The Apple Seed

This episode is all about sharing and passing things on to benefit others in all forms. We've also got some stories where people don't choose to share and it backfires on them and other stories where the passing on gets a little out of hand. Hope you enjoy!

Passing It On III by Betty Ann Wylie (2:55)

Betty Ann Wylie shares how her grandfather passed on his love for storytelling to her. Learn more about Betty Ann Wylie by visiting: southernorderofstorytellers.org

Mama Passes on the Box by Barbara McBride-Smith (12:51)

Barbara’s elderly mother gifts her the family’s button box, which is a prize possession for both of them. Learn more about Barbara McBride-Smith by visiting: www.barbaramcbridesmith.com

The Best Candy in the Whole World by Bill Harley (19:17)

Barney hates going to the grocery store with his mom but one day while there he helps an old lady bring her groceries to the car. In return for his kindness she gives him some candy that is out of this world. Learn more about Bill Harley by visiting: www.billharley.com

The Little Red Hen by Willy Claflin (41:14)

A Maynard Moose interpretation of the classic tale. His moral of the story: avoid carbo overload. Learn more about Willy Claflin by visiting: www.willyclaflin.com

The Four Friends by David H. Claunch (48:25)

One kingdom doesn’t have issues of shortage during a famine when everyone else does. A king sends his soldiers to investigate the reason why. Learn more about David H. Claunch by visiting: www.davidclaunch.com

According to some sources there are approximately 10,000 three leaf clovers for every four leaf clover—makes sense that they’re so rare. Luckily a good story isn't as hard to find. This episode brings you some great tales where characters have unique and extraordinary experiences—all set in the British Isles.

The Peddler by David H. Claunch (1:21)

An incredibly kind peddler has a series of strange dreams. Learn more about David H. Claunch by visiting: www.davidclaunch.com

Fionn Salmon by Cathryn Fairlee (10:41)

A warrior goes to learn poetry from a recluse who only seems to sleep and fish, but there is a reason for that. He's trying to catch the elusive Fish of Knowledge. Learn more about Cathryn Fairlee by visiting: www.sonic.net

A Likely Story by Nuala Hayes (25:06)

A widow complains about her house and her neighbors, who are always telling rather outrageous fairy stories. Hoping to make his mom’s life easier the widow's son decides to go gather some wood and has an odd encounter of his own. Learn more about Nuala Hayes by visiting: www.sneemstorytellingfestival.com/nuala-hayes/

Wee Meg Barnileg by Liz Weir (45:45)

While learning to become a proper little girl Wee Meg Barnileg can’t tell if the minutes are hours or vice versa. Learn more about Liz Weir by visiting: www.lizweir.org

Bonny Portmore by Paddy Tutty (53:28)

A song about a magnificient oak tree in England. Learn more about Paddy Tutty by visiting: www.prairiedruid.net

Ten years before the publication of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll wrote a stanza of a poem entitled “Stanza of Anglo-Saxon Poetry”. The full version of that poem has rather humorously been translated into 65 languages, breaking away from the “anglo-saxon” tradition. It also was published under a different name. It’s called the “Jabberwocky”, and you may have heard of it. It’s a rather famous “nonsense” poem with made up words about a made up creature which is pretty much what the stories and songs in this episode will be about today—crazy creatures.

Jabberwocky by Karl Behling (1:13)

kbstoryteller.webs.com

Gluskabi and the Water Monster by Joseph Bruchac (3:15)

josephbruchac.com

The Cat and the Moon by Joseph Sobol Ft. Kathy Cowan and Tom Orf (10:54)

www.josephsobol.com

The Candy Monster by Bil Lepp (14:37)

www.leppstorytelling.com

The Bunyip by Bill Gordh (43:51)

www.billgordh.com

Mother Owl's Revenge by Liz Weir (48:43)

www.lizweir.org

On this episode, Apple Seed producer Victoria Hardy tags along with the Young Company, the children’s theater group at BYU, as they present “The Glorious Story Emporium,” featuring completely improvised long-form ensemble stories. We’ll have the Company in for a chat, too, and we’ll even throw in a little improvisation from Ed Stivender as well, for good measure.

