When it comes to wealth, the world of storytelling is rather polarized. You’re either the richest king there ever was, or the poorest peasant in the whole world. The two extremes make sense: fairytales often attempt to teach some sort of moral, and wealth is an easy tool for tackling topics like pride, humility, and charity. But even when you set aside the moralizing nature of storytelling, there’s something about the poor Cinderellas, the scrappy Aladdins, and the many pennyless Jacks that makes us root for their success. We want the underdog to win. We want it to be possible to rise above our circumstances, to change what life gives us. We want the heart to mean more than the wallet. Of course, solving inequality is far more complicated than a fairy godmother waving her wand, and obviously not all class problems can be fixed with hard work and dedication. But there is a hope in these stories that can often get lost in our much more complicated reality: the hope that poverty won’t have the last say on who we are and what we can do. Today, we’re bringing you stories from Adam Booth, Kevin Carr, Milbre Burch, Jill Lamede, and Anne Shimojima about finding fulfilling life and love despite our circumstances. On today’s episode, enjoy the following: Story Spotlight: “Roll-a-Rama” by Adam Booth on 210 (12:02) Storytime Pieces: “The Poor Gaiteiro” by Kevin Carr on King of the Pipers (13:19) “My Own Self” by Milbre Burch and Gay Ducey on Because I Said So: Stories About Mothers and Kids (6:38) “The Blue Fish” by Jill Lamede on Stories from the Tintagel Storyteller (5:18) “Revenge of the Black Snake” by Anne Shimojima (8:19)