Greetings fine people,

The fires of Beltane burn bright and the sun still blazes in Scotland. So much so that my elderly neighbour has taken it upon herself to water my fruit trees in the absence of rain. Very kind of her!

This week's email is a short one, to share a recent story recording I've shared on Substack.

It's a belter of a tale that comes from the Kingdom of Fife, gathered and retold by Orcadian storyteller Tom Muir in his book "Scottish folk tales of coast and seas". I've only told this one live a handful of times but it's a winner. Classic folk tale with reciprocity, discomfort, supernatural encounter and sharp wittedness...as well as a magical cow.

Currently it's available for free via Substack, although I'll shuffle it into the paid section in the coming weeks.

Substack is a fantastic platform to support creatives and get rare glimpses into their work. As part of my paid membership I'll be uploading fresh tales like this one, that you'll be unlikely hear elsewhere. These stories are a thank you to those giving support, and also bring me back to early days of storytelling and the excitement of sharing new tales.

If you'd like to listen, here's a raw recording of the King of the Fish tale. I hope you enjoy.

https://deeprootscommunity.substack.com/p/the-king-of-the-fish?r=3vls8

Beltane blessings

Dougie