WaldorfWatercolorStoriesandVerses

A Year of Waldorf Watercolor Stories This e-book is comprised of 56 verses and stories that span the year’s seasons and holidays. The intention of this e-book is to provide you with inspiration for your watercolor activities each month. These stories are geared towards children who are ages 3-7 (and older if you are just beginning this method) and they use mostly 1-3 colors at a time although some do use all the colors. These verses and stories are taken from three sources: traditional stories or fables that have been passed down for centuries and re-told by me or another author, verses from other authors of vintage books (not copyrighted) that I have modified, and verses or stories I have created. I enjoy using vintage poetry and books in lessons and as inspiration because, as a writer, I feel that we don’t take enough time to appreciate the writing that is done. It seems, in today’s world, magazines are thrown after one reading, mails are deleted, online newsletters are deleted, and old books are passed over in favor of new ones. Modifying and bringing back some of these traditional poems are a form of artistic recycling and a way to once again, honor these poets and writers in a REAL way. Not in a college class about “ancient poetry” but in a real, live way in our homes and with our children. I hope I can introduce you to some lovely, forgotten but talented poets as we travel through the year together in watercolor… Although these traditional and vintage verses are not copyrighted I give full credit to the authors and honor their memory. And I enjoy using their poems as inspiration as much as I enjoy creating my own. You will see an eclectic mix as you scroll though these pages… If you need instruction on HOW to do Waldorf Water-coloring you can purchase my e-book “Waldorf Watercolor Painting” at www.waldorflessonplans.com or visit www.waldorfinthehome.com (Rahima Baldwin Dancy’s Site) and purchase the conference DVD on the subject. These watercolor inspirations follow the monthly themes of my online monthly lesson plans. However, they will also mesh well with any other lesson plans you may be using.

Some Tips 1. The picture you paint with this verse can be ANYTHING! Let yourself and your child be inspired by it. 2. Below each verse I have provided you inspiration by sharing “our painting” with you. 3. Read through the entire story and plan it out in your first. A lot of the stories have hidden pictures so if you don’t plan it out first or envision it first you will not get the right picture.

4. You may change any story or poem you want to fit a holiday or special event that you want to celebrate. The stories are flexible! I am giving you the tools – but you will create the final masterpiece best suited to your family or classroom.

Three Kings Day Verse & Story

Verse: The Star by Kristie Burns

Three golden gifts In triangle boxes

One came from the north One came from the south

One wandered from in-between And why did they come

With these gifts? They were following the STAR

In the Indigo night from lands afar!

Our painting: We start with yellow and we make a triangle with the point facing north (up) then we make another on top of that one with the point facing down (south) then another triangle

situated between those two so that the final result is a star! If you want to add another color you can paint the indigo night carefully around the star.

Story: Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

One day three wise men saw a star in the sky. They knew that they must

bring gifts. So they each purchased a gift. The one from the north purchased a yellow gold and put it into a lovely gold box (paint 3/4 of the top (the north) of the paper yellow). The second wise man from the south purchased some Frankincense, which glowed, when lit, a lovely

red glow, infused the room he was in with a lovely red glow and pleasant smell (paint the bottom 3/4 (the south) of the paper red)…(as the orange emerges say…) and then emerged the third wise man. Not

from the north and not from the south, but among them as if by magic and he was carrying a box full of deep orange myrrh

Candlemas Verse & Story

The Candle: Traditional Nursery Rhyme adapted by Kristie Burns

Little Nanny Etticot In a yellow petticoat

And a red nose The longer she stands The shorter she grows

A halo of orange around her head

As she stands guard nearby my bed.

Our painting: make a bold yellow stroke for the petticoat, which will actually be the candlestick. Put a “red nose” for the burning light at the top while mixing the red and yellow to then draw a

circle/halo around the flame. You can then color the background with different shades of oranges created by different degrees of mixing the red and orange.

Candlemas: Traditional Medieval English Rhyme If Candlemas day be fair and bright

Winter will have another flight

If Candlemas day it be shower and rain Winter is gone and will not come again

If Candlemas day be damp and black It will carry cold winter on its back

If Candlemas day is bright and clear There will be two winters this year!

The Noble Candle by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

There once was the reddish glow of a candle that wanted to do something special for Candlemas. She would shine all night, even if someone tried to blow her out she would shine in a radiant circle all night long (color a bright red circle in the

paper). She was so proud of her red glow that one day she thought to herself…why am I just shining at night? I can shine all day too! So she didn’t go out in the

morning she stayed glowing all through the morning and into the afternoon. Then when the yellow afternoon sun peaked into the window he saw her red glow and said, “what is this? A candle trying to be bright like ME! Ha! I am the brightest one on earth!” So the sun crept into the room with her beautiful yellow rays and she tried to blow out the candle (paint yellow all over the paper). In fact, the sun

tried all day to put the candle out but the candle only turned orange! And soon the sun had to go to sleep and the candle tried really hard (paint the red circle again)

and concentrated with all her red heart and soon she shown with a red glow again. But then the blue moon saw her as he peeked in the window at night and said,

“What is this? A glow inside? I am the only one allowed to glow at night!!! I will take care of this!” So the blue moon crept into the room and tried to blow out the candle too. But he was weaker than the sun and any time he got close to the red glow he would not be able to touch it (paint the blue around the outside of the

candle glow) but he tried and he tried…(paint blue all over the yellow but not on the red) and finally had to leave. When the children came into the room in the

morning they found a candle burning read surrounded by green walls – the colors of Christmas and Candlemas. And the little candle smiled because she knew that if

your red heart is strong that nobody can blow you out!

Snow & Ice Verse & Story

Verse: Snowy Night by B.E.Milner: Adapted by Kristie Burns

Softly, softly through the indigo blue Snow is falling

Sharply, sharply, in the meadows Lambs are calling

Coldly, Coldly, all around me Winds are blowing

Brightly, brightly, up above me

The moon is glowing

Our painting: We start by covering the page with indigo blue, deep and dark - swirls of blue covering the page. Then we take some white (this is a good lesson in what WHITE does when

you add it to other colors so take note of this) and do the rest of the verse. Snow is falling would be dots of white in the sky. Lambs are calling would be little fluffs of white with the hint of a white head on the ground area. And winds are blowing would be some swirls of white on the

indigo sky. The moon can be a circle of white on the indigo sky, which will become a very light blue moon – a blue moon.

