The Sword and the Rose Story Collection

The Sword and the Rose came about because I wanted to record some stories about relationships. The things women want and expect haven't changed much over the years. How those things are defined morphs back and forth, but the truths of what women want and need in order to be happy don't differ much across cultures or through time. We want to be respected, loved, listened to, honored and given a voice. We want to feel strong, have moments of vulnerability and ultimately trust the person to whom we have given our very lives. To hear men tell it, they want many of the same things. So, relationships are about the giving and taking of these basic needs.

We crave the power, control and strength of the sword, but also the beauty, grace and delicacy of the rose. How we balance those things between us is what determines what kind of relationships we have.

This story collection is recommended for adults and teens.

Each digital story can be downloaded three times. The tales featured on this collection are:

1. "The Blanket and the Bowl" - 6:12

There are many people who talk a good game about how they live their lives, but upon examination it turns out they don't do as they say. In this story from China, a woman opens her husband's eyes and gains a place of honor in his mind as well as his heart.

This story is featured on Donna's story collection 'The Sword and the Rose'. It is recommended for adults and teens.
This digital story can be downloaded three times.

3. "The Loathly Lady" - 29:43

This is a version of The Wife of Bath's Tale from 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer. I read this story for the first time in ninth grade, but I fell in love with it when I heard Rebecca Armstrong tell it in the early 90's. This tale has everything from handsome knights to evil spells to a really great disgusting character. And if all of that wasn't enough, how can you go wrong with a story that reveals the truth about what women want most!

This story is featured on Donna's story collection 'The Sword and the Rose'. It is recommended for adults and teens.
This digital story can be downloaded three times.

2. "John and Mattie Sly" - 29:52

This story is based on a European tale called 'The Night It Rained Pancakes'. I have also seen it in a picture book entitled 'Don't Tell the Whole World'. In In both of those stories, it was the woman whose tongue wagged and wagged. I always thought it was strange that since the woman took care of the house and did all the cooking that she wouldn't know pancakes didn't fall out of the sky. My version of this tale takes place in the south. It's about many things, but mostly a clever woman who manages to make the best of an aggravating situation.

This story is featured on Donna's story collection 'The Sword and the Rose'. It is recommended for adults and teens.
This digital story can be downloaded three times.

4. "The Ice Woman" - 13:20

This Japanese Tale has haunted me for many years. It is a strange tale of how we are bound together by the choices we make in our lives. It is about commitment and the price for breaking our word. In the end, we love what matters most to us if we turn our back on our promises.

This story is featured on Donna's story collection 'The Sword and the Rose'. It is recommended for adults and teens.
This digital story can be downloaded three times.