The Meadow and the Millpond: Tales for Children

Turning around, he saw a beautiful woman rising slowly out of the water. Her long hair, which she was holding above her shoulders with her soft hands, flowed down on both sides, and covered her white body. He saw very well that she was the nixie of the pond, and he was so frightened that he did not know whether to run away or stay where he was.

But the nixie, speaking with a soft voice, called him by name and asked him why he was so sad. At first the miller was speechless, but when he heard her speak so kindly, he took heart and told her how he had lived with good fortune and wealth, but that now he was so poor that he did not know what to do. You must only promise to give me that which has just been born in your house. The nixie descended into the water again, and consoled and in good spirits he hurried back to his mill.

Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team - Millbrook Meadow and Mill Pond Restoration

He had not yet arrived there when the maid came out of the front door and called out to him that he should rejoice, for his wife had given birth to a little boy. The miller stood there as though he had been struck by lightning. He saw very well that the cunning nixie had known this and had cheated him. With his head lowered he went to his wife's bed.

When she said, "Why are you not happy with the beautiful boy? But what can I do? In the meantime, good fortune returned to the miller's house. He succeeded in everything that he undertook. It was as though the trunks and strongboxes filled themselves of their own accord, and as though money in a chest multiplied overnight. Before long his wealth was greater than it had ever been before. However, it did not bring him happiness without concern, for his agreement with the nixie tormented his heart. Whenever he passed the pond he feared she might appear and demand payment of his debt.

He never allowed the boy himself to go near the water. However, year after year passed, and the nixie made no further appearance, so the miller began to feel at ease. The boy grew up to be a young man and was apprenticed to a huntsman. When he had learned this trade and had become a skilled huntsman, the lord of the village took him into his service.

In the village there lived a beautiful and faithful maiden whom the huntsman liked, and when his master noticed this, he gave him a little house. The two were married, lived peacefully and happily, and loved each other sincerely. One day the huntsman was pursuing a deer.

When the animal ran out of the woods and into an open field he followed it and finally brought it down with a single shot. He did not notice that he was in the vicinity of the dangerous millpond, and after he had dressed out the deer, he went to the water in order to wash his blood-stained hands. However, he had scarcely dipped them into the water when the nixie emerged. Laughing, she wrapped her wet arms around him, then pulled him under so quickly that waves splashed over him.

When it was evening and the huntsman did not return home, his wife became frightened. She went out to look for him. He had often told her that he had to be on his guard against the nixie's snares, and that he did not dare to go near the millpond, so she already suspected what had happened.

She hurried to the water, and when she found his hunting bag lying on the bank, she could no longer have any doubt of the misfortune. Crying and wringing her hands, she called her beloved by name, but to no avail. She hurried across to the other side of the millpond, and called him anew. Bull frog, Painted turtle and Elver eel young eel Saturday, September 9th, Retrieving Traps. It was such a beautiful day and we had no idea what was in store for us.

Books by Siara Brandt

It was like we were on a scavenger hunt and it was just so exciting for everyone. I think the best part was having about 5 people who really knew a great deal about different facets of the wildlife we caught.

It is one of the few forms of life that migrate from fresh water to the ocean to spawn in a process described as catadromous. You really must learn more about this cool creature so we added a U. Fish and Wildlife Service information bulletin about the American eel as a subpage to this one. The total count for the morning was 15 painted turtles, 1 twenty to thirty year old snapper - we think it was Fluffy, a few sunfish, a catfish about 8 inches long, baby eels and an adult eel about 1.

Each of these was measured, sex identified when possible , and the turtles were notched. Then they hitched a ride by automobile up to Loop Pond and released. It was a glorious day and a fascinating opportunity to be a part of this adventure! Photographs from today will be presented in order of discovery and you will see the cool animals we captured as the morning progressed. It really was suspenseful and exciting! Kestrel Education Adventures also assisting with the project and providing some educational info. Turtle shells are made of many fused bones. The smaller sections are hard scutes, also called shields, which protect the shell.

Scutes are overlapping pieces of keratin - same substance as your fingernail. The top shell is called Carapace which is made up of about 50 bones - the ribs and vertebrae. The Bridge fuses the top and bottom shells together. Eric Hutchins pulls the first American eel trap These little cuties in pink are here with their grand friends in pink checking out all the cool and unusual animals.

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Look at the Carapace and Plastron They have a small little strip of red at the bottom of the gill Bullhead catfish We caught a nice size Bullhead but some folks were unfamiliar with them. Bullheads have flat broad heads, compact bodies, rounded fins and a squared-off tail. They range in length from 8 to 14 inches and typically weigh 1 to 2 pounds.

Their fins contain saw-toothed spines that they use for defense and can cause an uncomfortable sting upon contact. The back is darker brown and the belly is yellow. Bullheads are omnivorous and rely on their taste buds to locate food. They feed on insect larvae, aquatic insects, crayfish, snails, clams and seaweed.

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Bullheads spawn in late spring to early summer in mud or sand and lay their eggs in rounded depressions in the gravelly bottom. They can tolerate low-oxygen, high-carbon dioxide and prefer the acidic muddy bottom where they "breathe" through their skin. A little catching, measuring, viewing black whiskers, and into the aerated bucket until release.

The crowd assembled to open the Elver trap baby eel trap. The information is documented daily in order to better understand the American eel migratory patterns from the Sargasso Sea into fresh water. Six more pretty Painted turtles. They were pretty worried about her. And what's a mother not to love???

A little nose and chin whiskers. But be careful of her long neck, sharp claws, and finger loving bite. Bottom shell that doesn't cover well. Incredibly long and flexible neck. Pretty eyes and prehistoric tail. Observe the scales on her legs. Check out the holes in the mouth Then gaze into her beautiful eyes.

We heard she had a companion and we hope to save him too!!! Wednesday, September 13th, Setting Traps. Well, we don't happen to have any photographs of today but the work was similar to September 8th so check it out.

• Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
• Amazing Calendar Math Magic.
• .

We set eleven turtle traps and six eel traps. Such gorgeous weather for our work at Mill Pond today.

• Nixie in the mill pond?
• The Nixie in the Pond!
• Household Tales, by Brothers Grimm : The Nix of the Mill-Pond.
• Motherhood as Metaphor: Engendering Interreligious Dialogue (Bordering Religions: Concepts, Conflicts, and Conversations).

We spent the morning and early afternoon with a few local residents that were observing what we were up to, along with a class from Rockport High and Essex Tech. Rick and Eric pulled the turtle and eel traps and had a few really great discoveries. They were bound to become great cronies—if for no other reason than the last. Don't you think it's a good name?

But it's one that's given to a youngster—to a mere child. I'm almost a year old!

The Tale of Master Meadow Mouse by Arthur Scott Bailey, XXIV. Master or Mister?

And yet they still call you 'Master' Meadow Mouse. If I were you I'd get folks to change that. It was plain that Master Meadow Mouse agreed with him in every way. He had already made up his mind that he wouldn't answer to the name of 'Master' Meadow Mouse any longer. And he told Paddy Muskrat as much. Paddy Muskrat said he needed time to think the matter over.