Ridge Top Tales is a quiet corner of YouTube for soft-spoken Appalachian storytelling. Here you’ll find calm retellings of classic fairy tales and myths, rewritten as if they took place in the Appalachian foothills—neighbors instead of nobles, hills and hollers instead of castles.
Each story is read aloud in a slow, soothing cadence with a gentle Ohio Appalachian accent, designed to help you unwind after a long day, ease anxious thoughts, or drift off to sleep. Themes of neighborliness, Providence, gratitude, and quiet resilience run through every tale, and this space is always kept kind, cozy, and safe—no horror, no jump scares, no true crime.
If you’re a tired mind, a homesick heart, or a folklore lover who wants a slower, gentler world, you’re welcome here. Pull up a chair, settle in, and let a story keep you company.
Ridge Top Tales
A question for my listeners...
Sephie's story got me thinking about all the old tales that live in these mountains. Myths dressed up in overalls. Gods who smell like coal dust and woodsmoke.
Which old myth or fairy tale do you think belongs in Appalachia? Which one fits the hills like it was born here?
Drop it in the comments. I'm listening. 🌙
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
Something I've been sitting with since writing Sephie's story...
The old Appalachian coal towns had their own kind of underworld. Dark hollers. Company stores. Families forced to sign their names into ledgers and rarely got free.
When I set the Persephone myth in that world, it didn't feel like a stretch at all. The mountains already knew that story. They just told it differently.
In my story, we know Sephie's truly back when the trillium blooms right along the forest edge.
Have you ever watched for a sign like that — something in nature that tells you a hard season has passed?
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
A new story is on the porch tonight.
Sephie had a gift — the kind where green things grew wherever her shadow fell. The clover stood a little taller. The black-eyed Susans turned their faces toward her as she passed.
But when she walked down into Styx Town — a coal-dark hollow that hadn't seen a bloom in years — she made a deal she couldn't walk back from.
This one's our Appalachian retelling of the old Greek myth of Persephone. It's about what spring costs. About the tug between two places that both need you.
🎧 Settle in. The story's waiting.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
If you missed my 1.5-hour "Collected Tales" release earlier this week, it’s the perfect companion for a long project or as you wind down your day. No loud interruptions, just soft-spoken folklore to help you unplug from the noise of the world.
Find a comfortable spot and listen here: https://youtu.be/nHv9RXSxRcQ
1 month ago | [YT] | 2
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Ridge Top Tales
I’ve been so honored by all the views and comments on my stories! I often picture what you might be doing while you listen. I’d love to know,what are you usually doing when you listen to Ridge Top Tales?
( ) Hand-crafts (Spinning, Embroidery, etc.)
( ) Settling in for sleep
( ) Doing chores around the house
( ) Simply resting with a cup of tea
Tell me about your "quiet corner" in the comments! 👇
1 month ago | [YT] | 1
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Ridge Top Tales
The lantern is lit on the ridge tonight. 🕯️✨
I’ve just released my first 100-minute anthology! I wanted to create something special for those who enjoy settling in for a long afternoon of stories or a restful night’s sleep.
This collection features five of my Appalachian retellings, including Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin, woven together into one continuous, soft-spoken journey against the backdrop of winter rain and birdsong.
Settle in for the full collection here:
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
There is something hypnotic about a spinning wheel. For this week’s Rumpelstiltskin story, I captured my mother and the rhythm of her spinning wheel, the fascinating, meditative way the wool twists into yarn.
Have you ever tried your hand at spinning or fiber arts? Let me know in the comments below! 👇
Watch the full story here: https://youtu.be/TteBfKh2G88
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
In this week's Appalachian retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, the spinning wheel isn't just a tool—it's a way to find a rhythm when the world feels chaotic. 🧶
What is your favorite repetitive, quiet task to help settle your mind after a long week?
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
The wheel is spinning and the fire is lit. 🕯️
My Appalachian retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is finally here. It’s a story about a debt that wasn’t hers to pay, the power of a name, and the magic of the spinning wheel.
Pour a cup of something warm and join us on the ridge.
🧶 Listen here: https://youtu.be/TteBfKh2G88
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Ridge Top Tales
When you were a kid, did you ever have a story that you wished could happen right in your hometown instead of “once upon a time in a faraway kingdom”?
I’ve been retelling classic tales as if they happened in the Appalachian hills, like Arlo and Alma taking the place of Hansel and Gretel in this week’s story. I’d love to hear your version if you feel like sharing. 🌲
https://youtu.be/ATwPo8wnRG4
1 month ago | [YT] | 1
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