Carmer Hook
nd the next time you feel the wind on your face, listen very carefully, for perhaps wind is reminding you of us all, and simply remember...” - Alethea the Fairy
Bird, Possum, Charlie, Ollie and Beth, the Clouds, Big John the Giant, and others have been excitedly planning this special day to invite you here for a magical day of fun and storytelling. We can hardly wait to meet you and we promise not to start until you come.
18.95 US 19.95 AUS
$
I S B N 978-1-62086-809-6
9
781620 868096
$
51865
Welcome to God’s Balcony
Welcome to God’s Balcony. Thomas the
oh my goodness! I slept in, how could I? Today of all days!” cried Thomas as he fluttered through the garden. “Alethea, where are you?” he called. “I’m over here, Thomas,” she replied. “I’m filling your birdbath with fresh water.”
oh my goodness! I slept in, how could I? Today of all days!” cried Thomas as he fluttered through the garden. “Alethea, where are you?” he called. “I’m over here, Thomas,” she replied. “I’m filling your birdbath with fresh water.”
lethea! Alethea! Look over the balcony!” cried everyone present. “Oh! They are beautiful, what beautiful flowers,” cried Alethea. Slowly the flowers moved, exposing a smiling face. It was Big John. “Big John, you are here!” said Alethea, beaming. “We are having so much fun. Can you stay?” “Alethea, I would love to stay, but I must go soon to meet a little boy. He has read about me, so it seems, but he’s not sure if I am real. We can’t have that. Of course I’m real,” Big John chuckled. “Big John, why don’t you bring the little boy back with you to visit God’s Balcony?” everyone called. “I’m sure he would love that,” Big John replied.
We leaned over the balcony and watched Big John’s slow and steady step, as he gradually disappeared from sight. We all love Big John, and although we are disappointed he can’t stay, we all know the importance of his meeting with the young boy. We couldn’t bear the thought of children not knowing that he is real. Big John is so gentle and kind, and he looks after all of us. There is so much more to tell you, but I am running out of time. I think I will ask our friends Snail, Spider, and Caterpillar to come forward, so you don’t miss out on meeting them.
“Hello,” said Caterpillar and Snail as they moved forward. “Spider can’t come right now. He is weaving a beautiful web to span across the sky. It will read, ‘Welcome,’ and we are going to ask Big John when he comes back, if he can hold the really little people up high, so that they can see it too.” Then Possum stepped forward, puffing his chest out. “It is now time for our storytelling,” he said with great pride.
lethea! Alethea! Look over the balcony!” cried everyone present. “Oh! They are beautiful, what beautiful flowers,” cried Alethea. Slowly the flowers moved, exposing a smiling face. It was Big John. “Big John, you are here!” said Alethea, beaming. “We are having so much fun. Can you stay?” “Alethea, I would love to stay, but I must go soon to meet a little boy. He has read about me, so it seems, but he’s not sure if I am real. We can’t have that. Of course I’m real,” Big John chuckled. “Big John, why don’t you bring the little boy back with you to visit God’s Balcony?” everyone called. “I’m sure he would love that,” Big John replied.
We leaned over the balcony and watched Big John’s slow and steady step, as he gradually disappeared from sight. We all love Big John, and although we are disappointed he can’t stay, we all know the importance of his meeting with the young boy. We couldn’t bear the thought of children not knowing that he is real. Big John is so gentle and kind, and he looks after all of us. There is so much more to tell you, but I am running out of time. I think I will ask our friends Snail, Spider, and Caterpillar to come forward, so you don’t miss out on meeting them.
“Hello,” said Caterpillar and Snail as they moved forward. “Spider can’t come right now. He is weaving a beautiful web to span across the sky. It will read, ‘Welcome,’ and we are going to ask Big John when he comes back, if he can hold the really little people up high, so that they can see it too.” Then Possum stepped forward, puffing his chest out. “It is now time for our storytelling,” he said with great pride.
Thomas the Bird took a quick dip in the birdbath to cool off. He joined Ollie and Beth under the tree. He is going to read you the first story. It is called
Thomas the Bird Thomas the Bird sat with his mother high up in a tree, watching people come and go beneath them. “Mother, how can we make friends with people? They are always rushing about and they look so busy. Not one person has even looked up here this morning. They don’t even know we’re here!” “Well, Thomas, it hasn’t always been like this,” said his mother, ruffling her wings in a shrug.
