This was recorded a few days after Bonfire Night, when it’s common for massive fireworks to go off in England . . . even right next door! This made for a fun backdrop to one of the darkest stories in Kinder-und Hausmärchen, the collection of tales gathered by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812. This is my own translation of the story.

My treat for this Fireside Fairy Tale is a lovely sugar frosted pumpkin-shaped marshmallow that toasted up beautifully, with the outside crystallizing and the inside going nice and gooey.

You can hear this story without any commentary (or fireworks) at my storytelling channel: