The Crabman's Daughter

Summary

Podcast Summary: Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest – Episode: “The Crabman's Daughter”

Introduction

In this captivating episode of Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest, host and bestselling author Adam Gidwitz delves into one of the original Grim fairy tales, presenting it with his unique and engaging storytelling style. Accompanied by a group of inquisitive and lively young listeners, Adam retells the dark and twisted tale of “The Crabman's Daughter,” intertwining humor, suspense, and moral lessons that breathe new life into classic folklore.

Story Overview

The narrative is set in a humble town nestled by a vast and eerie lake. The townspeople predominantly rely on fishing for their livelihood, with men casting nets for trout, bass, flounder, and crabs, while women manage the household chores. Amidst this setting lives the crabman and his free-spirited daughter, who yearns for adventure beyond her prescribed domestic role.

Key Plot Points and Discussions

1. Introduction to the Town and Characters (03:29 - 05:15) Adam introduces the readers to the crabman, a solitary figure struggling to provide for his daughter after the loss of his wife. Despite his relentless efforts, he often returns with only a single crab for their meager dinner. His daughter, however, is restless and dreams of exploring the world and, most fervently, of swimming in the forbidden lake.

   Notable Quote:

   Adam Gidwitz [03:29]: "Once upon a time, there was a little town by a large lake... everyone who lived there was content with what the lake provided."

2. The Forbidden Lake and the Legend of the Monster (06:02 - 06:13) The town abides by a longstanding superstition prohibiting anyone from swimming in the lake, fearing a monstrous creature beneath its surface that drags swimmers to their doom. The crabman's daughter, however, dismisses these tales as mere folklore and is determined to challenge the status quo.

3. Defiance and the First Swim (05:43 - 10:33) Ignoring the warnings, the crabman's daughter rallies the other young women of the town to join her in swimming under the starlit sky. Initially skeptical, the other daughters are convinced when Adam narrates how they miraculously learn to swim with ease, defying their lack of prior experience. Their fearless plunge into the lake ignites a sense of empowerment and unity among them.

   Notable Quote:

   Frank Sava von Scharva [09:01]: "Can't we just catch fireflies and call it a night?"

4. The Consequences and Tribute Day (13:00 - 15:48) The following day, the fishermen discover an inexplicable shortage of fish, interpreted as a curse linked to the daughters' rebellion. As Tribute Day approaches—a day when the king demands offerings of fish—the village faces dire consequences. When the king arrives, his demand shifts from fish to take one of the daughters as his queen, targeting the crabman's daughter.

5. Transformation into Mermaids (16:20 - 28:39) Refusing the king's proposition, the crabman's daughter swims back into the lake, where a mystical transformation unfolds. The daughters emerge with scales and mermaid tails, revealing their true, enchanted forms. This metamorphosis symbolizes their liberation from oppressive roles and showcases their newfound strength and autonomy.

   Notable Quote:

   Frank Sava von Scharva [25:00]: "They're getting gills."

6. The King’s Defeat and Village Prosperity (28:39 - 30:00) The enchanted transformation incapacitates the king and his entourage, who flee in terror. The young women, now mermaids, bring abundant fish to the village, ensuring prosperity without further tributes. Their transformation also attracts visitors fascinated by their miraculous abilities, solidifying their role as protectors and providers for the community.

   Notable Quote:

   Frank Sava von Scharva [29:58]: "They're mermaids."

Audience Interactions and Insights

Throughout the episode, the young listeners actively engage with the story, providing humorous and insightful commentary that highlights contemporary perspectives on traditional tales. Their interactions not only add levity but also encourage critical thinking about themes such as autonomy, rebellion against societal norms, and the empowerment of marginalized individuals.

Examples of Engagement:

• Frank Sava von Scharva [07:07]: "This guy is horribly sexist."
• Chicken Daring [11:23]: "If you don't know how to swim, should you jump in water?"
• Frank Sava von Scharva [22:03]: "Girls are not just toys. Girls are not toys. They're living beings."

These exchanges underscore the show's commitment to making ancient narratives relevant and thought-provoking for modern audiences.

