Tambu, The Colorful Turkey

Tambu Turkey wants to make friends with the other animals in the barnyard. But no one wants an ugly brown turkey around. No matter how he tries to change himself he can not get the approval of the others, until he learns the magic of getting others to accept him.   

MERLE SQUIRREL AND THE SCARECROW

 FREE TO COPY

OCTOBER's free story (from my Back Yard Friends) to download and read to your preschool children. Good for Teachers, Parents, and Grandparents.  

(graphic taken from

  http://akidsheart.com/holidays/thanks/tclip1.htm)

 MERLE  SQUIRREL

AND  THE  SCARECROW

by

M.  C.  Arvanitis

Merle Squirrel clapped his hands together as he looked at his pile of acorns. “Those acorns will taste really good when I wake up from my winter’s nap,” he said.

Bitty BlueJay swooped down from the oak tree. “Don’t you know you can’t leave them lay on the ground? The crows will eat them all before you wake.”

“Oh dear. Where can I hide them from the crows?” he asked.

The crabby jay flipped her wings, “That’s not my problem,” and she flew to her nest on the top of the tree.

“She’s right, it is my problem,” Merle said to himself. Rachel Robin hopped by with a fat worm in her mouth. When she heard Merle she gobbled it up. “What is your problem, Merle?” she asked.

“If I leave my acorns on the ground the crows will eat them. Can you help me find a place where I could hide them? “

Rachael shook her head. “Sorry, but my family and I are leaving for the winter. It is time for us to fly south. See ya.” And she flew away.

Merle looked up at Ollie Owl, who watched him from his hole in the tree. “Ollie, can I hide my acorns in your place? If I leave them on the ground the crows will eat them.”

“OOO, sorry, no room.” Ollie disappeared back into his hole.

Merle looked all over the farm for a place to hide his acorns. Wherever he looked either another squirrel had claimed the space or it would not be dry enough to keep acorns through the winter.

He continued to search. Each day brought him closer to winter. He was getting desperate. Then he spied a strange looking object standing in Farmer Ann’s cornfield. It had a wide brimmed hat, arms that stretched straight out, a large jacket and baggy pants flopping in the wind. He jumped on the arm of this thing to see it closer. The head was a pumpkin with a face traced upon it. Why this must be the new scarecrow, the one that Farmer Ann made each fall to scare away the crows,” he thought.

He greeted it, "Hello, Scarecrow.” The scarecrow didn't answer. "Guess you don't feel like being friendly, huh?” No answer. Merle was about to jump to the ground when he noticed the scarecrow's jacket pockets. They were wide and deep and no one would ever think of looking in them for acorns.

"Say, could I hide my acorns in your pockets for the winter?" he asked.

The scarecrow didn't answer.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

Still no answer.

"Well, than, I'll consider it a yes." Quickly Merle ran his pile of acorns. It took him all day to carry the acorns in his mouth and placed them in the scarecrow's pockets.

When he finally had the acorns stored he climbed back onto the scarecrows arm and look into its pumpkin face. "Thank you for letting me store my acorns in your coat pockets. I am going to take a short winter nap now but when I wake I will be hungry. The acorns will taste very good when the snow covers the ground and there is nothing else to eat. If you get hungry you may have a few."

Merle climbed up to his nest in the oak tree. Just as he settled down for the winter he saw a big black crow fly near. The scarecrow waved its coat sleeves and the crow flew away. “Good,” he thought. That Scarecrow will keep my acorns safe.

Early in the spring, Merle’s tummy began to growl. He woke up very hungry but he didn't worry. He knew where to find some acorns. Quickly he jumped to the scarecrow's arm. "I've come to get my acorns,” he said.

The scarecrow didn't answer.

"Thanks for looking after them." Merle reached his paw into the pocket. The pocket was empty. "Well, I did say you could eat a few, I guess." He reached into the other pocket. That pocket was also empty. Merle jumped on the scarecrow's arm. "Did you eat all my acorns?”

The scarecrow didn't say anything, but Merle noticed that its face was sort of puffy.

