If you know Soria Moria Castle, you'll recognize the theme.  This time, there is a brave and determined heroine who takes the magical journey after her tragic mistake.  If you like trolls and support their cause, you won't enjoy the ending.

Listen once for the story, then again to ease away insomnia.

Notes:  

Read along: “The Blue Fairy Book, by Various.” n.d. Www.Gutenberg.org. Accessed December 13, 2020. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/503/503-h/503-h.htm#link2H_4_0003.  

Cover art by Kay Nielsen in "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" (1914) 

Performance and background music by Moodrise.

Soria Moria Castle is an idea, a goal, and the path taken to reach it is different for each individual.  No matter who you have been and what mistakes you made, a path to perfect happiness will open up to the lucky ones and those who keep trying.  

Notes:  

Read along: “The Red Fairy Book, by Various.” n.d. www.Gutenberg.org. Accessed  November 19, 2020.  https://www.gutenberg.org/files/540/540-h/540-h.htm#link2H_4_0004.  

Cover art from Andrew Lang's "Red Fairy Book"  

Performance and background music by Moodrise

Reynard the trickster, liar, and ubiquitous European folk hero appears here in four stories. Love him or hate him, he will fascinate regardless.   There are many variations of these stories spread across Europe.  

This fox was so popular that in the French language his name became the actual word for fox.  

Notes:  

The first three chapters are from "Reynard and Bruin" in Europa's Fairy Book  

Chapter 4, "Bruin and Reynard" is from Popular Tales from the Norse  

Music and performance by Moodrise  

This eerie tale takes us to feudal Japan. In our first Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) feature we encounter Houichi, a talented blind musician whose skill gets him tangled up with the spirit world.

Expect more from Hearn in this podcast, whose writings I have long admired and loved.

Notes:

Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi can be read in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan

For context about the Heike crabs mentioned in the story, see the story of Heike-gani in Kotto

Music and performance by Moodrise

Float away with the music as you follow Petru on his epic quest to Morning-Glory, the Fairy of the Dawn. You'll want to listen to this one over and over.  

This story is a treat. It's an epic adventure, but has a soft heart in a hero who not only shows great physical strength, but also restraint, wisdom and depth of character uncommon for a fairy tale. It's accompanied by an original background track filled with texture. It'll feel like a mist came over your senses... 

Notes: 

For the curious, Mittwoch is the goddess Mercury, as well as Wednesday in German. When Petru says 'Good-day, little mother!' and she answers, 'Very well, thank you,' you'll get why Petru laughed. 

The Fairy of the Dawn can be read in The Violet Fairy Book 

Music and performance by Moodrise 

Cover Art by H.J. Ford. The Whirlwind Seizes the Wreath, 1901.

Have you ever flipped through a book of fairy tales looking for those short-but-sweet stories?  I know I have.  We made a selection of six of the shorter stories, lasting about three pages each, from Andrew Lang's "colored" Fairy Books for this episode. Enjoy! 

In this little anthology you'll hear, from: 

The Yellow Fairy Book 

1. The Crow (the heroine of this tale is truly brave, facing challenges similar to the boy who knew no fear from the previous episode, all to help a stranger) 

2. The Three Brothers (classic sort of tale featuring a friendly contest between three brothers, everyone wins in the end) 

3. The Boy and the Wolves, or the Broken Promise (a tragic native American tale of the passions of youth and the remorse that may follow) 

The Pink Fairy Book 

4. Master and Pupil (a tale of magic featuring an exciting wizards' duel) 

The Violet Fairy Book 

5. The Goat's Ears of the Emperor Trojan (a poor barber with an impossible situation, and an emperor who came to realize even he can't keep a secret from coming out) 

The Red Fairy Book 

6. The Six Sillies* (there's no shame in lowering your standards if you want to avoid loneliness) 

Music and performance by Moodrise

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* Forgot to name this title in the performance, it's the story at the end.

A favorite of mine. This tale from the brothers Grimm features the strange marvels of the autre monde. The old Arthurian legend, "Perceval", as written by Chrétien de Troyes was likely the inspiration for this adventure, although this youth does not have the misfortune of being as famous as sir Gawain was in Chrétien's poem when he was subjected to similar slapstick situations by the denizens of the fairy world.

Link to the text of this version of the story

This one's a charming story of a young boy following his dreams.

Link to the text: Twelve Dancing Princesses

For our first story we chose Blue Beard, by Charles Perrault. It was meant as a cautionary tale for women to curb their curiosity, but can easily be interpreted to warn the wicked and those who abuse their power not to assume their actions will always remain unchecked.

This version is from the Blue Fairy Book, published by Andrew Lang in 1889. If you want to read along, or file it away for later use, you can find a version of it on-line at Project Gutenberg.

Link to the text: Blue Beard