Conclusion

Adam Gidwitz masterfully weaves a dark, yet inspiring tale that challenges traditional gender roles and celebrates the courage to defy unjust norms. “The Crabman's Daughter” serves as a testament to the enduring power of fairy tales to convey profound messages through engaging storytelling. The episode concludes with the triumphant transformation of the daughters into mermaids, ensuring their legacy as symbols of strength and resilience within their community.

Final Notable Quote:

Adam Gidwitz [30:00]: "From then on, the fishermen of the little town by the large lake would go out every day... and they lived happily ever after. The end."

Production Credits

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest is a Pinna original production, meticulously crafted by Adam Gidwitz, with contributions from Ali Horne, Ilana Milner, Paula Gammon Wilson, and a talented voice cast. The episode is a blend of vivid narration, dynamic character interactions, and immersive sound design, bringing the dark fairy tale to life.

Final Thoughts

“The Crabman's Daughter” episode stands out as a compelling example of how traditional stories can be reimagined to resonate with contemporary values and audiences. Through Adam Gidwitz’s engaging storytelling and the interactive participation of young listeners, the episode not only entertains but also imparts meaningful lessons on empowerment and challenging outdated societal expectations.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, this episode offers a richly layered narrative that captivates and inspires, embodying the essence of what makes Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest a beloved and award-winning podcast.

Transcript

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Pinna.

[Nathaniel the Boar Knight]

The Boar Knight, a fantasy musical podcast suitable for all ages. Brought to you by fool and Scholar Productions. Follow Nathaniel the Boar Knight and the friends he meets along his journey as he's bitten by a wereman and must break the curse before the full moon. Listen to the Boar Knight wherever you get your podcasts or learn [e-mail] we're chicken daring.

[Chicken Daring]

Chicken Daring.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Now tonight, here comes the Boar Knight.

[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, grim 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 on a scale of grim, Grimmer and Grimmest. This story is grimmer. There is fear and there is evil, and there is a whole lot of weird. 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.

[Chicken Daring]

So are you coming in?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Grim Grimmer Grimace.

[Chicken Daring]

All right, everybody, I think we should start the story.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yay.

[Chicken Daring]

This is, I promise you, a very, very weird story.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yay. Frank Sava von Scharva.

[Adam Gidwitz]

It is indeed based on a story.

[Chicken Daring]

By Franz Xava Von Schoenvert.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yay. Wait, can I try it? Can I try it?

[Chicken Daring]

Go ahead.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Franz Schoenvut.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Beautiful.

[Chicken Daring]

Alright, well, this is a story by that guy, however you say his name.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Once upon a time, there was a little town by a large lake. The men who lived in the town made their living by fishing while their wives and daughters did the chores at home. Some of the Men fished for trout, some fished for bass, some fished for flounder, and some fished for crab.

[Chicken Daring]

No one around the big lake had much money because there weren't all that.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Many fish in the lake. And there were no other jobs in the town. So they made do with what they had and were grateful for whatever the lake provided.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Did they fish for hamsters?

[Crabman's Daughter]

No.

[Adam Gidwitz]

No, they didn't.

[Chicken Daring]

There were no hamsters in the lake.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Hamster. They should have.

[Chicken Daring]

There is a story that we did called hamster from the water. Right. So.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking that.

[Chicken Daring]

Reasonable question. Reasonable question.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Now, the crab fisherman, or crabman, as he was called, well, he was in.

[Chicken Daring]

Fact kind of crabby.

[Adam Gidwitz]

You see, his wife had passed away many years ago, and he worked hard with his nets and crab trap to eke out a living as a crabman. But most days, he only brought back one big crab for him and his daughter to share for dinner.

[Crabman]

Daughter, I'm home. Just one crab again today. Daughter. Daughter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

But while the crabman worked hard all day to catch a single crab, his daughter was not at home. Like, she was supposed to be doing her chores and taking care of the house. Instead, she was running around causing trouble, getting her only dress all muddy, playing pranks on people, or sneaking out late at night and running under the bright and sparkling stars.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

That's me.

