Halloween Song: A poem for National Poetry Day

Halloween Song  by Marjorie Barrows Published in The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies (1951) Three little witches Pranced in the garden, Three little witches Danced from the moon; One wore a wishing hat, One held a pussy cat, One went a pitty pat And whispered a tune. Out flew an owl Who glared...

Black and Gold: A Halloween poem for National Poetry Day

This is a Halloween poem I learned as a school girl. Actually, it was taught to me as a song by my music teacher, Mrs. C. I loved singing it. But it really is a poem by Nancy Byrd Turner (1880-1971). She was a Virginian poet who, among other accomplishments, was an editor for The...

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, audio version

I imagine most of us know the Disney cartoon based on this famous story by Washington Irving, but have you ever read or listened to the original version? The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a short story that was published in 1820. The setting is Tarrytown, New York, which is near the Hudson River. I...

Feathertop – the classic story of a pumpkin-headed scarecrow

I am delighted to share this story with you that I have just discovered myself. Perhaps you know it! Feathertop is a short story by the American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of Rip Van Winkle and The Scarlet Letter. It was published in 1846. It features a cunning New England witch, a pumpkin-headed scarecrow that...

Comic Epitaphs from the Very Best Old Graveyards

This is a sweet, old slim volume from Peter Pauper Press.  Here are a few selections: For a dentist: Stranger tread This ground with gravity Dentist Brown is filling His last cavity On a music teacher: Stephen and Time Are both now even Stephen beat time Now Time beat Stephen A Bedford Tombstone Here lies...