Kelsey and Abbie finish part two of The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless tale of friendship, childhood innocence, the darkness of the human heart, epic quests, strange side drama, and the enduring power of love. There’s just one problem; where the heck is the Snow Queen!?
We just can’t get enough of Hans Christian Andersen on this show and it’s freaking COLD out there anyway, so bundle up in your finest faux fur blankets, clutch a mug of something warm, and harken to this winter tale. That’s right, Abbie and Kelsey are finally tackling The Snow Queen.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Sad Victorian Bisexual Boy Christmas! Kelsey and Abbie regale each other with the traditional Hans Christian Andersen double feature with Kelsey reading The Red Shoes, and Abbie reading the Beetle. CW: These stories come with strong undertones of religious trauma and narcissistic behavior, but would it even be Christmas without them?
It’s all about who you know and how much money you have (just like real life) in today’s episode! Abbie tells the Russian folk tale of The Smith and the Demon, where you really only need $200 or so handy to become young again, and Kelsey follows up with the Icelandic Christmas monster the Yule Cat - who traditionally noms on...well you’ll see.
We examine the Pied Piper of Hamelin from every possible angle! Kelsey reads us the original Brother’s Grimm tale, a more recent poem based on it, and theories about the real life events that inspired it. Abbie follows up with the PC version from Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner, and capstones it all off with the PC version of Red Riding Hood. Garner really posed the ultimate fix there, whether he meant to or not.
Abbie continues our dive into Little Red Riding Hood by reading the Algerian version called Rova. You won't find this tale in English anywhere else (probably)! Kelsey says goodbye to spooky Halloween with the Russian tale The Dead Mother and takes a sharp turn into a happily ever after with Ruth Manning-Sanders’ Andromeda Dances (without her insignificant slippers).
If you gave Red Riding Hood a nickel every time a wolf tried to eat her, she’d have two nickels. Not a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice right? Kelsey finally gets to tell her favorite childhood fairy tale, and surprises Abbie with the sequel she never knew existed! After that, Abbie tells the Taiwanese folktale of Aunt Tiger - a badass immortal witch who comes with sweets and an appetite for children.
Join us for a chilling episode as we're joined by visual storyteller and brilliant artist Chadwick Heiberg for spooky season! Chadwick unveils his original fairy tale, The Three Witches, following young sisters fleeing from their Salem home–a New England classic not for the faint-hearted. Kelsey shares two dark and twisted robber bridegroom tales; Greenbeard from Lithuania, and The Cannibal Innkeeper from Romania. Get ready ‘cause this one’s a doozy.
Damsels are slightly distressed in this episode, but they freaking HANDLE it. First Abbie tells the Punjabi tale of Bopoluchi, a fierce and proud young woman with nerves of steel and a license to kill (that she gave herself). Next, Kelsey recounts the German story of the Maiden With No Hands, whose superpower is a good head on her shoulders and great boundaries.
Damsels are slightly distressed in this episode, but they freaking HANDLE it. First Abbie tells the Punjabi tale of Bopoluchi, a fierce and proud young woman with nerves of steel and a license to kill (that she gave herself). Next, Kelsey recounts the German story of the Maiden With No Hands, whose superpower is a good head on her shoulders and great boundaries.
The Fixtresses are joined this episode by Cullen and Hannah from Not My Fantasy Podcast! Settle in for two Irish Fairy Tales about - you guessed it - evil landlords, fairy trickery, and the town drunk with the round butt getting up to no good.
Your chances of being killed by a pony are small, but never 0, as the protagonists of the French story The Goblin Pony discover in Abbie’s tale this episode. Kelsey follows up with the Swiss tale of Pussycat Twinkle, his badass wife Snowflake, and a self absorbed serial killer wizard.
#SwampWitchSummer is officially over and we’re back to give you some extremely WTF fairy tales! Kelsey fulfills her promise of making everyone uncomfortable with the indigenous Ponca-Otoe tale Teeth In The Wrong Places, and lightens it up a bit with indigenous Flathead folk tale Coyote Kills the Giant. Abbie randomly picks Thumbnickel from The Turnip Princess.
In this special Patreon preview, Abbie covers a very mysterious yet exciting Russian tale you’ll find out the name of when you listen! No spoilers here. Kelsey tells the very short (pun intended) and thrilling tale of Thumbikin from Asbjørnsen and Moe.
In this patreon preview, Kelsey reads some pure Danish nightmare fuel that somehow turns wholesome in Merman Rosmer by Ruth Manning-Sanders, and Abbie reads a poetic Scottish tale that had more potential in The Fisherman and The Merman and also reads The Toad Bride from the Turnip Princess.
To close out Pride Month 2023, Abbie tells the story of The Princess Who Would Be A Prince, a story with a serious case of gender. Come for the magician horses and the crossdressing and gender-swapping, stay for the chamois, which is definitely a type of light footed goat.