[Chicken Daring]

That's you?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yes.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Why is that?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Like you, I'm always getting dirty and playing in mud. I brought back crawdad remains from the lake today.

[Adam Gidwitz]

That's super cool. You seem to have a lot in.

[Chicken Daring]

Common with the crabman's daughter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Of all the things the crabman's daughter loved to do, running and playing under the twinkling stars at night was her favorite. But what she really longed to do more than anything was to swim in the large lake.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Why didn't she?

[Chicken Daring]

Good question.

[Adam Gidwitz]

You see, it was forbidden. No one was allowed to swim in the lake. No one had ever been allowed to swim in the lake for generations and generations. Because.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Because the crabs and fish would bite and pinch people and pull them to the bottom of the lake and drown them.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Whoa.

[Chicken Daring]

That got really dark really fast. First I was like, yeah, just fish bite, but then. And they're drowned.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Dang, drown.

[Chicken Daring]

Any other theories about why they can't.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Swim in the lake?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

There's a sea monster in the lake.

[Chicken Daring]

You think there's a sea monster?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Just a monster. Not a sea monster. Because it's a lake, people. It's a sea.

[Chicken Daring]

So it would be a lake monster.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Lake monster.

[Chicken Daring]

Okay. Lake monster?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Well, no one was allowed to swim in the lake because the townspeople believed that there was a monster who lived in it and anyone who swam in it would be dragged to the bottom and drowned. The monster never bothered the fishermen in their boats, but often the fishermen saw strange sparkling things beneath the surface of the la. And when they did, they said it was the teeth of the monster. But the crabman's daughter didn't believe in old stories about monsters. She wanted to swim in the lake very much. One evening, after a long and very hard day fishing, the crabman sat his daughter down and said, you are of marrying age now.

[Crabman]

Why can't you be a nice, well behaved young woman who cooks and sews and chooses one of the fishermen of the village to marry? It's all I've ever wanted for you.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter was furious.

[Crabman's Daughter]

What if that's not all I've ever wanted for myself?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

This guy is horribly sexist.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Why?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Because he's like, you're a girl, so you have to cook and clean and support him.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Very interesting.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

She's this free spirit and she doesn't want to go cooking and sewing and marrying someone who will always want to spend time with her.

[Chicken Daring]

Yeah, who wants to marry someone who spends time with you.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yeah, that's boring.

[Chicken Daring]

And look, there are some people who don't find cooking and sewing boring at all. Some people, that's what they want to do. But the crabman's daughter, it's not what she wants to do.

[Adam Gidwitz]

You see, every woman in the town by the big lake was a fisherman's wife and kept up the home while her husband tried to catch enough food for their supper. But the crabman's daughter didn't want that. She wanted to explore the world and run under the stars and to swim. More than anything else, she wanted to swim in the big lake. And so that very evening she spread word around to the other young women in the town to meet her by the lake at midnight. That night, just before midnight, all the young women in the town crept quietly out of their houses and made their way through the empty streets down to the edge of the lake. As the stars shone brightly down upon them, the other fisherman's daughters rubbed the goosebumps on their arms and wondered why the crabman's daughter had gathered them there. And then they found out. The crabman's daughter said, tonight we swim.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

What, are you crazy?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Said the troutman's daughter.

[Crabman's Daughter]

We can't swim in the lake.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Said the bass man's daughter. What about the monster. The crabman's daughter scoffed.

[Crabman's Daughter]

There's no monster. That's just a story the old folks tell.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The flounderman's daughter seemed a bit nervous.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Can't we just catch fireflies and call it a night?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter cocked her head, gave the young women a salute, turned her back and dove into the dark water. The crabman's daughter had never swum before, and yet she took to the water naturally, like she was born to swim. The lake water was deep and dark and silky. It was the perfect temperature, and when she opened her eyes, she felt like she was swimming through the night sky. Stars appeared to twinkle from the depths of the water. She kicked her legs and swam deeper toward the underwater stars. And as she swam, the star, like twinkling at the bottom of the lake, seemed to blink.

