Dorktales Storytime

Send voice or text msg From swashbuckling swordplay to good deed doing, our Folktale Forest friends are having a rousting adventure as the “Three Hedgeketeers.” But what started out as a rollicking good time by the lake has turned into a sinister soaking splash fight! Will hot tempers ruin the fun? Or will their "all for one, and one for all" oath to each other ultimately save the day? S...

Send voice or text msg The game's afoot again, but this time the great squirrel detective, Sherlock Nettlesbee, is feeling too frantic to solve an important mystery. His trusty companion, John Wabbitson, is missing! Presuming the worst, Sherlock is convinced that it’s the fiendish work of the evil Moray-eel-arty. Can he remain calm and follow the clues to the right conclusion? Or will worry s...

Send voice or text msg No snow, rain, heat nor gloom of night will keep Harold the Hare Mail carrier and Reginald T. Hedgehog from heralding the news across Once Upon a Time! They hop on board the O.U.T.P.S. (Once Upon a Time Postal Service) truck to spend the day chugga-chugga, honk, HONKing across the Parchment Pass. Ride along as they enjoy many sights and meet great citizen critters while duti...

Send voice or text msg One morning, Taylor the hen, did something amazing! When the giants hear about her daring feat, they decide to throw the biggest bash ever to introduce her to her new neighborhood. Taylor fears she’ll make a fool of herself at the party, and that no one will like her. To prove to herself that she's worthy, she puts herself through three terrifying trials. Will her nerve...

Send voice or text msg A story that will open your eyes to scientific imagination! Dr. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and humanitarian who was dedicated to bettering the lives of others. She began in her teens by making an important discovery about the relationship between cancer, nutrition, and stress. Eye health became her priority as a doctor and she made sure care was accessib...

Send voice or text msg OH NO! Alice accidentally summoned the Jabberwock whose causing chaos across Wonderland. She’s frantic to banish the bullying beast when the Cheshire Cat pops in to lend a tail. Can this feline mischief-maker help Alice and her friends find the way? Purrrhaps. Or, maybe what’s called for is a little curiosity and self-discovery to show Alice she already glows with the power...

Send voice or text msg Welcome to Redge’s K.N.I.G.H.T. School, the Knowledgeably Noble Institution for Gallant Hero Training! Here Hedge Knights in training discover their own inner powers, cultivate their courage, celebrate everyone as they are, defend the realm from darkness, and BRAVELY bring about the light. Young Archie doubts he has the right stuff, afraid that he will never be worthy enough...

Send voice or text msg Rude! Ill-mannered! Uh oh! After only one night of their visit, Mr. Redge declares that his cozy, country inn experience is over for his city cousin, Rodge. It seems that these two are set on squabbling instead of enjoying their time together. Does Rodge really feel superior because he lives in Litropia and not the Folktale Forest? See how this tale of competing and comparis...

Send voice or text msg We’ve got stories of chart-topping trailblazers! Ritchie Valens broke cultural barriers with his musical style, and sparked the game-changing Chicano rock movement. Carol Kaye was the only woman on the famous ‘Wrecking Crew’. Always in high-demand, she laid down iconic bass tracks during 10,000 recording sessions. Sister Rosetta Tharpe crossed boundaries in sound and perform...

Send voice or text msg After missing out on the latest aPhone release, the Acorn-product-obsessed Mr. Redge makes a desperate deal with a dark magic sorcerer. Quivering over almost losing his quills, he meets Acorn founder Beeve Hogs. Beeve tells him the story of King Midas and his love of gold, and the wizard that grants Midas' greedy wish. Will the story's unintended consequences touch...

Send voice or text msg We booked you another reservation on Brave Aviator Airlines, where stories take flight! Join Jonathan and Mr. Redge on this encore adventure through time to meet four pioneers of aviation: Bessie Coleman, Hazel Ying Lee, Maggie Gee and Mae Jemison. From flying circuses and Avenger Field to the space shuttle Endeavor, these women broke through racial and gender barriers to re...

Send voice or text msg While Jonathan and Mr. Redge rest after all their merrymaking and the joyful tales they’ve told this season, Rebecca Cunningham makes a visit from Girl Tales to share an original story about Shelby Ann Catskills Cunningham. Ms. Cunningham LOVES to lasso and wishes she had more time to do it. Well, right before New Year’s Eve, she lassoes someone who can give her the power to...

Send voice or text msg “Poppycock, nonsense and hedge-hogwash!” declares Mr. Redge when he learns winter is responsible for all the cold white stuff making his wallaby friend’s toes and tail freeze. Before emotions heat up to a high degree, the magical weather pixie known as Jack Frost pops in to share what’s so cool about the chilly season. Can he ultimately prove to the Folktale Forest’s creatur...

