Laura Simms tells all kinds of tales, including animal tales (or are they animal "tails"?) gathered from all over the world. Here's a story about a couple of animal colleagues -- and dancing.

It’s The Apple Seed, filled with stories for you and your family - tall tales, personal tales, fairy tales, historical tales and more. Today we’re bringing you “The Little Girl and the Gunny Wolf”, an old folk told by Tim Lowry. You’ll also hear a not-so-spooky tale about a toe from Rosie Cutrer called "My Toe, as well as a delightful little tale from Clown Ambassador, David Claunch, called "Jack & the Animals". We hope the stories you hear - no matter how fantastical - will spark memories for you that you can share with the people you love.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“The Little Girl and the Gunny Wolf” by Len Cabral on Ananzi (2:52)

Radio Family Journals: "Earth Shoes" by Sam Payne (17:00)

The Daily Mix: "The Story Pirates Podcast" with Richie Steadman (23:22)

“My Toe” by Rosie Cutrer on The Blackthorn Walking Stick and Other Tales (31:42)

“Jack & The Animals” by David H. Claunch on The Circus of Life (42:18)

The beloved storyteller Beth Horner shares a story that will bring back fond memories of family, fun, and learning to swim. Those memories are worth sharing, and we hope hearing Beth's story will make you want to share you own.

Einstein once said that "imagination is more important than intelligence." We often hear that from art teachers, but one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known? He might just be onto something. Without imagination, how could we ever discover something new? How could we ever become better, and make the world better along with us? Stories are often full of imagination. Sometimes they really happened, sometimes they’re fantastic, but whatever they are, they can help us expand our reality and imagine new frontiers in our own lives. Today we have stories from Pam Faro, Priscilla Howe, Kevin Kling, and more.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Slops” by Pam Faro from Why Didn’t I Think of That? Seeking Solutions - Some Sassy, Some Silly, Some Smart (2:37)

Radio Family Journal: "Shelline Party" by Sam Payne (17:08)

The Daily Mix: “Secondhand Lions” with Rod Gustafson (23:19)

“Ruby Bridges” by Kate Dudding from Fighting for Our Rights - American Women Mid 20th Century (31:12)

“The Belly Button Bird” by Priscilla Howe from The Best (And Worst) of Beasts (45:44)

“Demo Derby” by Kevin Kling from Wonderlure! (51:12)

When you're a kid, some places just seem so magical. And usually, the more mysterious a place is, the more magical and tempting it is to go there. That’s exactly how Bill Harley felt as an elementary schooler about the teachers' lounge. Bill was familiar with every other room in the school, but the teachers' lounge was like an alien planet. In his story, "The Teachers' Lounge", Bill catches a glimpse of this mysterious room, and also learns a thing or two about bravery and friendship. You'll also hear from Bil Lepp and Jill Lamede. We hope the stories we bring you today - and every day - spark memories for you that you can share with the people that you love.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Woodpeckers Just Don’t Make the Best Pets” by Bil Lepp on Mayhem Dressed Like an Eight Point Buck (1:46)

Radio Family Journal: "Passing Notes" by Sam Payne (14:13)

The Daily Mix: "Grandma's Beans" with Antonio Sacre (20:09)

“The Teacher’s Lounge” by Bill Harley on The Teacher’s Lounge (29:08)

“The Caged Bird” by Jill Lamede on Stories from the Tintagel Storyteller (53:17)

In this story by Mark Binder, a boy learns a thing or two about happiness with some magical help and some gold coins.

Every cowboy thinks he has what it takes to tame a wild beast, but this Strawberry Roan is particularly unruly. Enjoy this tale, cast in the shape of a cowboy poem by Ted Dennison.

Learning to ride a bike is something most people can relate to. Sometimes it starts with training wheels and a lot of practice. Others may have been pushed by their parents down the road until they could balance. Still others may have learned on a grassy hill. Whatever the method, most people don’t forget how to ride a bike. But most still have an experience crashing a bike. We have a story from Donna Ingham today about riding (and crashing) a bike during a trip to Europe despite her confidence, along with stories from Laura K. Deal, Fran Yardley, Jenni Cargill Strong, and others.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“The Bicycle Story” by Donna Ingham from Waiting for Roy & Other Family Tales (2:00)

Radio Family Journal: "The Night Watchmen" by Sam Payne (14:48)

The Daily Mix: "Expecting to Fly" with Don Shelline (21:22)

“The Emperor’s Flowers” by Laura K. Deal from The Diffendaffer Taffy Cafe (29:03)

“Galileo Trail” by Pete Griffin from Welcome to Alaska: Tales from the Tongass Forest & Beyond (35:01)

“Needles, the Adirondack Porcupine” by Fran Yardley from May I Have This Dance (39:56)

“The Legend of the First Strawberry” by Jenni Cargill-Strong from Reaching for the Moon and Other Wisdom Tales (47:52)

Margaret Read MacDonald is beloved as a librarian all over the world. SHe's beloved as a storyteller too, and this story is just one of hundreds in her pocket.

Welcome to The Apple Seed! Some time filled with stories for you and your family. Since 2013 we’ve been bringing you tall tales, personal tales, fairy tales, historical tales and more. All kinds of tales, from all kinds of tellers. In this life, we all have talents and gifts of different sorts. Some of us are good at singing or dancing, while others of us are very kind. Whatever our talents, we all have something to share in this world. This works out great, because no one’s good at everything. When we find ourselves in a situation where our talents can’t help us, we can always reach out and ask others for help. In today’s stories, we’ll see how useful it is to get help when we need it, and give help to others when it’s our turn.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Strawberries in Winter” by Dan Keding from Strawberries in Winter (1:27)

Radio Family Journal: "Church Jobs" by Same Payne (12:47)

The Daily Mix: "The Fountains of Silence" with Rachel Wadham (19:27)

“Sharing the Gold” by Dolores Hydock from Perfect Match (27:25)

“Tebo and His Pet Fish” by Christopher Leebrick from Good Stories from All Over (43:36)

“The Swan Tenor” by Bob Reiser from Foibles and Fiddlesticks: Fables for Grownups (48:03)