Today on the Apple Seed, a mélange of little stories from mighty tellers. We’ll begin with a story by Linda Gorham, who one young audience member called “Better than recess.” We’ll follow Linda with an all-star lineup including Donald Davis, Bil Lepp, Ed Stivender, and a whistling tour de force from Andy Offutt Irwin.

In another episode of The Apple Seed, we talked with Andy Offutt Irwin about the story “Love at 85,” in which he creates a boyfriend for his beloved fictional Aunt Marguerite. The story and the conversation are too much to fit in a single episode, but they’re both worth hearing. In today’s episode, hear the story in its entirety. You can find more of Andy’s work, including “Love and Armadillo Migration,” the album on which “Love at 85” appears, at www.andyirwin.com.

Andy Offutt Irwin’s beloved fictional Aunt Marguerite has fans all over the country. Now, after decades of sharing stories about the 85-year-old matron (who holds a medical degree and runs a hospital with other elderly widows), Andy has written a story in which Marguerite finds … well, a boyfriend. The story itself comes in another Apple Seed episode, but today we talk with Andy about the making of that story. You’ll also hear one of our favorite shorter stories of Andy’s, called “Book Every Saturday for a Funeral,” and a story by Kevin Kling called “Mitten.”

Today, a collection of stories bookended by two Maynard Moose classics. Maynard Moose, as you may know, is the storytelling alter-ego of Willy Claflin, and Maynard’s stories and songs are just as goofy, inspiring, and whip-smart as Willy’s. Between the Moose tales, listen for a terrific live recording from Michael Reno Harrell, a folk tale from Noa Baum, and a personal story from Teresa Clark’s collection “Wears Like Iron.”

All stories end. But how a story ends can really shake up your audience especially if their expectations are not met or they aren't prepared for the tie off that occurs. In short, stories may end but closure isn't always hopping alongside it. However, that doesn't weaken a story and sometimes a little ambiguity or something other than "happily ever after" at the finish line can make for a strong and marvelous tale.

Frogs' Legs by Charlotte Blake-Alston (1:13)

A family reunion where someone brings frogs legs' as a dish turns into an ancestral tale about a slave trying to escape north with the help of a conjuring woman. Learn more about Charlotte Blake-Alston by visiting: www.charlotteblakealston.com

Closure Roundtable (24:59)

Sam Payne and Apple Seed assistant producers Victoria Hardy and Kassie Schreiber, discuss the topic of endings and closure.

The Black Prince by Laura Simms (35:05)

A poor boy sits on a wall and every day plays his flute to the princess he loves. He thinks he can only win her hand if he becomes a handsome prince so he makes the efforts to transform into that figure, but things don't turn out the way one might expect. Learn more about Laura Simms by visiting: www.laurasimms.com

The Sad Story of Owl by Heather Forest (51:41)

Owl courts a pretty bird by night so she doesn’t know what he looks like. When she tells her parents about her shrouded lover they decide to throw a party to see what he really looks like. Learn more about Heather Forest by visiting: www.heatherforest.com

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Kevin Cordi about his "storybox" project. What began as an exchange of stories between Kevin and a colleague in Brazil has evolved to include authors and poets creating partial stories to be finished by middle and high school students. In addition, you’ll hear a few stories from a good old collection called "Stories in my Pocket," from Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, in which they curate stories for kids to tell.

Kevin Cordi Interview (1:20)

www.kevincordi.com

Heart In Our Hands by Kevin Cordi (33:54)

Including an intro by Kevin Cordi, this story is about a time when people used to carry their hearts in their hands.

These next stories were recorded in 1998, so the tellers are grownup now, but these performances are from a good old collection called “Stories in My Pocket,” stories curated by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, designed for kids to tell.

The Stonecutter by Chris Frank (43:52)

The Silversmith and the Rich Man by Gwen Niven (47:38)

Why Anansi the Spider Has a Small Waist by Sandra Weissinger (52:10)