LM_NET: Library Media Networking
This is the second "HIT" on this subject I am posting to LM_NET. To date =
I have received one 'cut and tell' story which is listed below and about =
12 requests for cut and tell stories. Sources for cut and tell stories =
are Paper Stories by Jean Stangl published by Fearon Teacher Aids a =
division of Pitman Learning has been highly recommended, but it is out of =
print. I found a resource for cut and tell stories at http://www.hpress.=
highsmith.com for these books Paper Cutting Stories for Holidays and =
Special Events by Valerie Marsh and Patrick Luzadder III, and Paper =
Cutting Stories from A to Z by Valerie Marsh, (I don't know if this one =
has holiday stories.) Another book I thought looked interesting was Fold =
and Cut Stories by Jerry Mallett and Tim Ervin. Another book that was =
suggested by an LM_NET member is 'Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree' by Robert =
Barry. In this book Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree is too tall so he cuts =
off the top as the story progresses more characters in the story cut off =
the top of the tree and then someone else has a tree. It's a very good =
story and I am adapting it as a flannel board story. (I just found a new =
kind of flannel that has glitter threads in it and I purchased two pieces =
to make the trees from.) I sincerely hope this 'HIT" makes it into the LM_=
NET Archives because I'm not going to post it again. Below you you find =
the cut and tell story I received last week. =20
Date: 11/29/01
From: Judy Carey <judy.carey@mail.parrott.pvt.k12.nc.us>
I found this cut and tell story in "Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and
Special Events" by Valerie Marsh.
The Christmas Angel and the First Christmas Tree
It was the Christmas season, Weston's favorite time of the year. Everyone
was getting ready for Christmas. People were wrapping presents, baking
cookies, singing songs, and walking around with big smiles on their faces.
This year Weston wanted to give his Mom an extra special present-one that
no one had ever given her before. When Weston had asked his Mom what he
could give her, she had answered," Thank you sweetheart, but you don't =
have
to get me anything."
Weston decided right then that he was going to get his mom, maybe even his
whole family, the best Christmas present ever! He didn't know what yet, =
but
it would be something-something special.
That afternoon, after school had been dismisses for Christmas vacation,
Weston decided to take a "thinking" walk in the woods behind his house. =
As
he walked through the snow, (cut from #1to #2) he thought and thought =
about
what his gift could be.
After a while, he came to a little clearing in the woods. Right in the
middle of the clearing stood a little tree, all by itself. It looked =
rather
funny standing there all alone and Weston walked over to it. He looked at
it. You know, there was something different about this tree, but he
couldn't quite figure out what it was. So he looked closer.
It had snow on it, like the other trees in the forest, but this snow =
looked
different. It seemed to sparkle more. It had berries on it, like the other=
trees, but these berries were different. Instead of just red berries, this
tree also had green, blue, silver, and even a few gold ones!
As Weston looked at the tree he decided that it was the most beautiful =
tree
he had ever seen-it was so different from the other trees in the woods.
This tree seemed to have a special glow about it.
Then Weston got an idea-he would give this tree to his family for
Christmas. His mother would love its beauty and its glow.
The woods were getting dark and he realized that it was almost suppertime.
Excitedly Weston rushed back home on the trail that he had blazed to his
new discovery.(cut from #2 to #3)
The next morning Weston got dressed quickly. As he ran downstairs, his
mother asked, "Weston, do you want to go with all of us to Grandma's house?=
We won't be gone long."
"Not right now Mom.Tell Grandma I'll be along soon." As soon as they were
gone, Weston grabbed the ax from the barn and ran through the woods.(cut
from #3 to #4)
Would he be able to find the clearing again? Would the tree still be there?=
Would it look the same as it did yesterday?
Yes, there was the clearing and there was the tree. Yes, this small tree
still had that special magic, that special glow about it. Yes, this was =
the
special present to give his mother and his whole family.
Weston swung the ax to chop down the tree. But wait! If he chopped it down,=
that would kill the tree. Somehow, that didn't seem right. So how could =
he
get the tree home?
