Unpleasant Dreams

Latest Episodes:

The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton - Unpleasant Dreams 65 Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

Do you enjoy classic ghost stories—especially those with a festive twist? This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold has a special treat for you: a reading of Charles Dickens' The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.

You might be thinking, "Wait, didn't Dickens write the iconic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol?" That's true! But The Story of the Goblins was published seven years earlier and actually served as an inspiration or prototype for A Christmas Carol. In this spooky tale, a grumpy sexton (a type of undertaker or gravedigger) refuses to embrace the Christmas spirit. That is, until a group of mischievous goblins kidnap him and attempt to change his outlook on life.

Originally published in 1836 as part of The Pickwick Papers, this story is in the public domain.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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The Real Story of Krampus - Unpleasant Dreams 64 Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

December 5th is Krampusnacht!

In honor of this special occasion, we revisit the real story of Krampus in today’s holiday edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Oh, and be sure to be good. You wouldn’t want to upset The Krampus…

Find the original article by EM Hilker that this episode is based on HERE

Episode originally released in 2021.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Alchemist., The. “Witch Bells and How to Use Them.” Magical Recipes Online, 19 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Armstrong, Patti Maguire. “An Exorcist Explains Why the Devil Hates Bells So Much.” NCR. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Billock, Jennifer. “The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, 4 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Brom. Krampus: the Yule Lord. Harper Voyager, 2012.

“Devils – Afraid of Bells.” Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Hart, Sandra Merville. “Ten Christmas Songs That Mention Bells.” Sandra Merville Hart, 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

History.com Editors. “Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 November 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Hix, Lisa. “You’d Better Watch Out: Krampus Is Coming to Town.” Collectors Weekly, 11 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Little, Becky. “Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Littlechild, Chris. “The Terrible Tale of Hans Trapp, the Christmas Scarecrow.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 8 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Loh-Hagan, Virginia. Krampus: Magic, Myth, and Mystery. Cherry Lake Publishing, 2019.

“Guardian Bells.” Motorcycle Minds, 28 November 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Pandza, Tina. “The German Postcard Craze: Then and Now.” DW.COM, 21 Sept. 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Raedisch, Linda. The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year. Llewellyn, 2013.

Ridenour, Al. The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. Feral House, 2016.

Rogers, Jude. “The Mari Lwyd.” Wales. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

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Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark - Unpleasant Dreams 63 Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Cassandra Harold engages in some whimsy and nonsense this week on Unpleasant Dreams, reading two poems by Lewis Carroll.

"Jabberwocky" was published in 1871 and is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. The poem has given us the nonsense words and neologisms such as "galumphing" and "chortle". It was included in Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Then, Cassandra tells us Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark" which was published in 1876. It is also considered a nonsense poem. There are many analyses about what the poem means, with some people indicating it is an allegory for the search for happiness. What do you think?

Both poems are in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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What Was It? A Mystery - Unpleasant Dreams 62 Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Do you like stories of terror and horror? You are in for a treat this week as Cassandra Harold tells us the short story, "What Was It? A Mystery".

Written by Fitz-James O'Brien and first published in Harper's Magazine in 1859. It is in the Public Domain.

This story is among the earliest modern tales to include the concept of "invisibility," predating H.G. Wells's 1897 work, "The Invisible Man."

Enjoy!

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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The Boarded Window - Unpleasant Dreams 61 Nov 06, 2024

Show notes

Halloween has passed but the spooky stories continue on here on Unpleasant Dreams.

Cassandra Harold reads the short story, The Boarded Window, by Ambrose Bierce on this week’s episode.

It was written in 1891, and is in the Public Domain.

Enjoy!

—

Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers’ intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library’s guide on public domain:

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vampyre - Unpleasant Dreams 60 Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

Happy Halloween!

Cassandra Harold reads the short work of prose fiction, "The Vampyre," by John William Polidori on this week's Unpleasant Dreams.

It was written in 1819, was published in New Monthly Magazine that year, and is in the Public Domain. "The Vampyre" is believed to have started the romantic vampire genre.

We hope you enjoy!

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Unpleasant Dreams 59 Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

What would you do if you were on your way to a wedding and a sailor stops you tell you a story about life or death?

This week Cassandra Harold tells us The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

This poem was first published in 1798 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra is narrating an 1834 edition.

This famous poem features popular phrases that are still used today : "albatross around one's neck" and "Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink".

Enjoy!

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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The Music of Erich Zann - Unpleasant Dreams 58 Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

This week's Unpleasant Dreams featuresa horror story written by H.P. Lovecraft.

Cassandra Harold narrates the short story, "The Music of Erich Zann."

"The Music of Erich Zann" was written in 1921 and first published in 1922 and is in the Public Domain.

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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The Masque of the Red Death - Unpleasant Dreams 57 Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Join us this week on Unpleasant Dreams as Cassandra Harold tells us the story of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death."

"The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842 and is in the Public Domain.

https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

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A Ghost Story - Unpleasant Dreams 56 Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Believe it or not, Mark Twain actually wrote a classic ghost story. Appropriately enough, it was called, "A Ghost Story" and it is our Season 4 premiere. Much more to come this fall!

It is great to be back and thanks for your patience! We'll be back next week with more chilling Unpleasant Dreams.

"A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain, was originally published in 1870 and is in the Public Domain.

Our narrator is Cassandra Harold.

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