The Ancient Romans didn’t mark out their calendar months quite the same way we do now and instead they referred to certain time periods by certain names. They had the Nones which usually meant the 5th or the 7th of the month, the Kalends which was the first day of the following month and there were the “ides”. The “ides” were the expression used to describe the middle of the month which sometimes fell on the 15th and has since turned into an exciting an ominous date thanks to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. On this episode of the Apple Seed we're bringing you stories and conversations about the Ides of March.

The Fly by Simon Brooks (1:27)

A young boy uses a fly as a witness when a debtcollector promises that he has come to forgive the debt of the boy's parents. Learn more about Simon Brooks by visiting: www.diamondscree.com

The Ides Conversation (15:40)

A conversation about the Ides of March with The Acting Company, featuring segments of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Learn more about The Acting Company by visiting: www.tacactingcompany.org

Connie Dances by Geraldine Buckley (38:29)

Geraldine gets a position as a creative minister and meets an incredible dancer to whom she lends a really fancy designer dress from Geraldine's mother to perform in. She feels like she should give that dress to Connie but she justifies keeping it and doesn’t end up giving it to her. The feeling that she should have given Connie that dress gnaws at her years following that experience. Learn more about Geraldine Buckley by visiting: www.geraldinebuckley.com

Saint Patrick’s Day—the holiday that is celebrated in more countries than any other national holiday. But what are its origins? In the 17th century, March 17th was made an official Christian feast day to commemorate the prominent patron saint, Saint Patrick of Ireland, and to celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate all things Irish. That’s why we’re sharing some traditional Irish folktales with you in this episode.

Woman of the Sea by Regi Carpenter (1:34)

That was “Woman of the Sea,” by Regi Carpenter, from her album “Diving and Emerging,” about a selkie—a mythological irish creature that is a seal in water and human on land. Often in these legends, female selkies are coerced into marriage by men who steal their seal skins. Once the selkie finds her skin again, she immediately returns to the sea. Learn more about Regi Carpenter by visiting: regicarpenter.com

The Peddler of Ballaghaderreen by Liz Weir (19:06)

“Ballaghaderreen” means “the way of the little oak grove,” and is a little town located in Country Roscommon, Ireland. Most peddlers go around selling goods, often illegal or stolen, but the peddler in this story is more of a saint. He generously gives people all of his possessions. Learn more about Liz Weir by visiting: www.lizweir.org

Death in a Nut by Jess Smith (25:22)

From her album "Dragonory", Jess Smith tells a Jack tale wherein Jack tricks death into hiding in order to save his mother. Learn more about Jess Smith by visiting: www.jesssmith.co.uk

Billy Beg and His Bull by Milbre Burch (39:14)

You’re familiar with the story of Cinderella, but you may not be familiar with the story of the “Irish Cinderlad,” also known as Billy Beg. Learn more about Milbre Burch by visiting: www.kindcrone.com

March 8 was International Women’s Day and our team can’t get over the stories we heard that day nor the spirit that was demonstrated. All over the world women came together to share ideas and motivations, in hopes of making the world a better place for women and it’s got us thinking about the phrase “Girl Power”. That phrase has its roots in the punk movement, was further popularized by The Spice Girls and has proliferated into many parts of our culture, into many parts of our stories. We wanted to bring you stories today that embody that phrase, stories about girls making a difference in their world.

Old Greybeard and Little Ayla by Bill Gordh (1:15)

An old king sees everyone's fingers as claws, however when Little Ayla enters his life though she helps him see things in a different light. Learn more about Bill Gordh by visiting: www.billgordh.com

The Wise Little Girl by Odds Bodkin (10:30)

Two brothers fight over a horse and the argument gets to the Czar who asks the men some riddles. The poor brother asks his seven year old daughter for help with the answers. Learn more about Odds Bodkin by visiting: www.oddsbodkin.net

Li Chi Slays the Serpent by Beth Horner (34:11)

The youngest daughter of a family of 6 daughters volunteers to be a sacrifice to a giant serpent that has been plaguing her town for 9 years. Learn more about Beth Horner by visiting: bethhorner.com

Don't Look Up by Milbre Burch and Gay Ducey (40:34)

A little girl has to go out and work because her mom can’t support her, and she has such a hard time finding work. Along her job hunt she helps some things (an apple tree, cow, and an oven) in a couple of fields before finding employment...for a witch!. Learn more about Milbre Burch by visiting: www.kindcrone.com

Literature is chalk full of stories about characters who have a secret that they keep from others. Some characters lead a secret life—think Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Buffy Summers, the Count of Monte Cristo. Why is it we keep secrets? We may find something too embarrassing, revealing, exciting, or horrifying to tell other people, except, perhaps, a few trusted individuals. Here at the Apple Seed, we’re talking about times we’ve kept secrets—our own and others’—successfully or unsuccessfully. Secrets don't make friends but they can certainly make stories.

