The Belt, The Necklace, and Barbara

PINNA PINNA PINNA PINNA Hi, my name is Adam Gidwitz. I'm an author. I'm also a storyteller. I like telling all kinds of stories, but I especially like telling grim fairy tales. You may think you know grim fairy tales, and you may think that they are sweet and boring. But listen, those tales you heard were the cute happy little kid bedtime versions of the grim tales. The original grim fairy tales aren't like that at all. They're weird, and sometimes gross, and often scary. In other words, they're grim. And I'm about to walk into a classroom and tell one of the original grim grim tales to a bunch of kids. Do you want to join me? Do you want to hear a grim fairy tale? Let me help you decide. On a scale of grim, grim, and grimist, this episode is grim. It's weird and scary and suspenseful. If I get to a part of the story and you start to feel scared or uncomfortable, this is what you could do. You could turn down the volume and count to five. Then turn the volume back up. If it still seems like a part you don't want to hear, just turn the volume down and count to five again. You know how much weird and gross and scary you're ready for. You know what you need. Okay, I'm at the classroom door now. There are kids inside waiting to hear a grim fairy tale. So, are you coming in? Grim, grim, grimis. What's the story we were up and doing before the one last week? What was that called again? The 12 tortoises. Oh, yeah, that was a very disgusting and very weird side because that guy is weird. And don't say his name because I'm in a lot of life. You mean France qui Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Śerve Ś There was a girl called Barbara. Now we don't often learn the names of heroes in these stories, right? Lots of times it's just like the oldest son or the princess, right? Yeah. And when we do learn their names, they're never Barbara. It just doesn't sound like a fairy tale name, does it? Kind of sounds like a mom name. Yeah. Yeah, that's easy. That's easy, but she is a mom. Maybe she will be a mom. Maybe she is a mom. I'm now worried that I've offended somebody named Barbara out there in the audience. So I would like to say this episode is dedicated to anyone named Barbara. Okay? Yay! Yay for Barbara! Well, poor Barbara had a tough life because while she was kind and patient and strong and smart, everyone thought she wasn't very attractive. In fact, they thought she was really, really not attractive. People would see her and instantly begin to make fun of her. They called her dog face and frog face and bog face. Because no one a bog is. I think it's like a mucky swung. That's exactly right. And Barbara would say, how can I look like a dog and a frog and a bog? Those things don't even look alike. That makes no sense. The dogs are so cute. Yes, and if she looks like a dog, she would be cute. They're frog. No sense. Frogs are cute too. Yeah. Bog's not so much. But that didn't stop everyone from teasing her anyway. And so Barbara lived a lonely life. She would sit by the sea each day, watching the waves crash, white and blue against the black rocks. Until one day, a small creature appeared at her feet. He was a polywag. Who knows what a polywag is. Me? Yeah. You're a polywag? What does that mean? OK, it's a real, very strange. A polywag is a baby frog, actually. And before a frog has four legs, it actually starts its life looking kind of like a fish. And then it actually first starts as a tadpole. A tadpole. And then it gets a couple two legs in the front. And it's a polywag. And then it loses its tail and has four legs. And that's a frog. So a polywag is like older than a tadpole, but younger than a frog, OK? Why is a frog in the ocean? Why wouldn't a frog be in the ocean explained? Because they're usually in like ponds or like bogs. Right. They're fresh water animals. They're not saltwater animals. And good point, good point. But it is a fairy tale. But it is a fairy tale. So we're not going to ask you any questions. Well, this little polywag appeared by Barbara's feet. And he spoke to her. I felt your tears falling into the sea. But why are you sad? And so Barbara explained that everyone was so cruel to her, calling her dog face and frog face and bog face. The polywag was very offended, not just on her behalf, but for all of frog kind as well. What's wrong with having a frog face? I plan to have a frog face one day. And frog faces look nothing like dog faces, which are long and toothy. Or bog faces, because bog means swamp. And swamps are very nice and cozy homes for polywags and frogs. New face doesn't look anything like a nice and cozy home. The polywag and Barbara got to talking. And it was immediately evident to the little polywag that Barbara was kind and patient and strong and smart. And he thought, oh, if only everyone could see how beautiful Barbara is on the inside, they wouldn't call her dog face or frog face or bog face. They would fall down