Grimm Reading

It's once more time to the annual Grimm Reading Christmas party! Get cosy round the fire for another dose of festive joy, complete with presents, pies, crackers, alcohol-free mulled wine and more! We get two stories this year. Firstly, a radical choice with the unseasonal story The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen. Soon followed by the decidedly Dickensian tale The Story of a Cat b...

In a village full of rich peasants, one little peasant alone remains destitute. But through a series of cunning and devious tricks, this little guy is going to turn the tables on everyone in quite spectacular fashion. Join us for The Little Peasant by the Brothers Grimm, where we meet a fatally gullible Shepard, a soothsaying squeezable raven and - shocker - a nice miller! After the story we uncov...

In The Good Bargain, a peasant loses all his money and possessions to some animals. Angered, he goes to the king for justice. But instead of helping him, the king has other ideas.  This 'humorous' tale is the first one we've come across that is anti-Semitic. So, once we've finally deciphered the convoluted story, we then explore antisemitism in the Grimm's collection, putting the Grimm brothers on...

In The Three Feathers, an old king tests his three sons to see who will inherit the kingdom after his death. When the youngest brother emerges triumphant - thanks to an overweight toad - the older brothers demand satisfaction, and plot a jump to the death to settle the succession once and for all. Join us on the final adventure of The Simpleton Trilogy, where we find magical turnips, a popcorn-mun...

We’re back for series 4! We open the series with a poor family starving to death and the Virgin Mary abducting their daughter. Years later, the Virgin goes off on a work trip and forbids the girl from opening a certain door. When the inevitable happens, the child is banished from heaven and things get weirder from there. Join us once more round the fire for “Our Lady’s Child” (aka “Mary’s Child”),...

Another mini-special before the new series. This time we shamelessly plug our Patreon! We explain how you can support the podcast through our Patreon platform, then we announce some exciting new things we've got coming up for our patrons - including a Q&A episode and the release of The Pied-Piper. We then play a clip from our patron-only podcast Grimm Fables, before finally giving some patron...

Greetings from a grim meadow! Massive constitutional changes are afoot in this special episode as we share our roundup of the winners and losers of series 3 for the first time for non-Patrons. We then share a piece of deleted audio from our Little Snow White recording - the incredible connection between Snow White and the siege of Troy. Finally we're pleased to announce our new Grimm Reading Spoti...

It’s the series 3 finale so it’s time for a big one - settle in for an epic adventure as we read Little Snow White!

 Filicide, attempted cannibalism, talking mirrors, seven little helpers, a very poisonous apple - it’s the story you know and love but even more unpleasant and violent. Chatting with her mirror, a queen learns that her step-daughter has grown more beautiful than she is. So she decid...

In Hans Married, Hans’s uncle decides to take matters into his own hands and get his nephew a wife. With his cunning, fool-proof method for securing a bride, Hans miraculously gets engaged to a rich peasant’s daughter. How does he do it? And will it all end happily ever after? Find out in the final installment of the Hans Saga, our penultimate episode of Series 3.   

It’s a quick, punchy story th...

Hans is back! In his first starring role since the pilot episode, we follow Hans as he attempts to woo Gretel by demanding presents from her. Will Hans get the girl of his dreams? Or will it all end with some livestock losing their eyes? And how is this story related to quantum physics? Find out all this and more, as we slip into a the nightmare groundhog day that is Clever Hans by the Brothers Gr...

Welcome to Extra Grimm, where we delve a little deeper into the world of the Brothers Grimm for the curious. In this episode, we talk to Brothers Grimm expert Jack Zipes. The conversation centers around a particular folk tale type, that of ATU 325 “The Magician And His Apprentice”. The interview starts with Jack recalling how his journey into this tale type all started with wondering why the Harry...

While out on his daily rounds, a poor fisherman nets an enchanted fish prince. When his wife hears how he let the fish go, she demands he return and ask the fish to give them a cottage. Things then escalate fast, as the fisherman's wife gets a taste for the property market and chases a career in politics.  Will they be content with their lot, or will greed see them fall to their ruin? Find out all...

As a penniless woodcutter’s health fades, he leaves his three sons the only things he has in the world - a cat and scythe and a cock. To find fortune, he instructs them to seek out a country in which these things are unknown. One by one the sons head out into the wide world with their gifts. But, when the final son finds himself on an island plagued by mice and rats, the inhabitants get more than...

