The Dragon Sin

Animals & Nature

The Wonder Garden

by Frances Jenkins OLCOTT (1872 - 1963)

"Here are 150 nature myths and short stories from all parts of the World. They are the kind that children delight in -- tales of transformations of maidens into trees and fountains, of youths into flowers, and of men into birds. Blossoms, fragrance, and joy are the themes of many of these tales, while a few a tender, pathetic, or humorous." (From the Foreword of the book.) - Summary by Frances Jenkins Olcott

Listen next episodes of The Wonder Garden:
ALL THE HAPPY WONDER MONTHS: The Four Sweet Months; The Four Seasons of the Year; Old Man Coyote and Summer in a Bag , Anansi the Spider-man , Arethusa , Arion and the Dolphin , CATCHING INSECTS GREEN AND BLUE: How Endymion Made a Golden Butterfy; Chant of the Indian Children to Watasee, the Firefly; Gleam-o'-day and Princess Lotus-flower , Daphne , DIVING THROUGH THE GREEN SEA WAVES: The Pearl; Fairy Song;The Fisherboy Urashima , Erysichthon the Hungry , Fairy Cowslips , Father Mybrow and the Fairies , Flower of the rainbow , Forget-me-not! , Fruit on the Rose-bush , GATHERING FRUITS STRANGE, RICH, AND RIPE: Song of the Hesperides; The Magic Strawberries , How Moss-roses Came , How the First Snowdrop Came , Idun and the Magic Apples , IN THE ROSE-BOWER WITH THE ROSE QUEEN: Queen Rose; Cupid in the Wild-rose Heart; Adventures of Cupid Among the Roses , King Picus the Woodpecker , King Suleyman and the Nightingale , Ladybird! Ladybird! , Legend of the Anemone and the Rose , Legend of the Corn , Legend of the Frail Windflower , Legend of the Goldenrod , LISTENING TO THE MAGIC WATERS: Arethusa; The Stone that Shed Tears , Little Hylas , Little Princess White Chicory , Little White Daisy , Little White Rabbit , Maiden White and Maiden Yellow , Mariora Floriora , ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND IN THE RAINBOW SKY: The Song of the Cloud; Why the Iris Wears Rainbow Colours , Orpheus who Made the Trees to Dance , Pan's Lovely Maid , Pan's Song , Peach Boy's Rice-cakes , PLUCKING MEADOW WONDER BLOSSOMS: The Trooping Flowers; Fairy Clothes; Legend of the Trailing Arbutus , Potato! Potato! , Prince Butterfly and Clover Blossom , Prince Fireshine and Prince Firefade , Prince Gloden Firefly , Princess Peony , SECRETS OF THE WHISPERING TREES: Song; Old-man-who-made-the-trees-to-blossom , Story of the Tiger and the Man , The Apple of Discord , The Bag of Winds , The Beauty of the Lily , The Blush-rose and the Sun , The Boy that the Eagle Stole , The Boy who Caught Flies , The Boy whose Wings Fell off , The Christmas Thorn of Glastonbury , The Chrysanthemum Children , The Colours of the Rainbow , The Cornflower Youth , The Cup of Thanksgiving , The Dandelion Fairies , The Daughter of the Laurel , The Drop of the Water of Light , The Duck-feather Man , The Enchanted Swine , The Fairy Swan Song , The Fox in Gloves , The Garden of Frost Flowers , The Girl who Trod on a Loaf , The Golden Apples of the Hesperides , The Golden Strawberries , The Greedy Blackbird , The Halcyon Birds , The Hundred-headed Daffodil , The Jewel Tears , The Last of the Serpents , The Lazy Boys who became the Pleiades , The Lilies White , The Little Nymph who Rang the Bells , The Magpie Maidens , The Maiden in the Moon , The Maiden of the White Camellias , The Man in the Moon , The Man who Brought Fire , The Maple Leaf for ever! , The Marigold Arrows , The Morning-glory Fan , The New Year , The Nightingale and the Rose , The Old Witch who was a Burr , The Old Woman who Met the Months , The Pet Turkey whose Feelings were Hurt , The Potato-choosing Boy , The Primrose Son , The Ram with the Golden Fleece , The Reed that was a Maiden , The Reeds that Told a Secret , The Robe of Feathers , The Rose-tree Queen , The Seven Corn Maidens , The Sheep in the Pasture , The Snow-white Bull , The Snowball Hares , The Spice Bird , The Story of Jack and Jill , The Story that the Buttercups Told , The Sultana of the Flowers , The Tantalizing Fruits , The Turkey-given Corn , The Weeping Waters , The Wicked Fairies , The Wind in the Pine , The Winged Horse , The Witch Cat , The Wood-violet that was a Maiden , The Wooing of Pomona , Tithonus, the Grasshopper , WANDERING THROUGH THE ENCHANTED FOREST: Una and her Lion; The White Hare of Inaba , WHERE FLORA REIGNS THE QUEEN OF FLOWERS: Fair Flora's Flowers; Queen Flora's Gloves; Why Crocus Holds up his Golden Cup , White Flowering Almond , Why Dogs Have Long Tongues , Why Rabbits Have Yellow Hairs , Why the Deer Have Antlers , Why the Frogs Call the Buttercups , Why the Pomegranate Wears a Crown and Royal Robes , Why the Snow is White , Why there are no Snakes in Ireland , Why Unlucky Iron Kills , WITH FLASH O' FIRE AND GLINT O' GOLD: How the Cyclops made Æneas' Armour in Vulcan's Forge; The Golden Gift of King Midas , WITH MARVELLOUS FARM THINGS: The Green Plumes of Mondamin; The Proud Buckwheat , WITH SNOW ELVES IN SNOW HILLS: The Snow Elves; Snow-blanche , WITH THE SOARING TALKING BIRDS: The Robin; Bird Calls