at her feet and make her their queen because of her beauty. But how could Barbara make the people of this cruel and stupid world see her for who she really was? Actually, the polywag knew exactly how. And he told her, under the sea there lives a sea witch who wears a magical necklace and a magical belt. This belt and necklace make the witch beautiful beyond belief. So beautiful that it is hard to look at her. Not because she shines brightly, but because she is just too perfect looking. So you just need the sea witch's necklace and belt. But how am I supposed to get them? Barbara asked. The polywag said, all she wants is an apple or two or three. So go get her some apples. Maybe she'll treat her necklace and belt for them. And then you will be as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside. Barbara thought this was an excellent plan. She went to an apple orchard near her home and she picked the three most perfect apples she could find. The blue red like a sunset and speckled with green and she ran back to the sea. The polywag was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he had gone to go get the sea witch so they could make their trade. But Barbara waited and waited and waited. And the polywag didn't come back. So Barbara shrugged and not knowing what else to do, she threw an apple into the sea. Nothing happened. What? At first. But then the sea started to churn like it was a pot coming to a boil. And then rising from the water came the sea witch. She was the most unbearably beautiful creature Barbara had ever seen. Her skin was sea foam green. Her billowing hair was a dark teal like the underside of a wave before it breaks. Her eyes were wide set and shown like pearls. Looking at her hurt Barbara's eyes not because she shone brightly but because she was just too perfect looking. But Barbara had to look because around her waist was a beautiful belt made of shells and around her neck was a beautiful necklace also made of shells. The sea witch was hungrally eating the apple that Barbara had thrown into the sea. She devoured it quickly and then she said, Do you have any more apples? Barbara got a sly look on her face. I do. But I won't give them to you for free. Give me your necklace and I'll give you another apple. The sea witch's eyes flashed and at first Barbara thought they flashed with anger but the anger gave way to hunger. Fine. Snap the sea witch. She unclasped the necklace and flung it onto the shore. And suddenly the sea witch wasn't quite so hard to look at. Her eyes were even wider set and her mouth was wide and almost froggy. Maybe like she found those things in the ocean as she put them on when she was like a frog so now she's going to be in the frog again. Very interesting. Barbara threw the second apple into the waves. The sea witch dove beneath the surface retrieved it and ate it greedily. Then she said, Do you have another? Barbara said, I do. And I'll give it to you in exchange for your belt. Again the sea witch's eyes flashed with anger and a clap of thunder sounded far in the distance. But then the anger gave way to hunger, though not as much hunger as before. The sea witch said, All right girl, I'll give you this belt in exchange for your apple and one more thing. What thing? The sea witch said, Together this belt and this necklace are incredibly powerful. They will make you as beautiful as I am. If I give you my belt, you must promise not only to give me that apple, but also to give me your first born child who will be the apple of your eye. And therefore the most delicious apple ever. Have you ever heard that phrase the apple of your eye or the apple of my eye? No, but I think she wants to eat her daughter. It means everything that you think about everything you look at, like apples are big. If you put them to your eye, that's all you look at, all apples you look at. I never knew where that phrase came from, but I think that that's a good explanation. Yeah, so it's the thing that you love the most and you think about the most. Rapples' death skin. It's a little bit like Rapples' death skin, that's right. I feel like how does she born a baby? Because if nobody likes her, how does she get married with anybody or something? Right. You know what? I think you kind of read her mind. You'd think that Barbara, being kind and patient and strong and smart, would know not to promise her first born child for anything, especially not beauty. But Barbara never thought she would have a child at all, because who would want to marry someone who looked either like a dog or a frog or a bog? And if she was as beautiful as the sea witch, maybe she would have many children and losing one would be sad, but better than having no children at all. So she thought about it and she decided. Yeah. Yeah. I think yes, too. I think the guy that wrote his stories or that was his name is, I don't want to ruin his name, but I think he has some kids. He just didn't like them. He didn't like