What do you think of when you hear the word clever? Do you think of the sly fox outwitting the crow in Aesop’s fables? How about Odysseus tricking the cyclops Polyphemus? Maybe you think of someone you know who always seems to twist things to their favor. Whatever it is, it’s clear that being clever can be used for both good and evil. Sometimes, however, being clever doesn’t turn out the way you think. Today’s stories are all about being clever. From prideful mice to vengeful cannibals, we’ll hear a wide range of what being clever can look like. We’ll also be able to see what the consequences are when being clever backfires. 

We’ll have the pleasure of hearing from Ingrid Nixon, Cindy Rivka Marshall, Martha Hamilton, Willy Claflin, and Tim Lowry. 

 

On Today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“The Three Snake-leaves” by Ingrid Nixon, from Grimm’s with a Twist (11:26) 

Our first story originates from the Grimm brother’s collection of fairy tales. It has all the trademarks of a classic tale. A princess, a war, rags to riches, treachery, love. The list goes on. It all begins with a young soldier who gains the favor of the king. He marries the king’s daughter with one stipulation: if she is to die before he does, he is to be buried with her. Sadly, the worst comes to pass, and the soldier is entombed alive with his deceased wife. He manages to bring her back to life with the help of three mysterious leaves. The princess has changed, however, and instead of being grateful to her husband, she hatches a plan to get rid of him once and for all. 

 

“The Magic Pomegranate Seed” by Cindy Rivka Marshall, from By the River – Women’s Voices in Jewish Stories (8:57) 

Have you ever judged someone harshly only to realize that you’ve been just like them before? It might not be the most comfortable feeling, but it can be a valuable one. Coming up is “The Magic Pomegranate Seed” by Cindy Rivka Marshall. In it, a starving young widow steals in order to feed her children. She has the misfortune of being caught and her punishment is worse than she deserves. In order to escape her fate, she comes up with a clever plan that just might help the king change how he sees her. 

 

“How Brazilian Beetles Got Their Gorgeous Coats” by Martha Hamilton with Mitch Weiss, from How & Why Stories World Tales Kids Can Tell (2:58) 

Things aren’t always as they appear. Mice are tiny, but it can be surprising how fast they are. Ants are stronger than they look. Lots of things are more capable than you might think. Coming up is a story that has that in mind. Have you ever heard of a Brazilian Beetle? If not, it’s worth looking up a picture because they have amazing green and gold shells. How did they get such colorful carapaces? Turns out it’s because a rat didn’t think the beetle was as fast as she was. 

 

“Lion and Mousie” by Willy Claflin from Goat Whisperer (4:05) 

We’re about to hear another story featuring animals, namely the king of the jungle and a tiny mouse. However, neither one is particularly humble. After waking the lion in the middle of the night, the mouse manages to talk her way out of being a midnight snack, promising to help the lion in his time of need. The lion doesn’t believe that will ever happen until he finds himself stuck in a hunter’s trap and no way to get free. As promised, the mouse comes through, but decides that since she saved the mighty lion, she had bragging rights. A good decision? You’ll have to be the judge. 

 

“Mutsmeg” by Tim Lowry from Getting the Creeps (14:54) 

We often want what others have. It could be that we’re jealous of their nice house, maybe we want to be good at basketball like they are, or maybe we just want to as popular as they are. In the next story, it seems like one girl keeps getting the short straw in her life. Her sisters shun her after their mother dies, she doesn’t have any food. While it isn’t fair, she is able to make the best of it and turn it around through some risks, hard work, and quick thinking. Sometimes what we have turns out to be enough. 

 

"Silly Jack" by Ed Stivender from Silly Jack (6:54)

You've probably heard a 'Jack' tale, even if you didn't know they were referred to as such. There's "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Jack and Jill", and "Little Jack Horner" to name a few. And we thought we'd end our show today by sharing another 'Jack' tale. This one's called "Silly Jack" by Ed Stivender, and it's from his collection of stories called...Silly Jack!