A Tale Told By the Fire
By Shaun Jex
A Tale Told By the FireSep 29, 2020
The Mayan Story of Creation
This week we travel to Mesoamerica to tell the creation story as taught by the Maya.
Text from the story comes from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
To read the story and view the other resources available, visit https://maya.nmai.si.edu/
The Trouble With Rose Hips
This week's episode is a Lipan Apache tale about Coyote called The Trouble With Rose Hips
The Old Woman Who Kept All the Pecans
This week we read a story from the Caddo people of North Eastern Texas and Oklahoma. The Story, The Old Woman Who Kept All the Pecans, tells the story of how pecan trees became available to all.
The Land-Otter Son
This week our story takes us back to South East Alaska for another Tlingit legend. We tell the story of The Land-Otter Son.
Snowflake
This week we read "Snowflake" from Andrew Lang's Pink Fairy book.
The Elephant and the Bees
This week's episode takes us to Thailand for the story The Elephant and the Bees. The story is retold from the book Thai Tales: Folktales of Thailand by Supaporn Vathanaprida, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald (Libraries Unlimited, 1994).
Momotaro Born of a Peach
This week we travel to Japan for the legend of Momotaro, the boy born of a peach.
The King of America
This week we begin season 2 of A Tale Told by the Fire, and we start with "The King of America" a story about George Washington as re-told by Pete Seeger.
The Monkey's Heart
This week we travel to India for the story of The Monkey's Heart from the Jataka Tales.
The Day It Snowed Tortillas
This week takes us to Spanish New Mexico for The Day It Snowed Tortillas as re-told by Joe Hayes.
The Legend of Old Befana
This week we read the story of Old Befana, an Italian tale as re-told by Tomie dePaola
The Tomten
This week we read Astrid Lindgren's "The Tomten" and talk about the traditions and beliefs surrounding Tomten and Nisse (Nordic Mytholocial creatures)
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
This week's story is Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Gimmel. The story features the traditional character of Hershel of Ostropol.
Loki and the Death of Light
This week's story features the Norse tale of Loki and the Death of Baldur. The reading comes from "The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales From Around the World for the Winter Solstice" by Carolyn McVickar Edwards"
Born & Bred In the Briar Patch
This week's story takes us to the American South where we meet the legendary characters of Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox.
The Dinner Party
This week's episode takes us to the fabled Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. This story was adapted and written by me (Shaun Jex) and first appeared on www.themoonlitroad.com
Tiddalik The Frog
This week's story comes from the aboriginal people of Australia. It's a story called Tiddalik the Frog, as adapted and written by Shaun Jex.
Abiyoyo
This week we tell Pete Seeger's version of a South African/Bantu lullaby and folktale know as Abiyoyo.
Tailypo
This week we visit Appalachia to hear the story of Tailypo, in which an old man bites off a little more than he was prepared to chew. The story is read from Robert D. San Souci's Short & Shivery.
Dauntless Little John
Another spooky folktale for the month of October, this week we tell the tale of Dauntless Little John. The story comes from the collection Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino.
La Comadre Sebastiana
This week's tale takes us to the American Southwest. We'll hear the cuento "La Comadre Sebastiana" as re-told by the wonderful writer Rudolfo Anaya. This reading comes from the book "Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic Southwest" which drew from Juan B. Rael's book "Cuentos Espanoles de Colorado y Nuevo Mexico"
Anansi Owns All Tales That Are Told
This week's episode is an Ashanti tale from Ghana, Africa. The story, Anansi Owns All Tales That Are Told, was read from the book Family of Earth and Sky: Indigenous Tales of Nature from Around the World, which was edited by John Elder and Hertha D. Wong.
Raven Released the Stars and Moon
In our very first episode, we read, " Raven Released the Stars and Moon" and "Raven Opened the Box of Daylight" from the book "Tlingit Legends" compiled by the Sheldon Jackson Museum. The stories are traditional tales from the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska.