The Black Sheep | Stories About Poverty

William’s New Year’s Day

William's New Year's Day puts eleven-year-old William Brown in charge of Mr. Moss's sweet shop after rashly agreeing to mind it in exchange for a quarter-pound of pink sweets. Armed with a resolution to be polite and absolutely no restraint, William inflates chocolate prices, gives away boxes of sweets to a golden-haired girl, wages an Acid Drop battle against a street bully, and systematically empties half the shelves — all while doggedly appending "if you don't mind me sayin' so" to his most outrageous remarks. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

The Wonderful Tune

"The Wonderful Tune" is an Irish folk short story about Maurice Connor, the greatest blind piper in Munster, whose secret tune compels everything around him to dance—living or dead, human or fish. When a bottle of whisky loosens his fingers on a wild coastal strand, the music draws an impossible crowd from the sea: crabs spinning on one claw, leaping mackerel, and a beautiful green-haired woman who rises from the waves with a proposal Maurice cannot quite refuse. His mother's grief-soaked cries cannot reach him as the tide rises around his feet. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

The Battle Of The Birds

"The Battle of the Birds" is a Scottish fairy tale following the son of the king of Tethertown, whose act of mercy toward a wounded raven sets off an extraordinary chain of events. Gifted a magical castle, he makes a desperate bargain with a giant — and forgets it entirely. Years later, when the giant comes to collect his price, it falls to the giant's own daughter to outwit her father through three impossible tasks, a daring midnight escape, and a final act of memory lost and recovered in the most unexpected way. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

The One-handed Girl

"The One-Handed Girl" follows a generous young woman who chooses her parents' blessing over their property — a decision her greedy brother will use against her. Cast out and mutilated after refusing to yield her pumpkin tree, she flees into the forest with nothing but courage and her cooking pot. A chance encounter with a prince, a debt repaid by a grateful snake, and a lost baby pulled from still water all shape her extraordinary path. Warmly suspenseful, the story weighs the cost of envy against the quiet power of a kind heart. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

The Three Wishes

"The Three Wishes" is a short fairy tale in which a poor woodman spares an enchanted oak tree and is rewarded with three wishes by a grateful fairy. The trouble begins the moment he gets home — hungry, distracted, and careless with his words. His wife is no better, and together they burn through all three wishes in a single evening over a squabbling match involving a link of black pudding and a very unfortunate nose. What unfolds is a sharp, funny portrait of human folly dressed up as magic. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-kids-stories-6-10-years--6564597/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].