Ten Thumbs (Part II)

Summary

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Episode Title: Ten Thumbs (Part II)
Host/Author: Pinna
Release Date: October 24, 2024

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Introduction

In the "Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest" podcast, bestselling author Adam Gidwitz masterfully reimagines classic Grimm fairy tales with unique twists, engaging a group of inquisitive children who add humor, anticipate plot twists, and share their perspectives. In the episode titled "Ten Thumbs (Part II)", Adam continues the dark and whimsical adventures of Ten Thumbs, a young man with an extraordinary number of thumbs, navigating perilous encounters with giants and a cunning princess.

Story Retelling: Ten Thumbs (Part II)

Characters and Setting

• Ten Thumbs: The protagonist with ten thumbs, captured by giants.
• Giants: Three distinct giants (young, old, and angry) who have coerced Ten Thumbs into their macabre plans.
• Princess: The princess sleeping in a tower, later revealed to be resourceful and resilient.
• Margrave: An evil, deceitful character who falsely claims to have saved the princess.
• Dog and Horse: Vicious and ferocious dog named Arrow and a horse named Horseshoe that aid Ten Thumbs.

Plot Development

Captured and Coerced (00:01 - 03:45)
Ten Thumbs finds himself under the control of three intimidating giants who demand he shoot a dog to facilitate their plan to eat the princess. Although reluctant, Ten Thumbs complies due to his dire circumstances.

Encounter with the Dog (03:46 - 06:30)
As Ten Thumbs approaches the princess's tower, a vicious dog confronts him. Despite his fear, he attempts to shoot the dog but misses, leading to a tense moment where the giants observe in astonishment.

Clever Distraction and Confrontation (06:30 - 12:19)
Ten Thumbs cleverly distracts the dog by lodging an arrow with meat, allowing him to enter the tower undetected. Inside, he navigates various rooms, including one with a golden sword. His pridefulness leads to overconfidence, resulting in the gruesome beheading of the three giants as they attempt to seize the princess.

Chase and Escaping the Castle (12:19 - 17:16)
After eliminating the giants, Ten Thumbs faces the wrath of the kingdoms' guards and the Margrave. A chase ensues through the woods, culminating in Ten Thumbs narrowly escaping with the help of Horseshoe, the horse bearing a horseshoe-shaped burn.

Reunion and Revelation (17:16 - 23:51)
A year later, Ten Thumbs reunites with the princess at a cottage. They uncover the Margrave's deceit—he falsely claimed credit for saving her and killed the giants himself. Ten Thumbs proves his heroism by showing the giant thumbs he collected, exposing the Margrave as a fraud.

Final Confrontation and Resolution (23:51 - 28:14)
During the wedding ceremony, the truth about the Margrave emerges when Ten Thumbs reveals the extra thumbs, leading to the Margrave's banishment and eventual demise at the hands of righteous giants. Ten Thumbs and the princess marry, overturning unjust rules, and live happily ever after with their daughter and loyal companions.

Interaction with the Children

Throughout the storytelling, Adam engages with the children, prompting them to contribute ideas, ask questions, and even suggest plot twists. Their lively participation adds humor and depth to the narrative. For example:

• At 05:34, Child 2 summarizes the giants' demand: "Kill the dog, bring us the princess, we eat the princess, otherwise we eat you."
• At 07:07, Child 2 expresses disbelief: "I can't believe he missed. He said, he never misses."
• At 19:40, Child 1 suggests the logical choice for the princess: "10 thumbs."

These interactions not only enhance the storytelling experience but also encourage young listeners to engage creatively with the narrative.

Notable Quotes

• Adam Gidwitz (01:28): "The original Grimm fairy tales aren't like that at all. They're weird and sometimes gross and often scary. In other words, they're grim."

• Child 1 (06:37): "So what, does she live in a tower? She could live in a palace."

• Child 1 (12:04): "Because I kill giants. All the time."

• Adam Gidwitz (25:09): "The Margrave did not save you from those giants. I did."

• Child 1 (23:31): "Ew. They're moldy. They're moldy because it's been one year and they rot. And dead bodies rot."

These quotes highlight key moments of tension, humor, and revelation within the story.

