What misfortune occurs when an ancient watchmaker pits his two protégés against each other? Lydia Maria Child, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. The Classic Tales Podcast is listener supported. If you enjoy listening to The Classic Tales, please consider becoming a supporting member. It helps support the podcast, and it’s a great way to build out your library of classics. By making a monthly donation of just $5, you’ll receive a corresponding thank-you code for $8 off any digital audiobook download. You win, and we get to keep going strong. Go now to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a member today. There are many other ways you can also support the podcast, through purchasing our app, merchandise, or telling your friends about us. Links can be found in the notes to today’s episode. If you have the Classic Tales App, check your special features for more Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. That’s still a thing. You and also rate and review us at Spotify or Apple Podcasts.  And the items in our FREE category have been changed, so head on over to the website for some free audiobooks. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming along. I’m actually using a combination of several translations to record this audiobook, as I’m using three at the same time. The one from J. Carroll Beckwith is the main one, but I’m also using the traditionally used anonymous translation as well as another audio version for additional reference. I have around four more hours to record. Please make sure your membership status is current, as I will be sending the completed audiobook out to all current financial supporting members.  Today’s story is by Lydia Maria Child, who lived from 1802 to 1880. She was best known for her stand against slavery and for her promotion of the rights of Native Americans. The musical version of her Thanksgiving poem, “Over the River and Through the Woods”, is still sung by children today. Her story, “The Rival Mechanicians” has been lauded as one of the finest science fiction tales from the first half of the nineteenth century. The Western Literary Messenger declared it to be “above praise”, when it was first published in 1847. There are so many diverse and profound elements to the story, however, I think I’ll let it speak for itself. And now, The Rival Mechanicians, by Lydia Maria Child.   Tap here to go to www.classictalesaudiobooks.com and become a financial supporter!   Tap here to get early access to the Airr app, and share your favorite snippets of the episode with your friends! Share on Twitter @bjharrisonaudio, and your clip might be on the show!    Tap here to purchase Huckleberry Finn – the first Hybrid Audiobook    Tap here to go the The Classic Tales Merchandise store!    Hear us on roku: