Madame Magpie's Bedtime Stories
Classic Australian children's fiction, read aloud by Madame Magpie.
Season One: Blinky Bill, by Dorothy Wall.
Madame Magpie's Bedtime Stories
101: A New Arrival
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Mrs Koala has had a brand new baby, and everyone in the bush is very excited!
Blinky Bill was first published in 1933, and as such it contains material that might be outdated, inaccurate or offensive, as well as material that would now be considered quite dark for children’s fiction. Aside from language that Madame Magpie is personally uncomfortable using, the text has been left as it was originally published. There is no bad language, but below is a list of potentially distressing content that appears in this episode:
- Death of a parent/husband (Mrs Rabbit talks about her late husband: 'Poor Mr
Rabbit was shot, and I found his skin near by; but I managed to bite
off the tail and bring it home.')
Madame Magpie’s Bedtime Stories will always be available to stream for free, but if you’d like to support the podcast, you can do so via Patreon at patreon.com/MadameMagpie. For $3/month, Patreon members can download episodes for offline listening.
Blinky Bill was written and illustrated by Dorothy Wall, first published by Angus & Robertson in 1933. Sound effects are from Zapsplat, Epidemic Sound, Pixabay, Soundly and Dylan Barfield.
All images are made by Josh Dykgraaf using Dorothy Wall's original illustrations. Madame Magpie is a creation of Alix Roberts. Narration and character voices by Alix Roberts.
Madame Magpie’s Bedtime Stories are recorded and edited by Alix Roberts (aka Madame Magpie) on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Bunarong Peoples of the Kulin nation. Madame Magpie acknowledges the rich and extensive history of storytelling among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pays her respects to past and present elders of all nations.