Insights and Themes

Cleverness and Resourcefulness: Ten Thumbs consistently demonstrates ingenuity, from distracting the dog to exposing the Margrave's lies.

Challenging Authority: The princess's rebellion against unjust royal decrees underscores themes of autonomy and resistance against tyranny.

Consequences of Deceit: The Margrave's deceit leads to his downfall, emphasizing the moral that dishonesty ultimately results in punishment.

Friendship and Loyalty: The bond between Ten Thumbs, his dog Arrow, and his horse Horseshoe illustrates the importance of loyal companions in overcoming adversity.

Transformation and Redemption: The princess's transformation from a trapped figure to a strong, independent individual highlights personal growth and empowerment.

Conclusion

In "Ten Thumbs (Part II)", Adam Gidwitz delivers a captivating continuation of Ten Thumbs' adventures, blending dark fairy tale elements with humor and interactive storytelling. The episode deftly navigates themes of courage, deception, and resilience, all while maintaining an engaging dialogue with its young audience. Through clever plot twists and dynamic character interactions, listeners are immersed in a richly woven narrative that redefines traditional Grimm tales for a modern audience.

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This summary captures the essence of the "Ten Thumbs (Part II)" episode, highlighting key plot points, character developments, and interactive elements that make the podcast a beloved choice for families and children.

Transcript

[Child 1]

Pinna.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Did you know that you can listen to Grim, Grimmer Grimmest without any ads interrupting the story? Just subscribe to Pinna. Not only will you get to hear me tell these fairy tales straight through the way I tell them to kids, you get access to tons of other awesome original shows and audiobooks. All ad free. Subscribe to pinna at Pinna FM. That's P I N N A FM and use code GRIM with two M's to get 30% off an annual subscription. And remember, it's not a Smurf.

[Narrator]

Super Great Kids Stories is a podcast of folk tales and fairy tales for children and families told by engaging storytellers from around the world. Join us and you'll meet Brazilian ogres, Chinese dragons and Jamaican mermaids. Parents tell us that our award winning podcast keeps their children entertained for hours. Particularly useful on long journeys, it also encourages interest in the world. So if you're looking for great kids entertainment, search for super great kids stories. Mouth open. Story Jump out.

[Adam Gidwitz]

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 Grimm tales. The original Grimm 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 host a virtual storytelling session and tell one of the original grim Grimm tales to a bunch of kids. Do you want to join me? Do you want to hear a grim fairy tale? I don't know if you said yes or no because I can't hear you. So let me help you decide. This is the second part of a tale called 10 Thumbs. If you haven't listened to part one yet, you're gonna want to go back and listen to that one first. On a scale of Grim, Grimmer and Grimmest, this second part of the story is grimmer. It gets a little bloody and kind of gory. 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, turn it 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 about to join the session. There are kids inside waiting to hear a grim fairy tale. So are you coming in? Grim Grimmer Grimace. All right, everybody. So this story is called Ten Thumbs.

[Child 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ten Thumbs, Part two. Once upon a time, there was a young man named Ten thumbs who had 10 thumbs. 10 thumbs had been captured by giants and had promised to shoot a dog to help them eat a princess, even though he didn't want to do any of that. So you all are gonna get to hear about Ten Thumbs shooting a dog.

[Child 1]

Yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Wait, what?

[Child 1]

Sad.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Well, maybe he will. You'll have to wait and see. So the three giants, one of whom was young, one of whom was old, and one of whom was just especially angry, even for a giant, marched 10 thumbs through the dark forest to the tower where the princess slept, next to the castle of the king, which also happened to be where the Margrave lived.

[Child 1]

So what, does she live in a tower? She could live in a palace.

[Adam Gidwitz]

She lives in the tower next to the palace. I don't think she's trapped in the tower. I kind of think it's like if your parents let you live in the treehouse or something.

[Child 1]

Yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Now, who can remind us who the Margrave is?

[Child 1]

The Margrave is kind of like the highest general of a king's army.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And tell us about this Margrave.

[Child 1]

He was evil and cruel and a jerk face.

[Adam Gidwitz]

He was such a jerk face. What did they say about what was inside of him?

[Child 1]

Poison. Poison blood.

