Hans Christian Andersen didn’t just write fairy tales — he became one.

In this episode, we step away from individual stories to talk about the strange, brilliant, deeply complicated man behind The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, and The Emperor’s New Clothes. From poverty and relentless ambition to self-mythologizing autobiographies, impossible romances, and a life that reads like one of his own tragedies, Andersen may be the most fascinating figure in fairy-tale history.

This is not a tidy hero’s journey. It’s a story about obsession, creativity, loneliness, and the kind of determination that refuses to be told “no.”

This week Joe, Matthew, and Emma dive into Tom Tit Tot: Joseph Jacobs’ delightfully unhinged English version of Rumpelstiltskin. We talk pies (too many), imps (also too many), flax (never enough), and kings who really need to chill out about domestic textile production.

We compare it to Grimm’s Rumpelstiltskin, break down its 19th-century dialect, explain why kobolds ruined the mining industry, and debate the morality of eating five hand pies in one sitting.

If you enjoy a good “guess my name or I steal you” story, this one’s a classic.

This week, Joe and Matthew dig into one of the Grimms’ smallest, but strangest, tales: The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean. From the chaos of a kitchen fire to an exploding bean and a tailor with great aim, it’s a story that’s equal parts absurd and oddly insightful. We explore its fable roots, the lost 1548 source text, and even how the Grimms’ students kept its spark alive centuries later. Also: bean breath, Cartoon Network songs, and survivorship bias.