Looking Through the Honey Jar

Here is a story inspired by a fairy ring that grew in our yard in British Columbia…. My children and my friends spent many a full moon night making wishes in the fairy ring….

Here is what wikipedia says about the mysterious and wonderful fairy ring phenomenon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring

The story below is from my May story newsletter – to see it in full  click here

Story Theme –  Awakening Wonder

Whenever we can bring warm and joyful wonder to the
world around us, and share that with a child, we change
the soul of a child forever.

We must genuinely feel the wonder in our own inner life first,
and then it will clothe the story voice and story pictures with
authentic magic!

We had a fairy circle in our yard in British Columbia when my
children were growing up.  It was an amazing source of awe,
and anticipation even as they became teenagers!

Enjoy this wonder story

Story:  Looking Through the Honey Jar

Leilah Bee got her name because her grandmother raised
honeybees and her mother had grown up loving bees and
loving honey.

Leilah Bee always looked forward to visitng Grandma because
she had a big garden, a tree swing, bee hives, and a fairy circle in the
grass by the apple tree.  A fairy circle was a special place in the grass
where the grass became dark green where the little fairy feet danced.

Leilah Bee made a fairy house village in and around the roots of the
apple tree and waited and waited for full moon.  That is when the fairies
dance in the fairy ring all night!  That is the night Grandma lights candles
in the fairy ring and lets Leilah Bee put honey from her own beehives in
a shell to leave in the middle of the fairy circle for the fairies.

Grandma says fairies love flowers as much as the bees do, and they
especially like the honey from the bees of this garden!  That is why we
have a fairy ring in our yard.

On the morning of the full moon Grandma had a small jar of honey by
Leilah Bee’s breakfast plate.  ”The world looks sweeter when you look
at it through a honey jar,” Grandma said.  Leilah Bee held the jar up
to her eye and looked through.  Sure enough, the whole kitchen was
golden and soft looking.

“You be on the lookout Leilah Bee; the fairies are getting ready for their
dance in the fairy circle tonight.  Maybe you will be lucky and see one
this full moon night”, said Grandma with a big smile on her face.

Leilah Bee spent the morning by the roots of the apple tree, making
more rooms in her fairy houses.  She kept a sharp eye out for early bird
fairies just in case!  And she sang a little made up song as she played.

‘Fairies dancing in a ring
I wonder if you also sing?
Round and round you swirl and twirl,
Have you ever danced with a girl?
Oh I wish I could play with you
Until the grass is full of dew.’

The sun was getting low in the sky.  Grandma
called Leilah Bee inside.  ’It’s time to fill the honey shell’,
she said.  Leilah Bee took a big spoonful of honey from
Grandma’s honey pot.  It was golden, clear, and thick.
She filled the shell which was shaped like a bowl.  Then together
Grandma and Leilah Bee put it right in the very middle of the
fairy circle.

Grandma smiled and said, ‘Leilah Bee, the fairies will love this
honey! Let’s put the candles in the circle now.’  When they were
done, the sun had set and they watched the candlelight
flicker.

‘Time for bed Leilah Bee.  Fairies won’t come while we are here.’
And Grandma and Leilah Bee went inside and got ready for bed.

Leilah Bee’s bed was right next to the window, and she could see
the fairy circle by the apple tree from her bed.  In her hand was the
little honey jar Grandma had given her at breakfast.  She whisper-sang
her fairy song…..

‘Fairies dancing in a ring
I wonder if you also sing?
Round and round you swirl and twirl,
Have you ever danced with a girl?
Oh I wish I could play with you,
Until the grass is full of dew’

Then she looked through the honey jar.  The night became
golden and warm.  The candlelight flickered through the
honey.  No, wait, was that candle flicker, or was that a fairy twirling!?

Leilah Bee looked all over the circle through the honey jar.
There were fairies dancing above each candle….
swirl and twirl, swirl and twirl….