[Crabman's Daughter]

Are those eyes?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

She thought, knew it.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Unafraid, the crabman's daughter kept swimming toward the glowing lights at the bottom of the lake. Meanwhile, on the shore, the other young women began to worry.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Oh, shoe buckles. She drowned, didn't she?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Said the troutman's daughter. Nonsense.

[Chicken Daring]

The monster got her, said the bass man's daughter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Her dad is gonna kill us, said the flounderman's daughter. The young women had nearly broken into tears when suddenly they heard a splash. The crabman's daughter had emerged. She was gliding along the surface of the lake with an easy backstroke. She called to the young women, laughing.

[Crabman's Daughter]

Catch any fireflies?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The young women looked at one another, scared and thrilled by what the crabman's daughter had done. And one by one, the other young woman jumped into the lake. And somehow, despite never having been in the water before, they all swam easily and gracefully. Soon they were doing somersaults and playing water games and laughing gleefully.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

That is very unfair. What if they don't know how to swim? They jump in the water. They gracefully glide and then they're playing, doing somersaults and playing water tag. Yeah, for us it's boring swim lessons and hard. Yeah, we don't just jump into the water and swim easily.

[Chicken Daring]

That's a great point.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

We have to take classes. This is a fairy tale. No complaining.

[Chicken Daring]

Now, question about that. If you don't know how to swim, should you jump in water?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

No, no, no. Definitely no. Especially without parents around or, like, supervisors.

[Chicken Daring]

What if you do know how to swim and there are no grownups around?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

No, no.

[Chicken Daring]

Correct.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The young women were enjoying themselves so much that they completely lost track of time. Before they knew it, the sky had turned pink and the sun was beginning to rise. Knowing that all their fathers would soon.

[Chicken Daring]

Be awake and on their way down.

[Adam Gidwitz]

To the lake to start their daily fishing, the young women swam to the shore and hurried home. When the crabman's daughter got back to her cottage, she quietly slipped off her shoes and tiptoed into. Where have you been?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

You scared me.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman was standing behind the door with his crab net in his hand. His daughter said, nowhere.

[Crabman]

Your hair and your clothes are soaking wet. You didn't go swimming in the lake, did you?

[Crabman's Daughter]

Of course not, Father.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Just then, a tiny fish fell out of her pocket.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Oops.

[Crabman]

You lied to me.

[Chicken Daring]

The crabman shouted.

[Adam Gidwitz]

His daughter rolled her eyes.

[Crabman's Daughter]

It's no big deal. Nothing bad happened.

[Crabman]

You're lucky you weren't taken by the monster.

[Crabman's Daughter]

There is no monster.

[Adam Gidwitz]

She shot back. But then she thought about the eyes at the bottom of the lake, and she was not sure. The crabman went on, I was worried sick.

[Crabman]

I delayed going out on the lake, and I have to catch twice as many crabs today.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter paused, confused.

[Crabman's Daughter]

Why?

[Crabman]

Why don't you ever think about anyone but yourself? Today is Tribute Day. The king is coming, just as he comes every year to take our tribute of fish. And if I don't catch enough crabs for the tribute, the king can take whatever he wants from us as a tribute instead. Our home, my fishing nets, anything.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crab Man's daughter had forgotten about Tribute Day. She hung her head in shame.

[Crabman's Daughter]

I'm sorry, Father.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Her father crabbily collected his nets and marched off to the lake.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Crabberly. It's hilarious because he's a crab fisher.

[Chicken Daring]

I'm glad you think that's hilarious.

[Adam Gidwitz]

That day, however, something happened that had never happened before. The crabman didn't catch a single crab. The troutman didn't catch one trout. The bassman, not one bass. The flounderman, not one flounder. As far as the fisherman could tell, there was not a single fish in the lake to be caught. Later that evening, the crabman and his daughter gathered in the town square with all the other families of the town, waiting for the king to arrive.

[Crabman]

You cursed us.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Hissed the crab man at his daughter.

[Crabman]

You swam in the lake and cursed us all. What will we offer to the king as tribute now?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

So he's just blaming it all on his daughter that he didn't catch fish?

[Chicken Daring]

Good point.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

It could just be that he's incompetent.

