Listen to this enchanting story of the Winter Solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year. Set within the Arctic Circle, where darkness can linger for days, weeks, and even months, the story explores how people have learned to live with and celebrate the returning light. It also reveals the age-old tradition of sharing a kiss beneath mistletoe, a symbol of hope, connection, and renewal during the darkest time of the year.
After watching the story video, explore the discussion questions and vocabulary words. Record your thoughts, writing, and artwork in your Story Journal. Most of all, have fun! When you’re finished, take a photo of your work and share it with me so I can see your progress.
The Mistletoe Kiss – Storyteller’s Journal
The StoryValues Storyteller’s Journal
The Mistletoe Kiss: A Norse Myth
💬 Story Discussion
1. Understanding The Story
Why was Loki jealous of Balder?
Think about what Balder represented and why everyone loved him. What did Loki represent?
Balder was the sun that everyone loved, while Loki ruled the darkness and nighttime. Think about how that might make Loki feel.
Write your answer in your Story Journal
What did Frigga do to try to protect Balder? Why didn’t her plan work?
Mother Nature had a clever idea to keep Balder safe. What went wrong?
Frigga asked everyone to promise not to hurt Balder. Think about who she forgot to ask and why she didn’t see mistletoe.
Write your answer in your Story Journal
How did Balder come back to life? What does this tell us about love?
What saved Balder and brought him back from death?
What did everyone give to Mother Nature? What special power did those tears have?
Write your answer in your Story Journal
✨ Themes And Values: Love & Kindness
How did Mother Nature show kindness to mistletoe? What does this teach us about treating others with love?
Think about how Mother Nature treated mistletoe even though it was used to hurt Balder.
Did Mother Nature blame mistletoe or punish it? What did she do instead to show kindness and understanding?
Write your answer in your Story Journal
Instead of punishing mistletoe, Mother Nature gave it white berries and made it a symbol of love. Why do you think she did this?
What does this teach us about forgiveness and turning something sad into something beautiful?
Think about how forgiveness can heal and create something positive. When we forgive someone who made an innocent mistake, what kind of world do we create?
Write your answer in your Story Journal
🎨 Drawing Activity
Choose one or more of these drawing options and create your artwork in your Story Journal:
Option 1: Balder The Sun God
Draw Balder as the sun shining brightly in the sky with rays of light spreading warmth across the earth. Show everyone looking up at him with love and admiration.
Option 2: Frigga Gathering Promises
Draw Mother Nature traveling through the world, talking to animals, plants, and stones. Show them all promising to protect Balder. Don’t forget the mistletoe growing high in the tree branches that she missed!
Option 3: The Tears Of Love
Draw the moment when everyone’s tears of love bring Balder back to life. Show the sun returning to the sky and light spreading across the dark world.
Option 4: Your Choice!
Draw your favorite scene from the story or create your own illustration.
✏️ Draw your picture in your Story Journal!
📚 Vocabulary Words
📝 Remember to record these vocabulary words in your Story Journal!
1. Jealous
📖 Definition:
Jealous means feeling unhappy or resentful because someone else has something you want, or because they get more attention, love, or praise than you do. It’s when you wish you had what someone else has.
📝 Example Sentence:
“Loki became jealous of Balder because everyone loved the sun while he ruled the darkness that no one appreciated.”
🔤 Part of Speech Challenge:
What part of speech is the word “jealous”?
“Jealous” is an adjective. It describes a feeling or emotion that a person experiences. In the story, it describes how Loki felt when he saw everyone loving Balder.
🎭 Action Time!
Act it out: Make a jealous face! Cross your arms, look to the side with a frown, and maybe stomp your foot. You can say “It’s not fair! Why does everyone pay attention to them and not to me?” Practice showing that envious, unhappy feeling!
✍️ Your Turn to Write:
📝 In your Story Journal, write your own sentence using the word “jealous”
2. Pierced
📖 Definition:
Pierced means to make a hole in something or to go through something with a sharp object. It can also mean to penetrate or break through.
📝 Example Sentence:
“The mistletoe arrow pierced Balder’s heart, and he fell from the sky.”
