Lunch Break Stories formerly Deconstructing Aesop’s Fables with Jon Wilkins
By Jon Wilkins
Short stories and tales with fables sprinkled in all narrated by a guy you don't know. Each story is produced with some extra flare.
Formerly Know as Deconstructing Aesop's Fable
A lighthearted look at Aesop’s fables and what they mean in today’s world. As a social experiment, I started narrating fables using a Facebook page and Youtube channel to share.
Lunch Break Stories formerly Deconstructing Aesop’s Fables with Jon Wilkins Jan 20, 2023
The ass in the lion skin by Aesop with Mandolin background music.
Aesop’s Two Travelers and a Bear set to Mandolin Music
The Kid and the Wolf: Fable of the Day with Original Score
The Wolf and the Crane to Funky Shark
Fable of the Day - The Dog and His Master Dinner to Mandolin
Another Terrifying Short Story - I hate it when my brother Charlie has to go away
This New House - Story 1 of 30 Terrifying Short Stories
Intro from the original article
In our quest for the bizarre and the twisted, we stumbled upon a scary short stories subreddit on Reddit and we knew that we had to share it with our readers. If you're looking forward to a night of sleeplessness, read on.
Bedtime Story from Bed - Hansel and Gretel
This episode was recorded directly from my bed. Hansel and Gretel is a timeless classic bedtime story terrifying children all over the world. The story starts with a terrible widower replacing his love with a person that hates his kids. Compound that with man's love for this woman's evil ways and lack of trust for his children to tell the truth about domestic violence and abuse. The kids have enough and get lost in the woods just to find another evil lady. This one tries to eat them but she's kinda dumb.
Sleep tight!
American Fairy Tales - The Enchanting Types - Episode 22
American Fairy Tales - 1901
The Enchanting Types - Episode 22 is the fifth story in the American Fairy Tale book published in 1901.
This story is basically an observation of the human need to stay in fashion mixed with an environmental freedom theme.
Stay tuned for the rest of the stories including:
- The Box of Robbers - Episode 18
- The Glass dog - Episode 19
- Queen of Quok - Episode 20
- The Girl that Owned a Bear - Episode 21
- The Enchanting Types - Episode 22
- The Laughing Hippopotamus
- The Laughing Bon Bon
- The Capture of Father Time
- The Wonderful Pump
- The Dummy That Lived
- The Queen of the Polar Bears
- The Mandarine and the Butterfly
Also, check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables on Anchor.fm or wherever you get your podcasts and other fun narrations by Jon Wilkins at jonwilkinsreads.com
Information regarding the book from booshop.org:
"Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author widely known for his children's books. Baum was born Chittenango, New-York into a devout Methodiste family He had German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry, and was the seventh of nine children of Cynthia Ann and Benjamin Ward Baum, only five of whom survived into adulthood. "Lyman" is the name of his father's brother, but he always disliked it and preferred his middle name "Frank".American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories published in 1901. The stories, as critics have noted, lack the high-fantasy aspect of the best of Baum's work, in Oz or out. With ironic or nonsensical morals attached to their ends, their tone is more satirical, glib, and tongue-in-cheek than is usual in children's stories; the serialization in newspapers for adult readers was appropriate for the materials. "The Magic Bon Bons" was the most popular of the tales, judging by number of reprints."
The Girl that Owned a Bear - American Fairy Tales - Lyman Frank Baum
A creepy man coming to the home of a child is in this strange tale of books coming alive makes for an interesting story. The plot involves revenge and it is carried out in a very strange manner. It's a pretty good listen. Check out number four of the 12 short stories by the creator of The Wizard of Oz.
Stay tuned for the rest of the stories including:
The Box of Robbers - Episode 18
The Glass dog - Episode 19
Queen of Quok - Episode 20
The Girl that Owned a Bear - Episode 21
The Enchanting Types
The Laughing Hippopotamus
The Laughing Bon Bon
The Capture of Father Time
The Wonderful Pump
The Dummy That Lived
The Queen of the Polar Bears
The Mandarine and the Butterfly
Also, check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables on Anchor.fm or wherever you get your podcasts and other fun narrations by Jon Wilkins at jonwilkins.com
Information regarding the book from booshop.org:
"Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author widely known for his children's books. Baum was born Chittenango, New-York into a devout Methodiste family He had German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry, and was the seventh of nine children of Cynthia Ann and Benjamin Ward Baum, only five of whom survived into adulthood. "Lyman" is the name of his father's brother, but he always disliked it and preferred his middle name "Frank".American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories published in 1901. The stories, as critics have noted, lack the high-fantasy aspect of the best of Baum's work, in Oz or out. With ironic or nonsensical morals attached to their ends, their tone is more satirical, glib, and tongue-in-cheek than is usual in children's stories; the serialization in newspapers for adult readers was appropriate for the materials. "The Magic Bon Bons" was the most popular of the tales, judging by number of reprints."
