Grimm Reading

By Grimm ReadingSociety & Culture

Grimm Reading episodes

March 08 One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes
Things get weird as we read one of the most tantalisingly titled stories in the Brothers Grimm collection, 'One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes'.

A young girl suffers at the hands of her mother and sisters. Will a magical goat be able to save her? And if not, can a passing knight offer the help she needs?

Join us as we read a most peculiar Grimm tale, before debuting a new segment, "Eye Stories of Ancient Religions," where we try to make sense of the Grimms annotations and see where this all started.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (Corey Cerovsek, violin; Paavali Jumppanen, piano) // Dvořák's Serenade for Strings Op.22 3 Scherzo // Maria Szymanowska's Polonaise No. 3 (Alexander Kostritsa, piano)
1 hr 9 min
February 22 The Sparrow And His Four Children
After a vicious attack on the family nest, four young sparrows are left to fend for themselves. When they return home, their anxious father enquires how they fared in the wide world. As each recounts their harrowing tale, we learn a valuable lesson in how to stay safe in a dangerous world.

Join us as we read the Grimms' tale, The Sparrow And His Four Children! More a sermon than a story, we discuss the origins of the tale, from the bible through to the Grimms, before hearing an Indian sparrow story about violent retribution - much more familiar ground.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Sonata no. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 no. 2 - III. Allegretto performed by Paul Pitman // Motzart's Sonata No. 13 In B Flat Major, K.333 - I. Allegro performed by Brendan Kinsella // Beethoven's 12 German Dances performed by Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
44 min
February 08 Death's Messengers
After an ill-advised street brawl, Death gets back on his feet thanks to a helping hand from a passing young man. As a reward, Death promises to send his messengers before claiming the man himself. Will this newfound freedom cause trouble? And what exactly are these messengers?
Yes, it's the return of the fan-favourite recurring character: Death! And as ever with Death, things are not quite as straightforward as they appear...
After the story, we chase the messengers of death around the world with the help of a centuries-old academic journal, and discover why this folktale has more to do with Buddhism than the German peasantry.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, Op. 40 (Marika Fältskogh, Marc Soustrot, Malmö Symphony Orchestra) // Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1
41 min
December 21, 2025 Christmas Special 2025
Come one, come all to this year’s Grimm Reading Christmas party! We engage in the usual frivolity with presents and festive cheer. And of course, we once more delve into the strange world of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker And The Mouse King.

We also introduce a new segment - the Christmas monster of the year! We meet Jólakötturinn, aka The Yule Cat, a terrifying giant feline who roams Iceland on Christmas.

Have a wonderful Christmas season, wherever you are and we’ll see you in the new year.

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Tchaikovsky's "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" & "The Magical Castle in the Kingdom of Sweets" from The Nutcracker Suite from the music.org European Archive
1 hr 23 min
December 14, 2025 The Dark Side of Christmas – Interview with author Sarah Clegg
Has Christmas always been wholesome? What did Halloween steal from Christmas? And what happens when you bump into a Krampus?
Join us for a special interview episode, where we talk to Sarah Clegg, author of "The Dead of Winter: The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas".
We discuss her run-ins with Christmas monsters, learn about the surprisingly unruly history of Christmas celebrations, and hear why Jacob Grimm may have a lot to answer for...
From wassailing to ghostly walks, this is Christmas in a whole new light.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

1 hr 2 min
December 07, 2025 Lean Lisa
An industrious woman dreams big, but how will her husband, Long Laurence react when she reveals her plans?
An unexpectedly brutal tale leads to an exploration of 'air castles', from Aesop to Leo Tolstoy, and a man getting a faceful of rice gruel...
This episode is Certified Grimm for adult themes and may not be suitable for all listeners.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' Piano Trio No.2, Op.87 performed by Edwin Fischer, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, & Enrico Mainardi // Brahms' String Quintet No.1, Op.88 performed by Musicians from Marlboro // Brahms' 7 Fantasien, Op.116 performed by Ivan Ilić
39 min
November 23, 2025 The Glass Coffin
Evil wizards, crying stags, sharp-shooting damsels – prepare for a wild tale as the Grimms go full Indiana Jones with "The Glass Coffin".
A poor tailor seeks shelter from a storm in a forest cabin; little does he know his life is about to change forever. When a violent stag abducts him, the tailor finds himself in a mysterious cave complete with two glass boxes. What will he find? And why did the Edwardians go mad for glass caskets?
Find out all this and more in our latest episode.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Sonata, La major, Op.69 - I. Allegro ma non tanto.1 // Chopin's Fantasy-Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66
47 min
November 09, 2025 The Hurds + Looking For A Bride
It’s a 2-4-1 deal at Grimm Castle today as we read TWO Brothers Grimm tales: “The Hurds” and “Looking For A Bride”.
What’s the correct way to choose your spouse? What does ‘hurd’ mean? And what’s the best way to prep cheese? All this and more will be revealed as we explore two short, sweet and sexist tales from the master storytellers.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' 2 Rhapsodies, Op.79 performed by Luis Kolodin // Brahms' Hungarian Dance No.2 in D minor performed by Caroline Goulding & Shuai Wang // Brahms' String Sextet No.1, Op.18 performed by Musicians from Marlboro
39 min
October 26, 2025 Koshchei The Deathless (Halloween Special 2025)
Things are getting spooky at Castle Grimm as we celebrate Halloween with the story “Koshchei the Deathless”, aka “Maria Morevna”.
Prepare to be whisked into a world of immortal evil wizards, battle-loving queens, and rivers of fire. There may even feature a brief cameo from an old friend…
Happy Halloween all!

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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Aram Khachaturian's Masquerade Waltz // Liszt's Totentanz (Dance of the Dead) S. 126/2
52 min
October 12, 2025 The Twelve Dancing Princesses
We’re back for series 8!
Magic beds, secret raves, invisible soldiers - we kick things off with "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" aka "The Shoes That Were Danced To Pieces".
It’s a somewhat famous story and surprisingly magical and romantic for the Grimms, albeit overtly violent and deeply problematic.
So join us as we once more delve into the world of the Brothers Grimm, and chase this folk tale from ancient Babylon through Victorian England (via the story "Kate Crackernuts"), and ending unexpectedly at Barbie.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Strauss's Wiener Blut Op.354 Waltz // Tchaikovsky's Waltz in F sharp minor, no. 9 from Op. 40
47 min