This story contains scenes of violence, as some classic stories do. Listener discretion is advised

In this episode of Great Stories Well Told, we present "Why the Sea is Salt", a traditional tale told in many places and in a number of different versions.   

It is a story of a poor man, a magical gift, and what can happen when more is taken than is needed.

And it offers a simple answer to a question we have all heard: why is the sea salty?

This is  Norse folktale "Why the Sea is Salt" (originally titled Kvernen som maler på havsens bunn).  It was first translated into English in 1859 by Sir George Webbe Dasent in his book Popular Tales from the Norse. 

It has also been published in other story collections.  This version is taken from Sara Cone Bryant's book How to Tell Stories to Children, published in 1918.  

Please let me know what you think:  greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

"Why the Sea is Salt" is the final story in Season 1. 

I hope that you will join me for Season 2 , scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 10th.  

"Why The Sea Is Salt" is a story in the public domain.

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

A statue covered in gold. A small bird with nowhere to go.

 In Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, a quiet story unfolds — one of compassion, sacrifice, and the unexpected beauty of giving.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is an 1888 collection of short stories by Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish author, poet and playwright. He was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, and died on November 30, 1900, in Paris, France.

Oscar Wilde may be better known for The Portrait of Dorian Gray and his comedy of manners plays: Lady Windermer's Fan 1892,  and The Importance of Being Earnest 1895.  The Happy Prince and Other Tales, while less well known is an excellent short story collection.   

Please let me know what you think:  greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

 "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde is a story in the public domain.  

A Look Ahead to the final story is this first season:  

Wednesday, May 27th - "Why the Sea is Salt" 

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

In this episode of Great Stories Well Told, we present The Magic Shop by H. G. Wells.
A father and his young son visit a curious little shop on a London street, filled with tricks, toys, and strange wonders.
But as they explore, the line between illusion and reality begins to blur.

A small shop on a city street. A window filled with curious things.
In H. G. Wells’ The Magic Shop, a simple visit becomes something far stranger — where tricks feel real, and reality begins to slip just out of reach.

H.G. Wells' short story "The Magic Shop" was first published in June 1903 in The Strand Magazine. It was later included in his collection Twelve Stories and a Dream, also published in 1903. 

It is a fine father and son story about a visit to a genuine magic shop that was quite genuine. 

Please let me know what you think:  greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

"The Magic Shop" is a story in the public domain.

A Look Ahead:

Wednesday, May 20th - "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde

Wednesday, May 27th - "Why the Sea is Salt" 

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

In Frank R. Stockton’s "The Lady, or the Tiger?", a young man stands before a decision that will determine his fate — 

Two doors. One choice. No second chances.

but the greatest mystery lies not behind the doors, but in the heart of the one who knows what waits beyond them.

"The Lady, or the Tiger?" is a short story by American author Frank R. Stockton, first published in November 1882 in The Century Magazine.    

It can also be found in his short story collection titled The Lady, or the Tiger? and Other Stories, published by Scribner's in 1884.

Frank R. Stockton was born on April 5, 1834, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died on April 20, 1902.   

This story is in the public domain.   

Content Note:

This story contains scenes of violence, as some classic stories do. Listener discretion is advised

A Look Ahead:

Wednesday, May 13th - "The Magic Shop" by H.G. Wells

Wednesday, May 20th - "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde

Wednesday, May 27th - "Why the Sea is Salt" 

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) is the star of this episode.   I hope that you enjoy it.

As a deadly plague spreads across the land, Prince Prospero retreats with his court into a castellated abbey , determined to outlast the danger in comfort and celebration.
But some things cannot be shut out.

The Masque of the Red Death" was first published in the May 1842 edition of Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine. The story, originally titled "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy," was released in Philadelphia while Poe was acting as the editor of the magazine. 

It is is a fine example of gothic horror which originated in the mid-to-late 18th century (starting around 1764) and flourished through the 19th-century Victorian era, characterized by themes of terror, decay, the supernatural, and the past haunting the present.  

Frankenstein is another excellent example of gothic horror by English author, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 - 1851). 

