Classic Children’s Stories Grimm’s Mother Holle Fairy Tale
Classic children’s stories to read with your children snuggled up on the couch are some of the best memories you ever will have!
For those of you who are following a Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum this is the perfect addition to your homeschool!
Classic Children’s Stories To Read
Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Mother Holle
Maybe you were not read classic children stories as a child so you need all the help you can get! Whether you are using The Good and the Beautiful curriculum, Ambleside Online, Simply Charlotte Mason, or another Charlotte Mason curriculum, fairy tales, folk tales, trickster tales and other such stories can still be hard to fit in your day.
This is where I come in! I have many original fairy tales and such stories are in both the written version and the audio version, making it simple and easy to give this wonderful gift to your precious children.
In this post I give you;
- Mother Holle again but in audio format for an even tighter schedule
- My blog is full of more wonder filled, short classic children’s literature to read a loud or listen to with your CM homeschoolers!
Let’s get started!
Classic Children’s Stories To Read
Mother Holle
There was once a widow who had two daughters—one of whom was pretty and industrious, while the other was ugly and idle. But she was much fonder of the ugly and idle one, because she was her own daughter; and the other, who was a step-daughter, was obliged to do all the work, and be the Cinderella of the house. Every day the poor girl had to sit by a well, in the highway, and spin and spin till her fingers bled.
Now it happened that one day the shuttle was marked with her blood, so she dipped it in the well, to wash the mark off; but it dropped out of her hand and fell to the bottom. She began to weep, and ran to her step-mother and told of the mishap. But she scolded her sharply, and was so merciless as to say, “Since you have let the shuttle fall in, you must fetch it out again.”
So the girl went back to the well, and did not know what to do; and in the sorrow of her heart she jumped into the well to get the shuttle. She lost her senses; and when she awoke and came to herself again, she was in a lovely meadow where the sun was shining and many thousands of flowers were growing.
Along this meadow she went, and at last came to a baker’s oven full of bread, and the bread cried out, “Oh, take me out! take me out! or I shall burn; I have been baked a long time!” So she went up to it, and took out all the loaves one after another with the bread-shovel. After that she went on till she came to a tree covered with apples, which called out to her, “Oh, shake me! shake me! we apples are all ripe!” So she shook the tree till the apples fell like rain, and went on shaking till they were all down, and when she had gathered them into a heap, she went on her way.
Classic Children’s Stories To Read
Mother Holle
At last she came to a little house, out of which an old woman peeped; but she had such large teeth that the girl was frightened, and was about to run away.
But the old woman called out to her, “What are you afraid of, dear child? Stay with me; if you will do all the work in the house properly, you shall be the better for it. Only you must take care to make my bed well, and to shake it thoroughly till the feathers fly—for then there is snow on the earth. I am Mother Holle.”
As the old woman spoke so kindly to her, the girl took courage and agreed to enter her service. She attended to everything to the satisfaction of her mistress, and always shook her bed so vigorously that the feathers flew about like snow-flakes. So she had a pleasant life with her; never an angry word; and boiled or roast meat every day.
She stayed some time with Mother Holle, and then she became sad. At first she did not know what was the matter with her, but found at length that it was homesickness; although she was many times better off here than at home, still she had a longing to be there.
At last she said to the old woman, “I have a longing for home; and however well off I am down here, I cannot stay any longer; I must go up again to my own people.” Mother Holle said, “I am pleased that you long for your home again, and as you have served me so truly, I myself will take you up again.” Thereupon she took her by the hand, and led her to a large door. The door was opened, and just as the maiden was standing beneath the doorway, a heavy shower of golden rain fell, and all the gold remained sticking to her, so that she was completely covered with it.
Classic Children’s Stories To Read
Back Home
“You shall have that because you are so industrious,” said Mother Holle; and at the same time she gave her back the shuttle which she had let fall into the well. Thereupon the door closed, and the maiden found herself up above upon the earth, not far from her mother’s house.
And as she went into the yard the cock cried: “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Your golden girl’s come back to you!”
So she went in to her mother, and as she arrived thus covered with gold, she was well received, both by her and her sister.
The girl told all that had happened to her; and as soon as the mother heard how she had come by so much wealth, she was very anxious to obtain the same good luck for the ugly and lazy daughter. She had to seat herself by the well and spin; and in order that her shuttle might be stained with blood, she stuck her hand into a thorn-bush and pricked her finger. Then she threw her shuttle into the well, and jumped in after it.
She came, like the other, to the beautiful meadow and walked along the very same path. When she got to the oven the bread again cried, “Oh, take me out! take me out! or I shall burn; I have been baked a long time!” But the lazy thing answered, “As if I had any wish to make myself dirty!” and on she went. Soon she came to the apple-tree, which cried, “Oh, shake me! shake me! we apples are all ripe!” But she answered, “I like that! one of you might fall on my head,” and so went on.
Classic Children’s Stories To Read
Mother Holle’s House
When she came to Mother Holle’s house she was not afraid, for she had already heard of her big teeth, and she hired herself to her immediately.
The first day she forced herself to work diligently, and obeyed Mother Holle when she told her to do anything, for she was thinking of all the gold that she would give her. But on the second day she began to be lazy, and on the third day still more so, and then she would not get up in the morning at all. Neither did she make Mother Holle’s bed as she ought, and did not shake it so as to make the feathers fly up.
Mother Holle was soon tired of this, and gave her notice to leave. The lazy girl was willing enough to go, and thought that now the golden rain would come. Mother Holle led her, too, to the great door; but while she was standing beneath it, instead of the gold a big kettleful of pitch was emptied over her. “That is the reward of your service,” said Mother Holle, and shut the door.
So the lazy girl went home; but she was quite covered with pitch, and the cock by the well-side, as soon as he saw her, cried: “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Your pitchy girl’s come back to you.” But the pitch stuck fast to her, and could not be got off as long as she lived.
The End
Classic Children’s Stories To Listen To
Grimm’s Mother Holle Audio Version
When you are super short on time is when the audio books really comes in handy! what’s even more handy is having a whole podcast full of them, waiting to be listened to again and again. Listen while you drive, fold laundry, wash dishes, or waiting for a sibling to be done with a class!
If you are saying, “Yes this is what I need!” then simply download, “Tales From Long Ago” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Or click the button to listen below!
Another Great Way To Enjoy Fairy Tales
I don’t just provide you wonderful fairy tales to read or listen and enjoy with your children. Oh no, you amazing homeschooling mothers, I have another great stress reliever for you!
Charlotte Mason inspired handicraft embroidery curriculum!
I teach through stories and photos so that even a non crafty mom can do it!
While your children are sewing bring out a fairy tale to read or listen to one conveniently found at the same place you have your embroidery lessons!
Click here to start at the beginning of the lessons.
Join my ELP community here you don’t miss a thing!
See you next time!
You May Also Like:
- Make an old fashioned yarn doll here
- Read or listen to The Sleeping Beauty story here
- Check out my fairy tale embroidery patterns here