This 17th-century Chinese story tells the tale of a young, married businessman who meets a beautiful concubine. He brings her home, thinking his life will be perfect — only to realize she is hiding a deadly secret…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the earliest murder mysteries comes from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales. After a dead body is found in the Tigris River, the caliph’s adviser is tasked with solving the crime. If he fails, he and his family will suffer a similar fate… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling…  Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest...

The stranger's beans led Jack to the land of the giants... but will he be able to escape? And how will the discovery of a dangerous magical land save him from poverty? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An iconic tale, this story tells how a young boy makes a foolhardy gamble to save himself and his mother from starvation. Would you sell your only hope for a handful of magic beans?

In this ancient Ibibio tale, beauty is a questionable gift for a young heroine who just wants some friends to visit a festival with. Instead, she finds herself wrapped up in a story of betrayal — and brutal revenge.

In this ancient Finnish folk tale, a fisherman is forced to give his daughters to the evil sea spirit, Wetehinen. After two daughters disobey the supernatural being, he kills them. But the fisherman's youngest daughter devises a plan to bring her sisters back to life, and destroy Wetehinen once and for all.

From the Philippines, this folktale personifies goodness and wickedness in the form of two rival siblings. But it’s not only a lesson in morality — it’s an origin story for a lake event that’s tied to the Pasig River.

As the truth of their abandonment sinks in, Hansel and Gretel begin to despair — until the tantalizing smell of gingerbread leads them to a house of sweets. But the sugary cottage hides a rotten core, and the children are left to determine how to outwit a witch.

In the midst of a famine, a father and his wife lead their children deep into a forest. They mean to leave them there in a desperate bid for survival. And though Hansel and Gretel prove to be clever and capable, their stepmother is a determined adversary.

Barefoot and dejected, a young girl tries in vain to sell matches on a frigid New Year’s Eve. As the temperature dips ever lower, she strikes matches for herself, and has visions of an all-embracing warmth. 

The clock’s winding down on the final moments of the year and people around the world are putting their charms and traditions to work, shoring up good fortune for the future. But it’s not always our own personal luck that’s on the line… In this story, a night of superstitions weaves together the fates of merrymakers eager for fresh starts.  This episode is presented by Superstitions, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Superstitions free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

He’s faced his ghosts, and reckoned with his past. But after decades of relentless self-enrichment, how can Scrooge truly redeem himself?

A miserly old man. A long-dead business partner. And the sound of rattling chains… In this iconic ghost story by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge is forced to look back through his life and ponder when he lost his humanity.

This disturbing folktale from the 17th century tells of two elderly, impoverished sisters who pull a prank on a king using tallow and twine. But when their ruse is discovered, only one is left unscathed. 

In 18th century Boston, a bewitching woman wraps herself in pride as a doctor scrambles to prevent an outbreak of smallpox. 

You know you can find love in a bar… on an app… Why not a podcast? Every week on Blind Dating, one hopeful single is introduced to two potential matches in a virtual hangout — no cameras allowed. This week, listen in as Pauler, a 33-year-old dancer from Australia, meets a tutor who falls for mama’s boys and a one-time swinger who’s “lived and learned” in LA. Is personality enough to spark a lasting connection? Listen to find out… and don’t miss the twist at the end! Blind Dating is free on...

After demanding his freedom from a plantation owner, a young orphan makes his way into a world filled with dangerous rogues and life-saving magic. 

Today we’re bringing you a special episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Mythical Monsters on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  Hailing from Arthurian Legend, the Questing Beast is an enigma layered with symbolism and competing interpretations. With a bizarre appearance — and even more confounding purpose — the barking animal conjures a sense of immense strangeness.

She may have escaped from the Queen's castle, but Snow White’s challenges are far from over. Will the new family she finds in the woods be enough to protect her from the queen's wrath?

A brothers Grimm classic, Snow White is a truly timeless story. In this episode, experience the strange origins of the titular character, and the jealousy that made her childhood perilous...

First recorded in 1904, this story is similar to France’s “Bluebeard,” with a uniquely Palestinian twist. In a land that is so often torn apart by struggle, its main character will not be taken without a fight.

After a failed proposal to the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod takes his heartbreak to the stables, borrowing a horse for a quick nighttime ride… where he encounters the headless terror who haunts Sleepy Hollow. 

Parcast Network is spinning a web of new shows and special programming to celebrate our favorite season. Follow us into the darkest depths of history, mystery, and the human mind — starting with this episode of Crime Countdown! Hosts Ash and Alaina are ranking the top 10 haunted crime scenes, including an Irish castle with a deadly trap door and the home of a ghostly bride.  If you enjoy this episode, search Crime Countdown to find more passionate takes on top-ten rankings. Listen free on...

When a teacher named Ichabod Crane moves to Sleepy Hollow, he's intrigued by tales of the Headless Horseman, said to haunt the town. But he soon learns that the ghost might be more than just a story…