The Snow by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Blue loved to play, He ran across the sky up and down and right and left until he covered the entire sky with blue. He did cartwheels, and spins and twirled around. He mostly liked to dance so he left blue spirals all

over the solid blue sky. The little old man could see him from his window in his little house and the entire window was a solid blue (the paper is the window). But then one day the days became darker and the nights became colder and the white snow fairies came to his deep blue sky. They didn’t come to play, though, they fell from the sky, one at a time, first slowly, then quicker, and stopped on a spot at the bottom of

the window (paint a thick white at the top and then thinner at the bottom – these will be icicles) were they jumped in the window of the tiny little

house and disappeared. The little old man didn’t know that the white snow fairies had come at night and entered his house to make him warm and safe in the winter in his little house. But when he saw the icicles on

his window he smiled.

Lunar New Years (Chinese) Verse and Story

Verse: I am the New Year: Unknown Poet: Adapted by Kristie Burns

I am the little New Year – ho ho ho! Here I come tripping over the snow.

Shaking my bells with a merry din – So open your doors and let me in!

Presents I bring for each and all –

Big folks, little folks, short and tall; Each one, from me a treasure may win –

So open your doors and let me in!

Some shall have silver and some shall have gold Some shall have new clothes and some shall have old

Some shall have brass and some shall have tin – So open your doors and let me in!

Some shall have water and some shall have milk, Some shall have satin and some shall have silk;

But each from me a present may ye win – So open your doors and let me in!

Our painting: when the verse says “presents” we make a large square on the paper in blue. When

it says, “some shall have silver and some shall have gold” we make two squarish shapes with yellow in the larger square (don’t tell the kids but this will be a house so instruct them where to paint the smaller squares according to where you would put windows on this house). When it

says, “some shall have water and some shall have milk” you should start to paint a “door” on the house (with yellow) and then point out that FINALLY the door has opened. And the children

will be surprised that the painting has turned into a house when it was a gift.

Story: Celebrate by Kristie Burns

Copyright Kristie Burns 2008 Start this story with wet paper. Pretend there is an upside-down triangle in the middle of the paper. Put a concentrated red BLOB of paint on the bottom “corner” , yellow and blue on the other corners….then start the story…

Little blue was SO excited! He thought about what mama blue, the sky, had promised him tonight and he almost could not contain himself with

joy. And the more he thought the more he felt as if he would just explode with excitement. And then he DID! His colors went every

which way and he just burst with joy (take the brush and brush stroke the blue so that bursts come out of it from all directions). When little

yellow saw this she turned to mother yellow, the sun, and said, “what is going to happen? What is he so excited about?” and mother yellow, the

sun, said, “Oh, dear, you will not be able to stay up that late and find out. Your bedtime is sunset”. Little yellow was so sad, she thought she

would cry. Then she did cry. She burst out crying and tears ran every which way and she tried to reach blue to talk to him but then she fell asleep (take the brush and make yellow burst with streaks from every

side and some of those streaks reaching out to the blue). Well, little red flower was very curious about all this activity in this sky so she asked

mother earth “what is this all about?” Mother earth said “Oh don’t worry yourself with such things dear. For we live on the ground and they live in the sky.” But red was so curious that she could not bear to ignore it

all. So she jumped as high as she could to reach the sky and talk to yellow and blue (now put streaks of red out all around the red dot like a bursting flower or red sun…and make sure some of the streaks reach to

the yellow and blue). And then she saw! It was fireworks of all the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and

violet. And then she knew – it was New Year’s day!

The Moon Verse and Story

Flying by J.M. Westrup (1943): Adapted by Kristie Burns

I saw the moon One blue night Flying so fast – All glowing red

Over the sky A runaway moon.

The flaming stars Went racing past, Chasing her on

Ever so fast Then everyone said,

“It’s the clouds that fly, And the stars and moon Stand still in the sky.”

But I don’t mind – I saw the moon Sailing away

A purple Balloon

Our painting: Paint the entire paper with blue/indigo. When it says “moon” paint the moon in red as a circle. When the stars go racing past make the “tail” of the balloon in the sky – but don’t tell

the kids what it is until you’ve red the last line of the poem…then a purple balloon will reveal itself!

The Fairy’s Moon by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

At the beginning of time between no time and time in the land of fairies there was a pretty yellow sun that lived in a white sky (paint yellow ball). She was quite content to live there all the time. She shone her

yellow ball all over fairyland and was happy. But one day, after many many years of shining, she felt so bored. She watched the fairies down

below and she noticed that they looked bored too. So she called down to a little blue fairy. Could you come up and talk to me. I am so bored and I don’t know what to do. The little blue fairy was so far away on the earth below that she could not hear. So she flew a little closer to the sun but it was very hot so she did not want to touch it. (paint some of the paper a deep blue or indigo around the sun) As she got closer and closer she

could hear the sun speaking but she could not find the face of the sun so she flew around and around the sun (paint blue around the sun) but it was so hot that she had to back away and there she paused in the sky flittering about near the sun (paint some more blue in the background

and continue to paint until the entire background is blue but does not touch the yellow sun). She flittered in the east, she flittered in the west,

she flittered in the south and flittered in the north. Then suddenly the sky was such a deep blue and the sun had become the moon and from a

distance away she could hear yellow sun drifting off to see other lands. And down below she could see her fairy friends drifting off to sleep to

visit the land of dreams. So all was well in fairy land after that.

Valentine’s Day & Love Verse & Story

Verse: Circle of Love: Unknown Author

Love is a circle Round and round

Love goes up, And love comes down, Love is on the inside

Trying to get out, Love is whirling and twirling about!

Our painting: We take the color red and follow the rhythm of the poem as we color swirls and up

and down and around…red red red!

Love is a Flower by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Little red floated in the sky. She made spirals around and around like a lovely little rose. (paint red in a circle but with swirls in it). Mother earth

looked up and saw little red playing in the sky and she loved her very much so she reached up with her deep golden arms, held her and kissed

her (make a yellow stem for the flower with a couple leaves). Then father sky saw her playing and he loved her very much too, so he

reached down and all around and gave her a great big HUG (paint all over blue and the flower will turn purple and the stem will turn green).

