When we were kids, my friend Catherine and I both spent a lot of time in doctor’s waiting rooms. This weekend on our retreat we were reminiscing about a book of stories we would read while waiting. The stories were always parables about good character, with a Christian flavor.
There was a story about some kids who started a club that left surprise packages for neighbors and shut-ins, and one about a selfish boy who always grabbed the biggest piece of pie or cake for himself. His mother set up a family feast in which the biggest and tastiest-looking items were the nastiest: chocolate candy filled with something bitter, a hollow pie. The boy learned his lesson that day and always waited for the others to choose first.
We remembered the stories vividly, but couldn’t remember the name of the book. Well, today Catherine tracked it down: Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories. Anybody else remember them?
I was actually searching the web for copies of Uncle Arthur’s stories, and ran across your site. My Mom used to read them to us. I have a personal favorite…the one about the toothpaste …how hateful words coming out of your mouth are like squeezing the toothpaste out of the tube…once they are out, you can never put them back. I’m almost 50 now and have never forgotten that story… I’d love to find a copy of the books to share with my kids.
That’s the amazing thing — how vivid those stories were! I’ll never forget the one about the greedy boy and the hollow pie.
You can get the books through Amazon but they are very expensive.
And for me, The Surprise Package Company was most memorable.
I looked all around the web and there are so many volumes and editions that I’d have a hard time figuring out which one it was I read.
Absolutely, I remember these books. Every night we were rewarded for brushing our teeth, washing our hands and face, getting on our p.j.s and crawling into bed by mom or dad coming in, sitting beside us on the bed, and reading one of these Bedtime stories. As I fell asleep I would be reflecting on them. They made a very deep impression, and although I drifted far from my original moorings, I was brought through it all back to my original values, or which these were so important. I am so grateful for it all. I was lying in bed feeling terror for the world and wondering how we could have come to a place where we allow the Muslims to dictate to us, even to the point where the UN now has disavowed the facts of the holocost because the truth offends these people. I am so horrified by this. I remembered how I was raised and thought of these books as being part of my earliest reality. I then did a word search to see if I could find them to see if I could pass these on to people trying to raise children today, and found your query. We have gone so far astray, and this from a person who went WAY WAY out there but came back. We MUST find a way to reclaim the truth we were raised with or be dictated to by people who will behead us for not adhering to their version of (TOTALLY FALSE) “the truth”
The UN has *not* denied the Holocaust.
For more info, see http://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance/
A friend sent me an email and it was about ‘I can sleep when the wind blows’ and its beautiful and at the end it mentions Uncle Arthur’s stories. It immediately took me right back to my childhood in New Zealand. I have four brothers and when we were young my parents would read to us from Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime stories. They had a big impact. My Mum passed away a bit over two years ago and I would just love to be able to say to her, Hey Mum, guess what I have found.
My sister found a copy, but it wasn’t the volume that had my beloved “Surprise Package Company”
I came from a broken family and rather lacked parental guidance most of my life. One day, our school librarian gave me a copy of one of Uncle Arthur’s books and I will forever be grateful. Uncle Arthur’s books gave me some solace and a push in the right direction. My favorite story is about a boy and his “friend from the bus” and of how a simple act of courtesy and friendliness can bring such great rewards.
[...] ever feel unappreciated? Whenever you’re feeling down, just check out the comments on Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories. A sampling: I’m almost 50 now and have never forgotten that story… I have four brothers and [...]
My Mom read these books to us when we were kids and I read them to my kids also. I really liked the stories. I especially liked the one called “The Two Carolynes”, about a girl who was very sweet at school and horrid at home and how her mother solved the problem. These books teach kids good values. You can find these and many more books he wrote at http://www.uncle-arthurs.com/ua/browse_books.php
when i was growing up deep in an African village in the early 70’s, we were poor and my parents couldnt afford to buy books. then a miracle happened. i visited a family in the city who happened to have a bedtime story book by Uncle Arthur. i never forgot the stories and i promised myself that when i grew up i would buy the set and keep it for my chldren. i bought the books when i got married and enjoyed reading them so much. the kids then came and i enjoyed reading to them as much. My favourite story was the kid and the hollow pie. The books helped shape the way my kids grew up. Thank you so so much. i will soon be a grandma and the books are still around . cant wait to read to my grandchild.