Lyman Frank Baum - American Fairytales - Queen of Quok - Episode 20
American Fairy Tales - 1901
The Queen of Quok is the third story in the American Fairy Tale book published in 1901.
This story is about so many things from wasting the family fortune to saving the day through the use of an unknown wizard/fairy called the Slave of the Bedstead. I'd imagine Baum would name them something different today like the bed keeper fairy or wizard. The guy is really there to grant wishes for the king through the use of matches and a book with a poem on the cover. This is another interesting yet not as interesting as the Wizard of Oz. Everything ends up ok for the boy king but the trip getting there is a little jaded.
Stay tuned for the rest of the stories including:
- The Box of Robbers - Episode 18
- The Glass dog - Episode 19
- Queen of Quok - Episode 20
- The Girl that Owned a Bear
- The Enchanting Types
- The Laughing Hippopotamus
- The Laughing Bon Bon
- The Capture of Father Time
- The Wonderful Pump
- The Dummy That Lived
- The Queen of the Polar Bears
- The Mandarine and the Butterfly
Also, check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables on Anchor.fm or wherever you get your podcasts and other fun narrations by Jon Wilkins at jonwilkinsreads.com
Information regarding the book from booshop.org:
"Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author widely known for his children's books. Baum was born Chittenango, New-York into a devout Methodiste family He had German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry, and was the seventh of nine children of Cynthia Ann and Benjamin Ward Baum, only five of whom survived into adulthood. "Lyman" is the name of his father's brother, but he always disliked it and preferred his middle name "Frank".American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories published in 1901. The stories, as critics have noted, lack the high-fantasy aspect of the best of Baum's work, in Oz or out. With ironic or nonsensical morals attached to their ends, their tone is more satirical, glib, and tongue-in-cheek than is usual in children's stories; the serialization in newspapers for adult readers was appropriate for the materials. "The Magic Bon Bons" was the most popular of the tales, judging by number of reprints."
Lyman Frank Baum - American Fairytales - The Glass Dog - Episode 19
American Fairy Tales - 1901
The Glass Dog is the second story in the American Fairy Tale book published in 1901.
This story is about peace and quiet, beauty, and deception. Enjoy another short story by one of the great authors of the world.
Stay tuned for the rest of the stories including:
- The Box of Robbers - Episode 18
- The Glass dog - Episode 19 The
- Queen of Quok
- The Girl that Owned a Bear
- The Enchanting Types
- The Laughing Hippopotamus
- The Laughing Bon Bon
- The Capture of Father Time
- The Wonderful Pump
- The Dummy That Lived
- The Queen of the Polar Bears
- The Mandarine and the Butterfly
Also, check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables on Anchor.fm or wherever you get your podcasts and other fun narrations by Jon Wilkins at jonwilkinsreads.com
Information regarding the book from booshop.org:
"Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author widely known for his children's books. Baum was born Chittenango, New-York into a devout Methodiste family He had German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry, and was the seventh of nine children of Cynthia Ann and Benjamin Ward Baum, only five of whom survived into adulthood. "Lyman" is the name of his father's brother, but he always disliked it and preferred his middle name "Frank".American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories published in 1901. The stories, as critics have noted, lack the high-fantasy aspect of the best of Baum's work, in Oz or out. With ironic or nonsensical morals attached to their ends, their tone is more satirical, glib, and tongue-in-cheek than is usual in children's stories; the serialization in newspapers for adult readers was appropriate for the materials. "The Magic Bon Bons" was the most popular of the tales, judging by number of reprints."
Lyman Frank Baum - American Fairytales - The Box of Robbers - Episode 18
American Fairy Tales - 1901
The Box of Robbers is the first in a series of Short Stories by Lyman Frank Baum, best known for his classic The Wizard of Oz.
In this story, the lesson is to mind your own business. With The Wizard of Oz in mind, it is easy to imagine the robbers and how much fantasy can be involved with the tale.