And that is how baby red became a beautiful violet that I give my

mother (or sister or brother or dad or love or whatever) on Valentine’s Day!

Saint Patrick’s Day Verse and Story

Four Leaf Clover by Kristie Burns

Copyright Kristie Burns 2008 Faith is a circle like a solid ring

Hope is a rounded gem Luck the circle of a coin

Love’s a circle with no end

Tie them with a golden ribbon Toss them in a blue blue sky

And the hidden four-leaf clover Will reveal its magical side

Our painting: Use yellow and draw each circle in the middle of the paper forming a four-leaf

clover (only don’t tell the child…just direct them where to paint the circles). When it says “tie them with a golden ribbon” then make a “ribbon” (the stem) hanging from the bottom of the

circles. When it says “toss them in a blue blue sky” you should slowly and gently paint over the entire paper with blue until the GREEN clover is revealed!

Where do the Leprechauns Hide? By Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Sofi (or other name of child) received a bright red umbrella for her birthday. But she was very sad. It was not raining so she left it on the

ground and went inside to play (paint a bright red umbrella upside-down on the ground – this will later be a mushroom so be sure to paint the

umbrella handle thick and without the curve). But while Sofi was inside the forest grew curious with this object. It was nearing Saint Patrick’s Day and the leprechauns were busy in the forest merrily dancing and

picking as many four-leaf clovers as they could find. They danced in the air with their green coats and reached down their arms and plucked each

four-leaf clover they could find. They knew that everyone would be looking for four-leaf clovers on Saint Patrick’s Day and they certainly didn’t want to give up their pot of gold! (as you are reading this color green in the “sky” above the upside-down umbrella…this will be grass when you turn the picture the other way for the surprise at the end so

make it look accordingly but don’t tell the child). But one little leprechaun was careless and as he was twirling and bending in the sky to get the clovers 5 shiny gold pieces fell out of his pocket!!! They landed

on the bright red umbrella (draw circles on the “umbrella” neatly spaced….these will become the decorations on the mushroom). He was JUST about to come down and retrieve the gold coins when suddenly the sky burst and blue rain came pouring down (paint the rest of the

picture blue…then turn it upside-down and you will see a red mushroom with orange dots sitting in the grass with a blue sky)…When the rain

started Sofi ran out to the garden to get her umbrella but all she saw was a large red toadstool with orange spots. Little did she know that the

leprechauns were hiding under it to keep safe from the rain! So now you know where they hide and where to find your four-leaf clovers on Saint

Patrick’s Day!

Spring Equinox Verse and Story

Verse: Five Little Marigolds by Kate Greenway (Part 1) and Kristie Burns (Part 2)

Part One: Five little Marigolds standing in a row Now isn’t that the best way for marigolds to grow?

Each with a green stalk and all the five have got A bright yellow flower and a nice blue pot!

Yellow flowers swirl and then yellow dips down to meet

The bright blue pots, sitting at its feet Yellow reaches out an arm to shake hands with pots Blue reaches out an arm to shake hands with flowers

And suddenly appears a streak of a green stem

Our painting: I changed this verse a tiny bit so the colors would be easier to work with. We started with the marigolds….swirls of yellow in the air in the upper third of the paper and BIG and overlapping each other…hardly any white visible. THEN we did the pots in a nice blue at the bottom. Then we brought back yellow to take blue from the pot and make a green stem.

Additional Verses to Inspire You

Daffodil – Traditional Rhyme

Daffy-down-dilly has come up to town In a yellow petticoat and a green gown

The Spring Season of the Sanguine (Air) Verse and Story

Verse: The Wild Geese by Celia Thaxter 1878, adapted by Kristie Burns

The wind blows blue, the birds sing loud,

The blue, blue sky is flecked with fleecy dappled cloud, Over earth's rejoicing fields the children dance and sing, And the frogs pipe in chorus, "It is spring! it is spring!"

Green grass comes & yellow flower laughs where lately lay the snow,

O'er the breezy hill-top hoarsely calls the crow, By the flowing blue river the alder catkins swing,

And the sweet song-sparrow cries, "Spring! it is spring!"

Bear the winter off with you, O wild geese dear! Carry all the cold away, far away from here;

Chase the snow into the north, O strong of heart and wing, While we share the robin's rapture, crying, "Spring! it is spring!"

Our painting: Blue swirls in the air – in the sky. As it is “flecked” more blue is applied and

“flecked” onto the paper near to the bottom. As yellow flower laughs it brushes into the blue, creating some brushes of green grass at the bottom of the picture.

Butterfly! By Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

There once was a sanguine child of yellow who loved to play and dance and do so many things. For that was in her nature. She didn’t like to sit for very long. (Now start in the middle of the paper and as you read the story have the brush paint yellow like butterfly wings on one side of the paper, and then on the other. Do not make the body of the butterfly yet. You do not need to tell the child what this is….part of the fun is in the

surprise…so just have them concentrate on making the swishing yellow (wings). So one day, she was in the garden and she jumped up high, she tossed a yellow ball, she bent down low and jumped up high again. Then

she tried to reach the sky and then she tried to do a handstand on the ground and she spread out her arms and twirled around! The Phlegmatic blue tried to follow her but he could not even touch her and got much

too tired of all that activity and lay down to gaze at the clouds in the sky (paint blue all around without touching the yellow). Then choleric red

came and said to her move! Move again, but can you keep it in one direction please? (Paint a red line down the middle of the wings to make the body of the butterfly) Then melancholic green came and said “calm

down my dear you are much too disorganized” and she petted the yellow (make patterns on the wings with the green) and tried to calm her down.

Sanguine yellow tried her hardest to listen to all of them, but she could

not. For she was just a butterfly – and that was her nature!

Wind Verse and Story

Verse: Blow Wind Blow: Traditional Rhyme adapted by Kristie Burns

Blue wind blow! And red mill go!

