In a grand house high up on a hill above the sea lived an old man who had a little granddaughter whose face he had never seen because his lovely daughter died at her birth… Nick Hennessey tells a moving English version of the Cinderella story. A word of warning –this version is unsettling at times so if this doesn’t sound like one for you and yours, have a listen to our other story this week ‘Star Coin’, told for our younger listeners.

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Star Coin is a Brothers Grimm story from Germany about an orphan girl who has nothing left in the world but the clothes on her back and a piece of bread. As she walks through the forest, looking for her luck, she encounters various people in need and helps them, but is left standing in the snowy forest with only a thin undershirt and no food or shoes. Who will come to her aid? Listen to the magical voice of storyteller Simone Schuemmelfeder, and take heart.

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A blacksmith sets off on a journey leaving a wife at home. The wife is expecting a baby, and after the months pass without a word from her husband, an unexpected visitor appears. He’s covered in fur and has one eye in the middle of his head. Should she trust him? Listen to this week’s fairytale told by Wangari the Storyteller from Kenya and find out.

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A girl lives with her Mum and little brother on the edge of a forest. When her brother is snatched away by the snow geese she asks for help from some unlikely assistants. But they’ll only help her if she agrees to eat food she’s never tried before. Can she give up habits of a lifetime in order to save her little brother? Listen to storyteller from Cambridge Marion Leeper and find out. A heart-warming story from the chilly north.

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To start off the new year – a gripping story from Romania. If you like fairytales and dragons and tricksters, then this is definitely the story for you. And it’s told by talented storyteller Emily Hennessey who conjures up not one, but two scary dragons. What’s not to like?

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Greek Storyteller Despina Ariou shares her Granny’s Christmas story. It's about troll- like creatures called the Kallikantzari who make mischief at Christmas by stealing delicious food and sometimes even stealing children. Eek! These creatures are slightly scary, but fear not, this is a fairytale with a happy ending.

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In this Christmas tale from Germany, Storyteller Marion Leeper tells us about 'Tante' an old woman who is busily preparing her house on Christmas Eve to impress Christ Kindl - the bringer of Christmas. Tante cleans and polishes, and sweeps out the spiders and their webs, and decorates a particularly beautiful tree. When Christ Kindle visits, the exiled spiders beg him to let them into the house to see the tree. But will a house full of spiders stop the Christmas magic from happening? Listen to Marion Leeper’s story and find out.

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Talented storyteller Jason Buck narrates the classic French fairy tale "Puss in Boots" written down by Charles Perrault. In this story, a young man inherits a cat, who persuades his owner they can make their fortune if he can give him a hat, a sack, and some fancy boots. All dressed up, the cat charms the king, outwits an ogre and delights the king’s daughter. Tada!

Jason has done it again and pulled another cracking fairytale out of the bag.

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Masako Carey takes us to Japan for our first fairy tale of the season. Stranded in the dark without a lantern, a young monk is offered shelter by a kind and beautiful woman - who turns out to be a hungry mountain witch. Eek! Luckily, the monk has three lucky charms to help him. But will they be enough to ensure his escape from the clutches of a child-eating witch? Listen to Masako’s tale and find out. This story is a little bit scary.

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Storyteller Tuup returns to tells us a First Nation story about a young girl who is unwell, and her father’s quest to find a fox who can help her get better. Her father sets off in a blizzard, to find the fox and bring it back to the family home. Will this wild animal allow itself to be taken, and will the young girl recover? Listen to Tuup tell this mysterious story and find out.

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