[Adam Gidwitz]

They said he was such a jerk face that his jerk blood was poisonous. That's how evil.

[Child 1]

Is there such thing, jerk blood?

[Adam Gidwitz]

There is now. We just made it up and I love it.

[Child 1]

Jerk blood.

[Adam Gidwitz]

So the old giant, the young giant and the angry giant brought Ten Thumbs within a hundred yards of the princess's tower. They untied him and reminded him of the deal.

[Child 2]

Kill the dog, bring us the princess, we eat the princess, otherwise we eat you.

[Adam Gidwitz]

It certainly wasn't a great deal for Ten Thumbs, but what choice did he have?

[Child 1]

I do the same thing he's doing, shoot him. I play Uno reverse card on them. I'd be like, I will shoot you down.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Okay. Yes.

[Child 1]

So Tenthums should kill the Margrave and he should give them to the giants, but his blood is poisoned, so he'd also poison all the giants.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Oh, that's a genius plan. I totally wish that was what was about to happen, but it's not. The giants hid in a nearby stand of trees while Ten Thumbs moved toward the tower where the princess slept. He edged close, closer and closer. And closer, he wondered to himself, where's that dog?

[Child 3]

Isn't there supposed to be a vicious and ferocious.

[Child 1]

You scared me.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Suddenly, the most vicious and ferocious dog Ten Thumbs had ever seen came tearing out of the darkness straight at him. But before the dog could bark even three times, quick as the quiver of a bowstring, Ten Thumbs took out his bow, knocked an arrow and shot it at the dog. And he missed.

[Child 1]

Yay. The dog is saved. Yay.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The giants, peering out of the trees, were stunned. The youngest giant exclaimed, he missed.

[Child 2]

I can't believe he missed. He said, he never misses.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The angry giant said, lets eat him. But the old giant said, wait.

[Child 2]

Look.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The arrow had lodged in the ground right in front of the dog and skewered on the arrow was the meat that Ten Thumbs had shot out of the giant's hands. The dog stopped and sniffed it. And then they began chewing on it. All this happened so quickly that none of the guards from the nearby castle had heard a thing or stirred at all.

[Child 1]

Oh, it's a distraction. Because he's too sweet to kill. Well, but then he's gonna help killing the princess.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Interesting.

[Child 1]

Gonna end up marrying her, because that's what happens in Grim Gorm Grimace stories. Will you marry me after I kill you? She'll be like, well, we'll see if I'm alive.

[Adam Gidwitz]

We'll see if you're right. With the vicious, ferocious dog distracted by the meat on the arrow, Ten Thumbs walked right past it and straight up to the tower door. The giants watched in amazement as Ten Thumbs pulled the door open and walked right inside. Inside the tower, Ten Thumbs climbed up the stairs. On each floor of the tower, there was another room. One flight up, he found a room where the princess's dinner had been left out from that evening. And he ate a few of the bread rolls because he was still very hungry. Two flights up, he found a room where a golden sword was mounted on the wall. Ten Thumbs took the golden sword and put it through his belt.

[Child 1]

That'd be very heavy.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Oh, yeah.

[Child 1]

Very, very heavy.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Is gold heavier than other metals?

[Child 1]

Yeah, it's really, really heavy.

[Adam Gidwitz]

I didn't even know that. Three flights up, Ten Thumbs found the princess sleeping soundly on a bed of silk. For a moment, he just stood there watching her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. Then Ten Thumbs went back down the stairs to the door of the tower and called out softly to the giants, hey, giants. The giants craned their necks to hear.

[Child 3]

Giants, if I carry her out of the tower, she's gonna wake up and start yelling and everyone will come running.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The giants realized that he was right.

[Child 2]

Oh yeah, good point.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ten Thumbs went on.

[Child 3]

You should come here and crawl through this door and I'll keep watch. Then you can eat her while she sleeps.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The giants conferred with each other.

[Child 2]

What do you think? I think he's right. But what if it's a trap? How could that little puny human trap us? I suppose if it's a trap, they'll just eat him. Oh, yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

So the giants tiptoed past the vicious and ferocious dog who was still chewing on the beef, and they came to the door of the tower. It was a human sized door. Ten Thumb stood just inside of it, waiting for them.

