A delightful story that employs a type of repetition that is common in folktales. Originally a Chinese folktale from the Qing dynasty, this particular rendition was adapted for an American audience by Claire Huchet Bishop.
Use with permission from Childcraft and World Books Inc.
Music: https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
Before there were hand-held recorders or computers, there were newspapermen who had to carefully write down every single word of a speech or event and then rush back to his office to get their words typeset and into print. People were as anxious to get their news then as they are now! Listen to hear about a particularly exciting adventure of a man who carried an important speech through the rainy streets of London.
Sometimes people find their calling late in life and some find it earlier. The story today is about a little girl who helps her brother recover from a leg injury and eventually becomes one of the most famous nurses in history. As founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton's continues to bless people around the world. Enjoy!
The story today is about a impressive young man who solves a problem while onlookers laughed at him. There were many things in his life that required deep strength and resilience. Enjoy this story about a young Abraham Lincoln!
It's been a while but here is part 2! Jump into the delightful world of poetry.
Welcome to our special Halloween episode! Young Heinrich listens to his father's story about a monster and decides that he needs to investigate the details of the story for himself.
I found two delightful stories from American Indian legends... why babies goo and why the rabbit has a stubby tail :) Enjoy!
We are all familiar with the story of Cinderella; but did you know that there is a similar story from thousands of years ago? Around 500 years BC and was written down in a first century geography text. There isn't a fairy godmother, but someone definitely steps in as matchmaker, and it might not be what you expect. Enjoy!
Ever wonder where bluetooth technolgy got its name? Wonder no longer, and enjoy todays episode about a Viking King, Harold Bluetooth!
When a society makes quick steps forward in technology and inventions, safety concerns will sometimes arise. Once the need is known, there are always sharp minds who can come up with clever solutions. The story today is about a tragedy and the invention that it sparked!
New inventions are often met with skepticism and are tested against the things they were made to replace. The story today is about that exact situation-- the Tom Thumb, the newly invented steam locomotive, is challenged to a race with a horse. Will it be able to prove itself or be declared a failure? Listen and find out :)
Have you ever been so busy and wished that one of the things on your "to do" list could just magically be completed on its own? Well, that's pretty much what happens every time we turn on an appliance and walk away! It is really thanks to inventions that we can be "in two places at the same time." The story today tells about a young man who created a machine to get him out of a tight spot. Enjoy!
Dreams can be funny or scary or just plain confusing. But in today's story, a dream ending up being quite useful! Listen to find out all about it :)
Music used for the episode:
https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
No one wants to think that they are too old to still be useful, and the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster in this story certainly have that in common. To avoid their respective fates, they band together to become the musicians that they were meant to be. And they find more adventure than they originally bargained for!
Do you ever wish that you could just talk to a pot and have it fill up with your favorite food? Unlimited soup or pasta sounds pretty good to me. The Brothers Grimm play with that idea in this delightful story about a magic pot that goes a little wrong. Enjoy!
Today's episode is a charming story, although perhaps lesser known, from the great Hans Christian Anderson. If they had hashtags in the mid 1800s, I think this one would be labeled #CoupleGoals
Music credit for the episode
https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
A mother dragon tells a story of her husband's heroics for her children's bedtime story.
Mentioned in the episode:
"The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" ISBN # 9780140544510
Music used:
https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
Traitors are discovered within the ranks of Mighty Kamehameha's circle of Chieftains, which threatens to upend the unity of the entire Kingdom of Hawaii. Will the King simply put the men to death or give them a more fitting either-or? Listen and find out!
Mentioned in the episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9l7qrUYpMw
Music used for the episode:
https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
The year is 1840. Scientist and explorer Louis Agassiz is the first human even to go inside a glacier well. This story is about that journey! Listen to find out about the surprise he got at the bottom...
Episode music credit:
https://freetouse.com/music/pufino/enlivening
A young Frenchman, enthusiastic for the cause of the American Revolution, is in England and desperately making his way to a ship bound for America. The trouble? Soldiers, hot on his heels. Will he make it to his ships? Or will his failure be the only mention of him in history? Listen to find out!