Happy Feast of St. Stephen!

Saint Stephen is commemorated on December 26 in the West and on December 27 in the East.  At the bottom of this post, I have linked two excellent books that we read to our children about King Wenceslas, who himself died a martyr's death and became a saint...

Good King Wenceslas looked out

on the feast of Stephen,

when the snow lay round about,

deep and crisp and even.

Brightly shown the moon that night,

though the frost was cruel,

when a poor man came in sight,

gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me.

If thou know'st it, telling:

yonder peasant, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?"

"Sire, he lives a good league hence,

underneath the mountain,

right against the forest fence

by Saint Agnes fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.

Bring me pine logs hither.

Thou and I will see him dine

when we bear them thither."

Page and monarch, forth they went,

forth they went together

through the rude wind's wild lament

and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now,

and the wind blows stronger.

Fails my heart, I know not how.

I can go no longer."

"Mark my footsteps my good page,

tread thou in them boldly:

Thou shalt find the winter's rage

freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's step he trod,

where the snow lay dented.

Heat was in the very sod

which the Saint had printed.

Therefore, Christian men, be sure,

wealth or rank possessing,

ye who now will bless the poor

shall yourselves find blessing!

STEPHEN'S FEAST by Jean Richardson, illustrations by Alice Englander

"The carol about "Good King Wenceslas'' is expanded into a sentimental story in which a rather thoughtless young page is taken along to see how the less fortunate live; the bounty he and his king take to the humble cottage is shared in a sumptuous feast after the king himself builds up the fire. The telling is adequate if prosaic; it does serve to explicate John Mason Neale's verse, which younger children may find obscure. Englander's attractive illustrations set the story appropriately in medieval Eastern Europe; the page (also named Stephen--it's his birthday as well as the saint's day) looks like an appealing blond member of a modern third grade, while the grandly clothed king is thoughtful and suitably benign. Not essential, but enjoyable." (ages 4-8) -- quote from Kirkus Associates.

GOOD KING WENCESLAS  by Pauline Baynes

Pauline Baynes' (Chronicles of Narnia) beautiful Byzantine-influenced illustrations accompany her exciting telling of the story behind the carol of  King Wenceslas.  (Ages 8 and up)  Her historical note at the end of the book says:  "Wenceslas probably lived between AD 907-929, and began ruling Bohemia about AD 925.  He founded many churches, but his attempt to convert all his subjects to Christianity was not popular.  The precise date of this assassination is not certain, but it was probably September or December AD 929.  He was later canonised, and became a patron saint of Bohemia.