Thomas the Bird took a quick dip in the birdbath to cool off. He joined Ollie and Beth under the tree. He is going to read you the first story. It is called
Thomas the Bird Thomas the Bird sat with his mother high up in a tree, watching people come and go beneath them. “Mother, how can we make friends with people? They are always rushing about and they look so busy. Not one person has even looked up here this morning. They don’t even know we’re here!” “Well, Thomas, it hasn’t always been like this,” said his mother, ruffling her wings in a shrug.
“Come with me and I will take you to where your father is,” said the angel. She scooped Ollie and me up into her arms. Her great wings wrapped around us and smelled like honeysuckle in the sun. We somehow seemed to pass into another world where we saw many other angels. It was a beautiful world, full of the sounds of breeze in the trees and running water. Holding our hands, our angel led us to a bank and we saw below us a running stream. And there we saw Father. He was being bathed in the sparkling water. The angel knelt on the grass, still a distance from Father, and sat Ollie and me on her lap. Holding us she said, “Your father is being loved and cared for. Even though you may not see him now in your world, he is with you still. When you are quiet, you will be able to feel him beside you. No matter where you are, when you look up into the night sky, you will be drawn to a particular star. Your father is asking me now, in our silence beyond language, to tell you that the star you will recognize is his gift to you. When you look at it, you will always know that he is with you. He will love and cherish you throughout all time, as there is no end to his love for you. You can picture him on a swing between worlds.” Ollie and I found ourselves back in our bed. The smell of honeysuckle was all around us and dawn was coming up beyond our window. The following day we knelt at our window and waited for the night. The stars began to creep out in the dusk and then I saw it––our star. I cried, “Look, Ollie! That star, that one over there, that’s Father!” Then I felt Ollie take my hand in hers and I knew she knew too. So you see I’ve met an angel and so has Ollie. And Father, well he lives with the angels and will love us forever! Do you think that maybe... You could believe in angels too? We do!
“Come with me and I will take you to where your father is,” said the angel. She scooped Ollie and me up into her arms. Her great wings wrapped around us and smelled like honeysuckle in the sun. We somehow seemed to pass into another world where we saw many other angels. It was a beautiful world, full of the sounds of breeze in the trees and running water. Holding our hands, our angel led us to a bank and we saw below us a running stream. And there we saw Father. He was being bathed in the sparkling water. The angel knelt on the grass, still a distance from Father, and sat Ollie and me on her lap. Holding us she said, “Your father is being loved and cared for. Even though you may not see him now in your world, he is with you still. When you are quiet, you will be able to feel him beside you. No matter where you are, when you look up into the night sky, you will be drawn to a particular star. Your father is asking me now, in our silence beyond language, to tell you that the star you will recognize is his gift to you. When you look at it, you will always know that he is with you. He will love and cherish you throughout all time, as there is no end to his love for you. You can picture him on a swing between worlds.” Ollie and I found ourselves back in our bed. The smell of honeysuckle was all around us and dawn was coming up beyond our window. The following day we knelt at our window and waited for the night. The stars began to creep out in the dusk and then I saw it––our star. I cried, “Look, Ollie! That star, that one over there, that’s Father!” Then I felt Ollie take my hand in hers and I knew she knew too. So you see I’ve met an angel and so has Ollie. And Father, well he lives with the angels and will love us forever! Do you think that maybe... You could believe in angels too? We do!
“We love to give people on earth the opportunity to know what softness feels like. So we’ll let you in on a big secret.” Charlie smiled, leaning forward in his cloudy world. “I’m listening.” “At night time,” said the clouds, “when we disappear from the sky, we slip under the covers of your beds and lie on top of your mattresses, and we hold you all night. And that’s so you can feel what softness is.” “Wow, that’s amazing,” Charlie murmured. It was a wonderful secret. “As you go through your life you’ll know whether someone is treating you softly or not, and you can then choose whether or not you want to hang out with them,” said the clouds, laughing. “We don’t think you’ll have too much of a problem though, Charlie, because as there are so many clouds, pretty soon everyone on earth will be soft. We love to roll you, and to gently buff all your edges, smoothing you out, and making you round, so that when you fall, you will fall gently. You don’t ever have to worry about falling, because you will come to know we will always look after you. Pretty neat picture don’t you think, Charlie?’ Charlie nodded happily. He rolled over and over in the clouds, laughing at the softness. “Maybe next time we can introduce you to the wind,” said the clouds. “The wind’s a pretty cool dude! We mean whoa! Are you going to have some fun!” Charlie heard his mother’s footsteps, and he knew it was time to get up. Charlie wondered whether his mother remembered how to daydream. Maybe if he helped her a bit more, she would have more time to dream. With that thought, Charlie suddenly felt the wind on his face, and looking up, caught the wink of a cloud that lingered at his window. He heard the cloud say, “Charlie, tell your mother our secret and together, you can meet the wind! Magic, Charlie, pure magic!”
