Send us Fan Mail

“The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling. The Just So Stories were first published in 1902. This story is from the 1912 edition.

In this classic tale from Rudyard Kipling, a relentlessly curious young elephant sets out to discover what the crocodile has for dinner—and finds himself changed forever.

The Elephant’s Child is a story full of rhythm, humor, and heart, exploring how curiosity can lead us into trouble… and into growth.

A look ahead:

Wednesday, April 15th - "Prometheus and Pandora"

Wednesday, April 22nd - "Princess on the Glass Hill" from the Norse

Wednesday, April 29th - "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe

The Just So Stories were first published in 1902. This story is from the 1912 edition.
This work is in the public domain.

Content Note:

This episode contains scenes of violence consistent with classic stories.

I would love to hear from you.

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC

Send us Fan Mail

Leo Tolstoy's short story “Three Questions” was first published in 1885 as part of the collection What Men Live By, and Other Tales.

"The Three Questions" is a story about a king who seeks answers three questions:

What is the best time to begin something? Who are the most important people to listen to? What is the most important thing to do?

After receiving unsatisfactory answers from many groups of people, he consults a hermit and through his actions learns his answers: the most important time is now, the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to do good for that person.

The hermit reminds us of now as "the only time when we have any power." Tolstoy's story has helped me to:

"Remember then: there is only one time that is important—Now!

It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power."

Content Note:

This episode contains scenes of violence consistent with some classic stories.

A look ahead:

Wednesday, April 8th - "The Elephant's Child" by Rudyard Kipling

Wednesday, April 15th - "Prometheus and Pandora"

Wednesday, April 22nd - "Princess on the Glass Hill"

Leo Tolstoy's short story collection What Men Live By, and Other Tales was first published in 1885 and is in the public domain.

I would love to hear from you.

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC

Send us Fan Mail

Aesop's Fables, are very old stories that are credited to a 6th-century BCE Greek slave named Aesop.

In the beginning these were oral tales; early written versions appeared around the 4th century BC or BCE and in Latin by the 1st centuryAD or CE.

These tales were originally for adults, using animals and people to teach ethical, social, and political lessons; during the Renaissance, they became educational tools for children.

William Caxton published the first version in English in 1484.

The fables selected for this episode are from Joseph Jacobs book The Fables of Aesop, published in 1894.

We start with the “Dog and the Shadow”- a tale about greed and ambition

Our second Fable is “The Fox and the Crow: - a hungry fox and a proud crow meet over cheese

And the third fable is “The Lion’s Share” – a lesson about power and not sharing

A look ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, April 1st - Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy

and on Wednesday, April 8th - The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling

and on Wednesday, April 15th - Prometheus and Pandora

Joseph Jacobs' The Fables of Aesop, was published in 1894 and is in the public domain.

I would love to hear from you.

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC

Send us Fan Mail

"The Skylight Room" from O. Henry's story collection The Four Million was published in 1906. In these stories, O. Henry introduces us to a variety of ordinary people living and working in New York City in the early part of the 20th Century.

He is known as one of the great American storytellers and his stories often have unexpected endings as this one does.

In this story we meet the people living in Mrs. Parker's rooming house. The most recent arrival is Miss Elsie Leeson, "just a poor working girl" who names and talks to a star that she can see through the skylight in her tiny room. That star brings her hope especially when her situation seems hopeless.

Notice In the final line of the story, the name of the ambulance doctor: William Jackson.

"The Skylight Room" from O. Henry's story collection The Four Million, was published in 1906 and is in the public domain.

A Look Ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, March 25th: "Three Fables" by Aesop

And on Wednesday, April 1st: "Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy

I would love to hear from you.

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

Support the show

A podcast by SBKA LLC

Send us Fan Mail

The Cat That Walked by Himself”

by Rudyard Kipling

This is one of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, a story of the “High and Far-Off Times"— when the wild creatures of the forest were beginning, one by one, to come and live beside humans. The dog, the horse, and the cow all made their bargains.

But one creature had other ideas.

This is the story of the Cat that walked by himself… and how he managed to belong everywhere, while never quite belonging to anyone at all.

The Just So Stories were first published in 1902. This story is from the 1912 Edition.

"The Cat That Walked by Himself"

by Rudyard Kipling

“The Cat That Walked by Himself” by Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories (1912).
This work is in the public domain.

A look ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, March 18th: "The Skylight Room" by O. Henry

And on Wednesday, March25th: "Three Fables by Aesop"

I’d love to hear from you: greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

A podcast by SBKA LLC

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Great Stories Well Told — a storytelling podcast for listeners who love timeless tales.

In this ad-free podcast, I share fairy tales, fables, folk tales, myths, and classic short fiction — stories that have endured because they speak to something in us that does not change.

Each episode, released on Wednesdays, will run between 15 and 40 minutes and is created for anyone who enjoys being read to.

Thank you for listening. Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

A podcast by SBKA LLC