A story and a song: musical stories for children

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This episode is dedicated to the memory of our lovely friend and Batt Cave regular Greger Nyström ... who passed away recently.

We share a pūrākau from te ao Māori about tohorā/the whale and the kaurī tree, two brothers who share a special connection - reminding us all, that the health of the land and the sea are one.

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Here it is... Part three of this exciting  Eastern European Wonder Tale!

Will the soldier meet his end with the executioner? Will Batt Lamb withstand the tension?? ...... Find out today.

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It's the second instalment of our exciting Wonder Tale Helen the wise... Batt Lamb is very excited!

In this episode we find out what happens to the soldier who has become enamoured with Helen the Wise and has flown to her castle.

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Fresh from the Batt Cave this month comes part one of a three part 'Wonder tale' called "Helen the Wise".  

This is the story from Russia that begins with a soldier who is guarding a prisoner but has no idea who it is. This sets a long train of exciting events in motion.

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Batt Lamb does some serious helping out with this Batt Cave rendition of the classic story "Jack and the Beanstalk".... what more needs to be said!

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This month in the Batt Cave Tanya and Pete tell stories with Jack's in them... There are many stories and nursery rhymes  that feature a Jack as the main character, such as Jack and Jill, or Little Jack Horner. Today the Batt Team tell the story of Lazy Jack... a young man who sets out to find some work to support his Mother and himself.

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This story comes from the Shona people of Zimbabwe and was collected by a UK storytelling friend and colleague, Helen East in her book 'The Singing Sack'. While Batt-lamb is uncertain about large snakes, this story celebrates the bravery of a group of children who have the courage to fetch Nyangara, a python with healing powers, to cure their ailing chief.

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In this episode, Batt Lamb has the seasonal sniffles. There's nothing like a story to make you feel better, epecially one about the origins of delicious kai. Tanya and Pete share a a pūrākau/a traditional Māori story from Aotearoa/New Zealand, from Ngāti Kahungunu about how the kūmara, or sweet potato, came to this land.

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Bat Lamb notices an empty plate, and Tanya shares with her and the children a sharing song about their favourite foods.

Then comes the Story of The Corn Mother from South America all about where the vital and delicious food Corn came from.

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In this episode of the Batt Cave Bat Lamb helps Tanya write a song about the changing season ... If Bat Lamb can write a song then we all can!!

Then Tanya Tells a Nigerian Story about why Sun and Moon are so far away from each other .

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A gift of a magic wand led Tanya to remember a faery story that she created more than 30 years ago about a mischevious faery called Iddlebright. See how many old fairytales you can recognize in this porridgey story!

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Cap O' Rushes is an English Cinderella variant where our heroine makes  her own good fortune through hard work and cleverness! There are over 800 known versions of the Cinderella story told around the world - we hope you enjoy this one!

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This Bat Cave starts off with Pete singing a song from the Bat show that Tanya and Pete are touring round NewZealand at the moment.

Then Tanya tells the exciting story of Molly Whuppie, a 'Jack in the Beanstalk' variant where Molly and her sisters set out to find their fortune and meet a ferocious giant along the way. As Molly sings, " Sometimes in life you have to brave , just feel the fear and do it anyway."

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In this last story celebrating the New Year of the Fire Horse; Tanya and Pete tell the story of a poor man experiencing hard times who sets out to find something to feed his family with. He meets some difficult choices along the way.

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Continuing the celebration of the horse for the lunar 'fire horse' year, Tanya talks about horses in mythology such as Pegasus, Sleipnir and the horse of power from Russian folktales. Tanya and Pete share a story from the First Nations Lakota people about the origin of the horse - known as Tashunka - a magical gift that was given and then taken away but returned many years later for all to ride. The session finishes with a traditional eastern European folksong about riding you horse alongside the Slavic mountains. Yeee ha!

