Podcast Summary: Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest

Episode: “Darling Roland”

Host: Adam Gidwitz
Date: October 30, 2025
Spookiness Rating: Grimmest (frightening, scary, and bloody!)

Episode Overview

In this episode of Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest, bestselling author and storyteller Adam Gidwitz brings the classic and gruesome Brothers Grimm tale "Darling Roland" to life. Joined by his energetic group of young listeners, Adam unpacks the weird, scary, and sometimes gross twists and turns of the original story—featuring a “100% genuine witch,” magical escapes, a darkly funny finale, and a surprising ending. The children eagerly react with speculation, jokes, and insight, shaping the story’s retelling and digging into its layers of weirdness and morality.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting Up the Spookiness

• Adam warns listeners (01:33) that this tale is “Grimmest”—the spookiest and bloodiest level on their scale.
• He offers a way for scared listeners to manage: “You could turn down the volume and count to five, then turn it back up” (01:52).
• Memorable Moment:

  “Not only will this story be weird, this is one of the scariest stories I will tell this season.”
  – Adam Gidwitz (02:19)

2. Genuine Witch: What’s in a Name?

• The Grimms’ surprising use of “genuine witch” sparks discussion.
  • Adam notes that's an unusual way to open a story: “Guaranteed, 100% genuine witch. No artificial flavors or preservings.” (03:04)
  • He explains the first 1812 version just called her “a woman.” The “witch” and the magic only appear in later editions (04:12).
• Quote:

  “It’s a super weird way to start…what is that supposed to mean, as opposed to a fake witch?...I thought it was so weird that I decided to do some research about it.”
  – Adam Gidwitz (03:23)

3. Family Jealousy & the Deadly Plan

• The “genuine witch” mother has two daughters: a cruel older one and a sweet, kind younger girl.
• The town’s handsome young lord, Roland, falls for the younger daughter because of her lovely singing (05:45–06:14), prompting jealousy in her mother and sister.
• When Roland gives the younger girl an apron, the older sister demands it. The mother hatches a plot to kill her youngest daughter for her sister’s benefit (07:38–08:12).
• The kids offer wild predictions (fart-related assassinations!) and call out the story’s rudeness.

4. Suspicion, Trickery, and the Magic Wand

• The mother and older daughter’s suspicious behavior make the younger daughter wary.
• The older sister tries to switch sleeping spots (“You take the outside tonight, and I’ll sleep next to the wall.” 10:02).
• The younger daughter cleverly switches back in the night, avoiding the trap (10:45).
• The Murder: In a “horrible part,” the mother, believing she’s killing the younger, uses a magic wand to “chop up” the daughter on the outside of the bed…but accidentally kills her own elder daughter (12:24–13:32).
• Children React:

  “How does a wand chop somebody up?...Because it’s wands. Because it’s spells. And wands can be knives.”
  – Child Listener (13:04–13:10)

5. Escape, Blood, and Witch’s Rage

• The younger girl escapes to Roland after witnessing the murder.
• Roland tells her to steal the magic wand to help them flee (14:20).
• The girl retrieves the wand, but blood drops from it as she leaves—leaving a trail (15:16–15:59).
• The witch mother wakes, discovers her elder daughter’s remains, and follows the bloody trail with her magical seven-league boots (16:21–17:59).
• Quote:

  “I’m just imagining a menacing old lady running at me.”
  – Child Listener (18:34)
  “Yeah. Okay, everybody, right now, just imagine a menacing old lady sprinting at you crazy fast.”
  – Adam Gidwitz (18:37)

6. Magic Confrontation & Gruesome Demise

• The fleeing couple use magic to hide: Roland becomes a fiddler, the girl turns into a flower.
• The witch is not fooled, but is instead forced to dance by the magic music in a patch of deadly brambles.
  • “She danced and danced…The thorns tore her clothes and ripped her flesh…until there was nothing left of her but shreds of skin and flesh hanging from the branches…” (20:00–21:15)
• Memorable Reaction:

  “It’s so grimitic.”
  – Child Listener (21:33)
  “I can’t help myself. It’s old lady sushi!”
  – Child Listener (21:35)
  “It totally was.”
  – Adam Gidwitz (21:39)

7. Betrayal, Transformation, and New Love

• After the witch’s death, Roland vows to return soon for the wedding, but abandons the girl for days (24:53–25:30). The kids call him a “chicken.”
• Heartbroken, the girl transforms herself into a flower, “rather be trampled…than live with the disappointment of her darling Roland abandoning her.” (26:05–26:33)

A Shepherd, Kindness, and Agency

• A young shepherd discovers the flower and brings it home, where he’s mysteriously aided by unseen magic.
• On his grandmother’s advice, he throws a white cloth over the moving flower, breaking the spell and revealing the girl (29:54–30:40).
• The two court—this time, gradually—with three days of “dating” (31:08–31:38).
• Quote:

  “Finally, some dating.”
  – Child Listener (31:38)

8. Roland’s Wedding & The Girl’s Choice

• All young people, including the girl and shepherd, are required to attend Roland’s wedding to a rich lord’s daughter.
• The girl’s singing, reminiscent of her first meeting with Roland, causes Roland to remember his love for her and renounce his bride on the spot (34:52–35:07).

Moral Discussion: Who Should She Choose?

• The children debate whether the girl should take Roland back:

  “You missed your chance, dude. I think the girl should say no!”
  – Child Listener (35:32) “Why wouldn’t you want to marry Roland?”
  – Adam Gidwitz (35:57) “You just left me there and you didn’t think about me. You’re not kind.”
  – Child Listener (35:44)

• Ultimately, when the shepherd sings their special tune, the girl realizes her true love—and they marry the next day. “The girl’s sorrow ended and her joy began” (36:02–36:55).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the story’s tone:

  “Don’t worry. The story will be lovey dovey and then it will be bloody, bloody, bloody, bloody."
  – Adam Gidwitz (06:56)

• On dating in fairy tales:

  “Why does this always happen in fairy tales when one girl or boy just meet another girl or boy…‘I want to marry you. Let’s go.’”
  – Child Listener (31:09)

• On agency & heartbreak:

  “Do something, right.”
  – Child Listener (26:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | Starting the “Grimmest” warning | Content Advisory | 01:33–02:14 | | On the “genuine witch” | Language & Story Edits | 03:04–04:12 | | The murder & escape | The Bloody Bed | 12:24–16:07 | | Witch’s pursuit with 7-league boots | Magic & Suspense | 16:21–18:37 | | The magical bramble dance | Witch’s Demise | 20:00–21:15 | | Roland’s betrayal | Aftermath & Heartbreak | 25:30–26:33 | | Shepherd & magic reveal | A New Love | 29:10–31:38 | | Roland’s wedding & finale | Resolution | 32:49–36:55 |

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Adam’s style is engaging, humorous, and a bit irreverent, always encouraging kids to react, think, and laugh. The kids’ input adds both comic relief and deeper insight, questioning fairness, love, and morality in fairy tales. The story itself is a wild ride—equal parts creepy, funny, and emotionally complex.

Conclusion

“Darling Roland” showcases both the creative brutality and emotional messiness of original fairy tales, while updating the experience for modern listeners. The kids and Adam make the Grimm world feel alive, relevant, and packed with teachable moments about trust, agency, and knowing your worth.

Final Quote:

“She had loved Roland for so long, but he had forsaken her. And now she loved the shepherd. The shepherd and the girl were married the very next day. And the girl’s sorrow ended and her joy began.”
– Adam Gidwitz (36:55)

Perfect for: Listeners who love their fairy tales dark, their storytelling lively, and their endings unexpectedly empowering.