“We love to give people on earth the opportunity to know what softness feels like. So we’ll let you in on a big secret.” Charlie smiled, leaning forward in his cloudy world. “I’m listening.” “At night time,” said the clouds, “when we disappear from the sky, we slip under the covers of your beds and lie on top of your mattresses, and we hold you all night. And that’s so you can feel what softness is.” “Wow, that’s amazing,” Charlie murmured. It was a wonderful secret. “As you go through your life you’ll know whether someone is treating you softly or not, and you can then choose whether or not you want to hang out with them,” said the clouds, laughing. “We don’t think you’ll have too much of a problem though, Charlie, because as there are so many clouds, pretty soon everyone on earth will be soft. We love to roll you, and to gently buff all your edges, smoothing you out, and making you round, so that when you fall, you will fall gently. You don’t ever have to worry about falling, because you will come to know we will always look after you. Pretty neat picture don’t you think, Charlie?’ Charlie nodded happily. He rolled over and over in the clouds, laughing at the softness. “Maybe next time we can introduce you to the wind,” said the clouds. “The wind’s a pretty cool dude! We mean whoa! Are you going to have some fun!” Charlie heard his mother’s footsteps, and he knew it was time to get up. Charlie wondered whether his mother remembered how to daydream. Maybe if he helped her a bit more, she would have more time to dream. With that thought, Charlie suddenly felt the wind on his face, and looking up, caught the wink of a cloud that lingered at his window. He heard the cloud say, “Charlie, tell your mother our secret and together, you can meet the wind! Magic, Charlie, pure magic!”
One day, as Big John sat resting from his travels, he suddenly felt something on his lower leg. Bending to look, he discovered a small boy tugging at his trouser leg in a bid for his attention. “Hello, my name is Big John. I am a giant, and who might you be?” he asked, scooping the boy up into the palm of his hand. “My name is Collin,” answered the boy. “I’ve read about giants, and I’ve heard about you, but I didn’t really believe you were real. You are so big, I thought you were a statue!” Big John laughed as he replied, “And you are so small, I wasn’t sure you were there at all.” Big John and Collin sat down together and Big John told Collin many stories about his travels. After some time, Collin said, “Big John, can I stay with you? Can I travel with you for a while?” “Of course,” said Big John. “That’s if it’s all right with your family.” “You can come and meet them!” said Collin eagerly. “My mother says I should see the world with someone good and kind. She will be pleased for me to go, and pleased when I come back.” And so that is what happened. Collin loved, and would always remember, Big John’s slow and steady step, as they roamed across the earth together. Collin always felt safe in the hand of his mammoth friend. Giants are in; love a giant today! Possum felt very happy now that his story was told. He glanced at Alethea, waiting for her to say her goodbye to everyone.
One day, as Big John sat resting from his travels, he suddenly felt something on his lower leg. Bending to look, he discovered a small boy tugging at his trouser leg in a bid for his attention. “Hello, my name is Big John. I am a giant, and who might you be?” he asked, scooping the boy up into the palm of his hand. “My name is Collin,” answered the boy. “I’ve read about giants, and I’ve heard about you, but I didn’t really believe you were real. You are so big, I thought you were a statue!” Big John laughed as he replied, “And you are so small, I wasn’t sure you were there at all.” Big John and Collin sat down together and Big John told Collin many stories about his travels. After some time, Collin said, “Big John, can I stay with you? Can I travel with you for a while?” “Of course,” said Big John. “That’s if it’s all right with your family.” “You can come and meet them!” said Collin eagerly. “My mother says I should see the world with someone good and kind. She will be pleased for me to go, and pleased when I come back.” And so that is what happened. Collin loved, and would always remember, Big John’s slow and steady step, as they roamed across the earth together. Collin always felt safe in the hand of his mammoth friend. Giants are in; love a giant today! Possum felt very happy now that his story was told. He glanced at Alethea, waiting for her to say her goodbye to everyone.