Posted by

Posted on

October 19, 2013

Posted under

Fairy Tale for Boys, Holiday, Tales for Kids of All Ages, Young Fairy Tale

Comments

Baby Coyote Scares Halloween

Baby Coyote lived in a den with his mom and dad, deep in a wood surrounded by the roads and houses of big folk. Mom and Dad Coyote hunted at night. In the early morning, they woke Baby Coyote. They fed him, played with him and kept him safe. They usually slept away the long hours the big folk were walking the trails, but sometimes they would hide and watch them pass by. The big folk seemed to see nothing at all that was not on the trails. Baby Coyote thought they were funny, especially when they would exclaim over dragonflies or poison ivy.

One morning, his mom and dad had to go visit the faraway woods. On the sunshine oak next door, hidden in the nasturtiums behind a round door, lived a happy gnome. His name was Iron Hair, for his stiff, spiky gray hair. Continue reading →

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 17, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

54 Comments

Rainbow Haiku

Magic wings lightly
Paint the earth a bright rainbow,
Vivid joy dancing.

Note: This post is dedicated to my friend, E, who walks with me most days, and is endlessly patient and encouraging of my taking pictures, and to my children who love to find things for me to photograph, too. And to my hubby, who stops the car when I just have to take a picture. Photography has become much more important to me that I could have imagined, and I owe that to the people I love, who bear with me. Hugs, Brenda

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 14, 2013

Posted under

Tales for Kids of All Ages

Comments

2 Comments

The Dragon’s Gift

A lovely magical poem from Scottishmomus, of the all-seeing eye. Here she beards a dragon in his lair. Happy long weekend! Brenda

scottishmomus

A fire burns

Within this cave

And sulphur

Fills the air.

Exploration,

Through the mire,

Finds

The dragon’s lair

Where slumber’s rest

Holds still

His breath, flame now

Quietly quenched.

Wait, survey,

A quiet snore,

Now the time

To wrench

One scale from tail

Of beast of lore

Bless’d magic,

Glitter’d gem

Holds promise of

Imagination.

To brave only,

It is given.

Sahm’s idea of a dragon paves the way.

View original post

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 5, 2013

Posted under

Poetry, Tales for Kids of All Ages

Comments

36 Comments

Autumnal Fascination Haibun

Autumn is my favorite season. Summer is too hot, winter too cold, spring too rainy, but autumn is just right. When I was growing up, I enjoyed kicking leaves, walking to school by myself, hearing them crunch underfoot. I even liked to rake leaves, but, shh, don’t tell my dad. Continue reading →

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 4, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

53 Comments

Gnome Homes

Mushrooms damp, mushrooms wet,

mushroom fallen, overset.

Can I eat you or would I die?

Better be safe and leave you lie.

Fairies, sprites, elves and gnomes

Need your caps for their homes.

In darkness you bloom in your magic way

Tempting, taunting and fae.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 3, 2013

Posted under

Poetry, Tales for Kids of All Ages, Videos by Friendlyfairytales

Comments

77 Comments

Turning One Hundred

It takes a long time to become young.
— Pablo Picasso

Welcome to my hundredth post, a different kind of fairy tale today,
dedicated to someone well loved
who turned one hundred last Friday.

He was grumpy, nearly blind, taking small steps with a walker,
but still his blessings outnumber his age: Continue reading →

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

October 2, 2013

Posted under

Fairy Tale for Boys, Fairy Tale for Girls, Tales for Kids of All Ages

Comments

4 Comments

Sprite Spite

A new Adventurous Fairy Tale, named Sprite Spite, is now available to read. An excerpt follows:

Sprite Spite

Wings swiftly beating, Amadou dodged saplings and swung wide around old soul trees, the wind pulling his curly, brown hair straight back. He felt the tree spirits slumbering in the cool midday, their leaves turning golden shades of autumn.

Amadou had been unfurling fiddlehead ferns all morning, and he needed to blow off steam. He was looking for a wide ledge of fungus, just the right height above the ferns. He could see it in his mind’s eye. That day, rain had created the perfect conditions. Diving sprites give a tremendous scream, arch their backs gracefully, wings folded. Then they take a running jump from the fungus ledge, falling through the thick, damp air, eventually bouncing from fern to fern and water slalom skiing in the dew on their tiny feet.

To continue reading, click on Sprite Spite.

Used with permission of acuriousgal

Some photographs used with kind permission of acuriousgal, a very talented photographer.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 28, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

69 Comments

Puddle-Wonderful Haibun

“The world is mud-luscious…
[and] puddle-wonderful”
e.e. cummings

My neighbor greeted me mournfully with these sad words: “Your house always has that large puddle in front of it,” and she pointed. Sure enough, I could have laid down in that puddle, and it would still have been longer than me and wider, too.

“That’s okay,” I responded with a smile. “I have two small boys who will love that puddle.” She looked taken aback, but I was the kind of mother to take my boys puddle-stomping on a whim. We named that puddle Alligator Pond. Many times, we stomped there, in water shoes and rain boots, and found ourselves anointed with the magic waters.

Now we can see all the world in a puddle, earth, sky, trees and ourselves.

Puddle splash laughter,
Muddy knees, arms windmilling,
rainwater in boots.

Note: If you like the haibun poetry style (prose followed by haiku), and want to dip a toe, you can find this week’s prompt at Ligo Haibun.

Further Note: The puddle in the photograph is not Alligator Pond, which is much dirtier and much closer to the sidewalk.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 24, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

34 Comments

Bloom of Life Haibun

At the suggestion of my friend Jules Paige, I am dipping a toe in the still waters of the haibun, an art form embodied by prose followed by a haiku. The prompt is by Ligo Haibun, and with a choice of two pictures, I chose call2read‘s, and here goes:

Bloom of Life

And so my life unfolded, petal by petal, each memory as silky as a dewy rose petal brushed against my cheek. Shivers of dreams, slivers of thorns, sparkle of moon and stars. As a child, just a bud protected by my thick green casing, I did not always understand adult things. I dreamt of traveling the world, finding friends, eating new foods, learning every day new things. Slowly, my green shield loosened and opened. The days seemed infinite, opening petal by petal. I traveled, I made friends, and I learned every day. Now the rose of my life is fully open to the sun, and summer’s heat has made my soul expand in all directions, drinking in light, energy and warmth from friends, places and memories.

Spark of life sustains,
Creativity expands
Peace, love, joy with friends.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 23, 2013

Posted under

Bicker-Backer Brothers, Fairy Tale for Boys, Fairy Tale for Girls, Tales for Kids of All Ages, Young Fairy Tale

Comments

32 Comments

Disappearing Toadstools

“Mr. Puffy!” Jane walked by a small patch of clover and two red leaves, calling for the Lord of the Stone Family. “Puff Monster!” The family cat definitely ruled their roost. Her father worried over him like a hen over a chick, Jane thought to herself with a smile.

She heard a gasp behind her, and she turned to look. Nothing. Except, beside the clover patch, was now a toadstool circle. All the toadstools looked down, as if not wanting to draw attention to themselves. They seemed to be hiding. Continue reading →