As many of you know: Mary Shelley’s mother was Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), a pioneering English writer, philosopher, and advocate for women’s rights, famous for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. 

The Masque is in the public domain.

We are now past the middle of the first season on Great Stories Well Told and into planning the second season.  I welcome listeners' suggestions for season two. 

You can contact me at: greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

Content Note:

This story contains scenes of violence, as some classic stories do. Listener discretion is advised.

A Look Ahead:

Wednesday, May 6th - "The Lady or The Tiger" by Frank R. Stockton

Wednesday, May 13th - "The Magic Shop" by H.G. Wells

Wednesday, May 20th - "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

"Princess on the Glass Hill" is a classic Norwegian folktale first published in Norwegian in in the 1840s. It was first translated into English in 1859 by Sir George Webbe Dasent in Popular Tales from the Norse. This version is taken from that 1859 book.  

 In this traditional Norse tale, a princess sits atop a glass hill that no one can climb—until an unlikely hero finds a way. Full of magic, determination, and quiet triumph, The Princess on the Glass Hill is a story about courage, kindness, determination and the rewards that come to those who do not give up.

As a child and an adult, I was very interested in this because the princess on the hill does not just sit and wait.  She actually encourages the only suitor that seems likely to win the contest.   

This story is in the public domain.

This is the 7th episode on the first season of Great Stories Well Told!   

We are more than halfway through the first season of 12 episodes.   

Thank you for listening!!   

And please let me know what you might like to hear for our second season.  You can contact me at: greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com  

A Look Ahead:

Wednesday, April 29th - "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe

Wednesday, May 6th - "The Lady or The Tiger" by Frank R. Stockton

Wednesday, May 13th - "The Magic Shop" by H.G. Wells

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

From Greek mythology, this is the powerful story of Prometheus—the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. 

In doing so, he changed the course of human life… and sealed his own fate. 

Prometheus stands as an example of courage, consequence, and the enduring cost of standing against power.

 The tale of Prometheus appears in early Greek poetry as far back as Hesiod in the 8th century BCE.

Later, audiences attended the tragedy Prometheus Bound, traditionally attributed to the ancient playwright, Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE who wrote:

       "Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every            art possessed by man comes from Prometheus".

For centuries, the story was retold, reshaped, and expanded as it passed from voice to voice.

This is Percy Bysshe Shelley from his drama: Prometheus Unbound , first published in 1820):

      "To defy Power, which seems Omnipotent; To love, and bear; to hope, till Hope         creates from its own wreck the thing it contemplates...".

And from Lord Byron's  poem "Prometheus" , first published in 1816:

       "A mighty lesson we inherit: Thou art a symbol and a sign To Mortals of their              fate and force; Like thee, Man is in part divine"

The version I am using, is complied from several 19th and early 20th century authors.  These authors include Thomas Bullfinch, Logan Marshall, James Baldwin and others.  All of their works are in the public domain.  

Content Note:  This episode contains scenes of violence consistent with classic stories.  

A Look Ahead:

Wednesday, April 22nd - "Princess on the Glass Hill"  from the Norse

Wednesday, April 29th - "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe

Wednesday, May 6th - "The Lady or The Tiger by Frank R. Stockton

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

“The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling. The Just So Stories were first published in 1902.  This story is from the 1912 edition.

In this classic tale from Rudyard Kipling, a relentlessly curious young elephant sets out to discover what the crocodile has for dinner—and finds himself changed forever. 

The Elephant’s Child is a story full of rhythm, humor, and heart, exploring how curiosity can lead us into trouble… and into growth.

A look ahead: 

Wednesday, April 15th - "Prometheus and Pandora" 

Wednesday, April 22nd - "Princess on the Glass Hill"  from the Norse

Wednesday, April 29th - "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe

The Just So Stories were first published in 1902.  This story is from the 1912 edition.
This work is in the public domain.

Content Note:

This episode contains scenes of violence consistent with classic stories.  

I would love to hear from you.   

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com 

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

Leo Tolstoy's short story “Three Questions” was first published in 1885 as part of the collection What Men Live By, and Other Tales.   

"The Three Questions" is a story about a king who seeks answers three  questions: 

What is the best time to begin something?  Who are the most important people to listen to?  What is the most important thing to do? 