[Chicken Daring]

It could just be that he's incompetent.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Incompetence.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Just then the king and his followers clattered into the square. The king rode in a carriage drawn by four enormous horses, and his men rode on great steeds all around him. The king got down from his carriage.

[King]

And announced, it is now time for the village by the lake to offer their tribute.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king's men held out their baskets, expecting fish. They waited and waited, and none of the fishermen had anything to offer them.

[King]

Nothing?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king asked in disbelief.

[King]

Not a flounder. Not a single crab.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The fishermen hung their heads and glowered at their daughters out of the corners of their eyes. The king followed their gazes and said, very well then.

[King]

I will take one of your daughters as my wife.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no, no. Just knew it. It will happen.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king turned and pointed at the daughters of the fishermen.

[King]

Eemy Mimi, Mimi Mo.

[Chicken Daring]

And who do you think his finger landed on?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Crabman's daughter. The crab man's daughter.

[Chicken Daring]

That's right. The crabman's daughter.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter cried, no. And the crabman cried, yes.

[Crabman]

This is a good thing. You're going to be queen.

[Crabman's Daughter]

I'm going to be sick.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

I'm gonna be sick.

[Adam Gidwitz]

But the crabman said, well, you can.

[Crabman]

Throw up after the wedding.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman turned to the king.

[Crabman]

She would be honored to marry you.

[Crabman's Daughter]

No, I wouldn't.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Cried the crabman's daughter. Her father pleaded with her.

[Crabman]

Oh, please, be sensible. You didn't want to be a fisherman's wife. Now you don't have to be. You get to be queen.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

She doesn't want to be a wife. Yeah. Did you just hear her? She's like, I will puke. I will be like, let me help you. Let me help you. I will make the king puke. Then I will make your father puke that they will go and join a puke club. I would just be like, I'd. I would rather marry one of those dead crabs than marry.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter shouted, I won't marry him. And she took off running toward the lake. Everyone watched in astonishment as she dove in and disappeared beneath the water. The crabman's daughter swam deeper than she had the night before. She swam toward those glowing, glittering eyes. She swam and she swam, holding her breath for so long that everyone ashore was certain she had drowned. After many minutes, she finally resurfaced on the other end of the lake. She took her time swimming back to the shore, and when she finally came out of the water, she was holding two of the largest crabs anyone had ever seen. She threw one crab at her father and one at the king.

[Crabman's Daughter]

And she said, there, now you have your tribute.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Everyone was astonished, but the king said.

[King]

Well, that was my crab tribute. But what about all the other fish?

[Adam Gidwitz]

The troutman pushed his daughter toward the king.

[Crabman]

Here, she'll be your queen, right, sweetie?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

No, no.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The troutman's daughter looked between her father and the king. Suddenly she went sprinting toward the lake. She jumped into the water and came out holding two giant trout. Then the bassman's daughter did the same, and the flounderman's daughter too. All the fisherman's daughters did. And at last the king had to take these tributes and leave the village without a wife.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Bam. Take that evil.

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[Pinna]

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 add 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.

[Adam Gidwitz]

For the next 12 months, the only people in the town who could catch fish were the young women and not in their father's boats either. Neither net nor rod could catch fish. Only the young women swimming freely in the lake could bring back supper for their families. Word spread around the kingdom, and soon people traveled from far and wide to watch the young women catch fish in the small town by the big lake. They were a marvel.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Wow, look at all the fish they're catching.

[Adam Gidwitz]

They were famous.

[King]

I came all the way from two villages over to see this.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And they were proud. None was as proud as the crabman's daughter. She was helping, she was working, and she was swimming. And her father, who didn't have to sweat in his little crab boat with his net in his traps, well, he wasn't quite so crabby anymore.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

It's still hilarious.

[Adam Gidwitz]

A year passed, and the king returned to the village once again for tribute day. The fisherman were ready. Their daughters had caught a huge pile of fish to give to the king. But this time he didn't want fish.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

I hate this dude.