I’m still trying to find the volume I want at a reasonable price.
I grew up listening to these stories a lot. In fact, my grandpa used to sell these books, so my family ended up with a few old display copies that were for doctor’s offices and stuff. We also had a whole set of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories. You can get some at http://www.uncle-arthurs.com/ua/browse_books.php. Not all the books it lists are currently available, but some are. If you don’t want to pay as much, you can get a new set of some of Uncle Arthur’s stories (a more recent compilation) at this website: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/Detail.tpl?sku=0904748995.
http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/browse.tpl. You can also get a CD of Uncle Arthur telling some of his stories (we had a tape of that when I was a kid, and it was really fun to listen to). I hope you guys can find what you’re looking for!
My grandmother bought a set of Bed Time stories at campmeeting during the 70’s. I remember reading them every Sabbath afternoon at her house. I read every single volume time and time again. I read them to my children when they were young and even now as teenagers they still sometimes want to hear them. I often use the stories when I tell children’s story as church. People tell me what a great story teller I am but really I owe it all to Uncle Arthur!
Hi Catherine,
“Wilfred’s Secret” is the name of the story about the Surprise Package Company. It is the second story in the first volume of the 1964 edition. “The Hollow Pie” is also in the first volume. “The Two Carolines” is in volume two. We have the 20 volume set. My mother used to read them to us as children and now I read them to my children. They love them and I love reading to them. The other day my four year old mentioned the moral of one of the stories that I had read months ago. He had to remind me which story it was from and then I remembered and he had the moral of the story correct and recalled it at an appropriate time. I go through about one volume a month. They would have me read even more but I try to make them last so I supplement these stories with The Bible Stories ten volume set by Uncle Arthur. They like these as well.
I hope you have found volume 1 by now if you
haven’t I think I can get you one.
I read them to my 5 children at bed time, and now
read them to my 10 GRANDCHILDREN great
bedtime stories. God Bless You !!!
Sue L.
I’m looking for Volume 1 (the same one Catherine was) – so according to Adam I want Volume 1 of the 1964 edition. Anyone know where to buy a copy?
Thank you Adam, I did not realize I should have been searching for Wilfred’s Secret rather than the Surprise Package Company. That story was my daughter’s favorite and now that she is a mother herself I would love to give her a copy for Christmas. So I am also looking for Volume 1 of the 1964 edition. Anyone know where there is still a copy?
You should try Abe Books (online). They list several different volumes and sets. I have a copy of Volume 1 and I think it is the 1964 edition. I’ve been reading it to my 5 yo niece and 8 yo nephew a lot over the last few months. They really enjoy it.
I found this blog because I am trying to find a listing of the Tables of Contents of the different volumes. Anyone have any ideas about that?
Thanks Gwendolyn, I will give Abe Books a try. No idea about Tables of Contents, sorry. Good question though, good luck with that.
Am I the only one who got nightmares from these books? I’m 55 and read them when I was very young; the ones I remember are the terrifying ones like the girl who got malaria and lied about taking her quinine medicine and almost died! Cats and babies dying in house fires! People being buried alive under rocks! When it came to learning morals and behavioral lessons “Mrs. Piggle Wiggle” actually taught me more, I think.
Aaargh! I just remembered the one about the little boy who died with his hand propped up so Jesus would take him! These horrified me!
I too remeber reading them as a child in Kenya in the late 50’s. I particularly remember “Just a minute Janet”
and the one mentioned above about the little boy who died withhis hand up for Jesus ot take him. Used to make me cry every time. as an adult ican put a better
slant on it. ie. at least he knew he wanted to go to be with Jesus and his friend helped him to do that by propping his arm up for him. Helping him to find Christ in a way. Still makes me cry though!
I was looking for the 1940’s edition with the plain red cloth cover when I came across all these comments! The story I was thinking of was about a little girl who was very curious and was always disassembling things-in my minds eye I swear I see a picture of her with a screwdriver and an alarm clock. ( Sometimes I wonder if this is the start of losing short term memory and having long term become even more vivid.) I also remember a very scary(to me) full page picture of Jesus on the right side of the book-not the one on the cross but one of Him knocking at your door??