When she looked without the honey jar, the fairies were gone.
She only saw the candles burning.  But when she looked through
the honey jar again, the fairies came back!  Swirl and twirl, swirl and twirl…

Leilah Bee watched and watched the fairy dance
for what seemed like a very long time. The next thing she knew,
she was just waking up in her bed and it was morning!

She jumped up and ran outside to the fairy circle.  Sure enough, all the
honey in the shell was gone!

‘They came Grandma, they came,’ Leilah Bee called out as she ran to
the kitchen to find Grandma!  Leilah Bee told grandma about seeing the
fairies dance when she looked through the honey jar, and that the honey in
the shell was gone!

Grandma smiled and said, ‘oh my little Leilah Bee, you are a lucky girl.
Once you see a fairy, you have magic in your heart and always will.
Yes, the world is sweeter when you look at it through a honey jar!’

‘Time for blueberry pancakes Leilah Bee.  Then we’ll gather up the
candles and shell and put them away til next full moon.’

The end

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&

Larkspur Felting School

Boulder, CO Events 2012

March 24-26 Language Dev./Storytelling/Puppetry – Lifeways Boulder

May 5 – Needle-Felting Fairy Tale Tapestries

July 20-22 – The Four Seasons Rod Puppet Course

August 11,12 – Felting Festival for Early Childhood Teachers/Parents

September 2012 – June 2013

A Felting  Arts Training Course Level 1 Begins!

Director Suzanne Down

http://junipertreepuppets.com

http://larkspurfeltingchool.weebly.com

Suzanne@junipertreepuppets.com

Find us on Facebook – Juniper Tree Puppets, Larkspur Felting School, Suzanne Down

The Healing of the Mother and Baby Rod Puppet

A 5-day Professional Development Week for ECE

Keene, NH                          June 26-30 2012

Join us for 5 days of early childhood professional development where we focus on The Mother Archetype and the sense of Touch/Warmth/Life, and it’s meaning for our children.  We will develop beautiful and meaningful Mother Rod Puppets and Babies, and delve into how to imbue them with  healing gestures and ensoul them with the therapeutic virtues of the soul’s power.  We will create stories that make our children feel safe in the mother’s arms, so they will trust the world around them and know that all is well in the kindgom.

Welcome.

This is the puppet the children have been waiting for!

contact suzanne@junipertreepuppets.com for further details and registration.

cost for the week is $425 plus $50 materials

inexpensive housing is available  *  numbers are limited due to the the way I like to work.

]]> http://junipertreepuppets.com/new-england-5-day-course-june-2012-the-mother-rod-puppet/feed/ 0 http://junipertreepuppets.com/new-england-5-day-course-june-2012-the-mother-rod-puppet/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/junipertreepuppets/~3/Z4Q7tRYpXsM/ http://junipertreepuppets.com/mother-earth-the-four-season-puppet/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:03:32 +0000 Suzanne http://junipertreepuppets.com/?p=1196 Mother Earth – The Four Season Puppet

A Workshop Day for ECE Teachers and Parents

Held at the  Washington DC Waldorf School
April 22                           10:00 – 4:00

Join us for this delightful Sunday Workshop for Early Childhood Teachers and Parents.

Our theme is Mother Earth, as a beloved and meaningful character for our children.  She is the wise story guide that reveals the magic and wonder of  the four seasons of the year.  We could say she may just be the one puppet you most want in your repertoire!

We will create beautiful Mother Earth Table/Lap Puppets and work with ensouling them in a truthful and archetypal way, one that will be worthy of bringing the seasons to life, and care-taking the earth around us.  We will begin to tell her many tales.

Please contact Carol Petrash  for registration and details….   cpetrash@earthlink.net

Cost for the workshop – $75 plus $15 materials

Hope to see you there!

(image by Daria Lvovsky)

Suzanne Down, Longtime Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts travels and loves to share her passion for the healing art of Puppet Theater.