"You did eat my acorns. I said you could eat a few. I didn't say you could eat all of them." He swished his fluffy tail in anger.

At that moment a big black crow zoomed down to reach its beak inside the scarecrow's pocket. It reached to the bottom but came up empty. It tried the other pocket and finally flew away with an empty beak.

"So it was the crows that ate my acorns. Oh dear, I'm so hungry. I'll starve before the new acorns are ready for dropping." Merle started to cry.

The scarecrow's jacket moved back and forth in the breeze. But wait, its pumpkin head was moving too. It shook so hard that the hat fell off. Merle jumped to the lowest corn stalk in fright. He looked down at the scarecrow’s head. He saw a big hole in top of the pumpkin where Farmer Ann had removed the seeds to carve its face. He looked again. The head wasn't empty. It was full of his acorns. 

" Merle jumped back to the scarecrows shoulders and planted a big kiss on the pumpkin’s cheek. “Thank you for keeping my acorns safe.”

 The scarecrow said nothing but if you were watching very closely you could see the mouth curve up into a smile.

Merle climbed on the pumpkin head and contentedly ate his fill.

Every year after that Merle Squirrel stored his winter supply of acorns inside the scarecrow's head where the crows could not find them. 

---------------------------------------

Song to sing: “Shoo Scarecrow”

(To the tune of "Little Brown Jug.") 

(Children stand with arms out feet flat on the floor. Only body moves. They sway back and forth as they sing. At the end they throw their arms out and up as if shooing the crows.)  

Fly away crow with coat so black

Fly away crow and don’t come back,

I’m standing here so the corn can grow,

So fly away, fly Away, Fly away crow.

SHOOOOOOOOOOO

---

BOOK SUGGESTION:  To use with this story,
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

by Linda Williams, Megan Lloyd (Illustrator)

COLOR PAGE

Merle Squirrel
This can also be made into a movable picture. 
Cut out a pattern for the tail, two arms, two legs
and the acorn.
When pieces are colored or painted cut them out,
punch holes in where they would fit on the body
and fasten them to the body with barbs.  You need
three barbs. (Small bend over holders) Glue the
acorn to one of the hands.

 If you enjoy these free stories and activities tell your friends and fellow teachers. I will present a free story and activity each month.   M.C. Arvanitis.   

MERLE SQUIRRELAND THE SCARECROW

graphic taken from

  http://akidsheart.com/holidays/thanks/tclip1.htm

MERLE SQUIRREL

AND THE SCARECROW

By

M. C. Arvanitis

Merle Squirrel looked all over the farm for a place to hide his acorns he had collected for the cold winter days ahead. He needed a place where no one could find them. He looked in the corncrib. He looked in the hole in the cottonwood tree. Another squirrel had taken that spot. He looked in the old worn out pail lying in the trash heap. That would not be a good place to hide acorns for the winter. Whereever he looked either another squirrel had claimed the space or it would not be safe enough to hide his acorns.

He wished he had started earlier but he had been so busy learning to jump from one branch to the other that he had forgotten that Squirrels were supposed to store acorns for their winter food. So now here he was with a pile of acorns and no place to store them. He looked at the sky. It would be winter soon and if she left the acorns on the ground the snow would cover them.

He continued to search. Each day brought him closer to winter. He was getting desperate. Then he spied a strange looking object standing in Farmer Ann’s cornfield. It had a wide brimmed hat, arms that stretched straight out, a large jacket and baggy pants flopping in the wind. He jumped on the arm of this thing to see it closer. The head was a pumpkin with a face traced upon it. Why this must be the new scarecrow, the one that Farmer Ann made each fall to scare away the crows,” he thought.

He greeted it, "Hello, scarecrow”. The scarecrow didn't answer.

"Guess you don't feel like being friendly, huh?”

No answer. Merle was about to jump to the ground when he noticed the scarecrow's jacket pockets. They were wide and deep and no one would ever think of looking in them for acorns.

"Say, could I hide my acorns in your pockets for the winter?" he asked.

