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Podcast Transcription
[Dr Susie Nyman]
Hello and welcome to Dr Susie Nyman’s Multi-Sensory Walks. I’m Dr Susie Nyman, your guide on this journey to explore the power of multi-sensory learning. In each episode, we’ll take a stroll through different environments, sharing practical strategies and insights to help you turn everyday outings into enriching educational experiences for children with diverse learning needs.
Whether you’re a parent or teacher, join us as we discover how to make learning engaging, inclusive, and fun. Let’s embark on this adventure together! Now, coming up here, Suzie, is a little fir tree or pine tree—I can’t remember exactly—but I saw it last time.
I’m going to tell my little fir tree story just here. Oh, perfect! We’re now in the middle of the forest.
The story comes from A World Full of Nature Stories by Angela McAllister. This particular tale, The Little Fir Tree, originates from Germany.
The Little Fir Tree
In the middle of the forest stood a little fir tree whose dark green leaves were as small and sharp as needles. The little fir tree didn’t like its leaves. It was jealous of all the other trees, with their graceful branches and broad, bright leaves that danced in the breeze.
Now, unfortunately, we can’t see many leaves on the trees today because it’s winter. How unkind of Mother Nature to give me such small, stiff leaves, thought the little fir tree. I wish I had leaves of gold—then I would outshine all the other trees in the forest!
Oh! Here’s one I prepared earlier—some gold tinsel! Let’s put it on the little fir tree.
The next morning, when the bright sun shone down on the forest, the little fir tree’s leaves turned to pure gold. The dazzling tree gleamed with pride, and the other trees admired its beauty. Then, a traveller came walking along the forest path.
[Suzie]
“What luck!” he cried. “Now I shall never have to work again!”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
He emptied his bag and started filling it with the golden leaves, plucking every one until the branches were bare. The little fir tree felt miserable. If only I had leaves that were less valuable, he sighed. Then they wouldn’t have been stolen.
The fir tree noticed a bottle lying on the ground, left behind by the traveller.
[Suzie]
“Leaves of glass would be beautiful,” thought the little fir tree. “Nobody would steal those! I wish I had leaves of glass.”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
That night, under the silvery moon, the little fir tree’s branches became adorned with glass leaves. The next morning, the tree glittered and sparkled like a crystal chandelier, and the other trees admired its beauty.
Now, Susie, I have some little diamonds here in my bag. Look how they sparkle! If it were a bright day, they’d really shine in the light.
But that night, a storm rolled through the forest. Strong winds shook the trees, and the fragile glass leaves shattered, falling like a shower of diamonds onto the forest floor. The little fir tree was heartbroken.
[Suzie]
“If only I had leaves that weren’t so fragile,” he sighed. “Then they wouldn’t have broken.”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
Looking around, he saw the soft green leaves still hanging on the other trees.
[Suzie]
“Those leaves haven’t been stolen or broken,” he thought. “And they survived the storm! I wish I had soft green leaves like the others.”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
That night, gentle rain fell, and by morning, the little fir tree was covered in soft green leaves. He stood proudly, and when the breeze blew through the forest, the leaves danced gracefully. But a wandering goat soon noticed the fresh green leaves.
Here we go! I’ve got a goat puppet, Suzie—one I prepared earlier! Look, the goat is munching away at the leaves.
The goat happily ate up every leaf on the fir tree’s branches until there was none left. The little fir tree was devastated.
[Suzie]
“If only I had leaves that weren’t tasty,” he sighed. “Then they wouldn’t have been eaten.”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
The little fir tree then thought about his old dark green leaves—small, stiff, and sharp as needles. Nobody ever stole them, nothing broke them, and they were never eaten by anyone!
[Suzie]
“Oh, what a fool I’ve been!” he cried. “My old leaves were the best of all. I wish I had them back.”
[Dr Susie Nyman]
As the weeks passed, the leaves on the other trees turned yellow, red, and brown before falling to the forest floor. But the little fir tree grew new leaves—small, stiff, and sharp as needles.
Then, one night, it snowed.
Oh my goodness, Suzie! I have some white tinsel here—let’s put it on the tree! There we go.
In the morning, the little fir tree’s evergreen leaves were dressed in white and glistened like stardust. At last, the little fir tree realized…
“I am beautiful just as I am.”
And all the other trees in the forest agreed.
[Suzie]
What a lovely story, Susie! Even the Canada geese and the swan came over to listen. They were having a great time!
[Dr Susie Nyman]
Yes, but now they’ve turned their backs on us—they’re off! Before we go, I want to share a book with you, The Book of Woodland Birdsong. Let’s see which birds we can find in this forest…
Closing Remarks
Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Dr Susie Nyman’s Multi-Sensory Walks. I hope today’s discussion has been insightful and inspiring. Remember, every walk is an opportunity to learn and grow.
If you enjoyed this episode, please hit subscribe, share it with fellow parents and teachers, and leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Reach out to us on social media or email us at [email protected].
Stay curious, stay proactive, and let’s continue creating fun multi-sensory learning adventures together. Until next time—happy walking!
This episode of Dr Susie Nyman’s Multi-Sensory Walks was produced and recorded by Oaka Books. I’m your host, Dr Susie Nyman.
Thank you for listening, and have a lovely day!