Ken Reads The Classics

Dorothy and her friends meet the Hammerheads, travel to the Land of the Quadlings, and Glinda grants their wishes.

Dorothy and friends wreak havoc on the little china country and then the Lion becomes the king of the forest.

Trying one more time to get it right.

Today, the Wizard fulfills his promises to Dorothy and her friends...kind of.

In this chapter, we learn about humbugs and enabling. :)

Dorothy and her friends get lost on their way back to Oz. They call on their old friend, the Queen of the Mice, who tells them about the charm on the cap Dorothy acquired from the Wicked Witch of the West. She calls the Winged Monkeys and they take her back to Oz, but along the way, the King of the Winged Monkeys tells the story of Gaylette and Kaylala. Interesting indeed!

Dorothy and her companions must seek out the Wicked Witch of the West and kill her or Oz will not grant them their wishes.

Our merry travelers finally meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz but will they get all they desire? Or does Oz have something not so wonderful in store?

In this chapter we examine the Tin Woodman's complicated views on life and love and we finally get to the Emerald City.

Thank you for continuing to listen to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I hope you enjoy the episode.

In this episode, we meet the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion. They join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and her little dog Toto too, as the journey to meet with the Wizard of Oz.

In this episode, I continue reading Frank L. Baum's classic tale The Wizard of Oz. You can find free, electronic form of this book at gutenberg.org. Enjoy.

In this season, I read Frank L. Baum's classic tale, a free electronic form of this book is available at gutenberg.org.

In this episode we learn a king is willing to give his daughter away as a prize to either a flea, a grasshopper, or a leap-frog, whichever can jump the highest. Ah, the horrors of being a woman back in the day.  Also, we hear the tale of a young boy who learns about his future from a dryad.  Enjoy!

I just finished reading P.T. Duetermann’s The Last Paladin, a book about the U.S.S. Holland - a sub-hunting surface ship during World War II. I picked this book because I have a friend who is stationed in Hawaii and talking with her reminded me of my time sailing around Diamond Head as well as sailing in Japan and other parts of the world. In The Last Paladin, Deutermann writes a fascinating story...

In this episode, we finish up The Shoes of Fortune and then learn a lesson about happiness from The Fir Tree. Enjoy. 

This episode begins with Chapter IV of The Shoes of Fortune, a resident at a local hospital wears the enchanted galoshes and get stuck in a fence, attends a fortune telling event, and travels through the hearts of unsuspecting theater goers.  In Chapter V we learn of a police clerk who turns into a poet and a chirping bird. 

We follow the adventures of some unsuspecting soles who unknowingly put on 'the shoes of fortune'. 

Today we have two tales by Hans Christian Anderson, The Swineherd - a tale of a prince who, having been rejected by a princess, seeks his revenge in a bewildering fashion, and A Real Princess about a Queen Mother who creates a bizarre test to see if a young lady who showed up at their door one evening truly is a princess. 

It's great to be back again. I hope you enjoy this reading of The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. 

In this episode, we meet Gertrude who travels to Knotacentinim Towers (pronounced Nosham Taws) to act as governess for the children of Lord Knotacent, who - in turn, has a secret. In order to keep this secret, he insists his son, Ronald, marry and soon. Ronald refuses, wishing to marry for love. Wait! It seems a mystery surrounds Gertrude's inheritance as well. Will our heroine discover the truth?...

In this episode, we learn how strongly two people can love someone they have never met. Enjoy. 

This pstory cracks me up. I enjoyed reading and hope you enjoy listening to it. 

Hello, I hope you all enjoy this first story in a series of stories written by Stephen Leacock in his book, Nonsense Novels.

I'm going to take a break from reading classical literature for the moment but please give a listen to my new podcast The Magical World of Rowan Farfington Blarney and travel to a different place and a different time.