The Mary Frances Story Book
Jane Eayre Fryer
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
The Mary Frances Story Book is different from the other Mary Frances Books. They are part lessons and part story; they teach something about cooking and sewing, knitting and crocheting, housekeeping and gardening, and first-aid—and tell a story, too; but The Mary Frances Story Book is all story.
On a summer afternoon Mary Frances took a holiday and sailed away across the blue water to an island—an island formed by the top of a coral mountain resting in a sea of blue; oh, so blue—a brighter blue than the water in your mother’s bluing tub—not the blue that makes you feel sad and blue, but the blue that makes you laugh with happiness. The island itself and the roofs of the houses were coral white, and the green was the green of the palm and banana and mahogany tree. The breezes that blew over them were the warm, soft breezes of the southern sun. This island was the “enchanted island” of the good story-tellers which Mary Frances was allowed to visit. The story people who lived there believed in truth and beauty, and courage and kindness, and these were the theme of their stories. Like all good islands, this island had enemies, but they came to a bad end, as, in the long run, all evil persons will; and truth and beauty, and courage and kindness won the day, as they always must in every land where the searchlight of the sun flashes its beams.
As may be imagined, when Mary Frances came home she had not only one, but many stories to tell; and they are written in this book. - Summary by From the Preface (9 hr 54 min)
Chapters
THE TRIP TO STORY ISLAND: On the Shore | 5:24 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Good Ferry Puts Out to Sea | 8:22 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Pirate’s Cat | 4:59 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Story of the Lost Story | 4:41 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
Land Ahoy | 8:23 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Old Witch and the Iron-Chain Curtain | 3:29 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
Finding the Lost Story | 6:24 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Pirate Chases The Good Ferry | 2:56 | Read by Lynne T |
The Terrible Punishment of the Pirate and the Old Witch | 5:43 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
The Bubble Story | 7:24 | Read by ysevechan |
STORIES TOLD THE FIRST DAY: Mischievous Anna and Peter | 9:55 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Diamonds and Toads | 8:59 | Read by Ren Sampang |
The Magic Necklace | 13:05 | Read by Emma Charlotte |
The Cat and the Carrots | 10:34 | Read by Emma Charlotte |
The Brahmin, the Tiger, and the Jackal | 5:45 | Read by Lynne T |
The Red Dragon | 3:54 | Read by nighthawks |
Two Poems | 5:24 | Read by Lynne T |
Tiny’s Adventures in Tinytown | 29:28 | Read by nighthawks |
Tiny Has More Adventures | 25:13 | Read by nighthawks |
STORIES TOLD THE SECOND DAY: The Magic Mask | 13:09 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
The Closing Door | 7:43 | Read by nighthawks |
Tom Goes Down the Well | 17:45 | Read by nighthawks |
Gloomy Gus and the Christmas Cat | 11:52 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |
Patty and Her Pitcher | 35:54 | Read by nighthawks |
THE STORIES OF THE THIRD DAY: Sir Galahad | 22:55 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Sir Galahad, Continued | 35:24 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Sir Galahad, concluded | 29:21 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
How Sir Launfal Achieved the Holy Grail | 9:43 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
THE STORIES OF THE FOURTH DAY: Music Bewitched | 17:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Ann Catches a Thief | 17:59 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
John and Margaret Paton Among Savages | 12:55 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
The Strange Guest | 29:03 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Robert of Sicily | 11:32 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
The Man Without a Country | 22:34 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Your Flag and My Flag | 7:20 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
THE LAST DAY ON STORY ISLAND: The Cricket on the Hearth, A Fairy Tale of Home: … | 24:44 | Read by Kathleen Moore |
Chirp the Second | 48:17 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
Chirp the Third | 41:46 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
THE RETURN HOME: Good-by, Mary Frances. Come Again! | 6:39 | Read by Jennifer Dallman |