Activities -
Seasonal
An
Autumn Easter Story
0nce
upon a time there lived a little girl and a little boy in a cottage with a
beautiful garden looking out into a glade of bird-filled trees.
Autumn
had come. The Summer leaves had fallen from the gum trees and were now
joined by the yellow, red and brown leaves of the trees who bare their
branches before winter, giving their leaves to Earth as a blanket.
The
little girl and boy were sad that summer was passing. They made their way
to a secret part of the garden tangled in creepers and branches. There
stood the old apple tree, still bearing bright red rosy apples each
Autumn. The children loved the apple tree. It was so old and gnarled and
its strong branches stood out like sturdy arms to embrace them. The
children felt snug and safe in the apple tree, and what's more, the apples
polished up shiny and smooth and crunched with juicy sprays as they ate
them.
Now
as the children sat polishing their apples they smiled at one another
remembering the secret Granny had told them:
“Inside
each apple is a star which Father Sun leaves for us while he journeys to
the other side of the world with his warmth and light. The star will give
you strength and courage through the Autumn and Winter months and will
remind you always that Father Sun will return in the Spring. Let the star
in the apple guide you to good deeds which will light your way through the
darker months."
The
children cut open their apples and sure enough, there was Father Sun's
secret message shining up at them. It made them feel happy and strong and
they were sure that when they ate the star they fell a twinkle of
starlight in their tummies. Straight away they began on a good deed; the
children began polishing apples for everyone in the family. They were very
industrious, polishing, polishing, polishing, polishing and more
polishing, when all of a sudden they heard a rustle in the bush.
The
little girl gave a jump as she saw under the bush the biggest hare she'd
ever seen. It was no rabbit but a great sturdy hare.
"Do
not be alarmed” he said, "I am a messenger from the other side of
the world where Spring has come and we rejoice for Father Sun has returned
and so too in the depths of the Earth a light is shining which fills us
with hope. I bring you a gift so you will rejoice with us, for this light
and love should be shared by all mankind." Then the hare gave the
little girl and boy each an egg. “In the centre of this gift is a golden
sun, as you eat your egg take the golden light into your hearts and
rejoice."
The
children were filled with wonder and could not speak at first, but as the
hare turned to jump away the little boy said, "Here, take this with
you as a gift from the side of the world where Father Sun has recently
left to bring his light and warmth to you. Inside is a star, a gift from
Father Sun. As your eggs fill us with love and rejoicing may our apple's
starlight give you strength and courage when Autumn returns to you.”
The
Hare took the apple carefully and smiled at the children with great love
in his eyes, then with a hop and a rustle he was away.
Every
year the Easter hare visits us from the
other side of the world with his message. When he finds a polished
apple waiting for him it brings him ever more rejoicing.
Karen
Generowicz
South
Australia
(We
have been unable to track down the author of this wonderful story and
would like to thank her for the delight it brings our children every
Easter.)
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