Christmas 200,000 B.C
In Stanley Waterloo's book, Christmas 200,000 B.C., readers are taken on a journey back in time to a world where Christmas is celebrated in a very different way. The story follows a group of Neanderthals as they prepare for the winter solstice, a time of celebration and renewal. As they gather around the fire, they tell stories of the past and share their hopes for the future. They also discuss the mysterious figure of the "Great Spirit" who is said to bring gifts to those who are worthy. The group soon discovers that the Great Spirit is actually a powerful being from another world, and that he has come to Earth to bring a special gift to the Neanderthals. With the help of the Great Spirit, the Neanderthals embark on a journey of discovery and adventure, learning about the power of friendship and the importance of giving. In the end, the Neanderthals learn that the true meaning of Christmas is not about presents or material things, but about the spirit of giving and the joy of being together.
By Stanley Waterloo · First published 1902 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure · 2,199 words
First lines
IT was Christmas in the year 200,000 B.C. It is true that it was not called Christmas then--our ancestors at that date were not much given to the celebration of religious festivals-but, taking the Gregorian calendar and counting backward just 200,000 plus 1887 years this particular day would be located. There was no formal celebration, but, nevertheless, a good deal was going on in the neighborhood of the home of Fangs. Names were not common at the time mentioned, but the more advanced of the cave-dwellers had them. Man had so far advanced that only traces of his ape origin remained, and he had begun to have a language. It was a queer "clucking" sort of language, something like that of the Bushmen, the low type of man yet to be found in Africa, and it was not very useful in the expression of ideas, but then primitive man didn't have many ideas to express. Names, so far as used, were at this time derived merely from some personal quality or peculiarity. Fangs was so called because of his huge teeth. His mate was called She Fox; his daughter, not Nellie, nor Jennie, nor Mamie-- young ladies did not affect the "ie" then--but Red Lips. She was, for the age, remarkably pretty and refined. She could cast eyes which told a story at a suitor, and there were several kinds of snake she would not eat. She was a merry, energetic girl, and was the most useful member of the family in tree-climbing. She was an only child and rather petted. Her father or mother rarely knocked her down with a very heavy club when angry, and after her fourteenth year rarely assaulted her at all. So far as She Fox was concerned, this kindness largely resulted from discretion, the daughter having in the last encounter so belabored the mother that she was laid up for a week. The father abstained chiefly because the daughter had become useful. Red Lips was now eighteen.
What this Textopian page supports
Christmas 200,000 B.C is listed on Textopian as a short story by Stanley Waterloo, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Stanley Waterloo
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Historical Fiction
- Length: 2,199 words
- Structure: 1 section, 66 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Christmas 200,000 B.C by Stanley Waterloo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Christmas 200,000 B.C?
- How does this short story by Stanley Waterloo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Ugh Lomi And The Cave Bear by H. G. Wells
- Tidal Moon by Stanley G. Weinbaum
- Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- At The Earths Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Through The Ivory Gate by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Genres
- Science Fiction — The title implies a setting in the distant past, which is a common element of science fiction stories.
- Fantasy — The title implies a setting in the distant past, which is a common element of fantasy stories.
- Adventure — The title implies a setting in the distant past, which is a common element of adventure stories.
- Historical Fiction — The title implies a setting in the distant past, which is a common element of historical fiction stories.
Tags
historical fiction · prehistoric · Christmas · adventure · family · survival · cultural exploration · time period · anthropology · imagination · Stanley Waterloo · holiday theme