The scarecrow didn't answer.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

Still no answer.

"Well, than, I'll consider it a yes."

Quickly Merle ran to the oak tree where he had left his pile of acorns. All that day he carried the acorns in his mouth and placed them in the scarecrow's pockets.

When he finally had the pile of acorns stored the scarecrows pockets, he climbed back onto its arm and look into the scarecrow's pumpkin face.

"Thank you for letting me store my acorns in your coat pockets. I am going to take a short winter nap now but when I wake I will be hungry. They will taste very good when the snow covers the ground and there is nothing else to eat. If you get hungry you may have a few."

Merle climbed up to his winter’s nest in the oak tree. Just as he settled down for the winter he saw a big black crow fly near. The scarecrow waved its coat sleeves and the crow flew away. “Good,” he thought. The Scarecrow will keep my acorns safe.

Early in the spring, Merle’s tummy began to growl. It rumbled so loudly that it woke him. He woke up very hungry, but he didn't worry. He knew where to find some acorns.

Quickly he jumped to the scarecrow's arm. "I've come to get my acorns,” he said.

The scarecrow didn't answer.

"Thanks for looking after them, anyway."

Merle reached his paw into the pocket. The pocket was empty.

"Well, I did say you could eat a few, I guess."

He reached into the other pocket. That pocket was also empty. Merle jumped on the scarecrow's arm. "Did you eat all my acorns?”

The scarecrow didn't say anything, but Merle noticed that its face was sort of puffy.

"You did eat my acorns. I said you could eat a few. I didn't say you could eat all of them." He jumped up and down in anger.

At that moment the big black crow zoomed down to reach its beak inside the scarecrow's pocket. It reached to the bottom but came up empty. It tried the other pocket and finally flew away with a loud caw coming from its empty beaked

"So it was the crows that ate my acorns. Oh dear, I'm so hungry. I'll starve before the new acorns are ready for dropping." Merle started to cry.

The scarecrow's jacket moved back and forth in the breeze. But wait, its pumpkin head was moving too. It shook so hard that the hat fell off. Merle jumped to the lowest branch in fright. He looked down at the scarecrow’s head. He saw a big hole in top of the pumpkin where Farmer Ann had removed the seeds to carve the eyes and nose and mouth. She looked again. The head wasn't empty. It was full of acorns. His acorns. 

"You saved my acorns from the crows. Thank you. Thank you so much!" Merle jumped back to the scarecrows shoulders and planted a big kiss on the pumpkin’s cheek. The scarecrow said nothing but if you were watching very closely you could see the mouth curve up into a smile.

Merle climbed on the pumpkin head and contentedly ate his fill. He wasn't going to starve after all.

 Every fall Farmer Ann gave the scarecrow a new pumpkin head. And every fall Merle Squirrel stored her winter supply of acorns inside the scarecrow head--where the big black crows could not get them.

---------------------------------------

HURSHAL LOST

Clip Art link:
from FotoSearch.com

 FREE TO COPY

                                                               HURSHAL LOST

                                                                                 by

                                                                      M. C. Arvanitis

                                                                           

On their way home from vacation Anthony’s family stopped at

a motel for the night. Anthony hugged his teddy bear, Hurshal,

as he fell asleep in the motel bed. He was still asleep when Mom

carried him to the car early the next morning. He slept all the

way home.

"Wake up, we are home,” Mom called as they drove into their

driveway. Anthony was glad. Hurshal and he didn't like to ride

in cars for such a long time. He reached for Hurshal. His teddy

bear wasn't there. He looked on the floor -- No Hurshal!  

"I can't find Hurshal," he shouted.

“Oh he has to be here somewhere.” Dad looked all over in

the car. “But I don’t see him in the car anywhere.”

Anthony started to cry. Where was Hurshal? Mom took his

hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll find your bear. He’s probably

packed away in the luggage somewhere. We’ll look when we get

everything in the house.” But when all the suitcases and Anthony’s

back pack were emptied Hurshal was nowhere to be found.

Mom looked at Dad. "Honey, didn't you get Hurshal from

the motel?"

