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How the Rabbit Lost its Tail
How the rabbit lost its tail Brazil, 11 minute read This explanatory tale comes just in time for Spring and all things Easter. Did you know Rabbits used to have long tails? To find out how they ended up with just a tuft, be sure to listen to the episode or read the notes below! I’m sure you’re all gearing up to grab your Easter baskets, chocolates and, for some, preparing for your Easter festivals! In central Europe, our town centers are all decorated for Osterfest, while the Canadian supermarkets are bursting with their chocolate displays. And, of course, somewhere…
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Fatima and the Crow
Fatima and the Crow Iran, 11 minute read Forough Hekmat collected these tales from his own childhood in Iran. Fatima may be a little old woman, but her heart is massive and her courage in the face of injustice. A story for all of us who ask, how far can kindness go? Countries worldwide are ushering in the Spring Equinox with all kinds of festivals, but on March 20th, it was also the Persian New Year, Nowruz, so to honour that, we have a Persian folktale called “Fatima and the Crow.” This tale is from the “Folktales of Ancient Persia”…
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The Crystal Casket
The Crystal Casket Italian, 16 minute read Enjoy Giuseppe Pitrè’s Tuscan tale with us as we dive into the Eagle revenge story of the century. This story has fairies, a Witch who is frankly bad at her job, an evil stepmother, a casket obsessed King and his bewildered mother! Oh and our Snow White character, Ermellina! Who may or may not be twelve years old. This Tuscan tale comes to us from the 1883 book Italian Popular Tales. The collector, Thomas Fredrick Cane, was an American academic and lawyer who was passionate about languages, medieval history and folklore. While working…
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Sparrow Shorts: The Cottager and His Cat
The Cottager and His Cat Happy New Year, Travellers! Welcome back to the Enchanted Forest. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are as eager as we are for another exciting year full of new and old stories! This week, Fox is out in the winter wonderland, searching high and low for new tales to share. But do not worry! Fox will be back in a fortnight with her shorts to share! But solo or not, it is still my job to bring old and new tales for you, and that is just what I have done.…
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The Doomed Prince and the Three Fates
What began with Egyptian funerary texts, hymns, poems and records soon evolved into one of the earliest records of narrative literature. There were few surviving narrative stories from the Middle Kingdom, including the “Story of Sinuhe,” and “Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor.” Narrative tales like our Doomed Prince didn’t flourish as a genre till down the line in the New Kingdom! “The Tale of the Doomed Prince” comes from an Egyptian Papyrus, which contains a series of love poems and two tales. The Papyrus, known as the Harris 500, is currently on exhibit at the British Museum after being donated…
Tales from the Enchanted Forest 