The Book of Nature Myths
By Florence Holbrook (1902)
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook (1902). Unabridged Charlotte Mason living book edition for Form I Mythology, Folklore & Legends.
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Chapter 1: Part I. The Great Fire-Mountain
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 1
Long, long ago, when the earth was very young, two hunters were traveling through the forest. They had been on the track of a deer for many days, and they were now far away from the village where they lived. The sun went down and night came on. It was dark and gloomy, but over in the western sky there came a bright light.
"It is the moon," said one.
"No," said the other. "We have watched many and many a night to see the great, round moon rise above the trees. That is not the moon. Is it the northern lights?"
"No, the northern lights are not like this, and it is not a comet. What can it be?"[Pg 2]
It is no wonder that the hunters were afraid, for the flames flared red over the sky like a wigwam on fire. Thick, blue smoke floated above the flames and hid the shining stars.
"Do the flames and smoke come from the wigwam of the Great Spirit?" asked one.
"I fear that he is angry with his children, and that the flames are his fiery war-clubs," whispered the other. No sleep came to their eyes. All night long they watched and wondered, and waited in terror for the morning.
When morning came, the two hunters were still watching the sky. Little by little they saw that there was a high mountain in the west where the light had been, and above the mountain floated a dark blue smoke. "Come," said one, "we will go and see what it is."
They walked and walked till they came close to the mountain, and then they saw fire shining through the seams of the rocks.[Pg 3] "It is a mountain of fire," one whispered. "Shall we go on?" "We will," said the other, and they went higher and higher up the mountain. At last they stood upon its highest point. "Now we know the secret," they cried. "Our people will be glad when they hear this."
Swiftly they went home through the forest to their own village. "We have found a wonder," they cried. "We have found the home of the Fire Spirit. We know where she keeps her flames to help the Great Spirit and his children. It is a mountain of fire. Blue smoke rises above it night and day, for its heart is a fiery sea, and on the sea the red flames leap and dance. Come with us to the wonderful mountain of fire."
The people of the village had been cold in the winter nights, and they cried, "O brothers, your words are good. We will move our lodges to the foot of the magic mountain. We can light our wigwam fires from its flames, and we shall not fear that[Pg 4] we shall perish in the long, cold nights of winter."
So the Indians went to live at the foot of the fire-mountain, and when the cold nights came, they said, "We are not cold, for the Spirit of Fire is our good friend, and she keeps her people from perishing."
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Table of Contents
60 ChaptersEvery chapter below is pre-indexed for oral narration and easy 1-click scheduling into your weekly Charlotte Mason lesson plan.
Chapter 1: Part I. The Great Fire-Mountain
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Part Ii. The Frolic Of The Flames
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Part Iii. The Bird Of Flame
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 3
Chapter 4: The Story Of The First Butterflies
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 4
Chapter 5: The Story Of The First Woodpecker
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Why The Woodpecker's Head Is Red
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 6
Chapter 7: Why The Cat Always Falls Upon Her Feet
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Why The Swallow's Tail Is Forked
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 8
Chapter 9: Why The White Hares Have Black Ears
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Why The Magpie's Nest Is Not Well Built
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 10
Chapter 11: Why The Raven's Feathers Are Black
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 11
Chapter 12: Part I. Seizing The Firebrand
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 12
Chapter 13: Part Ii. The Firebrand In The Forest
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 13
Chapter 14: Part Iii. The Firebrand In The Pond
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 14
Chapter 15: How The Quail Became A Snipe
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 15
Chapter 16: Why The Serpent Sheds His Skin
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 16
Chapter 17: Why The Dove Is Timid
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 17
Chapter 18: Why The Parrot Repeats The Words Of Men
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 18
Chapter 19: The Story Of The First Mocking-Bird
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 19
Chapter 20: Why The Tail Of The Fox Has A White Tip
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 20
Chapter 21: The Story Of The First Frog
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 21
Chapter 22: Why The Rabbit Is Timid
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 22
Chapter 23: Why The Peetweet Cries For Rain
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 23
Chapter 24: Why The Bear Has A Short Tail
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 24
Chapter 25: Why The Wren Flies Close To The Earth
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 25
Chapter 26: Why The Hoofs Of The Deer Are Split
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 26
Chapter 27: The Story Of The First Grasshopper
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 27
Chapter 28: The Story Of The Oriole
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 28
Chapter 29: Why The Peacock's Tail Has A Hundred Eyes
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 29
Chapter 30: The Story Of The Bees And The Flies
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 30
Chapter 31: The Story Of The First Moles
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 31
Chapter 32: The Story Of The First Ants
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 32
Chapter 33: The Face Of The Manito
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 33
Chapter 34: The Story Of The First Diamonds
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 34
Chapter 35: The Story Of The First Pearls
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 35
Chapter 36: The Story Of The First Emeralds
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 36
Chapter 37: Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 37
Chapter 38: Why The Aspen Leaves Tremble
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 38
Chapter 39: How The Blossoms Came To The Heather
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 39
Chapter 40: How Flax Was Given To Men
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 40
Chapter 41: Why The Juniper Has Berries
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 41
Chapter 42: Why The Sea Is Salt
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 42
Chapter 43: The Story Of The First Whitefish
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 43
Chapter 44: Was It The First Turtle?
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 44
Chapter 45: Why The Crocodile Has A Wide Mouth
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 45
Chapter 46: The Story Of The Picture On The Vase
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 46
Chapter 47: Why The Water In Rivers Is Never Still
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 47
Chapter 48: How The Raven Helped Men
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 48
Chapter 49: The Story Of The Earth And The Sky
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 49
Chapter 50: Part I
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 50
Chapter 51: Part Ii
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 51
Chapter 52: The Story Of The First Snowdrops
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 52
Chapter 53: Why The Face Of The Moon Is White
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 53
Chapter 54: Why All Men Love The Moon
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 54
Chapter 55: Why There Is A Hare In The Moon
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 55
Chapter 56: The Children In The Moon
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 56
Chapter 57: Why There Is A Man In The Moon
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 57
Chapter 58: The Twin Stars
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 58
Chapter 59: The Lantern And The Fan
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 59
Chapter 60: Vocabulary Of The Book Of Nature Myths
The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook — Chapter 60
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