The Coachman

The Disciple by Oscar Wilde | Beauty, Vanity & Self-Reflection — TH3 COACHMAN Season Finale In the season finale of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Disciple, Oscar Wilde's beautifully ironic prose poem about Narcissus, a grieving pool of water, and the unexpected truth behind our admiration of beauty. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus, Wilde transforms a fami...

The Ass's Brain — Aesop's Fable About Deception, Manipulation, and Learning From Mistakes | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Ass's Brain, a classic fable from the Aesopic tradition about deception, misplaced trust, manipulation, and the consequences of ignoring painful experience. An aging lion enlists a clever fox to lure an unsuspecting donkey into his den....

The Man and His Two Wives — Aesop's Fable About Love, Compromise, and People-Pleasing | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Man and His Two Wives, a classic Aesop fable about conflicting expectations, relationships, aging, and the consequences of trying to please everyone. A man with two wives finds himself caught between their competing preferences. His older w...

The Bundle of Sticks — Aesop’s Fable About Unity, Family, and Strength | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN , I read and reflect on The Bundle of Sticks, a classic Aesop fable about unity, cooperation, family conflict, and the strength people gain when they stop fighting one another and stand together. A father whose sons constantly quarrel gives them a simple challenge: break a bundle o...

The Horse and the Ass — Aesop’s Fable About Helping Others Before It’s Too Late | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Horse and the Ass, a classic Aesop fable about selfishness, shared burdens, responsibility, and the consequences of refusing to help when the cost of helping is still small. An overloaded ass asks his traveling companion, a horse, to carry part o...

The Lion in Love — Aesop’s Fable About Love, Vulnerability, and Losing Yourself | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Lion in Love, a classic Aesop fable about desire, vulnerability, sacrifice, and the danger of giving away too much of yourself in the name of love. A powerful lion falls in love with a young woman and asks to marry her. Her frightened parents agr...

The Fox and the Goat — Aesop’s Fable About Trust, Cleverness, and Thinking Ahead | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Fox and the Goat, a classic Aesop fable about trust, persuasion, self-interest, and the importance of thinking before you act. A fox becomes trapped inside a well when a thirsty goat arrives. Instead of admitting his predicament, the fox convinc...

The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar — Aesop’s Fable About Memory, Appreciation, and What We Leave Behind | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar, one of Aesop's shortest yet surprisingly thoughtful fables. An old woman discovers an empty wine jar and notices that although the wine itself is gone, its wonderful aroma remains. That tiny encount...

The Buffoon and the Countryman — Aesop’s Fable About Perception, Bias, and Authenticity | TH3 COACHMAN I n this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Buffoon and the Countryman, a clever Aesop fable about perception, authenticity, expectation, and how easily an audience can be influenced by what it already believes. A popular performer amazes a crowd by supposedly imitating the squeal...

The Belly and the Members — Aesop’s Fable About Cooperation, Society, and Resentment | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Belly and the Members, a classic Aesop fable about cooperation, resentment, responsibility, and the complicated ways individuals depend upon one another. When the members of the body become convinced that the belly contributes nothing while...

The Hart and the Hunter — Aesop’s Fable About Pride, Beauty, and True Value | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Hart and the Hunter, a classic Aesop fable about pride, appearance, usefulness, and the difference between what looks valuable and what actually serves us when life becomes difficult. A hart admires his magnificent antlers while giving little appreci...

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey — Aesop’s Fable About People-Pleasing and Judgment | TH3 COACHMA N In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey, a classic Aesop fable about criticism, social pressure, judgment, and the impossible task of trying to please everyone. A man and a boy travel with their donkey, but every person they encounter seems convinced t...

The Two Fellows and the Bear — Aesop’s Fable About Friendship, Loyalty, and Betrayal | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Two Fellows and the Bear, a classic fable by Aesop about friendship, loyalty, fear, and the moment when someone's true character is finally revealed. Two companions are traveling together when they suddenly encounter a bear. Faced with real...

