Geoff and Katrina talk animal tales in The Thousand and One Nights! In this episode we check in with King Shahryar and Scheherazade, when the king starts actively engaging with her stories and even begins making requests. And what kinds of stories do you think the most powerful man in all the land wants to hear? Stories about animals of course! And Scheherazade is happy to oblige. Katrina retells the story of The Wolf and the Fox. And lemme tell ya, this tale gives off MAJOR Aesop vibes as the two titular characters sling proverbs and poems at one another in an attempt to teach a lesson.

Katrina and Geoff talk the best (or worst?) trade deal in the history of trade deals! That's right we're talking all about Jack tales. Who is Jack? Are all fairy tale Jacks ACTUALLY the same character? (Spoiler: No). And while you may have heard the story of Jack and Beanstalk from England, it's doubtful you've heard the tale of Jack and the Beantree from the Appalachian region of the United States. And in this episode, we tell both! 

Katrina and Geoff celebrate Mer-May! Making up for our oversight last year, we go all in with a mermaid tale from The Thousand and One Nights, "Julnar of the Sea." Besides the Nights, this story also appears in Tales of the Marvelous and News of the Strange, an older, raunchier, more racist, and "problematic" collection of tales from the Middle East that was translated into English for the first time in 2014. Before getting into the tale, Katrina gives us some back story into the history of this new collection. And then we dive into the odyssey that is the tale "Julnar of the Sea". 

In this minisode, Katrina retells her favorite Aesop Fable of all time: The Sorceress. Enjoy!

Katrina and Geoff talk tricky foxes! This week, we dedicate an entire episode to our favorite Aesop Fable character, the fox. This sometimes lovable trickster is both clever and sneaky, and easily the most nuanced of Aesop's characters. While we are often encouraged to be smart like the fox, he also occasionally uses his intelligence to the detriment of others.

Katrina and Geoff back at it again! In this episode we continue our discussion of The Thousand and One Nights by delving deep into the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. While this tale has some major name recognition, I would bet several dinars that most people don't actually know what it is about (I know I didn't). Katrina retells the "orphan tale" of Ali Baba which includes a much overlooked character.  But first! Geoff retells a story from the Grimm Brothers' collection that is clearly inspired by Ali Baba but inexplicably ends halfway through the tale!

Katrina and Geoff talk superheroes in antiquity! In this tale from the Ming Dynasty, we are introduced to the original super-humans, the Ten Chinese Brothers. Before Katrina tells their story, Geoff retells a surprisingly similar story from the Grimm's brother collection called "How Six Got on in the World." Forget the Snyder Cut, these are the superhero stories that you need to hear.

Katrina and Geoff dive back into The Nights and find "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Jinni" and it's many tales within tales. But first Katrina fills us in on all the things we didn't learn about King Solomon in Sunday school, or watching Indiana Jones. Through these stories Scheherazade really hits us HARD with the theme of enacting justice on the appropriate people for the appropriate crimes. I wonder how that could be relevant? Also... How does King Solomon play in to all of this? Strap in folks. It's gonna be a wild ride.

Katrina and Geoff celebrate Saint Patrick's Day! In this episode, we discuss the man himself and the various legends that surround him. Including the time he got into a fight with a druid priest over an Easter bonfire, and why everyone thinks he drove all the snakes from Ireland.

Katrina and Geoff tell tales within tales within tales! In this episode we dive deep into a listener question about scholars who argue that The Thousand and One Nights was complied by a single author for a specific narrative purpose.  Then we get into the The Tale of the Three Sheiks, which encompasses the first three nights of tales, and what happens as Scheherazade carries out her plan to survive.