Cat and Tiger by Glenda Bonin (1:36)

Tiger is embarrassed because Cat is a much better hunter than he is, so he asks Cat to teach him a couple of his tricks. Learn more about Glenda Bonin by visiting: www.storyworksgroup.com

The King with Horse's Ears by Liz Weir (9:19)

A snobby prince kicks one of his father’s horses and is cursed by a witch with horse’s ears. He hides the ears for years by wearing his crown, with only the barber knowing his secret, but as the years go by the barber can't sustain the pressure of that secret anymore so he finds someone to tell. Learn more about Liz Weir by visiting: www.lizweir.org

Stars by Susan Reed (18:00)

Megan sees a shooting star and makes a wish and when it ends up coming true she does all she can to keep the result to herself. Learn more about Susan Reed by visiting: www.susanreed.com

Note Passing by Robin Schulte (37:09)

Robin moves to Kansas to live with her aunt and uncle and makes friends with a group of gossipy girls who always pass notes to each other in school. Learn more about Robin Schulte by visiting: www.robinschulte.com

In act I, scene III of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we find the pompous Polonius rattling off seemingly useless advice to his departing son, Laertes. Starting on line 71, Polonius famously declares:

“Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy—rich, not gaudy, For the apparel oft proclaims the man.”

You’ve probably heard that last part before; the idea that “the clothes make the man.” We want to explore that idea on this episode of  The Apple Seed: we’ve got a variety of stories for you about clothing, and the memories and meaning that a particular outfit can carry.

Garment for the Moon by Michael Katz (2:18)

A young tailor goes in search of a magic material that will allow him to dress the moon. Learn more about Michael Katz by visiting: www.storytellermichael.com

Apple Seed Team Roundtable (16:22)

The Apple Seed Team discusses a range of topics from beloved red berets, favorite costumes, and Andre Marques' days as a fashion vlogger.

Feeding His Clothes by Heather Forest (32:08)

Similar to the Emperor’s New Clothes it pokes fun at the superficiality of one’s attire. Learn more about Heather Forest by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

John Hard Hack by Paul Bliss (35:33)

A rather rough and scruffy man wants to impress his wife with a new outfit and he ends up surprising her, however the reason isn’t his new suit. Learn more about Paul Bliss by visiting: www.cowboypoetry.com/paulbliss

Plaid Dress by Molly Catron (39:33)

For the start of high school Molly gets a plaid dress from the department store, which was the pattern one of her friends would wear and how owning a plaid dress changed their dynamics. Learn more about Molly Catron by visiting: www.mollywcatron.com

Mary and the Red Dress by Liz Weir (47:54)

A pretty dress can steal your heart away but in this story it just might also take your soul. Learn more about Liz Weir by visiting: www.lizweir.org

The Flower Girl by Milbre Burch (53:50)

Milbre’s daughter is asked to be a flower girl for a wedding. At first a dress is constructed for her that’s rather simple but it turns out she wants something more ornate. Learn more about Milbre Burch by visiting: www.kindcrone.com

“I get by with a little help from my friends.” - The Beatles

Drakestail by Mary Hamilton (1:37)

Drakestail is a magical duck who gets to be very wealthy so he lends money to the king. Years pass and the wicked king never pays him back so he decides to pay him a visit, bringing several of his friends along with him. Learn more about Mary Hamilton by visiting: www.maryhamilton.info

Stone Soup by Kevin Cordi (17:10)

A town is suffering from “the rash” isolating people from one another but they decide to help out Bobby after a jovial traveling dance teacher encourages them on. Learn more about Kevin Cordi by visiting: www.kevincordi.com

The Happy Place by Lyn Ford (26:36)

Rabbit introduces Bear to his happy place. Learn more about Lyn Ford by visiting: www.storytellerlynford.com

Froko & Lettuce by Jenni Cargill Strong (34:38)

Jenni’s son forms a special bond with some tree frogs. Learn more about Jenni Cargill Strong by visiting: www.storytree.com.au

My Black Day by Diane Ferlatte (41:39)

Diane befriends a French girl after a long flight and they end up becoming really good friends while the French girl stays in SF. During one of their escapades Diane tells her friend that singing helps heal the soul and during one of their later phone calls Diane finds herself on the receiving end of that advice during a personal crisis. Learn more about Diane Ferlatte by visiting: www.dianeferlatte.com

Have you ever heard of an earworm? They’re more common than you think.

