Children’s Stories Made Horrific

  1. Today in Ms. Frizzle's class we were learning about the body. "What body?" Carlos kept asking anyone who would listen. "Somebody." Ms. Frizzle laughed uproariously every time he said it. "Somebody! That's good, Carlos!" Ms. Frizzle was in a good mood today.

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  2. Originally.

    There was once a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as to have a blue beard, which made him so frightfully ugly that all the women and girls ran away from him.

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  3. How many of these characters can you recall? You see, they all remember you.

    Agatha "Sister Night-Wind" Brimlap, Mary Poppins
    Mary Poppins' elder sister who lives in the coal-cellar and visits the children when they are asleep. She visited you, too. Don't you remember? She keeps all the things the wind carries away.

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  4. The Story

    One day in summer Frog was not feeling well.

    Toad said, "Frog, you are looking quite green."

    "But I always look green," said Frog. "I am a frog."

    And Toad turned his head and said nothing, and Frog knew that he had said the wrong thing.

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  5. In the great forest, a little elephant is born. His name is Babar. His mother loves him very much. She rocks him to sleep with her trunk while singing softly to him.

    Babar has grown bigger. He now plays with the other little elephants. He is a very good little elephant. See him digging in the sand with a shell.

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  6. This is George.
    He lived in the forest.
    He was very happy.
    But he had one fault. He was too curious.
    Now he is not happy. Now he has many faults.
    What is your fault?
    What will make you unhappy?

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  7. The original text here. Once there was a little girl who tried very hard not to be born. Her father the king and her mother the king’s wife had six children already – all sons. Together they were happy. As the boys grew and took their first steps from the school-room to the field, the king realized that they would someday turn into men. Six sons were one thing. Six men were quite another.

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  8. "Oh, Amelia Bedelia, your first day of work, and I can't be here. But I made a list for you. You just read the list and you'll be fine," said Mrs. Rogers. Mrs. Rogers got into the car with Mr. Rogers. They drove away. "My, what nice folks. I'm going to like working here," said Amelia Bedelia. Amelia Bedelia went inside. "Such a grand house. These must be rich folks. But I must get to work. Here…

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  9. Once there were two bears, Big Bear and Little Bear. Big Bear is the big bear and Little Bear is the little bear. They played all day in the light of the bright sunlight. All day long, Little Bear knew the sun was going to go away. At noon, he thought: this is as high as the sun will get. Now we are only waiting for night. Little Bear knew better than to be comforted…

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  10. Previously: The king who wanted to marry his daughter.

    goodnight room
    goodnight moon
    goodbye moon
    no, I didn't say –
    goodbye room
    I only said goodnight –
    goodbye, cow jumping over the moon
    goodnight, not goodbye
    goodbye, light
    it isn't time yet, it isn't time
    say goodbye

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  11. Previously in this series: The Little Red Hen. Original texts by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. There once was a king who had a beautiful wife, and many other beautiful things besides. He was gentle in peace and terrible in war. Every country he found, he conquered, and every country he conquered he plundered, because he was a man who knew the value of things. And he brought gifts on the…

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  12. One day as the Little Red Hen was scratching in a field, she found a grain of wheat. "This wheat should be planted," she said. "Who are you talking to," said the Duck. "Who on earth do you think is talking to you?" And the Hen had learned not to hear insults unless they were absolutely unavoidable, so the Hen did not hear the Duck say anything. "Who will help me plant this grain of…

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  13. Previously in this series: The little mermaid. Original text by the Brothers Grimm here. In an old time in an old country there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful and all unlucky. To be beautiful in this country was to be noticed by men; for this reason the girls were unlucky. It is lucky for a woman not to be noticed. In this country, women prayed to secret gods to let…

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  14. Previously in this series: The Little Prince. A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She held him, and he couldn't move unless she moved him. When she wanted him to be still, he was still. When she wanted him to move, he moved. And she rocked him, and she held him. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love…

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  15. Previously in this series: The Rainbow Fish. I used to draw pictures as a boy. I don't do that now. A boa constrictor can swallow its prey whole, without chewing, and then rests without moving for six months to digest it. After I am eaten, I will rest too. A hat is not the same thing as a snake eating an elephant. I can talk about stars, and forests, and snakes; I can talk…

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