"I thought you picked him up,”  Dad answered.

Anthony shouted, "You left Hurshal at the motel?"

“Now calm down, I’ll call the hotel and see if they

found him.” When Dad clicked off his cell phone he smiled. “Good

news. The desk clerk said they found Hurshal and would mail

him home right away.” 

Anthony ran out to wait on the curb by the mailbox. Soon

Dad sat down beside him. "Hurshal won't be here for a couple

of days, you know. It takes time to mail a package somewhere."

"But Hurshal can't sleep without me,” Anthony sobbed.  

Daddy handed Anthony his new blue bear Grandma had given him

for Christmas. "Will this bear do until Hurshal gets home?"

"No!" Anthony threw the bear on the ground and stamped his

foot. "I want Hurshal."

"I'm sorry but you will have to do without Hurshal for a

couple of days,” Dad said.

That night Anthony couldn't sleep even when Mom rocked him.

"Let’s talk about Hurshal," Mom said. "What do you like about him?"

"I like the way he smells, and his raggedy ears and his

wrinkly nose."

Mom pulled Anthony’s nose and laughed, “Just like yours?”

She put Anthony into his bed and pulled the quilt up to his chin.

"Think happy thoughts about Hurshal and you'll be asleep before

you know it." Mom was right. Anthony thought of Hurshal and went

directly to sleep.

Two days later when the package came Anthony tore off the

paper. Under the paper was a shoebox. He was afraid to lift the

lid. What if it was someone else’s bear in the box?

"Open the box,” laughed Mom. Slowly Anthony lifted the lid. 

His bear looked up at him with his teddy bear smile. He hugged

Hurshal. "I'll never let you get lost again," he promised. And he

never did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** (Note from author: Hurshal is a true story that happened to my grandson when he was a preschooler.)

C 2011 by M.C. Arvanitis (If using this story please leave comment.)

This story is free and may be shared so long as author is given credit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOW TO MAKE A TEDDY BEAR

To make Hurshal, the teddy bear, cut out two bears shaped as in the example.  Use felt and let the child choose 

the color he or she wishes.  Glue on felt eyes, nose, and a strip of red yarn to make mouth.  You can add felt 

buttons also if child wishes.  When all is dried, place the pieces together, and glue around the edges of the 
neck, arms, body and legs. (don't glue above ears.) When dry punch holes around the edges and let child sew 
the bear together with yarn from bottom of ears, weaving the yarn  under and over. (save enough to go up 
over the ears and head.) Do not tie the yarn yet. Carefully stuff the bear with cotton pushing it into the arms 
and legs. Let the child decide if his/her bear is a fat bear with lots of cotton or a skinny bear with less cotton. 
When stuffed close the top of the bear, glue edges, and continue to sew, Tie the left over yarn into a neat bow 
at the top .. or if the child doesn't want a bow tie it tight and clip off the left over. You can also make a neck
bow by placing yarn or ribbon around its neck. Now have the child choose a name for the bear. The more 
choices the child has in making the bear, the more the bear will belong to him/her. Some of my students 
kept their bears until they were grown.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

DINOSAUR AND MONKEYS

  

*Clip Art from Billybear4kids page

 FREE TO COPY

DINOSAUR AND MONKEYS

by

M.C. Arvanitis

Once there was an Ancient Land

Where dinosaur lived so nice

With their friends, the monkeys.

Their enemies were the mice.

The dinosaur were large and strong.

The mice were small and meek.

They were afraid of the dinosaur

and the dinosaurs thought them weak.

The land was getting colder

As each century passed them by.

The monkeys needed a warmer land

With a hot sun in the sky.

They felt the ice age coming nearer

They must leave this land, somehow.

So they invited the dinosaur

To go with them to the Here And Now.

"We must leave this place,"

They said, "and find another home.

We'll sail across the ocean, but

We don't want to go alone."

The dinosaur said, "We can not leave.

We're too large to travel far away.

Take the mice, they are so small

And they don't want to stay."

"Yes, take us with you," cried the mice,

"Please include us in your plan.

