Holiday Classics

You know the story of the three wise men of the east, and how they traveled from far away to offer their gifts at the manger-cradle in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of the Other Wise Man, who also saw the star in its rising, set out to follow it, yet did not arrive with his brethren in the presence of the young child Jesus? I would tell the tale as I have heard fragments of it in the hall of dreams, in the palace of the heart of man.

This is a first person narrative from Saint Nicholas' point of view of the Christmas classic. The line about his pipe has been deleted (he gave it up when it was learned to be a health hazard). A few words have also been updated. (How many people today know what "sugar plums" or "coarsers" are? How many use the word "droll"?)

The architect of The Wizard of Oz delves into the mythological beginnings of the jolly old elf himself. Baum created a mythological world in which the magical forest of Burzee, created at the beginning of time, is the main source of all otherworldly magical power. Ak, the Master Woodsman ruled the forests; Kern, the Master Husbandman of the World, ruled the food crops; Bo, the Master Mariner of the World, ruled the seas. All other immortals are subject to these three.

Publicado por primera vez en 1823, Era La Noche Antes de Navidad, escrito por Clement Clarke Moore ha deleitado a los niños y a las familias durante generaciones. Este nostálgico, poema de rima describe elocuentemente a Papá Noel y cómo él entrega regalos a los niños dormidos, mientras que su padre se despierta para escuchar estrépitos en el jardín.

"Les Contes de Noël" recueille quatre des contes les plus connus d'Andersen : "La Petite Fille aux allumettes", "La Petite Poucette", "Le Vilain Petit Canard", et "L'Intrépide soldat de plomb". Hans Christian Andersen naquît en 1805 à Odense au Danemark. Fils de cordonnier, il partit à quatorze ans pour Copenhague suivant la mort de son père. Et c'est là que la célèbre histoire commence. Au cours de sa vie, Andersen écrivit plus de 150 contes. Il entreprit en tout trente voyages vers l'Allemagne, le Royaume-Uni, l'Italie, l'Espagne et l'Empire Ottoman.

La veille de Noël, une petite fille vend des allumettes dans la rue, sous la neige...

Peter, the naughty rabbit, helps himself to the crops from Mr. MacGregor's garden, to the dismay of all.

This collection of 25 short stories is populated by every sort of magical and mysterious creature, from a grumpy wizard who is outwitted by an elf to a pixie who rides on a rabbit. Enid Blyton remains one of Britain's favourite children's authors and her Bumper Short Story Collections are perfect for introducing her to the latest generation of listeners.

Hans Christian Andersen’s poignant and moving classic in an award-winning audiobook by Almost Tangible. A young fir tree stands in the forest. It longs to grow and discover the world and find out where all the other trees are disappearing to..."Oh, grow, grow, become big and old, that is the only wonderful thing in this world"! Set against the backdrop of Christmas, The Fir Tree is a poignant and bittersweet tale about the importance of living in the moment and not allowing life to pass you by - a wonderful, evocative listen for young and old alike.

Scotland’s official national day is St Andrew's Day, the feast day of Saint Andrew. In the Bible it is Andrew who introduces his brother Peter to Jesus as the Messiah. As well as Scotland he is also the patron saint of the likes of Russia, Greece, the Ukraine, and Barbados. It is thought that the day was first celebrated over a thousand years ago in the reign of Malcolm III (1034-1093).

Originally published in the 1850 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal Household Words, "A Christmas Tree" is considered to be one of Dickens' more autobiographical pieces. In it, decorations on the Christmas tree trigger the narrator's memories of Christmases past. This version of "A Christmas Tree" was recorded as part of Dreamscape's The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens.

Richard, seine Frau Keri und ihre kleine Tochter Jenna leben in ziemlich beengten Verhältnissen. Als sie in der Zeitung die Anzeige der alten Dame Mary-Ann Parkin lesen, die während der Adventszeit Hilfe für Haushalt und Garten sucht und dafür eine Wohnung bietet, müssen sie nicht lange überlegen. Bald schon ziehen sie in der vornehmen Villa der Witwe ein. Zufällig findet Richard auf dem Dachboden eine kleine, kunstvoll verzierte Schatulle. Gerade rechtzeitig zu den Weihnachtsfeiertagen lässt ihr Inhalt Richard erkennen, wie sehr er den Blick für das Wertvollste im Leben verloren hat.

A Christmas Carol is undoubtedly the most famous supernatural story in English. However, it was not the only supernatural story of the season that Charles Dickens wrote. In Victorian England, Christmas was the time to explore the supernatural in stories, and Charles Dickens was one of the best at it. Included in this volume are a full-cast dramatization of A Christmas Carol, plus three more of Dickens' best stories of the season.

Nothing beats Halloween. It's Drew Brockman's favorite holiday. And this year will be awesome. Much better than last year. Or the year Lee and Tabby played that joke. A nasty practical joke on Drew and her best friend, Walker. Yes, this year Drew and Walker have a plan. A plan for revenge. It involves two scary pumpkin heads. But something's gone wrong. Way wrong. Because the pumpkin heads are a little too scary. A little too real. With strange hissing voices. And flames shooting out of their faces.

Few winter stories are more affecting than Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Written in 1848, and strictly speaking a New Year's Eve story, it showed so clearly then, as it does now, that the Christmas holidays do not represent fireside, food, and presents for all. This story never fails to move, yet it somehow avoids serious sentimentality.

Kate Douglas Wiggin was an American educator and author of children's stories, including the classic children's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. The Birds' Christmas Carol, published in 1888, is a novel about Carol Bird, a Christmas baby who turns into an exceptionally kind and generous young girl who has a positive effect on everyone with whom she comes into contact. The story was adapted as the silent movie A Bit o' Heaven in 1917.

The Fernalds, who now always share the holidays together, decide to try to reunite their community, as well, by reopening the village church after schisms have shut its doors. First published in 1910, this short tale continues the story of the Fernald family that began with the 1908 short novel On Christmas Day in the Morning.

A collection of 29 of Enid Blyton's Christmas stories. Visit Santa's workshop, hang up your stocking and help two naughty goblins make a Christmas pudding in this magical collection from the classic children's author. Stories include 'Mr Icy-Cold', 'The Christmas Party' and 'Rescuing Santa Claus'. A wonderful selection to enjoy and share. Mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food....

It's the Christmas season, and Mr. Timothy Cratchit, not the pious child the world thought he was, has just buried his father. He's also struggling to bury his past as a cripple and shed his financial ties to his benevolent "Uncle" Ebenezer by losing himself in the thick of London's underbelly. He boards at a brothel in exchange for teaching the mistress how to read and spends his nights dredging the Thames for dead bodies and the treasures in their pockets.

Parents love to read children a bedtime story that describes a faraway land or a fantastic character. What is that parent doing? They’re shifting their child’s focus from the activity of the day into a more relaxed state. They are refocusing their child’s brain. And it works! Because every night all over the world parents use this technique to help their children fall asleep. Even though you are an adult, you can benefit from bedtime stories too.