This podcast is dedicated to my granddaughter Hazel for her birthday. Many people may have read this story in Andrew Lang's Olive Fairytale Book, but it is a Turkish fairytale first recorded by an Hungarian folklorist Ignacz Kunos. My first encounter with it was in Lapham’s Quarterly’s issue on FEAR, page 38, Volume X, Number 3, Summer 2017. This story reminded me of Ogden Nash’s poem Adventure’s of Isabel, that is made memorable by Natalie Merchant who wrote foot stomping music for it that is recorded in her CD Leave Your Sleep. You already know I am an advocate of competence as an antidote to fear. Please have a rollicking good time listening to this story and do check in on Natalie Merchant’s wonderful musical rendition of Ogden Nash’s poem.
Songs of Life
