Super Great Kids' Stories

Storyteller Simone Schuemmelfeder shares this delightful Spanish tale of a miserable old woman who hates autumn because of children stealing the delicious pears from her tree. One day, an old man appears and asks for a pear using the magic word ‘please’. He gets his pear. In return, the old woman is given a wish which means she never hates autumn again, and the local children learn an important lesson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One little weeping willow annoys his friends so much with his complaining that eventually they all move away to the other side of the land. So who will help him when he’s faced with a serious problem? Listen to genius North American storyteller Sheila Arnold to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An old Welsh farming couple mourn the loss of their farm assistant. Shortly after, they’re joined by a mysterious creature called a Bwca who starts helping them at night - unseen and uninvited. But suddenly he stops being helpful, and starts causing big trouble. Can the farmer and his wife make friends with the Bwca, once again, or will they have to flee their home? Listen to master storyteller Daniel Morden weave another of his magical tales from Wales. Warning: this slightly scary story has a death in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Take one fierce hairy Buggane (an ogre-like creature), a trickster tailor, and a ruined church and you have the setting for quite a story told by Kim. Be a little bit afraid. Feel the fear and listen anyway. Warning: this story is a little bit scary because it has a hairy monster in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A grumpy witch, an overworked donkey, and a mean merchant. Amy Douglas tells this entertaining story from Shropshire in England about an animal-loving witch who gets revenge and teaches locals a lesson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To conjure up our new theme - Stories of Magic, we have: a powerful wizard, a book full of secrets, a curious boy, wriggling words, and a clawed creature determined to be free. It’s all here, blended into one magical story told by master storyteller from Wales: Daniel Morden. Don’t miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A long time ago - back in the Dreamtime, the animals hold a competition to decide who is best at jumping, dancing, singing and running. Joolah the Lyrebird wants to dance, but he’s too shy and embarrassed by his straggly tail feathers to compete. So Joolah stands apart to watch the events. But watching and listening can bring its own reward. Listen to Warren Foster Junior tell this moving story to discover who the real winner is in these games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A long time ago- back when the animals could talk, the earth is dark and cold. But when a lightning storm sets fire to a tree in the distance, the animals delight in the light and warmth - and agree they want some of that for themselves. But how can they safely fetch it and bring it back across the water to their camp? Listen to Lisa La-Rue Baker tell this beautiful story of ingenuity and courage and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A word to the grown-ups: this story told by Jason Buck is not scary, it’s very funny – and brilliantly told, but it’s does include toilet humour including quite a few sound effects - so, if you want to discourage giggles about ‘p-o-o’ this is probably not the story for your children. We also have another fun story this week from Greece called The magical sneeze. In this funny story from Scandanavia, told by Jason Buck, a poor family are asked to donate a barrel of their finest ale to a troll. Would you give a troll a barrel of beer? Well it’s just as well this family did, because they were given a magic barrel in return for their kindness, and it’s a gift which keeps on giving. But listen on, there’s a twist in the tale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, a storyteller new to Super Great Kids’ Stories - Despina Ariou tells a fun quest tale about 6 animal friends who meet a pedlar and then mysteriously lose their voices. They head into the forest to find the pedlar and discover what they need to do in order to recover their lost voices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Indigenous Australian, Warren Foster Senior, tells a dreamtime story about Bungoo the Flying Fox. Bungoo is bored, because all his friends want to do is search for fruit. So he decides to go off in search of more exciting friends. Bungoo finds himself caught up in battles between the furry and the feathered creatures. Listen to this ‘How and Why’ story, and find out what Bungoo learns on his travels about friends and family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know that in many Spanish speaking countries, children who lose a tooth are visited by Ratoncito Pérez – a tooth mouse! Juliana Marin the travelling storyteller from Colombia tells a story about a little boy who happens to be a King, and a rather hairy tooth fairy …ok he’s a mouse really. What gift will the tooth mouse give the young King? Listen to Juliana tell this heart-warming tale and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Word has it that Bad King John is coming to the village of Gotham for a royal hunt. The villagers know that this greedy King will kill and eat all the wild animals in their woods. So, they come up with a cunning plan: when the King’s Herald arrives to organise the hunt for the King, he’s greeted by a bunch of ‘ninny-hammers’ or sillies. Will the villagers succeed in stopping, the King from coming? Listen to storyteller Dave Tong and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A selkie is a seal which can shape shift into human form by taking off its seal skin. Gillian Brownson relates this moving story from Ireland about a selkie who loses her beautiful skin and is trapped on land in the shape of a young woman. Will she get back to her seal family under the Irish sea? Or will she and her daughter be stuck on land forever? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this ‘How and Why’ story Emily Hennessey takes us back to a time when there was no vast beach near her home in the North West of England, back to a time when the sea was in danger of being swallowed up by a hungry giantess. Did the giantess succeed? Or did the sun, the moon the wind or the rain manage to stop her? Listen to Emily’s powerful story about the battle for sea and sand, and discover what part the little curlew bird had to play in the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this old Japanese legend – a fisherman, ‘Urashima Taro’ is rewarded by the Emperor of the Sea, for rescuing a small turtle. He’s taken underwater to the Palace of the Dragons where he meets the Emperor's daughter, and spends three happy years. The daughter gives Taro a box to take home with him, but makes him promise not to open it. Listen to Japanese storyteller Masako Carey, and see if he keeps his promise. (It’s a sad ending.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jebro is a small boy who lives on an island with his nine older brothers in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With the seas rising, they have to find a new island to live on, but who will be their leader? Their wise mother suggests they decide with a race. When that day arrives, Jebro has to make a decision which might well mean he loses the race. What should he do? Listen to storyteller Marion Leeper, share this thoughtful traditional tale from the Marshall Islands and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a legendary Welsh water monster to kick off this month’s theme of watery stories. The Afanc is described as a cross between a crocodile and a giant beaver. This enormous creature is causing floods and eating anyone who comes near. Many brave souls have tried to kill it, but its hide is so tough that no spear, or arrow can pierce it. How can the local people stop the Afanc from flooding their land? Listen to Welsh singer/storyteller Gillian Brownson and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to this Cherokee legend, Unetlanvhi, The Great One, created little corn people to help the first woman on earth, with the chores. The corn people were very beautiful, but spent more time admiring their reflection, than helping out. The Creator was not happy, and did something dramatic to teach them an important lesson about beauty. Listen to Lisa La Rue Baker tell this traditional tale from the Cherokee Nation and discover what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thor, the Norse god of thunder goes on a quest to ask a favour from Hymir the stone giant. The two of them embark on a fishing competition. Thor comes close to disaster when he hooks out of the ocean a ……. Listen to Jason Buck tell this entertaining Norse tale to find out what he pulls out of the sea. Will he survive to complete his quest? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices