Subject: CHILDREN’S STORIES

What is one of your favorite children’s stories?

by Jim Stamp on January 04, 2022.

I think my Mother read to me from the time I was born – maybe. Being born at a very
early age, I can’t remember exactly when. But since Mom had been a teacher for two
years, I assume it happened very early. Books and reading were an important part of
growing up (and also a time-out activity – aka relax, time for a nap) in our house. I’m
sure we heard all of the Hansel and Gretel, How Big, Jack and Jill, Goldilocks and the
Three Bears, Mary Had A Little Lamb, the ABC Book. Mom would have kept reading
those to Lee, Jay and Sharon.

But, eventually, I graduated to the more complex stories: The Little Red Hen, Little
Black Sambo, Chicken Little, Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Engine That Could
(we must have liked anything with “little” in the title). Then Pinocchio and
Black Beauty. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

I went to the Book Mobile every week during the summer. The Book Mobile parked in
front of the Telephone Building and across from the General Store. The General Store had
(and still has) a wall on the East side of huge cut stones. Bigger than barn stone I think.
Embedded in the stones were rings so people could tie their horses while they shopped.
In Winona at that time we had many Quakers who came to the store in horse and buggies.
If I rode my bike, I wasn’t concerned with the rings. However, if I rode a pony, I would
tie her to the ring while I browsed in the “Library”.

When I got to the Book Mobile I usually chose Biographies. Benjamin Franklin. Thomas
Jefferson. George Washington. Davy Crockett. Daniel Boone. George Washington Carver.
There were many more that I can’t recall at this time. I don’t remember reading a biography
of Leonard Slye, but I knew about him. I watched him on TV as “Roy Rogers”. My piano
teacher’s brother, Arthur Rush from Hanoverton, was Roy Rogers Manager. Art managed
Roy and his wife Dale Evans, Nelson Eddy, Mario Lanza, Jeanette MacDonald, Igor
Stravinsky, Arthur Rubenstein, Spike Jones, Glen Miller, Lily Pons and Benny Goodman.
My teacher, Helen Rush Bennett, had a stash of Roy Rogers souvenirs and if we had a
very good lesson, she would give us a Roy Rogers lucky coin.

I usually picked up 2 or 3 books every week all summer. My favorites were the biographies.
I also liked the Edgar Rice Burroughs series of Tarzan of the Apes and Defoe’s Robinson
Crusoe.

And, I can’t forget comic books. Comic books provided a visual storyline and were very
entertaining. The covers were like vibrant billboards of what was promised inside.
Superman. Lone Ranger. Roy Rogers and Trigger. Hopalong Cassidy. Bugs Bunny.
Gene Autry. Archie. Detective comics. Superman. Uncle Scrooge. Donald Duck.

I liked the story of the Little Red Hen. Probably because I think it has a story line that is
important to every age and really applies to people today because way too many think they
are entitled to FREE things. The story of the Three Little Pigs also applies to attitudes and
work ethic – preparing for a solid future. In an era of making everything disposable, the little
pig that built his house out of bricks to hole off the wolf resembles permanency to me. Both
stories also show how the ‘freeloaders’ are quick to jump on the bandwagon of success.

Jim Stamp, January 04, 2022