Lions and Legends

Produced by Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis of Circle Round, Lions and Legends presents fun, fantastical retellings of legends, myths, folktales, and fables through the ages.

Latest Episodes:

The Dog With the Spark and No Bark: A Nyanga Myth Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Why don’t basenjis bark? Find out in this Nyanga myth from the Congo in central Africa, about a dog who defies a deity and changes hound history forever.

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

At the start of our episode, we spent a moment with our inquisitive League of Lions member, Curiosity.

***How did you practice curiosity this week?***

Maybe you uncovered a fascinating fact in a book, you stopped to examine a cool bug or bird, or you finally figured out how that mysterious gadget in your house actually works!

Share your curiosity story with us, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced curiosity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!

Find our live events here!

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Episode Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Kevin Corbett, Zaki Hamid, Erika Rose, Mike Smith, Dawn Ursula

Grunt Work: A Turkish Folktale Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

A wise trickster teaches a funny lesson on fairness in this Turkish tale about a hard-working woodcutter and a hard-grunting farmer!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

Nasruddin made an important point about the importance of integrity: telling the truth, keeping your word, and otherwise doing the right thing.

***How did you show integrity this week?***

Did you congratulate the winning team, instead of making excuses or stomping away? Maybe you found a fun toy at the library, and gave it to the lost and found instead of putting it in your pocket. Perhaps you counted all the way to twenty during hide-and-seek without peeking through your fingers!

Share your integrity story with us, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced integrity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Find our live events here!

Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!

Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Episode Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Nora Achrati, GM Hakim, Kyle Omori, Mike Smith

The Infinite Appetite: An Indian Purana Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

In this tasty Indian tale, a gajillionaire god's outsized ego is tested by an elephant god’s seemingly bottomless belly!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

Kubera, the god of wealth, learned a tasty lesson about what it means to be generous.

***How have you practiced generosity this week?***

Maybe you volunteered at a local charity or donated old clothes or toys. Perhaps you left a book in a Little Free Library, or held the door open for a friend!

Tell us your generosity story, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo describing how they practiced generosity, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Find our live events here!

Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!

Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Episode Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Nora Achrati, Feodor Chin, GM Hakim, Kiran Kumar, Kyle Omori.

How the Honey Bees Got Their Sting: A Greek Fable Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

In this Greek fable, a queen bee's wish for sweet revenge comes back to sting her!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

Being unkind doesn’t just hurt others. As we learn in today’s story, it can hurt us too!

Kindness can make the whole world a lot sweeter, so we want to know:

**How have you practiced kindness recently?**

Did you invite a new student to sit with you at lunch? Maybe you shared a favorite toy with a friend, or you gave a family member a warm, cozy hug.

Find some paper and some crayons, markers, or colored pencils, then draw a picture of your kind act. When you’re done, we’d love to see your kindness superpowers at work! Grownups: email a photo of your kiddo and their artwork to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!
Find our live events here!
Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!
Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!
Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!
Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Ryan Dalusung, GM Hakim, Kiran Kumar,Susannah Mars, Mike Smith

The King of Beasts and the Queen of Brains: A Swahili Folktale Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

In this Swahili folktale from East Africa, a cunning hare cooks up a sweet plan to escape the clutches of a haughty, hungry lion. When the vengeful feline visits Hare’s house, ready to pounce, she has to think on her (very quick) feet!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

At the top of today’s episode you met members of our League of Lions: our pride of values and virtues that make the world a better place, including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom.

**Which Lion did YOU bring to life this week?**

Whether you practiced Persistence by not giving up, used Kindness with a friendly word, or showed Generosity by sharing, we want to feature YOU on Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your child talking about their virtue and story, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!
Find our live events here!
Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!
Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!
Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!
Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Feodor Chin, Ryan Dalusung, GM Hakim, Helen Hong

Skuba and the Dragon: A Polish Legend Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a ravenous dragon meets a clever shoemaker with a needle, a thread, a sheepskin, and a brilliant plan? Find out in this famous legend from Poland, and find out why the Polish capital of Krakow is among the dragon capitals of the world!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

Today you met members of our League of Lions: the pride of virtues that make the world a better place, including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom.

**Which Lion were YOU this week?**

Did you show Courage and try something new? Did you practice Patience during a long wait? Did you use Curiosity to explore?

Tell us your story, and you could be featured on Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo’s virtue and story, then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!
Find our live events here!
Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!
Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!
Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!
Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Evan Casey, Kevin Corbett, James Konicek, Dawn Ursula, and special guest Kenny Curtis, host of Greeking Out and History Snacks

The Flash and the Crash: A Cambodian Myth Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Ever wonder how thunder and lightning came to be? In this myth from Cambodia, you’ll meet a powerful goddess with a glowing crystal ball and a jealous giant with a flying axe. When they clash in the sky, boy do the sparks fly!

🦁Time for you to ROAR!

Our episode started with members of the League of Lions: our pride of nine world-changing virtues including Courage, Curiosity, Generosity, Gratitude, Integrity, Kindness, Patience, Persistence, and Wisdom!

**Which Lion did YOU act like this week?**

Did you show Gratitude by thanking someone? Did you use Integrity by playing fair? Did you call on Wisdom to solve a problem?

Tell us about it, and we may feature you on an episode of Lions and Legends!

Grown-ups: grab your smartphone and record a 30-second voice memo of your kiddo sharing their virtue and story. Then email the audio to info@lionsandlegends.org.

🦁Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride! We invite you to:

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!
Find our live events here!
Nab your Lions and Legends merch here!
Sign up for our League of Lions membership club here!
Join our communities on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠!
Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Credits:

Story & Narration: Rebecca Sheir
Music & Sound Design: Eric Shimelonis
Voice Actors: Joe Hernandez, Kym Miller, Jessica Rau, Mike Smith

Audio Appetizer: Settling the Score Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

If you’re familiar with the music of Eric Shimelonis – especially from his work on his and Rebecca’s last kids and family podcast – then you may know that:

He plays a lot of different instruments, many from around the world.

He likes composing in diverse genres.

He enjoys composing for and collaborating with other musicians.

In this in-tune interview, our resident music man describes how all these points will apply to the scores you’ll hear on Lions and Legends!

Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app. And please join us for our independent podcast’s official launch – with three juicy, full-length episodes – on Sept. 1, 2026!

Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Find our upcoming live events here!

Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Audio Appetizer: Setting the Fable Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

“Look before you leap.” “Slow and steady wins the race.” “Sour grapes.”

These famous sayings all come from fables: short stories that convey a useful lesson, often through talking animals or other nonhuman entities.

While some of the oldest fables hail from India and Greece, these tight little teaching tales have been told the world over. Listen to this week’s audio appetizer to find out why… and to learn how they relate to fancy mushrooms, Steven Spielberg, and Bingo the dog!

Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for snack-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. And join us for our independent podcast’s official launch on Sept. 1, 2026!

Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Find our upcoming live events here!

Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!

Audio Appetizer: Once Upon a Folktale Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Come along as Rebecca Sheir explores the wide, wild world of folktales: timeless stories that can rack up some serious frequent-flier miles!

Follow Lions and Legends on your favorite podcast app for snack-sized audio treats every other Tuesday all summer long. And join us for our independent podcast’s official launch on Sept. 1, 2026!

Thanks for being part of the Lions and Legends pride!

Join our mailing list ⁠here⁠!

Join our social media communities: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠

Subscribe to our ⁠YouTube channel⁠!