Dragonfly Tales

Hi Listeners! While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

In this episode, we conclude our epic Greek adventure with the hero Perseus, the gorgon Medusa and a host of meddling Greek gods.

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on o...

Hey Listeners! The countdown to the holidays has begun and we have some wintry treats coming your way.

This episode, it's the return of a much loved character from Native American folklore - COYOTE! We first met him in Season 5 when he had a singing lesson with Locust. But he's back and getting into trouble again!

It's nearly time for the winter holidays and we're looking for listeners to share a Christmas/Winter themed story. Could this be you? Get in touch with us!

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also...

Hi Listeners! While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

Our story is the first part of an epic Greek myth and fan favourite - the myth of Perseus and Medusa! You can find out more about Perseus and Medusa HERE.

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also get early access, bonus cont...

Hello story lovers! Thank you for your patience - we're back with a brand new story!

This episode, we travel to the Malay Peninsula for an animal tale. Folk tales about animals are very popular in this part of the world, and this version in similar to a tale by Aesop. You can find out more about the Malay Peninsula HERE and our favourite version of this tale HERE.

It's nearly time for the winter holidays and we're looking for listeners to share a Christmas/Winter themed story. Could this be you? Get in touch...

Hello listeners!  While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

And this one is our Spooky Halloween Special from Season 3 - lots of treats (no tricks) in this episode.

Firstly, we have a song that we learned from Kate Corkery and Winston Nzinga, also known as Spud and Yam! The Boogie Man song! We hope you...

Hello story lovers!  While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

Our story is an old fairytale from Ireland about a 'changeling'. Changelings feature in lots of folklore and you can find out more about them HERE. We made a little lullaby for this episode with words from WB Yeats' 'The Stolen Child' too!

Remember...

It’s HALLOWEEEEEEEN and guess who's back? LEO!!

This episode we return to the village of Smelly Bottom and the hideous Hotel de Ville! But something is very wrong in the village ... and where is the Inspector?

We had so much fun making this very silly story - we hope you enjoy it!

Huge thanks to all our spooky comedians for their hilarious jokes ... Lara, Agnes, Bea, Cian, Graham, Allie, Nara, Rhion and Farley   

We'd also like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all our patrons - you really help to kee...

Hello lovely listeners!  While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

This episode, Our story is a tale from the Mapuche people of Chile, a country in South America. There are many ancient stone masks that come from the Mapuche people, but unfortunately not much is known about them.That is why their folk tales are so prec...

Hey lovely listeners! This episode as a classic tale that I'm sure you've heard many times. But THIS version is all our own, and guess what? It's rhymes!

Thanks to Cian, one of our Patrons, for recommending it. You can recommend stories too if you join us over on Patreon.

We are also preparing for our HALLOWEEN SPECIAL featuring LEO and we need to hear from YOU! Send us your spooky jokes to emilydragonflytales@gmail.com and you might feature on our Halloween episode!

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also ge...

Hello lovely listeners!  While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'.

This episode, our tale is THOUSANDS of years old. It’s a very long epic and we only had time to tell a part of it. If you liked the story and want to follow Odysseus on the rest of his journey, we’d recommend this version...

Hello story lovers! This episode we head to the beautiful island of Rotuma in the South Pacific ocean, to hear a tale a bit like Little Red Riding Hood - but this little girl Kumaku knows how to handle herself!

We are also preparing for our HALLOWEEN SPECIAL featuring LEO and we need to hear from YOU! Send us your spooky jokes to emilydragonflytales@gmail.com and you might feature on our Halloween episode!

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on o...

Hello lovely listeners!  While you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'. This episode we venture to Zimbabwe to hear a story from a clan of the Shona tribe - the Karanga! African storytelling is amazing and our telling would not have been possible without these two awesome books The Lion on the Path and Party Croc!

Rememb...

Welcome to Season 7 of the podcast! We’ve got lots of brilliant new stories, new guest tellers coming and of course – we have our spooktacular HALLOWEEN SPECIAL soon. 

Our first story of the season is from the huge continent of Africa. And this particular tale is from a country called Zimbabwe. I came across this story a long time ago in a collection of stories called Children of Wax. And the story itself is thought to originate from the Ndebele tribe, related to the Zulu tribes of Southern Africa.

Remember to join us over on Patreon...

Hello lovely listeners!  We have Season 7 starting next week and we’ll be back with new stories, guest tellers, shout outs and more.

But while you’re waiting for the next new story, we’ve decided to look back into the archives at some stories that got a bit lost for a while.

Every other week, we will be giving these episodes a spot light and calling them 'the lost stories'. And this week, we are travelling to French-speaking Canada for a tale of magic, mayhem and magnificent CAKES!

Remember to join us over on...

Hello listeners!