]]> http://junipertreepuppets.com/mother-earth-the-four-season-puppet/feed/ 0 http://junipertreepuppets.com/mother-earth-the-four-season-puppet/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/junipertreepuppets/~3/jsNI-gF4oEw/ http://junipertreepuppets.com/the-healing-art-of-the-protection-story/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:24:01 +0000 Suzanne http://junipertreepuppets.com/?p=1191 The Healing Art of the Protection Story

A Regional ECE Workshop – All Welcome

Location – Asheville, NC
April 28,29       Sat. 9-4/Sun. 9-12

Today’s children need to be reassured that all is right with their world.  We want to provide them with a childhood where they can breathe deeply, sleep well, and feel safe.  One of the best ways to bring peace and healing imagination to them is through stories and puppet theater.  In this weekend we will explore several aspects of therapeutic and artistic story and puppetry that you can use immediately in your classrooms and homes.  We will explore how to create ‘protection stories’ to surround our children with confidence in the world –   We will develop them in story voice, story creation, gesture, puppet making, and artistic presentation This weekend will give you many meaningful story skills!

Suzanne Down is longtime Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts

http://junipertreepuppets.com

Conference  cost is $145 plus $15 materials…payment plan available…

Local contact for info and registration:  Ashley d’Ambrosi Masters – amdambrosi@gmail.com

image by feltsewgood

February is the valentines month, a special time to make magic
for children, but how do we do that in a meaningful way.  I have
always used the power of a story and a puppet play to help create
a celebratory mood around the ‘smaller’ special days.  Story serves as
an antidote to the commercialization of life.

The Valentine Baker of Pink

Once on an island in the Pacific North West, there was a little
village called Pink.  It was a funny name for a town, but it was
named Pink after all the thousands upon thousands of cherry
blossoms that bloomed there early each spring.  The townspeople
were very proud of their unique and beautiful town in spring,
and welcomed visitors of all kinds.

In the middle of the town square was a fine little cottage surrounded
by cherry trees.  This was the village bakery.  For many it was the
heart of the village.  And that was because the Baker baked with
joy and love.  Everyone said, ‘the Baker of Pink makes the tastiest
cakes in the world!’  The Baker’s specialty and favorite thing to
bake were heart shaped cakes for Valentines day – pink of course!

Word spread far and wide that if you ate one of these heart cakes
on Valentine’s day you would feel especially happy and cared for.
Needless to say, visitors came in droves to buy the Valentine
heart cakes, and the Baker worked very hard to bake enough for all.

Far away from the village of Pink, was a kingdom.  In this kindgom
was a castle, and there lived a kind King who had a beautiful
daughter, the Princess.  The King however, was worried about his
dear daughter, for she was always sad.  Nothing the doctors tried
to do helped.  Nothing the wise women offered helped.  The Princess
was still sadder than sad.  And this worried the King, for he loved
his daughter more than anything in the world.

One day a traveler came to this Kingdom and he heard from the
townspeople about the fate of the lovely Princess.  At once the
traveler had an idea, and he went to the gates of the castle.

‘Let me in, let me in, I have helpful news for the King,’ he called!

The guards brought him to the King, and the traveler told him
of the magic Valentine’s day cakes of Pink, and the Baker who
made them.  The King listened and was prepared to take his daughter
to Pink at once!

‘But remember dear King,’ said the traveler, ‘the Baker makes
these heart cakes on one day only!  You must arrive on Valentine’s
day for the magic to work.

So the King sent a royal messenger to Pink, to tell the Baker about
his sad Princess, and to please make the best heart cake for her
that he had ever made!

Then the day came for the journey to Pink.  The King and his dear
daughter, and many royal guards set off.  The journey would take 3
days.

Back in the village of Pink, the Baker was preparing for their arrival.
He ground the grain to flour, until it was so fine it was like star dust.
He went to his pantry and took out a locked, hand carved wooden
box.  Out of his pocket he pulled out a golden key and opened
the box.  Inside were his most amazing ingredients from all over
the world!