[Child 2]

How are we supposed to get in?

[Child 3]

Oh, just lie on your belly and slide through.

[Adam Gidwitz]

I don't like this, said the angry giant. But the young giant said, I want.

[Child 2]

To eat that princess.

[Adam Gidwitz]

So the young giant got down on his belly and began to wriggle through the doorway. He got half of his body through when Ten Thumbs took the golden sword from his belt, raised it high and cut off the young giant's head.

[Child 1]

That was. That was disgusting.

[Adam Gidwitz]

I'm glad you thought it was disgusting. You're welcome. It was a really gross sound, wasn't it? The other two giants being outside, couldn't see what was happening. So 10 thumbs pulled the young giant through the doorway, dragged his body and his head up the stairs, shoved them into the room with the food and told the next giant to come on through the doorway. The old giant lay down on his belly and began wriggling through. He was halfway through when what did Ten Thumbs do?

[Child 1]

Cut off his head.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Chopped off his head. Ten Thumbs pulled the old giant through, dragged his body and his head up the stairs and into the room with the food, and told the angry giant to come on in. The angry giant got down on his belly, wriggled halfway through and stopped. He saw blood all over the ground.

[Child 2]

He bellowed, what in the name of giants is going on here? Why, I'm going to eat you up, you little.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ten Thumbs cut off his head too. And he pulled the angry giant through the doorway, dragged his body and his head up the stairs to join the Other 2. Then 10 thumbs cut off each of the giant's thumbs and put them in his pockets. Because everybody knows that's what you do after you kill a giant. You knew that, right?

[Child 1]

No. What?

[Adam Gidwitz]

You didn't know that?

[Child 1]

I didn't know that. Yeah, definitely. Always.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yes, always when you kill a giant, you have to cut off their thumbs afterwards.

[Child 1]

Because I kill giants. All the time.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Then Ten Thumbs left the tower without having disturbed the sleeping princess at all. It was a neat and tidy job and Ten Thumbs was very proud of himself.

[Child 1]

Yeah, no, it was not neat or tidy. It was messy, bloody and gory.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah, good point. Okay, never mind. Ten Thumbs was very proud of himself. This made him a little cocky. What does it mean to be a little cocky?

[Child 1]

Like prideful? Like I can do anything?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Exactly. So Ten Thumbs was feeling a little prideful. Like he could do anything. Which was probably why he made a mistake.

[Child 1]

Bomb. Bomb. Oh, no.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ten Thumbs approached the ferocious and vicious dog and tried to take back his arrow, because the meat had been pretty much all eaten. But you know how a dog can be with a bone. The ferocious dog began barking madly.

[Child 1]

Oh, no.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The dog barked and barked and Ten Thumbs tried to shush him, but the barking was too loud. And now, at last, the doors of the castle flew open and guards came rushing toward Ten Thumbs. And then a trumpet sounded and out came the page. And behind the page rode Margrav the Margrave. The Margrave rode forth with his black eyes and long black hair on his great black horse.

[Child 1]

Man, this guy loves that color.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah, he does. He's totally goth. Ten Thumb saw him and ran. The dog and the guards and the Margrave chased him. He ran and ran, when all of a sudden, something very strange happened. A horse came running towards him out of the woods. Ten Thumbs was surprised, but he leapt onto the horse's back where he saw a horseshoe shaped burn.

[Child 1]

Oh, it's the. It's. It's when Ten Thumbs got the last horseshoe done.

[Adam Gidwitz]

That's right. The horse didn't seem to mind that Ten Thumbs had jumped up onto it and it carried Ten Thumbs into the woods with the vicious and ferocious dog chasing after them, biting at the horse's heels and the guards and the Margaret close behind. This message is for the grownups. I've got a New Year's resolution. I've resolved to take a little of the household mental load off of my wife's shoulders by taking charge of the food shopping. Luckily, HelloFresh makes that so much easier. They deliver right to my doorstep with more than 50 wholesome, hassle free meals to choose from each week, including 15 minute meals that take only three steps to cook. And there's over 100 add on items that you can add to your weekly box, like quick breakfasts, packable snacks, beverages and more. Get up to 10 free meals and a free high protein item for [e-mail] grim10fm One item per box, with active subscription free meals applied as a discount on the first box. New subscribers only. Varies by planning. That's up to 10 free HelloFresh meals. Just go to hellofresh.com grim10fm HelloFresh America's number one meal kit.

[Child 4]

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[Adam Gidwitz]

So far into the woods so fast and desperately that eventually everyone lost sight of him. Everyone, that is, except the dog. The dog just would not give up. Suddenly, 10 thumbs had an idea. He stopped the horse and tossed the arrow, which still had a bit of meat on it, to the ground. The ferocious dog ferociously attacked the arrow, gnawing on it ferociously and also happily. So what is up with this dog?

[Child 1]

Just hungry. It likes the bone. It just wants a treat. I bet it barely gets fed at the castle.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah, he's probably just hungry. Totally.

[Child 1]

I want this bone. I want this food.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Once the dog had gnawed every morsel of meat off the arrow, it sat up, looked at 10 thumbs, and began wagging its tail. So 10 thumbs got down and petted it. And when 10 thumbs started walking through the forest to find his way back home, the dog followed him and the horse walked contentedly at his side. So now 10 thumbs had a horse and a dog, like a proper hunter.

[Child 1]

Yay.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And he had six giant thumbs in his pockets, like a proper giant killer. And he had 10 more thumbs on his hands like no one else in the world. Meanwhile, back at the castle, the guards found the three dead giants in the tower. Gross. They immediately alerted the Margrave, who alerted the king. The king woke the princess, who had somehow slept through all of this. How did she not wake up during that whole thing? I don't know.

[Child 1]

She's like, huh, Giant dream. She tried to eat me.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Exactly. The king assembled the royal court and demanded to know who killed these giants.

[King]

And saved the life of my daughter, the princess.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Well, the princess had no idea, obviously, because she'd been asleep. But the Margrave stepped forward.

[King]

Twas I, your Majesty. I heard the dog bark and found the giants in the tower. Twas I who cut off their heads. And twas I who saved the princess.

[Child 1]

Liar, liar, liar, liar, pants on fire.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Upon hearing this, the king said, then.

[King]

You shall marry the princess.

[Adam Gidwitz]

To which the princess replied, uh, what?

[Princess]

That seems excessive. Can't I just say thank you?

[Adam Gidwitz]

But the king said, what do you think the king is going to say? Of course not.

[Child 1]

I am a king, therefore it is my job to promise you to unworthy people that are actually just lies and jerk faces.

[Adam Gidwitz]

But the king said, it is a.

[King]

Rule that the princess must marry the person who saved her.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The princess protested, but that's a bad rule.

[Princess]

Why should we follow a bad rule?

[Adam Gidwitz]

All right, what do you all think? Is it a bad rule?

[Child 1]

Yes, it's a stupid, stupid rule. Yes, it's a horrible rule.

[Adam Gidwitz]

It's a horrible rule.

[Child 1]

It's unfair that she's, like, forced into marriage and she doesn't really get to choose.

[Adam Gidwitz]

So true. But if she were to follow the rule, who should she really be marrying?

[Child 1]

10 thumbs.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The Margrave butted in.

[King]

If the princess does not wish to follow the rules, perhaps she does not wish to be a princess. The king said, the Margrave is right.

[Adam Gidwitz]

He turned to the princess.

[King]

If you do not marry the person who saved you, then you cannot be a princess.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The princess shot back, Fine, then I.

[Princess]

Won'T be a princess.

[King]

That means no gold, no silk, no private tower.

[Princess]

Great.

[Child 1]

Take it all.

[Princess]

See what I care?

[Child 1]

Ha. She's stubborn. I like her.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king grew frustrated.

[King]

If you do not wish to be a princess, then you shall live in a cottage in the forest, you shall cook for any stranger who shows up, and you'll never earn a single penny for it. Now, how does that Sound the King.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Was pretty sure his daughter would finally stop all this nonsense and agree to marry the Margrave. The Margrave smiled an evil smile at the Princess, but the Princess stood her ground.

[Princess]

I'd rather do anything than marry the Margrave.