Our last story of season 6 is a version of a fairytale that you probably know very well - Cinderella. Did you know there are hundreds of versions of Cinderella? The oldest goes back to ancient china. 

But this story is a version from the United States – and comes from along the Appalachian mountains. A huge mountain range stretching 2000miles all the way from Canada right down to Alabama. You can find out more about the Appalachians HERE.

We'll be back with Season 7 in two weeks time!

Remember to join us ov...

Hello story lovers!

This episode, we venture into the forests of Eastern India for this fun tale about why pigs are so very dirty! This is a 'pourquoi' story - a fun way our ancestors explained why things are the way they are. But if you want to know the real reason pigs roll around in mud, check out this link

https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/latest/blogs/clone-5-reasons-why-pigs-need-mud/

Remember to join us over on Patreon. You also get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on over and...

Happy Summer Holidays, listeners! To celebrate the summer time, we have an extra long episode for you. And it's a fairy tale from France - where we are .on holiday!!

You may have heard of the famous french writer Charles Perrault - he made many fairy tales famous (Sleeping Beauty, Beauty & the Beast, Blue Beard, Cinderella) but he wasn't the only one.

A lady called Marie-Catherine D'Aulnoy also wrote dow some fabulous French fairy tales - and this is one of Emily's favourites!

Remember to join us over on Patreon – Power Pixies could ge...

Hello listerners! It's the summer holidays and we're excited to be telling a classic on this episode. It's got a bridge, a troll and three goats! We know you love this story so make sure you join in with the telling.

Remember to join us over on Patreon – Power Pixies could get to be a guest teller on the podcast! You also get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on over and help to support us. 

We really want to keep the podcast going, but we can’t do it witho...

Hey story lovers! Join us for the next exciting part of our Greek myth! Will Bellerophon manage to get help from Pegasus? Will they be able to defeat the deadly Chimera?

Remember to join us over on Patreon – Power Pixies could get to be a guest teller on the podcast! You also get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on over and help to support us. 

We really want to keep the podcast going, but we can’t do it without your help!!!

You can follow us and join us...

Greetings listeners, and Happy Solstice! This episode we are off on an epic Greek quest with our hero Bellerophon. The son of a god, Bellerophon is sent on a perilous task to defeat a terrifying monster. In this first part of the story, we meet some familiar characters and some brand new ones from Greek mythology.

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you could get to be a guest teller like Astrid, you get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on over and help to support us. 

We really wan...

Hello story lovers! This episode's story is from Scotland – it’s a very old tale that can be traced back to the Orkney islands - about a bold lass who goes on a magical adventure. We've also got a riddle for you from Jonathan Swift.

We are little airy creatures

All of diff'rent voice and features,

One of us in glass is set,

One of us you'll find in jet,

T'other you may see in tin

And the fourth a box within,

If you should the...

Hello listeners! We hope you're enjoying the merry month of May! It's half term holidays here in the UK and I’m off to tell stories of shipwrecks and pirates at the famous Chatham Historic Dockyard. If you're in the area, come and say hello!

This episode's story is also a tale from the sea - and comes all the way from Chile in South America. Off the coast of Chile there is a beautiful island called Chiloe – it is home to lots of rare and endangered animals – including penguins! But old stories tell of another creature that l...

Hi Story Lovers! In this episode, we are joined by Kim from Super Great Kids Stories. She shares a briliiant Japanese tale about some magical badgers!

If you want to hear more from Kim, be sure to check out her podcast at https://www.supergreatkidsstories.com

We also rejoin Falling Star for Part 2 of our epic adventure from the Cheyenne tribe of the Great Plains.

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you could get to be a guest teller like Astrid, you get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So...

Hello listeners! In this story from the Cheyenne Tribe of the Great Plains, our hero Falling Star must face danger to find his people and his place on earth.

The Cheyennes were once a warrior tribe, but they have a great tradition of storytelling and living in balance with the land and nature around them. They respect nature so much …. Believe that nature is sacred and that everything has its own spirit. This story has warriors and lots of animals – and some monsters in it.There’s also a place called the ‘in-high’ up in the sky where the...

Hi story lovers! We're off to look for pixies on Dartmoor for this lovely folktale. Dartmoor is a real place and it's very magical! It's situated in the county of Devon, in the west of England. People have inhabited the moorland for about 10,000 years, but the land is ancient, stretching back into the primordial mist. It's an important reserve for rare plants and animals, and of course, PIXIES!

Pixies are mischievous sprites, a bit like fairies. They can be trixy but can also be kind to those who respect them.

You can...

Hello listeners! This episode, our story is a Hungarian version of a classic fairytale. I'm sure you know the story of the three little pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. But I bet you haven't heard THIS version. There are far too many wolves in this story. Let's hope Little Pig can best them!

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you could get to be a guest teller like Astrid, you get early access, bonus content, videos and birthday shout outs!! So hop on over and help to support us. 

