The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real) is a children's novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished many times since.
The Velveteen Rabbit was Williams' first children's book. It has been awarded the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."
A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present
to a small boy, but is neglected for toys of higher quality or function,
which shun him in response. The rabbit is informed of magically
becoming Real by the wisest and oldest toy in the nursery as a result of
extreme adoration and love from children, and he is awed by this
concept; however, his chances of achieving this wish are slight.
One night, after the boy has misplaced his cherished china dog, he is
pacified through the presence of the rabbit, who attracts more
attention from his owner from then onward as a result, to the extent of
his promotion to the position of the child's favorite toy. However, when
the toy rabbit's owner contracts scarlet fever, he is prescribed a trip
to the seashore and is pacified upon receiving a stuffed rabbit of
higher quality as a replacement for the Velveteen Rabbit, which must be
burned alongside all of the other playthings due to potential bacteria.
Before the rabbit can meet a painful demise, he is greeted by the
Nursery Fairy, who transforms him into a living rabbit to spare him from
an agonizing fate, as he'd acquired greater affection from the boy than
all of the other toys and surpassed all qualifications required. The
rabbit accompanies several others in rejoicing, gleefully upon having
received his dream.
"When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real." Margery Williams' enchanting story about a toy rabbit will live forever in the annals of children's literature, coming alive through this unforgettable rendition.
" Told by Meryl Streep,
Music by George Winston,
Illustrated by David Jorgensen
A pretzel (known as Brezel in German, sometimes also Brezn or Breze) is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like
shape, originating in Europe. The pretzel shape is a distinctive
symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough
intertwine brought together and then twisted back onto itself in a
certain way ("a pretzel loop"). Pretzels in stick form may also be
called pretzels in the English-speaking context. For seasoning and
decoration various glazes, salt crystals, sugar and various seeds or
nuts can be used. The size varies from large enough for one to be a
sufficient serving, to much smaller.
A bread pretzel popular in southern Germany and adjoining
German-speaking areas, as well as in some areas of the United States, is
made from wheat flour, water and yeast, usually sprinkled with coarse
salt, hand-sized and made for consumption on the same day. It is
relatively soft, rather than brittle. To avoid confusion with any other
kind of pretzel, German speakers call this variety "Laugenbrezel" (lye
pretzel) because it is dipped in lye solution (NaOH) before baking. Sweet pastry
pretzels with many textures, toppings and coatings, are made. Crisp
hard pretzels, e.g. pretzel sticks and a variety of shapes basically
made from the same ingredients, have evolved from the lye pretzel by
baking out excess moisture, thereby increasing shelf life and crispness.
Variety of south German lye breads (Laugengebäck)
There are numerous accounts on the origin of the looped pretzels, as
well as the origin of the name; most agree that they have Christian
backgrounds and were invented by monks. According to The History of Science and Technology,
by Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans, in 610 AD "...an Italian monk
invents pretzels as a reward to children who learn their prayers. He
calls the strips of baked dough, folded to resemble arms crossing the
chest, 'pretiola' ("little rewards")". However, no source is cited to
back up these details. Another source locates the invention in a
monastery in southern France
The looped pretzel may also be related to a Greek ring bread, derived
from communion bread used in monasteries a thousand years ago In Germany there are stories that pretzels were the invention of desperate bakers.Meyers Konversations-Lexikon from 1905 suspects the origin of pretzels in a ban of heathen baking traditions, such as in the form of a sun cross, at the Synod of Estinnes in the year 743. The pretzel may have emerged as a substitute. The German name "Brezel" may derive also from Latin bracellus (a medieval term for "bracelet"), or bracchiola ("little arms").
The pretzel has been in use as an emblem of bakers and formerly their guilds in southern German areas since at least the 12th century. A 12th-century illustration in the Hortus deliciarum from the southwest German Alsace region (today France) may contain the earliest depiction of a pretzel.
Within the Catholic Church,
pretzels were regarded as having religious significance for both
ingredients and shape. Pretzels made with a simple recipe using only
flour and water could be eaten during Lent,
when Christians were forbidden to eat eggs, lard, or dairy products
such as milk and butter. As time passed, pretzels became associated with
both Lent and Easter. Pretzels were hidden on Easter morning just as
eggs are hidden today, and are particularly associated with Lent, fasting, and prayers before Easter.
Download instructions for palm weaving the cross here.
The Story of The Palm Branches
From Jericho, Jesus and his disciples went up the mountains,
and came to Bethany, where his friends Martha and Mary lived,
and where he had raised Lazarus to life. Many people in
Jerusalem heard that Jesus was there, and they went out of the
city to see him, for Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem.
