Grimm Reading

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other music: Johannes Brahms's 16 Waltzes, Op.39, #8 (b-flat major), performed by Martha Goldstein

In 'Cat and Mouse in Partnership', sheer force of love sees a cat and mouse overcome their natural differences and set up house together.

But winter is coming, and the mouse is growing suspicious at the unreasonable amount of christening invitations the cat's receiving...

In this story, learn why all people are innately greedy, selfish and just nasty. Or perhaps maybe it's just a few cats.

We also explore other tales of the (spoiler) 'partner steals keg of butter' narrative type from Norway, Scotland and America. The latter of which explains, most importantly of all, why foxes have a white tail tip...

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other music: Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major ("Kreutzer", Op. 47), 1st movement and 2nd movement, performed by Paul Rosenthal and Edward Auer

Schumann's Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, No. 1 "Of Foreign Lands and Peoples" performed and recorded by Leonard Vertighel

BFFs little Louse and little Flea are happily living together making artisanal craft ale in egg shells when tragedy strikes. Things escalate quickly as the neighbours hear of their terrible misfortune.

We briefly introduce the all important Aarne-Thompson-Uther fairytale classification system and then read 'Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse’, the English cousin of 'The Louse and the Flea’.

And, of course, we choose the next batch of Brothers Grimm tales we’ll be diving into...

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other music:

Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5 performed by the Fulda Symphonic Orchestra

Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne Op 27 No. 20 performed by Gabriele Piccinnu

This week on Grimm Reading we meet Germany's finest animal supergroup: 'The Bremen Town Musicians'.

Fearing for his life, a lute playing donkey escapes his owner and hits the road to Bremen. On route he forms a band with a hound, a cat and a cock, and plans for a string of tour dates begin to form.

Getting closer to Bremen they spy a cottage and head over to investigate. But little do our musicians know, it's occupied by a gang of nasty robbers...

This cult favourite Grimm tale has inspired artists and musicians across the world. Does it deserve the hype and just what exactly has got the cock in such a tizz?

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other music: Johannes Brahms's Lullaby performed by Howie Mitchell and Ruth Meyer

This week on Grimm Reading we meet our first Big Bad Wolf in 'The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids'.

A mother goat inexplicably leaves her seven kids all alone at home. Can her peculiarly specific survival advice keep the wolf from the door, literally?

Find out what bakers get up to with left over dough, an unexpected use for chalk and learn why miller's are so cowardly. 

We also discuss the similarities with this story and it's cousin across the channel, The Three Little Pigs, and in a final twist we consider whether or not the wolf is really so bad after all.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other Music: ohannes Brahms's 16 Waltzes, Op.39, No 14 performed by Martha Goldstein

In this week's tale the Brother's Grimm meets Marvel in the epic caper 'How Six Men Got On In The World'. 

Discover the ultimate origin story in an early imagining of the Marvel cinematic Universe and the very first iteration of Avengers Assemble, complete with an epic final battle! 

Things also take a distinctly marxist-communist turn as we discover our first 'Certified Soviet' tale.

Quite possibly your only chance to ever hear a communist superhero fairytale.

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Theme Music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other Music: Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2 performed by Corey Cerovsek & Paavali Jumppanen. 

Things get pious in this episode of Grimm Reading. The devil makes his debut and a father gives the ultimate lesson in bad parenting.

In the Girl Without Hands a god-fearing heroine finds herself married to royalty, but a pesky war calls away her husband and the devil seizes his chance to make mischief. Can the power of prayer and extreme fasting prevail in the face of evil?

This episode is 'Certified Grimm' for extreme cruelty and excessive violence and may not be suitable for children or the faint of heart.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other Music: Johannes Brahms’ Intermezzo Op 116 No 4 performed by Paul Cantrell

Elves, Princesses, Kings, evil stepmothers, magic, defenestration and strawberries – we are finally in full-on fairytale territory!

The daughter of a man with serious boot problems gets on the wrong side of her stepmother and finds herself picking strawberries in winter in a paper frock. But deep in the woods three peculiar little gentlemen come to her aid with three generous gifts...

This episode is 'Certified Grimm' for excessive violence and may not be suitable for children or the faint of heart.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other Music: Chopin's Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, no. 1 performed by Michal Hambourg

This week we follow the adventures of adrenaline junkie Thumbling as he meets some disreputable types, briefly falls into a life of crime, and has some unfortunate dealings with hungry animals.

Hang about, is this not the Tom Thumb we know and love? We explain the difference between Tom Thumb and Thumbling and other little man European legends, and even recount the story of Tom Thumb himself.

And finally we pick the next three stories we'll be exploring.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko

Other music: Johannes Brahms' Waltz Op 39 No 15 performed by Paul Cantrell

A special episode this week, as we explore the history and evolution of the works of the Brothers Grimm, as well as delving into the confusing world of the various English translations of this frightfully delightful collection of fairy tales.

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