* Inside was a small bottle of vanilla his great-grandfather Baker
had brought home from far far away in China!
* Inside was a stick of cinnamon his grandfather Baker had brought
home from even further away in Madagascar!
* Inside was a jar of golden honey his own father Baker had brought
home from a beehive he found in a field of flowers in Mongolia!
* Inside was a spoonful of poppy seed he himself had found and saved
on a high mountain meadow walk in Russia!

The Baker nodded and said out loud, ‘now is the time to use these
ingredients.  The Princess needs their powers!’   And so the Baker
set to work to make Valentine heart cakes fit for a beautiful Princess.

At last it was Valentine’s day, and the whole village of Pink lined the
street to the center of town where the bakery was.  All around the cottage
the cherry trees were already blooming.  The aromas of the blossoms mixed
with the sweet smells of the baking made the whole town excited.

‘Here they come, here they come,’ the townspeople cheered!  The King
and the Princcess and all their guards were coming down the road!

Inside the bakery, the Baker was ready.  His kind face looked out the
window, and as the royal visitors got closer he saw the Princess.  He saw
that even with a sad face, she was more lovely than the cherry blossoms,
more beautiful than the sunrise, and his heart opened.

The Baker bowed when they entered his shop.  There was one table set
with a pot of warm peppermint tea, a pink teacup, and a plate with one
very special heart cake, all waiting for the Princess.

She sat down very daintily, and took a sip of tea.  Then she took one
bite of the heart cake.  Rosy color came to her face.  She took
another sip of tea and another bite.  Her sad mouth started to smile.
She took another bite, and her eyes started to twinkle.  With her last
bite, she sat back and started to giggle, then laugh!  She could not
help herself, she jumped up, hugged her father the King, and ran over
to the Baker and kissed him on the cheek!

The King was beside himself with joy!  ’Good Baker,’ the King said
grandly, ‘ you shall marry the Princess and have half my kingdom!!’

After the royal wedding, the Baker and the Princess chose to live in Pink,
in the rooms above the bakery.  The Baker taught his wife how to make
heart cakes, and together they lived well, worked happily in the bakery,
and never again was the Princess sad.

The End

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for upcoming  rod puppet workshop in Fair Oaks california on the Four Season Rod Puppet CLICK HERE

New Year Story – The Four Brothers

an old tale adapted for puppetry by

Suzanne Down

It was early in the year, and still cold snowy winter.  A poor mother and her daughter lived in a small cottage in a village near the great woods.  One morning, Mother called to Elyena and said, ‘dear daughter, go to our neighbors house and ask if they have food to spare, for we now have nothing left to eat.’  Elyena put on her warmest winter clothes and went to the neighbor’s with her basket.
Elyena knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

After a time the neighbor grandmother opened the door just a little crack to see who was there.  Elyena began to sing to her.

‘Good morning kind friend on this day so fair,
I’m asking if you have spare food to share.
It is so cold, and our food is no more,
Please if you can, bring some food to the door.’

Elyena held her basket out, but the grandmother said, ‘no, no, we have too little to eat.  Sorry, we cannot fill your basket at all, at all.’   And she closed the door tight.  Elyena went all through the village knocking on doors, and asking at each house,

”Good morning kind friend on this day so fair,
I’m asking if you have spare food to share.
It is so cold, and our food is no more,
Please if you can, bring some food to the door.’

But no one had food to spare.  No one at all, at all.

Elyena did not want to take an empty basket home to her good mother, so she went into the woods to look for nuts and roots hidden under the snow.  On the way she found a little mouse whose tail was caught under a stone.  Elyena gently freed him, and the mouse said, ‘ thank you kind child, I have been trapped here for a long time.  May good fortune find you’.  Then he scampered away through the snowy forest.

As she wandered on, she noticed a tree whose branches were so weighed down
with snow, she thought they would break.  So she shook the tree until it could
stand up straight again.  ‘Oh my,’ said the tree, ‘that feels much better, thank
you dear child, may good fortune find you.’