That the miller may grind his yellow corn That the baker may take it

And into cakes make it And send us some hot in the morn

Our painting: Blue swirls around the paper like the wind until it covers the entire paper…then the

red mill (as a circle) is drawn in the middle. As the corn is ground on the mill you can make yellow “sprinkles” around the edges of the circle as a decoration to your now emerging purple

and green trimmed cake.

Additional Verses to Inspire You

Little Wind: by Kate Greenway: Adapted by Kristie Burns

Little wind, blow on the hilltop Little wind blow down the plain Little wind blow up the sunshine Little wind blow down the rain

Story: The Wind & Sun: Traditional Fable Adapted by Kristie Burns

There once was a blowing blue wind that loved to swirl and whirl around (make some waves of blue from the left to the right of the paper).

And there once was a shining yellow sun that loved to streak the sky with yellow. (Paint yellow waves across the paper in the same way and keep them with the blue waves so together they will look like a scarf

flying in the wind and will be a mixture of blue and green and yellow).

One day the sun and the wind were playing in the sky and they saw a man. The wind said “I am faster and stronger than you yellow sun and I can take away his scarf that he wraps so tightly around his neck” So the wind blew and blew (paint more blue in the same area you did before)

but the scarf stayed there. Then the yellow sun said, “Let me try” so she shone and shone and streaked the sky with her yellow warmth (color

more yellow over the same area you did before so that finally this takes shape into a scarf flying in the wind). And sure, enough, when the man felt the warmth of the sun he took of his scarf, but that rascally wind

blew so hard and took the lovely green and yellow and blue scarf and played with it in the sky!

Rain Verse

Sunshine and Showers by Maude Morin (1871-1958)

Shower and sunshine Sunshine and shower Green are the treetops

And blooming the flower

Daisies and Grasses Daisies so yellow Grasses so green Tell me, I pray,

How do you keep clean?

Summertime showers Summertime rain

Wash dusty flowers All clean again

Our painting: (You can make this easier if you want by taking out some of the elements). When we say shower and sunshine I put some blue AND some yellow on the paper. As we recite the verse I have the child take from the color (or colors) they need to form the shapes of the trees, flowers, and grasses. As this has to be done by dragging the brushes and mixing ON the paper

you get a very nice abstract landscape.

Rain Washing by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Red decided to play one day out in the field of poppies. She dotted the field with red and then looked at her work. She was very proud! (Paint yellow dots along the entire bottom of the paper but leave a little space between the bottom and the first red dots. Don’t paint them to the edge

of the bottom of the paper) Dot dot dot! She hopped around making dots everywhere! But then her little brother, yellow came and he wanted to

show big sister that he could do like her! So he painted yellow dots under the red dots sister had made. But he was just little and his dots

were more like streaks (make them like grass) – but still he was happy and quite proud of what he had done. So he said to his sister red “See

what I have done? My yellow dots are so beautiful!” But big sister was not impressed. She said “But my dots are more beautiful. They are better formed and not all smeary like yours!” So they started arguing back and forth and back and forth and finally blue grandpa rain heard them and he said to himself – ah! I know what to do with two squabbling siblings! A dose of cool rain always helps! So grandfather rain gently poured down sister red and brother yellow and as he poured and poured and streaked from the sky sister red and brother yellow could see that their dots had

become a beautiful field of poppies in the grass and that they didn’t have to argue at all! Because what they had done looked better together than

apart and they had created a beautiful work of art!

Easter/Spring Awakening Verse & Story

Verse: The Yellow Sun by Kate Greenway, Adapted by Kristie Burns Sleep is like a small death and rebirth of the person just like winter is the death and rebirth of the earth. Easter symbolizes that rebirthing time of

the earth. This lovely verse by Kate Greenway (1846-1901) tells about a child being awoken by the sun in the morning. I have modified and shortened the verse so it is more suitable for painting. However, the

original verse is still hers.

Wake up the yellow sun is shining And hark the noisy sparrows

Are wide awake again Each little red bud and red blossom

Has lifted up its head To great the pleasant yellow sunshine

While you are still in bed!

The yellow sun himself has risen To call them long ago

And he has tried to wake you This last half hour you know

The merry yellow sunbeams

Have traveled oh so far! Have crept between the shutters

Despite the bolt and bar

Then wake and like red-orange flowers Lift up each rosy cheek

It is too bright a morning to Waste it all in bed!

Our picture: Our picture started with the yellow sun shining at the top of the page. As the verse progresses we paint some flower-like red forms at the bottom of the page. When the sunbeams come as yellow brush strokes down to the flowers they touch the tops of the red and become

orange. This creates an illusion that they are “waking up” more. On the last verse you can continue to work on the flowers and point out to the child that the rosy flowers are like the rosy cheeks they have in the morning. So you are painting the circles of red as flowers but they are

also the rosy cheeks of the child being touched by the sunbeam and everything is merging together into one picture!

One color picture: If you want to do this picture with one color you can take out all the words

“red” or “rosy” (I added those anyway ☺) and do the entire verse using yellow paint.

Yellow Forgot by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Yellow was so excited for Easter, for spring. For then she would get to paint the world with yellow. Yellow daffodils, yellow crocuses, yellow

goldfinches and yellow buttercups! She started to make a list in her head…oh oh oh! I must paint all the yellow flowers…I almost forgot the marigolds…and yes, the tulips…and…as she was thinking and making her list she got her paint pot ready. Bright yellow and filled with yellow paint (make a half circle of paint at the bottom of the page – have the

paper situated vertically and have the half circle cover about 1/3 of the paper but not to the edges – this will be a little chick’s body so plan

accordingly) Then she thought some more…oh yes! The yellow caterpillars and the yellow butterflies! And …oh…what am I forgetting?

Oh yes! My paintbrushes! So yellow got out her paintbrushes (at this point put yellow legs on the little chick)…and what else? Oh yes! I must

paint the yellow bees and the yellow bugs and the yellow honey and…most important of course the YELLOW SUN! (now make the head and top of the baby chick as a round circle on top of the half

circle)…but what else am I forgetting? Oh yes! The baby chick! (at this point you can paint a yellow beak on and then get out some red or

orange and continue on to put some orange on the beak and legs or just leave it all yellow)

The Earth Verse

Verse: Green-Blue: Traditional Rhyme

I’m glad the sky is painted blue And earth is painted green

With such a lot of nice fresh air Sandwiched in between

Our painting: We “paint” the sky blue, with swirls and whirls in the shape of an arch with the top colored to the edges of the paper….then we paint the earth green as a mound reaching up to the

blue. When the colors meet you will have a green-blue.