🔤 Part of Speech Challenge:
What part of speech is the word “pierced”?
“Pierced” is a verb (past tense). It describes an action that happened in the past. The present tense is “pierce.” In the story, it describes what the arrow did to Balder.
🎭 Action Time!
Act it out: Hold your hand up like you’re holding an arrow. Then thrust it forward quickly through the air and say “Whoosh!” Make a sound effect like “thunk!” when the arrow hits its target. You’ve just shown how something pierces through!
✍️ Your Turn to Write:
📝 In your Story Journal, write your own sentence using the word “pierced”
3. Trembling
📖 Definition:
Trembling means shaking with small, quick movements, usually because of fear, nervousness, cold, or strong emotion. When you tremble, your body shakes involuntarily.
📝 Example Sentence:
“Mother Nature looked up at the trembling mistletoe, who was afraid of being blamed for killing the sun.”
🔤 Part of Speech Challenge:
What part of speech is the word “trembling”?
“Trembling” can be a verb (present participle) or an adjective. As a verb, it describes the action of shaking (e.g., “The leaves were trembling”). As an adjective, it describes someone or something that is shaking (e.g., “the trembling mistletoe”).
🎭 Action Time!
Act it out: Shake your hands, arms, and even your whole body with little rapid movements! Hug yourself and shiver as if you’re scared or cold. You can even make your voice shake when you say “I’m s-s-sorry!” That’s trembling!
✍️ Your Turn to Write:
📝 In your Story Journal, write your own sentence using the word “trembling”
4. Innocent
📖 Definition:
Innocent means not guilty of doing something wrong or causing harm. It can also mean pure, harmless, or without bad intentions. When someone is innocent, they have done nothing wrong.
📝 Example Sentence:
“Mother Nature said, ‘I don’t want anyone blaming innocent mistletoe,’ because it was not the plant’s fault that Loki used it to make the arrow.”
🔤 Part of Speech Challenge:
What part of speech is the word “innocent”?
“Innocent” is an adjective. It describes a quality of someone or something, indicating they are not guilty or harmful. In the story, it describes mistletoe’s true nature.
🎭 Action Time!
Act it out: Put your hands up with palms facing forward in a “stop” gesture, shake your head, and say with an honest, sincere voice: “It wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything wrong!” Make a face that shows you’re telling the truth and you’re surprised someone would think you did something bad. That’s showing you’re innocent!
✍️ Your Turn to Write:
📝 In your Story Journal, write your own sentence using the word “innocent”
5. Token
📖 Definition:
A token is a symbol, sign, or small gift that represents something bigger, like a feeling, idea, or promise. It’s a way of showing or expressing something meaningful.
📝 Example Sentence:
“When people remember the love that brought Balder back to life, they receive a token of love—which is a kiss.”
🔤 Part of Speech Challenge:
What part of speech is the word “token”?
“Token” is a noun. It names a thing, specifically a symbol or sign that represents something else. In the story, the kiss is a token that represents love.
🎭 Action Time!
Act it out: Pretend to give someone a special gift! Hold out your hands as if offering something precious and say “This is a token of my appreciation for you!” You could also give someone a thumbs up or a high five as a token of friendship. Show how small gestures can mean big things!
✍️ Your Turn to Write:
📝 In your Story Journal, write your own sentence using the word “token”
🎯 Vocabulary Quiz 🎯
Test your understanding of the vocabulary words!
1. The mistletoe was __________ because it never meant to cause any harm to Balder.
2. Loki became __________ when he saw how much everyone loved Balder and wanted to destroy him.
3. The arrow __________ Balder’s heart and caused him to fall from the sky.
4. The mistletoe was __________ with fear, worried that everyone would blame it for Balder’s death.
5. A kiss under the mistletoe is a __________ of love that reminds us of the tears that brought Balder back to life.
🌟 Great Job! 🌟
You’ve completed the story discussion, learned 5 important vocabulary words, and created your drawing!
📧 Take a photo of your Story Journal pages and send them to me via email or WeChat so I can see how you’re doing!