[Adam Gidwitz]

This time he had brought kings from many other kingdoms with him. They'd all heard about the marvelous young women of the little town by the big lake, and they all wanted to take one as a wife.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Excuse me. Girls are not just toys. Girls are not toys. They're living beings. You can't just take one and claim them at his w. We are not items. We are women. And we are terrifying. So be afraid.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Yes, the king announced.

[King]

You all get to be queens.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman's daughter shouted.

[Crabman's Daughter]

You can't do that. We've offered you fish.

[King]

I can do that. I'm the king. I can do whatever I want.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king went on.

[King]

Besides, I'm no fool. You know what they say. Get a fisher's tribute, eat for a night, marry a fisherman's daughter, eat for a lifetime.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The crabman turned to his daughter.

[Crabman]

Are you sure you don't want to be a queen? It could be good for you and for the town.

[Crabman's Daughter]

His daughter replied, I don't want to be a queen.

[Adam Gidwitz]

She turned to the other daughters.

[Crabman's Daughter]

Do you?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Each daughter shook her head no.

[King]

The king said, well, I'm afraid you don't have a choice.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The king's soldiers hurried forward and tied ropes around each young woman. The fishermen and their wives shouted protests and wrung their hands with worry. The king's men had drawn their weapons, and there was nothing they could do about it. A great ceremony was organized right there by the lake where all the kings would marry their new queens at once. The young women were given wedding gowns and veils and flowers to carry. There was even a band at Sunset. The band played Here Comes the Bride, but it sounded very slow and mournful to all the people of the town. Beneath their veils, the fisherman's daughters were all crying, but there was nothing anyone could do.

[Chicken Daring]

What do you guys think of this wedding ceremony?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Terrible. Yeah, I hate it. They're so stupid and mean. I hope if the monster is real in this fairy tale, I hope it just comes up and eats them all.

[Adam Gidwitz]

As the crabman's daughter was brought before the king, the king smiled, lifted his bride's veil, and he screamed, feace. The other kings lifted their bride's veils as well. Each and every one of the fisherman's daughters had scales on their faces. The scales made rivers down the sides of their noses and down their cheeks. Rivers that seemed to follow the tracks of their. And as their tears fell, the scales spread across their faces. And then something really terrifying happened. Strange cuts seemed to open on the young women's necks. But they weren't cuts.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

They're getting gills.

[Adam Gidwitz]

They were gills. All the kings began to scream and shout, monsters.

[King]

They're monsters.

[Adam Gidwitz]

For a moment, there was madness, Pandemonium. But then the king regained control. Silence. And he declared, these fish women must be killed.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Killed?

[Chicken Daring]

Not just killed.

[King]

Roasted like fish.

[Adam Gidwitz]

A great bonfire was built out of old driftwood, and the young women were tied to spits like fish to be roasted for dinner and were put over the fire. And the fishermen and their wives wept for their daughters. And Crabman cried the hardest.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Crying won't do anything. You can just revolution.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The bonfire was lit, and the flames roared up around the young women. The fishermen and their wives and daughters all cried for mercy. But the king wouldn't listen. He just watched as the sky turned orange from the flames and black from the smoke. The only one from the village who did not cry was the crabman's daughter. She just looked at the lake and waited. The flames began to roast the young women's scales and singe their hair, which was now the color of sea foam. When suddenly the big sea monster, the earth, began to rumble and tall waves rose up from the lake. And an enormous sea green mermaid head with eyes that glittered like stars emerged from the water. As she rose, waves came crashing out of the lake, over the shore and onto the bonfire, extinguishing the flames. What is that thing? The monster. Whoa.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Maybe the crab man's daughter gazed at the river because she wanted the mermaid to come.

[Chicken Daring]

Maybe so.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And then the king and his men and all the other kings and all the townspeople watched in awe as the enormous mermaid opened her mouth and a giant bridge of water rose from her throat and extended straight onto the pyre. The burnt ropes that had held the young women on the spit fell apart. The crabman's daughter gazed up at the enormous mermaid and then turned to the other young women. She took a deep breath and said, shall we? The fisherman's daughters nodded. Together they all walked onto the bridge of water as if it were made of stone. And they followed the bridge straight into the enormous mermaid's jaws. Then the mermaid closed her mouth and descended back into the lake.

