This episode's Test Valley Tale is a magical wish story.

As Mary makes her weekly trip along the Sprat and Winkle Railway line from Stockbridge to Mottisfont, she encounters a fish on a bridge! This is when things take a turn for the magical as the fish offers her a wish. Just one wish.

What will Mary wish for?

‘The Magical Fish of Mottisfont’ is my version of a traditional tale called ‘The Clever Wish’ or ‘The Wise Wish’. Sometimes the wish giver is a deer and in some versions, it can even be a unicorn! I thought here in Test Valley, with our beautiful chalk rivers and streams, the wish giver should be a trout!

After the story, there is an interview with two amazing children – Rosa who is 10 and Owen who is 12. I was so impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world, that I think this interview really illustrates the idea behind Test Valley Tales, and that is to encourage people to get out and explore where we live and rediscover it’s magical places through its stories.

As David Attenborough says:

“No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”

The episode is accompanied with music by renowned folk musician Paul Sartin and Hampshire Country Dance Tunes from the Pyle family manuscript of 1822, recorded at WildGoose Records in Wherwell.

This story is part of Test Valley Tales.

'Test Valley Tales' is an Arts Council Funded project and one of Test Valley Arts Foundation's Borough of Culture Legacy Projects. All the stories are set in the beautiful landscape of Test Valley which is in Hampshire in England.

There is also an illustrated book of the all the stories which accompanies this podcast. This is available from my website. Please see link below.

Hope you enjoy it!

Story written by Amanda Kane-Smith, based on a traditional Irish folk tale.

Podcast produced by Miles Kane-Smith.

Music by Paul Sartin recorded at WildGoose Records in Wherwell.

Test Valley Tales can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as @testvalleytales.

For more information please go to:

www.merry-go-roundstorytelling.co.uk/testvalleytales