Bonjour listeners! This episode, our story is from the city of Paris, France. It's a fairytale created by a writer called Pierre Gripari in the 1960s. When he was a boy, he read lots of traditional French fairy tales by Charles Perrault – like sleeping beauty and little red riding hood. And he loved them!

But when he grew up, he realised that he wanted fairytales that were about where he lived – the streets of Paris. So he made up his own. And this is our version of one of his most famous – the Witch of the Rue Mouffetard...

Hello lovely listeners! This episode we welcome the fabulous storyteller Sandra A Agard.

Sandra ia a professional storyteller, author, and playwright. She‘s been sharing stories for over forty years in libraries, schools, festivals and museums. Emily has been lucky enough to work with Sandra and just loves listening to the way she brings stories to life. 

If you want to read some of Sandra's books you can do so HERE.

Emily's story is a folktale from old Korea. Korea is a peninsula, divided into North and South, and its between China and Japa...

Hello lovely listeners! This episode we travel deep into the forest to the cave of a mysterious man who seems to have a cave full of wonders...

This is a version adapted from a story by children's author Ruth Ainsworth. My sister and I heard the story when we were little and really liked the storyline - but because it was written a long time ago, some of the language was a bit old fashioned. We hope you like our version!

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you could get to be a guest te...

We have TWO stories for you this episode. Our first is from Super fan Astrid, who tells us Why Ravens are Black. What a fantastic storyteller you are, Astrid!

Do you like riddles? We love them! Emily's story is a tale full of riddles, about a clever King and even more clever girl. It has versions all over the world, but this version is from what is now called Kahzakstan.

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you could get to be a guest teller like Astrid, you get early access, bonus content, videos and birt...

This episode we have a famous legend from Wales, featuring the formidable witch goddess Ceridwen, who lives near the shore of Llyn Tegid.

The story of Ceridwen's Cauldron is very old and has many different versions, but they all feature her magic cauldron and a fabulous chase filled with transformation - thanks to the magic of Awen.

Awen is a Welsh and Breton word for 'inspiration', that magical feeling when your creativity flows beautifully. Think of a time when you have created or been part of something wonderful - maybe a drawing or painting, performing...

Happy New Year everyone! Here's Part 2 of our Christmas Special story - The Nutcracker.

The music on this episode is fromThe Nutcracker Suite and is by famous Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

You can find out more about Mr Tchaikovsky HERE and listen to the music from the ballet HERE.

Remember to join us over on Patreon – you get early access, bonus content, videos and shout outs so hop on over and help to support us. 

We really want to keep the podcast going, but we can’t do it without your...

Happy Holidays everyone! We are delighted to share part 1 of our Christmas Special with you!

Have you ever loved a toy so much you wished it came to life? Have you ever dreamed that you went on wonderful adventures with that toy that seemed so real?

Well, over two hundred years ago an author named E.T.A Hoffman wrote a beautiful story that enchanted children and grown ups - The Nutcracker & the Mouse King.

In fact, people loved the story so much that the famous Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote some...

Hello folks! This episode we're off to Eastern Europe to find Mareshka in the snowy landscape.

Winters there can be terribly cold in Slovakia – with lots of snow and ice. And long ago, it was really important to store food for the winter and to live by the seasons, AND get to know the personalities of the twelve months.

What do you think February would look like as a person? Or August? Draw a picture and send it to us!

REMEMBER - If you would like some extra special Dragonfly Tales content you can...

Hello lovely listeners! This episode we have a Jack story for you from France!

Do you remember Lazy Jack from Season 2? Well, this classic fairytale introduces another, more clumsy Jack and lots of magic. There are versions of this story by the Grimm brothers, Henri Pourrat, the Comtesse D'Aulnoy and Joseph Jacobs. I hope you like this one.

What are doing for the Holidays? How do you celebrate? And what is your favourite thing about the festive season? Let us know.

We are now on PATREON!

We have a special new...

Hello storylovers! This episode we have two great stories for you! Our first is from storyteller Sarah Rundle from West London. 

Sarah has performed at Festivals all around the world, she’s told tales in museums and theatres, pubs and cafes. I love hearing Sarah’s stories because they’re often very funny and a bit crazy. And this is very famous old folktale called The Dauntless Girl. It's a slightly spooky story about a girl who thinks she’s not scared of anything – even ghosts!

If you would like to find out more about Sarah, you c...

It’s Halloween and LEO'S BACK! This episode we introduce our special radio play - Horror at the Hotel de Ville! We had so much fun making this very silly story - we hope you enjoy it!

Huge thanks to all our spooky comedians for their hilarious jokes ...

Mila, Casimir, Sky, Magda, Bianca, Nara, George, Frankie, Tess, Farley and Elle.   

