Wisdom in the Best Books and Films Podcast

📚 Get the book from this episode: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett: bookshop.org (buying through Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores and this podcast)

Have you ever had a stretch of life where everything felt clear and awake? In Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men, young Tiffany Aching faces a Fairy Queen whose great weapon is dreams. Tiffany answers her with one of my favorite lines in all of fantasy. In this episode I talk about those clear-headed seasons, why waking up is harder than dreaming, and how, even with ups and downs, we can grow from grace to grace.

“The secret is not to dream. The secret is to wake up. Waking up is harder.”

Chapters:00:00 Hook: “The secret is to wake up”00:08 Intro00:18 Welcome02:33 The Secret Is to Wake Up03:05 Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men04:17 Inside Tiffany’s head05:30 Waking up is harder05:49 A season of being awake07:05 Grace upon grace (John 1:16)07:22 Ups, downs, and an upward trend07:49 Closing thoughts

Wisdom in the Best Books and Films: bite-sized nuggets of truth from great books and films, used to help us become better people. Hosted by Jake Bair.

Read or listen on Substack: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/⭐ Paid subscription: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/subscribeQuestions, recommendations, or comments: wisdominbestbooks@gmail.comIf you enjoyed this, please subscribe and share it with someone who’d like it.

Tags: The Wee Free Men, Terry Pratchett, Tiffany Aching, Discworld, Nac Mac Feegle, fairy queen, fantasy, waking up, grace, John 1:16, Christian reflection, books, Wisdom in the Best Books and Films

Get full access to Wisdom in the Best Books and Films at https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/subscribe

📚 Get the book from this episode: The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin. Buying through Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores and this podcast.

📖 Read it for free at this link.

⭐ Support the podcast with a paid subscription: Subscribe here

## Description

It’s the fourth Sunday of the month, so it’s story time! This week I read John Ruskin’s fairy tale The King of the Golden River. Last time we heard Ruskin tell us that art should ennoble us and make us better people, so now let’s see if his own story can do that. Two cruel brothers, Hans and Schwartz, ruin the beautiful Treasure Valley with their greed, while their little brother Gluck is kind to a strange visitor, melts down his golden mug, and meets the King of the Golden River himself. Who will reach the source of the river, and what makes water truly holy? This episode’s video includes new illustrations and animations of the story’s scenes.

“The water which has been refused to the cry of the weary and dying is unholy, though it had been blessed by every saint in heaven; and the water which is found in the vessel of mercy is holy.”

Chapters:

00:00 Hook: “Whoever shall climb to the top of that mountain”

00:24 Intro: paid subscriptions and book links

02:36 Why John Ruskin and The King of the Golden River

04:25 Chapter I: South-West Wind, Esquire, visits the Black Brothers

21:29 Chapter II: Gluck meets the King of the Golden River

33:06 Chapter III: Hans sets off for the Golden River

43:39 Chapter IV: Schwartz sets off for the Golden River

48:11 Chapter V: Little Gluck’s journey

56:23 Closing thoughts

Wisdom in the Best Books and Films: bite-sized nuggets of truth from great books and films, used to help us become better people. Hosted by Jake Bair.

Read or listen on Substack: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

⭐ Paid subscription: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/subscribe

Questions, recommendations, or comments: wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this, please subscribe and share it with someone who’d like it.

## Tags

The King of the Golden River, John Ruskin, fairy tale, short story read aloud, Gluck, Treasure Valley, Victorian literature, kindness, mercy, greed, classic literature, audiobook, Wisdom in the Best Books and Films

Get full access to Wisdom in the Best Books and Films at https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/subscribe

“I never meant for this to happen.” In The Seventh Gate, the final book of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Death Gate Cycle, Alfred tries to step out of the blame, and Jonathan won’t let him. In this episode I wrap up our Death Gate series with a story from a job where I handled radioactive materials, and a lesson my dad taught me when I was five: you have to mean not to.

“Mistakes do not require malice to require repair. You may not have meant to cause the problem, but once you know about it, you have to mean not to leave it there, and you have to mean not to repeat it.”

Chapters:

00:00 Hook: “You have to mean not to”

00:12 Intro: wrapping up the Death Gate Cycle

02:20 The Seventh Gate: Alfred and Jonathan

03:12 A story about radioactive materials at work

04:04 “You have to mean not to”

05:19 The lesson: mistakes require repair

05:52 Closing

Wisdom in the Best Books and Films: bite-sized nuggets of truth from great books and films, used to help us become better people. Hosted by Jake Bair.

Read or listen on Substack: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Questions, recommendations, or comments: wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this, please subscribe and share it with someone who’d like it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the full lecture series.

Subscribe at:

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Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the book.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

Please subscribe on Substack where subscribers get more content starting November 2026! The link to subscribe is:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the full story.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the full book.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the series.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the story.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the book.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the miniseries.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the story.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the series.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the short story.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the miniseries.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the book.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com

Link to the show.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, recommendations, or comments at:

wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com

I respond to all emails I receive and that is the best way to reach me. Also please share the show with others you think may be interested by sending them a link wherever you listen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com