Snoozecast

Tonight, we’ll read “Prince Darling”, a French fairy tale credited to Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Snoozecast first read this story back in the year 2020. This author also wrote the best-known version of the story “Beauty and the Beast”. Her third husband was the French spy Thomas Pichon. As a long-time educator, she became well known for her written works on behavior and instructional teach...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening chapters to a new series titled “The Rose and the Ring”. Written by William Makepeace Thackeray, and originally published in 1854, the tale is set in the enchanting imaginary realms of Paflagonia and Crim Tartary. As we follow the lives of King Valoroso, his Queen, and their Princess Angelica, we’ll experience a fascinating blend of royal manners and gentle magic. T...

Tonight, we’ll read the next chapter of “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott titled “Jo’s Journal”. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel and is considered the 33rd chapter as part of that work as a whole. Our last episode was the chapter titled “Tender Troubles” and in it, Beth’s behavior worries Mrs. March. After observing Beth in secret, Jo concludes that Beth m...

Tonight, we’ll read about the history of bread-making in Europe and America, from “The History of Bread”, written by John Ashton and published in 1905. Snoozecast first aired this story back in 2020. The text mentions windmills, which in the past were structures built to harness wind power to perform strenuous tasks, specifically they were well know for milling grain. But one of the earliest worki...

Tonight, for our 901st episode, we’ll read a Snoozecast original titled “Centerfield”. In this story, the neighborhood boys play pickup ball games during the dog days of summer. Cole Brooks spends most of his time in centerfield daydreaming. A shift occurs when new slugger, Rolo Flores, wakes up the outfield with action at every play. In this story, Rolo hits a dinger far beyond the boundaries of...

Tonight, for Snoozecast’s 900th episode, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, an Englishwoman whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. In the last episode, we learn just how much of an eligible and desirabl...

Tonight, we’ll read a short story by O. Henry titled “Snow Man” published posthumously in 1917. Snoozecast first read this story back in 2020. William Sydney Porter, pen name O. Henry, is known for short stories with surprise twist endings. He used pseudonyms like O. Henry to hide the fact that he was for a time imprisoned for embezzlement. This particular story, set during the winter in Colorado,...

Tonight, we’ll read “The Good Anna”, a short story written by Gertrude Stein as part of her first published book, titled “Three Lives” published in 1909. We first read this story back in 2020. Stein was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in the United States, she moved to Paris as an adult and stayed there the rest of her life. She hosted a Paris salon, where the leadi...

In the previous episode, the crew of the Nautilus breathes fresh air after a period of being under ice, and Captain Nemo continues their voyage, eventually guiding the submarine through various seas, passing Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands. The group observes a rich variety of marine life along the South American coast, including fish, mollusks, and even encounters with dangerous creatures gian...

Tonight, we’ll read a fairy tale by listener request called “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” that we first read back in 2020. This tale is best known as part of the German “Brothers Grimm collection”, but there are variants of it from around the world including the folk tales of Russia, Iceland, India, Armenia, France, Turkey and Portugal. It is also known as "The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes" or "The Sh...

Tonight, we’ll read a short story by John Burroughs called “The Exhilaration of the Road” that we first read in 2020. It is taken from a compilation titled “The Footpath Way”, an anthology for walkers, published in 1911. John Burroughs was an American nature essayist, active in the U.S. conservation movement. In the words of his biographer Edward Renehan, Burroughs' special identity was less that...

Tonight, we’ll read the 19th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “A Concert a Catastrophe and a Confession”. In the previous chapter – Anne’s quick thinking and experience helped save the life of her friend Diana’s younger sister, Minnie May. This episode not only strengthened Anne’s bond with Diana but also mended her strained...

Tonight, we’ll read the story of the mischievous animals of Algonquin Legends, particularly the badger, the weasel fairies, the moose and the marten. This story is based on one found in the book “Algonquin Legends of New England”, published in 1884 and compiled by Charles Godfrey Leland. The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups. Today, thousa...

Tonight, we’ll read from the third chapter of British naturalist Charles Darwin’s “The Voyage of the Beagle”. This chapter explores the area around coastal Uruguay and Argentina, starting in the town of Madonado. Darwin describes the unique behaviors of the local wildlife, like ostriches and capybaras, and the customs of the local landowners and gauchos, or cowboys. He encounters curious locals wh...

Tonight, we’ll read the next chapter of “Good Wives” written by Louisa May Alcott. This is also known as the second half of the “Little Women” novel and is considered the 32st chapter as part of that work as a whole. Our last episode was the chapter titled “Our Foreign Correspondent” and Amy writes from her travels abroad, sharing her excitement and experiences in London and Paris. She describes s...

Tonight, we’ll read an Armenian folktale titled “The Betrothed of Destiny”. It comes from A.G. Seklemian’s 1898 “The Golden Maiden and Other Armenian Folktales”. This particular story features a fearless, strong heroine. When Snoozecast first published this story back in 2020, we realize now that we had misspelled the author’s last name as “Sekelmann”. Abraham Seklemian was an Armenian-American ed...

Tonight, for our 888th episode, we’ll read the 1865 Mark Twain short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. It was Twain’s first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. We first aired this story back in the year 2020. In the following tale, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler in California, about the gambler named Jim Smiley...

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven year old Englishwoman, whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. In the last episode, Anne hears from her sister Mary that Captain Wentworth remar...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Exploits and Triumphs, In Europe, of Paul Morphy, The Chess Champion.” It was published in 1859 and written by Frederick Milnes Edge, who was Morphy’s secretary.  Paul Morphy, born in New Orleans in 1837, was considered the greatest chess player of his era. He was a child prodigy who learned to play chess simply by watching family members play. When he was o...

Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast Original story about the friendship between two boulders on a mountain slope. In this gentle tale, you will meet Mighty Gneiss, an ancient and steadfast rock, and Little Rock, a curious and enthusiastic granite boulder. Their bond grows through shared experiences and geological lessons, highlighting themes of connection, change, and the enduring nature of friendshi...

In the previous episode, the Nautilus became trapped by an impenetrable wall of ice. Captain Nemo explains that they face either being crushed or suffocating, as their air supply will only last two more days. The crew, led by Captain Nemo, attempts to break free by attacking the thinner parts of the ice with pickaxes and screws, but progress is slow. As the air quality worsens, they struggle with...

Tonight, we’ll read a Snoozecast-adapted version of the story “Princess Minon-Minette” found in “The Pink Fairy Book” edited by Andrew Lang. This episode first aired back in 2021. Originally found in the “Library of Genius and Fairies”, this story was written by French aristocrat and writer of the late 1600s Madame de Murat. She published many stories that she first debuted at the fashionable lite...

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Saboteurs on the River” written by Mildred A. Wirt and published in 1943. In this story, Saboteurs dynamite a bridge, and a man named Burt Ottman is accused of the crime based on evidence supplied by Penny. Penny feels that Burt is innocent, so she plans to find the culprits in order to exonerate Burt. Penny seeks the help of a man named Old Noah who lives in an...

Tonight, we’ll read the 18th chapter of “Anne of Green Gables”, the classic 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This chapter is titled “Anne to the Rescue”. In the previous chapter – Anne meets Diana secretly by the Dryad's Bubble, where Diana tearfully tells Anne that her mother forbids their friendship. They have an emotional farewell, exchanging heartfelt promises and a lock of hair. Anne, deva...

Tonight, we’ll read the conclusion to the fairy tale “The Treasure Seeker.” You can find the first half of this story which we aired last week. This episode first aired in 2021. In the first half, we learn of Peter Bloch, who was once a prosperous inn-keeper and master cook, but is now a poor man. He hears of a mysterious dark spirit, The Treasure Seeker of the Mountain, and directions on how to f...