Showing results by author "Frank L. Baum" in All Categories

Why did Tom steal the pig? Was he a bad boy? Not according to the story behind this rhyme. Tom was the only son of a good-for-nothing who could only play the pipes and that very badly.

This beloved nursery rhyme tells a story that is both a bit scary (she lost her sheep!) and funny (they lost their tails!). The poor tiny girl, trying to do a job that is quite hard for her with her short legs, becomes bewildered. But help is there in the shape of an old lady who plays a trick on her, telling her that her sheep have lost their tails which she must find and somehow put them back on. Will the distraught little BoPeep find the missing tails? And if she does will she be able to re-attach them? Listen and learn!

Old King Cole was not always a king, nor was he born a member of any royal family. It was only chance that made him a king at all. He had always been a poor man, being the son of an apple peddler, who had died and left him nothing but a donkey and a fiddle. But that was enough for Cole, who never bothered his head about the world's goods, but took things as they came and refused to worry about anything. So begins the story of how this happy soul became the king of a country by accident.

The Man in the Moon was rather lonesome, and often he peeked over the edge of the moon and looked down upon the earth and envied all the people who lived together. He thought it must be vastly more pleasant to have companions to talk to than to be shut up on a big planet all by himself.

Mary was the beloved daughter of a sailor and his wife who lived on a hill close to the sea. She was called "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" because she was a contrary child who often did the exact opposite of what she was told. But her parents loved her and knew that she would someday grow out of this peevish behavior. One day her father and brothers set off on a long sea journey and she asked him when he would return. He replied that they would be away for the time that it took for a garden of cowslips, dingle bells, and cockle shells to sprout, grow, blossom, and wither and die away again.

Gilligren was an orphan and lived with an uncle and aunt who were very unkind to him. They cuffed him and scolded him upon the slightest provocation, and made his life very miserable indeed. Gilligren never rebelled against this treatment, but bore their cruelty silently and with patience, although often he longed to leave them and seek a home amongst kinder people.

Little Bobby was the only son of a small farmer who lived out of town upon a country road. It was lonely on the farm, especially when his father and mother were both busy working, but the boy found a special way to amuse himself. He was very fond of music, and his father one day brought him a small fiddle, which he soon learned to play. Bobby enjoyed learning new tunes and the fiddle soon became his constant companion. To find out how the cow, the cat, and the moon became involved, you will need to listen to this delightful tale and become much wiser.

That wonderful storyteller Baum, of Wizard of Oz fame, tells us the delightful story behind this little rhyme and we all will feel much better knowing that the little boy had excellent reasons to be asleep that morning. Listen and enjoy the whole nifty story. Many of our most loved nursery rhymes are complete tales in themselves, telling their story tersely but completely; others are but bare suggestions, leaving the imagination to weave in the details of the story.

This delightful story tells of the Little Bun Rabbit who is befriended by Dorothy, a little girl. She knows the rhyme and asks the little rabbit about it. Bun Rabbit tells her that indeed, he sees Santa every year as he drives by in his sleigh loaded with toys. One year Santa stopped to talk with him and ask if he would come to his workshop at the North Pole so he could use him as a model to make toy rabbits for little babies. He agrees and this is his exciting adventure with Santa. That is why so many stuffed bunny rabbits are made and given at Christmas to be loved by children everywhere.

The Black Sheep is very young so he is curious about why the farmer cuts their wool off every year. "The man and his wife spin our wool into clothes to keep them warm" was the reply of a wise old ram. The little black sheep then meets the boy who lives down the lane and hears that his mother has no money to buy him a coat and he is cold in the winter so the kind little sheep asks the farmer if he will grow enough wool for 3 bags instead of the normal two, could he have one. The farmer agrees and so this is what happens. A wonderful story all around.

Within the hollow wall of an old brick mansion, away up near the roof, there lived a family of mice. It was a snug little home, pleasant and quiet, and as dark as any mouse could desire. Mamma Mouse liked it because, as she said, the draught that came through the rafters made it cool in summer, and they were near enough to the chimney to keep warm in wintertime.

Ojo and Unc Nunkie live in the land of Oz in Munchkin Country. Their neighbor, Dr. Pipt, has been devotedly working on the Powder of Life for many years. This magical powder will turn inanimate objects into living things. While demonstrating its power on a stuffed doll made of patchwork, Dr. Pipt accidentally turns his wife and Unc Nunkie to stone. It is up to Ojo to collect the necessary ingredients to destroy the spell and turn them back.

When a tornado whisks young Dorothy away from Kansas with her faithful dog Toto, she finds herself in the mysterious Land of Oz, where unknown dangers and strange creatures await her. Can she find a way back home? Can her new friends the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man find courage, brains, and a heart? Searching for answers from the mysterious Wizard of Oz, and pursued by the forces of the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy and her companions must work together to complete their dangerous quest.

Christmas Stories by L. Frank Baum is a delightful compilation of enchanting tales that bring the magic of Christmas to life. This collection features three cherished stories by L. Frank Baum, the beloved author of The Wizard of Oz series: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, A Kidnapped Santa Claus, and Little Bun Rabbit.

A selection of magical stories to entertain your children whilst you are waiting at the airport and are flying to your holiday.

When a storm blows Dorothy overboard on an ocean voyage to Australia, she washes ashore in the Land of Ev, which has been taken over by the evil Nome King. If she and her companions (Billina the Talking Hen, Princess Ozma of Oz, and Tik-Tok the Mechanical Man) can't find a way to defeat the Nome King's powerful magic, they'll all be turned into ornaments for his collection!

Betsy Bobbin and her mule Hank find themselves on the shores of Oz after a storm. While trying to find their way home, they wander into the Rose Kingdom and are held prisoner by the Royal Gardener. Just in the nick of time, Shaggy Man falls through the roof of the greenhouse and tries to convince the Gardener to let the pair go, using his powerful Love Magnet. Unable to convince them, the trio is instead banished with Ozma's cousin, Princess Ozga, in tow.

Have you seen the man in the moon? Do you think it must get lonely up there? In this story the Man in the Moon decides to come to earth in search of porridge and some company.