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 Kings four Daughters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:33
Send us Fan Mail Rounding off the Bat Cave's stories this month; Tanya with enthusiastic help from Bat Lamb tell a story from India about a king and his four daughters. The king decides to give a gift to each daughter as…
The Tortoise and Racy Rabbit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:21
Send us Fan Mail Tanya and Pete share this fun version of the classic Aesop's Fable; The Tortoise and the Hare. Tortoise challenges Racy Rabbit to a race.... I wonder who will win? Support the show You can find our audio…
Why mosquitos buzzzzzzz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:50
Send us Fan Mail This delightfull story from Africa has been a part of Tanya's story telling since very early in her career as a full time weaver of magical tales. It tells of how mosquitos ended up with that annoying wh…
Lulu and bedtime at Grandma's house [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:47
Send us Fan Mail A fun story about Lulu who is staying at Grandma's house and is having trouble getting to sleep... A familiar problem to parents! Grandma comes up with some creative ideas to help her sleep. Support the…
The Great Teacher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:18
Send us Fan Mail Tanya and Pete present a lovely story (that Tanya thinks she heard from storytellers Laura Simms many years ago) about the search for a great teacher and great wisdom. This story is dedicated to the memo…
What's inside the magic box? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:08
Send us Fan Mail Tanya has a magic box and a story that goes with the box... then members of the bat cave take turns at guessing what is inside. What do you think will be inside??? Support the show You can find our audio…
Mika and the Orangutan - a story from the Malaysian rainforests. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:27
Send us Fan Mail During their recent visit to Malaysia Tanya and Pete heard this story from their storytelling friend Ng . It's the story of a very hairy Orangutan (person of the forest) and the very clever Mika who uses…
Five Monkeys by special guest storyteller Miss Jum from Thailand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:36
Send us Fan Mail Storyteller, Miss Jum from Thailand shared a story with an important message from Brazil about five little monkeys who always wanted to play. She learnt this story from one of her teachers Margaret Read…
The Faery's Gift [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:01
Send us Fan Mail In this Batt Cave episode Tanya tells another of her published picture book stories. This is a wishing story that was told to her by an Irish story teller called Eilish De Bara about a woodcutter who has…