Dorktales Storytime
Be the hero of your own story with Dorktales Storytime, the award-winning podcast for kids and their pop culture loving grownups. Enter their Once Upon a Time world where hosts, Jonathan Cormur and Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, take you on a storytelling journey of curiosity and acceptance. You’ll explore reimagined fairytales and fables with social emotional themes, discover inspiring stories of history’s hidden heroes, and experience imaginary tales of boundless possibilities.
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Dorktales Storytime
Bigfoot’s Legendary Birdsong
Lost on the path to Legend Lake, Jonathan and Redge stumble upon Bigfoot, the introverted gentle giant who can sing like the birds. He longs to participate in the Outstanding Olympiads competition but struggles to get any attention so he can sign up. Despite his best efforts, he remains invisible, overshadowed by the other mythological competitors’ feats. With unwavering support from his new friends, he finds the courage to be heard and let his talent soar!
Episode webpage: https://jonincharacter.com/bigfoots-legendary-birdsong/
GRAB YOUR FREE PDF LISTof conversation questions for this episode: https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/ep83freePDF
PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS: This original story intertwines mythical creatures and life lessons in a heartwarming tale of acceptance, courage, and healthy competition. The narrative carries themes of self-doubt, perseverance, empathy and a celebration of diversity and hidden talents. (Aligns with CASEL Social and Emotional learning framework.)
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY, you may also enjoy, episode 55, Maple Leaf Legends, where the critters from the Folktale Forest come together to share their own unique talents in a razzle-dazzling awards show: https://jonincharacter.com/maple-leaf-legends/
CREDITS: This episode has been a Jonincharacter production. Today’s story was written and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Hamilton Studio Recordings.
Dorktales Storytime’s Hidden Heroes of History collection is now available in Yoto Club, the monthly subscription service available from Yoto. With a Yoto Club membership, you and your kids will have unlimited access 150+ hours of listening available exclusively to Yoto Club members. Go to Yoto Club for more information: https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-club
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Now, go be the hero of your own story and we’ll see you next once-upon-a-time!
JONATHAN CORMUR: Hello Dork Squad. I'm Jonathan Cormur and you're listening to Dorktales Storytime, the podcast for kids and their pop culture-loving grown-ups.
THEME SONG: It's a beautiful day for a story, adventure and glory, new friends and old ones too. It's an excellent day to get swept away in a tail, so let us regale you.
REDGE: It’s just a little bit further, Jonathan.
JONATHAN: Are you sure? I feel like we’re starting to walk in circles.
REDGE: Unfortunately, I don’t have a precise map to follow…
JONATHAN: What do you mean?
REDGE: Well we’re going to Legend Lake.
JONATHAN: Right.
REDGE: Where Once Upon a Time’s mythic and legendary creatures reside.
JONATHAN: Yes! We discussed this before we left. You said a real jackalope has a hovel there.
REDGE: Mmhhmm and a Loch Ness Monster lives there…and so many more…or so the stories say…
JONATHAN: I can’t wait to meet everyone!!
REDGE: Me too! But…
JONATHAN: But we’re lost.
REDGE: Not exactly… it’s just that…Legend Lake is the stuff of…well…legends! And you know how legends are! There have been many different sightings and stories about explorers stumbling on the place and that means…the maps…
JONATHAN: Maps plural?
REDGE: I have twelve maps here. This one has a note at the top– “Legend says you will find the Lake if you take two turns past Mythdom and walk into the fog.”
JONATHAN: But we’ve already passed Mythdom!
REDGE: That’s because THIS map says– “follow the Parchment Pass to the very end. Then keep going beyond the end until you arrive at a new beginning. THEN turn left, and you’ll run right into Legend Lake.”
JONATHAN: Huh?
REDGE: I know. It just gets more confusing from there! Each map has a different set of instructions!
JONATHAN: Legend Lake IS really living up to its name.
The sound of rustling leaves.
REDGE: Woah! Did you hear that?
JONATHAN: Uh…is somebody there?