[Chicken Daring]

What are you all thinking about?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

They got eaten.

[Chicken Daring]

They got eaten.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

They just got eaten. It's a secret base.

[Chicken Daring]

It's their secret base.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Okay, so some people think that they got it.

[Chicken Daring]

Some people think it's their secret base inside the mermaid. Let's find out.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Well, the kings all ran straight out of that little village and they never came back.

[Chicken Daring]

Not for fish, not for wives.

[Adam Gidwitz]

They wouldn't have come back if you dragged them by the mouth with a fish hook.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Yay.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The people of the village rushed to the edge of the lake. And there they wept for the young women. There had been a monster in the lake after all, and the monster had taken the young women. But had it eaten them or saved them?

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Well, either the mermaid was like inside of her was like the mermaid land, or she was just holding her in her mouth and in their mouth. And then when they got to the water they'd be like, wow.

[Chicken Daring]

So either inside of the mermaid was a mermaid land or when she got into the water, they all came out. Interesting idea.

[Adam Gidwitz]

The fishermen mourned their daughters for many days. But last they had to go back out into their boats to see if they could catch food for their suppers, for they had nothing to eat. As the prows of their boats cut through the surface of the lake, something very surprising happened. Fish began to jump onto the the decks of their boats. They were all so confused what was going on Just then, all around the boats, the fishermen saw their daughters, their daughters swimming. But now their daughters faces were covered with blue scales and their hair was sea foam green.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

They're mermaids.

[Adam Gidwitz]

And the crabman's daughter jumped up onto the bow of her father's boat and flipped her mermaid tail. And she smiled. From then on, the fishermen of the little town by the large lake would go out every day. And they would bring their wives too. And their daughters would throw them fish and lean over the bows of their families boats and talk, or even lounge on their decks and bask in the sun. The young women spent the rest of their lives as mermaids, laughing and splashing and playing tag and swimming through the water that looked just like the sparkling, starry night sky. And they lived happily ever after. The end.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

What's the title?

[Chicken Daring]

And what's the title? Good question. The title of the original story is the Mermaids the Jaws of the Mermaid.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

Why didn't you say that the first time?

[Adam Gidwitz]

Because I didn't want to give away.

[Chicken Daring]

The craziest thing that happens in that story, which is that a giant mermaid comes out of the water and they all walk into her jaws, which is just the most von Stunworth thing I've ever heard in my life.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

I never would have guessed that.

[Chicken Daring]

No, no, you're right. I never would have guessed it either.

[Frank Sava von Scharva]

This is definitely a story from Franz Cassandra Von Schmidt.

[Chicken Daring]

It totally is that. It's absolutely a Franz Klavomo schedvert detail.

[Alexis Ohanian]

Super weird.

[Chicken Daring]

I could not have made that up if I tried. Not a chance.

[Adam Gidwitz]

Grim Grimmer Grimmest is a Pinna original production Created, written and narrated by me, Adam Gidwitz, author of A Tale Dark and Grim co written by Ali Horne Produced and edited by Ilana Milner Casting by Paula Gammon Wilson Voice direction by Alana 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 Allison 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 Morerra. Special thanks to all the kids who joined us for our storytelling sessions. You guys are awesome.

[Alexis Ohanian]

Hi, I'm Alexis Ohanian. You may know me as one of the co founders of Reddit, but more recently, a large part of my identity is being a father to my two wonderful daughters. In my podcast Business Dad, I'm hoping to open up the conversation about balancing careers and family. The one thing I constantly hear successful people say, without fail, is that they wish they'd spent more time with their kids. That's time no one can get back. So I decided to create Business dad to engage in the conversation about how we're spending our time now, providing a forum for successful dads to share their joys and challenges of being a working parent. You'll get to hear from a wide range of business dads, from Rainn Wilson and Guy Raz to Todd Carmichael and Shane Battier. And while this podcast will talk about business and will definitely be featuring dads, I think everyone can learn something from these incredible conversations as we unpack the expectations we all have about careers, relationships and ourselves. Business dad is available now, so be sure to listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.