We'd also like to say a BIG THANK YOU to our patrons - Little Sprites and Power Pixies:

Kuihi from New Zealand, Bea and Graham from Minnesota and Kennedy and Bryson from C...

We are now on PATREON!

We have a special new club for superfans of our podcast. It’s free to join and we'll be posting pictures, facts and other little things on our patreon page.

But! If you would like some extra special Dragonfly Tales content – you can subscribe to our page for a small monthly fee. You can sign up to be a Little Sprite or a Power Pixie! And when you do, you get extra stories, videos of me telling, member shout outs, birthday shout outs and special content that is just for Sprites...

This episode features an old tale from Scotland - all about the power of a name. There are many versions of this tale from around the world: Rumplestiltskin, Tom Tit Tot, Ricdin Ricdon. But Whuppity Stoorie is by far our favourite.

Remember to send in your spooky jokes for our Halloween Special! The easiest way to do it, is to record yourself on a smart phone and email it to us.

If you would like to send in a joke, or be a guest teller on our podcast, you can get in touch with us...

Welcome to Season 6! This episode we welcome the Yarnsmith Dave Tonge to our podcast.

Dave has many a yarn to spin. He is a fabulous storyteller – and also a Historian and an award-winning author! He’s written books on Northfolk folktales for children, Medieval folk tales and Tudor tales too. So if you like a bit of history to your tales, you’ll love Dave’s books.

But today, he’s telling us a very old tale from Aesop about cunning. If you'd like to find out more about Dave Tonge, you can do so HERE.

A...

In this episode we introduce Coyote, a superstar of Native American folklore. We can’t believe it’s taken us this long to give him his own episode.

A coyote is a real animal, a wild dog that lives in the wide plains, forests and even urban areas of North America. They can be found right across the continent, but particularly in places like Texas, Colorado, California, and New Mexico.

They can make their home anywhere, which means they are cunning and able to adapt to their surroundings. They eat virtually anything so can always find a...

We go way back to old Japan in this famous story of a poor young man who saves a fish. Japan is surrounded by water, so much of their folklore comes from the sea.

Japanese mermaids are called Ningyo, and they are not like European mermaids at all! Thankfully, our hero catches the Dragon king's daughter and sets her free. That's got to be worth a reward, right?

You can find out lots more about Japanese folklore in this wonderful book HERE.

If you would like to be a guest teller on our...

This episode we travel to Ireland to learn about a famous Irish fairy - the Leprechaun. Young Bridget decides it's easier to catch a leprechaun and get his gold than working hard for what you want. But fooling a fairy is not that easy!

Leprechauns have existed in Irish mythology for hundreds, maybe thousands of years! Many believe they are descended from the old Irish gods, or are types of Fae or fairy.

They can grant wishes. bring you luck and even make you very rich! But catching a Leprechaun is very hard - they...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode is an emotional one (sniff), as it is Leo's last episode hosting with Emily. He's off on lots of adventures but has promised to stop by from time to time.

But stories go on...

In our story, it is the final stage of our epic norse tale and Odin, the All Father of the Norse gods. And the battle is about to begin for Asgard, for Midgard and all of the nine realms. YIKES!

...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode, we welcome back LEO for part 2 of our epic! He also shares his top 4 favourite episodes of the podcast.

And because we have so many shout outs and lots of action still to come in our story, he's coming back for PART 3! Hurray!!!

In our story, we continue with our epic norse tale and Odin, the All Father of the Norse gods, is about to discover what Ragnarok is and what will come to pass in...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode, we welcome back LEO! Leo has been really busy lately and has grown up a lot! He is joining us for this special two part epic. He's also sharing his favourite stories from the whole podcast - it was a hard decision, as we've done over 100 EPISODES!

Leo won't be hosting on the podcast from now on, but he will be popping by now and then.

But, we still have lots of exciting...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode, we have a guest teller! Aurora, who is 6, tells us her own story 'The Girl of the Sun'.

We can't wait to hear it!

If you would like to be a guest teller on our podcast, you can get in touch with us HERE

Emily tells a folk tale from China, about a little girl who is given a parasol for her birthday.

Do you know what a parasol...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode, Emily tells a folk tale from Mongolia, about two friends who have very different ideas about studying!

It features an ancient boardgame - chess! Can you play chess? If you're interested to give it a try, you can learn more about this famous game HERE.

If you would like a shout out, you can email us at emilydragonflytales@gmail.com or get in touch via social media.

You can follow us on:

<...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

It is the merry month of MAY! This episode is all about witches, who love to flit through the moonlight on the eve of May day or Bealtaine. (BeeYALtinna)

They have a bad reputation, but we think they're misunderstood. This story is about how people can be afraid of those who are different. We hope you like our little song, sung by Agatha, Mildred and Nancy. Here are the words:

NOW the moonbeam's dance and play

...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode is brought to you from Ireland! Leo and I explored the capital city of Dublin, learned about an unsolved crime, did some sight-seeing and had some super Irish grub!

