Dec 15, 2011

This fairy tale from Germany offers a fanciful explanation for why we decorate Christmas trees. It comes from Germany, one of the two countries where the tradition originated (the other was what was then called Livonia) about 450 years ago. But it was based on older customs and traditions going back to ancient Egypt....

Nov 16, 2011

"The Baker's Dozen" is a holiday story from the Dutch settlers of upstate New York, about a stubborn baker who learns an invaluable lesson about generosity. The story commemorates St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6) a day to honor a legendary figure who also figures prominently in another holiday later in the month.

Many people...

Sep 17, 2011

"The Book Of Magic", from Russia, is one of the stories in the manner of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", about someone attempting magic and getting in over his head. And the solution involves a trick very common to folklore about magical spells. This yarn is a bit spooky, because we're getting into the "spirit" of...

Aug 15, 2011

“Lin Po Po” is often called the Chinese Red Riding Hood, as it features a wolf masquerading as a grandmother. But it also bears similarities to other popular European tales, notably The Three Little Pigs. We offer it especially for Grandparents' Day (Sept. 11) and Chinese Moon Festival (Sept. 28). Not only is the...

Jul 17, 2011

The Two Princesses is a folktale from India that you probably haven't heard before, but listening to it, you may get a sense of deja vu. There are many similarities between this story and about half a dozen other stories that you definitely are familiar with. See how many of them you can name. Put your answers in the...