Some came also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the
dead; but the rulers of the Jews said to each other:
"We must not only kill Jesus, but Lazarus,
also; because on his account so many of the people are going
after Jesus and are believing on him."
The friends of Jesus in Bethany made a supper for Jesus, at
the house of a man named Simon. He was called "Simon the
leper"; and perhaps he was one whom Jesus had cured of leprosy.
Jesus and his disciples, with Lazarus, leaned upon the couches
around the table, as the guests; and Martha was one of those
who waited upon them. While they were at the supper, Mary, the
sister of Lazarus, came into the room, carrying a sealed jar of
very precious perfume. She opened the jar, and poured some of
the perfume upon the head of Jesus, and some upon his feet; and
she wiped his feet with her long hair. And the whole house was
filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of the disciples of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, was not
pleased at this. He said: "Why was such a waste of the perfume
made? This might have been sold for more than forty-five
dollars, and the money given to the poor!"
This he said, but not because he cared for the poor. Judas
was the one who kept the bag of money for Jesus and the twelve;
and he was a thief, and took away for his own use all the money
that he could steal. But Jesus said:
"Let her alone; why do you find fault with
the woman? She has done a good work upon me. You have the
poor always with you, and whenever you wish, you can give to
them. But you will have me with you only a little while. She
has done what she could; for she has come to perfume my body
for its burial. And truly I say to you, that wherever the
gospel shall be preached throughout all the world, what this
woman has done shall be told in memory of her."
Perhaps Mary knew what others did not believe, that Jesus
was soon to die; and she showed her love for him, and her sorrow for his
coming death, by this rich gift. But Judas, the disciple who
carried the bag, was very angry at Jesus; and from that time
he was looking for a chance to betray Jesus, or to give him
up to his enemies. He went to the chief priests, and said:
"What will you give me, if I will put Jesus in your
hands?"
They said, "We will give you thirty pieces of silver."
And for thirty pieces of silver Judas promised to help them
take Jesus, and make him their prisoner.
On the morning after the supper at Bethany, Jesus called two
of his disciples, and said to them:
"Go into the next village, and at a place where two roads
cross; and there you will find an ass tied, and a colt with it.
Loose them, and bring them to me. And if any one says to you,
'Why do you do this?' say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and
they will let them go."
They went to the place and found the ass and the colt, and
were loosing them, when the owner said:
"What are you doing, untying the ass?"
And they said, as Jesus had told them to say:
"The Lord has need of it."
Then the owner gave them the ass and the colt
for the use of Jesus. They brought them to
Jesus on the Mount of Olives; and they laid some of their
own clothes on the colt for a cushion, and set Jesus upon
it. Then all the disciples and a very great multitude threw
their garments upon the ground for Jesus to ride upon.
Others cut down branches from the trees and laid them on the
ground. And as Jesus rode over the mountain toward
Jerusalem, many walked before him waving branches of palm
trees. And they all cried together:
"Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the kingdom
of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!"
These things they said, because they believed that Jesus was
the Christ, the Anointed King; and they hoped that he would now
set up his throne in Jerusalem. Some of the Pharisees in the
crowd, who did not believe in Jesus, said to him:
"Master, stop your disciples!"
But Jesus said:
"I tell you, that if these should be still, the very stones
would cry out!"
And when he came into Jerusalem with all this multitude, all
the city was filled with wonder. They said: "Who is this?"
And the multitude answered:
"This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee!"
And Jesus went into the Temple, and looked around it; but he
did not stay, because the hour was late. He went again to
Bethany, and there stayed at night with his friends.
These things took place on Sunday, the first day of the
week; and that Sunday in the year is called Palm Sunday,
because of the palm branches which the people carried before
Jesus.
Many people heard him gladly, but the
great city was deaf to his pleadings. "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem," he cried, "thou that killest the prophets, how
often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!"
Palm weavers are preparing for
Palm Sunday in the Philippines.
Spring Awakening by Esther L. Morrison "Spring is here! Spring is here!" called Snowdrop. "Who told you?" asked Yellow Crocus, sticking her head out of the ground. "Oh, I saw a robin and the buds on the trees looked as though they would burst any minute," she answered. Crocus yawned and said, "We must call violet." Very soon Violet was beside them. At last Snowdrop said, "It's time for Daffodil to wake up." When Daffodil was awake the flowers' bright-colored dresses looked so pretty together, they decided to have a party. They danced and sang so merrily that some children passing by heard their joyful calls and carried on the message of "spring is here."
Mad as a March Hare. "And who wouldn't be mad with such a job lot of Easter eggs to decorate?"
Description of Coloring Page: eggs in baskets and crates everywhere, Easter bunny paints, March Hare coloring page
Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image
as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question
about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located
directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I
can.