Send voice or text msg ‘Tis the season of good cheer and you, dear listeners, are our reason to be merry! Once Upon a Times’ traditional hedgehog holiday has almost begun—but before the festivities commence, Mr. Redge has invited the Folktale Forest’s Society of Bards and Balladeers to give you a glimpse into the magic of Jolly Holly Day. So, with narrative expressions of joy and great glee they p...

Send voice or text msg A taste of kitchen creativity and a recipe for success! Lucille Bishop Smith was a Black American culinary entrepreneur, educator, inventor and corporate founder. Her “Lucille’s All Purpose Hot Roll Mix” revolutionized home cooking. 21 different recipes could be made from its base, adding a dash of time-saving convenience to meal-making! She used her success to give back, up...

Send voice or text msg After tumbling down the rabbit hole, Alice and Mr. Redge find themselves smack dab in the middle of the Queen of Hearts kingdom. Seeing her subjects so forlorn over her majesty’s ill-temper, the two concoct a clever croquet challenge to rid her of her crotchety ways. Can the queen learn their lesson of cooperation and good sportsmanship, or will she command that everyone go,...

Send voice or text msg As soon as the leaves fall, you’ll find the Folktale Forest hedgehogs collecting and turning them into maple leaf medals. They award them to the trees for their exemplary service to the land and its critters. Now, Jonathan and Mr. Redge are adding to this honored tradition by celebrating the unique talents of all their forest friends. Come and hear their razzle-dazzling awar...

Send voice or text msg “It’s a beautiful day for a story, adventure and glory, new friends, and old ones too!” We’re very excited to bring you, dear listeners, our original theme song, performed by the Folktale Forest’s resident bird band, the Branch Sisters. The lyrics are a tribute to YOU, our dork squad, who join Jonathan and Mr. Redge each episode as they set sail on adventures through the ima...

Send voice or text msg It’s aliiiive!! Deep in the Foreshadow, the ever-dark lands of Once Upon a Time, lived Hogenstein, the infamous warthog scientist who invented “It’s Alive No. 5!” Using this freaky formula, a lightning rod and a fierce thunderstorm, he and his loyal lab assistant, Lugo the bat, brought a super creature to life. Muahahaha! But wait…that’s not what’s so terrifying about this t...

Send voice or text msg A story of duty, dedication, and deliveries! Dr. Kazue Togasaki was one of the first Japanese American women to become a doctor in the US. Inspired by her experience in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, she overcame gender and racial barriers to start her own medical practice. But it was living in a Japanese internment camp during World War II where she showed her moxie - s...

Send voice or text msg There's tension in the Folktale Forest! When two friends disagree over the blueprints for Midge the Pidge's new birdhouse, their argument starts to spin out of control. To help them see things differently, Jonathan shares the legendary tall tale of Pecos Bill, the rootinest-tootinest, roughest, toughest cowboy who rode a raging tornado and left behind one unforgett...

Send voice or text msg Perhaps you've heard of a certain race between a smart-but-slow-moving tortoise and a quick-on-their-feet hare? In our bonus episode, Masterpiece Stories, our friends Alexa, Bristol, and Charlotte – the kids behind the mic of the magnificent ABC Story Sisters podcast – will whisk you off to classic fable land with the original “Tortoise and the Hare.'' Then, y...

Send voice or text msg Mr. Redge wonders where he’ll get his daily dose of adventure while Jonathan takes a storytelling break to spend time planting and tending his garden. All it takes is turning on their magical radio to tune-in to Newsy Pooloozi, the Common Sense Media news podcast pick for curious kids (and hedgehogs). In this episode, mother-daughter duo, Lyndee and Leela, talk about the hop...

Send voice or text msg It’s the perfect day for pure play! Sherlock Nettlesbee, the great deducing squirrel detective, joins Jonathan and Mr. Redge in an afternoon of imagination and good old-fashioned make believe. When their cloud gazing doesn’t cut it, Sherlock declares that “the Improv Game is afoot!” Can the trio find inspiration from Mary and her little lamb, Lula? Yes and…they’re sure to fi...

Send voice or text msg Jonathan is visiting the magical realm of the What If World podcast where he is joined by the show’s host, Mr. Eric, for a storytelling adventure and some mythical merry-making! Enjoy this bonus episode “What if Dragons Breathed Sprinkles?” from What If World. Stay tuned after the story to hear a short interview with our storyteller, Jonathan. “All-star adventurer and wizard...