I am also looking for another book of that era and this is all I remember—-it had a navy blue cloth cover and I think the title had something to do with angels or guardian angel. Anybody else remember it?
Dr. Bauer’s Optometry office in Loogootee has a copy and it is the one with the story about the surprise packages for the neighbors and shut-ins! I’m 56 years old and remember these when I was a child.
I used to read them in Dr. Sorrells’ office in Bedford. I probably saw them at Dr. Bauer’s at some point, too.
For anyone looking at this site you can find Uncle arthurs Bedtime Stories on several sites and can find really good deals. You just have to take the time to look. I found my at a yard sale. I also found more to complete my set on ebay. I am sure alot of bookstores have these books also. Please don’t quit looking….
I grew up in Kenya in the seventies, a Hindu child in a joint family with thirteen cousins and siblings. Amidst the chaos of life in a joint family, I discovered Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories in a Christian reading room. His stories brought calm and solace, and a firm set of moral values that otherwise would have been passed on patchily or not at all in the bustle of a joint family. i remember fuzzily the story about the boy that heaped “hot coals” (?). Although I am still a HIndu (although not a practising one), I cherish the guiding force that Uncle Arthur’s stories provided in my childhood.
“Aaargh! I just remembered the one about the little boy who died with his hand propped up so Jesus would take him! These horrified me!”
That’s the one! I just bought 5 volumes of Uncle Arthur at a rummage sale, looking specifically for that story. Couldn’t find it, so I turned to Google and found this page.
The storyline: Little Billy was in a terrible accident and lay in hospital in awful pain. Little Timmy visits and helps to prop his arm up on pillows, saying that’s how Jesus will know to come take him to Heaven. By morning … Little Billy is dead!
I read that one as a young kid (waiting for the dentist to come take me to the chair). Quite an impression; that night and on successive nights, I experimented with propping up my arm a bit more … a bit more. Don’t recall how many times, but I well remember the morning I woke with my arm still fully propped up … kind of amazing in itself, and I got “pins and needles” like my hand was on fire, but mostly I was thrilled to prove the author of the book was a big liar!
I managed to grow up an atheist, and I can thank Uncle Albert for at least a small part in helping out with that
I have managed to assemble the entire 20-volume set from the 1964-1967 printing, but it cost me several hundred dollars, between eBay and Amazon. My advice to anyone looking for these volumes is: You will find the first few volumes much quicker than the later ones. The higher the volume, the rarer it is. I got a matching set of the first 10 volumes, it’s a plain dark brown cover with no pictures like the ones I remember. Volumes 11-20 have the pictures, and I had to buy those piecemeal. It took me almost 2 years to find them all.
Oh–also wanted to say that my favorite story out of all of them was in Volume 15 and was called “Johnny’s Little Jokes,” about a fat little boy who played tricks on his mom one too many times and got his butt whipped for it. Come to think of it, just about every story involves a butt whipping. Uncle Arthur liked spanking WAYYYYYY too much. lol
[...] These scans are from 3 kiddy books I bought from charity shops in Edinburgh a couple of months ago – Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories. Aren’t they awesome? I like the Peggy pigtails one best. I plan to make Moo name cards out of them, for my store. But first, will wait for the last batch I ordered to arrive. Apparently there’s a cult following for this series of books, and with their kitschy factor, it’s no wonder. Read more about Uncle Arthur here. And this is a really nice recollection blog post, here. [...]
I have a set of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories that belonged to my Mother and her sisters (my mom is 92 years old). I can’t find a date in any of the books, but then again, there are only a couple that still have a cover on them. I treasure these books very much. The books are numbered (series 1) thru (series 16).
we still have a copy at home…and as i was reading the other posts my mom reminded me of swami and the crocodiles. a bit gruesome, but if this story is true (i dont know of any claim of its being true/false), it’s worth telling.
I have been looking for a book we had when I was a child, that may well have been one of the Uncle Arthur’s books. Does anyone who has this series recognize a story about doughnut holes, and a story about a girl who stole some custard that turned out to be mustard. Both of these were in the book we had, and I would like to find a copy of this book, if I knew which it was.