Episode Overview
Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Ripley's Believe It Or Not - 1 Minute Episodes (295) "Deadly Stone"
Air Date: September 13, 2025
Theme: The episode takes listeners into two astonishing true stories: the mysterious survival of "Old Rip," a horned toad, sealed in a courthouse cornerstone for three decades; and the macabre history of an Aztec sacrificial stone housed in the National Museum in Mexico City. Both tales exemplify the classic Ripley's theme—revealing the unbelievable yet true wonders and tragedies in human and animal history.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Old Rip: The Immortal Toad
[00:00-00:23]
- The episode opens with the iconic Ripley's phrase: "Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is the proof."
- Host recounts the story of W.M. Wood of Eastland, Texas, who in 1897 sealed a horned toad, known as "Old Rip," inside the cornerstone of the local courthouse.
- Remarkably, "Old Rip" was removed alive in 1928, after 31 years without food or water.
- This segment encapsulates belief-defying survival and becomes a testament to Ripley's focus on the extraordinary.
Notable Quote:
"Old Rip lived without food or water for 31 years, believe it or not." – Host (A), [00:17]
2. The Aztec Sacrificial Stone: History’s Bloodiest Relic
[00:24-01:00]
- The episode shifts abruptly from animal wonder to human history with a chilling piece about ritual sacrifice.
- Listeners are told about the National Museum in Mexico City, which displays a "carved circular stone about 7ft across."
- Identified as a sacrificial altar used by the Aztecs, it is dubbed "the bloodiest spot on earth."
- Despite their reputation for civilization and peacefulness, the Aztecs are revealed to have practiced large-scale human sacrifice.
- Over a million people reportedly had their hearts cut out on this single stone in ancient rituals.
Notable Quote:
"Although the Aztecs were a comparatively mild and peaceful people who attained a high degree of civilization, they believed in human sacrifice." – Host (A), [00:38]
"On this stone, more than a million human beings have had their hearts cut out, believe it or not." – Host (A), [00:47]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- Striking Comparison: The episode moves from a miraculous individual survival story to a monument commemorating mass death, highlighting the full spectrum of "believe it or not" curiosities.
- Surprising Fact: The host challenges common views of Aztecs, first calling them "mild and peaceful," then juxtaposing this with a violent legacy of sacrifice.
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Story of Old Rip, the horned toad: [00:00–00:23]
- Introduction to the Aztec sacrificial stone: [00:24–00:32]
- Description and historical context of the stone: [00:33–01:00]
Summary
This brisk, classic-style Ripley's episode expertly transports listeners from the homespun mystery of a Texas courthouse to the grim spectacle of ancient Mexico. In the space of a minute, it encapsulates the wide-ranging wonders and horrors captured in the Ripley's universe: from a toad defying nature, to a stone echoing with the sacrifice of a million lives. Each tale underscores the podcast's mission—proving, in vivid detail, that truth is often stranger than fiction.