SAMUEL: (Growling)
REDGE: Oh no…they sound very fearsome Jonathan!
JONATHAN: I’m…I’m sure they’re harmless…
SAMUEL: (Louder growling and more leaf rustling)
REDGE: EEEEP!
JONATHAN: Hello? We mean no harm! Just….looking for a lake.
SAMUEL: Grrrrrrrreat-gaggle-of-giggling-geese I’ve been stuck in that bramble forever.
JONATHAN: WOAH!
REDGE: WOW!
SAMUEL: Hiya! Sorry for the scare!
JONATHAN: You’re…you’re the…
SAMUEL: The name is Samuel Squatch!
REDGE: Are you…?
SAMUEL: Oh…right. I suppose you may know me better as Bigfoot.
JONATHAN: So you ARE Bigfoot!
REDGE: Oh my goodness! Mr. Squatch, what a pleasure to meet you!
SAMUEL: You’re…happy to meet me?
JONATHAN: Of COURSE we are!
REDGE: You’re THE Big Foot!
JONATHAN: I’ve read so many stories about you!
REDGE: You’re a superstar to us!
SAMUEL: Wow! That’s awfully kind of you…uh…
JONATHAN: Oh we should introduce ourselves! My name is Jonathan!
REDGE: And I’m Reginald T. Hedgehog! But my friends call me Redge!
SAMUEL: Nice to meet you!
JONATHAN: Do you live at Legend Lake?
SAMUEL: Oh so you’ve heard tell of the ‘ol Lake have you?
REDGE: Yes! …is it just a legend?
SAMUEL: Oh no, it’s real as me! Which…I know might sound a little silly to say. I know most folks don’t really see me or think I exist.
JONATHAN: But here you are!
SAMUEL: (Chuckles bashfully) I suppose…anyhow…I can take you kind folks to Legend Lake.
REDGE: Are you alright, Samuel?
JONATHAN: You seem a little blue!
SAMUEL: (Says this like you might say ‘aw shucks’) Oh silly-slithering-snakes…I wouldn’t want to make you deal with my troubles or anything…
REDGE: We love to help friends both old and new!
JONATHAN: And we would love to hear your story!
SAMUEL: Ok, since you offered…I could use some help.
JONATHAN: What’s going on, Samuel?
SAMUEL: First things first…You know the tales of Bigfoot, don’t ya?
JONATHAN: Of course! Here’s everything I’ve read about you– Bigfoot is a large and hairy mythical beast–
SAMUEL: Haha, well I’m guilty of that!
JONATHAN: He walks on two legs. And people have shared evidence of his existence. Stories about sightings, photographs and audio recordings that may or may not be fake–
REDGE: Oh! And large footprints that are usually pretty questionable as well…
JONATHAN: It’s said that most evidence of Bigfoot’s existence isn’t real. People believe it’s just misidentified clues or tall tales! Until today, even Redge and I couldn’t be sure that you existed!
REDGE: It’s true…it’s said that no one’s really seen THE Bigfoot.
SAMUEL: But what happens when Bigfoot WANTS to be seen? And be seen for who he truly is?
A bird enthusiast.
JONATHAN: A bird enthusiast?
SAMUEL: All week, I’ve been trying to enter the Outstanding Olympiads competition! They have a birdsong contest where competitors show off their most accurate bird calls! I’ve gotten rather good at it seeing as how I spend all this time alone in the woods. Listen–
(The sound of a tweeting bird)
REDGE: That was remarkable!
SAMUEL: Why, thank you! I was supposed to be competing this evening…
REDGE: What happened?
SAMUEL: Well it started earlier this week around Legend Lake. All of Once Upon A Time’s mythic and mystical creatures were preparing for the Outstanding Olympiads…
(A sound to show transition into a memory and then triumphant music)
BABS: Goooooooood afternoon, creatures and cryptids! Welcome to Legend Lake’s Annual Outstanding Olympiads - a competition of will and wit where all of the mythic folk of Once Upon a Time come together to show off! All week long, minotaur, mermaids, medusa, and more will be performing legendary feats of creativity, skill, strength… and a little bit of whimsy. (Almost comes out like a shriek) Iiiiiiiii can’t wait to get started!
