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Christmas Stories and Legends
CHRISTMAS STORIES AND LEGENDS
COMPILED BY PHEBE A. CURTISS
Author of "White Gifts for the King"
MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
Copyright 1916
BY MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
Indianapolis, Indiana
No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.
It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.
Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.
Unusual care has been taken in compiling this little volume and each story has its own sweet lesson. Each one is from the pen of one who has imbibed the real spirit of Christmas. They were chosen as being particularly well adapted to use in connection with the Christmas Service "White Gifts for the King," but they will prove attractive and helpful at any time during the year.
It is our earnest wish that this little book may find its way into many homes and schools and Sunday Schools and that its contents may help to give a deeper appreciation of the true Christmas spirit.
COMPILED BY PHEBE A. CURTISS
Author of "White Gifts for the King"
MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
Copyright 1916
BY MEIGS PUBLISHING CO.
Indianapolis, Indiana
No greater teaching force has ever been discovered than the story and no one has ever lived who used that force so skillfully as did our Great Teacher.
It is not strange, then, that among all the stories that have ever been written or told none are so dear to us as the stories and legends which center in His birth.
Young and old alike delight in them and never tire of hearing them.
Unusual care has been taken in compiling this little volume and each story has its own sweet lesson. Each one is from the pen of one who has imbibed the real spirit of Christmas. They were chosen as being particularly well adapted to use in connection with the Christmas Service "White Gifts for the King," but they will prove attractive and helpful at any time during the year.
It is our earnest wish that this little book may find its way into many homes and schools and Sunday Schools and that its contents may help to give a deeper appreciation of the true Christmas spirit.
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1916
48 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 20, 2015
So this is one of those copyright over freebies. It's a collection of Christmas stories from various authors - including HCA Andersen. It gives the original story of the "White Christmas" present theme.
It's nice enough.
It's nice enough.
December 31, 2017
This is one of those Christmas books that starts off with good intentions but ends up falling on its own face because of that. As such many readers that are wanting a nice holiday book should be allowed to read it once over before making up their own mind whether or not it stays on that holiday reading list.
For me the book started off with an okay story that explained what it means to have white gifts and then it was followed by one that put the concept of implementing a Christian "white gift"exchange within one's church. Following these two stories are several others who look into various parts of the unexplained Nativity and what it really means to have Christmas spirit.
Unfortunately to present these concepts the stories that make up this book are repetitive with only a few minor details exchanged to make a new story rather than find an actual new story. Due to the different sources and authors the tone is at least different enough even though the rest of the material isn't.
All in all it was rather decent but definitely not the best of holiday reads.
For me the book started off with an okay story that explained what it means to have white gifts and then it was followed by one that put the concept of implementing a Christian "white gift"exchange within one's church. Following these two stories are several others who look into various parts of the unexplained Nativity and what it really means to have Christmas spirit.
Unfortunately to present these concepts the stories that make up this book are repetitive with only a few minor details exchanged to make a new story rather than find an actual new story. Due to the different sources and authors the tone is at least different enough even though the rest of the material isn't.
All in all it was rather decent but definitely not the best of holiday reads.
September 1, 2016
A small collection of old Christmas stories. I didn't really care for most of them, but they weren't really my style. It was somewhat interesting from historical perspective to see the stories that were probably interesting to people 100 years ago. My favorite story in this collection was the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of The Little Match Girl.
Want to read
November 29, 2012n
March 9, 2016
Its nice to have a book to read over the holidays that explains some of the legends we have today. I found some of these stories really delightful.
December 24, 2020
"Christmas Stories And Legends" is about the religious aspects of Christmas rather than getting presents from Santa.
Some stories are engaging, while others are too bland, owing to lack of drama and "telling" in such a way that it's like reading someone's private journal. Certain tales are similar to each other, so you don't get much variety.
Some stories are touching, though, particularly the ones with a child at its heart.
The most interesting idea was a tale told from the perspective of a fir tree from the time it grows in the forest until it meets its fate some time after December.
On the whole, this made a change. I like to read something festive during Christmastime, and this suited me well enough.