Elyena went on through the forest, and saw a little robin shivering from the cold.
She picked the robin up and wrapped her carefully in her warm woolen hat until
the robin stopped shivering.  ‘Thank you dear child,’ sang the robin, ‘I feel warm
enough to fly now.  May good fortune find you.’
And the bird flapped her wings and flew away.

Elyena had now walked deep into the woods where she knew a hazelnut tree grew.  ‘Perhaps I will find nuts here,’ she thought to herself.  So she started to dig under the snow finding nuts and filling her basket.  As she was digging here and there a kind old man with a long white beard  appeared dressed all in white.
He spoke to her with a voice as sweet as honey.

‘I am the Grandfather of the Year.  My four sons and I have seen how thoughtful
you are. My children each have a question for you.’

One brother came all dressed in light green.  He smiled at Elyena and asked her,
‘what is Spring like dear child?’

Elyena answered, ‘oh Spring is fresh and new and full of crocuses and daffodils
and baby birds. I love Spring!’  The green brother smiled at Elyena and nodded.

Then a second brother came all dressed in yellow, and asked,
‘what is Summer like dear child?’

‘Oh,’ said Elyena, ‘Summer is a time to run and play in sunshine, plant a garden
of flowers, and chase butterflies and fireflies.  I love Summer!’  The yellow brother
smiled and nodded.

Then a third brother appeared dressed in orange and reds.
He asked Elyena, ‘what is Autumn like dear child?’

‘Autumn,’ said Elyena, ‘is full of dancing leaves like flames, apples and pumpkins,
and it is harvest time.  I love Autumn!’  The orange and red brother smiled and
nodded.

Then the Grandfather of the Year’s fourth son appeared all dressed in
pale blues.  ‘What is Winter like dear child,’ he asked.

‘Winter snow sparkles like the stars’, replied Elyena.  ‘Our cheeks get rosy as
we make snowmen, and we light candles in the house, and read books.
I love Winter!’  This blue brother also smiled and nodded.

Then the four brothers and the Grandfather of the Year who stood before her all disappeared.  Elyena thought she had been dreaming, but when she looked
in her basket of old nuts, they had turned to diamonds, rubies, and gold!

When she returned home her mother rejoiced.  They were never poor and hungry again!.

]]> http://junipertreepuppets.com/a-new-year-story-the-four-brothers-adapted-for-puppetry/feed/ 0 http://junipertreepuppets.com/a-new-year-story-the-four-brothers-adapted-for-puppetry/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/junipertreepuppets/~3/pXBpmH6VVd8/ http://junipertreepuppets.com/how-the-robin-got-his-red-breast-adapted-for-puppetry/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:51:03 +0000 Suzanne http://junipertreepuppets.com/?p=1163 How the Robin Got it’s Red Breast

(Adapted for puppetry from a French Christmas Legend)

The north wind doth blow
And we shall have snow
And what will poor robin do then
Poor thing.
He’ll sit in the barn
To keep himself warm
And hide his head under his wing
Poor thing.

Late one winter’s night a lone robin flew seeking shelter. The north winds blew icy and bitter cold.
The little bird looked out over the land, but saw no place to find safety.
So he flew on, his wings covered with ice.
After a time he saw a little light ahead. It seemed to come from a small barn.
As he flew closer he saw it was a stable. At least it would protect him from the winds, so he flew in the open door and settled on the top-most rafter. He fluffed his feathers and nestled down to rest and warm himself.

The north wind doth blow………………..And we shall have snow
And what will poor robin do then…….Poor thing.
He’ll sit in the barn……………………………To keep himself warm
And hide his head under his wing…….Poor thing.

He soon fell asleep.
Down below in the stable was quite a sight to see. A woman was tenderly holding a newborn baby.
She and her husband had also been seeking protection from the cold and had also found the stable.
But it was still too cold for the little child. The father had started a small fire, and gone outside
to find some dry firewood. The mother, named Mary, was blowing on the embers to keep the flame going.
But it was hard to do this while holding and caring for the baby.
In the far corner of the stable were three sleeping animals, an ox, a horse, and Mary’s own little donkey.
Mary looked at the ox and sang to him.