Leo tells a brilliant TRUE story about Dublin Castle.

We then headed west to the beautiful County Mayo, and the mysterious Lough Mask. There are many legends about Loughs in Scotland and Ireland, and Emily's story features a malevolent creature that lurks in the dark waters.

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with tales from around the world.

This episode, we feature guest teller Aaron Oliver and the story The Floating Heads.

Aaron is a Prop Maker and Storyteller based in London, passionate about creating stories, whether on the stage or behind the scenes!

Aaron performs for a variety of audiences at venues such as libraries, theaters, community centers and cabarets, telling folk tales and myths alongside original stories.

Aaron also co-runs Elephant Tales, a monthly storytelling for adults (16+) in Elephant and Castle, London.<...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We've been away for a while but we're back with the final part of Hans Christian Anderson's Snow Queen! 

In part 3, Gerda must finally face her fears to save Kai.  Will she succeed?
Or is it too late?

If you would like a shout out, you can email us at emilydragonflytales@gmail.com or get in touch via social media.

You can follow us on:

Facebook  
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Thanks for listening!
...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

Spring is coming!  Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it mat feel cold and windy, but underneath the ground the seeds are stirring for Imbolc - the coming of Spring. 

We love to celebrate St Brigid's day by feeding the birds, lighting candles to scare away the dark, or perhaps by making a Brigid's Cross!  We found a little video to show you how to make one from paper HERE, or you can try the traditional way and make them from rushes HERE.
...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

Happy New Year!  It's 2024 and we have so many fabulous new stories and tellers coming your way this year.

We have a big treat for you - a three part story!

The Snow Queen is a wonderful fairytale by the Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson.  Anderson wrote many of the famous stories we have grown up with - The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New clothes, The Ugly Duckling and many more.

You can find out more about Hans Christian An...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

Thank you all so so much for your patience - we've had a bit of family illness but we're all feeling much better now!

Our story is a sinister tale from Germany, and some believe it really happened!  Hamelin is actually a real town and you can find out about it HERE.

If you would like a SHOUT OUT, or to tell a tale on the podcast, the best thing to do is join the Dragonfly Tales story chat on Facebook.  Ho...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

This episode we decided to let Leo tell his own folk tale, The Wolf and the Nurse.  It's a beautiful tale of healing and compassion.  Well done, Leo!

Our story is a very old folktale from Slavic folklore about a very famous witch BABA YAGA! She is a bit scary, but she is also quite a complicated character.  You can learn more about her HERE.

If you would like a SHOUT OUT, or to tell a tale on the podcast, the bes...

Welcome to Season 5 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

It’s our Halloween Special!!!!!! Wooooooo! You know we LOVE this time of year!

As with our previous Halloween shows, Leo and Emily will do something that’s not too scary. And then Emily will tell one that is a bit more scary

We also have the return of LISTENERS SPOOKY JOKES! Check out how freakishly funny these folks are!!!!

Leo came up with the idea of something witchy - and you can...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

This episode we welcome young guest teller Magda, who is 11, from Forest Gate London. Magda shares her brilliant story of a very skillful pussycat and her circus tricks! We absolutely love it! 

We also share details of Chewing-gum artist Ben Wilson. Ben has been bringing magic to the streets and landmarks of London for over 10 years and now is lovely art is in peril of disappearing. Please sign his petition HERE and find out more about him HERE...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

It's Season 5 - season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!!

And stories! We're back and we can't wait to share our next season with you.

We are joined by an amazing storyteller and author Daniel Morden.

Leo does his first interview EVER, learns some amazing things about storytelling and story writing, and gets to be one of the first to read Daniel's amazing new book:

STRANGE TALES! We'v...

Welcome to Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children of all ages.

Season 5 is coming very very soon and we have lots of wonderful things to share with you.

So this bonus episode is a musical journey through our favourite stories, revisiting our songs and music.

Leo and I love singing and making ORIGINAL songs that go with our episodes, often accompanied on guitar by me or by professional guitarist Andy (Daddy producer).

We hope that the songs will remind you of your f...

Hello and welcome to the season finale of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We have been nominated in the Kids Category of The British Podcast Awards 2023!!!!

A big thank you to all our listeners for their continued support and for inspiring us to get this far - we are honoured and very proud!

Please check out the other kids Podcasts nominated, including our buddies at Super Great Kids Stories!

You can still vote for us...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We're off to festivals to hear more stories!

A big thank you to all our listeners for their continued support.  We have entered the British Podcast Awards 2023!

There is a special category called 'The Listeners Choice Vote' and we be absolutely THRILLED if you could take the time to vote for us.

Here is the link and THANK YOU SO MUCH!  https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting

Our story is about a magical gift - a pumpkin!  It...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

A big thank you to all our listeners for their continued support.  We have entered the British Podcast Awards 2023!

