On today's Apple Seed Extra, a story that occurred for the most part right here in the Apple Seed studios. It's a story just right for Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day in the UK), and features beautiful music by pianist Scott Holden and baritone Robert Brandt.

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 Kings, sandals, and earthworms. 

 

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

"The Improbable Love of Ethel and Elmer" by Barry Stewart Mann from The Improbable Love of Ethel and Elmer and Other Offbeat Tales of Romance (14:57) 

You know that classic story form? The couple falls in love and among the challenges to their relationship is the disapproval of their parents. It's a story form that can be found in everything from "Romeo and Juliet" to "The Fantastics". And you'll find it here in our first story. 

  

"The Tiger's Eyes" by Richard Young from Favorite scary Stories (7:24)

This next story from Richard Young is about a tiger who gobbles up the characters in the story and then attempts to pass himself off as the the human characters to their family and friends. Sounds a little like "Little Red Riding Hood", right? You're sure to enjoy "The Tiger's Eyes". 

 

"I Moved to Maine" by Don White from Live at the Guthrie Center (7:40) 

In this funny and touching story, storyteller and musician, Don White, shares some of the experiences - including hitchhiking and the arrival of his first son - that led him to work at a Nursing Home in Maine. 

 

"The Wise King Uruk and the Foolish King of Aratta” by Judith Heineman from The Magic Carpet: Songs and Stories from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt (15:02)

And now a story all the way from Mesopotamia about two kings - one wise, and the other foolish. It's defintely one of those stories with an important lesson to be learned. 

 

"Sandals" by Fran Stallings from Stories and Songs for a Green Earth (5:00)

Our last story, in addition to speculating how sandals may have come into the world, also has a lesson at the core of it that may increase your wisdom in the world. Here's "Sandals" from Fran Stallings.

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 Kings, sandals, and earthworms.

On today's Apple Seed Extra, a story that occurred for the most part right here in the Apple Seed studios. It's a story just right for Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day in the UK), and features beautiful music by pianist Scott Holden and baritone Robert Brandt.

On today's Apple Seed Extra, enjoy a tender (and kind of remarkable) story of the passing of a loved one, shared by Steve Lemmon, who was not one of the loved ones of the deceased, but, rather, the mortician's assistant who prepared him for his funeral.

From the time we are born, everything is finite. There is a beginning and an end. The sun rises and inevitably, it sets. Years come and go. Happy moments have an end, and even the sad ones will pass. So what happens with life? We are born, and eventually, we die. But does death represent the end? Or do we persist in some way? There are many beliefs regarding what might lay in store for us once our mortal bodies close their eyes for the last time. Naturally, it can be scary to face death. It can be terribly sad when someone we care for has to move on. But perhaps we can find some solace in the idea that infinity exists. The expanse of the universe doesn’t have an end. The number pi goes on forever. The possibilities of where life can take us are endless. So, amidst all of these infinities, we can take up hope that endings are not permanent. The sun does rise again, and there will be more happy moments. After we pass through this life, our loved ones might be waiting for us, as Anne Rutherford says, in The Blue Remove.

 

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“The Blue Remove” by Anne Rutherford from Living in the Driveway: Stories of Finding Our Place (10:58)

Anne Rutherford grew up in Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River. In this story, however, she talks about somewhere else. A place just outside of Denver, Colorado, with a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains through the eyes of a young girl named Gracie. Gracie loves to look at the mountains in the distance, as they’re beautiful blue, the color of the horizon. She later finds out they are not actually blue, but they come to represent something much bigger than just mountains, something that can give her comfort when she needs it the most.

 

“The Cow-Tail Switch” by Charlotte Blake Alston from Wadin’ in the Water (5:04)

Memories are important. That’s why so many people keep journals, take photos, or record certain events. We celebrate Memorial day to remember those who have fallen while serving in the armed forces. Remembering and honoring those who came before us can be a great way to let them live on. In the next story, remembering does a little bit more. Starting with a father who disappeared on a hunting trip, Charlotte Blake Alston relates the tale of a family who moves on a little too well, forgetting him entirely. That is, until the youngest son is born and realizes that unlike everyone else in the village, he doesn’t seem to have a father.

 

“Stan” by Dan Keding from from The Gypsy Wagon and Other Neighborhood Tales (7:28)

Having someone close to you pass away is never an easy experience. It hurts and sometimes hurts until you wonder if the hurt will go away. Interestingly enough, it isn’t always a bad thing to hurt. Pain can teach us things, like not to touch a hot stove. It can also push us to be better and do good for other people. For Dan Keding, a storyteller who grew up in Chicago, one such painful experience revolves around one of his childhood neighbors. His name was Stan, and although he was much older than Dan, he was a good friend. Through sharing his life of experience, he was able to help Dan and after he died, Dan realized his story could help others, even though it hurt.

 

“Lost Jimmy Whalen” by Barry Cloyd and Brian “Fox” Ellis from River Ghosts (3:36)

A song by storyteller Brian Ellis and Musician Barry Cloyd. Ellis found his love of storytelling when he was young, telling stories to his friends and listening to stories around the campfire during hunting trips. Cloyd sings, writes, and performs music as well as stories. Together they founded Prairie Folklore Theatre, a touring theatre company. This song, about a young woman who lost her dear love, might change your opinion about ghosts. We often think of them as scary, but maybe they’re just the remnant of good people, moved on to another realm.

