Podcast Summary:

Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages
Episode: Throwback: The Princess’s Excellent Birthday Party (December 2, 2025)
Host: Amanda Weldon / Starglow Media / Wondery

Episode Overview

This episode features a throwback to one of Stories Podcast's classic episodes, “The Princess’s Excellent Birthday Party.” The story is a whimsical, original fairy tale inspired by a Macedonian folktale. It’s a heartfelt and humorous exploration of listening to others’ wishes, the chaos of over-the-top celebration, and creative problem-solving. The episode is designed to delight children and adults alike with memorable characters—especially the strong-willed princess and her overly enthusiastic father, the king—and a pair of bumbling trolls.

Key Discussion Points & Story Insights

1. The King’s Party Planning Escalates

• The king wants to throw his daughter the biggest birthday party ever.
• He invites everyone in the kingdom, including family, friends, castle workers, and even all the animals.
• Despite the princess’s requests for a small, quiet party, the king continues expanding the invitation list.
  • Quote (Princess):
    “I’d really rather just have, like, a little thing. Maybe a couple friends and—” (03:39)
  • Quote (King, ignoring):
    “Nonsense! My little girl needs the biggest party ever!” (03:45)
• The invitation spree grows comically out of control, eventually involving riders sent out to the far corners of the land.
  • Quote (King):
    “Get our 100 fastest men and our 100 fastest horses. Riders, ride! Ride and spread the word of my daughter’s excellent birthday party!” (05:07)

2. Unintended Consequences—Trolls Crash the Party

• News of the party spreads so far it reaches two mountain trolls, who both love kidnapping princesses and decide to attend uninvited.
• The party is enormous, and the princess feels overlooked and miserable amid the crowd.
  • Quote (Princess):
    “I told you I just wanted something small and you invited literally everyone.” (06:52)
• The trolls break down the castle gates, each intent on capturing the princess.
  • Quote (Crunch McBones, first troll):
    “Me name Crunch McBones. Me here take your princess.” (07:52)
  • Quote (Bones, second troll, pushing the first):
    “No! Me name Bones. Me Crunch and me here, take your princess!” (08:02)
• The trolls argue, break furniture, and cause chaos at the party.

3. Princess’s Cleverness—The Three Challenges

• The princess keeps her cool and devises a contest to distract the trolls until sunrise (when, according to lore, trolls turn to stone).

• She announces three challenges:
  1. Test of Strength:

  • Whoever can lift the biggest boulder wins. Crunch wins this round.
  • Quote (Crunch):
    “Crunch get Princess.” (11:22)

  2. Test of Speed:

  • A race to a distant wall and back. Bones wins this round.
  • Quote (Bones):
    “Bones win. Bones get Princess.” (12:27)

  3. Test of Wit (Riddle):

  • The princess poses a riddle about the sun, buying time as dawn approaches.
  • Trolls struggle to answer, and she gives them a final hint:
    • Quote (Princess):
      “It’s right behind you.” (14:51)
  • Suddenly, the sunrise turns the trolls into stone.
  • Memorable moment: The trolls’ dramatic transformation and relieved celebration.
    • Quote (King):
      “Sweet mother of monkeys… Are they...are they stone?” (15:12)

4. Resolution and Moral

• The king realizes he should have listened to his daughter’s wishes.
  • Quote (King):
    “Oh, sorry, darling. I should have listened to what you wanted. I got so caught up in having a huge party, I accidentally got the trolls invited.” (15:51)
• The next day, the princess gets her wish—a small, joyful party with just her family and closest friends.
• The trolls' statues are incorporated into a fountain as a quirky birthday present.
  • Quote (Narrator):
    "The king just built a fountain around [the trolls], said it was a statue, and called the whole thing a birthday present." (16:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Princess, wishing for a quieter party:
  “Can’t I just have, like, a little party? You and mom and maybe some of my friends...but, like, just a couple?” (04:43)

• The onset of chaos:
  “At that instant, something heavy smashed into the castle gates. They had been shut once everyone had arrived, and now the wood trembled and strained.” (07:17)

• On the power of riddles and quick thinking:
  “Well, I guess neither one of you gets to kidnap me then.” (13:07)
  “It’s right behind you.” (14:51)

• Heartwarming closure:
  “Maybe tomorrow we can have a little party, just like the family and a couple of my friends.” (16:05)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 02:41 | Start of the story: “The Princess’s Excellent Birthday Party” | | 04:43 | Princess pleads for a small party | | 05:07 | King escalates invitations to 100 riders | | 07:17 | Trolls arrive and break into the party | | 08:30 | Princess begins her clever plan with the trolls | | 09:50 | Beginning of the three challenges | | 11:04 | Test of Strength | | 11:44 | Test of Speed | | 12:46 | Test of Wit (Riddle) | | 14:51 | Sunrise—Trolls turn to stone | | 15:51 | The king apologizes and learns his lesson | | 16:28 | The trolls become a fountain—happy ending |

Tone and Style

The episode maintains a playful, imaginative, and light-hearted tone throughout, with engaging narration and lively voice acting. The princess’s wit and the king’s exuberance are balanced by humor and valuable lessons about listening, respect, and creative thinking.

Summary

“The Princess’s Excellent Birthday Party” is a charming, adventurous tale that emphasizes the importance of listening to others’ wishes and the value of creative problem-solving. With memorable characters, gentle humor, and a satisfying resolution, it offers an entertaining moral wrapped in a delightfully fun bedtime story.