Tales
163 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 5.9K ratingsTraditional fairy tales aren’t exactly suitable for kids. Women vomit spiders. Children get eaten. There’s even murder! Every Wednesday, we take you through the twists and turns of the dark origins of your favorite pieces of folklore. To listen to the full Tales catalog for free, be sure to subscribe on Spotify! Tales is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Episodes
Season of the Witch: The Magic Wand
October 06, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesYoung Katie can't wait to be an adult. So when a witch with a magic wand helps her dreams come true, Katie never wants to go back home... until she learns the witch's cannibalistic secret. Season of the Witch is a special storytelling series across Parcast Network. Follow Superstitions and Haunted Places to find more spooky stories and historical haunts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Buttercup
September 29, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesThis Norwegian folktale follows a young boy caught in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with a witch. And while his situation vaguely resembles other “home alone” tales, this one has a dark and bloody ending.… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Woman Who Loved a Serpent
September 22, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesThis Passamaquoddy tale follows a boy who tries to find a home with his mother's tribe — but instead, discovers an evil disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Augean Stables
September 15, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesThis Greek saga follows Hercules on one of his infamous Labors. Instead of battling a violent, mythical beast, however, he faced a challenge that tested his cleverness… and his stomach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Death of the Seven Dwarfs
September 08, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesThis Swiss fairy tale takes a look at the dark things that can happen at a remote forest cottage... and reminds us that not all good Samaritans are rewarded for their deeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Red Buffalo Woman
September 01, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesThis traditional West African folk tale chronicles the life of Oya, a shape-shifting deity who must make a difficult choice between family and her secret life as a wild animal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One Good Turn Deserves Another Pt. 2
August 25, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesIn the dramatic conclusion of Prince Milorad's tale, our hero fights back against his traitorous servant by drawing on his own unique strengths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One Good Turn Deserves Another Pt. 1
August 18, 2021 07:01 - 44 minutesIn this Serbian folk tale, a sensitive prince helps a prisoner in need, but ends up banished from his father's kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Boy Who Became a Goblin
July 28, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesHe didn’t think goblins were real until he was kidnapped by them. This Swedish fairy tale follows a young troublemaker who discovers the goblins have a more sinister plan for him than he ever could have imagined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Scheherazade & Her Stories Pt. 2
July 21, 2021 07:01 - 49 minutesAs Scheherazade's wild tales come to end, we learn what becomes of her once she finally runs out of stories to tell her murderous husband. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Scheherazade & Her Stories Pt. 1
July 14, 2021 07:01 - 49 minutesThe frame story of The Arabian Nights, the tale of Scheherazade tells us how a woman saved a kingdom with only her wits... and 1001 days of patience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Blue Light
July 07, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesIn this Brothers Grimm classic, a war veteran discovers a magical light that grants wishes, and learns that you should be careful what you wish for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Vampire Cat of Nabéshima
June 30, 2021 07:01 - 47 minutesIn this Japanese folktale, a shapeshifting demon in the form of a cat terrorizes a prince — until a devoted soldier steps forward to protect him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Solstice Special: Neptune and Delphinus
June 23, 2021 07:01 - 49 minutesIn this early Greek tale, we learn the genesis of the constellation Delphinus. A tricky dolphin helps Neptune, the God of the Sea, track down the love of his life. As a sign of thanks, Neptune immortalizes Delphinus with his very own stars. For more celestial stories, keep listening across Parcast Network for episodes on the Zodiac signs, constellations and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Solstice Special: Ursa Major
June 16, 2021 07:01 - 50 minutesA violent encounter with the god Jupiter and his wife Juno leads to her first transformation, and sets her on a collision path with a very special hunter. For more celestial stories, keep listening across Parcast Network for episodes on the Zodiac signs, constellations and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing: International Infamy
June 15, 2021 07:01 - 14 minutesAshley Flowers explores 15 of the world’s worst crimes in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, International Infamy. The first episode takes you to Mexico and the true story of Juana Barraza — a pro wrestler who became a serial killer known as the “Little Old Lady Killer.” Listen to an exclusive clip right here, then follow International Infamy for the full episode. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Boy with the Golden Stars