Dear ox, dear ox, so good and strong
Help me on this night so long.
Breathe and blow, breathe and blow
On this fire with embers low.
Keep this flame to make us warm
Help us from all Winter’s harm.

But ox had worked hard in the fields all day and was sound asleep and did not hear her.
Mary then sang out to the horse.

Dear horse, dear horse so good and strong
Help me on this night so long.
Breathe and blow, breathe and blow
On this fire with embers low
Keep this flame to make us warm
Help us from all winter’s harm.

But the horse had drawn a heavy cart to market and now was dreaming of sweet carrots to eat.
He did not hear her call.
Then Mary sang to her own little donkey.

Dear donkey, dear donkey, so good and strong
Help me on this night so long.
Breathe and blow, breathe and blow
On this fire with embers low.
Keep this flame to make us warm
Help us from all winter’s harm.

But the little donkey had carried Mary all day seeking shelter.
He was tired and sleeping deeply. He did not hear her song.

‘Oh what will I do,’ worried Mary, as she struggled to keep her little one warm.
She had not seen the Robin who had flown in and settled on the rafters above.
But the Robin had heard her song, and he flew down close to the embers and flapped and flapped his wings, and the flame grew and grew to warm them all.
Robin kept the fire going until the father, named Joseph, returned with enough wood
to warm the whole stable for the rest of the night.
Mary picked up the little Robin and said:

Thank you, thank you robin so kind,
But what is this on you I find?
For on robin’s breast was a rosy red glow from the fire.
The little baby opened his eyes and looked at the robin for a long time.
A sweet smile came to his mouth.
And this is the magic and wonder of how, from that night in the stable on,
all robins were given a beautiful rosy red breast
to remind us all of the robin’s kindness that glorious night long ago,
and how he helped keep the Child of Light warm and safe from winter’s cold

This tale is from our story newsletter from an earlier December.  It is adapted to use with puppets.  to sign up for our free story newsletter please go to

http://junipertreepuppets.com

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You can make this  sweet robin from this tutorial

click here

An early childhood professional development workshop

for teachers, parents, homeschool, grandparents, caregivers

Feb. 18,19                Fair Oaks, CA

Saturday 9:00 – 4:00          Sunday 9:00    – 1:00

Nature, in all its wisdom gives children a deep sense of wonder and reliability. This workshop will look at weaving these two gifts together. We will focus on the amazing Rod Puppet.   This puppet comes to life more than any other with its possibilities for subtle gesture and intimacy .  I call it the ‘heart’ puppet because of this.  Hearts connect between viewer and puppet.

In this workshop we will look at what makes nature stories and puppetry so inviting and so healing.  We will create a Rod Puppet for all seasons – your choice – Mother Earth, Elf, Old Gnome etc., one  you can use to develop stories through the year.  If you want one special puppet for telling stories that open the door to the four seasons for the children, this is the one!!

Everyone is welcome, beginners and experienced enthusiasts.

Suzanne Down is Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts. The school offers a one year  part time training in Puppet Theater. The training has a pedagogical, artistic, and therapeutic focus.  Suzanne travels internationally sharing her love for story and puppetry in workshops and conferences      http://junipertreepuppets.com

Weekend cost $150. plus $20 materials

Pre-registration required – please contact Suzanne Down for info  at: suzanne@junipertreepuppets.com

Please bring a bag lunch on Sat.

Hope to see you there!!!

A Workshop for Everyone!

April 27, 2012 – Asheville, N.C.

come join us for a delightful class on creating magic pictures with wool

all levels are very welcome!

these charming pictures are perfect for a child’s room, or to inspire a classroom

This workshop is open to all, and we will meet from 8:30 – 12:30

Cost  will be $35 plus $15 materials

contact ashley for registration and details
amdambrosi@gmail.com

Suzanne Down is longtime Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts, and travels to share her passion for story arts internationally