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It's the first Batt Cave of the New Year and the Batt Cave Team are Celebrating the coming Chinese New Year of The Fire Horse, beginning on Feb 17th. Batt Lamb is very excited!

They also sing two songs. The first is a song to welcome a new ancestor building that Tanya and Pete have moved to their land. The second song is a well known Horse song fitting for the Fire Horse Year.

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Fresh from the Batt Cave comes the second and final part of the Hungarian Wonder Tale about the Three Brothers and the Golden Apples.... It's a long one... so Buckle up for adventure!!

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It's nearly New Year 2026.... and to celebrate the past twelve months, we've adapted the Twelve Days of Christmas, Batt Lamb - style, (with some help from Tanya and Pete) to sing about all the great stories (and songs) we've shared  from around the world in the Batt cave during the year.

Thanks for tuning into the Batt Cave and Happy New Year from the Batt Cave!!!!!

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For a treat today the Batt Cave has two stories to share about Golden Apples.

First Tanya tells Batt Lamb all about the Ancient Greek story of Paris and the Golden Apple... of Gods and choices and all that great mythical stuff.

Then Tanya tells the first part of a long Wonder Tale from Bulgaria about three brothers and a golden apple tree. Follow this exciting tale  and then join us next month for the final instalment.

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Tanya tells Batt lamb the classic story of King Midas who's dreams come true when the Gods grant him one wish

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And finally...

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Pete has reached a golden milestone in November, turning 65! To celebrate, we've put together a collection of 'golden stories' to share. The first one is is from Ireland, and is aboutt a Leprechaun and his legendary pot of gold. Batt-lamb wonders about the rights and wrongs of taking things that don't belong to you but stealing a Leprechaun's treasure proves to be more difficult than anticipated.

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This traditional story comes from the Lotha Naga people who originate from North East India. A gentle but  lonley farmer finds an exceptionally large pumpkin growing in his garden. While the other villagers are suspicious, the farmer lavishes attention on this pumpkin, resulting in its magical transformation. But not everyone is happy with the harvest.

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Continuing with the theme of springtime in the Garden; Tanya and the Batt Crew tell a delightful musical story of a King who wants to give a gift to his three Daughters. The youngest asks for a Talking vine, a Smiling Apple and a Singing Ringing Pear... What a strange request?

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It's Halloween again and here in New Zealand it's springtime and that means lots of busy bees and other pollinators out and about pollinating all the flowers and plants in the garden.

Tanya has lots of pumpkin seedlings to give away and we thought we'd celebrate with "Pollinator Power"... A song/action story the children can move too, all about the industrious pollinators buzzing around the garden.

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Continuing The epic European adventure Our Heroes briefly pass through Norway on their way to Shetland.

This is a re-telling of the Classic Norwegian story : The Three Billygoats Gruff...told with verve and panache by BattLamb and Tanya....While Pete joins in pluckin' on the Banjo.

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During their big adventure, Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb were lucky enough to visit Papa Stour, one of the most westerly isles of  the Shetland Islands.

One of the old stories connected to Papa Stour is about a fisherman who gets stranded on the Vee Skerries and the bargin he makes that saves with a seal/selkie that saves his life.

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At long last, Pete, Tanya and Batt Lamb are back from their epic adventure, with new stories and songs to share - this month the stories are from Thailand, Shetland and Norway.

In celebration of spring, this episode begings with a Cuckoo song. Then Tanya shares a traditional Thai story all about planting seeds.Kasem is given some special seeds by his Grandfather, with instructions to 'not let the crows steal the seeds'. You can probably guess what happened! This fun story comes from a collection of stories that were collected...

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In the second half of the Batt-Cave from Sweden where the days are long and full of light, Tanya, Pete and Batt-lamb share  a story from Siberia about how hare brought light to a very dark world - a story for those experiencing the southern mid winter. Pete also shares a small refrain from a Swedish 70's classic all about summer and picking smöltron (wild strawberries) that was written by Mats Paulson. This song was taught to us by two Swedish women whom we met on our travels  that we shared the str...