There is a special category called 'The Listeners Choice Vote' and we be absolutely THRILLED if you could take the time to vote for us.

Here is the link and THANK YOU SO MUCH!  https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting

Our story is about one of the most mystical of all beasts - the UNICORN!  We hope you enjoyed our int...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We hope you like lullabys, as we've made another one.  The words come from the wonderful poem by W.B.Yeats called Stolen Child.

Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild Duration: 00:31:32

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

This episode is brought to you from Zest Fest, an exhilarating new festival at Westenhanger Castle near Hythe in Kent, UK 

We enjoyed everything from daring circus skills and performing arts to exploring how to nourish the mind, body and soul through yoga, breathwork, meditation, music, dance, mindful walks and much more.

We love telling stories to live audiences; there's nothing like the sparkling, rippling energy of interaction between people.  And festivals are a great place for sto...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We hope you're looking forward to SUMMER TIME! We've been out in the garden weeding and tidying, learning new songs and playing instruments, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends. We've also been walking around London lots, exploring its hidden parts, picking up facts and stories.

Leo has also been getting into Japanese Anime and Manga. He grew up watching beautiful films from Studio Ghibli, and is now watching lots of Anime series. You can learn more...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

Welcome, one and all to the Merry Merry month of May!

 May day is a really lovely time of year –  we celebrate the beginning of summer,

which in the Celtic wheel is called Bealtaine. (which is actually Gaelic for the month of May)

 The earth is tilting towards the sun here in the northern hemisphere and the warm season is coming.  If the sun were a few degrees nearer we would burn up.  And if the sun were a few d...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We can't wait to hear your stories so keep practising, record it and send it to us to listen to.

So we want to tell you about a podcast we know you’ll enjoy. It's called the Kid Stories Podcast. It’s hosted by Phil Bechtel who reads original stories. 

You can hear about The Ninjas of Valleytown , Dropkick Kittycat and Hummus Wrinklesmith the Chicken Wizard. 

 It’s zany, it’s mad, it’s brilliant ! If you like the sound of...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

As it is Spring time, we would really like to have some new guest tellers join us. And it could be you!! Listen to our top tips and give it a go. We would love to hear your telling!

Our story is from the island of Cuba. Cuban folktales are full of different flavours - just like Cuban food. There are lots of different cultures mixing together in Cuba - Spanish, African and Caribbean. And this episode is a lovely bed time listen...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

Time is crazzzzzy!  Here in England, we just lost an hour.  Poof! Gone.
And our producer (Daddy Andy) has been away travelling and he's no idea what time it is!

This episode we welcome another winner of the Otterpool Park Storywriting competition.  Evie is 12 and she is from New Romsey in Kent in the UK.  She brought us a very different Elizabeth - wild and freee!  If only for a short time.  We absolutely love her story and her telling.  Well done, E...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

We are so grateful to you folks for hanging on in there while we got ourselves better.  It's been icy cold here in London, but things are looking greener and we could be heading off on holiday soon!

This episode we welcome another winner of the Otterpool Park Storywriting competition.  Jasmine is 12 and she is from Cambridgeshire.  We absolutely love her story and her telling.  Well done, Jasmine!   You can find out more about Westenhanger Castle and the new town project near Folke...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

And We have a very special treat for our listeners this episode. Emily was fortunate enough to be asked to judge a story-writing competition based around the mysterious Westenhanger Castle, believed to be owned by Henry VIII.

There’s a possibly a new garden town being built nearby called Otterpool Park and they ran the storywriting competition.

The entrants were between the ages of 7 and 14 years old and the winners were given prizes, including doing a story workshop with Emily!

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo.

Spring is coming! Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it mat feel cold and windy, but underneath the ground the seeds are stirring for Imbolc - the coming of Spring. 

We love to celebrate St Brigit's day by feeding the birds, lighting candles to scare away the dark, baking tasty treats and getting the house and garden in order 'spring cleaning'.

Our story celebrates the battle between winter and spring - who do you think wi...

Hello and welcome to Dragonfly Tales a story podcast with Emily and Leo

Happy New Year!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. 

We're bringing in the New Year with stories about winter, cozying down and dreaming of springtime.

We are so delighted to welcome our first guest teller of the New Year - Lucy Lill

Lucy is a performer from London and she works in museums, theatres, schools and festivals - anywhere people will let her tell stories!

Hello and welcome to season 3 of Dragonfly Tales Podcast. Each episode we will tell you a story from around the world and share some fun and silly things with you.

IT’s CHRISTMAS!!!!!

We'd like to wish all our listeners a very HAPPY HOLIDAYS! We hope you enjoy our special festive episode.

 Our first story is by Kim Normanton. She’s the host of one of our favourite podcasts Super Great Kids’ Stories!

