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For Halloween, we have for you a story of a horrible giant who devours fat little children. The story was “retold” in the 1970s by Ellin Green, and wonderfully illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Here, we tell the original tale first published in a collection of children’s stories called “The Pot of Gold.” “The Pumpkin Giant” (1893) by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman The Reader TRT: 29:31 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

The power of the written word is the subject of out show this week. Literature has the ability to take a reader any where, any when, and to see the world through the eyes of men long dead. This selection comes from a preamble to a textbook for junior high school students. “The Three Joys of Reading” (1919) by William H. Elson and Christine M. Keck The Reader TRT: 12:23 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

This week we share a short excerpt from Henry van Dyke about the freedom and peace found in the art of camping, and the beauty of the white birch tree. “Under the White Birches” from “Little Rivers” (1895) by Henry van Dyke The Reader TRT: 12:23 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

Sorry I’ve been absent for so long. Truth is, I’ve been sick as a dog since the middle of June, and was unable to record anything for you. I’m on the mend, though, and finally managed to croak out this lovely poem for you. Hopefully there will be a full episode for you next week! “The Wind of Summer” by Madison J. Cawein The Reader TRT: 04:36 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

Trees are among the longest-lived organisms on our planet. In this episode, we share a story about a yellow pine that was over a thousand years old. “The Story of a Thousand-Year Pine” (1909) by Enos A. Mills The Reader TRT: 29:40 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

The purpose of Memorial Day seems to have been lost over the past several decades. Instead of a day of remembrance to honor our fallen soldiers, the day has become little more than an excuse for a three day weekend and big sales events. Ironically, we hear people saying, “Happy Memorial Day,” and they do so without the slightest trace of irony. In this episode, we have three readings about the Unknown Soldier, the fallen soldier who stands for all the forgotten common men who died in battle, including the poem read by Angela Morgan at the original dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1921. “The Unknown Soldier” (1922) by Angelo Patri “Unknown” (1921) by Bruce Barton “The Unknown Soldier” (1921) by Angela Morgan The Reader TRT: 18:31 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com and Archive.org.

A study in solitude and the quiet nature of loneliness is the subject of this week’s show. “Studies in Solitude” (1917) by Fannie Stearns Gifford “Tall Lilac-tree Beside My Door” (1913) by Fannie Stearns Gifford The Reader TRT: 27:00 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

We all have our ideal, formed in our youth, of the perfect mate. In this story from the September 1962 issue of “Worlds of If” magazine, we learn what happens when such idol worship is wedded to unnatural power. “1,492,633 Marlon Brandos” (1962) by Vance Aandahl The Reader TRT: 16:38 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com and Archive.org.

As we enter the month of May, we begin to enjoy the wealth of the Springtime. In this episode, we have a lyrical description of the English garden, and a poem by Amy Lowell. “The Spirit of Gardens” (1911) by Dion Clayton Calthrop “Lilacs” (1922) by Amy Lowell The Reader TRT: 27:01 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com.

Pulp fiction was popular during the entire first half of the 20th Century, bringing tales of adventure, romance, horror, science fiction, and crime to the masses. This week, we hear a tale taken from the September 1946 issue of Dime Mystery Magazine. “Death’s Old Sweet Song” (1946) by George William Rae The Reader TRT: 16:41 The musical accompaniment for the show is provided through the kind generosity of Incompetech.com and Archive.org.