When Our Street Lights Come On

Published: Sept. 24, 2020, 1 a.m.

Siblings can be both a blessing and a curse. They can provide someone to talk to on lonely days, make boring moments more fun, or help you out in a time of need. On the other end of the spectrum, they might know exactly which buttons to push to annoy you, blame things on you, or do something so weird that you don’t even want to associate with them. In the end, siblings can have a huge effect on our lives and we should be grateful to them for any of the good that they do for us. On today’s episode, we’ll have the pleasure of hearing all about siblings. Both funny stories and heartwarming ones that we’re sure will bring great memories to any who listen.
 
On today’s episode, enjoy the following:
“When Our Streetlights Come On” by Norah Dooley from My Bad, Bad Dog and Other Stories (8:20)
Norah Dooley is well versed in the art of story, as her work involves writing tales, teaching storytelling, and performing. When she was little, she and her brother couldn’t have been more different. She was afraid of everything, and he was afraid of nothing. She was so afraid of getting in trouble that she wouldn’t even let herself have fun. But her brother helped her get over that fear by keeping her out past her curfew.
 
“You’re Safe, Mary” by Syd Lieberman from Lieberman Live (4:08)
The Vice President of the Timpanogos storytelling festival, Debbie Richan, said of Syd Lieberman, “God created Syd because he loves us.” That quote resonates particularly well in the story of three young sisters who work together to make the youngest happy.
 
“Wendy’s Hammer” by Anthony Burcher from Anthony Squished My Banana (5:38)
Though siblings can be pleasant, we all know that there is also a lot of time spent bickering, teasing, and fighting. Sometimes, if you tease a sibling enough, there are consequences. Hailing from Virginia, Anthony Burcher has a story about his siblings after he got a terrible ear infection.
 
“Doobies” by Donald Davis from Mama Learns to Drive (7:16)
Siblings aren’t the only ones involved in family shenanigans. Donald Davis has a story to tell about his own children and their adventures with concealing unwanted food. 
 
“Sillier Than You” by Bill Harley from The Best Candy in the Whole World and other stories (10:42)
Bill Harley's tales are known to be about growing up and navigating the world. This much can be seen in the next story. Bill tells about two sisters, one of which is so weird, the other just can’t stand it anymore. Little did she know, her sister wasn’t as weird as she thought.
 
“We Hold the Rope” by Sheila Arnold from Mini, Many, Minnie Tales (8:30)
Sheila Arnold says that she became a storyteller because of her son. Perhaps that gave her a perspective on her story about a young man who resented his older brother only to find out that he was the one who would help rescue him in his time of need.
 
"The Three Little Pigs" by Mark Binder from Classic Stories For Children (5:55)
We wrap up today's episode by bringing you a classic sibling story told by Mark Binder. In it, three famous siblings of which almost everyone has heard, build new homes out of three very different materials with very different results.