I’m your Banshee Emcee, Barbra Shriek! But you can just call me Babs! I’m here to scream out the scene of each competition, keeping you all up-to-date on the contestants.
(Cheers)
And why don’t we introduce some of the competitors we’re most excited about this year?
First up, Cy “The Eye” Cyclops!
(Cheers)
CY: I’ve got my eye on the prize!
BABS: It’s expected that Cy will dominate the pinecone juggling competition this year. He never loses his singular focus. Next, we have the one, the only–
JACK: Jack A. Lope is the name!
(Cheers)
BABS: This runnin’ rabbit with antlers will be competing in the Long Hop competition.
JACK: I’m ready to spring into action!
BABS: Thanks Jack! And finally, Gumbo the Goblin will be cooking up something special in the Foraged Feast competition!
(Cheers)
GUMBO: You’ll be goblin’ up my food in no time!
BABS: From a race to see who can whittle a stick the fastest, our whistling contest, or our tree I.D. test - the Outstanding Olympiads is sure to be an event you won’t want to miss. I hope you lounge by Legend Lake all week, and take in the show!
SAMUEL: (Talking to himself) Ok. All you have to do right now is sign up for the Birdsong Serenade Contest. You can do this. You. Can. Do–
JACK: Hey Babs! What time is the Long Hop today?
BABS: Still got about an hour Jack.
SAMUEL: Excuse me I–
CY: Look out, coming through!
BABS: Hey Cy, you dropped a pinecone!
CY: Oh thanks, Babs.
SAMUEL: So, Babs. I would like to sign up for–
GUMBO: HOT PLATE! HOT PLATE COMING THROUGH!
BABS: Watch out with that thing Gumbo! Your competition starts in five by the way.
SAMUEL: I’m just wondering when the Birdsong–
JACK: Gumbo can I try some of that carrot cake…
GUMBO: Not ‘til after my competition!
SAMUEL: Sweet-stinking-skunks! I can’t even get a word in!
(The same sound to show transition out of the memory)
REDGE: You couldn’t get them to notice you?
JONATHAN: You couldn’t even sign up?
SAMUEL: Lovely-Leaping-leopards! I couldn’t at all! Everyone just assumes I want to be alone in the woods.
REDGE: Just like the legends say!
SAMUEL: And I tried EVERYTHING. I tried hopping up and down while waving my arms.
(cartoonish ‘boing’ sounds)
But I got nothing! Jack the Jackalope was jumping MUCH higher than me at the time. The folks who took photos during Jack’s match thought the blurry figure behind him was there because he moves super fast!
JONATHAN: How frustrating!
SAMUEL: I tried juggling pinecones while balancing on one foot!
SAMUEL: Since everyone had their eye on Cy, they couldn’t see me juggling on one foot. And since I only left one footprint behind, they thought it must be from a different creature entirely. Not one that walks on two legs.
REDGE: Oh no!
SAMUEL: I even tried cooking a delicious meal so the smells would waft over to the creatures handling the signups for each contest.
But Gumbo’s foraged feast outshined mine in every way. My meal just went cold!
REDGE: That’s awful, Samuel!
JONATHAN: I wish there was something we could do…
REDGE: But there IS Jonathan!
JONATHAN: There is?
REDGE: We’re going to make SURE Samuel competes in the Birdsong Serenade competition.
SAMUEL: But how?
REDGE: All you have to do is take Jonathan and I to Legend Lake, and we can take care of the rest. We are VERY good storytellers…
JONATHAN: …Oh yeah…and we can make SURE everyone hears your birdsong!
SAMUEL: Well alright…if you say so!
REDGE: Come on, lets go!
(The same triumphant music of the Outstanding Olympiads)
BABS: Goooooooooood evening, audience and Olympians! We’re rolling along with our week of competition and have arrived at a crowd-favorite contest: The Birdsong Serenade! Gather round for this spectacular–
REDGE: Ahem. Excuse me.