Yes, he could dig up the tree, roots and all, and put it in a big pot and
then take it home. That's what Weston decided to do. He ran back to the
barn,(cut from #4 to #5) put away his ax and got out a shovel and the
biggest pot he could find.
Weston rushed back to the clearing (cut from #5 to #6) carefully dug =
around
the tree and put it in the pot. He hauled the tree home. (cut from #6 to
#7)and set it on the front porch. He rang the doorbell but no one came to
the door. Then he remembered that they had gone to visit his grandmother.
"Well, I'll just put my tree in the living room.(cut from #7 to #8) That
way when they come in they will see my wonderful gift." Weston set the =
tree
down and took a good look at it. But there was something wrong! Terribly
wrong! The tree didn't look the same. The snow was melting and the =
branches
didn't look sparkly anymore. The berrires were falling off. Somehow this
just looked like a plain old tree. His Christmas gift wasn't anything
special. Weston sat down and began to cry.
And the Christmas angel heard him. The Christmas angel-you know-the one =
who
flies around every Christmas looking for a special miracle to do. She flew
down the have a look. (cut from #8 to #9)She hovered outside the
window.(cut from #9 to #10) She could see Weston in front of his tree
crying, but why was he crying? She look closer at the tree (show tree)
There were puddles of water and little berries on the floor around it.The
tree looked as sad as Weston.
The angel listened to what Weston was thinking. This is what she heard.
"maybe if I just explain about how beautiful the tree was, my family can
use their imagination to see it like it really was. If I tell them about
how the snow glistened on the branches and how it made the tree so sparkly
maybe they can imagine it."
Weston shut his eyes tightly and saw the tree as it had been. That gave =
the
Christmas angel an idea. The imagination and love of this little boy was =
so
great that she wanted to help him. Could she make his tree look like it =
had
before? She concentrated very hard. She made the branches sparkle again,
and she made the berries larger and hung them back on the branches. And =
the
last thing she did was put an angel one that loked just like herself, at
the very top of the tree. Yes, the tree was just as wonderful as Weston
remembered.(turn tree around to show the decorated side)
Just then his mother walked into the room. "Look! A tree! In our house! It
is so beautiful! Look at the lights, the colored balls! And look what's at
the top of the tree! She's so beautiful."Weston opened his eyes. He walked
over to the tree and touched it. "It looks so real."
It wasn't snow that made the tree sparkly-it was lights,tinsel and garland.=
Those weren't colored berries-they were glass balls of different colors.
Then he looked up toward the top of the tree. There had been nothing there
when he had brought the tree inside, but now there was an angel perched on
the highest branch. And it semed to Weston that she was smiling right at
him.
"Weston, is this from you? What a beautiful gift." His mother beamed and
hugged him. "This gift is a miracle. However in the world did you do it?"
His mom looked so happy.
"I don't know mom. I guess it is a miracle." replied Weston as he gazed at
the little angel.
Weston was right. The tree was a miracle-the Christmas angel's miracle.
As you know, friends and neighbors from all around came to see the
glistening tree in Weston's house. They liked it so much that they decided
to put up trees just like it in their own homes the very next Christmas,
with lights, tinsel and garland and colored balls.
And that's why we have Christmas trees in our homes today-because of =
Weston
and the Christmas angel's miracle.
Before telling the story trace the tree onto both sides of green paper,
lining up the inside with the outside. At the endo of the story, you will
open up the cut-out tree to show the decorated tree inside. So you will
need to decorate the inside of the tree.
Use glitter sprinkled on glue lines for lights, tinsel and garland. For =
the
balls, use colored stick'em dots. For the angel cut out a pattern and glue
on tree. Be careful to hold the tree so that no one can see the decorated
side until you turn it around.
judy carey
media specialist
arendell parrott academy
kinston,nc
--=20
Kathy Geronzin
District Librarian
Northeast Community School District
3690 Hwy # 136
Goose Lake, IA 52750
563-577-2249
e-mail kathy_geronzin@po-1.northeast.k12.ia.us
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