S1 E44: Wise King, Foolish King

Published: Nov. 2, 2021, midnight

Welcome to The Apple Seed! Some time filled with stories for you and your family. Since 2013, we’ve been bringing you tall tales, personal tales, fairy tales, historical tales, and more. All kinds of tales from all kinds of tellers.

The trickster and the fool are two of the most opposite yet beloved character types in storytelling. What is it about these two characters that we love so much? Maybe it's the joy of watching a trickster's clever plot unfurl to catch a fool. Maybe it's just fun to laugh when a nonsensical fool believes wholeheartedly in the sneaky and careful words of their opponents. Whatever the case, our love for these characters will come in handy in today's episode as we follow the stories of both tricksters and fools. Get ready to laugh along with us at both the wittiest of trickster’s plots and the most foolish of fool’s follies.

On today’s episode, enjoy the following:

“Brer Possum and the Frogs” by Sheila Starks Phillips from Tater and His Musical Adventure and Other Fun Tales (3:44)

Radio Family Journal: "Dumb Teenagers" by Sam Payne (18:32)

Daily Mix: “Earth Song” with Susan Reed (23:33)

“The Wise King of Uruk and the Foolish King of Aratta” by Judith Heineman from The Magic Carpet: Stories and Songs from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt (35:17)

“Mysteries in Nursery Rhyme Land” by Kevin Cordi from Tales to Tickle Your Funny Bone (48:54)