Have you ever felt the desire to explore the world? What did you hope to find? Adventure, love, or maybe even yourself? This is exactly what Dolores Hydock wanted when she was 19 years old. But when her father tells her that everything she’s looking for is already in her own backyard, she doesn’t understand that wisdom until many years later. To find out the key to her father’s wisdom, listen to the story by Dolores Hydock as well as stories by Willy Claflin/Maynard Moose, Donna Ingham, Diane Ferlatte, and Syd Lieberman!

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

"Sleeping Beastly" by Willy Claflin (12:01)

At first listen, Willy’s stories might seem like they’re only for kids, but you’ll soon realize, they come packed with laughs and giggles for all ages. “Sleeping Beastly” is a perfect example of this as Willy’s companion Maynard Moose shares his own retelling of the classic sleeping beauty tale. “Sleeping Beastly” comes from the collection of tales fittingly called Sleeping Beastly and Other Tales. 

"My Own Back Yard" by Dolores Hydock (13:49)

Dolores Hydock was called by The Birmingham News, “smart but not cynical, heartwarming yet never corny, traditional without being mundane,” and we here at The Apple Seed absolutely agree! Those are exactly the words we would use to describe her story “My Own Back Yard”, about how a sunny day in Dolores’s neighborhood made her reflect on the wild days of her youth and what she’s come to see as the good life. This story hails from the Nine Lives - Life-changing Lessons from Cats, Cornbread, and Rock ‘n’ Roll collection.

"Ciao, Y’all" by Donna Ingham (8:25)

Donna Ignham is known for bringing her own “Texas twist” to classic tales. We see that today in her story, “Ciao, Y’all” about the funny mishaps that happen when she visits Italy but ends up following the wrong tour guide. This story is from a collection of stories called Our Boy C.Y (and his Sweet Young Thing of a Wife)

"Bone Day" by Diane Ferlatte (9:18)

Diane Ferlatte has told stories all over the world, from Australia, Kenya, Turkey, to Switzerland. Due to this, she tells stories that have universal appeal - one such story is “Bone Day” about Butch the dog who has to learn an important lesson about gratitude. This tale is from a collection of stories called Aesop: Alive and Well.

"Saved By a Sale" by Syd Lieberman on The Old Man and Other Stories (6:57)

To wrap up today's episode, how about a little something from Chicago storyteller, Syd Lieberman. Syd is longer with us, but his legacy lives on through his stories. This ones about Syd's first job in America, and it's at a butcher shop.