BABS: EEEEEEK!
REDGE: Oh my! Sorry to surprise you!
BABS: Are you…a forest animal?!
REDGE: Why yes I am! A hedgehog to be precise!
BABS: Wow…I’ve only ever heard stories of animals like you!
JONATHAN: Hi there!
BABS: Ahh! And a human!
JONATHAN: That’s me!
BABS: Uh listen…I’d love to chat with a real human and a hedgehog, I’d find it rather fascinating in fact, but I’m kind of in the middle of a big competition…
REDGE: That’s why we’re here! We think you may have missed a competitor.
BABS: Hm…everyone that’s signed up is lined up on the stage…
REDGE: May I borrow your mic? I think you’ll be delightfully surprised…
BABS: Alright! I’d like to see where this goes.
REDGE: Ahem.
Good evening to all of you incredible legends out there. This week, you have seen many incredible olympians competing in epic feats of creativity, focus, and even food! But the MYTHIC AND MAGICAL MAYHEM is not over yet!
JONATHAN: THAT’S RIGHT! Redge and I have met the most legendary legend-
REDGE: With the most BRILLIANT of BIRDSOOOONGS!
JONATHAN: And it is our extreme pleasure-
REDGE: Our absolute JOYFUL-EST of JOYS!
JONATHAN: -to introduce him to you today!
REDGE: You know OF him, you’re gonna love him, it’s–
JONATHAN/REDGE: Samuel Squatch!
SAMUEL: Errr..hello! I’m Samuel. You might know me as Bigfoot…uh…I’m often in the woods around Legend Lake. And I love birds! And uh…well. Here goes nothing…
(The sound of tweeting birds)
BABS: That…was…INCREDIBLE!
(Cheers)
CY: Wow you’re real good at that.
JACK: Samuel where have you been? I didn’t know ‘ol Bigfoot could sing like a bird!
GUMBO: (Sniffling) That’s some beautiful music dere!
SAMUEL: Aww adorable-accepting-ardvarks…that’s so nice of all of you.
REDGE: Samuel’s been around these woods, but he had a hard time getting noticed.
BABS: Weee had no idea, Samuel!
SAMUEL: It’s ok, I know you meant well. Sometimes, as creatures from myths and legends, we can be pretty easy to miss.
JACK: Most people just think I’m a regular rabbit!
CY: And sometimes I forget to stop focusing on only one thing really, really, really, really hard.
SAMUEL: It’s so nice to talk to other folk like me and get to know you all! I know we all just want to be seen for who we truly are.
BABS: And it’s also wonderful to get to see your talents shine!
REDGE: Mission accomplished!
SAMUEL: Thanks Redge and Jonathan! I’m so glad I got to sing out loud during the Outstanding Olympiads! And it’s all thanks to you!
REDGE: It’s actually thanks to YOU, since you were brave enough to show yourself to the world!
JONATHAN: You really were wonderful…and uh…just wondering if you and your friends would mind if a forest animal and a human stuck around to watch the rest of the Outstanding Olympiads!
JACK: Two creatures from stories and legends? Absolutely!
BABS: That is what Legend Lake is all about!
But before we get back to the competition…Samuel.
SAMUEL: Yes, Babs?
BABS: You’ve GOT to teach us how you create such extraordinary birdsongs!
GUMBO: It sounds so real!
JACK: I think about thirty birds flew and landed around the trees when you performed!
SAMUEL: Well! Beautiful-blooming-birds! I would be more than happy to show you!
Now, the wonderful thing about birds is that they each have so many unique songs to choose from. So first things first, you have to pick your favorite bird and your favorite song. Impossible to choose, I know! Then, you have to hone in on your singing technique…
(The episode fades out on Samuel’s lessons)
JONATHAN CORMUR: This has been a Jonincharacter production. Today’s story was written and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Hamilton Studios. Reach out to us on Instagram or email us at dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com. Find links in the show notes or go to dorktalesstorytime.com. Now, go be the hero of your own story and we’ll see you next once-upon-a-time!
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