Once Upon a Podcast

Where fairy tales are stranger, darker, and way funnier than you remembered

Latest Episodes

Our most recent fairy tale deep dives, where stories get weird and folklore gets wonderful.

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.

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From the Blog

Latest insights, episode extras, and folklore deep dives from our writing.

Little Snow White: The Mirror Made Her Do It

August 26

In the Grimms’ Little Snow White, the so-called Evil Queen isn’t much of a villain—her mirror is. From goading her envy to giving away Snow White’s hiding place, the mirror pulls the strings. This essay explores how the true antagonist of ATU 709 isn’t vanity itself, but the voice that feeds it—and why that still matters in the age of social media.

The Original Jack and the Beanstalk

August 25

Explore the curious origins of The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean (1734), the earliest printed tale of what we now call Jack and the Beanstalk. This post unpacks the history, oddities, and why not every boy who climbs a giant’s beanstalk is really Jack.

Why Fairy Tales?

August 20

Fairy tales aren’t just bedtime stories—they’re living history. From Grimm to Basile to Andersen, we explore why fairy tales matter, what they reveal about humanity, and why they’re still being told today.

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🎧 Want More Stories?

Explore all our episodes, dive into our blog, or learn more about the weird world of fairy tales.

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