The Little Red House

with no Doors & no Windows

& a Star inside
Adapted by C.J.Brown

One crisp Autumn day a boy named Peter was looking for something to do. His mother was busy making applesauce and couldn't stop to play with him, so she suggested that he go on a quest.

"What is a quest?" asked Peter.

"A quest is a search for something important that is very hard to find," said his mother.

"What shall I look for?" asked Peter.

His mother thought for a moment. "You could look for the Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside," his mother said.

Peter had never heard of such a strange house, but he supposed that it would be more fun to go on a quest than to sit and wait for the applesauce to cook, so he put on his jacket and hat and set out on his way.

Peter didn't know where he should start looking, but he knew his mother would never set him a task that would be too hard for him to accomplish, so he walked along the street looking at all the houses. All of the houses he passed had doors and windows and none of them seemed like the sort of house that would have a star inside.

Peter saw a little girl playing in the park. He decided to ask her if she knew about the Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside.

The little girl said, "I have never heard of such an unusual house. Let's go ask my father. He is a farmer. He knows how to make the crops grow and when it will rain. Maybe he knows about the Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside."

Peter followed the little girl. They walked down the lane, over the hill and to a small white farmhouse. The girl's father was sitting on the porch. Beside him were bushel baskets of golden corn and squash, which he had harvested that morning.

"Daddy," said the little girl, "This is Peter. He is looking for a Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside. Do you know where he can find it?"

The farmer took off his hat and scratched his head. "I heard of such a house once, but I never tried to find it. Maybe you should ask my Granny. She is very old and very wise. She knows how to make apple pies and red mittens. Maybe she can tell you where it is."

Peter set of down the road looking for Granny's cottage. He walked all morning and was beginning to get very hungry when when he finally arrived at the Granny's gate. The old lady was sitting in rocking chair on the front porch knitting some red mittens.

"Excuse me, Granny" said Peter, "The farmer told me that you might be able to help me with my quest. I am looking for the Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and with a Star Inside. Could you help me?"

The old woman's face was as wrinkled as an apple doll's. It wrinkled even more when she squinted at Peter and smiled. "I have heard of that house, but I never tried to find it. Perhaps you should ask the Wind. He sees and hears everything."

Peter walked to the top of a high hill and called to the wind. "Excuse me, Wind, do you know where I can find Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside?"

"Yes-s-s-s," answered the Wind in it's gusty voice. "I know where that hous-s-s-se is-s-s-s. Follow me."

Peter followed the wind. Sometimes the wind would push him gently in the direction it wished him to go and other times it would snatch off his hat and throw it into the air in a silly game of catch.

They went down the hill and through the vale. They finally arrived at an apple orchard. The Wind climbed into a tree and threw an apple down to Peter.

Peter picked up the apple and looked at it. The apple was red as rubies and shiny in the sun. With it's stiff brown stem sticking up like a chimney it did look like a little house with no doors and no windows.

"But what about the star?" asked Peter. "Where is the star?"

"Ins-s-side," whispered the Wind. "Cut it open from s-s-side to s-s-side."

Peter took his pocket knife and did as the wind instructed. He cut the apple from side to side and when he opened it, there was a star inside holding the apple's seeds.

"Thank you, Wind" called Peter as he ran towards him home.

"You're welcome, Peter," whistled the Wind.

"Granny, I found it! Thank you for helping me," he shouted as he ran past her cottage. Granny just nodded and smiled.

"Farmer, I found it! Thank you for helping me," he shouted as he ran past the farmer's corn field. The farmer waved and smiled.

Peter didn't stop running till he got home. "I found it, Mom!" he said.

"I knew you would" smiled his mother as she gave him a big hug and a spoonful of applesauce.

The End

 

 Apple Star Prints

After you have shared the story of the Little Red House with your children (or group), it is fun to make block prints using your cut apples. Of course you can use other fruits and vegetables to make other shapes, but the natural penticle inside an apple is a fun for all kinds of pagan applications from stationary to tee-shirts.

Materials