THE FOOLISH VIRGINS.
: New Testament StoriesIn certain parts of the East it is the custom for a man when he is
married to bring home his bride at night, and for his relatives and
friends to go out with lamps and torches and music to meet him.
Ten young women had been invited to meet the bridegroom with their
lamps burning and to sit down with him at the wedding-feast. Five of
them were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones took a supply of
oil
the foolish five took no oil but what was in their lamps. But before
the bridegroom came they all fell asleep.
At midnight there was a cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out
to meet him." But five lamps had almost burnt out, and the foolish
virgins said unto the wise, "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are
gone out." But the wise ones answered, "Not so; lest there be not
enough for us and for you. Go ye, rather, to them that sell, and buy
for yourselves." And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage-feast, and the
door was shut.
Afterwards, came also the other virgins, saying, "Lord, Lord, open the
door to us." But he answered and said, "Verily I say unto you, I know
you not," and would not open the door to them.
In this parable the bridegroom means Jesus returning to earth, on the
Day of Judgment. The ten virgins are the people of this world, some of
whom have their hearts full of the love of God and keep their lamps
burning with a steady and bright light; that is, they fulfil God's
commandments and obey the teachings of Christ. The others have not
this love in their hearts, and are not prepared for Christ's coming.
Their lamps give out a feeble light and soon will go out.
More
-
THE DOG AND THE SHADOW
A Dog, crossing a little rivulet with a piece of meat in his mouth, saw his own shadow represented in the clear mirror of the limpid stream; and, believing it to be another dog, who was carrying a larger piece of meat, he could not forbear catchin... THE DOLLS AND THE OTHER DOLLS.
"Mamma," little Nellie asked, "is it right to give away things that have been given to you?" Her mamma replied that it might be quite right sometimes; and she said, "But I should feel sorry if I had made a little friend a present she did not valu... THE DOLLS' CHRISTMAS PARTY.
It was the week before Christmas, and the dolls In the toy-shop played together all night. The biggest one was from Paris. One night she said, "We ought to have a party before Santa Claus carries us away to the little girls. I can dance, and I w... THE DREAM
Upon a summer's afternoon it happened that Baldur the Bright and Bold, beloved of men and Æsir, found himself alone in his palace of Broadblink. Thor was walking low down among the valleys, his brow heavy with summer heat; Frey and Gerda sported ... THE DROVERS
Out across the spinifex, out across the sand, Out across the saltbush to Never Never land That's the way the drovers go, jogging down the track-- That's the way the drovers go. But how do they come back? Back across the saltbush from Never Ne... THE DRUMMER OF THE WOODS
Tommy Fox stopped short and listened. It was early spring, and the snow was still deep on the sides of Blue Mountain. _Thump--thump--thump, thump, thump, thump! Rub--rub--rub--rub, r-r-r- r-r-r-r!_ If you had heard that sound you would have said... THE EAGLE
Alfred Tennyson He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ringed with the azure world, he stands. The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls. ... THE ELVES
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut out the shoes which he wished to begin to make the next morning, and a... THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
Once upon a time there was an honest shoemaker, who was very poor. He worked as hard as he could, and still he could not earn enough to keep himself and his wife. At last there came a day when he had nothing left but one piece of leather, big enou... THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
Many years ago there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on them. He cared nothing about his soldiers, nor for the theatre, nor for driving in the woods except for the sake of showing off his new ... THE ENEMY SOWING TARES.
A certain man sowed good seed in his field, but in the night, whilst men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. When the wheat-blade had sprung up and showed the ear, then appeared the tares also. So the servants ... THE FAIRIES
Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men. Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feather! Down... THE FAIRY CHRISTMAS.
It was Christmas Day, and Toddy and Tita were alone. Papa and mamma had gone out West to see their big boy who was ill. They had promised to be home for Christmas, but a big snow had blocked the railroad track, and nurse was afraid the train would... THE FAIRY FLOWER.
IN a large and pleasant garden sat little Annie all alone, and she seemed very sad, for drops that were not dew fell fast upon the flowers beside her, who looked wonderingly up, and bent still nearer, as if they longed to cheer and comfort her. The... THE FAMINE
Cackle and lay, cackle and lay! How many eggs did you get to-day? None in the manger, and none in the shed, None in the box where the chickens are fed, None in the tussocks and none in the tub, And only a little one out in the scrub. Oh, I say! ... THE FEAST
Cackle and lay, cackle and lay! How many eggs did you get to-day? Two in the manger, and four in the shed, Six in the box where the chickens are fed, Two in the tussocks and ten in the tub, And nearly two dozen right out in the scrub. Hip, hooray... THE FINDING OF MOSES.
