Books for kids

Once upon a time, there lived a young forester. He spent all his time worrying about the beasts and birds of the forest – he nursed injured animals and fed those who were hungry.

One day, a group of poachers arrived in the forest and shot a deer and its young. The forester chased after the poachers, and was stabbed by one of them in the struggle. The forester fell to the ground, covered in blood. The forest animals came running to help their wounded friend, starting to lick clean his wounds. The dying man's heart began to beat again, and the colour returned to his cheeks.

“He has been a good friend to us, and we must save him,” declared a wise crow who had once been freed from a trap by the forester. “I will head for the mountains. There, in a desert, grows a tree bearing sweet fruits. I eat these fruits every year, and I never grow old. Maybe they can help to save our friend's life.”

The crow flew away, and the other animals began to wash the forester's wounds with spring water and cover them with medicinal plants. Soon the crow returned, carrying several shiny brown fruits. The bird fed the fruits to the young man.

“My mouth tastes like honey,” whispered the forester. “What sort of fruit is this?”

“I have no idea,” replied the crow. “All I know is that it makes me strong.”

Each day, the crow brought some of the miraculous fruits for his friend. The forester soon recovered from his injuries, thanked his forest friends and set off for the mountains in search of the miracle tree. The crow showed him the way, and soon the forester found himself before a tall tree with feathery leaves, covered with bunches of brown berries.

“What is your name, magic tree?” asked the young man respectfully.

“I am a date palm, and my fruits are known as dates. The sun and the earth fill them with so much sweetness, that a handful can replace any meal. It is a pity that there is nobody to look after me,” answered the tree.

“I will make my home here and grow new date palms,” decided the forester.

A long time passed. The forester celebrated his one-hundredth birthday, but he was still as healthy as a man half his age. The wise old crow was also still alive. It flew over vast distances, and told its friend about everything that it saw. Once, it told the forester a sad story:

“The king and queen are suffering a great sadness. The princess refuses to eat any food. The royal cooks prepare the most exquisite sweet dishes, yet she refuses to look at them. The king has promised to grant a wish to anybody who can save his daughter.”

When the forester heard this, he filled his bag with dates and set off for the palace. When he offered the dates to the princess, she turned away. He sat down next to her, and told her the story of how the wise crow had saved him from death using the same wonderful fruits. The princess turned to the forester, and said: “Open your mouth.”

The forester was surprised by this strange request, but obeyed and opened his mouth. The princess carefully studied the forester's mouth.

“You have all your teeth intact, and I have already lost one of mine,” she sighed with sadness. “That is why I have decided not to eat anything.”

The forester reached for his bag of dates.

“Eat one of these natural sweets (dates), and your teeth will grow stronger,” he suggested.

“Mmm… I have never tasted anything so sweet before!” exclaimed the princess with joy after trying one of the dates.

Soon the king decreed that sweets could only be made from dates, honey and nuts. Children took great delight in the new sweets, and their parents were pleased too. Their children could eat as many sweets as they liked, and their teeth remained healthy.

“How can I reward your for your service?” the king ...

Read the whole story about MELON
in the book
'The World of Fruits"

The World of Fruits: purchase book online

TESTIMONIALS from parents & educators

New books
of educational project 'KIND BOOK':
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This was fragment from the story about BANANA from the book on Healthy Food for kids: 'The World of Fruits', part I >>

For the Book II 'The World of Vegetables' visit project Talking Veggies: Vegetables-for-kids.com

For anyone interested in their child's well-being, “The Storyteller's Guide to Health” series is sure to be of value. Following each selection of delightful stories, games and activities you'll also find recipes for the vitamin-conscious kitchen. The recipes are simple, allowing children to prepare dishes themselves with only minimal supervision, and are also designed to preserve the largest possible share of vitamins and other nutrients in the final serving. Read fragments from our stories: fruits for children

© Maria Skrebtsova,
© Alexandra Lopatina,
Illustration s by Svetlana Jijina.