his own children. Barbara threw the apple into the sea and the sea witch took off her belt. And suddenly, she wasn't beautiful at all. She looked like a giant frog. Frog. She ate the apple that Barbara threw in one gulp and licked her froggy lips. And as she sank back into the sea, Barbara heard her muttering. Um, delicious, but not as delicious as the apple of her eye. I don't think this is Bavayaga or Hagiaga. I think this is baby Yaga. Or maybe it's Ragiaga. Barbara put on the necklace and the belt and she didn't feel different. Had she been tricked? She tried to look at her reflection in the sea, but the frothy waves showed her nothing but churn. She hurried back into town and it was there that everything changed. People stared as she walked by and then looked away as if Barbara were hard to look at. And then they stole another glance and whispered, Who is that beautiful creature? She moves like a princess and looks like a goddess. Gee. I'd like to marry her. Barbara ran to her house, but her parents refused to let her in. They didn't recognize her. Why didn't they recognize her? Because she looks so beautiful. She looks so beautiful. She ran to the center of town looking for a mirror so she could see what everyone else was seeing. She came to a little shop that sold dresses and inside she found a mirror. And she stood before it. And? She looked normal. She looked the same. Other than the necklace and the belt, she didn't look different at all. Her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her chin, her hair were the same as they had always been. Except that there seemed to radiate from within her kindness and patience and strength and intelligence. Maybe now they could see what's actually in her inside. And she realized that, finally, thanks to the magic of the sea witches necklace and belt, she was as beautiful on the outside as she'd always been on the inside. But Barbara didn't want to stay in this town, where everyone had been cruel to her for so long, nor with her parents who had turned away their own daughter because they hadn't recognized the beauty that had always been inside of her. Can you understand why she might be mad at her parents? They didn't think that she was herself because they thought she looked beautiful. I think it's because, all alone this time, they didn't see how beautiful she is. She journeyed to the capital of their country, where the young king lived. And she had not been in that town for three days when someone brought her before the king. And he fell down on one knee and asked her to marry him. And he seemed like a good fellow. So she said yes. Everything okay with that? No. The king just like, the monkey sushi, he's like, would you marry me and she's like, okay. Right, set. I know, I know. She should probably get to know him first, but it's a fairy tale and it's already getting kind of long and this isn't a love story, so don't worry about the lovey-dovey stuff. You're welcome. So they got married and soon after that, like nine months or so, they had a little baby girl. She was beautiful. Her joy and curiosity about the world shining through her eyes and her smile. She was the apple of Barbara's eye. And as you know, apples are delicious. So Barbara kept the little girl away from the sea, afraid that any wave could grab her precious daughter and drag her down into the hungry clutches of the sea witch. She coddled her daughter and told her she was beautiful every chance she got. Her father did too. And so did everyone else in the castle and the capital city and in the whole kingdom. Everyone told a little princess how beautiful she was all the time. Until, frankly, a little princess was sick of it. Can you understand how she feels? Why is she annoyed by that? I think she's sick of it because they said so many times and they don't notice other things about her. Like what? What are the things that they notice when she's like? I can courage kindness and curiosity. No one seemed to comment on her joy or her curiosity or her courage or anything else. They just told her she was pretty. So the princess started to spend more time alone. She started to sneak away from her adoring mother and father and wander around the capital city and then farther. She never told her mother where she was going and when she came back her mother would scold her and hold her tightly and say she was too beautiful to wander around alone, which made no sense to the little princess. I honestly think one day she's going to wander into the sea. Maybe a little witch is going to get her. I think she's going to go close to the sea and witch is going to be like, oh, he'll get the girl. There's just a tsunami. Interesting prediction. Did it work? Is this thing on? Okay. Good. Hi. My name is Carly Cue and if you're anything like me, you may have noticed that there are a lot of big questions out there that need answers. Like, is the lockness monster real? What's going on in the Bermuda