Pharoah, becoming alarmed at the increasing power and numbers of the Israelites in Egypt, ordered that every male child who might be born to them should be cast into the river, and drowned. But the wife of a man named Levi felt that she could not ... THE FIR-TREE
Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir-tree. The place he had was a very good one; the sun shone on him; as to fresh air, there was enough of that, and round him grew many large-sized comrades, pines as well as firs. But the little Fir wanted ... THE FIRE-BRINGER
There was a Boy of the tribe who was swift of foot and keen of eye, and he and the Coyote ranged the wood together. They saw the men catching fish in the creeks with their hands, and the women digging roots with sharp stones. This was in summer.... THE FIRST CHRISTMAS-TREE
Two little children were sitting by the fire one cold winter's night. All at once they heard a timid knock at the door and one ran to open it. There, outside in the cold and darkness, stood a child with no shoes upon his feet and clad in thin,... THE FIRST NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS
It was a warm and pleasant Saturday--that twenty-third of December, 1620. The winter wind had blown itself away in the storm of the day before, and the air was clear and balmy. The people on board the Mayflower were glad of the pleasant day. It ... THE FIRST SNOW-STORM.
Away off on a warm sunny island, little Harry Hall was born. Flowers bloomed all the year round. The sun shone most of the time, although now and then there were thunder-showers. Many wonderful plants grew wild, while on the shore shells and seaw... THE FLAX
Hans Christian Andersen The Flax was in full bloom. Its pretty blue blossoms were as soft as the wings of a moth, and still more delicate. And the sun shone on the flax field, and the rain watered it; and that was as good for the flax flowers a... THE FLIGHT FROM EGYPT.
When Moses was forty years old he had to flee from Egypt. He went to Midian, where he dwelt for forty years; at the end of which time God appeared to him, and instructed him to return to Egypt; where he was appointed by God to lead the Israelites ... THE FLOOD.
About fifteen hundred years had passed since Cain slew Abel, during which time man had become more and more wicked. At length God saw "that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was o... THE FLOWER'S LESSON.
THERE grew a fragrant rose-tree where the brook flows, With two little tender buds, and one full rose; When the sun went down to his bed in the west, The little buds leaned on the rose-mother's breast, While the bright eyed stars thei... THE FOOLHARDY WOLF
A lion bounded forth from his lair one day, looking north, west, south, and east. He saw a Buffalo and went to kill him. The Lion ate all of the Buffalo-meat he wanted, and then went down to the lake for a drink. As the Lion turned to go towa... THE FOOLISH PUG.
A pompous pug once thought that he A dashing swell would try to be, And on his neighbors one and all, Sat out to make a stylish call. He wore a glass upon one eye, And on his head a silk hat high; A wide, stiff collar around his throat, And la... THE FOOLISH VIRGINS.
In certain parts of the East it is the custom for a man when he is married to bring home his bride at night, and for his relatives and friends to go out with lamps and torches and music to meet him. Ten young women had been invited to meet the b... THE FOUR-FIFTEEN EXPRESS
The events which I am about to relate took place between nine and ten years ago. Sebastopol had fallen in the early spring, the peace of Paris had been concluded since March, our commercial relations with the Russian empire were but recent... THE FOX AND THE GRAPES
A Fox, very hungry, chanced to come into a vineyard, where there hung branches of charming ripe grapes; but nailed up to a trellis so high that he leaped till he quite tired himself without being able to reach one of them. At last, "Let who will t... THE FOX AND THE GRAPES
A fox, almost with hunger dying, Some grapes upon a trellis spying, To all appearance ripe, clad in Their tempting russet skin, Most gladly would have eat them; But since he could not get them, So far above his reach the vine,-- "They're s... THE FROG AND THE OX
Once a little Frog sat by a big Frog, by the side of a pool. "Oh, father," said he, "I have just seen the biggest animal in the world; it was as big as a mountain, and it had horns on its head, and it had hoofs divided in two." "Pooh, child," sai... THE FROG KING
Did you ever hear the old story about the foolish Frogs? The Frogs in a certain swamp decided that they needed a king; they had always got along perfectly well without one, but they suddenly made up their minds that a king they must have. They sen... THE FROG-PRINCE
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm One fine evening a young princess went into a wood and sat down by the side of a cool spring of water. She had a golden ball in her hand, which was her favorite plaything, and she amused herself with tossing it into the ... THE FROST GIANTS
Do you believe in giants? No, do you say? Well, listen to my story, which is a really true one, and then answer my question. Many hundreds of years ago, certain people who lived in the North, and were therefore called Northmen, had a strange ide... THE FROST-KING: OR, THE POWER OF LOVE.
THREE little Fairies sat in the fields eating their breakfast; each among the leaves of her favorite flower, Daisy, Primrose, and Violet, were happy as Elves need be. The morning wind gently rocked them to and fro, and the sun shone warmly do... THE FUNNY HATTER
Harry was a funny man, Harry was a hatter; He ate his lunch at breakfast time and said it didn't matter. He made a pot of melon jam and put it on a shelf, For he was fond of sugar things and living by himself. He built a fire of bracken and a blue-... THE GARDEN OF PARADISE
There was once a king's son; nobody had so many or such beautiful books as he had. He could read about everything which had ever happened in this world, and see it all represented in the most beautiful pictures. He could get information about ever... THE GARDEN OF THE WOMAN LEARNED IN MAGIC
<table><tr><td><img src="/images/plate04-th.jpg" alt=""></td> <td>Then an old, old woman came out of the house; she was leaning upon a big, hooked stick, and she wore a big sun hat, which was covered with beautiful painted flowers.</td></tr></table>... THE GINGERBREAD MAN
Once upon a time there was a little old woman and a little old man, and they lived all alone in a little old house. They hadn't any little girls or any little boys, at all. So one day, the little old woman made a boy out of gingerbread; she made h... THE GIRL MONKEY AND THE STRING OF PEARLS
One day the king went for a long walk in the woods. When he came back to his own garden, he sent for his family to come down to the lake for a swim. When they were all ready to go into the water, the queen and her ladies left their jewels in ch... THE GOLD IN THE ORCHARD
There was once a farmer who had a fine olive orchard. He was very industrious, and the farm always prospered under his care. But he knew that his three sons despised the farm work, and were eager to make wealth fast, through adventure. When the... THE GOLDEN COBWEBS
friend, at the kindly instance of a common friend of both; the narrator had heard it at home from the lips of a father of story-loving children for whom he often invented such little tales. The present adaptation has passed by hearsay through so ma... THE GOLDEN GOOSE
Once upon a time there was a Goose who had beautiful golden feathers. Not far away from this Goose lived a poor, a very poor woman, who had two daughters. The Goose saw that they had a hard time to get along and said he to himself: "If I give t... THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
As Jesus was talking to His disciples, a certain lawyer stood up and asked, "Who is my neighbour?" And Jesus answered by telling them this story:-- A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who robbed him, strip... THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
In one of His beautiful parables, Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd. "I am the good shepherd," says He, "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." And Jesus tells how the hired servant who cares for nothing but his wages, runs away when... THE GOOSE-GIRL
There was once an old Queen who had a very beautiful daughter. The time came when the maiden was to go into a distant country to be married. The old Queen packed up everything suitable to a royal outfit. She also sent a Waiting-woman with her. ... THE GORGON'S HEAD
Nathaniel Hawthorne Perseus was the son of Danaë, who was the daughter of a king. And when Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and himself into a chest, and set them afloat upon the sea. The wind blew freshly, an... THE GREATEST OF THESE
The outside door swung open suddenly, letting a cloud of steam into the small, hot kitchen. Charlie Moore, a milk pail in one hand, a lantern in the other, closed the door behind him with a bang, set the pail on the table and stamped the snow fr... THE GREENWOOD TREE
William Shakespeare Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat-- Come hither, come hither, come hither! Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. Who doth ambiti... THE GULLS OF SALT LAKE
The story I am going to tell you is about something that really happened, many years ago. A brave little company of pioneers from the Atlantic coast crossed the Mississippi River and journeyed across the plains of Central North America in big c... THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE
A Hare laughed at a Tortoise upon account of his slowness, and vainly boasted her own great speed in running. "Let us make a match," replied the Tortoise; "I will run with you five miles for a wager, and the fox yonder shall be the umpire of the r... THE HAWKS AND THEIR FRIENDS
A family of Hawks lived on an island in a lake not far from the great forest. On the northern shore of this lake lived a Lion, King of Beasts. On the eastern shore lived a Kingfisher. On the southern shore of the lake lived a Turtle. "Have you ... THE HERO STORY
I told you, my dear Hugh, that Edward I of England had reduced Scotland almost entirely to the condition of a conquered country, although he had obtained possession of the kingdom less by his bravery, than by cunningly taking advantage of ... THE HIDDEN LIGHT
There were plenty of gold-green beetles in the forest. Their violet- colored cousins also held royal state there; and scarlet or yellow with black trimmings was the uniform of many a gay troop that careered in splendor through the vine-hung aisles...