O.N.E. Spoken Story Series~The Wonderful Healing Leaves
About our Spoken Story Series
Because of the needs of this time —when our normal outgoing lives have suffered a change and our social interactions, our education and our entertainment are happening mostly in our own individual homes, ONE is offering a series of told stories for your enjoyment, healing, unwinding and to lean into the ancestral wisdom passed through tales, myths and legends.
Our story-teller, April Thanhauser, is a member of the ONE visioning council and a life-long lover of folk and fairy tales. She tells us:
“Stories, like hearth fires and campfires have always brought people together —for sharing wisdom, laughter, tears, and comfort. No matter where our people came from, stories are part of our heritage. The traditional tales I will be telling originate from many different parts of the world, but please accept them as your own, a gift from the old ones of our shared human culture.
Make yourself comfortable by our imaginary hearth and feel the friendship of the other listeners, apart from time and space perhaps, but together in wonder and laughter. And please, enjoy the stories, knowing that though they come from long ago and far away, they live in the time outside time and in a place as close as your own imagination.”
About this Episode: The Wonderful Healing Leaves
The King has gone blind and can only be cured by the leaves of a unique tree that grows in The Land of No Return. The great-hearted, but perhaps not-too-sensible hero must overcome overwhelming obstacles to procure those leaves. I found this story, “The Wonderful Healing Leaves,” in a collection entitled Elijah’s Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales, Selected and Retold by Howard Schwartz.
The tales in this anthology are from many parts of the world and from varied folk traditions. The geographical origin of this tale of the “Healing Leaves”, is Iraqi Kurdistan, the mountainous area in northeastern Iraq which is home to a Kurdish people. I have read that the Kurds are, by and large, tolerant of diverse religions and at one time there was a significant Jewish population in this region.
Of course, I was drawn to the title of this story, which turns out to be a classic fairy tale with a princess, a flying carpet, a giant, and a dragon. Within the tale, there are themes you will probably recognize, elements that seem to arise in many fairy tales, most likely because they speak to challenges we all need to deal with. But what delights me most in “The Wonderful Healing Leaves” is the way the hero faces the daunting challenges he encounters—first by refusing to believe in the impossible, then by following the strange advice of a man-eating giant and seeing a reality beyond the way things appear to be.
Story Time Tea Pairing from Humboldt Herbals: Faeries Delight
What better way to enjoy this delightful fairy tale than with a cup of Faeries Delight herbal tea? Vibrant and beautiful, the colors of the herbs, flowers and berries in this blend seem picked right from the magical lands of the Fey. With blueberries, cornflowers, raspberry leaf, roses, hibiscus, orange peel, spearmint, lemon verbena, elderflowers and a touch of lavender flowers its sweet floral notes, citrus and mint will delight you as well as the faeries. Packed with vitamins and minerals, you can enjoy this special tea hot or cold. And maybe leave a wee cup outside as a gift for the nature spirits. . .
A note about the elderflowers in this blend: it’s long been believed in British and other fairy lore that elder trees are the home of the fairies. It’s said that if you want see fairies, all you need to do is stand under an elder tree on Midsummer’s Eve. Just don’t fall asleep, or you might be carried away! https://www.humboldtherbals.com/organic-bulk-teas/herbal-tea-blends/faeries-delight.html
Listen to other Stories:
“Xueda and Yinlin”, tells the adventures of two courageous young people who seek a cure for the mysterious illness which has stricken their village.
"Picking Mountain Pears", a traditional Japanese folktale, tells the adventures of three brothers who undertake a quest for the mountain pears to help their beloved mother heal from a mysterious illness.