Triangle? And who ate my pie? Okay, well maybe the last one hasn't occurred to you, but on who when wow mystery edition, I'm solving all of life's mysteries. Well, at least some of them. Join me as I travel through space and time to investigate history's most famous mysteries all during my lunch break. Some things can't be explained, but they can be explored. Listen to episodes of Who When Wow Mystery Edition, wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you like to test yourself on what you know, or you're interested in learning a bunch of cool new facts, you are bound to enjoy five or five trivia, a podcast all about trivia knowledge. Every week has a different theme like amusement parks, creepy animals, video games, the universe, and a whole lot more. And each day you try to get five or five right on those trivia topics and hopefully learn something new along the way. Is a shark a fish or a mammal? Which spell does Harry Potter use most often? You can answer those questions and more on five for five trivia. So if you're ready to challenge yourself and give yourself a big high five for the things you know, be sure to check out five or five trivia available wherever you listen to your podcasts. So Barbara's daughter kept wandering out of the capital city, out into the kingdom. But to finally, she found the sea. Now this was beauty. She sat down beside the sea and watched the waves crash white and blue against the black rocks. She was feeling the same way that her mom was. At the beginning of the story, her mom was sitting by the sea, feeling alone and isolated. She's like the opposite of her mom. She was once people see how she's on the inside. It's now the opposite because everybody thinks now the princess is pretty, but first when the princess's mom went to the sea, the sea was in pretty. Well as the little princess sat by the sea, watching the waves crash white and blue against the black rocks, she did not see the huge wave rise up above her head until its shadow blocked out the sun. It crashed down upon her and dragged her down into the depths. When the little princess did not come home that night, Barbara knew at once what had happened. She told her husband, the king, everything about the belt and the necklace and her promised the sea witch. And the king was so angry he had his soldiers carry Barbara to the sea side and throw her in. And the king shouted after her, and Barbara began to drown. She sank under the tumultuous waves with her white spray and black depths. The air expired in her lungs. It felt as if her throat and chest were having the life squeezed out of them. And then she saw a frog swimming through the glue. It wasn't a huge frog like the sea witch, but it wasn't a small one either like the frog's Barbara had seen in ponds. It was the size of a small dog. And as it swam up to Barbara, it said, Breathe. Barbara wanted to tell him that she couldn't under the water, but she was afraid to open her mouth less she swallowed the sea and drowned. But as she sank, the frog swam with her. And again, he said, Breathe. And Barbara couldn't hold her breath any longer, so she gave up fighting and breathed. And she did not die. The frog said, The belt and the necklace let you breathe under the waves. Barbara tried to use her voice. Hollywood. And the frog said, Not anymore. He turned to the frog. He grew up a little bit. He's a big boy now. Barbara asked, Do you know where my daughter is? And the frog said, Follow me. The frog and Barbara swam deep, deep down into the sea. There in the darkest sea gloom, they saw a hulking castle made of dead coral. The frog led Barbara to a window near the sea floor where there was a huge kitchen. And in the huge kitchen was a huge pot on a huge fire. How is there a fire under the sea? Anyone have a guess as to how there was fire under the sea? Because it's a fairy tale. That's exactly right. It's a gas fire. Maybe it's a gas fire. And inside the huge pot was air boiling. Because if we, who can explain that, why is there air boiling in the pot? Because they're underwater, so there is still water boils in surrounded by air, so why not the opposite? Exactly right. My thinking is exactly right. The pot, filled with boiling air, was Barbara's daughter, the little princess. And she was not dead. Yet. But she was getting there. Is she getting boiled? She's getting boiled. Oh, so she's going to get eaten like an apple? The air was boiling the princess alive and the sea witch, who still looked like a giant frog, was puttering around the kitchen, singing. The apple of my eye will make the swig just pie, and I'll swallow the little girl down. Hear me. Barbara was about to swim through the window and grab her daughter from the boiling pot. When the frog held her back. The sea witch will catch you, and then you and your daughter will both die. Barbara thought. And then she said, you must distract her. Me? How? And Barbara said, aren't you her son? And the frog, who