Fairy Tall Tales

Many of us fear death, both for ourselves and for our loved ones. But what if there was something to signal when a family member was going to die? Would that be better or worse? In Irish mythology, banshees do just that. These female spirits herald the death of a family member or loved one by wailing, shrieking, or keening. If you're all caught up on the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, you already know a little bit about banshees, now let Megan tell you more. If you like this podcast, don't...

We are gathered here today to talk about marriage...but it's not exactly the "happily ever after" kind. This week, we take a look at what happens when the marital bliss ends. For our fairy tale, we read you "The Falsely Accused Wife," a story about a bad friend and a kickass lady. This week's true crime story doesn't actually include murder, although someone gets to experience their own grave. We cover Ramon Sosa and his murder plot. If you like this podcast, don't forget to rate, review,...

Cotton is a staple in the textile industry. This prehistoric fiber is soft, breathable, and a great option if you're looking to avoid synthetics. Absolutely nothing dangerous about cotton, right? Wrong! At least if you live in or near Kimotsuki. Here, there have been sightings of the Ittan-Momen, possessed roll of cotton that flies through the night skies and often attacks people. If you see an unusually large bolt of cotton flying through the air, RUN. And if you like this podcast, don't...

We are of the mindset where if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. However, we all know life doesn't work that way, not even in a fairy tale. This week, we take a look at how looks matter even to farm animals with Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling. And to make everyone feel even worse, we cover the tragic death of Silvia Likens, the unfortunate target of severe brutality for absolutely no reason. If you're here for the darker episodes, this one is for...

What is hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent and is reputed as the king of serpents? It's not a riddle...it's a Basilisk! This week, Megan tells us about this mythological creature found in European Bestiaries and legends. The basilisk is known for appearing in Harry Potter lore and for killing people with one simple look. Good thing this is not a visual podcast! If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your schoolmates know! If you have any...

Happy 2020! To celebrate our first full-length episode of the year, we decided to shake things up a bit. Rather than just telling you one fairy tale and one true crime story, we bring you several! Well, we re-remember them, anyway. This week, Sarah and Megan reminisce about their favorite episodes from 2019...did your favorites make the list, too? If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your favorite people know! If you have any questions, comments,...

There are many creatures in Australia that could kill, maim, or simply terrorize you, but none may be quite as cute as the Drop Bear. This creature of folklore is said to be related to the Koala, possesses impressive upper body strength, and has the patience to stalk its prey from the treetops. It's also completely made up, but that's beside the point, isn't it? If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your bushwalker friends know! If you have any...

'Tis the season to be jolly! Fa-la-la-la-la... To celebrate Yuletide, we're each whipping out our favorite Christmas story. Megan celebrates her Norweigan heritage with The Cat on the Dovrefjell and Sarah gets literary with Hans Christian Andersen's The Snowman. If you're looking for something short and sweet to balance out all the Christmas cookies and eggnog, this one is for you! We'll see you next year! If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your family...

Do you ever wish your best furry friend would talk back to you? Too bad we all know animals can't talk...right? Well, for one family on the Isle of Man, they discovered "an extra extra clever mongoose" named Gef who guarded their house (and who could also speak). This week, Megan tells us all about the Irving family and their special friend. who gained the attention of parapsychologists and ghost hunters alike. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your...

Things are not always what they seem to be. Sometimes this applies to your Tinder date, and other times it applies to your food and beverages. This week, Sarah & Megan take a look at a couple of greedy B's who try to pull the ole switcharoo (and pay the price). For our fairy tale, we take a trip to Italy with Italo Calvino's "Uncle Wolf," while our true crime story focuses on Rudy Kurniawan, famed wine collector (and fraud). If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe,...

We hope you've been good enough this year to get some new threads for Christmas! Otherwise, you might come face to face with the Jólakötturinn, a giant man-eating cat who lurks about Iceland's snowy countryside during Yuletide. This vicious, monstrous cat becomes a nightmare before Christmas for anyone who doesn't get new clothes. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your neighbors know! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or shoutouts for...

Our stories tend to have a clear hero and an obvious villain--but what happens when these roles are not so cut and dry? More importantly, what happens when everybody sucks in a story? This week, we've got another round of stories close to home, but this time, it's the homeowners who aren't exact Mr. Nice Guys. If you couldn't already guess, we cover the age-old classic, Jack and the Beanstalk, with the case of Byron David Smith. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review,...

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” This week, Megan takes us on a journey to Middle-earth to tell us all about her absolute favorite creatures: Hobbits. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your D&D friends know! If you have any questions,...

Home is where the heart is...it's also where home invaders are. This week, we take a look at some unsettling stories where the creature comforts of home are taken advantage of by some unsavory folks. First, we take a look at the OG version of a very popular tale: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. But in this version, the intruder isn't so golden. We also take a look at the Setagaya family murder mystery. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your housemates...

'Tis the season for turkeys to gobble, gobble, so it's only fitting that Sarah's creature feature this week is Goblin, too. We don't know exactly where they came from, but we do know they are tricksters. So, hide your kids, hide your wife, because Goblins are known to steal them and replace them with changelings. If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your wife know! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or shoutouts for the child you think...

Happy Happy Happy Haloween! And Happy anniversary to us! To celebrate Fairy Tall Tales turning ONE, as well as our favorite holiday, HALLOWEEN, we've got a special one for you, folks. This week, we take a more spooky approach to our storytelling to deliver a haunting and a mystery. Sarah tells us all about the demonic haunting of the Smurl house in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, while Megan reminds us to never hike alone...especially around the Bennington Triangle! If you like our podcast,...

Is there anything worse than being a tortured prisoner? This week, Megan continues our celebration of spooky season by reading one of Poe's most chilling stories: The Pit and the Pendulum. Are you ready to face your fears? If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your writer friends know! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or shoutouts for your favorite rat, feel free to reach out by emailing us at fairytalltalespod@gmail.com! You can also get...

Do you suffer from uncontrollable bouts of jealousy when you look at younger people? Do you hate geometric love triangles so much that you'd contemplate murder to even the playing field? Well, you may have been bitten by the Green-Eyed Monster! So you should talk to your doctor about listening to this episode. Episode 21 features Giambattista Basile's tale about the Old Woman Who Was Skinned Alive, as well as Belgium's famous Parachute Murders ft. Els Clottemans. Side effects of Episode 21...

To celebrate #spookyseason, we're interrupting your regularly scheduled creature feature in favor of a spoooooky tale by none other than Edgar Allan Poe! In this episode, Sarah narrates one of his most popular stories, The Tell Tale Heart. So sit back, relax, and try not to murder anyone, ok? If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let your vulture-eyed roommate know! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or shoutouts for your favorite criminal, feel...

What is this? An episode that involves food but not cannibalism? To add icing to this deadly cake, it may not even involve any murder! This week, we cover The Little Hunchback, a story from Arabia Nights. We also cover the tragic death of Joan Olive Robinson Hill, whose mysterious death may or may not be a heinous murder. Did the husband do it? Let us know what you think! And stay tuned as we celebrate birthday month! If you like our podcast, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and let...