Owl Stories

Mrs Beck from tinyfarmbigheart

Welcome to OWL STORIES, the podcast where folklore comes to life and teaches us valuable lessons along the way. Each week, we’ll take you on a magical journey through ancient tales from around the world, filled with talking animals, brave heroes, clever tricksters, and wise elders. As we dive into these timeless stories, we'll explore the lessons they hold—like the importance of kindness, the power of courage, and the magic of friendship. So, snuggle up and get ready to listen, learn, and grow, one story at a time!

  1. APR 29

    Ep20 The Mango Who Was Afraid To Fall

    Thank you for listening to OWL STORIES. If you enjoyed the podcast today, please hit the follow button and visit again to hear more long lost tales.  This folktale The Mango That Was Afraid To Fall comes from the country of India. To reshape the story for my own, when I retell a story, I take liberties here and there to suit my voice and a child's ear. It makes it easier for children to follow along and build the visual story in their minds. In folktales and mythology from India, mangoes symbolize fertility, wisdom, love, and divine blessing. They are frequently used to signify the "king of fruits," often appearing in stories to test characters' morality, represent cherished memories of summer, or act as magical, transformative objects that bring prosperity and youth. FAMILIES & TEACHERS :: I have included the pdf for an activity, a reader’s theater, and a retelling chart for this story. I hope you find it helpful with your children and students (once a teacher - always a teacher). ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.

    6 min
  2. APR 2

    Ep19 The Cat and the Fiddle

    Thank you for listening to OWL STORIES. If you enjoyed the podcast today, please hit the follow button and visit again to hear more long lost tales.  The Cat and The Fiddle dates back to the 16th century and though its origin is medieval, we know it because of L. Frank Baum's Mother Goose in Prose. Baum was such a fantastic writer :: he wrote the 14 books of OZ - and we all know about those ruby slippers! When I verbally retell a story, I take liberties here and there with vocabulary in order to suit my voice and a child’s ear. It’s really hard for the littles to follow Old English.  Families and Teachers: I have included a Reader’s Theatre for students to act out The Cat and The Fiddle - great strategy for comprehension and a fun learning activity. See you next time! ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    10 min
  3. MAR 20

    Ep18 Little Boy Blue

    Thank you for joining OWL STORIES today. If you like what you hear, please hit the follow button and visit again to hear more long lost tales :: now there are 18 selections - WOW! When I retell a story, I always pick from stories in the public domain and usually they were written 200 years ago; so, I take liberties to change a few words here and there to suit my voice and a child’s ear. I hope you liked the story today. There's a reason for all the repetition in rhymes; repetition helps teach language and vocabulary. Whether you're singing about animals, food, or nature, your child is learning and making sense of the vocabulary words as they are singing. So rhyme on! For the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers and parents, here is a Reader's Theatre to go along with this weeks story :: Little Boy Blue. Please check out the math videos on Youtube :: tinyfarmbigheart. We are also on instagram if you’d like to make suggestions. ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    7 min
  4. JAN 27

    Ep17 Sing A Song of Sixpence

    Thank you for joining OWL STORIES. If you like what you hear, please hit the follow button and visit again to hear more long lost tales.  This Story:  Sing a Song o' Sixpence is actually a retell of a retell by our friend L. Frank Baum, and he got it from John Newberry. The Newberry Award sticker you see on books was named after the same John Newberry! So, the next time you are in the library, and there will be a next time, look for a book with the Newberry Award sticker - pick it and read it.  When I retell a story, I take liberties to change a few words here and there to suit my voice and a child’s ear. I hope you liked the story today. Teachers and Families: There's a reason for all the repetition rhymes; repetition helps teach language and vocabulary. Whether you're singing about animals, food, or nature, your child is learning and making sense of the vocabulary words as they are singing.  For the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers here is a 5 Day Lesson Plan and Support Material you can use to help your littles with language and vocabulary. ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    20 min
  5. 12/22/2025

    Ep16 A Visit From St Nicholas

    Owl Stories is a part of Tiny Farm Big Heart on fb, YouTube, and Instagram. Thank you for joining our story time. If you like what you hear, please visit again and consider hitting the follow or subscribe button.  Did you know the title of this poem was A Visit From St Nicholas, or even that it is 202 years old? Amazing how great literature lives through the test of time.  Teachers and Families: I hope you and the littles enjoy the stories I tell. If you have any topics you would like me to tackle, leave a message and I'll see what I can find that might help - this is my way of giving back after decades of teaching the wee folk. Fun Family Play: Print out the poem, number the stanzas and cut them out. Then, over dinner, pass out the slips of stanzas and have family members read their part in order. For older families, don’t number the stanzas, so when you pass out the slips of stanzas, the family has to put the poem back in order - like a puzzle. You can find the poem here at Project Gutenberg. ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    7 min
  6. 12/12/2025

    Ep15 A Kidnapped Santa Claus

    Thank you for joining our story this week. If you like what you hear, please visit again and consider hitting the follow or subscribe button. OWLS Stories is a part of Tiny Farm Big Heart on fb, instagram and YouTube. The Story:  "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" is a Christmas-themed short story by American writer L. Frank Baum and I believe it is one of his best. The story was first published in the December 1904 edition and then released to the public domain May 1, 1996. Maybe you haven’t heard of Baum, but I bet you would recognize his other work, ever heard of The Wizard of Oz? Teachers and Families: I hope you find this podcast helpful to your littles. If you have any topics you would like me to tackle, leave a message and I will see what I can do - this is my way of giving back after decades of teaching the wee folk. ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    33 min
  7. 12/04/2025

    Ep14 The Wrinkled Heart

    OWL Stories is part of Tiny Farm Big Heart on fb, Instagram, and YouTube. Thank you for joining our story this week. If you like what you hear, please visit again and consider hitting the follow or subscribe.  This week, I retold a story passed from teacher to teacher for decades about a wrinkled heart, bullies, and strategies to smooth a wrinkled heart - I hope you liked my version of the tale.  Teachers and Families: Feel free to take my story, it belongs to no one. If you are teaching The Wrinkled Heart, before you start, it helps if everyone has a cut out heart so that they can see and feel a wrinkled heart, then see and feel the heart after an apology. If you use my words, it would be kind to give credit to OWL Stories. I found out,  that recently, a parent turned their child’s teacher's lesson into a book - I have not read the book but I’m sure it has the same message.  ___________________________________________ Royalty free music from artist.io: Amos Ever Hadani: Sophy with the sad eyes. Copyright Laws: Stories and characters from myths, legends, and folklore fall under the ⁠⁠⁠public domain⁠⁠⁠. What does this mean? In intellectual property law, the public domain concerns IP objects that, for certain reasons, are free from exclusive IP rights. These IP rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or inapplicable. Essentially, the stories from these categories belong to the world.​ Claim: The story you have heard today is text created and read by me. The work belongs to me and you may not claim it as your own.

    11 min

About

Welcome to OWL STORIES, the podcast where folklore comes to life and teaches us valuable lessons along the way. Each week, we’ll take you on a magical journey through ancient tales from around the world, filled with talking animals, brave heroes, clever tricksters, and wise elders. As we dive into these timeless stories, we'll explore the lessons they hold—like the importance of kindness, the power of courage, and the magic of friendship. So, snuggle up and get ready to listen, learn, and grow, one story at a time!