 
The Flower and the Stone
A flower grew next to a stone, on a narrow strip of land between a forest and the sea.
"O Stone," said the Flower,
"it is glorious to open my petals in the sun, to feel the heat of summer and the coolness of the air upon my flesh."
"I to am warmed by the sun," said the Simple Stone.
"but my petals are slower to open. A million bright and perfumed flowers will flourish and die before I put forth my first tentative shoot or unfurl soft green leaves to a sun that you will never see."
Even as he spoke, the fullness of Summer pressed heavy beauty upon all the land, kissing each tiny flowers were turning brown, consumed, consumed in the intestity of Love.
After glorious Summer had kissed all the beautiful flowers he passed away over the edge of the world, and Autumn swept the fallen petals away on her red and golden winds.
Winter came and lay upon the Earth.
upon the trees of the forest, and the distant hills and mountains, upon the narrow stretch of land between the forest and the sea.
Underneath the pure white snow, the stone dreamed its long stone dreams and remembered the flower of summer.
Many summers and winters passed.
Autumn lost count of all the frail and beautiful petals that she carried away in her red and gold arms.
Finally the morning came of a long - awaited Spring and the stone put forth its first tentative shoot into the invigorating air.
As the sun rose slowly into the clear, crisp sky, it began to unfurled its delicate soft green leaves, turning this way and that as it grew towards the heat and light.
Already it had forgotten the many days and night it had lain as a stone in the womb of the earth,
baked by the sun, washed by a million rivers of rain, frozen by a million cold night.
Forgotten too were its dreams of conversations with flowers and insects, small animals and passing clouds.
Stones have deep great sympathies for things, but no great power of concious memory.
 But now its time had come and it could wait no longer.
With a joyous shout , it opened the clustered bud of its long hibernation, exploding into a riot of subtle and glorious colour, a perfumed mandala full of a million deities that dances upon each petal in divine celebration of consciousness and life.
The full heat of the sun, the full heat of the season, bent down to kiss the beautiful flower, for now it was High Summer and the golden sun was at its zenith, so that not a single shadow was cast over any of the land.
A small stone lay in the earth next to the flower.
In the bright sunlight it shone
like a blaxing star.
This is a Child's Version of
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
(William Shakespeare wrote the original)
There was a law in the city of Athens which gave its men the power of the choosing, whom they wanted their daughters to marry. And what was worse if the daughter in question refused to marry the lucky individual, the father was then given the power to put their own child to death. Of course this didn't happen all the time but it did on occasion, and this is the story of that "one time" of which this story is about.
There lived at this time an old man, whose name was Egeus, he decided to go to the Duke of Athens and ask that his daughter, Hermia, be killed because she would not marry Demetrius, a young gentleman of a noble family of Athens, but not a very nice man really. Also the beautiful Hermia had already fallen in love and given her heart to another young Athenian , whose name was Lysander and by far the better catch of the two young gentlemen in question.
It wasn't all Hermia's fault that she didn't want to marry Demetrius, for he had already told her that he had been in love with Hermia's best friend Helena, and Helena still was very much in love with Demetrius, but he not so with her. Alas these reasons didn't help or make any difference.... unfortunately not for Egeus didn't care about the love of these young people, all he wanted was his daughter to be put to death for not obeying him.
Theseus, although quite powerful, wasn't powerful enough to change ther law but he did give Hermia four days to change her mind, then if she still refused to marry Demetrius, she was to be put to death.
When Hermia was allowed to leave the Duke's presence she went straight to Lysander and told him of the judgement laid upon her. Lysander was completely heart-broken, the thought of the girl he loved being taken from him, and to be forced into another marriage against her will.
Then after many tears, Lysander suddenly remembered that he had an aunt who lived outside Athens in a part that wasn't affected by this cruel death sentence. They straight away planned that Hermia steal away from her fathers house and together they would go to Lysanders aunt's house, where they would be married as soon as possible.
Quickly they decided that the best place for them to meet was in a small wood, where the two of them often met when Hermia and Helena were out walking in May.
Hermia was so excited, a quick kiss and she was gone, to make her plans of escape. She told no one but her best friend Helena, who vowed to keep her secret but it was a secret soon broken , for she went straight away to tell Demetrius what Hermia and Lysander were planning to do,it is sad to think that Hermia one true friend deliberately set about destroying her friends happiness because, she so hated Demetrius for not loving her. And it worked for as soon as Demetrius heard of the lovers plans he went searching for them.
 THE PIXIES
 The Pixies frolic where nobody walks,
In a dark green fairy ring;
A hop-bine tied upon buttercup stalks
Makes them a capital swing,
And a strip of wood from a hawthorn bough
On a toadstool placed, is a see-saw now.