The dinosaur make too much noise

And we want to leave this land."

So the monkeys and the little mice

Sailed together across the sea

To find the land of Here And Now

Where they would always be.

They left the dinosaur behind

To live on the Ancient Shore.

That is why in the Here And Now

You won't find a dinosaur.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

C 2011 by M.C. Arvanitis (If using this story please leave comment)
This story is free and may be shared so long as author is given credit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copy picture below and give your child a box of Crayons and see what happens.

The Legend of ELPanda Paws

(Cover and illustrations by Mariah Matthews.)

This book can be purchased at Amazon.com and SmashWords. Or you can purchase it at Barnes & Noble. If you have  a NOOK for an e-book click on the title above.  Reasonably priced at $1.99. The print book can be bought at Amazon.com. 

IF YOU PURCHASE THE BOOK AND LIKE IT 

#1: Leave a review on the site where you purchased it. 

#2: Pass the word .. Let your Face Book Friends know about it. 

Thanks,   Marge Arvanitis (M.C. Arvanitis) 

  

         Preview

        The ELVanite elves livelihood depends on the special stuffed love bears that they manufacture in their factory. The Santa Corporation delivers these bears to orphaned children throughout the world. Each bear holds special vibes of comforting love which can only be added by happy, cheerful workers.

         So when the terrible Negative Disease spreads throughout ELVanland, making the workers sad and listless and unable to make the bear quota, it is up to factory CEO, ELVina and her friend ELMetric to find the root of the disease. They find the sadness comes from a terrified panda cub who has been captured by zoo traders and tossed on the Bering shore after a terrible storm causes the ship to wreck. The two ELVanites finds the cub but must save it from the evil elves, the Ughlies. ELVina and ELMetric are captured when they try to rescue the cub. The damp, dark, bat-filled cavern terrifies ELVina. After many dangers and with the help of the tiny cave fairies, the Itizus, they escape with  the cub. ELVina falls in love with the baby panda, only to find that the cub, terrified at this strange land without her mother is still spreading the Negative Disease. Unless ELVina can think of a way to make ELPanda Paws happy, the town council members will send the cub away. 

How Rolly Raccoon joined the Back Yard Friends

When Rolly Raccoon looks for food in the back yard alley he almost tangles with a garbage truck. He can't find his mama and is afraid the truck may have done her in. The Back Yard Friends joins together to help him. When Stella Jay  suggests they look ahead instead of back they find an amazing pile of garbage.
(Photo of Raccoon by Mariah Matthews.)  

The Rabbit who Ate the Snowman’s Nose

(Published in Totline Teaching Tales – Short-Short Stories. Warren Publishing House. Illustration by Marion Hopping Ekberg.) Written by (pen name) Marjorie Arnee'. 

Suzie Rabbit hops slowly through the deep snow. She is so very hungry. She looks all over for fresh green grass to eat, but although it is the beginning of spring, a storm has hidden the grass under a deep covering of snow. Suddenly she spies the largest carrot she has every seen. Carrots are better than grass. There is just one problem. The carrot belongs to a snowman. Her kind heart makes her stop. How can she take a snowman’s nose away from him – unless she could find another nose?

Redbird’s Gift: PreKindergarten and early elementary.

 

Illustration by Mary Lou Beaulieu

Redbird Cardinal watches the old man walk back to his tiny cabin in the woods. Everyday he comes up the long lane to get his mail. He walks slowly, cane in one hand, an empty bag of birdseed in the other. He never forgets to feed the birds of the forest. When word comes from his family that they will not come to visit him for Christmas, he is disappointed. Redbird finds a way to give the old man a Merry Christmas after all. 

Back Yard Ghost: Preschool (Back Yard Friends)

      Halloween is a night of fun for Merle Squirrel and his Back Yard Friends until they hear the moans in the night. Although none will claim to be afraid they spend the night together. “Safety in Numbers”, Stella Jay says. The next morning the “ghost” is still  there. It takes Stella’s bravery to discover the “Ghost" and save her friends.”