[Child 1]

Oh, snap in your face. You're roasted.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And so the Princess was sent to a cottage in the forest to cook and serve free food to anyone who came along. And she stayed there for a long, long time. Ten Thumbs, meanwhile, returned home with his new horse, whom he named Horseshoe, and his new dog, whom he named Arrow. He told his father all about his terrifying but marvelous adventure. About a year went by, and still the Margrave came to collect the blacksmith's money. But since Ten Thumbs was such a good hunter, he and his father still had plenty to eat and lived rather comfortably. That is, until one day when Ten Thumbs was out hunting with Horseshoe and Arrow, he came to a cottage in the woods with a little sign that said, eat now, Pay never. Well, Ten Thumbs was not one to turn down free food. So he tied up Horseshoe in the shade of a tree, told Arrow to lie down and wait, and Ten Thumbs went inside. The Princess did not look as she had when Ten Thumbs saw her a year ago, sleeping in her bed in the tower. Now she looked like a tough country girl who cooked food for people for free, for some unknown reason. So Ten Thumbs didn't recognize her, and the Princess had no idea who he was. Just someone else showing up at her cottage for free food. So she cooked him dinner and he ate hungrily. And then Arrow started to bark outside. The Princess peeked out of the little cottage and the dog leapt into her arms.

[Child 1]

Why, the dog is the Princess's friend. The dog recognized a princess?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah, used to be her dog, by the smell.

[Child 1]

Yes, except for she's not a princess now.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Correct. All true. The Princess cried.

[Princess]

I used to have a dog just like this.

[Adam Gidwitz]

As the vicious and ferocious dog viciously and ferociously licked her face, Ten Thumbs squinted at her.

[Child 3]

Hey, aren't you the Princess?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The Princess looked up at him.

[Princess]

I am. Well, I used to be.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And she explained that her father, the King, had wanted her to marry the Margrave because he had saved her from three giants. So now she had to wait a minute. Ten Thumbs exclaimed.

[Child 3]

The Margrave did what?

[Princess]

He saved me from three giants who tried to eat me in my sleep.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And Ten Thumbs said, uh, no, the.

[Child 3]

Margrave did not save you from those giants. I did.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And to prove it, Ten Thumbs showed her the thumbs. Ten Thumbs showed her the giant's thumbs in his Pockets which he carried everywhere he went.

[Child 1]

Ew.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Rose.

[Child 1]

First discussion. They're moldy. They're moldy. They're moldy because it's been one year and they rot. And dead bodies rot.

[Child 4]

Yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ew. The Princess couldn't believe it. And then she could believe it.

[Princess]

That Margrave is a liar.

[Adam Gidwitz]

So she said to 10 thumbs, this.

[Princess]

Is what we're going to do.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And she told him her plan. Shortly thereafter, the Princess hurried back to the castle to find her father, the King. He was sitting at dinner with the Margrave. The King was overjoyed to see his daughter. After a year of her living in the cottage in the woods, he eagerly.

[King]

Asked, are you finally ready to stop this nonsense and marry the man who saved your life?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The Princess replied, I am. The Margrave grinned.

[King]

I knew you'd come around.

[Adam Gidwitz]

A wedding was prepared for the very next day.

[Child 1]

Hello.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The next morning, the King escorted the Princess down the aisle of the Royal Chapel for the wedding. All the guests watched in hushed silence while the Margrave eagerly awaited her. When the Princess took her place beside the Margrave at the altar, she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, oh.

[Princess]

Before we are married, there is just one thing I want to ask you.

[King]

The Margrave said, of course, my bride.

[Princess]

You say you saved me from those giants, right?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Of course.

[Princess]

And you cut off their heads?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Of course.

[Princess]

And those dead giants, they were missing their thumbs, right?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The Margrave hesitated just for a moment. Of course.

[Princess]

So you must have cut their thumbs off too, right?

[King]

Like them.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah.

[Princess]

And you kept them, I hope?

[Child 1]

Uh, sure.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Just then, from the doorway to the.

[Child 3]

Chapel, someone shouted, then why do I have 16 thumbs?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Everyone turned to see 10 thumbs standing at the door of the chapel. And The Margrave said, 16 thumbs.