When the family cook plots to kill a foundling boy, his adoptive sister comes to the rescue and the two take flight, shapeshifting their way out of danger. The cook deploys her henchmen to hunt them down but when they fail, she waddles after them herself for a final showdown. Who will emerge victorious? Find out in this week’s tale, Fundevogel (aka Fledgling)! After the story, we talk similarities...

Talking dead fingers, aggressive domestic appliances, and a devil under a duvet - prepare yourself for the madness that is the Brothers Grimm's "The Godfather". In this utterly bizarre story we have essentially a mashup of two Grimm stories we've heard before, namely - Godfather Death and The Strange Feast. Is this hybrid version better than the originals or a step too far? Twitter Facebook Instag...

Finding himself alone in a forest, a musician decides to play his fiddle and entice a human friend. Before long, several animals approach and ask for music lessons. On gaining their trust, the musician cruelly entraps them and wanders on. Eventually the animals escape and together plot revenge. Will they have their justice? And where exactly does this musician get off? Find out in this week’s epis...

In Clever Gretel, a free-wheeling cook throws a party for herself at her master's expense. After she’s eaten all his chicken and drunk all his wine, Gretel’s master returns home ready for dinner… But our clever heroine plays those above her like a fiddle, and easily gets herself out of trouble. Join us as we try to dissect the mayhem and enjoy a story from The One Thousand and One Nights (aka The...

When the King decides to celebrate the birth of his daughter by sentencing his twelve sons to death, the boys flee to live a feral life in the woods where they vow to kill any maiden they meet.  A decade later, the Princess vows the rescue her brothers and she heads out into the forest. But things take a turn for the worse when she accidentally turns them all into birds and a foreign king carries...

Happy Grimm new year! We’re kicking things off with a surprise story – the one and only Puss in Boots.  When the family cat suddenly demands a pair of boots, a poor young miller spends his last few coins granting the cat's wish. A idiotic whim or the investment of a lifetime? Join us on the classic adventure of Puss in Boots, where we see our furry hero outsmarting, outwitting and outdressing ever...

Join us for the third annual Grimm Reading Christmas Party! We've got gifts, port, cracker jokes and festive fare for all, before Adam reads us the truly epic Irish fairy tale 'The Christmas Cuckoo'. And finally, we reveal the winner of our competition and some plans for next year. Thank you so much to everyone for listening, messaging, and supporting us in various ways - especially our wonderful...

A magic well, a prickly spindle, talking bread, and snowy beds - this week’s tale is our latest patron story poll winner, Mother Holle (Frau Holle)! An evil step-mother and wicked step-sister force a young maiden into a parallel universe. When she reaches an enchanting cottage, she finds a scary old lady waiting. Will she pass the test of Mother Holle? And what will her nasty family do if she retu...

In Jorinda and Joringel, young love is cruelly interrupted when an evil witch kidnaps Jorinda, forcing Joringel into a lonely shepherding career. But will a prophetic dream provide him with the means to rescue his beloved from the witch's castle, or is Jorinda doomed forever? Join us as we tumble down rabbit holes, exploring ancient myths, sad birds, and vampires.  Our competition is still in full...

In Fitcher's Bird (aka Fowler's Fowl), we join an evil wizard as he kidnaps pretty girls, takes them to his fancy pad, and puts them to the test. But this sick sorcerer get's more than he bargained for with our plucky, clucky, and crafty heroine.  We talk serial killing folklore, egg metaphors, and finally dip our toes into the creepy world of the infamous Bluebeard! This episode is certified Grim...

A long time in the making, we are delighted to present our super special biography of the Brothers Grimm!
 From humble beginnings to super professor stardom, we follow the brothers as they traipse across Germany in a tumultuous time of war and instability. Please don your history hats and settle by the fire as we embark on our biggest adventure yet, somehow starting in ancient Rome and landing squ...

After a princess insults her suitors, her angry father forces her marry a singing fiddler and she's plunged into a life of poverty. But will their new crockery start-up save them from hunger and plight? And how many plot holes can a story have before it stops making sense? Find out in our latest tale King Thrushbeard, where we learn why princesses need to do what they're told, which bird has the m...