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
My Dad's a Dragon Catcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:31
Send us Fan Mail Tanya tells another of her own wonderful picture book stories about a boy who tells all his friends his Dad is a Dragon Catcher... is he really ? You can purchase copies of the book here https://imagined…
Tuna's tale - a story song about the long finned eels of Aotearoa. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:32
Send us Fan Mail Tanya and Pete sing a story song all about the New Zealand long-finned eel, also known in te reo Māori as a tuna. This is the largest freshwater eel in the world. At the Awaawaroa Bay eco village where T…
Catching fish- A Picture book story by Tanya Batt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:38
Send us Fan Mail Tanya shares something a bit different tonight in the Batt Cave... A telling of one of her own story books about a boy called Jake who has a favourite shirt with fish pictures on it. Then strangely the f…
Bat and the gift of darkness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:11
Send us Fan Mail A story from Sierra Leone about bat and the gift of darkness to the world. Sun asks bat to fly a special gift up to the moon. Another wonderful story featuring bats from Tanya , Pete and Batt Lamb in the…
Little Red Riding Hood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:54
Send us Fan Mail Bat Lamb bravely takes on the challenging role of Little Red Riding Hood in this re-imagining of the classic French tale with Tanya and Pete in the Batt Cave. Support the show You can find our audios and…
Watch out for the eight eyed bat! : A Hawai'ian Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:04
Send us Fan Mail Tanya, Pete and Bat Lamb have been on a story telling tour of Northland in Aotearoa/New Zealand with their brand new show 'Bats Incredible'; a collection of stories and songs all about the fascinating an…
Mareep the sheep. Episode 4 ...The final episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:15
Send us Fan Mail Tune in for the exciting fourth and final episode of Mareep the sheep... a story created from the whacky suggestions of the Batt Cave audience. Mareep and her friends fly off only to be sucked into a fly…
Grandfathers flute [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:06
Send us Fan Mail Pete has just made a bird bone flute for our friend Moira, and this inspired Tanya to tell a touching story from Mexico about a Grandfather and his Granddaughter, his flute and their journeys through dif…
Arion and the Dolphin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:49
Send us Fan Mail Tanya tells a funky version of the classical Ancient Greek story of Arion and the dolphin. Arion is a wonderful singer... and somehow Batt lamb competes with him in a singing competition... stranger thin…
Mareep the Sheep; Episode Three [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:05
Send us Fan Mail In the exciting continuation of Mareep the Sheep, the three travellers meet an unusual chicken... then an even more unusual banana! will they find the answers that lead them on to the haunted purple cott…