430: Finnish folklore: Worn Out

pushed to harm themselves.

Please see the post on mythpodcast.com if this is of concern to you. This week, on myths and legends, it's the story of Osmo, Elona, and how if that hitchhiker is really laying that guilt trip on thick? You might want to make sure that it isn't an actual demon.

“Also, why you should work on your drawing skills.”

You might get your sister a date with the prince. The creature this time wants to invite you down to their watery house for dinner. Unfortunately, they send their invitations via invisible spears and you are the dinner. This is myths and legends, episode 430. Warn out.

This is a podcast where we tell stories from mythology and folklore.

Some are incredibly popular tales, you might think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth listening. Today we're in Finnish folklore, for something closer to a fairy tale. As it doesn't care about time, plays or history. We'll jump in as Osmo, the farmer's son turned shepherd, gets a visit from his lunchtime

buddy. Osmo took out his bread and cheese and sat down for lunch. It was a working lunch.

“Every lunch was, but it was honestly very similar to a lunch break.”

He was sitting in a field watching the king's flocks. He was a shepherd. His friend walked up beside him and took a seat on the rock. Osmo, the young man greeted the shepherd, and Osmo turned with a smile and a nod, offering his friend some of his lunch.

The young man waved it off politely. He had just eaten at the palace because he was the prince. How's it going? The prince asked Osmo, you know, same sheep different day Osmo said, taking a drink from his wine skin before I remember eating it.

Hey, I saw another procession is this European princess the one, the prince side. He wasn't sure what did Osmo think. Osmo said that she looked, she looked nice. Osmo, one of the things I value about our friendship over the last years that you can speak without an agenda.

So you can do so now without fear. The prince said, Osmo weighed his words. It would probably be good if her family stopped marrying their own cousins for a few generations. Like, we get it, your bloodline is pure, but pure what, they look like sea a tear. Who is she again?

The prince asked, oh, some places call her the mother of serpents, but she's more so a demon or a monster filled with unpleasantness. Osmo took another bite of his cheese. Oh, then absolutely yes, the prince said, with the unpleasantness part.

“Honestly, though, Osmo said that he was biased, up until last year just about the only girl”

he had ever seen was his sister, and while they had a perfectly normal and not weird relationship, he could also recognize beauty when he saw it, and he did not see it in any of those princesses. Are you telling me your sister is more beautiful than any of the princesses you've seen my father's ministers bring through town? The prince laughed.

Osmo though thought about it, yeah, actually, every single one, really, the prince grew even more incredulous, okay? Did Osmo think he could describe her? Osmo said, probably not.

He never really thought all that good, and his speaky word using was even not good or the

prince squinted as if to parse out if that was a bit, but press the subject. On some of the slower days, and since Osmo was a shepherd that was saying something, he saw Osmo sketching the sheep, and the landscapes out here, did could Osmo maybe draw her? Osmo said, sure, he could try.

Oh, my gosh, the prince looked down at the paper a couple hours later. It's not good, human eyes are hard, and what I do know is that either comes out non-existent or like the most obvious thing on the face. This isn't really a good representation of I love her, the prince interrupted, I'm in love. Do you think she might want to marry me?

That's a big question, maybe dial that back, but I can make an introduction, Osmo offered, and the prince gladly accepted, when could he come to Osmo's parents house? Osmo said that that might spook her, the prince showing up with his nights and proposing

was giddy, adding to Mary Osmo's sister the day he met her, if she would have him.

“And before the prince folded up the picture and put it in this pocket, closest to his heart,”

he pointed at something on the picture. What are those? Oh, those are stink lines, she's still my sister. Osmo approached the little farmhouse, on the edge of the forest. It hadn't been long, maybe a year since he left, and it was exactly the same.

Still he wondered what he might find inside. On his way in, he squatted down and set a load of his parents, and after a few moments, left the graves to go see his sister. Alone a smile when she saw him and rushing forward and braced her brother.

He looked around, she was doing well.

After their parents died, the two people who were a little more than children worked for years to eat out a life on the farm, and they did, but Osmo knew they had to be more.

“Also as he was remembering farm work, sitting in a field and watching some sheep did not”

seem so bad anymore. Alone a though, stayed, saying that she could manage on her own, and apparently she had. Now though she wouldn't have to, she could tell Osmo was excited about something because that something threatened to spill over, as she was answering his questions about the sort of that cow or chicken.

