Waldorf stories for Class 3: Old Testament / Hebrew Scriptures/ Farming

Block 1 : Creation Stories

“And There Was Light” by Jakob Streit
“The Story Bible” by Pearl S. Buck
Michael and the Dragon. 7 Days of Creation, Paradise, The Fall, Cain and Abel, Sons of Cain, Creating Music, Domesticating Animals, Iron work, Wickedness on the Earth, Enoch

Block 2: Place Value, Vertical Addition and Subtraction

Maths– farmer has too many apples and everything is in a mess. He isn’t very good at counting or sorting things out, you see. Two children help sort them into bags (10), trays (100), boxes (1000), vans (10,000). The farmer is very grateful and the children help him get his apples to market. Message: Don’t laugh at those who struggle. Help them.
Nature story: Through the eyes of an Apple Tree – Living through the different seasons, how it felt when it grew buds, flowers, when the petals dropped and tiny red apples began to grow, and how it enjoyed the childrenpicking and enjoying its sweet apples.
The Lazy Fox and the Armadillo: eating the top or bottom of the plant? (From Argentina – a farming tale about growing potato, wheat & corn)
The Barber’s Clever Wife (tricks thieves into ploughing the land – Punjabi Tale)
Nature story: How Squirrel Nutkin builds her drey in Hanworth Park and watches the children as they play during their break time
Buried Treasure: 3 brothers are too lazy to plough the land, but a promise of finding buried treasure motivates them to dig up their garden. They do find treasure, but not the kind they expected!
Harvest Story: Children harvest wheat together. (Themes: helping, sharing, comforting.) At the end of the day, when all the children proudly show the angel of the harvest what they have collected, one child has collected nothing because he gave his sheaves away to other children, and he spent time comforting the sad and helping others. The angel of the harvest praises him and asks him to lead the way through the golden gates.)
Old Testament Stories
“And There Was Light” by Jakob Streit
“The Story Bible” by Pearl S. Buck

Block 3: Measurement

The king’s foot – Imperial measurement
The king wanted a new cloak. His tailor measured him and calculated how much material to buy, measuring using his feet. He went to buy fine material. But the shopkeeper was short and had small feet, so when he measured out the cloth using his feet… the king was displeased with the results! And so he decided that HIS royal foot would become the standard of measurement. Hence, 1 foot = the length of his foot.

“And There Was Light” by Jakob Streit
Enoch Makes His First Offering .Enoch Finds the Cave of the Holy Book.EnochÕs Wanderings.The Mountain of God and Its Priests..Enoch’s Ascension into Heaven . Old Methusala.Where Is the House of the Righteous?..Noah’s Birth.The Child Noah’s Anger.The City of a Hundred Idols..The Command.The King with the Black Crown.Raphael Guides Noah to the Book of Life..

Block 4: Writing and Composition

“And There Was Light” by Jakob Streit
“The Story Bible” by Pearl S. Buck
NOAH, The Commandment to Build the Ark. Sem, Ham, Jafet, and the Animals. Will the Ark Be Destroyed?.Gathering the Animals.Entering the Ark.Adam’s Casket .The Ark Is Sealed and the Rain Begins to Fall.The Flood..Distress in the Ark..Raven-Flight and Dove-Message.The New World.The Offering of Thanks..The Devil in Noah’s Vines..Sem and the Angels.

“Journey to the Promised Land” by Jakob Streit
“The Story Bible” by Pearl S. Buck
ABRAHAM, King Nimrod, The Tower of Babel, The Birth of Abram, Abram and Nimrod, The Confusion of Tongues, Abram Journeys to Canaan, Abraham’s Tree, Visit of the Three Men, The Destruction of the City of Sodom, ISAAC, The Boy Isaac, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Isaac and Rebecca, JACOB, Jacob and Esau Isaac’s Blessing

Block 5: Time

“Journey to the Promised Land” by Jakob Streit
“The Story Bible” by Pearl S. Buck
– Jacob
Epiphany, The 3 Kings, mention observation of stars, and time
Artaban, The 4^th Wise Man – the wise man who stopped to help so many people that he was too late to see Baby Jesus. He spends the rest of his life searching. A lovely story about kindness. Is seeing the holy child more important? Or helping the weak and downtrodden? “What you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”
The Thistle – How the Thistle saved the Holy Family
12 Months – A Greek Fairytale
13 Moons on a Turtle’s Back
The Twelve Months – Alexander Chodsvko – Slav Fairy Tales