Stay tuned for the rest of the stories including:
- The Box of Robbers
- The Glass dog
- The Queen of Quok
- The Girl that Owned a Bear
- The Enchanting Types
- The Laughing Hippopotamus
- The Laughing Bon Bon
- The Capture of Father Time
- The Wonderful Pump
- The Dummy That Lived
- The Queen of the Polar Bears
- The Mandarine and the Butterfly
Also, check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables on Anchor.fm or wherever you get your podcasts and other fun narrations by Jon Wilkins at jonwilkinsreads.com
Information regarding the book from booshop.org:
"Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author widely known for his children's books. Baum was born Chittenango, New-York into a devout Methodiste family He had German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry, and was the seventh of nine children of Cynthia Ann and Benjamin Ward Baum, only five of whom survived into adulthood. "Lyman" is the name of his father's brother, but he always disliked it and preferred his middle name "Frank".American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories published in 1901. The stories, as critics have noted, lack the high-fantasy aspect of the best of Baum's work, in Oz or out. With ironic or nonsensical morals attached to their ends, their tone is more satirical, glib, and tongue-in-cheek than is usual in children's stories; the serialization in newspapers for adult readers was appropriate for the materials. "The Magic Bon Bons" was the most popular of the tales, judging by number of reprints."
Fable of the Week The Wolf and the House Dog - Episode 17
The Wolf and the House Dog is a fable that in some ways teaches that liberty is the only way and that the dog represents oppression. I find this fable a little weird simply because the dog gets everything it wants and occasionally wears a collar. I mean for the reals, the dog is walking the streets at night and runs into a wolf.
I am not sure what the real message behind this fable. I did however take a stab at making my interpretation funny on Deconstructing Aesop's Fables, also available on Anchor or wherever you get your podcasts or wherever you got this podcast. Check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables
An Alpine Divorce by Robert Barr - Episode 16
A Brief History of Napster - Bonus Material
It's been 20 years since Napster shaped the way we trade and infringe on the copyrights of artists. I feel like technology moves so fast that this could have happened in the 1940s and if it did it would sound like this ...
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - Episode 14
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain. This is a very amusing story about asking a question and having to listen to the response. I am not sure why the fella didn't interrupt other than a respect for his elders.
Other titles include works by Jack London, Vladamir Nabokov, Richard K Dick, Orson Wells, and more. Visit JonWilkinsReads.com Twitter: @funnicuzitstru Instagram: @funnicuzitstru Facebook @jonwilkinsVO
Fable of the Week The Fox and the Goat
The fox and the goat is an age-old classic with the moral of look before you leap. People seem to forget simple things like looking.
Don't forget to look.
Italy by Antonio Elefano - Episode 12
This was a story I found on a BuzzFeed article title 29 short Stories to Read Before You are 30. I'm way older than 30 and enjoyed it. I have added it to the podcast because it is that good. Give Italy a listen!
Great Short Stories for Free: Italy by Antonio Elefano Narrated by Jon Wilkins Antonio Elefano is an associate professor of Writing at the University of Southern California. Before coming to USC, he was a corporate litigator in New York City and a writing fellow/visiting assistant professor at the University of Houston. He has a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Boston University. His stories have been published in The Los Angeles Review, 236 and The Journal. In August 2014, his story "Italy" was one of Buzzfeed's "29 Short Stories You Need to Read in Your Twenties."
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe - Episode 11
From a Baltimore guy, I bring you a Baltimore guy. I tried to make it sound old and creepy. I hope you enjoy this episode featuring The Raven
Fable of the Week The Crow and the Pitcher
Beyond the Door by Philip K Dick - Episode 9
Another great Short Story from AmericanLiterature.com Growing up my german grandmother gave my mother a cuckoo clock and it was never wound correctly. I think I saw that cuckoo once maybe twice and then it eventually disappeared off the wall. This story is relatively the same but ends a bit more dramatically.
Fable of the Week: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
This week we explore the difference between the country folks that like peace and quiet along with poverty as opposed to the sophisticated mice of the city. These Aesop's Fables carry a theme for sure and it is hard to tell who is learning the lessons and who should learn the lessons. If you like that sort of thing please check out Deconstructing Aesop's Fables.
The Haunted Mind by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Another Great Short Story Read by a Guy You Don't Know
The Haunted Mind is like a dream and nightmare explained. I have definitely felt most of this in a night's sleep. This story was fun to read and creepy to think about. The music and or sound effects were also a joy to create. Please enjoy!
Check out all of the episodes as well as Deconstructing Aesop's Fables.
Fable of the Week: The Sensible Ass
Bonus Fable: The Lion the Ass and the Fox with a little Flare
The first of the fables is a good one with the Lion the Ass and the Fox. It is shown in this classic tale that if you fail to submit to the king they will end you. What a great tale.
More than just a narration.
Please enjoy the story and original background ambiance by narrator Jon Wilkins with Pro Logic X,.
The Elves and the Shoemaker by The Brothers Grimm
December 17, 2020
The Detective Detector by O Henry
A Very Clever Murderer
This is a fun short story where the criminal finds the detective. Enjoy The Detective Detector by O Henry with musical enhancements and interludes.