The princess in love with you, Osmo blurted, before alone a could get what is it that you want to tell me out? That surprised her. Osmo told her all about him, how they got to talking one day and he was really down to earth and how they had lunch together most days out in the field, he was a good man.

Very low chance of him going bluebeard. I want to say that she was happy to hear that, and then set with a sigh.

“Okay, that's not a, wow, great to hear all that life-changing good news, sigh, if there”

was a sigh that said all that, Osmo took a seat next to her. She said that it was the house. That it would be such a shame to leave the home where their family had lived for generations. Yeah, they lived, but not well. Asked Dad once how many of our ancestors starved to death here, it's not a small number,

Osmo said. I just, and Luma's eyes glanced toward the window. She couldn't bear to leave this old house until the grindstone, with which their family for generations ground their meal was worn out. Osmo stood up and, as Luma sat pensively, he followed her eye-lined to the barn.

"You know what? You're right," he said. Looking up with a look that was neither anxiety nor relief. Luma said she was absolutely. He clasped his sister on the shoulder. We won't leave until the grindstone wears out.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm going to the barn where I need complete privacy for four to six. He looked at the size of that millstone. Then let's say nine hours, alone a woke Osmo up the following day, next to the millstone. She poured out some weed on it, attached to the donkey, and, after less than a turn, the stone

absolutely crumbled. Wow, that is a sign if I ever saw one. Osmo stood marveling, it just fell apart, and that thing was big. It would completely wear a human out if they stood hammering away at it for hours, asking how I know, but actually don't, Osmo laughed, and then realized that he was nearly alone.

She was leaving the barn without a word. Following her into the house, she sat where she did the previous day. She couldn't leave it. Looking up to her brother, and then just to aside, she sat up straight. Not until the old stool, where our mothers had set spinning, these many generations was worn

through. Glancing to aside, Osmo grumbled. She was just saying stuff she was looking at now. Everything in this house was old and had been used for generations because it had to, because they had nothing from living in this house.

Taking a deep breath, Osmo mumbled that at least to stool was easier to break than that millstone.

The stool, the mortar and pestle, finally the door sill, falling to splinters at the

brush of her dress, and Alona sat looking at the floor.

Destroying the floor would be tough with her in the house, but he, I'm not ready to go. Alona said, "But I'll go. Is it mom and dad?"

“Osmo threw a thumb over a shoulder and Alona said no.”

They would be happy for her excited.

It was, she had never left and leaving their land to falter ruin, did feel like they

were losing something, but sometimes that was necessary. Sometimes you had to unburden yourself to move forward. As long as they were together, she knew she would be alright. She thanked her brother. For destroying all their old stuff, there was a kindness in it.

You knew, yeah, you were out in the barn hammering that millstone for like seven hours. Alona rose and began to pack. Nine, actually. Yeah, it would have been nice if they could have had that bitter sweet nature of change talk a week ago, but it was good they were having it now.

He was happy to help. The next morning, brother and sister hand in hand, emerged from the house with Alona's dog, Polka, running circles around their feet, Alona looked at Osmo with a nod. She was ready. They locked the door, though there was no need.

If everything went well, they would never have to come back here.

Also, Osmo had annihilated anything of value in the past few days anyway. Brother and sister carried a boat from the barn. He had left it for her and the event that she needed to go fishing for food, and the boat would make for a much shorter and safer trip back to the prince if not the less annoying one. Don't look Osmo whispered, Alona immediately looked.

Why would you do that? Osmo said as Alona's head snapped back, but she had already made eye contact. When you say don't look it's the one thing I want to do, it's almost pure reflex. Alona said, "Take me in your boat!" The woman standing on the shore of the sea, yelled while waving her arms.

“Besides, don't you think that we should help her, Alona asked?”

If I thought we should help her, I wouldn't have said, "Don't look, don't make eye contact."

What I know, we don't know who she is or what she wants.

Quote, "She may be evil," Osmo wrote on. "Hi! Two young people, I saw you look at me! You know I'm in need of help, yet you're refusing to even acknowledge me!" She cried out.

"Okay, this is getting really awkward," Alona pointed out. "Yeah, because you made eye contact," Osmo said. The woman though, kept at it, saying she wondered how they could think of themselves as good people, leaving such a poor, pitiful, sad woman alone in the wilderness. Thanks.

