This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold takes us on a journey through the whimsical and thought-provoking short story, "A Quicksilver Cassandra" by John Kendrick Bangs. Known for his wit and satire, Bangs weaves a tale that blends fantasy with a touch of the absurd, much like the prophetess Cassandra (not our Cassandra!) herself—gifted with the power of prophecy but cursed to have no one believe her.

"A Quicksilver Cassandra" was first published in 1894 and is in the public domain. It was a part of Bangs' short story collection "The Water Ghost & Others."

If you enjoy the show, share it with friends or anyone who enjoys a good blend of literature and musings from Cassandra.

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra reads the eerie ghost story “Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad” by M.R. James. First published in 1904 and now in the public domain, this chilling tale is part of James’ Ghost Stories of an Antiquary collection.

The story’s title is inspired by a 1793 poem of the same name by Robert Burns, which Cassandra also reads in this episode.

Thanks for listening, and be sure to share the podcast with your friends!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold brings to life F. Marion Crawford’s eerie tale "The Upper Berth." In this haunting short story, the dark secrets of a haunted cabin aboard a ship unfold, as a man becomes entangled in a chilling mystery that blurs the line between the living and the dead.

"The Upper Berth" was published in 1886 and is in the public domain.

We hope you enjoy this week's reading!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold brings the eerie and unexpected world of Saki (H.H. Munro) to life with a reading of his classic short story, The Open Window. Published in 1914, Saki was known for his sharp wit and dark humor, and crafts a tale of deception and suspense that leaves the listener questioning what’s real.

"Romance at short notice was her speciality."

The Open Window was published in 1914 and is in the public domain.

Enjoy!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra Harold, once again shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge's tale by Charles Dickens.

Did you know that while the phrase "Merry Christmas" first appeared in written form in 1536, it was Charles Dickens who helped popularize its use in Victorian society through A Christmas Carol? Did you know the term "Scrooge" came to be synonymous with a miser and was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary with this meaning in 1982?

Enjoy this super sized Christmas edition of Unpleasant Dreams.

Merry Christmas and God Bless Us Every One!

This episode includes the complete story.

A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain.

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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Do you enjoy classic ghost stories—especially those with a festive twist? This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold has a special treat for you: a reading of Charles Dickens' The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.

You might be thinking, "Wait, didn't Dickens write the iconic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol?" That's true! But The Story of the Goblins was published seven years earlier and actually served as an inspiration or prototype for A Christmas Carol. In this spooky tale, a grumpy sexton (a type of undertaker or gravedigger) refuses to embrace the Christmas spirit. That is, until a group of mischievous goblins kidnap him and attempt to change his outlook on life.

Originally published in 1836 as part of The Pickwick Papers, this story is in the public domain.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 5th is Krampusnacht!

In honor of this special occasion, we revisit the real story of Krampus in today’s holiday edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Oh, and be sure to be good. You wouldn’t want to upset The Krampus…

Find the original article by EM Hilker that this episode is based on HERE

Episode originally released in 2021.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Alchemist., The. “Witch Bells and How to Use Them.” Magical Recipes Online, 19 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Armstrong, Patti Maguire. “An Exorcist Explains Why the Devil Hates Bells So Much.” NCR. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Billock, Jennifer. “The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, 4 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2021. 

Brom. Krampus: the Yule Lord. Harper Voyager, 2012. 

“Devils – Afraid of Bells.” Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Hart, Sandra Merville. “Ten Christmas Songs That Mention Bells.” Sandra Merville Hart, 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

History.com Editors. “Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 November 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2021. 

Hix, Lisa. “You’d Better Watch Out: Krampus Is Coming to Town.” Collectors Weekly, 11 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2021. 

Little, Becky. “Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Littlechild, Chris. “The Terrible Tale of Hans Trapp, the Christmas Scarecrow.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 8 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021. 

Loh-Hagan, Virginia. Krampus: Magic, Myth, and Mystery. Cherry Lake Publishing, 2019. 

“Guardian Bells.” Motorcycle Minds, 28 November 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Pandza, Tina. “The German Postcard Craze: Then and Now.” DW.COM, 21 Sept. 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Raedisch, Linda. The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year. Llewellyn, 2013.

Ridenour, Al. The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. Feral House, 2016.

Rogers, Jude. “The Mari Lwyd.” Wales. Retrieved 5 December 2021. 

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Cassandra Harold engages in some whimsy and nonsense this week on Unpleasant Dreams, reading two poems by Lewis Carroll.

"Jabberwocky" was published in 1871 and is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. The poem has given us the nonsense words and neologisms such as "galumphing" and "chortle". It was included in Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Then, Cassandra tells us Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark" which was published in 1876. It is also considered a nonsense poem. There are many analyses about what the poem means, with some people indicating it is an allegory for the search for happiness. What do you think?

Both poems are in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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Do you like stories of terror and horror? You are in for a treat this week as Cassandra Harold tells us the short story, "What Was It? A Mystery".

Written by Fitz-James O'Brien and first published in Harper's Magazine in 1859. It is in the Public Domain.

This story is among the earliest modern tales to include the concept of "invisibility," predating H.G. Wells's 1897 work, "The Invisible Man."

Enjoy!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween has passed but the spooky stories continue on here on Unpleasant Dreams.

Cassandra Harold reads the short story, The Boarded Window, by Ambrose Bierce on this week’s episode.

It was written in 1891, and is in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

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Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers’ intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library’s guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices