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

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.

This odd little nursery rhyme is familiar to us all but have you ever wondered, like I have, about what Miss Muffet was thinking as she sat dreamily eating her curds and whey? And what are curds and whey, anyway? Her tuffet? Would that be a piece of furniture or a piece of her anatomy? And of course the large spider, what was she thinking?

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.

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.

Prince Inga, aided by three magic pearls, is set to rule the island of Pingaree. King Rinkitink arrives with his talking goat, Bilbil, determined to take a vacation on Pingaree. Inga's father, King Kitticut, is captured by Regos' invaders along with all the rest of the people of Pingaree except for Rinkitink, Bilbil, and Inga himself.

"Mother Goose in Prose" is a collection of stories by L. Frank Baum, in which he retells popular nursery rhymes in prose form, providing imaginative backstories for each rhyme. Published in 1897, the book offers charming and whimsical explanations for how these well-known rhymes came to be. For example, the story behind "Little Bo-Peep" explores how she lost her sheep and how they eventually returned. Each tale is crafted with Baum's signature storytelling style, combining fantasy and humor, making the book a delightful read for both children and adults. This version of the book preserves the ...

Cap'n Bill and a little girl named Trot are out in their rowboat when a whirlpool capsizes their craft. Finding themselves in an underwater cave, they meet up with an Ork. Further along their journey, they run into Button-Bright, the little boy from The Road to Oz, who has seemingly lost his way once again. The group learns of the unjust behavior of King Krewl, who has cut off Jinxland from the rest of Oz, and how the rightful king's daughter, Gloria, is being forced to marry old Googly-Goo, despite her being in love with Pon, the gardener's son.

The Big Book of Christmas: Classic Stories and Poems is a grand compilation that assembles a treasure trove of holiday tales and poems from a remarkable array of authors. This extensive collection includes 100 classic works, each thoughtfully illustrated, to immerse readers in the magic and wonder of the Christmas season. This anthology spans a rich tapestry of Christmas literature, including timeless favorites such as "The Gift of the Magi," "The Red Room," "A Letter from Santa Claus," "The Fir Tree," "Song of the Holly," and many more.

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

After the orphan boy Tip escapes from the evil witch Mombi with the help of Jack Pumpkinhead (yes, his head is a pumpkin, and yes, magic is involved), they set out for the Emerald City. But they find the City in turmoil as the fierce General Jinjur and her all-female Army of Revolt try to overthrow the Scarecrow's male rule.

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.

Yes, her house did look like a shoe and she did have a LOT of children and she often did not know what to do. But she was a prudent and loving lady who took all 16 of them in and they somehow managed to not just grow, but thrive and grow healthier on the little food she could afford. That and of course the spanking they all got to help them grow. She may be short on food and their beds may be cramped and their clothes patched and old, but there was never a lack of love for any of them in her 'shoe' home.

Little Jack Horner lived in an old, tumble-down house at the edge of a big wood. Many generations of Horners had lived there before him and had earned their living by chopping wood. Jack was an orphan, and he lived with his grandparents, who took great pains to teach him all that a boy should know.

The speckled hen laid twelve eggs in her hidden nest at the top of the hay pile in the barn and the very last one, whom she called Humpty Dumpty, was the largest of all. The nest was very crowded and so the eggs began kicking each other to get more space for themselves. Humpty Dumpty, being on the very edge of the next, was kicked completely out and then decided to look about the wide world to see what he could see.

Little Tommy Tucker was a waif on the streets. He never remembered having a parent or guardian, and so he learned to care for himself. He ate whatever he could get, and slept wherever night overtook him--in an old barrel, a cellar, or, when fortune favored him, he paid a penny for a cot in some rude lodging-house. His life on the streets taught him early how to earn a living by doing odd jobs, and he learned to be sharp in his speech and wise beyond his years. One morning Tommy crawled out from a box in which he had slept overnight and found that he was hungry. But Tommy was a plucky boy with a lively wit and a way of making his way. Listen and find out how he ended up.

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.