Guess I'll die. Hope you can sleep tonight. Think you'd have me huddled in the woods, a wolf at my door, which is really just a wet piece of bark lazily prop against a cave opening. What are you doing?

Alona asked, as Osmo stuck in the water, to turn the boat hard to the right. I'm picking her up. You want to meet, too, right? Osmo asked. But Alona said that the woman was laying it on really thick.

Now, and she almost wanted to not do it because at this point it felt like coercion. Well, she's right, sketchy or no, we shouldn't leave someone stranded in the woods. I mean, this is Finland, even in Summer, it's cold at night. Wiping the tears from her eyes and skipping over to the boat, the woman wedged herself right in between the siblings.

Osmo wasn't back rowing. The woman sat in the middle because stuff like politeness, respect, and norms only holds away when someone has shame in the woman, as she shoved herself into Alona's seat, to the sister's frustrated scoffs, showed that she did not. Look at you, all big and strong, rowing with your muscles, the woman said, asking if she

could feel Osmo's muscles, as she was feeling Osmo's muscles. Osmo was happy the woman's focus shifted to Alona, with her commenting how beautiful the young woman was all dressed up.

“The king's son himself would fall in love with her if he ever saw her, you know what?”

Funny story. Osmo laughed and related the tale of how his drawing ability and to some much lesser extent his sister's beauty meant that she was marrying the prince if she agreed to, of course. That's actually where we're going to go right now. Right now, you're going to go have an audience with the prince, the woman said, and then

started breathing heavily. So heavily that she coughed. This startled Osmo, and he noticed that she was now holding a bull frog, just popped into my hand, the woman laughed, from the lake definitely not from my mouth, oh, okay, where

lined the shore.

“Oh, I'm actually going to the capital too, the woman said, and then mumbled something”

to herself.

Yeah, I'm going to have an audience with the prince as well.

That's convenient, Osmo said, a lot too, sounds a little odd to me that two children of, from the smell of it, farmers would be going to meet the prince, but our sovereign is, it seems, very open-minded, the woman said, and settled in as the morning turned to afternoon. We'll see what this person's big plans are, but that will be right after this.

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Taxes and fees extra. See MintMobile for details. Alona turned, her brother was speaking to her, but she couldn't hear him. The Earth splashed in the water, and a thrush sang in the trees nearby, but she couldn't hear him.

Do you hear him? She asked the woman. Of course, the woman said, "Zirius, Alona didn't. Oh, well, maybe she hadn't wanted to hear it. Maybe she couldn't take it.

What is he saying? The woman's concern morphed with purpose until her voice had an edge to it. He says a jump, jump headlong into the water. He doesn't care where you go, or what happens to you, but he doesn't want you here." The woman said, "Watch him with the same intensity that corner copia of emotions her

words painted on Alona's face, like an artist would with their brush." What? Alona asked a tear-welling in her eye.

“The woman in the boat inhaled deeply, her pupils got wider, "Well, what did Alona expect?”

That she was marrying a prince, her?" No, she was the daughter of a farmer. Who did she think she was? No, Osmo was somebody Osmo left, and found his way, and now he couldn't have his

It couldn't have her holding him back, Alona began weeping.

“This was all wrong, she just wanted to talk to him.”

Dear you are talking to him. He doesn't care. It's dreadful. He just keeps saying, "Jump, headlong into the water so I can be rid of you." Osmo seemed to be growing and intensity pointing ahead to the castle growing.

He's telling you to jump, now you're almost there. He'll find another way if you don't jump now, and it won't be as easy or as quick. The woman said, and seemed to breathe in Alona's anguish. With a glance, though, the woman looked behind Alona, to the dock, all pretense, dropped, all padding and fluff, Alona was no longer in the boat with her brother, and the stranger

they had picked up. the woman's black eyes searched her and her fang mouth with a snake crawling out of it, demanded that Alona jump. With this last command, Alona's heart shattered. She didn't know why her brother would order such a cruel thing, but she knew that he was right.

She had been nothing since her parents passed, since Osmo left. To foolish girl cleaning her own tomb, a mausoleum to her family's failure that she,

the greatest failure of them all, would never see again.

