It’s often said that boys are made up of “slugs and snails and puppy dog tails” and that girls are made up of “sugar and spice and everything nice”. If those make-ups hold true in any sense, today’s stories show us how some girls have a splash of something else in their recipe as well. Toughness. An underlying current of grit that inspires them to face hard things once, four times, or months on end. And whether that hard moment means overcoming personal embarrassment or facing a giant several times, the girls in this episode demonstrate amazing perseverance and all around character, reminding us that “when the going gets tough the tough get going”. Stories included in this episode:

Tennis Camp (1:49)

Growing up Lani lived for baseball. However, on her 13th birthday she gets a tennis racket, and all of her baseball gear taken away because baseball is “unlady-like”. She gets sent to tennis camp where on the first night she has an unfortunate braces entanglement during a slow dance. Her response after the initial wave of embarrassment shows she’s not going to give up so easily. Find out more about Lani Peterson, who often leads workshops on public speaking, by checking out her website, lanipeterson.com

Molly and the Giant (14:20)

A take on the classic Molly Whuppie tale, where Molly faces a giant several times to benefit those she loves. Barbara G. Schutzgruber has received the Parents' Choice Gold Award, and you can find more of her award winning work at her website weavestory.com

The King's Ring (41:46)

After wandering for months looking for work, a starving girl finds the King’s favorite ring. The doorkeeper and the gatekeeper each ask for half of her reward, so she asks for something she doesn’t mind splitting between the two. Stephanie has studied literature and been a teacher before making storytelling her career. Learn more about Stephanie Beneteau by visiting www.stephaniebeneteau.com