is why you shoul
sight
stayed well out of

POETRY
Think About It!
heroes failed to slay
the Nemean lion
COMPETITIO
The reason so many
was that it couldn’t be
killed by the weapon
had to belong to a demigod,
of a mortal it
like Hercules, or a god.
Can
lion?
See your poe
10
you think of three things
as tough as the Nemean
in Storytim

ythical The
with a mighty m
32
19

u’ re an D o ba tt le Likes
The Brav
Tailor, Ga
e

y Imagine yo
es

Hercules style!
The Reluc

Laugh at our funn

by Brian Mo ant
ses

e imal! lion –
ragon & win
a

aw es om an
Italian folk tale! Com
v e r m is s a n is s u e at: in is ing
Ne z in e .c om sue
m a g a
WIiN www.stor y t im e
25
ant
Brill !
Books Don’t mis
fantasti s our
c Poetry
Competit
ion!