She dove from the boat. Moments earlier Osmo stood puzzled, why his sister was growing satir and satir when he was just asking her to stand up and do her ribbons and shake out her dress. The prince was a cool guy, and she didn't have to, but first impressions are kind

“of important when she appeared to grow more and more pained, he set down the order to”

go comfort her, and found that he couldn't move. He screamed as she, still without sound, wailed, and threw herself from the boat, wanting to kick off his shoes and jump and after her, he found he was rooted to the bench. "Don't worry, young man, that was shocking." Big some time, all row us, the woman said, picking up the ors and rowing as tears flowed

from Osmo's eyes, but he otherwise sat motionless in the back of the boat. She's likely dead now, the woman sat down the ors, she had been watching the water in the shore for 10 minutes, and no one had come up. I'll keep you like that while I explain your situation, the woman said, "Turning and going through the bags."

Your prints will have you executed when you return without your sister, you might think, "Oh, but he's my friend, don't worry, I won't try what I just did with your sister. He is your friend, but he's also malleable. You all are." She stopped.

“She could see he wanted to say something.”

"Lies," Osmo said, "you told her lies." She froze him again. "My boy, I can't lie." Well, no, that's a lie, but my best persuasions have truth at the center. Your sister believed that she was worthless, nobody, unloved, forgotten, undeserving of

this grand new life.

She never pulled that thread, but those feelings and thoughts were allowed to grow in

the dark, like a fungus. I just had to open the door and let it out. Like with your friend, the prints. He slums it with you each day. Why?

Maybe because he believes himself to be different. He is, by the way, he doesn't want to be like his father. Something you and your sister could very easily make that permanent. But you could also destroy it. You could embarrass him.

You could make it so he never trusts one of you. Again. He'll think that maybe he is fundamentally different than these little creatures that spark his hope and then laugh at him for nothing more than their own fleeting enjoyment. Or want to use him for everything.

Maybe he is better. Maybe Dad was right. She unfurls Osmo and face contorted and raged from accusing her of lying, he...softened. She's dead. Osmo.

That's over. It happened. Don't let her drag you down with her, the woman said. She opened the wooden box that held alonus clothes. What would you have me do?

He asked. The stranger smiled as she put on alonus dress. Osmo watched the princess face for any sign that he suspected Osmo replacing his sister with a stranger they picked up on the road. To be fair, the prince hadn't actually seen the sister.

Osmo had been pretty honest about his ifie ability to accurately represent someone with his

to vowing to marry someone you only saw a drawing of.

“And in Osmo's defense, drawings from the middle ages look wild.”

I, Jason, have a book with a medieval depiction of one of your where she actually looks like a space alien, it's bizarre. But the prince married the foe alona, filona later on that day, and as brother-in-law and best friend to the prince, the servants showed Osmo to his room in the castle. As he looked on the plush palette, and the goblet with the finest wine he had ever tasted,

it all felt hollow, not just the lie that had gotten him there, though no matter how

much he told himself that the prince had accepted her, and that really he had agreed

to marry a woman's sight unseen so that was kind of on him, it was a lie, Osmo had deceived his only friend, and he was tarnishing the memory of his sister to do so, and then it hit him, his sister was gone, dead. The frantic deceit in the wedding, he hadn't even thought about her, but now that he was alone, the waves of grief crashed over his defenses, she was dead, Osmo had betrayed her

memory, he was alone. After a night of fitful sleep, Osmo decided that he hated this room, this life, he briefly

considered returning to the stables, or just leaving all together, but no, he was this far

into the lie, maybe last night had been the worst of it, it had to get better, didn't it day by day, he rose from the floor where he slept because he didn't deserve to profit off his betrayal, or be warm and comfortable while his sister, he rose from the floor when he heard the boots in the hall, the prince, so how was the wedding night, Osmo winked with a force smile, just kidding, he actually didn't want to know that was a sister,

I thought you said your sister was beautiful, the prince was serious, she is, Osmo said

