A humble worker, a mountain spirit, and a chain of wishes that goes way too far. In this episode, Joe and Matthew break down The Stonecutter, a Japanese folktale that might actually have Dutch roots.

It’s a story of ambition and discontent, where one man wishes his way from stonecutter to everything from a prince to a cloud, only to discover that happiness doesn’t come from power, it comes from perspective.

Along the way, we trace how Andrew Lang’s Crimson Fairy Book spread the tale worldwide, talk about its connection to The Fisherman and His Wife (ATU 555), and yes — detour briefly into a folktale called The Bullock’s Balls. You’ve been warned.

Joe, Emma, and Matthew discuss The Forest Bride from Mighty Mikko: Finnish Fairy Tales Retold by Parker Fillmore (1922). The trio explores the tale’s origins, parallels to The White Cat (Madame d’Aulnoy, 1698), and what makes Fillmore’s storytelling so distinct from his playful narration to his gentle, "certified non-toxic" characters. Expect tangents on Nordic bread culture, animated mice, and why this might just be the most wholesome love story involving a rodent ever told.

This is our first-ever Read Aloud episode, a new series from Once Upon a Podcast that brings you full, unabridged fairy tales told the old-fashioned way: out loud.

Today’s tale is an Irish whirlwind: talking bulls, magical ear-napkins, fire-breathing giants, a secret identity, and a dragon that gets exactly what’s coming to it. Billy Beg and His Bull is told here by Danny Oaks and originally comes from Irish collector Seumas MacManus.

Let us know — do you like this kind of storytelling? Want more tales like this? Would you want them on another "extra" platform like Patreon?

Your feedback helps us shape the future of this new series. And as always, thanks for listening!

Narrated by: Danny Oaks (Plotfather Publishing)