On today's Apple Seed Extra, tap your toes to a tune from one of our favorite storytellers: naturalist, storyteller, and musician Doug Elliott. The tune is called "Bulldog on the Bank," and it's part of a collection of stories and songs about fishing.

Today’s Apple Seed Extra comes from storyteller Leeny Del Seamonds. She takes on the voice of Rosa Maria, who tells of a beautiful cockroach longing to find the bug of her dreams. As this cockroach seeks to wed, she doesn’t seem to have much success... That is, until she stumbles upon a winged wonder. Find out if this cockroach has found her love as Leeny tells La Cucarachita Rosa Maria, from her album It Takes Two to Tango: Ties That Bind Us.

Classic tales are full of stories about the wisest and strongest men. We here at The Apple Seed love stories about wise kings, powerful lumberjacks, all other kinds of larger than life male heroes. However, we also know that the world is full of wise and strong women and they too can make for interesting story protagonists. In today’s story, “Three Strong Women” by Heather Forest, we finally get to hear about some of them. These three women are wrestling masters, not only for their unmatched strength but for their unmatched wisdom as well, and the impact that these three women have on the world is so great that their effects can still be felt today.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Bill’s Wonderful Dog” by Joseph Bruchac from Adirondack Tall Tales, Volume One: The Bill Greenfield Stories (4:11)

“Ray’s Amazing Grace” by Connie Regan-Blake from Dive Into Stories (9:40)

“Three Strong Women” by Heather Forest from Tales of Womenfolk (11:10)

“Gray’s Hat” by Sean K. Buvala from Calling Out a Rising Sun: Stories for Teenage Guys (10:16)

“Piggly Wiggly” by Willy Claflin from Sleeping Beastly and Other Tales (10:28)

"Hit Your Mark" by Sam Payne (3:15)

On today's Apple Seed Extra, tap your toes to a tune from one of our favorite storytellers: naturalist, storyteller, and musician Doug Elliott. The tune is called "Bulldog on the Bank," and it's part of a collection of stories and songs about fishing.

Today’s Apple Seed Extra comes from storyteller Leeny Del Seamonds. She takes on the voice of Rosa Maria, who tells of a beautiful cockroach longing to find the bug of her dreams. As this cockroach seeks to wed, she doesn’t seem to have much success... That is, until she stumbles upon a winged wonder. Find out if this cockroach has found her love as Leeny tells La Cucarachita Rosa Maria, from her album It Takes Two to Tango: Ties That Bind Us.

Today’s stories come in a wide variety. From a kidnapped princess to a donkey smarter than a jealous farmer, each one has important lessons and is filled with suspense and laughter. One important lesson being that persistence is key to success. Listen carefully and you’ll catch glimpses of people being patient and being rewarded and others less patient that don’t find the same success. We hope that these stories will spark memories and stories of your own. We’ll be hearing from tellers like Jackie Kerin, Richard Martin, Octavia Sexton, and more.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Jack and Auntie Ugly” by Octavia Sexton from Jack Tales (28:06)

“Phar Lap the Wonder Horse” by Jackie Kerin (6:31)

“The Louse and the Flea” by Richard Martin from The Well of the World’s End and other Tales (7:12)

“The Jealous Farmer” by Mitch Capel from Gran’daddy Junebug: Great Stories for Young Folks (3:05)

We always hope that the stories we share with you on The Apple Seed spark memories for you to share with the people that you love. Sometimes those memories are sparked by listening to personal stories, and other times by listening to tall tales and fairy tales. So sit back, relax, and get ready to have the memories wash over you as you listen to stories about Pirates, Miracles, and Water Torture!

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

"Water Torture" by Antonio Sacre from Water Torture, the Barking Mouse, and Other Tales of Wonder (13:13)

"Miracle/Step by Step" by John McCutcheon from Untold (11:09)

"Jack and the Bull" by Lona Bartlett from Heck No, We Didn't Bury My Mother (19:42)

Radio Family Journal: "Pirate Field" (6:17)

Back when we could all get together in a room safely, the great LA storyteller Antonio Sacre visited the Apple Seed studio to record an evening's worth of stories before a live studio audience. The recordings became an award-winning album called "The World's Second-Best Dad." On today's Apple Seed Extra, enjoy one of the stories recorded that evening. It's a story called "Nina's First Rainbow."

The tradition that is now the Radio Family Journal -- a regular feature on The Apple Seed -- began with this recording, many years ago. It's a Christmastime memory that begins at the graveside of Sam's grandmother, and it's about the undeniable hope and quiet joy that Christmas brings each year, even in the face of melancholy and sorrow. The story is called "The Winter of the Year." We hope you enjoy it, and that you have a merry Christmas.

The tradition that is now the Radio Family Journal -- a regular feature on The Apple Seed -- began with this recording, many years ago. It's a Christmastime memory that begins at the graveside of Sam's grandmother, and it's about the undeniable hope and quiet joy that Christmas brings each year, even in the face of melancholy and sorrow. The story is called "The Winter of the Year." We hope you enjoy it, and that you have a merry Christmas.