“as he would remember her face disappearing into the water, I thought she was at first,”

but there's something about her, she's, she's evil, the prince looked almost afraid, you've deceived me, the prince said my father was right, you will have a fitting punishment for your crime, with the nod of his head, the prince's guards came in and grabbed Osmo by a shoulders, Osmo who didn't say another word, everything was correct, his sister was beautiful, and this woman was evil, I deserve my punishment, whatever it is, Osmo said,

as the prince's men dragged him to a shed, you don't get to decide that, the prince said, as the darkness enveloped Osmo, the shed was only the upper part with a high window to let in a few shafts of light, the bottom was a pit lined with stones, they decided that, the prince declared, and the guards threw Osmo into the pit, his arms scraped the rocks when he landed and he sat up, a cacophony of whispers drowned out the sounds of the countryside

beyond the walls of the shack, and the floor was moving, no they weren't whispers though, they were hissing, snakes, the serpent will not harm an innocent man, if your guilty, they will devour you, the prince said, as the prince left, Osmo thought he saw the glimmer of a tear on the man's face, then the door shut, as his eyes adjusted the light, or black thereof, Osmo saw the bones and other bits of the men who had come before him, was it just rhetorical flourish

that the prince said that they would be devoured, or these men guilty enough not to be safe, but not so guilty as to be devoured, though everyone probably sat somewhere on that continuum, Osmo knew his own fate, he closed his eyes, and waited for the serpent to come, alone woke up in bed, a bubble wrapped around her head, the fish that had been looking after her darted off as she sat up, the coral pillars held up a ceiling of shells and soon, a man entered

their room, tall with a long beard, he wore glistening armor, with a wave of his hand, the bubble around Alonus had expanded until it filled the whole room, with her fish attendance darting off

“before they suffocated, the man though seemed to be okay, might, is this pevin' alone asked?”

the man laughed, looking at you I feel like I'm in heaven, beautiful yet sad, it's so hot, it's like

I don't have scurvy, the woman shook her head, where was she? I should hope not,

“no, vitamin C because, oh yeah, I didn't introduce myself, I'm the seeking vitamin SCA because it's,”

it's my name, oh that's, very funny, Alonus still confused about where she was and how she got there, the last thing she remembered was the pain of her brother and the look of that woman, the look, no, she had been overwhelmed by some magic, some spell, the woman was, she was teaky tear, Osmo was a terrible danger, I'm watching kind of a face journey thing here but you're not saying anything, the seeking said, regardless, um, marry me, I'm sorry, what, Alonus replied,

stunned a speechlessness by joy with my offer, yes, marry me, I probably don't even need to ask, the seeking brought out the ring, which was choral but not the polish choral you see with jewelry, and was actually super popular back then, but real choral which is in real life, super sharp,

I need to see my brother first Alonus said, the seeking side but not it, he was a traditional guy too and he

understood that she needed to ask her older male relative permission to wed, he did things the old

“fashion way as well, as soon as they wed her life was going to be very repressed, yes, that's why,”

do you know where he is and how do I get to him, I'm assuming from the air bubble and the fact that I jumped in water that you're the seeking and I'm under to see, the seeking inhaled sharply, beautiful and smart, not so keen on that second one but they'd figure that out, yes, she was under to see and good news bad news about your brother, bad news is it was discovered that the demon woman took your place, he was blamed for his treachery and he's been cast into a room of snakes to be judged and

executed, the seeking clasped his hands, excited for her positive reaction, what, I know, right, like who keeps an entire room full of snakes, snakes poop, you know, I mean that place must wreak no matter what substrate you use and who are you going to get to clean that,

“just going into that room is a death sentence, maybe it's a wool slash silo situation where”

the condemned clean but why would they do that, who knows, the seeking was a magical king of the sea but even he had to think about these practical considerations, now my brother is being executed, what's the good news, the Luna was real in, oh, the good news is that you don't have to leave, you can stay with me forever, the king clapped, please, Luna beg, he's in that pit because of me, please just let me go see him, just three times, one time, the seeking narrowed his eyes,

three times, Luna said again, two times, the seeking smelled, they were bargaining now, all right, okay fine, have it your way, I can go as low as three, Luna said, deal, the seeking pointed, in the left, show it her, we'll see what Luna's big plans are, but that will, once again,

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sorry to break the news, that person isn't your fiance. Given that alone, I had no bargaining power at all, it was a decent compromise. She could return to the world above water for three successive nights, but she had to wear silver chains that tethered her to the underwater kingdom, which, when they rattled, sounded like bells. It made sneaking around the princess kingdom a little difficult, but as she rose and found her family's boat, which had been left on the

day of the arrival, she found that she had a helper. Pilka, her dog, had done sort of a Seymour from Futurama thing, where the dog stayed by where he had last seen Alona. Also, I guess Osmo had enough on his mind that day and completely forgot about Pilka. Emerging from under the bench in the boat, to the sound of his owner's bells, Pilka led out two happy barks and scampered over to her, then she sang the magic song,