Rainbows Verse

The Rainbow Fairies: Unknown Poet. Adapted by Kristie Burns

Two little clouds, one spring day Went flying through the sky

They went so fast they bumped their heads And both began to cry

Old father sun looked out and said,

“Oh never mind my dears, I’ll send my little fairy folk, To dry your falling tears.”

One fairy came in violet

And one wore indigo In blue, green, yellow, orange and red,

They made a pretty row.

The wiped the cloud tears all away, And then from out the sky

Upon a line the sunbeams made They hung their gowns to dry.

First the red fairy hung her gown, then the yellow sprite

Somehow the orange one snuck in there and then came into site! The indigo fairy came to hang her gown

And by magic green fairy’s gown appeared! Then red fairy came again

To remind violet to hang her dress.

Our painting: the last verse of this poem that I added on to it (the first part of the poem is by an unknown poet) tells you HOW to paint the rainbow of the story. Make sure your paper is very

wet and that you make broad strokes with the brush so the red and yellow form and orange in the

middle and so on…! What a wonderful “surprise” when orange fairy appears and how fun when red fairy “reminds” violet to hang her dress!

Mother’s Day Verse & Story

Verse: The Hidden Heart by Kristie Burns

White is the color of mother’s apron Like a triangle upside-down

White is the color of two large pearls That she wears with her brand new gown

But red is the color of my love for her

That grows and grows and grows Until it spreads across this paper And my feeling for her shows

Our painting: We start with white and make an upside-down triangle in the middle of the page

and then two large pearls on the top of it beside each other (hint: don’t tell but you are making a heart). Now when the poem talks about red that is love and grows…you take the red and brush it

carefully across the entire paper – all over – until a PINK heart emerges!

Berries for Mama by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

It was Mother’s Day and baby red and baby blue were thinking about what they could get mother as a gift. Baby red said, “Why don’t we get her some lovely red balls to play with and throw and bounce?” (Color some red “balls” on the paper). But baby blue said, “Mamas don’t play with toys like we do! She does not want toy balls! How about we buy

her some lovely blue balloons?” (Now paint all the red balls with blue so they turn purple). Well red glared at blue and blue glared at red and they both thought their idea was the best in the world! Then mama walked in and said to them “Thank you oh thank you! How did you know that my favorite thing to have on pancakes was blueberries?” And she sat down

to eat her lovely blueberries in a nice blue bowl (now enclose all the

blueberries in a round circle…you can paint over everything and just make a big blue ball…very light blue).

Mayfair Verse & Story

Verse By Kristie Burns adapted from a Kate Greenway poem

Let me introduce you to The primary family

For morning, afternoon and night They danced away so happily!

Yellow and Blue and Red

Danced and Danced until time for bed When swirls of green and purple and orange

Would appear upon their heads

They twirled round about They turned their toes out

The people wondered what the noise Could be all about!

They danced from early morning

Till very late at night Both in-doors and out-doors

With very great delight!

Our Painting: You can do this as a three-person painting if you each use one color and a very large watercolor paper. Or you can do it as an individual. To do it as an individual start with

yellow on the first verse and have the yellow dance around but be sure to keep “her” in one third of the paper. On the second verse have red dance around in the middle of the paper and combine with the yellow a bit. Then have blue dance around and combine with the red a bit. Then take the brushes again and have yellow dance a bit on blue’s head and on red’s head to make some green.

Remember to dance with the brush and create swirls.

One Color: This poem is not suited for one color. However, you could do it with just two and modify the poem a bit.

Maypole by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

The yellow sun was high in the sky (draw a small yellow sun in the

middle of the paper almost touching the top and about the size of a half-dollar coin) but she could hear that something was going on down on mother earth! She strained to hear but she could not so she sent her

daughter – red sunbeam to ask mother earth what was happening. So red sunbeam went down to mother earth and asked her. (Paint a “ribbon”

coming out from the sun and waving gently down in an arc until it reaches the earth you will be creating a Maypole). Mother earth said – oh you tell your mother that she needs to pay attention to her job and leave me to my job. So red daughter sunbeam went back up to tell her

mom (paint a “ribbon” of red going up to the sun also in an arc)

Well yellow sun was not happy with this answer so she sent down daughter yellow sunbeam to ask again. (Paint a “ribbon” of yellow on top of the second ribbon of red). Well yellow sunbeam followed the

same path down to mother earth that red sunbeam had followed up and she said to mother earth “Why is everyone laughing today?” and mother

earth said, “They are laughing because they are happy”. So yellow sunbeam went back up to tell her mama. (Paint a thick “ribbon going up JUST under the sun this time – not in an arc…this will be the pole of the

Maypole).

But when yellow sunbeam told her mother her mother was still not happy. She said “But I want to know WHY”. So she sent down green sunbeam who took the same path down as red sunbeam had taken up (this will make the pole brown) and when he reached mother earth he said “why are people dancing?” and mother earth said, “Because they

are filled with joy”. Then green sunbeam went to tell mother sun (make a painted ribbon of green on the left side of the pole, arching out and

stopping at the “sun”). But when green sunbeam told mama sun all this she was so frustrated. But I want to know WHY they are happy!

So yellow mama sun sent down blue sunbeam and he went down to

mother earth by a different path (a ribbon arched out to the left again) and asked mother earth “Why are the people singing?” and mother earth said, “Because their hearts burst with song”. So blue sunbeam went to

tell yellow mother sun (another ribbon going up). But yellow mother sun was not happy!

She said, “but I want to know WHY people’s hearts are happy!” so she sent down violet sunbeam (make a ribbon going down the same path the blue went up) and violet sunbeam said to mother earth “mama wants to know why are the people happy, WHY are they filled with joy and their

hearts filled with song?” Mother earth whispered something to violet sunbeam and she was very excited. She ran to tell mother sun (paint the

last ribbon going up to the top of the Maypole).

