The Three Billy Goats Gruff want to cross the bridge to eat the sweet, spring grass. But first they must get by the horrible troll who guards the bridge!

Recording time: 3 min., 44 sec.

Enjoy this classic children's fairy tale about Cinderella. Cinderella gets bullied by her stepsisters and gets left out. But, her fairy godmother has some tricks up her sleeve. 

Do you think Cinderella will ever be able to go to the ball and meet the prince?

Poor old lady, she swallowed a fly.

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a spider.

It squirmed and wriggled and turned inside her.

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a bird.

How absurd!   She swallowed a bird.

She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a cat.

Thank of that!   She swallowed a cat.

She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.

She swallowed the bird to catch the spider.

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a dog.

She went the whole hog when she swallowed the dog.

She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,

She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,

She swallowed the bird to catch the spider.

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a cow.

I don't know how she swallowed a cow.

She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,

She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,

She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,

She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,

I don't know why she swallowed a fly.

Poor old lady, I think she'll die.

Poor old lady, she swallowed a horse.

She died, of course.

Did you know that neither elves or mice like to get wet? Listen and see how they get in out of the rain.

The Elf and the Dormouse by Oliver Herford

Under a toadstool crept a wee Elf,
Out of the rain to shelter himself.  
Under the toadstool, sound asleep,
Sat a big Dormouse all in a heap.  
 
Trembled the wee Elf, frightened and yet
Fearing to fly away lest he get wet.  
To the next shelter - maybe a mile!
Sudden the wee Elf smiled a wee smile.  
 
Tugged till the toadstool toppled in two.
Holding it over him, gaily he flew.  
Soon he was safe home, dry as could be.
Soon woke the Dormouse,"Good gracious me!  
 
"Where is my toadstool?" loud he lamented.
And that's how umbrellas first were invented.

Enjoy listening to these four classic Mother Goose rhymes.

Old Mother Hubbard
Pat a Cake
Jack and Jill
Sing a Song of Sixpence

Recording time: 1 min., 17 sec.

The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail,

And pour the waters of the Nile

On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in

With gently smiling jaws!

Recording time: 27 sec.

Hoop and stick was a game that your grandmother or great-grandmother might have played. This poem Miss Hooper's Hoop is about a girl who is just crazy for the game. She pushes her hoop until is seems like the hoop will just keep on going. Have you ever played a game so much that your parents had to beg and plead for you to stop?

That is what happens to Miss Hooper.

Recording time: 2 min., 5 sec.

The Fishing Song by William Brighty Rands is about a boy who has fishing fever!

Recording time: 1 min., 5 sec.

The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (remember, she helped the Flopsy Bunnies escape from Mr. McGregor?) by Beatrix Potter tells the tale of a very tidy, neat mouse who has some very messy, univited guests.

Just what will she do with Mr. Jackson, the toad, who comes in looking for honey and leaving wet, dirty footprints all over the house? Or, with the Babbity Bumble, the bumble bee, who leaves beeswax and honey stuck all around?

Mrs. Tittlemouse will think of something!

Recording time: 8 min, 44 sec.

Enjoy the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. A shorter version but still contains the drama of the wicked fairy and a princess and kingdom frozen in time.

Recording time: 6 min., 39 sec.

The Two Friends - A spider and a centipede go for a walk - oh what troubles Mr. Centipede has!
The Pirate Poodle - Can you imagine if your pet was pirate? What do you think your dog or cat (or hamster) would be afraid of?

Recording time: 3 min., 05 seconds

Froggy sets off to woo Miss Mouse. But the party gets interrupted by the Cat and the Kittens. Oh, no!

The Instructiphone by Caroline Wells is a fun story told in poem about an invention that a boy wants to make. His idea? He wants to make a machine that you can insert books into and it will put all of the information into your head by listening to the device.

Recording time: 2 min., 45 sec.

The New Vestments by Edward Lear is an poem about a man who dresses himself in absurd, ridiculous clothing! Very funny. Sure to have boys laughing.

Recording time: 2 min., 40 sec.

The Duel, or The Calico Cat and the Gingham Dog, by Eugene Field is a popular children's poem turned into story. Eugene Field also was the author of Wynken, Blynken and Nod, also recorded and available.

Recorded time: 1 min., 54 sec.

"The Moon" from "A Child's Garden of Verses" read by Sharon Johnson.

                                         The Moon

  The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
  She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
  On streets and fields and harbour quays,
  And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

  The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
  The howling dog by the door of the house,
  The bat that lies in bed at noon,
  All love to be out by the light of the moon.

  But all of the things that belong to the day
  Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
  And flowers and children close their eyes
  Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

The Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter tells the tale of Peter's cousins who go off to eat lettuces, fall sleep from the "soporific" effects of the lettuce . . . and . . . just barely escape becoming mean Mr. McGregor's supper! Read by Sheri Hird.

Recording time: 7 min., 43 sec.

Volunteers are sought  for Winter and Spring podcast recordings.

Are you interested in being a reader?

Volunteering is easy and fun. You can sign up for as little as a half-hour of time. Many great stories are just waiting to be read . . . won't you read one?

If you are interested please pick up an application/information form at the circ desk or e-mail Michelle at mgurung@selco.info.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus is the reply letter printed in The New York Sun to Virginia, who had written a letter to the editor asking if Santa Claus really exists.

Listen to Tristyn and her grandmother Terry Olson read the real-life letters of Virginia O'Hanlon and Francis P. Church published in 1897.

Ready by Tristyn and her grandmother, Terry Olson.

Recording time: 3 min., 38 sec.

The Velveteen Rabbit is an award-winning beloved classic children's story.

Read by Bev Leonard.

Recording time: 22 min., 06 sec.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a classic poem by Clement C. Moore. Treasured for many generations, it is possibly the most well-known poem about Santa and his eight reindeer. Can you name all eight reindeer?

Read by Randy Erdman, Mayor of the City of Albert Lea.

Recording time: 3 min., 04 sec.

"My Shadow" from a Child's Garden of Verses read by Sharon Johnson.

  I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
  And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
  He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
  And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

  The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow--
  Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
  For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
  And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at all.

  He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
  And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
  He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see;
  I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

  One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
  I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
  But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
  Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

"My Bed is a Boat" from A Child's Garden of Verses read by Sharon Johnson.

Bed in Summer

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
To have to go to bed by day?

Willie Mouse sets off to find the moon. Do you know? Because! It's made of green cheese! He meets many other woodland animals on his journey. . .but be careful, Willie! Will he make it to the moon? And how do you think he'll get back home? Read by Jamie and Darrel Hauer.

Recording time: 4 min., 32 sec.

Enjoy listening to the classic fairy tale as read by Terry Olson and her granddaughter, Tristyn. Little Red Riding Hood goes to visit her sick grandmother and bring her treats. But who does she meet along the way? . . .The big, bad wolf! (But watch out! This fairy tale ends in the classic manner and does not have a happily-ever-after.)

Recording time: 4 min., 19 sec.