Pilka peed a, lift the latch and slip inside, pass the watchdog in the yard, pass the sleeping men on guard, creep and softly as a snake, then creep out before they wake, Pilka peed a, Pilka peed a, Pilka peed a. Wow, Pilka the dog said, I am so glad we found that magic song

that helps us communicate with words and practiced it ahead of time. Too bad we never mentioned

it to Osmo or anyone else. Yes, that would be weird if we just did this with zero explanation, Alona said, right, nice to see him too and thanks for all the face kisses. They needed to focus now, though. She needed Pilka to go check and see how Osmo was doing, and to take this, a square of gold and silver, which she had been working on down in the Sea King's Palace. Pilka needed to place it on the Princess Pillow while he slept,

to communicate that Osmo's true sister lived, and that frightening creature he married, was to your tear. Wow, I don't know how he's supposed to get all that from a piece of cloth, but what do I know, I'm just a dog, Wolf Wolf. Oh, the barks come back, we better get a move on it, Pilka said, and rushed off with the embroidery in his mouth. Returning and panting a few minutes later, Pilka said, okay, he had news. Osmo wasn't dead, in fact, the snake seemed like they kind of

liked him. Also, the fake Alona was a snorer. He passed by the remains of the wedding feast, too, and it was gross, even as a stray dog, no thanks. Filona had served bones instead of meat, fishheads, turnip tops, and bread burned to a cinder. Ilona had a polka on the head. Okay, she would be back the next two nights, and hopefully that would be enough. She descended into the water, chains jingling, the sound of bells echoed through the city,

as the first lights found the eastern sky. In bed, Filona awoke with a snortness start.

Bells, what was that? This woke the prince who was already in a fitful, twilight sleep. His eyes found the beautiful, embroidered square, who made this? What fabric? Give me that,

“Filona Grasp, but the prince sprang from bed. Filona shook her head, did she meant she made it?”

You couldn't make anything this beautiful. The prince cried and rushed off to start his morning.

breakfast. The Chamberlain flipped through the papers, and then, ah, he's a great, not what one

“normally reads and reports from snake pits. The enslaved man that checked on in this morning said”

that the big snake they all call "king snake" because he eats so many of the others was friends with Osmo. Old kinks snake was quild around the arm. Maybe to fend off slash eat any potential attackers. Osmo actually requested more substrate in order to clean up a bit, which was badly needed. The adviser knew that the prince was the monarch and all that, but if he was looking for a judgment when it came to a snake pit, no one had ever ended up friends with them in just a few

days, or ever. Hmm, indeed, the prince said, hey, was there still that strange,

elderly woman who lived on the edge of town? Yeah, the witch, the Chamberlain asked,

well, she's a woman living by herself in a society that doesn't understand and hasn't taken the time to, so that that's probably the shorthand we use, yeah? The prince folded the embroidery and put it in this pocket. No, I totally get that. The Chamberlain said, but she did actually have

“some arcane knowledge, and she was a witch. Can you pencil me in for a two o'clock at the princess?”

The Chamberlain shrugged. I mean, she's the strange woman who lives on the edge of town, and the prince was the prince, he could probably just pop in whenever. And he did. My son, the old woman said early that afternoon, after snatching the embroidery, and pacing around her hut, smelling it and throwing some tiny bones and burning some plants,

and looking at the smoke, that is never Osmo's sister that you have married,

taking old woman's word. It is suy a tear. Yet Osmo's sister must be alive, and the embroidery must be a token from her. It probably means that she begs you to release her brother. You got all that from a piece of fabric? The prince wavered between impressed and suspicious that she got all that from a piece of fabric. Still, as he pondered her enigmatic words, he decided to be on guard in the event that his wife he had secretly hated for reasons he barely

understood was actually a demon from legend, which would kind of explain his idiopathic and deep-seated unease and hatred. There was nothing inigmatic about what I told you. The elderly woman said the following day. When the prince brought her yet another piece of embroidery to see her and ask about the meaning. Even though she was extremely specific the last time, she had even more information now

in the prince, with the elderly woman priming him to see his wife as a possible demon, started to notice some strange happenings, like how she was really mean to wait staff, and also sometimes coughed up a snake, turtle, or comparable reptile. Okay, I'm going to be extremely specific, the old woman said, I was up last night looking at the shore, and I saw her, Osmo's sister. She's wearing the chains of the sea king and, oh, I had a brief

thing with him back in the 80s, 1680s, and he is a very specific kind of weird. He'll let you

“come up for three days in a row, which means tomorrow is her last day. You need to kill her.”