If you haven’t checked out this amazing podcast you really should!

Super Great Kids’ Stories is an award-wi...

Hello  and welcome to season 3 of Dragonfly Tales Podcast.  Each episode we will tell you a story from around the world and share some fun and silly things with you.

A big HELLO! to all our new listeners and subscribers - welcome to the podcast family!  Be sure to share your drawings and pictures in our Facebook Group.

 Our first story is from our Guest Teller Grethe Mangala Jenson.  It's the classic tale Jack and the Beanstalk, with a Grethe twist!

Grethe, from Sandal Sticks Theatre, is a very gifted Storyteller and puppeteer of Sr...

Hello  and welcome to season 3 of Dragonfly Tales Podcast.  Each episode we will tell you a story from around the world and share some fun and silly things with you.

We’d like to thank our listeners for their patience – we’re always sorry when we have to postpone an episode but we all get sick sometimes.

Coming up this season on Dragonfly Tales:

- we will be joined by some amazing guest tellers 

- We’ll have a Christmas competition for our listeners

 - we also have a new Instagra...

Welcome to Season 4 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

It’s our Halloween Special!!!!!! Wooooooo! And we have some treats in store for you – or are they tricks?

As with our previous Halloween shows, Leo is going to tell a story that’s not too scary. And I’ll tell one that is a bit more scary

We also thought we would tickle your funny bone with some spooky Halloween jokes from our listeners! Huge thanks to Marcus Zoe, George, Sharon, Mila, Tom, Will an...

Welcome to Season 4 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

We are feeling the Autumn breeze and seeing the leaves become lovely colours. Smelling the smokey, misty air and enjoying all the fruits of the harvest.

This week we are delighted to welcome fantastic guest Teller Jon Mason.

Jon is a Brighton-based storyteller known for his captivating delivery and love of roots: folktales and myths that connect our history and our present, our surroundings and ourselves. He p...

Welcome to Season 4 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

We are delighted to welcome back a young guest teller - Robi Jo!  He is sharing the epic Hindu tales of the Ramayana.
This story of Rama and Sita, and the Flying monkey Hanuman is celebrated each year at Diwali - the Hindu festival of lights.  We're sure you'll love Robi Jo's telling!

Our story is a wonder tale from the Himalayas and Tibet.  Tibet is called the 'Roof of the World' and it is a very spi...

Welcome to Season 4 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

We're back!  We hope you had a fantastic summer and a great start to the new school year.

This week, we have a brilliant guest teller - Will from Melbourne, Australia.  Will is only 7 and is a bit of a comedy genius.  He shares some of his very own jokes with us.

Our story is from Canada - the French speaking part.  Centuries ago, French colonies settled in parts of Canada and that is why there are...

Hey folks!  

We hope you are enjoy the summer break, wherever you are.

This episode is one of EMILY's favourites and features the lovely Liz Weir MBE, telling one of her own lovely tales, based on Irish lore, The Mermaid's Gift.

If you want to find out more about Liz Weir then you can visit her website HERE.

Our story this episode is a classic fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen - but told with our own Dragonfly Tales flavour.

Andersen wrote some of the most well loved fairy tales e...

Hey folks!  

We hope you are enjoy the summer break, wherever you are.

This episode features one of Leo's favourites from Season 2 - the classic Greek Myth about a brave hero who must defeat a hideous monster and escape a mysterious labyrinth.
WARNING:  it gets a bit scary when Theseus goes into the Labyrinth!

For more great myths and legends, check out this fabulous collection by Anthony Horrowitz.

If you would like a SHOUT OUT this season, then you can get in touch with us HERE or in our Dragonfly Ta...

Hey folks!  

We hope you are enjoy the summer break, wherever you are.

In this favourite episode, we venture into the Amazonian rainforest to hear a story from the Anambe people. You can find a version of today's tale, 'Ceuci the Witch who ate a lot' in this book: Amazonia - Indigenous Tales from Brazil

If you would like to watch Emily tell this story, you can do so HERE.

If you would like a SHOUT OUT this season, then you can get in touch with us HERE or i...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

While Emily is recovering, we have chosen one of our favourite episodes for you - with TWO stories.
The first one is a fable by Aesop, brilliantly told by Leo!  If you like this short fable, you can read more of them in this book - Orchard Aesop's Fables.

And the second one is The Bremen Town Musicians.  This is a very popular folk tale in Germany, most famously told by the Brothers Grimm.  Bremen is a rea...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

 This is one of our FAVOURITE episodes - Odysseus and the Cyclops from Season 1.
It is THOUSANDS of years old.  It’s a very long epic and we only had time to tell a part of it.  If you liked the story and want to follow Odysseus on the rest of his journey, we’d recommend this version by Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton – two amazing storytellers - The Adventures of Odysseus.

