Storynory - Stories for Kids
http://storynory.com

His Royal Highness Princess Bertie the Frog has commanded these classic children's stories to be podcast. If enough children listen to his stories, one day he will turn back into a handsom prince.

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The Fire-Fly Princess
Posted: March 2010

The Fire-Fly Princess is a glittering beauty, and numerous insects want to be her husband. She has little interest in any of them, and declares that she will only marry the one who brings her a flame. This glittering story is full of the beauty of old Japan. And we are delighted to introduce the very talented Elizabeth Donnelly, who joins Natasha and Richard as a narrator for Storynory. And for all those who have been asking us for news of Natasha, she will be very soon reading more chapters of Alice Through the Looking Glass.

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Noah
Posted: March 2010

When God sent a great flood to destroy almost all his own creation, he chose Noah to save the animals and preserve life on Earth beyond the great disaster. The story of how humans, through their own folly, bring catastrophe upon the world has always struck a deep cord. And the theme of saving of animals from mankind’s mistakes appeals greatly to children, and to everyone who cares for the natural world. Noah appears in both the Bible’s Book of Genesis and in the Quran.

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Astropup and the Ship of Birds
Posted: March 2010

When we last left Astropup, he was flying into the mouth of a giant space ship shaped like a bird (see Astropup for Freedom). At the centre of the space ship is a giant tree holding up the nests and families of thousands upon thousands of highly intelligent birds. Astropup’s commanding officer, the major (who is a parrot) wants to stay. So will our Space Dog hero be stranded on the Ship of Birds?

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Orpheus
Posted: February 2010

We bring you this sad, but we hope beautiful, story in verse. Orpheus the musician married Eurydice the shepherdess. When she was killed by a snake, he traveled down to the underworld and was granted one chance to fetch her back to life. Bertie has freely adapted this ancient tale into his own verse. And yes, we did warn you, it is sad.

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Astropup for Freedom
Posted: February 2010

Since Astropup last went into space, he has started to think big thoughts about the universe. Now he is torn between the love of his owner, Jenny, and his thirst for space exploration. He returns to the launchpad for another mission with his companion the Major (who is a parrot in the Space Force). But this time the Major takes matters into his own beak.

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How The Whale Got His Throat
Posted: February 2010

This is one of the wonderful Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. It explains why a huge mammal – the whale – can only eat the smallest things. The story is full of Kipling’s love of words and sounds, and it’s read with gusto by Richard. In case you missed last week’s story, we had better mention that Natasha is away. If you enjoy this story, you might also like The Elephant’s Child, also from the Just So Stories.

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Astropup Returns
Posted: February 2010

Quite a while ago, we heard from a dog called Astropup who told us about his adventures in space with clever parrot and a treasonous cat. The years have gone by, and Astropup has been continuing to have adventures. Now he returns to recount some of them. Natasha is taking a break for a few weeks. We know that you will miss her. We are already – and she’s hardly been away yet ! But we do think that you will enjoy the voice of Richard Scott who is standing in for her.

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The Vigilante Monkey
Posted: January 2010

The adventures of Theo the Monkey take a new turn as he determines to break out of the zoo and take up the fight for what is right in the City. Mr. Grabber, the keeper of the monkeys cage, has a new scheme which on the face of it seems to be in a good cause. When Theo digs deeper, he finds that Mr. Grabber and his girlfriend are up to their usual criminal tricks.

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How the Tiger Got his Stripes
Posted: January 2010

We celebrate the Year of the Tiger with a legend of how the tiger got his stripes. The Chinese New Year falls on February 14th in 2010, and anyone born in this year will be lucky and brave (according to horoscopes). You might also be interested in our story of how the Chinese years were named after animals. And if you like tigers, then try the poem. The Tyger (yes, it is spelt that way because it’s archaic), and our story from India, The Brahman, the Tiger, and the Jackel.

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Katie and the Cat who Talked
Posted: January 2010

Katie, the ordinary witch, returns for story in which her mother buys her a black kitten to help her with her magic. Katie puts a spell on the cat so that he can talk. Soon he is not only talking, he’s gossiping about all her friends.

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King Thrushbeard
Posted: January 2010

A proud and haughty princess refuses to marry because no man is good enough for her. She mocks every suitor, especially a king whom she calls “Thrushbeard”. Her father devises a plot to make her less proud. You may notice that this story by the Brothers Grimm has much in common with The Taming of the Shrew, the comedy by William Shakespeare.

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Gladys and the Big Deal
Posted: December 2009

Our series about a girl band called the chiX and their brainy little sister Gladys arrives at its final episode. The chiX have come second in the Eurovision Song Contest.

They think that perhaps their dream is at an end. But Arny their manager is convinced that success lies ahead.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Part Two
Posted: December 2009

We present the second and final part of our audio drama (part one is here) in which Sir Gawain meets his destiny on New Year’s Day. He must allow The Knight of the Green Chapel one strike against him with an axe. In the meantime he faces a more delicate challenge in the castle of Lord Bertilak.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Part One
Posted: December 2009

Storynory presents an audio drama adapted from the famous medieval story. It is almost New Year at the court of King Arthur. A strange visitor lays down a challenge which is taken up by Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain. A year later Sir Gawain sets out on a quest that proves a test to his honour as much as to his valour. Our story weaves between narration and voice parts and is probably Storynory’s most ambitious production to date. It might appeal to slightly older children (and perhaps to adults too ).

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The Christmas Cherry Tree
Posted: December 2009

This charming medieval story shows that a true knight has more virtues than just courage. The hero, Sir Cleges, is generous, perhaps too generous. He celebrates Christmas in such style every year, that eventually he falls into poverty. When he is at his lowest ebb, cherries appear in his garden, even though it is snowy and out of season. His wife points him in the direction of the Court of King Uther, and he is on his way to restore his wealth. For a detailed introduction see Teams Middle English Texts.