At hide-and-seek in the grasses as tall
As a pixie on tiptoe
 Some play, and others an oak-apple ball
Toss in the air, to and fro;
And the finest game on a moonlight night
Is their leaping over the mushrooms white.
by Edith E. Millard.
| Sun, 28 Jun 2009 |  Have you ever had Chocolate Spaghetti, and really loved it ? |
|
"DINO'S BURGER BAR"
WELCOME TO THE DINOSAUR BAR.
But today Dino's bar is taken over by Dido's cousin Chico.
Now you may all be wondering why is Chico here, and what for. 
Has he got a new style burger? No!
Maybe he has a new Veggie Dish? No!
Shall I tell you? ........
Okay he makes CHOCOLATE.
And what he doesn't know about chocolate isn't worth knowing! See! I mean do you know that chocolate comes from a bean.
Yea, a little bean that grows on a tree. To be precise A Cacao Tree. Cacao is a Spanish word that came from the Aztec people, who lived many, many, years ago. They called it CACAHUATL, then when the Spanish conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés and Bernal Díaz del Castillo., went into their country which was in the middle of what we now call Mexico, they took it and gave it to the world. It was still known as Cacao then, but somewhere along the way it became Cocoa . Dark Chocolate, is  very bitter and many children hate it. I don't like it and I'm ancient, but Peter my husband he loves it, and the darker the better, yuck!. I do love the flower of the Cacao Tree, it is really lovely, take a look.....
Don't you think it looks a bit like an orchid, very beautiful.
I bet you didn't know either that there is NO chocolate at all in what the sweet makers call White Chocolate. It is white and it looks a bit like a chocolate bar but it isn't. So when mummy says "no Molly , you can't have any white chocolate." you can tell her that white chocolate isn't chocolate, hehehe . 
The same goes for the chocolate that people buy to decorate cakes, that is just chocolate coloured candy and nothing else, hehe., These on your right are the Cacao Pods, while these on the left are the actual cacao beans, but they take a long, long time to grow first on the tree, then as flowers, then as bean pods and now as the actual beans. You and I can't be  bothered with all them things. I'll let you go to "Wiki" to read about them, and we'll just go straight to the chocolate.
As we all know, by the way we are told if we eat to much chocolate we shall change into horrible little, or big goblins and this isn't just a special thing for children. My husband becomes very active and always ends up taking the dogs for a long walk. Hm m m, strange creatures men.
Here is a very strange recipe for you, you can use, rice krispies, corn flakes,
and even spaghetti, but this has to be cooked first. eat them as a cake or eat them in small cake cases, but the spaghetti is better in a bowl
You need 12oz margarine. 2 tblsp of Castor Sugar. 2tblsp of cocoa. 2 drops of vanilla essence and 100 grams spaghetti, broken into pieces about six cm. long, "about mouth size."
Get mum or dad to help you with cooking the spaghetti. Pour a litre water into a large saucepan, when boiling pour in the strands of spaghetti, add a pinch of salt but it's not necessary. Boil until it is just cooked, no more or it will  go all gooey and stick together, and we don't want that. Put in strainer and hold under the hot tap till the pieces separate. Mix all the other ingredients together in the empty pan and mix well, then pour in the strained spaghetti and stir until it is coated in the sticky chocolate spread. Allow to cool, then eat till you puke, lol.
When the Aztec had all the cacoa, they used it as we do money today.
My Uncle George was a foreman at one of the big Cadbury's Chocolate Factories, here in Wales in Bangor-isy -Coed, I remember as a little one having loads of it for Christmas and Easter. Huge slaps, with a flag in the middle, and he used to bring us "Edinburgh Rock" all different colours and a bit like chalk only more tasty. You can still buy it, but it is nothing like the one we had in the fifties, real scrummie. ( I think Diddily is very old, oh dear.)
One of the thing's I used to love doing was making a very strange mixture. My three boys used to love them.
Take one green eating apple, (cos they are the hardest) for each person. then you need a lge pkt of plain crisps, two of my lads used to have cheese and onion, and a good make, small bar of dark or milk chocolate. (not white)
Very carefully core the apple with corer, cut the apples in half, then with a spoon remove the flesh of the apple. DON'T BREAK THROUGH THE SKIN, you are refilling this after, do the same to other half of the apple. Now for the fun bit.
Chop the apple into a dish, crush the crisps in the packet till tiny bits. and then grate the chocolate bar into same bowl. Mix the three together, when fully mixed together, put the mix back into the apple skin half, put on a tray and put in the fridge till nice and cold. And all you have left to do is eat it like you would an ordinary apple. Excellent and your getting heat from the chocolate; vitamin C from the apple and carbs from the crisps. Three of your five a day in one go.
Right that's enough about chocolate. I shall look for more recipes. xxx
Diddily dee dot, xxx
 |
|
Kayleigh of Q Gardens
IMOGEN COMES TO TEA
by Susan Coolidge
the author of the "Katy" books.
"Aunt Izzie, may I ask Imogen Clark to spend the day here on Saturday?" cried Katy, bursting in one afternoon.
"Who on earth is Imogen Clark?" I never heard the name before," replied her aunt.
"Oh, the loveliest girl! She hasn't been going to Mrs Knight's school but a little while, but we're the greatest friends. And she's perfectly beautiful, Aunt Izzie. Her hands are just as white as snow, and no bigger that that. She's got the littlest waist of any girl in school, and she's really is sweet, and so self denying and unselfish! I don't believe she has a bit good times at home, either. Do let me ask her to come, Aunt Izzie!"
"How do you know she is so sweet and denying if you've only known her such a short time?" Asked Aunt Izzie, in an uncompromising tone.
"Oh, she tells me everything! We always walk together at recess now. I know all about her, and she's just lovely! Her father used to be real rich, but they're poor now, and Imogen had to have her boots patched twice last winter. I guess she's the flower of her family. You can't think how I love her!" concluded Katy sentimentally.
"No I can't," said Aunt Izzie. "I never could see these sudden friendships of yours, Katy, and I'd rather you wouldn't invite this Imogen, or what ever her name is, till I've had a chance to ask somebody about her."
Katy clasped her hands in despair. "Oh Aunt Izzie!" she cried, "Imogen knows that I came in to ask you, and she's standing at the gate at this moment, waiting to hear what you say. Please let me just this once! I shall be so dreadfully ashamed not to."
"Well," said Aunt Izzie, moved by the wretchedness of Katy's face, "If you have asked her already it's no use my saying no, I suppose. But recollect Katy, this is not to happen again. I can't have you inviting girls, and then coming for my leave. Your father won't be at all pleased. He's very particular about whom you make friends with. Remember how Mrs. Spenser turned out"
Poor Katy she was always getting herself into scrapes, with her taking to people so easily. Ever since she began to walk and talk "Katy's intimate friends" had been one of the jokes of the household.
Papa once undertook to keep a list of them, but the number grew so great that he had to give up in despair. First on the list was a small Irish child, named Marianne O' Riley. Marianne lived in a street which Katy passed by on the way to school. It was not Mrs. Knight's but an A B C school to which Doris and John went now. Marianne used to be always making sand-pies in front of her mother's house, and Katy, who was about five years old, often stopped to help her. Over this mutual pastry dish they grew so intimate that Katy resolved to adopt Marianne as her own little girl, and bring her up in a safe and hidden corner.
She told Clover of this plan but nobody else. The two children full of delight at their secret, began to save pieces of bread and biscuits from their supper every evening. By degrees they collected a great heap of dry crusts, and other refreshments, which they put safely away in the attic. They also saved apples they were given for two weeks, and made a bed in a big empty box, with cotton quilts, and the doll's pillows out of the baby house. When all was ready Katy broke the plan to her beloved Marianne, and easily persuaded her to run away and take possession of this new home.
"We won't tell Papa and Mamma till she's quite grown up, Katy," said Clover; "Then we'll bring her downstairs, and won't they be surprised! Don't let's call her Marianne any longer, either. It isn't pretty. We'll name her Susquehanna instead - Susquehanna Carr. Recollect, Marianne, you mustn't answer if I call you Marianne, only when I say Susquehanna."
"Yes'm," replied Marianne, very meekly.
For a whole day all went on delightfully. Susquehanna lived in her wooden box, ate all the apples and the freshest of the biscuits, and was happy.
The two children took it in turn to steal away and play with "the baby" as they called Marianne, even though she was a good deal bigger than Clover. But when night came and nurse came and swooped on Katy and Clover and carried them off to bed, Little Miss O'Riley began to think that the attic was a dreadful place. Peeping out of the corner of the box she could see black things standing in the corners, which she couldn't remember seeing in the daytime. They were really dark trunks and brooms and warming pans, but somehow in the darkness they looked different, big and awful. Poor little Marianne bore it as long as she could; but when at last a rat began to scratch in the wall close besides her, her courage gave way entirely, and she screamed at the top of her voice.
"What on earth was that?" said Dr. Carr, who had just come in, and was on his way upstairs. "It sounds as if it came from the attic." said Mrs Carr, (for this was before Mamma died). "Can it be one of the children has got out of bed and wandered upstairs in her sleep?" No, Katy and Clover were safe in the nursery, so Dr. Carr took a candle and went to the attic as fast as he could, where the howls were growing louder. When he reached the top of the stairs the cries ceased. He looked about. Nothing was to be seen at first, then a little head appeared over the edge of the big wooden box, and a piteous voice sobbed out:
"Ah, Miss Katy, and indeed I can't be staying her any longer. There's rats in it!"
"Who on earth are you?" asked the amazed doctor.
"Sure but I'm Miss Katy's and Miss Clover's baby. But I don't want to be a baby any longer. I want to go home and see my mother." And again the poor little midge lifted up her voice and wept.
| |