“So what did she say,” asked mother sun. She said that it is Mayfair time and they will all dance on the Maypole we made! And then mother sun was happy as she looked down at the pretty Maypole and imagined all

the happy children dancing around it!

Summer Solstice/Sun Verse & Story

This lovely verse is another one I adapted from a Kate Greenway poem

They saw it rise in the morning They saw it set at night

And they longed to go and see it If only that they might!

The little soft white clouds heard them And stepped out from the blue

And laid each child softly Upon their bosom of dew

And they carried them higher and higher

And they nothing knew anymore Until they were standing waiting

At a golden round door

And they knocked and called and entreated Whoever should be within

But all to no purpose for no one Would hearken to let them in

Our picture: we started by painting the paper with just the water and the brush representing the

white (white showing through on the paper) clouds that are not really white but are made of condensed water! When they arrive at the golden door we make a large yellow sun door and then as the children knock and call we paint swirls and “knocks” around the door but all still remains

yellow. The big yellow door remains a big yellow door but it now seems to be glowing with different shades of yellow around it.

More than one color: You could have the children wearing different colors of clothing and

surround the sun with strokes of these different colors so in the end it appears to be glowing with so many colors. As each child knocks on the door of the sun it could be “blue child knocked” and

then you put a stroke of blue and “red child knocked” and so on…

The Solstice Party by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Yellow danced with joy. She reached out her arms and spread them wide and made a circle as she spun around. The circle filled with yellow and yellow sat in the yellow circle feeling so happy! A curious red fairy had

been watching her and wanted to know why she was so happy so she flew up from the ground and danced around the yellow circle and said “Oh yellow, yellow tell me why – you made a circle in the sky?” And

yellow said, “I am happy because it is the longest sunny day of the year!” Well that made red fairy happy too so she danced around the yellow circle some more and pretty soon orange joined them! Then

orange said “Oh yellow, yellow tell me why – you brought me up here to the sky?” and yellow said, “I am happy because it is the longest sunny

day of the year!” Well that made orange happy so she danced around the circle a bit two (using either yellow or red, whichever you need more, go over the orange again so it becomes more orange around the circle). This made yellow so happy that she decided to go around the circle again too – but this time the circle was wider so she went around the red fairy’s circle. And of course orange jumped out to meet her! (Because orange appears out there too when you make the circle with yellow). Not to be

left behind red fairy danced around the circle again too! And OF COURSE orange came out to meet her too! So they continued that way

all day until they had created a beautiful glowing sun in the summer sky!

The Choleric Fire Element of Summer Verse & Story

Verse: Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson

Adapted by Kristie Burns In the yellowed gardens

And all up the vale, From the red autumn bonfires See the orange smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers, The red fire blazes,

The orange smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons! Something bright in all!

Red Flowers in the summer, Red Fires in the fall!

Our painting: We brush yellow “grass” at the bottom of the paper. Then the autumn bonfires come and brush on and over the yellow grass. Now you have brushes of yellow, orange and red.

Bring some of the orange up to make swirls of smoke towers.

Summer Fire by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

There once was a choleric child of red who got up from bed every morning and danced. She danced and danced and sometimes even forgot

to eat her breakfast (paint red “flames” coming up from the bottom of the paper high into the sky) but she loved to dance. One day Sanguine

yellow came to play and she loved to dance too. But she also liked to do different things so she danced and danced with choleric red but she got bored quickly and went on to do other things. (Paint yellow flames in

and around the red ones but not as many as the red). Well choleric didn’t even notice yellow had left she was so busy dancing and dancing and dancing…but suddenly she stopped – “Where did YOU come from

orange? I didn’t see you come into the room!” But orange was silent and didn’t want to dance. So choleric red enjoyed being full of energy like

the fire – all by herself! (End picture is of a large fire)

August: The Month of Preparation

Verse

Verse: Mincemeat by Elizabeth Gould: Adapted by Kristie Burns Sing a song of mincemeat

Crimson Currants, purple raisins Red Apples, orange nutmeg

Everything that’s nice Stir it with a yellow ladle

Wish a lovely wish Drop it in the middle

Of an indigo dish

Stir again for good luck Pack it all away

Tied in little jars and pots Until the holiday!

Our painting: Kids are always begging to mix all the colors together and see what they do. This is the perfect verse to show them how all the colors make a murky BROWN! But it can be very

pretty if you follow the verse and gently apply the color…!

Angels Verse

Verse: Angel by Kristie Burns

One yellow candle Burns at story time Tucked into bed

The flames fly away As the dark night falls

An angel glows

Our painting: Paint “one yellow candle” in the middle of the paper. Paint a roundish flame on the top when you say “burns at story time”. When the flames “fly away” put two broad brush

strokes on either side of the body of the candle (these will be the angel wings). When it says “as dark night falls” you need to carefully paint around the candle until the simple image of an angel

comes through clearly.

Michaelmas: Dragons Verse

The Dragon’s Flame by Kristie Burns

Soaring in an indigo sky A dragon wakes the morning

Yellow is the flame of friendship Red is the flame of warning

Out of the yellow his green body emerges

Purple streaks and the red is gone The dragon appears as flash – a green streak

And the purple the light of dawn

Our painting: We start with making the entire paper blue – “the indigo sky” When we read “yellow is the flame of friendship” you can streak a yellow brush stroke across the “sky”. Under this streak of yellow (which will turn green) you should make a streak of red (which will turn

purple). As you recite the last of the poem you can paint over the green and purple streaks again until they are the way you want them to look.

Leaves Verse

Leaves by Katherine Tynan (1891-1931) – an Irish Poet

Myriads and myriads plumed their glittering wings As fine as any bird that soars and sings As bright as fireflies or the dragon-flies

Or birds of paradise

Myriads and myriads waved their sheeny fans Soft as the dove’s breast, or the pelican’s

And some were gold, and some were green, and some Pink-lipped like and apple bloom.

A low wind tossed the plumage all one way

Rippled the gold feathers, and green and gay, A low wind that in moving sang one song

All day and all night long.

Additional Verses to Inspire You:

Autumn by Florence Hoatson Yellow the bracken Golden the sheaves

Rosy the apples Crimson the leaves Mist on the hillside

Clouds gray and white Autumn, good morning!

Summer, good night!

