Dark and Twisty Tales: folk stories and fairy tales for the unafraid.

The Three Little Men in the Woods

Belching up toads, paper dresses, beheadings and murder, this story has them all. I love this Grimm fairytale from the Philip Pullman collection, and I hope you do too? This is the last episode in Season Three, so please write me a review and remember, storytelling is thirsty work! https://ko-fi.com/voxchops

The Old House

An old man in velvet pantaloons is befriended by a little boy with a toy soldier, however the soldier is NOT happy about this, has a tantrum and finds himself lost in the cracks and buried in an open grave, only to be found years later.

The Marriage of Mrs. Reynard

Reynard the Fox is a bit tricky and tricks his wife that he's dead to see if she'll marry again ... never a good plan.    

Tamlane

Childhood sweethearts Tamlane and Janet were all set until he 'disappeared' before their wedding day. He was off with the fairies (that's what you get for riding your horse 'widershins' around the hill), but it's OK, because she rescues him, by knocking him off his horse and holding on really tight while he changes into lots of things, then she chucks him in a pond. Perfect love story on so many levels.  The actual Scottish story is as deep and dark and twisty as you like with green kirtle...

The Dog and the Sparrow

A very clever and vengeful sparrow gets his own back after his buddy the dog comes a cropper. Many things get chopped with an axe by accident and many other things get pecked out ... corks and eyes mostly. The moral? Please feed your dogs yummy things ... and don't underestimate a sparrow! 

The Blinded Giant

A very short story about a boy called Jack, a bone bread eating giant and his favourite dog ... shame about the dog.

The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

A 'lucky' boy escapes death is helped by two old ladies (because he was so polite and good looking) is very courageous ... and also a bit of a know it all.

Snowdrop

So there's a narcissistic cannibalistic witch Queen, a Prince who thinks it would be cool to have a pretty dead girl in a glass coffin for a trophy and 7 little people who, while kind at heart, should get an education on domestic labor stereotypes. Nothing to see here.

The Golden Bird

Youngest son rides fox, gets girl and gold.

The Old Witch

Independently wealthy senior citizen robbed by teen and locked in oven. Harsh.

The Buried Moon

When the moon gets curious and snagged on a branch and then dragged into the bog by witches and bogles ... yeah that.

The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet

Chanticleer a canny rooster and his wife Partlet, have adventures, that usually involve nuts, carts, deceit, slavery, violence, cannibalism and death. I also have no idea what Mr. Korbes did to deserve that. Do you?

The Raven

Welcome to the first episode of Season Three! Mom, needs a nap, hero can't stop snacking and a bewitched Princess can't stop spinning around and around her glass mountain... hmmm sound familiar?

The Frog King

Less frog kissing and more frog splatting really and then at the end a weirdly obsessed servant has been to the blacksmiths...

Hans My Hedgehog

Come on, who can resist a story about a half boy, half hedgehog, who rides a cockerel and plays the bagpipes?  Credit must be given to my husband, son and his friend for providing pig noises in this episode and to 'FreeSound' and 'digifishmusic', 'Inchadney' and 'luis-audp' for their various piping recordings. xox

The Musicians of Bremen

A not very dark or twisty episode this week, but a favorite of mine since childhood. The darkness I suppose lies in the fact that all these animals were going to get starved, drowned or decapitated because they had been deemed to old to be useful. I love the fact that they decide to start a band in their golden years...they're not the first and they won't be the last!

The Singing Bone

Like the earlier story I read Binnorie from the British Isles, this story also has a magical singing bone involved which identifies it's killer. Who could it be I wonder? I improvised a little tune for the poem in the story, one of my favorite things to do. It feels appropriately dark and plaintive. Enjoy!

The Stars In The Sky

When a little girl is just not satisfied unless she has the stars in the sky to play with...what could possibly go wrong?

My Own Self

Playing with fairies and fires...hmm that sounds like a plan. From Joseph Jacobs 'English Fairy Tales' The song at the end is called 'Fairy Frolic' from my album 'Lullaby Island' which you can download on amazon or itunes or here https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/nortonjulia My Own Self In a tiny house in the North Countrie, far away from any town or village, there lived not long ago, a poor widow all alone with her little son, a six-year-old boy. The house-door opened straight on to the...

The Emperor's New Clothes

Who are you going to believe? Me, or your own lyin' eyes?

Sweetheart Roland - how sweet exactly?

This Grimm's tale again has little to recommend it from a feminist standpoint, so I won't. However I think it's my third story in a row where I get to use my beheading sound effect and the first time I've added a dash of Bossa Nova as well as a celtic folk song snippet! Happy Halloween you lovely creepy people! If you like this podcast, pretty please write me a review! xxo 

BlueBeard

Whether it's a telltale blue beard, horns, webbed hands or whatever...listen to your intuition. Sometimes there's more to a rave in the countryside than meets the eye.

The Tinder Box

This classic Hans Christian Anderson Folk Tale is certainly darker than I remember. What's with all the stealing the sleeping princess? Not to mention feeding her family to the dogs...enjoy.

The Goose Girl

Season Two begins with some pretty harsh treatment of horses and self inflicted punishments. Not for the squeamish! Or kids...definitely not for kids.

Season Two Intro!

