Classic Nature

For Paddington, one of the nicest things about being a bear and living with the Brown family is being able to share their lovely garden. And though he may not have “green fingers”, the fact that paws and marmalade are never far apart leads to some unexpectedly colourful results during National Garden Week!

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

"The Little Red Hen" is a time-tested folk tale about how we reap what we sow. When the hen asks a cat, dog, and mouse for help planting some wheat, she gets no takers. They won't water, cut, or grind the wheat or help bake a cake with it. So guess who eats the cake in the end? Fun and delightful narration by Daniel Lawson.

Había una vez una madre pato sentada en sus huevos. Los patitos fueron rompiendo los cascarones y saliendo a jugar con los otros animales. Cuando ya habían salido todos los patitos, quedaba nada más un huevo, más grande que el resto, y de él salió un patito mucho más grande que sus hermanos. Sus plumas eran oscuras y feas, y los otros animales lo maltrataron, golpeándolo y empujándolo hasta que tuvo que irse, volando hacia tierras lejanas.

A charming tale of the peddler whose stolen caps mean all kinds of monkey business.

"Goldilocks and the three bears" is a family-friendly variation of an old tale in which a woman enter the house of three bears, eats their food, sits on their chair, and sleeps in their bed. This very old nursery tale is one of the most popular stories in the English language. It suggests the importance of respecting property and the consequences of just 'trying out' things that do not belong to you. As such, it will spark important interrogations from children: was Goldilocks right to come into the house? Were the bears really scary, or just helpless victims? What would have been the best thing to do?

Don Freeman's classic character, Corduroy, is even more popular today then he was when he first came on the scene in 1968. This story of a small teddy bear waiting on a department store shelf for a child's friendship has appealed to young fans generation after generation.

The Origin and Nature of Folk Music: As Exemplified in the Welsh National Melodies was originally published in 1911. Kenneth Morris was a fantasy writer and Theosophist from Wales. In this short piece, he looks at the bardic poetry and chants of Ireland, Wales and England, called a "hwyl".

From its first publication in 1877, Black Beauty has been one of the best-loved animal stories ever written. The dramatic and heartwarming tale is told by the magnificent black horse himself, from his idyllic days on a country squire’s estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse and his merciful rescue by two kindly old ladies. Filled with vivid anecdotes about animal intelligence, the novel derives a special magic from the love of all creatures, great and small, apparent on every page.

One morning Grasshopper finds a lovely road to follow. Off he goes on his journey, past plenty of busy characters. They wonder why Grasshopper isn’t as busy as they are. But Grasshopper - well, he is happy just walking down the road.

This beloved fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a lonely outcast duckling who is transformed into a beautiful swan offers a magical glimpse into the realm of human nature. Cher narrates this charming and entertaining rendition, which represents storytelling at its best. Musical accompaniment by Patrick Ball enhances the narration. Ages four and up.

Holly Hunter narrates this popular nursery tale, one of the most beloved children's classics of all time. The moral is that hard work has its rewards and becomes evident as the cleverest and wisest pig finally gets even with the big bad wolf. Ages four and up.

Winnie-the-Pooh is a classic installment in the lives of children. Join Winnie, Christopher Robin, and all of their friends as they have a run-in with a Woozle, search for Eeyore's lost tail, and meet a Heffalump!

This is the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood—the story about a little girl who wears a red cloak, on her way to visit her ill grandmother. On her way, she decides to pick some flowers for her grandma. She meets the charming and well spoken wolf, who is more than happy to accompany her…

"Buck ne lisait pas les journaux, sinon il aurait su que cela risquait de barder, pas seulement pour lui, mais pour tous les chiens de la côte, à forte musculature et à longs poils chauds, du détroit de Puget à San Diego. Des hommes, qui cherchaient à l'aveuglette dans les ténèbres arctiques, avaient découvert un métal jaune, et des compagnies de paquebots et de navigation claironnaient la trouvaille : voilà pourquoi des milliers d'êtres humains se ruaient vers les terres du Nord. Or ces hommes voulaient des chiens."

A little boy receives a toy rabbit for Christmas one year, and he and his plush plaything soon become best friends, embarking on imaginary adventures for hours at a time. When the boy and the rabbit are separated, the toy ventures out on its own to learn about this strange thing "being real". This is a heart-warming classic about the great joys of childhood and the magic of love.

"The Three Little Pigs" is a very funny and famous fairytale featuring anthropomorphic pigs who build three houses of different materials. The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune". The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and eats him. The second pig builds a house of furze sticks, which the wolf also blows down and eats him. Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely: "Little pig, little Pig, let me come in." "No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." The third pig builds a house of bricks. This little pig is very smart, and the end is a big surprise for everyone.

Things have been difficult for Harry since his mother remarried. With a new baby at home, and only trouble at school, life is unbearable. Ocky the chimp, escaped from the circus, offers Harry a chance for a new life. Things have been difficult for Harry since his mother remarried. With a new baby at home, and only trouble at school, life is unbearable. Ocky the chimp, escaped from the circus, offers Harry a chance for a new life. With his friend, Harry runs away from all the people who seem so hard on him.

This version of the children's classic, read by Xe Sands, will delight listeners of all ages with its story of wisdom and boundless love.

In this charming classic story, Harry, the little white dog with black spots, runs away before bath time and plays outside until he changes into a black dog with white spots.