A fairy tale by the campfire – is it okay to scare kids into being good?

A fairy tale by the campfire – is it okay to scare kids into being good?

March 31, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

This episode explores the dark and scary elements of old fairy tales and their impact on children's behavior.

At Camp Short & Curly, the marshmallows are toasty, the swings are wild, and Molly’s Amazing Cool Book Club is about to begin — but her stories? YIKES! From creepy sea witches to thumb-chopping tailors, why were some old fairy tales so weird and scary? A quick warning: this episode includes some old fairytales which are pretty gross, dark and scary sometimes – they even mention violence and death. If you’re not in the mood for that, it might be a good idea to listen to a different episode instead.

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