Nyangara the Python

Nyangara the Python

Author: Tanya Batt and Peter Forster May 7, 2026 Duration: 25:39
Send us Fan Mail This story comes from the Shona people of Zimbabwe and was collected by a UK storytelling friend and colleague, Helen East in her book 'The Singing Sack'. While Batt-lamb is uncertain about large snakes, this story celebrates the bravery of a group of children who have the courage to fetch Nyangara, a python with healing powers, to cure their ailing chief. Support the show You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the li...

From the cosy, creative space known as the Batt Cave, performance storyteller Tanya Batt and musician Peter Forster bring you A story and a song: musical stories for children. This podcast weaves together original tales and memorable melodies, creating a unique listening experience for young families. Each episode is a gentle adventure, built around themes of friendship, perseverance, and the simple joys found in everyday life-like the surprising power of vegetables. The stories have a quirky, wholesome charm, often leaving you with a sense of hope and the understanding that even difficult feelings don't last forever. Peter's catchy, folk-inspired refrains are designed for easy joining-in, turning each story into a shared musical moment. It’s the kind of audio you’ll find yourself humming long after the episode ends. Perfect for quiet afternoons, car journeys, or winding down before bed, this collection offers more than just passive entertainment; it invites participation and connection. Listening to this podcast feels like being welcomed into a warm, creative corner where imagination is always humming a tune. You'll hear Tanya's expressive storytelling voice, rich with character and warmth, perfectly complemented by Peter's skillful guitar and uplifting songs. Together, they create a world where problems are solved with kindness, sadness gives way to song, and every story has its own soundtrack. It’s a genuine, handcrafted audio experience from Aotearoa, made for singing along and feeling good.
Author: Language: en-nz Episodes: 100

A story and a song: musical stories for children
Podcast Episodes
Hare brings Light - a midwinter story from Siberia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:48
Send us Fan Mail In the second half of the Batt-Cave from Sweden where the days are long and full of light, Tanya, Pete and Batt-lamb share a story from Siberia about how hare brought light to a very dark world - a story…
Salt on a Magpie's Tail - a special podcast from Sweden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:38
Send us Fan Mail Tanya, Pete and Batt-lamb continue on their world storytelling adventure and are joined in Sweden by Greger (and Lena) who are long time fans of the Batt- Cave. This story is musical remake of a traditio…
Happy Just Where They Are - a story with Xanthe Gresham Knight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:20
Send us Fan Mail This episode was recorded in Sutri, Italy with the wonderful UK storyteller Xanthe Gresham - Knight. (Tanya and Xanthe were on their way to FEST - the Federation of European Storytellers Conference). Bat…
Stories from Singapore Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:34
Send us Fan Mail This is the second part of our podcast from Singapore with Singaporian storyteller Mindy Neo. Tanya shares the story of the Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha after a visit to a local Hindu temple in Joo…
Stories from Singapore Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:17
Send us Fan Mail Tanya, Pete and Batt- lamb are out in the world having an adventure and their first stop was Singapore where we met some of the local storytellers who are part of the Storytelling Association of Singapor…
A Taiwanese folktale about the mountain Ban Pi Shan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:31
Send us Fan Mail This Taiwanese story tells why the mountain called Ban Pin Shan – the half faced mountain is the shape it is. It all starts with an old man who arrives selling delicious dumplings but the dumplings prove…
Two Stories!! 'Oni Wa Soto' & 'The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly'. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Send us Fan Mail In this big double bill episode, Tanya, with a lot of help from Batt Lamb (and Pete), tells a story that centres around the Japanese celebration, Setsubun - the Japanese bean throwing festival. In early…
Grandma Bear and the two rainbows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:42
Send us Fan Mail This story is an adaptation of a Chinese story about Grandma Bear, who is not feeling well and has taken to her bed. All her friends: Fox, Pig and Uncle Frog come to help her and she share her dream of a…
The Pedlar of Swaffham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:36
Send us Fan Mail Staying on the bridge theme, Tanya and Pete share the old English nursery rhyme, 'London Bridge in Falling down' with all it's verses, documenting the many different faces of this famous bridge. Then the…
Building bridges [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:59
Send us Fan Mail In Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand we have just had the ANZAC day commemerations (25th April). In the spirit of peace we're sharing a story and a song all about 'building bridges' where two 'waring' b…