Learning From the Land

“The mountains  are calling, and I must go,” said John Muir, naturalist and father of the National Park system. Have you ever felt drawn to nature? If you could spend an hour outside today, what might you think about?  Today’s collection of stories celebrates nature. Storytellers Jay O’Callahan, Glenda Bonin, Joseph Bruchac, Susan Reed, and Valentina Oritz take us into the great outdoors, and show us what we can learn from the land.  On today’s episode, enjoy the following: “Frog, Dodge City” by Jay O’Callahan from Earth Stories (12:31) Doc Holladay is a tough, straight-faced cowboy who hasn’t smiled in years. When he encounters Fred, a signing frog with a love for fun, that just might change. Fred’s band of pond animals shows the saloon the best concert they’ve ever had. “The King Has Goat Ears” by Glenda Bonin from Tails You Might Have Herd Before...Or Knot (8:17) A terrified barber must cut the king’s hair. The stakes? If it doesn’t look good, he’ll face death! But this isn’t a normal haircut - we’ll let you guess what the one complication is... “The Creation” by Joseph Bruchac from Iroquois Stories (2:39) The Iroquois legend tells of a woman who falls from the sky. She is saved by sea animals, who together organize land for the woman to live. “Jimmy and the Seed” by Susan Reed from Lion in the Sky (4:38) When Jimmy is proud of a seed in his pocket, his grandmother suggests that even more fun are the seeds of ideas in his mind. “Ateteos, Spirits of the Water” by Valentina Oritz from Earth Stories (14:33) A mother consults the water spirits for help finding her missing daughter. "Old Rabbit Saves the People" by Norah Dooley from Rabbitails (6:12) In this story from Norah Dooley, a council of animals gathers to devise a plan to save themselves from a hungry lion. Who will save the day? You'll need to listen to find out...or just take another look at the title.