The second season of Dark and Twisty Tales is releasing at midnight in California! Be there or miss out! lol. Thank you SO much for listening and tolerating my madness. xoxo

The Juniper Tree

This story has it all, beheadings, cannibalism, and my favorite, deep appreciation of a good dark folk song. Enjoy and I'll see you all again in September when the nights start drawing in. This story was suggested by Rose Lewis. Excellent choice Rose! I hope I did it justice :)

Godfather Death

Death! What an excellent choice! What could possibly go wrong? #parentingfails

The Snow Child

by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Maksimovich 1874.  

The Three Snake Leaves

One strange obsession and death, followed by magical resurrection and betrayal. What more could you want for a Valentine's Day episode.  

Clever Grethel

About a boozy cook who dupes her master after she's eaten dinner for two! No carving knives necessary. 

Mr. Fox

I found this in a collection of English folk tales. Wow, it could totally be the storyline for any current violent serial killer show, the accusatory pointing bejeweled finger at the end though...Lol.

The Little Match Girl

A short story by Hans Christian Anderson about a little girl dying of cold in the streets on New Years Eve. This was another favorite of mine as a child, I think it gave me the opportunity to have a little cry in the midst of a season that was as dark as it was candle filled.  Back then I couldn't even fathom how people could walk past her and not help? Is it possible we can go into 2019 taking better care of the children at home and around the world? https://www.savethechildren.org/

The Snowman

You might look like a snowman on the outside, but it's what's holding you together on the inside that really counts. A festive snow tale.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Did he fall or was he pushed? Will he ever make it through flood and fish to get back to his true love? You'll have to listen to find out. Classic Hans Christian Anderson for the festive season.

The Mouse the Bird and the Sausage

This is a story about not reaching or getting ideas above your station. Or perhaps it's a story about not traveling without your identity card, or swimming in hot soup? You decide. 

The Monkey's Paw - Part 3

The third and final installment of The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Seriously, be careful what you wish for.

The Monkey's Paw - Part 2

The second installment of this macabre tale about wishing for more, when you already have all you want. What could possibly go wrong?

The Monkey's Paw - Part 1

"The Monkey's Paw is a supernatural short story in 3 parts by WW Jacobs first published in England in the collection The Lady of the Barge in 1902." Part 1 (part 2 and 3 will follow shortly).  

The Tell-Tale Heart

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is relayed by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity while simultaneously describing a murder he committed.

Dracula

The Lady and the Lion

A folk story where the gal saves the day, including fighting a Dragon, flying a Griffin and utilizing some very special chickens...really.

King Thrushbeard - and other name calling.

A mean spirit and a quick tongue are a tricky combination, you may just find yourself married to the first beggar that comes along...that old chestnut.

Jorinda & Joringel - A folk tale about caged birds, magic flowers & an old witch

I am very excited to say that this is episode number 10 of Dark and Twisty Tales, I really hope you've been enjoying them. If you'd like to support my efforts, please rate and review at itunes and share with all your friends. Thank you so much! Julia

Iron Hans - A folk story with added hair!

Apparently this was the story that inspired Robert Bly to start the Iron John movement back in the 90's.  Now, however you might feel about hairy men lost in the woods this story is very weird...indeed.

Hansel and Gretel - A Fairy Tale about being lost in the woods.

Ok, so if you build a house made of gingerbread and sugar in the middle of the woods in an attempt to lure children to be baked in the oven so you can eat them...you better hope you don't meet Gretel!

The Girl With No Hands - A an 80% extra dark fairy tale.

Feeling broke and exhausted...I know, make a deal with the devil, what could possibly go wrong?  There are so many versions of this story, which is weird because it's so horrible. But is has some really poetic images too and a lovely happy ending to redeem it. I saw a theatrical version of this a few years back called 'The Wild Bride', by Knee High Theatre. I LOVEd it.  http://www.kneehigh.co.uk/show/the-wild-bride.php I didn't use as many sound effects for this one because I didn't thin...

Faithful Johannes

or Trusty John. In some variants, a king on his deathbed orders his servant, Trusty John, not to let his son see a certain room, which holds a portrait of a princess. In all variants, when the new king comes to power, he forces his way into the room. Instantly, he falls in love with the princess.  To win her. Trusty John tells him to prepare a ship with all manner of rich treasure, and then either sails with it himself, or has the king sail with him, to her country. The princess is lured a...

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Elves and the Shoemaker" is an often copied and re-made 1806 story about a poor shoemaker who receives much-needed help from elves. The original story is the first of three fairy tales, contained as entry 39 in the German 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' under the common title "Die Wichtelmänner". In her translation of 1884 Margaret Hunt chose The Elves as title for these three stories.

The Donkey Cabbage

A friend recently gave me Philip Pullman's 'Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm', I can't recommend it highly enough. This story is from there. He says "As quite often in Grimm, we have two separate story types sewn together here. Once the hunter has the bird's heart and the wishing cloak, he could in theory go on to any kind of adventure. The story of the cabbage (sometimes translated as lettuce) which turns whoever eats it into a donkey has no logical connection with the first part of th...

Catskin

Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs, in More English Fairy Tales.[1] Marian Roalfe Cox, in her pioneering study of Cinderella, identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with Cinderella itself and Cap O' Rushes. Indeed, some translators of Allerleirauh titled that story Catskin despite the differences between the German and English tales.