In this episode of Once Upon a Podcast, we dive into Hans Christian Andersen's first published fairy tale, The Tinderbox. Join us as we break down this bizarre tale of soldiers, witches, giant-eyed dogs, questionable morals, and the surprising lack of actual fire-starting. We explore the literary origins, dark undertones, and some unintended comedy of a fairy tale where the real magic might just be a villain getting away with everything.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: folklore collectors, German cultural rebels, and possibly the most committed set of desk buddies in history. In this episode, we dive into the real story behind the Brothers Grimm—their fairy tale obsession, their awkward meeting with Hans Christian Andersen, and why Jacob thought he might've been happier studying botany (but instead rewrote the rules of language).

Is Hans the luckiest man alive... or the most gullible? In this episode, we dive into the Brothers Grimm story Hans in Luck, a tale of bad trades, questionable life choices, and maybe—just maybe—the secret to true happiness (hint: it involves getting rid of literally everything you own). We break down the story, debate whether Hans reached Nirvana or just lost his mind, and share some fun history behind this odd little fairy tale.

As always, for questions, comments, or to tell us how much gold you’d trade for a cow, email us at joe.onceuponapodcast@gmail.com