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Cover of Mother Stories from the New Testament A Book of the Best Stories from the New Testament that Mothers can tell their Children — Edition Insights

Mother Stories from the New Testament A Book of the Best Stories from the New Testament that Mothers can tell their Children — Edition Insights

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In Category - Theology

Authors: Anonymous Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible stories, English; Bible. New Testament -- Juvenile literature Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 17,610

Reading time 77 min

Text sections 4

For Mother Stories from the New Testament A Book of the Best Stories from the New Testament that Mothers can tell their Children — Edition Insights, the stored edition analysis reports 17,610 words, 1 hr 17 min estimated reading time, and 4 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 20.8 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Bible stories, English,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #17163

This editorial note examines how the opening, middle, and later excerpts of 'Mother Stories from the New Testament' shape a first reading, focusing on the anonymous author's narrative voice, the framing of parables, and the interplay between biblical text and maternal instruction.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

How this score is calculated

Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg17163

Read the Text

Jesus was nowhere to be found, His parents sorrowfully returned to Jerusalem seeking Him. At last, on the third day, they went to the Temple, and found Jesus sitting in the midst of the aged and learned Jewish doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. "And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers."

His parents were amazed when they saw Jesus in such company. But Mary, while she rejoiced at finding Him, gently said, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." Jesus replied, "How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"

Jesus was the Son of God, and doing God's work was being about His Father's business. Years afterwards He said, "I came not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me."

THE WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES

One day, as the crowds pressed round Him to hear the Word of God, Jesus came to the Lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats drawn up on the shore. Now one of these belonged to a man named Simon Peter, who was at the water's edge washing his nets. Jesus entered into this boat and asked Simon to push it off from the land a little. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when He had done speaking to them He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught of fishes." Simon, answering Him, said, "Master, we have toiled all through the night and have taken nothing, but as you wish it I will let down the net again." And they let down the net into the sea, but it enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that they could not draw them up; and the net brake. Then Simon beckoned to his partners, James and John, who were in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both boats with the fishes, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it he fell down before Jesus, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all that were with him were astonished at the marvellous draught of fishes which they had taken. And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not, Simon Peter; from henceforth thou shalt be a fisher of men." Meaning that he was to go about winning souls for God, instead of being a fisherman.

And when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all they had and followed Christ.

THE HOUSE BUILT UPON THE SAND.

What a foolish man the builder of the house shown in our picture must have been! Of course, when the wind blew and the waves dashed against his house, it would fall. Look how the sea has washed the foundation away, and how the roof is falling in! And the people; see how they are fleeing to save their lives! And all this calamity because he built his house upon the sand. But the other house, shown in the distance: how firmly that stands! What a bold front it offers to the waves, and how safely it resists the fury of the storm. Its foundations are sure, because they rest upon the solid rock.

Jesus had been teaching the people. He had taught them many wonderful truths, which you will find written in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew; and in closing He said, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." The lesson Jesus sought to impress upon the people by this parable was, that it is not enough simply to hear what He says. Many will do that; but it is only those who remember Christ's commandments and keep them, whose work will stand when the time of trial comes.

HEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT.

Continue Reading →

The anonymous author of Mother Stories from the New Testament immediately establishes a dual audience: the mother who will tell the stories and the child who will hear them. The title page declares the book is for mothers to tell their children, and the opening story, “The Wise Men’s Visit,” begins with a direct statement: “The birth of Jesus Christ was announced by two remarkable events.” This plain, declarative style persists throughout, avoiding complex theology in favor of clear narrative. The author often inserts explanatory asides, such as noting that wise men “were probably astronomers,” which signals a pedagogical intent to clarify unfamiliar terms for young listeners.

Narrative Voice and Maternal Framing

The author’s voice is consistently instructive and affectionate. In “The Good Shepherd,” the text shifts from parable to direct address: “Now, why does Jesus call Himself the ‘good shepherd’… Is it not because He loves us?” This rhetorical question invites the mother-reader to pause and engage the child. The author also uses inclusive language like “we” and “us,” as in “May we seek to follow Him,” creating a shared devotional moment. The maternal framing is reinforced by the book’s series title, “Altemus’ Mother Stories,” which positions the mother as the primary interpreter. The author does not merely retell Bible stories but models how a mother might explain them, often ending with a moral application, such as “Are we giving Him our love now?”

Parables as Teaching Tools

The excerpts show a careful selection of parables that lend themselves to simple moral lessons. “The Unmerciful Servant” concludes with the Lord’s Prayer phrase “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us,” directly linking the story to a familiar prayer. Similarly, “The Lost Piece of Money” emphasizes the joy of repentance, with the author repeating Jesus’ words: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner that repenteth.” The author often adds a brief explanation after the parable, as in “The Good Shepherd,” where the metaphor is unpacked: “He gave His life for us when He died on the cross.” This pattern—story, explanation, application—makes the parables accessible without theological complexity.

Structure and Repetition Across Stories

Each story follows a consistent structure: a heading, a brief narrative, and often a concluding moral or question. The headings are simple, such as “The Wise Men’s Visit” or “The Prodigal Son,” and the text rarely exceeds a few paragraphs. The author frequently repeats key phrases from the biblical text, such as “the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep,” reinforcing the message. The stories are self-contained, allowing a mother to read one aloud in a single sitting. The table of contents lists 48 stories, suggesting a deliberate pacing. The repetition of structure and language creates a predictable rhythm that aids comprehension for young listeners.

Illustrations and Their Implied Role

The book includes “forty-five illustrations,” though the excerpts do not describe them. However, the text occasionally references the pictures, as in “like the kind shepherd is doing in our picture” from “The Good Shepherd.” This indicates that the illustrations are integral to the reading experience, providing visual anchors for the stories. The author likely expected mothers to point to the images while telling the story. The captions, such as “THE SHEPHERD AND THE LAMBS,” further connect text and image. The illustrations would have been especially important for children who could not yet read, making the book a shared visual and verbal experience.

Reading these excerpts sequentially reveals a deliberate pedagogical design: the anonymous author prioritizes clarity, repetition, and moral application over narrative embellishment. The stories are not mere retellings but tools for religious instruction, carefully framed for a mother’s voice. A first-time reader should note how the author balances fidelity to the biblical text with explanatory additions, and how the illustrations likely complement the verbal narrative. This book is best approached as a script for oral performance, where the mother’s tone and pacing bring the stories to life.

There’s a particular hush in those morning readings, the way the parables feel less like lessons and more like quiet windows. I found that same unhurried wondering again in Studies in Prophecy — A Closer Reading, though it reads like a candle lit in a different room. Both feel like old friends speaking softly, asking nothing of me.