Old Wives

Join us in Siberia to meet The Sun and several of his children. Particularly, his three daughters, who've all fallen for the same lowly fisherman. He loves the youngest of the three, but the two elder sisters lure him to the murky swamps and glittering hills to steal him. When Dad hears about it he is Big Mad, and things get weird fast.

For sources and links, check out our Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

We're in the region of Bengal today to hear a multigenerational tale beginning with an egg in a cupboard. It hatches into a woman, of course, and after her death, her kids will have to flee her replacement. One will get lucky when an elephant chooses him to be king. The other ... not so much. Fortunately for everyone, the cows have been whispering.

For sources and links, check out our Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we're in The Netherlands for a deeply strange tale about a poor widow with twins and the Countess she accidentally curses. The Countess will get that child she's been praying for—with a few caveats. What will she name it? Wouter? Gysbert? Barent? Tune in to find out!

For sources and links, check out our Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we hear about a wily hedgehog who saves three lost men of varying socioeconomic statuses. Each repays the hedgehog according to their means, and the hedgehog parlays his winnings into kingship. But after he's happily married to the woman who breaks his curse—and reveals his human teeth—an ex from his past comes calling.

For sources and links, check out our Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Some 44 weeks ago we began a series of monthly patron-exclusive episodes as a perk for supporters. We love our patrons, and yet we also love the format of these episodes and have been itching to give them air. This week we've decided to take a break from our regular schedule, and in the interest of filling the gap we wanted to share the first of these episodes with the wider subscriber base.

So, this is Haypennies: our Patrons-exclusive series of small format fairy tales. We take turns breezing through six bizarre and capricious Nary Tales from all over the world. Today's selections are: 1. Domingo's Cat, 2. How Kraka Lost her Lover, 3. The Devil who was a Potter, 4. Father of Eighteen Elves, 5. The Idiot, and, 6. The Dead Man's Nightcap.

For sources and links, check out our Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we meet a humble fisherman in Ireland who meets an otter who gives him a trout that turns into a swan. The swan will take the fisherman on a journey to a fairy castle, an underwater dragon fight, and a wife, but it won't end there. The final battle with the king's strongest knight awaits—and the knight has a druid on his side.

For sources and links, support us on Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we're in Persia to hear a tale as old as time. Bongo the princely cat starts feeling guilty about terrorizing area mice, so he finds religion and tries to live differently. Unfortunately, a group hug undoes his progress, and the mice vow revenge. Both sides will grab their tiny swords and mount their tiny horses, and the final battle could be anyone's game.

For sources and links, support us on Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we're in Portugal to hear about a dream they had. Pedro is a humble fisherman, until the morning he sees a beautiful woman among the tide pools. He's convinced she curses him, fleeing the scene in terror, only to find himself unable to speak. When Pedro stumbles into an eerie royal garden, Amy and Casey lose the plot a bit as things get increasingly Lynchian.

For sources and links, support us on Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we're with the Blackfoot Tribe to hear about Long Arrow, a boy on a quest to find medicine in order to become a chief. He follows in Chief Spotted Bear's footsteps but learns he'll have to be braver than Spotted Bear if he wants to succeed. When he reaches his destination, he discovers a God-like animal called the elk-dog that could revolutionize life in the tribe. But can he bring them back?

For sources and links, support us on Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.

Today we have a Czech story about a country where the sun never shines. A wonderful horse with a sun in its head provides light for the people, but when it goes missing, the country plunges into chaos. A seer will journey to find it, and along the way he'll have to outwit a rake-riding witch, her three daughters and their husbands, and one beggar who could use a shilling.

For sources and links, support us on Patreon, or follow on Twitter. Our theme music is from Carnaval des Animaux, performed by Aitua.