Under the direction of Romain Lizé, President, Magnificat Editor, Magnificat: Isabelle Galmiche Editor, Ignatius: Vivian Dudro Translator: Magnificat - Ignatius Proofreader: Kathleen Hollenbeck Layout Designers: Armelle Riva, Diane Danis Production: Thierry Dubus, Audrey Bord
Illustrated by Julie Mellan Karine-Marie Amiot BEST STORIES Grandma’s
Note to Readers...........................................................................................5 Big Deer.............................................................................................................6 A Very Special Cake. ........................................................................16 Little Christmas Slippers. ...............................................................22 Bear and the Birds............................................................................28 Granny’s Sweet Keepsakes............................................................38 A Giant with His House on His Back. ...................44 The Night of the Shooting Stars...........................................50 Contents 4
5 My Dear Friends, This book is filled with stories that you will love. So climb on the lap of your grandpa, your grandma, your dad, or your mom. Make yourself comfortable and get ready to listen carefully. I wrote these stories for you. Page after page, you will meet adorable animals and children just like you! At bedtime, at midafternoon, in the middle of the week, at home or on vacation, in summer or winter—there is always time for a story. A story is a gift that can help you laugh and grow and dream! So let’s not waste any time! Just turn the page… Note to Readers
7 Do you know who Big Deer is? Big Deer is the oldest resident of FourWinds Mountain. Every Wednesday at three o’clock, he tells stories under the big oak tree in Poets Clearing. Summer or winter, he always arrives on time, with his storybook under his arm. He leans against a tree trunk and puts on his glasses, while the animals of the forest come running one by one or with relatives and friends. They all take seats on the moss: the badger twins, the gopher, the foxes, the fawn, and the mole. Big Deer
8 Mama rabbit settles her little ones between her paws on her large handkerchief. The hedgehogs sit in a row. The turtle slowly makes her way in the distance. The owl sleeps with one eye open inside his hole in the tree, and on the branches assemble birds and squirrels. Little Mouse climbs onto Big Deer’s lap and says, “Let’s begin!” The birds give a final trill. And then, everyone stops moving. Even the leaves stop rustling. Big Deer opens his big book and starts reading. In the forest of Four-Winds Mountain, he is the only one who knows how to read. Listening to his stories is like going on a journey. Little Mouse doesn’t miss a beat. She trembles when the brave sailor loses the mermaid; she smiles when the princess waltzes with the prince; and she laughs her head off when the wolf falls into the pig’s cooking pot. When each story is over, she can’t help but ask for more: “Keep going, please, Big Deer! One more story, pleeaaaase…”
When the last story is finished, each friend places a gift in a large basket to thank Big Deer. They give him sweet berries, some clover, an acorn, an apple, a wild strawberry, or a mushroom, whatever is in season. Then everyone goes home: Big Deer with all his presents, and his little friends, with their heads full of the grand tales they just heard.
11 Then one winter day after story time, as Big Deer left Poets Clearing, he forgot his storybook. By the time he took notice, the wind had caught up the pages of his book and swirled them about in the air with the snow. Big Deer rushed about trying to catch them. He ran and jumped this way and that, but the pages floated away from him in every direction. Big Deer felt very sad. He was only able to save a few pages, which he held tightly against his chest.
12 Little Mouse saw what had happened and said cheerfully, “Don’t worry, Big Deer! I’m going to find all the pages.” And off she went, wrapped up in her warm winter coat. Little Mouse walked a long while, searching high and low for the pages. Suddenly, she heard joyful cries.Walking toward the sound, she saw two young rabbits sliding down the hill on a sled—made of paper! “Give me this page, please!” she asked. “Or Big Deer won’t be able to tell us stories anymore.” She slipped the page into her coat and set off again. Down by the pond, she found the frog family having a tea party in a funny little hut—made of paper!
“Give me this page, please!” Little Mouse urged. “Or Big Deer won’t be able to read us stories anymore.” She slipped that page into her coat too. Out on the water, she saw Miss Ladybug in the distance, in a cute little boat—made of paper! “Give me that page, please!” said Little Mouse. “Or Big Deer won’t be able to read us stories anymore.”
14 She unfolded the boat and slipped the page into her coat. As she looked up, she recognized someone she knew. Owl was doing loops in a lovely plane—made of paper! “You’re right on time, Owl,” said Little Mouse. “Please take me to Big Deer. I’ve walked so much in this snow, I’m tired!” High up in the sky, Little Mouse hugged Owl tightly. She marveled at the view and said, “The forest covered with snow is so beautiful; it looks like a fairy tale.” Owl landed and kindly gave his paper plane to Big Deer, who unfolded the page and tried to smooth it a little. He put all the pages Little Mouse had found in order with the ones he had saved.Then, with a thread and a needle, Little Mouse sewed the book back together. “How can I thank you, Little Mouse?” asked Big Deer. “You’ve been amazing!” “Teach me to read,” answered Little Mouse. “I would like to tell stories too.” And since that day, every Thursday, under the old oak tree in Poets Clearing, Big Deer teaches Little Mouse to read.
Original French edition: Les Belles Histoires de Grand-Mère © 2021, by Mame, Paris. © 2023 by Magnificat, New York . Ignatius Press, San Francisco All rights reserved ISBN Magnificat 978-1-63967-047-5 . ISBN Ignatius Press 978-1-62164-644-0 Printed in June 2023 by Dimograf, Poland. Job number: MGN23009 Printed in compliance with the Consumer Protection Safety Act, 2008.
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