01 - Shoes and Stockings: A Collection of Short Stories

A Modern Cinderella: Or, The Little Old Shoe - How It Was Lost

by Louisa May Alcott



First published in 1860, the story is said to be based on the engagement of one of Louisa's sisters. This is the first of two parts.

The Butterfly’s Ball by Robert Michael Ballantyne

A children's story based on a song. Listen to the lively happenings at the insect ball.

Blueberries by Robert Frost

Blueberries by Robert Frost

Wild Grapes by Robert Frost

Wild Grapes by Robert Frost
Life lessons learned from boyhood.

The Kitten and Falling Leaves by William Wordsworth

The Kitten and Falling Leaves by William Wordsworth
A beautiful poem about the passing seasons of life.

Poetry

We've been hearing a lot of stories, but there are plenty of enjoyable poems out there too. The next few podcasts will focus on poems.

The Ugly Duckling

Hans Christian Andersen wrote some beautiful, classic, children's tales. The Ugly Duckling was first published in 1843 and continues to live on in popularity today.

The Wooden Horse from Raggedy Andy Stories

Did you have Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls? Johnny Gruelle created the characters in his books for children. Raggedy Ann came first in 1918 followed by Andy in 1920. This is the 9th chapter from the Raggedy Andy Stories. You can listen to the full book by going here.

The Allegory of The Cave

The Allegory of the Cave is often referenced, but have you actually read it? Here it is from Book Seven of Plato's The Republic. If you're really ambitious, you can read the whole work here.

The Canterville Ghost

Oscar Wilde wrote this beloved tail about a ghost and some Americans who buy his home. Only the little girl can break the curse set upon the ghost, but he hasn't been very welcoming. In this chapter they confront one another and the ghost makes his petition. You can find the whole story here.

Chapters to Tempt You

Our next three podcasts will be of single chapters from larger works. Perhaps they'll tempt you to pick up a book. Stay tuned for

• Chapter Five of The Canterville Ghost,
• Plato's Allegory of the Cave,
• a story concerning Raggedy Andy and a Wooden Horse,
• and The Ugly Duckling.

The Listners by Walter De La Mare

In honor of Halloween, an eerie, haunting poem. Who are the listeners?

Little Bear - 15 Mishe-Mokwa, The Great Bear

Now that our bear knows his name, what will he do next? You can read along here.

Little Bear - 14 The Pot of Gold

There really is a pot of gold! And it contains more than just gold ... You can read along here.

Little Bear - 13 The Magic Cap

Grampa Grumbles has a grab-bag full of goodies. There's even something in it for Bushy Tail! You can read along here.

Little Bear - 12 Little Rabbit Boo-hoo

There's someone crying at the door. Who could it be and why are they crying? You can read along here. Oh, and there are more cookies in this chapter.

Little Bear - 11 Grandpa Grumbles

In chapter eleven, our bear with no name gets lost looking for Little Red Riding Hood and finds a grumpy old bear instead. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 10 The Two Peddlers

Guess who's babysitting the bears? You can read along here.

Little Bear - 09 Aladdin’s Lamp

Little Red Riding Hood tells the bears a bedtime story about Aladdin and his magical lamp. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 08 ‘Tell Us a Story’

Even little bears love stories. What kind of stories might Little Red Riding Hood know? You can read along here.

Little Bear - 07 Red Riding Hood

Someone famous comes to visit the bear family. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 06 The Silver Dollar

Where are Susan Cottontail's glasses? Our bear is clever about finding things which are lost - maybe someday he will find his name. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 05 The Newspaper

Bushy Tail has a scheme for a newspaper and a chance for little bear to find a name. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 04 Making Cookies

In chapter 4, our little bear makes cookies with his new friends. What kind do you suppose they are? You can read along here.

Little Bear - 03 ‘A-Kit-Chew’

What happens when your fur gets all wet? Poor little bear. In chapter three our nameless friend finds some friends to stay with. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 02 A Walk in the Woods

Find out what happens to our nameless little bear as he wanders in the woods and makes a discovery. You can read along here.

Little Bear - 01 Hunting A Name

Meet a little bear who has no name and find out why in chapter one of this little children's book. You can read along here.

Welcome

Welcome to a podcast of stories and poems from the public domain. For more stories and poems visit http://www.librivox.org/ where I volunteer. We'll begin with a children's story in 15 short chapters.