Christmas readings

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has a daily radio show called “As It Happens.” During the Christmas season its hosts have read various seasonal stories during part of the 90-minute program for years and years. All of them are wonderful performances. Here are links to a few:

“The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry’s classic short story read by the show’s long-time host Alan Maitland.

“The Shepherd,” Frederick Forsyth’s ghost story about an RAF pilot whose plane has suffered a catastrophic electrical failure while flying from a base in Germany across the Channel to England in 1957. Also read by Maitland, it always appears during the last show before Christmas.

“Who Has Seen the Wind,” an excerpt from W.O. Mitchell’s novel of Depression-era Saskatchewan.

“Bone Button Borscht,” a retelling of the folk tale “Stone Soup” in a Jewish context by Toronto author Aubrey Davis. It’s read by another long-time host, Barbara Budd.

“To Everything There is a Season,” Alistair MacLeod’s Cape Breton Christmas tale.