How Flax Was Given to Men

A myth retold from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook

This myth comes from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook, published in 1902. Holda is a goddess from Germanic and Norse tradition who was believed to teach people useful skills. This story explains how people learned to grow flax and make linen cloth from its blue flowers. The tale shows that sometimes a simple gift can be more valuable than treasure, and that wisdom lies in choosing what is truly useful. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 313 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

The Book of Nature Myths, Florence Holbrook · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.