The story of Rip Van Winkle is more than just a guy taking a long, alcohol-induced nap. It's a story about a changing time and a man struggling to keep up. It's a story about lost love and and a second chance. It's a story about one of the most insufferable fictional protagonists that you didn't know you hated: Rip Van Winkle. 

The creature is the Polong, from Malaysian folklore, the little one-inch tall woman who will cut a hole in your side and just run around inside you, messing all sorts of things up.

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Music: "Dark Water" by Podington Bear “Blossoming” by Podington Bear “Go to Sleep” by Podington Bear “Tumbler” by Podington Bear “Toil” by Podington Bear “Cake” by Podington Bear

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This week, we’re back on the boat to the Trojan War where Agamemnon has a problem. I mean, he always has a lot of problems, but this one involves a bunch of warriors with nothing to do but wait for the winds to pick up, and they're not going to pick up until Agamemnon does what needs to be done. 

The creature this week is pollo maligno, the evil chicken. He's honestly perfect for this segment.

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Music: “Triana” by Blue Dot Sessions “Matamoscas” by Blue Dot Sessions “Vela Vela” by Blue Dot Sessions “Talltell” by Blue Dot Sessions “Lonely Stairwell” by Blue Dot Sessions

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Jack the giant killer is back, and he’s less Jack the giant killer than Jack the let’s-just-sit-here-and-let-the-giants-die-from-their-own-unforced-errors guy. That’s way less catchy, though. 

The creature (pixui) is a constipated robber with daddy issues. 

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Music: “Popism” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Gall” by Podington Bear “Mello D” by Podington Bear “Flatlands 4th” by Blue Dot Sessions “Twosome” by Podington Bear “Scallat” by Podington Bear “Rope Swing” by Podington Bear “Indian Paintbrush” by Podington Bear

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Two stories, one from Italy, one from England. In the one from italy, Costanza is born which would usually be pretty great...except her parents are already in retirement and have given everything away to her older sisters, so she sets out on her own in the wild medieval world. The second story is Molly Whuppie, whose parents have left her and her two sisters in the forest to die. Then things get worse.

The creature this week is hoop snake, a snake that's a hoop and also really confused as to why you're diving through it.

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Music:

“Climbing the Mountain” by Podington Bear “Airliner” by Podington Bear “In the Box” by Blue Dot Sessions “Lakkalia” by Blue Dot Sessions “Ice pack” by Podington Bear “So it goes” by Podington Bear “Hardboil” by Blue Dot Sessions “Box Canyon” by Podington Bear

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Hoop Snake story: https://web.archive.org/web/20060629012039/http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/editors_pick/1925_01-02_pick.html

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Two stories of terrible parents. One decides to get rich by strapping a gemstone to an infant's head, and the other let her son do whatever he wanted until the day came when she needed him to do one little thing: babysit a chicken. It did not go well. 

The creature is the phooka, from Ireland, and it will fly you to the moon...but not in the charming Sinatra way, but in the literal way where you suffocate. 

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Music: “Wonder Happens” by Podington Bear “Order of Entrance” by Blue Dot Sessions “Highride” by Blue Dot Sessions “Pives and Flarinet” by Podington Bear “Minor Islands” by Podington Bear “Blue Blanket” by Podington Bear

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Hrolf Kraki must avenge his father by confronting his step-father...and brother-in-law. Don't worry, though, the weirdness of last week gets ironed out when we enter more familiar territory for the Viking legends. Our wonderful one-eyed wanderer makes an appearance, kings battle kings, and berserkers battle trolls, draugr, other berserkers, random bystanders, and, well, just about everyone.

The creature this week is Penny Dragon, a dragon that will leave you pennies and maybe also burn down your home.

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Music: “Lost Shoe” by Blue Dot Sessions “I Recall” by Blue Dot Sessions “Smooth Actor” by Podington Bear “Delta” by Podington Bear “Illustrated Novel” by Podington Bear “Calla Lily” by Podington Bear “Slow Rollout” by Blue Dot Sessions

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We’re back in the Norse Sagas with witches, trolls, Norns, magic, elves, and this one-eyed wanderer who definitely isn’t named Odin but have you heard about how awesome Odin is? No? We’ll he’s happy to tell you. This is the saga of Hrolf Kraki and his twelve legendary berserkers. 

The creature is the reason you should actually follow that strange creature into the dark forest (free all-you-can-eat shrimp!) 

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Music: “Keo Keo” by Blue Dot Sessions “Convoy Lines” by Blue Dot Sessions “Degradation” by Podington Bear “Den” by Podington Bear “Senseless” by Podington Bear “Relinquish” by Podington Bear “The Things We Save” by Podington Bear

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A boy is born, fated to be one who brings strife. Two sons seek to outrun a family curse. A wife is spared the grisly fates of her husband and son...only if she will marry the one who committed the atrocities. A daughter is saved from certain death...by judgy ducks. These are the stories of the names that would go down in legend: Odysseus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, and Penelope, and their lives before the event that would make them all famous: the Trojan War. 

The creature this week is a dragon who is living his best life in Ireland. 

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Music: "Lakkalia" by Blue Dot Sessions "Last Lights" by Blue Dot Sessions "Hedgeliner" by Blue Dot Sessions "Children by the Creek" by Chad Crouch "Barefoot" by Chad Crouch "Song Sparrow Serenade" by Chad Crouch "Headwaters" by Chad Crouch

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Things are going well for King Arthur for once. He’s in complete control over the island of Great Britain, he’s got a bunch of awesome knights, and dragon attacks are down. What could go wrong? King Arthur should know to never ever ask that question, because twelve men from the definitely not defunct and/or fictional Roman Empire are here to show him exactly what can go wrong. 

The creature this time is orphan bird, because when you can turn a bird that abandons her children into an religious allegory, why not? 

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Music: “Drifting” by Chad Crouch “Daybreak” by Chad Crouch “Order of Entrance” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Snowgarden” by Blue Dot Sessions “Three Stories” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Bluff Trail (Instrumental)” by Chad Crouch

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Faust decides that if he's going to have these powers, he's really going to enjoy them so, in no particular order, he gives himself: A Doctor Strange cloak Telekinesis A demon common law wife and baby A get-out-of-debt plan that involves humorously tearing off his own limbs And grapes. In the winter. Crazy, right?   Seriously, though, we take the somewhat more grounded story of last week...and then completely go off the rails while Faust (and the writer of the chapbook...mostly the writer of the chapbook) imagines all the things he can do with powers from the devil, and then does them. 

The creature this week is the ophies pteretos, and you might feel bad for them...if they weren't angry flying snakes. -

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Music: "Ghost Byzantine" by Blue Dot Sessions "Hardboil" by Blue Dot Sessions "Ballad of the Blackbirds" by Chad Crouch "Pacing" by Chad Crouch "Small Hours" by Chad Crouch "Undying" by Blue Dot Sessions

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