 

“Why I Don’t Fish Anymore” by Alan Hoal from Why I Don’t Fish Anymore (16:49)

Having a loved one pass away is not the only way we can lose someone. Sometimes they move far away or fade out of our life because their life takes them another direction. Just because they’re not gone doesn’t mean, however, that it’s easy to let them leave. This story, by Alan Hoal, is about a pet catfish. And although it’s funny and not necessarily truthful, it does illustrate how a pet running away can hurt.

 

Radio Family Journal: "Celebrity Bookshelf" (6:00)

Listening to some of these stories about the comings and goings of important people in a person's life reminds Sam of a childhood memory of fantasy of possible interactions with people with whom he didn't have any connection. Here's another entry in Sam's Radio Family Journal.

From the time we are born, everything is finite. There is a beginning and an end. The sun rises and inevitably, it sets. Years come and go. Happy moments have an end, and even the sad ones will pass. So what happens with life? We are born, and eventually, we die. But does death represent the end? Or do we persist in some way? There are many beliefs regarding what might lay in store for us once our mortal bodies close their eyes for the last time. Naturally, it can be scary to face death. It can be terribly sad when someone we care for has to move on. But perhaps we can find some solace in the idea that infinity exists. The expanse of the universe doesn’t have an end. The number pi goes on forever. The possibilities of where life can take us are endless. So, amidst all of these infinities, we can take up hope that endings are not permanent. The sun does rise again, and there will be more happy moments. After we pass through this life, our loved ones might be waiting for us, as Anne Rutherford says, in The Blue Remove.

On today's Apple Seed Extra, enjoy a tender (and kind of remarkable) story of the passing of a loved one, shared by Steve Lemmon, who was not one of the loved ones of the deceased, but, rather, the mortician's assistant who prepared him for his funeral.

On today's Episode of The Apple Seed, enjoy a tune from David Holt and the Lightning Bolts called "I Can Do it Too," a rollicking pledge to a lasting love in a world full fo things that go away. Sometimes, our favorite storytellers are also our favorite musicians. That's certainly the case with multiple-grammy-winning storyteller and musician David Holt!

Sometimes stories are so new and different from the ones we are used to hearing that we have a hard time understanding their value. We all have to work through a little fear of the unknown, and it takes some practice to see the goodness in new stories. The good news is, we can learn to see the inherent goodness in those stories. The more we listen to new and different tales, the more we consider the different cultural lenses through which people may see those stories, and therefore, the more we learn to love them and their tellers. 

Even if stories differ from the ones you tell, you can often find their inherent goodness as you listen. Today’s stories will explore quirky ideas like a snake’s marriage proposal to a woman and even a donkey challenging a toad to a race! Each story may seem a little odd at first, but if you listen for a bit of their inherent goodness, you will hear themes of familial strength and expanded love.

 

Today on The Apple Seed, enjoy the following:

"The Woman and the Snake" by Barry Stewart Mann from The Improbable Love of Ethel and Elmer and Other (8:23)

Professional actor, writer, and storyteller Barry Stewart Man tells of a girl named Ambala, who can’t seem to get rid of her illness. One day, the snake she and her father take care of every day appears to her in a dream, and tells her she will be healed. When she finds herself free of the illness soon after, she begins living a confident life till she is again visited by the snake in another dream. This time, he declares that she will marry him! And so, believing his predictions, she prepares to do just that. Listen in as Barry tells The Woman and the Snake, from his album The Improbable Love of Ethel and Elmer and Other.

 

"The Three Army Surgeons" by Ingrid Nixon from Grimm’s with a Twist  (8:34)

Inspirational speaker and storyteller Ingrid Nixon tells of three army surgeons who were so skilled that they could remove their own body parts and sew them right back on by morning. One day, during their stay at an inn, the surgeons body parts go missing – the inn keeper and his wife find a way to replace their body parts, hoping they will not notice the different when morning comes. Puzzle along to this quirky tale as Ingrid tells The Three Army Surgeons, from her album Grimm’s with a Twist. 

 

"Donkey and Toad" by The Storycrafters from Classics with a Twist (8:00)

Storytelling duo Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns, also known as The Storycrafters, tell of a donkey who would always brag about his long, strong legs as he laughs about his friend Toad’s short, stubby ones. Toad enlists his children in helping him win the race, and instructs to jump out at Donkey and sing their ancestral song at him as he passes by. Tune in to the lyrics of this quirky song as The Storycrafters sing along to Donkey and Toad, from their album Classics with a Twist. 

 

"The People Who Could Fly" by Kim and Reggie Harris (16:19)

Our country is still wrestiling with a history so entangled with the enslavement of fellow human beings. A wealth of stories grew up among those enslaved people. And it's so remarkable that such a persistent thread among those stories is the thread of the mythical ability of the people to fly away to the magical country called "Freedom". This story called "the People Who Could Fly" was recorded live at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. 

 

"The Little Red Hen" by Donald Davis from Grandma's Lap Stories (8:09)

Donald Davis usually enthralls audiences with stories of his youth growing up in the Appalachian Mountains. But he tells traditional tales, too. Like "The Little Red Hen".