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
The Rainbow Bridge Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:09
Send us Fan Mail Join Tanya, Pete and Bat Lamb for stories and songs about rainbows. The story today is from the First Nations, Chumash people who are the original people of the Californian coastal area. It tells of a ma…
The story telling stone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:37
Send us Fan Mail Tonight Tanya and Pete tell a story from The Seneca Native American Nation. It's the story of how in the beginning there were no stories... until stories began to be told from an unusual source. Support…
The Welsh Dragon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:14
Send us Fan Mail It's St David's Day and the Batt Cave are celebrating with a dragon story from Wales about a mean Ruler and a Father-less boy. Dragons will be involved for sure! Also Tanya is celebrating the release of…
Baby Snake and Baby Mouse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:32
Send us Fan Mail Continuing the Snake theme it being the year of the snake... Tanya and Pete start off by introducing Samuel the Snake, and they sing a snake song with some rhyming questions. Then Tanya tells a cute stor…
A Story Sack from Korea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:16
Send us Fan Mail It's the first Batt Cave of the New Year, in fact it's two New Year Celebrations... The Gregorian and the Chinese New Year as well. As it is the Chinese year of the Snake, Tanya and Pete share a story th…
The most beautiful sound [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:04
Send us Fan Mail It's New Year in the Batt Cave and Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb start off with a Thankyou song to remember all the things we are grateful for.... then members of the Batt Cave share what they are grateful f…
The Gingerbread Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:27
Send us Fan Mail With Christmas nearly upon us we in the Batt Cave bring you a New Zealand take on the Classic Gingerbread Man story... of course Bat-lamb manages to get a starring role! It's a rocking and rolling story…
A Christmas decoration story to dance to [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:03
Send us Fan Mail We're on the countdown to Christmas and Tanya, Batt Lamb and Pete start off the Batt Cave with presents of the imaginary kind - a fun musical game for everyone. Then Tanya tells a story about magic decor…
Bedtime for Lulu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:58
Send us Fan Mail Fresh from the Batt Cave comes the fun story of Lulu who is visiting her Grandmother and is having difficulty getting to sleep... so Grandmother has some very interesting ideas to help her sleep. Batt La…