We decided to treat ourselves, and you, to some truly WTF stories to kick this Pride Month off! Abbie tells the Swedish tale of Prince Lindworm, a guy you're totally on board with, until you're very not. Kelsey follows up with a cautionary tale about believing too much in your dreams, The Daydreamer, and then the pièce de résistance of our episode: the Wintu story of the Rolling Head. You will be uncomfortable. And that's by design.
Move over Sad Girl Mermaid, you’ve gotten enough attention. We’re in our Mad Girl Mermaid era now, with Kelsey telling the origin story of the Mermaid of Warsaw. Or we’re possibly in our Fancy Girl Mermaid era, as Kelsey follows that story up with a tale about Nigerian water goddess/benevolent fish giver Mami Wata. Finally, Abbie gives us all a Greedy Girl Mermaid with The Nixie in the Pond, but we never learn enough about her to know if we want her to be a whole era.
We explore the three types of mermaid in the first #MerMay episode of 2023, with two Filipino folktales from Abbie: The Litao and Serena, and The American and The Sirena. Later, the Ivan Cinematic Universe (ICU) is expanded with the true origin story of the mermaid from Episode One’s The Magic Lake when Kelsey tells the tale of Long John and the Mermaid.
Ahoy, matey! Prepare yourself for rough winds ahead on our pirate-themed episode! Steering us into merMay Kelsey hoists her hope sails high for piratey nonsense in The Cock with the Golden Feathers by Ruth Manning-Sanders. Then, prepare for Abbie to shiver your timbers with a haunting listener-recommended tale of Black Bartelmy’s Ghost.
On Fairy Tale Fix we believe in the Ancient and Sacred Right of Dibs, and so does everyone in the Swedish story Kelsey reads: The Troll Ride. Next, Abbie celebrates not having to be in the U.S. or at work by reading the Malaysian fairy tale: The Fairy Princess of Ledang Mountain.
It's the end of Irish fairy tale month, and we've got some good ones! Abbie reads a short story just for Kelsey called The Talking Cat, then follows it up with another story just for Kelsey, The Giant’s Stairs. Kelsey gets spooky and reads a tale from the banshee section called Hanlon’s Mill.
It’s March and that means Irish fairy tales ALL MONTH LONG! Kelsey kicks us off with Ethna The Bride, a tale about a man who will hire other people to do ANYTHING for love while he watches. Then Abbie reads The Brewery of Eggshells, which is somehow creepy AND light-hearted at the same time.
A skull from the spirit world catfishes the hottest, vainest girl in Cobham Town, Nigeria in Abbie’s story this week: The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull. Kelsey tells a tale from Ghana called Friends For a Time we discover why humans and lions aren’t friends anymore, followed up by the Liberian story The Leopard, which we don’t want to spoil but will just say that every woman in the world is magic.
It’s Valentine's Day - do you need a break from the gooey romantic vibes? Rachel and Margie from Textual Tension come on the pod to share a 1700s murder ballad (The Twa Sisters, or Bonne Swans), and the Japanese fairy tale that was the inspiration for an InuYasha villain (The Bamboo Hewer). The sexual tension is nil, and the romance is unrequited (at best) in this hilarious episode.
Foxy Prince Peterlin makes the most of his pretty privilege with the help of a thirsty granny giant in Kelsey’s story this week: The Three Golden Hairs of the King of the Cave Giants! Abbie follows up with the tale of a highly relatable man who just wants to eat dinner in peace: The Hungry Peasant, God, and Death.
We’re here for satisfaction ONLY on this episode of Fairy Tale Fix. In pursuit of a magical horse story that actually contains a magical horse Abbie tells the Russian folktale The Straw Horse. Kelsey follows up with The Witches on the Lake, from Scotland, and while the end of the story itself is trash we think you’ll find we fixed it pretty perfectly.
We are joined by a very special guest, Sequoia Simone of podcasts But Make It Scary and Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them! Sequoia keeps our “wintertime is for Hans Christian Andersen” theme going with the very cute story of Thumbelina, which surprises us by how NOT sad it is, and Abbie tells the Chinese story of Li Chi Slays The Serpent.
It’s sad bisexual boy Christmastime and Kelsey & Abbie deliver an ocean-sized episode with one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most popular tales, The Little Mermaid.
Abbie & Kelsey record an episode of Fairy Tale Fix IN PERSON! Together! In the same room!! We have a ton of fun recording under a big blanket fort in Abbie’s house, and Kelsey rolls some dice for her story, Dough, which is a very random tale about a witch’s obsession with an eternal dough-based object, probably. Abbie reads from A Book of Magic Horses and rolls dice for a tale called Master Billy, which leaves us very disappointed and wondering… where is the magic horse!?
