In a Certain Kingdom

A king has three wonderful, princely sons. But none of them has a bride! So the king decides to fix the problem, and test their virtue at the same time. Each of them must shoot an arrow up into the sky. Wherever it falls, there they will find their bride. Poor Ivan, the third son, shoots his arrow straight into the swamp. But not only does he find a bride there, he also gets more than he ever bargained for...

In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar explores the strange, but compelling fact that stories of talking animals appear in nearly every folkloric tradition since ancient times. What do these stories say about us? Might they be reflections of some deep, primordial desire for something we lost?

A young girl loses her mother, and her father marries the stepmother from hell. Sound familiar? But this version of Cinderella has Baba Yaga, magical talking dolls, and a happily-ever-after to beat them all.

In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar introduces the idea of moral imagination and talks about how good stories help cultivate it in the heart of both children and adults. He also discusses how, yes, in some cases, stories can be very dangerous for you indeed . . .

The third daughter of a poor villager has a secret. No one suspects this quiet, unassuming girl of being betrothed, much less to Finist, a falcon by day and a prince by night. But when her sisters find out, they put knives on her windowsill . . .

Instead of an analysis section, Nicholas Kotar talks with Natalie Wilson, the composer of the podcast's wonderful music, about womanhood, spiritual and physical hardship, and how the ritualistic nature of fairy tales reflects reality on a far deeper level than we realize.

Prince Ivan has come back to life after Koschei the Deathless chops him into pieces. But he still has not rescued his wife, Marya Morevna. To do so, he'll have to brave everyone's favorite villainess, Baba Yaga herself. But if he's not careful, he'll lose his head a second time!

In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar concludes his exploration of Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" by examining why escapism isn't as bad as some people say it is, and how good fairy tales are actually closer to scripture than you might expect.

Prince Ivan has lost his parents, and now must take care of his three sisters. After marrying them off to an eagle, a falcon, and a raven, he sets out to find a wife for himself. He finds one in the great warrior-queen Marya Morevna. But he also finds more than he bargained for. And it just might lead to him being chopped into pieces . . .

In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar leads us through J.R.R. Tolkien's excellent essay "On Fairy Stories," exploring why now, more than ever, we need the consolation and enchantment provided by old tales.

In this classic tale, a king and his sons are disturbed by a thief who steals their magical apples, then disappears without a trace. The first two sons fail to catch him, but the third does, but in the process he enters a strange and magical world of shapeshifters and magical creatures, where every action can lead to wealth and prosperity, or his own sudden death.

In the analysis section, fantasy author and Orthodox deacon Nicholas Kotar explains why, according to Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, fairy tales are indispensable for not only personal growth, but spiritual development as well.