The prince's eyes widened. Oh, okay, wait. I'm sorry. That night, when a loner emerged from the water, she found polka there, cowering and growling, a loner hit the ground into the heavy chain that came at her from the darkness, and it knocked the wind out of her and kept her from screaming as the shadowed figure brought the sight down on her silvery chain. The bells rang out then disappeared into the water,

as soon as she caught her breath, the air was forced out of her lungs again, because he jumped on her. He was on top of her and hugging her, wow, you are beautiful. He said, and then grimaced as he held her tighter, was she not going to transform, you know, that kind of fell safe that the sea king put there. The prince opened his eyes, just as a loner felt the chains get looser. The prince being lost in a loner's eyes, almost lost the fish, as it flopped from the chains,

toward the water. Okay, he remembered what that elderly woman said. He winceed, oh, this felt weird and wrong. He gripped the fish by its tail and slammed it against a rock until it stopped moving.

taking to the air when the prince found he was grasping its tail feathers. Snatching it with one hand,

and a half a dozen sticks with his dagger with the other, and it, too, was still. It didn't stay still, though, and turned into a long, writhing lizard that smacked the dagger out of his hand with its tail and made for the water. He picked up a rock on the shore and left a top of that creature. After several more rounds, each with the creature growing smaller and weaker, the last buzzed in the air and the prince slapped the mosquito between his palms. Opening them to see the smallest

spot of blood and in front of him, alone is face as she woke up on the shore, back in her human form, taking it all in. At that moment, the prince loved her and alone loved him. The man who had gone through so much to save a woman he didn't know, just because it was the right thing to do. Also, he was handsome and her age and a prince, which worth the main things, but definitely factored

into the love it first sight part. Taking her hand, he asked her to rise. They would go up once and

have the false princess executed. She re-coiled no, no, no, no, no. She remembered the boat. Those terrible things that the woman had brought out of her and warped until they became overwhelming. She didn't dare. The prince could see the terror and trauma in a lonace face, okay? He understood. She only need wait until tomorrow, and then she could take her rightful place at his side. I didn't sign up for this. The chamberlain said to the prince the following morning.

“The prince was tired but energized by the rest of his night's work. Is it secret?”

The prince ignored the man's objections? There was more going on than the chamberlain understood. To explain it to him, risked the whole plan being revealed and coming on done. Yes, the chamberlain looked to the floor. "Good. I'll lead her to it," the prince said. And threw open the doors as he heard the coffin. Freezing as a lizard flopped into the princess's hand. The loner turned around, shoved it back in her mouth, and spun to face the prince with a sneer.

Where was he last night? You don't know? He said it was customary. Wow. Sorry. He just thought it was something that all humans knew but it was her sauna day.

When the princess went to enjoy her first sauna as a human princess, and she was

floated and cheered by the city. Sanna? Filona squinted? Oh yeah, it's something all humans love.

“And then he narrowed his eyes. She did. Love it, right?”

Her being a human. Of course. I'm so human that my main question was almost, "Where's the sauna? Why haven't we been to the sauna?" So really, I wonder if you're the human here? See, your tear probably knew that she wasn't nailing this but the prince pivoted with mock relief. Ooh, okay, good. Grab a towel. Sanna day was special. The prince trailing behind the princess knows that she seemed very taken with the crowds. Commenting that they really thought she was a human princess.

Because she was a human princess. She didn't know why she even said that, like seven times. When they made it to the sauna, she was about to disrobe and step over the blue mat and into the sauna. When the prince said, "Hmm." What? Oh no, it's just, it's a blue mat.

“Human princesses walk on blue mats and, I mean, you're a human princess. Aren't you?”

The prince cocked is said. The humanist, she flashed a smile where two frog eyes peaked out from in between her teeth and she stepped on the blue mat. Oh, so blue. So human and then she dropped into a pit of boiling tar. The prince had learned from Milona, not to listen to Sia Ter. Not a word. So he immediately walked out of the sauna, locked the door as the burning tar, which is the only way to kill Sia Ter, and she cried out from the locked room. There was no escape, but she could do

one last hateful curse on her way out. Tering out handfuls of her own hair, she threw them up above the pit, and they became moths, mosquitoes, and parasitic worms. Here two four non-existent in the world, to trouble mankind forever. So, thanks, prince. While she screamed, the prince sent word to Osmo that he was to be released from the snake house, and meet with him and Alona at the house of the old sage. When the prince arrived there, he embraced Alona, and declared his

up with Sia Ter. Osmo said yes, the prince was forgiven because he definitely had not done that

“for sure, absolutely not, and then he turned Alona. He rushed and embraced his sister,”

and said he was so sorry, and she shook her head now. It's, they both had been deceived. She knew

that he would never say those things or leave her, and he promised no matter what, he would not pick

up evil witch hitchhikers, and also would stay by her side forever. You know, saying somebody words to affirm your innocence just shows how honest you truly are, the prince said to Osmo, also, his Chamberlain had resigned and discussed that morning. Thinking the prince was going bluebeared and just murdering a wife that he found himself displeased by, so the position was open, if Osmo wanted to join, Osmo said that, well, he thought this what he wanted, but his job as a

shepherd was one that just kidding, now he hated his other job, yes, he would be the Chamberlain

“and hang out with them forever. And so the three lived happily ever after. In Alona, looking out”

on the cheering crowds after her wedding day, with her husband, the prince, her brother Osmo

by her side and polka at her feet, said that she was now finally happy that she left her family home.

So that's the story for today. I will say I did flesh out Alona's character a little bit more in the original, not only does she completely buy that all the things Osmo broke just fell apart and so it was time to go, but also the boat bit, while distressing to right, was not as plainly insulting to the character who, once again, according to the text, heard a stranger tell her that her brother said, "Jump!" "Aston, are you sure that sounds weird?" and then jumped, just because her

brother said so. To me, the story was stealthily about Alona finding agency and hope and fighting back,

“both against some pretty powerful evil forces and the pernicious cognitions that have been allowed”

to fester, and her winning on both accounts. Next week, there are some stories from Turkish folklore that were super fun to write, I'm really excited about this episode, but they're about people with big dreams and the horrible things that happen when they're forced to both go after those dreams or give them up. So, if you're on Instagram, I know we teased a big announcement today, I'm super sorry, due to forces out of our control we had to delay the announcement, and I just

want to say nothing to be maybe mentioned in the announcement is delayed, wink, wink, so no worries

there, but a few things just had to be finished at first. So stick with us here, the podcast, there,

Instagram, and everywhere else, which is basically just discordant, sometimes blue sky at the moment, for any big updates and trust me, there will be a lot of big updates this year. The creature this time is Jurua, from the end of an island. If you've ever been out swimming and been hit by a cramp, I just want to say it's not your fault. Sure, they told you not to go out swimming after eating like 6 sandwiches, but we both know that that wasn't the reason for the cramp.

The reason was invisible spears. Spears thrown by the Jurua, of course. They go out and travel in underwater boats, and when they see swimmers or people fishing, they take game in order to take you down to consume your flesh. No worries, though, because let me try to drown me first, which presumably is better than just cutting straight to the eating, but still it made it not great. They live in underwater cities with their families, which is nice until you realize that going out

for family lunch is stopping by a crowded beach. I've read stories that talk of this creature in its jungle counterpart as being the result of what happens to certain souls after a person dies, not sure what made them so mad that they felt the need to ruin all of our days at the beach. Water spirits throwing invisible spears to kill and consume you is scary. And I know this because I'm a water coward who hates it when stuff brushes on my feet in the ocean. There are

two ways to stay safe. One, don't go in the ocean. I mean it's salty and you're basically accidently drinking fish, toilet water every few minutes, but if you insist, there is a way to ward off the Jurua. A creeper, and no, but also yes, that would solve the problem of the monster hunting you, but it would also create the problem of you getting blown up. This creeper, though, is a plant. The anodendron. Just wear it and you can swim around all the evil water spirits trying to eat

That's it for this time. Myths and legends is by Jason and Carissa Weiser. Our theme song is by broke for free and the creature the week music is by Steve Combs. There are links to even more of the music we used in the showdowns. Thank you so much for listening and we'll see you next time.