Here is a YouTube link to Sinbad...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

 We're nearly at the end of Season 3 and we are so grateful that you are still here listening with us!

This week, we have the return of guest teller Sharon Carr, from our second season. She tells a tale of King who wants far too much. THE MOON!!

If you'd like to learn more about Sharon's storytelling, you can out HERE.

Our story is from Me...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

 This is one of our FAVOURITE episodes - The Faerie Thorn.

It is a tale from Northern Ireland about the mystical and magical Faerie Thorn tree.  I first heard the wonderful Liz Weir MBE tell a version of this at the Glens of Antrim Story Festival.

Here is an extract from Jane Talbot’s wonderfully dark collection of fairy tales, The Faerie Thorn:

‘Now, if you don’t know about faerie thorns, you should. The Big...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This episode, we celebrate Leo's end of his first EVER exams.  And he has chosen to tell a brilliant Anansi story.  Our listeners know Anansi well, as a naughty trickster from the ancient tales of West Africa.  The tales travelled across the ocean to the Caribbean  and on then throughout the whole world.

If you want to know more about Anansi and the Ashanti people, you can do so HERE.

Emily's story is a tale that was...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This episode, we welcome our guest teller Maria Gillen, from County Cork in Ireland.  Maria is a great friend and a fabulous teller of tales.  She loves stories of magic, healing and old wisdom and has told to big crowds and small.  Maria is also the storyteller in residence at the Kerry Writer's Museum.  If you want to see more of Maria telling you can do so HERE.

Our story is a tale from Sweden about a clever lad...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This episode, we learn about Leo's top five Inventors and Discoverers.  Here they are!  Click on their names to learn more!

5. Marie Curie
4. Patricia Bath
3. Ada Lovelace
2. Nikola Tesla
1. Leonardo Da Vinci

If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can record it for us (an iPhone works great if you place it on a flat surface and keep one...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This episode, we are celebrating the Spring and Easter.  There are many wonderful celebrations happening around the world at this time of year.  You can find out about them HERE.

Leo shares a lovely story about peace and friendship.  You can read the original in Margaret Read Macdonald's wonderful book 'Peace Tales'.

If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can record it for...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This week, we don't have a guest teller and we really need you! 

 If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can record it for us (an iPhone works great if you place it on a flat surface and keep one hands width away from the microphone).  You can send it to us by emailing it to emilydragonflytales@gmail.com and we will have a list...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

This week's guest teller is Camden, who is 11, from Denver Colorado in the USA.  Listen to this brilliant version of Goldilocks and the three Bears.

 If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can record it for us (an iPhone works great if you place it on a flat surface and keep one hands width away from the microphone).  You can send it to us by e...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

Thank you so much for being patient with us this week - we had some naughty gremlins at work and had to re-do the recording . Gah!!
However, we are so happy with this episode, as it features the lovely Kaila from California, who shares her tale of How the Sea became Salty.  She is just BRILLIANT!

 If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

We are really looking forward to welcoming some new YOUNG guest tellers to the podcast.  If you would like to tell a tale on the podcast, have a practise at telling a 5minute folktale.  Then you can record it for us (an iPhone works great if you place it on a flat surface and keep one hands width away from the microphone).  You can send it to us by emailing it to emilydragonflytales@gmail.com and we will have a lis...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

Next here in the UK is National Storytelling Week!  If you want to join in the story fun, you can visit the Society for Storytelling Website – they have lots of fun story activities for you.  

You can also support their brilliant work by donating to their crowd funder and keep the art of oral storytelling going strong.  Hurray!

Our guest teller this week is the wonderful Carl Merry - who joined us for Season 2.  
Carl w...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

Happy New Year to all our wonderful listeners!  We hope that 2022 is a great year for you.

We have two lovely stories for you and in this episode we welcome back guest storyteller Rachel Ann Harding.

She is a traditional storyteller and musician, passionate about myth, and traditional tales. In 2018 she performed at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN and is the creator and producer of the Story Story Podcast, featuring wonderful tellers and tales f...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

It's the Holidays and it's Christmas Eve tomorrow! Hurray! We hope you enjoy this special episode to celebrate this special time of year.

Our first story is from Leo, who brings us the long awaited return of CINDERELLA: Assassination Santa - The Revenge of the Elves. Leo really really enjoyed coming up with part two of this story. We hope you love it too!

Our second story is from Norway, wher...

Welcome to Season 3 of Dragonfly Tales, a story podcast for children (and grown ups) of all ages.

It's December!  The Christmas trees are up and it's cold outside.  We hope you're looking forward to the holidays.

Our first story comes from guest teller Belinda McKenna Bicknell, also known as the Steampunk Storyteller!
Belinda spends her life in story land with people of all ages, sharing all types of stories. She particularly likes telling stories in her beautiful Mongolian yurt known as The Curious House of Stories which travels around the country making new friends wh...