[King]

What?

[Child 1]

Yeah. Cause he has 10. Because he has 10 thumbs.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Why does he have 16 thumbs? Who can explain to me why he has 16 thumbs?

[Child 1]

He has 10 thumbs on his body.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And he's holding six from the Giants.

[Child 1]

Yes.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Which has got to be the strangest math problem in the history of the world.

[Child 1]

Yeah.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Ten Thumbs held up the six giant thumbs in his ten thumbed hands. And the King said, weird. The Princess announced, I will marry the.

[Princess]

One who saved me.

[Adam Gidwitz]

She turned to the Margrave.

[Princess]

But you, Margrave, did not save me.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Did you?

[Narrator]

Ha Oo.

[Child 1]

Snap in your face.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The King looked to the Margrave for an explanation or for a giant's thumb. The Margrave had neither. So the Margrave was stripped of his titles and his medals, and was banished to the forest. After a few weeks of wandering there, the Margrave stumbled across three completely different giants who didn't recognize him since he was all dirty and didn't have his tall black horse anymore. So they ate him alive. And it turns out his blood wasn't poisonous after all, though his flesh was kind of bitter.

[Child 1]

He's just bitter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yeah, just a little bitter. That's right.

[Child 1]

Maybe bitter because his personality was bitter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

As for Ten Thumbs and the princess, they married. They were married that very day because there was already a wedding planned. And it was a rule in that kingdom that you couldn't waste a good wedding. But the princess didn't mind this rule, because she and Ten Thumbs were already in love. The king invited the blacksmith to the wedding and then to stay and live with them at the palace, which he gladly did. Some years later. Ten Thumbs and the Princess had a daughter. And she had 10 thumbs too. And she had a vicious and ferocious dog as a pet, even though he was neither vicious nor ferocious at all, as long as he got his dinner on time.

[Child 1]

Wait, was it Eira? Was it Eira?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yes, it's still Eira.

[Child 1]

Yay.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Eventually, the king passed away and the Princess inherited the kingdom. And do you know what she did? She outlawed all the bad rules. And the princess and Ten Thumbs and their daughter and the blacksmith and arrow, the vicious and ferocious dog and Horseshoe, the horse, all live ever after the end.

[Child 1]

Yay. So, did he never tell his name into story? You never tell his name.

[Adam Gidwitz]

His name is 10 thumbs. Unless you want to come up with some other name.

[Child 1]

Fred. Fred.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Fred. Of course. Of course it's Fred. Why is it always Fred? Can we go with Frank this time for once?

[Child 1]

No.

[Adam Gidwitz]

All right, fine. 10 thumb's real name was Fred Grim Grimmer. Grimmest is a Pinna Original production Created, written and narrated by me, Adam Gidwitz, Author of A Tale Dark and Grimm Co written by Ali Horne Produced and edited by Ilana Milner Casting by Paula Gammon Wilson Voice direction by Ilana Milner and Paula Gammon Wilson Sound design and mixing by Beat street nyc Executive produced by Ann Richards Production support by Ashley Beecher and Thaddeus Dankwa. Characters voiced by Alison Lee Rosenfeld, Baron Bass, Billy Bob Thompson, Cat Portano, Sanofia Mitchell, Colin Ryan, Dylan Jones, Erica Schroeder, Kaelyn Clinton, Kylie Claxton, Lori Hymes, Michael Crouch, Mike Pollock, Nicholas Korda and Rob. Special thanks to all the kids who joined us for our storytelling sessions. You guys are awesome.

[Narrator]

Do you like to laugh? Ah, who am I kidding? Who doesn't like to laugh? So, okay, if you love to laugh, you'll love Don't Break the Rules. It's a hilarious comedy improv podcast where the voice actors make up their lines on the spot and try to be the only actor who doesn't break the rules. These talented actors are great at coming up with silly scenes and stories when they follow the rules for the episode, and it gets even sillier when they accidentally break the rules. The stories are guided by suggestions from kids like you, and the episodes feature laughs, burps, and the occasional unicorn. So if you'd like to giggle and play along, be sure to listen to Don't Break the Rules. Wherever you listen to podcasts.