Some stories are engaging, while others are too bland, owing to lack of drama and "telling" in such a way that it's like reading someone's private journal. Certain tales are similar to each other, so you don't get much variety.
Some stories are touching, though, particularly the ones with a child at its heart.
The most interesting idea was a tale told from the perspective of a fir tree from the time it grows in the forest until it meets its fate some time after December.
On the whole, this made a change. I like to read something festive during Christmastime, and this suited me well enough.
February 8, 2025
🖊 There are twenty short Christmas-themed stories to delight the reader. Many of these were familiar to me; many of these were new to my repertoire. ℳℯ𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈！
CONTENTS
The Legend of the "White Gifts"—Phebe A. Curtiss
Her Birthday Dream—Nellie C. King
The Fir Tree—Hans Andersen—adapted by J. H. Stickney
The Little Match Girl—Hans Andersen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little Piccola—Nora A. Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Shepherd's Story—Dr. Washington
The Story of Christmas—Nora A. Smith
The Legend of the Christmas Tree—Lucy Wheelock
Little Jean—French of Francois Coppe. Translated by Nannie Lee Frayser
How the Fir Tree Became the Christmas Tree—Aunt Hede in Kindergarten Magazine
The Magi in the West and Their Search for the Christ—Frederick E. Dewhurst
Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe—Elizabeth Harrison
The Little Shepherd—Maud Lindsay
Babouscka—Carolyn S. Bailey
The Boy with the Box—May Griggs Van Voorhis
The Worker in Sandalwood—Marjorie L. C. Pickthall
The Shepherd Who Didn't Go—Jay T. Stocking
Paulina's Christmas—Adapted from Anna Robinson's "Little Paulina"
Unto Us a Child Is Born—Phebe A. Curtiss
The Star—Florence M. Kingsley
📕Published in 1916.
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenberg.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
CONTENTS
The Legend of the "White Gifts"—Phebe A. Curtiss
Her Birthday Dream—Nellie C. King
The Fir Tree—Hans Andersen—adapted by J. H. Stickney
The Little Match Girl—Hans Andersen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little Piccola—Nora A. Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Shepherd's Story—Dr. Washington
The Story of Christmas—Nora A. Smith
The Legend of the Christmas Tree—Lucy Wheelock
Little Jean—French of Francois Coppe. Translated by Nannie Lee Frayser
How the Fir Tree Became the Christmas Tree—Aunt Hede in Kindergarten Magazine
The Magi in the West and Their Search for the Christ—Frederick E. Dewhurst
Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe—Elizabeth Harrison
The Little Shepherd—Maud Lindsay
Babouscka—Carolyn S. Bailey
The Boy with the Box—May Griggs Van Voorhis
The Worker in Sandalwood—Marjorie L. C. Pickthall
The Shepherd Who Didn't Go—Jay T. Stocking
Paulina's Christmas—Adapted from Anna Robinson's "Little Paulina"
Unto Us a Child Is Born—Phebe A. Curtiss
The Star—Florence M. Kingsley
📕Published in 1916.
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenberg.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
December 12, 2017
Although many of the stories and fables in this collection are rather simple, clearly intended for children, Christmas IS a time for the inner child. The homely, warm quality of this book made it a welcome read for a cold day, though two or three renditions of the same folktale about a bird in a wooden shoe were provided.
December 2, 2022
As always in a compilation, some stories are better than others, but the majority of them were pretty good. A few of them reference “white gifts”. I’m didn’t really understand it, but it must have been all the rage during that era.
March 25, 2017
Ok, this IS a good one for Christmas....
But be warned: the moralizing is great, and the tone sappy. Still, it is the perfect book for Believers. It is also aimed at the younger crowd, so if the kidlets are older than ten, don't bother.
But be warned: the moralizing is great, and the tone sappy. Still, it is the perfect book for Believers. It is also aimed at the younger crowd, so if the kidlets are older than ten, don't bother.
December 22, 2023
Her Birthday Dream by Nellie C. King on CraftLit
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews