All Episodes

Episode 14: Thumbelina

1:04:32 • Sep 2, 2025

Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina isn’t borrowed from folklore; it’s one of his true originals. In this episode, we explore its strange journey: kidnapped by toads, mocked by beetles, nearly married to a mole, and finally crowned queen of the flowers. Along the way, we ask what Andersen really meant about beauty, virtue, and kindness (and whether he slipped a bit of himself into this tale). No need for a bird to tell the tale, we've got it, and we'll also take a look at Thumbelina’s film adaptations (yes, Don Bluth and Barbie).

Episode 13: The Laughing Prince

1:03:24 • Aug 19, 2025

What do you get when you cross a princess on a hunger strike, a wholesome farm boy, and the most stubborn Tsar ever to shout "Wow wow"? Parker Fillmore’s The Laughing Prince delivers one of the most delightfully absurd and heartfelt tales we’ve read. Joe and Matthew dive into this whimsical Yugoslav folk tale, unpacking its layers of humor, feminism, and the magic of joy for joy’s sake. Plus: the origin story of "freaking Jakov," the charm of Stefan, and why laughter might just be a super power all on its own.

Episode 12: Billy Beg and the Bull

59:25 • Aug 5, 2025

Hold onto your horns! This week, we tackle Billy Beg and the Bull, an Irish folktale where talking animals, head-chopping giants, and a magic belt collide in a story that's part Cinderella, part fever dream. Joe and Matthew break down the chaotic charm of Seumas MacManus’s tale and the storytelling legacy he left behind. Spoiler: The bull might be a vampire.

Episode 11: The Princess and the Pea

27:24 • Jul 29, 2025

The bed is stacked high, the pea is tiny, and the logic? Completely missing. In this short episode, Joe and Matthew dive into Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, a literary fairy tale that’s as iconic as it is absurd. From royal imposters to overly sensitive sock seams, we unpack why this weird little story has stuck around for nearly 200 years and what it might argue about class, logic, and magical bruises.

Episode 10: The Emperor's New Clothes

54:10 • Jul 22, 2025

The Emperor has no clothes… but boy, does he have confidence. In this episode, Joe, Matthew, and (introducing!) Emma break down Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes, from its literary origins to its place in everyday language and pop culture. Along the way for this fairy tale, we unpack pride, status, and why sometimes the biggest swindle is the one we play along with ourselves.

Episode 9: The Tinderbox

59:26 • Jul 15, 2025

In this episode of Once Upon a Podcast, we dive into Hans Christian Andersen's first published fairy tale, The Tinderbox. Join us as we break down this bizarre tale of soldiers, witches, giant-eyed dogs, questionable morals, and the surprising lack of actual fire-starting. We explore the literary origins, dark undertones, and some unintended comedy of a fairy tale where the real magic might just be a villain getting away with everything.

Episode 8: Who are The Brothers Grimm?

55:15 • Jul 8, 2025

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: folklore collectors, German cultural rebels, and possibly the most committed set of desk buddies in history. In this episode, we dive into the real story behind the Brothers Grimm—their fairy tale obsession, their awkward meeting with Hans Christian Andersen, and why Jacob thought he might've been happier studying botany (but instead rewrote the rules of language).

Episode 7: Hans in Luck

37:46 • Jul 1, 2025

Is Hans the luckiest man alive... or the most gullible? In this episode, we dive into the Brothers Grimm story Hans in Luck, a tale of bad trades, questionable life choices, and maybe—just maybe—the secret to true happiness (hint: it involves getting rid of literally everything you own). We break down the story, debate whether Hans reached Nirvana or just lost his mind, and share some fun history behind this odd little fairy tale. As always, for questions, comments, or to tell us how much gold you’d trade for a cow, email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 6: The Handless Maiden (or, The Girl Without Hands)

48:16 • Jun 24, 2025

What do you get when you have a devil, a miller, and an apple tree? That's right! A girl without hands. This tale by the Brothers Grimm is a classic that you need to hear. And if it's one you know, you'll still want to listen to know the real name of a poor soul named "Filled-with-Grief" we're sure. Thank you for listening! To tell us how your Tuesday is going, or for comments or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 5: The Fisherman and His Wife

45:40 • Jun 17, 2025

What you've all been waiting for is finally here. The world-renowned story of the talking, wish-granting fish is in for your enjoyment. Oh, you haven't heard of it before? Well, you're going to love this fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm. Mandje! Mandje! Timpe Te! For that joke no one has laughed at yet, or comments and suggestions, you can email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 4: The Robber Bridegroom (and Mr. Fox)

58:03 • Jun 10, 2025

Let's do something scary! This fairy tale (if you can even call it that) is practically a horror film from the 1800s by the Brothers Grimm. Get ready for some blood, gore, and fun with this episode as we cover the idea of being brave and being brave... but not too brave. If you're more into the old tale of Mr. Fox (not the so-called-Fantastic one), you'll want to listen in as well. As always, for a suggestion of a fairy tale or folk story you'd love to hear us cover, you can email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 3: Little Red Cap (and Little Red Riding Hood)

48:47 • Jun 3, 2025

Little Red Cap, Little Red Riding Hood, The False Grandmother (what???). The story, as old as time and with many names, is discussed by your favorite fairy tale amateurs in this episode. Even if you've heard this fairy tale before, you may not know (one of) the original endings where things may not end well for Little Red or Granny. We dive into the stories by Charles Perrault and The Brothers Grimm, and let us know if you'd like an episode on other variants! The themes for this episode are more mature, so some viewer discretion is advised. For contact, comments, or to tell us what you really think, you can email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 2: Little Claus and Big Claus

53:12 • May 27, 2025

It is time to jump into Hans Christian Andersen! Little Claus and Big Claus is a Danish tale from 1835 about two guys named Hans who both like money and are willing to do almost anything to get it. It feels more like a violent cartoon at times than a fairy tale. If you are into weird tales of history, we think you will love this one. As always, for questions, general contact, or to tell us how amateur we are, you can reach us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 1: Little Snow White

52:11 • May 22, 2025

Starting it off the same way Disney did! In this episode, we talk about Little Snow White by the Brothers Grimm. With this fairy tale, we discuss some themes like how the battle between envy and innocence plays out, and we wonder if maybe that magic mirror was really the bad guy the whole time. We hope you enjoy! As always, for questions, comments, or funny jokes, you can reach us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com

Introducing Once Upon a Podcast

12:28 • May 20, 2025

This is our welcome episode to Once Upon a Podcast. We'll see how it all goes! In this episode we introduce ourselves (Joe and Matthew), talk about why we started this and what each episode will look like, and then we give some teasers of what fairy tales await in future episodes. We are getting our site up now, for questions, suggestions, or contact, email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com Next week we will be covering Little Snow White by the Brothers Grimm.