The Melancholic Earth Element: Fall Verse & Story

Verse: Blessings of Fall by Alice C. Henderson (1881-1949)

The blue rain, the yellow sun, The fields where scarlet poppies run,

And all the ripples of the wheat Are in the bread that I do eat.

So when I sit with every meal And say a grace I always feel That I am eating rain and sun,

And fields where scarlet poppies run

Our painting: We paint blue in the shape of a loaf of bread when it says, “blue rain”. Paint OVER this bread with yellow when the poem says “yellow sun”. THEN paint over the bread

shape with RED when it says “scarlet poppies” – and you will have a brown loaf of bread! You may have to do some mixing and testing before hand to make sure you get the right mix of each

color.

Shaking Leaves by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

Yellow leaf was trembling and shaking. “What is the matter dear?” says the old brown tree. (Paint the tree trunk ahead of time in brown or just leave the picture without a trunk or have the child paint a trunk with a

branch or two and have them then paint the leaves on this trunk). Yellow leaf said…I am not sure but I think HE is coming! And all the yellow

leaves trembled some more (draw a lot of yellow leaves) “Who is HE?” said the little red leaf? “Yes, tell us!” Said the other red leaves and then they started trembling too! “I am not sure,” said the yellow leaf. I am just scared.” But they didn’t have to wait long! HE came. Strong with blue, blowing and blowing, the wind came and the leaves fell to the

ground (paint blue all over). First the yellow leaves fell one by one (now paint yellow again but OVER the blue and on the ground) …but when they fell to the ground they found that GREEN mother earth embraced them and they felt at peace! So they called to the red leaves ‘It is safe to

come down now!” And so they did!

Halloween Verse & Story

Verse: Red in Autumn by Elizabeth Gould

Tipperty-toes, the smallest elf Sat on a mushroom by himself,

Playing a little tinkling tune Under the big round harvest moon:

And this is the song that Tipperty made To sing to the little tune he played.

“Red are the hips, red are the haws, Red and gold are the leaves that fall,

Red are the poppies in the corn, Red are the berries on the rowan tall; Red is the big round harvest moon,

And red are my new little dancing shoes.”

Story: The Hidden Pumpkin Adapted by Kristie Burns

The fairies had a boat that they always took out on Halloween. They were a little frightened of what they might find in the woods on Hallows

Eve so they decided the best thing to do would be to take their little yellow boat out on the river and stay safe there all night (here you make a blue river and then a yellow boat floating slightly on top of it as a fairy

boat should). But once they got onto the river in their little boat they were scared again. It was dark. So they lit two lanterns, one on each end

of the boat, high above the boat (these will be the eyes of the jack-o-lantern and the boat will be the mouth so plan accordingly. Make sure

these are a very DEEP yellow!). Well that sure helped! The minute they lit the lamps the river was flooded with yellow light! (Now paint over the river with yellow so it becomes green). Even their little boat and

lamps were surrounded by a circle of yellow light (enclose the boat and lamps in a circle of LIGHT YELLOW. This will be the pumpkin so plan

accordingly). But all this light woke up the dragon that lived on the shore and he growled in protest and as he growled the yellow glow was

filled with red fire (color over the circle in RED now) and a jack-o-lantern appeared! The fairies were all so scared now they just ran to their

underground houses and ever since Fairies like to stay underground during Halloween and not come out until the next evening.

Harvest

Verse & Story

Verse: Up in the Orchard: Traditional Verse: adapted by Kristie Burns, Second verse original by Kristie Burns

On the green grass of the orchard is a green tree The finest red pippins you ever did see

The apples are ripe and ready to fall And Rueben and Robin shall gather them all.

The brown trunks rise to the green leaves The apples hang with the greatest of ease

Some of them fall and hit the ground

Where they lie in the grass and slowly turn brown

Our painting: we take the green and we make some lovely leaves in the sky. With little brush strokes. Don’t make a swirly “cotton candy shaped” tree top. Just make some small brush

stroked leaves. Then make some longer brush strokes for the ground to make the grass. Then we take the red and we make some red dots of apples. As the greens and reds mix in some places

you will have a brown to make the truck, branches of the trees and a few brown apples.

Saint Francis: October 4th Verse & Story

Inspiration: Saint Francis loved the animals, especially the birds…

Verse: Four Scarlet Berries by Mary Vivian

Four scarlet berries Left upon the tree

“Thanks” cried the blackbird These will do for me

He ate numbers one and two Then ate number three

When he’d eaten number four There were none to see!

Our painting: Keep in mind that the blackbird is really a very deep purple when he shines in the light. We started by painting four large berries on the paper (red). One small berry will turn into

his beak, one berry will be his eye, one LARGE berry will be his body and another medium berry will be on his tail. So arrange the berries in that way. When it says, “He ate numbers one and two” you will draw the beak of the bird in indigo OVER the small berry and his head over the second berry. When it says he ate number three then you draw his body over the next berry.

When is says “he’d eaten number four” then you will draw the tail over the last berry and “There were none to see!”

Saint Francis and the Birds by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

There once was a sad blue rock (paint a rock shape but this will be an old man in a brown cloak later so put it in the lower left hand bottom of the paper and paint it in the shape of a man completely covered with the cloak). He was sad because he was lonely. The sun shone on him (paint

yellow over the blue) but still he was sad and lonely. The sky embraced him (paint the entire paper a light blue) but still he was sad and lonely. Then one day a man came that caused the rock to beam with red love (paint red over the “rock” and it now becomes the man in the brown

cloak). This man threw out some lovely yellow bread crumbs into the air and like magic many many green birds appeared to eat them! After this the rock was never lonely for he always had the man and the birds to keep him company. Final picture will be some streaks of green birds flying in the sky and a man in a brown cloak feeding them against the

blue sky.

Martinmas: First Day of Winter Story

It is said that Saint Martin comes riding on a “white horse” (the snow) Each November many Waldorf schools have a Lantern Walk to celebrate Martinmas, a festival

of inner light in the outer darkness of the approaching winter. Saint Martin was a soldier in Rome in the 4th century. It was said that one wintry night he met a beggar half-freezing. Martin removed the heavy military cloak from his shoulders and, drawing his sword, cut it in two, and gave half to the beggar. That night, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, wrapped in the same

piece of cloak Martin had given the beggar, and said: “Martin has covered me with this garment.” Martin became the patron saint of beggars, drunks and outcasts, dedicating his life to assisting pariahs. Celebrating Martinmas is a reminder that each of us has a divine spark that we

must ferry out into the world and share with others.

(You can also use the Candlemas story from above for this holiday as it is very fitting but here is another story as well!)

The Inner Light by Kristie Burns Copyright Kristie Burns 2008

When it came time to give gifts to the poor for Martinmas, red made a blanket for the cold beggars in the street (paint the entire paper red). It was a big thick blanket and everyone was very impressed. Blue, not to be outdone, decided he would make something even more useful. So he placed a big blue lantern on the red blanket and stood back to admire his work. Then little yellow came. She was just a child and very small. She

saw the big red blanket and the now purple lantern…and she felt ashamed. What could she possibly give as a gift? She didn’t have

anything to give at all. No cakes, no blankets, no lanterns, and no shoes. She didn’t even have very nice shoes herself! So she sat and she gazed,

tears coming to her eyes and was sad. She would not be able to give anything to the poor this year. But then she heard a voice. It was coming

from inside the lantern. So she went inside the lantern (paint a yellow flame “inside” the lantern now) to see what it was saying. Then she

heard a big cheer from blue and red and all the other colors. For she had given the greatest gift of all. She had given of HERSELF and now the

lantern was lit and they could deliver the gifts to the poor.

Advent Verse

The Earth Spiral by Kristie Burns

Out of the deep blue darkness Walking towards the light

Surrounded by evening’s blue shroud Mother Earth holds us tight

Yellow candle spirals Held in glowing hands

Around the golden spiral Fir branches emerge from the land

Our painting: We start by painting the “deep blue darkness” then we take the yellow filled paint

brush in our hands and spiral it around but not in a spiral shape – in a circle. But make each circle overlap the other, make some larger and some smaller so in the end you will have a

GREEN advent wreath.

Christmas Verse & Story

Verse: Christmas in Red by Eileen Mathias (1946) Red for Santa’s fur lined cloak

And his scarlet hood Red for the holly berries Gleaming in the wood

Red for the breast Of the bravest little bird

R-E-D for the brightest Christmas word

Red for the glow of the yule-log light And the little crimson slippers

That Santa left last night Red for the paper lanterns

Hanging from the wall Of the many Christmas colors

Red’s the best of all

Our painting: was all red. As we read the poem we paint “shapes” of all the red things in the poem but in the end they all blend together to make the RED!

The Fountain of Gold by Kristie Burns

Copyright Kristie Burns 2008 There once was a fountain of gold in a far away land. It was really a

fountain! From the ground spouted the deepest golden yellow you ever did see and it sparkled in the sun (paint the yellow “gold” coming out of the ground but not the ground…when you turn this upside-down at the end this will be a Christmas tree so keep in mind that you are actually painting and upside-down Christmas tree right now…but don’t tell the

kids). Gold!

Well blue king wind was envious of this gold and he wanted it for himself so he planned to go an get this golden fountain. So he blew

himself blue over to where the fountain was and decided he needed help in getting the gold so he blew blue all the way back home. (Paint him blowing over and blowing back home so the whole paper is blue now)

Once he was home he asked the yellow fireflies if they would help him

get the gold. Well, you can’t say no to the big King wind so they all flew off to find the gold. But all they found was a green fountain. They flittered around a bit (At this point make yellow dots in the STILL

upside-down tree for decorations) and then went to tell King Blue Wind that the fountain was not there. Well this made the king so mad that he blew blue all the way back to the fountain but when he got there he saw

something that made him stop in his tracks (before he gets to the tree again and NOW turn the paper over) – it was a Christmas tree –

reminding him of a gift that is even greater than gold. So King Blue Wind, ashamed, left a gift under the tree and blew all the way home.

Winter Solstice Verse & Story

The Juniper Tree: Traditional Verse: Author Unknown: Modified by

Kristie Burns. Last verse added by Kristie (note that humans should not eat raw juniper berries but some birds can)

Juniper, Juniper

Green in the snow Sweetly you smell

And prickly you grow

Juniper, Juniper Blue in the Fall

Give me some berries Prickles and all

For the birds all shiver

And the wind is a quiver And berries will warm them up

A berry feast for their sup

Everything Blue by Kristie Burns

Copyright Kristie Burns 2008 The blue bird loved to play in our garden and eat the blue berries we left him on the ground. (Paint a blue bird and some blueberries) He would

eat a blueberry and then fly to tell his friends. And more bluebirds would come. So we would put more blueberries in the garden. (Paint birds over birds over blueberries, etc…until the entire paper is blue). But then one day the Winter Solstice came – the shortest day of the year and I went to the window to see my birds and all I saw was the deep indigo blue of the

night.

Santa Lucia Day Verse & Story

Night Walks with a Heavy Step: Traditional Santa Lucia Song

Night walks with a heavy step Round yard and hearth

As the sun departs from the earth Shadows are brooding

There in our dark house Walking with lit candles Santa Lucia Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon

From earth’s valleys So she speaks a

Wonderful word to us A new day will rise again

From the rosy sky Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

The Crown by Kristie Burns

Copyright Kristie Burns 2008 Blue made a flat ring in the air. She knew what she must do. So she

made the flat ring and then she called for red. (Paint a blue ring – this will be the bottom of the Santa Lucia crown so plan accordingly). Red saw the ring that blue had made and she knew what to do. She made some tall lines all around the circle (these will be the candles in the

crown). Then she called for yellow. Yellow was nervous. She had never done this before but she knew what she must do by watching her sisters the year before. So she put yellow circles on top of the lines that red had made. But then she felt a little twinge of jealousy – brother blue got to make a BIG BLUE ring and sister red had made all those big tall red

lines and all she got to make were these little circles? So she decided to do a little more….she painted her yellow over big brother’s BLUE and even a little bit over big sister’s red. Then she went to get brother and

sister. She thought they might be angry but when they saw what she had done they said, “We are so proud of you! You made a crown of fir

branches and candles for Santa Lucia to wear tonight”