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Tanya, Pete and Batt-lamb continue on their world storytelling adventure and are joined in Sweden by Greger (and Lena) who are long time fans of the Batt- Cave. This story is musical remake of a traditional Swedish folktale about making your wishes come true. Greger's wish comes true on this podcast - he and Batt-lamb sing a duet 'Baa, baa vita lamb' - the swedish version of 'Baa, baa black sheep.'

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This episode was recorded in Sutri, Italy with the wonderful UK storyteller Xanthe Gresham - Knight. (Tanya and Xanthe were on their way to FEST - the Federation of European Storytellers Conference).

Batt-lamb is thrilled to help Xanthe tell a story with a sheep in it, and three other animals who set out to seek a holy man to help with their coughs. 

Turns out that companionship is a cure all for many ailments. 

You can find out more about Xanthe's wonderful storytelling and other projects here 

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This is the second part of our podcast from Singapore with Singaporian storyteller Mindy Neo. Tanya shares the story of the Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha after a visit to a local Hindu temple in Joo Chiat, the 2nd oldest in Singapore.

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Tanya, Pete and Batt- lamb are out in the world having an adventure and their first stop was Singapore where we met some of the local storytellers who are part of the Storytelling Association of Singapore. Mindy Neo is a member of the association and joined us to share a local story about the island Palau Ubin but not before we got into a bit of singing songs from Singapore and Waiheke respectively.

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This Taiwanese story tells why the mountain called Ban Pin Shan – the half faced mountain is the shape it is. It all starts with an old man who arrives selling delicious dumplings but the dumplings prove to be more than a yummy treat.

As usual Tanya weaves her story magic (in a slightly forgetful way!)

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In this big double bill episode, Tanya, with a lot of help from Batt Lamb (and Pete), tells a story that centres around the Japanese celebration, Setsubun - the Japanese bean throwing festival.  In early February, in anticipation of Spring, people drive out bad luck and the oni (demons) associated with it, to welcome in the new. This version of the story comes from storyteller Cathy Spagnoli, who has now passed, and was told to her by a Japanese friend.

Then in a similar vein comes the old story song about a...

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This story is an adaptation of a Chinese story about Grandma Bear, who is not feeling well and has taken to her bed. All her friends: Fox, Pig and Uncle Frog come to help her and she share her dream of a healing rainbow.

Then Tanya and Pete finish off by singing a lullaby in te reo Māori called 'Moe Moe Pēpē'.

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Staying on the bridge theme, Tanya and Pete share the old English nursery rhyme, 'London Bridge in Falling down' with all it's verses, documenting the many different faces of this famous bridge.

Then they tell the story of a Pedlar (poor seller of second hand things) who has a recurring dream that if he travels to London Bridge great riches will be his. 

A story about what happens when you are brave and crazy enough to follow your dreams!!

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In Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand we have just had the ANZAC day commemerations (25th April). In the spirit of peace we're sharing a story and a song all about 'building bridges' where two 'waring' brothers find help to reconcile their differences from an unlikely source.

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Join Tanya, Pete and Bat Lamb for stories and songs about rainbows. 

The story today is from the First Nations, Chumash people who are the original people of the Californian coastal area. It tells of a magical Rainbow bridge created by the  earth goddess Hutash that once stretched between the island of Limuw/Santa Cruz (where the Chumash originated from) and mainland California. 

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Tonight Tanya and Pete tell a story from The Seneca Native American Nation. It's the story of how in the beginning there were no stories... until stories began to be told from an unusual source.

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It's St David's Day and the Batt Cave are celebrating with a dragon story from Wales about a mean Ruler and a Father-less boy. Dragons will be involved for sure!

Also Tanya is celebrating the release of her new book Seasonal storytelling, with a hat song from one of the many songs and stories in the book...Enjoy!!

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