A radio play for the New Year. It first aired in 1950, and it tells the story of a strange little creature called a squowse. It was written by Ted Allan.

Today, a radio play from the vaults of the CBC archives. It's called Willie the Squowse and it was written by Ted Allan- the colourful Canadian playwright, screenwriter and biographer known for his Communist zeal, his friendship with Dr. Norman Bethune and his unabashed idealism.

Allan wrote more than 100 plays for CBC Radio- an experience he said taught him the art of drama.  Willie the Squowse started as a story he told his children, and then went onto become a book and a radio play in 1950. The story was also rewritten as a film called The Great Rupert starring Jimmy Durante.

The version you'll hear today stars Bud Knapp as the narrator, and was produced and directed by Andrew Allan (no relation to the author) with original music by Lucio Agostini. 

It's a delightful fable- perfect for the season- and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Sit back, settle in and enjoy Willie the Squowse by Ted Allan.