June 09, 2021 07:01 - 45 minutesThis Romanian fairy tale follows a wicked stepmother who tries to get rid of two magical princes. But buried secrets always have a way of coming to light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Two Brothers and 49 Dragons
June 02, 2021 07:01 - 44 minutesThis classic Greek folktale follows a poor man who swipes some gold to feed his starving family — and inadvertently draws the wrath of 49 terrifying dragons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kajong and Haloek
May 26, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesIn this Vietnamese folk story, a mistreated young woman escapes the wrath of her aunt and cousin in order to marry the king. But she doesn't count on their final act of cruelty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Magic School
May 19, 2021 07:01 - 45 minutesIn this Icelandic folk tale, three boys find themselves in a subterranean school with a horrifying headmaster. If they don’t pass the final exam, their punishment will be eternal… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Foolish Friend
May 12, 2021 07:01 - 41 minutesThis Indian fable tells the story of a king whose choice of companions leads to his downfall — and a pool of blood on palace grounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The New Mother
May 05, 2021 07:01 - 43 minutesThis Victorian English tale chronicles two young girls who misbehave so badly, they drive away their mother. But they don’t count on the terrible consequences of their naughty behavior — a terrifying new mother with piercing eyes and a heavy tail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Year and a Day
April 28, 2021 07:01 - 47 minutesAn Irish folktale about a family’s desperate and otherworldly hunt to find their missing daughter. Only through trust and perseverance will they have a chance to succeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Twelve Huntsmen Pt. 2
April 21, 2021 07:01 - 45 minutesIn the dramatic conclusion of this Brothers Grimm story, a spurned princess' quest for vengeance turns into a deadlier hunt than she ever imagined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Twelve Huntsmen Pt. 1
April 14, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesIn this classic Brothers Grimm tale, a jilted princess is determined to get revenge against her former lover… by any means necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
“The Watcher House,” from Internet Urban Legends
April 13, 2021 07:01 - 26 minutesCreepypastas, frightful TikToks, online horror stories… Loey Lane and Eleanor Barnes are taking you into the spookiest corners of the web in their new Spotify Original from Parcast, Internet Urban Legends. Meet the hosts and hear their debut episode on the Watcher House — a terrifying saga that unfolded in 2014 after the Broaddus family bought their dream home in New Jersey. Listen free on Spotify, and follow Internet Urban Legends for new episodes every Tuesday! Learn more about your ad cho...
The Story of Zoolvisia Pt. 2
April 07, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesAfter combining forces, Prince Samos and Zoolvisia must battle against a powerful woman and an evil king. Along the way, they discover something more dangerous than magic… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Story of Zoolvisia Pt. 1
March 31, 2021 07:01 - 47 minutesIn this Armenian fairy tale, Prince Samos battles the most powerful witch in the forest, Zoolvisia. But the witch isn't the only one in the forest with magic… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Giant Who Had No Heart In His Body
March 24, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutesIn this ancient Norwegian tale, a prince goes on a quest to find his brother. Along the way, he discovers a princess held by an evil giant. Despite his father’s warnings not to trust strangers, it might be the only way to rescue both the princess and his brother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introducing: Adulting with Teala and Nia
March 18, 2021 07:01 - 20 minutesYou’ve heard the rumors. Trembled at the tales. Maybe even have some stories of your own… on what it’s like to enter adulthood. In the newest Spotify Original from Parcast, best friends and performers Teala Dunn and Nia Sioux compare notes on their first forays into the magical world of independence and responsibility — where mistakes are made and naps are taken, frequently. Listen here to Episode 1: Getting Through A Breakup for details of their most memorable splits, and (better) ways to bo...
The Field of Boliauns
March 17, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesIn this classic Irish folktale, a lazy, young farmer stumbles onto a leprechaun and immediately thinks his future is paved with gold. But this leprechaun isn't the usual green-suited man of legends... He's crafty, ornery, and very possibly deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Painted Skin
March 10, 2021 08:01 - 45 minutesThis 17th-century Chinese story tells the tale of a young, married businessman who meets a beautiful concubine. He brings her home, thinking his life will be perfect — only to realize she is hiding a deadly secret… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Tale of the Three Apples
March 03, 2021 08:01 - 43 minutesOne of the earliest murder mysteries comes from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales. After a dead body is found in the Tigris River, the caliph’s adviser is tasked with solving the crime. If he fails, he and his family will suffer a similar fate… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Bram Stoker Classic from Haunted Places: Ghost Stories
February 25, 2021 08:01 - 31 minutesDracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling… Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest ...
Jack and the Beanstalk Pt. 2
February 24, 2021 08:01 - 47 minutesThe stranger's beans led Jack to the land of the giants... but will he be able to escape? And how will the discovery of a dangerous magical land save him from poverty? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jack and the Beanstalk Pt. 1
February 17, 2021 08:01 - 43 minutesAn iconic tale, this story tells how a young boy makes a foolhardy gamble to save himself and his mother from starvation. Would you sell your only hope for a handful of magic beans? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Of the Pretty Girl and the Seven Jealous Women
February 10, 2021 08:01 - 42 minutesIn this ancient Ibibio tale, beauty is a questionable gift for a young heroine who just wants some friends to visit a festival with. Instead, she finds herself wrapped up in a story of betrayal — and brutal revenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Wicked Old Man of the Sea
February 03, 2021 08:01 - 47 minutesIn this ancient Finnish folk tale, a fisherman is forced to give his daughters to the evil sea spirit, Wetehinen. After two daughters disobey the supernatural being, he kills them. But the fisherman's youngest daughter devises a plan to bring her sisters back to life, and destroy Wetehinen once and for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mangita & Larina
January 27, 2021 08:01 - 41 minutesFrom the Philippines, this folktale personifies goodness and wickedness in the form of two rival siblings. But it’s not only a lesson in morality — it’s an origin story for a lake event that’s tied to the Pasig River. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hansel & Gretel Pt. 2
January 20, 2021 08:01 - 43 minutesAs the truth of their abandonment sinks in, Hansel and Gretel begin to despair — until the tantalizing smell of gingerbread leads them to a house of sweets. But the sugary cottage hides a rotten core, and the children are left to determine how to outwit a witch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hansel & Gretel Pt. 1
January 13, 2021 08:01 - 42 minutesIn the midst of a famine, a father and his wife lead their children deep into a forest. They mean to leave them there in a desperate bid for survival. And though Hansel and Gretel prove to be clever and capable, their stepmother is a determined adversary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Little Match Girl
January 06, 2021 08:01 - 40 minutesBarefoot and dejected, a young girl tries in vain to sell matches on a frigid New Year’s Eve. As the temperature dips ever lower, she strikes matches for herself, and has visions of an all-embracing warmth.
Superstitions Special: New Year’s Eve Festivities
December 31, 2020 08:01 - 34 minutesThe clock’s winding down on the final moments of the year and people around the world are putting their charms and traditions to work, shoring up good fortune for the future. But it’s not always our own personal luck that’s on the line… In this story, a night of superstitions weaves together the fates of merrymakers eager for fresh starts. This episode is presented by Superstitions, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Superstitions free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
A Christmas Carol Pt. 2
December 22, 2020 08:05 - 51 minutesHe’s faced his ghosts, and reckoned with his past. But after decades of relentless self-enrichment, how can Scrooge truly redeem himself?
A Christmas Carol Pt. 1
December 22, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesA miserly old man. A long-dead business partner. And the sound of rattling chains… In this iconic ghost story by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge is forced to look back through his life and ponder when he lost his humanity.
The Old Woman Who Was Skinned
December 16, 2020 08:01 - 48 minutesThis disturbing folktale from the 17th century tells of two elderly, impoverished sisters who pull a prank on a king using tallow and twine. But when their ruse is discovered, only one is left unscathed.
Lady Eleanore’s Mantle
December 09, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesIn 18th century Boston, a bewitching woman wraps herself in pride as a doctor scrambles to prevent an outbreak of smallpox.
Blind Dating: Finding Love on a Podcast
December 07, 2020 08:01 - 20 minutesYou know you can find love in a bar… on an app… Why not a podcast? Every week on Blind Dating, one hopeful single is introduced to two potential matches in a virtual hangout — no cameras allowed. This week, listen in as Pauler, a 33-year-old dancer from Australia, meets a tutor who falls for mama’s boys and a one-time swinger who’s “lived and learned” in LA. Is personality enough to spark a lasting connection? Listen to find out… and don’t miss the twist at the end! Blind Dating is free on Sp...
Cecilio, the Servant of Emilio
December 02, 2020 08:01 - 46 minutesAfter demanding his freedom from a plantation owner, a young orphan makes his way into a world filled with dangerous rogues and life-saving magic.
Mythical Monsters Crossover: Questing Beast
November 25, 2020 08:01 - 55 minutesToday we’re bringing you a special episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Mythical Monsters on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Hailing from Arthurian Legend, the Questing Beast is an enigma layered with symbolism and competing interpretations. With a bizarre appearance — and even more confounding purpose — the barking animal conjures a sense of immense strangeness.