The Nigun by Karen Golden (1:21)

A man trades away his entire sabbath meal for a nigun (a wordless tune, symbolizes the mysteries of God), and he’s all the better for it. Learn more about Karen Golden, who has won both NAPPA Gold and Storytelling World Honor awards, by visiting: www.karengolden.com

Little Freddy and His Whistle by Willy Claflin (10:18)

A young man is gifted the power to influence people through song. Learn more about Willy Claflin, who plays multiple intstruments and has several music albums in addition to his storytelling repetoire, by visiting: www.willyclaflin.com

I Love to Whistle by Andy Offutt Irwin (23:03)

Andy demonstrates his whistling skill. Learn more about Andy Offutt Irwin, who won the 2017 National Parenting Product Awards, by visiting: andyirwin.com

Zanzibar by Bill Harley (27:48)

“It’s a story about homework...actually, it’s a story about Zanzibar.” Learn more about Bill Harley, a Grammy Award winner, by visiting: www.billharley.com

“We must never forget that Black History is American History. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation's greatness.” - NY Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. This episode was made in celebration of Black History Month.

The People Could Fly by Charlotte Blake-Alston (1:19)

This story is originally from Virginia Hamilton, one of the first publishers of black folklore, known for presenting slave-era tales in their colloquial English. Learn more about Charlotte Blake-Alston by visiting: www.charlotteblakealston.com

Clinton 12 by Kate Dudding (7:20)

From her album “Young People who Made a Difference” this story is about 12 students who risk their lives to desegregate their high school. Learn more about Kate Dudding by visiting: www.katedudding.com

Martin Luther King Storypoem by Charlotte Blake-Alston (34:51)

Dr. King’s bio in metered rhyme.

Maya's Story for Indira by Lani Peterson (42:30)

Lani's personal story involving the time she met Maya Angelou. Learn more about Lani Peterson by visiting: lanipeterson.com

Sympathy by Mitch Capel (53:51)

Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem "Sympathy". Learn more about Mitch Capel by visiting: www.gjbug.com

The Seedling by Mitch Capel (56:12)

Mitch Capel reciting Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “The Seedling” in front of a live audience at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN.

There are some phrases that spark stories, think “once upon a time”, “star-crossed lovers”, or “that was the day that everything changed”. You know what I’m talking about, the type of phrase that sets a whole story in motion. I’d like to add another phrase to that list: “I promise”. Just think, it creates immediate tension and intrigue and it’s something you could construct a whole narrative around. For example, maybe you hear that some lady promised her first kid to a magical little man if he spins straw into gold for her. That promise draws you in and you want to see how the story ends--or at least our team on The Apple Seed does. The moment we hear a promise being made we’re curious whether it will be kept or broken. And because you probably already know how Rumpelstiltskin ends we’ll bring you some tales of promises that you might not have heard.

The Ice Woman by Donna Washington (1:56)

A young Japanese merchant talks his way out of death. The only catch is that he promises never to speak of the events of that night ever again. Learn more about Donna Washington by visiting: dlwstoryteller.com

Fisherman's Baby by Jenni Cargill-Strong (15:44)

A young fisherman promises to take care of his baby while his wife is away tending her sick sister, however the fair sea and his best friend complicate the situation Learn more about Jenni Cargill-Strong by visiting: www.storytree.com.au

The Banjo Player of Franceville by Dan Keding (24:49)

From his album "Promises Kept, Promises Broken" this original piece is about Franceville, a town with a snake problem. A banjo player offers to fix the situation for 10 gold dollars. The mayor is shocked when he actually succeeds. Learn more about Dan Keding by visiting: www.dankeding.com

Cheep and Cackle by Priscilla Howe (35:47)

A chick promises to share his cake with a cat, if that cat doesn’t eat him. But the cake is so yummy...Learn more about Priscilla Howe by visiting: www.priscillahowe.com

The Well of the World's End by Richard Martin (41:55)

A girl’s stepmother tells her to go out and achieve an impossible task leading the girl to make a promise that tests her limits. Learn more about Richard Martin by visiting: www.tellatale.eu

Each February, the Weber Storytelling Festival takes the stage in and around Ogden Utah. It's venues include area schools and community centers, the Student Union building on the campus of Weber State University, the historic Egyptian Theater in downtown Ogden, and more.  Now in its 22nd year, the festival features talented storytellers from all over the country and beyond. It also features storytellers from the Ogden area, and many of them are children. In fact, the festival boasts the largest number of youth storytellers of any festival in the country. On today’s episode of the Apple Seed, we’ll share stories from Bil Lepp, Andy Offutt Irwin, and Charlotte Blake Alston – three of the terrific tellers involved in this year’s festival. 

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