Happily Ever After Podcast

The Merchant and the Genie

Classic Fairy Tale Alert!! Today, we dive into one of the stories from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection I remember reading as a kid with my mom before bed. In this episode, a merchant accidentally angers a genie, and must pay the ultimate price. His only hope of salvation is two old men, who offer the genie stories in exchange for the merchant's life. Will they succeed? Tune in to find out!

The Little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds

Another episode, and our first request! Thanks to Diana, for asking for a Bulgarian folk tale. In this story, an evil witch has banished the spring forever, and its up to one little girl to save her town from eternal winter. Will she be able to defeat the witch? There's only one way to find out!

The Cow of Plenty

On this weeks episode, we dive into Celtic folklore. In this tale, as retold by Ella Young, the halter of the Cow of Plenty is stolen from Gobniu, the Wonder Smith, by the evil Balor. Only Cian, the son of Dian-Cecht (the god of healing) can recover it. Will he survive, and return the halter to Gobniu? This is an episode you won't want to miss!

The Norka

This week, we dive into The Norka, a tale from Russian folklore transcribed in Andrew Lang's The Red Fairy Book. A huge beast, the Norka, is terrorizing a kingdom, so the King sends his sons to defeat it. After the Norka flees to another world, the three princes must find a way to track it down, and save their kingdom. Will they survive? There's only one way to find out!

The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child: Part 2

The second and final piece of The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child, translated by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Join me as the five brave knights set out on their quests for the magical items Princess Moonlight requested. Will they find the items, and return alive? There's only one way to find out!

The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child: Part 1

Today, we look at the oldest Japanese prose narrative in existence: The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child. In this tale, a poor bamboo cutter finds a glowing child in a stalk of bamboo, and raises her as his own. She grows up to be the most beautiful girl in the land, and although she has many suitors, getting married is the last thing on her mind. This story will be in two parts, so make sure to check back next week for the second half!

The Dream of the King's Son

Our third episode takes us to a Serbian fairy tale collection. A young prince is forced to leave his home by his father and must wander the countryside, having many an adventure as he tries to get back into the king's good graces. Translated by Madame Elodie L. Mijatovich. 

The Three Little Pigs

For our first adventure, we start with this classic English fable.