After receiving unsatisfactory answers from many groups of people, he consults a hermit and through his actions learns his answers:  the most important time is now,  the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to do good for that person. 

The hermit reminds us  of now as "the only time when we have any power."   Tolstoy's story has helped me to: 

"Remember then: there is only one time that is important—Now!        

It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power."

Content Note:

This episode contains scenes of violence consistent with some classic stories.  

A look ahead: 

Wednesday, April 8th - "The Elephant's Child" by Rudyard Kipling

Wednesday, April 15th - "Prometheus and Pandora"

Wednesday, April 22nd - "Princess on the Glass Hill" from the Norse

Leo Tolstoy's short story collection What Men Live By, and Other Tales was first published in 1885 and is in the public domain.

I would love to hear from you.   

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com 

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

Aesop's Fables, are very old stories that are credited to a 6th-century BCE Greek slave named Aesop.  

In the beginning these were oral tales; early written versions appeared around the 4th century BC or BCE and in Latin by the 1st centuryAD or CE. 

These tales were originally for adults, using animals and people to teach ethical, social, and political lessons; during the Renaissance, they became educational tools for children.  

 William Caxton published the first version in English in 1484. 

The fables selected for this episode are from Joseph Jacobs book The Fables of Aesop, published in 1894.    

We start with the “Dog and the Shadow”- a tale about greed and ambition

Our second Fable is “The Fox and the Crow:  - a hungry fox and a proud crow meet over cheese

And the third fable is “The Lion’s Share” – a lesson about power and not sharing

A look ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, April 1st - Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy

and on Wednesday, April 8th - The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling

and on Wednesday, April 15th - Prometheus and Pandora

Joseph Jacobs' The Fables of Aesop, was published in 1894 and is in the public domain.  

I would love to hear from you.   

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com 

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

"The Skylight Room" from O. Henry's story collection The Four Million was published in 1906.  In these stories, O. Henry introduces us to a variety of ordinary people living and working in New York City in the early part of the 20th Century.  

He is known as one of the great American storytellers and his stories often have unexpected endings as this one does.  

In this story we meet the people living in Mrs. Parker's rooming house.  The most recent arrival is Miss Elsie Leeson, "just a poor working girl" who names and talks to a star that she can see through the skylight in her tiny room.  That star brings her hope especially when her situation seems hopeless.   

Notice In the final line of the story, the name of the ambulance doctor: William Jackson.

"The Skylight Room" from O. Henry's story collection The Four Million, was published in 1906 and is in the public domain.  

 A Look Ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, March 25th:  "Three Fables" by Aesop

And on Wednesday, April 1st:  "Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy

I would love to hear from you.   

You can reach me at greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com 

Let me know what stories you remember or what you’d might like to hear next.

This is Great Stories Well Told — timeless stories, simply told.

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

The Cat That Walked by Himself”

by Rudyard Kipling

This is one of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, a story of the “High and Far-Off Times"— when the wild creatures of the forest were beginning, one by one, to come and live beside humans. The dog, the horse, and the cow all made their bargains.

But one creature had other ideas.

This is the story of the Cat that walked by himself… and how he managed to belong everywhere, while never quite belonging to anyone at all.

 The Just So Stories were first published in 1902.  This story is from the 1912 Edition. 

"The Cat That Walked by Himself"

by Rudyard Kipling

“The Cat That Walked by Himself” by Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories (1912).
This work is in the public domain.

A look ahead:

Coming on Wednesday, March 18th:  "The Skylight Room" by O. Henry

And on Wednesday, March25th:  "Three Fables by Aesop" 

I’d love to hear from you: greatstorieswelltold@gmail.com

A podcast by SBKA LLC       

Welcome to Great Stories Well Told — a storytelling podcast for listeners who love timeless tales.

In this ad-free podcast, I share fairy tales, fables, folk tales, myths, and classic short fiction — stories that have endured because they speak to something in us that does not change.

Each episode, released on Wednesdays, will run between 15 and 40 minutes and is created for anyone who enjoys being read to.

Thank you for listening. Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

A podcast by SBKA LLC