Old Dschang — An African Folktale About Wisdom, Aging, and Memory | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on Old Dschang, a powerful folktale from African oral tradition exploring aging, wisdom, memory, and the emotional isolation that can come when societies stop valuing elders. After the reading, I examine the role elders played in oral cultures, the importance of cult...

The Story of Dumalawi — A Filipino Folktale About Courage and Endurance | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN , I read and reflect on The Story of Dumalawi, a powerful folktale from Philippine oral tradition exploring courage, hardship, resilience, and the struggle to endure impossible challenges. After the reading, I examine the role of heroic storytelling in Filipino folklore, the emoti...

The Voice of Death — A Romanian Folktale About Mortality and Human Fear | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN , I read and reflect on The Voice of Death, a haunting Romanian folktale exploring mortality, fear, fate, and humanity’s endless struggle to understand death itself. After the reading, I examine Romanian folklore traditions, the symbolic role of death in storytelling, and why stor...

A Child’s Dream of a Star — A Charles Dickens Story About Grief, Childhood, and Love After Loss | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on A Child’s Dream of a Star by Charles Dickens, a deeply emotional story exploring grief, childhood innocence, memory, and the enduring presence of love after loss. After the reading, I examine Dickens’ relationship with themes of sorro...

Briar Rose — A Grimm Fairy Tale About Time, Sleep, and Emotional Awakening | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm, the original fairy tale that inspired Sleeping Beauty. Beneath its magical surface lies a deeper story about emotional isolation, suspended life, destiny, and awakening. After the reading, I explore the historical roots o...

The Bookshop — An Aldous Huxley Story About Loneliness and Modern Life | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Bookshop by Aldous Huxley, a thoughtful short story exploring loneliness, emotional distance, intellectual performance, and modern isolation. After the reading, I examine Huxley’s perspective on modern society, the symbolic role of the bookshop, and why s...

The Bogey-Beast — A Folktale About Fear, Anxiety, and Imagination | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Bogey-Beast by Flora Annie Steel, a darkly funny folktale about fear, uncertainty, poverty, and the human tendency to imagine disaster before understanding reality. After the reading, I explore the role of “bogey” figures in European folklore, the psychologica...

The Blind Man — A Kate Chopin Story About Perception and Emotional Distance | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Blind Man by Kate Chopin, a psychologically rich short story exploring perception, misunderstanding, emotional distance, and human vulnerability. After the reading, I examine Chopin’s literary style, the symbolic use of blindness in literature, and w...

The Blind Man — A Folktale About Perception, Understanding, and Human Blindness | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on The Blind Man, a classic folktale exploring perception, vulnerability, compassion, and the hidden ways people misunderstand one another. After the reading, I explore the symbolic role blindness has played throughout folklore and literature, why stori...

The Ant — A Classic Fable About Work, Discipline, and Survival | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN , I read and reflect on The Ant, a timeless fable about labor, preparation, discipline, and survival. This simple but enduring story explores why societies throughout history admired patience, consistency, and long-term thinking. After the reading, I examine the historical role of fables i...

Afternoon — A Dorothy Parker Poem About Loneliness and Emotional Emptiness | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN, I read and reflect on Afternoon by Dorothy Parker, a sharp and emotionally honest poem about loneliness, emotional fatigue, and the quiet emptiness hidden inside ordinary moments. After the reading, I explore Parker’s role in early 20th-century American literature, the emotion...

39 — A Henry Lawson Poem About Aging, Exhaustion, and Survival | TH3 COACHMAN In this episode of TH3 COACHMAN , I read and reflect on 39 by Henry Lawson, a deeply human poem about aging, emotional exhaustion, disappointment, and survival. Lawson’s writing captures the quiet emotional weight carried by ordinary working people trying to move through life while wrestling with time, regret, and endura...