Holidays > Patriotic Holidays > President's Day
Why Lincoln Was Called "Honest Abe"
Print, read and discuss this famous folktale of Abraham Lincoln by Noah Brooks. Discuss some basic facts about the 16th president of the United States. Have children draw and color an illustration of the tale or select a coloring page.



Coloring pages: Abraham Lincoln (click on image to print)
Information about Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln Memorial
Why Lincoln Was Called "Honest Abe"
by Noah Brook
In managing the country store, as in everything
that he undertook for others, Lincoln did his very
best. He was honest, civil, ready to do anything
that should encourage customers to come to the
place, full of pleasantries, patient, and alert.
On one occasion, finding late at night, when he
counted over his cash, that he had taken a few
cents from a customer more than was due, he
closed the store, and walked a long distance to
make good the deficiency.
At another time, discovering on the scales in
the morning a weight with which he had weighed
out a package of tea for a woman the night before,
he saw that he had given her too little for
her money. He weighed out what was due, and
carried it to her, much to the surprise of the
woman, who had not known that she was short
in the amount of her purchase.
Innumerable incidents of this sort are related
of Lincoln, and we should not have space to tell of the alertness with which he
sprang to protect defenseless women from insult, or feeble children from
tyranny; for in the rude community in which he lived, the rights of the
defenseless were not always respected as they should have been. There
were bullies then, as now.
Good Stories for the Holidays - compiled by Frances Jenkins Olcott
Watch this book video: I am Abraham Lincoln!
Author: Brad Meltzer - Illustrator: Christopher Eliopoulus