used to be a polywag, stammered. How did you know? Because frogs don't live in the sea. Who pointed that at before? Me. I told you. And the frog nodded. Barbara went on. That's why you knew so much about her. Again, the frog nodded. So go inside and lure the sea witch away from the kitchen while I save my daughter. This time the frog did not nod. He just swam through the front door of the sea witch's coral palace, which was also his home, and started calling. Mother! Mother, come quickly! It's an emergency! The sea witch hurried from the kitchen to find her son, which is when Barbara swam inside and pulled her daughter from the pot of boiling air. The princess saw her mother and put her arms around her mother's neck. But just then, the sea witch rushed into the kitchen with the frog trailing behind. Mommy! Mommy, don't! He called. And then he shouted to Barbara. Swim! Swim away as fast as you can! So Barbara swam out of the window with her daughter wrapped around her neck. But the sea witch swam faster and was gaining on her quickly. What could she do? Could Barbara do? What do you think anyone have a suggestion for what Barbara should do? Um, I think the necklace and the belt are keeping away from her disvenseuses to take them off. Just as the sea witch was about to catch Barbara's ankle with her huge froggy hands and drag her down into the depths of the sea. Barbara unclasped the belt from around her waist and let it fall. Just what you said, right? The sea witch saw it go and turned and swam back to get it. But then she swam after Barbara again. And again, she gained on her. And just as she was about to grab Barbara's ankle and drag her down to the depths. Barbara... She took her out the necklace. She threw off the necklace. And the sea witch couldn't just let that sink to the bottom of the ocean, so she swam after that as well, which is when Barbara burst through the surface of the sea and carried her daughter onto the beach. Barbara and her daughter lay their gasping on the sand. Barbara actually is a pretty good name for her mom, isn't it? And then the princess looked at Barbara and her mother looked. Maybe she had the... The littleness and all, the sornness inside her, so it's still there. Interesting. I think that the princess thought that she looked beautiful. When the princess looked at Barbara, her mother looked exactly the same to her as she had always looked. Barbara and her daughter walked away from the seashore and away from that kingdom. And they never looked back. And they lived happily ever after. The End. She looked grimly ever after. She looked grimly ever after. No, not with us. They left him behind. Why did they leave him behind? This is the bum. Why is he a bum? Because he thinks that he just is his... He looks like a bum. They left the king because he literally threw Barbara into the ocean. Yeah, exactly. That's why. And so she didn't want to be the king's wife anymore. I guess. That's exactly right. And so she and her daughter can live seeing each other truthfully, right? The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not so dark, not so stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the intrepid chaotics detective agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high-flying action-packed venture will take them across the world fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale, which is good because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all I can just dispose of you. Wait, what? All will be revealed in. Sonic the Hedgehog presents the chaotics case files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Something chaotics are on the case. A lot of people remember what they dream about when they go to sleep. But what if you discovered you could move between the world of dreams and real life? That's the story of Dream Reachers, where Evan wakes up on his 12th birthday and realizes that something he dreamed about that night had actually happened. Dream Reachers is a high stakes sci-fi mystery adventure. And with the help of his friends, a reappearing stranger, and a mysterious organization called the Dream Academy, Evan will discover what it means to be a Dream Reacher. If that sounds like a dream to you, you are in luck, my friend. You can listen to Dream Reachers now, wherever you get your podcasts. Dream Grimmer Grimmers is a penna-original production, created, written, and narrated by me, Adam Gidwitz, author of a tale, Dark and Grim. Produced and edited by Kalen West, associate producer Rebecca Cunningham, field recording by Julia Martin, casting and voice direction by Rebecca Cunningham, sound design and mixing by Kalen West, executive produced by Molly Barton and Carly Milliori, production support by Devon Shepherd, characters voiced by Rob Moreda, Imani Russell, and Charlotte Wilson Langley. Special thanks to all the kids who joined us in Staten Island and Brooklyn for our storytelling sessions. You guys are awesome.