The Apple Seed

Story: The New Car

Teller: Donald Davis

Website: www.ddavisstoryteller.com

Notes: A story about the Davis family cars.

Story: The Bus

Teller: Geraldine Buckley

Website: www.geraldinebuckley.com

Notes: Geraldine shares a story about traveling and travelers.

Story: The Headless Cortina

Teller: Brendan Nolan

Website: www.brendannolan.ie

Notes: An Irish car story.

Story: Stay Out of Them Old Cars

Teller: Michael Reno Harrell

Website: www.michaelreno.com

Notes: A story about a different kind of vehicle: imagination.

Today's episode is devoted to prolific storyteller and author, Hans Christian Andersen. You'll hear some lesser-known stories adapted and performed in character by storyteller, Randel McGee. This episode includes an interview with Randel and his wife, Marsha, and the stories "Silly Hans", "The Swineherd", and "The Princess and the Pea."

Stories included in this episode:

Michael Reno Harrell

Story 1: Cherry Bombs

Teller: Michael Reno Harrell

Site: www.michaelreno.com

Notes: Michael talks about the various pranks he pulled as a teenager involving "Cherry Bomb" firecrackers.

Priscilla Howe

Story 2: Laundry Soap

Teller: Priscilla Howe

Site: www.priscillahowe.com

Notes: Priscilla's first attempt at washing laundry yields some very bubbly results.

Norah Dooley

Story 3: When the Streetlights Come On

Teller: Norah Dooley

Site: www.norahdooley.com

Notes: As a child, Norah feared punishment. Is she willing to risk a scolding for an adventure with her brother though?

Laura Pershin Raynor

Story 4: A Day at the Zoo

Teller: Laura Pershin Raynor

Site: www.lpraynor.com

Notes: The story of Laura and his sister Lisa's first trip to the zoo alone.

Bil Lepp

Story 5: The Inflatable Easter Bunnies of Halfdollar

Teller: Bil Lepp

Site: www.leppstorytelling.com

Notes: Bil and his childhood friend Skeeter attempt to recreate a scene from the classic book "The Last of the Mohicans."

Stories, songs, poems and interviews included in this episode:

Sons of the

Song: Silver Spurs

Artist: The Sons of the San Joaquin

Site: www.thesons.com

Notes: A song about growing up in the shadow of a cowboy.

Steve Howard

Interview: "A Cowboy Storyteller & Poet"

Teller: Steve Howard

Notes: Steve shares some of his bull riding stories, and what being a cowboy teller in a professional storyteller's guild is like. Keeping with the theme of the episode, Steve shared a little cowboy poetry with us as well.

Waddie Mitchell

Poem 1: Evening Chat

Teller: Waddie Mitchell

Site: www.somagency.com

Notes: A nostalgic poem that captures a cowboy's reflections at the end of the day.

Sheila Starks Phillips

Story: Prairie Dog Round Up

Teller: Sheila Starks Phillips

Site: www.sheilaphillips.com

Notes: While attending the University of Manitoba, Sheila received a call from her father asking her to come home to Texas to assist in the spring round up.

Waddie Mitchell

Poem 2: That No Quit Attitude

Teller: Waddie Mitchell

Site: www.somagency.com

Notes:  A poem about that "no quite attitude" that makes America great.

Story: Solomon and Asmodeus

Teller: Jordan Hill

Website: jordanhillstoryteller.wordpress.com

Notes: King Solomon and the Demon King, Asmodeus. Part one of two.

Story: Solomon and the Bee

Teller: Syd Lieberman

Website: www.sydlieberman.com

Notes: A challenge to King Solomon's wisdom.

Story: The Wise One

Teller: Ed Stivender

Website: edstivender.com

Notes: Ed Stivender tells a tale about the wisest man in the realm.

Story: The Beggar King

Teller: Joel ben Izzy

Website: http://www.storypage.com

Notes: Joel ben Izzy finishes the tale of King Solomon that we began earlier. Part two of two.

This episode features stories from Chris Burton about finding his biological family forty years after being adopted. Our host Sam Payne also spoke with Brad and Brenda Horrockswho have four adopted children of their own and are the co-chairs for the organization, United For Adoption.

Story: Good News in the Cotton Field

Teller: David Holt

Website: http://www.davidholt.com

Notes: David Holt recounts a story about picking cotton in the August heat of Texas.

Story: Jobs I Have Had

Teller: Sheila Starks Philips

Website: www.sheilaphillips.com

Notes: Sheila Starks Philips reminisces about the many jobs she's held.

Story: Stories About Jobs From Sam Payne

Teller: Sam Payne

Website: sampayne.com

Notes: Sam Payne tells stories about entrepreneurship and employment.

Story: Daydreamer Seeks Benefactor

Teller: Willy Claflin

Website: www.willyclaflin.com

Notes: Willy Claflin tries to make a living out of daydreaming.

Story: Potholders

Teller: Kim Weitkamp

Website: www.kimweitkamp.com

Notes: An adorable heist and a lesson in crime and punishment.

The stories in our eighty-third episode are full of good humor and Christmas spirit! To celebrate Christmas day, we're playing Andy Offut Irwin's hilarious stories about spending the holidays with his eighty-five-year-old-widowed-newly-minted-physician-aunt, Dr. Marguerite Van Camp.

Andy Offut Irwin

To hear more of Andy's "Aunt Marguerite" stories, considering listening to our interview with Andy in our archive.  For more information regarding Andy and his storytelling visit his website - http://andyirwin.com/.

In honor of Christmas Eve, our eighty-second episode features Christmas stories told by Kim Weitkamp, Regi Carpenter, Donald Davis and Jay O'Callahan.

Storyteller, Kim Weitkamp

Story 1: The Great Cookie Cook-Off

Teller: Kim Weitkamp

Site: kimweitkamp.com

Notes: Kim is a full-time storyteller who travels extensively across the North American continent, performing in theaters and at festivals.

Regi Carpenter

Story 2: Bendable Barbie Christmasl

Teller: Regi Carpenter

Site: soaringstories.com

Notes: Regi is a storyteller from Clayton, New York. She has performed at many different festivals across the United States.

Story 3: The Red Scooters

Teller: Donald Davis

Site: ddavisstoryteller.com

Notes: Some people refer to Donald as "The Dean of Storytelling." He is a former Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the National Storytelling Association, he was a featured teller at the Smithsonian Institution, and at the World's Fair.

Story 4: 13 Quilts

Teller: Jay O'Callahan

Site: ocallahan.com

Notes: Jay is a storyteller from Massachusetts. He runs a writing workshop out of his home.

To celebrate the holiday season our eighty-first episode showcases storyteller Tim Lowry's CD "A Christmas Carol."  This is Tim's recording of the classic tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge by Charles Dickens. To introduce Tim's telling, our producer Andy Bay spoke with Leslee Thorne-Murphy, an English professor at Brigham Young University specializing in Victorian literature, who shared some insight into the history of "A Christmas Carol" with us.

Tim Lowry: A Christmas Carol

Pictured above: storyteller Tim Lowry.  For more information regarding Tim and his storytelling, visit his website http://www.storytellertimlowry.com/.