Dark and Twisty Tales: folk stories and fairy tales for the unafraid.

The Three Little Men in the Woods

Belching up toads, paper dresses, beheadings and murder, this story has them all. I love this Grimm fairytale from the Philip Pullman collection, and I hope you do too?

The Old House

An old man in velvet pantaloons is befriended by a little boy with a toy soldier, however the soldier is NOT happy about this, has a tantrum and finds himself lost in the

The Marriage of Mrs. Reynard

Reynard the Fox is a bit tricky and tricks his wife that he's dead to see if she'll marry again ... never a good plan.    

Tamlane

Childhood sweethearts Tamlane and Janet were all set until he 'disappeared' before their wedding day. He was off with the fairies (that's what you get for riding your hor

The Dog and the Sparrow

A very clever and vengeful sparrow gets his own back after his buddy the dog comes a cropper. Many things get chopped with an axe by accident and many other things get pe

The Blinded Giant

A very short story about a boy called Jack, a bone bread eating giant and his favourite dog ... shame about the dog.

The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

A 'lucky' boy escapes death is helped by two old ladies (because he was so polite and good looking) is very courageous ... and also a bit of a know it all.

Snowdrop

So there's a narcissistic cannibalistic witch Queen, a Prince who thinks it would be cool to have a pretty dead girl in a glass coffin for a trophy and 7 little people wh

The Golden Bird

Youngest son rides fox, gets girl and gold.

The Old Witch

Independently wealthy senior citizen robbed by teen and locked in oven. Harsh.

The Buried Moon

When the moon gets curious and snagged on a branch and then dragged into the bog by witches and bogles ... yeah that.

The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet

Chanticleer a canny rooster and his wife Partlet, have adventures, that usually involve nuts, carts, deceit, slavery, violence, cannibalism and death. I also have no idea

The Raven

Welcome to the first episode of Season Three! Mom, needs a nap, hero can't stop snacking and a bewitched Princess can't stop spinning around and around her glass mounta

The Frog King

Less frog kissing and more frog splatting really and then at the end a weirdly obsessed servant has been to the blacksmiths...

Hans My Hedgehog

Come on, who can resist a story about a half boy, half hedgehog, who rides a cockerel and plays the bagpipes?  Credit must be given to my husband, son and his friend fo

The Musicians of Bremen

A not very dark or twisty episode this week, but a favorite of mine since childhood. The darkness I suppose lies in the fact that all these animals were going to get star

The Singing Bone

Like the earlier story I read Binnorie from the British Isles, this story also has a magical singing bone involved which identifies it's killer. Who could it be I wonder?

The Stars In The Sky

When a little girl is just not satisfied unless she has the stars in the sky to play with...what could possibly go wrong?

My Own Self

Playing with fairies and fires...hmm that sounds like a plan. From Joseph Jacobs 'English Fairy Tales' The song at the end is called 'Fairy Frolic' from my album 'Lul

The Emperor's New Clothes

Who are you going to believe? Me, or your own lyin' eyes?